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Cultured, Whole Food Vitamins and Supplements â?? Best Source of Dietary Supplementation

December 14th, 2009

Whole Foods for Optimal Nutrition

Whole foods are our best source of nutrition and provide the most complete sources of vitamins and minerals. We are nourished by eating whole foods because they contain the necessary proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fiber, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other micronutrients that our body needs for proper nourishment and optimal health. Unfortunately, most of us do not eat enough variety of whole, nutrient-dense foods for proper nutrition levels. Instead, our modern diets include too many processed foods that provide sub-standard levels of nutrients. These days, dietary supplementation is often needed to provide our nutritional requirements for optimum health and energy.The Complexity of Whole Food Vitamins and Dietary Supplements

Dietary supplements and vitamins made from whole foods contain not only recognized vitamins and minerals, but a whole symphony of other micronutrients (phytonutrients or phytochemicals) that work in concert with vitamins and minerals to orchestrate a natural harmony in our bodies. More than 25,000 different micronutrients, also known as cofactors, have been discovered in whole fruits and vegetables alone. These micronutrients are still being studied, but what we do know is that they not only provide additional nutritional support, they also enhance the effectiveness and absorption of other nutrients contained in whole foods.

An interesting study was conducted by researchers at the USDAâ??s Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston. Two different age groups of men and women were fed a diet containing ten servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Then they measured the â??antioxidant capacityâ?? of the participantsâ?? blood samples by seeing how well the blood deactivated damaging oxidized free radicals in a test tube. After two weeks, the antioxidant capacity of the participantsâ?? blood rose in both groups, though more consistently in the older people. Based on this and other studies, it appears that compounds other than vitamins C and E and carotenoids contribute a major portion of the increase in antioxidant capacity.

Food researcher Vic Shayne, Ph.D. clearly describes the complexity of whole food nutrition and how this cannot be duplicated in the lab with vitamin isolates, in the following quotation:Since whole food ingredients are natural, they contain a host of nutrients that exist within a complex.A food complex includes not only vitamins and minerals, but also many cofactors (helper nutrients) that are found in natureâ??s foods as a result of the evolutionary process.Cofactors and food complexes therefore cannot be made in a laboratory nor can they be duplicated by scientists.Many nutritional doctors and researchers conclude that cofactors are often more valuable than vitamins and minerals, and that food cannot be duplicated due to its complexity, dynamism and energy.Cofactors within natureâ??s foods (which are found also in whole food supplements) include, but are not limited to: vitamins, minerals, terpenes, trace mineral activators, enzymes, co-enzymes, chlorophyll, lipids, essential fatty acids, fiber, carotenoids, antioxidants, flavonoids, pigments, amino acids, whole proteins and more.The human organism is biologically suited to ingest and utilize natureâ??s whole foods for its sustenance, including the optimal functioning of cells, and for the processes of healing and prevention. Because (isolated) vitamin and mineral pills are merely comprised of isolated chemicals, the body often regards these as foreign invaders.Many vitamins, minerals and amino acids produce toxic side effects ranging from skin itching and flushing (niacin, for example) to liver impairment (vitamin A palmitate, for example).The ingredients within foods operate on a system of synergism; in other words they work as â??teamsâ?? to feed cells. The interwoven, interrelated and complementary functions of food particles represent some of Natureâ??s most wonderful properties of synergistic power and function.Synergism is defined as the interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects: working together.The Power of Fermentation and Probiotic Cultures

We understand that dietary supplements created from whole foods provide a more complex source of nutrition than isolated supplements created in a lab. So, what happens when we incorporate a probiotic fermentation process to whole food nutritional ingredients?

I am sure we have all heard of Captain Cookâ??s remedy for scurvy on his ships. Due to the lack of fresh produce on long voyages, he would require all his sailors to eat sauerkraut, which is fermented cabbage. Scurvy is caused by a vitamin C deficiency; by fermenting cabbage, the Vitamin C levels of the cabbage are increased.

The power of the fermentation and culturing process is due to the additional nutrients that are created by the activated bacteria. By culturing live, whole foods in probiotics (healthy, beneficial, naturally occurring bacteria), a synergy of health promoting compounds is created. Those compounds produce much greater results than the sum of the individual whole food nutritional ingredients. According to Dr. Richard Sarnat, M.D., co-author of â??The Life Bridge: The Way to Longevity with Probiotic Nutrients,â? “These (cultured) nutrients promote the health of the entire digestive system. It’s the process of fermentation that unlocks all these wonderful nutrients.”

In her book, â??Nourishing Traditions,â? author Sally Fallon, further explains the benefits of the lacto-fermentation process: “Like the fermentation of dairy products, preservation of vegetables and fruits by the process of lacto-fermentation has numerous advantages beyond those of simple preservation. The proliferation of lactobacilli (probiotics) in fermented vegetables enhances their digestibility and increases vitamin levels. These beneficial organisms produce numerous helpful enzymes as well as antibiotic and anticarcinogenic substances. Their main by-product, lactic acid, not only keeps vegetables and fruits in a state of perfect preservation but also promotes the growth of healthy flora throughout the intestine.â?Summary

By supplementing our diets with cultured, whole food vitamins and supplements, we are able to provide our bodies with the complexity of nutrients missing from our modern diets, delivered in a cultured, whole food form that our bodies recognize and utilize efficiently. Nutrients from isolated vitamins and supplements are not adequate for our dietary requirements because they lack the cofactors and micronutrients needed and are not recognized by our bodies as food.

As a Clinical Nutritionist, I recommend my clients and customers eat a whole food, natural diet and use cultured, whole food vitamins and dietary supplements for optimal health. I am impressed with nutrition companies such as Garden of Life, Mt. Capra, and New Chapter, because they follow these health promoting principles of using only whole food ingredients and a culturing probiotic process in their vitamin and supplement formulas.

