Nutrition

From An Apple a Day to Functional Foods

November 12, 2023 by Janet Colson - [rt_reading_time label="Reading Time:" postfix="minutes" postfix_singular="minute"]

We’ve all heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but how true is that?

Apples are not high in vitamin A, nor are they beneficial for vision like carrots. They are not a great source of vitamin C and therefore don’t fight off colds as oranges do.

However, apples contain various bioactive substances – natural chemicals that occur in small amounts in foods and that have biological effects in the body.((Nezbedova L, McGhie T, Christensen M, Heyes J, Nasef NA, Mehta S. Onco-Preventive and Chemo-Protective Effects of Apple Bioactive Compounds. Nutrients. 2021; 13(11):4025. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13114025)) These chemicals are not classified as nutrients like vitamins. Because apples contain many health-promoting bioactive substances, the fruit is considered a “functional” food.((Functional Food. ScienceDirect Index Page))

For years, I have taught university classes on nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, carbs, proteins and fats. But recently I developed a course specifically on functional foods. The class explores the various bioactive substances in food and how some may even function like a medicine.

Functional foods defined

Functional foods are not the same as superfoods. “Superfood” is a buzzword marketers use to promote foods like kale, spinach and blueberries. Labeling them as “super” appeals to the public and increases sales. But superfood is generally meant to imply a food that has superior nutritional value and that is high in nutrients that are beneficial for health.((Cobos Á, Díaz O. ‘Superfoods’: Reliability of the Information for Consumers Available on the Web. Foods. 2023; 12(3):546. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12030546)) For example, salmon and tuna are considered superfoods because the omega-3 fats they contain have been linked to heart health.((Yang Hu et. al. Marine Omega‐3 Supplementation and Cardiovascular Disease: An Updated Meta‐Analysis of 13 Randomized Controlled Trials Involving 127 477 Participants. DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.119.013543))

Superfood advertisements claim that eating the food will improve some aspect of health. The problem is that most of those claims are not based on scientific research like the criteria for functional foods are.((Prakash Singh M et.al. Superfood: Value and Need. DOI: 10.2174/1573401317666210420123013))

In addition to the nutrients that our bodies need for growth and development, functional foods contain a variety of bioactive substances, each with a unique function in the body. The bioactive substances can be found naturally in foods or added during processing.((Funcional Food Center: https://www.functionalfoodscenter.net/))

The list of bioactive components in foods grows daily as research expands. Though the components themselves are not new, the evidence-based research confirming their health benefits is.((Samtiya M, Aluko RE, Dhewa T, Moreno-Rojas JM. Potential Health Benefits of Plant Food-Derived Bioactive Components: An Overview. Foods. 2021; 10(4):839. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10040839))

The carotenoids are the most easily recognizable examples of bioactive substances. They are a group of 850 different pigments that give yellow, orange and red fruits and vegetables their color.((Maoka, T. Carotenoids as natural functional pigments. J Nat Med 74, 1–16 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-019-01364-x)) Carotenoids primarily function as antioxidants, which means they promote health by helping to prevent damage to the body’s cells. Various individual carotenoids may function in different ways.

Beta-carotene is the most well-known carotenoid because of the high amounts found in carrots.((Sharma, K.D., Karki, S., Thakur, N.S. et al. Chemical composition, functional properties and processing of carrot—a review. J Food Sci Technol 49, 22–32 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-011-0310-7)) Beta-carotene converts to vitamin A in the body after we consume it. Vitamin A is needed for normal vision.

Lutein and zeaxanthin are the yellow carotenoids found in corn and peppers. The two help support vision, especially among older adults.((Buscemi S, Corleo D, Di Pace F, Petroni ML, Satriano A, Marchesini G. The Effect of Lutein on Eye and Extra-Eye Health. Nutrients. 2018; 10(9):1321. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10091321))

Research suggests that the carotenoids from foods and the other categories of bioactive substances may help prevent certain cancers and improve heart health.((Câmara JS, Albuquerque BR, Aguiar J, Corrêa RCG, Gonçalves JL, Granato D, Pereira JAM, Barros L, Ferreira ICFR. Food Bioactive Compounds and Emerging Techniques for Their Extraction: Polyphenols as a Case Study. Foods. 2021; 10(1):37. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10010037)) It’s important to note that carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables are associated with reduced risks of cardiovascular disease and some cancers but that carotenoids in supplements offer fewer benefits.((Black HS, Boehm F, Edge R, Truscott TG. The Benefits and Risks of Certain Dietary Carotenoids that Exhibit both Anti- and Pro-Oxidative Mechanisms—A Comprehensive Review. Antioxidants. 2020; 9(3):264. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox9030264))

History of the functional food movement

Though the adage about apples and health originated in the 1800s,((Davis MA, Bynum JPW, Sirovich BE. Association Between Apple Consumption and Physician Visits: Appealing the Conventional Wisdom That an Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away. JAMA Intern Med. 2015;175(5):777–783. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.5466)) nutrition is a relatively young science – and the idea of functional foods and bioactive components is even younger.

From the early 1900s to the 1970s, nutrition research focused on vitamin deficiencies. The public was encouraged to eat more vitamin-fortified, processed foods to prevent nutrient deficiency diseases like scurvy, which is caused by a severe vitamin C deficit, or rickets, caused by prolonged vitamin D deficiency.

