What are the Key Organic Foods to Buy?

One question I frequently get asked is:  what are the most important foods to buy organic?  Let’s face it –buying all organic and local foods can be not only pricy but inconvenient.  Going to many different stores and farmer’s markets can take a huge chunk out of your week.

What are the most important things to buy organic if you are on a budget and/or short on time?

1.  Dairy – cows are fed hormones to produce higher quantities of milk and so best to purchase organic milk, cheese and yogurt.

2.  Meat – when you consume meat fed hormones, it is possible to increase the level of inflammation in the body.  In addition, if you are a meat eater and can afford it grass-fed meat (versus corn/grain fed) has higher levels of omega 3 fats which anti-inflammatory versus pro-inflammatory in the body.

3.  Fruits – the most important fruits to buy organic are:

           1.  Apples and Pears

           2. Stone fruits such as peaches

              and nectarines

           3.  Strawberries and cherries

           4.  Grapes

4.  Vegetables - the most important vegetables to buy organic are:

            1.  Carrots and Celery

            2.  Sweet Bell Peppers

            3.  Tomatoes

            4.  Lettuce    

Feed your family the organic and/or local produce and foods you can afford within reason.  Visit the farmer’s markets on the weekends.  You might be surprised how fresh and clean the air feels around the fragrant produce and how delicious healthy food feels on your body!

Quercetin and Resveratrol?

Two buzz words in nutrition and supplement research – quercetin and resveratrol.  What is the lowdown?  Should you take a supplement or just eat the food?

The simple answer is unclear.  Quercetin is a type of antioxidant known as a polyphenol.  Two categories of polyphenols are flavonoids and non-flavonoids.  A flavonoid is a pigment in food that has important health benefits.  Besides antioxidant activity, flavonoids are known for their prevention of heart disease and cancer, since they can lower cholesterol levels and inflammation in the body.

Quercetin is found in the greatest concentration in apple skins, but can also be found in red grapes, green tea and buckwheat.  Several positive studies were done with animals, including one in which quercetin supplemented mice were less likely to get the flu.  Human studies to date have been inconclusive on supplement usage.

Resveratrol is a non-flavonoid polyphenol that is found in grapes and grape skins.  It has strong anti-inflammatory effects in the body which can be helpful in the prevention of atherosclerosis.  Wine drinkers tout they are getting their resveratrol for the day.  However, you would have to consume 180 glasses of wine per day to obtain the amount necessary for health.  Studies are also inconclusive on supplement usage.  More importantly, many supplements tested do not contain the amount of resveratrol that is stated on the bottle.

Bottom line?  Until more research is in, eat apples and grapes, and drink green tea.  You will be receiving the quercetin and resveratrol your body can readily use and absorb and there is nothing to lose except bad health…and maybe the flu.

An Apple a Day to Keep Cancer and Heart Disease at Bay?

We’ve all heard the expression “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” but research is actually starting to show us why this old saying is true.

The key nutrients which prevent disease in produce, including apples,  are known as phytochemicals or phytonutrients.

Phytonutrients are substances which a plant naturally contains to protect it against sunlight, oxidation from air, pollution, and bacteria or viruses.  Once we eat these plants, our immunity increases and we are more resistant to diseases such as cancer and heart disease.   Scientists estimate there are over 100 phytochemicals in one serving of fruits or vegetables and there may be as many as 13,000 different phytonutrients in our food supply.

Polyphenols are the new hot topic in research studies and are a type of phytonutrient.  A group of polyphenols called flavonoids have antioxidant activity and are known for prevention of heart disease and cancer, since they can lower cholesterol levels and inflammation in the body.

Apples contain a polyphenol known as quercetin, which is thought to lower LDL cholesterol and decrease plaque in the arteries.  They also contain pectin, a type of fiber which can lower cholesterol.

A food scientist from Cornell University, Rui Hai Liu, did extensive research on apples and found they contain substances which fight cancer cells and reduce the number and size of tumors in rats.  He also stated that apples contain another compound known as triterpeniods in the peel, which can inhibit or kill cancer cells.

It is important to eat the whole apple, since the key nutrients are in the peel and the interior.  So the old adage of “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” may be more apropos than we moderns ever realized.