© Copyright 2008 by Christineâ??s Cleanse Corner, Inc.References:

Dr. Richard Sarnat, Paul Schulick and Thomas M. Newmark, â??The Life Bridge: The Way to Longevity with Probiotic Nutrients,â?

Jordan Rubin N.D, J. Brasco M.D., â??Restoring Your Digestive Healthâ?

www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/lacto.html

Sally Fallon, â??Nourishing Traditionsâ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_food_supplements

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NAH/is_4_34/ai_114783531, Cooking culture: tangy, tasty, and teeming with health benefits, fermented foods are the new stars of a wholesome diet – Healthy Appetites – Natural Health, April 2004, Jill Newmark

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FKA/is_6_63/ai_78476943 Better Nutrition, June, 2001, Marie Moneysmith

Christine Dreher, CCN, CCH is a Clinical Nutritionist, Herbalist, Author of â??The Cleanse Cookbookâ? and President and Founder of Christine’s Cleanse Corner, Inc. She is also a Health and Nutritional Speaker and Teacher, a Nutritional, Diet and Internal Cleanse Consultant, and the Selfgrowth.com Official Guide to Dietary Supplements. Visit Christine on the web at: http://www.BeyondProbiotics.net.
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Antioxidants And Brain Health

December 12th, 2009

Your brain is your greatest asset but it is also your body’s most vulnerable organ. It requires constant support from other major organs and is your most susceptible organ to oxidative stress during aging.
Here are some brain facts:
1. Your brain makes up only 2% of your total body weight but requires 20% of your heart’s output of blood to sustain the amount of oxygen that it needs.
2. Your brain is the most oxygen-demanding organ in your body.
3. Your brain uses chemicals (neurotransmitters) to relay important messages to other parts of your body. These same chemicals are also involved in chemical reactions that produce damaging free radicals.
4. If your brain cells become weak or die they cannot repair themselves. Their functions then can be permanently lost if cell death or damage occurs.
Given these susceptibilities, your brain is especially vulnerable to conditions that threaten oxygen supply, such as in head injury, stroke, lung diseases and heart failure. Under these conditions, brain activity will continue even without enough oxygen. This can cause problems that lead to extreme levels of oxidative stress and the over-production of damaging free radicals.
In diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, other damaging factors are at work. In Alzheimer’s disease, a toxic protein called beta-amyloid, forms in your brain tissue. This protein acts as an irritant and causes inflammation in your brain. This inflammation then causes the production of free radicals that can destroy any membranes and cells in their path.
Parkinson’s disease results from unregulated production of the brain chemical dopamine which, with the help of free radicals, becomes toxic to the brain cells that control your motor functions.
Even in a healthy brain, oxygen radicals are produced every moment during normal high-oxygen demand of neuronal activity. In a healthy brain, enzymes and nutritional antioxidants neutralize these radicals.
Benefits of Dietary Antioxidants
What safeguards can healthy people take to reduce risk of diseases and especially to protect their brains from oxidative stress over a lifetime?
The simplest answer is to follow a diet that includes abundant sources of antioxidant chemicals derived from plant foods. Evidence for the benefits of such a dietary regimen has only been demonstrated in experiments with animals up until now, but the results are convincing. Over the past eight years, the research activities of Dr. Jim Joseph of the US Department of Agriculture, Boston, have focused on how to protect the brain from oxidative stress with dietary use of antioxidant-rich plants such as strawberries, cranberries, elderberries, blueberries and spinach.
Dr. Joseph’s research findings—a message closely pertinent to this essay—can best be represented by a quote from one of his research reports in 1998: “increased antioxidant protection through diets comprised of fruits and vegetables identified as being high in total antioxidant activity might prevent or reverse the deleterious effects of oxidative stress on neurons.”
Summary: Oxidative stress is a major factor in brain aging. This stress can be combated or balanced by including dietary antioxidants into your daily life. The best way to do this is by eating lots of colorful fruits and vegetables each day.
Reading
* Lau FC, Shukitt-Hale B, Joseph JA. The beneficial effects of fruit polyphenols on brain aging. Neurobiol Aging. 2005 Dec;26 Suppl 1:128-32.
* Joseph JA, Shukitt-Hale B, Denisova NA, Prior RL, Cao G, Martin A, Taglialatela G, Bickford PC. Long-term dietary strawberry, spinach, or vitamin E supplementation retards the onset of age-related neuronal signal-transduction and cognitive behavioral deficits.
J Neurosci. 1998 Oct 1;18(19):8047-55.
* Joseph JA, Nadeau DA, Underwood A. The Color Code. Hyperion, New York, 2002.
Copyright 2006 Berry Health Inc.

A scientist, author and expert on cardiovascular and brain physiology, Dr. Paul Gross has done extensive research on the brain, bones and antioxidants. Gross is also founder of Berry Health Inc, a developer of nutritional, berry-based supplements. For more information, visit http://www.berrywiSEOnline.com
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Benefits of Antioxidants in our Food

December 10th, 2009

Everyone has heard the news about antioxidants and their benefits in maintaining good health and proper nutrition. It seems the more scientists learn about antioxidants, the more their value and potential increases. Antioxidants have shown promise in everything from preventing heart disease to slowing the degeneration of the eyes and brain.

Antioxidants work in a fairly straightforward way. What makes them so effective is their ability to neutralize a group of highly reactive, highly destructive compounds known as free radicals.

The production of free radicals is a normal bodily process, and it is part of the process of breathing and living. Free radicals are normally neutralized by the body’s natural defense system, rendering them harmless. However, anything that weakens the body’s natural defenses weakens its ability to fight off these free radicals. Those weakening agents include environmental pollution, excess UV radiation and even excessive consumption of alcohol.

