10Aug
An article on Polygonum cuspidatum, a commercial source of resveratrol, came out in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, June 9, 2010 which shows that resveratrol has the potential to delay aging. This study was done in animal models and in vitro (laboratory test). In general the observations were the reduction of oxidative stress which translates into an anti-oxidant power and also the inflammatory stress. These are the major mechanisms for longevity and stress, and imply that resveratrol can be help delay aging and biological stress. [Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism , doi:10.1210/jc.2010-0482]
To correlate this with the study at Harvad University by Dr. David Sinclair, he reported that grapes naturally produce resveratrol which could fight age related diseases by studying genetic materials and reduce the pathologic effects of high fat diet by mimicking caloric restriction. [Cell 97 (5): 609–20.doi:10.1016/S0092-8674(00)80772-2. PMID 10367890.] This apparently has something to do with the French paradox, wherein French people’s consumption of red wine could explain why France has low rates of cardiovascular disease despite the high consumption of fat relative to the United States.
The Japanese knotweed, Polygonum cuspidatum has the highest amount of resveratrol followed by grapes, and among the varieties of grapes, the muscadine grapes are the next best source. Resveratrol can also be found in other red or purple grapes, peanuts, cranberry, raspberry, and blueberries.
17Jun
A study by the Nurses’ Health Study which was reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine (Arch Intern Med. 2010;170:961-969) indicates that eating 5 or more servings of white rice per week was associated with higher risk of Type 2 diabetes. Replacing white rice with brown rice by as much as 50 gms per day or one-third of the serving per day can potentially reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes by as much as 16% and if totally replaced this reduction can be as high as 36%.
Tags: brown rice, whole grain
16Jun
Many of us may wonder how food helps in giving us the protection we need for a healthy life. Contrary to beliefs that food supplements may be useless is the fact that a significant amount of resources are spent on studying plants such as fruits and vegetables. Take for example the amount of scientific information that are published in journals. One these is quercetin, published in the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Journal, which suggests that the bioactive substance found in apple skins, onions, tea, red wine, leafy green vegetables and berries support the body’s defenses that “sensitize” cancer cells (in this case melanoma cells – or cells responsible for skin cancer) to make more receptive to chemotherapy. (Ref: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2407/10/282/abstract) Assuming perhaps that the body has the natural attack mechanisms against cancer, this implies that we have enough basis not to negate the value of anti-oxidants.
What is the relevance of food supplements in this case? In one of the respected websites, the University of Maryland Medical Center, people are given information and choices about supplements and let us quote: “One advantage of buying a supplement is ; Quercetin is available in higher amounts in dietary supplements than would typically be found in food sources. I guess you would need to eat a basket of Apples just to get the same amount of quercetin in a tablet.”
We post this so the public may know that food supplements have value in health and to balance the view about food supplements. What we really need to pursue is for the public to be protected against poor quality products that have dubious value.
Tags: food supplement, quercetin
27Apr
Peanuts are not nuts but belong to the family of legumes. This food delivers a punch of energy and a good source of monosaturated fats and decrease cardiovascular risk by as much as 21%. Peanuts are a good source of manganese, trypthophan, Vitamin B3 (niacin), folate, copper and protein. It is also a good source of antioxidants called p-coumaric acide that can increase antioxidant levels by 22% when combined with a diet of fruits and vegetables. Caution however, should be taken for people who are allergic to peanuts, those with existing gallbladder and kidney disease –such as stones because they contain some amounts of oxalate. About half a cup of peanuts or 1 tablespoon of peanut butter 4x daily can be beneficial towards reducing coronary heart disease and also reduce the risk of Alzheimer and cognitive decline due to aging. Improperly stored peanuts can also be risky for high amounts of aflatoxin which have been implicated to be a cause of liver cancer.
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