Demi
Tue, Nov-14-06, 04:20
Great article taken from The London Times:
So, you want to live for ever?
Peta Bee lists the top foods to prolong life, while nutritionist Amanda Ursell tells us why they work
Diet can do many things — improve your figure, increase your energy levels and make your skin glow. According to a study published in Nature, consuming a substance called resveratrol found in grapes and red wine, as well as berries and some fruit, can also extend your lifespan.
By mimicking the effects of drastic calorie restriction — which has been shown to prolong the lives of laboratory animals by up to one third — resveratrol can do much the same. Leading the study, David Sinclair, at the Harvard Medical School, and Rafael de Cabo, at the National Institute on Aging, fed one group of mice a high-fat diet from the age of one year (their middle age), a second group was fed high-fat foods but with a large daily dose of resveratrol. The resveratrol mice lived much longer than all other mice, including those on a healthy diet. They also performed better in tests of motor skill as they grew older. “The mice fed resveratrol lived longer and were more similar to the low-fat eating animals in terms of health profile,” says Sinclair.
The bad news? Doses in the animal studies were far higher than the amount that people could tolerate. A 10st (63kg) man would need to drink 750 to 1,500 bottles of red wine a day to get the beneficial effects.
“It is well established that these substances, called bioactive phytochemicals, have a health-boosting effect,” says Anna Denny, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation. “But there is no magic bullet. You need to incorporate a lot of elements and have an overall healthy eating plan.”
So you want to live for ever? Here’s how:
Cabbage, broccoli, kale and sprouts
Researchers at the University of Leicester found that cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, sprouts and kale, contain a compound which could help to fight breast cancer. Margaret Manson, the study’s author, found that after supplementation with the compound Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C), breast cancer cells were more easily killed when exposed to chemotherapy.
Eating cruciferous vegetables once a week can also cut lung cancer risk for people with inactive forms of two genes, says the International Agency for Cancer Research, because they are rich in isothiocyanates. But these chemicals are normally eliminated from the body by “clean-up” enzymes produced by the genes GSTM1 and GSTT1. The Agency found that the 50 per cent of the population with an inactive form of GSTM1 had a 33 per cent protective effect against lung cancer if they ate plenty of the vegetables.
Amanda Ursell says: Twenty-five per cent of the population is sensitive to the bitter taste imparted by the isothiocyanates. You can tone down the bitter taste by serving broccoli and cauliflower in a milk-based soup or with a white sauce. Aim for three servings a week.
Blueberries
Blueberries are so powerful in retarding ageing that they can even reverse failing memory. A study at Tufts University in Boston found that after two months, older rats navigated mazes faster, had better balance and were more co-ordinated — skills regulated by the brain. Key to their potency is the antioxidant content. Blueberries also contain resveratrol and studies have highlighted the cholesterol-fighting benefits of another antioxidant, pterostilbene. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, pterostilbene acts like anticholesterol drugs to protect the heart.
Amanda Ursell says: The human equivalent of the amount used in animal studies is a small dish of frozen or fresh blueberries every day. The strong purple colour comes from their abundant anthocyanins — but these vibrant pigments can also discolour your teeth. To avoid this, have your blueberries in smoothies; with yoghurt or even in soups and stews.
Tomatoes
Several studies have shown that eating ten or more servings of tomato sauce or tomatoes a week reduced prostate cancer risk by 45 per cent. While several components act together to provide disease-fighting properties, the most potent is lycopene, the substance that makes tomatoes red. Two years ago, Dutch researchers reported that a dose of lycopene slowed tumour growth by 50 per cent. “We still haven’t reached a conclusion that the risk of prostate cancer is reduced by increasing lycopene intake,” says Dr Chris Hiley, head of policy and research at the Prostate Cancer Charity. “But it is very clear that men should eat a varied and healthy diet, and tomato and tomato-based products have a place in that.”
Amanda Ursell says: Lycopene is best absorbed from tomatoes when cooked and when served with a little oil. Try to eat a lycopene-rich food daily — pasta sauce, vegetable juice or pink grapefruit, watermelon, guava and papaya juices or fruit.
Nuts
This year, Elio Riboli, a professor of cancer epidemiology at Imperial College London, reported that two servings of 8g (˝oz) of nuts a week (a saucer) lowered the risk of a heart attack by 11 per cent. Nuts are high in fat, but most is beneficial monounsaturated fat. And they don’t necessarily cause you to put on weight which would, in turn, raise the chances of obesity-related disorders.
