Striving4Zen

Did you know that grapes contain a nutrient called resveratrol that acts as a powerful antioxidant and has been found to help protect against heart disease and cancer?

Recent studies show that the flavonoids, such as resveratrol, found in grapes, particularly purple and red grapes, have powerful health-promoting properties. Much of this research was motivated by what has come to be known as the French Paradox: the interesting phenomenon of the low incidence of heart disease among the French despite their eating a diet high in fats. Increasing evidence suggests that the flavonoids found in grapes, grape juice and red wine, particularly resveratrol, may be a key to understanding this paradox since these foods are an important part of the French diet. Like calorie restriction, resveratrol activates a number of sirtuins, genes in the SIR (silent information regulator) family, which trigger cell signaling that:

• mobilizes the release of stored fat and its conversion into glucose
• promotes insulin secretion, so glucose is promptly delivered to cells
• boosts the aerobic capacity of the mitochondria (the energy production factories in our cells), so the glucose is efficiently converted into energy
• inactivates p53, a gene that plays a pivotal role in cellular senescence

The net result is a much more youthful metabolism in which fats and carbohydrates are efficiently converted into energy, increasing endurance and resistance to stress, instead of stockpiling and fueling inflammation, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

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Labels: antioxidant, flavonoids, French Paradox, fruit, grapes, healthy diet, healthy food, resveratrol

Five things about red wine:

Antioxidants in red wine called flavonoids have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering LDL (bad cholesterol) levels and increasing the production of good cholesterol.

According to researchers at the University of California, Davis, certain varietals have more concentrations of flavonoids than others. Of the most common red varietals, Cabernet Savignon has the most flavonoids, followed closely by Petit Syrah and Pinot Noir, then Merlot and red Zinfandel.

Moderate consumption of red wine has been known to raise heart healthy omega-3 levels, and these fatty acids play a role in reducing the risk of heart disease.

Resveratrol, another antioxidant found in red wine, could keep you slim.

Polyphenols, also found in tea, nuts, berries and cocoa, may decrease the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Source

Labels: antioxidant, beverages, healthy booze, heart disease, Omega-3s, polyphenols, red wine, wine

There's an emerging star in the super-food world.

Plums are rolling down the food fashion runway sporting newly discovered high levels of healthy nutrients, say scientists at Texas AgriLife Research.

Plainly, "blueberries have some stiff competition," said Dr. Luis Cisneros, AgriLife Research food scientist."Stone fruits are super fruits with plums as emerging stars."

Far from fruit snobbery, the plum is being ushered in after Cisneros and Dr. David Byrne, AgriLife Research plant breeder, judged more than 100 varieties of plums, peaches and nectarines and found them to match or exceed the much-touted blueberries in antioxidants and phytonutrients associated with disease prevention.

The duo acknowledge that blueberries remain a good nutritional choice. But Byrne said their findings are plum good news, especially in tight economic times, because one relatively inexpensive plum contains about the same amount of antioxidants as a handful of more expensive blueberries.

Discovery of the plum's benefits - along with that of fellow stone fruits, the peach and the nectarine - came after the researchers measured at least five brands of blueberries on the market. Against those numbers, the team measured the content of more than 100 different types of plums, nectarines and peaches.

The first comparison was for antioxidants, molecules that sweep through a body looking for free radicals to knock out. Free radicals are atoms or molecules that lurk where diseases like cancer and heart disease are found.

"If the radicals aren't taken care of," Cisneros said, "they will cause the problems that lead to disease."

"Knowing that we had all these varieties with high levels of antioxidants, then the possibility of preventing these diseases would also be high with their consumption, so we went to the next step - how these compounds could actually inhibit chronic diseases," Cisneros said.

The team examined the full content of plums and peaches, then tested the effect of the compounds they found on breast cancer cells and cholesterol in the lab.

Byrne noted, for example, that one benefit the team found was that the phytonutrients in plums inhibited in vitro breast cancer growth without adversely affecting normal cell growth.

He said this type of research needs further study but is an indication that breeders ultimately will be able to produce new crop varieties with the best ratio of various phytochemicals to have an impact on disease prevention and inhibition. And these fruits will be available as fresh produce as well as in extracts for dietary supplements.

"Future work with stone fruits will focus on cardiovascular and cancer using animal models and identification of specific compounds that exert the properties," Cisneros added.