When free radicals are not properly neutralized, the body is left open to damage. Free radicals can damage the structure and function of cells in the body, and recent evidence suggest that free radicals contribute to the aging process and may play a role in a great many illnesses, including cancer and heart disease.

While vitamin supplements containing antioxidants such as vitamin C can be important, there is no substitute for a healthy diet. It is estimated that foods contain more than 4,000 compounds that have antioxidant qualities. Eating a healthy diet is the only way to take advantage of these antioxidant properties. In addition to the well known antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin E, healthy foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains also contain lots of lesser antioxidants. Scientists are only now discovering the important role these lesser known antioxidants have in keeping the body healthy.

Let’s examine some of the dietary sources for the major antioxidant vitamins.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is probably the most studied of all the antioxidant vitamins. Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin found in all bodily fluids, and it is thought to be one of body’s first lines of defense against infection and disease. Since vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin, it is not stored and must be consumed in adequate quantities every day. Good dietary sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits, green peppers, broccoli and other green leafy vegetables, strawberries, cabbage and potatoes.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin that is stored in the liver and other tissues. Vitamin E has been studied for its effects on everything from delaying the aging process to healing a sunburn. While vitamin E is not a miracle worker, it is an important antioxidant, and it is important that the diet contain sufficient amounts of vitamin E. Good dietary sources of this important nutrient include wheat germ, nuts, seeds, whole grains, vegetable oil, fish liver oil and green leafy veggies.

Beta-carotene

Beta-carotene is the nutrient that gives flamingos their distinctive pink color (they get it from the shrimp they eat). In the human world, beta-carotene is the most widely studied of over 600 carotenoids that have thus far been discovered. The role of beta-carotene in nature is to protect the skins of dark green, yellow and orange fruits from the damaging effects of solar radiation. Scientists believe that beta-carotene plays a similar protective role in the human body. Sources of beta-carotene in the diet include such foods as carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli, tomatoes, collard greens, kale, cantaloupe, peaches and apricots.

Selenium

Selenium is one of the most important minerals in a healthy diet, and it has been studied for its ability to prevent cell damage. Scientists see this ability to protect cells from damage as possibly important in the prevention of cancer, and selenium is being studied for possible cancer preventative properties. It is important to get the selenium you need from your diet, since large doses of selenium supplements can be toxic. Fortunately, selenium is easily found in a healthy diet. Good sources of dietary selenium include fish and shellfish, red meat, whole grains, poultry and eggs, and garlic. Vegetables grown in selenium rich soils are also good sources of dietary selenium.

About the Author: John Mendel owns the highly informative glyconutrients information site where you will find the current information on the simple monosaccharide sugars and learn where to buy glyconutrients for less than the MLM companies.
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The Importance of Antioxidants in the Diet

December 8th, 2009

Everyone has heard the news about antioxidants and their importance to good health and proper nutrition. It seems the more scientists learn about antioxidants, the more their value and potential increases. Antioxidants have shown promise in everything from preventing heart disease to slowing the degeneration of the eyes and brain.
Antioxidants work in a fairly straightforward way. What makes them so effective is their ability to neutralize a group of highly reactive, highly destructive compounds known as free radicals.
The production of free radicals is a normal bodily process, and it is part of the process of breathing and living. Free radicals are normally neutralized by the body’s natural defence system, rendering them harmless. However, anything that weakens the body’s natural defences weakens its ability to fight off these free radicals. Those weakening agents include environmental pollution, excess UV radiation and even excessive consumption of alcohol.
When free radicals are not properly neutralized, the body is left open to damage. Free radicals can damage the structure and function of cells in the body, and recent evidence suggest that free radicals contribute to the aging process and may play a role in a great many illnesses, including cancer and heart disease.
While vitamin supplements containing antioxidants such as vitamin C can be important, there is no substitute for a healthy diet. It is estimated that foods contain more than 4,000 compounds that have antioxidant qualities. Eating a healthy diet is the only way to take advantage of these antioxidant properties. In addition to the well known antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin E, healthy foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains also contain lots of lesser antioxidants. Scientists are only now discovering the important role these lesser known antioxidants have in keeping the body healthy.
Let’s examine some of the dietary sources for the major antioxidant vitamins.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is probably the most studied of all the antioxidant vitamins. Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin found in all bodily fluids, and it is thought to be one of body’s first lines of defense against infection and disease. Since vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin, it is not stored and must be consumed in adequate quantities every day. Good dietary sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits, green peppers, broccoli and other green leafy vegetables, strawberries, cabbage and potatoes.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin that is stored in the liver and other tissues. Vitamin E has been studied for its effects on everything from delaying the aging process to healing a sunburn. While vitamin E is not a miracle worker, it is an important antioxidant, and it is important that the diet contain sufficient amounts of vitamin E. Good dietary sources of this important nutrient include wheat germ, nuts, seeds, whole grains, vegetable oil, fish liver oil and green leafy veggies.
Beta-carotene
Beta-carotene is the nutrient that gives flamingos their distinctive pink color (they get it from the shrimp they eat). In the human world, beta-carotene is the most widely studied of over 600 carotenoids that have thus far been discovered. The role of beta-carotene in nature is to protect the skins of dark green, yellow and orange fruits from the damaging effects of solar radiation. Scientists believe that beta-carotene plays a similar protective role in the human body. Sources of beta-carotene in the diet include such foods as carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli, tomatoes, collard greens, kale, cantaloupe, peaches and apricots.
Selenium
Selenium is one of the most important minerals in a healthy diet, and it has been studied for its ability to prevent cell damage. Scientists see this ability to protect cells from damage as possibly important in the prevention of cancer, and selenium is being studied for possible cancer preventative properties. It is important to get the selenium you need from your diet, since large doses of selenium supplements can be toxic. Fortunately, selenium is easily found in a healthy diet. Good sources of dietary selenium include fish and shellfish, red meat, whole grains, poultry and eggs, and garlic. Vegetables grown in selenium rich soils are also good sources of dietary selenium.

