Boost anti-cancer properties of broccoli by spicing it up

(NaturalNews) Ample and well-established research has confirmed that consuming broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables is a great way to help prevent cancer. But new research published in the British Journal of Nutrition has revealed that pairing broccoli with other foods and spices rich in myrosinase, (one of the key anti-cancer compounds found in broccoli) significantly increases the vegetable’s cancer-fighting abilities. Jenna M. Cramer and her colleagues from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s (UIUC) Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition studied and compared the anti-cancer effects of eating broccoli alone, to those exhibited when eating broccoli in combination with other foods rich in myrosinase, an enzyme necessary to convert GRP into SF, without which there would be no way to metabolize SF. While broccoli alone, particularly when overcooked, contains little or no myrosinase, human digestive enzymes and flora are still capable of converting some the vegetable’s GRP into SF. However, when myrosinase-rich foods like broccoli sprouts are added to the mix, the effect is remarkable, as seen with the team’s final study results. “To get the effect of anti-cancer benefits, spice up your broccoli with broccoli sprouts, mustard, horseradish, or wasabi,” said Elizabeth Jeffery, a corresponding author to the study. She added that cabbage, arugula, watercress, and other cruciferous vegetables paired with broccoli can also do the trick. “The spicier the better, that means it’s being effective.” Essentially, broccoli sprouts and other spices react with substances in cooked broccoli or broccoli powder to produce SF. And in tests, this reaction results not only in an added amount of SF created in the bloodstream, but also an effectively longer period of time during which it remains in the bloodstream to perform its vital anti-cancer work. The addition of myrosinase into the equation also causes the digestive tract to absorb the anti-cancer compounds, earlier in the gut rather than later. This is crucial because absorption rates in the upper intestine are much higher than they are in the lower intestine, where most nutrients in food end up being assimilated. “[I]t pays to spice (broccoli) up for added benefits and find ways to make it appealing so you don’t mind eating it if you’re not a broccoli fan,” added Cramer. “I add fresh broccoli sprouts to sandwiches and add them as one of my pizza toppings after the pie is out of the oven.” Sources for this story include: http://journals.cambridge.org/jeffery http://www.earthtimes.org/health/spice-broccoli-help-cancer-fight/1360/

High levels of vitamins C and E help prevent metabolic syndrome

(NaturalNews) The precursors to cardiovascular disease and diabetes include a range of markers collectively known as metabolic syndrome. And researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University have found that maintaining high levels of both vitamin C and vitamin E helps to prevent the onset of metabolic syndrome. Jean Mayer and her team evaluated 353 Ecuadorian men and women over age 65 from three different low-income communities outside of Quito, Ecuador. Forty percent of the population had metabolic syndrome, primarily due to a very poor diet rich in simple carbohydrates and processed sodium, and low in nutrient-rich whole foods. The authors observed, however, that those with the highest blood levels of vitamins C and E were less likely to have metabolic syndrome. “After adjusting for age and sex, we observed significant relationships between the metabolic syndrome and two of the micronutrients, vitamins C and E,” explained senior study author Simin Nikbin Meydani, Ph.D., director of the USDA HNRCA and the Nutritional Immunology Laboratory at the USDA HNRCA. “The association suggests that having higher blood levels of vitamin E may protect against the metabolic syndrome.” Many of the participants also had very low vitamin C levels which was likely due to a limited intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, said the authors. And most of the participants ate lots of starchy, sugary foods like white rice, potatoes and white bread, so their overall nutrient profiles were largely limited. Researchers also noted a connection between metabolic syndrome and C-reactive proteins (CRP), an inflammatory marker connected to cardiovascular disease. So by boosting healthy antioxidant levels with nutrients like vitamin C, populations can better fend off metabolic syndrome and its resultant diseases. Sources for this story include: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-01/tuhs-vc010411.php

