Ever think about the Eggplant?

Check out this great article from Dr. Merocla

When we think of anthocyanins—the flavonoid compounds that give red, purple and blue colors to fruits and vegetables, the usual suspects come to mind first: blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, red onions and beets. Another plant food whose purple color indicates a high anthocyanin content, but which is often left out of discussions about the benefits thereof, is eggplant. Although eggplant is typically considered a vegetable, botanically speaking, it is technically a fruit! And while we might automatically associate eggplant as being paired with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, parmigiana style, eggplant is actually native to India and Asia, where it was cultivated for thousands of years before it ever graced the tables of Italian trattorias.

Eggplant comes in a staggering variety of shapes, sizes and colors, but the one North American consumers are most familiar with is the globe eggplant—a relatively large, heavy specimen, the skin of which is dark purple, almost black. Most supermarkets carry only this particular kind, but many others are available at farmers’ markets and Asian grocery stores. Japanese eggplant is longer, thinner, and lighter in color, and may also be somewhat curved. Chinese eggplant more closely resembles the Japanese variety than the globes, but they are even lighter purple and tend to be straighter. There are even white eggplants, varieties that are round, green and striped, and the eye-catching graffiti eggplant, which has an enticing purple and white striped skin. The smaller, thinner and oblong varieties tend to have fewer seeds and be slightly less bitter than the common globes.

With so many distinctive varieties, it’s not surprising that eggplant is employed in many different ethnic cuisines. There’s baba ganoush, the pureed eggplant spread popular in Middle Eastern cooking; grilled eggplant to round out a platter of Greek mezze; and seared Chinese eggplant with spicy garlic, ginger, and soy sauce.

If eggplant’s prominence in these delicious dishes isn’t enough to spark an interest in putting it in your cart at the store more often, its antioxidant benefits may make it a worthwhile addition to your culinary repertoire. Anthocyanins extracted from eggplant skin have been shown to be potent oxygen radical scavengers and to protect against lipid peroxidation. Nasunin, one particular anthocyanin, may have anti-angiogenic properties and may also protect cells from DNA damage. Many eggplant recipes call for peeling the eggplant, since the skins tend to be bitter and may give a finished dish a chunkier texture than is desired. Remember, though, that these protective compounds are concentrated in the peel. (They are, after all, what gives the eggplant its bold color.)

While eggplant’s anthocyanin and antioxidant content make this vegetable a welcome addition to meals, truth be told, it’s not exactly bursting with nutrients. The only thing it has going for it in any appreciable quantity is manganese: 100g of eggplant provides 13% of the daily value for this mineral. But a lack of micronutrients shouldn’t be a deal-breaker. Eggplant is extremely low in calories and carbohydrates, and is high in fiber. An entire pound of eggplant comes in at around 100 calories, meaning that you could fill up on generous helpings of this high water content vegetable without racking up calories. With just 6g of total carbohydrate—3g of which are fiber—the glycemic load of eggplant is 1—practically negligible. These properties help eggplant fit in perfectly with an eclectic mix of dietary approaches, including low-carb, Paleo, vegetarian, Mediterranean and more. However, individuals with sensitivity to nightshade vegetables (a category that includes eggplant, tomatoes, white potatoes and all peppers) might do well to avoid eggplant. (Nightshades are known to exacerbate the signs and symptoms of arthritis.) And the fact that eggplant has such a mild flavor of its own means that it pairs well with other ingredients, which make it a kind of blank canvas to use as a base for more nutrient-dense and health-promoting items, such as garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, lamb, and perhaps some feta cheese

B12 and Brain Development

Vitamin B12 supports normal brain development. A lower than normal level of vitamin B12 in the brain could adversely affect neurodevelopment in younger years as well as learning and memory later in life.

A new study published last week in PLOS One found that vitamin B12 levels in the brain are much lower in the elderly population as well as significantly lower in individuals with autism or schizophrenia. In this study, autistic children were found to have brain vitamin B12 levels three times lower then what is commonly seen in adults in their fifties.

The research team compared tissue samples from healthy deceased donors to tissue from donors who had autism or schizophrenia. Their results demonstrated significant differences in brain B12 levels with aging, autism, and schizophrenia. These differences were not seen in serum B12 levels. This large deficit of brain B12 in individuals with autism and schizophrenia may provide insight to why these patients experience neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms.

This study also found that healthy elderly individuals’ levels of brain B12 were approximately three times lower than younger populations, which is a natural result of aging. Therefore, a lower level of vitamin B12 may affect age-related memory decline.

Autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia are both associated with oxidative stress, which also plays an important role in aging. The authors suggest that oxidative stress may play an underlying role in the decreased brain B12 levels observed in this study. These results suggest there may be a need for supplemental vitamin B12 and antioxidant support to prevent or decrease oxidative stress. This may include using n-acetyl-l-cysteine, glutathione, and/or s-acetyl-glutathione. Assessing other methylation cofactors such as folate is also important, as a folate deficiency has been associated with developmental delay and autism, and is essential in working with these conditions. An organic acid test is also a great tool to consider and is available through several specialty labs. This test can identify nutrient deficiencies, oxidative stress, and detoxification impairment

 

Talk to your nutrition professional about testing your B12 levels!

Not Always On Your Side

WebMD is the most visited health site on the web. While the general belief is that it’s a trustworthy source of “independent and objective” health information, it’s become quite clear that WebMD is a shill, using its influence to primarily promote corporate-backed health strategies and products.

Partnerships and sponsorships¹ color WebMD’s recommendations across the board, and “passive” promotion techniques, where advertisements are designed to look more like editorials, have become commonplace.

The pharmaceutical industry’s influence over WebMD has of course been evident for some time.²

As just one glaring example, back in 2010, I wrote about how WebMD’s free online depression test³ was rigged in such a way that no matter how you responded the only answer you could receive was that you were at risk for major depression and should discuss your options with your doctor.

This fake test was sponsored by Eli Lilly, the maker of Cymbalta, and its function was quite clear — to get you to inquire about antidepressants.

This sneaky form of direct-to-consumer advertising masquerading as a bonafide consumer aid sparked enough furor to spur Senator Charles Grassley to launch an investigation. After all, no one expects to be directed to seek help, let alone drugs, when you have no symptoms of a problem whatsoever.

Monsanto is one of the latest multinational corporate giants to use WebMD’s influence to serve its own biased agenda.

Almost every article now flaunts a Monsanto sponsored ad saying, “It’s time for a bigger discussion about food,” with links⁴ to Monsanto’s biased take on soil, water, and honey bee issues, with no other contributors to the discussion in sight.

It is important to beware of the messages that supposed health care  providers may be sending you. They aren’t always looking out for you.

The New Banana!

When  I hear the word “potassium” I can think only of bananas! Don’t get my wrong, they are delicious, but it would be great to find other ways to enjoy to amazing and beneficial nutrient.

Here are some delicious ways:

1. Swiss chard (1 cup = 1g of potassium)
2. Winter squash (1 cup = 1g)
3. Avocado (1/2 Florida variety = .8g)
4. Dried apricots (1/2 cup = .9)
5. Baked potato (1 large = .9g)

There is no need to ditch bananas completely, but, it’s always fun to mix it up!

 

Research on Vitamin D Keep Rolling In!

Vitamin D has been extensively studied for bone health and cancer, as well as for its anti-inflammatory benefits and also its role in modulating the immune system in autoimmune diseases.

Autoimmune disorders occur when the body’s immune system is tricked into thinking that the body’s own healthy tissues are foreign and starts attacking itself. As a result, the immune system makes antibodies that attack various tissues.

Previous studies have demonstrated that vitamin D decreases the disease severity in autoimmune disorders by regulating T cells in the immune system. This makes the body more tolerant of itself and less likely to mount autoimmune responses.

According to a new study published four days ago in The Journal of Cell Biology, researchers identified that the vitamin D receptor promotes the differentiation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) and increases myelin sheath regeneration.

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) continue to lose the myelin sheath (insulation) around the neurons. When these neurons become demyelinated, OPCs migrate toward these cells and they differentiate into mature, myelin-producing oligodendrocytes. This process or ability, however, decreases as we age.

Low vitamin D levels have been associated with the onset of multiple sclerosis. This suggests a new role with vitamin D and MS patients. In addition to its impact on immune function, vitamin D may also affect the disease progression by controlling myelin sheath regeneration, thus enhancing remyelination in MS patients and in patients suffering from other demyelinating diseases.

In addition to the consideration of vitamin D, it is important to assess the gut in all autoimmune disorders.

If you have any questions on Vitamin D supplements, contact your nutritional specialist, today!

Can You Sleep too Much?

It is common knowledge that not getting enough sleep can be detrimental to your health. It has often been argued that too much sleep can also be bad for you. Here are some facts to help us answer this age old question:

• Seniors that regularly sleep more than eight hours a night have a 46% increase in their chance for stroke versus those who sleep between six and eight hours.
• Other health effects associated with consistently sleeping too much include depression, diabetes, weight gain, headaches, heart problems, a decline in brain health, and premature death

In other words, it is important for your health to get ENOUGH sleep, but it is also important not to over indulge. If you find yourself sleeping more than eight hours a night on a regular basis, contact your health care of nutritional specialist. They can get you back on track!