Uchenna Ani-Okoye is an internet marketing advisor and co founder of Free Affiliate Programs

For more information and resource links on healthy eating visit: Atkins Diet Induction
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Berries As Nature’s #1 Antioxidant Food

December 6th, 2009

Dark berries like blueberries and cranberries are increasingly recognized in the public as health icons. Not only nutritious by their contents of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, protein and dietary fiber, berries are also synonymous with antioxidant health benefits.
Antioxidants are an important nutrient category thought to be the major health characteristic of colorful fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants are substances synthesized in our bodies or obtained via edible plant chemicals that can prevent or slow oxidative stress to our body’s cells. More than 60 diseases, including cancer, diabetes, inflammatory, neurological and cardiovascular diseases, are linked to oxidative stress that may be relieved by dietary antioxidants.
Scientists believe that plants make antioxidant chemicals to protect the plant’s regenerative capacity from the damaging effects of constant exposure to sunlight, ultraviolet radiation, infections, pests, injury and oxygen radicals produced during photosynthesis. These antioxidants are found in their highest concentrations in the fruit skin (or rind) and seeds.
Antioxidant phytochemicals, such as the blueberry anthocyanins, contribute scent and blue pigment to the berry skin. This plays a useful regenerative role to attract insect pollinators and birds that eat the fruit and then disperse the seeds in their droppings.
Plants also benefit from antioxidant protection in their skin against ultraviolet radiation, photo-oxidative processes, and viral or bacterial pathogens. These are benefits that can be passed on to animals and humans who consume the berries.
Oxidative Stress and “Pigment Power”
Without protective antioxidants from pigments like anthocyanins in berry skin, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are created during normal photosynthesis leading to oxidative injury. These injuries affect proteins, lipids and nucleic acids, and can cause alteration in gene transcription and even lead to programmed cell death (a process scientists call “apoptosis”, eh-poh-toe-sis) in the fruit or its seeds. Some botanists and food chemists refer to this protective benefit as “pigment power”, which is desirable to obtain through the human diet. We acquire this transfer of protection by eating fruits, vegetables and animal sources that have color-rich pigments. Dark berries are an excellent source of these pigments.
Within colorful berries we can find many members of the pigment group called “phenolics.” Each member provides antioxidants, color, scent, and flavor qualities. The following is just a sampling of the thousands of edible plant phenolics. Any one berry species may contain dozens of antioxidant pigments. Each of the berries below is a rich source of anthocyanin pigments; a few of which are listed where medical and food science have revealed preliminary evidence for health benefits.
Here is a list of the antioxidants found in the following berries:
o Blackberries: gallic acid
o Black raspberries: ferulic acid
o Blueberries: anthocyanins, chlorogenic acid, peonidins
o Cranberries: proanthocyanidins, catechins, quercetin
o Elderberries: myricetin
o Red raspberries : ellagitannins, procyanidins
o Red grapes: resveratrol, proanthocyanidins (seeds), catechins
o Strawberries: ellagic acid
ROS – Radical Oxygen Species
When human cells use oxygen, they naturally produce ROS as by-products of normal metabolism. This can lead to cell damage if normal counter-balances are absent in the environment inside and around cells. ROS are also called “oxygen free radicals” or elements so reactive they are “free” to interact with numerous cells and chemicals in the body, often in a way that is damaging.
Antioxidants synthesized internally or introduced from our diets act as neutralizing sponges or “scavengers” of ROS. By donating electrons sought by the free radical, antioxidant molecules serve to counterbalance, absorb, quench, prevent or repair damage done by ROS.
However, when balancing mechanisms are ineffective, perhaps because of a diet poor in antioxidant foods or during the decline of body functions with disease or aging, ROS disperse randomly in a concentration gradient from their point of formation. There, if unchecked by antioxidants, they can cause damage within cells and to nearby cells, that can contribute to disease and aging. This is one of the leading theories for how Alzheimer’s disease progressively destroys neurons.
Oxidative Stress and Dietary “Therapy”
Most diseases are initiated and perpetuated to some degree by ROS and by insufficient amounts of internal and dietary antioxidants. These are the underlying conditions for “oxidative stress” which may explain a sizable component of aging.
If chronic, oxidative stress can lead to an increased risk of developing the following diseases:
• Cancer
• Cardiovascular and inflammatory disorders
• Diabetes
• Neuronal degeneration (e.g., Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease)
• Macular degeneration causing vision loss and general deterioration of aging
• Chronic sickness
Measuring Antioxidant Strength: ORAC
The term ORAC, standing for “oxygen radical absorbance capacity”, is a numerical way of representing antioxidant strength in berries and other foods. When antioxidants are present in a food, their collective strength can be measured in the test tube assay called ORAC.
