Those are all well and good, but what would seriously make my day is an Olympic event highlighting the foods that do the most to support health and longevity.

If I were a betting man, I’d put my money on the benefits of turmeric to win the gold. And that would be fitting since turmeric is known in India as “haldi,” the Golden Spice. It earned its nickname not just from its bold yellow-gold color but its associations with prosperity, purity, and good fortune.

In India, powdered turmeric features prominently in a traditional pre-wedding ceremony. Turned into a yellow paste, it’s applied liberally to the bride and groom’s bodies to bring them good fortune and ward off the evil eye. Unmarried friends and family members may also benefit, as whoever gets touched by the paste will supposedly find an attractive partner soon.

In addition to its ritual uses, turmeric has been revered in India for its powerful medicinal properties for over 4,000 years. A mainstay of Ayurveda, the Indian healing tradition, as well as Traditional Chinese Medicine, turmeric is now being extensively studied by modern science for its potential health benefits.

In fact, it’s thought that turmeric may be one of the most potent anti-inflammatory compounds ever examined. And preliminary evidence suggests it may reduce the risk of just about every major chronic condition.

As a result, turmeric has achieved virtual superfood status in the industrialized world, bottled into a variety of supplements. But is it effective in supplemental form? And if you get it through food, how much is enough? Can you get too much? And should you be concerned about lead exposure?

Let’s dive into the world of turmeric and explore the evidence about the health benefits and risks of the Golden Spice.

What Is Turmeric?

Turmeric, or Curcuma longa to botanists, is a plant in the ginger family (called Zingiberaceaea, which would get me knocked out of a spelling bee if I didn’t have it written out in front of me). Other members of that family include galangal and cardamom.

Turmeric is native to Southeast Asia, where it’s now grown commercially (primarily in India) and used as a cooking spice.

There are over 50 different cultivars of turmeric, with the most common being the Madras and Alleppey varieties.

The culinary part of the plant is its rhizome (underground stem). Think gingerroot, just a bit skinnier and a whole lot yellower. As a spice, turmeric has a slightly bitter, pungent, and nutty taste. And its intense hue can range from yellow to gold to orange. It’s the main spice in many curry powders and the one that gives them their distinctive color.

Turmeric has both culinary and medicinal uses. Around the world, almost one billion people use it daily as a cooking spice. You can eat the rhizomes whole, either cooked or raw. And you can also use them dried and ground into a spice powder. In addition to its culinary uses, turmeric is also used as a preservative for food and as a coloring agent for mustards.

Turmeric and extracts made from it are also consumed as a supplement, orally in capsule or liquid form, or even as a paste.

Turmeric Nutrition

Like a lot of other spices, turmeric is a rich source of many essential minerals. These include iron (the nonheme variety that doesn’t build up in blood), copper, manganese, zinc, magnesium, and potassium. Fresh turmeric also delivers a small amount of fiber.

Turmeric’s big claim to fame, though, is its curcuminoids — the compounds that give the root not just its yellow color but also many of its health benefits. The main curcuminoid is curcumin, which, despite its name, doesn’t come from cumin. Curcumin is a polyphenol, a plant compound that acts as an antioxidant in our diets and has disease-fighting properties.

For more on polyphenols, check out our full article here.

The Benefits of Turmeric

At the top of this article, I said that turmeric could win a gold medal at the Nutrition Olympics. Let’s look at the evidence that leads me to give the spice a 10 out of 10.

Turmeric Anti-Inflammatory Benefits

Curcumin is often used as an anti-inflammatory agent in Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine. And many studies have put this application to the test.

A 2019 article reviewed test-tube and animal studies where curcumin showed protective effects against several gastrointestinal problems that were caused or worsened by inflammation (our view on the use of animals in medical research is here). These included acid reflux, Barrett’s esophagus (where the esophageal lining experiences damage from acid reflux), and H. pylori infection of the stomach.

Curcumin has also shown promise in reducing the effects of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It seems to work by helping to calm cells that are involved in inflammation. As a result, it’s theorized that curcumin could be a treatment option for reducing IBD flare-ups.

A 2021 meta-analysis also found curcumin to be effective in lessening the pains of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by reducing inflammation, swelling, and pain. Included among the results was a 1980 study out of Iran that found curcumin supplementation helped reduce morning stiffness and joint swelling in human patients with RA.

Turmeric and Blood Sugar

Curcumin also shows great promise in treating and perhaps even preventing type 2 diabetes. A 2021 meta-analysis provided evidence that the compound may achieve these results by reducing inflammation and blood sugar levels.

And a 2023 meta-analysis of human trials found that turmeric can help lower blood sugar and hemoglobin A1c levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Unlike many diabetes drugs, however, the side effects of turmeric were positive. They included lowering total and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, insulin resistance, and markers of inflammation. The results appeared to be dose-dependent — that is, the more turmeric people consumed, the greater the effects.

Turmeric and Brain Health

Because of curcumin’s anti-inflammatory and other beneficial properties, it’s being studied as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. The challenge is to deliver the curcumin in a way that enables it to easily cross the blood-brain barrier. Researchers are trying to make the compound more bioavailable by binding it to “carrier molecules.”

A 2022 review article reports that curcumin may also help people with early-onset Alzheimer’s lessen the sleep disturbances that often accompany the disease. This is important because your body requires quality sleep to “do maintenance” on the brain and clean out harmful substances — so Alzheimer’s and poor sleep make for a vicious cycle of increasing brain damage.

Turmeric and Cancer

Research shows that curcumin can help prevent the initiation of cancers and slow their development once they’ve occurred. How does it do this? Researchers believe that its anticancer mechanisms include inhibiting cellular growth, reducing the invasion and migration capabilities of cancer cells, enhancing programmed cell death, reducing inflammation, and favorably altering the intestinal microbiome.

Based on studies of which molecules curcumin targets in cancer cells, it may be that curcumin could be particularly effective in combating prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, and head and neck squamous cell cancer.

And according to a 2020 review article, several studies suggest that adding curcumin to chemotherapy treatment regimens enhances the efficacy of both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This combination may extend the survival times of patients, boost the levels of proteins that prevent the spread of cancerous tumors, and alleviate adverse effects.

Turmeric and Heart Health

A 2017 meta-analysis found that the curcumin in turmeric might help lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. It seems particularly effective in reducing cholesterol levels in people with metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease. While much research has focused on curcumin, some studies also suggest that whole turmeric may be even more effective at lowering cholesterol than supplemental curcumin alone.

There are several conditions that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. And these conditions all share several underlying factors: oxidative stress, impaired mitochondrial function, metabolic irregularities such as changes in lipid levels and glucose processing, as well as inflammatory responses. Curcumin demonstrates a wide range of effects that target these particular factors, suggesting that it could reduce the risk of heart disease in some of the most vulnerable populations, including elderly people as well as those who are obese and/or have type 2 diabetes.

Curcumin Bioavailability

To recap, science has recognized what many cultures have known for centuries: Turmeric has powerful medicinal properties that can help treat a wide variety of diseases and conditions. But much of the data and recorded health benefits of turmeric have been based on studies that used supplements and extracts of curcumin rather than whole turmeric root or turmeric powder.

This creates a challenge because we know that human bodies aren’t great at absorbing curcumin, either from food or in supplemental form. That’s because curcumin is what’s known as hydrophobic, which doesn’t mean it’s afraid of swimming pools. Rather, it’s very poorly absorbed in water, which makes it hard for your body to get the compound into your cells where it can do good. That means the underlying science is unavoidably muddy since it’s hard to know what dose of curcumin a patient has absorbed. You can only tell the amount given.

Fortunately, researchers have begun finding proven ways to increase curcumin’s bioavailability.

1. Turmeric and Black Pepper

When you eat dishes that contain turmeric, you can absorb more curcumin if you add black pepper. This gives you the synergistic compound piperine, which significantly enhances the serum concentration, absorption, and bioavailability of curcumin. One study found that people who ate piperine along with curcumin absorbed 20 times more of the curcumin than people who didn’t receive black pepper. (If you’re looking to make this sound impressive, you can also say that black pepper increases curcumin bioavailability by 2,000% — which is just a fancy way of adding two zeros and a percent sign.)

You can take advantage of this finding by following Dr. Greger’s advice: Every day, consume a quarter teaspoon of dried turmeric with a pinch of black pepper.

2. Eat Turmeric with a Healthy Fat

Another way to increase the bioavailability of curcumin is to eat a healthy fat along with your turmeric. That’s because, while curcumin isn’t very soluble in water, it gets along really well with fat. Traditional Indian cuisine reflects this insight, as Indian dishes that include turmeric are often cooked with coconut milk, vegetable oil, or ghee.

If you want to stick to whole plant foods, remember that nuts, seeds, and avocados are generally good sources of healthy fat that can increase curcumin bioavailability as well.

Here are some of our favorite turmeric-containing recipes to help you get more of the Golden Spice into the cells of your body.

3. Curcumin Supplements

Researchers have also found ways to increase the bioavailability of supplemental curcumin.

Nanoparticle Curcumin

One is by encapsulating the curcumin in nanoparticles, which are just like regular particles, but a lot more nano.

Okay, okay. I’ll look it up for you: Nanoparticles are very (very, very) small particles measured in nanometers, and a nanometer is one-millionth of a millimeter. The thing about nanoparticles is that at that size, they behave differently than larger particles, both on a physical and chemical level. And one of those differences is in the way they can dissolve in water while protecting the curcumin they’re surrounding.

Micellar Curcumin

A second technique for increasing the bioavailability of supplemental curcumin is to chemically change it to a micellar form. Micelles are very small lipid molecules that act as a carrier for fat-soluble curcumin and make it water-soluble, which allows the curcumin to sneak in, so to speak.

But does that actually work? Well, to put it to the test, researchers conducted a study, published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research in 2014. They gave participants a 500-mg dose of curcuminoids in either a native curcumin powder, micronized powder, or liquid micelles, and then measured blood levels of curcuminoids in the 24 hours that followed. The researchers found that, compared to the native curcumin, the micronized powder conferred a 9-fold increase in absorption. That sounds pretty impressive until you hear about the winner — the liquid micelle format, which led to a 185-fold increase.

In their discussion, the researchers also compared their bioavailability results with those found in other studies on bioavailable curcumin forms, including the use of the piperine found in black pepper (which led to a 20-fold increase in bioavailability), turmeric essential oils (which had a 7-fold higher bioavailability), and curcumin incorporated into lecithin (which conferred a 4-fold better absorption). They called micellar curcumin’s 185-fold result “unrivaled.”

Liposomal Curcumin

A third method of increasing bioavailability is to create liposomal conjugated curcumin. Liposomes are tiny spherical structures made up of lipid bilayers that can carry therapeutic agents like drugs or natural compounds. Like micellar curcumin, liposomal curcumin has an outer membrane that bonds with water, which allows the fat-loving curcumin inside to enter human cells more readily.

Downsides & Risks of Turmeric

The way curcumin is vying for that nutritional gold medal, you might think that the more of it you get, the better. But there are several reasons to be cautious about overconsumption of the Golden Spice.

Human studies on the effects of turmeric as a food have looked at doses ranging from less than 1/16th of a teaspoon a day up to about 2 tablespoons a day. And participants have taken these amounts sometimes for more than a month.

And while traditional Indian diets may include as much as a teaspoon of turmeric per day (or about an inch of fresh turmeric root), supplemental forms of curcumin with enhanced bioavailability could deliver the equivalent to cups of turmeric — definitely not a dose that you could achieve by eating real food.

According to the European Food Safety Authority and the World Health Organization, the acceptable daily intake value of curcumin is 0–3 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. So someone weighing 150 pounds (68 kilograms) is advised to limit their consumption to 204 milligrams of curcumin per day, or approximately 1 tablespoon. Although curcumin has been found to be safe at doses of 8 grams per day in both phase I and phase II clinical trials, there is some concern that very high doses, perhaps especially when combined with enhanced bioavailability, could lead to some side effects.

Turmeric Side Effects

Too much turmeric might possibly be able to cause DNA damage — at least, that’s what researchers have found in test-tube studies. So people who are pregnant, in particular, may want to moderate their turmeric consumption. High-dose curcumin also appears to thin the endometrial lining, which can interfere with in vitro fertilization.

Turmeric helps the gallbladder pump more vigorously, which is one way it can protect the liver and even prevent gallstones. But if there’s already an obstruction in the bile duct, those additional gallbladder contractions can cause a lot of pain.

Moderating turmeric consumption may also be a good idea for people with a predisposition to forming kidney stones. That’s because turmeric is high in oxalates, which can bind to calcium to form calcium oxalate, the key ingredient in about 75% of all kidney stones. (Some curcumin products, however, contain little to no oxalate.)

And in some people, high doses of turmeric may also cause gastrointestinal problems, including diarrhea, constipation, flatulence, and nausea.

Turmeric can also act as a blood thinner, which means it may interact with several classes of medications, including blood thinners, aspirin, and diabetes drugs.

Lead in Turmeric

There’s one more issue with turmeric that isn’t about the plant itself, but its preparation.

Turmeric powder from Bangladesh and India sometimes contains lead chromate, which enhances the spice’s appearance by making it a brighter shade of yellow. Which is to say, some turmeric powder is contaminated with lead.

There’s no safe level of lead; it can seriously damage reproductive, neurological, and cardiovascular systems — especially in children. If you want to protect yourself and your family from possible lead contamination, the best option is to buy fresh turmeric root or to buy organic turmeric and curcumin products.

To be extra safe, you can contact manufacturers to ask if they test for lead and other metals. California’s Proposition 65 seeks to protect, or at least inform, consumers by providing warnings about lead in foods like ground turmeric.

Use Turmeric in Good Health — Thoughtfully

Turmeric, the Golden Spice, has long been venerated in India and other Asian countries for its vibrant hue, culinary appeal, and medicinal qualities. Rich in curcuminoids, turmeric boasts antioxidants and disease-fighting polyphenols, making it a superfood of immense value. And modern scientific studies are confirming and highlighting its anti-inflammatory properties, brain-boosting effects, and potential for managing conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

Despite all those beneficial properties, turmeric comes with some concerns. While supplements promise convenience, their proper usage and dosage require consideration. And potential lead contamination concerns may lead some people to make sure their turmeric is grown organically or comes in a tested supplement, rather than dried and powdered. As with many medicinal spices, moderation and informed sourcing is key.

Tell us in the comments:

• Do you cook with turmeric? What are your favorite ways to use it?
• Have you ever seen fresh turmeric root at a market or grocery store?
• Do you take curcumin supplements?

Featured Image: iStock.com/ollo

Read Next:

• How Curcumin Can Help You Hack Your Genes And Avoid Disease
• Fresh vs Dried: A Guide to Herbs and Spices

The post The Golden Spice: Understanding the Health Benefits and Risks of Turmeric appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

The collapse didn’t happen, thanks to, depending on what you believe, the hundreds of millions of dollars spent upgrading code in the late 90s (whoops, 1990s) or because there was never any real risk of calamity.

But the hype — some would say hysteria — that gripped many as January 1, 2000, was approaching forced the world to consider what would happen if our information networks shut down. Now, imagine if those information networks were inside your body instead.

Your nervous system is kind of like a miniature version of the internet. Your bodily tissue (or fascia) contains approximately 250 million nerve endings, all of which are continuously gathering and sharing electrical impulses back and forth between your brain and the rest of your body. When everything works well, you can just go about your day without giving your nerves a second thought.

But when even a few of those quarter billion nerve endings are damaged or otherwise dysfunctional, you may experience a cascade of calamities throughout your body. Damaged nerves can’t deliver electrical signals optimally, or in some cases at all. This dysfunction can cause pain and a number of other symptoms, including the sensation of pins and needles, muscle problems, and even loss of normal bodily functions like digestion and breathing.

The word for this kind of nerve damage is neuropathy.

Many neurologists recommend surgery or medications as first-line treatments for neuropathy, and in fact, many advanced cases can benefit from this approach. But there’s evidence that some neuropathies, especially in their early stages, could benefit more from what’s in your pantry than what’s in your medicine cabinet.

In this article, we’ll look at neuropathy nutrition and the relationship between what we eat and nerve health.

What Is Neuropathy?

Neuropathy is the medical term for damage to nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord. This damage can cause pain, numbness, weakness, and other uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous symptoms. It’s also called peripheral neuropathy, as it disproportionately affects nerve endings that are located closer to the body’s extremities than the core.

Neuropathy can mess up nerve signals in three ways. It can lead to complete loss of signaling, inappropriate signaling, or distortion of the messages that are sent.

If only one nerve is affected, that’s called mononeuropathy. A common mononeuropathy is carpal tunnel syndrome, which is often caused by repetitive use damage to the median nerve of the arm. Polyneuropathy, which involves multiple nerves (and not talking parrots), is the more common condition.

Types of Neuropathy

There are also subcategories of neuropathy, named for the nerve function they affect.

Motor Neuropathy

Motor neuropathy interferes with the movement of the muscles typically under conscious control, such as those used for walking, grasping things, or talking. Examples include muscle weakness or shrinking, or uncontrollable muscle twitching (which is also called fasciculation).

Sensory Neuropathy

Sensory neuropathy interferes with the transmission of sensory data from the extremities to the brain, such as temperature, the pain from a paper cut (ouch!), the feeling of a light touch, or information about the location of limbs in relation to one another. This can lead to loss of reflexes, coordination, or balance; burns or infections because there’s no impulse to pull away from a hot stove or clean a wound; and feeling pain from stimuli that aren’t actually harmful, such as the weight of a blanket on the feet.

Autonomic Neuropathy

Autonomic neuropathy impairs the brain’s ability to regulate activities that people do not control consciously, such as breathing, digesting food, and heart and gland functions. People who suffer from this type of neuropathy can experience heat intolerance and excessive sweating, light-headedness from low blood pressure, and vision problems, among other things.

Proximal Neuropathy

Proximal neuropathy is a type of nerve damage centered in the hip, buttock, or thigh. It usually causes pain in just one side of the body.

