stories:
The Ten
Will It Save My Life?
From red wine to Kombucha, are superfoods actually healthy?
Parsing the nutritional doublespeak about health foods—red wine fights cancer! But not if you drink too much!—can be a nightmare. So CHOW looked into 10 supposed superfoods to see just how healthy they really are.
1. Açaí
The claim: This blueberry-size Amazonian fruit (pronounced ah-SAH-ee) is peddled mostly in juice form. It’s loaded with antioxidants, and allegedly has antiaging properties.
The proof: One of the first studies of açaí found that extracts of the berry reduced the growth of leukemia cells in the lab by up to 86 percent. It’s got healthy amounts of fiber, amino acids, oleic acid, and a superdose of antioxidants—more than most fruits, including pomegranate. So will a bottle of juice a day make you smarter and healthier? That’s “a moving target,” says food scientist Stephen Talcott. “If you consume any amount, technically you are getting certain benefits in your diet.”
2. Green Tea
The claim: It fights cancer, obesity, and heart disease.
The proof: Only the last claim has credence. An 11-year study of 40,000-plus Japanese men and women found that drinkers of five or more cups a day had a 16 percent lower risk of mortality and a 26 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those who drank less than a cup a day. It failed to lower cancer-related deaths, however, even though in lab experiments it does limit the size and growth of cancerous tumors. Both green and black teas contain antioxidants, but green tea contains more, probably because it’s less processed.
3. Dark Chocolate
The claim: The flavonoids—compounds with antioxidant properties—that chocolate contains are thought to keep cells healthy and less susceptible to conditions like cancer and heart disease. Dark chocolate’s also got mood-boosting tryptophan.
The proof: In a recent 44-person study, a daily dose of dark chocolate, roughly equivalent in size to a Hershey’s Kiss, lowered blood pressure among adults (on average, systolic blood pressure went down nearly three points and diastolic decreased by almost two points). But the calories and fat in chocolate won’t do your heart much good, so limit your doses to about an ounce a day, and choose chocolate with no less than 70 percent cocoa for more flavonoids and less fat.
4. Red Wine
The claim: Has antiaging properties and helps prevent cancer.
The proof: Like green tea and dark chocolate, red wine contains flavonoids. It may also have some additional cancer-fighting properties, thanks to the natural antioxidant resveratrol, found mainly in red wine because it comes from grape skins. In lab tests, resveratrol has been shown to interfere with the growth of cancer cells, and a Harvard study found that for men, moderate consumption of red wine led to a 52 percent lower risk of prostate cancer. By moderate, they mean two five-ounce glasses a day for men, one for women—not exactly dinner-party quantities. Any more and you lose the antioxidant effects.
5. Soy
The claim: Better for you than dairy; helps lower cholesterol.
The proof: In 2006 the American Heart Association reversed its recommendation of taking soy supplements or eating soy to lower the risk of heart disease, because studies showed it had little effect on bad cholesterol. Now soy is being blamed for everything from goiters to dementia, but none of these claims are substantiated. Studies have shown it might increase the risk of breast cancer in premenopausal women, leading the American Cancer Society to warn survivors not to take soy supplements. (Still others have claimed—with less scientific backing—that soy makes kids gay.) Many dietitians, though, consider soy foods like tofu, with its polyunsaturated fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, a healthy replacement for meat. Just stick to soy as food—not as a supplement—in modest amounts.
6. Coffee
The claim: The caffeinated beverage is full of antioxidants that provide health-protective benefits.
The proof: A new study from Finland shows that coffee may increase the risk of hypertension, but Harvard researchers found it reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes by more than 50 percent for men and nearly 30 percent for women who drank six or more cups a day. Coffee drinkers may also be at lower risk of Parkinson’s, colon cancer, liver cirrhosis, and gallstones. Three cups of coffee contain as much fiber as a raw apple. Its diuretic effects are mild, and easily compensated for by drinking water. And while coffee’s effect on cardiovascular health is still unclear, caffeine consumption is no longer thought to lead to osteoporosis, as long as you get adequate calcium elsewhere (like from your café au lait).