This emphasis on eating in order to correct nutrient deficiencies had the tendency to cause people to focus on certain nutrients, which can contribute to overeating.((Mozaffarian D, Rosenberg I, Uauy R. History of modern nutrition science—implications for current research, dietary guidelines, and food policyBMJ 2018; 361 :k2392 doi:10.1136/bmj.k2392)) This, combined with an increased availability of highly processed foods, resulted in weight gain, which led to increased rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.((David S Ludwig et.al. The carbohydrate-insulin model: a physiological perspective on the obesity pandemic. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqab270.))

In 1980, the U.S. government published the first dietary guidelines that encouraged people to avoid fat, sugar and salt.((1980 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.)) Public health messaging encouraged people to replace fatty foods with starchy foods such as breads and pasta.

The logic of this recommendation was that if people consume less fat, they should increase their calories from carbohydrates to ensure adequate calories. That nutritional advice contributed to((Mozaffarian D, Rosenberg I, Uauy R. History of modern nutrition science—implications for current research, dietary guidelines, and food policyBMJ 2018; 361 :k2392 doi:10.1136/bmj.k2392)) the skyrocketing obesity((Controlling the global obesity epidemic. WHO)) and diabetes rates((The Facts, Stats, and Impacts of Diabetes. CDC)) that continue today.((Global, regional, and national burden of diabetes from 1990 to 2021, with projections of prevalence to 2050: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01301-6))

Japan’s focus on foods for health

Historically, the Japanese were one of the healthiest populations on Earth.((Tsugane, S. Why has Japan become the world’s most long-lived country: insights from a food and nutrition perspective. Eur J Clin Nutr 75, 921–928 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-020-0677-5)) However, as the 21st century approached, many Japanese people had adopted the American diet and developed health problems similar to those in the U.S.((Teramoto T. “Japan Diet” and Health—The Present and Future. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3177/jnsv.65.S29))

Three Japanese ladies in traditional outfit strolling a street

As a result, the Japanese government became concerned about its citizens’ expanding waistlines and declining health.((Hasegawa, M, Akter, S, Hu, H, et al. Five-year cumulative incidence of overweight and obesity, and longitudinal change in body mass index in Japanese workers: The Japan Epidemiology Collaboration on Occupational Health Study. J Occup Health. 2020; 62:e12095. https://doi.org/10.1002/1348-9585.12095)) To correct this problem, Japan became the first country to introduce the concept of functional foods in the 1980s.((Soichi ARAI, Toshihiko OSAWA, Hajime OHIGASHI, Masaaki YOSHIKAWA, Shuichi KAMINOGAWA, Michiko WATANABE, Tadashi OGAWA, Kazuyoshi OKUBO, Shaw WATANABE, Hoyoku NISHINO, Kazuki SHINOHARA, Takatoshi ESASHI, Tsuneo HIRAHARA, A Mainstay of Functional Food Science in Japan—History, Present Status, and Future Outlook, Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, Volume 65, Issue 1, 1 January 2001, Pages 1–13, https://doi.org/10.1271/bbb.65.1
Shun Iwatani, Naoyuki Yamamoto. Functional food products in Japan: A review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fshw.2019.03.011.))

Today, Japan uses the phrase “Food for Specialized Health Uses” for products that can be scientifically shown to promote health.((Food for Specified Health Uses (FOSHU). Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare))

It has paid off. Japan has more than 1,000 foods and beverages approved as food for specialized health uses,((“Reversal phenomenon”: Japan’s Food with Functional Claims market set for new record as FOSHU launches slip. NutraIngredients Asia)) such as hypoallergenic rice.((Swinbanks, D., O’Brien, J. Japan explores the boundary between food and medicine. Nature 364, 180 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1038/364180a0)) Rice allergies, though uncommon, are a major problem for Japanese people who have them because rice is a staple food.

About half of Japan’s health claims relate to improving digestion using bioactive prebiotic dietary fibers.

The bioactive components in apples

An apple’s natural dietary fibers are one of the bioactive components that lead to its being classified as a functional food. The fiber pectin is found mainly in an apple’s pulp.

Pectin functions to reduce the amount of sugar and fat that is absorbed into the body.((Kim Sun Jo et.al. Metabolic and Cardiovascular Benefits of Apple and Apple-Derived Products: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.766155)) This helps reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Apple peels are also packed with fiber that acts as a laxative.

In addition, apples contain high amounts of natural chemicals known as polyphenols that have vital roles in promoting health and reducing chronic disease.((Cory H et.al. The Role of Polyphenols in Human Health and Food Systems: A Mini-Review. DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2018.00087)) More than 8,000 polyphenols have been identified in various plant foods. Because they are mainly in the peel, whole apples are better sources of polyphenols than juice or applesauce.((Francini A, Sebastiani L. Phenolic Compounds in Apple (Malusx domesticaBorkh.): Compounds Characterization and Stability during Postharvest and after Processing. Antioxidants. 2013; 2(3):181-193. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox2030181))

Anthocyanins((Mattioli R, Francioso A, Mosca L, Silva P. Anthocyanins: A Comprehensive Review of Their Chemical Properties and Health Effects on Cardiovascular and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Molecules. 2020; 25(17):3809. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25173809)) are a subclass of the polyphenols that give the apple peel much of its red color.((Espley, R.V., Hellens, R.P., Putterill, J., Stevenson, D.E., Kutty-Amma, S. and Allan, A.C. (2007), Red colouration in apple fruit is due to the activity of the MYB transcription factor, MdMYB10. The Plant Journal, 49: 414-427. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-313X.2006.02964.x)) Diets high in anthocyanins help improve heart health((Taylor C Wallace. Anthocyanins in Cardiovascular Disease. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.110.000042)) and are being studied for use in treating Alzheimer’s disease.((Swathi Suresh, Rukaiah Fatma Begum, Ankul Singh S, Chitra V. Anthocyanin as a therapeutic in Alzheimer’s disease: A systematic review of preclinical evidences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2022.101595))