Focal Nerve Neuropathy

Focal nerve neuropathy affects a single nerve and may cause symptoms such as double vision, weakness on one side of the body, or partial paralysis, and associated pain. This type most often targets nerve endings in the legs, hands, head, or torso.

What Causes Neuropathy?

There are more than 100 different conditions, both inherited and developed, that can lead to neuropathy. But a few of them cause the vast majority of cases.

Neuropathy and Diabetes

Diabetes, both types 1  and 2, commonly causes neuropathy. That’s because high glucose levels can damage the small blood vessels that supply your nerves. As those nerves cannot access the nutrients they need, their fibers suffer damage and they may eventually die. At this writing, there’s no known way to reverse the damage once the nerves have atrophied. But there are many ways to prevent and reverse prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. (I hosted a whole masterclass on the topic with diabetes expert Brenda Davis, RD — to watch it for free click here.)

Neuropathy and Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmune diseases cause harm by attacking the body’s own cells and tissues as if they belonged to a foreign invader. Two autoimmune conditions that target the nerves include Guillain-Barré syndrome and celiac disease.

Guillain-Barré syndrome typically presents after a gastrointestinal or respiratory infection, or following a vaccination. For some reason, the immune system responds to these challenges by starting to destroy the myelin sheath that surrounds the axons of many nerve cells. It can then progress to damaging the axons themselves.

Most people recover fully, a process that can last from a few weeks to a few years. But in some cases, the neuropathy progresses to paralysis that can threaten the ability to breathe.

The most common form of neuropathy that accompanies celiac disease involves both motor and sensory nerves. Other autoimmune diseases, including autoimmune thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and Sjögren’s syndrome, are linked to both neuropathy and celiac disease. Because the nerve damage appears to be triggered by exposure to gluten, symptoms may improve or even resolve on a gluten-free diet.

Neuropathy and Alcoholism

Neuropathy is among the most common negative side effects of chronic alcohol overconsumption. It typically shows up as pain, pins and needles, and lack of muscle control in the lower extremities. Alcohol, it turns out, directly poisons nerves. And the poor nutrition that often accompanies alcoholism is a separate risk factor for neuropathy. Patients who abuse alcohol also tend to consume fewer other calories, and their gastrointestinal tracts struggle to absorb the nutrients they do encounter.

Because alcoholism is a chronic condition, the neuropathy it causes may become permanent. But in cases that are caught early enough, stopping alcohol consumption may help improve neuropathy.

Other Causes of Neuropathy

Toxins other than alcohol can also cause neuropathy, among them mercury, certain types of toxic mold, and chemotherapy drugs. Injury and trauma can also induce neuropathy if it involves compression or crushing of a nerve, as can happen in automobile accidents, falls, sports, and even some medical procedures.

What Vitamins and Minerals Help with Neuropathy?

We know that certain vitamins and minerals are essential for healthy nerve function. And a lot of studies have looked at specific nutrients focused on supplemental forms and doses, but very few have looked at the impact of dietary nutrients on neuropathy. So it makes sense that one of the best ways to reduce your odds of developing neuropathy is to eat a diet rich in the nutrients known to nourish your nerves. But unfortunately, the evidence for this statement is a bit indirect and circumstantial. Therefore, let’s look at the specific nutrients that have been studied, remembering that all of these nutrients are available in foods as well as in supplements.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 helps your body produce a substance called myelin that shields some nerves and helps them transmit information and sensations faster and more efficiently. You can think of them as the insulation on electrical cables and wires. Getting enough B12 is essential for your health, and specifically for the prevention of neuropathy, which is the most common symptom of B12 deficiency.

Supplementing with B12 (especially in plant-based eaters who have a harder time getting this nutrient from food) can improve peripheral neuropathy, including the forms that are primarily caused by diabetes.

For more on B12, including how to ensure that you’re getting enough along with the best plant-based sources, check out our comprehensive article: Vitamin B12: Why it’s Important and How to Avoid B12 Deficiency.

Vitamin B1

Vitamin B1, also known as thiamine, is also a critical nutrient for your nerves. Peripheral neuropathy can be caused by a B1 deficiency, something that’s seen as part of the cluster of symptoms associated with beriberi. That’s because B1 plays a key role as a coenzyme in carbohydrate metabolism, which is the main energy supply for nerve fibers. It also protects nerves from oxidative damage.

Supplementing (with food-based thiamine or with a synthetic analogue, benfotiamine) or eating foods rich in B1 can help prevent or treat deficiency and neuropathy. In severe cases, patients may need intravenous thiamine to relieve symptoms.

Vitamin B3

Another neurological superhero from the B-Vitamin Cinematic Universe is vitamin B3, aka niacin. B3 plays a key role in the development and survival of nerve cells. Studies of rats have shown that supplementation with this family of vitamins can protect against nerve pain and injury, preserve muscle function and vision, and lessen pain and discomfort. (Our view on the use of animals in medical research is here.)

For people who are dealing with ongoing neuropathy, B3 supplementation appears to help only when done in combination with other B vitamins. When neuropathy is associated with cardiovascular disease, there’s research indicating that B3 may work better in conjunction with statins.

For more on the B vitamin family, check out our article: What B Vitamins Do You Need — And What Are The Best Vegan Sources of B Vitamins?

Vitamin E

Your central and peripheral nervous systems are both big fans (and avid users) of vitamin E. Deficiency of this nutrient negatively affects both systems and can lead to peripheral neuropathy. That’s because not having enough vitamin E can cause changes in peripheral nerves and hasten the loss of a type of neuron known as a DRG cell. DRG — dorsal root ganglia — cells are of particular importance because they are afferent neurons, conveying information inward from the body to the brain and spinal cord.

A 2014 study found that vitamin E supplementation reduced neuropathic pain in patients with diabetes. And a 2021 study of people with peripheral neuropathy caused by chemotherapy also found that vitamin E supplementation was an effective treatment.

For more on vitamin E, including its health benefits and some possible risks of supplementation (spoiler alert: it’s probably better to get it from food than from pills!), read our article on Vitamin E Benefits: Why it Matters & the Best Places to Find It.

Magnesium

Magnesium is important for the nerves to transmit messages optimally, as well as for neuromuscular coordination. Magnesium plays a bunch of roles in the nervous system, including keeping overexcited nerve cells from self-destructing. In blocking a nerve receptor called N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA), magnesium both calms the nervous system and prevents pain hypersensitivity.

Patients with diabetic neuropathy also tend to have lower levels of magnesium in their blood. And a 2015 study of rats showed improved neurological function recovery and enhanced nerve regeneration with a high-magnesium diet.

Find out more about magnesium in our article: All About Magnesium: Health Benefits, Risks, & Magnesium-Rich Foods You Should Know About.

Omega-3s

Omega-3s are another nutrient group that’s essential for the development and maintenance of healthy nerves. They can help prevent the death of nerve cells and improve their function by chilling out pro-inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways.

A 2017 study that gave supplements of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA to mice showed that the supplementation sped up their nerve regeneration and, based on observations of a reduction of pain behaviors, reduced their pain as well.

A 2021 study of humans with diabetic neuropathy also found that the lower the plasma DHA levels, the more prevalent multiple neuropathies were. Giving the subjects omega-3 therapy led to greater nerve regeneration.

Find out more about omega-3s in our comprehensive article: Omega-3s: Why Are They Important — And What Are the Best Sources for Your Health?

Alpha-Lipoic Acid

Alpha-lipoic acid is an antioxidant that your body manufactures in the mitochondria (or energy center) of your cells. It works to eliminate reactive oxygen species (ROS), and helps with neuropathy by improving circulation and enhancing the dilation of blood vessels. It also helps suppress a cytokine called prostaglandin E2, which is a key compound involved in inflammation. By affecting several different pathways of oxidative stress, alpha-lipoic acid may reduce sensory neuropathy pain.

Foods That May Help with Neuropathy

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What to Avoid with Neuropathy

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Recipes That May Help with Neuropathy

Increasing consumption of healing plant-based foods could be a wonderful and gentle support to anyone who is suffering from (or wants to avoid) nerve pain. With these tasty plant-based recipes, incorporating foods that contain supportive nutrients necessary for your nervous system can be enjoyable, simple, and nourishing for your nerves and your entire body.

1. Matcha Muffins

Whether enjoyed with your morning tea or as an afternoon pick-me-up, our Matcha Muffins are a testament to the idea that wholesome ingredients can be both delicious and supportive of your well-being. Made with oats, which contain a type of soluble fiber called beta-glucans, these muffins may aid in reducing inflammation and supporting overall nerve health. Their subtle sweetness and earthy undertones create a harmonious flavor blend that will satisfy your sweet cravings without the refined sugar.

2. Kale Caesar with Tofu Croutons

Kale Caesar with Tofu Croutons has many vital nutrients that can positively influence the health of your nerves. Kale contains sulforaphane, which may go a long way in reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, providing relief to those experiencing nerve damage and discomfort. The creamy Caesar dressing, nutty walnut parmesan, and crunchy tofu croutons are also brimming with nutrients such as B12, omega-3s, and magnesium — all essential for proper nerve functioning. This wholesome salad is a great go-to meal when you are looking for something consistent to enjoy in your journey toward improved nerve health.

3. Saffron Cauliflower and Chickpeas

Saffron may not be the first thing you think of when you consider natural remedies to help with pain relief, but it has actually been shown to have therapeutic effects for those living with neuropathy thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties. When combined with sulforaphane-rich cauliflower, this wholesome side dish will not only be a savory delight for you to enjoy but a nourishing experience for your nervous system as well.

Consider Your Diet When Dealing with Neuropathy

Healthy nerves require good nutrition. And without some specific nutrients, neuropathy can develop or become worse. For people with diabetes, it’s particularly important to eat a diet rich in nutrients, like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, all of which contain compounds that act like superheroes for our nerves.

On the other hand, some foods, especially those high in sugar and saturated fats, act a bit like neuropathy villains, worsening the problem and causing additional suffering. Once you understand the connection between what’s on your plate and how your nerves feel and function, you can make choices to support your health and quality of life.

Tell us in the comments:

• Have you or anyone you love ever experienced neuropathy?
• What are your favorite foods for neuropathy?
• Which neuropathy-busting recipe will you try next?

Featured Image: iStock.com/Sorapop

Read Next:

• The Best Foods (and Diet) to Help You Tackle Type 2 Diabetes
• How Diet and Good Gut Health Can Help Manage Pain & Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis

The post Neuropathy and Diet: How Nutrition Impacts Nerve Damage appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

The doctrine of signatures says that plants that resemble a condition or body part can in some way treat or alleviate related illnesses. Following that thinking, walnuts, which look like brains, were thought to ease headaches and mental health issues. Similarly, the scarlet roots of bloodroot were thought to treat diseases of the circulatory system. And since ginseng root looks like a human being, it was thought to aid and strengthen all parts of the human body. Indeed, the very word “ginseng” comes from the Chinese word for “man-root.”

But the doctrine of signatures is controversial and based on theory over scientific fact. So is it true that walnuts are actually good for brain health? What other walnut health benefits are there? And are walnuts good for the environment?

What Are Walnuts?

If you’re a word lover, you might enjoy adding “juglandaceous” to your vocabulary, in case you were missing a word for “of or pertaining to walnuts.” Walnuts are proud members of the Juglans genus, along with about 20 other tree species, including hickories and pecans.

Technically, walnuts can be classified as nuts or dry drupes, which is science’s alliterative way of talking about fruits with a single seed and a dry husk. Walnuts grow in groups of two or three and range between 1.5 and 2 inches in circumference.

The nut of the walnut forms inside a soft green outer husk and a hard shell. Crack that shell open carefully enough, and you’ll behold a whole walnut that resembles a human brain — including wrinkles, folds, and ridges.

Types of Walnuts

There are two main types of walnuts that you’re likely to encounter in your culinary adventures: English walnuts (also known as Persian), and black walnuts.

English or Persian Walnuts

English walnuts are the kind most walnut-eaters are familiar with, as they’re the type you’re likely to see in grocery stores. They have a sweet, mild flavor, and feature prominently in desserts, salads, and many savory dishes.

Although Persian walnuts originated in what is now Iran, they’re often referred to as English walnuts because they were brought to England by the Romans and traded throughout Europe. Since then, their popularity has led to them being grown commercially worldwide.

In the US, English walnut trees grow best in USDA Zones 4–8 (a classification system that tells farmers and gardeners which plants are hardy enough to thrive in various locations). More than 99% of US commercially grown English walnuts come from California, which supplies about half of the world’s walnut trade. Romania has become the main producer and exporter of walnuts in Europe.

Black Walnuts

Black walnuts are native to North America, and almost all of them come from trees growing in the wild rather than in commercial orchards. Since black walnut trees don’t grow in neat, evenly-spaced rows, they’re harvested by hand rather than by machine. The largest black walnut processor is Hammons Black Walnuts in Missouri.

Black walnuts are bolder and sweeter than English walnuts, with a distinctive earthy or musky flavor.

These nuts were and are an important part of Indigenous diets in the regions where they grow. It takes a lot of effort to harvest and remove their tough green husks and then crack open their extremely hard, black-ridged shells. There are even specialty nutcrackers made just for black walnuts.

In addition to eating black walnuts, you can use them for their oil, and for making deep black or brown dyes.

Walnut Nutrition

Like other tree nuts, walnuts have been an important source of plant-based fat and protein throughout much of recorded human history. They contain polyunsaturated fat in the form of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, including roughly 2.5 grams per ounce of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Omega-3s can also reduce the risk of heart disease and contribute to brain and immune health, as well as bringing anti-inflammatory benefits to the body.

Walnuts are high in B vitamins and are a rich source of minerals, including magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, and copper. Of all the tree nuts, walnuts are antioxidant champs, with higher concentrations than any other commonly consumed tree nut. As a whole plant food, they’re also a solid source of fiber.

Black walnuts may pack an even more potent nutritional punch. They’re higher in zinc and selenium than English walnuts and contain more antioxidants and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The Health Benefits of Walnuts

Measuring the amounts of nutrients found in walnuts is all well and good, but what’s the effect of all that nutritional goodness on human health? There’s some powerful evidence showing that eating walnuts can benefit your heart, digestive system, and, yes, your brain. They may also be able to fight cancer and decrease chronic inflammation.

Walnuts and Heart Health

A 2013 clinical trial found that people who added walnuts to their diet improved the health of their blood vessels. The addition also improved their cholesterol efflux, a process by which the body removes excess cholesterol from blood vessels. Both of these outcomes are beneficial for heart health.

A large study published in 2018 looked at health and dietary outcomes for over 200,000 participants, none of whom had heart disease at the start of the study. After following them for 25 years, about 14,000 of the participants experienced coronary events (heart attacks and strokes). But those who ate at least one serving of walnuts per week had a 13–26% lower risk of heart disease.

Since walnuts are high in calories, some people worry that they might contribute to weight gain and thus increase the risk of heart disease. A 2018 meta-analysis addressed that very concern.

Researchers looked at 26 studies that included over 1,000 participants, to see the effect that walnuts had on lipid levels, weight, and other heart disease risk factors. Their analysis showed that, on average, walnuts actually lowered total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and didn’t impact weight one way or the other.

Walnuts and Digestion

Walnuts can help to improve your gut health by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria.

A 2018 study found that when healthy people started eating just 43 grams of walnuts a day, after eight weeks, their gut microbiomes became healthier and more diverse.

Another 2018 study found that eating walnuts increased concentrations of beneficial bacteria that produce a substance called butyrate, which is good for intestinal health. Additionally, walnuts can reduce the number of harmful substances produced by certain bacteria that can cause inflammation and increase “bad” LDL cholesterol.

Walnuts and Brain Health

Now we get to the brain. Are walnuts good for cognitive health?

A 2014 review article concluded that walnuts should be included in prevention strategies against the epidemic of cognitive decline and dementia. The phytochemical substances present in walnuts not only decrease oxidative stress and inflammation in brain cells but also boost communication between neurons, stimulate the formation of new neurons, and assist in the removal of harmful proteins associated with the development of dementia.

While human studies have repeatedly shown that diets that include walnuts are associated with improved cognitive performance and better memory, a 2020 mouse study explored the possible mechanisms for this. The study found that walnuts’ antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties suppressed the production of free radicals and enhanced antioxidant protection, consequently lowering the risk of brain degeneration. (Our view on the use of animals in medical research is here.)

A 2022 article also reviewed some of the ways walnuts are known to combat neuroinflammation, a major contributor both to aging in general and to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s in particular. It quickly got technical on me, with phrases such as “inhibition of peripheral inflammation mediated by macrophages.” But the bottom line is that walnuts appear to reduce neuroinflammation through a number of synergistic biochemical mechanisms.

Walnuts and Cancer

A 2019 clinical trial studied the impact of walnut consumption on breast cancer growth and survival. Women with confirmed breast cancer cases were divided into two groups, one whose members began eating two ounces of walnuts daily after their initial biopsy, and a control group that did not change their diet.

After about two weeks, further samples were taken from the tumors. In the walnut-consuming group, the expression of 456 specific genes in the tumor was significantly altered to encourage cancer cell death and suppress cell growth and migration processes. This supports the idea that eating walnuts could potentially slow the growth of cancer cells and increase breast cancer survival rates.

A 2020 study found that black walnuts also demonstrate impressive anticancer activity, thanks to compounds such as penta-O-galloyl-β-d-glucose and quercetin 3-β-d-glucoside. I tried to remember the names of these compounds by putting them to the tune of “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” but I couldn’t get the syllables to match.

Walnuts and Inflammation

Black walnuts, in particular, show amazing anti-inflammatory powers. Two cultivars, named Surprise and Sparrow, demonstrated the ability to suppress inflammatory human white blood cells in a 2019 test-tube study.

