Monday, July 27, 2009
Did You Know ---> Green Beans
Did you know that the wealth of vitamin K (122% daily value) found in green beans plays an important role in bone health?Although calcium and vitamin D are often the nutrients highlighted in discussions on bone and prevention of bone-related disease, current research is increasingly revealing the importance of vitamin K. Although much of the research has focused on the K2 form of the vitamin, the K1 form found in greens beans has also been associated with better bone mineral density and decreased risk of bone-related diseases.
So, green beans can now join in with a variety of vegetables (including kale, spinach, collard greens and mustard greens) which are excellent sources of vitamin K1 and provide welcomed support for our bones. But the benefits of green beans do not stop here. They're also a rich source of other vitamins and minerals, many of which can act as powerful antioxidants that help combat the free radical activity associated with increased risk of both cancer and heart disease.
Read More....
Labels: bones, eating healthy, green beans, green leafy vegetables, Green veggies, healthy diet, Kale, spinach, strong bones, Vitamin K
Friday, June 26, 2009
The Milk Myth
A recent study claims that young adults are not drinking enough milk -- that is, if you read what the media reports. But if you really read the study according to the lead author Nicole Larson, it's calcium they're lacking. The words "milk" and "calcium" are often used interchangeably in the popular press. But while milk is a calcium source, no standard other than that of the National Dairy Council considers it the best calcium source.
The suggestion that you need to drink three glasses of the secretion of a cow's mammary glands in order to be healthy is a bit outrageous and doesn't fit the human evolutionary profile. In fact, most humans around the world cannot easily digest cow milk.
Yogurt has more calcium than milk and is easier to digest. Collards and other greens also have about as much or more calcium than milk by the cup. Greens, unlike milk, have the added benefit of vitamin K, also necessary for strong bones. Sesame is also very high in calcium.
When you measure calcium by cup of food product, milk is high on the list. When you view it by calorie, though, milk is at the bottom. A hundred calories of turnip greens have over three times as much calcium as 100 calories of whole milk.
Labels: calcium, Collard Greens, cows, eating healthy, green leafy vegetables, Green veggies, healthy food, milk, sesame seeds, turnip greens
Sunday, June 07, 2009
If There Were Ever A SuperFood -> Leafy Greens Would Rule the Roost
Though they pack a nutritional punch, leafy greens are extremely low in calories. 100 grams of spinach contains only 23 calories, but it also contains 188% of a person’s daily value of vitamin A and 604% of a person’s vitamin K. In general, leafy greens have numerous vitamins, including many B vitamins and vitamins C, E, and K. They are extremely rich sources of minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium, and they also provide many phytonutrients, including beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. Many greens even contain small amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids.
Greens are also packed with fiber. Fiber comes in two types, water-soluble and insoluble. Water-soluble fiber helps lower cholesterol levels and insoluble fiber promotes regularity, so fiber slows digestion and has little impact on blood glucose levels.
Other specific health benefits attributed to greens include:
| Green | Purported Benefit |
| Cilantro | This pungent and spicy herb is also great for your eyes because of it’s lutein and zeaxanthin, which may prevent cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. |
| Collard Greens | A cross between cabbage and kale, collard greens are considered an anti-cancer food because of its cruciferous properties. |
| Kale | Three times as much calcium as phosphorus makes kale a great osteoporosis inhibitor. In addition to kale’s calcium, it is also one of the richest plant sources for vitamin K. Vitamin K is a fat soluble vitamin important to blood clotting; it also builds bones, slows bone loss, and heals fractures, all important to osteoporosis sufferers. In fact, one study showed people who had high vitamin K diets were less likely to suffer hip breaks than people eating low vitamin K diets. |
| Lettuces | There are a variety of lettuces you can enjoy. Besides supporting eye healthy, they enhance skin health and improve immune function. |
| Parsley | Parsley has many of the same health benefits as cilantro and kale. In addition, apigenin, which is an antioxidant flavonoid found in parsley, protects the prostate and may also reduce breast, colon, skin, and thyroid cancers. |
| Spinach | Nutrition Data notes spinach is a strong anti-inflammatory and rich iron source. However, it also contains oxalates, which may bind with the calcium and make the calcium unusable. To learn more, read Oxalates. |
| Swiss Chard | Similar to collard greens, swiss chard is a powerful anti-cancer food. |
The good news about leafy greens is they are versatile and offer many healthful nutrients. Leafy greens are also a major source of chlorophyll and have become increasingly popular in things such as smoothies. They may be your best bet to preserve bone health because they have an excellent calcium and magnesium ratio.
Labels: chlorophyll, cruciferous vegetables, eating healthy, green leafy vegetables, healthy diet, Kale, lutein, spinach, strong bones, swiss chard; greens
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Plant Foods as Sources of Calcium
Calcium is a mineral found in a wide variety of foods besides dairy products. Virtually all greens contain calcium. By "greens," I mean all the dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, chard, mustard greens, and collard greens as well as lettuces, like romaine. Shredded cabbage is also a source of calcium. Virtually all nuts and seeds - and especially sesame seeds - contain calcium. So do most beans, including navy, pinto, kidney, and black and others. Additionally, tofu can also be an important source of calcium, particularly when the tofu has been calcium-precipitated (meaning that calcium was used to help convert the soy milk into tofu) it can provide a significant amount of calcium.
Labels: beans, calcium, green leafy vegetables, healthy diet, Nuts, plant foods, seeds, tofu, vegetarian
Monday, February 02, 2009
Food of the Week . . . Collard Greens
Did you know that one cup of cooked collard greens will provide you with almost as much calcium as a cup of milk? Milk products are often considered the best source of calcium, so you may be surprised to find that while one cup of 2% milk provides 29% of the daily value (297 mg) for calcium, one cup of cooked collard greens contains almost as much: 23% of the daily value (226 mg)! And the collard greens have half the calories of the milk (50 calories compared to 121) with virtually no fat. Calcium is known primarily for its role in maintaining the strength and density of bones, but recent studies have shown that it is also important in helping to protect colon cells from cancer-causing chemicals, preventing migraine headaches, and reducing PMS symptoms during the second half of the menstrual cycle. Since the body tightly controls the amount of calcium in the blood so that sufficient calcium is always available, when dietary intake it too low, calcium is pulled out of the bones to maintain normal blood concentrations. This is why low dietary calcium can, over many years, lead to osteoporosis. So next time you are wondering how to boost your calcium intake, don't just think milk, think collard greens!Read More ...
Labels: calcium, Collard Greens, green leafy vegetables, healthy diet, vegetable