Another of the primary polyphenols in apples is phloridzin.((Niederberger, K., Tennant, D., & Bellion, P. (2020). Dietary intake of phloridzin from natural occurrence in foods. British Journal of Nutrition, 123(8), 942-950. doi:10.1017/S0007114520000033)) Researchers have studied the role of phloridzin in helping to control blood glucose for more than 100 years.((Pavy, F. W., Brodie, T. G., Siau, R. L., (1903), On the mechanism of phloridzin glycosuria. The Journal of Physiology, 29 doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1903.sp000969.)) Recent studies confirm that it plays an important role in regulating blood glucose levels by decreasing the amount of glucose absorbed from the small intestine and increasing excretion from the kidneys.((Mena, P., Crozier, A., Williamson, G., Effects of Polyphenols on Glucose-Induced Metabolic Changes in Healthy Human Subjects and on Glucose Transporters. Mol. Nutr. Food Res.2022, 66, 2101113. https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.202101113))

Revisiting the original question

So if apples are functional foods that promote health, do they really help keep the doctor away?

Researchers have tried to figure this out. One U.S. team analyzed the apple-eating patterns and number of doctor visits among more than 8,000 adults. Of those, about 9% ate one apple daily. Once adjusted for demographic and health-related factors, the researchers found that the daily apple eaters used marginally fewer prescription medications than the non-apple eaters. But the number of doctor’s visits was about the same between the two groups.((Davis MA, Bynum JPW, Sirovich BE. Association Between Apple Consumption and Physician Visits: Appealing the Conventional Wisdom That an Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away. JAMA Intern Med. 2015;175(5):777–783. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.5466))

If one apple a day is not enough to make us healthy, what about eating two or three?

A group of European researchers found that eating two apples a day improved heart health in 40 adults.((Athanasios Koutsos, Samantha Riccadonna, Maria M Ulaszewska, Pietro Franceschi, Kajetan Trošt, Amanda Galvin, Tanya Braune, Francesca Fava, Daniele Perenzoni, Fulvio Mattivi, Kieran M Tuohy, Julie A Lovegrove. Two apples a day lower serum cholesterol and improve cardiometabolic biomarkers in mildly hypercholesterolemic adults: a randomized, controlled, crossover trial. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqz282.)) And Brazilian investigators found that eating three apples daily improved weight loss and blood glucose levels in 40 overweight women.

While eating an apple a day won’t necessarily cut down substantially on prescription medications or doctors visits, it could be one step in the direction of making the transition to eating more healthful, fiber-filled, whole foods.

Apples require no cooking or refrigeration at least for a week or so, and one red delicious apple costs about 50 U.S. cents.

So next time you are in the grocery store, grab some apples and – if you feel like it – try eating at least one a day.

Stay Always Up to Date

Sign up to our newsletter and stay always informed with news and tips around your health.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Save that Avocado Seed for Your Next Cup of Tea

November 5, 2023 by Cheryl Silvera - [rt_reading_time label="Reading Time:" postfix="minutes" postfix_singular="minute"]

Growing up on the island of Jamaica, Avocados (called “pear” by most Jamaicans), while in season, were a staple at almost every meal. We were chasing through the brush to bring back the prized Pear to our families or simply sit and eat as friends. Everyone in the district knew where a Pear tree was to be found and avidly watched it for the ripening fruit.

Save that Avocado Seed for Your Next Cup of Tea

Typically, we would have Pear and green bananas for breakfast with whatever vegetable was at hand, callaloo (a cousin to spinach) or cabbage. Pear and bread for Lunch. Pear and rice for dinner. According to the Jamaican Rural Agricultural Development Authority, the “Most common varieties grown are Simmonds, ripening in the summer months, and Collinson, Lula ripening in December to February.”((https://rada.gov.jm/post-harvest-management-avocado)) Whatever the growing season for avocado in your region of the world they are well loved by most people.

The avocado pear belongs to the plant group Persea Americana and is found in almost all kitchens. Traditionally only the creamy, buttery yellowish-green flesh is eaten. “It’s fruit, sometimes also referred to as an alligator or avocado pear, is botanically a large berry containing a single large seed.”((https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avocado)) It is, therefore, one of those foods mentioned in the Bible as good for food.

God said to the first created man, Adam, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food” (Genesis 1:29).

Another look at the humble Avocado Seed

“Current research has shown that avocado seeds may improve hypercholesterolemia,((Hypercholesterolemia, also called high cholesterol)) and be useful in the treatment of hypertension, inflammatory conditions and diabetes.” In addition, the research further states, “Seeds have also been found to possess insecticidal, fungicidal, and anti-microbial activities. The avocado seeds are rich in phenolic compounds.”((https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23448442/
Dabas D, Shegog RM, Ziegler GR, Lambert JD. Avocado (Persea americana) seed as a source of bioactive phytochemicals. Curr Pharm Des. 2013;19(34):6133-40. doi: 10.2174/1381612811319340007. PMID: 23448442.))

What are the phenolic benefits? Research on antioxidants states, “… phenolic compound in plants exerts diverse pharmacological effects, including antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, and anti-arteriosclerotic activities.”((Matsumura Y, Kitabatake M, Kayano S-i, Ito T. Dietary Phenolic Compounds: Their Health Benefits and Association with the Gut Microbiota. Antioxidants. 2023; 12(4):880. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12040880))

So, the next time you are tempted to throw out the avocado seed. Think again and upcycle for your health.

