|
|
Dear Doctor,
I’ve heard that antioxidant-containing foods are good for me. Why
is this and how do I know which foods are best?
H.R, Billings
It has long been known
that fresh foods are essential for good health. Good health begins, in fact, at the cellular
level. Our cells burn oxygen
(oxidation) to make energy. This
produces free-radicals which damage cells.
Fresh, colorful fruits and vegetables contain high levels of
antioxidants which mop up free radicals thereby decreasing cellular damage
and promoting healthy cell function.
It is recommended to eat a “rainbow” of colors each day for optimal
health. I call this “Eating Around
the Rainbow.”
Oxygen Radical Absorbance
Capacity (ORAC) helps us to know which foods provide the best cellular
protection. Developed by Tuft’s
University, ORAC measures the antioxidant value of foods. Eating fresh, organic fruits and
vegetables containing significant levels of antioxidants provides healing
power to our cells, literally. It is
recommended to eat foods containing 3000-5000 ORAC units per day. The following are examples of the top
performers in ORAC values. Each
value is based on 3.5 ounces.
Prunes: 5770, blueberries:
2400, blackberries: 2036, cranberries: 1750, strawberries:
1540, raspberries: 1540, kale: 1770, spinach (raw): 1260, broccoli:
890, beets: 841. You can see that many of these foods are
very deeply colored. Other high
antioxidant foods include pomegranate,
cocoa, green tea, and curry. However,
all fruits and vegetables are good antioxidant foods.
In this case, whole foods
are much better as antioxidants sources than supplements. This is because the fruit or vegetable
contains fiber and other nutrients like vitamin C and minerals. The combination of flavonoids, carotenes
and phytonutrients found in natural foods
provides greater benefits than a nutrient by itself. This is why naturopathic doctors tell
their patients to “eat a rainbow of foods” each day. The “rainbow” represents a wide variety
of foods with high antioxidant values.
In addition to promoting
healthy cellular function, antioxidants help to reduce inflammation,
improve vision and memory, lower cholesterol and inhibit the growth of
tumor cells. A diet rich in
plant-based foods has been proven to be helpful in prevention of cancer,
heart disease, stroke and adult-onset diabetes. One study showed that 3-4 servings of
spinach per week can result in significant improvement in the leading cause
of blindness, age-related macular degeneration.
Antioxidants come in
different forms. Flavonoids, found in dark colored
fruits and vegetables, are especially good for capillarys
and veins. These would then be good
for improving vision, varicose veins, hemorrhoids
and wound healing. Carotenes are found in the orange,
red and yellow foods. Carotenes are
found in high amounts in the skin, eyes and mucous membranes (like the
lungs). These would then be most
helpful in prevention of skin cancer, improving night vision and treatment
of asthma or other lung conditions. Quercitin, found in apples and
yellow onions, is an excellent anti-inflammatory, helping to stabilize cell
membranes responsible for allergic and inflammatory reactions. Higher quercitin-containing foods would
be helpful for conditions such as allergies, eczema, and hives. Lycopene is a particular carotene found in
red fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, watermelon, papaya, and pink
grapefruit. This antioxidant is
protective against prostate cancer, but also works to prevent colon, and
breast cancer, and lowers the risk of heart disease. Tomato sauce is especially beneficial to
prevent prostate cancer.
I hope this helps with
understanding why antioxidants in fruits and vegetables are so important to
our health. It is a fact that the
vitality of these foods contributes to the vitality of our lives. By providing these nutrients every cell
in your body has the capacity to function optimally.
Yellowstone Naturopathic
Clinic
720 N. 30th St.
Billings, MT 59101
PHONE 406·259·5096/FAX 406·248·5655
ync@180com.net
Dispensary
406·254·9682
dispensary@yncnaturally.com
|
