Roman Byst
Fri, May-05-06, 06:18
Jill Wendholt Silva, "These antioxidant-rich foods have the
power to change your life", Seattle Times, April 26, 2006,
Link: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/foodwine/20029532-
77_superfoods26.html
Blueberries are brain food.
If there's one good-for-you food that has cut through the din
of conflicting and controversial diet headlines, it's the tiny
indigo berry native to North America, which scientists have
discovered contains powerful disease-fighters that may improve
memory, intelligence and coordination.
But blueberries aren't the only food with bragging rights.
Pomegranates, kiwi fruit and, yes, even dark chocolate are the
latest buzz, joining such everyday foods as broccoli, spinach,
wild salmon, sweet potatoes, soy, oats, walnuts and tomatoes.
Together these nutrient-dense foods containing
health-promoting phytonutrients are dubbed "super foods."
"Super foods are foods that have longevity and contribute to
good health," says Steven Pratt, an ophthalmologist at Scripps
Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, Calif., and co-author of the
best-selling "SuperFoodsRx" and "SuperFoods HealthStyle"
(William Morrow, 2005, $24.95).
"It's foods that are available in markets around the world and
make up part of a dietary cuisine," Pratt says. "It's also
food that has been studied, and the scientific studies have
been peer-reviewed."
Cruise the aisles of any supermarket in America and broccoli
is ubiquitous for three reasons: It's easy to buy, it's
inexpensive and it's easy to cook. It's also one of the most
studied, which is how we know it's one of the most nutritious
foods on the planet.
Beyond the traditional vitamins and minerals Mother told us
about, scientists have discovered broccoli is also a good
source of lutein, an antioxidant available in colorful fruits
and vegetables that helps prevents macular degeneration, a
condition that can cause blindness in older adults.
Nutrition experts agree we've only begun to scratch the
surface in our efforts to discover how foods prevent disease
in the body. Pratt's first book featured 14 super foods, a
term he believes he coined but could not trademark. His
second book adds 10 more to an ever-growing list, and there
are "sidekicks" galore - related foods that provide similar
health benefits.
One of the most surprising super foods to hit the headlines is
dark chocolate. It is loaded with health-promoting polyphenols
- antioxidants that may help lower blood pressure and promote
vascular health. Cocoa has more polyphenols than red wine or
green tea. But to qualify, the chocolate must contain at least
70 percent cocoa solids.
With the $640 million premium juice market projected to grow
to $1.4 billion by 2008, it's no surprise that Naked Juice is
already marketing grab-and-go bottles of juice made from the
obscure Brazilian berry known as acai (pronounced
ah-sigh-ee), which is touted to have 10 times the
antioxidants of red grapes.
But typically Brazilians pour an avalanche of sugar on acai to
tame its tartness. Naked Juice chose to combine the tart berry
juice with sweeter apple, banana and white grape juices.
"Sometimes with the higher-antioxidant fruits, you need to
find the right mix of fruits," says Rachel Kenney, education
manager for the California-based company.
In "12 Best Foods Cookbook" (Rodale, 2004, $21.95), Dana
Jacobi highlights foods that are not only loaded with
phytonutrients but also have what she calls a certain
"voluptuousness." After all, if a food doesn't taste good,
most of us won't eat it, no matter how good for us.
"I tried to look at foods beyond what its headline fame might
be," says Jacobi, a New York-based food writer and chef who
developed the recipes for her book. "What these 12 foods do -
besides providing phytonutrients - is they cover the whole
range of what a balanced diet is and include variety."
To that end, she made a choice to leave apples out of the
cookbook, even though they taste great, are easy to buy and
rate high on the USDA's list of 20 top antioxidant foods. And
she chose chocolate over red wine and walnuts instead of
almonds, even though red wine and almonds are delicious and
possess plenty of proven health benefits.
"What I hope [readers] take from the book is the things that
are good for them and have a good time with them. Not to have
them feel like this is a duty or a sacrifice," Jacobi says.
Food, after all, should taste better than a spoonful of
medicine.
