Grapes and Phytos

Grapes and Phytos

 

Grapes, a handy dandy healthy finger food! Fruits can be thought of as “nature’s candy”. Grapes fit the idea of candy because they are so sweet and delicious. However, they are so much better for you than candy!

 

Have you heard that wine was good for your heart? Phytos in the skins of grapes are the primary reason. The fermentation process in making wine is not what makes the phytos active (1). Grapes and grape juice have the phytos and are great for your heart, too, plus they don’t have the downsides of alcohol. Sometimes I think people just want an excuse to drink wine!

 

Are all grapes good for you? Of course, the answer is, “Yes.” The red and purple grapes contain significantly more phytos than the green ones, but all grapes have some. The beauty of grapes is more than skin deep (2). So eat up!

 

 

What is in Grapes That is Beneficial?

 

Grapes contain a variety of disease-fighting phytos including resveratrol, quercetin (also in onions), anthocyanins, and catechins (2). The benefits of quercetin have already been reviewed in my posting on onions, but grapes and grape juice have lower concentrations than onions (3). Resveratrol may be the most promising ingredient in grapes and grape products, but other active components also have beneficial effects on the body (1). You may have heard about resveratrol in the news as being the phyto in red wine. Most of the scientific literature on phytos in grapes focuses on resveratrol.

 

 

How Can Grapes Affect the Risk of Heart Disease?

 

Wouldn’t it be great if we could eat anything we wanted to and not absorb the saturated fat and cholesterol? Well, let me give you a bit of good news. Resveratrol inhibits the secretion of bile in your intestines (4). Let me explain why that is such good news. Bile is needed for the absorption of fat and cholesterol. If bile is not being secreted, you are not going to absorb very much of the fat and cholesterol you eat. Isn’t that just wonderful! This one action of resveratrol could decrease the cholesterol levels of many people.

 

OK, let’s say you produce a lot of cholesterol even without eating saturated fat and cholesterol. One theory of how atherosclerotic plaque begins is that LDLs (your bad cholesterol) are oxidized, become toxic, and cause injury to the cells in the wall of the artery. An immune response occurs as a result of the injury and causes a “build-up” or plaque in the area. Resveratrol has been shown to inhibit LDL oxidation and resulting toxicity in cells (5).

 

What if you already have plaque build-up in your arteries? A heart attack is often caused by a blood clot traveling in an artery and getting stuck in an area where the atherosclerotic plaque has narrowed it. The interruption of blood flow in the artery is what causes the heart attack. The blood-thinning effects of aspirin is why doctors may advise their patients to take one each day. This is also one of the reasons why fish oil is good for your heart. The omega-3 fatty acids in the fish oil help to thin the blood. Resveratrol from grapes is a winner in this area, too, because it significantly decreases blood clotting activities (6). In addition to inhibiting blood clotting, resveratrol dilates the blood vessels and increases blood flow. This effect was demonstrated when male patients who already had coronary heart disease were given a red grape extract mixed in water (7). So, resveratrol has several effects that help to prevent a heart attack.

 

Rat studies have shown that even when a heart attack is occurring, resveratrol reduces the size of the heart attack and extent of injury and significantly preserves heart function (8, 9). Let me reiterate this, WHILE a heart attack is occurring, resveratrol is still at work. These studies seem to indicate that if you are at risk for a heart attack, resveratrol could save your life.

 

 

How Can Grapes Affect Cancer Risk?

 

Resveratrol from grapes has protected against all three stages of cancer development (initiation, promotion, & progression) in skin cancer in mice (10). Initiation is when a carcinogen invades your cells, promotion is when something causes the cancer to become active, and progression is when the cancer is growing. The initiation stage may occur years before promotion and progression. Even if you are not in the habit of eating grapes or drinking grape juice or wine at the time a carcinogen invades your body, resveratrol may still be able to inhibit cancer growth if you start eating grapes or drinking grape juice later. Let the reader understand that I am not encouraging anyone to start drinking wine, so I often omit it from the list.

 

Resveratrol has demonstrated antitumor activities in breast (11), multiple myeloma, lymphoma (12), leukemia (13), prostate (14), ovarian (15), uterine (16), colon (17), colorectal (18), and pancreatic cancer cells (15) in a variety of ways. In leukemia cells, resveratrol worked synergistically with chemotherapy (19) and was even able to kill drug-resistant colon cancer cells (17).

 

 

What Else?

 

We have already learned about the beneficial effects of resveratrol during a heart attack, but it has many of the same types of benefits for stroke. A study of rats pretreated with resveratrol has shown that this phyto decreases the magnitude of a stroke and prevents motor impairment associated with stroke (20). If you are at risk for stroke but drink grape juice or eat grapes, your risk of a severe stroke with motor impairment may be reduced.

