New research suggests that eating lettuce and other leafy green vegetables including spinach, collard greens and kale on a daily basis can help slow age-related decline in cognition and memory. A study from Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center found that, even after 10 years of follow-up, people who ate the most of these vegetables daily were cognitively 11 years younger than those who consumed the least.

The average follow-up was almost five years and included 960 people, mostly women, whose average age was 81. Every year during the course of the study the researchers tested the participants’ thinking and memory skills. They determined the amount of greens the participants’ consumed daily via questionnaires. A serving consisted of a half-cup of cooked spinach, collard greens or kale or one cup of raw lettuce. These foods are rich in vitamin K, lutein, nitrate, folate, alpha tocopherol and kaempferol, an antioxidant bioflavonoid. The researchers assessed the association between the individual nutrients and the rate of cognitive decline observed after adjusting for the effects of age, sex, education, smoking history, alcohol consumption, physical activity, participation in cognitive activities, total energy intake and seafood consumption.

They reported that study participants with the highest intake of leafy greens were most likely to be more highly educated, male and to take part more often in cognitive and physical activities than those who consumed the least of the four greens. They also had fewer cardiovascular conditions and depressive symptoms.

The study participants whose consumption of greens was highest averaged 1.3 daily servings compared to the lowest, 0.1 average servings.

The results don’t prove that eating greens caused the cognitive differences the study revealed. They just show an association between diet and brain aging, noted study leader Martha Clare Morris, Sc.D. And because the study focused on older adults, most of them white, the findings may not apply to younger adults and minorities.

What we don’t know is how long you have to be in the habit of consuming the amounts of green vegetables this study focused on to slow the rate at which your brain ages. However, 1.3 daily servings of these greens is not a lot to add to your diet.

The dietary strategy I recommend to slow memory loss focuses on foods rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids. Vegetables and fruits are the best sources of antioxidants, although you also can get some from tea and dark chocolate. Cold-water fish, freshly ground flaxseed and walnuts provide omega-3s. I also suggest avoiding alcohol because of its damaging effects on brain cells. Bear in mind that a diet heavy in processed foods, sweets and fried and fatty foods doesn’t seem to do the brain any good. Researchers from Columbia University in New York City linked this way of eating to premature signs of brain aging after reviewing MRI brain scans of 330 cognitively normal seniors (average age 80).

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On average, we consume about 20 teaspoons of sweeteners daily, not including what is found naturally in foods like fruit, milk and beans. Sugar itself is considered safe, and its caloric contribution may be small when used in moderation, but it can play a role in adult-onset diabetes, obesity and dental problems if abused. Some alternatives to white sugar include:

1. Stevia. This plant-derived sweetener is non-caloric and can be used in baking or cooking, but needs to be diluted before using. I occasionally recommend it for diabetics and those who can’t tolerate sweeteners .
2. Honey. While it has some antioxidant properties, honey is not necessarily healthier than white sugar, mainly because it can stick to teeth and contribute to cavity formation. However, honey does have more fructose than sugar, which causes less stress on the pancreas. Use sparingly, for flavor, and opt for 100 percent honey or raw honey rather than processed versions. Always try to use less than a recipe calls for to cut down your sugar intake.
3. Splenda (sucralose). This artificial sweetener is 600 times sweeter than sugar. It is not all-natural, being derived only in part from sugar, and while it is FDA approved and appears safe, it has not proven itself to be beneficial in losing weight. The reason may be tied to the tongue sensing the sweetness and triggering some of the same weight-gaining hormones as if it were the real thing.
4. Aspartame and Saccharine. These artificial sweeteners are found in some foods and are available to add to drinks and some foods. For the same concerns as Splenda, I do not recommend either of these – if you want to cut calories or are diabetic, I suggest stevia instead.

You may also want to try a moderate amount of fruit juice or unsweetened applesauce as a sweetener, especially when cooking or baking. Keep in mind, however, that if you’ve been using sweeteners appropriately, there is no reason to reach for artificial substitutes.

