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Health See other Health Articles Title: Why You Should Eat Your Flavonoids If you were going to focus on just one thing to move toward a healthier diet, most health professionals agree that it should be this: Eat more plant-based foods. While the evidence does not support that we need to become strict vegetarians, plant-based diets tend to offer a unique profile of nutrition that benefits our health in the long run -- people who consume these types of diets tend to be leaner and have less chronic conditions, such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Evidence is also accumulating that shows eating plant-based foods can have an immediate benefit to our health. [Read: Top 5 Plant-Based Diets .] Researchers in the United Kingdom recently published a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that demonstrated the short-term effects of adding certain plant-based foods to our diets. They started with 174 men and women who had risk factors for heart disease, and they measured the effects of adding foods high in flavonoids (compounds found in some plants that have health benefits). The most powerful benefit researchers witnessed was with the men -- when they consumed an extra 2.4 servings of flavonoid-rich fruits and vegetables each day, they had a measurable improvement in several markers for heart disease risk. In short, their blood flowed a little easier and inflammation went down. While the same effects were not seen in women in this particular study, the researchers concluded that we should be increasing fruit and vegetable intake, particularly those high in flavonoids, to six or more servings a day. [Read: Why We Rank Plant-Based Diets .] Flavonoid research has revealed that these compounds have an interesting effect on our bodies -- rather than acting as antioxidants (the way vitamins C and E work), there's evidence they actually alter the way our cells function -- that is, what chemicals the cells produce (or do not produce), and what signals they send to other parts of the body. Researchers term this "cell-signaling pathways;" for example, certain cells can release a powerful enzyme that serves to neutralize carcinogens, helping prevent cancer from starting. But something needs to "signal" the cells to release this enzyme. So, how do we reap the benefits of flavonoids from plant-based foods? The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a database of the flavonoid content of selected foods for those who want to browse the top sources. Or you could simply focus on eating some of the following each day: Deep purple, blue and red berries and grapes. The color of these fruits comes from the actual flavonoid, which is called anthocyanin. One study tracking more than 100,000 women found that those who consumed berries more than three times a week were 34 percent less likely to suffer from a heart attack. Red wine also falls into this category, with Cabernet Sauvignon containing one of the highest profiles among other popular varieties. [Read: The Best Berries For Your Health .] Soybeans and other legumes. Populations that eat a lot of soy tend to have much lower rates of breast cancer, which has been attributed to a flavonoid called isoflavone. One study found that eating a diet high in isoflavones was associated with lower blood pressure, especially among African-Americans. Consume soy foods such as edamame, miso and tempeh, as well as non-soy legumes like cowpeas and peanuts. [Read: The Truth About Legumes.] Citrus fruits . Citrus flavonoids have been linked to a number of different potential health benefits, including increasing insulin sensitivity and reducing blood pressure. One study in mice found that citrus flavonoids helped keep the mice from gaining weight when fed a typical Westernized diet. Tea. Numerous studies have linked tea to a number of potential health benefits, including lower heart disease and cancer rates. The flavonoids are found in black, green, white and oolong tea in varying amounts -- how much depends on the processing of the leaves, as well as the steeping method used. While green and white tea will contain more flavonoids, black and oolong also offer a good dose. Tea that is brewed longer will generally have more flavonoid content, while instant tea mixes provide almost none. [Read: Seeds 101: A Guide, From Chia to Hemp.] Melinda Johnson, MS, RD, is the Director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics and lecturer for the Nutrition Program at Arizona State University, and a Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Follow her on Twitter @MelindaRD. Poster Comment: http://news.yahoo.com/why-eat-flavonoids-120000172.html?soc_src=copy richard I understand there is this lobby for eating vegetarian. But we need to stop the nonsense that it is healthier for human beings. Reality is that our digestive system - and this is from real science not the nonsense in this article - is designed to eat meat and vegetables and fruits and nuts. We have a single stomach - most true vegetarian animals have two stomachs to improve digestion. Our digestive system is in fact particularly efficient at taking minerals and essential enzymes from meat. The real discussion should not be about eating vegetables versus eating meats. The real discussion this country needs is about eating processed foods - especially those based on wheat, soy, and corn. Processed foods based on grains are high in calories, high in fat, and low in essential enzymes. They pound on the fat like nobodies brother, and yet they are the basis of most Americans diets. Whether you are eating vegetarian or eat meat, you should avoid all breads, pasta, cakes, cookies, etc. The human digestive system absorbs 95% of the calories in a piece of bread - it only absorbs about 65% of the calories in a piece of steak. And lets be clear about fat - it goes through your digestive system and comes out broken down into essential elements on the other side - it does not come out as fat into your blood system. It has been proven over and over again that fat - animal or vegetable - does not make you fat.+5-8 But wheat and soy will. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
#1. To: Tatarewicz (#0)
Excellent comment to balance the article.
“The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” ~ H. L. Mencken
In a good many cases there are a few comments following an article that offer valuable insight but they have to be searched out from among the mundane. In the case of Yahoo news comments often run in the hundreds or thousands. Perhaps 4um should adopt a practice whereby a member posts and article together with picks from the first 50 or so comments then someone else with interest in the topic adds selections from the next 50, and so on?
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