Recently, scientists working with the US Department of Agriculture published a database of ORAC values.
Dark berries, especially wild and cultivated blueberries, blackberries and cranberries, stood out with the highest ORAC values among some 25 fruits tested. Their values were in a range of about 7,000-13,000 ORAC units per Cup or 250 ml serving.
Preliminary North American guidelines recommend at least 5,000 ORAC units per day for the adult diet. Doubling that number would not only be safe for antioxidant reserves, but would also provide antioxidant qualities that would supply numerous essential macro- and micronutrients. Most importantly though, it would make for enjoyable eating!
The ORAC test will likely gain public acceptance as a standard measure allowing comparisons of freshness and antioxidant strength in different foods. This standard will facilitate selection of high ORAC foods and relate antioxidant capacity to potential protection of health. For example, there is already scientific evidence for an inverse correlation between dietary intake of antioxidant foods and incidence of some cancers (US National Cancer Institute).
Antioxidant Berries
Wild Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium).
Wild lowbush blueberries have nearly 50% greater antioxidant strength than their cultivated cousins – the highbush blueberry – that is so popular in grocery stores. Wild blueberries score highest in ORAC among common (but not all) berries, having about 13,000 ORAC units per Cup or 250 ml. Over the past 10 years, the focus of food scientists on health properties of wild blueberries has revealed a compelling story of nutrient richness and diversity of potential health benefits, including:
• Urinary tract health (identical in strength to cranberries)
• Inhibition of cancer development
• Cardiovascular protection
• Mental alertness
• Vision support
Blackberry (Rubus ursinus)
The juicy delicious dark blackberry has great taste and nutrient richness. Confirming the idea that the darkest berries correlate with the strongest antioxidant activity, science has recently demonstrated that blackberries have some of the densest concentrations and widest diversity of phenolics found in the plant world. Blackberry’s ORAC is nearly 8000 units per Cup or 250 ml.
Black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis)
“Blackcaps” are a little-known powerhouse of antioxidant richness and outstanding taste. Isolates from black raspberries were shown in laboratory tests to specifically starve tumor cells by preventing growth of new tumor blood vessels. Overall a more powerful antioxidant berry than even the wild blueberry (ORAC > 15,000 per Cup or 250 ml), blackcaps contain a toolkit of flavors and nutrients.
Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)
The North American cranberry has become famous for its popular juice. Known well for its anti-adhesion properties, which inhibit bacterial infections in the urinary tract, cranberry extracts have shown anti-cancer and cardio-protective effects in laboratory studies. These results occur mainly from the cranberry’s abundant supply of antioxidant phenolics that also make it a promising agent for blood, brain and vision health.
Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Another phenolic-rich dark berry with a delectable taste, the elderberry has been associated with many of the potential health benefits already mentioned. It has stood out particularly in laboratory tests for its anti-inflammatory and urinary tract benefits. The elderberry also shows promise for anti-bacterial and anti-viral effects that may offer protection against such virulent pathogens as Salmonella, E. coli, H. pylori and Staphylococcus.
Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus)
The red raspberry is well loved for its subtle distinct flavor but is also a wonderful store of antioxidant phytochemicals, particularly one called ellagic acid. One of its other constituents, a ketone, was shown in recent laboratory studies to stimulate fat metabolism, causing experimental animals to lose significant weight.
Red Grape (Vitus vinifera)
The red grape is valued for its familiar popular taste and diverse number of phenolics residing mainly in its skin and seeds. Especially rich in the phenolic called resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant, red grapes are linked to having a possible beneficial effect on:
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Osteoarthritis
• Other aging disorders
Strawberry (Fragaria vesca)
Containing a host of antioxidant phenolics, the strawberry’s constituents may be particularly important as natural blood-thinners, anti-fungal agents and inhibitors of oxidizing effects on cells from chronic stress.
Other Antioxidants
Other phenolic antioxidants mentioned in current public media include:
• Apigenin
• P-coumarin
• Kaempferol
• Caffeic acid
• Hydroxycinnamic acid
• Tannic acid
• Salicylic acid (similar to aspirin)
These pigment chemicals belong to the flavonoid subclass of the phenolic super-family and are present among dark berries.
Color-rich plant foods like berries offer a delicious, nutritious way of keeping dietary intake of antioxidants high. Eat color! Gain ORAC! Live Well!
Reading
* PubMed, US National Library of Medicine, http://pubmed.gov
* Wild Blueberry Association of North America, http://www.wbana.org
* Wu X et al., Lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidant capacities of common foods in the United States. J Agric Food Chem 52:4026-37, 2004.
Copyright 2006 Berry Health Inc.