12 super foods
When it comes to super foods, there's a lot of compulsive
list-making going on. Some lists focus on a half-dozen foods;
USDA scientists have focused on 100 foods and spotlighted 20.
But you can forget the numbers game and feel good about adding
any of these to your grocery cart:
1=2E Beans
Why? High in folate, fiber and antioxidants, beans can help
lower cholesterol and LDL levels, scavenge free radicals,
moderate insulin levels and reduce cancer risk.
How much? Eat two =BD-cup servings a day of cooked or
canned beans.
2=2E Blueberries
Why? A true nutritional powerhouse, blueberries provide more
antioxidants than any other fruit or vegetable. Phytonutrients
include anthocyanins, chlorogenic acid, ellagic acid,
catechins and resveratrol, substances that fight cancer, heart
disease and age-related memory loss.
How much? If possible, eat 1/2 cup fresh or frozen or 1/4 cup
dried blueberries every day. Eat any type of berry at least
three times a week.
3=2E Broccoli
Why? Cruciferous vegetables are loaded with antioxidants.
Broccoli contains cancer-fighting sulforaphane, indoles and
carotenoids plus beta-carotene, lutein and zeathanin that
promote eye health and ward off macular degeneration.
How much? Eat 1/2 cup raw or 1 cup cooked broccoli every day.
4=2E Oats
Why? Oatmeal's mighty nutrition profile.
How much? Eat at least three servings of whole grains a day. A
serving equals one cup cooked oatmeal, 1/2 cup uncooked rolled
oats or 1/4 cup steel-cut oats.
5=2E Soy
Why? An important source of vegetable protein, soy also
contains isoflavones, estrogenlike substances that protect and
maintain bone strength. Soy also contains important omega-3
fatty acids, which promote heart health.
How much? Eat one serving of soy foods a day. The size depends
on the form of the food. Try edamame for snacking out of hand.
6=2E Spinach
Why? Spinach contains more than a Popeye-sized dose of iron.
When it comes to antioxidants, it's packed with carotenoids
such as beta-carotene and lutein for eye health.
How much? Eat at least 1 cup cooked spinach or other dark
leafy green vegetable a day.
7=2E Sweet potatoes
Why? Loaded with beta-carotene, sweet potatoes boost the
immune system. They also reduce cholesterol buildup in the
arteries and help fight age-related macular degeneration and a
variety of cancers.
How much? Eat at least one 1/2-cup serving of sweet potatoes
or other beta-carotene-rich produce (carrots, butternut
squash, pumpkin and orange bell peppers) a day.
8=2E Tomatoes
Why? Tomatoes contain lycopene, plus a range of beneficial
phytochemicals that protect against heart attack, cancers and
age-related macular degeneration. Cooked tomatoes contain more
lycopene than raw tomatoes.
How much? Eat one serving a day with a little bit of healthy
fat, such as olive oil, to help absorb the lycopene. Serving
sizes are one medium raw tomato, about 1 cup cherry
tomatoes, 1/2 cup sauce, 1/4 cup puree, 2 tablespoons paste
or 6 ounces juice.
9=2E Walnuts
Why? If you're looking for an excellent source of "good"
polyunsaturated fats, walnuts are one of the few plant sources
high in omega-3 fatty acids. Walnuts are the only nuts that
contain ellagic acid, a cancer-fighting antioxidant. The amino
acid arginine can reduce the risk of heart attack.
How much? Eat 1 =BD ounces of nuts per day. One ounce equals
14 walnut halves.
10. Wild salmon
Why? Wild salmon contains large amounts of omega-3, a fatty
acid that reduces the risk of heart disease and heart attack
by lowering blood pressure and bad cholesterol. Omega-3s
also reduce inflammation that triggers arthritis and
autoimmune diseases.
How much? A serving is just 3 ounces, roughly the size of a
deck of cards, or 1/4 cup canned. Eat 12 ounces a week.
11. Extra-virgin olive oil
Why? The monounsaturated fats of olive oil are considered
"good" fat that reduces cardiovascular disease, lowers blood
pressure and prevents some types of cancer.
How much? Eat 1 tablespoon most days.
