The Skinny Kid

Black Raspberries May Help Prevent Esophageal Cancer

Black raspberries are highly effective in preventing the development of cancerous tumors, according to a study published in the October issue of Acta Pharmacologica Sinica published by Wiley-Blackwell.The black raspberries will, however, have no therapeutic value if the tumors have already developed.

Now, dip them in dark chocolate and serve them with a deep red wine and you may have the healthiest dessert ever.

SaukValley.com - Serving Dixon, Sterling & Rock Falls

It’s a pretty good bet that if you ate three pomegranates a day, you’d lose weight and live longer.For one thing, given how finicky and labor-intensive it is to eat a pomegranate, you wouldn’t have much time left to eat other foods.

Then there’s the growing body of research suggesting that the polyphenolic antioxidants found in pomegranates (and in red grapes, blueberries, cranberries) have beneficial health effects that include improving cardiac health and reducing the risk of cancer.

I’ve talked about some of those benefits before, and frequently drink pomegranate juice myself. But the article points out that the juice may not offer the same benefits in terms of weight control.

Check the nutrition labels, and you’ll see why. These are sugar bombs of the first order.

An 8-ounce serving of Pom? Thirty-four grams of sugar. Whole Foods’ 365 Everyday Value: 40 grams. Frutzzo: 32 grams.

By comparison, an 8-ounce serving of Coca-Cola contains 27 grams of sugar; 8 ounces of Mountain Dew, 31 grams.

More sugar than soda? Wow. I guess all that sugar is in the fruit as well, but as the article points out it is a little harder to get at. Another one of those cases where slowing down the pace of eating can have benefits of its own.

BBC NEWS | Health | Organic food ‘better’ for heart

Organic fruit and vegetables may be better for you than conventionally grown crops, US research suggests.A ten-year study comparing organic tomatoes with standard produce found almost double the level of flavonoids - a type of antioxidant.

Flavonoids have been shown to reduce high blood pressure, lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke.

I have found that many organic products seem to taste better. Some would argue that I am imagining the difference, but so what? In my mind, the better taste justifies the added cost.

To me it only makes sense that I should be minimizing my intake of fertilizers and pesticides. I don’t need much other justification, though I am not surprised to find them.

ScienceDaily: Tart Cherries Can Alter Factors Linked To Heart Disease And Diabetes, Animal Study Suggests

Tart cherries may be good for more than just making pie, according to new data from an animal study conducted by University of Michigan Health System researchers and presented recently at a major scientific meeting.

Tart cherries may be good for more than just making pie, according to new data from an animal study conducted by University of Michigan Health System researchers and presented recently at a major scientific meeting. (Credit: Photo by Brian Prechtel; Courtesy of USDA/Agricultural Research Service)
In a study involving rats, the researchers report that animals that received powdered tart cherries in their diet had lower total cholesterol, lower blood sugar, less fat storage in the liver, lower oxidative stress and increased production of a molecule that helps the body handle fat and sugar, compared with rats that didn’t receive cherries as part of an otherwise similar diet. All of the rats had a predisposition toward high cholesterol and pre-diabetes, but not obesity.

I have been getting some very tart freeze-dried cherries for my megamuffins recently. Wonder if they work?

ScienceDaily: Pomegranate Juice May Help Fight Lung Cancer

Researchers are adding to the list of cancer types for which pomegranates seem to halt growth. A recent study at the University of Wisconsin–Madison using a mouse model shows that consuming pomegranates could potentially help reduce the growth and spread of lung cancer cells or even prevent lung cancer from developing.

The list is already pretty long.

Nobody wants to undergo chemotherapy if they don’t need to. But for those who must, the advice to eat more vegetables and take your vitamins is just as important as ever.

Antioxidants May Aid Chemotherapy Patients

There is no evidence that antioxidant supplements interfere with the therapeutic effects of chemotherapy agents, according to a recent systematic review of the use of antioxidants during chemotherapy, available in the May, 2007 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Cancer Treatment Reviews. In fact, they may help increase survival rates, tumor response, and the patient’s ability to tolerate treatment.

Yet another reason.

Is Your Favourite Red Wine Really That Good For You?

According to Dr Hoffman, although the health benefits of resveratrol found in red wine have been well documented, no one has systematically measured its levels in particular wines before.”As a result, they assume that all red wines are the same, but this is certainly not the case as the levels of resveratrol vary.”

Dr Hoffman and Mr Johansson are using new state-of-the-art High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometery (LCMS) to separate and collect the compounds found in the wines.

They plan to be able recommend the healthiest bottle of wine among those they have tested. They also aim to work with wine suppliers and retailers so that they can persuade them to put health indicators on their products.

Move over, Robert Parker. The Hoffman Ratings are coming.

Fruity cocktails may be healthy - Diet & Nutrition - MSNBC.com

Adding ethanol — the type of alcohol found in rum, vodka, tequila and other spirits — boosted the antioxidant nutrients in strawberries and blackberries, the researchers found.

I’ll drink to that.

ScienceDaily: Blueberries Contain Chemical That May Help Prevent Colon Cancer

A compound found in blueberries shows promise of preventing colon cancer in animals, according to a joint study by scientists at Rutgers University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The compound, pterostilbene, is a potent antioxidant that could be developed into a pill with the potential for fewer side effects than some commercial drugs that are currently used to prevent the disease. Colon cancer is considered the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, the researchers say.

Who needs a pill? I love blueberries.

Refrigerator Raid: Cut Your Health Care Bill

According to a recent AP News article, health care costs will only continue to climb during the next decade. In fact, the article reports that ten years from now, $1 of every $5 spent will be for health related expenses.

However, there is one simple way to help keep your health care costs low: stay healthy for as long as possible.

And to do that, Refrigerator Raider suggests, you should:

• Maintain a healthy weight
• Exercise
• Eat fruits and veggies
• Socialize
• Enjoy everything in moderation

Those sound like solid tips whether they end up reducing the healthcare bill or not.