Tag Archive for: phytonutrients

How Did You Do in the Holiday Challenge?

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Did you keep track of the fruits and veggies you ate over the holiday weekend (or July 4–7 for those of you outside the U.S.)? Remember to email me your results. Some people didn’t need reminding—I have already gotten replies.

I didn’t do as well as I would have liked. Here are my lists:

  • Vegetables: tomatoes (multiple varieties), lettuce, asparagus, artichokes, cucumber, red onion, shallots, avocado, mushrooms, prickly pear, basil.
  • Fruit: oranges, grapes, cherries, apples, blueberries, raspberries, watermelon, corn on the cob, potatoes, raisins, garlic.
  • Condiments: ketchup and mustard

I know that technically tomatoes and avocado are fruit, but savory is savory in my head. I bought a couple that I haven’t used before, fresh ginger and daikon radish, but then never worked them into the menu. Both last, so I’ll have them soon. That brings my total to 24 for the weekend. I’m guessing many of you are going to exceed my attempt—and that would be great.

Saturday I’m going to begin a three-Memo arc on statistics. This applies to the study on ultra-processed food as well as the recent one on multivitamins. Even though it’s about statistics, you’ll be able to understand it. It’s important for you to have this foundation to make sense of the studies that you hear about these days.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Start Your Lists!

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A reminder that today is the beginning of the Holiday Fruit and Vegetable Challenge. There will be three prizes this time:

  • The most plant-based foods (but you have to exceed JB’s record of 28 vegetables, fruits, and herbs)
  • The greatest number of different vegetables
  • The greatest number of different fruits

Start keeping track this morning and keep going until bedtime Sunday. I’m keeping my list as well.

Winners can choose between a free six-month Insider membership or the digital Optimal Performance program.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

The Holiday Challenge, Part 2

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I enjoyed the Memorial Day Challenge so much, I want to see if you can do better. I want more of you to respond this time, so I’m going to make it a little more enticing for you by handing out more prizes. This time, I’m going to reward the person who eats the most plant-based foods, but because there is an extra day, you have to exceed the past winner’s record of 28 vegetables, fruits, and herbs. I’ll also reward the person with the greatest number of different vegetables as well as the greatest number of different fruits. Just start keeping track the morning of July 4th and keep going. It was almost all women who responded last time—men, you need to step up and get in the game.

Expand your horizons and try some new veggies. Challenge yourself to eat something other than Romaine or iceberg lettuce for salads, although they certainly count. Try arugula or bok choy, or switch it up and grill some peaches or eggplant. For this challenge, corn on the cob counts as a vegetable instead of a grain. Melon, tomatoes, berries of all types, as well as bananas and apples count.

The goal is to increase your phytonutrient intake by a massive amount. Vegetables and fruit all have some nutrients you need, and summer is the easiest time to get them. You can prepare them any way you want; grill watermelon or pineapple or caramelize onions for your burgers. Creamy coleslaw also works. Cooked or raw doesn’t matter; cooking may change the form of phytonutrients but doesn’t destroy them. Remember that condiments count. Ketchup, mustard, and relish—sweet or dill—all have specific phytonutrients in them. People are becoming obsessed with pickled veggies. They count, of course.

As for how much of each food counts, use common sense. You might reasonably count the sprinkling of chives on your eggs, but adding one leaf of basil isn’t how people cook (except for maybe the tweezer-wielding chefs on TV).

Using the honor system, send me a list of everything you ate with the total fruits and veggies, the number of vegetables, and the number of fruits. I’ll offer a free six-month Insider membership or the digital Optimal Performance program to the person with the highest total in each category. Have fun, be safe, and I’ll be back next week.

Stocking up on podcasts for this holiday weekend? You can binge my podcast Straight Talk on Health, available on Spotify and other podcast sites.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

The Holiday Challenge

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I hope you all have a safe Memorial Day weekend. Here in the northern hemisphere, it’s the official kickoff of the summer season that ends with Labor Day. I alluded to a challenge, so let me lay it out for you: I want you to keep track of all the vegetables and fruit you eat beginning today.