But common English walnuts are no slouches in the anti-inflammatory department, either. In 2020, researchers published the results of a two-year trial in which one group of older adults consumed roughly 15% of their daily calories from walnuts, while others ate a similar but walnut-free diet. They found that the walnuts had a health-promoting effect on several inflammatory molecules implicated in cardiovascular disease.

Walnuts may battle inflammation through a compound known as ellagitannins, which can do some very cool anti-inflammatory things. It breaks down in your body to release another compound called ellagic acid. And your gut bacteria then transform this into substances called urolithins, which may have strong anti-inflammatory properties.

Are Walnuts Sustainable?

In general, nuts and other plant-based protein sources produce far fewer greenhouse gas emissions than animal-based food products. The main issue for walnuts is their need for water since half the English walnuts consumed in the world are grown in California — a state perennially vulnerable to drought.

Each pound of walnuts takes about 1,260 gallons of water, which is less than a pound of almonds or beef (which is kind of in a class by itself, requiring 2,400 gallons of water per pound), but still quite a bit — especially in a water-poor region.

However, walnut trees can also benefit the environment in some important ways. Walnut plantations studied in China increased soil carbon and promoted microbial growth and activities.

And black walnuts are potentially even more sustainable, at least on a small scale, since they are wild-grown and harvested by hand. They require no pesticides and don’t need fossil-fuel-driven machines for harvesting.

Walnut shells also have many industrial uses, some of which are being explored to replace less environmentally friendly alternatives. For example, the shells are being added to substances called geopolymers that can make highly effective insulation.

Walnut shells also have uses as gardening mulch and ground cover, animal bedding, ingredients in the manufacture of activated carbon, abrasive elements in cleaning products, and an energy source for bioethanol production.

Walnuts for the Win

Walnuts are an important tree nut and have been for thousands of years. And while they do use a lot of water, walnuts can also be good for the environment by pulling carbon into the soil. Their impressive nutritional profile makes them a standout for both culinary purposes and medicinal uses. Walnuts are a rich source of healthy fats and protein. And they’ve been found to have benefits for heart, brain, and digestive health, as well as in fighting cancer and inflammation.

For more on how to choose, store, and use walnuts in recipes, check out our article here.

Tell us in the comments:

• How often do you eat walnuts?
• What are your favorite ways to enjoy them?
• What surprised you the most about the health benefits of walnuts?

Featured Image: iStock.com/aslanyus

Read Next:

• You Won’t Believe How Healthy Nuts Are for You
• Are Hazelnuts Good for You? How & Why to Use Hazelnuts

The post Walnuts: Understanding Their Benefits, Nutrition, and Sustainability appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

Plants communicate with us and the world using the language of color as well. While they don’t share romantic sentiments (as far as we know — although I’ve known some blackberry brambles that could get quite handsy), they do give us clues as to their healing powers.

The compounds in plants that enable them to send such signals are called polyphenols. There are over 8,000 of them (at least that we know of), and they belong to a few distinct families. The largest of these families, with over 6,000 compounds (and counting), is flavonoids.

(If you’re eager to read a big honking article all about flavonoids and why they’re so good for you, click here.)

One of the most commonly consumed flavonoids is called quercetin. It’s also one of the most studied. And it’s often touted as a nutrient that can play a big role in the prevention and treatment of heart disease. But what does science say about quercetin? How does it work in the body? Does it have other health benefits aside from cardiovascular? What foods are the best sources? And do you need to supplement to get enough?

Let’s explore the mysterious world of quercetin, and find out all the ways this powerhouse compound is trying to express its love.

What Is Quercetin?

Quercetin is a proud member of the flavonoid family of polyphenols — a class of phytonutrients produced by plants to help them resist fungi, bacteria, and other infections, as well as deter consumption by insects and animals. Quercetin comes in several forms, and one of the most famous among them is rutin.

Rutin has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and provides some protection against cancer and other diseases. It’s found in high concentrations in buckwheat, and in ginkgo, apples, and other fruits and vegetables.

Rutin, like almost all forms of quercetin, acts as an antioxidant in the body, helping protect you from disease, much like it protects plants from bugs and harmful bacteria. In your body, antioxidants help regulate oxidative stress pathways, preventing and repairing cellular and DNA damage.

Quercetin Health Benefits

Quercetin works on so many systems in the body that it’s no surprise it appears useful in preventing and treating a wide range of conditions. It’s usually easiest for researchers to study a compound when given as a supplement because food comes with a myriad of synergistic variables (such as antioxidants, fiber, calories, and other nutrients) that can impact results. So, most of the research on quercetin has involved supplemental forms. However, keep in mind that, as with most nutrients, food forms are probably best. Here are a few health benefits of quercetin that have been solidly backed up by scientific research (many involving supplementation, for the purposes of the studies).

Quercetin and Heart Health

Quercetin has shown impressive cardiovascular effects in animal and test-tube studies. It lowers blood pressure, reduces cholesterol levels, improves glucose control, prevents the buildup of plaque in arteries, and protects the heart from damage. Clinical trials in humans have found that quercetin can contribute to healthier cholesterol numbers.

A 2016 meta-analysis of seven small controlled clinical trials (with a total of under 600 participants) found a reduction of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure with quercetin supplementation of more than 500 milligrams per day.

One way quercetin can support your heart is by protecting one of the cardiovascular system’s “weakest links:” the endothelial lining of your blood vessels. The endothelium performs a host of essential functions, including helping control the width of your blood vessels and playing a role in blood clotting, inflammation, and immune responses. As it ages, it tends to wear out, and modern drugs and surgical techniques haven’t been able to extend its working life.

Quercetin, on the other hand, appears to protect the endothelium from damage, and in doing so, could help to prevent certain types of heart disease.

Quercetin for COVID-19

Quercetin is known for its antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and other beneficial effects in the fight against SARS, a coronavirus in the same family as COVID-19.  That’s why scientists have had high hopes for the flavonoid as a means of preventing and treating COVID-19.

Researchers in 2022 found that quercetin did indeed inhibit three parts of the coronavirus cycle of infection: entry, absorption, and penetration. They suggested that it might work synergistically with vitamins C, D, and E as well as other polyphenols as a first-line prevention and treatment protocol for the novel coronavirus.

This was put to the test in a study published in early 2023, in which 50 patients with COVID-19 were given either standard of care or standard of care plus 500 milligrams of quercetin per day. The quercetin group had fewer symptoms than the control group, recovered faster, and tested negative sooner as well.

Some researchers and clinicians are starting to include quercetin in “inventive” drug compositions designed to treat COVID-19, pairing it with vitamins, other phytonutrients, and mainstream pharmaceuticals like Paxlovid.

Quercetin and Cancer

Quercetin appears to disrupt the progression of some cancers, particularly those of the gastrointestinal system, by pushing cancerous cells to self-destruct (a process known as apoptosis). It can also arrest the cycle through which the cancer cells divide and proliferate, as well as inhibit angiogenesis, which is the creation of new blood vessels in a growing tumor.

And that’s just scratching the surface of the ways quercetin appears to mess with cancer. Recently, researchers have been exploring the use of quercetin as an ingredient in “chemoprevention” cocktails that aim to stop cancer before it turns into a clinically significant disease. Preliminary studies have shown that quercetin is lethal to ovarian cancer cells at doses well within the range considered to be safe for daily consumption.

Quercetin for Inflammation

One of the most significant risk factors in the development of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes is obesity. But why? What’s the connection?

Some researchers point to the fact that obesity causes chronic inflammation, particularly in the liver, fat cells, skeletal muscles, and circulatory system. Quercetin’s anti-inflammatory power can lessen insulin resistance (a key driver of type 2 diabetes) and combat atherosclerosis (a big component of heart disease). Also, quercetin helps gut microbiota stay healthy even when dealing with obesity-related inflammation.

A 2020 study found that treating skin cells with quercetin protected them against damage from the inflammation that accompanies skin conditions like atopic dermatitis. Quercetin increased levels of protective compounds (occludin and E-cadherin, if you’re into the details here) and reduced levels of harmful ones (matrix metalloproteinases, to be precise). What’s more, wounds treated with quercetin healed faster, due partly to an increased production of skin proteins and inhibition of the release of enzymes that can degrade skin tissue.

Quercetin’s anti-inflammatory properties suggest that it may also be a powerful booster of the immune system. But as careful scientists love to say, “More research is needed.”

Quercetin and Brain Health

Scientists are also hopeful about quercetin’s potential as a therapy to prevent the progression of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s. It may shield your brain cells from harmful effects caused by unstable molecules (there’s that antioxidant superpower again) while also reducing the breakdown of fats in the brain.

Quercetin also stops the buildup of specific harmful proteins, preventing cell destruction and what’s ominously known as inflammatory cascade pathways.

In addition to Alzheimer’s, other neurodegenerative diseases that are fueled by inflammation include Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The inflammation in the brain among these disorders can lead to neuronal cell death, with devastating consequences for health, life span, and quality of life.

Recent research has uncovered a possible mechanism by which quercetin can put a stop to this inflammation — by influencing the expression of microRNA. MicroRNA is a small noncoding RNA molecule involved in various biological processes, including development, cell differentiation, and proliferation. Some researchers believe that quercetin’s ability to influence microRNA could be a powerful tool in preventing the damage that accompanies inflammation, and they’re exploring methods of delivering the nutrient in ways that increase its efficacy.

Quercetin Bioavailability

Your body can’t make its own quercetin, so the only way to take advantage of this amazing compound is to get it from food or supplements. If you’re eating a nutritionally excellent diet with a variety of whole plant foods, the good news is that you can expect to consume up to 13 milligrams of quercetin per day.

The less good news is that quercetin bioavailability is generally low. Or at least, humans don’t appear to be very good at absorbing it. All is not lost, though. It turns out that some of your gut microbes are very good at metabolizing quercetin into forms your body can use and benefit from.

There are several ways to increase the bioavailability of quercetin. A 2005 study measured the amount of quercetin in several onion cultivars that were either baked, sautéed, or boiled. Researchers found that baking and sautéing increased quercetin concentrations while boiling decreased them.

You can also absorb more quercetin if you pair quercetin-containing foods with a fat source. That’s because quercetin dissolves in fat, which is why it’s known as lipophilic. And having those foods along with sources of water-soluble fiber, such as pectin and soybeans, may also improve quercetin bioavailability.

Finally, quercetin is more bioavailable when consumed as part of a whole food. That is to say, your body appears to recognize it and know what to do with it when it is delivered in a familiar package, together with all the other phytonutrients contained in that food.

Food Sources of Quercetin

Should You Take Quercetin Supplements?

Since quercetin is in so many different plant foods, for most people, supplements are probably not necessary — especially since whole-food sources appear to be more bioavailable.

There might be some instances, however, in which quercetin supplements could be beneficial. For someone suffering from chronic inflammation, supplemental quercetin may help. And studies have shown that it can inhibit histamine production and pro-inflammatory mediators, which could help allergy sufferers.

A 2016 study of rats who had had noxious chemicals sprayed into their nostrils found that supplementing at 25 milligrams per kilogram of body weight for at least five days reduced nasal rubbing and sneezing. (Our view on the use of animals in medical research is here.)

As we’ve seen, quercetin supplementation can reduce the length and seriousness of COVID-19, especially if administered at an early stage. It may also be able to improve performance and recovery in athletes, who seem to need more antioxidants than other people to counter the oxidative damage brought on by intense physical exertion.

In terms of safety, clinical trials of supplemental quercetin have shown no significant side effects with doses of up to 1,000 milligrams per day for up to 12 weeks. As quercetin isn’t very bioavailable to begin with, supplements often include another bioactive compound that can help with absorbability. Quercetin may be absorbed more effectively when combined with bromelain, zinc, and/or vitamin C.

Side Effects of Quercetin Supplements

The most common side effects of quercetin supplements are headache and upset stomach.

In terms of drug interactions — quercetin can impact how the body responds to certain medications, including blood thinners, antibiotics, and other drugs with a similar chemical structure. Quercetin may also interact with chemotherapy drugs used to treat cancer. Whether it improves their effectiveness or gets in their way is still up for debate.

And in female rats with estrogen-induced breast cancer, even dietary quercetin was problematic, as it increased tumor severity. However, it remains to be seen whether the same can be said for humans.

Since studies show that quercetin can significantly lower blood pressure and may protect cardiovascular health, it may enhance the effects of blood pressure and blood-thinning medications. Therefore, it’s probably best to talk with your health care provider before starting quercetin supplementation if you’re taking these types of medications.

Recipes with Quercetin

From delightful salads featuring quercetin-packed blueberries to a hearty dish that incorporates quercetin-rich artichokes, these recipes provide delicious ideas for how to enjoy everyday quercetin-filled foods. Enjoy the healing benefits of quercetin to help nourish your heart health, immune system, brain function, and more — all while indulging in plenty of delicious whole food, plant-based ingredients!

1. Cinnamon Apple Breakfast Smoothie

Indulge in our Cinnamon Apple Breakfast Smoothie, a delightful morning treat that not only tantalizes your taste buds but will also boost your day with quercetin and other vital nutrients. At the heart of this smoothie lies the unassuming apple, packed with quercetin, a potent flavonoid renowned for its antioxidant prowess. By including an apple in your smoothie, you’re also inviting the goodness of quercetin to join the party, enhancing both flavor and nutrition.

2. The Shine Brightly Salad

We just love how The Shine Brightly Salad can’t help but put a smile on people’s faces. The addition of sweet and juicy blueberries is one big reason why! Blueberries are bursting with quercetin, which is your ally in the fight against oxidative stress and inflammation. Plus, when combined with fresh leafy greens and toasty sunflower seeds, you’ll enjoy a fresh and vibrant salad that will help you shine from the inside out!

3. Cheesy Artichoke and Asparagus Penne

Artichokes are among the top quercetin-rich veggies — and boy, oh boy, do we love them (and hope you do, too!). This Cheesy Artichoke and Asparagus Penne is loaded with powerful antioxidants, phytochemicals, and essential minerals like magnesium, potassium, niacin, and folate. Adding artichokes to your diet regularly is a great way to lower inflammation and increase healing through plant power. What’s more, this colorful pasta has tons of fiber from the veggies, whole grains, and lentils, as well as protein from the lentils — so you’ve got the complete package when it comes to this meal.

Embrace the Power of Quercetin

Quercetin, a compound found in some of our most popular fruits and vegetables, is a powerhouse of nutritional goodness. Thanks to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-boosting abilities, it appears to be something of a dietary medicine cabinet in a single nutrient.

Some people, such as athletes and those suffering from respiratory illnesses like COVID-19, may benefit from supplementation. But for most people, eating a varied and balanced diet will allow you to get the quercetin (and other phytonutrients and antioxidants) you need to optimize your health.

Tell us in the comments:

• Which colors of the “food rainbow” do you want to eat more often?
• What are your favorite quercetin-containing foods?
• Which quercetin-rich recipe will you try next?

Featured Image: iStock.com/Marko Jan

Read Next:

• What Are Flavonoids? And How Are They Good for Your Health?
• Eat the Rainbow: Why Is it Important to Eat a Colorful Variety of Fruits and Vegetables?

The post Quercetin: Health Benefits, Risks, and Sources Compared appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

In this article, we’ll embark on a journey to demystify the realm of antioxidants, delving into what they are, the types of antioxidants, and why they’re essential for our well-being.

Join us as we uncover the vibrant world of antioxidants and unveil the top foods and beverages that deliver a potent dose of these health-enhancing compounds.

Oxidation and Free Radicals

“Antioxidant” is a scientific term that literally means “substance that inhibits oxidization.” So in order to understand antioxidants, it helps to first understand oxidation and what happens during this process.

Oxidation happens naturally as your cells process the oxygen you breathe and convert it into energy. During this process, electrons pass along a series of molecules in something called cellular respiration. However, some electrons break free and become unpaired, damaging cells and DNA in their search for other electrons.

Molecules with one or more electrons are called free radicals.

Some free radicals form during natural processes like inflammation from an acute injury. But others develop in response to external factors like fried foods, alcohol, tobacco smoke, pesticides, pollutants in the air, and eating an unhealthy diet.

While free radicals aren’t inherently bad (your body uses them for certain processes, like fighting off problematic bacteria), they are highly unstable and can cause damage to your DNA, proteins, and cell membranes. The key is to have a balance — enough free radicals for their useful functions but not so many as to cause damage. When there are too many free radicals, they overwhelm the body’s natural repair processes and cause health problems.

Oxidative Stress and Antioxidants

A buildup of too many free radicals in the body is known as oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress is thought to be a leading cause of age-related and non-age-related deterioration and disease, including memory loss, the breakdown of organs, autoimmune disorders, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and even wrinkles.

And that’s where antioxidants come into play. They are the good guys in the fight against excessive free radicals and subsequent oxidative stress. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals from oxidation by giving them the electrons they need to stabilize.

This is not just a one-and-done situation, however. Every day, your body is creating free radicals. So you need to consume antioxidants daily in order to keep your cells healthy and in balance. Without antioxidants, free radicals would build up and create significant oxidative stress, putting you at higher risk for a number of chronic diseases and other health issues. This is called oxidative debt.

What’s the Solution to Oxidative Debt?

It’s estimated that we need between 8,000 and 11,000 antioxidant units per day to avoid a deficit. But the average American doesn’t even get half the minimum recommended amount of antioxidants.

This deficiency may be part of the reason why oxidative stress-related diseases, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer, are so prevalent in industrialized countries.

The solution? We need to consume more antioxidants.

What Are the Different Kinds of Antioxidants?

There are thousands of substances that act as antioxidants in the body. However, not all antioxidants are interchangeable or operate exactly the same way. Some antioxidants excel at fighting certain types of reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as free radicals, while others are effective only in specific parts of your cells.

Your body naturally produces some antioxidants, but most of them have to come from your diet.

While most foods contain some antioxidants, plant foods are the primary source. On average, plant-based foods contain 64 times more antioxidants than animal-based foods.

So what are the most important antioxidants to pay attention to?

