Tempted to go
overboard on fresh strawberries? Go ahead.
It's peak season,
so they're cheap, juicy, abundant, and one of the healthiest fruits
around. A string of recent studies credit strawberries with helping to
smack down the effects of bad LDL cholesterol, inhibit disease-fueling
inflammation, fight the development of cancer, and even benefit the
aging brain. Whew! All that and irresistible flavor.
Strawberries are
famous for their heart-healthy vitamin C, but they're also packed with
potent disease-fighting antioxidants, especially one called ellagic
acid, which has shown strong cancer-fighting properties in the lab.
Strawberries also are rich in flavonoids, antioxidants that help shield
cells from molecular damage, reducing the risks of multiple diseases
and needless brain/body aging. Strawberry shortcake, anyone?
Source:
Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, ©2006
July 8, 2007- Something to Relish
Three foods your
arteries can't get enough of: onions, celery, and parsley.
Whether you add
them to soups, relish dishes, sandwiches, or salads, improving the
health of your arteries may be as simple as munching on these flavor
boosters. People who eat more flavonoid-rich veggies like these cut
their risk of hardening of the arteries -- especially in the legs -- in
half.
The health-fuel
powering these foods comes from flavonoids -- naturally occurring plant
compounds that are widely known for their disease-fighting antioxidant
and anti-inflammatory properties. Yellow onions, parsley, and celery
are loaded with flavonoids, though there are other good sources: kale,
leeks, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, and blueberries. And most fruits and
veggies, as well as tea and red wine, have at least a smattering of
them. Flavonoids are potent defenders against peripheral arterial
occlusive disease (PAOD), which narrows and hardens arteries in the
legs and arms, reducing blood flow.
So the next time
you're whipping up tuna or egg salad, mararina sauce or vegetable soup,
gazpacho or a dish of crudités, add some extra parsley, onion,
and celery. The flavor will hum, and your arteries will, too.
Source:
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, ©2006
July 15, 2007- Bad Bubbles
Yellow stains aside, brewed coffee or tea may not be the worst thing you could swish past your pearly whites.
Other drinks tested in a recent study produced much more wear and tear
on tooth enamel, especially bubbly soft drinks. But here's the
surprise: It didn't matter if the sodas were diet or not.
When your tooth enamel starts to erode, you've got major problems on
your hands. And certain foods like sweets and sodas may hasten this
process. All carbonated drinks in a recent study had some impact
on tooth enamel (with the one possible exception being root beer -- its
impact on tooth enamel was slight). Citrus-flavored sodas hit teeth
hardest, but colas caused problems, too. And it didn't matter if the
drinks were diet or full-sugar.
Contrary to what you might think, it's not only the sugars in bubbly
beverages that erode tooth enamel. It's also the acids. The total acid
content and acid type -- look for names like phosphoric, citric, malic,
and tartaric -- in a beverage affect how strong the attack is on your
choppers. Rinsing after sipping a soda may hasten the acids out of your mouth.
Source: General Dentistry, ©2007
July 22, 2007- 3 Veggies That Make Your Brain Younger
Broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. Consider them a facelift for your
brain. That's because munching on veggies like these -- which
belong to the cruciferous family of veggies -- could shave 1 to 2 years
off your mind's age. Here's how they help.
Women who filled out a food-intake questionnaire demonstrated some
pretty significant memory muscle on tests when their questionnaires
revealed a true love for all things cruciferous (as well as leafy and
green, like spinach). In fact, the veggie-lovers’ test scores
were more in line with those of women a couple of years younger. That
means your brain could be 48 when the calendar says it’s 50. Not
bad.
Researchers speculate that nutrients like lutein and folate, found in
abundance in foods like spinach, may be part of the reason for the brain
benefits that cruciferous and leafy green veggies confer.
Source: Annals of Neurology, ©2007