Expand your horizons and try some new veggies. Challenge yourself to eat something other than Romaine or iceberg lettuce for salads, although they certainly count. Try arugula or bok choy, or switch it up and grill some radicchio. For this challenge, corn on the cob counts as a vegetable instead of a grain. Melon, tomatoes, berries of all types, as well as bananas and apples count. I may even try grilling avocado for the first time.

Need some ideas? Paula found this intriguing recipe online, and we’re trying it this weekend.

The goal is to increase your phytonutrient intake by a massive amount. Vegetables and fruit all have some nutrients you need, and the summer is the easiest time to get them. You can prepare them any way you want; grill watermelon or pineapple or caramelize onions for your burgers. The method doesn’t matter because cooking may change the form of phytonutrients but doesn’t destroy them. As I said in Tuesday’s Memo, condiments count. Ketchup, mustard, and relish—sweet or dill—all have specific phytonutrients in them.

Using the honor system, send me a list of everything you ate from these groups—just the names, not the amounts. For the person who gets the most, I’ll offer a free six-month Insider membership or the digital Optimal Performance program. Have fun, be safe, and I’ll be back next Tuesday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Yes, the Nutrients Are There

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My question is whether you get any nutrients besides sugar and fat from those marshmallow-covered yams or the green beans swimming in condensed mushroom soup and topped with fried onions from a can. The research on cooking techniques and retention of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients in vegetables and fruits is not extensive but overall, the answer is yes. Here’s a synopsis of what I found.

Cooking and Nutrients

The vitamin that seems to be lost regardless of whether it’s boiled, microwaved, or sauteed is vitamin C. Microwaving seems to preserve the most nutrients, but close to 90% of vitamin C is lost.

For some nutrients, such as beta-carotene and other carotenoids, starting with fresh vegetables as opposed to frozen seems to help retain nutrients. The amounts of carotenoids in carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and yams seem to increase when they are cooked. The same may be true in greens such as spinach and collard greens. Adding bacon doesn’t appear to cause any issues. Using nuts and fruit to make the veggies more attractive can add nutrients as well; for added color and texture, we added slivered almonds and pomegranate seeds to the brussels sprouts with parmesan—yum!

Casseroles may provide the best cooking style when appropriate. Whatever minerals leech out of the vegetables or fruits will be retained in the liquid of the casserole.

Surprise Finding

Cooking may reduce the amount of pesticide residues in vegetables. It’s nice to know that blanching, boiling and even stir frying may decrease residues by 10–80%. The research didn’t look at the liquid used for blanching or boiling, so we don’t know whether it’s a chemical change in the structure of the pesticide or it just leaches it out. Still, it was a welcome surprise.

The Bottom Line

Traditional holiday foods do retain beneficial nutrients. They can’t offset all the fat and sugar that were added, but we’re getting some of the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients the foods contain. To me, the real lesson is that the way the food is prepared may help you eat more vegetables and fruit. Steamed green beans? Yecch. But covered in a sauce? Maybe that will help get more vegetables into your picky eaters. As long as we control the amount and the frequency, we can feel good about eating holiday foods all year long.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

References:
1. Food Sci Biotechnol. 2017 Dec 12;27(2):333-342
2. Nutr Bull. 2022 Dec;47(4):538-562.  doi: 10.1111/nbu.12584.
3. Foods. 2022 May 18;11(10):1463. 

Nutrients in Holiday Foods

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I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. With all the traditional and maybe not-so-traditional foods associated with the holidays, did you wonder how you fared from a nutrient perspective? We had a few of those foods that make you wonder: cheesy grits, corn pudding, and cranberry chutney to go along with the turkey. And don’t forget that pumpkin pie.

Never one to leave well enough alone, I wondered how much nutrition we actually get from traditional holiday foods that typically include more fat and involve more than just lightly steaming vegetables. How much butter and cream did you add to those mashed potatoes? How long did those greens beans cook? How about those marshmallows on the yams?

