heart healthy foods Archives - Wild Blueberries

A New Dietary Recommendation to Boost Heart Health—Bring on the Berries, Tea and Cocoa

By Kitty Broihier, MS, RD, LD

A month dedicated to hearts is romantic, but it can also be an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to taking care of our hearts. February is Heart Month, when the American Heart Association encourages us to adopt heart-healthy lifestyle and eating habits, such as consuming a wide variety of colorful fruits and veggies (including wild blueberries, of course).

In general terms, produce provides nutrients, fiber and other compounds that support a healthy cardiovascular system. Now a new recommendation published by experts from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), gives us something more specific to aim for in our pursuit of a heart-healthy diet: getting more flavan-3-ols.

What are flavan-3-ols?

Don’t let the science-y name scare you off! Flavan-3-ols are phytonutrients, also known as bioactives, or bioactive food compounds, (a term that the National Institutes of Health suggests we use for substances that provide health benefits other than those of basic nutrition). Flavan-3-ols are found in common foods and drinks like berries, apples, cocoa, red wine and tea. Like the anthocyanins in wild blueberries, flavan-3-ols are part of the flavonoid group of phytonutrients. Although flavan-3-ols are not essential for our survival like vitamins and minerals are, research has confirmed a role for them in helping to prevent and lower the risk of chronic diseases. “Consuming foods that are high in flavan-3-ols and low in added sugars and saturated fat can help reduce the risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases like Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” notes Taylor Wallace, PhD, CFS, FACN one of the Expert Panel who co-authored the recommendation.

How much do we need for heart benefits?

A systematic review of over 156 randomized controlled trials and 15 cohort studies (previously published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition) informed the group’s recommendation, and it was an involved 2 year-long process. From all that work, the group distilled a recommendation for the general adult population: consume a diet that provides 400-600mg of flavan-3-ols per day. This amount has been associated with reduced risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and specifically with improvements in blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Scientists are still investigating exactly how these compounds work in the body, but it’s believed that much of their cardiovascular benefits stem from a combination of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, among others. The most documented benefit of diets higher in flavan-3-ols was improvements in vascular health (particularly in lowering blood pressure and boosting blood vessel flexibility) and blood glucose and lipid levels.

What should I eat to reach the recommended amount of flavan-3-ols?

Kim Stote, PhD, MPH, RDN, another member of the Expert Panel that co-authored the recommendation, says research shows that most men and women in the U.S. fall far short of the 400-600mg flavan-3-ol goal for heart benefits. “Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicates that adults over age 20 currently consume about 170mg of flavan-3-ols per day. But it’s actually not that difficult to hit the mark,” explains Stote. “For example, you could meet the recommended level of flavan-3-ols by drinking 1-2 cups of brewed black or green tea, and eating ½ cup of berries and a small pear throughout the day,” says Stote. Consuming fruits and vegetables definitely makes it easier to reach the flavan-3-ol target.

Where do blueberries and anthocyanins fit in?

The flavan-3-ol content of foods and drinks varies widely, and there are many fruits and vegetables that don’t contain abundant flavan-3-ols, but have other important, health-promoting bioactives. This is why Dr. Wallace suggests (and health authorities agree) that eating a diet containing a plentiful amount and wide variety of produce is a smart health move in general. “I think diversifying the diet is always a good idea,” says Wallace.

“Blueberries of all kinds tend to have higher levels of anthocyanins than most other foods, but aren’t as high in flavan-3-ols as some other foods. So it’s a trade-off, and the two groups of compounds likely exert synergistic effects for health promotion,” explains Wallace. “I would argue that anthocyanins have as much—if not more—data that demonstrates their preventative cardiometabolic effects,” adds Wallace.

Keep in mind that all berries are healthy. Choose those that taste best to you (we are partial to the extra blueberry-ish taste and convenience of frozen wild blueberries), and eat them regularly.

Flavan-3-ol content of selected foods:*

Brewed green tea, 8 oz. 318mg

Brewed black, 8 oz. 277mg

Red wine, 5 oz. 16.6mg

Blackberries, 1 cup 63.7mg

Small apple 15.3mg

Blueberries, 1 cup 10mg

Raspberries, 1 cup 8.7mg

Strawberries, 1 cup 6.9mg

Red or green grapes, 1 cup 5.8mg

Cocoa powder, 1 Tablespoon 13mg

Sources:

* Kristi M Crowe-White, Levi W Evans, Gunter G C Kuhnle, Dragan Milenkovic, Kim Stote, Taylor Wallace, Deepa Handu, Katelyn E Senkus, Flavan-3-ols and Cardiometabolic Health: First Ever Dietary Bioactive Guideline, Advances in Nutrition, Volume 13, Issue 6, November 2022, Pages 2070–2083, https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmac105

A Healthy Heart Month “Two-fer” From Wild Blueberries

Written by Kitty Broihier, MS, RD, LD, Nutrition advisor and spokesperson for the Wild Blueberry Association of North America.

Getting a two-for-one deal is attractive any time of year, and when it comes with health benefits and a delicious taste, that’s even better! Have you ever heard the saying, “What’s good for the heart is good for the brain?” Yes, that’s the “two-fer” we are talking about here. February is Heart Month, so it’s a perfect time to explore the heart-healthy benefits of wild blueberries. It’s also the perfect time to talk about why the same components that help the heart are likely to also help the brain. Let’s take a closer look at how this relationship works in the body, and how you can take advantage of this special wild blueberry “two-fer” benefit.

How can wild blueberries benefit heart health?

On the most basic level, eating wild blueberries is good for your ticker because fruits and vegetables are a cornerstone of a heart-healthy diet. First, produce provides nutrients, fiber and phytonutrients that support a healthy cardiovascular system. The American Heart Association encourages us to choose a variety of fruits and vegetables specifically for their heart-healthy nutrients.

