Earthy, essential - Albany Times Union

Today's lesson is all about minerals. I know that to some people learning about minerals is about as exciting as watching water boil. Not me, I think minerals are fascinating. These essential nutrients play a major role in the body ranging from bone structure to nerve transmission and everything in between. Unlike vitamins, which are organic compounds that contain carbon, minerals are inorganic substances that we get from the earth; basically they are rocks. Some minerals are needed in significant amounts in the diet (gram quantities) and are also present in the body in large amounts like the calcium in your bones. Other minerals are only needed in trace amounts but their effect is just as great. For example, we only need to consume a miniscule amount of iron in our daily diet but without it we can suffer a number of deleterious effects, such as debilitating exhaustion from iron-deficiency anemia.

Minerals are present in both natural foods and processed foods. Just like vitamins, it's best to get your minerals from the diet, however in some cases, mineral supplements are necessary. It's best to talk to your physician regarding your mineral needs.

If you would like to know where the minerals are in the foods you eat, take a virtual walk through my kitchen with me and I'll identify important minerals and tell you some of their functions.

Let's start with the bowl of bananas on the kitchen table; they are chock full of potassium. Potassium is involved in nerve transmission and muscle contraction. One peak inside my refrigerator will reveal a treasure trove of minerals such as iron, phosphorous, magnesium and calcium. Iron is an essential component of the protein hemoglobin whichtransports oxygen via red blood cells. It is also a key player in utilizing the energy from foods. The spinach and ground beef for tonight's dinner are both good sources of iron, however the iron in the spinach is not as easily absorbed. Combining a source of Vitamin C, like sliced oranges with the spinach salad, will enhance absorption of the mineral. Phosphorus is responsible for maintaining acid-base balance in the blood and is found in a variety of foods such as processed American cheese, sirloin steak and peanut butter. Magnesium is another mineral that plays a role in muscle contraction and also works to strengthen bones.You sh ouldn't have too much trouble getting it in your diet since it's found in a variety of foods such as almonds, baked potato, chicken and a staple in my kitchen, milk chocolate!

When you think of calcium, you may look to dairy foods because milk and milk products like yogurt and cheese are good sources of calcium. However, some vegetables can supply significant calcium to your diet such as broccoli, Bok choy, collard greens and kale. In addition, fish with soft edible bones like sardines or canned salmon are good choices too. Calcium is the main component of bones and teeth and it is imperative that growing children get enough calcium to ensure peak bone mass into young adulthood. Some people may not realize that calcium does more than build strong bones. Blood levels of calcium must remain at the appropriate levels in order to achieve muscle contraction and relaxation, proper blood clotting and nerve function.

Some other minerals worth mentioning are iodine ( found in iodized salt) which is part of a thyroid hormonethat controls metabolism and fluoride, which works with calcium to form bones and teeth and is in fluoridated drinking water, seafood and tea.Zinc is noted for increasing our immunity and protein synthesis and it's also involved in sexual development and sperm production. It's interesting that oysters are exceptionally high in zinc and are associated with sexual endurance in men. Minerals aren't so boring after all, are they?

Nina Marinello, Ph.D., is the chairwoman of Nutrition Science at The Sage Colleges, Troy.

Sodium is a mineral that our body needs but most Americans consume too much sodium in the form of sodium chloride or table salt. Here's how you can reduce excessive intake of sodium:

Use spices, herbs, vinegars and lemon juice to season foods. Be adventurous and try a new spice in an old recipe.

Rinse canned foods to remove excess salt or buy low-sodium versions.

Avoid those instant seasoned soups and rice mixes. They are highly salted. If the flavoring packet is separate use half and season with non-salt flavorings.

Limit processed and packaged foods.

Eat in more often since restaurant foods tend to be salty.

Instead of salted popcorn, prepare air-popped popcorn and season with cinnamon, or black pepper depending on the taste you desire.

-- FIT AS A FAMILY: A six-month Times Union project presented by Albany Medical Center in partnership with the Capital District YMCA and Price Chopper to give you tools to build a fitter family. Check us out at timesunion.com/fitasafamily and on Facebook at facebook.com/fitasafamily.

-- event: Healthy Kids Day at Capital District YMCAs, Saturday, April 28. At every event you attend, you can enter to win the Fit as a Family grand prize to be presented in June.

Getting your vitamins - London Free Press

Getting your vitamins

By Fran Berkoff, QMI Agency

Last Updated: March 25, 2012 2:00am

Whenever I speak to groups or patients in my counselling practice, I get more questions about vitamins and minerals than almost any other topic.

Typical questions include "what should I take", "how much should I take", "is there any harm in taking them" and of course "food vs supplements."

So, as we close out nutrition month, I thought I would once again address this popular topic.

Vitamins and minerals are components in food that are essential for our well being. There are many, as most people know, and they all have very specific properties. Most importantly they are all found naturally in a variety of different foods. There are guidelines for how much of each one you need and also -- how much is too much.

In general, it's pretty difficult to overdo it with foods but with supplements there are instances where too much can be a problem.

In a perfect world, under perfect circumstances, diet would give you everything you need and there would be no need for supplements. But, there are times when it's not possible to get all you need and supplements can help. These times include:

-- Women who are pregnant are advised to take a multivitamin with adequate iron to support the demands of pregnancy.

-- A multi-supplement with 400 mcg of folic acid is recommended for all women who could become pregnant or who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

-- For many menstruating women, getting the required 18 mg of iron can be challenging, even more so if she is on a very low-calorie diet or a strict vegetarian. In these cases, a supplement may be necessary.

-- Vegetarians require almost twice as much iron as non-vegetarians and may have difficulty meeting this need with diet alone.

It is recommended that adults over the age of 50 take a supplement of vitamin D as a single supplement or as a component of a multivitamin. And, vitamin D of 600 to 1000 IU or more is being recommended by many health organizations to all Canadians since it is so difficult to get enough in food alone.

Adults over 50 may not be absorbing enough vitamin B12 from foods and are advised to get it from supplements or fortified foods.

People with many food allergies or intolerances, on very restricted diets or those on very low calorie diets may benefit from a multivitamin.

Can you overdo it with supplements? Yes, in some instances you can. Here are a few of those instances:

High doses of vitamin A can be associated with increased risk of fractures and other health issues.

While folate is important, especially to women of childbearing years, too much is not wise. The safe upper limit is 1000 mcg/day. Higher amounts of synthetic folic acid can increase cancer risk in predisposed individuals over time. If you are taking both a multivitamin and a B complex, chances are you are getting too much.

A multivitamin can be a safety net if you feel you are not always eating well. If you are taking a variety of different supplements (for example, vitamin C and B vitamins separately in addition to a multivitamin), it's a good idea to sit down with your pharmacist or dietitian to evaluate your intake. And, of course, supplements will never take the place of a healthy diet nor will they make up for a diet that's loaded with unhealthy foods. I'll write more on this subject in future columns.

Functional Food Trends 2012: Consumers Want Nutrients From Food, Not Supplements - Newswise (press release)

Newswise â€" CHICAGO â€" The Top 10 Functional Food Trends of 2012 point to more consumers favor getting their vitamins and minerals from the foods they eat and beverages they drink instead of supplements, according to research presented Wednesday at the Institute of Food Technologists’ Wellness 12 meeting.

A. Elizabeth Sloan, Ph.D., president, Sloan Trends Inc. and contributing editor of IFT’s Food Technology magazine, presented the research at the conference, which included data from a variety of scientific, food and consumer research sources. Leading the trends this year is a move toward “real food nutrition,” which includes blending different foods for maximum health benefits, choosing foods for their inherent nutritional value (such as nuts or fruits) and integrating whole food supplements such as coconut milk into the diet, rather than supplementing with a vitamin.

“Consumers are preferring to get their nutrients naturally and their health benefits naturally, versus fortified foods or vitamin and mineral supplements,” Dr. Sloan said. “This has been going on for 20 years. What’s new is that it’s being put into action.”

The data showed a 6 percentage point increase from 2009 to 2011 (36 to 42 percent) in the number of people making an effort to serve meals that are naturally higher in vitamins and nutrition. At the same time, vitamin and supplement users report cutting back significantly on their use, citing three reasons:
• A belief that the quality and benefits of nutrition in foods is best
• Pervasive doubts about the bioavailability of even the highest quality supplements
• Concerns about the long-term effects on the digestive system

Dr. Sloan noted that consumers believe that vitamins and minerals are more beneficial when they are consumed in food. Other trends for 2012 include:

No. 2 Mini-Managers. Rather than making drastic dietary changes, consumers are still buying the same staples, such as bread and pasta, but they are seeking healthier versions of those products. For example, a study cited by Dr. Sloan found that 66 percent of shoppers said they have switched to whole grain bread. Another study found that for the first time, shoppers are now considering whether a product has artificial sweeteners or high fructose corn syrup when evaluating its nutritional value.

No. 3 Bioavailability. Dr. Sloan noted that consumers increasingly believe nutrition plays a key role in maintaining health and staving off serious diseases, and they will seek products that help them get important nutrients. According to one study:
• 55 percent of consumers believe calcium is very effective for bone health
• 55 percent believe fiber is very effective against colon cancer
• 38 percent believe omega vitamins are very effective for heart health

In cases where consumers take a dietary supplement, magnesium is the fastest-growing mineral (up 25 percent in 2011). In addition, supplements that promote healthy vision are surging in popularity.

The full article about the Top Functional Food Trends will be in the April 2012 issue of Food Technology magazine.

Top Ten Functional Food Trends
1. Real Food Nutrition
2. Mini-Managers
3. Bioavailability
4. Protein Power
5. Plant Based
6. Gourmet Nutrition
7. The New Risks (stroke, heart attack prevention)
8. First Aid (relief from sore throat, constipation, sleeplessness)
9. Kids, Dads and Grannies (appealing to these groups)
10. Liquidification

###

About IFT
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is a nonprofit scientific society. Our individual members are professionals engaged in food science, food technology, and related professions in industry, academia, and government. IFT's mission is to advance the science of food, and our long-range vision is to ensure a safe and abundant food supply, contributing to healthier people everywhere.

