Superfoods & Super-nutrients

Superfoods Dark Chocolate – Its Role as Cardio-Protector
Researchers in Athens set out to investigate chocolate’s heart health benefits by investigating the effect of eating dark chocolate on three determinants of cardio-vascular performance: endothelial function (the lining of blood vessels), arterial stiffness, and wave reflections(5). All three are predictors of cardiovascular risk. Their study found that soon after eating dark chocolate, wave reflections and endothelial function were both improved – a combination considered to be significantly cardioprotective. Soon after, their colleagues at the University of California published almost identical results(6). Lowers blood pressure In a separate study carried... Read more...
Superfoods – Any Foods Containing Flavonoids
In Health Defence, I reviewed the evidence that flavonoids, also sometimes known collectively as Vitamin P, rank among the most health-protective micronutrients yet discovered. Powerful antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, and anti-glycosylants, they are the key ingredients in herbal medicines used to treat conditions as diverse as rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, asthma, and heart disease. Now, 18 months after publication, comes a new study, carried out in Finland, which shows how critical this group of compounds really is to our long-term health. The study, which looked at the health prospects of over 10,000... Read more...
Superfoods CoQ10 – Not Exactly a Food, but a Super-Nutrient
CoQ10 is a coenzyme that is concentrated in the mitochondria – the ‘power plants’ of the body’s cells – and plays a vital role in the production of chemical energy by participating in the production of adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP), the body’s co-called ‘energy currency’. The coenzyme also plays an important role in preserving levels of vitamin E and vitamin C and acts as a potent antioxidant. The majority of research so far has focused on its role in helping reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Heart tissue contains the highest... Read more...
Superfoods - Resveratrol – Another Flavonoid
Resveratrol, a fascinating compound found inter alia in grapes, red wine, and peanuts, is a front-runner in the age extension stakes and as good an example of the health benefits of nutrition as you are likely to find anywhere. A phytoalexin (plant defence compound) used by grapes and peanuts to ward off fungal attack, resveratrol first came to public attention when David Sinclair and his team from Harvard reported that resveratrol was able to increase the lifespan of yeast cells (Howitz et al ’03). Sinclair’s group found that resveratrol could... Read more...
Superfoods - Green Tea
There is already a good deal of work that indicates that tea, both green and black, has anti-cancer effects. This was recently reinforced by a joint American/South Korean study, led by the US Department of Agriculture, and published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (Friedman et al ’06). Many of tea’s health benefits, including cancer protection and a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s, have been linked to the flavonoids found in tea. Green tea contains 30 to 40 per cent of flavonoids, while black tea (green tea that has... Read more...
Superfoods Reducing Inflammation – Red Wine
The root of much heart and vascular disease is now widely reckoned to be endothelial dysfunction (ED), a chronic inflammatory condition that afflicts the blood vessels and is caused by such factors as smoking and a poor diet. ED is known to respond particularly well to flavonoids, the health-promoting compounds found in such foods as fruits, berries, tea – and chocolate. In fact, given the way we eat, it is likely that for many of us, tea and chocolate are the main sources of these vital phytonutrients. Red Wine If... Read more...
Superfoods - Prunes
Prunes are the latest in a long line of foods linked to health benefits, in this case, maintaining healthy bones after menopause. At Florida State University, Professor Bahram Arjmandi and his team have been looking at the effects of prunes in ovariectomised rats, a well-established model of post-menopausal bone loss. They found that even at low levels of dietary intake, the dried prunes not only gave substantial protection against bone loss, but also led to improved bone structure (Deyhim et al ’05). This is an exciting finding, and in a... Read more...
Superfoods - Apples
Apples and fruits are generally considered to be healthy, but these complex chemical factories contain many hundreds of different compounds, and not all of them are good for you. Take furan, for example; tiny amounts of this suspected carcinogen are produced in apple cider (and probably apple juice) if the beverage is left exposed to sunlight or UV (Fan & Geveke,’07). Furan is also produced when cut pieces of fruit are left lying around; although apple slices are relatively unaffected, while grape and pineapples produce rather larger amounts (Fan &... Read more...
Superfoods – Blueberries Lower Cholesterol
A compound identified in blueberries called pterostilbene has been shown to lower cholesterol levels just as effectively as do the statins. It does this by activating cells in the liver, encouraging them to remove more cholesterol from the bloodstream. Following this report(1), a number of food companies announced the pending launches of new foods containing blueberry extract, which will compete in the market with other cholesterol-lowering products such as spreads and yoghurts that contain sterol and stannol esters. Lowering your own cholesterol with foods seems an attractive option, particularly given... Read more...