Natural food for preventing and combating disease

The scope of this blog is limited to the brief summary of the research findings presented at the ACS (American Chemical Society) 2010 National Meeting in Boston 22-26 August 2010.

• Caffeine: moderate (<400 mg/day of caffeine, the equivalent of about three 8-oz or 237 ml cups of brewed coffee) consumption poses no significant health risks to most healthy adult consumers except during pregnancy. Caffeine acts mainly upon the central nervous system, stimulating wakefulness, facilitating ideas association and decreasing the sensation of fatigue.
• Blueberries and strawberries: are known to enhance brain health via their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.  Overall, the results strongly suggest that the benefits of both berries extend beyond the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects to cellular toxic clearance in the brain.
•  Cranberry: Potential benefits against disease and infection. Cranberry fruit (Vaccinium macrocarpon) contains bioactive compounds that have been found to limit microbial infections, oxidative processes, inflammation, and cell proliferation. Dietary consumption of cranberries and cranberry products may therefore play a role in maintaining urinary tract and oral health, and may also protect against certain cancers and other diseases associated with aging. Bioactive constituents with the potential to contribute to these protective effects include flavonoids such as anthocyanins, flavonols and proanthocyanidins, substituted hydroxycinnamic acids and other organic acids, carotenoids, and triterpenoids such as ursolic acid. Because cranberries have a unique and diverse phytochemical composition, multiple protective mechanisms are possible. Recent studies employing both in vitro and in vivo models of human diseases were discussed. These studies provide evidence that cranberry constituents counteract oxidative stress, decrease tumor cell growth, migration and proliferation, induce apoptosis, inhibit bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, reduce growth of human fungal pathogens, and may modulate cellular pathways associated with disease.

• Behavioral and signaling effects of blueberries, strawberries, and walnuts: Quenching the fires of aging.

•  Bioactive compounds from okra seeds: Potential treatments for diabetes-Type 2 and cardiovascular disease.

• Avocado: great potential for attenuate brain aging.  Presented as a part of Application of calorie restriction and calorie restriction mimetics to attenuate brain aging.

•  Omega 3 fatty acids and Curcumin (turmeric): Prevention approaches to Alzheimer disease (AD).  Omega 3 fatty acids already show promise with early intervention in the clinic.  Because of their low cost and outstanding safety profiles, Omega 3 fatty acids and curcumin show great promise for cost-effective prevention of AD and likely other age-related pathologies.  Purified Fish oil free from mercury and chicken eggs are a great source of Omega-3 DHA.  
• Sesamol:  Protective effect of sesamol (which is key ingredient of Sesame seeds) on stress-related mucosal disease in rats.

• Soy Foods:  Soy foods provide high quality protein, dietary fiber, complex carbohydrate, phospholipids and an array of health-promoting antioxidants and phytochemicals. These components appear to act independently and synergistically to enhance cardiovascular health. Study findings affirm the beneficial effects of soy protein intake on serum lipoproteins and suggest that soy protein intake of 15 to 25 g/d may, independent of other dietary and lifestyle alterations, reduce risk for coronary heart disease by approximately 15%.

Note:  How you prepare, process your fruits, vegetables and proteins are as important for maintaining their full benefit of consumption.  Diet alone is not enough for preventing and combating disease but one of the important elements of the whole health program.

Whole health program looks into your life-style, work environment, diet, physical and mental exercise for example. 

If you are allergic to any of the food listed above please consult with your physician before implementing any new diet.

Other fruits, vegetables, natural herbs and protein those that are not mentioned here are also quite beneficial.

If you are a member of ACS you can access the abstract for more details by visiting:

AGFD: Division of Agricultural and Food Chemistry or ACS in the past meeting section, Fall 2010 or contact me at tm@freeyourspiritma.com for additional information.