Secondly, an increasing body of scientific evidence links the purple-blue pigments in wild blueberries, called anthocyanins, to a reduced risk of diseases, including cardiovascular disease. Improvements in vascular function have been seen in several studies with wild blueberries. Other research has shown a reduction in the risk of hypertension (high blood pressure) with higher anthocyanin intake. And a recent meta-analysis of research on anthocyanins, anthocyanin-rich berries and cardiovascular disease concludes that the evidence suggests that regular consumption of anthocyanin-rich berries could help prevent cardiovascular disease through lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory properties. Wild blueberries have the highest concentration of anthocyanins among commonly consumed berries, and 33% more per serving than cultivated blueberries. And of course, they’re delicious! So it’s easy to eat a scoop of them every day.

How are anthocyanins healthy for the brain?

The abundant anthocyanin pigments in wild blueberries that confer heart benefits are the same compounds that are associated with improved brain health and cognition. Research studies have shown links between anthocyanins (part of the naturally-occurring plant compound class called flavonoids) and brain benefits ranging from staving off age-related dementia to memory and executive function (our ability to organize, focus and make decisions). Scientific evidence indicates that flavonoid compounds, such as anthocyanins, can be brain boosting for children and teens, too.

How to put together a diet that benefits both the heart and the brain

Putting together a healthy diet doesn’t have to be complicated. Although science evolves over time, the basics of what constitutes a healthy diet generally stay the same.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a healthy diet not only protects against malnutrition, it also helps prevent diseases like heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer. As far as promoting both brain and heart health, it’s clear that both will benefit if you eat a diet that’s:

packed with produce
lower in saturated fat
and lower in added sugars and salt (sodium)

So, what can you do specifically? Consider focusing on what to add. When you pack a diet with “good stuff” there is naturally going to be less room for those foods that aren’t doing your body any favors. One impactful way to begin is by adding more produce to your diet, since most people fall short of getting enough of these important foods.

The WHO lists fruits and vegetables first on their list of what a healthy diet includes, and recommends getting five servings of produce per day.
Health authorities also suggest that increasing the variety of fruits and vegetables we eat is important for covering nutrient needs. An easy way to increase variety is to focus on color.
Choose fruits and vegetables that provide a range of colors. There aren’t a lot of blue fruits and veggies, so wild blueberries are an easy choice there.
Start having fruits and veggies as snacks instead of choosing cookies, crackers or chips that are loaded with sodium, sugar or added fats.
Keep it simple and opt for fruits and vegetables that have no added ingredients. Not only are they more healthful than versions with added sauces, sugar or syrups, but they’re more versatile as well. Frozen wild blueberries have no sugar or salt added, yet they have lots of flavor—and they are perfect for snacking, or putting in a smoothie or sprinkled over cereal or yogurt. Plain frozen vegetables can easily be added to recipes as they are, or jazzed up with herbs and spices.
Expand your recipe repertoire. Browse Pinterest, recipe websites and cooking blogs online for lots of tasty-looking ideas. Keep in mind the other factors in your brain- and heart-healthy diet (trimming saturated fat, keeping a lid on sodium and sugar) so you don’t “undo” the benefits of those fruits and veggies.

If you need wild blueberry recipe ideas, we’ve got you covered from breakfast to dinner.

Blueberry Breakdown: Help Berries Help You!

It’s not just a Dr. Oz favorite food. It’s a superfruit people consume as part of favorite recipes or all by themselves the world over. That’s because of their unique taste, versatility, availability fresh or frozen, and big potential for health. Whenever we make an effort to get the most concentrated nutrition in the form of fruit and veggie servings, wild blueberries are the food millions turn to every day.

But as much as we love them, sometimes it’s easy to set our diet on berry autopilot. Maybe you’ve become a little complacent with your eating habits. Maybe your servings count has slipped from five to one or two – on a good day. Maybe your MyPlate plate looks more like a paper bag stamped with a P.F. Chang logo.

It happens. Every once in a while it’s worth taking stock of what the wild blueberries we rely on are doing to help us – inside and out – as a way to rekindle the flame that keeps our daily nutrition smoldering. Knowing the health advantages of wild blueberries is like doing your morning affirmations. Reinforcing the benefits can help keep blues and other healthy foods at the top of your list every day, where they should be. And every effort you make toward better nutrition in the course of a day adds up to big health payoffs over time.

Wild Blueberry Breakdown

Can’t quite recall what the wild blueberries benefits are? Not to worry. Here’s your blueberry breakdown of the five most compelling ways blueberries, especially wild blueberries, are benefiting your health.

1. Your Brain

When it comes to blueberries, the “brain food” moniker is earned, and antioxidants are the key. They protect against inflammation, which is thought to be a leading factor in brain aging, including Alzheimer’s disease. And blueberries, especially wild blueberries, are higher than nearly all other fruits when it comes to antioxidants. In addition, ongoing brain research shows that blueberries may improve motor skills and actually reverse the short-term memory loss that comes with aging. Other fruits and vegetables have been studied, but it was blueberries that were shown to be effective.

2. Your Cancer Prevention Efforts

Blueberries are especially potent when it comes to the body’s battle against free radicals, and research shows that blueberry compounds may inhibit all stages of cancer. Part of the ongoing research into the benefit of blueberries for cancer prevention includes the exciting studies conducted by Shiuan Chen, Ph.D., and Lynn Adams, Ph.D., of the Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, who demonstrated the potential of blueberries to inhibit the growth of Triple Negative Breast Cancer, a particularly aggressive and hard to treat form of breast tumor. Studies into the link between blueberries and cancer continue, but researchers are already taking a stand – most say eating blueberries is akin to a daily dose of cancer prevention.

