Guest guest Posted May 2, 2003 Report Share Posted May 2, 2003 Thu, 1 May 2003 17:00:00 -0500 HSI - Jenny Thompson A Cell's Best Friend A CELL'S BEST FRIEND Health Sciences Institute e-Alert May 1, 2003 ************************************************************** Dear Reader, Are fruits and vegetables bad for you? Contrary to recent absurd reports implying that fresh whole plant foods might not be good nutrition (see last Monday's e- Alert " Stop The Presses! " 4/28/03), we know, without question, that fruits and vegetables are good for us. And a complete list of all of the specific reasons why they're good for us could fill a dozen e-Alerts. But for today we'll concentrate on just one aspect of fruit and vegetable goodness: the humble, hard-working, defensive coordinator of the plant world. The flavonoid. ----------------------------- A little color goes a long way ----------------------------- Flavonoid is a substance that gives fruits and vegetables their color. It also performs a beneficial double duty as both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. In short: it's excellent nutrition. And absolutely necessary in helping your cells do their work. Knowing the benefits of flavonoid, researchers at the National Public Health Institute in Helsinki, Finland, launched a major study to examine the effects of different varieties of flavonoids on chronic diseases. Using a cohort of a little more than 10,000 men and women, the researchers used questionnaires and interviews to determine each subject's dietary history during the year before the study began. Flavonoid intakes were estimated based on the known flavonoid concentrations in specific foods. Then, through national prescription and disease registries, the subjects were tracked for up to 28 years. The conclusion: subjects who consumed more flavonoid-rich foods were less likely to suffer from a number of chronic diseases, including heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, asthma, and type II diabetes. Furthermore, those who ate foods that provided a variety of different types of flavonoids enjoyed greater longevity. As I said: excellent nutrition. ----------------------------- Flavonoids, mixed & matched ----------------------------- In addition to these broad conclusions, the researchers reported some useful specifics about which flavonoids work best on certain diseases. The stars of the group were two flavonoids called quercetin and kaempferol. Quercetin is most abundant in apples, but is also found in onions, citrus fruits, parsley, green tea and red wine. Kaempferol is also found in onions, as well as in broccoli. Subjects who had high levels of both of these flavonoids in their diets were found to have a 21% lower risk of heart disease than those who ingested small amounts of the two. In addition, subjects with kaempferol-rich diets had a 30% less chance of stroke. Diets that include good amounts of quercetin also may provide some protection against lung cancer, asthma and type II diabetes. And another flavonoid called myricetin, found in cranberries, was shown to have a slight preventive effect on prostate cancer. Results of the study also indicated that when a good variety of flavonoids are ingested, their combined effect improves their antioxidant qualities. ----------------------------- Kettle on the boil ----------------------------- In last Thursday's e-Alert ( " Long Live The Revolution " 4/24/03), I told you about an article coming up in the May issue of the HSI Members Alert that examines studies that show how types of flavonoids found in green and black teas may help lower cholesterol. The title of the article is " You Don't Need Expensive - and Dangerous - Statin Drugs! " and it introduces a new supplement called TheaChol that can deliver a dosage of flavonoids equal to 25 to 57 cups of tea - just in case you don't want to spend most of your day doing nothing but brewing tea. But whether or not you ever drink a single cup of tea, it's a good idea to do what your Mom told you to do many years ago: eat your fruits and vegetables. And then when you tell the same to your kids, add this: eat a wide variety, and eat them often. ************************************************************** ....and another thing I'm still receiving e-mails in response to an e-Alert about milk that I sent you in April ( " Milky Way " 4/9/03). This one comes from an HSI member named Barbara who wants to avoid the hazards of milk, but is rightly concerned about another serious hazard: " After reading your newsletters about milk and listening to a tape about milk, I decided to buy Rice Milk. My question to you is, all of the Rice Milk labels I read have an awful lot of grams of sugar. That can't be good. Do you have a particular brand of rice milk low in grams of another culprit in our diet called sugar? " HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., helped out with the earlier milk e-Alert, so I asked him to field this question from Barbara. " You certainly have a good point - the top 5 list of foods to avoid (in my opinion) are: 1. Sugar 2. Sugar 3. Sugar 4. Refined Flour 5. Hydrogenated Oils " In most situations a lot of milk is not necessary. Whether for cooking or just wetting a little cereal, the volume should be small anyway. Almond milk sometimes has less sugar than the popular rice milks, which are produced to please the American palate (which is predominantly, unfortunately, in favor of sweet). If, for some reason, higher amounts of milk are needed, I'd suggest certified raw goat's milk. It may be hard to find, but it's closer to human milk than bovine. " My thanks to Barbara and Dr. Spreen as we continue to sort through the alternatives to homogenized and pasteurized milk To Your Good Health, Jenny Thompson Health Sciences Institute ************************************************************** Sources: " Flavonoid Intake and Risk of Chronic Diseases " American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2002 Sep;76(3):560-8 " Plant Compounds Eradicate Disease " Dr. Joseph Mercola, 9/28/02 " Plant Compounds Keep Disease Away " Marritt McKinney, Reuters Health, 9/10/02 " Flavonoids Help Prevent Heart Disease, Cancer, Asthma " Fern Garber, 9/13/02 " Immune System Foods " The Natural Health Place " Protecting Cell Protection " Aim for Health " Experts Outline Cancer, Diet Evidence " Emma Ross, Associated Press, 9/12/02 Copyright ©1997-2003 by www.hsibaltimore.com, L.L.C. The e-Alert may not be posted on commercial sites without written permission. ************************************************************** Before you hit reply to send us a question or request, please click here http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealert/questions.html ************************************************************** ************************************************************** If you'd like to participate in the HSI Forum, search past e-Alerts and products or you're an HSI member and would like to search past articles, visit http://www.hsibaltimore.com ************************************************************** To learn more about HSI, call (203) 699-4416 or visit http://www.agora-inc.com/reports/HSI/WHSIC313/home.cfm. ************************************************************** Gettingwell- / Vitamins, Herbs, Aminos, etc. To , e-mail to: Gettingwell- Or, go to our group site: Gettingwell The New Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo. 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