Making the tea

To make the tea, air-dry the avocado seed, keeping the membrane and using it also. Grate the dried seed and add to boiling water. 4 cups of water to a seed are the usual ratio. Alternatively, adding the whole seed to the boiling water, then removing it after a few minutes to chop it into smaller pieces is also a good way to go.

Further benefits of Avocado

The overall health benefits of Avocados are worth noting. While I typically write on brain health, the body is a whole and not to be separated simply by brain food and benefits to the other parts. However, that being said, the brain benefits from nutrients found in avocados.

B-vitamins

Most plant-based eaters must be mindful of their B-vitamins—deficiencies in B-vitamins can lead to various health complications. Avocados are rich in B6. A deficiency in B6 is linked to declining cognition.((https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14584010/))

Antioxidant Vitamins

Avocado fruit is a good source of vitamin C.((USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) Avocado, almond, pistachio and walnut Composition. Nutrient Data Laboratory. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 24. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture; 2011.)) Vitamin C acts as one of the neuron transporters in the brain.((Harrison FE, May JM. Vitamin C function in the brain: vital role of the ascorbate transporter SVCT2. Free Radic Biol Med. 2009 Mar 15;46(6):719-30. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2008.12.018. Epub 2009 Jan 6. PMID: 19162177; PMCID: PMC2649700.))

Potassium

The potassium found in an Avocado may control blood pressure. Potassium may help ward off dementia.((Vintimilla RM, Large SE, Gamboa A, Rohlfing GD, O’Jile JR, Hall JR, O’Bryant SE, Johnson LA. The Link between Potassium and Mild Cognitive Impairment in Mexican-Americans. Dement Geriatr Cogn Dis Extra. 2018 Apr 24;8(1):151-157. doi: 10.1159/000488483. PMID: 29805381; PMCID: PMC5968281.))

Phenolics

Avocado fruit phenolics may reduce oxidative and inflammatory stress, enhancing blood flow to help maintain vascular health. Good vein health is good brain health as the veins take the blood to the brain.

Eye Health

Avocados may contribute to eye health. Avocados contain lutein which is expected to be more highly bioavailable than most other fruit and vegetable sources. Lutein also improves cognition in brain health.((Yagi A, Nouchi R, Butler L, Kawashima R. Lutein Has a Positive Impact on Brain Health in Healthy Older Adults: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials and Cohort Studies. Nutrients. 2021 May 21;13(6):1746. doi: 10.3390/nu13061746. PMID: 34063827; PMCID: PMC8223987.))

The Magnesium connection

Let us have a look at the magnesium connection for brain health. “Magnesium assists with neurological pathways that, when not functioning correctly, are believed to lead to mood disorders like depression and anxiety. Several observational studies have linked lower magnesium levels with increased depression.”((https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/magnesium/))

Also, the Signs of deficiency of Magnesium may include:

Fatigue, weakness
Poor appetite
Nausea, vomiting
Numbness or tingling in the skin
Muscle cramps
Seizures
Abnormal heart rate

Call to Action

In writing about the health benefits of God’s plants, we emphasize taking care of our bodies because it is the temple of God (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Sadly, we often wait until something is wrong before we attend to our health needs. The adage “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” should not be our mainstay regarding our health. The Word of God, the Bible, asks us to offer our best to the Master and to keep our bodies in the best health (Proverbs 3:9). When God has spared our lives to share the gospel, more is asked of us in the care of our bodies (Luke 12:48). Let’s prepare for the coming of the Lord as if it is the last day to get it right with our health. Pray. Trust God. Eat to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31) and be well.

Stay Always Up to Date

Sign up to our newsletter and stay always informed with news and tips around your health.

This article was originally published on the Time to Get Ready website.

Microgreens – The Health-giving Shoots Explained

October 29, 2023 by Carol Wagstaff - [rt_reading_time label="Reading Time:" postfix="minutes" postfix_singular="minute"]

Many of us germinated cress seeds on a bit of wet tissue at primary school, giving us a first introduction to edible microgreens. Recent interest in more diverse ways of getting flavor and nutrition into the vegetable components of our diets has increased the focus on the potential these crops have to offer.

Microgreens - The Health-giving Shoots Explained

There are now a growing number of horticultural businesses operating at a significant commercial scale to deliver a wide variety of microgreens to the market. In most cases, sales are to the food service industry, rather than retail, meaning you are likely to find them in your sandwich or as garnish on a restaurant dish. Microgreens are simply the cotyledons, or seed leaves, that first emerge from a seed when it germinates. If the seedlings were left to mature, they would eventually become full-sized leafy vegetable and herb crops.

These miniature leafy salad crops pack a lot of nutritionally beneficial and flavorsome goodies into a small space. Seedlings of plants such as beetroot, radish, rocket, basil and coriander come in many shades of red and green. They give a real zing to a dish with their distinctive flavors and contain biologically active compounds, such as glucosinolates and polyphenols, that are known to reduce the risk of some cancers and cardiovascular disease.((Bhaswant M, Shanmugam DK, Miyazawa T, Abe C, Miyazawa T. Microgreens—A Comprehensive Review of Bioactive Molecules and Health Benefits. Molecules. 2023; 28(2):867. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28020867))

Recent research has shown that the “bioavailability”, that is, the ease with which the human body can access all the nutrients locked up in the plants we eat, is better in some microgreens than others.((Abellán Á, Domínguez-Perles R, García-Viguera C, Moreno DA. In Vitro Evidence on Bioaccessibility of Flavonols and Cinnamoyl Derivatives of Cruciferous Sprouts. Nutrients. 2021; 13(11):4140. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13114140)) Red radish sprouts had higher bioavailability of polyphenols than red cabbage, broccoli and white mustard, even though the concentrations found in the radish were lower. These findings show just how important it is for us to understand the digestibility of the food we eat, and not simply the concentration of different compounds within it.