Vitamin E

While there are eight forms of fat-soluble vitamin E, α-tocopherol is the most bioactive form of this antioxidant in humans. Vitamin E supports cardiovascular health and immune function, and is good for your eyes, skin, and brain. But it’s necessary to get it from food rather than supplements to reap its benefits. Top food sources include nuts, seeds, avocado, bell peppers, and mango.

For more on vitamin E, including the best sources, see our article, here.

Vitamin C

This crucial water-soluble antioxidant has actually been shown to regenerate other antioxidants. While it’s best known for preventing scurvy and maybe the common cold, vitamin C is also necessary for collagen production and can protect your skin from the sun. Top food sources include citrus fruits, bell peppers, broccoli, papaya, and brussels sprouts.

To find out more about the benefits of vitamin C, see our article, here.

Vitamin A

Technically, vitamin A is a group of compounds known as fat-soluble retinoids, rather than a single vitamin. Together, these compounds make up vitamin A, which is an important antioxidant for eye health specifically, as well as immune support and reproductive health. There are both active forms and precursors available in food, the former mainly being in animal products while the latter are found in plants.

Plant-based vitamin A compounds are called carotenoids and include beta-carotene and lycopene, as well as lutein and zeaxanthin. While not all of these carotenoids convert to vitamin A, they are all important antioxidants for good health.

For more on vitamin A and carotenoids, see our article, here.

• Beta-carotene — This red/orange plant pigment combines with other elements to form vitamin A in your body. Top food sources include carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, spinach, kale, cantaloupe, and apricots.
• Lycopene — This fat-soluble antioxidant can mostly be found in red- and pink-hued foods. The most famous source is tomatoes, but it’s also found in watermelon, pink grapefruit, pink guava, papaya, and goji berries.
• Lutein and Zeaxanthin — These carotenoids are vital for good vision and work together to protect your eyes from oxidative stress. Top sources of lutein and zeaxanthin are cantaloupe, corn, carrots, and red and yellow bell peppers.

Selenium

This important antioxidant is actually a mineral and originates in soil, where it’s soaked up by growing plants. Selenium is crucial for reproductive hormones as well as thyroid health. Top food sources include Brazil nuts, brown rice, mushrooms, oatmeal, and spinach.

Zinc

The mineral zinc can work as an antioxidant in the body. However, it also works synergistically with other antioxidants to increase their impact. Zinc is essential for DNA protection, wound healing, and the health and functioning of your immune system. For some people, leading sources of zinc are seafood like oysters, crab, and lobster. But good plant-based sources include nuts, seeds, whole grains, and legumes.

For more on the benefits and risks of zinc, and how much you need, see our article, here.

Polyphenols

Polyphenols are a category of pigments, of which the largest group is called flavonoids. They include subgroups like flavones (luteolin and apigenin), anthocyanidins (malvidin, pelargonidin, peonidin, and cyanidin), flavanones (hesperetin, eriodictyol, and naringenin), and isoflavones (genistein, glycitein, and daidzein). Best known for their disease-protective effects, polyphenols can be found in many different types of plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. Coffee, tea, and dark chocolate are also popular sources of polyphenols.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

These polyunsaturated fatty acids come in three main forms: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Some plant foods have ALA, but EPA and DHA are found mainly in fish, certain sea vegetables, and algae. The human body can convert ALA to EPA and DHA, though the efficiency of conversion varies from person to person.

Some people are efficient converters and may do just fine if they eat plenty of ALA. Others benefit from a direct form of DHA and EPA — whether from fish, fish oil, or from an algae-based supplement. Popular foods highest in ALA are flax seeds and chia seeds, with moderate amounts in hemp seeds and walnuts.

Omega-3s are beneficial for brain and heart health along with possessing anti-inflammatory and immune-supporting qualities.

For more on omega-3 fatty acids, including the best sources and how much you need, see our article, here.

Are Antioxidant Supplements Worthwhile?

Many antioxidants are available as highly concentrated supplements. So how does that compare to eating them in food directly?

In a 2004 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers put some participants on a fruit- and vegetable-heavy diet while giving others a supplement containing the same antioxidant nutrients.

The study leaders concluded that dietary intervention was better than the supplements at combating oxidative stress.

Foods contain a variety of antioxidants that work synergistically, so they tend to be more effective than supplements, which offer nutrients in isolation.

In fact, the majority of studies on antioxidant supplements have concluded that they provide few, if any, significant health benefits.

Risks of Antioxidant Supplements

While I’m not aware of any research that shows problems ensuing from overconsumption of antioxidants from food, it does seem that some antioxidants can be harmful when taken excessively in supplement form. For example:

• Beta-carotene: A 1996 study published in The FASEB Journal found that beta-carotene supplements may actually increase lung cancer incidence in smokers. This conclusion was also confirmed again in a 2019 randomized, double-blind trial among Finnish men.
• Vitamin E: A 2005 meta-analysis published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine found that taking a daily dose of 200 IU of vitamin E per day did not raise the risk of death and had possible health benefits. However, the researchers found that for those taking daily doses of 400 IU or more, the risk of death was about 10% higher than among those taking placebos.
• Selenium: High levels of selenium supplementation have been linked to type 2 diabetes, high triglycerides, prostate cancer, heart disease, and issues with immune and thyroid function.

Top Antioxidant-Rich Foods

In a 2010 study published in Nutrition Journal, researchers measured the antioxidant concentration of more than 3,100 foods, including everything from nuts and seeds to breakfast cereals and grilled chicken.

Their conclusion? “Antioxidant-rich foods originate from the plant kingdom while meat, fish, and other foods from the animal kingdom are low in antioxidants.”

Here are 12 of the top antioxidant-rich foods and spices; and remember, it’s important to eat organic as much as possible because pesticides can also create free radicals in our bodies:

1. Clove

The study mentioned above ranks clove as one of the foods with the highest antioxidant capacities thanks to its high levels of phenolic compounds. Clove is also known for its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory capabilities, making it an important food for immunity. While often associated with the holidays, ground clove has a sweet-meets-savory flavor and can be used in desserts, mocktails, soups, and many other flavorful dishes.

2. Pomegranate

Both pomegranate arils and juice have a high antioxidant content due to their flavonols, vitamin C, and the anthocyanins that give them their color. The compounds in pomegranates make for effective free radical scavengers and can reduce oxidative stress. Use the arils in salads and desserts, and the juice in dressings, marinades, and beverages.

For more on pomegranates and their benefits, check out our in-depth article on them.

3. Artichokes

According to the aforementioned Nutrition Journal study, artichokes are among the top antioxidant-rich veggies. But don’t just eat the hearts — the leaves contain a lot of the good stuff, including phytochemicals and flavonols! If you’ve never cooked whole artichokes, it’s easier than it appears. Find out more in our article, Artichokes: Nutrition, Benefits, & How to Cook and Eat Them.

4. Oregano

A great addition to plant-based pizza or almost any savory dish, oregano is big on taste and nutrient density. Research has found it to be a strong antioxidant due to the phenols carvacrol and thymol.

You can easily grow oregano at home in an indoor or outdoor garden, along with other antioxidant-rich herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, and sage. We use it in our Vegan Feta, and it is absolutely delicious!

For more on oregano, see our article, here.

5. Allspice

This versatile spice contains vitamin A, vitamin C, eugenol, quercetin, and tannins. Often used as a folk remedy, allspice has antioxidant properties that are protective against cardiovascular disease, digestive disorders, and obesity. It’s commonly added to sweet dishes and baked goods, or for a more robust flavor, try adding it to stews, curries, and soups. Some people even like it in lasagna sauce!

6. Cinnamon

While not quite as potent as clove, cinnamon is another fragrant spice commonly used in baked goods and other sweets that’s a powerful antioxidant. It’s also known for its specific ability to relax blood vessels, making it a valuable functional food for metabolic disorders. To reap its full benefits, use it with other nutrient-dense foods like oats or legumes.

7. Moringa

While you might expect to see other leafy greens on this list such as kale or collard greens, moringa packs an even more powerful punch. Although not as common as these other leafy greens, moringa is becoming more available either fresh or powdered. It’s a good thing, too, because it’s loaded with polyphenols, carotenoids, and vitamin C. And its capability to fight cell damage also gives it antitumor potential in fighting multiple types of cancer. Include it in smoothies and other beverages, along with soups, stews, and curries.

For more on moringa, read our in-depth article, Meet Moringa: What Is This Transformative Superfood Good For?

8. Blackberries

A 2023 study on blackberries showed they have powerful antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activity. It also found they could have applications in both the prevention and treatment of various diseases linked to oxidative stress due to their high levels of anthocyanins, as well as vitamins A and C, carotenoids, and other phytochemicals. You can use blackberries however you use other berries, such as in smoothies and smoothie bowls, salads (including fruit salads), baked goods and other desserts, and mocktails.

If you’re interested in creative ways to enjoy berries, check out our article, 5 Healthy Berry Recipes & How to Use Berries.

9. Sunflower Seeds

Of all the most eaten seeds, sunflower seeds rule them all in terms of antioxidant capacity. Sunflower seeds are high in vitamin E and also contain omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, and flavonoids. Although they’re plenty healthy on their own, sprouting the seeds may increase their antioxidant content. You can use sunflower seeds or sprouts in salads, granola, homemade crackers and other snack foods, and in veggie burgers.

10. Dark Chocolate

Chocolate may be responsible for up to 20% of antioxidant consumption in the US and Europe. But when it comes to chocolate, the higher the percentage of cocoa, the better. Dark chocolate has a wealth of antioxidant compounds including polyphenols, flavanols, and catechins. However, if you’re going to eat dark chocolate, you may want to find out the lead and cadmium content as heavy metals have become a concern. You can use chocolate in desserts like nice cream and baked goods, smoothies, overnight oats, or granola.

11. Walnuts

Of all the commonly eaten nuts, when it comes to antioxidants, walnuts reign supreme. In fact, walnuts are one of the plant foods consistently ranked high in terms of antioxidant capacity. They had the highest level of polyphenols out of nine different nuts in one study, and showed potential for inhibiting atherosclerosis and preventing heart disease. Walnuts go well in baked goods, granola, oatmeal; sweet or savory side dishes; and in salads, sauces, and dressings.

12. Coffee

This popular beverage turns out to have loads of antioxidants such as flavonoids and quercetin. In fact, in many different countries, including the US, coffee is the #1 source of antioxidants — by a wide margin. Some researchers even consider caffeine to be an antioxidant, of which coffee also has plenty. Drink coffee straight to get the most bang for your buck. What you put in your coffee matters, as sugar and dairy can have harmful effects on your health and can decrease the coffee’s antioxidant effects.

For more on coffee, check out our in-depth article, here.

Antioxidant Recipes

The healing benefits of antioxidants never cease to amaze us, and what’s even more amazing are all the tasty ways you can consume them daily! Antioxidants are found in both sweet and savory plant-based foods, so no matter which tastes you prefer, we’ve got something for everyone with these antioxidant-rich recipes!

1. Morning Mocha Smoothie

Coffee and chocolate may be two of the most soul-satisfying antioxidant-rich foods on the planet. Featuring them together creates a flavor combination that is simply blissful! Because you get two superfood stars in one scrumptious smoothie, you get tremendous amounts of polyphenols (a potent type of antioxidant). With the addition of bananas, dates, walnuts (which are also rich in antioxidants), and hemp seeds, you get a nutrient-powered smoothie that will surely give you a boost of energy to start the day!

2. Grilled Romaine, Sunflower, and Pomegranate Salad

Nutty sunflower seeds and tart pomegranate are the antioxidant duo you didn’t see coming! Grilled romaine not only puts a new spin on salad, but this recipe also provides an explosion of plant-based antioxidants like vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, and polyphenols from the sunflower seeds as well as vitamin C, flavonols, and anthocyanins from the pomegranate. With so many antioxidant-rich ingredients in this simple yet delicious salad, it’s a winner both in nutrition and presentation!

3. Cheesy Artichoke and Asparagus Penne

Artichokes are among the top antioxidant-rich veggies — and boy, oh boy do we love them (and hope you do, too!) in this Cheesy Artichoke and Asparagus Penne! Full of powerful antioxidant properties, phytochemicals, and essential minerals like magnesium, potassium, niacin, and folate, adding artichokes to your diet regularly is a great way to turn down inflammation and turn up healing plant power. What’s more, this colorful pasta is packed with fiber from the veggies, whole grains, and lentils as well as protein from the lentils — so you’ve got the complete package when it comes to this meal.

Here’s What You Can Take Away from This Article

Now that we’ve taken a look at antioxidants, it’s time to eat the rainbow and spice up your daily diet with as many antioxidant foods as you can. They can help protect you from heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, vision loss, and many other health challenges. And they can even help you to feel and look younger!

When it comes to antioxidants, the whole really is greater than the sum of its parts. So feast on a variety of whole plant foods, and your body will thank you for the rest of your life.

Tell us in the comments:

• How does this article change how you think about antioxidants?

• What types of antioxidants do you need more of in your diet?

• What are your favorite antioxidant-rich foods?

Featured Image: iStock.com/YelenaYemchuk

Read Next:

• What Are Flavonoids? And How Are They Good for Your Health?

The post What Are Antioxidants? And What Are the Most Antioxidant-Rich Foods? appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

One of the poster children for dose dependence is the mineral selenium. It’s a trace element essential for human health, and science didn’t figure that out until the 1950s. Before then, most researchers were certain that it was as toxic as arsenic and, therefore, had no place anywhere near human mouths. They weren’t entirely wrong, as too much selenium is very bad for you indeed.

Selenium gained notoriety as a toxin long before scientists realized it was essential for health. While the first reported case of what was probably selenium poisoning goes way back — all the way back to Marco Polo, who wrote about a disease he encountered in 13th-century China that rotted horses’ hooves — it wasn’t until the 1930s that selenium became notorious as a potentially toxic element.

After eating plants with high selenium content over a period of time, animals like horses and cattle developed a disease graphically named the “blind staggers,” which featured such symptoms as blindness, loss of muscle control, disorientation, and respiratory distress.

And then, in 1957, scientists discovered a health benefit to the element when selenium supplementation was shown to prevent necrosis of the liver in rats. (Our view on the use of animals in medical research is here.)

Further biochemical research found that selenium was essential for the function of an important group of antioxidant enzymes called glutathione peroxidases. That function appears to help with the prevention of several diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, thyroid problems, and neurological disorders.

So in this article, we’ll look at some of selenium’s most important benefits when it comes to your health. And since it’s critical for your survival, but too much can poison you, we’ll explore exactly how much you need. We’ll also identify the best sources, and set you up for selenium success if you eat an exclusively plant-based diet.

What Is Selenium?

Selenium, or Se on the periodic table, is a mineral found in soil. It exists in two forms: organic and inorganic. Plants can uptake the inorganic variety and transform it into organic selenium, as either selenomethionine or selenocysteine, which are bound to amino acids and help build proteins in plants, animals, and people. Like vitamins and certain amino acids, selenium synthesis doesn’t happen on its own in the body. Therefore, it’s necessary to get it from diet or supplementation.

First discovered in 1817, selenium means “moon” in Greek. It got that name when its discoverer, Jons Jacob Berzelius — who had a sulfuric acid factory in early 19th-century Sweden — originally mistook it for another recently discovered element, tellurium, which means “Earth element.”

The mistaken view that selenium and tellurium were the same arose, apparently, from the fact that they both smelled strongly of horseradish when burned! When he realized his mistake, Mr. Berzelius simply named it after the nearest heavenly body to the earth, which of course is the moon.

While tellurium is relatively rare and pretty much always hazardous to human health, selenium has a number of important uses in the body and is beneficial to health in appropriate doses (which we’ll go over shortly).

Selenium Benefits and Uses

Once scientists got their heads around the idea that selenium did things other than giving livestock the blind staggers, they began finding positive effects of selenium pretty much everywhere they looked. We now know that selenium supports cardiovascular health, cancer prevention, kidney and respiratory function, inflammatory response, thyroid function, and the body’s ability to fight infection.

Is Selenium Good for the Heart?

Researchers in 2006 looked at 25 studies, dating back to 1982, that measured both incidence of coronary heart disease and levels of selenium found in participants’ blood and/or toenails. They found that a 50% increase in selenium concentration translated, on average, to a 24% decreased risk of heart disease.

Keshan’s disease, which causes enlargement of the heart and palpitations along with cardiomyopathy and heart failure, is also thought to originate from selenium-deficient soil. First reported in Keshan County, China, the disease killed thousands from the 1930s–1960s until selenium supplementation came along, leading to a reversal in the disease for many.

Selenium and Cancer

Some research suggests that supplementing with selenium can help prevent cancer, particularly for people who have low selenium levels to begin with, or who have a higher-than-average risk of developing cancer.

In one meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, researchers found that taking selenium supplements seemed to lower the overall chance of getting cancer.

We’ve also seen that patients with some cancers, including cervical, ovarian, endometrial, breast, and thyroid cancer, show reduced selenium levels. But correlation is not causation, and it can be hard to know whether selenium deficiency causes cancer, or whether cancer causes low selenium levels. That’s why it’s significant that one study found that selenium supplementation caused regression of the CIN1 type (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1, in case you were in suspense about that) of cervical cancer.

A 2016 meta-analysis of six case-control studies also found that people with the highest intake of selenium had a significantly reduced risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

And selenium definitely shines when it comes to reducing the risk of gastric cancer (aka stomach cancer). A 2016 meta-analysis of eight studies found that people with higher levels of selenium had a lower chance of getting stomach cancer, and were also less likely to die from the disease if they did get it.

Selenium COVID Benefits

An intriguing 2023 study even looked at whether selenium levels in the blood have an impact on the development and severity of COVID-19. The researchers found that, on average, healthy people had higher selenium levels compared to those with COVID-19 symptoms. Whether COVID-19 lowers selenium stores or whether low selenium levels make it more likely to contract COVID-19 is still an open question that deserves further research.