For more than 70 years, the IFT has been unlocking the potential of the food science community by creating a dynamic global forum where members from more than 100 countries can share, learn, and grow. We champion the use of sound science across the food value chain through the exchange of knowledge, by providing education, and by furthering the advancement of the profession. IFT has offices in Chicago, Illinois and Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit ift.org .

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New Content from Liquid Health

http://www.liquidhealthinc.com/node/80 Vitamin D3 and Influenza I continue to
find evidence of the importance of the use of vitamin D3 supplementation in
the pediatric population. I recently came across this article in the
reputable American Journal of Clinical nutrition showing a possible reduction
in influenza A in School children supplemented with vitamin D3. If you
haven’t begun supplementation of your child's diet with Vitamin D3 yet, now
would be a good time to discuss this with your pediatrician. Vitamin D3 gets
my vote. To your health. -Dave Rigby BS nutritional Science, MS medical
Science Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 May;91(5):1255-60. Epub 2010 Mar 10. Randomized
trial of vitamin D supplementation to prevent seasonal influenza A in
schoolchildren.Urashima M, Segawa T, Okazaki M, Kurihara M, Wada Y, Ida H.
OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effect of vitamin D supplements on the
incidence of seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren.DESIGN: From December
2008 through March 2009, we conducted a randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled trial comparing vitamin D(3) supplements (1200 IU/d) with
placebo in schoolchildren. The primary outcome was the incidence of influenza
A, diagnosed with influenza antigen testing with a nasopharyngeal swab
specimen.RESULTS: Influenza A occurred in 18 of 167 (10.8%) children in the
vitamin D(3) group compared with 31 of 167 (18.6%) children in the placebo
group [relative risk (RR), 0.58; 95% CI: 0.34, 0.99; P = 0.04]. The reduction
in influenza A was more prominent in children who had not been taking other
vitamin D supplements (RR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.17, 0.79; P = 0.006) and who
started nursery school after age 3 y (RR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.17, 0.78; P =
0.005). In children with a previous diagnosis of asthma, asthma attacks as a
secondary outcome occurred in 2 children receiving vitamin D(3) compared with
12 children receiving placebo (RR: 0.17; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.73; P =
0.006).CONCLUSION: This study suggests that vitamin D(3) supplementation
during the winter may reduce the incidence of influenza A, especially in
specific subgroups of schoolchildren. This trial was registered at
https://center.umin.ac.jp as UMIN000001373.http://liquidhealth.posterous.com/new-content-from-liquid-health-88689 http://www.liquidhealthinc.com/node/80 Vitamin D3 and Influenza I continue to find evidence of the importance of the use of vitamin D3 supplementation in the pediatric population. I recently came across this article in the reputable American Journal of Clinical nutrition showing a possible reduction ... http://liquidhealth.posterous.com

New Content from Liquid Health

http://www.liquidhealthinc.com/node/79 Poison Control Centers’ New Data
implies that Dietary Supplements are Safe Poison Control Centers’ New Data
implies that Dietary Supplements are Safe Murrieta, CA March 30, 2012 New
data has been released regarding the 28th Annual Report of the American
Association of Poison Control Centers. The report shows that there is a
‘wide margin of safety for dietary supplements’. The report is a
collection of data from 2010 that was reported through the Poison Control
Centers’ National Poison Data System (NPDS). Liquid Health’s CEO Brandon
Siggard, described the results as “positive and reassuring”. He said,
“The results from the 28th Annual Report of the American Association of
Poison Control Centers, is a welcomed response to some of the negative press
on supplements recently. This news is both positive and reassuring of our
efforts to help people become healthier.” He went on to say, “Although
this report shows the safety of the dietary supplement industry as a whole,
it is very important to try to take these results in context.“ It is
reported that about 50 percent of Americans use supplements. A study of close
to 20,000 participants showed these results. The study from the National
Institute of Health, Office of Dietary supplements [1] also showed that 20
percent of the adults in the study are taking a health supplement with at
least one botanical. The results of the study were published in the Journal
of Nutrition. In 1993, Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Republican of Utah, defended
herbal supplements in front of the Senate. He said, “[herbal
remedies]…have been on the market for centuries,'' he said, adding: ''In
fact, most of these have been on the market for 4,000 years, and the real
issue is risk. And there is not much risk in any of these products.'' The
Poison Control Center has kept detailed records and statistics on the reports
of poisonings for every kind of substance, which includes dietary
supplements. In 2007, the Poison Control Center reported no deaths associated
with multiple vitamins, b-vitamins [2], or from Vitamins A, C, D, or E. It
also reported that there were no deaths from any of these vitamin supplements
or any other vitamin in 2010. Dietary Supplements are defined and regulated
by the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) which was
passed by Congress. Under DSHEA health supplements are used with a common
goal to restore and/or maintain “structure and function” of the body.
Read more at www.nih.gov or www.liquidhealthinc.com. SOURCE: Clinical
Toxicology (2011), 49, 910-941 Liquid Health, Inc. National Institute of
Health

[1] www.liquidhealthinc.com
[2] http://www.liquidhealthinc.com/liquid-vitamin-b-complexhttp://liquidhealth.posterous.com/new-content-from-liquid-health-40799 http://www.liquidhealthinc.com/node/79 Poison Control Centers’ New Data implies that Dietary Supplements are Safe Poison Control Centers’ New Data implies that Dietary Supplements are Safe Murrieta, CA March 30, 2012 New data has been released regarding the 28th Annual Report of the American Associa ... http://liquidhealth.posterous.com

Vitamin turns into `gymnast' inside our body - Zee News

London: Scientists have captured first full image of vitamin B12 â€" which forms a part of our nutritious diet like all other vitamins and minerals - in action.

Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology report that they have created the first full 3-D images of B12 and its partner molecules twisting and contorting as part of a crucial reaction called methyltransfer.

That reaction is vital both in the cells of the human body and, in a slightly different way, in the cells of bacteria that consume carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.

That includes bacteria that live in the guts of humans, cows and other animals, and help with digestion.

The new research was done using B12 complexes from another type of carbon dioxide-munching bacteria found in the murky bottoms of ponds.

The 3-D images produced by the team show for the first time the intricate molecular juggling needed for B12 to serve its biologically essential function.

They reveal a multi-stage process involving what the researchers call an elaborate protein framework â€" a surprisingly complicated mechanism for such a critical reaction.

U-M Medical School professor and co-author Stephen Ragsdale, Ph.D., notes that this transfer reaction is important to understand because of its importance to human health. It also has potential implications fo r the development of new fuels that might become alternative renewable energy sources.

“Without this transfer of single carbon units involving B12, and its partner B9 (otherwise known as folic acid), heart disease and birth defects might be far more common,” explained Ragsdale, a professor of biological chemistry.

“Similarly, the bacteria that rely on this reaction would be unable to consume carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide to stay alive â€" and to remove gas from our guts or our atmosphere. So it’s important on many levels.”

In such bacteria, called anaerobes, the reaction is part of a larger process called the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway.

It’s what enables the organisms to live off of carbon monoxide, a gas that is toxic to other living things, and carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas directly linked to climate change. Ragsdale notes that industry is currently looking at harnessing the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway to help generate liquid fuel s and chemicals.

In addition to his Medical School post, Ragsdale is a member of the faculty of the U-M Energy Institute.

In the images created by the team, the scientists show how the complex of molecules contorts into multiple conformations - first to activate, then to protect, and then to perform catalysis on the B12 molecule.

They had isolated the complex from Moorella thermoacetica bacteria, which are used as models for studying this type of reaction.

The images were produced by aiming intense beams of X-rays at crystallized forms of the protein complex and painstakingly determining the position of every atom inside.

“This paper provides an understanding of the remarkable conformational movements that occur during one of the key steps in this microbial process, the step that involves the generation of the first in a series of organometallic intermediates that lead to the production of the key metabolic intermediate, acetyl-CoA,” the aut hors noted.

“We expected that this methyl-handoff between B vitamins must involve some type of conformational change, but the dramatic rearrangements that we have observed surprised even us,” Senior author Catherine L. Drennan from MIT and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, who received her Ph.D. at the U-M Medical School, added.

The study has been recently published in the journal Nature.

ANI

Get Iced With Liquid Ice! - msnbc.com

LOS ANGELES, March 28, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Manufactured in the USA, Liquid Ice Energy is the next generation energy source. Available in regular and sugar free formulations Liquid Ice Energy is flavorful both on its own and mixed with other beverages. With just the right amount of kick to get you though the day, Liquid Ice's blue "candy-like" flavor and light carbonation adds a remarkable taste to any liquor, so what are you waiting for â€" GET ICED!

Thanks to advances in nutrition science, along with innovative product developers, the beverage industry now has a galaxy of liquid entertainment options. The components that go into making Liquid Ice are what set them apart as the next generation energy drink. Packed with high quality ingredients and formulated by the best chemists in America, Liquid Ice delivers a "top shelf" energy drink in two forms â€" sugar free and full flavored.

Liquid Ice has a passion for providing consumers with elite products to support healthy choices and active lifestyles. Liquid Ice Energy is the only high-end energy drink offering the CoQ10 enzyme. This key ingredient, CoQ10, is a coenzyme produced by the human body and is necessary for the basic functioning of cells. Liquid Ice provides this healthy alternative to consumers, which promotes energy and prevents fatigue. In addition, this high performance energy drink is packed with vitamin B3, B5, B6, B12 and is only 15 calories! Available in both 12 and 8.3 fluid ounce cans, this superior formulation is an impeccable quick "pick-me-up" that keeps you active and truly tastes good.

