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November 22, 2004 |
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In This Issue...
DELUXE COMBO I run many articles in Daily Health News about specific foods being especially good or bad for you COMBINATIONS THAT SEEM TO PREVENT CANCER Broccoli and tomatoes have been getting a lot of press lately as being a combination that packs a one-two punch in preventing cancer. John W. Erdman, Jr., PhD, professor of food science and nutrition at University of Illinois at Urbana, conducted animal studies using these two vegetables and concluded, "Together, they bring out the best in each other and maximize the cancer-fighting effect." Soy and tea (black and green) have been shown to provide a powerful defense against cancer. Jin-Rong Zhou, PhD, director of the nutrition metabolism laboratory at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School, observed that people in Asia, a population that consumes soy and tea in large quantities, had very low rates of prostate and breast cancers. An animal study on mice that were injected with prostate cancer cells while on a tea and soy regimen, found that tumor development, metastases (cancer spread) and tumor weight were all inhibited. Follow-up studies will be done to see which components of the soy and tea had this effect. However, Dr. Zhou recommends that people add this combination to their diets now because the results were significant, even though the study was done in animals. The soy can be in any form, even soy powder. Selenium and sulforaphane, found in certain foods, have been shown to have 13 times more powerful an effect on the genes that control cancer development than when used individually, as reported in the British journal Carcinogenesis. Sulforaphane can be found in broccoli, sprouts, cabbage and watercress. Selenium is plentiful in brazil nuts, poultry, tuna, eggs, sunflower seeds and mushrooms. So it would be a good idea to have, say, a watercress and tuna salad for lunch. The study was conducted in human cancer cell laboratory cultures FOOD COMBINATIONS THAT PROMOTE BETTER NUTRITION Boiled spinach and vitamin C are an excellent combination because the vitamin C promotes absorption of non-heme iron, the kind of iron found in plants rather than red meat, explains Debby Demory-Luce, PhD, research dietitian at Baylor College of Medicine. However, do not take a vitamin C supplement. Drink a glass of orange juice with your spinach or add tomatoes, says Dr. Demory-Luce. It seems to work better, though no one really knows why. DANGEROUS COMBOS Dr. Demory-Luce cautions that iron-rich foods and tea should not be ingested together because the tannin in tea binds with the iron and prevents the body from absorbing it. So don't drink iced tea with your spinach Daily Health News contributing editor Andrew L. Rubman, ND, adds that you should avoid high-fat and simple-sugar combos because the fats hold the sugars in the stomach too long and can promote fermentation in the stomach. This can lead to gastritis, reflux esophagitis or stomach cancer. PHYTOCHEMICALS ARE WHERE THE ACTION IS The biggest story in food combination centers on phytochemicals in the diet. These are plant-based nutrients, such as carotenoids and flavonoids, and there are thousands of them. The studies that showed that broccoli and tomatoes and soy and tea should be eaten together are actually examples of phytochemicals at work. Phytochemicals are in grains, beans, fruits and vegetables, particularly richly colored ones, such as carrots, peppers, strawberries "The additive and synergistic effects of phytochemicals in foods work together to reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers," says Dr. Demory-Luce. "No single antioxidant can replace the combination of thousands of phytochemicals that are found in the foods we eat." In an article in PSA Rising magazine, an Internet magazine that reports on prostate cancer news, the vice president of research of the American Institute for Cancer Research, Ritva Butrum, PhD, said, "Trials focusing on single substances often show little or no protective effect. But the protective effects of such substances in combination with other compounds found in a healthy plant-based diet have been extensively documented." She cites tissue studies that show that natural compounds found in garlic (allyl sulfides) are significantly enhanced in the presence of selenium and vitamin A. Translated into a recipe for your table, this might mean that a dish of carrots sautéed with garlic and nuts will give you exactly the combination Dr. Butrum is talking about. The bottom line? Too much of any single thing is too much. However, eating a variety of foods and food groups creates balance, improved nutrition and a far more enjoyable dining experience. THE ULTIMATE SMART PILL Now you can restore your memory, sharpness, wit, and wisdom! Despite the power of modern medicine, there's still nothing that conventional doctors have to offer that can turn you into an "instant Einstein"... But here's the good news: There are some natural substances you can safely use to prevent - and even reverse - age-related memory decline, mental dullness, and lapses in alertness. Discover the 3 secrets to renewed focus and memory most doctors ignore! Visit: http://www.agora-inc.com/reports/650SV08/W650EB02 THE COMMON THREAD Did you know that vitamin C not only eases the common cold, it also may help prevent rheumatoid arthritis (RA)? A recent British study found that people who consumed more fruits and vegetables were less likely to develop this crippling autoimmune disease, which is characterized by joint inflammation, destruction and deformity. ABOUT THE RESEARCH The study was based on data collected in a cancer survey of 23,000 men and women in the UK. Participants recorded what they ate each week. Researchers discovered that people who ate the fewest fruits and vegetables were more likely to develop inflammation in the joints than those who consumed the most. Because the study was a review of survey data, it did not test specifically for cause and effect of vitamin C and RA. However, the data shows a definite correlation between the two. Vitamin C appeared to be the measured nutrient most responsible for this protective effect. Those with the lowest intake of vitamin C were three times more at risk than those with the highest intakes. According to study coauthor Dorothy Pattison, PhD, RD, of the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, vitamin C...
FRUITS, VEGGIES OR SUPPLEMENTS? When it comes to vitamin C, all sources are not created equal. Dr. Pattison notes that the British study only reviewed data that reported on the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition, a recent study at Duke University suggested that long-term use of vitamin C supplements might aggravate osteoarthritis (the more common wear-and-tear arthritis associated with aging). Researchers don't know exactly why, but the suggestion is that it has something to do with supplements versus fresh fruits and vegetables. The good news is that you can easily get much of the vitamin C you need just by following the seven-to-nine servings recommendation. Dr. Pattison adds that fresh fruits appear to have a stronger protective effect than vegetables, so be sure to consume three or four servings of fresh fruit daily. For a list of the vitamin C content of fruits, go to http://www.naturalhub.com/natural_food_guide_fruit_vitamin_c.htm Be well,
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The Common Thread
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