Selenium and Asthma

Asthma is another condition where selenium appears to play a role — though here, too, we don’t yet understand which way the causal relationship goes. But, we do know that both adults and children diagnosed with asthma have lower selenium levels than those without the disease. And the less controlled the condition, the lower the levels of selenium.

Selenium and Kidney Disease

If selenium and your kidneys ever posted their relationship status on social media, it would definitely include the phrase “it’s complicated.” On the one hand, an analysis of 12 years of data for over 30,000 people showed that those who ingested more selenium had a lower risk of kidney stones compared to those who had less. This was especially true for younger people, males, and those who were overweight or obese.

On the other hand, a 2022 study suggested that higher selenium levels may impair kidney function. Using a statistical technique called Mendelian randomization (it’s also complicated, but basically it uses genes to “randomize” participants without having to actually put them into different groups with different treatments), researchers concluded that elevated levels of selenium are a causative factor for kidney function impairment.

Clearly, with selenium, not too much and not too little is the key.

Does Selenium Help with Inflammation?

Selenium also plays a role in reducing the kind of chronic inflammation that’s a root cause — or significant contributor — to many health conditions, including cardiovascular and most autoimmune diseases.

One of the most common ways researchers measure inflammation is through a biomarker called C-reactive protein, which they affectionately nickname CRP. CRP production happens in response to inflammation. So, if you can measure CRP levels, you have a proxy for the amount of inflammation in the body. A 2023 meta-analysis of 13 studies found that higher levels of selenium are associated with statistically significant (and, just as importantly, clinically meaningful) reductions in CRP levels.

Selenium and Thyroid Health

Selenium is important for the healthy functioning of your thyroid, the butterfly-shaped gland at the base of your neck that regulates metabolism, among other things. Selenium deficiency can lead to hypothyroidism (meaning the thyroid is underactive), which causes sluggishness and weight gain.

Supplementing with selenium has been shown to improve an autoimmune disease that targets the thyroid gland called thyroiditis (literally, inflammation of the thyroid). Other thyroid conditions that may benefit from selenium include Graves’ disease, Graves’ orbitopathy, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and cretinism.

How Much Selenium Is Necessary?

Here’s a handy-dandy chart for you to print or copy in case you’re into scrapbooking about your essential nutrients. In the case of selenium, the recommended intakes are in micrograms per day (µg/day).

Selenium Content Variability

To recap: Selenium is an essential nutrient that’s found in soil. But not all soil is equally rich in it, so the selenium content of food depends on where it was grown (or, in the case of animal products, where what the animal ate was grown).

Within regions, there’s a huge variability in selenium concentrations, even from field to field. In the upper Midwest of the United States, researchers found a huge range in selenium content in various foods. How huge? Check out these examples:

It gets worse. A 1996 study with the riveting title, “Selenium content of foods purchased in North Dakota,” reported that two brands of the exact same product, masa harina corn meal, bought at the same store, differed in their selenium content by a factor of 1,000%.

So what’s a person to do?

The most common “selenium hack” is to consume one or two Brazil nuts per day, which can deliver, on average, 96 micrograms of selenium (almost double an adult’s daily requirement). Brazil nuts are also highly variable in how much selenium they contain, with a low of 0.03 and a high of 512 micrograms per day (in other words, the nuts with the most selenium have over 17,000 times more than the ones with the least). But most of them contain a decent amount.

There is, however, a good reason to go a little easy on the Brazil nuts, which is their relatively high concentration of barium, an element that is known to be toxic when consumed in large amounts or over a long time. It’s unlikely to be a concern with a nut or two per day, but if you down a whole package of Brazil nuts, you’re liable to get a fairly massive dose of selenium, with a potentially concerning helping of barium on the side.

Also, if you take supplements, check to see if any of the formulas you’re taking contain selenium. If any of them do, that may well provide adequate selenium, in which case there is no need to eat a Brazil nut or two per day.

Foods Rich in Selenium

In general, there’s an association between the protein and selenium content of foods, with the highest-protein foods containing the most selenium. And since selenium is routinely added to animal feed to address selenium deficiency in human populations (though not in quantities that lead to the blind staggers), meat and other animal products tend to be high in the mineral.

If you don’t consume animal-derived products, the richest sources of selenium — aside from Brazil nuts (which are really in a class of their own) — are grain products such as cereal, pasta, and bread. To get the most selenium, choose whole grain products, which contain about twice as much selenium as refined ones. A single cup of cooked oatmeal contains about 40% of the recommended daily intake for an adult.

Some seeds, such as sunflower and sesame (including seed pastes like tahini), also contain a decent amount of selenium. Nuts other than Brazil nuts contain very small amounts of selenium — it’s like since they can’t compete, they’re not even trying. Legumes, including soybeans and soybean products, also deliver small amounts of selenium.

If you’re curious about the selenium status of just about every food you can think of, here’s a comprehensive database courtesy of the USDA.

Does Selenium Come with any Risks?

Obviously, you’ve got to treat any nutrient that can cause the blind staggers with a certain amount of respect. Even if you’re not a horse spending 20 hours a day munching on selenium-rich fodder you can overdose on selenium. Fortunately, there are really only two reliable ways to accomplish this dubious and dangerous achievement: through supplementation, or by eating very large amounts of Brazil nuts on a regular basis.

Some folks learned this the hard way after taking a particular liquid selenium supplement in 2008 that contained roughly 200 times the selenium content than was advertised on the label. According to the case report that was published in 2010, they developed symptoms such as fatigue, hair loss, joint pain, nail discoloration, and nausea within two weeks. The symptoms persisted for 90 days or longer.

The Food and Nutrition Board of the US National Academies of Sciences has set the Upper Tolerable Limit for selenium intake at 400 µg/day. The World Health Organization and the governmental advisory boards of Australia and New Zealand agree, while the “safe upper limit” in the UK is a slightly higher 450 µg/day. If you stay below those limits, it seems you’re highly unlikely to wind up with any toxicity issues.

Is Selenium Supplementation Helpful?

Too much selenium is not good news — but so is not enough. Fortunately, diets deficient in selenium are seldom seen in developed countries. In some places where the soil is selenium-poor and people rely on locally produced foods for the vast majority of their calories, population-wide selenium deficiencies can occur (like what was seen with Keshan’s disease in China).

In the United States and other modern societies, however, the vast majority of people get adequate amounts of selenium. However, studies from Europe do show lower serum concentrations of selenium in vegans and vegetarians, compared to omnivores. In fact, researchers found that one-third of vegetarians and 40% of vegans had selenium levels below 50 µg/L, which might be considered low.

But the bottom line on supplementation for most people is that it’s probably not necessary, as even those on the lower end are within reference ranges. Also, the population studies were conducted in Europe, and so may be less relevant to residents of North America, the vast majority of whom ingest adequate amounts of selenium.

And as with many nutrients, selenium supplementation may carry unpredictable effects. Food is not just a collection of isolated nutrients — it’s more of a symphony, with all of the components coming together to create a greater whole. And supplementing with even low levels of selenium could, at least potentially, have effects that aren’t what we might have anticipated or intended.

A 2007 study followed 1,200 people who lived in a part of the US where selenium consumption is low. Half were given 200 micrograms per day of selenium, and the other half received a placebo. Over an average of almost eight years of follow-up, the selenium group was 55% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. And those who were found to have the highest blood plasma selenium levels were almost three times more likely to develop the disease.

And in other studies, high levels of selenium supplementation have been linked to prostate cancer, heart disease, and issues with immune and thyroid function.

If you want to be on the safe side, you can “supplement” with a single Brazil nut per day, which, on average, will give you all the selenium your body requires while staying well below the safe upper limits mentioned previously. Personally, I think Brazil nuts taste better than any vitamin I’ve ever chewed on! And I like the fact that they are, in fact, a food.

Plant-Based, Selenium-Rich Recipes

By enjoying a colorful and varied plant-based diet, it may be easier to get enough selenium per day than you realize. From our creamy Brazil nut butter to our juicy All-American plant-based burger, these recipes are a great source of nourishing minerals and are a delight to devour!

1. Brazil Cashew Nut Butter

The mild, buttery flavor of Brazil nuts makes them an excellent choice for delicious nut butter. And since they’re outrageously high in selenium (more than any other nut), a little bit goes a long way in terms of meeting your selenium needs. We’ve combined them with cashews for this nut butter recipe, which adds even more creaminess and a balance of minerals such as selenium, magnesium, and zinc.

2. Walnut and Lentil Stuffed Mushrooms

Nearly every wholesome ingredient in these scrumptious and savory Walnut and Lentil Stuffed Mushrooms contributes to your daily selenium needs. With roughly 32µg of selenium per serving, these little bite-size beauties check all the culinary boxes from nutrition to flavor and could make a great appetizer at your next plant-based gathering!

3. All American (Plant!) Burger with Dehydrated Mushroom Bacon

Sink your teeth into this juicy All-American (Plant!) Burger. This juicy burger is made with a base of hearty brown rice, savory kidney beans, and naturally sweet root vegetables (beets and carrots, to be specific). It’s also topped with smoky, umami, and crunchy Dehydrated Mushroom Bacon. The All-American burger also comes with a good concentration of selenium per serving, thanks, in part, to the mushrooms. What’s more, this is a delicious and nut-free way to boost your selenium intake.

Selenium Is Important for Health — in Moderation

Selenium is a trace element essential for human health, with roles in metabolism, nervous and immune systems, DNA synthesis, thyroid function, and reproductive wellness.

While animal foods tend to be highest in selenium, there are many plant-based sources, and most people who eat foods from a variety of soils are getting enough selenium in their diets.

Supplementation can lead to excessive selenium, so for most people, it may be safest to stick to dietary sources. A single Brazil nut per day, for example, provides more than enough selenium without spiking blood levels into dangerous territory. Plus, it’s a food.

Tell us in the comments:

• Where do you get your selenium? What foods do you regularly eat that contain significant quantities?

• What foods might you add to your diet to ensure you’re getting enough of this essential nutrient?

• What selenium-rich recipe will you prepare next?

Featured Image: iStock.com/bit245

Read Next:

• The Truth About Iron + Why Plant-Based Foods Are the Best Way to Get the Iron You Need
• All About Magnesium: Health Benefits, Risks, & Magnesium-Rich Foods You Should Know About

The post What Is Selenium and Why Is it Important for Health? appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

Since then, the search for a fountain of youth has been a recurring obsession of kings and explorers, pilgrims and pirates. As far as I know, none of them ever found it (or if they did, they aren’t sharing any details). No spring, river, pond, lake, or sea has magically rejuvenated the bathers who submerged themselves in its water to the point where creaky elders limp in and dewy-eyed adolescents leap out.

If you’re searching for clues to living a long and healthy life, you probably need to look elsewhere. And a huge factor in the rate of aging turns out to be a class of compounds found in many of our most common (and sadly, most beloved) foods. If you want to slow down your biological clock, limiting your consumption of these foods appears to be a much more reliable and effective strategy than dunking yourself in a mangrove swamp in Bimini or a waterfall pool at the foot of a South Indian mountain.

The compounds are known to biochemists as advanced glycation end products, which might be hard to remember except for their most excellent acronym: AGEs. As in, AGEs that accumulate in your tissues — make you age faster.

Aging isn’t just a vanity issue that sells stock image licenses to fashion magazines and anti-wrinkle creams to their readers. It’s a big deal for your overall health because, statistically speaking, the single biggest risk factor for disease and death isn’t your genes, or your diet, or how much you exercise, or whether you live downwind of a Superfund site, or whether you drink enough water or put on sunscreen, or any lifestyle or environmental factor; it’s your age.

Which means that because AGEs can contribute to the development of various age-related diseases and conditions, they can shorten your lifespan.

The good news is, you have a lot of control over the amount of AGEs you consume, which in turn largely determines the concentrations of these compounds that accumulate in your body and how much harm they get to perpetrate.

In this article, we’ll dive into the world of AGEs and their impact on your health. We’ll see how your food choices — as well as various cooking methods — can affect the formation of AGEs. And we’ll discover some simple and delicious ways to minimize AGEs in your diet — so you can increase your odds of a longer, healthier, and happier future.

What Are AGEs?

Advanced glycation end products are harmful compounds that form through a natural process called glycation. It takes place inside your body when the sugars in your bloodstream react with proteins, lipids (fats), and nucleic acids from the food that you eat.

You can also introduce AGEs into your body fully formed, as it were. They form exogenously (that is, outside the body) when foods are browned and their outer layer becomes crispy and crunchy. This chemical reaction is known as the Maillard reaction, or nonenzymatic browning. The Maillard reaction gives foods a texture, taste, color, and aroma that most people find very pleasing.

You can also introduce AGEs into your body through drinking alcohol and smoking.

As you age, AGEs can start to accumulate in your tissues and organs. The more your blood sugar levels fluctuate, the more AGEs form, and the more the effects of glycation intensify and accelerate the aging process.

AGEs can also cross-link with various proteins in your body, leading to the formation of abnormal structures and interfering with the functioning of important molecules. This further contributes to the aging process.

Why Are AGEs Bad for You?

Advanced glycation end products have been shown to be toxic, immunogenic (triggering an immune response, typically unwanted and over-the-top), and capable of triggering cellular injury. Another remarkably on-point acronym, RAGE, stands for Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products. It is a receptor protein for AGEs that plays a role in the inflammatory response and has been implicated in various age-related diseases and conditions, including skin damage, respiratory disorders, neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Skin Health

AGEs contribute to skin aging, including the formation of wrinkles and brown spots. They affect how proteins work in the dermis (the middle layer of your skin), leading to lots of problems: decreased elasticity, delayed recovery from wounds, accelerated skin aging, and inflammation that can contribute to skin conditions like dermatitis and psoriasis.

Collagen (a type of protein found in our connective tissue, cartilage, bone, and tendons) is one of the structures most easily attacked by AGEs. Over time, AGEs can accumulate on collagen, causing the skin to turn yellow.

Neurodegenerative Diseases

Autopsies of people who died from or with Alzheimer’s disease have shown accumulations of AGEs have been found in their brain plaques, as well as in their blood serum and cerebrospinal fluid. AGEs can also hasten the ravages of Parkinson’s disease by contributing to neuronal cells’ self-destruction as well as the formation of Lewy bodies (structures associated with abnormal deposits of a particular protein in the brain).

Respiratory Disorders

The more AGEs a person consumes, and the more frequently they eat meat, the more likely they are to experience breathing problems. This includes symptoms of asthma in children, such as wheezing. Kids who consume the most AGEs typically need more asthma meds, have their sleep interrupted by wheezing episodes, and are most limited in their ability to exercise without shortness of breath.

When COVID-19 hit, many of the initial deaths were linked to an immune system overreaction known as a cytokine storm. AGE consumption appears to be linked to worsening outcomes in COVID patients due to more extensive lung damage. AGEs also can lead to severe pneumonitis (inflammation of the lung tissue) by impairing the immune response, triggering inflammation, changing the structure of lung tissue in a way that decreases lung function, and enabling bacteria to adhere more easily to the lungs.

Type 2 Diabetes

The AGEs that are created by cooking certain foods in certain ways (known as exogenous AGEs, to differentiate them from the endogenous AGEs that are synthesized inside our bodies) can be extremely harmful to people with type 2 diabetes. In addition to adding to the inflammation that can trigger the development of the disease, AGEs also contribute to diabetic retinopathy and other related issues that can damage eyesight.

Some of the vascular dysfunction associated with diabetes can be prevented by blocking the RAGE receptors. And proactively consuming a diet low in AGEs can increase insulin sensitivity, which can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the first place.

Cancer

With cancer, AGEs can act like gasoline thrown on a fire, increasing carcinogenic processes in a wide range of cancers and promoting their malignant behaviors. A 2015 study of male members of the US-based AARP found that the more AGEs they consumed, the greater their risk of developing pancreatic cancer. And a 2022 study of over 14,000 Japanese men found that high AGE intake was significantly associated with an increased risk of liver cancer.

AGE-Forming Foods

I hope by now you’re motivated to find out where these AGEs are hiding, so you can consume as little of them as possible. So here are the five main categories of AGE-forming foods.

Meat

In the standard industrialized diet, meat is typically the largest contributor to AGE formation. They’re created when the proteins in meat get a little too friendly with sugars, particularly glucose and fructose, that can be added during processing (some examples are many forms of bacon, hot dogs, and corned beef) or via marinades.

When meat is cooked at high temperatures, especially over an open flame or on a grill, it can produce harmful compounds that contribute to AGE formation. Some of the worst offenders are heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are classified as potential and known carcinogens, respectively.

Regardless of the cooking method, any blackened or charred meat will contain these compounds. The levels depend on the type of meat (beef is worst), cooking conditions, and final internal temperature.

If you’re wondering why humans tend to love the color, smell, texture, and taste of something that’s so bad for us, it’s probably because the Maillard reaction is a good indicator that the meat has been cooked enough to kill the pathogens that could kill you. From an evolutionary perspective, the AGEs that keep us from reaching old age are far preferable to the germs that could end your life in the next few hours or days.

Fried Foods

Frying and other high-heat cooking methods also increase the AGEs in foods. A big culprit here is the repeated heating and use of cooking oil in commercial settings. That oil accumulates large amounts of AGEs, which get transferred to those fries or mozzarella sticks when they’re submerged in their fryer basket.

The longer the food is exposed to high-temperature frying, the more opportunity there is for the Maillard reaction and AGE formation to occur. Even changing the cooking oil daily leaves room for lots of AGEs. Swapping out large containers of hot oil is a dangerous and not very fun job, so some restaurants or commercial kitchens schedule the task only every few days. (I asked a friend’s son who once worked in a local restaurant how often they changed their cooking oil, and he responded, puzzled, “I have no idea if they ever do.” Sometimes I’d rather not know certain things.)

Cheese

The highest concentrations of AGEs are found in aged and hard cheeses in particular, probably because they’re pasteurized and/or they spend a lot of time aging or curing at room temperature — conditions that make up a veritable AGE factory. But all dairy cheeses are potential sources of AGEs, perhaps because dairy contains large amounts of fat along with natural lactose sugar.