You can now experience both energetic potency and appealing flavor in the same can! With its crisp blue hue, Liquid Ice is blowing all of the other energy drinks out of the water. Tastemakers and Hollywood insiders have already caught on to the trend and have been seen drinking the electric blue beverage around tinsel town. So what are you waiting for? Get Iced with Liquid Ice, available now at www.DrinkLiquidIce.com

About Liquid Ice Energy: (www.DrinkLiquidIce.com) Liquid Ice is the next generation of energy drinks. With its vibrant blue color and a nostalgic taste that compares to no other on the market, Liquid Ice also offers a multitude of health benefits. The natural, energy producing CoQ10 enzyme is mixed with vitamins B3, B5, B6, and B12 to invigorate the body in the healthiest way. Drink it or mix it; create a refreshing cocktail by mixing Liquid Ice with virtually any liquor or simply enjoy on its own. A healthy energy drink you truly need to taste to experience. The next generation is here- GET ICED â€" with Liquid Ice!

For more information, please contact:

TLK Fusion

Leah James

213.250.6777 ext.1003

talktoKate@TLKfusion.com

For more information, please contact:

TLK Fusion

Leah James

213.250.6777 ext.1003

talktoLeah@TLKfusion.com

About Liquid Ice Energy: (www.DrinkLiquidIce.com) Liquid Ice is the next generation of energy drinks. With its vibrant blue color and a nostalgic taste that compares to no other on the market, Liquid Ice also offers a multitude of health benefits. The natural, energy producing CoQ10 enzyme is mixed with vitamins B3, B5, B6, and B12 to invigorate the body in the healthiest way. Drink it or mix it; create a refreshing cocktail by mixing Liquid Ice with virtually any liquor or simply enjoy on its own. A healthy energy drink you truly need to taste to experience. The next generation is here- GET ICED â€" with Liquid Ice!

This information was brought to you by Cision http://www.cisionwire.com
http://www.cisionwire.com/tlk-fusion/r/get-iced-with-liquid-ice-,c9237502

The following files are available for download:

© Copyright 2012, GlobeNewswire, Inc. All Rights Reserved

The “natural health” products debate: should you take vitamin K for heart and ... - Vancouver Sun (blog)

Every day we’re bombarded by bombastic claims about the benefits of  ”natural health” remedies. Next month,  Canada’s “premiere natural health conference and trade show” will be held at the Vancouver Convention Centre, and if you attend that event, you’ll surely get what I mean about slick marketing and information overload in the natural health food and products industry.

About three-quarters of Canadians use natural health products including vitamins and minerals, herbal remedies, homeopathic and traditional medicines, probiotics or other products like amino and essential fatty acids. I include myself in that majority as I occasionally take supplements, including those containing calcium, vitamin D and the various B vitamins.

The decision to take any pills should be based on good and available evidence. In a previous post, I wrote about the evidence so far for a brand new supplement containing vitamin K2. A Norwegian company called NattoPharma is the raw material supplier of MenaQ7, the “natural” form of vitamin K2 which is said to have benefits for the heart and bones.

My article, which described the claims by the manufacturer and an accompanying reality check by UBC pharmacology expert/author Dr. Alan Low, triggered a healthy discussion. Click here to read the previous post. And after getting up to speed on the issue,  read below the latest, vigorous rebuttal from Dr. Cees Vermeer,  the biochemist at Maastricht University in The Netherlands who heads the “world’s largest” laboratory on vitamin K research:

“Herewith I wish to comment on the paper posted by Pamela Fayerman and her scepticism on the use of vitamin K2 supplements. The paper starts with a quote from a marketing brochure, saying ‘Vitamin K2 is essential for the body to utilize calcium to build strong bones and to inhibit calcium deposits in the arteries.’

Essential means that without K2 bones would crumble and arteries would immediately calcify into pipes of concrete. Of course this is not true and as a scientist I would prefer the slightly different wording: ‘Vitamin K2 helps maintain bone strength and decreases a risk factor for vascular calcification.’ But since the paper even questions even this more balanced statement, I want to rebut a number of statements that are â€" in my eyes â€" too negative.

Three forms of vitamin K are mentioned: phylloquinone (K1), menaquinones (K2) and menadione (K3). The latter one is synthetic, has no K-activity by itself and is toxic, so it is not allowed for human use. That leaves us with K1 and K2, the latter one I would like to subdivide into short-chain menaquinones (mainly the synthetic MK-4) and long-chain menaquinones (nutritionally relevant are MK-7, MK-8 and MK-9).

It is true that long-chain menaquinones are produced by the intestinal flora, but they are not produced for the benefit of us; rather they are needed by the gut bacteria themselves to be used in their own electron transport chain. All K vitamins, and especially the long-chain menaquinones are highly insoluble in water and need bile salts for intestinal absorption. Since they are produced in the colon, and the colon does not contain any bile salts, they cannot be utilized by humans unless we eat our faeces. Coprophagy is normal for rodents and that is the reason why rats and mice cannot be made vitamin K-deficient unless rigorous prevention of coprophagy is applied.

For humans there are only two dietary sources rich in K2: cheese and natto (fermented soy beans). Since natto is a typical Japanese product, the rest of the world is depending on cheese for its K2 intake. And even within the group of cheeses there are large differences, depending on the type of bacteria used in the starter ferment used for cheese making. The French cheese Brie, for instance, does not contain any K2 at all, whereas we have found some cheeses made at farm houses in The Netherlands where the K2 content was as high as 80 micrograms per 100 gram of cheese.

So to meet the recommended intake one would have to eat 150 grams of that selected type of cheese every day and about double that amount for an average type of cheese. For comparison: natto contains 1100 micrograms of K2 per 100 gram, so 10 grams per day gives an adequate K intake. Importantly, the American way of cheese production seems to be different from that in Europe and it is even questionable whether there is any K2 in the majority of American cheeses.

It is correctly stated that foods contain a significant amount of vitamin K. The foods mentioned in the Fayerman paper contain vitamin K1 rather than K2, whereas especially for the cardiovascular aspect K2 (and not K1) was found to be the important factor in both the Rotterdam study (Geleijnse et al) and the much larger Prospect study (Gast et al). Because of its high power, the latter study was able to identify the long-chain menaquinones MK-7, MK-8 and MK-9 as the forms of vitamin K2 that have cardioprotective activity. Later studies have found the reason for this: following intestinal absorption, all forms of vitamin K are transported to the liver.

Only the long-chain menaquinones are subsequently packed in low-density lipoproteins which are the transport vehicles bringing hydrophobic compounds to the vessel wall.
It is true that both studies describe associations, and no causality. But the suggestion that those eating much K2 would have a healthier lifestyle is utterly untrue: the reverse is true because those consuming a vitamin K2-rich diet have an unhealthy lifestyle with high saturated fat intake, low physical activity, etc.

Dr. Low is right about a healthy lifestyle and vitamin K1 intake, but we are speaking here about vitamin K2. And besides associations, we also have a mechanism: MGP is a vitamin K-regulated protein produced by the vessel wall and it is the most powerful inhibitor of tissue calcification presently known. In healthy people, about 20% of all MGP is produced in the inactive, vitamin K-deficient state; in people at increased risk for cardiovascular disease including kidney disease patients, diabetics, those with hypertension and many more, we find strongly decreased MGP in the active form whereas the fraction of inactive MGP may be up to 50%. Both in the healthy population and in patients, vitamin K2 (as MenaQ7) was able to activate the circulating MGP almost to completeness.

This strongly suggests that not only some groups of patients, but also the general population is insufficient in vitamin K2. High circulating levels of inactive MGP are presently considered as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The presently available evidence in favour of the beneficial effects of K2 so overwhelming that three placebo controlled clinical intervention trials have started among different patient groups (and in different hospitals all over Europe) to investigate the beneficial effect of MenaQ7.

For dietary vitamin K intake and bone health, the same associations have been found, but in this case vitamin K2 has never been studied. Hence high vitamin K1 intake (as well as high circulating vitamin K1 levels and high biomarkers for bone K status) were all found to be associated with low fracture risk. These are studies form many independent research groups all over the world and no one doubts the outcomes. But since in this case only vitamin K1 was studied, a healthy lifestyle is a potential confounder for bone strength and fracture risk.

It is true that intervention studies on effect of vitamin K on bone are conflicting. The key seems to be that effects only become visible after long treatment periods (3 years or longer) and most studies are shorter. Unfortunately, the publication of so many underpowered and too short studies has brought a lot of confusion in the field. Moreover, the studies that did show an effect used relatively high doses of either K1 or K2, definitely far above the present RDA levels of intake and well above intake levels that can be reached with a normal diet.

We have recently completed a 3-year placebo-controlled clinical trial which is the first one using K2 at a level equalling the RDA. At this time the data are still confidential but later this year they will be published and already now I can say that this will end the discussion on whether or not vitamin K2 (as MenaQ7) helps maintain bone strength in postmenopausal women.

Also, it is true that not many clinical trials on MenaQ7 have been published thus far. One reason for this is that MK-7 has only been on the market for 3 or 4 years, whereas K1 and MK-4 are readily available for over 60 years. Another reason for the scarce data on MK-7 is that the first data that have been generated were used for patent and regulatory purposes, which has delayed the publication process.

In the meantime, accumulating data are being reported and it is to be expected that this year will see a continuous stream of publications showing beneficial effects of MK-7. To my knowledge the only product used in those studies is MenaQ7 from NattoPharma.”

Published papers on the use of MenaQ7 in clinical trials:
• Westenfeld, R., Krueger, T., Schlieper, G., Cranenburg, E.C.M., Magdeleyns, E.J., Heidenreich, S., Holzmann, S., Vermeer, C. Jahnen-Dechent, W., Ketteler, M., Floege, J., Schurgers, L.J. Effect of vitamin K2 supplementation on functional vitamin K deficiency in hemodialysis patients: a randomized trial . Am. J. Kidney Dis. 59 (2012) 186-195
• Theuwissen, E., Cranenburg, E.C.M., Knapen, M.H.J., Magdeleyns, E.J., Teunissen, K.J., Schurgers, L.J., Vermeer, C. Low dose menaquinone-7 supplementation improved extra-1 hepatic vitamin K 2 status, but had no effect on thrombin generation in healthy subjects. Brit. J. Nutr., in press
• Van Summeren, M.H.J., Braam, L.A.J.L.M., Lilien, M.R., Schurgers, L.J., Kuis, W., Vermeer, C. The effect of menaquinone-7 (vitamin K2) supplementation on osteocalcin carboxylation in hea lthy prepubertal children Brit. J. Nutr. 102 (2009) 1171-1178.
• Moschonis, G., Kanellakis, S., Papaioannou, N., Schaafsma, A., Manios, Y, Possible site-specific effect of an intervention combining nutrition and lifestyle counselling with consumption of fortified dairy products on bone mass: the Postmenopausal Health Study II. J. Bone Miner. Metab. 29 (2011) 501-506.
• Emaus N, Gjesdal CG, Almås B, Christensen M, Grimsgaard AS, Berntsen GK, Salomonsen L, Fønnebø V. Serum level of under-carboxylated osteocalcin and bone mineral density in early menopausal Norwegian women. Osteoporos. Int. 21 (2010) 1731-1740.