Resveratrol has suppressive effects of oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory responses associated with several neurodegenerative diseases such as microaglia (21), Parkinson’s disease (22), Huntington’s disease (23), and even Alzheimer’s disease (24) and dementia (25). This phyto reduces the motor and cognitive impairment of Huntington’s disease in rodents (23). Moreso, it improves performance records in behavior tests and cognitive ability in mice with Alzheimer’s (26). These studies suggest that resveratrol has therapeutic potential in at least some neurodegenerative diseases.

 

Resveratrol appears to be of benefit for some inflammatory gastrointestinal problems. Viral-induced gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach) is alleviated when mice are supplemented with grape juice (27). It is also able to reduce the damage caused from chronic colitis and helps to rebuild normal colon cells in rats (28).

 

How about reducing complications of diabetes? Diabetes causes oxidative damage to the nervous system which often results diabetic neuropathy (effects nerves and feeling all over the body), but resveratrol significantly reduces this oxidation in rats (29). It may be a potent neuroprotective agent. Likewise, resveratrol decreases the oxidative stress associated with diabetic nephropathy (abnormal kidney function) (30). Even in non-diabetic acute kidney failure, it helps to restore kidney function in rats (31).

 

These studies are simply a sampling of all the good things in your body that resveratrol may do. It may also be beneficial to help prevent damaging effects of high blood pressure (32) and protect against cataracts (33) and age-related macular degeneration (34).

 

Yes, I do believe the beauty of grapes is more than skin deep!

 

 

 

How to Incorporate Grapes into Your Life

 

In my introductory posting, I caution against supplements but advocate getting your phytos in foods. Phytos in foods are not going to be toxic to your body. As with other antioxidants, taking too much grape extract in a supplement form may actually cause oxidation and the formation of free radicals.

 

How simple can it be to incorporate grapes into your life? Buy grapes and wash them. You may enjoy popping them by the handfuls. Take them as a healthy, disease-fighting snack to school or work. Eat them as a snack after you get home or as a dessert at your meals. In fact, I am eating some right now! Freeze them if you think you will not eat them in a timely manner. You can then eat them straight from the freezer. They are like bite-sized popsicles!

 

Include them in fruit salads, green salads, and gelatins. They can be used as garnishes for many cooked dishes. By the way, you are supposed to eat these garnishes. I even saw a recipe of grilled grapes and other fruits on skewers.

 

Below is a chicken salad recipe with grapes that is almost to “die for.” A popular restaurant in Abilene, Texas is famous for their chicken salad with grapes and is similar to the one below, although I do not actually have their recipe.

 

 

 

Simple Recipe:

 

Chicken Salad with Grapes

2 cups cooked, boned chicken

¼ cup light mayonnaise (or use sparingly)

¾ cup red grapes, halved

½ cup chopped pecans

 

Mix ingredients. Chill and serve with whole-grain bread or crackers.

 

CAUTION: For small children, I recommend the grapes be cut in half lengthwise so they will not get stuck in their throats and cause choking. By getting lodged in the throat, they can completely obstruct the airway and even cause death. Very large grapes may need to be cut in quarters. Small children can then derive much enjoyment by eating grapes and be safe at the same time.

 

 

Garlic and Phytos

I am sure you have heard that garlic was good for your heart. Well, of course, it is! We will cover some of why it is today. But did you know that garlic also has many properties that can decrease cancer risk, too?

 

When I think of garlic, I think of scrumptious Italian food like spaghetti, lasagna, mannicoti, fettucini alfredo, seafood pasta, etc., etc. I LOVE garlic. I am a “garlicky” cook and often use too much, but I will eat the garlic-laded food, regardless. I use garlic in all kinds of foods, not just those of the Italian variety. Yes, I would call myself a “garlic eater.”

 

What is in Garlic That is Beneficial?

 

Garlic contains several phytos that are organic sulfur compounds with varying levels of effectiveness for certain conditions described below. Diallyl disulfide and diallyl trisulfide are usually the most effective according to published research.

How Can Garlic Affect the Risk of Heart Disease?

 

Atherosclerotic plaque is what generally occludes arteries and can cause a heart attack. It can also cause a stroke if the plaque accumulates too much in the carotid arteries. A theory of how plaque begins is that the LDLs (low density lipoproteins), otherwise known as the “bad cholesterol,” become a type of free radical by being oxidized in the blood. Diallyl disulfide from garlic was very effective in suppressing oxidation of human LDLs. Since diabetes mellitus is a prime risk factor for heart disease, compounds in garlic may benefit patients with diabetes mellitus or cardiovascular diseases by preventing complications (1).

