We have three interesting food-related items this month. Two of these reports verify the anti-aging value of colorful “rainbow” fruits and vegetables—a topic I explore in depth in The Perricone Promise, due in October from Warner books. The third underscores the serious adverse effects of excess dietary sugars—weight gain and diabetes risk.
Blueberries may rival prescription cholesterol-buster
Antioxidant-rich fruit joins the heart-health honor roll
In August, a team led by USDA research chemist Agnes Rimando, Ph.D. reported that pterostilbene—a natural antioxidant found in blueberries—may lower blood levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and triglycerides: physiologic effects that help prevent development of dangerous aterial plaques. Better yet, the pterostilbene in blueberries may work as effectively as the prescription blood-lipid-lowering drug ciprofibrate
The pterostilbene in blueberries is chemically similar to resveratrol, an anti-cancer antioxidant compound that also inhibits oxidation of LDL cholesterol and protects arterial cells. (Resveratrol is found in at high levels in grapes and Chinese knotweed (huzhang).
Dr. Rimando notes that pterostilbene appears to be effective in small amounts, so consumers should enjoy some cholesterol-lowering effects simply by eating blueberries, without the muscle pain and nausea that ciprofibrate produces in some people.
Source:
Pterostilbene as a new natural product agonist for the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) isoform (AGFD 85). Agnes M. Rimando, Rangaswamy Nagmani, Enzymatic Therapy, Inc, Dennis R. Feller, University of Mississippi. The 228th ACS National Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, August 22-26, 2004.
Can the Soda!
Sweetened drinks increase women's chances of having diabetes
A new analysis of data from the famous Nurses’ Health Study (phase II) shows that women who drink one or more cans of sugar-sweetened soft drinks a day over several years nearly double their risk of developing type 2 diabetes, compared with women who drank less than one soda a month.
As the study authors said, “Higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with a greater magnitude of weight gain and an increased risk for development of type 2 diabetes in women, possibly by providing excessive calories and large amounts of rapidly absorbable sugars.”
As my readers know, rapidly absorbed sugars produce a burst of inflammation that generates age accelerating free radicals and wrinkles. Soft drinks are the top source of sugars in the American diet. Soda consumption among adults increased by 61 percent from 1977 to 1997, and more than doubled in children and adolescents during a similar time frame.
Sugar- and high fructose corn syrup-sweetened beverages are very bad for your health and complexion. Instead, drink water and enjoy modest amounts of fresh, whole fruits, whose fiber slows absorption of their natural sugars.
Source:
Schulze MB, Manson JE, Ludwig DS, Colditz GA, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC, Hu FB. Sugar-sweetened beverages, weight gain, and incidence of type 2 diabetes in young and middle-aged women. JAMA. 2004 Aug 25;292(8):927-34).
How broccoli counters breast cancer
New research reveals anti-cancer secret behind “cruciferous” veggies
Researchers have discovered how a well-known anti-cancer agent in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables works to disrupt late stages of cell growth in breast cancer.
A team at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign reported recently that sulforaphane (SUL)—a proven anti-cancer compound found in broccoli, kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and other cruciferous vegetables—could ultimately be used to enhance the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.
The researchers exposed malignant human breast cancer cells to SUL, which quickly blocked cell division and disrupted the slender tubulin-protein cylinders cancer cells use to separate duplicated chromosomes during cell division.
We’ve known for years that the SUL in cruciferous vegetables helps prevent cancer: now we know how it works, and that it may well help control existing cancers, too. To receive the highest possible levels of sulforaphane, try broccoli sprouts.
Source: Jackson SJ, Singletary KW. Sulforaphane inhibits human mcf-7 mammary cancer cell mitotic progression and tubulin polymerization. J Nutr. 2004 Sep;134(9):2229-36.