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Getting your essential vitamins - naturally - Pensacola News Journal

We women have certain nutritional needs when it comes to vitamins and minerals, but with so much to choose from and so much competing information out there, what do we really need?

As you walk through your local market or health food store, you might be bombarded with the idea that Americans are low on energy. We drink countless cups of coffee and energy drinks each day, which over time actually exhausts your adrenal system and leaves you more tired than before.

If you want the chemical explanation, it goes like this: Caffeine inhibits a substance called ATP (or adenosine triphosphate), which can lead to sleep problems. Less sleep and you’re more likely to be moodier and even more tired the next day.

But first, a brief chemistry lesson. Every living thing must have something that gives it energy. In humans, our power comes from the mitochondria, which exists in every cell in the body. They are the cell’s power plant, so to speak.

The mitochondrion produce what is called adenosine triphosphate, which is a human beings source of energy. ATP’s primary purpose is to transport chemical energy within cells for metabolism.

Simply put, ATP converts energy from food to energy that our cells can use to allow them to function properly.

As you can see, unless you’re a chemist, the average person isn’t going to know what many supplements actually do.

The theory goes that if you cut down on caffeine, you might actually have more energy, which sounds like a paradox. But, read further.

Questions to ask yourself:

Before you start stocking up on vitamins and supplements that have “energy” in their name, ask yourself three very important questions.

1. Are you an average person who gets moderate exercise?

2. Are you an athlete who runs or sprints who is trying to get faster?

3. Are you simply trying to make it to the end of the workday?

Basically, the particular type of energy each woman needs is based on your answers.

You have stimulants like coffee, green tea, and Asian ginseng.

So, if you get back from lunch and are sitting at your desk ready to fall asleep, you’ll likely reach for a cup of coffee. But one thing you might not realize is that you could be dehydrated and in need of an 8- to 12-ounce glass of water. Our brains need water to function, and caffeine is a diuretic. Deplete your brain of necessary water, and you might find you can’t think clearly. So think twice when reaching for a cup of coffee, especially after lunch, because it can interfere with sleep.

(Page 2 of 2)

Keeping energy supplements in perspective

This is the bottom line: If you’re chronically fatigued, you should check with your doctor before taking any energy supplements. If your doctor rules out any health conditions, then ask yourself these key questions:

• Is it safe? If you suffer from a medical condition or take prescription medication, some supplements might be dangerous.

• Where is the evidence? Look for scientific evidence for their use. Is the research published in credible scientific journals? Can it be trusted, or is it something your cousin Mary “swears it works.”

• Do I really need it? If you’re eating a well-balanced diet, chances are you don’t need much in the way of supplementation.

What do you need to do to boost your energy? I’ll start with the obvious: Get more sleep. I know it’s difficult to turn off the television or get off Facebook and go to bed before 10 p.m. or midnight, but your body â€" and your brain â€" will thank you the next morning. You’ll awake earlier and more refreshed.

The best way I know how to have more energy is simply to exercise.

At lunch, spend a little less time chatting and make the eating part brief. Then go for a brisk walk if you can.

If that’s not an option for you, consider making exercise a morning or evening routine, and you’ll find you have more energy than you know what to do with.

Scientists capture first full image of vitamin B12 in action - R & D Magazine

The gymnast in action: This computer-generated image shows how Vitamin B12, a small molecule shown in dark green and dark blue, interacts with much larger molecules during the reaction known as methyltransfer that is vital to humans, animals and bacteria. Photo Credit: MIT/U-M

You see it listed on the side of your cereal box and your multivitamin bottle. It’s vitamin B12, part of a nutritious diet like all those other vitamins and minerals.

But when it gets inside your body, new research suggests, B12 turns into a gymnast.

In a paper published recently in the journal Nature, scientists from the University of Michigan Health System and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology report they have created the first full 3-D images of B12 and its partner molecules twisting and contorting as part of a crucial reaction called methyltransfer.

That reaction is vital both in the cells of the human body and, in a slightly different way, in the cells of bacteria that consume carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. That includes bacteria that live in the guts of humans, cows and other animals, and help with digestion. The new research was done using B12 complexes from another type of carbon dioxide-munching bacteria found in the murky bottoms of ponds.

The 3-D images produced by the team show for the first time the intricate molecular juggling needed for B12 to serve its biologically essential function. They reveal a multi-stage process involving what the researchers call an elaborate pro tein frameworkâ€"a surprisingly complicated mechanism for such a critical reaction.

U-M Medical School professor and co-author Stephen Ragsdale, Ph.D., notes that this transfer reaction is important to understand because of its importance to human health. It also has potential implications for the development of new fuels that might become alternative renewable energy sources.

“Without this transfer of single carbon units involving B12, and its partner B9 (otherwise known as folic acid), heart disease and birth defects might be far more common,” explains Ragsdale, a professor of biological chemistry. “Similarly, the bacteria that rely on this reaction would be unable to consume carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide to stay aliveâ€"and to remove gas from our guts or our atmosphere. So it’s important on many levels.”

In such bacteria, called anaerobes, the reaction is part of a larger process called the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway. It’s what enables the or ganisms to live off of carbon monoxide, a gas that is toxic to other living things, and carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas directly linked to climate change. Ragsdale notes that industry is currently looking at harnessing the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway to help generate liquid fuels and chemicals.

In addition to his medical school post, Ragsdale is a member of the faculty of the U-M Energy Institute.

In the images created by the team, the scientists show how the complex of molecules contorts into multiple conformationsâ€"first to activate, then to protect, and then to perform catalysis on the B12 molecule. They had isolated the complex from Moorella thermoacetica bacteria, which are used as models for studying this type of reaction.

The images were produced by aiming intense beams of X-rays at crystallized forms of the protein complex and painstakingly determining the position of every atom inside.

“This paper provides an understanding of the rema rkable conformational movements that occur during one of the key steps in this microbial process, the step that involves the generation of the first in a series of organometallic intermediates that lead to the production of the key metabolic intermediate, acetyl-CoA,” the authors note.

Senior author Catherine L. Drennan from MIT and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, who received her Ph.D. at the U-M Medical School, adds, “We expected that this methyl-handoff between B vitamins must involve some type of conformational change, but the dramatic rearrangements that we have observed surprised even us.”

In addition to Ragsdale and Drennan, the research team included the first author, Yan Kung, from MIT, and co-authors include U-M’s Gunes Bender, MIT’s Nozomi Ando, former MIT researchers Tzanko Doukov and Leah C. Blasiak, and the University of Nebraska’s Javier Seravalli.

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the MIT Energy Initiative. Two U.S. Department of Energy-funded synchrotron facilities were used to produce the crystallographic images: the Advanced Photon Source and its Northeastern Collaborative Access Team beamlines supported by NIH, and the Advanced Light Source. The atomic coordinates for the structures published by the team are deposited in the Protein Data Bank under accession codes 4DJD, 4DJE and 4DJF.

Visualizing molecular juggling within a B12-dependent methyltransferase complex l

Source:  University of Michigan Health System

Vitamin turns into `gymnast' inside our body - New Kerala

 

London, Mar 27 : Scientists have captured first full image of vitamin B12 â€" which forms a part of our nutritious diet like all other vitamins and minerals - in action.

Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology report that they have created the first full 3-D images of B12 and its partner molecules twisting and contorting as part of a crucial reaction called methyltransfer.

That reaction is vital both in the cells of the human body and, in a slightly different way, in the cells of bacteria that consume carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.

That includes bacteria that live in the guts of humans, cows and other animals, and help with digestion.

The new research was done using B12 complexes from another type of carbon dioxide-munching bacteria found in the murky bottoms of ponds.

The 3-D images produced by the team show for the first time the intricate molecular juggling needed for B12 to serve its biologically essential function.

They reveal a multi-stage process involving what the researchers call an elaborate protein framework â€" a surprisingly complicated mechanism for such a critical reaction.

U-M Medical School professor and co-author Stephen Ragsdale, Ph.D., notes that this transfer reaction is important to understand because of its importance to human health. It also has potential implications for the development of new fuels that might become alternative renewable energy sources.

"Without this transfer of single carbon units involving B12, and its partner B9 (otherwise known as folic acid), heart disease and birth defects might be far more common," explained Ragsdale, a professor of biological chemistry.

"Similarly, the bacteria that rely on this reaction would be unable to consume carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide to stay alive â€" and to remove gas from our guts or our atmosphere. So it's important on many levels."

In such bacteria, called anaerobes, the reaction is part of a larger process called the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway.

It's what enabl es the organisms to live off of carbon monoxide, a gas that is toxic to other living things, and carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas directly linked to climate change. Ragsdale notes that industry is currently looking at harnessing the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway to help generate liquid fuels and chemicals.

In addition to his Medical School post, Ragsdale is a member of the faculty of the U-M Energy Institute.

In the images created by the team, the scientists show how the complex of molecules contorts into multiple conformations - first to activate, then to protect, and then to perform catalysis on the B12 molecule.

They had isolated the complex from Moorella thermoacetica bacteria, which are used as models for studying this type of reaction.

The images were produced by aiming intense beams of X-rays at crystallized forms of the protein complex and painstakingly determining the position of every atom inside.