 

Even after a heart attack (myocardial infarction), garlic may be beneficial. Death of heart tissue occurs after a heart attack. Garlic oil given to rats after having a heart attack produced a marked reversal of damaging changes by decreasing lipid oxidization and enhancing antioxidant and detoxifying activities (2).

Small blood clots in the blood vessels occur normally. However, when a blood vessel is narrowed from plaque and a clot of significant size comes along, a heart attack can occur. The reason why you may have heard that taking an aspirin every day can prevent a heart attack is because of its blood thinning properties. Most patients that have had heart surgery are on blood thinners for the same reason. Garlic oil given to rats significantly inhibited blood coagulation. A word of caution from the researchers is that too much garlic oil can be taken and cause prolonged bleeding time (3). It is probably wise to be cautious with garlic supplements in particular. If your doctor has prescribed a blood thinner, only take a garlic supplement after getting your doctor’s blessing. Fewer problems occur when beneficial compounds are eaten in food.

How Can Garlic Affect Cancer Risk?

The liver houses a very important antioxidant enzyme system (cytochrome P-450). Garlic compounds such as diallyl trisulfide inhibit carcinogen (cancer promoter molecule) activation by accelerating detoxification of carcinogens in the blood via this liver enzyme system. Garlic phytos can also inhibit growth of transplanted tumors in animals by inducing death of the tumor cells or by preventing the cells from dividing (5). Research has indicated this effect in cultured cancer cells and in laboratory animals.

For ages birth to 39, the probability that a female would develop melanoma of the skin (skin cancer) is second only to breast cancer, and the probability is third highest for a male (6). If you are in this age group or have children who are, is this important information or what? We know that baking your skin is not a good thing, but people not only stay out in the sun too long unprotected from the UV rays, but females (especially) frequent tanning salons which use the same harmful rays. Garlic sulfides have shown to inhibit the growth of skin tumors in mice by inducing death of the tumor cells (7). Several studies have shown this same effect.

 

In my review, I found quite a few studies about the effects of garlic compounds on liver cancer cells. These phytos significantly decrease cell viability in human liver tumor cells (8). Other population studies and laboratory studies of human cancer cells and tumors in animals have indicated that garlic consumption also reduces cancer incidence in the colon, breast, stomach, cervix, and prostate (9). One study even shows cancer cells that are resistant to chemotherapy may even be made more sensitive to the therapeutic drugs by garlic phytos (10).

What Else?

The lack of estrogen secretion during menopause or the surgical removal of ovaries is accompanied by significant loss of bone unless hormone replacement is given. Garlic oil given to rats significantly protected against bone loss after their ovaries were removed (11).

 

 

How to Incorporate Garlic into Your Meals

 

I suggest when you cook your meats, that you add some minced garlic. You can buy it already minced. I use the canned type (not dried). It not only adds a lot of flavor, but can reduce the formation of heterocyclic aromatic amines, which are considered to be cancer promoting (12). You get enhanced flavor and protection from cancer all at the same time.

Simple Recipe:

This recipe is taken from the American Institute for Cancer Research Newsletter on Diet, Nutrition and Cancer Prevention, Spring 2007, Issue 95. The version here specifies less salt than implied in the original recipe. Just a bit of warning, this is a very garlicky recipe, so you may want to start off with less garlic than specified unless you already love garlic. You probably do not want to eat this just before going to church or a social gathering. If you do, stand at least 3 feet away from the people you are talking to.

 

Roasted Asparagus with Garlic

1 lb. fresh asparagus, tough ends broken off

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Pinch of salt

Lemmon wedges, for garnish

 

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. In shallow roasting pan, toss asparagus with oil to coat. Sprinkle asparagus with garlic and season with salt and pepper. Roast, uncovered, for 6-8 minutes (depending on thickness of spears), until crisp but tender, shaking pan occasionally. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

 

 

 

 

 

Just a note: Cook garlic for short periods at a time or at low temperatures because the sulfur compounds may lose antioxidant activity if heated for long periods at high temperatures.

Onions and Phytos

Since this posting is the first of many on selected phytochemicals (dubbed phytos – those plant chemicals that are not considered nutrients but impart significant health benefits), I thought it wise to begin with a food that can be added to many other foods – ONIONS.  People often respond in a more positive way if you tell them what they CAN eat rather than what they cannot eat.

What is in Onions That is Beneficial?