12. Dark chocolate
Why? Dark chocolate has the highest antioxidant content of any
food. The darker the chocolate, the higher the count.
How much? Eat a 1-ounce serving daily. Also, try grapes, red
wine and green tea, which are high in polyphenols, which boost
good cholesterol. In addition to dark chocolate candy, try raw
cocoa nibs. Although somewhat bitter, they have an intense,
tannic flavor, like wine.
Some new superstars
When it comes to phytonutrients, experts say we've only
scratched the surface. With each new study, watch for more
antioxidant-rich foods to arrive at a store near you. Here are
a few creating new buzz:
Pomegranate: The newest research points to pomegranates as the
next great super-food powerhouse, with three times more
antioxidant power than green tea and red wine. Pom, the
marketing machine behind pomegranates, has trademarked the
term "The Antioxidant Superpower."
Acai (ah-sigh-ee): Touted to contain 10 times more
antioxidants than red grapes and 10 to 30 times more
anthocyanins than red wine, the little berry from the
Brazilian rainforest is poised to samba its way into American
hearts and diets. The acai contains vitamin A, vitamin C and
omega fatty acids 6 and 9.
Gogi or goji (go-gee): A berry from Tibet that is high in
antioxidants, goji is described at www.livesuperfoods.com as
a cross between a cherry and a cranberry. "There's not a lot
of science on it, but you know there's no bad berry on the
planet," says Steven Pratt, author of "SuperFoods
HealthStyle" (Morrow).
Gold kiwi fruit: An odd-looking, fuzzy fruit originally from
New Zealand, it has become a mainstream supermarket item. Rich
in vitamin C, it has more vitamins and potassium than a banana
and more fiber than a bowl of bran flakes, according to Zespri
Kiwifruit.
Quinoa (keen-wah): With the whole-grain emphasis in the 2005
Dietary Guidelines, watch for less-familiar grains to make it
into the mainstream. A staple of the ancient Incas, quinoa is
considered a complete protein because it contains all eight
essential amino acids.
Sources: "12 Best Foods Cookbook" and "SuperFoods HealthStyle"
power to change your life", Seattle Times, April 26, 2006,
Link: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/foodwine/20029532-
77_superfoods26.html
Blueberries are brain food.
If there's one good-for-you food that has cut through the din
of conflicting and controversial diet headlines, it's the tiny
indigo berry native to North America, which scientists have
discovered contains powerful disease-fighters that may improve
memory, intelligence and coordination.
But blueberries aren't the only food with bragging rights.
Pomegranates, kiwi fruit and, yes, even dark chocolate are the
latest buzz, joining such everyday foods as broccoli, spinach,
wild salmon, sweet potatoes, soy, oats, walnuts and tomatoes.
Together these nutrient-dense foods containing
health-promoting phytonutrients are dubbed "super foods."
"Super foods are foods that have longevity and contribute to
good health," says Steven Pratt, an ophthalmologist at Scripps
Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, Calif., and co-author of the
best-selling "SuperFoodsRx" and "SuperFoods HealthStyle"
(William Morrow, 2005, $24.95).
"It's foods that are available in markets around the world and
make up part of a dietary cuisine," Pratt says. "It's also
food that has been studied, and the scientific studies have
been peer-reviewed."
Cruise the aisles of any supermarket in America and broccoli
is ubiquitous for three reasons: It's easy to buy, it's
inexpensive and it's easy to cook. It's also one of the most
studied, which is how we know it's one of the most nutritious
foods on the planet.
Beyond the traditional vitamins and minerals Mother told us
about, scientists have discovered broccoli is also a good
source of lutein, an antioxidant available in colorful fruits
and vegetables that helps prevents macular degeneration, a
condition that can cause blindness in older adults.
Nutrition experts agree we've only begun to scratch the
surface in our efforts to discover how foods prevent disease
in the body. Pratt's first book featured 14 super foods, a
term he believes he coined but could not trademark. His
second book adds 10 more to an ever-growing list, and there
are "sidekicks" galore - related foods that provide similar
health benefits.