"This paper provides an understandin g of the remarkable conformational movements that occur during one of the key steps in this microbial process, the step that involves the generation of the first in a series of organometallic intermediates that lead to the production of the key metabolic intermediate, acetyl-CoA," the authors noted.

"We expected that this methyl-handoff between B vitamins must involve some type of conformational change, but the dramatic rearrangements that we have observed surprised even us," Senior author Catherine L. Drennan from MIT and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, who received her Ph.D. at the U-M Medical School, added.

The study has been recently published in the journal Nature. (ANI)

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Yearly Horoscope of 2012 for the Zodiac Sign:

 

Sagittarius     Scorpio     Libra    Virgo    Leo     Cancer     Gemini     Taurus     Aries     Pisces     Aquarius     Capricon

 

 

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Vitamins doing gymnastics: Scientists capture first full image of vitamin B12 ... - EurekAlert (press release)

Public release date: 27-Mar-2012
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Contact: Kara Gavin
kegavin@umich.edu
734-764-2220
University of Michigan Health System

ANN ARBOR, Mich. â€" You see it listed on the side of your cereal box and your multivitamin bottle. It's vitamin B12, part of a nutritious diet like all those other vitamins and minerals.

But when it gets inside your body, new research suggests, B12 turns into a gymnast.

In a paper published recently in the journal Nature, scientists from the University of Michigan Health System and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology report they have created the first full 3-D images of B12 and its partner molecules twisting and contorting as part of a crucial reaction called methyltransfer.

That reaction is vital both in the cells of the human body and, in a slightly different way, in the cells of bacteria that consume carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. That includes bacteria that live in the guts of humans, cows and other animals, and help with digestion. The new research was done using B12 complexes from another type of carbon dioxide-munching bacteria found in the murky bottoms of ponds.

The 3-D images produced by the team show for the first time the intricate molecular juggling needed for B12 to serve its biologically essential function. They reveal a multi-stage process involving what the researchers call an elaborate protein framework â€" a surprisingly complicated mechanism for such a critical reaction.

U-M Medical School professor and co-author Stephen Ragsdale, Ph.D., notes that this transfer reaction is important to understand because of its importance to human health. It also has potential implications for the development of new fuels that might become alternative renewable energy sources.

"Without this transfer of single carbon units involving B12, and its partner B9 (otherwise known as folic acid), heart disease and birth defects might be far more common," explains Ragsdale, a professor of biological chemistry. "Similarly, the bacteria that rely on this reaction would be unable to consume carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide to stay alive â€" and to remove gas from our guts or our atmosphere. So it's important on many levels."

In such bacteria, called anaerobes, the reaction is part of a larger process called the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway. It's what enables the organisms to live off of carbon monoxide, a gas that is toxic to other living things, and carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas directly linked to climate change. Ragsdale notes that industry is currently looking at harnessing the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway to help generate liquid fuels and chemicals.

In addition to his Medical School post, Ragsdale is a member of the faculty of the U-M Energy Institute.

In the images created by the team, the scientists show how the complex of molecules contorts into multiple conformations -- first to activate, then to protect, and then to perform catalysis on the B12 molecule. They had isolated the complex from Moorella thermoacetica bacteria, which are used as models for studying this type of reaction.

The images were produced by aiming intense beams of X-rays at crystallized forms of the protein complex and painstakingly determining the position of every atom inside.

"This paper provides an understanding of the remarkable conformational movements that occur during one of the key steps in this microbial process, the step that involves the generation of the first in a series of organometallic intermediates that lead to the production of the key metabolic intermediate, acetyl-CoA," the authors note.

Senior author Catherine L. Drennan from MIT and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, who received her Ph.D. at the U-M Medical School, adds, "We expected that this methyl-handoff between B vitamins must involve some type of conformational change, but the dramatic rearrangements that we have observed surprised even us."

###

In addition to Ragsdale and Drennan, the research team included the first author, Yan Kung, from MIT, and co-authors include U-M's Gunes Bender, MIT's Nozomi Ando, former MIT researchers Tzanko Doukov and Leah C. Blasiak, and the University of Nebraska's Javier Seravalli.

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the MIT Energy Initiative. Two U.S. Department of Energy-funded synchrotron facilities were used to produce the crystallographic images: the Advanced Photon Source and its Northeastern Collaborative Access Team beamlines supported by NIH, and the Advanced Light Source. The atomic coordinates for the structures published by the team are deposited in the Protein Data Bank under accession codes 4DJD, 4DJE and 4DJF.

Citation: Nature doi:10.1038/nature10916

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Getting your vitamins - Toronto Sun

(File photo)

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Whenever I speak to groups or patients in my counselling practice, I get more questions about vitamins and minerals than almost any other topic.

Typical questions include "what should I take", "how much should I take", "is there any harm in taking them" and of course "food vs supplements."

So, as we close out nutrition month, I thought I would once again address this popular topic.

Vitamins and minerals are components in food that are essential for our well being. There are many, as most people know, and they all have very specific properties. Most importantly they are all found naturally in a variety of different foods. There are guidelines for how much of each one you need and also -- how much is too much.

In general, it's pretty difficult to overdo it with foods but with supplements there are instances where too much can be a problem.

In a perfect world, under perfect circumstances, diet would give you everything you need and there would be no need for supplements. But, there are times when it's not possible to get all you need and supplements can help. These times include:

-- Women who are pregnant are advised to take a multivitamin with adequate iron to support the demands of pregnancy.

-- A multi-supplement with 400 mcg of folic acid is recommended for all women who could become pregnant or who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

-- For many menstruating women, getting the required 18 mg of iron can be challenging, even more so if she is on a very low-calorie diet or a strict vegetarian. In these cases, a supplement may be necessary.

-- Vegetarians require almost twice as much iron as non-vegetarians and may have difficulty meeting this need with diet alone.

It is recommended that adults over the age of 50 take a supplement of vitamin D as a single supplement or as a component of a multivitamin. And, vitamin D of 600 to 1000 IU or more is being recommended by many health organizations to all Canadians since it is so difficult to get enough in food alone.

Adults over 50 may not be absorbing enough vitamin B12 from foods and are advised to get it from supplements or fortified foods.

People with many food allergies or intolerances, on very restricted diets or those on very low calorie diets may benefit from a multivitamin.

Can you overdo it with supplements? Yes, in some instances you can. Here are a few of those instances:

High doses of vitamin A can be associated with increased risk of fractures and other health issues.

While folate is important, especially to women of childbearing years, too much is not wise. The safe upper limit is 1000 mcg/day. Higher amounts of synthetic folic acid can increase cancer risk in predisposed individuals over time. If you are taking both a multivitamin and a B complex, chances are you are getting too much.

A multivitamin can be a safety net if you feel you are not always eating well. If you are taking a variety of different supplements (for example, vitamin C and B vitamins separately in addition to a multivitamin), it's a good idea to sit down with your pharmacist or dietitian to evaluate your intake. And, of course, supplements will never take the place of a healthy diet nor will they make up for a diet that's loaded with unhealthy foods. I'll write more on this subject in future columns.

New Content from Liquid Health

http://www.liquidhealthinc.com/benefits-of-glucosamine Benefits of
Glucosamine Glucosamine is not something that a lot of people talk about, but
in reality everyone needs to know more about glucosamine. Being one of the
most prevalent supplements on the market today, glucosamine can help and
improve some of the physical aspects of our lives. Not having enough
glucosamine in the body has been shown to result in joint and tissue failure.
Glucosamine helps and benefits the body to improve mobility and flexibility
in our daily physical activities. One of the ways that Glucosamine can help
is by helping your body to heal itself from injured articulation and hurt
joints. The safest way to prevent pain and reduce elbow, knee, hand and hip
inflammation is making sure that your body has what it needs in order to
prevent these ailments. Glucosamine is one of these building blocks to
healthy joints. Dr. Michael Roizen quoted “It acts as a building block for
making and repairing cartilage and helping it hold water. Retaining water is
important for keeping your joints nicely lubricated and allowing you to move
smoothly”, therefore it is part of the fluid and cushion that surrounds
your joints and tissue. Glucosamine also serves as a therapeutic agent for
treating Osteoarthritis. Physical exercise almost always does damage to
joints, tissues and can increase the possibilities of getting arthritis. Even
though regular exercise is necessary to remain healthy, it can sometimes lead
to our failure of other weight loss goals in the future. Glucosamine gives
your body the lubrication it needs to maintain the cushioning and integrity
of the joints through intensive periods of training. The human body naturally
produces glucosamine. However, through poor diet choices your body may not be
able to produce enough to keep yourself in tip top shape. By extracting
glucosamine from shrimp, lobster, crabs, shellfish and glucose derived from
corn has made the daily intake of glucosamine simple and fast. There are some
studies that suggest that by taking glucosamine you will be able to overcome
things like disc protrusions and other things problems associated with a lack
of glucosamine. Our joints in our elbows, knees, hands and hips work as
sponges. When added pressure pushes out the water the joints will then absorb
the water again. In our joints there is a constant flux between pushing out
the water and then absorbing it again. Over time, this may result in rips and
tares of the tissue. Glucosamine can help to curtail this damage.http://liquidhealth.posterous.com/new-content-from-liquid-health-79314 http://www.liquidhealthinc.com/benefits-of-glucosamine Benefits of Glucosamine Glucosamine is not something that a lot of people talk about, but in reality everyone needs to know more about glucosamine. Being one of the most prevalent supplements on the market today, glucosamine can help and improve ... http://liquidhealth.posterous.com

Popcorn packed with antioxidants, hidden health benefits - USA TODAY

Pop quiz: Test your popcorn smarts

Maureen Linke and Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY

Source: USA TODAY research, the Popcorn Board (www.popcorn.org), USDA Center for Science in the Public Interest

Pass the popcorn. A new study confirms that the hull of popcorn has some good nutritional qualities â€" assuming it's not smothered in butter, oil and salt.

• 

  Jupiterimages, Jupiterimages

  Other whole grains such as whole-grain breads and cereals are often much more heavily processed and lose more of their vitamins, minerals, polyphenols and fiber in the process, experts say.

