Raisins and Gum Disease

It was believed that the sweet and sticky foods, such as raisins, would cause plaque formation and could damage your dental health a great deal. According to research at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, that may not be the case.Dr. Christine Wu, the lead author on the study, said "Raisins are perceived as sweet and sticky, and any food that contains sugar and is sticky is assumed to cause cavities. But our study suggests the contrary. Our laboratory analyses showed that phytochemicals in this popular snack food suppress the growth of several species of oral bacteria associated with caries and gum disease"Dr. Wu and her team performed a routine chemical analyses and identified five phytochemicals in Thompson seedless raisins: oleanolic acid, oleanolic aldehyde, betulin, betulinic acid, and 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furfural.These phytochemicals inhibited the growth of two species of oral bacteria: Streptococcus mutans, which is known to cause cavities, and Porphyromonas gingivalis, which can cause periodontal disease. With concentrations ranging from 200 to 1,000 micrograms per milliliter the phytochemicals were effective against the bacteria.Eating raisins also has many other health benefits, such as stronger immunity, lower chances of suffering from insomnia and lower risks of having heart disease.


To Your Health!

John Hall NSCA-CPT

Almonds

Almonds are a wonderful Whole Food and science has discovered the benefits of eating them in their whole form. Research reveals that the flavonoids in almond skin works synergistically the vitamin E found in almonds.This synergistic combination creates more than 200% the antioxidant power of the almonds and almond skins when separated. "We have identified a unique combination of flavonoids in almonds," said Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., senior scientist and director of the Antioxidants Research Laboratory at Tufts University. "Further blood tests demonstrated that eating almonds with their skins significantly increases both flavonoids and vitamin E in the body. This could have significant health implications, especially as people age."Blumberg's team tested the effects of almond skin's flavonoids alone and then in combination with the vitamin E found in almonds. The tests were done on blood samples containing LDL cholesterol. While almond skin flavonoids alone enhanced LDL's resistance to oxidation by 18%, when the almond’s vitamin E was added, LDL's resistance to oxidation was extended by 52.5%!"The synergy between the flavonoids and vitamin E in almonds demonstrates how the nutrients in whole foods such as almonds can impact health," says Dr. Blumberg.

To Your Health!

John Hall NSCA-CPT

Garlic and Onions

Garlic and onions could help protect against stomach cancer, says a massive European-based study. The study, part of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), followed 521,457 subjects in 10 European countries with an average age of 52. It is said to be the largest cohort study on fruit and vegetable intake and the incidence of stomach (gastric) cancer in Western countries and the first to look at adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus. After an average of 6.5 years of follow-up, 400 cases of gastric cancer and 188 cases of oesophagus cancer had been reported. While total vegetable intake was not associated with a decreased risk of gastric cancer, the researchers report that an increase in the intake of onions and garlic of 10 grams per day was associated with a 30 percent reduction in the risk of intestinal gastric cancer.

This is not the first time that onions have been linked to reduction in the risk of certain cancers. US researchers reported that onion extracts could inhibit the growth of liver and colon cancers in vitro. A large-scale epidemiological Iowa Women's Health Study looked at the garlic consumption in 41,000 middle-aged women. Results showed that women who regularly consumed garlic had 35% lower risk of developing colon cancer.


To Your Health!

John Hall NSCA-CPT

Raspberries

Raspberries are a delicious fruit, and according to the latest research, a very healthy fruit as well. Research published in the May 2005 issue of the journal Biofactors shows that Raspberries are loaded with powerful phytonutrients and antioxidants that can support your immune system and help your body to ward off disease.

The antioxidants in Raspberries include ellagic acid which protects your cells from becoming damaged. Other nutrients in Raspberries include quercetin, kaempferol, and the cyanidin-based molecules called cyanidin-3-glucosylrutinoside and cyanidin-3-rutinoside. These flavonoid molecules are also classified as anthocyanins, and they belong to the group of substances that give raspberries their rich red color.

The anthocyanins in Raspberries are very powerful antioxidants that have antimicrobial properties as well, including the ability to prevent overgrowth of certain bacteria and fungi in the body such as Candida. The biggest contribution to raspberries' antioxidant capacity is their ellagitannins, a family of compounds almost exclusive to the raspberry, which are reported to have anti-cancer activity.

In addition to their abundant phytonutrient and antioxidant content, raspberries are a rich source of manganese and vitamin C that help protect the body's tissue from oxygen-related damage. They are also a good source of important nutrients such as riboflavin, folate, niacin, magnesium, potassium, B vitamins and copper.

To Your Health!