Processed and Packaged Foods

Processed and packaged foods are often high in AGEs. Many of them contain added sugars, and undergo high-temperature processing as they’re baked or fried. They’re high in AGEs via that good old Maillard reaction, which is responsible for the browning and flavor development in cooked foods, and which can also extend shelf life.

Sugary Foods

Since AGEs form via glycation (essentially, sugarcoating proteins and fats), foods high in added sugars, such as candies, pastries, and sugary beverages, can provide fodder for the glycation process and contribute to the formation of AGEs.

There’s data that suggests that the glycation process following high sugar intake may be a key player in the development of metabolic disturbances.

Foods and beverages with a high fructose-to-glucose ratio may promote AGE formation. These can include anything with high-fructose corn syrup, agave nectar, honey, and filtered fruit juices. A glaring exception to this rule is fruit, which is actually protective against AGE-related disease thanks to its high fiber content.

Especially worrisome are commercial soft drinks sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, which are often high in an intermediate product of the Maillard reaction called methylglyoxal.

Why Eating a Whole Food Plant-Based Diet Is the Best Way to Avoid AGEs

You can’t avoid AGEs entirely — pretty much every food contains some. But whole plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and herbs and spices, naturally have lower levels of AGEs than animal-derived foods. And some cooking methods commonly used on plant foods — steaming, boiling, and baking — produce fewer AGEs than the higher-temperature methods like frying, grilling, and broiling that are commonly used for foods of animal origin.

It’s definitely possible to get exposed to significant quantities of AGEs on a plant-based diet if you routinely fry starchy foods like potatoes (I’m looking at you, potato chips and french fries!). These foods also produce acrylamide, another compound that may be problematic for some people when consumed in large quantities.

But even when fried or broiled until brown and crispy, most whole plant-based foods offer compounds that can mitigate the damage caused by AGEs. Many are rich in antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, the provitamin beta-carotene that your body converts to vitamin A as needed, and various phytochemicals that help neutralize the free radicals that can contribute to AGE formation and oxidative stress in the body.

Also, the soluble fiber available from plants helps regulate blood sugar levels and can reduce the glycation process by slowing down the absorption of sugars in the bloodstream.

5 Foods (and 1 Beverage) That Prevent Glycation

You can go a long way toward reducing AGEs and RAGE in your body by avoiding or limiting highly processed foods and those of animal origin, and by using lower-temperature cooking methods that don’t produce crispy, crusty browning on the outside.

In addition to those strategies, you can also consume some specific foods that contain compounds that inhibit the glycation process, so that the AGEs you do inevitably consume have less risk of causing aging and accompanying health problems.

Berries

The antioxidants in berries help reduce the conditions that lead to glycation by scavenging and neutralizing free radicals. Polyphenols found in berries, especially anthocyanins and quercetin, may directly inhibit the formation of AGEs. And extracts made from the skins of red grapes (which are, botanically speaking, berries) were able to inhibit the creation of AGEs in a test tube containing fructose-glycated proteins.

Berries also deliver anti-inflammatory and blood sugar-balancing effects.

For more on berries and some “berry” great recipes, see our article here.

Spices

Many spices, some commonly used in modern kitchens and some still awaiting their turn as superfood du jour, have been shown to prevent AGE formation through their powerful antioxidant activity. Examples include star anise, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves, which are staples in many traditional cuisines around the world. And good old black pepper also performed well at this task.

Other powerful anti-AGE spices include garlic and turmeric which contains the powerful antioxidant curcumin.

For more on herbs and spices, see our article here.

Nuts

Nuts, led by walnuts and pistachios, are great at inhibiting the glycation process in early and intermediate stages, before they even have a chance to reach the end stage indicated by “AGEs.” They are also powerful anti-inflammatories, helping to prevent damage related to any glycation that still occurs. Additionally, nuts have high antioxidant capacity (thanks to their concentrations of vitamin E) and are rich in phenolics and flavonoids that fight free radicals.

For more on nuts, see our article here.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables contain the powerhouse antioxidant and anti-inflammatory sulforaphane, which is famous not just for giving cabbage and broccoli their distinctive odors, but also for being one of the most effective cancer fighters ever identified.

One of the ways sulforaphane delivers its massive health benefits is by inhibiting AGE-induced damage. In this way, it may prevent cardiovascular and diabetes-related complications. Broccoli sprouts, in particular, may play a protective role against vascular injury by inhibiting the AGEs’ (and their receptors’) axes and exhibiting anti-inflammatory actions.

For more information about sulforaphane and how to get it into your diet even if you aren’t a cabbage fan, check out our comprehensive article here.

Citrus

Perhaps the OG antioxidant, and certainly the one with the most publicity, vitamin C lives up to its reputation by helping to inhibit glycation processes. When researchers marinated lean beef in lemon juice for an hour before cooking, it ended up with half the AGEs as the same cut of beef marinated in vinegar.

It’s not just the vitamin C in citrus foods that deserves the credit. Flavonoids such as hesperidin, naringin, and quercetin have anti-inflammatory effects and help reduce the conditions that promote glycation. Hesperidin in particular is being studied for its potential to treat glycation-induced neurotoxicity involved in Alzheimer’s disease.

Citrus fruits also support healthy endothelial function. The endothelium, a layer of cells that lines your blood vessels, can contribute to the development of AGEs when it isn’t working properly, so the support of compounds in citrus fruits can go a long way in keeping glycation in check.

For more on the health benefits of oranges, see our article here.

Green Tea

There’s a compound found in green tea called epigallocatechin 3-gallate, which goes by its fun acronym EGCG, which sounds like the name of a trendy dance club from the 1980s (there may be an alternate universe in the multiverse in which I know very little about nutrition and a great deal about house music). EGCG helps protect proteins and other molecules from glycation by neutralizing free radicals before they have the chance to party and form AGEs. In this way, green tea consumption may help prevent neurodegenerative disease.

Through the same pathways, EGCG may also reduce plasma glucose and alleviate complications of diabetes.

For more on the health benefits of teas, see our article here.

Recipes to Fight Aging from AGEs

Defending yourself against the rapid formation of AGEs can feel like a mighty task, but with these nourishing recipes, it couldn’t be more simple. These recipes have powerful anti-inflammatory ingredients that actually counteract the damage that AGEs can do to your tissues. So grab your favorite kitchen knife and cutting board and get ready to unlock a world of fresh, wholesome, and nutritious plant power!

1. Strawberry Pistachio Iced Matcha Latte

Matcha, strawberries, and pistachios offer triple the anti-inflammatory support to stop AGEs in their tracks! Keep your skin, hair, nails (and everything in between) looking youthful, healthy, and vibrant with this creamy, fruity, and naturally sweet latte!

2. Summer Citrus Salad

This Summer Citrus Salad is as refreshing as it sounds. Juicy grapefruit, sweet oranges, floral blackberries, and earthy spinach are tossed in bright and zesty lemon juice. Together, these tantalizing plants offer a potent dose of vitamin C, beta-carotene, and powerhouse antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound sulforaphane. This salad is not only mouthwateringly nutritious, but it’s a great way to neutralize free radicals and prevent AGE formation and oxidative stress in the body. If that is not enough to convince you to give it a try, the aroma of the freshly segmented orange and grapefruit is simply delightful!

3. One-Pot Curry Cauliflower Chickpea Chili

One-Pot Curry Cauliflower Chickpea Chili offers a sweet and savory flavor profile with the addition of cinnamon and turmeric. Loaded with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties from both of the spices, and plenty of sulforaphane from the cauliflower, this Indian-inspired chili has an abundance of AGE-fighting plant power in every bite!

AGEs can Age You!

AGEs contribute to a number of health conditions, from skin aging and respiratory disorders to neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Although AGEs occur naturally as you age, and are found in food and produced in your body, you do have a lot of control over how much you’re exposed to them through diet. By avoiding AGE-forming foods such as animal products and processed foods, you can minimize your intake and protect your body from further harm. You can also reduce your exposure by embracing healthier cooking methods, reducing or eliminating added sugars, and choosing antioxidant-rich plant foods like berries, spices, nuts, cruciferous vegetables, citrus fruits, and green tea.

Tell us in the comments:

• What are some foods that you’ve cut back on or eliminated for health reasons?
• What foods that counteract glycation do you regularly eat?
• What’s one anti-AGE food that you can begin to add to your diet?

Featured Image: iStock.com/frantic00

Read Next:

• How to Avoid Temptation & Slay the Sugary Beast

The post What Are AGEs & How Do You Avoid Them in Food? appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

If so, you might be a plant-based eater. Or (are you sitting down right now?) you might instead adhere to quite the opposite: a carnivore diet.

Carnivore diets — and yes, there are several — have surged in popularity in the last few years. Starting on the far fringe of nutrition and wellness, the carnivore movement has burst more into the mainstream through books by doctors, publicity on podcasts, and testimonials from popular wellness influencers and online personalities.

While low-carb diets are nothing new (Atkins, South Beach, and keto are all examples), carnivore diets take this trend to a whole new level. Instead of just low-carb, many of them are “zero-carb,” promoting the exclusive consumption of animal-derived foods while shunning most (or all) plants.

Carnivore diet advocates claim that eating nothing but animals is the optimal way for humans to eat. They believe that by doing so, you can achieve your ideal weight, grow big muscles, alleviate autoimmune disease, cure brain fog, and improve your digestion. And if the diet seems extremely limiting, don’t worry; advocates believe you can still get every nutrient you need from animal products alone.

So in this article, let’s explore if there is any scientific basis for these carnivore claims. And while we’re at it, we’ll also look at the diet’s environmental impact. Rather than fan the flames of this particular culture war, let’s separate fact from fiction to make well-informed decisions about our nutritional paths.

What Is a Carnivore Diet?

A carnivore diet means getting the vast majority (or all) of your calories from animal products. A typical carnivore menu includes red meat, game meat, fish, poultry, and organ meat. Some versions also include dairy and eggs, or small amounts of low-starch vegetables like avocados and cucumbers, while others do not. The diets are either extremely low-carb or often no-carb, which means, by definition, excluding all or most plant-based foods.

Carnivore diets are similar to certain forms of keto (ketogenic) and Paleo (Paleolithic) diets, which are often meat-heavy and plant-poor, but carnivore dieters go an extra step. Instead of meat being the centerpiece of every meal, it’s basically the only piece. This puts eaters into ketosis, the body’s “emergency state” that allows it to convert stored fat (and, in extreme cases, protein) into ketone bodies that can be used for fuel when the body’s preferred fuel, carbohydrates, isn’t available.

But for die-hard carnivores, avoiding plants isn’t just about achieving ketosis. There’s also an avoidance of plants because of “antinutrients,” a refrain also seen with Dr. Steven Gundry’s warnings against lectins.

Proponents of carnivore diets make the case that animal products are easier to digest than plants. Asking followers to “[T]hink about it from a plants [sic] point of view,” Dr. Paul Saladino claims that since plants can’t run away or fight back, they create their own pesticides to deter over-predation. And so animals like us experience compromised health because those compounds mess with our digestion, preventing us from absorbing some nutrients and causing intestinal and immune distress.

But in reality, many animals do eat plants (and thrive off them). And many of the antinutrients in plants have profound health benefits and are mostly eliminated anyway during cooking.

We’ll see in a bit if the facts support or contradict this dietary approach. First, though, let’s go deeper into the weeds — or the organs, if we’re relying on flesh-based metaphors here — to explore the prominent subtypes of carnivore diet you’re likely to encounter.

Carnivore Diet Subtypes

The Carnivore Diet

The “standard issue” Carnivore Diet was popularized by Shawn Baker, a former orthopedic surgeon and diet influencer. Baker had his medical license revoked in 2017 by the New Mexico Medical Board for ethical violations and “incompetence to practice as a licensee.” (To some of his fans this only proves that Baker is a truth-teller fighting a corrupt system.)

Baker’s version of the diet allows the consumption of only meat, fish, and other animal products like eggs and certain dairy products.

The Ancestral Diet

The Ancestral Diet is similar to the Paleo diet but prioritizes meat over all other foods. In a nod to reality, it includes seasonal fruits and vegetables in small amounts. It also allows some dairy and fermented foods. Ancestral Diet adherents characterize it as more than just a diet; they see it as a comprehensive philosophy of living that includes a return to nature.

Pros of the Ancestral Diet include avoidance of processed foods and inclusion, although limited, of some plant-based foods.

The Lion Diet

The Lion Diet is where carnivore meets elimination diets. Those on a Lion Diet limit themselves to beef, salt, and water. It got a lot of press when Mikhaila Peterson, daughter of best-selling Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson, promoted it as a cure for depression, rheumatoid arthritis, muscle weakness, night sweats, asthma, insomnia, PTSD… and a whole lot more. Jordan Peterson adopted the diet as well, and promoted it on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast and his own popular YouTube channel.

The Nose-to-Tail Diet

The Nose-to-Tail Diet has been popularized by Dr. Paul Saladino and Brian Johnson, an online influencer known as the “Liver King” due to his propensity to consume raw liver on the regular. The muscle-bound Johnson has nothing but scorn for most modern men, whom he accuses of being submissive, sub-primal, and weak. They have been brainwashed to eat vegetables rather than dominate, kill, and eat other species, he argues, and so lead mediocre and unsatisfying lives.

Theories of human development aside, this diet consists of eating all parts of the animal, including organ meats, connective tissue, and bone marrow (essentially nose-to-tail of an animal), as well as some fermented plant foods.

The Plant-Based Backlash

When you listen to the rhetoric of some of the carnivore movement’s most enthusiastic proponents, you might get the idea that, in addition to any health benefit or scientific claim, there’s also a significant element of backlash to plant-based diets.

Traditionally, meat-eating has been associated with masculinity and machismo (although films like The Game Changers are starting to challenge that association), so the rise of plant-based eating has triggered a “culture war” response that goes far beyond nutrition. There’s a lot of name-calling and invitations to settle differences through MMA cage matches, for example.

I haven’t personally been invited into the octagon by a carnivore enthusiast to duke it out, but I do have a number of friends who adopted a carnivore diet approach and initially experienced some of the promised benefits. Their inflammation lessened, and most lost weight — at first.

None of them stuck with it long-term, because they found it — and I’m quoting them all here — “gross.” But still, their stories left me with questions. How could they possibly benefit, even for a short time, from a diet so diametrically opposed to the plant-based diet that most science shows is the healthiest for humans? Isn’t too much meat bad for everything from heart disease to type 2 diabetes to obesity?

Let’s dive in to explore the health claims of carnivore diets, and what the research really says about eating this way.

Health Claims of Carnivore Diets

Carnivore advocates claim a broad array of health benefits. I don’t have the space here to examine every single claim, so I’ll focus on the most common ones: weight loss, brain health, reduced inflammation and remission of autoimmune disease, and improved digestion.

Spoiler alert: The scientific evidence supporting these claims is — and I’m being extremely charitable here — limited and inconclusive. There are no long-term, large-scale clinical trials that specifically examine the effects of carnivore diets on any of these aspects of health. Instead, there are a lot of anecdotes, a few online surveys, and small studies of limited scope and duration.

Carnivore Diets and Weight Loss

Currently, no studies have been conducted that looked at weight loss with carnivore diets. However, the theory that low-carb diets are supposed to lead to weight loss is known as the Carbohydrate-Insulin Model (CIM) of obesity.

Proponents assert that eating carbs triggers a release of insulin, which, according to this model, leads to hunger and overeating, and ultimately, fat storage and excess weight.

One study did show that low-carb diets high in animal foods can lead to weight loss. But, the diet did include some plant foods. The bigger issue, though, was its severe calorie restriction. The study’s average low-carb dieter took in fewer than 1,500 calories per day — an amount that all but guarantees weight loss in most people, regardless of the foods consumed.

A clinical trial published in the prestigious journal Nature Medicine in 2021 tested a low-fat, minimally processed, plant-based diet against a low-carb, minimally processed, animal-based diet.

Participants could eat as much of their assigned diet as they wanted — no limits other than personal preference and satiety. And the results directly contradicted the predictions of the Carbohydrate-Insulin Model. Those eating the low-fat diet consumed almost 700 fewer calories per day than the low-carb eaters. “Despite the large differences in calorie intake,” the researchers reported that “participants (expressed) no differences in hunger, enjoyment of meals, or fullness between the two diets. Participants lost weight on both diets, but only the low-fat diet led to a significant loss of body fat.”

Indeed, other studies have shown that the most weight-loss-friendly foods are, in fact, plants. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition even concluded that each additional year of adopting a vegan diet decreases the risk of obesity by 7%.

Meanwhile, increased fat intake and high-fat diets (looking at you here, carnivore diets) actually have a strong association with increased body weight and risk of overweight and obesity.

Carnivore Diet and Brain Health

Proponents of carnivore diets often describe better cognitive function and improved mental clarity. But, as of this writing, no scientific studies have been conducted to investigate these claims.

The only evidence I could find was a survey of people who belonged to carnivore groups on social media. Of course, a survey is inherently lacking objectivity in some pretty big ways. For one thing, only people who had been on the diet for at least six months were invited to take the survey. It stands to reason that if someone had a worsening of symptoms after, say, two months — they would probably stop the diet. And, for another, the group of people “surveyed” were themselves members of identity groups that subscribe to the ideology of the diet enough to belong to a group of fellow adherents.

This seems kind of like asking a group of fish if they enjoy swimming; you’re unlikely to get an unbiased opinion.

Nevertheless, in the context of this less-than-objective methodology, many of the survey respondents reported high levels of satisfaction and improvements in overall health and well-being, including cognitive and psychiatric symptoms, which they attributed to their diet.

There are many possible reasons for these alleged improvements. Of course, the carnivore diet could have been helpful, at least in the short run, for this particular collection of people. Or it may be a case of the placebo effect, which can, at least in the short run, lead to dramatic benefits for a great many people.