Jupiterimages, Jupiterimages

Other whole grains such as whole-grain breads and cereals are often much more heavily processed and lose more of their vitamins, minerals, polyphenols and fiber in the process, experts say.

Researchers at the University of Scranton (Pa.) ran a lab analysis on the content in several types and brands of popcorn and found that the crunchy hull is rich in polyphenols â€" antioxidants that prevent damage to cells. Polyphenols also may have disease-fighting properties.

"The hull is where the most nutritional goodies (polyphenols) are â€" not the white fluffy part," says chemistry professor Joe Vinson, senior author of the study, which was partially funded by a popcorn company. Vinson also has studied chocolate, coffee, spices and cereals. The popcorn findings were presented Sunday at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Diego.

Vinson says polyphenols are concentrated in hulls because popcorn doesn't have a lot of water and because it's 100% whole grain. Some other foods that have polyphenols, such as fruits and vegetables, contain a lot more water.

Not by popcorn alone

Popcorn is usually minimally processed, he says. "We know whole grains are good for us in fighting a number of chronic diseases, but we don't know why yet. People thought it was just the fiber that made popcorn a healthful choice, but in my opinion, it's the combination of fiber and polyphenols."

Fruits and vegetables also contain polyphenols, along with vitamins and minerals not found in popcorn, he says. "I don't want people to think they can just eat popcorn to get all the polyphenols they need. I don't want them to think of popcorn as an alternative to fruits and vegetables."

Researchers are still investigating the effect of polyphenols on the body, Vinson says. "Just measuring something in the food is easy to do. It creates some information, but the proof in the pudding is what happens in the body."

Kantha Shelke, a spokeswoman for the Institute of Food Technologists and a food chemist in Chicago who has studied popcorn, says the latest findings confirm other research on the subject. "Popcorn has an antioxidant called ferulic acid that's also found in beans, corn, rice, wheat, barley and many other grains," she says. "Ferulic acid exhibits a wide range of therapeutic effects against cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular and neuro-degenerative diseases (Alzheimer's) largely because of its strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity."

Still, there's no guarantee that the polyphenols are in the body long enough to have an effect, she says. "It's possible that popcorn goes through the body really fast. If the polyphenols reside largely in the hull, which is principally insoluble fiber and not digested, they are not sitting in our digestive system for an extended period of time, and we may not absorb all the antioxidants," Shelke says. "The hull may be loaded with nutrients that go right through us. The hull acts like a Roto-Rooter."

Benefits oversold?

Some nutritionists are skeptical about overselling the health benefits of popcorn, especially given that it's often drenched in salt and high-fat butter and oil.

Bonnie Liebman, director of nutrition for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer group that has analyzed the calories in movie-theater popcorn, says a small unbuttered popcorn at the movies typically has more than 650 calories; a large has 1,200.

"What's more, the evidence that polyphenols might lower the risk of disease is still preliminary," Liebman says. "Considering that two out of three American adults and one out of three children are overweight or obese, the best advice is to snack on fresh fruit or vegetables and to ignore the snack counter at the movies."

Shelke says movie popcorn gets a bad name because of the stuff people put on it.

"There's nothing wrong with eating popcorn with a little oil or a little butter within a balanced diet," she says. "Popcorn drenched in butter or oil is bad. Sprinkled or sprayed and consumed in moderation is good for both the body and the soul.

"I go to the movies for the movie and the popcorn. I comfort myself that my popcorn also provided me with a whopping dose of fiber."

Words of wellness: Simple strategies for bone health - Juneau Empire

Note: This article presents research-based information. Consult your physician or health provider for professional medical advice.

Unlike the familiar fossil-like images of a skeleton with bleached limbs, the bones in our body are a living latticework of self-regenerating tissue that provides a framework for our bodies while also protecting our delicate internal organs. A complex architecture of mineral crystals and collagen protein allow bones to be strong and flexible. Our bones and teeth also store calcium and other essential minerals. Calcium is essential for maintaining proper nerve and muscle function and for keeping cell membranes healthy. Our bones release calcium into the bloodstream when calcium levels in the blood are low, so it is important to ensure adequate calcium intake to maintain healthy bones.

When it comes to building strong, healthy bones, many of us envision a cup of milk, a creamy slice of cheese, or even some yogurt. For decades, milk and milk-based dairy products have been promoted as rich source of calcium for the American diet.

Yet a growing number of Americans are finding themselves lactose intolerant. This means their bodies no longer produce lactase, a digestive enzyme that metabolizes the lactose sugar found in milk-based products.

“Lactose intolerance tends to occur in a higher percentage of people from non-European backgrounds, such as Alaska Natives, American Indians, Asians, African-Americans, Africans, Latin Americans, and Ashkenazi Jews,” explained Kari Natwick, the community dietitian at the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium. “When an individual is unable to consume milk or milk products, it is still necessary to consume adequate amounts of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D in their diets through other sources.”

Fortunately, for lactose-intolerant individuals and others who are seeking to reduce their dairy consumption, there are many non-dairy sources of calcium. The food traditions of many cultures around the world include adequate amounts of calcium and other nutrients essential to bone health that are based on foods that are produced locally without necessarily depending on milk and dairy.

Check out these simple strategies for bone health that go beyond milk and calcium supplements:

• Be active. Natwick emphasizes going beyond nutrition for better bone health. “It is important to engage in physical activity, especially weight-bearing exercises such as walking.” By encouraging the muscles and bones to work against gravity, physical activity strengthens bones by stimulating bone cells. Being active also improves blood circulation throughout the body and transports essential nutrients and minerals to feed the live bone tissue.

• Love local foods. Traditional Southeast Alaska foods harvested from the sea such as seaweed and shellfish add calcium and other bone-building nutrients to our diet. Natwick points out, “Canned fish with bones are an excellent source of calcium. This could include fish that is processed at home or commercially. Examples include canned salmon, mackerel, and sardines.”

• Grab your greens. Dark leafy greens such as kale and collard greens are the best sources of calcium. Broccoli is another calcium-rich vegetable. Interestingly, Swiss chard and spinach contain higher calcium levels than kale and collards, but high levels of chemical compounds called oxalates interfere with absorption of calcium. Nevertheless, these nutrient-dense greens are a good deal because they contain plenty of other vitamins and minerals essential for good general health, which then supports strong bones. For gardeners in Southeast Alaska, now is a good time to start planning to grow a healthy harvest of dark leafy vegetables this summer!

• Discover calcium-rich surprises. Many unassuming foods are surprising sources of calcium. Soybeans, soy milk, and tofu are good sources of calcium and protein as well as beans, lentils, and Brazil nuts and almonds. Black-strap molasses, figs, and sesame seeds all add flavor and calcium to your diet. Stews, curries, soups, and broths made from slow-cooked animal bones can add calcium and other minerals into your food, so buying meat with the bone one can be a double bargain.

• Take or make your Vitamin D. This vitamin and hormone is essential for proper calcium absorption. Our skin naturally produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, so spending time outdoors in the sun is good for your bones as well as your mood. With limited sunlight in Southeast Alaska, food sources of vitamin D include cod liver oil, fish, eggs, and liver. Check with your medical provider to test your vitamin D levels.

• Limit caffeine, salt, sugar, and alcohol. Consume these in moderation. Excessive consumption of caffeine, salt, sugar, and alcohol causes in increased loss of calcium through urination. Excessive alcohol use can interfere with the balance of calcium in the blood and also disrupt the conversion of vitamin D into its active form. Alcohol can also negatively affect the hormones which regulate the osteoblast cells that make new bones.

Strengthening our bones is as simple as choosing a delicious variety of calciumâ€"rich foods and taking advantage of longer days to make time for physical activity outdoors and indoors. At last, spring has sprung and the time for bone-building has begun!

• Jennifer Nu is a freelance writer in Juneau. Contact her at jennu.jnu@gmail.com

Vitamin Power's Eyebright Root Is Discontinued at the Vitamin Mineral Shop - SBWire (press release)

Clinton Township, MI -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/20/2012 -- Established in 1975, Vitamin Power is an exclusive line of nutritional healthcare products. The discontinuance of Eyebright Root (product id 994R) is a reluctant reduction is the size of the product line. Vitamin Power will continue to distribute its other products in the same manner as before, through independent retailers, health professionals and authorized dealers worldwide. Blending the best of science and nature, Vitamin Power products provide powerful nutritional benefits for preventative healthcare and a wide range of individual needs. Every product is formulated and manufactured to the highest standards in the vitamin-nutraceutical industry. Stringent quality control procedures are utilized throughout every phase of production. Analytical laboratory testing of every batch verifies potency, purity, freshness and optimum quality in every bottle.

Vitamin Power continues to have an extensive line of traditional whole herb supplements. Harvested from the finest crops around the world, Vitamin Power Natural Herbals are produced to the highest standards of quality, potency and efficacy. These natural supplements are formulated without the addition of caffeine, gluten, milk or egg derivatives, salt, soy, starch, sugar, wheat or yeast; no artificial colorings, preservatives added. The majority of these products are derived from plant root; others are from berries, flowers, leaves, and seeds. One is offered in a freeze dried form, another as an extract. All are currently offered in 100 count bottles.

For information about the Vitamin Power's product line, visit: http://www.vitaminmineralshop.com/

About Wayne McDonald
Wayne McDonald is ongoingly creating the Vitamin Mineral Shop LLC and Imagine Something Worthy LLC. He is a former Chrysler employee, current real estate investor, and a member of the local I nternet Marketing Club. He is using what he is learning at the local Internet Marketing Club to build sites for himself and others. He is continuing to construct and market an online vitamin store, a real estate site for himself and fellow investors, and new Internet marketing affiliate sites.