7. Spirulina
The claim: A descendant of the world’s first photosynthetic life form, this blue-green algae, usually sold in supplement form or in premixed smoothies, is believed to be a rich source of nutrients. Adherents say that it fights fatigue, anxiety, and depression; promotes weight loss; and enhances immunity.
The proof: It’s a significant source of protein, B vitamins, vitamin E, and antioxidants. A 2005 study found that taking two grams a day of spirulina helped hay fever sufferers. And a 1995 study involving tobacco-chewers with precancerous mouth lesions showed that 45 percent of those who took a gram of spirulina daily for one year experienced a complete regression, compared to just 7 percent in the control group.
8. Kombucha
The claim: Kombucha is a bacteria and yeast culture, mixed with sweetened, brewed tea and fermented into a vinegary-tasting, lightly carbonated beverage. It’s drunk by people who believe it can help fight cancer, aid in weight loss, and even restore hair color.
The proof: “There is no scientific evidence that Kombucha is healthy,” says GT Dave, maker of GT’s Organic Raw Kombucha, “but there is scientific evidence that the ingredients contained in [raw] Kombucha are healthy.” That’s true. Raw Kombucha is essentially organic brewed tea and probiotics—beneficial bacteria that promote good digestion. But some dietitians will recommend drinking only brews like Kombucha Wonder Drink that have been pasteurized, which wipes out all bacteria, good and bad, and stops the fermentation process that can continue in raw Kombucha, upping the alcohol content to 2 percent or more—a concern for those who don’t want even that small amount in their brew. Still, since the FDA found no evidence of contamination in unpasteurized Kombucha teas fermented under sterile conditions—in other words, commercially bottled brews—the only Kombucha you should be really wary of is the one brewed at home.
9. Raw Milk
The claim: Drinkers believe it aids poor digestion, arthritis, asthma, skin conditions, and allergies.
The proof: Pasteurization is the only safeguard against harmful pathogens like E. coli, salmonella, and listeria, which is borne out by studies on illnesses from raw milk and raw milk cheese—45 outbreaks between 1998 and May 2005. However there are also many miracle stories of allergy, eczema, and arthritis sufferers who find relief once they start drinking raw milk, perhaps because the enzymes, proteins, and beneficial bacteria haven’t been killed by pasteurization. But since no clinical studies support these turnarounds, the general advice from food scientists like Rob Ralyea at Cornell’s Northeast Dairy Foods Research Center is to only drink raw milk if you’re aware of the risks and aren’t immune-compromised. Pasteurization does diminish the vitamins in milk by 10 to 20 percent, according to Ralyea and the FDA, but they’re added back, along with vitamin D, which is barely present in raw milk but is increasingly seen as an important nutrient.
10. Raw Food Diet
The claim: Uncooked fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds are undoubtedly packed with nutrients—some of which can get lost when heated. Some people say cooking food above 120 degrees Fahrenheit kills the enzymes that act as catalysts for chemical reactions in the body: namely, digestion.
The proof: Aside from the fact that this flies in the face of basic physiology—we produce our own digestive enzymes—there are some reasons to keep the burner on. “Not all fruits and vegetables are better raw,” says American Dietetic Association spokesperson Keri Gans. Cooked tomatoes contain more cancer-fighting lycopene, and carrots more beta carotene, by some virtue of the cooking process that makes their nutrients more absorbable. “The only benefit of a raw food diet is that people eat more fruits and vegetables on it,” adds Gans. (Read more about a raw diet.)
Nicole Davis is a freelance writer and the editor of the newsletter Brooklyn Based.
#9 does not address the important issue of "lactose intolerance." Pasteurized milk removes the enzymes that help digest lactose. Raw milk contains those enzmes, hence --and I can only speak for myself-- my daughter can drink raw milk but the minute she drinks ultra-pasteurized milk the lactose intolerance kicks in.
Think about it, was lactose intolerance even an issue when we (or our parents) were kids? Before the days of ultra-pasteurization?
I'd also like to add to #9 that care should be exercised in the consumption of raw, or even merely pasteurized milk for a number of possible health risks. For example, one of the prevailing theories in the etymology of Crohn's Disease is that it is caused by a bacteria found in milk called MAP (Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis), which is present when animals with Johne's Disease are milked. Even pasteurization does not kill MAP (although it is believed that ultra-pasteurization does), and it is estimated that between 3 - 20% of milk samples tested contain significant quantities of it.
