Ace-Organic-Health

Healthy eating: wholefoods and organic buys

The latest news and views in the world of organic nutrition and wholefoods

Berry good

Regularly drinking low-calorie cranberry juice might help with your blood pressure control, according to a new study. Participants who drank either low-calorie cranberry juice or a placebo drink each day for eight weeks, while sticking to a controlled diet, showed a marked improvement in health. Blood pressures of both groups were measured at the beginning, middle and end of the trial and those drinking the cranberry juice had dropped a significant amount, whereas the control group’s had stayed the same.

Shopping List

THIS MONTH THE LATEST HEALTHY MUNCHIES TO HIT THE SHELVES….

NOSH Raw Smoothies,£3.49. Pure-tasting and virtuous, this is the world’s first 100 per cent raw smoothie range (smoothies are usually heat-treated). Really tasty plus they provide two of your five-a-day!
Savoury & Sweet LordPoppington’s, 95p This new range of popcorn makes a fabulous low-calorie snack on the go –plus it’s high in fibre,helping you on your way to the recommended 18g per day.
Planet Organic Rude Health bars, 99p High in fibre, plus wheat and gluten-free; what’snot to love about these new vegetable snackbars? With seeds and nuts thrown in for good measure, the bars are delightfully fudgy in texture and make the perfect mid-afternoon snack.

Time for a cuppa

We’re all aware that green tea has many health benefits, and now research shows it may help with memory and spacial awareness too

A study found a chemical in green tea, epigallocatechin-3gallate, helps to promote the making of neural progenitor cells, similar to stem cells, which can become many different types of cell. A test with mice found that a rise in the production of these cells helped them recognise objects faster, and also improved their spacial memory. Green tea has previously been demonstrated to reduce the risk of esophageal cancer, delay alzheimer’s, lower blood pressure and aid weight loss.

Number Crunching

79% The amount of iron the average woman gets of the recommended level.according to the most recent National Diet And Nutrition survey,women aged between 19 and 64 have a 21 percent below, on average, intake of the mineral.

Vitamin View

Expert nutritionist Alice Bradshaw on the importance of nutrients

Modern, intensive farming methods have depleted the soil of many nutrients. As such, the healthy fruits and vegetables that you are eating may not be as nutrient-rich as you would hope. According to the Medical Research Council, over the last 50 years, the magnesium content of vegetables has declined by approximately 24 percent. But poor soil isn’t the only thing that compromises our nutrient intakes.

ANTI-NUTRIENTS
Many healthy foods contain compounds known as anti-nutrients. These include phytic acid, lectins and oxalic acid. These are found primarily in pulses and grains and hinder the absorption of nutrients. The unfavourable effects of these compounds have been known for thousands of years and many cultures would never eat grains unless they had been soaked, fermented or sprouted, as these were ways to liberate nutrients and so enhance absorption.

You can eat the best, most nutritious, organic foodavailable, yet still not benefit if your digestion is below par.Those who suffer with heartburn, IBS, coeliac disease or any other gastrointestinal disorder may consider seeking advice on the use of digestive enzymes and probiotics. To maximise your nutrient absorption, avoid consuming tea and coffee around meal times and limit the use of antacid medication.

Broccoli sprouts contain up to 10 times as much of the cancer-fighting compound sulforaphane than the fully mature version of the vegetable

Did you know?

Eating three or more portions of green leafy vegetables every week significantly reduces the risk of stomach cancer, the fourth most common cancer in the world,according to a Swedish study.

What’s in season?

Parsnips! These sweet, succulent, starchy roots contain lots of poly-acetyleneantioxidants which have anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and anti-cancer functions, and may offer protection from colon cancer.They’re also rich in B-complex vitamins like folic acid, B6,pantothenic acid and thiamin. And for a fibre boost they rank pretty highly too, in both the soluble and insoluble form.Include parsnips at dinner time and you’ll get a good dose of vitamin C too.

The Taste Barometer

GOING UP

DEMENTIA PROTECTION Antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetables –such as spinach, carrots and apricots –could help fight dementia, according to anew study. The key components arebeta-carotene and vitamin C.
CHECKING FOOD LABELS Read food labels if you’re watching your weight. A US study found the BMIs of shoppers who read labels when buying is, on average, 1.49 points lower than those who never bother to consider such information.
WINE EVERY TIME Researchers studied the effects of moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages and found while both vodka and wine benefit the heart, red wine did a much better job at lowering cholesterol.

GOING DOWN

TRANS FATS As if we needed more evidence trans fats should be banned,researchers have now found a fatty acid they contain causes metabolic changes and abnormal breast development in mice, possibly leading to breast cancer.
RARE LAMB Some experts are calling for cooking guidelines for lamb to change because toxoplasma, a harmful parasite, can be passed on to humans through undercooked meat from sheep.
LABELLING LIES Many foods labelled as‘light’ have a similar number of calories as their regular version according to a Which? survey.