Contact:
Wayne McDonald
Vitamin Mineral Shop, LLC
42211 Garfield Road, PMB 123
Clinton Township, Michigan 48038
http://www.vitaminmineralshop.com/

Submitted by: Imagine Something Worthy, LLC
http://www.imaginesomethingworthy.com/

The Rs 28 Diet Plan - Outlook

Tribhuvan Tiwari

Leaving for work, from a flat in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad

Dietetics Of Poverty

• Three cups of tea, adding up to about 150 calories
• Two slices of bread (100 calories)
• Two pieces of kulcha with chhole (about 425 calories)
• Bread and tea hardly contain any nutrients. Milk may provide some calcium.
• Near-starvation diets, with hardly any vitamins or minerals, can lead to a breakdown of muscles and weight loss over a period of time.

***

It is 10 am now and the dust-haze tormenting Delhi for the last couple of days seems to have lifted to reveal a bright, sunny day. I am thinking food. I have never starved for food, but I’m trying. The extraordinary change proposed by the Planning Commission in terms of what constitutes the poverty line has prodded me into living on Rs 28.65 for a day. (Looking at it from a monthly point of viewâ€"Rs 859.60 for one individualâ€"doesn’t really make it look any less scarier.)

How far will this take me in the urban sprawl of Delhi? Besides being hungry, I am angry. Just the day before, on March 20, the Planning Commission had startled every right-thinking person by coming up with some astounding figures on how poverty levels had actually reduced in the last five years, attributing this miracle to the economic policies of the UPA government, which has always scored high on rhetoric about concern for the aam aadmi.

I set out to fend for myself on the limits of destitution that defines the poor, according to our venerable Planning Commission. This poverty line is often a lifeline for the poor as it determines who is entitled to a house, toilet, and rice and wheat from the neighbourhood fair price shop.
I am certainly not poor. I am just trying to survive on a few rupees for one day. I live in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, in what is called the National Capital Region. My home is 31 km from my office in Safdarjung Enclave. Someone who lives on that amount would probably live on the streets close to their place of work, perhaps a begging corner.

In the throes of a real estate boom, Indirapuram is host to a huge migrant population from the neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar. These people, labourers mostly, have made their home on the streets, in the shadow of the glitzy malls and shiny condominiums that dot the place. I discover that labourers living in makeshift homes, cooking their food out in the open, are too rich to qualify as poor. For they earn close to Rs 100 a day, more than three times over the limit.

Angry and hungry, on the morning of March 21, I set off after having a breakfast of two slices of bread (Rs 2) with pickle paste slapped on. This is a luxury, the neighbourhood chaiwala tells me. He is always grumbling about the rising prices of milk (Rs 29 a litre) and sugar (Rs 40 per kg), and charges Rs 5 for one plastic cup of tea. The day has just begun. I decide to walk 2 km to the nearest bus-stand to save on rupees.

Those earning Rs 100 per day, such as masons, plumbers, construction workers, are too rich to be counted as poor.

I discover that in the suburbs, getting the right bus is nothing short of a miracle, as everyone drives cars and there’s hardly any public transport. But before I take off on generalities, back to my predicament. Some rickshawalas try to tempt me to take a Rs 5 ride for two kilometres. They say that on a good day, they may make Rs 150. I realise that they are far too rich compared to me.

I have to take the bus, as it’s the cheapest option. I walk those kilometres to the stand. Bus No. 543 will take me close to my office. The ticket from Ghazipur to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, where I disembark, costs Rs 15. I have already spent Rs 22.

My fellow traveller, Pilana, who describes himself as a nomad and who makes Rs 70 a day selling rings, is going to Gurgaon in search of new markets and superstitious people looking for a change in fortune. He has spent Rs 60 for the bus tickets of his family of four. I realise with a tinge of sadness that this guy’s rings haven’t changed his luck.

Hunger by now is gnawing, overriding thought, emotion and sentiment. What can I eat for Rs 7? The Outlook office serves free tea. The dhabas near the office provide meals for Rs 20. At 1.30 pm, I finally decide to have chhole-kulcheâ€"a plate costs Rs 15, up from Rs 12 some six months ago. My decision is made easy by the fact that it is the cheapest option. I borrow from a photographer colleague and eat my princely meal. Still quite hungry, tired and fed up, I sit down to write this story. I barely survived half a day to tell this tale. Even the poorest among the poor cannot survive on this figure. That would leave the destitute of India permanently hungry.

In all, my total calorific consumption was 677, and nutritionist Veena Shatrugna from the National Institute of Nutrition says that a 63 kg adult female like me needs a minimum of 1,285 calories provided she doesn’t work. That’s the bare minimum required to keep the body together and survive without collapsing. I could have stayed at home and cooked lunch, but the poor hardly have the luxury of not workingâ€"even to survive.

The only thought that comes to mind is that a human being can only starve on that new “poverty line” figure. If someone has children, they will be severely malnourished, with retarded mental and physical development. I also know that beggars earn more than this amount. The migrant labourers who leave their homes and families do not qualify. So who really are India’s poor? Are there some bonded labourers in some corner who are forced to work and given this amount that then entitles them to some benefits from the government? How bad does the human condition have to be before the government condescends to help you?

Vitamin D: Join the live conversation - Body and Soul

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Join us on bodyandsoul.com.au for a live chat on vitamin D.

Vitamin D is essential for its ability to increase calcium absorption and boost bone strength, but research shows it could contain anti-cancer properties, in particular breast, prostrate and colon cancers. Getting a healthy dose of vitamin D per day is  believed to play an important role in the prevention of osteoporosis, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. But despite the abundance of sunshine in Australia, many of us are not getting enough.

Its believed that by the end of winter 40 per cent of Australians will be deficient in vitamin D. So how to make sure you're getting enough? And what other sources of vitamin D can help boost our levels?

Join us on Sunday April 1 at 4pm for a live discussion with Professor Peter Ebeling, who will be answering your questions on all things vitamin D. Share tips, thoughts and any questions you may have about vitamin D right here on bodyandsoul.com.au.

He is the Chair of the NorthWest Academic Centre, University of Melbourne and Head of Endocrinology, at Western Hospital, in Victoria. He has served on the Editorial Board of Journal of Bone and Mineral Research since 2001 and is currently an Associate Editor. He also serves on the Editor Board of Osteoporosis International, is Medical Director of Osteoporosis Australia, a past-President of the Australian and New Zealand Bone and Mineral Society and Councilor-Elect of the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research.

Professor Peter Ebeling's work lies in understanding vitamin D's role in chronic diseases such as osteoporosis and type II diabetes, and vitamin D interventions for such diseases.

Post your questions for Professor Ebeling below in the comment box, and then join us online for the vitamin D discussion on April 1.

Read our fact sheet on vitamin D.

15 Vegan Superfoods You Should Be Eating Right Now - Ecorazzi

Superfoods. It’s a term that gets bandied about a lot these days, particularly in health food circles. But what exactly does it mean? What is a superfood?

Although there’s no official legal definition for the term, the consensus is that superfoods are exceptionally nutritious foods that provide a host of benefits, while at the same time having very few negative side effects. The Oxford English Dictionary defines superfoods as ”a food considered especially nutritious or otherwise beneficial to health and well-being.”

Based on this definition, we’ve rounded up our picks for the Top 15 Vegan Superfoods â€" the ones we think most enhance an animal-free diet. Check them out below!

Goji Berries

Also known as the wolfberry, this Chinese fruit is a nutritional powerhouse. Rich in antioxidants (which fight free radical damage) and vitamin A, there have been some studies that suggest goji berries can help fend off Alzheimer’s. And according to Navitas Naturals, one of the leading purveyors of the berries, gojis contain 18 amino acids (including the essential 8), as well as more than “20 trace minerals and vitamins including zinc, iron, phosphorus, riboflavin (B2), vitamin E, and carotenoids which include beta-carotene.”

And, per ounce, the little red powerhouses also contain “more vitamin C than oranges, more beta carotene than carrots, and more iron than soybeans or spinach.” In the U.S., goji berries are typically available in dried form, and are readily available in health food stores.

Quinoa and Amaranth

Quinoa was first cultivated in the Andes mountains more than 5,000 years ago, by the Incas. Although it’s commonly referred to as a grain, quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is actually a seed that’s related to spinach and beets. Quinoa comes in a variety of colors, and has two excellent things going for it: 1) It’s gluten-free, and 2) It’s a vegan source of complete protein. According to the folks at Livestrong.com, “Quinoa is a complete protein, which means that it contains all the amino acids necessary for our nutritional needs. Complete proteins are rare in the plant world, making quinoa an excellent food for vegetarians and vegans, or for anyone looking for healthy protein source. It’s also high in iron and calcium, and is a good source of manganese, magnesium and copper, as well as fiber.”

Quinoa is readily available in grocery stores, and is easy and quick-cooking, making it a nice alternative to rice. It’s also great in salads, but one word of advice. Rinse it very well before cooking â€" the seeds are coated in a protective resin, and will taste bitter if not fully rinsed.

Another awesome gluten-free grain is amaranth. This Central American grain was a staple for the Aztecs, thanks to its high in protein, folate and B6 content. It also boasts an impressive fiber content, and is one of the few grains to offer the amino acid lysine. An article in Forbes notes that amaranth is second only to quinoa in terms of iron content (for grains), that it has been shown to reduce cholesterol, and that it is the only grain that contains vitamin C.

Sweet Potatoes

These brightly colored tubers are chock full of vitamins and minerals. They’re high in B6, which reduces homocysteine (a disease risk factor) in the body. They also contain vitamins C and D, potassium and are a vegan source iron. Sweet potatoes are also high in magnesium, which, according to Care2.com, “is necessary for healthy artery, blood, bone, heart, muscle, and nerve function, yet experts estimate that approximately 80 percent of the popula­tion in North America may be deficient in this important mineral.”

Sweet potatoes, like many other yellow foods, are also an excellent source of beta carotene. Not only can beta carotene help improve eyesight and boost immunity, but it can also help fight cancer. Care2 says that carotenoids are “powerful antioxidants that help ward off cancer and protect against the effects of aging. Studies at Harvard University of more than 124,000 people showed a 32 percent reduction in risk of lung cancer in people who consumed a variety of carotenoid-rich foods as part of their regular diet. Another study of women who had completed treatment for early stage breast cancer conducted by researchers at Women’s Healthy Eating and Living (WHEL) found that women with the highest blood concentrations of carotenoids had the least likelihood of cancer recurrence.”