One of the most surprising super foods to hit the headlines is
dark chocolate. It is loaded with health-promoting polyphenols
- antioxidants that may help lower blood pressure and promote
vascular health. Cocoa has more polyphenols than red wine or
green tea. But to qualify, the chocolate must contain at least
70 percent cocoa solids.
With the $640 million premium juice market projected to grow
to $1.4 billion by 2008, it's no surprise that Naked Juice is
already marketing grab-and-go bottles of juice made from the
obscure Brazilian berry known as acai (pronounced
ah-sigh-ee), which is touted to have 10 times the
antioxidants of red grapes.
But typically Brazilians pour an avalanche of sugar on acai to
tame its tartness. Naked Juice chose to combine the tart berry
juice with sweeter apple, banana and white grape juices.
"Sometimes with the higher-antioxidant fruits, you need to
find the right mix of fruits," says Rachel Kenney, education
manager for the California-based company.
In "12 Best Foods Cookbook" (Rodale, 2004, $21.95), Dana
Jacobi highlights foods that are not only loaded with
phytonutrients but also have what she calls a certain
"voluptuousness." After all, if a food doesn't taste good,
most of us won't eat it, no matter how good for us.
"I tried to look at foods beyond what its headline fame might
be," says Jacobi, a New York-based food writer and chef who
developed the recipes for her book. "What these 12 foods do -
besides providing phytonutrients - is they cover the whole
range of what a balanced diet is and include variety."
To that end, she made a choice to leave apples out of the
cookbook, even though they taste great, are easy to buy and
rate high on the USDA's list of 20 top antioxidant foods. And
she chose chocolate over red wine and walnuts instead of
almonds, even though red wine and almonds are delicious and
possess plenty of proven health benefits.
"What I hope [readers] take from the book is the things that
are good for them and have a good time with them. Not to have
them feel like this is a duty or a sacrifice," Jacobi says.
Food, after all, should taste better than a spoonful of
medicine.
12 super foods
When it comes to super foods, there's a lot of compulsive
list-making going on. Some lists focus on a half-dozen foods;
USDA scientists have focused on 100 foods and spotlighted 20.
But you can forget the numbers game and feel good about adding
any of these to your grocery cart:
1=2E Beans
Why? High in folate, fiber and antioxidants, beans can help
lower cholesterol and LDL levels, scavenge free radicals,
moderate insulin levels and reduce cancer risk.
How much? Eat two =BD-cup servings a day of cooked or
canned beans.
2=2E Blueberries
Why? A true nutritional powerhouse, blueberries provide more
antioxidants than any other fruit or vegetable. Phytonutrients
include anthocyanins, chlorogenic acid, ellagic acid,
catechins and resveratrol, substances that fight cancer, heart
disease and age-related memory loss.
How much? If possible, eat 1/2 cup fresh or frozen or 1/4 cup
dried blueberries every day. Eat any type of berry at least
three times a week.
3=2E Broccoli
Why? Cruciferous vegetables are loaded with antioxidants.
Broccoli contains cancer-fighting sulforaphane, indoles and
carotenoids plus beta-carotene, lutein and zeathanin that
promote eye health and ward off macular degeneration.
How much? Eat 1/2 cup raw or 1 cup cooked broccoli every day.
4=2E Oats
Why? Oatmeal's mighty nutrition profile.
How much? Eat at least three servings of whole grains a day. A
serving equals one cup cooked oatmeal, 1/2 cup uncooked rolled
oats or 1/4 cup steel-cut oats.
5=2E Soy
Why? An important source of vegetable protein, soy also
contains isoflavones, estrogenlike substances that protect and
maintain bone strength. Soy also contains important omega-3
fatty acids, which promote heart health.
How much? Eat one serving of soy foods a day. The size depends
on the form of the food. Try edamame for snacking out of hand.
6=2E Spinach
Why? Spinach contains more than a Popeye-sized dose of iron.
When it comes to antioxidants, it's packed with carotenoids
such as beta-carotene and lutein for eye health.
How much? Eat at least 1 cup cooked spinach or other dark
leafy green vegetable a day.