3. Your Heart

Who knew something so delicious could be such a life saver? Thank the berry’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents for its cardiovascular benefit. Research indicates that blueberries may protect against heart disease and damage from stroke, and scientists have found a blueberry-enriched diet may protect the heart muscle from damage and regulate blood pressure. What’s more, blueberries may reduce the build up of so called “bad” cholesterol that contributes to cardiovascular disease and stroke, making every blue platter a heart-healthy one, cross our heart.

4. Your Diabetes Risk

If you have an increased chance of getting diabetes (and today, 1 in 10 Americans have Type 2 diabetes, more than ever before) eating blueberries is a smart line of defense. Consuming low Glycemic Index foods causes a smaller rise in blood glucose levels than consuming high GI foods – an important consideration for people with diabetes. Wild blueberries scored 53 on the GI scale making them a clear low GI food and an excellent choice for those struggling with or trying to prevent diabetes.

5. Your Skin

Nature gave us skin damage and wrinkles. It also gave us high antioxidant foods to fight back. The anti-inflammation properties found in blueberries act as anti-aging agents, fighting off environmental hazards to the skin, protecting the skin from sun damage and even preventing wrinkles. Some studies suggest that eating blueberries regularly can even help improve acne-prone skin. Is it any wonder products like Blueberry Eye Firming Treatment are capitalizing on the blueberry benefits?

Wild Blueberries – On Every Plate.

We know fruit and vegetable intake is important. While all fruits are good, wild blueberries outperformed two dozen commonly consumed fruits like pomegranates, strawberries, cultivated blueberries, cranberries, apples and red grapes. Researchers are continuing their study into the anti-inflammatory potential of the polyphenols in blueberries, since chronic inflammation at the cellular level is at the heart of many degenerative age-related diseases. Besides the benefits listed above, blueberries hold other promise that has scientists engaged in ongoing research into their potential for mood enhancement, weight loss, appetite control, improvements in vision, and as pain fighters.

There are more than enough reasons not to let your nutrition flame-out. One clear solution that you can start implementing today is to put wild blueberries to work for you. Put them on your plate at every meal, and know you are doing something good for your health and disease prevention.

How much do I have to eat? Getting the recommendation amount of wild blueberries to make a difference is so doable! Recommended daily intake differs depending on age and gender, but approximately two cups of fruit is usually recommended for adults – easy to achieve throughout the day in snacks and as part of meals. And, at just 45 calories per serving, wild blueberries deliver substantial nutrients for every calorie consumed.

Find out more about the health benefits and recommended daily intake.

Need recipe ideas to rekindle your diet? Wild blueberries are easy to cook with and add surprising taste variations that make dishes shine. Search the Wild Blueberry Association’s database of recipes. It includes recipes from some of the best chefs and nutritionists guaranteed to refresh your palate and your plate!

Walnuts: Cracking the Case of Heart Health

by GimmeFood 🙂

Nuts have always been part of our daily diet recommendations. But they are dogged by their dark side – one that likely developed as a result of their ubiquity as an over-indulged in, high-calorie snack. They can be found in the ingredient list of many processed foods, are a perennial companion for chocolate, and end up in bottomless bowls at parties and bars across the country. And while nut consumption and production has risen sharply over the last decade, overall consumption of tree nuts – hard-shelled fruits of a plant, a category that excludes the peanut – is relatively low in the U.S.

Too bad. Tree nuts, in particular the walnut, are superior when it comes to heart health. The walnut’s claim to fame? It is brimming with unsaturated fats, notorious combatants of bad cholesterol levels, and it is crammed with omega-3 fatty acids, famously good for the heart.

Omega-3s are made up of a number of different fatty acids. The most well-known are known as DHA, EPA and ALA. Walnuts are an excellent source of ALA – a 1-ounce serving has 2.5 grams. In fact, a diet including things like soy protein and nuts has been shown to lower LDL levels (the bad cholesterol) even more than statin drugs or a low-fat diet, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. They also provide fiber, vitamin E, cholesterol-lowering plant sterols, and (drumroll, please) they are satisfyingly delicious.

If you are focused on health heart, start thinking like a squirrel and take a crack at a nut that waves the flag of heart health: the walnut.

New Nut Research

Walnuts have been well-researched when it comes to their health benefits, and the research into their functional food potential continues to show promise. A 2010 study showed that adding walnuts to the daily diet of adults with Type 2 diabetes for two months significantly improved blood vessel health. Walnuts added to the diet improved “endothelial function”, an indicator of heart disease risk, lending evidence to the walnut’s potential role in diabetes prevention. Results of the study also indicate that walnuts earn their superfood status, especially when they are part of a Mediterranean diet.

by Dawn Huczek

In addition to their potential for Type-2 diabetes prevention, they have powerful antioxidant ability, and they have a great deal of cancer prevention potential. They have been found to control inflammation, influence gene expression, help reduce body fat, and boost fertility in men, according to published research. And, they have a hidden advantage: they are effective at controlling appetite because of their powerful ability to satisfy and keep us feeling full – one of the best payoffs we get for ingesting calories.

Replacement Strategy

Rarely do we think of eating healthy by urging ourselves to simply “Eat!” But that’s sometimes just the advice we need to fill our nutritional gaps. Maintaining a healthy heart often accompanies a course of action of eliminating bad foods. But adding good foods, especially those that are known to improve important heart numbers by lowering LDLs, like walnuts, is an equally important strategy.

We mentioned nuts’ dark side – they are high in calories – so moderation is the key. Experts recommend 1-1 ½ ounces per day, or up to 20 walnut halves. Helping demolish the benefits of the nut are health sabotagers that love to cling to them, such as salt, sugar and chocolate, which can negate their nutritional power. At the same time, weight gain is not inevitable. In the diabetes study above, subjects did not gain weight. Instead, they used replacement strategies that helped them make room in their diets for the walnut calories.