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Meike Vernooij, a professor in epidemiology and radiology at Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands, and her colleagues wanted to see how diet might impact the brain. They asked more than 4,000 older people in the Netherlands (average age: 66) about what they ate and analyzed brain scans over 10 years.

People who ate healthier diets resembling the Mediterranean diet — rich in fruits, vegetables and healthy fats from sources like fish, and low in red meat — showed larger total brain volume. They also had more grey and white matter, which is a way of measuring the amount of nerve density in the brain. The area of the brain that’s responsible for processing memories, called the hippo-campus, was also larger in people who ate healthier diets.

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Step 1

Emphasize high-quality proteins, in limited quantities. Protein is necessary for maintaining organ function and repairing damaged tissue. If you have compromised kidney or liver function, you should be aware that eating too much protein places a strain on these organs. Higher quality protein foods include meat, poultry, fish and eggs. Lower quality proteins are those found in vegetables and whole grains but both kinds of protein are important to maintain healthy kidney and liver function. Speak with your doctor or dietitian about how many grams of protein you need daily.

Step 2

Stay within your caloric range, which should be provided by your health care provider or dietitian. Anyone who has compromised kidney function should strive to maintain a health weight. Eating healthy foods throughout the day and staying within caloric guidelines can help you lose weight and prevent excess weight from putting a strain on both your kidneys and liver. Excess calories can impair the functioning of the liver and causes fat to be stored in the liver. Consume 15 calories for every pound you weigh as a baseline amount of daily intake.

Step 3

Limit your intake of sodium. Sodium or salt is an essential mineral that is also widely used to preserve foods. Consuming too much sodium can cause an imbalance of water in your body, placing a strain on the kidneys. In addition, salt causes water retention, especially in individuals with kidneys and a liver that aren’t functioning properly. The excess water can place a strain on the cardiovascular system and increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke. Always read nutritional labels because sodium is often hidden in foods like frozen and canned vegetables. You should be able to get plenty of sodium naturally from the healthy foods you eat and not as an additive ingredient.

Step 4

Avoid drinking alcohol which can cause significant liver and kidney impairment and damage. Alcohol destroys liver cells and can disrupt the delicate electrolyte balance the body maintains to maintain biological stability. Drinking alcohol can also cause your body to retain water in an effort to restore electrolyte balance. Unfortunately, water retention causes more impairment of kidney and liver functioning and can lead to complete organ failure if left untreated.

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It’s a scary time to eat a salad, given the news of a vast E. coli outbreak in the U.S. spread by contaminated romaine lettuce. If the outbreak has you worrying about your fruits and vegetables produce-washing habits, you’re not alone. But washing your produce won’t protect you from E. coli.

A recent study in Food Science & Nutrition found that rinsing or submerging leafy vegetables in water doesn’t meaningfully reduce their burden of E. coli bacteria. Another study, this one from the University of Georgia, found specially designed produce washes were even less effective than a water rinse at clearing away E. coli. (In fact, the FDA recommends skipping those produce washes altogether.)

That’s the bad news. The good news is that you’re very unlikely to encounter E. coli on your fresh produce. “We see occasional outbreaks, but the risk of getting sick from eating produce is very, very low,” says Linda Harris, a department chair and food-safety researcher at the University of California, Davis.

But even though you can’t wash away E. coli, Harris says there are compelling reasons to clean your produce. “Produce is sold out in the open where anyone can handle it, and it comes from the soil, so there could be dirt on it,” she says.

When it comes to removing that dirt, grime or anything else that could make you sick—including the pathogens sloughing off on your produce from other shoppers’ fingers—a simple rinse and, when feasible, rubbing and drying your fruits and vegetables is usually the most effective cleaning method, she says.

Of course, the advice differs a bit from item to item. “Something like an apple with a smooth outer surface, you can rub it as you rinse it,” she says. “We’ve done some studies that show doing this and then drying it with a clean towel can achieve significant reductions of microorganisms.”

While this method works for apples, pears and other hard-skinned items, Harris says it’s unreasonable with soft fruits like berries. “It’s impossible to rub a raspberry and still end up with a raspberry,” she says. With these delicate foods, a good rinse just before eating is best.