7=2E Sweet potatoes
Why? Loaded with beta-carotene, sweet potatoes boost the
immune system. They also reduce cholesterol buildup in the
arteries and help fight age-related macular degeneration and a
variety of cancers.
How much? Eat at least one 1/2-cup serving of sweet potatoes
or other beta-carotene-rich produce (carrots, butternut
squash, pumpkin and orange bell peppers) a day.
8=2E Tomatoes
Why? Tomatoes contain lycopene, plus a range of beneficial
phytochemicals that protect against heart attack, cancers and
age-related macular degeneration. Cooked tomatoes contain more
lycopene than raw tomatoes.
How much? Eat one serving a day with a little bit of healthy
fat, such as olive oil, to help absorb the lycopene. Serving
sizes are one medium raw tomato, about 1 cup cherry
tomatoes, 1/2 cup sauce, 1/4 cup puree, 2 tablespoons paste
or 6 ounces juice.
9=2E Walnuts
Why? If you're looking for an excellent source of "good"
polyunsaturated fats, walnuts are one of the few plant sources
high in omega-3 fatty acids. Walnuts are the only nuts that
contain ellagic acid, a cancer-fighting antioxidant. The amino
acid arginine can reduce the risk of heart attack.
How much? Eat 1 =BD ounces of nuts per day. One ounce equals
14 walnut halves.
10. Wild salmon
Why? Wild salmon contains large amounts of omega-3, a fatty
acid that reduces the risk of heart disease and heart attack
by lowering blood pressure and bad cholesterol. Omega-3s
also reduce inflammation that triggers arthritis and
autoimmune diseases.
How much? A serving is just 3 ounces, roughly the size of a
deck of cards, or 1/4 cup canned. Eat 12 ounces a week.
11. Extra-virgin olive oil
Why? The monounsaturated fats of olive oil are considered
"good" fat that reduces cardiovascular disease, lowers blood
pressure and prevents some types of cancer.
How much? Eat 1 tablespoon most days.
12. Dark chocolate
Why? Dark chocolate has the highest antioxidant content of any
food. The darker the chocolate, the higher the count.
How much? Eat a 1-ounce serving daily. Also, try grapes, red
wine and green tea, which are high in polyphenols, which boost
good cholesterol. In addition to dark chocolate candy, try raw
cocoa nibs. Although somewhat bitter, they have an intense,
tannic flavor, like wine.
Some new superstars
When it comes to phytonutrients, experts say we've only
scratched the surface. With each new study, watch for more
antioxidant-rich foods to arrive at a store near you. Here are
a few creating new buzz:
Pomegranate: The newest research points to pomegranates as the
next great super-food powerhouse, with three times more
antioxidant power than green tea and red wine. Pom, the
marketing machine behind pomegranates, has trademarked the
term "The Antioxidant Superpower."
Acai (ah-sigh-ee): Touted to contain 10 times more
antioxidants than red grapes and 10 to 30 times more
anthocyanins than red wine, the little berry from the
Brazilian rainforest is poised to samba its way into American
hearts and diets. The acai contains vitamin A, vitamin C and
omega fatty acids 6 and 9.
Gogi or goji (go-gee): A berry from Tibet that is high in
antioxidants, goji is described at www.livesuperfoods.com as
a cross between a cherry and a cranberry. "There's not a lot
of science on it, but you know there's no bad berry on the
planet," says Steven Pratt, author of "SuperFoods
HealthStyle" (Morrow).
Gold kiwi fruit: An odd-looking, fuzzy fruit originally from
New Zealand, it has become a mainstream supermarket item. Rich
in vitamin C, it has more vitamins and potassium than a banana
and more fiber than a bowl of bran flakes, according to Zespri
Kiwifruit.
Quinoa (keen-wah): With the whole-grain emphasis in the 2005
Dietary Guidelines, watch for less-familiar grains to make it
into the mainstream. A staple of the ancient Incas, quinoa is
considered a complete protein because it contains all eight
essential amino acids.
Sources: "12 Best Foods Cookbook" and "SuperFoods HealthStyle"