The bottom line? Go nuts but keep your head. If you are eliminating cheese as a snack or on a salad, use walnuts as a stand-in. Reaching for a mid-day cookie? Swap with the walnut. Nuts can also come in handy when you are seeking something healthy that still provides a little crunch, or if you are eliminating proteins (think bacon) but desire a “meaty” flavor. Add walnuts to cereal, oatmeal, rice and quinoa, or try them in pizza (really!) when oily toppings are off limits.

If you are a bona fide nut nerd, consult the NuVal scale – one of the simplest ways of measureing nutrition (from 1 to 100), to judge your nut varieties in proper context. Walnuts set a high bar with a score of 82, followed by the almond (81). Contender coulda-beens include the pistachio (69) and the pecan (67). Consult this healthy nut slide show at Lifescript for the run-down.

Love dry roasted? No problem. They usually have no additional oils and the same health benefits as raw. Even peanuts – not true nuts, but legumes – are relatively healthy in moderation, though they don’t measure up to the walnut’s nutritional advantages. They come in at 29 on the NuVal scale.

See the Mayo Clinic for a comprehensive list of nut benefits.

Mix It Up! Try These Walnut Recipe Ideas

Eating Well’s Zucchini Walnut Loaf not to mention their Baked Apples with Dried Fruits & Walnuts are perfect for ingredients profuse in the waning summer season.

Elevated Existence offers this Walnut Encrusted Salmon for an Omega-3 blast.

New Heart Data “Scary & Disturbing”

Not meeting heart health criteria? Unfortunately, the chances are pretty good that you aren’t. Recent findings from the American Heart Association characterize the extent to which we are taking care of our hearts in pretty ugly terms. Following the presentation of the latest data at an annual meeting of the American Heart Association, an AHA spokesperson called the country’s success at meeting goals for heart health – goals that will save our lives – both scary and disturbing.

The AHA outlines seven steps to heart health (here from WebMD), and following most of these steps – the benchmark is six or seven – has shown in studies to decrease the risk of dying by 56%. These guidelines break it down into steps that help you get to know your digits – things like BMI, blood sugar and cholesterol – and get them into alignment for your heart’s sake. If you think you might be a grim statistic, now is not the time to be ashamed. Be motivated. Take a moment to get heavy on Life’s Simple Steps toward increasing your chances of living a longer, healthier life.

One the AHA’s seven steps toward protecting our heart is meeting requirements of a healthy diet. This important heart healthy step is broken down into these five components to make “healthy diet” a little less vague and more achievable:

Eat more than 4 1/2 cups of fruits and vegetables a day.
Have oily fish such as salmon, trout, and herring at least twice a week.
Eat sweets sparingly.
Have three or more servings of whole grains a day.
Eat fewer than 1,500 milligrams of sodium a day.

The AHA recommendations include meeting four of five of these keys to fulfill healthy diet requirements.

Simple principles for some pretty serious stuff. But we know simple isn’t always easy. If you feel like you’ve got to start from scratch when it comes to your heart, seven steps can seem like a lot. But remember, there is no reason not to start with one: the AHA reminds us that for every step we take, we’ve decreased our risk of dying by 18%.

Canadians Count to Ten for Health

Canadian food guidelines have been published, and Canada isn’t off the hook when it comes to getting their fruits and veggies. Recommendations for the amount of fruits and vegetables that Canadians should consume come in at 7-10 for adults. It’s in alignment with American guidelines, which represents a departure from the previous 5-A-Day campaigns of the past.

Winter is the perfect time to keep fruit and vegetable servings in mind – even with great opportunities in frozen, it’s the time of year that presents the most challenges when it comes to recommended servings. It seems that when the ground is frozen, the produce that comes from it just isn’t on our mind like it is in the summer. But it’s a mind set that’s easy to change; winter presents plenty of options. As the Canadian recommendations remind us, a single serving is one half cup of fresh, frozen, or canned fruit or vegetables, or one half cup of 100% juice. A cup of raw leafy vegetables or salad counts as a single serving, as does a single piece of fruit.

If you’re from the States, you can take a lesson from those just slightly North, offered up by Canadian Red Seal chef Gordon Desormeaux – that’s Chef Dez to you.

Chef Dez has some helpful advice about how to achieve the recommended servings. Here’s a great one: Get it in your cart. He suggests buying the recommended serving amounts for each member of your family for the number of days you are shopping for. For example, a family of four will need 84 servings of fruit and vegetables combined, for the next three days, based on an average of seven servings each. He suggests buying them before proceeding to the other departments and aisles, and building meals based on those initial selections. Keep items like bulk frozen fruits (think wild blueberries) on your shopping list that can be used whenever you need them.

Here’s a sampling of some other F&V tips we love from the Great White North to slip in your back pocket. Thanks Chef Dez.

Serve every piece of chicken or fish on a bed of sautéed spinach leaves.
Have fresh lettuce, tomato, and onions on hand at all times to give an instant Mediterranean flair to your sandwiches.
Buy something completely new to your family at least once per month.

Take Off! You can consult the Canada Food Guide for more information, no matter where you hang your hat.

Shake Baby Shake – For Your Heart!

So you’ve decided the risk of dying from heart disease is not one you are willing to take. You’ve decided to attack these seven steps from the AHA with a vengeance. You know your blood pressure numbers, you’ve quit smoking, you’re getting your exercise, and now you’re focused on maintaining a healthy diet.

Start by getting your servings. There are loads of ways to integrate the F and the V into your life. Here’s one we just heard about especially for the tech savvy that can curb your instinct for grabbing a “bad” snack when a better one will do – just shake it! JuggleFit is an app for iPhone and iPad created to help people beat holiday weight gain and start eating better by focusing on the array of possible snacks your can enjoy when cravings hit.