Dr. Paul Gross is a scientist and expert on cardiovascular and brain physiology. A published researcher, Gross recently completed a book on the Chinese wolfberry and has begun another on antioxidant berries. Gross is founder of Berry Health Inc, a developer of nutritional, berry-based supplements. For more information, visit http://www.berrywiSEOnline.com
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Getting A Handle On Antioxidants (A Color Guide For Selecting Foods By Specific Antioxidant Groups)

December 4th, 2009

Meet the “New-trients”
Today’s consumers are witnessing a new era in how foods are identified. New nutrients, not commonly understood for their health benefits, seem to be popping up on our grocer’s shelves every day. Omega fatty acids, newly defined sources of dietary fiber, and antioxidant phytochemicals are examples of healthful plant elements that are creeping into public media reports and water-cooler debates.
Laboratory and preliminary human clinical studies are revealing anti-disease properties of these “nutrients.” Extensive food and medical research underway presently will eventually translate the chemical properties into consumer understanding and terminology that we’ll grasp and use in everyday conversation.
With such potential significance to public health, the consumer education process should begin now in a way that people, from teenagers to grandparents, can readily understand antioxidants as easily as we now understand calories, carbohydrates, fat percentage, and vitamin C.
The scientific and regulatory bodies for food labeling have a great challenge ahead of them.
There are thousands of plant food sources with suspected health benefits with complicated chemical names that are unfamiliar and can be intimidating. The challenge at hand is to decipher this blizzard of names and to promote better nutrition for our families and for ourselves.
Why Antioxidants?
The beneficial antioxidant chemicals that we get from colorful plant foods represent our best defense against threatening oxidants. While oxidative stress is a normal part of cellular metabolism that occurs even in healthy people, left unchecked, it can lead to damage that accumulates with age.
Normally, oxidative species or “free radicals” are neutralized by antioxidant enzymes and food-derived antioxidants. However, the following circumstances can cause an imbalanced oxidant-antioxidant relationship that allows oxidative stress to go unopposed.
• Contamination by environmental conditions like pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and herbicides
• Normal aging
• Poor diets that lack essential nutrients and phytochemicals
The result of this imbalance is cell and tissue damage that could lead to diseases like:
• Cancer
• Hypertension
• Diabetes
• Chronic inflammation
• Neuronal degeneration like Alzheimer’s disease
The Color Code for Antioxidants
Over the past five years, we have begun a valuable process for recognizing plant food antioxidant qualities by groupings of color—The Color Code, as written in two books entitled The Color Code and What Color is Your Diet? (publication information below).
The following is a summary of those color guides for antioxidants, and an example of how we can begin to classify and categorize the different antioxidants into the food color code.
Summary of the Color Code
This is a general scheme of example foods that can fit into each color class. Keep in mind that there are no firm lines between the classes, which allows for overlap.
1. Red – tomato, pink grapefruit, watermelon
2. Blue/Red/Purple/Black (BRPB) – blueberry, cherry, prune, blackberry
3. Orange/Yellow – carrot, pumpkin, orange, papaya
4. Green – broccoli, kale, spinach, pea
5. White – garlic, onion, cabbage, turnip
6. Brown/Gray – spices, nuts, seeds, endogenous sources
How to Apply the Color Code
Here’s a general breakdown of the color groups that have food chemicals with antioxidant qualities:
1.Enzymes (Brown/Gray)
A protein substance with a name ending in “ase”, enzymes stimulate biochemical reactions in living cells and help form new compounds that, in this case, would serve antioxidant functions.
Members of this enzyme class of antioxidants include:
• Superoxide dismutase
• Catalases
• Reductases
• Peroxidases
• Transferases
2.Vitamins (Brown/Gray)
Most consumers would already recognize the three main antioxidant vitamins—A, C and E—that are derived from food and supplements common to the public. Vitamins A and E are fat-soluble, providing antioxidant protection in cell structures like the outer membrane and inner nuclear organelles. Vitamin C dissolves readily in body water compartments, so it is well distributed in the body. Of particular note is the important role of vitamin C in protecting vitamins A and E from damaging oxidative free radicals.
3.Phenolics (BRPB)
With more than 8,000 individual chemicals that serve plants as pigments, the phenolics (also called phenols or polyphenols) are water-soluble acids that not only give plants colors, but also differentiate scents, tastes, and bitterness. The large class of phenolics (called flavonoids) is often mentioned in current public media. Quercetin, kaempferol and peonidin are examples of flavonoids that have been in the news recently.
4.Carotenoids (Orange/Yellow, Red)
A fat-soluble group of more than 600 individual chemicals, the carotenoids (e.g., beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin “zee-a-zan-thin”) are especially powerful antioxidants. Due to their chemical structure, they are an excellent source of electrons that are aggressively sought by oxidative free radicals. A carotenoid molecule donates electrons to a free radical, sacrificing itself in antioxidant defense. Terpenes and xanthophylls are included in this class.
5.Hormones (Brown/Gray)
A growing field of medical research is identifying normal hormones typically described with cell-to-cell messaging roles in the body as having antioxidant functions. Presently only a few hormones have this identified property such as melatonin, estradiol and insulin, but future research will likely unravel similar functions for the dozens of hormones known in human physiology.
6.Minerals (All colors)
Minerals have elements that enable enzyme activity. Selenium, zinc, manganese, magnesium and copper are minerals involved in hundreds of antioxidant roles in the body.
7.Glutathione (Brown/Gray)
Probably the human body’s single most important native antioxidant, glutathione is a water-soluble molecule synthesized from food-derived amino acids. It also depends on lipoic acid (below) for synthesis.
8.Lipid effectors (Orange/Yellow)
Lipoic acid is perhaps the “perfect” antioxidant because it is a small powerful molecule that dissolves readily both in fatty layers of cells and in water – the only antioxidant to do this. Other lipid oriented antioxidants include omega fatty acids, tocopherols (like vitamin E), phytosterols, perillyl alcohol and essential oils such as limonene.
9.Saponins, steroids and stilbenes (Green, BRPB)
Related in this discussion only by their common first letter “s”, this group has established antioxidant functions and includes some well-known chemicals such as resveratrol (a stilbene of red wine and dark grapes), brassinosteroid (the growth regulator of plants) and saponin (the waxy covering on plant leaves).
10.Sulfur-containing chemicals (Green, White)
Including organosulfides, tri and diallyl sulfides and sulforaphane, this group from plants like broccoli and cabbage has been shown to have properties affecting antioxidant enzyme activity, inflammatory mediators and tumor growth.
Proposing an Antioxidant Nomenclature
Just as vitamins have been given a nominal identity (Vitamin A, B, C…etc) so too should we refer to antioxidants. This is a new system not yet formally proposed to any regulatory authority or scientific body. Classification of antioxidants must undergo the scrutiny, revision and adoption by scientists, industry and government to be acceptable for food label use in the public.
Here is the proposed breakdown:
1. Antioxidant C – carotenoids
2. Antioxidant E – enzymes
3. Antioxidant G – glutathione
4. Antioxidant H – hormones
5. Antioxidant L – lipid-associated chemicals
6. Antioxidant M – minerals
7. Antioxidant P – phenolics
8. Antioxidant S – saponins, steroids, stilbenes, sulfurs
9. Antioxidant V – vitamins
Over time, the public must feel these proposed antioxidant classes are informative and practical for understanding antioxidants and choosing preferred foods. Time will tell, but this list gives us a simple working structure to get a handle on naming antioxidants.
Reading
* Heber D. What Color Is Your Diet? HarperCollins, New York, 2001.
* Joseph JA, Nadeau DA, Underwood A. The Color Code, Hyperion, New York, 2002.
* Lee J, Koo N, Min DB. Reactive oxygen species, aging, and antioxidative nutraceuticals. Compreh. Rev. Food Sci. Food Safety 3:21-33, 2004.
Copyright 2006 Berry Health Inc.