Do we end up with any nutrients—especially phytonutrients—from all those vegetables and fruit? Yes, you do, and how you cook the food makes a difference; in fact, one nutrient may increase with cooking! I’ll tell you what the research says on Saturday, but one thing’s for sure: Thanksgiving beats Halloween for nutrition.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Flavanols: The Real Brain Food

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As I suggested in the last memo, the researchers did not prove their hypothesis that there would be an increase in measures of memory in all participants of the clinical trial. While disappointing, the secondary hypothesis might have been even more important because it was statistically significant.

They found that those with the lowest intake of flavanols from foods and drinks had the most improvement in measures of memory function. Makes sense: people who did not eat enough fruits and other foods containing flavanols saw benefits by supplementing with a specific amount of flavanols every day.

Researchers didn’t test to see if eating little to no foods containing flavanol resulted in a decline in memory function; that would fall into the category of “first do no harm.” Understanding that flavanols are beneficial for more than just memory, it would not be responsible to have a person decrease intake of them.

They also did not find additional benefits of taking the supplement for those with the highest intake of flavanols from their diet. That means that a great diet has great benefits.

There are three points we can take from this study:

  • Regular intake of flavanols from supplements can compensate for weaknesses in the diet.
  • Eating flavanol-containing foods provides a wide variety of flavonoids including anthocyanidins, flavan-3-ols, flavanones, flavones, and isoflavones. In my opinion, eating and drinking plant-based substances is a better approach; using additional flavonoids from supplements is a great insurance policy.
  • The memory tests used in the study focused on one area of the brain: the hippocampal area. Supplementation did not appear to impact the prefrontal cortex component of cognitive aging.

If we want to age with a vengeance, I think we should look at it as though every little bit helps. I also think that the earlier we begin developing the habit of eating more fruits and vegetables, plus drinking teas, coffee, and cocoa drinks, the better our brains will be. And as a bonus, the rest of our body gets to enjoy the benefits as well.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: PNAS May 2023. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2216932120h

What’s Brain Food?

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If I ask what you think a good brain food would be, what would you answer? I think for most people, it would probably be fish, especially cold-water fish such as tuna and salmon. I don’t think we can discount how important omega-3 fatty acids are to the function of our bodies, especially our nervous system. But based on recent research, I don’t think we have to get quite as exotic as cold-water fish. I think we can find what we need in the produce section or at farmers markets. I’m talking about the phytonutrient class called flavanols.

Researchers recruited over 7,500 people—men over 60 and women over 65—as potential subjects. After meeting the criteria established for inclusion in this clinical trial, researchers ended up with just over 3,500 subjects. To test the theory that flavanols would improve memory, researchers used three different online memory tests. They used a form of the Healthy Eating Index to evaluate dietary intake of flavanols. They also used a test for the urinary excretion of flavanol by-products to confirm the amount of flavanols in the diet.

Half the subjects got a flavanol extract from cacao that contained at least 500 mg of cacao flavanols, including 80 mg of epicatechin; the remainder of the subjects received the placebo. Subjects were tested before the study began and then at the end of one, two, and three years.

The primary goal was not met; not all subjects saw an improvement in memory after the first year. The secondary goal was met, and it may prove to be even more important. I’ll finish this review on Saturday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference:   PNAS May 2023. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2216932120

Four Tips for the 4th!

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We are fast approaching the three-day holiday weekend to celebrate the 4th of July here in the U.S. It got me to thinking: just because it’s a holiday, it doesn’t mean we should completely abandon some of our health habits that might be strained a little bit, given the celebrations associated with Independence Day. This is going to be a time to be outside, most likely in the heat and humidity given the advanced forecasts, with plenty of foods that may not be typical of our normal diet. So I decided to give you four tips for your health this holiday weekend.