That “just before eating” part is important. “Moisture can encourage bacterial growth,” says Marisa Bunning, an associate professor of food science and human nutrition at Colorado State University. So you don’t want to wash anything until you’re ready to eat or cook it, she says.

Also, be sure your hands, colander, salad spinner and anything else you use to rinse or prepare your produce are clean. If you don’t take these precautions, you’re as likely to spread something onto your produce as wash it off. “This is why we follow the FDA’s guidance not to wash the bagged and pre-washed greens,” she says. (You’re more likely to de-sterilize these items than to further clean them.)

Some steps you don’t need to take include scrubbing your produce with a brush, submerging it in a sink full of water or using baking soda to clean away pesticides. The first two methods are more likely to contaminate your produce than disinfect them. And while there is evidence that baking soda really can remove pesticide residues from contaminated fruit, Harris says she’s seen little evidence that pesticide levels in store-bought produce are a health risk. “There’s a lot of regulation on pesticide levels in the U.S., so the levels [that cause harm] just aren’t there,” she adds. (If you’re still concerned about pesticide residues, there’s evidence that switching to organic will significantly reduce your exposures.)

To sum all this up, don’t wash items that are labeled “pre-washed” and/or “ready to eat.” For everything else, give your produce a good rinse and, when possible, use your fingers to rub away dirt or other residues. Dry your produce with a clean towel or paper towels. Do that, and you can feel confident your fruits and vegetables are safe to eat.

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By CYNTHIA SASS / AP

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By CYNTHIA SASS

The short answer is no, not really. But first, let’s back up a step.

Animal-based foods like eggs, dairy, fish and meat are complete proteins, while most plant foods are incomplete—meaning certain amino acids are missing from the protein puzzle.

Some people believe that in order to utilize plant protein efficiently, you must eat so-called “complementary proteins” together. Rice and beans are a good example of complementary proteins, because the amino acids that are missing from beans are found in rice and vice versa.

However, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the terms “complete protein” and “incomplete protein” are misleading. That’s because if a person consumes enough calories from a healthful, varied diet—even if those calories come exclusively from plant-based foods—she should get an adequate supply of essential amino acids within a 24-hour period.

If you’re a big fan of quinoa or chia seeds, you may have heard them touted as complete proteins. In a nutshell, that means they contain all of the nine essential amino acids required to build and repair protein tissues in the body. But the question is: does that matter?

The short answer is no, not really. But first, let’s back up a step.

Animal-based foods like eggs, dairy, fish and meat are complete proteins, while most plant foods are incomplete—meaning certain amino acids are missing from the protein puzzle.

Some people believe that in order to utilize plant protein efficiently, you must eat so-called “complementary proteins” together. Rice and beans are a good example of complementary proteins, because the amino acids that are missing from beans are found in rice and vice versa.

However, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the terms “complete protein” and “incomplete protein” are misleading. That’s because if a person consumes enough calories from a healthful, varied diet—even if those calories come exclusively from plant-based foods—she should get an adequate supply of essential amino acids within a 24-hour period.

Animal-based foods like eggs, dairy, fish and meat are complete proteins, while most plant foods are incomplete—meaning certain amino acids are missing from the protein puzzle.

Some people believe that in order to utilize plant protein efficiently, you must eat so-called “complementary proteins” together. Rice and beans are a good example of complementary proteins, because the amino acids that are missing from beans are found in rice and vice versa.

However, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the terms “complete protein” and “incomplete protein” are misleading. That’s because if a person consumes enough calories from a healthful, varied diet—even if those calories come exclusively from plant-based foods—she should get an adequate supply of essential amino acids within a 24-hour period.

Questions? Call +254 718 994368 / 733 994 368 or E-mail wecare@pathwayintl.co.ke

Pathway International: providing Global Healthcare Solutions.

The post How Do You Know if Protein is ‘Complete’ or ‘Incomplete’? appeared first on Pathway International.

– AUGUST 5, 2014

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