Although microgreens are more nutrient-dense than their fully-grown relatives,((Weber CF (2017) Broccoli Microgreens: A Mineral-Rich Crop That Can Diversify Food Systems. Front. Nutr. 4:7. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2017.00007)) the portion sizes offered still tend to be very small. While microgreens are still treated as a garnish instead of a valuable component of a diet, people will not get as much of the nutritional benefits as they could.

Grown indoors

Microgreens can easily be grown indoors and don’t require much space. Indoor growing has its challenges, as the energy demand is often high to provide the lighting and temperatures that the plants need. However, if the energy used is from renewable sources, indoor growing becomes sustainable.

Researchers in Canada also discovered that using continuous LED lighting both increased the yield of microgreens and reduced the energy costs associated with production compared with using traditional light/dark cycles.((Lanoue J, St. Louis S, Little C and Hao X (2022) Continuous lighting can improve yield and reduce energy costs while increasing or maintaining nutritional contents of microgreens. Front. Plant Sci. 13:983222. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.983222))

Microgreens are harvested within days of germination, meaning that they don’t need additional fertilizer supply, and they suffer very few problems of pests and diseases that affect plants grown to greater maturity because they are grown in such clean indoor environments. All they need is a bit of water to sustain them.

However, the indoor growing environment also offers the potential for fortification of microgreen crops, ensuring that they are even richer sources of the nutrients that we are often deficient in. A 2022 study from the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, showed that a range of different varieties of microgreens could be more than 100-fold enriched with selenium by including it in the growing medium.((Mezeyová I, Hegedűsová A, Golian M, Andrejiová A, Šlosár M, Mezey J. Influence of Microgreens Biofortification with Selenium on Their Quantitative and Qualitative Parameters. Agronomy. 2022; 12(5):1096. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12051096)) Selenium is an essential nutrient that lowers the risk of developing cancer.

The biggest challenge that remains is to improve the shelf-life of these seedlings. Many of the things that make them attractive as crops, such as tender texture and growing in a highly protected environment, make them unable to withstand the conditions they are exposed to after harvest.((Gupta A, Sharma T, Singh SP, Bhardwaj A, Srivastava D and Kumar R (2023) Prospects of microgreens as budding living functional food: Breeding and biofortification through OMICS and other approaches for nutritional security. Front. Genet. 14:1053810. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1053810)) The rise in popularity of these crops will encourage plant breeders to invest in developing varieties that are specifically adapted to cultivation as microgreens.

The low-input, indoor-friendly production of microgreens provides opportunities to have leafy veg grown in towns and cities, or even in people’s own homes. These short supply chains mean that the product reaching people’s plates is fresh and of good quality.

When production is more local to the point of consumption people feel more connected to their food supply and are more likely to incorporate these sustainable, healthy and tasty little leaves into their diets.

Stay Always Up to Date

Sign up to our newsletter and stay always informed with news and tips around your health.

How to Swap Meat for Nutritious Alternatives

October 1, 2023 by Ruth Fairchild - [rt_reading_time label="Reading Time:" postfix="minutes" postfix_singular="minute"]

Are you toying with the idea of eating less meat, but unsure whether it’s the right choice nutritionally and how best to do it?

How to Swap Meat for Nutritious Alternatives

If so, you’re not alone. Many people are now looking to eat fewer animal products because of the desire to eat sustainably, and moving towards a plant-based diet is indeed an admirable goal.((Plant-based diets. British Nutrition Foundation))

It’s better for our health, lowering the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. And it helps our planet.((Plant-based diet lowers risk for chronic diseases, weight gain, death. healio.com June 11, 2018))

A 2019 report on healthy diets from sustainable farming systems concluded that reducing meat and fish consumption – and replacing required calories with plant-based food – are the best methods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, environmental degradation and biodiversity loss.((EAT-Lancet Commission Summary Report.))

As nutrition experts we’re all too aware that transforming eating habits can require difficult behavior changes.

So, we emphasize small steps. A plant-based diet (as opposed to a plant-only diet) does not mean the total absence of animal products and allows for greater food flexibility and choice than a vegan diet. Or you could take the flexitarian approach, where small amounts of quality animal-based food are consumed alongside significant amounts of plant foods.((Derbyshire E. Flexitarian Diets and Health: A Review of the Evidence-Based Literature. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2016.00055))

Here are some of the basic principles of good nutrition which can help you to eat healthily while reducing your meat intake.

Protein is easy

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and essential amino acids (EAAs) are those which the body cannot make itself.

It’s a common misconception that we all need the high-quality protein contained in meat, In fact, we can exist very well with protein from other sources.

To meet protein needs from plant foods alone – such as grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, tubers, fruit and vegetables – a larger amount of plant foods may need to be eaten, especially if eaten in isolation.((Protein. British Nutrition Foundation))

For instance, an average boiled chicken egg, weighing 50 grams, will provide seven grams of protein and all the EAAs in plentiful amounts. And a small 87 gram portion of soya bean tofu will give you the same amount of protein and all the EAAs in lesser, but adequate, amounts to meet nutritional needs. But you would need to eat a 250 gram portion of boiled white rice, or 130 grams of peas (four to five tablespoons), to get seven grams of protein.