But mental gains can also be plausibly explained by what carnivore dieters have eliminated: substances like alcohol, refined sugars, and processed foods. It’s not hard to imagine many people feeling better after giving those up.

Diet is one of the key lifestyle factors that can be modified to significantly reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. But it’s plant-based diets that contain key nutrients like polyphenols and fiber that protect against the insulin resistance that can lead to Alzheimer’s.

There’s also solid evidence that plant-based foods can boost mood. Plus, the more saturated fat (remember that for most people the vast majority of the saturated fat in their diet comes from animal products) that people consume, the higher their risk of developing neurodegenerative disorders. Mono- and polyunsaturated plant fats, on the other hand, reduce that risk.

If there’s one food that you can think of as a brain superfood, it’s actually leafy greens — although greens are not allowed on a strict carnivore diet. However, in one study, those who ate the most greens were the proud owners of brains that were functionally 11 years younger than those who ate the fewest.

Other brain protectors include berries — eating blueberries and strawberries delayed cognitive decline by two and a half years in one study. Some interpretations of the carnivore diets do allow fruit — ostensibly because plants “want” us to eat their fruit to spread their seeds.

Carnivore Diets, Inflammation, and Autoimmune Conditions

In the same somewhat dubious survey discussed above, some respondents wrote that adopting a carnivore diet led to improvements in various inflammatory conditions. Out of hundreds of survey respondents with prior autoimmune conditions, 10% claimed complete resolution, and another 14% reported improvement.

Mikhaila Peterson also claims she healed her autoimmune issues through the “Lion Diet” and referenced those survey results in her TEDx talk as corroborating evidence. (TEDx refused to publish her talk, explaining that it failed to adhere to their content guidelines and lacked nuance, offering a purely anecdotal experience and no actual scientific evidence.)

A core mechanism of autoimmune disease is a malfunctioning immune system. While we don’t yet understand the causes and initial triggers of many autoimmune conditions, we know that lifestyle choices, particularly related to food, can play a key role in managing and, in some cases, even reversing many of these diseases.

But it’s plant-based diets that have been proven to help with inflammation and autoimmune disease. Meat and high-fat, animal protein-rich diets on the other hand, especially red meat, have consistently been associated with more inflammation.

So how do we reconcile the science with the experience of Mikhaila Peterson and other carnivore diet adherents? It’s possible that a body in an inflamed state could find certain compounds in plants triggering, and that, in some cases, taking a break could provide relief.

But this is not a great long-term solution. Rather than live in a metaphorical “food bubble” in which nothing challenges the chronically inflamed body, the goal should be to bring down inflammation so that eating plants — which offer myriad powerful health benefits — doesn’t cause symptoms. Traditional elimination diets can allow for a more methodical and less draconian approach.

Carnivore Diets and Digestion

A study that is objectively even less rigorous than the social media study already mentioned asked a couple hundred carnivore dieters about their “beliefs and experiences.” Here as well, dieters claimed improvements in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and Crohn’s disease.

But again, the vast majority of objective research points to carnivorous dietary patterns contributing to a greater likelihood of IBD, not remission from it.

Advocates of carnivore diets claim that plant foods are high in toxins and harmful compounds like antinutrients, those nasty compounds plants produce to discourage us from eating them.

And it’s true that when isolated from the foods that contain them, antinutrients may lead to some unwanted effects. But when consumed as part of a varied whole foods diet, they participate in diverse and complex interactions with vitamins, minerals, and the gut microbiome, and can actually contribute to significant health benefits.

Another explanation for why some people experience improved digestion during the initial phase of a carnivore diet is the complete absence of fiber. However, if someone was already consuming low amounts of fiber — and only 6% of the US population gets the recommended amount — they likely lacked the microbial diversity required to adequately digest that fiber.

Fiber increases microbial diversity and gut health; studies show those consuming the most fermented and fiber-rich plant foods had a more diverse gut microbiome — and a stronger immune system, with decreased inflammatory markers — compared to those who consumed less.

Meat, of course, contains zero fiber, and therefore a meat-only diet is not a recipe for long-term health. On the contrary, one meta-analysis study found every 10 grams of fiber consumed per day cuts mortality risk by 10%.

Carnivore Diet Risks and Side Effects

We’ve looked at the purported benefits of carnivore diets. But what about the risks? Is there the possibility of unwanted and serious side effects?

In fact, there are many anecdotal reports of unpleasant and sometimes dangerous side effects with extremely low-carb or zero-carb diets. These include diarrhea, constipation, weight gain, muscle cramps, hair loss or thinning, insomnia, dry skin, itchiness, heart rate changes, brittle fingernails, and menstrual irregularity.

Bowel irregularity, whether diarrhea or constipation, is typically caused by a lack of dietary fiber. But many of the other symptoms are attributable to nutritional deficiencies and imbalances that can occur in any extreme diet that lacks diversity. The carnivore diet, in particular, is missing not just fiber but also antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and prebiotics — all of which are essential for good health.

Without vitamin C from fruits, vegetables, or supplements, carnivore dieters are actually at risk for scurvy, putting them in the company of 17th-century British sailors. And vitamin C and other antioxidants are important for combating free radicals in the body. How serious is that? The buildup of free radicals, or “oxidative stress,” is a leading cause of deterioration and disease, including memory loss, autoimmune disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.

Most dietitians, even those who don’t advocate for plant-based diets, consider carnivore diets dangerous for humans. Animal protein is associated with heart disease and poor markers of metabolic health such as type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Red and processed meats are considered carcinogenic, with particular contributions to colorectal cancer. And as we saw earlier, high animal product consumption is also associated with Alzheimer’s, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases.

Meat also promotes the growth of unfavorable bacteria that leads to the production of TMAO, which inflames the endothelium (the inner lining of blood vessels) and further promotes heart disease.

And high-meat diets can deliver worrisome quantities of heme iron, which has prooxidant effects that promote cardiovascular disease.

Eating plant foods, on the other hand, has consistently contributed to a reduction in chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer while promoting longevity.

All in all, relying almost solely on animal-derived foods goes against most medical and nutrition advice which is that eating more whole plant foods and less meat, eggs, and dairy is actually the healthiest way to eat.

Carnivore Diets’ Environmental Impacts

When we evaluate the health of a diet, it makes sense to look at how it impacts not just the individuals following it, but the planet as a whole. And eating mostly meat has serious implications for the environment.

Adopting a meat-free, and especially beef-free, diet is one of the most powerful things an individual can do to help fight climate change. That’s because animal agriculture is like a protein factory in reverse, cycling amino acids through animals instead of sourcing them directly from plants.

Shifting from animal to plant foods can also significantly decrease the amount of land required for agriculture, which in turn can lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Animal agriculture is a leading cause of deforestation, especially in the Amazon rainforest — one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. Forests are being cut down not just to provide grazing land for cattle, but also to create fields to grow crops that get turned into animal feed. And grass-fed meat is not much better either, as it can use even more land per pound of food produced.

Additionally, most cattle feed in the industrialized world is bioengineered (aka GMO), which contributes to a number of environmental and health problems globally.

At the risk of stating the obvious, eating nothing but animal products is not great for the animals either. More demand for meat means more animals slaughtered to meet that demand. And the overwhelming majority of that meat is produced in factory farms.

Animals so confined are given huge quantities of antibiotics to fatten them up and to keep them alive — drugs that are contributing to the alarming rise in antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

In short, what’s bad for the animals also ends up being bad for us.

Carnivore Diets Are Not Healthy — for People or the Planet

The carnivore diet’s alleged benefits have sparked fierce debate in the wellness world. But the scientific basis for these claims remains limited and inconclusive at best. While some individuals report success alleviating autoimmune conditions and experiencing weight loss through total elimination of carbohydrates, and of course I wish these people nothing but the best of health, there has so far not been a single comprehensive study suggesting that the results are replicable or sustainable.

Given what we do know about nutrition, it seems likely that you can achieve similar or better results using moderate caloric restriction, or with an elimination diet. And both of these methods are likely going to be far more healthful than eating nothing but meat and other animal products.

There are also concerns about potential nutritional deficiencies, chronic disease impact, and environmental ethics of meat-centric diets. From a global perspective, these diets magnify the environmental harms associated with meat production. And by eliminating plant foods, carnivore diet followers are missing out on powerful dietary compounds proven to increase longevity and improve health outcomes.

As researchers continue to investigate the impact of diet on our well-being, it’s evident that incorporating a wide array of nutrient sources, not limiting them, holds the key to promoting both individual health and global sustainability.

Tell us in the comments:

• Do you know anyone who’s adopted a carnivore diet?
• What do you think of the carnivore diet?
• How much do environmental concerns influence what you eat?

Featured Image: iStock.com/Luke Chan

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• What’s All Wrong About Annals Of Internal Medicine’s Red and Processed Meat Advice

The post The Carnivore Diet: What the Research Really Says About its Impact on People and the Planet appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

Humans have been cultivating grapes for a long time — possibly as long as we’ve been living in civilizations. Babylonian ruler Hammurabi, famous for publishing the world’s first written code of laws, used his power to regulate the wine trade in the 18th century BCE.

The ancient Greeks and Romans worshiped the God of Wine (named Dionysus and Bacchus, respectively) with festivals, rituals, and, yes, drunken parties, too. When the Vikings first landed in North America, they found it so covered in wild grapes that they named it “Vinland.”

And the grape’s popularity hasn’t diminished with time. By edible weight, grapes are the world’s number one fruit crop, with about 74 million tons produced each year.

Grapes are grown for three purposes: eating fresh (as table grapes), eating dried (as raisins), and drinking (as wine and grape juice). But roughly half of all grapes grown around the world end up in wine bottles.

Given that grapes are high in naturally occurring sugars, and that they’re frequently fermented in alcoholic beverages, are grapes actually healthy? What about when that sweetness is concentrated in raisins? And how do we make sense of all the conflicting information about whether compounds in wine help us live longer, or cause disease?

What Are Grapes?

Grapes are small, round fruits — technically berries — that grow in clusters on deciduous vines of the flowering plant genus Vitis.

There are a number of grape colors, ranging from yellow to green to red to crimson to purple to black (with even some dark blue and orange varieties thrown in for good measure). The darker grapes get their hue from differing kinds and concentrations of anthocyanins, a type of flavonoid that’s very interesting to health and antiaging researchers because of its unique antioxidant effects.

The taste of grapes can vary from very sweet to slightly tart, depending on the variety. They’re commonly enjoyed both fresh and as a key ingredient in various culinary preparations such as juices, jams, jellies, wines, and raisins.

Types of Grapes

While you could theoretically dehydrate any old grape into a raisin, cook it into jelly, or press and ferment it into wine, there are different varieties that are considered optimal for each of these culinary purposes.

Vitis vinifera is the dominant grape species for winemaking (in Latin, its name means “grapevine carrying wine”). You may be familiar with some of its more famous varieties, including Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Riesling, and Muscat Blanc. Vinifera grapes have a high sugar content and come in a wide range of berry sizes.

Table grape varieties include Thompson, Flame, Crimson seedless, Concord, Muscat, Niagra, and Red Globes. Most are bred to be seedless.

I know that seedless fruit can seem weird and unnatural (how do they have children!), but they are created through natural mutation and cultivated via cuttings. That’s a completely different process from genetic engineering. Interestingly, the descendants of this process are clones of their parents (meaning that they are genetically identical).

Raisin grapes are also typically high-sugar cultivars that are seedless. Some of the most popular raisin grapes include common table grapes like Muscat, Sultana, Thompson seedless, and Fiesta.

Grape Nutrition

As proud members of the fruit and berry families, grapes are nutritional powerhouses. According to the USDA, a serving of grapes is one cup or about 32 grapes. (I would have guessed fewer. But this is one experiment that is totally safe to do at home, so the next time I buy a bunch of grapes, I’m going to count one cup’s worth myself.)

In addition to a hefty dose of hydration, a cup of grapes will provide, on average:

• 104 calories
• 27.3 grams of carbohydrates
• 23.4 grams of sugar
• 1.1 grams of protein
• 1.4 grams of fiber
• 18% of the daily value (DV) for vitamin K
• 6% DV for potassium
• 21% DV for copper
• 9% DV for thiamin
• 8% DV for riboflavin
• 8% DV for vitamin B6

Raisins also contain a decent amount of potassium, copper, and fiber. However, because the water content of the grapes has been removed, you’re mostly left with a concentrated sugar source. One small 1.5-oz box of raisins can contain a whopping 28g of sugar! However, as you’ll see below in the section on health benefits, raisins do share many of the health benefits of raw grapes. But make sure to brush your teeth after, as dried fruit tends to stick to the teeth.

For more on dehydrated foods like raisins, check out our Guide to Dehydrating Food: Methods, Foods to Try, and Recipes.

Antioxidants in Grapes

When it comes to antioxidants, the darker the grape, the higher the antioxidant concentration. And the red and purple grape varieties are highest in anthocyanins. Research shows that these compounds may help reduce the risk of heart disease, cognitive decline, and type 2 diabetes, as well as support healthy weight maintenance and a normal inflammatory response.

Grapes also contain resveratrol, which has been associated with increased nitric oxide (NO) production. This NO isn’t a Bond villain, but a powerful neurotransmitter that helps blood vessels relax and also improves circulation, both of which are associated with heart health.

Resveratrol also acts against tumors, and people are looking into using it to help prevent and treat several kinds of cancer.

One challenge is that, in general, resveratrol has a low bioavailability, which means that even if you consume large quantities, your body can only absorb a little. The good news is resveratrol can interact with fatty acids, so you can increase its bioavailability by consuming foods that contain it (like grapes!) alongside a healthy source of fat.

Grapes and avocado toast, anyone?

Don’t turn your nose up at green grapes just because they aren’t anthocyanin or resveratrol superstars, though. They also deliver a wealth of phytonutrients and antioxidants, most of which belong to the flavanol family of polyphenols.

What Are Grapes Good for?

With all those antioxidants and polyphenols and anthocyanins and NO boosters, you’d expect grapes to provide oodles of health benefits. And luckily, they don’t disappoint.

Grapes and Type 2 Diabetes

Grapes can be very sweet. So you might be surprised to learn that both red and green grapes, as well as unsweetened grape juice, are considered to be low on the glycemic index and have a low glycemic load. Apparently, the fiber, water, and other cofactors in grapes help to create balance and to slow the absorption of the sugars they contain.

And might grapes also contain compounds that are helpful in the prevention of type 2 diabetes? Yes! The skin and seeds of the Vitis vinifera grape can reduce inflammation, prevent cell death, and encourage cell growth in people with type 2 diabetes. They can also reduce oxidative stress (which can damage cells) and improve the way your body metabolizes fats. Ironically, the skin and seeds of grapes, called grape pomace, are typically discarded in the wine-making process. But they are included in many fresh grape juices.

In 2021, researchers discovered that grape pomace can help treat type 2 diabetes. They chose a grape called Carménère (used in Chilean winemaking) and subjected its pomace to hot pressurized liquid extraction (which would make a great name for a spy thriller about a plot to smuggle hot water balloons out of the country).

Several of the polyphenols of interest in the resultant mixture were found to inhibit diabetes-related enzymes. A cluster of proanthocyanidins reduced the activity of two of the enzymes more effectively than the drug acarbose (you might know it as Precose or Prandase) that’s prescribed to accomplish the same thing.

Grapes’ Metabolic Benefits

Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions, often caused or worsened by diet, that can lead to serious problems like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. The polyphenols found in grapes may protect the body from some of the health problems that are often associated with a high-fat, highly processed diet: high LDL cholesterol, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure. The polyphenols also appear to protect the stomach and liver, and can help prevent obesity.

A 2017 study found that a compound extracted from the skin of grapes also improved metabolic markers in rats fed a high-fat diet. Protection included lower cholesterol, decreased insulin resistance, protection against oxidative damage, and reduced inflammation. (Our view on the use of animals in medical research is here.)

Are Grapes Good for the Liver?

In 2012, researchers studied the effects of extracts from the Suosuo grape variety, which is popular in China, on mice whose livers had been damaged by an overactive immune response. They discovered that two substances from the grapes, triterpenoids and flavonoids, seemed to calm this response down. They also reduced the concentrations of harmful chemicals in the liver, helped restore its enzyme activity, and balanced out proteins that control cell death, as well as regulated immune system messengers in the liver.

Eight years later, scientists were able to more or less replicate these findings in humans. A 2020 study found that the flesh and skin of seedless black grapes protected people’s livers from chemical damage more effectively than the standard-of-care drug, silymarin. A particular class of polyphenols known as phenolics decreased stress and inflammation in the liver, which in turn helped to reduce damage and prevent liver scarring.

Grapes and Inflammation

Inflammation in the body is a good thing — until it’s not. Acute inflammation helps with wound healing, but chronic inflammation can cause damage to tissues and organs, lead to diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease, and lead to premature aging.

IL-8, also known as Interleukin-8, is a type of protein in the body that plays a major role in the inflammation process. It’s needed to fight infections and heal wounds, but too much IL-8 can also lead to excessive inflammation and potentially contribute to disease. And many people in the modern world suffer from ongoing and excessive chronic inflammation.

A 2016 study found that a Turkish variety of raisins had a significant effect in reducing the release of IL-8. It was discovered that this was mainly because these raisins have seeds, unlike many other types.

In 2020, Romanian researchers tested fresh and fermented extracts of the pomace of a local grape variety, Fetească neagră, as well as pomace from Pinot Noir grapes, to compare their effects on inflammation, oxidative stress, and cancer cell growth in test tubes and in rats with inflammation. Both fresh and fermented pomace extracts reduced oxidative stress caused by inflammation, while the fermented Fetească neagră extracts most powerfully inhibited cancer cell growth.

And a 2023 review article noted that grape extracts’ antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties make them ideal ingredients in skin care products, due to their potential to improve skin condition and reduce signs of aging.

Grapes’ Antimicrobial Benefits

Grape extracts can also do a number on potentially harmful microbial pathogens. Compounds from grape pomace may help control gum inflammation caused by harmful bacteria, suggesting that you might start seeing grapes in the ingredient list of some brands of toothpaste.

