VitaDiscount Blog

Nicola Menke, dpa
Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa)

11-25-11

Berlin (dpa) – Vegetables are healthy foods bursting with vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates, and they should be on everyone’s plate every day.

Each type of vegetable offers its own nutritive substances and people can cover their nutritional needs by eating a variety of them, said Silke Restemeyer of the German nutrition organization. Thus, an A (as in aubergine) to Z (as in zucchini) approach is best for getting the most out of the wide variety of vegetables.

Nutritionists warn, however, that vegetables can lose a lot of their nutritional value when they are cooked. They agree that steaming is the best way to prepare them, but they also note that of the recommended five portions of vegetables and fruits a person should eat, at least one should be raw or in a salad.

“Basically, uncooked vegetables are the richest in vital substances,” said Restemeyer.

But of course, people can eat whatever tastes best to them. For some that means lightly steamed, while others would rather have them stewed, braised, grilled or roasted. And while one person likes them well-seasoned, another prefers them in a cream sauce.

Heat is what causes vegetables to lose their nutrients, but there is a big difference between the extent to which they are lost depending on the cooking method used.

“Among the most nutrient-preserving ways to cook vegetables are steaming, cooking them in their own juices or with just a little bit of water, wine or broth,” said Margret Morlo of an association in Germany devoted to nutrition and diet.

The reason is not solely that many vitamins, including C and B1, as well as all minerals are water-soluble and because these methods use little water the vitamins and minerals remain in the food. Usually, they are steamed at a low temperature and only until the vegetables are al dente. Steaming them at a high heat for too long destroys their nutritional content.

Vegetables such as carrots retain a similar amount of their nutrients when they are cooked in water. This can be done in a steamer or in a regular pot with a vegetable sieve. Another way to preserve nutrients is to cook the vegetables in hot oil in a skillet or wok until the vegetables are al dente.

Yet another alternative is to marinate the vegetables and then grill them or roast them in the oven for 30 minutes, said Carsten Voigt of an association for cooks in Germany. “These methods are equally as protective of the nutrients and you obtain a delicious roasted flavour,” he said.

The cooking methods that cause the greatest loss of nutrients are slow cooking in a lot of liquid at high temperatures – 75 to 95 degrees Celsius – and classic simmering. Shorter cooking times mean fewer vitamins are lost compared with longer cooking times, said Voigt. In addition, cooking experts recommend using as little liquid as possible because the more liquid in the pot, the greater amount of minerals lost.

For the same reason vegetables shouldn’t be cut in small pieces or peeled before being prepared. “Removing the peel is a shame because it contains the highest vitamin content and the most flavour,” said Voigt.

There are a few other tricks that can minimize the loss of nutrients. “The lid should be tightly closed and seldom opened when cooking vegetables so that as little of the nutrients as possible can evaporate,” said Morlo. The water remaining in the pot, along with any nutrients that it has absorbed, can be used in a sauce or broth poured over the vegetables.

Cooks also should be aware that not every way to cook vegetables is appropriate for every type of vegetable. Firm vegetables such as beetroot are best suited for cooking, while soft vegetables such as broccoli should be steamed. The question of whether to cook a vegetable or eat it raw also depends on the type.

Some vegetables such as cabbage become more digestible when cooked. Raw green beans, for example, must be cooked for 10 minutes at 100 degrees Celsius to neutralise a protein that can be toxic if consumed by humans. In addition there are nutrients in plants that the body can make better use of when cooked. These include secondary nutrients such as lycopene in tomatoes.

Ripeness is another factor in ensuring that vegetables have as many nutrients as possible. They are at their peak in terms of nutrition when they are ripe and fresh. Finally, vegetables should be stored in a cool, dry and dark place.

Copyright 2011 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH

PRNewswire

12-07-11

CHARLESTON, S.C., Dec. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Age Management Physicians from Cenegenics Carolinas, a preventive health and age management medical facility, today released their top tips for staying healthy over the 2011 holiday season.

Exercise

Staying active during the holiday season can prove to be a tough challenge.

Tip: Try to exercise for 10 minutes three times a day. A great 10-minute workout can include walking up and down stairs or jumping rope.

Drink Plenty of Water

The number one cause of daytime fatigue is dehydration.

Tip: Try to drink eight ounces of water a day and consume foods and beverages high in water.

Monitor Alcohol Consumption

Alcoholic drinks are loaded with calories and little or no nutritional value.

Tip: Moderation and smart beverage choices. Avoid beverages like eggnog and rum and coke. Instead, opt for a light beer or vodka mixed with sparkling water.

Get Enough Sleep

With the stress of the holidays sleeping can be a challenge.

Try these tips for a good night’s rest:

– Try foods that help promote sleep.

– Limit alcohol consumption.

– Set the room temperature between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit.

– Avoid foods and drinks that contain caffeine after 2 p.m.