In reality though, meals are rarely made up of one type of food alone. The concept of complementary proteins means that a diet which completely lacks animal foods will be sufficient in protein and EAAs, as long as it contains a varied range of plant based foods.((Protein. British Nutrition Foundation)) The white rice and peas mentioned above is a classic example: the EAA lysine, in short supply in grains, is plentiful in pulses, whereas the methionine in short supply in pulses, is plentiful in grains.

So, the daily mixing of grains, pulses, nuts and seeds within meals will ensure a full complement of EAA. In short, there is little evidence of protein-deficiency among vegetarians, vegans or plant-based diet-eaters in the UK.

Micronutrient needs

Micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) deficiency can be a problem though, so care must be taken to ensure you meet your dietary requirements.((Vitamins and minerals. British Nutrition Foundation))

Red meat is a rich source of dietary iron. But in fact, the consumption of red meat only once or twice a week – or loss of it – will not make much difference to your overall iron status (how much is in your body).((Top dietary iron sources in the UK. British Journal of General Practice))

Although the type of iron in plant foods is not as available to the body as haem iron provided by meat, regularly eating a variety of plant sources (green vegetables, pulses and nuts) will improve iron intake, particularly if combined with a vitamin C source to improve absorption.((Iron: Food Fact Sheet. Association of UK Dietitians)) Key sources of vitamin C include salad vegetables (fresh tomatoes and peppers) and lightly cooked green vegetables and potatoes.

Other major sources of iron are fortified staples, such as flour products and breakfast cereals, and – if you’re not going vegan – oily fish such as salmon, mackeral or sardines.

And don’t forget..

Animal products provide excellent amounts of calcium, zinc, iodine and omega-3 anti-inflammatory oils,((Omega 3 fats. Heart UK)) so if you’re cutting out dairy and fish as well as meat and a adopting a plant-only diet you need to take care you get sufficient quantities of these nutrients.((Vegetarian, vegan and plant-based diet: Food Fact Sheet. Association of UK Dietitians))

Iodine is particularly challenging to meet through plants alone.((Iodine: Food Fact Sheet. Association of UK Dietitians)) Iodised salt is not commonly available in the UK, (but readily available in the US and other countries) so seeking out other sources would be prudent. Dietary seaweeds (kombu, wakame, laver bread and nori) can be used in soups, stews, salads and sushi a few times a week.

Omega-3 oils can be obtained from a variety of plant based oils.((Omega 3 fats. Heart UK)) And zinc content is highest in nut butters as well as unrefined flours and pulses, such as wholegrains and green or brown lentils.

The only natural source of B12 is animal products, but there are other sources include nutritional yeasts and fortified products such as breakfast cereals. A supplement may be required for those following a plant-only diet.

Eating Healthily and Sustainably

The key to healthy eating is a balanced diet,((The Eatwell Guide. NHS)) predominantly plant-based((Vegetarian, vegan and plant-based diet: Food Fact Sheet. Association of UK Dietitians)) and minimally processed.((Fairchild R. Why forgotten food manufacturers deserve our thanks too. The Conversation, June 5, 2020)) Highly processed foods are a major source of fats, salt and sugar, whether plant-based or animal-based.

Reducing our meat-based consumption, even for one day a week, will make a difference to our health and the planet. And if we do consume meat, looking for more sustainable sources will ultimately encourage less intensive farming of animals.((8 ways to eat more sustainably without giving up meat. Country Living))

Stay Always Up to Date

Sign up to our newsletter and stay always informed with news and tips around your health.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Stop Hating on Pasta

September 10, 2023 by Emma Beckett - [rt_reading_time label="Reading Time:" postfix="minutes" postfix_singular="minute"]

New year, new you, new diet. It’s a familiar refrain. One popular dieting technique is to create a food blacklist. Quitting “carbs” or packaged foods is common, which can mean avoiding supermarket staples like pasta. But do we really need to ban pasta to improve our diets?

This is what we call a reductionist approach to nutrition, where we describe a food based on just one of its key components. Pasta isn’t just carbohydrates. One cup (about 145 grams) of cooked pasta has about 38g of carbohydrates, 7.7g of protein and 0.6g of fats. Plus, there’s all the water that is absorbed from cooking and lots of vitamins and minerals.((Pasta, white wheat flour, boiled from dry, no added salt. Food Standards Australia & NZ))

“But pasta is mostly carbs!” I hear you cry. This is true, but it’s not the whole story. We need to think about context.

Your day on a plate

You probably know there are recommendations for how much energy (kilojoules or calories) we should eat in a day.((Nutrient Reference Values. eatforhealth.gov.au)) These recommendations are based on body size, sex and physical activity. But you might not realise there are also recommendations about the profile of macronutrients – or types of food – that supply this energy.

Fats, carbs and proteins are macronutrients. Macronutrients are broken down in the body to produce energy for our bodies.

Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges describe the ratio or percentage of macronutrients that should provide this energy.((Nutrient Reference Values. eatforhealth.gov.au)) These ranges are set by experts based on health outcomes and models of healthy eating. They aim to make sure we get enough, but not too much, of each macro. Consuming too much or too little of any type of food can have consequences for health.

The ratios are also designed to make sure we get enough of the vitamins and minerals that come with the energy in the foods we typically eat. We should get 45–65% of our energy from carbohydrates, 10–30% from proteins, and 20–35% from fats.

Mangia pasta

Macronutrient ratios mean it can be healthy to eat up to between 1.2 and 6.5 times more carbohydrates in a day than protein – since each gram of protein has the same amount of energy as a gram of carbohydrates.