A 2015 study measured the antibacterial and antifungal activity of black grape peel extracts against antibiotic-resistant bacteria and toxin-producing molds. Impressively, researchers found that the extracts significantly inhibited many bacterial and mold species.

Are Grapes and Grape Products Good for You?

Fresh grapes check a lot of nutritional boxes. They contain antioxidants and flavonoids that can help to reduce inflammation and lower heart disease risk. They’re high in fiber, which can promote healthy digestion. And thanks in part to their fiber, which is especially high in grape skins and seeds, grapes’ high sugar content doesn’t appear to be a problem for most people. But what about other grape products, like wine, raisins, jams, juices, and jellies? Do the benefits of consuming those foods outweigh the negatives?

Wine

There’s a lot of evidence that drinking alcohol, even in moderation, can increase your risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases. But recent research has found what appears to be an exception for wine. A 2023 review determined that wine differs from other alcoholic beverages in how it interacts with our cells. Drinking wine in moderation not only does not increase the risk of chronic degenerative diseases, the researchers concluded, but it may actually be associated with health benefits.

One reason could be wine’s high polyphenol content, including but not limited to resveratrol, anthocyanins, catechins, and tannins. Polyphenol content and composition vary from grape to grape and wine to wine, but red wines tend to contain more polyphenols than whites.

Variations in winemaking techniques matter as well when it comes to potential wine health benefits. Fermentation, maceration (grinding up the grapes), aging, clarification (fining and filtering), and the use of preservatives can impact what polyphenols make it into the bottle and how long they remain active.

And there are other well-known catches related to alcohol to consider, too, including its negative effects on mental health and its well-known propensity for addiction.

Grape Juice

So maybe the best way to get all these awesome polyphenols is to drink the juice of the grape before it’s fermented into alcohol. It’s certainly a common way to consume grapes: Grape juice is one of the most popular fruit juice flavors in the US. And it has a similar biochemical makeup as wine, so it could potentially deliver similar health benefits minus the alcoholic toxicity and danger of dependence.

The downside here is that many brands of grape juice contain added sugar. If you want to drink grape juice, you may want to consider making your own, so you can be sure the final product is 100% juice.

But — even if you find a brand with zero added sugar, or make your own, the juice still may deliver large concentrations of sugar to your body all at once. That’s because it’s missing the fiber that can act to slow down absorption, meaning it could trigger an unhealthy blood sugar spike in some people.

Grape Jam and Jelly

Grape jams and jellies are another popular way to consume grapes. And for a fruit that’s already so sweet on its own, you might be shocked to discover how much refined sweetener is often added to the final product. Many brands of grape jam and jelly use high-fructose corn syrup manufactured from bioengineered (GMO) corn. They may also contain other harmful additives, such as artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.

The bottom line here? If you want to derive the maximum health benefits from grapes, the safest way is to consume them in their whole food form.

If you need ideas on how to use grapes in recipes, check out our article on How to Store, Clean, and Eat Grapes.

Other Downsides and Risks of Eating Grapes

That’s not to say that all grapes are safe for all people. Many grapes (as well as the wines, raisins, and condiments made from them) contain concerning levels of pesticide contamination. So much so, in fact, that grapes have “earned” a spot on the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” list, meaning they are among the 12 types of produce you should consider purchasing organically. That goes for grape products as well.

While rare, grape allergy is also a thing for some people — although those who react in an allergic fashion to grapes are more likely to be experiencing oral allergy syndrome, a condition that affects some people who are already allergic to different types of pollen.

And then there’s the issue of FODMAPs — short-chain carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed and can trigger gastrointestinal symptoms in people with irritable bowel syndrome. Grapes are generally considered low-FODMAP, but the amount of FODMAPs may depend on the grape variety and how they’re processed. Raisins and sultanas may also contain more FODMAPs than raw grapes because their sugars are concentrated (and primarily fructose and glucose).

Grapes Can Be Great!

Grapes are packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and powerful antioxidants. In their whole food form, they offer a host of health benefits, including lessening symptoms of metabolic syndrome, providing anti-inflammatory properties, protecting the liver, and fighting harmful pathogens.

While there are some risks associated with consuming nonorganic grapes in particular, for most people they’re an excellent fruit to include in a balanced diet. And a one-cup serving can be a sweet, juicy, and delicious way to help you meet the five-a-day recommendation of fruits and vegetables.

Tell us in the comments:

• What are your favorite kinds of grapes?

• Do you have any recipes or dishes that include grapes?

• What other sweet whole foods do you enjoy?

Featured Image:iStock.com/Fani Kurti

Read Next:

• Alcohol: Its Effects, Risks, Uses, & Potential Benefits
• Eat the Rainbow: Why Is it Important to Eat a Colorful Variety of Fruits and Vegetables?

The post Are Grapes Good for You? appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

It took over 100 years for scientists to recognize the tremendous healing potential of rutin. Nobel Prize-winning Hungarian biochemist Albert Szent-Györgyi was working with vitamin C and noticed that many of the foods containing vitamin C had more of a health-boosting punch than they should have.

He determined that there must be some other compound(s) in plants acting synergistically with vitamin C. As a result, he began looking for what he called “vitamin P” in a mixture of Hungarian red peppers (which gave the theoretical vitamin its letter) and lemon juice.

If you’re rootin’ for rutin to fit the bill, congratulations! While “vitamin P” never really caught on (eventually, it was discovered that rutin, along with many other plant compounds, were totally different from vitamins, and were dubbed “phytochemicals”), it did show that rutin is a nutritional powerhouse, with more health benefits being discovered all the time.

If rutin is already on your radar, you may have come across it as a supplement recommended for a variety of health conditions, including varicose veins and inflammation. You may also have heard about it in association with buckwheat, one of the plants highest in the nutrient.

But there’s much more to rutin’s uses than just vein-free skin. In this article, we’ll dive into the world of rutin, exploring its top health benefits, where and how to get it in food, and whether you need to take supplements to get enough.

What Is Rutin?

Rutin is a bioflavonoid formed by the flavonol quercetin and the disaccharide rutinose, which are plant chemicals that offer health benefits when consumed. Technically, rutin is what’s known as a glycoside, meaning it contains a sugar group that’s bonded to a non-sugar group (kind of like a merger of The Partridge Family and Death Cab for Cutie). Some plant-derived glycosides are poisonous to humans, but luckily, rutin isn’t among them.

As we’ve seen, it’s also sometimes referred to as vitamin P, but to be fair, it’s not the only compound that is. Rather than pick one flavonoid and give it all the glory, it’s more accurate to say that the whole lot of them, collectively, act as a “vitamin P” which increases the beneficial effects produced by citrus compounds.

Rutin is also an antioxidant powerhouse and may contribute to healing in the body. When combined with vitamin C, both antioxidants increase their effectiveness; the action of C combined with P exceeds the sum of the two compounds on their own. (Like how Paul McCartney and John Lennon were great songwriters individually, but transcendent as a duo. Or Abbott and Costello. Or — you get the idea.)

What Is Rutin Good for?

The more researchers look, the more good things they’re discovering about how rutin can support your health. But we have to be a little cautious here since many of the studies involved either test tubes or animals. That means the results may not translate directly into human benefit. (And here’s what we think about the use of animals in medical research.)

That said, there are some promising human trials on rutin. Even though they’re small, with not a lot of participants, the benefits of rutin have been so great that they were detectable even in small numbers.

One further disclaimer: Although there are a lot of studies that have looked at the health applications of rutin, they’ve all used rutin or rutinosides in supplemental form, and not in the context of whole foods. So just keep that in mind since, as with any plant compound, rutin likely works best synergistically with the variety of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that are found in whole foods.

Rutin and Vascular Health

Rutin has been shown in a number of clinical trials to produce modest improvements in severe symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a condition in which blood pools in the veins rather than circulating freely back to the heart. (I like to imagine the endothelial cells crooning the Back Street Boys’ “Back to Your Heart” over a soulful saxophone solo by the one-way valves in the legs.)

A 2016 meta-analysis found that rutin (also referred to as rutosides) reduced swelling, leg pain, and discomfort in people with varicose veins. To determine the mechanisms involved, researchers fed rutoside extracts to arthritic rats. They discovered that the extracts blocked certain genes responsible for inflammation in cells, and also inhibited the release of certain molecules that cause swelling.

Rutin’s Anti-Inflammatory Benefits

Inflammation and oxidation are at the root of many chronic diseases, so substances that protect you from those processes can deliver significant health benefits. An obviously cruel 2021 study out of India explored whether rutin could protect the livers, kidneys, and brains of rats from damage. The researchers administered different doses of rutin to the rats for six days and then exposed them to harmful substances called D-galactosamine and lipopolysaccharide on the sixth day.

After those exposures, several liver and kidney blood markers increased significantly, and tissue samples also showed signs of increased toxicity. But the rats who were given rutin beforehand showed fewer harmful effects.

The reason for this protection, according to current scientific understanding, is that rutin protects tissues by reversing inflammation, blocking the action of free radicals, and stopping healthy cells under attack from self-destructing prematurely.

Rutin Brain Benefits

Rutin has been found to have numerous positive effects on the brain, including reducing inflammation, protecting against toxic buildups of proteins, and improving the function of important enzymes. Researchers hope that rutin can help treat neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and prion diseases (I looked this up; they’re infectious brain diseases and not caused by being in an accident with a Prius).

Iranian scientists in 2018 conducted a pair of experiments to assess rutin’s potential to protect the brain and nervous system from damage. In the first one, rutin was found to enhance cell viability, reduce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation (a nasty process that’s basically a cascade of molecular damage), and decrease DNA damage and self-directed cell death. These results suggest that rutin may have neuroprotective properties and could help prevent and treat strokes and neurodegenerative disorders.

Their second experiment investigated the effects of rutin in rats with reduced blood flow to the brain. The flavonoid protected against oxidative damage, inhibited apoptotic mechanisms (that is, it stopped cells from self-destructing when there was no need), and reduced DNA damage.

A 2023 mice study also explored the potential therapeutic effects of rutin and its related flavonoid, quercetin, in Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers found that both compounds may have beneficial effects on various markers of Alzheimer’s, including antioxidant enzyme activity, BACE1 activity (that’s an enzyme that’s key in the production of damaging amyloid plaque), and amyloid precursor protein (APP) expression, neurodegeneration, and inflammation.

In plain English, it looks like rutin is very good for your brain.

Rutin and Type 2 Diabetes

A 2016 study investigated the effects of rutin on diabetic neuropathy in rats. Rutin showed significant protection by reducing pain sensitivity and improving nerve conduction. It also lowered blood glucose and reduced oxidative stress and inflammation. In fact, rutin actually outperformed insulin, making it a promising treatment for diabetic neuropathy.

Then in 2023, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial examined what happened when adults with type 2 diabetes took 500 mg of rutin every day for three months. One group got the rutin, and the other got a placebo. The rutin group improved on a bunch of different disease markers, including fasting blood glucose, insulin, A1c (a long-term and stable measure of blood sugar), and various cholesterol levels and ratios.

Rutin and Cancer

Rutin is also getting more and more attention as a potential cancer fighter. It has demonstrated the ability to inhibit the growth of various cancers and tumors, including breast, colon, lung, and prostate cancers. Rutin regulates key signaling pathways involved in cancer development and apoptosis (cell death). And when used alone or with other drugs, rutin shows promise in preventing tumor growth, reducing drug resistance, and minimizing chemotherapy side effects.

In a 2021 test-tube study, rutin showed strong inhibitory effects against the Jab1 oncogene. This pugilistic-sounding gene inactivates proteins that suppress tumors, so switching it off allows the body to fight cancers with its own innate tools.

A 2022 test-tube study also explored mechanisms by which rutin slowed the progression of pancreatic cancer. Researchers found the flavonoid significantly inhibited pancreatic cancer cells’ proliferation and migration while promoting their self-destruction.

Rutin Heart Benefits

Rutin appears to counteract the harmful effects of certain pollutants on the heart. A 2021 study exposed rats to two environmental toxins, bisphenol-A (BPA) and dibutyl phthalate, on the cardiovascular system. Researchers found that these pollutants caused oxidative stress and inflammation in the heart. However, when the rats were given rutin, it prevented these negative effects by activating certain protective pathways in the heart.

What Foods Contain Rutin?

So now that you know how powerful rutin is for your health, where can you get it?

Unsurprisingly, you can get rutin from many different kinds of plant foods.

1. Buckwheat

Buckwheat has the most dietary rutin of any plant studied so far. Tartary buckwheat malt and sprouts, in particular, can deliver as much as 54 grams per kilogram.

To find out more about the wonderful world of buckwheat, including the different kinds and how to include it in your diet, check out our article on buckwheat.

2. Apples

All apples contain rutin, but there are wide variations in how much. Some varieties have up to 20 times the rutin of others. Of the popular types you can find in the US, Granny Smith is the winner, although some Indian varieties, such as Lal Ambri, contain almost twice as much.

3. Olives

Both green and black olives are good sources of rutin — although a 2017 study gave green a slight edge.

For more information on the health implications of eating olives, including whether their salt content is a problem, check out our article here.

4. Teas

Moringa leaves owe much of their well-deserved reputation as rich sources of antioxidants to their rutin content. And matcha green tea also delivers a significant amount of rutin when brewed.

5. Citrus

Citrus fruits contain both rutin and vitamin C, in that synergistic combination that so interested the Hungarian biochemist, Szent-Györgyi. Mandarin oranges are a particularly rich source of rutin.

6. Stone Fruits

Stone fruits, including apricots, cherries, plums, and peaches, are also great places to get your dietary rutin. If you can find an Eastern European plum variety called “Rausvė,” you’ll have met the rutin champion of stone fruits.

7. Asparagus

If you’re more of a veggie person looking for rutin, then asparagus is your friend. Green asparagus is a rich source and can contain between 1.51 and 7.29 mg/g.

Rutin Supplements

Aside from specific foods that contain rutin, supplements containing rutin are also available, often in combination with vitamin C, citrus bioflavonoids, and quercetin.

However, even though it’s a potent antioxidant, health authorities like the FDA and the World Health Organization have never established a specific recommended dietary allowance for rutin. That said, it may be useful for some conditions, including one mentioned in the health benefits section of this article.

So how much rutin should you take? Is there such a thing as too much rutin?

Well, Spanish health authorities suggest an upper daily limit of 600 mg of supplements that contain both rutin and quercetin. As most rutin supplements deliver 500 mg, they’re under that limit.

Nevertheless, side effects of rutin supplementation may still occur. Rutin supplements could, at least in some rare cases, cause blurred vision, dizziness, headache, nervousness, slow or fast heartbeat, and swollen feet and ankles.

Rutin may also interact with some medications, such as blood thinners like warfarin. It’s usually a good idea to consult with a health care professional before starting any new supplement or medication.

Ultimately, if you want the health benefits of rutin without potential side effects, and in the synergistic combinations that inspired Albert Szent-Györgyi to search for the amazing vitamin P, you may want to get it from your diet with whole plant foods.

Recipes with Natural Rutin

As you have learned, rutin is a nutritional powerhouse that can do wonders for your health. So we’ve made it easy (and delicious) to enjoy rutin-rich foods any time of day. Whether you’re looking to help improve type 2 diabetes symptoms, protect your heart from cardiovascular disease, or nourish your brain, these rutin-rich recipes are a great addition to a well-rounded diet!

1. Blueberry Buckwheat Breakfast Muffins

Both blueberries and buckwheat are great sources of rutin, and together (with a few other nourishing ingredients), you’ve got a heart-loving and brain-boosting recipe! Blueberry Buckwheat Breakfast Muffins, loaded with vitamin C, antioxidants, protein, and fiber, pack a hearty dose of plant-based nutrition that is uniquely satisfying and fun to eat!

2. Olive Tapenade

Calling all olive lovers! If you are a superfan of salty, briny flavors, you’ll be happy to hear this Olive Tapenade is a good source of rutin, too! A savory combination of kalamata and black olives (or green if you’d like an additional boost of rutin) along with walnuts creates a delicious plant-based spread. Each bite is packed with healthy monounsaturated fats from the olives and healing omega-3 fatty acids from the walnuts, plus phytonutrients galore. This tapenade works well as a topping on your favorite creamy or tomato-based pasta, pizza, or herb crackers!

3. Matcha Mint Lemonade

Were you excited to hear that matcha is a rich source of rutin? Us too! Enjoy the healing benefits of rutin (and many other antioxidants found in matcha) with Matcha Mint Lemonade. Refreshing cucumber, sweet pineapple, zingy lemon (which also contains rutin and vitamin C), and gently energizing matcha become a nourishing and invigorating beverage fit for a healthy diet and lifestyle!

We’re Rootin’ for Rutin!

Rutin, a natural pigment found in buckwheat, apples, olives, teas, citrus, stone fruits, asparagus, and other plant foods, is a powerful antioxidant with numerous health benefits. Rutin may be helpful with vascular health, inflammation reduction, brain health, type 2 diabetes management, cancer prevention, heart health, and more.

You can get rutin from dietary sources. And if you’re looking for even more, supplements may also have some potential benefits. However, it’s important to note that supplementation is not necessary for most people, and you may want to consult with a health care professional before starting a new supplement regimen. Incorporating rutin-rich foods into your diet will allow you to naturally enjoy the benefits of this remarkable compound and support your overall well-being.

Tell us in the comments:

• What have you heard about rutin and other flavonoids? Were they on your radar before this article?

• What are your favorite foods rich in rutin? Which ones would you like to try?

• What high-rutin recipe will you make next?

Featured Image: iStock.com/Michelle Lee Photography

Read Next:

• The Health Benefits of Buckwheat — a Highly Nutritious Pseudocereal
• What Are Flavonoids? And How Are They Good for Your Health?

The post Rutin Explained: Top Uses and Sources for Maximum Health appeared first on Food Revolution Network.