Any kind of onion contains some level of a phyto called quercetin.  Actually, nine such compounds have been isolated from the outer scales of onion (1).  Nine?  I think that is significant!  Shallots and 10 varieties of onion (Western Yellow, Northern Red, New York Bold, Western White, Peruvian Sweet, Empire Sweet, Mexico, Texas 1015, Imperial Valley Sweet, and Vidalia) were evaluated for the content of this beneficial food component.  Shallots and Western Yellow onions contained the highest amounts.  All varieties contained some level of quercetin, and all exhibited antioxidant properties (2).    

How Can Onions Affect Cancer Risk?

Cancer is promoted, in part, by inflammation and the presence of growth factors.  Quercetin in onions has decreased both inflammation and growth in colon cancer cells (3).  It has also been effective in decreasing the growth of human liver cancer cells (2) and human leukemia cells (4).  Rats fed a diet including onion had reduced colorectal cancer cell growth (5).

 

Why should we even think about these cancers?  Cancer is a terrible disease and devastates families every day.  Starting at the age of 50 and earlier if there is a family history of colon cancer, doctors now recommend that people have colorectal exams because of the incidence of colon and rectal cancers.  The survival rate from these types of cancers is quite good if caught early.  A diet rich in fiber and phytochemicals, including quercetin, can help us to keep our colons healthy and minimize the need for colonoscopies in the future.  Let’s all have healthy colons and not give them a reason to probe further!

 

If you have ever known anyone with liver cancer, you know how horrible it is.  Liver failure affects the whole body because very important functions occur there, such as the processing of nutrients.  Last but not least, the type of cancer that many children have is leukemia (but adults may have it, also).  Wouldn’t it be wonderful to not have that threat for our precious children! 

  

The point is, we should think about prevention of diseases, such as cancer, instead of waiting for them to strike and devastate our lives.  Many cancers including colon, rectal, liver, and leukemia, can be prevented by changing the way we eat.

How Can Onions Affect the Risk of Heart Disease?

As you are probably aware, high levels of LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) in the blood are associated with plaque in the arteries, leading to heart disease.  Quercetin in onions can keep LDLs from contributing to plaque because of its antioxidant properties (6).  In a study of Japanese women, onion quercetin was associated with lower total and LDL cholesterol.  The low incidence of heart disease was contributed to the high onion and soy intake of this population (7).

Another risk factor for heart disease is high blood pressure.  Plaque and high blood pressure tend to make each other worse.  Quercetin has shown to decrease the incidence of high blood pressure in rats (8).  Reducing effects on LDL and decreasing blood pressure are a couple of different methods by which this onion component may decrease the risk of heart disease.

 

Why should we care about reducing the risk of heart disease?  Heart disease is the #1 killer in the United States and in many industrialized countries.  It strikes someone in most families in the U.S.  Again, much could be prevented with a healthy lifestyle. 

  

What Else?

 

 Because of its effects on inflammation, quercetin in onions may have potential for arthritis treatment (9).  Several members in my family have been affected by arthritis.  I really like this information!

How to Incorporate Onions into Your Meals

Onions can be added to almost any meal.  Some people enjoy eating raw onions on their sandwiches or with meals.  Here in Texas, raw onions are commonly served with barbequed meats.  Personally, I prefer the green onion variety for eating in the raw state. 

 

If you do not like eating raw onions, keep in mind that onions have a milder flavor after they are cooked.  It only takes a small amount of oil or margarine to stir-fry onions.  You may also cook them in a very small amount of water.  However, the flavor will be more magnified if cooked in a small amount of oil.  Keep in mind that heat treatments such as normal cooking may have an impact on the structure of quercetin, which may change the bioavailability (how well your body uses it) and the activity of it (10).  Raw onions will probably have the forms of quercetin that are more active and have more benefits than cooked onions, but cooked onions will still have some active forms.

 

Using onions in foods will add flavor, thus lessening the need for using the amount of salt you would normally add for flavor.  Using less salt is part of a healthy lifestyle and is beneficial for most people who have high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, edema, or other type of fluid imbalance.

 

I do not presume to present unusual ideas or recipes to you that you could not think of yourself.  I simply encourage you to incorporate onions heartily into your daily diet and enjoy the benefits of quercetin!

Simple recipe:

1 pound of fresh green beans (may use 2-14 oz. cans)

½ cup sliced onions

 1 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon black pepper

dash of salt    

                                                                       

                                    

Introduction to the Hidden Nutrition of Fruits and Veggies

How healthy are you?  How young do you feel? 

 

Eating in an unhealthy way can cause weight gain, promote the onset of diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, and cause general fatigue and a host of other health-related problems.  In my professional experience, patients with diabetes have marveled at how good they felt after getting their blood sugars under control by changing their lifestyles and eating properly.  Heart patients have been surprised at how much lighter they felt after changing their eating habits.  Many people think feeling badly is just a part of aging.  Good nutrition or healthy eating can make you healthier and feel younger!