Bottom line from the researchers: "We suggest that consumers take seriously the recommendation to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables - or even more - every day and to make sure that plums are part of that," Byrne said.

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Labels: antioxidant, blueberries, fruits, fruits and veggies, healthy diet, phytonutrients, plums

Did you know that one cup of winter squash provides 146% of your daily value of vitamin A and is rich in beta carotene, the pre-cursor to vitamin A? Beta-carotene is one of the carotenoids found in winter squash that provides it with its deep orange color and has been shown to have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Antioxidants help prevent the progression of atherosclerosis by inhibiting the oxidation of cholesterol in the body. Since it is only the oxidized form of cholesterol that builds up in the blood vessel walls, these antioxidants help protect against both heart attack and stroke. The anti-inflammatory properties of winter squash may help reduce the severity of conditions such as asthma, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, which all involve inflammation. And that's not all. The carotenoids found in winter squash protect against diabetic heart disease and may be beneficial to blood sugar regulation for those suffering from diabetes. Research suggests carotenoids may be inversely associated with insulin resistance and high blood sugar levels.

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Labels: acorn squash, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, butternut squash, healthy eating, in season, vegetable, winter squash

Cranberries are in the peak of their season and are our food of the week.

Did you know that cranberries contain one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants of any fruit?

Studies conducted at the University of Scranton, PA, found cranberries to contain the highest level of phenol antioxidants when compared to 19 other common fruits! (Some of the other fruits found to be rich in phenols, in descending order after cranberries, were apples, red grapes, strawberries, pineapples, bananas, peaches, lemons, oranges, pears and grapefruit).

Antioxidants are premier disease-fighters and anti-aging agents. Cranberry phenols have been found to help protect against certain types of cancers, the brain cell damage that usually occurs in the early stages after a stroke, and urinary tract infections. They protect against the free radical activity that is thought to be responsible for making cholesterol harmful to arteries and the heart, memory impairment, difficulty in mobility, cataracts and macular degeneration of the eyes. So, as the holiday season approaches, you can enjoy your cranberry sauce, not only because it tastes great, but because you know you will be getting an extra big dose of health-promoting antioxidants.

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Labels: antioxidant, cranberries, food of the week, fruits, healthy food, phenols

Alpha-lipoic acid, also called lipoic acid or thioctic acid, is a powerful antioxidant that helps cells convert glucose to energy, detoxifies the body, fights inflammation in the skin, and helps stabilize blood sugar.

Alpha-lipoic acid has been called a "universal antioxidant" because it is both water- and fat-soluble, and thus can penetrate tissues composed mainly of fat, such as the nervous system, as well as those made mainly of water, such as the heart, to protect them from free-radical damage. Alpha-lipoic acid also helps the body use other antioxidants, such as vitamin E, vitamin C, and glutathione, more efficiently. This nutrient also helps B vitamins convert proteins, carbohydrates, and fats into energy more efficiently.

Alpha-lipoic acid may be one of the most powerful antioxidants discovered to date. It helps increase the body’s supply of glutathione, the most abundant natural antioxidant, so that free radicals are escorted out of the body before they can cause damage to cells. Free radicals have been shown to impair the immune system, leaving the body vulnerable to infections, heart disease and cancer. Free radical damage is thought by scientists to be the basis for the aging process as well.

Alpha-lipoic acid is found in spinach, liver, and brewer's yeast, and the body is able to manufacture its own supply of this substance as well. However, the body doesn’t make a lot of alpha-lipoic acid, and most of it is used to help the mitochondria in cells convert glucose to energy. In order to benefit from the anti-aging and disease-fighting abilities of alpha-lipoic acid, you have to take a supplement.

There is no Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for alpha-lipoic acid, but studies have found that 100 milligrams taken twice daily is enough to supply extra free-radical protection throughout the body, and may help prevent or treat a lot of health problems, including Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, atherosclerosis, glaucoma, and HIV infection. Lipoic acid could also help those with liver disease; intravenous forms of alpha-lipoic acid are used in some hospitals to treat cases of acute poisoning that affect the liver.