Personally suffering from Crohn's Disease and being aware that raw milk can cause a number of other health concerns, I wouldn't dream of touching the stuff.
"Was lactose intolerance even an issue when we (or our parents) were kids?"
Absolutely. There are as few as two haplotypes in the human gene pool that produce lactose tolerant adults. This translates to around 30% of adult humans being genetically predisposed to lactose tolerance. The vast majority of these are Northern European or Middle Eastern. This is why there are not many genetic populations in the world which drink unfermented cow's milk (the milk of animals such as goats and horses is substantially lower in lactose than that of a cow, and processing into products like cheese or yogurt can lower lactose levels to around 5% of those in unprocessed milk).
There are three basic reasons it seems like there are a lot more cases of lactose intolerance in America today:
America in the last half century has become substantially more genetically diverse, and we've also started paying a lot more attention to the medical needs of the non-white.
Medical science and medical awareness have increased exponentially, so more people know what ails them.
People drink a whole lot less milk than they used to. A Purdue study (http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/agr... has shown that drinking milk helps to acclimate one's digestive bacteria to breaking down lactose.
Anyone who grew up after 1900 in the US more than likely grew up on Pasteurized milk (though ultra-Pasteurization is a different story).
All that being said, raw milk does contain bacteria which can aid in the breakdown of lactose. Some of these, however, are the very bacteria that Pasteurization seeks to protect us from (most notably, E. coli).
Finally, while most people experience lactose intolerance, anyone experiencing strong symptoms of lactose intolerance should strongly consider being tested for Celiac disease, or gluten intolerance generally. Numerous British studies (Britain is lightyears ahead of America in addressing the gluten issue) have shown that the majority of cases of Celiac disease, particularly in America, are misdiagnosed as simple lactose intolerance. Further, the damage gluten does to the digestive tract in the gluten intolerant will cause one to experience more significant effects from lactose intolerance, so cutting back on milk will ease symptoms while not addressing the issue. This is incredibly important, because, if ignored, unlike lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance can lead to serious health problems and untimely death.
I tried Kombucha once. It smoked when I opened the cap. And it looked, and tasted, like swamp water. Healthy or not I couldn't drink it, ew.
While I agree generally with your comments on lactose, it's not true that cow's milk contains more lactose than goat's milk (about the same), and it actually contains less lactose than horse milk and sheep's milk.
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepa...
http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Milk ("sugar" = Lactose)
Guess I should have looked that one up... Looks like cow's milk does in fact have substantially more lactose than platypus milk though.
#8 - in the interest of full disclosure, I am a Kombucha home-brewer. I have to take issue with the idea that we should be afraid of homemade Kombucha. Made under the proper conditions, it is perfectly healthy, if not more so than the commercial brands because it is mixed with your own good juju. It just irks me when people say we should be afraid of doing it ourselves. How did it get done in the first place? What about the millions of people who have brewed it in their homes for millenia? Why give in to the fear peddling that the food industry has drummed into us? Especially when they usually don't care about our health as much as how much money we spend on their products...
I agree with turbopink. Also, the yeast and beneficial bacteria cannot live in a toxic environment. If you pitch on a big 'mother' then you have no need to fear a harmful infection. And do stop being silly, 2% alcohol is hardly enough to even notice, unless you are drinking by the super double big uber gulp. Then you have more concerns than mere intoxication.
LOL, danieljdwyer!
Or sea lion milk, although I'm guessing that sea lion milk tastes pretty fishy, as it had a very high fat content, and the fats are from fish oils. In addition to what you said about mistaking lactose intolerance for celiac disease, I suspect some lactose intolerance is actually milk allergy. If you can drink goat's milk but not cow's, and have problems with things like aged cheeses, which are very low in lactose, you probably have an allergy to proteins in cow's milk, not lactose intolerance.
kombucha:
where do you think those commercial brews originally came from?!? all kombucha, when it comes down to it, has been home-brewed somewhere along the line (long long ago for those commercial brewers).
if you are careful, wash your glass (not plastic or metal, they react to the acidity) well (a common household dishwasher has been proven suitable for canning) and consume the kombucha quickly it is quite good.
i generally harvest my kombucha after 8-10 days (younger kombucha is still very sweet) and mix 4 parts kombucha with 1 part juice or cider (apple is simple and sweet, red grape is like wine, i haven't tried citrus yet) and label the bottles with the date before i put them in the fridge, consuming them before i require the bottles in the next batch.
if you leave the kombucha alone for more than three weeks, just brew some fresh sweetened tea and change the liquid, the old stuff will be far too strong for most tastes.
if you find yourself with too many mothers filling the jar, you can separate them and give them to friends or throw them on the compost heap.