Dr. Paul Gross is a scientist and expert on cardiovascular and brain physiology. A published researcher, Gross recently completed a book on the Chinese wolfberry and has begun another on antioxidant berries. Gross is founder of Berry Health Inc, a developer of nutritional, berry-based supplements. For more information, visit http://www.berrywiSEOnline.com
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What Are Antioxidants And How Do They Help You?

December 2nd, 2009

Antioxidants are natural chemicals found in the body. Free radicals are the results of processes in cells that can damage cell walls, structure and genetic material. Antioxidants help prevent this from occurring. They occur naturally in the body and can also be added with diet and supplements.
Supplements such as vitamins A, C and E and selenium all contain antioxidants. Supplements are widely available at health food stores, grocery stores and pharmacies. They come in forms such as tablets, capsules and soft gels and are taken orally. It is recommended to seek out a multi antioxidant pack as opposed to a single one. It is also recommended that supplements be taken to enhance the natural diet, not replace it. Patients suffering from illness and under treatment of prescribed medication should consult a physician before adding antioxidant supplements to their diet. A physician will be able to help recommend required doses for supplements and suggest dietary changes that will best compliment treatments already in progress. Antioxidant supplements for otherwise healthy individuals are generally free from side effects and safe to use.
Although supplements can be beneficial, studies indicate that they are not as effective as eating fruits and vegetables where antioxidants are naturally present. Foods such as onions, tomatoes, grapes, green tea and pomegranates all contain antioxidants. Also, herbs such as garlic and rosemary have it. Because fruits and vegetables contain other beneficial elements, eating them as opposed to a single supplement is much better.
It is reported that antioxidants can help prevent a number of illnesses. Heart disease is reported to be preventable by using vitamin E. Vitamin C can help control blood pressure. Antioxidants are also shown to help prevent diseases such as diabetes and certain cancers. In addition to preventing diseases, it is believed antioxidants can help slow the effects of aging like wrinkled skin and loss of muscle.
Antioxidants are proven to be beneficial to the body to help ward off disease and illness. Serious diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes may be prevented with proper antioxidant levels. These occur naturally in the body and are present in many foods and herbs, especially fruits and vegetables. A well balanced diet filled with foods containing antioxidants is recommended and is the best way to enhance dietary requirements. However, if your diet does not contain enough of these foods, a supplement can be used. These should be taken with meals twice per day and it is recommended to use multi-packs as opposed to single doses.

Gray Rollins is a featured writer for RealAntioxidants.com. To learn more about natural antioxidants and the best antioxidants, visit us.
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Antioxidant Vitamins, Foods, And Herbs

November 30th, 2009

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Dietary Antioxidants
Dietary antioxidants are considered beneficial because they slow the chemical process of oxidation, which causes problems such as cholesterol deposits and narrowing of the arteries that can lead to various heart-related problems.
Fruits and vegetables contain many different antioxidant nutrients. Some of them, like onions, have dozens of different antioxidant compounds all on their own, many of which have never been identified or isolated. Fruits, vegetables and many plant based foods are awesome sources of these antioxidants, which include vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene the family friend of our own vitamin A and some other things like carotenoids.
Nuts and seeds are all high in healthy fatty acids and are high in antioxidants as well. Nutrition experts agree, “more matters” when it comes to eating fruits and vegetables. In fact, nutritionists are learning that a healthy diet rich in colorful fruits and veggies may help with weight management and may even reduce the risk of some cancers, diabetes and other diseases.
Tumeric-Antioxidant
Tumeric is a natural antioxidant, and thus protects the body from oxidative damage. Laboratory studies have found that turmeric can inhibit the development of cataracts, breast cancer, colon cancer, and lymphoma. Tumeric is warming and analgesic for rheumatism and any painful, “cold” joint condition. It is also a wonderful digestive aid, and reduces excess fluid.
This natural antioxidant food is a good source of vitamin C and the essential antioxidant alpha-lipoic-acid . Tomatoes can help ward off certain kinds of cancer, help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts, and help maintain mental function as we age. Tomato eaters function better mentally in old age and suffer half as much heart disease. Concentrated tomato sauces (found on pizza and in pasta sauces) have five times more lycopene than fresh tomatoes and canned tomatoes have three times more than fresh.
Measurements of total serum antioxidants were taken from diabetic and hypertensive rats before and after having been treated with garlic. The researchers found that the serum levels of antioxidants had increased significantly in both groups of rats just three weeks after treatment.[10] Measurements of nitric oxide levels after garlic administration showed a two-fold increase, relative to placebo, while administration of both garlic and vitamin C resulted in a three-fold increase, relative to the control.
Astragalus is an herbal tonic/food with over 2,000 years of safe use history. It contains a wide variety of both conventional (amino acids, minerals, etc.) and non-conventional (flavonoids, polysaccharides, triterpene glycosides, sterols, etc.) nutrients. Astragalus is recommended as a tonic for the elderly. It protects cells from the aging process and may diminish other negative effects of aging. Astragalus is usually considered to be an immune enhancing herb because of its stimulation of the immune system.
Blueberries- Antioxidant
Blueberries are high in anti oxidants and are also considered to be helpful in improving memory function and healthy aging.
Blueberries are high in dietary fiber, Vitamin A and niacin. They contain iron and other trace minerals and are a fair source of Vitamin C.
Blueberries are a major source of flavonoids, in particular anthocyanins and flavanols. Although Blueberries are among a small number of foods that contain measurable amounts of oxalates, naturally-occurring substances found in plants, animals, and human beings.
Conclusion
And remember, best way to consume antioxidants is to find fruit and vegetables that are high in phytonutrients, preferably organic, and eat them consistently.
[10] The Anti-Aging News JournalIs This Better Than Beta Prostate?
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Mike Spence is a natural health writer and researcher, and internet marakerter.Is This Better Than Betta Prostate?
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Learning the Role of Antioxidant Enzymes in Better Health

