Foods and drinks with antioxidants

Foods and drinks with antioxidants

• organicmama 16 years ago
  Tea
  
  If you enjoy sipping tea, you'll be happy to know that it appears promising against some forms of cancer.
  
  How It Works
  
  Like many plant-based foods, tea contains flavonoids, known for their antioxidant effects. One flavonoid in particular, kaempferol, has shown protective effects against cancer.
  
  Cancer-Fighting Abilities:
  
  A large-scale study evaluating kaempferol intake of more than 66,000 women showed that those who consumed the most of it had the lowest risk of developing ovarian cancer. Researcher Margaret Gates, a doctoral candidate at Harvard's School of Public Health, suggests that consuming between 10 milligrams and 12 milligrams daily of kaempferol -- the amount found in four cups of tea --offers protection against ovarian cancer.
  
  A separate study showed a link between consuming flavonoids and reducing the risk of breast cancer. The study, analyzing the lifestyle habits of nearly 3,000 people, showed that postmenopausal women who got the most flavonoids were 46% less likely to develop breast cancer than those who got the least. However, flavonoid consumption had no effect on breast cancer risk among premenopausal women.
  
  How to Get It
  
  Hot tea can be warming in the winter; ice tea offers cool refreshment in the summer. So enjoy tea year-round to boost cancer prevention.
  
  
  From medicinenet.com
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• organicmama 16 years ago said:
  They may not have been your favorite as a kid, but cruciferous vegetables -- members of the cabbage family that include kale, turnip greens, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts -- can help you ward off cancer.
  
  How They Work
  
  In lab experiments, substances released during either cutting or chewing cruciferous vegetables produced a cancer-killing effect.
  
  Cancer-Fighting Abilities
  
  Recent studies on cruciferous vegetables show promising results against prostate and colon cancers. In mice grafted with human prostate tumors and then treated with one of these cancer-killing substances, tumors began to shrink to half their size after 31 days. In another experiment, mice engineered to be a model for an inherited colon polyp condition that is at high risk for developing into colon cancer were fed the antioxidant called sulforaphane, also released when chewing cruciferous vegetables. The mice developed about half as many polyps as expected.
  
  How to Get Them
  
  Swallowing them whole won't do. The protective effect of cruciferous vegetables seems to occur when they are cut or chewed. They're great in stir fry, as side dishes, or tossed into salads raw. Experiment with flavors like lemon or garlic. "Vegetables can be a fabulous-tasting centerpiece of cuisine," says Collins.
  
  From medicinenet.com
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• organicmama 16 years ago said:
  
  
  By sprinkling curcumin into your favorite dishes, you could be adding much more than a little zest to your meal -- you could add years to your life.
  
  How It Works
  
  Experts credit curcumin's anti-inflammatory effects for its ability to fight cancer. "Most diseases are caused by chronic inflammation that persists over long periods of time," says Bharat B. Aggarwal, PhD, a biochemist at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Recent studies have shown curcumin to interfere with cell-signaling pathways, thereby suppressing the transformation, proliferation, and invasion of cancerous cells.
  
  Cancer-Fighting Abilities
  
  Curcumin's protective effects may extend to bladder and gastrointestinal cancers. Some say they don't stop with these types of cancer. "Among all the cancers we and others have examined, no cancer yet has been found which is not affected by curcumin. This is expected, as inflammation is the mediator for most cancer," Aggarwal tells WebMD.
  
  How to Get It
  
  Curcumin flavors lots of popular Indian dishes, as it is the main ingredient in curry powder. It complements rice, chicken, vegetable, and lentils. Some chefs sprinkle the bright, yellow powder into recipes for a burst of color.
  
  From:
  medicinenet.com
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• organicmama 16 years ago said:
  
  
  This popular spice, long used to quell nausea, may soon be used to fight cancer, too.
  
  How It Works
  
  Working directly on cancer cells, researchers discovered ginger's ability to kill cancer cells in two ways. In apoptosis, the cancer cells essentially commit suicide without harming surrounding cells. In autophagy, "the cells are tricked into digesting themselves," explains J. Rebecca Liu, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, who has been studying ginger's effects on ovarian cancer cells. While this preliminary evidence shows promise, ginger's cancer-fighting effects must still be proven in animal and human trials.
  
  Cancer-Fighting Abilities
  
  Armed with ginger, ongoing research is taking aim against the most lethal of gynecological cancers: ovarian cancer. "Most women [with ovarian cancer] develop resistance to conventional chemotherapy drugs," Liu tells WebMD. Because ginger may kill cancer cells in more than one way, researchers are hopeful that patients would not develop resistance to it.
  
  Because ginger's effects on cancer haven't been tested directly on human subjects, researchers can't yet offer specific dietary recommendations. "We don't know how it's metabolized," Liu says. But that needn't stop people from adding ginger to their diet. "We know it's relatively nontoxic," Liu tells WebMD.
  
  How to Get It
  
  Go beyond the obvious choices, like sipping ginger ale and eating gingerbread cookies. Countless soups, sumptuous marinades, and zesty sauces call for ginger.
  
