In this Issue:
Greetings [[firstname]],
Protecting Dad's Health with Summer Foods & More!
Now that Father’s Day barbeque feasting
has come and gone, it’s time to focus on what really matters for the men in your
life.
Aside from the pervasive threat of heart
disease, two big enemies men face are prostate and colon cancer. Prostate cancer
is now the most common cancer among men, with lung cancer coming in second, and
colon cancer a close third.
Research points (repeatedly) to diet as
playing a cornerstone role in supporting everyone’s health – male or female.
And
interestingly, what you add
to your diet (i.e., more fresh foods and fiber) may be more important than what
you cut out (things like saturated fats and processed foods).
Colorful
Summer Produce Supports Prostate and Colon Health
Summer tomatoes, watermelons, and pink
grapefruits all contain high amounts of the carotenoid lycopene.
Lycopene
is a powerful antioxidant that’s shown particular relevance to prostate health,
though its specific mechanisms have yet to be fully understood.
Fast Fact:
The Co-op once carried lycopene, but stability is an issue in supplements and
all the research kept showing dietary
lycopene, particularly from cooked tomatoes, as superior to
supplemental forms, so we opted to promote dietary lycopene instead.
According to
a new study, published in the journal,
Nutrition Research,
carotenoids, like lycopene and lutein, are more bioavailable from fruits than
vegetables.
Irish researchers, who used an in vitro digestion model to assess
absorption rates of these fat-soluble carotenoids, stated:
“The differences in bioaccessibility
between the fruits and vegetables indicate that certain carotenoids are
potentially more available from fruit for absorption by gastrointestinal cells."
You can also look to
cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts,
and kale as prostate-healthy choices, too.
These foods contain
calcium D-glucarate, which supports the elimination of toxins, foreign
pollutants, and excess cancer-causing
hormones -- all of which have been connected with prostate and colon cancers.
And, speaking of colon cancer, numerous
varieties of phytonutrients have been shown to support immune health, especially
when it comes to the big “C”.
Phytonutrients differ from vitamins and
minerals because they are not required for normal metabolic function, which
explains why they have only been recently more closely investigated.
Nonetheless, they are potent antioxidants with crucial health-promoting
biological activity, and work synergistically with vitamins and minerals.
In one
phytonutrient study investigating the anti-carcinogenic effects of the inner
part of apple skins, two researchers from Cornell University Department of
Food Science and Institute of Comparative and Environmental Toxicology, were
able to isolate single compounds exhibiting anti
Underrated celery also is
loaded with phytonutrients such as quercetin (promotes prostate and brain
health) and 3-n-butyl phthalide (helps lower blood pressure levels).
A study from Case Western Reserve University found that celery
phytonutrient, apigenin, may also slow prostate tumor growth as well! Pretty
impressive for the lowly dieter’s standby, celery!
These are among a
growing number of studies
researching the roles of phytonutrients in promoting health.
Supplements to Support Men’s Health, Too
Alas, eating nutritionally
dense foods isn’t always top of mind. If you can’t resist
that summer steak or ice cream cone, or you’re just looking for some extra
protection, listen up.
One of the best protections
against colon cancer is to eat a diet with plenty of
fiber to
help remove harmful toxins and excess wastes from your system.
Fish oil in combination with vitamin C, the B
vitamins, vitamin E, selenium, and Co-Q-10, can
also help support a healthy prostate and colon by keeping troublesome
free-radicals on their way out.
Beta-sitosterol, a phytosterol, is another
favorite from prostate health studies, with an example being Ruhr University in
Germany
positively evaluating the long-term effects of using beta sitosterol for
benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Beta sitosterol is found in
pumpkin seeds, rice bran, wheat germ, soybeans, and some berries.
One of the best natural sources of beta-sisterol
is the fruit of the saw palmetto plant, which is rich in a number of fatty acids
and phytosterols. Saw Palmetto has demonstrated effectiveness in
promoting prostate
and urinary comfort in numerous human trials.
So, whether you're looking out for
yourself or your dad, husband, or son, don't be shy about being proactive with
men's health! For Fiber, Fish Oil, Beta Sitosterol, and more, visit our
store page!
Health in the News
-
Eating a low-carbohydrate diet, like the once fashionable Atkins
diet, may adversely affect the numbers of certain types of bacteria in the
gut of obese men, Scottish researchers have reported.
-
When blood-forming stem cells misbehave, causing pre-cancerous
conditions that can sometimes even progress to leukemia, the problem might
not always lie with them. Two studies in the June 15 issue of the journal
Cell reveal that a bad environment might be to blame.
-
Replacing unhealthy fats with healthy alternatives reduces risk
markers for cardiovascular disease (CVD) more than reducing the quantity of
fat, suggests new research.
-
Oat
avenanthramides are bioavailable and may increase antioxidant
capacity in older adults, according to a new study published in the Journal
of Nutrition.
That’s all for now, fair members! ^..^
Still purringly yours,
Guido
Guido Housemouser
Chief Kat and Community Manager
Our Health Co-op
4188 Westroads Drive,
Unit 123
Riviera Beach, FL 33407
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