November 28th, 2009

Key among the ingredients in any antioxidant formula is the antioxidant response elements that help regulate how well the antioxidants perform their job. In addition to the complex mechanisms that help the products remove free radicals from the body’s system the role of antioxidant enzymes is to insure they work as planned. As the body goes through countless chemical actions every day, there are certain parts of the cells that break down and release radicals into the system. These free radicals, with the use of antioxidant enzymes would float around, drawing on healthy cells for their livelihood, leaving destruction in their wake.
The antioxidant enzymes also produced naturally by the body, help regulate the natural antioxidants as the reign in the potential for terror created by the existence of the free radicals. While new products are introduced nearly every week that claim to help rid the body of the harmful effects of free radicals, without the inclusion of antioxidant enzymes to regulate how they work, the products will not work as efficiently as designed.
While no product reproduced in a laboratory can replace the body’s natural system to keeping everything running smoothly, the use of antioxidant supplements as well as supplements of antioxidant enzymes offers humans a better chance of maintaining as well as improving their health.
How to Combat Free Radicals
Everyone wants to get rid of free radicals; the way to do this is by consuming antioxidants. You can do this by eating antioxidant and mineral rich foods. However many people don’t have the time to make sure that they are eating antioxidant rich foods, let alone a healthy balanced diet.
If you are constantly on the go and rely on restaurant meals and convenience foods then you need a way to include antioxidants in your diet. One way to do this is by using an antioxidant dietary supplement. An antioxidant dietary supplement can give you the amount of antioxidants that you are supposed to have in your body daily.
Every Cell Requires A Little Outside Help
The body is a very complex and wonderful thing as it has the ability to keep every system running efficiently. However, there are things that can go wrong and the existence of too many free radicals can lead to cell destruction and when systems resultantly fail, the remaining cells can use a little help. The use of antioxidant enzymes has been studied over the years since the need for antioxidants was established.
The use of any antioxidant product will most likely have certain benefits but more importantly, they should also include antioxidant enzymes to make them work better and perform as they were designed. Some of the most common antioxidant enzymes include glutathione reductase, catalane and dismutase, ingredients often included in many antioxidant formulas.
These antioxidant enzymes are used in formulas as antioxidant response elements to help the antioxidant round up the free radicals, group them together and help make them more water soluble for faster, more efficient expulsion from the body. By using formulas that include the enzymes along with the antioxidants, the product will be able to perform more effectively.

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The Best Antioxidant Food: Why You Should be Eating It

November 26th, 2009

What Dietary Supplements to Take
There are two ways you can go about using an antioxidant dietary supplement. One way is to take one antioxidant dietary supplement that specifies that you will receive a daily dose of antioxidants. Another way is to take a variety of supplements that will provide you with the right amount of antioxidant mineral to maintain good health.
When you take supplements that contain Vitamin A, C, and E you are helping your body to filter out the poisonous free radicals. However supplements are just that, supplements and should not be relied on totally for antioxidants for your health.
There is no substitute for eating plenty of foods that are rich in antioxidants. You can look for antioxidants in foods such as blueberries, grapes, apples, and strawberries. Vegetables such as corn, carrots, tomatoes, and peppers all have important antioxidant properties.
A combination of foods that are rich in antioxidants with an antioxidant dietary supplement is a good way to make sure you are getting enough antioxidants in your diet. Keep taking these antioxidant dietary supplement and antioxidant mineral and enriching your diet with antioxidant rich foods and note the difference in your skin and your overall being.
Learning about what the best antioxidant food is and what these best sources of antioxidants have to offer you is very important if you want to achieve optimum health. There are quite a few different types of food that are considered as being the best antioxidant food, and which will be discussed here in more detail.
Foods High in Antioxidants
One of the best antioxidant food choices is berries. All sorts of berries in fact, everything from strawberries and blackberries to blueberries and raspberries, are full of antioxidants. These antioxidants are able to help prevent and repair the stress that comes from oxidation, a natural process that occurs during normal cell function.
Another best antioxidant food is green tea. You may think of green tea as only being a drink but this is actually not true. You can get green tea extract for instance, which can be included in a variety of foods and you may even want to take green tea supplements which offers you the benefits of green tea extract but in pill form so it is as easy and convenient for you to take as possible.
There are many other options as well when it comes to finding the best antioxidant food, and that includes broccoli, tomatoes, red grapes, garlic, spinach, tea, carrots, and soy products. All of these are chalk full of antioxidants and will offer you the benefits that you are looking for here.
These foods, known as the super foods of choice, are foods that you should definitely be including in your diet on a regular basis if you want to achieve optimum health. A healthy, balanced diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, with as much variety as possible, will offer you the most complete nutrition and leave you in the best overall health possible.
The best idea if you are just getting started here will be for you to make a list of the best antioxidant food, namely that discussed here, so that you can incorporate it into your meal planning and really get the best nutrition possible.
This will not only ensure that you are eating enough of the right foods but also help your grocery planning and make the process quicker and easier for you. Meal planning is an important process for anyone interested in improving their health, because it ensures that you know what you are eating and are getting enough of the right foods.

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