Here are the basics: shake your phone, and it turns into a virtual slot machine which eventually lands on one of 200 snacks or “mini-meals” that use three basic ingredients. All focus on the simple and the mostly healthy, whether you choose something sweet or something savory. Shake it up to find Greek yogurt, wheat germ and blueberries, or maybe avocado, lemon and garlic (recipes and calorie counts are included). It’s worth a try – JuggleFit is free now through December 12, and surrounding yourself with options that motivate you can start the snowball rolling toward reducing your chances of dying from heart disease. Simple as that.

Suffering From Too Much? 6 Foods That Will Simplify Your Life

Be honest. Does your kitchen need a pare down? It’s easy to accumulate too much these days: too much health information, too much “healthy” food, and just too much stuff. (Do you really need an egg to be scrambled inside the shell?) If you have cartons of low fat this and lite that sitting around on your shelves and you still don’t seem to be able to fill that nutritional void, it may be that you need less, not more.

Instead, try a simpler view of nutrition: focus on how just a few things can keep you healthy — simple whole foods, simple preparations, and simple principles of nutrition that you know intuitively make sense on your plate and in your body. WebMD has isolated their own super six that stand out particularly for women, and we think they are worth repeating. Here’s our simplified version of their list of foods, along with their most significant benefits, that provide super nutrition and don’t require elaborate supplements, eating schemes, or strange kitchen instruments.

While it’s important to point out that these foods don’t provide everything you need, the nutritional protection is wide ranging, and it’s a great start toward paring down the complicated messages of good health that we are exposed to.

So start thinking of your kitchen as a desert island where you can only bring a few of the most important nutritional foods. These foods ought to be on that list. We’ve also provided a Keep it Simple tip that will help you stay on track without complicating your new super-simple life.

Now, about that popcorn grabber you’ve got on order….

1. Low-fat yogurt
Low fat yogurt offers protection from digestive problems, and evidence suggests it could decrease breast cancer risk. It covers you for servings of low fat dairy and is high in necessary calcium.

Keep it Simple Tip: Forget those with added fruit. You’ll just be adding sugar and convince yourself that, as WebMD nutritionist points out, “those two blueberries in the bottom constitute a serving.”

2. Fatty fish
Fatty fish such like salmon provide omega-3 fatty acids that are a dietary must and help protect against major health threats such as stroke, heart disease –even arthritis and joint pain.

Keep it Simple Tip: Only DHA or EPA forms of omega-3 can be directly used by the body. The simplest thing to do is go with the fish source and not those found in mayonnaise.

3. Beans
Beans are great source of protein and fiber, and lentils may protect against some cancers and heart disease.

Keep it Simple Tip: Beans get a bad rap for being boring and pedestrian, but their diversity is no snore: if you think refried with cheese when you think bean, instead think red clover, kudzu, mung beans, alfalfa sprouts, black cohosh, or chickpeas.

4. Tomatoes
Tomatoes have lycopene, and lycopene is a powerful antioxidant. It can also help fight heart disease and protect against UV damage, naturally.

Keep it Simple Tip: Having sauce? Making pizza? Try tomatoes and olive oil and get the wonderful taste of the season. If you are addicted to jars with happy chefs on the label, let them go for your own stripped-down concoction.

5. Vitamin D
Ok, it’s not a food. But you can get it easily through fortified low fat milk, fortified orange juice, or fish, such as salmon and tuna. It facilitates the absorption of calcium and reduces risks of diseases that women are particularly prone to, such as osteoporosis.

Keep it Simple Tip: The simplest Vitamin D supplement? The sun. How’s that for simple? You can actually absorb this vitamin through any exposed skin on any cloudless day. Shrouding ourselves in SPF may have been the prescription for health in years gone by, but in moderation, sun provides an excellent source of your D.

6. Berries
You know we love ’em: wild blueberries have major cancer fighting antioxidants. There’s simply no reason not to be getting this powerful protection for your cells, heart, and skin every day.

Keep It Simple Tip: Lug that enormous frozen resealable package of wild blueberries through the checkout and into your freezer. Now, lavish your breakfasts, salads, entrees and desserts with them every chance you get. It’s the most convenient, simplest way to get your daily servings.

Happy Simplifying!

Sterols & Stanols: Improving the Cholesterol Picture

You may have seen references to them on your orange juice or yogurt carton. You may know about them because you are making efforts to lower high cholesterol. They are phytosterols, otherwise know as plant sterol and stanol esters, or simply sterols and stanols. They are naturally occurring compounds found in plant cell membranes, and they come with an interesting benefit. Because phytosterols are structurally similar to the body’s cholesterol, when they are consumed, they compete with cholesterol for absorption in the digestive system. As a result, cholesterol absorption is blocked, and blood cholesterol levels are reduced.

Because of this natural process, consuming phytosterols in recommended quantities has been shown to lower total cholesterol up to 10 percent and LDL (that’s your bad cholesterol) up to 14 percent. Here is the FDA’s health on phytosterols:

“Foods containing at least 0.65 gram per serving of vegetable oil plant sterol esters, eaten twice a day with meals for a daily total intake of at least 1.3 grams, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.”

A Satisfying Middle Ground?

It’s easy to understand why phytosterols are in fashion – this natural process has the potential to be very valuable for those of us trying to keep our heart healthy and our cholesterol at less than dangerous levels. And, phytosterols have the potential to offer a satisfying middle ground: a natural way to improve cholesterol that falls between just eating right and taking medication. As always, there are some things worth keeping in mind when it comes to sterols and stanols. Here’s the run-down:

Reduction in cholesterol occurs with regular use.
According to the American Heart Association, maximum effects are achieved at 2 grams per day – more than this does not provide more benefits.
They simply don’t replace medications – if you are at risk, eat well and keep your meds.
Recommendations are part of a healthy lifestyle. While polysterols can be helpful, for those at high risk, they can’t do they job all by themselves.