The ratio of carbs to protein in pasta is 38g to 7.7g, which equates to roughly a 5:1 ratio, well within the acceptable macronutrient distribution range. Meaning pasta actually has enough protein to balance with the carbohydrates. This isn’t just because of the eggs in pasta either. Wheat is another source of protein, making up about 20% of the proteins eaten globally.((Erenstein, O., Jaleta, M., Mottaleb, K.A., Sonder, K., Donovan, J., Braun, HJ. (2022). Global Trends in Wheat Production, Consumption and Trade. In: Reynolds, M.P., Braun, HJ. (eds) Wheat Improvement. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90673-3_4))

If you are worried about the calorie levels and weight gain, that’s not so simple either.

In the context of an otherwise healthy diet, people have been shown to lose more weight when their diet includes pasta regularly.((Chiavaroli L, Kendall CWC, Braunstein CR, et al. Effect of pasta in the context of low-glycaemic index dietary patterns on body weight and markers of adiposity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials in adults. BMJ Open 2018;8:e019438. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019438))

And, a systematic review of ten different studies found pasta was better for post-meal blood glucose levels than bread or potatoes.((M. Huang, J. Li, M.-A. Ha, G. Riccardi, S. Liu, A systematic review on the relations between pasta consumption and cardio-metabolic risk factors, Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, Volume 27, Issue 11, 2017, Pages 939-948, ISSN 0939-4753,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2017.07.005))

Instead of quitting spaghetti, consider reducing portion sizes, or switching to wholegrain pasta, which has a higher fibre content which has benefits for gut health and can help you feel fuller longer.((Iolanda Cioffi et.al. Effects on satiation, satiety and food intake of wholegrain and refined grain pasta, Appetite, Volume 107, 2016, Pages 152-158, ISSN 0195-6663, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.08.002))

Gluten-free pasta has slightly less protein than wheat pasta. So, despite being healthier for people with gluten intolerance, there are no increased health benefits in switching to gluten-free pasta for most of us.((Pasta, gluten free. nutritionvalue.org))

Pass the pesto and the leftover bolognese

Pasta is also not typically eaten alone. So, while some warn about the dangers of blood sugar spikes when eating “naked carbs” (meaning just carbs with no other foods), this typically isn’t a risk for pasta.((Dressing Up Naked Carbs To Make More Filling Meals and Snacks. loseitblog.com))

When pasta provides the base of a meal, it can be a vehicle to help people eat more vegetables in smooth or chunky vegetable sauces. For kids (or fussy adults) pasta sauce can be a great place to hide pureed or grated vegetables.((Pasta with tomato & hidden veg sauce. BBC Good Food))

Not eating pasta alone is also important for the protein profile. Plant foods are typically not complete proteins, which means we need to eat combinations of them to get all the different types of amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) we need to survive.((Are ‘Incomplete’ Proteins a Myth? healthline.com))

But pasta, even though we often focus on the carbs and energy, packs a good nutritional punch. Like most foods, it isn’t just macronutrients it also has micronutrients.

One cup of cooked pasta has about a quarter of our daily recommended intakes of vitamins B1 and B9, half the recommended intake of selenium, and 10% of our iron needs.((Pasta, white wheat flour, boiled from dry, no added salt. Food Standards Australia & NZ))

The news for pasta gets even better when we eat it as leftovers. When pasta is cooked and cooled, some of the carbohydrates convert to resistant starch.((Canas S et.al. Effect of cooking, 24 h cold storage, microwave reheating, and particle size on in vitro starch digestibility of dry and fresh pasta. https://doi.org/10.1039/D0FO00849D)) This starch gets its name from being resistant to digestion, so it contributes less energy and is better for blood sugar levels.((Hodges C, Archer F, Chowdhury M, Evans BL, Ghelani DJ, Mortoglou M, Guppy FM. Method of Food Preparation Influences Blood Glucose Response to a High-Carbohydrate Meal: A Randomised Cross-over Trial. Foods. 2019 Dec 25;9(1):23. doi: 10.3390/foods9010023)) So, your leftover pasta, even if you reheat it, is lower in calories than the night before.

Look a little closer at ‘carb’ choices

There is a lot of talk about reducing intakes of carbohydrates for weight loss, but remember carbs come in different forms and in different foods.

Some of them, like pasta, bring other benefits. Others like cakes and lollies, add very little else. When we talk about reducing intake of refined carbohydrates, think first of sweets that are eaten alone, before you cut the staple carbohydrates that are often served with vegetables – arguably the healthiest core food group!

Stay Always Up to Date

Sign up to our newsletter and stay always informed with news and tips around your health.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Nine Vegetables that are Healthier for You when Cooked

July 9, 2023 by Laura Brown - [rt_reading_time label="Reading Time:" postfix="minutes" postfix_singular="minute"]

Raw food diets are a fairly recent trend, including raw veganism. The belief being that the less processed food is, the better. However, not all food is more nutritious when eaten raw. Indeed, some vegetables are actually more nutritious when cooked. Here are nine of them.

Nine Vegetables that are Healthier for You when Cooked

1. Asparagus

All living things are made up of cells, and in vegetables, important nutrients are sometimes trapped within these cell walls. When vegetables are cooked, the walls break down, releasing the nutrients that can then be absorbed more easily by the body.((Gibson R et.al. Improving the bioavailability of nutrients in plant foods at the household level. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society (2006), 65, 160–168))

Cooking asparagus breaks down its cell walls, making vitamins A, B9, C and E more available to be absorbed.