Protect Your Eyes

I’ve been watching barbecue competitions on the Food Network, and I’ve noticed the master chefs squinting because the sun is constantly in their eyes. Don’t do that. Wear a hat with a brim to shield your eyes from direct sunlight, then add sunglasses to your ensemble. While there’s no direct evidence that a single exposure creates critical damage to the eyes, there’s no point in exposing your eyes to the most powerful and strongest sunshine of the year. Don’t forget that this applies to kids as well; keeping kids in good-quality sunglasses isn’t easy, but we have to protect those little eyes—or maybe opt for a cool hat. It’s also important if spending time in a pool or lake; the glare of the sun off the water can be just as damaging.

Protect Your Skin

I recently spent a significant amount of time researching the potential benefits of taking collagen for skin health, and the single most damaging factor to skin as we age is exposure to the sun. If you’re going to be outside for parades, family gatherings, in the pool, etc, make sure that you use sunblock to protect your skin. It will require re-application as the day goes on, but it’s worth it. If you want to avoid the problems of aging skin, protect it now, and again, don’t forget about protecting the skin of your children and grandchildren. A bad burn early in life may have consequences later on.

Drink!

When you spend hours and hours in outdoor activities, you have to maintain your fluid intake and then some. The general recommendation is half your body weight in ounces per day; if you weigh 150 pounds, drink 75 ounces of fluids every day. If it’s a hot, humid day, it should be four to eight ounces about every 15 minutes. The only fluid that doesn’t count is alcoholic beverages; alcohol is a diuretic which means you will lose more fluid than you take in. So you have to make sure that you focus on other types of fluid as well. This might be a good time to check out Paula’s Sugar-Free Sweet Tea recipe on the Health Info page of drchet.com; she spent weeks researching and testing to find a way to have Southern-style sweet tea without the calories, and I think she came as close as possible. Contrary to widespread belief, caffeine is not a diuretic; tea, coffee, energy drinks, and other caffeinated drinks add to your total the same as non-caffeinated.

Red, White, and Blue

Hot dogs, hamburgers, ribs, and other grilled meats seem to dominate our diet during the July 4th cookouts. I wouldn’t think of changing that, but I would add some red, white, and blue to it. The vitamins and phytonutrients in fruit can offset some of those high fat foods we may eat. Look for strawberries, watermelon, raspberries, and tomatoes for the red. Apples, pears, and bananas for the white. Blueberries, blackberries, and Concord grapes for the blue. Emphasize fruit snacks instead of salty, and get a cup or two with every meal for the healthy nutrients and great tastes.

The Bottom Line

Enjoy Independence Day to the fullest, but take a couple of minutes to take care of your health while you celebrate. You’ll reap the benefits by keeping your body independent of the potential challenges celebrations can bring. Paula and I will do the same. Enjoy the holiday weekend and we’ll see you next Tuesday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

2020 Supplement Facts Labels

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Supplement Facts labels can be confusing to say the least. How much of each substance is in a product? Is the source of the supplement natural or synthetic? And what exactly is an International Unit (IU) anyway? I’ve noticed that supplement labels have eliminated IUs and replaced them with weights in milligrams (mg) and micrograms (mcg). What’s going on?

In 2016, the FDA modified the rules for indicating label amounts and gave companies until January 1, 2020, to comply. The RDAs were changing and they wanted to standardize the units of measurement. The IU represented the biological activity of the vitamin, but the source of the vitamin could impact the actual amount of the vitamin in the supplement and thus, the biological activity.

For example, if a product contains natural vitamin E, to find out the mg, the IU would be multiplied by 0.67; but if it was synthetic vitamin E, it would be multiplied by 0.45. That means that a label that indicated 100 IU would now say 67 mg if it were natural vitamin E but 45 mg if it were synthetic. The label would also have to give the form of the vitamin.

The changes impact most of the fat-soluble vitamins and phytonutrients. It’s going to take time to get used to it and understand it, but I see it as a positive move that will help us all understand supplements better.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: http://bit.ly/2HSQ1Jm