Polysterols, Where Are You?

Since the FDA claim, we can find them in more places then you might think. Polysterols can be found in whole foods and pill form, but you are most likely to encounter them in the supermarket, as part of a growing number of fortified food products.

First, phytosterols are naturally present in many whole foods. Vegetable oil, nuts, legumes, whole grains, and most fruits and vegetables have polysterols, but only in small quantities. The amount required to lower cholesterol is 500 mg per day, and these natural sources fall short. That’s when foods fortified with sterols and stanols take the stage. Popular fortified foods include butter spreads, some cooking oils, salad dressings and yogurts. Some juices, such as Minute Maid Heart Wise Orange Juice for example, are fortified, and milk, rice milks and soy milks can be as well.

The American Heart Association does not recommend sterol and stanol-fortified foods for everyone, suggesting instead that those who have been diagnosed with high cholesterol or have had a heart attack should use them. This seems counter to current consumer trends, however. Since we have come to understand that phytosterols can have a positive effect on a very ubiquitous health ailment, the expectation is that we’ll see many more foods in the supermarket that will include them. In effect, if you are in the market for phytosterols, you’ll be able to choose how you get them, whether it’s in a breakfast cereal, a snack bar – even in chocolate.

(In addition to fortified foods, supplements exist, but experts generally advise against them. The effects are simply unclear, and the benefits appear to be very small.)

Getting these beneficial phytosterols naturally or through fortified foods may seem to be a palatable compromise to taking cholesterol medication. But while supplementing the body with healthy foods is a good idea, it’s worth repeating that medication is necessary those who have proven to have a need. Stanols or sterols by themselves will simply not protect someone with risk factors. As always, it’s something to consult your doctor about to find out the best way to protect your ticker for the long term.

The Cleveland Clinic has more info about sterols and stanols.

Heart Help

There’s lots of information out there to help you get informed about heart health and nutition. WebMD shows us an array of foods that will make anyone happy to be eating heart healthy with
25 Foods that Will Save Your Heart. You’ll also do well to consult the American Heart Association about guidelines and risk factors when it comes to this all important organ.

Heart Health & Wild Blueberries

Eating heart healthy foods is job one for anyone concerned about heart health and cardiovascular disease. If seeking out natural ways to increase your heart’s longevity is your mission, look no further than the wild blueberry. Here’s four heartening reasons:

A blueberry-enriched diet may protect the heart muscle from damage. Due to their ability to act as both an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, wild blueberries can help limit heart harm that comes from aging and lifestyle.

A diet of blueberry supplementation can provide cardiovascular support. Blueberries may support cardiovascular health through reducing plasma cholesterol levels.

Blueberries may reduce the build up of so called “bad” cholesterol. By reducing buildup of LDLs, wild blueberries contribute to reducing cardiovascular disease and stroke, thanks to their powerful antioxidants.

Wild blueberries could help regulate blood pressure and combat atherosclerosis. Studies show that they have the potential to decrease the vulnerability of heart blood vessels to oxidative stress and inflammation.

Get the skinny on heart health research and other health benefits of wild. Then, take heart at the myriad ways there are to begin caring for this precious organ that is quite literally at the center of your health.

Armor Up, America – We’re in the Salt Battle of Our Lives

Recently, news concerning the nation’s salt intake brought some tough love to American consumers. Tough enough to prompt the author of the study, which was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to be quoted in the Wall Street Journal as saying, “This is not good news”. True enough. It is in fact alarming news, proving that when it comes to salt, the term “silent killer” is no misnomer.

Adults, the study indicates, should eat less than one teaspoon of salt each day, while 70% of the population should eat less than 2/3 of a teaspoon. But in fact, only 1 in 18 people meet this goal. With heart disease and hypertension numbers on the climb, it looks like a true battle royale, with NaCl donning the armor.

It’s Not the Salt Shaker

This insidious mineral stepping into the gladiator arena is sodium chloride. Used traditionally for food preservation, it is something necessary for human life in small quantities and harmful – even deadly – in excess. It is a major player in the fight against high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease.

Decades ago, putting down the salt shaker may have been solid advice for maintaining good health. But today, minding the shaker is old school. If you are a human being consuming food in 2010, you know your salt issues originate elsewhere:

Processed food: tomato sauce, soups, condiments, canned food, prepared mixes…
Restaurant foods
Cold cuts / meats
Baked goods
Grain-based products

In addition, some medications include sodium, and we can even be taking in a significant amount sodium from natural sources, such as well water. In fact, the Mayo Clinic determines that a mere 6% of salt originates from the shaker while 77% of salt intake comes from processed food. The rest comes from salt added while cooking and natural sources.

We could shake all day long and never reach the amount we get from processed of prepared food.

Salt is Part of the Golden Trinity

We have talked about David Kessler here in previous posts, and the recent salt news has catapulted him into the mainstream. Currently, more of the public is hearing about his mission to understand and expose the golden trinity of taste for what he feels it is: a concoction created by food companies to seduce the brain chemistry into making us eat and crave more. The recipe? Fat, sugar and salt that bathes food in startling amounts, in the most appealing and scientifically proven combination. Arguably, it’s the NaCl gladiator’s most powerful weapon.

It’s really no wonder that 1 in 3 U.S. adults has high blood pressure, and the government estimates that 9 in 10 will develop it in their lifetime. We at risk, according to this study, are often eating twice their daily requirement of sodium.

Salt Reform

FDA’s anti-salt initiative begins later this year and would eventually lead to legal limits on the amount of sodium allowed in food. Its plan would be phased in over ten years and would not be voluntary. Restaurants are targets as well, and while some have said they will voluntarily reduce salt in items on the menu, they may also be required to visibly post amounts. Recently, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg began a national campaign to cut salt levels, and food companies were recruited to comply. Starbucks and Heinz were one of 16 that agreed to cut salt levels in their products.