 

What is Good Nutrition?

For most people, good nutrition involves eating more “whole” or “natural” foods.  I place  quotation marks around these words because they have no legal or food industry established meanings, but each of us has an idea about what they mean.  Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are some of what most people would call whole or natural foods. 

 

Why was grandma always right when she said you should eat your fruits and vegetables?  Just WHY are fruits and vegetables SO GOOD for you?  It is my goal to explain why fruits and vegetables are good for you in a series of postings on this blog.  Believe me, it goes WAY beyond the vitamins and minerals they provide.  I promise that the information I post will be based on scientific evidence, much of it may be somewhat surprising, and all will have the potential to be beneficial to you or someone you know and love. 

 

What Else Is In Fruits and Vegetables?

Have you ever heard of phytochemicals?  “Phyto” means “plant.”  The “chemical” part?  Well, in this case, chemicals are just natural components within foods.  These natural food components in general are not recognized as providing nutritional value but are known to possess health-protective benefits.  These chemicals are naturally in all plant foods – fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, herbs, and spices.  I hereby dub them as “phytos” for simplicity.  I will be writing about them for weeks to come.

 

Why are Phytos Important? 

Let’s see, what are the 2 biggest killers in most industrialized countries?  The answer is heart disease and cancer.   Many phytos are antioxidants, which have the ability to squelch “free radicals” that damage cells in the body.  This action can ward off cancer or the build-up of plaque that leads to heart disease.   

 

Numerous phytos have been shown to decrease cholesterol production in the body and to decrease the production of growth factors needed by cancer cells (1, 2).  Cancer cells need these growth factors to grow rapidly and be healthy.  Okay, now WHAT do phytos do?  They decrease the risk of heart disease and cancer.  Why?  Because they can decrease cholesterol in the blood and growth factors needed by cancer cells.  WOW!!!  How many people could benefit from eating more of these natural food components (eating more plant foods such as fruits and vegetables)?  I would say, “A BUNCH.”  Because of the incidence of heart disease and cancer in the United States, most people have at least one close relative that has had or will have heart disease or cancer.  Many developed nations have the same plight with heart disease and cancer.

 

How Do Fruits and Vegetables Fit in Again?

These killers could be avoided or postponed in many people if they adopted a healthy lifestyle.  I think most people know what a healthy lifestyle is – eating well, exercising regularly, not smoking, not drinking too much if at all, etc.  According to the Dietary Guidelines, Americans are not eating the recommended amounts of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (plant foods) (3).  According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, a report based on over 4500 scientific studies indicates that 30-40% of all cancers could be prevented by changing how we eat and incorporating an exercise routine.  The same research suggests that the one dietary change of eating 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day could prevent as much as 20% of all cancers (4).

 

Different phytos are in different fruits and vegetables and are often associated with colors of the foods (5).  This is why you may have heard that you should have a rainbow of colors on your plate.  Phytos are often more effective when you eat several different kinds together.  Some are ADDITIVE in their effects on cancer cells, meaning that if one kills 50% of the cancer cells and another kills 50%, both of them together kill 100%.  Some phytos are SYNERGISTIC in their effects, meaning that if one kills 30% and another kills 40%, both of them together might kill 100% (for instance).  These additive and synergistic effects are great reasons to eat a large variety of fruits and vegetables.  The more phytos you eat, the greater your chances are to prevent diseases such as heart disease or cancer.  I would say, “Eat a rainbow of fruit and vegetables whenever possible!”

 

Why Not Just Take a Supplement?

At this time, most phytos are not available in supplement form.  Even if they were available, many supplements can be harmful and some are even fatal if taken in excess.  The supplement industry is currently not regulated by the FDA like medications and foods are.  Supplements may not even contain an ingredient as advertised on the label, may contain only a minute amount, or may contain too much.  Many people assume that if a supplement is from a “natural” substance, that it is safe.  Of course, this is not necessarily true (6).  Remember that poisonous mushrooms are “natural.”  Also, quite a few people have died from taking supplements which were considered “natural”.

 

In the Coming Weeks

I will be posting information about selected plant foods and their particular phytos, how those natural plant chemicals have been shown to be effective in fighting disease, and practical information of how to incorporate them into your diet along with a few simple recipes.

 

One thing you should know about me is that I am a “just give me the facts ma’am type of person,” so I may not elaborate as much as I should.  Please give me feedback or ask any questions concerning the material posted. 

 

 

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