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lactose:
does anyone know if there is another component of milk that is difficult for people to digest? my younger sister is severely allergic to milk to the extent that she gets very ill even when consuming fermented products like yogurt and cheese. she never liked milk as a child and her allergy surfaced when she returned home during a break from college.... any advice? i've heard rumors of ties between lactose intolerance with grass allergies but with today's industrial standard it doesn't seem right.
An intolerance isn't the same thing as an allergy, and an allergy doesn't have anything to do with one's ability to digest something. Most milk allergies are to proteins in the milk (lactose is a sugar).
I'm sorry, but I didn't see DISCO FRIES or CORN DOGS here... once again, chowhound, you missed the boat
#9 is just parroting industry. go to realmilk.com if you want the real story about raw milk (which sustained many cultures for milennia before pasteurization - pasteurization was used when filthy, crowded urban dairies were causing problems. Read about it. Also at Pasteur's time there was another scientist called Bechamp who had valid theories (and some research stolen bu Pasteur - what Pasteur had was the backing of Louis Napoleon, because he was a tireless self-promoter, not necessarily the great scientist. As for Cornell, who subsidized their research in that industrial dairy belt where it is located? And Kombucha - who knows but why pasteurize? why bother? just drink tea if you don't want the goodies.
if you believe the expression, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger," then Kombucha drinkers are some of the strongest people on the planet... I tried to drink a bottle for the sake of being healthy... couldn't get past the taste... i'm sure fans of the drink will tell me it's an "acquired taste."
Jeff
http://screamingfresh.com
when they say a cup of coffee does that mean 6oz?
Extra Virgin Olive Oil should be added to this list of super foods.
The beneficial health effects of olive oil are due to both its high content of monounsaturated fatty acids and its high content of antioxidative substances. Studies have shown that olive oil offers protection against heart disease by controlling LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels while raising HDL (the "good" cholesterol) levels. (1-3) No other naturally produced oil has as large an amount of monounsaturated as olive oil -mainly oleic acid.
yeah, well Lard contains approximately 44% oleic acid. Not to mention if its from pigs that have been on pasture and out in the sun it contains TONS of vitamin D. Plus makes a pretty freaking tastey everything, especially baked goods. Lard should be added to the Superfoods list.
And LDL and HDL are NOT cholesterol as many believe so, They carry cholesterol. Plus cholesterol is a precursor for Vitamin D and numerous hormones in your body. Your brain is almost entirely made of cholesterol. Cholesterol is EXTREMELY GOOD for you. Drink whole milk, they put skim milk powder is most commercial "dairy" products". This contains oxidized cholesterol which is bad for you.
Traditional animals fats, olive oil, sesame oil, and tropical oils - coconut and palm oils are the true health foods. Along with 'unprocessed' fermented dairy products, grains, vegetables. Check out Nourishing Traditions. It is the bible when it comes to cooking, nutrition, and food history.
• 60 government-reported illnesses from raw milk per year.
This number is probably greatly exaggerated.
• About 500,000 raw milk drinkers in the US.
• Rate of illness from raw milk can be calculated at .012%.
The actual percentage is probably much lower.
• 76,000,000 cases of food-borne illness from all sources in
the US per year.
• Population about 300,000,000
• Rate of illness from all foods is 25%
• Thus, even using inflated government statistics on illness
from raw milk, you are over 2000 times more likely to
contract illness from other foods than from raw milk.
PLUS, drinking raw milk protects you against illness from
other foods!
Green tea makes me vomit...anyone else experience this?
Wow, I just realized my diet doesn't include any of these :s