While regulation debates rage on, some eschew regulations and prefer to enter the gladiator ring for a one-on-one. For those, there’s one dagger of knowledge that can help us get medieval on salt starting now.

Sodium is an Acquired Taste

Your secret weapon is knowledge. We know, for instance, that salt is an acquired taste. It’s acquired by the processed and prepared foods we eat over our entire lifetime and the result is that low sodium foods taste bland.

But as we take steps to reduce sodium in our diets, our taste sensitivities will adapt. We will appreciate foods for their true flavor. The process of adapting takes about 8-12 weeks – that’s the amount of time it takes for a shift in taste preference to occur in most people.

Give yourself 8-12 weeks.

The American Heart Association offers these tips to get you started.

Choose fresh, frozen or canned food items without added salts.
Select unsalted nuts or seeds, dried beans, peas and lentils.
Limit salty snacks like chips and pretzels.
Avoid adding salt and canned vegetables to homemade dishes.
Select unsalted, lower sodium, fat-free broths, bouillons or soups.
Select fat-free or low-fat milk, low-sodium, low-fat cheeses and low-fat yogurt.
Learn to use spices and herbs to enhance the taste of your food. Most spices naturally contain very small amounts of sodium.
Add fresh lemon juice instead of salt to fish and vegetables.
Specify how you want your food prepared when dining out. Ask for your dish to be prepared without salt.
Don’t use the salt shaker. Use the pepper shaker or mill.

Now that you are armed with tactics, remember that they must be combined with strategy. In the end, according to Kessler, we must change our relationship with food by understanding that hyperpalatable foods that use hyperportions of salt are not our friends. They should be understood as harmful and be duly replaced by healthier foods and their own positive associations – until we get to the point where the golden trinity of taste is no longer what we crave.

Best of luck, gladiators. Let the games begin.

The Key to Your Heart: New Heart Health Guidelines Focus on Food, Not Nutrients

The International Food Information Council Foundation’s website Food Insight published an interesting interview recently with Dr. Rachel Johnson. Johnson is Dean and Professor of Nutrition at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Vermont, and member and chair-elect of the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee. She discusses some new dietary metrics released by the The American Heart Association that have been designed to maintain ideal cardiovascular health.

Johnson’s message includes a focus on food intake, including types of foods and calories, rather than nutrients. That’s because nutrient-based messages are hard for people to translate into action, she said. The new directives also aim to address a messaging disconnection. In the past, recommendations have included terms such as “moderating” intake or “minimizing” certain foods, and such vague rules for healthy eating were not resonating with consumers the way hard numbers could, said Johnson.

The guidelines for good heart health include a recommendation of no less than 4.5 cups of fruits and vegetables per day. Other guidelines include eating fish and whole grains, and cutting sodium intake. Another important principle for heart health, according to Johnson, is cutting sugar, and the guidelines also include strict calorie allowances for sugar, particularly sweetened beverages.

A New Kind of Sugar High

In the spirit of concrete measurements, the article sites research by the American Cancer Institute that says Americans consume 22 teaspoons of sugar per day. That translates into 335 calories per day – a high number for a country struggling with issues of obesity and the diseases that accompany it. New guidelines from the AHA dictate a limit of 100 calories per day for women, and 150 for men – that’s a mere 6 teaspoon and 9 teaspoons respectively.

Sugars in foods can be seemingly ubiquitous in our diets, and such a ceiling on sugar intake can seem strict. But Johnson doesn’t vilify sugar; instead she suggests that those who want more sugar should simply move more. “We haven’t said eliminate added sugars from your diet. I feel that the wise approach is to use your added sugars allowance in a way that enhances the flavor and the palatability of otherwise nutritious foods (e.g., putting a little maple syrup on your oatmeal),” she said.

Other positive sugar intake can include its use as an incentive for kids to eat well. A little flavoring in milk, for example, can encourage children to incorporate milk into their diet. The hope is that such dietary trade-offs will be well worth the net nutritional gain, so kids can maintain their own heart health for years to come.

Find out more about nutrition and heart health by reading the interview.

Food Insight is a publication of The International Food Information Council Foundation, a foundation dedicated to the mission of effectively communicating science-based information on health, food safety and nutrition for the public good.

Revisiting Resveratrol: Where are We with Red Wine Research?

The assertion about the astonishing benefits of red wine has caught fire in the health, nutrition and anti-aging communities. Researchers discovered that making a convivial toast can lower the risk of certain cancers and heart disease, and further research into the compounds in red wine revealed its role in reducing blood pressure, relieving constipation, aiding weight loss, and even reversing the aging process. For those who enjoy red wine, this was welcome news. But it was also confusing – the implication that red wine was good for you went against most health advice about alcohol moderation and abstinence that had been dispensed for years.

The confusion was particularly evident when it came to cancer prevention. Cancer prevention experts caution that limiting consumption of alcohol is crucial for reducing cancer risk. Virtually all studies into alcohol consumption reveal a link between drinking alcohol and increased cancer risk – particularly breast cancer. But in light of the compelling potential effects of red wine, the question rankles: to imbibe or not to imbibe?

A Potent Potable

“The breadth of benefits is remarkable – cancer prevention, protection of the heart and brain from damage, reducing age-related diseases such as inflammation, reversing diabetes and obesity, and many more,” says Biomedical Sciences professor Lindsay Brown, author of the groundbreaking 2009 study about the effects of red wine. The list reads like a top ten of America’s most challenging diseases. Such assertions have brought the compounds responsible for these positive health effects into sharp relief. Red wine contains a complex mixture of bioactive compounds, but the antioxidant resveratrol was the compound that attracted the most interest. It quickly entered the spotlight as the compound responsible for providing wine with its life-giving, disease-preventing potency.