2. Mushrooms

Mushrooms contain large amounts of the antioxidant ergothioneine, which is released during cooking.((Rodriguez Estrada, A.E., Lee, HJ., Beelman, R.B. et al. Enhancement of the antioxidants ergothioneine and selenium in Pleurotus eryngii var. eryngii basidiomata through cultural practices. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 25, 1597–1607 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-009-0049-8)) Antioxidants help break down “free radicals”, chemicals that can damage our cells, causing illness and ageing.

3. Spinach

Spinach is rich in nutrients, including iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc. However, these nutrients are more readily absorbed when the spinach is cooked. This is because spinach is packed with oxalic acid (a compound found in many plants) that blocks the absorption of iron and calcium. Heating spinach releases the bound calcium, making it more available for the body to absorb.((Gibson R et.al. Improving the bioavailability of nutrients in plant foods at the household level. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society (2006), 65, 160–168))

Research suggests that steaming spinach maintains its levels of folate (B9), which may reduce the risk of certain cancers.((Neerja Rana, Arti Ghabru and Devina Vaidya. Defensive function of fruits and vegetables. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 2019; 8(3): 1872-1877))

4. Tomatoes

Cooking, using any method, greatly increases the antioxidant lycopene in tomatoes. Lycopene has been associated with a lower risk of a range of chronic diseases including heart disease and cancer.((Sanjiv Agarwal and Akkinappally Venketeshwer Rao. Tomato lycopene and its role in human health and chronic diseases. CMAJ September 19, 2000 163 (6) 739-744;)) This increased lycopene amount comes from the heat that helps to break down the thick cell walls, which contain several important nutrients.

Although cooking tomatoes reduces their vitamin C content by 29%, their lycopene content increased by more than 50% within 30 minutes of cooking.((Dewanto V, Wu X, Adom KK, Liu RH. Thermal processing enhances the nutritional value of tomatoes by increasing total antioxidant activity. J Agric Food Chem. 2002 May 8;50(10):3010-4. doi: 10.1021/jf0115589.))

5. Carrots

Cooked carrots contain more beta-carotene than raw carrots, which is a substance called a carotenoid that the body converts into vitamin A. This fat-soluble vitamin supports bone growth, vision and the immune system.

Cooking carrots with the skins on more than doubles their antioxidant power.((Miglio C et. al. Effects of Different Cooking Methods on Nutritional and Physicochemical Characteristics of Selected Vegetables. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2008, 56, 1, 139–147. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf072304b)) You should boil carrots whole before slicing as it stops these nutrients from escaping into the cooking water. Avoid frying carrots as this has been found to reduce the amount of carotenoid.((Abdollah Ghavami, W. Andy Coward and Les J. C. Bluck. The effect of food preparation on the bioavailability of carotenoids from carrots using intrinsic labelling. British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 107 , Issue 9 , 14 May 2012 , pp. 1350 – 1366
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S000711451100451X))

6. Bell peppers

Bell peppers are a great source of immune-system-boosting antioxidants, especially the carotenoids, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin and lutein. Heat breaks down the cell walls, making the carotenoids easier for your body to absorb.((Feng X. et.al. omparative analysis of carotenoids and metabolite characteristics in discolored red pepper and normal red pepper based on non-targeted metabolomics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2021.112398)) As with tomatoes, vitamin C is lost when peppers are boiled or steamed because the vitamin can leach out into the water. Try roasting them instead.

7. Brassica

Brassica, which include broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts, are high in glucosinolates (sulfur-containing phytochemicals), which the body can convert into a range of cancer-fighting compounds. For these glucosinolates to be converted into cancer-fighting compounds, an enzyme within these vegetables called myrosinase has to be active.

Research has found that steaming these vegetables preserves both the vitamin C and myrosinase and, therefore, the cancer-fighting compounds you can get from them. Chopping broccoli and letting it sit for a minimum of 40 minutes before cooking also allows this myrosinase to activate.((Vallejo, .F., Tomás-Barberán, .F. & García-Viguera, .C. Glucosinolates and vitamin C content in edible parts of broccoli florets after domestic cooking. Eur Food Res Technol 215, 310–316 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-002-0560-8))

Similarly, sprouts, when cooked produce indole, a compound that may reduce the risk of cancer. Cooking sprouts also causes the glucosinolates to break down into compounds that are known to have cancer-fighting properties.((Cieślik E et. al. Effects of some technological processes on glucosinolate contents in cruciferous vegetables. Food Chemistry, Volume 105, Issue 3, 2007, Pages 976-981, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.04.047.))

8. Green beans

Green beans have higher levels of antioxidants when they are baked, microwaved, griddled or even fried as opposed to boiled or pressure cooked.((Jiménez-Monreal A et. al. Influence of Cooking Methods on Antioxidant Activity of Vegetables. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2009.01091.x))

9. Kale

Kale is healthiest when lightly steamed as it deactivates enzymes that prevent the body from using the iodine it needs for the thyroid, which helps regulate your metabolism.((Curley P. Dietary and Lifestyle Interventions to Support Functional Hypothyroidism. Inquiries Journal 2009, Vol. 1 No. 12))

For all vegetables, higher temperatures, longer cooking times and larger quantities of water cause more nutrients to be lost. Water-soluble vitamins (C and many of the B vitamins) are the most unstable nutrients when it comes to cooking because they leach out of vegetables into the cooking water. So avoid soaking them in water, use the least amount of water when cooking and use other cooking methods, such as steaming or roasting. Also, if you have cooking water left over, use it in soups or gravies as it holds all the leached nutrients.

Stay Always Up to Date

Sign up to our newsletter and stay always informed with news and tips around your health.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

« Previous Page