And a study presented at the 2006 World Congress of Cardiology by Dr Emilo Ros, of the Lipid Clinic, University of Barcelona, reported that those who added a handful of nuts to their food for six months put on only 1lb. It is possible that the fat does not get deposited unless the nuts are broken down by being chewed to a pulp or that eating nuts suppresses appetite.
Amanda Ursell says: Almonds and walnuts are especially good plant-based sources of omega-3 oils and plant sterols, both of which are known to help lower cholesterol. A 30g handful of almonds gives 174 calories and 18g of fat, while 30g of walnuts provides us with 206 calories and 21g of fat.
Garlic
A German study found that garlic prolonged cancer-survival time in animals by about 5 per cent, which in humans might add about four years. The benefits could be due to allium, a sulphur-based compound and responsible for the characteristic smell. Last year, researchers at Liverpool John Moores Unversity (LJMU) showed how an aged garlic extract reduced the chance of a heart attack in patients with existing coronary conditions. “Garlic has been shown to have antithrombotic effects in that it stops clotting and may have a role in the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease,” says Dr Gordon Lowe of the Nutraceutical Research Group at LJMU.
Amanda Ursell says: Scientists have discovered at least 20 germ-killing compounds. These organo-sulphurous compounds form once the bulb is cut, so let crushed garlic “rest” for ten minutes before cooking, though you get the most benefit by eating it raw. It’s also thought that garlic should be eaten with selenium-rich foods such as fish and wholegrains.This appears to help block cancer initiation. Eat daily.
Oily fish
Despite recent speculation that oily fish (such as mackerel) might not be as heart-helpful as has been thought, most experts recommend that 300g a week (3-4 servings). Oily fish contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids which protect the heart — experts recommend the fish is steamed or baked. One study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that eating that amount regularly cuts the risk of dying from heart disease by up to a third.
Amanda Ursell says: Women of child-bearing age should have a maximum of two portions a week because of the PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and dioxin content. Men and post-menopausal women can have up to four portions a week.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8124-2448719_1,00.html
All great South Beach foods, and the majority of which I eat on a daily basis :thup: :)
One thing I wouldn't recommend though is the fruit juice. The whole fruit is best, and shouldn't cause the huge insulin spike which the juice does.
I'd also steer clear of any milk, but that's my own preference.
So, you want to live for ever?
Peta Bee lists the top foods to prolong life, while nutritionist Amanda Ursell tells us why they work
Diet can do many things — improve your figure, increase your energy levels and make your skin glow. According to a study published in Nature, consuming a substance called resveratrol found in grapes and red wine, as well as berries and some fruit, can also extend your lifespan.
By mimicking the effects of drastic calorie restriction — which has been shown to prolong the lives of laboratory animals by up to one third — resveratrol can do much the same. Leading the study, David Sinclair, at the Harvard Medical School, and Rafael de Cabo, at the National Institute on Aging, fed one group of mice a high-fat diet from the age of one year (their middle age), a second group was fed high-fat foods but with a large daily dose of resveratrol. The resveratrol mice lived much longer than all other mice, including those on a healthy diet. They also performed better in tests of motor skill as they grew older. “The mice fed resveratrol lived longer and were more similar to the low-fat eating animals in terms of health profile,” says Sinclair.
The bad news? Doses in the animal studies were far higher than the amount that people could tolerate. A 10st (63kg) man would need to drink 750 to 1,500 bottles of red wine a day to get the beneficial effects.
“It is well established that these substances, called bioactive phytochemicals, have a health-boosting effect,” says Anna Denny, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation. “But there is no magic bullet. You need to incorporate a lot of elements and have an overall healthy eating plan.”
So you want to live for ever? Here’s how:
Cabbage, broccoli, kale and sprouts
Researchers at the University of Leicester found that cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, sprouts and kale, contain a compound which could help to fight breast cancer. Margaret Manson, the study’s author, found that after supplementation with the compound Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C), breast cancer cells were more easily killed when exposed to chemotherapy.
Eating cruciferous vegetables once a week can also cut lung cancer risk for people with inactive forms of two genes, says the International Agency for Cancer Research, because they are rich in isothiocyanates. But these chemicals are normally eliminated from the body by “clean-up” enzymes produced by the genes GSTM1 and GSTT1. The Agency found that the 50 per cent of the population with an inactive form of GSTM1 had a 33 per cent protective effect against lung cancer if they ate plenty of the vegetables.