Resveratrol is a polyphenol found in the skins of red grapes. Other foods besides the grape and its popular by-product contain resveratrol, including peanuts, blueberries and cranberries. Research has revealed that resveratrol in these foods may protect the body from cancer by countering the effects of free radicals and preventing damage to cells. Continued research in mice given resveratrol has indicated it might also help protect them from obesity and diabetes, both of which are strong risk factors for heart disease. Consequently, and in some cases opportunistically, resveratrol became popular both in wine and pill form, and continues to be advertised as a long awaited fountain of youth.

Most recently, research from John Hopkins indicates that benefits of the long pour may hold up. Resveratrol, the study indicates, actually prompts cells to defend themselves, a discovery that runs counter to previous theories that resveratrol was “shielding” free radicals. The study also adds protecting the brain from damage following a stroke to its list of potential health benefits. Researchers have yet to understand exactly how resveratrol may be able to “jump start” this protective mechanism within the cells, but the investigation into the process has intensified.

Putting the “No” in Pinot

Along with dietary favorites coffee and chocolate, red wine seems to be in a push-pull purgatory when it comes to determining its status as a true health food. Are these indulgent foods intermittently hyped as healthy because we want it to be true?

One common argument against the benefits for red wine is that the amount of resveratrol that would have to be consumed to see the benefit is prohibitively massive. It’s a common complaint about scientific data and its translation into the real world. Typically, research is conducted on animals, and resveratrol research is no different. According to the Mayo Clinic, a person would have to consume 100 to 1,000 bottles of red wine a day to extract the benefit. Even the most experienced wine drinker would capitulate. (At the same time, researchers involved with the recent study at John Hopkins speculate that “even a small amount may be sufficient” to “jump-start this protective enzymatic system that is already present within the cells.”)

In addition, a recent review by the Australian Heart Foundation of more than 100 international studies on antioxidants over the past ten years debunks the belief that red wine, coffee, and chocolate are disease preventing foods. According to the report, the evidence is simply not there. Antioxidants responsible for shielding (or prodding) free radicals are present in fresh fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes, cereals, nuts, seeds and green or black tea – and those foods should be favored for preventing heart disease and cancer, the researchers say, not red wine.

Another obstacle to finding good health in a bottle of Sangiovese concerns how to capture and package its benefit. The market for resveratrol supplements has burgeoned following the news of its potential health benefits. Those seeking to avoid the risks of alcohol, not to mention the hangover that would result from 1,000 bottles of wine, have turned to supplements. However, last month, a team of researchers from Johns Hopkins recommended against taking resveratrol supplements as a result of another new study. The benefits, researchers report, are unknown, and it may in fact be “the alcohol in the wine that may be needed to concentrate the amounts of the beneficial compound.” According to the study, recreating these benefits in a lab would be ineffective.

Finally, the biggest challenge for red wine’s bid to be in the health food aisle may be the lack of support from the prevention community. No organization advises someone who does not already drink red wine to do so for their health. Besides the very serious social risks, drinking too much increases risk of high blood pressure, high triglycerides, liver damage, obesity, and certain types of cancer. For a healthy food, that’s a hard pill to swallow.

I’m Red Wine & I’m OK

It may be leggy and chewy, it may be woody and flabby but is it OK as part of a balanced diet?

“Real” food evangelist Michael Pollan suggests toasting to your health rather than putting a cork in it. Partaking is part of Pollan’s Manifesto, a go-to list of rules that includes his famous mantra, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” One of these rules addresses wine consumption and urges having a glass of wine with dinner.

Pollan doesn’t rely completely on the science to make this assertion, but on centuries of tradition and anecdotal evidence. While he doesn’t suggest that red wine is the silver bullet many have hoped for, he does put stock in the unique protective qualities of polyphenols in red wine – resveratrol being one. Pollan states, “Mindful of the social and health effects of alcoholism, public health authorities are loath to recommend drinking, but the fact is that people who drink moderately and regularly live longer and suffer considerably less heart disease than teetotallers.”

With this in mind, he includes a couple of corollaries to the raised glass rule:

1) Drink with food.
2) Drink a little wine a day, not a lot on the weekend.

Mr. Pollan, I think we know what you’re talking about.

Jeers or “Cheers”? Our Bottom Line

While the secrets of resveratrol are worth teasing out, the truth is, we currently have much more compelling data about cancer prevention and heart disease prevention that easily passes the straight-face test.

For example, The American Heart Association states: “No direct comparison trials have been done to determine the specific effect of wine or other alcohol on the risk of developing heart disease or stroke.” While they recognize some benefit from red wine in raising HDLs and preventing platelets in the blood from sticking together, they advise that those who engage in physical activity and supplement with niacin can enjoy even more significant benefits.

The American Cancer Society urges a healthy diet by eating the color spectrum. Cancer fighting foods can be found in the bright blues of blueberries, in leafy greens, and the red of raspberries – foods that support good cell functioning without risk. And, The American Institute for Cancer Prevention states that as many as 375,000 cases of cancer, at current cancer rates, could be prevented each year in our country through healthy dietary choices. In addition to the clear benefits of quitting smoking, eating right, staying physically active, and maintaining a healthy weight, can cut cancer risk by 30 to 40 percent – very compelling data, no trip to Napa required.

Finally, the Mayo Clinic advises those seeking the healthful boost that red wine may provide to drink in moderation — or not at all. The benefits of wine provide a media blitz, but the same benefits can be found in the skins of fruits and other foods. Our bottom line? Enjoy wine with temperance if you drink it already. Then, devote your prevention efforts toward getting your daily recommendation of fruits and vegetables.