White button mushrooms enhance the immune system to fight infections and cancer

(NaturalNews) Scientists have long known that certain types of mushrooms have anti-tumor activity. But what about widely available, common white button mushrooms (WBMs)? Known by the botanical name Agaricus bisporus , they are a tasty addition to everything from salads to pizzas — and, it turns out, they do have powerful health building properties. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) funded studies have shown white button mushrooms enhance the activity of critical cells in the body’s immune system. Although WBMs make up about 90 percent of the total mushrooms consumed in the United States, little research has been conducted into their nutritional value until the last few years. In groundbreaking animal and lab research conducted at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University, scientists have now documented how WBMs boost the immune system by increasing the production of proteins that fight disease-causing pathogens. The research team, which included HNRCA director Simin Meydani and his colleague, Dayong Wu, from the HNRCA Nutritional Immunology Laboratory, discovered the mushrooms have a positive impact on immune system cells classified as dendritic cells. This is important because dendritic cells (DCs) can make white blood cells known as T cells that are crucial to a strong and healthy immune system. Dendritic cells recognize and then deactivate or destroy invading microbes such as bacteria and viruses or antigens (any substances that cause the immune system to respond). What’s more, they may play a role in fighting cancer. The HNRCA researchers found that the immune system boosting effect of white button mushrooms was related to dosage — the more mushrooms, the more pronounced the immune response. “WBM promote DC maturation and enhance their antigen-presenting function,” the scientists wrote in their research paper, which was published in The Journal of Nutrition . “This effect may have potential in enhancing both innate and T cell-mediated immunity leading to a more efficient surveillance and defense mechanism against microbial invasion and tumor development.” Another group of scientists at the City of Hope’s Beckman Research Institute in Duarte, California, published a study in Cancer Research that suggests consuming 100 grams of WBMs per day could suppress breast tumor growth in women. The research team concluded: “White button mushrooms may be an important dietary constituent for reducing the incidence of hormone-dependent breast cancer in women. Prevention strategies involving mushrooms are readily available, affordable, and acceptable to the general public…The information gained from our study can aid in the design of more highly developed and effective breast cancer prevention strategies involving dietary constituents such as mushrooms.” For more information: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jul10/immunity0710.htm http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18287364 http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/66/24/12026.full

Vitamin D promotes memory and cognitive function in seniors

(NaturalNews) A lack of vitamin D has already been linked in several studies to depression. Now it appears a deficiency of this crucial nutrient could also play a role in robbing the brain of the ability to process information correctly and clearly. Defined as a person’s ability to process thoughts, cognitive function includes memory and the ability to learn new information, as well as speaking and reading comprehension. Aging is known to affect cognitive function in many people, resulting in memory loss and difficulty thinking of the right words while speaking or writing. But what if a lack of vitamin D could be the culprit that is causing or contributing to cognitive impairment in many elders — and not simply aging by itself? If that’s the case, it offers hope that adequate vitamin D could help keep minds agile and memory sharp. Research headed by epidemiologist Katherine Tucker with the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts, and published in Journals of Gerontology raises that possibility. Metabolic pathways for vitamin D have been found in the hippocampus and cerebellum — areas of the brain involved in planning, processing, and forming new memories. So it appears a lack of vitamin D could disrupt these cognitive processes. Dr. Tucker and her colleagues studied more than 1,000 elders receiving home care. The research team investigated associations between measured levels of vitamin D in the blood of these people, who were all between the ages of 65 and 99, and compared them to results of neuropsychological tests. The participants were then grouped by their vitamin D status, which was categorized as deficient, insufficient, or sufficient. The researchers noted in a statement to the media that older people needing home care have an elevated risk of not getting enough vitamin D because of their exposure to sunlight is often limited. And, in fact, only 35 percent of the research subjects had sufficient vitamin D levels in their blood for health. Those elders who did have adequate vitamin D scored far better on cognitive tests than those in the deficient and insufficient vitamin D categories, particularly on measures of executive performance, which included cognitive flexibility, perceptual complexity, and reasoning. The associations persisted after taking into consideration other variables that could also have influenced performance on the cognitive ability tests. Another new study just presented at the Endocrine Society’s 92nd Annual Meeting held in San Diego provides more disturbing evidence that older adults commonly have low vitamin D levels. Researchers from the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam investigated approximately 1,300 Dutch men and women age 65 and older and found almost 50 percent were deficit in vitamin D. For more information: http://biomedgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/64A/8/888.abstract?sid=0007591c-0f9e-4df7-bd44-dee95244c8bb http://www.naturalnews.com/vitamin_d.html