However, alpha-lipoic has been most extensively studied for its role in preventing complications from both diabetic neuropathy and autonomic neuropathy. Diabetic neuropathy is thought to be caused by free-radical damage to the nerves, and causes unpleasant tingling, numbness, and pain in the body. Autonomic neuropathy affects the nerves that control internal organs, and is also thought to be linked to free-radical damage. Alpha-lipoic acid may be successful in treating these conditions because it is fat-soluble antioxidant, and therefore can penetrate the nerve cells to prevent further damage.

Alpha-lipoic acid comes in tablets and capsules, and is also available in combination products with other antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E. It has shown no serious toxic side effects at commonly recommended dosages, although it can cause stomach upset or an allergic skin rash in some people. If you experience any of these reactions, reduce the dose or stop taking the supplement.

Source

Labels: Alpha Lipoic Acid, antioxidant, supplements

Cashew nuts might help the body maintain normal blood pressure by making arteries better able to expand and contract, according to a report published in the June 2006 American Journal of Hypertension.

Lemonade, with its abundant citric acid, might help in warding off kidney stones, according to the buzz at a recent meeting of urologists.

And the humble artichoke has emerged as an even better source of disease-fighting antioxidants than chocolate, blueberries, or red wine, according to a Norwegian study of 1,100 foods.

Reports like those might make you think you can protect your health by simply working a few star ingredients into your diet. But decades of research has convinced many experts that the overall pattern of eating--not just individual foods--has the strongest effect.

Case in point: The diet of people living in the Mediterranean region. Long known for its heart-protecting benefits, this dietary pattern might also help prevent cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, new evidence suggests. And no single component of the diet appears to do it alone.

Brain food

In a study published in June 2006 in the journal Annals of Neurology, researchers at Columbia University analyzed the diets of more than 2,200 older adults. Those who ate closest to the Mediterranean model were about 40% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s over the follow-up period (four years on average) than those who least adhered to it.

A middle group, who followed some but not all of the Mediterranean pattern, cut their risk by 15 to 21%.

When the researchers investigated the data for individual foods, though, no single nutrient or food group had a measurable effect on Alzheimer’s risk.

The authors surmised that it’s the cumulative makeup of the Mediterranean diet that accounts for most of its benefits. It’s full of vegetables and legumes, low in saturated fat, and moderately high in fish, which supplies lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids. It also includes unsaturated fat from virgin olive oil and nuts.

What you can do

Maximizing the potential health benefits of food is more about following certain principles than eating certain “superfoods.” The foundation of the Mediterranean diet includes:

• Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to increase your intake of different phytochemicals, the substances in plants thought to help fight disease. In studies of blueberries, pomegranate juice, chocolate, and even coffee, researchers nearly always attribute the health benefits to phytochemicals, which include antioxidants such as lutein and lycopene.
  
  
• Choosing real foods over supplements so that you get the whole range of plant chemicals in each, plus the fiber.
  
  
• Snacking on nuts. They’re rich in fiber and substances called sterols that can help lower cholesterol. But remember that they’re also high in calories, so keep portions to about an ounce.
  
  
• Getting at least two small servings a week of fatty fish, such as wild salmon or sardines. Pregnant or nursing women and young children should avoid fish that is high in mercury.
  
  
• Minimizing artery-clogging saturated fat and trying to avoid the even more dangerous trans fat, which comes from partly hydrogenated vegetable oil. Use heart-healthy olive oil instead.

Source

Labels: antioxidant, healthy diet, Mediterranean Diet, Nuts, olive oil, phytonutrients, salmon, sterols, superfoods, Whole Foods

New drink specially designed to give you all the benefits of red wine without the alcohol, all-natural Embodi is the only healthy drink to take advantage of the full antioxidant power of the red wine grape.

Perfect for those who want more out of life.

Labels: antioxidant, drinks, new product, red wine, resveratrol

Herbs and spices are rich in antioxidants, and they are also potent inhibitors of tissue damage and inflammation caused by high levels of blood sugar.

When researchers tested extracts from 24 common herbs and spices, they found a direct correlation between antioxidant phenol content and the ability of the extracts to block the formation of compounds that contribute to damage caused by diabetes and aging.

Spices such as cloves and cinnamon have phenol levels that are 30% and 18% of dry weight, respectively, while herbs such as oregano and sage are 8 and 6% phenol by dry weight. Blueberries, which are widely touted for their antioxidant capabilities, contain roughly 5% phenol by dry weight.

Source

Labels: antioxidant, cinnamon, cloves, healing with food, healthy diet, phenols, spices