Pomegranate

This autumn fruit has been around for centuries; in fact, pomegranates are even mentioned in Greek mythology as the reason the goddess Persephone was bound to hell. Nowadays, they have a much better reputation. Health guru Dr. Mehmet Oz touts the benefits of pomegranates, saying that the ”juice in pomegranate seeds contain ellagic acid and punic alagin which fight damage from free radicals and preserves the collagen in your skin. It’s also a powerful source of phytonutrients that promote healthy skin.”

Pomegranates are high in vitamins C and B5 and phytochemicals. In 2000, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published details on an experiment that found that men who consumed pomegranate juice raised their antioxidant levels and concurrently lowered their levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol by 90%.

Mangosteen

Commonly referred to as the Queen of Fruits, the mangosteen has only recently become available stateside. Although there is some debate about the health properties of this Indonesian fruit, Dr. Oz recommends it. He says, “Hidden inside a thick purple rind that you cut open, is a white, creamy flesh full of vitamins A and C as well as cancer-fighting antioxidants. If you can’t find the fruit, the juice of the mangosteen, which is more widely available, is the next best thing. This is also available in tea form.”

Shape magazine also supports the fruit, saying that the peel contains one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants. ““Xanthones, a mega phytonutrient, has been linked to remarkable cardiovascular benefits, cancer prevention, and healing skin infections. Plus, it is a natural antibiotic,” says the mag.

In his book “The Fruit Hunters,” author Adam Leith Gollner describes mangosteens as, “the most flavorful fruit I come across…the interior taste[s] refreshingly majestic…I could say that it tastes like minty raspberry-apricot sorbet, but the only way to truly know a mangosteen is to try one.”

Mustard Greens and Swiss Chard

It’s no secret that dark leafy greens are good for us, but you may be surprised to learn just how healthy they really are. Not only are they low in calories and high in fiber, but dark greens provide a plethora of vitamins and minerals, as well as a surprising amount of protein. In his book “Eat to Live,” Dr. Joel Fuhrman extensively discusses the high protein content in vegetables, pointing out that a cup of cooked spinach is 51% protein, as compared to a Burger King cheeseburger, which clocks in at only 21%.

So what makes chard and mustard greens so special? Dr. Oz is a fan of mustard greens because of their high vitamin K content. He says, “In Icaria, Greece, 1 in 3 people lives to the age of 90, making the Greek island one of the areas designated as a ‘blue zone,’ where people enjoy superior longevity. There are also no cases Alzheimer’s disease reported there despite many people living to a ripe old age. One of the nourishing foods they enjoy are mustard greens. High in vitamin K (most Americans are deficient in this nutrient), the spicy greens are good for your blood and bone strength. Try them as the Icarians do: boil and then toss with a little virgin olive oil and lemon.”

Swiss chard is also high in vitamin K, as well as vitmins A and C. It’s been shown to boost skin health, maintain healthy blood vessels, combat osteoporosis, and improve eyesight. Its iron content can help prevent anemia, and some research suggests that it can ward off Alzheimers and certain cancers.

Turmeric

This yellow spice, commonly found in Indian cooking, contains a wealth of beneficial qualities. Curcumin, which the compound that gives turmeric its distinct color, is considered to be both antibiotic and anti-inflammatory, and studies have shown that it can help fight cancer and Alzheimer’s.

CanadianLiving.com recommends cooking with turmeric, saying, “Curcumin…may ease aches and inflammation. In Ayurveda (the traditional medicine of India), this herb has been used for thousands of years to treat arthritis and other ailments. Some research suggests that turmeric may help relieve some symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis; however, the evidence to date, while encouraging, is still far from conclusive.”

Dr. Oz suggests getting your daily does of curcumin via turmeric tea, like Japanese septuagenarians do. He says, “You usually see the yellow spice turmeric in Indian curries, giving them their characteristic color. But [the] long-lived ladies of Okinawa slurp this spice in tea daily (and they have one-fifth the rate of breast cancer than their American counterparts). Studies have shown that turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant that can help fight cancer.”

Kiwi

These fuzzy, slightly sour fruits prove that big things come in small packages. According to WebMD, ”One large kiwi supplies your daily requirement for vitamin C. It is also a good source of potassium, fiber, and a decent source of vitamin A and vitamin E, which is one of the missing nutrients, and kiwi is one of the only fruits that provides it.”

Health magazines also tout the benefits of the kiwi. According to Shape, “When Rutgers University scientists analyzed 27 different fruits, they found that kiwifruit was the most nutritionally dense, meaning it had the highest concentration of vitamins and minerals per calorie. Compared with an orange, for example, a large 56-calorie kiwi contains 20 percent more potassium. And next to dark leafy greens, kiwis are one of the top sources of the antioxidant lutein, which is important for your vision and heart health…In fact, Norwegian researchers found that healthy adults who ate two kiwifruits a day for a month lowered their triglyceridesâ€"blood fats that can lead to heart diseaseâ€"by 15 percent. Experts say that the effect may be due to the fruit’s high levels of antioxidants.”

Self magazine also got in on the action, saying, “ Loaded with 94 percent of your daily vitamin C quota â€" more than an orange! â€" these little green cuties increase collagen production and brighten skin. Additionally, kiwis pack a vitamin E punch as well, which acts as an antioxidant in the body to fend off free radicals and smooth skin. The antioxidants in kiwis can help banish blemishes, too. ”

These little green fruits also offer phytonutrients, folic acid, calcium, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc.

Mushrooms

There’s a fungus among us, and that’s a good thing. If you can get past the gills and squishy texture, mushrooms will do your body good. Mushrooms are one of the few vegan sources of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has been shown to block aromatase, a protein that causes estrogen development in women. By helping to block this protein, CLA, and therefore mushrooms, may help prevent the development of breast cancer.

As if that weren’t enough, mushrooms offer a lot of additional benefits. NaturalNews.com says that they ”are low in carbohydrates, calories, and sodium and are cholesterol and fat free. High in fiber and protein, mushrooms are also rich in B vitamins to help maintain a healthy metabolism. Mushrooms are an excellent source of potassium, a mineral that helps lower elevated blood pressure and reduces the risk of stroke…Mushrooms are a rich source of riboflavin, niacin, and selenium. Selenium is an antioxidant that works with vitamin E to protect cells from the damaging effects of free radicals.”

Dr. Oz recommends white button mushrooms for cancer-fighting, creminis for weight-loss (particularly as a meat alternative) and maitakes for heart health.

Flax and Chia Seeds

If the last time you saw a chia seed it was sprouting out of a chia pet, then get yourself to the supermarket. Once used almost exclusively for the kitschy 80s figurines, these little seeds are finally being recognized for their healthy attributes. Chia seeds originated in Mesoamerica, where the Aztecs used them for both food and currency. And while they won’t buy much these days, there are still plenty of reasons to stockpile them. First and foremost, chia is rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 is the acid found in fish, and the reason that fish oil is so popular. If you abstain from meat, then chia is a great source of this healthy acid, which enhances immunity and synaptic activity in the brain.

According to Care2, chia seeds are also “rich in protein, vitamin B complex, biotin calcium, potassium and fiber. They…contain immune activating mucopolysaccharides and the antioxidant quercetin…[and] help to regulate blood sugar levels, thus curbing the desire to overeat.”

Chia seeds are immensely popular in vegan puddings and oatmeal dishes. Because they can absorb up to seven times their weight in water, soaked chias create a gelatinous base to which you can add nuts, dried fruit, oats, honey and even chocolate to create inventive and healthy breakfast dishes.

Flax seeds are another important component in your superfood arsenal. Available in both whole and ground forms, flax is high in fiber, omega-3s, and lignans, “which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities. Flaxseed contains 75-800 times more lignans than other plant foods.”

Studies suggest that flax seeds can help fight cancer, both by inhibiting tumor growth and by reducing hormone metabolism. They may also help prevent inflammation in the body, thereby reducing the risk of developing conditions such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.

Dark Chocolate and Cacao

It’s been said before, but it bears repeating: chocolate is good for you! The trick is to avoid the heavily sweetened, high fat, dairy-laden milk chocolate and go for the dark stuff, which is rich in antioxidants. In fact, WebMD states that, “Researchers found the antioxidant activity of dark chocolate and cocoa powder was equivalent to or higher than that found in some other so-called ‘super fruit’ powders or juices, including acai berry, blueberry, cranberry, and pomegranate.”

Non-alkalized cocoa contains two particular types of antioxidants: polyphenols and flavonols. ”These substances help keep the arteries healthy and are protective against cardiovascular disease,” says WebMD. “When looking for a sweet snack, a square of dark chocolate might, in fact, be your healthiest choice!”

Want to do even better? Reach straight for the cacao, the fruit and bean from which chocolate is made. Another Central and South American food, cacao is high in antioxidants, dietary fiber, iron and magnesium, and is typically unsweetened, which means you won’t get a dose of sugar with your antioxidants. Although not as satisfying to the sweet tooth, cacao powder can be used in baking, and cacao nibs can be sprinkled in cereals and granolas for a little chocolatey boost.

::

There you have it, folks: our top superfood picks for a vegan diet. Although these are all great choices, they’re by no means the only ones out there. So we’d like to know: what are your superfood preferences? Have you tried any of these? What are your favorite superfood recipes? Hit us up in the comments and let us know!

Disclaimer: We are not medical professionals, and these recommendations may not be right for everyone. Please do your own research to determine which foods best suit your needs, and discuss dietary changes with your doctor or a nutrition professional.

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About China DeSpain Freeman

China DeSpain Freeman is an Atlanta and San Antonio based writer and blogger. She loves pop culture, animal rights, health and fitness, international travel, books and wigs. You can find more of her work at themodernista.com and writefork.com. Follow China on Twitter: @ChinaDeSpain

View all posts by China DeSpain Freeman â†'