Eat a Healthy Breakfast

Choose a breakfast that includes protein and healthy fats and don’t skip breakfast as this can lead to overeating.

Avoid the Afternoon Lull

To beat the mid-afternoon crash, start the day with the proper nourishment and avoid heavy lunches. If in need of an energy boost, try taking a brisk walk.

Conquer Temptation

Eat a small meal before going out and plan for temptation. Studies show that when people plan out exactly what they’ll do when temptation arises, they are two to three times more likely to achieve their dietary goals.

Dealing with Holiday Stress

As our cortisol (stress hormone) rises, it compromises the production of other important hormones such as DHEA, pregnenolone and progesterone. Try to increase these hormone supplements during stressful times.

Prevent Colds

Nothing’s worse than getting a cold during the “most wonderful time of the year.” Take precautions by eating plenty of immune-boosting foods, take a multi-vitamin and get plenty of sunshine to maintain optimal health.

Spice up the Holidays

Studies show that adding certain spices to food can help boost metabolism including: cayenne pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, paprika, black pepper and other hot peppers.

Cenegenics Carolinas

CONTACT: CONTACT: Erin Barrett, +1-843-916-2000,ebarrett@thebrandonagency.com

Web site: http://www.cenegenicscarolinas.com/

Copyright PRNewswire 2011

NewsRx.com

11-25-11

Feeding older mice a lower glycemic index (GI) diet consisting of slowly-digested carbohydrates delays the onset of age-related, sight-threatening retinal lesions, according to a new study from the Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University.

The researchers studied middle-aged and older mice that consumed either a higher or lower GI diet. Mice fed the lower GI diet developed fewer and less-severe age-related lesions in the retina than the mice fed the higher GI diet. The lesions included basal laminar deposits, which typically develop after age 60 in the human retina and are the earliest warning sign of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

“To our knowledge, we have established the first mature, mammalian model indicating a delay in the development of AMD-like lesions as the result of a lower GI diet,” says Allen Taylor, PhD, director of the Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research at the USDA HNRCA. “The only difference between the two groups of mice we studied is the GI of their meals, which suggests that diet alone is enough to accelerate or delay the formation of lesions. These results, coupled with similar observations made by our laboratory in earlier human epidemiologic studies imply that lower GI diets hold potential as an early intervention for preventing onset and progress of AMD.”

The dietary glycemic index (DGI) measures the rate at which glucose is delivered to the bloodstream after consuming carbohydrates. Higher GI foods including white bread and white potatoes trigger a rapid delivery of glucose that pushes the body to work overtime to absorb, whereas lower GI foods, like whole grain bread and fruits and vegetables, initiate a slower release of glucose that is more easily processed by cells (see also Age-Related Macular Degeneration).

Compared to the mice on the lower GI diet, mice on the higher GI diet demonstrated elevated accumulations of debris known as advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in the whole retina, particularly in the cells of the RPE. The RPE plays a crucial role in maintaining vision and its dysfunction results in the gradual central vision loss that is the hallmark of AMD. AGE accumulation has also been linked to tissue damage in other age-related diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

“We presume the elevated accumulation of AGEs we saw in the retina of the higher GI group is associated with toxicity. The AGEs result from the modification of proteins by excess glucose and this compounds the normal protein damage that happens as we age,” says Karen Weikel, first author and a PhD candidate at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts. “While previous research has linked higher GI diets to AGE accumulation in the blood, ours appears to be the first to show diet-related AGE presence in tissue, such as the retina, which becomes the site of the eye disease.”

The research, published online in October in the journal Aging Cell traces the drop-off in AGE accumulation in the lower GI diet to the ubiquitin-protease system pathway and the lysosome/autophagy pathway. “In cell models we saw that both the ubiquitin pathways and lysosome pathways processed proteins more efficiently and kept cells healthier when glucose levels were lower,” says Taylor, who is also a professor at the Friedman School and Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM). “Both pathways are well-known for their ability to remove damage from cells, but this had not been previously systematically explored for removal of AGEs.”

The Centers for Disease Control reports AMD is the chief cause of irreparable vision loss in Americans over age 65 and that 1.8 million people in the U.S. are living with the disease, a number that is expected to approach 3 million by 2020.

“Although our laboratory has shown in epidemiological studies and now in a live laboratory model that lower GI diets may prevent or delay the progression of AMD, future studies are needed. Trials involving more animals and human clinical trials could more carefully describe the protein-editing machinery that appeared to determine the development and severity of the lesions we saw,” Taylor says. “With such information, we may begin to develop cost-effective dietary interventions as well as a new generation of drugs that mimic the presumed effects of the lower GI diet to prolong vision.”

Keywords: Peptides, Agriculture, Amino Acids, Diet and Nutrition, Intracellular Space, Cytoplasmic Vesicles, Cytoplasmic Structures, Tufts University Health Sciences Campus.

This article was prepared by Patient Care Law Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Patient Care Law Weekly via NewsRx.com.

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