Amanda Ursell says: Twenty-five per cent of the population is sensitive to the bitter taste imparted by the isothiocyanates. You can tone down the bitter taste by serving broccoli and cauliflower in a milk-based soup or with a white sauce. Aim for three servings a week.
Blueberries
Blueberries are so powerful in retarding ageing that they can even reverse failing memory. A study at Tufts University in Boston found that after two months, older rats navigated mazes faster, had better balance and were more co-ordinated — skills regulated by the brain. Key to their potency is the antioxidant content. Blueberries also contain resveratrol and studies have highlighted the cholesterol-fighting benefits of another antioxidant, pterostilbene. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, pterostilbene acts like anticholesterol drugs to protect the heart.
Amanda Ursell says: The human equivalent of the amount used in animal studies is a small dish of frozen or fresh blueberries every day. The strong purple colour comes from their abundant anthocyanins — but these vibrant pigments can also discolour your teeth. To avoid this, have your blueberries in smoothies; with yoghurt or even in soups and stews.
Tomatoes
Several studies have shown that eating ten or more servings of tomato sauce or tomatoes a week reduced prostate cancer risk by 45 per cent. While several components act together to provide disease-fighting properties, the most potent is lycopene, the substance that makes tomatoes red. Two years ago, Dutch researchers reported that a dose of lycopene slowed tumour growth by 50 per cent. “We still haven’t reached a conclusion that the risk of prostate cancer is reduced by increasing lycopene intake,” says Dr Chris Hiley, head of policy and research at the Prostate Cancer Charity. “But it is very clear that men should eat a varied and healthy diet, and tomato and tomato-based products have a place in that.”
Amanda Ursell says: Lycopene is best absorbed from tomatoes when cooked and when served with a little oil. Try to eat a lycopene-rich food daily — pasta sauce, vegetable juice or pink grapefruit, watermelon, guava and papaya juices or fruit.
Nuts
This year, Elio Riboli, a professor of cancer epidemiology at Imperial College London, reported that two servings of 8g (˝oz) of nuts a week (a saucer) lowered the risk of a heart attack by 11 per cent. Nuts are high in fat, but most is beneficial monounsaturated fat. And they don’t necessarily cause you to put on weight which would, in turn, raise the chances of obesity-related disorders.
And a study presented at the 2006 World Congress of Cardiology by Dr Emilo Ros, of the Lipid Clinic, University of Barcelona, reported that those who added a handful of nuts to their food for six months put on only 1lb. It is possible that the fat does not get deposited unless the nuts are broken down by being chewed to a pulp or that eating nuts suppresses appetite.
Amanda Ursell says: Almonds and walnuts are especially good plant-based sources of omega-3 oils and plant sterols, both of which are known to help lower cholesterol. A 30g handful of almonds gives 174 calories and 18g of fat, while 30g of walnuts provides us with 206 calories and 21g of fat.
Garlic
A German study found that garlic prolonged cancer-survival time in animals by about 5 per cent, which in humans might add about four years. The benefits could be due to allium, a sulphur-based compound and responsible for the characteristic smell. Last year, researchers at Liverpool John Moores Unversity (LJMU) showed how an aged garlic extract reduced the chance of a heart attack in patients with existing coronary conditions. “Garlic has been shown to have antithrombotic effects in that it stops clotting and may have a role in the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease,” says Dr Gordon Lowe of the Nutraceutical Research Group at LJMU.
Amanda Ursell says: Scientists have discovered at least 20 germ-killing compounds. These organo-sulphurous compounds form once the bulb is cut, so let crushed garlic “rest” for ten minutes before cooking, though you get the most benefit by eating it raw. It’s also thought that garlic should be eaten with selenium-rich foods such as fish and wholegrains.This appears to help block cancer initiation. Eat daily.
Oily fish
Despite recent speculation that oily fish (such as mackerel) might not be as heart-helpful as has been thought, most experts recommend that 300g a week (3-4 servings). Oily fish contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids which protect the heart — experts recommend the fish is steamed or baked. One study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that eating that amount regularly cuts the risk of dying from heart disease by up to a third.
Amanda Ursell says: Women of child-bearing age should have a maximum of two portions a week because of the PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and dioxin content. Men and post-menopausal women can have up to four portions a week.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8124-2448719_1,00.html
All great South Beach foods, and the majority of which I eat on a daily basis :thup: :)
One thing I wouldn't recommend though is the fruit juice. The whole fruit is best, and shouldn't cause the huge insulin spike which the juice does.
I'd also steer clear of any milk, but that's my own preference.