John Hall NSCA-CPT

Raw Power!

Some vegetables contain chemicals that appear to enhance DNA repair in cells, which could lead to protection against cancer development, say Georgetown University Medical Center researchers. In a study published in the "British Journal of Cancer" and by the journal "Nature" the researchers show that in laboratory tests, a compound called indole-3-carinol (I3C), found in broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, and a chemical called genistein, found in soy beans, can increase the levels of two specific proteins that repair damaged DNA.

This study is one of the first to provide a molecular explanation as to how eating vegetables could cut the risk of developing cancer, an association that some population studies have found, says the study's senior author, Eliot M. Rosen, MD, PhD, professor of oncology, cell biology, and radiation medicine at Georgetown 's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center . "It is now clear that the function of crucial cancer genes can be influenced by compounds in the things we eat," Rosen says.

"Our findings suggest a clear molecular process that would explain the connection between diet and cancer prevention." In this study, Rosen exposed breast and prostate cancer cells to increasing doses of I3C and genistein, and found that these chemicals boosted production of the repair proteins BRCA1 and BRCA2.

Since decreased amounts of the BRCA proteins are seen in cancer cells, higher levels might prevent cancer from developing, Rosen speculates, adding that the ability of I3C and genistein to increase production of BRCA proteins could explain their protective effects. The study was funded by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the National Cancer Institute and co-authors include Drs. Saijun Fan, MD, PhD, Qinghui Meng , MS , Karen Auborn, PhD, and Timothy Carter, PhD.

For many decades, science has been focused on understanding the mechanisms of disease so that drugs could be developed. But the closer they look at disease, the more they discover about the powerful and protective nature of whole foods. Have you had your veggies today?

To Your Health!

John Hall NSCA-CPT

Teens Eat More – Weigh Less

Research from the University Of Minnesota School Of Public Health shows that teenagers who eat breakfast on a regular basis tend to weigh less, exercise more, and eat a healthier diet than teens that usually skip breakfast. The research is published in the March, 2008, issue of the medical journal Pediatrics .

The study followed 2,216 adolescents and their lifestyle habits for five years beginning at age 14. The researchers were surprised to discover that the more regularly the teens ate breakfast, the lower their body mass index was. Body mass index, or BMI, is a ratio of height and weight. Those who always skipped breakfast on average had a higher BMI.

According to previous research, 12 to 34 percent of children and teens age 6 to 19 regularly skip breakfast and we also know that 25% of 6 to 19 year old are overweight or obese. The researchers also warned about rates of obesity, which have doubled in children and nearly tripled in adolescents over the past two decades, according to a 2007 report by the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office. Obesity has been clearly linked to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, asthma and diabetes.

To Your Health!

John Hall NSCA-CPT

Corn

Corn is a wonderful whole grain food that is a good source of vitamin B1, Vitamin B5, folate, fiber, vitamin C, Phosphorous, Manganese and a nutrient called beta-cryptoxanthin.

In addition to preventing birth defects, Folate can also help to lower your risk of heart attack, stroke and peripheral vascular disease. It has been estimated that consumption of 100% of the daily value of folate would, by itself, reduce the number of heart attacks suffered by Americans each year by 10%. Folate-rich diets are also associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer.

Consuming foods rich in beta-cryptoxanthin, an orange-red carotenoid found in high amounts in corn, may significantly lower one's risk of developing lung cancer. A study published in the September, 2003 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention reviewed dietary and lifestyle data collected from over 63,000 adults in Shanghai, China, who were followed for 8 years. Those eating the most crytpoxanthin-rich foods showed a 27% reduction in lung cancer risk. When current smokers were evaluated, those who were also in the group consuming the most cryptoxanthin-rich foods were found to have a 37% lower risk of lung cancer compared to smokers who ate the least of these health-protective foods.

Corn is also a good source of Thiamin which is a nutrient essential to good brain cell health and mental function. The brain uses Thiamin to make a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine which is essential for good memory. In addition, maintaining healthy acetylcholine levels may help to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Research reported at the 2004 American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) International Conference on Food, Nutrition and Cancer, by Rui Hai Liu, M.D., Ph.D., and his colleagues at Cornell University shows that whole grains, such as corn, contain many powerful phytonutrients whose activity has gone unrecognized because common research methods have overlooked them. Dr. Liu’s team measured the antioxidant activity of various foods, assigning each a rating based on a formula. Broccoli measured 80, Spinach 81, Apples 98, Bananas 65, but Corn topped them all measuring a whopping 181!

To Your Health!

John Hall NSCA-CPT