  
  From: medicinenet.com
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• organicmama 16 years ago said:
  Flaxseed in the form of oil and meal contains phytoestrogens believed to reduce the risk of breast, skin, and lung cancer.
  
  From: stanford.edu
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• organicmama 16 years ago said:
  Garlic (including onions, scallions, leeks, and chives): Garlic contains a number of compounds believed to slow or stop the growth of tumors. One such compound, diallyl disulfide, appears to be especially potent in protecting against skin, colon, and lung cancer, though it is not known exactly how it functions.
  
  From: Stanford.edu
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• organicmama 16 years ago said:
  Tomatoes: The anti-cancer compound in tomatoes, lycopene, has been shown to be especially potent in combating prostate cancer. This compound appears to be more easily absorbed if the tomatoes are eaten in processed form-either as tomato sauce, paste, or juice. In addition to preventing prostate cancer, lycopene may also protect against breast, lung, stomach, and pancreatic cancer.
  
  From:stanford.edu
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• organicmama 16 years ago said:
  Vitamins. Green barley is a good source of B vitamins, vitamin C and vitamin E. This plant can provide you with more vitamin C than orange juice. Additionally, green barley contains more beta-carotene than carrots, and its beta-carotene is easier for the body to utilize.
  Antioxidants. Green barley contains a particular form of vitamin E - alpha-tocopherol succinate - whose antioxidant qualities have been documented extensively. Not only that, but green barley is the best vegetable source of the enzyme superoxide dismutase, one of the most important antioxidants to the health of cells that are exposed to oxygen.
  
  From: http://www.howtodothings.com/health-and-fitness/a4659-how-to-understand-the-health-benefits-of-green-barley.html
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• organicmama 16 years ago said:
  Green barley grass also contains unique and powerful plant antioxidants, including lutonarin (7-O-GIO) and saponarin (7-O-GIV). According to scientists, lutonarin is the superior antioxidant. Antioxidants protect cells from free-radical damage.
  
  From: queenofgreen.com/
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• pmagla 16 years ago said:
  Okay,
  First I want to say THANK YOU, I appreciate all this wonderful information that you have posted on the group page I created. The sad thing is that it took me two weeks to even figure out that you were all posting comments. Boy am I clueless! Anyway, I have been drowning in books about everything you have listed here and it really is amazing how much of it is really true. Thanks again to you and everyone else who is picking up the slack for me. I will get my information together and share sooner rather then later.... I hope!
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• organicmama 16 years ago said:
  Nutrition, Health Benefits of Flax Seed
  It may be tiny, but it’s mighty: The flax seed carries one of the biggest nutrient payloads on the planet. And while it’s not technically a grain, it has a similar vitamin and mineral profile to grains, while the amount of fiber, antioxidants, and Omega-3 fatty acids in flax leaves grains in the dust. Additionally, flax seed is very low in carbohydrates, making it ideal for people who limit their intake of starches and sugars. And its combination of healthy fat and high fiber content make it a great food for weight loss and maintenance -- many dieters have found that flax seed has been a key to keeping them feeling satisfied.
  
  Yes, flax seed is high in most of the B vitamins, magnesium, and manganese, but this little seed is just getting started.
  
  There are three additional nutrient groups which flax seed has in abundance, and each has many benefits.
  
  Flax seed is Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3 fatty acids are a key force against inflammation in our bodies. Mounting evidence shows that inflammation plays a part in many chronic diseases including heart disease, arthritis, asthma, diabetes, and even some cancers. This inflammation is enhanced by having too little Omega-3 intake (such as in fish, flax, and walnuts), especially in relation to Omega-6 fatty acid intake (in such oils as soy and corn oil). In the quest to equalize the ratio of these two kinds of oils, flax seed can be a real help.
  
  Most of the oil in flax seeds is alpha linolenic acid (ALA). ALA is an Omega-3 which is a precursor to the fatty acids found in salmon and other fatty cold-water fish (called EPA and DHA). Because not everyone is able to easily convert ALA into EPA and (especially) DHA, it is best not to rely solely on flax for your Omega-3 intake, but ALA also has good effects of its own, and definitely helps in the Omega 3/6 balance.
  
  Flax Seed is High in Fiber: You’d be hard-pressed to find a food higher in fiber -- both soluble and insoluble -- than flax. This fiber is probably mainly responsible for the cholesterol-lowering effects of flax. Fiber in the diet also helps stabilize blood sugar, and, of course, promotes proper functioning of the intestines.
  
  Phytochemicals: Flax seed is high in phytochemicals, including many antioxidants. It is perhaps our best source of lignans, which convert in our intestines to substances which tend to balance female hormones. There is evidence that lignans may promote fertility, reduce peri-menopausal symptoms, and possibly help prevent breast cancer. In addition, lignans may help prevent Type 2 diabetes.
  
  Note that a) flax seeds need to be ground to make the nutrients available (otherwise they just “pass through”) and b) flax seed oil alone contains neither the fiber nor the phytochemicals of whole flax seed meal.
  
  There is much more info available
  This is from about.com
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