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Tag: Flavonoids

  • The benefits of eating cooked vegetables

    The benefits of eating cooked vegetables

    When I was growing up, my mother always taught me that vegetables lost their nutrients when cooked. Little did she know. Hannah Seo reports for the New York Times on the array of vegetables that are better eaten cooked.

    Sauteeing, microwaving or roasting can actually boost the nutrients in some vegetables. The heat can help bring out certain compounds that are good for you. Which vegetables, you ask? The New York Times has you guessing. I failed the test. How about you?

    Spinach

    Spinach has loads of nutrients, including vitamin C and B6, iron, calcium and magnesium. It also has oxalate that can keep your body from absorbing the calcium and iron in your gut. Cooking the spinach kills some of the oxalate, allowing you to absorb the iron and calcium. Though you will lose some vitamin B and C when you cook spinach, overall you will get greater nutritional benefits. And, you’ll likely eat more!

    Mushrooms

    Mushrooms have a lot of antioxidants. Much as with spinach, grilling or microwaving them can deliver more antioxidants. Sauteing them has been found to increase their protein and your body’s ability to absorb their fatty acids and carbohydrates. But, deep frying or boiling mushrooms may reduce the antioxidants. Mushrooms are also tastier cooked, so you’ll likely eat more of them.

    Carrots 

    Cooked carrots offer carotenoids, which are antioxidants. But, the way you cook the carrots matters. Boiling, steaming and microwaving carrots tends to preserve carotenoids and enhance antioxidants.

    Green beans

    Green beans contain lectin, a protein that can keep you from absorbing nutrients, particularly calcium, iron, and zinc. But, if you pan fry, roast or microwave green beans at a high heat, the lectins no longer have that effect and you benefit from the green beans’ antioxidants.

    Garlic

    Raw garlic gives you allicin, which may contribute to heart health and reduced risk of cancer. That said, you are not likely to eat much raw garlic, so it might not matter.

    Onions

    Onions are better for you when eaten raw. Cooking tends to reduce their micronutrients and antioxidants. But, if you saute or roast onions in low heat for less than five minutes, you should still get more antioxidant benefits.

    Beets

    Beets can help lower your blood pressure and offer many health benefits. They have betalains and provide antioxidants, flavonoids and anti-inflammatory benefits. Overcooking and boiling beets will reduce these benefits.

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  • How to boost your brainpower

    How to boost your brainpower

    Ready to boost your brainpower? Consumer Reports advises that you keep your weight normal and eat foods rich in nutrients. Whether or not the advice works to improve your memory and thinking, you can’t go wrong trying it.

    Eat foods rich in flavonoids. Flavonoids decrease the likelihood of inflammation and damage to cells. They also help blood flow. One long-term study found that people who eat apples, berries, pears and other foods rich in flavonoids had a greater likelihood of not having their thinking slip than people who did not.

    Avoid supplements. As a general rule, supplements offer no benefit to people who are otherwise healthy. Some supplements contain ingredients that are dangerous or otherwise not good for you. At the same time, be sure you have enough vitamin B12, D and folate.

    Eat salad. Some experts say that eating one cup of salad or a half cup of cooked leafy greens can keep your mind from slipping as fast as it otherwise might. One study found that people who ate leafy greens daily had brains that worked at the same level as people more than a decade younger.

    Eat lots of fatty fish. Studies find a lower risk of dementia among people who eat tuna, sardines and salmon several times a week. These fish contain a lot of omega-3 fatty acids which reduce the likelihood of inflammation in the brain. Eating a lot of these fish also reduces intake of red meat which has a lot of saturated fat and is bad for your health. Note: Tuna, swordfish and halibut can have high mercury levels, so you might want to avoid eating too much of these fish.

    Follow a DASH, MIND or Mediterranean diet. You should eat a diet rich in whole grains, less fatty proteins and produce. For example, you might eat lots of green vegetables, avocados, nuts, grains, fatty fish and olive oil. Berries and greens could be particularly helpful to your brain function.

    Drink coffee and tea. Coffee and tea contain a lot of flavonoids. Studies show a 30 percent reduced risk of dementia and stroke among people who drink two or three cups of coffee daily as well as tea.

    And, don’t forget to exercise!

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  • The benefits for your brain of eating colorful fruits and vegetables

    The benefits for your brain of eating colorful fruits and vegetables

    Nicholas Bakalar writes for The New York Times on the value of flavonoids, the chemicals that make your fruit and vegetables colorful. A new study published in Neurology finds that colorful fruits and vegetables may have benefits for your brain. So, if you’re feeling forgetful or confused or wanting to stave off forgetfulness and confusion, it could help to eat more brussels sprouts, peaches and tomatoes!

    Researchers studying subjective cognitive decline found that brain health can be a product of the right nutrition. Flavonoids in fruits and vegetables might delay or reduce the likelihood of becoming confused and forgetful as you age. The researchers undertook a large and long observational study covering more than 100,000 participants in their early to mid-70’s on average, over around 20 years. So, the findings give more weight to the theory that nutrition can affect the health of our brains and keep your memory strong. But, it cannot show causality between eating colorful fruits and vegetables and reductions in confusion and forgetfulness.

    Researchers looked at study participants’ consumption of more than 20 types of flavonoids found in carrots, strawberries, spinach, avocados and other fruits and vegetables. (N.B. Mushrooms do not contain flavonoids although they do have beneficial properties.) It asked participants seven questions with yes or no responses regarding their ability to recall recent events, short lists, spoken instructions and finding their way around different locations, as well as their sense of their ability to recall things.

    The researchers found that the participants who were among the top 20 percent in their ability to recall things had the highest consumption of flavonoids. And, they were 19 percent less likely to say that they were forgetful or confused. The researchers concluded that the earlier in life people eat a rich array of flavonoids, the better for the health of their brains and their memory.

    One other noteworthy conclusion: The researchers found that some vegetables and fruits appeared to lead participants to have less confusion than other vegetables and fruits. So, if you’re open to eating raw spinach, winter squash, strawberries and brussels sprouts, that could potentially further reduce your likelihood of being forgetful and confused as you age and, perhaps, even the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

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