10 Health Benefits of Broccoli and a Bonus!

1. Helps prevent cancer. Broccoli is a source of powerful antioxidants and anticarcinogens sulphorophane, indole-3-carbinol and diindolylmethane ( DIM) that impede the growth of breast cervical and prostate cancer. 
 2. Curbs overeating. A cup of broccoli has as much protein as a cup of rice or corn but only half the calories. Plus broccoli is a great source of fiber. 
3. Boosts your immune function. A cup of broccoli has a powerful supply of beta-carotene, zinc and selenium which strengthen your ability to fight infections. 
4. Fights birth defects. A cup of broccoli provides 94mcg of folate, a B vitamin important for proper fetal development. 
5. Fights Diabetes. The high fiber, low sugar and low calories keep insulin function tuned up and support stable blood sugar levels. 
6. Fights Heart Disease. The carotenoid lutein, vitamin B-6 and folate in broccoli may reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, heart disease and stroke. 
7. Promotes strong and healthy bones. Broccoli provides calcium and vitamin K which promote bone health and reduce risk of osteoporosis. 
8. Regulates blood pressure. The potassium, magnesium and calcium work together to support blood pressure in the normal range. 
9. Reduces incidence and severity of colds. Vitamin C and Vitamin A, antioxidants and anti-infectives help support resistance to respiratory infections. 
10. Makes for healthy women and manly men. Broccoli provides diindolylmethane which supports healthy estrogen balance and reduces accumulation of harmful estrogens in women all the while supporting healthy testosterone levels in men. 

The bonus is broccoli is easy to prepare and delicious. Lightly steam broccoli spears and florets and then sauté in olive oil with and abundant number of garlic cloves for a delicious side dish or serve over pasta for a nutritious and low calorie vegetarian main course.
Broccoli Rabe a Mediterranean favorite confers the same benefits!

Via: 5 Health Benefits of Blueberries

Activation of flavonoids from foods increases their protective nature.

Methylation, a chemical process of adding structures called methyl groups to flavonoids, increases their ability to reduce inflammation and other harmful events in cells.

Methylation – the addition of a methyl group (CH4 – one carbon attached to three hydrogens) to another molecule – is an essential and vital biochemical process within the human body that is involved in a large number of biochemical pathways involving neurotransmitters, detoxification, cardiovascular health, eye health, muscle health, bone health, and redox ( antioxidant) balance. A number of specific nutrients are necessary for methylation to occur normally.

Methylation depends on you having methyl donors on board. Methylcobalamin is a form of vitamin B-12 that is a methyl donor. Methyl folate is a a form of folic acid that also supports methylation. Pyridoxyl 5 phosphate is an active form of vitamin B-6 that contributes to this precess as well. Other methyl donors include trimethylglycine and N Acetyl Cysteine.

Now scientists at the University of York have discovered that very small chemical changes to dietary flavonoids cause very large effects when the plant natural products are tested for their impact on the human immune system.

Plants are capable of making tens of thousands of different small molecules – an average leaf for example, produces around 20,000. Many of these are found in a typical diet and some are already known to have medicinal properties with effects on health, diseases and general well-being.

Now plant biologists and immunologists at York have joined forces to examine a very closely related family of these small molecules (flavonoids) to establish how tiny changes to their chemical structures affect their bioactivity.

The research, published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry, has important implications for dietary advice and may bring innovation to the development of new pharmaceuticals from plant nutraceuticals.

Researchers from the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP) and the Centre for Immunology and Infection (CII) in the University’s Department of Biology designed experiments to test the bioactivity of plant-derived flavonoids.

Professor Dianna Bowles, a plant biochemist and founding Director of CNAP, led the research with Professor Paul Kaye, the Director of CII, who developed the robust assay system involving human cells to assess the impacts of the different structures.

Professor Bowles, who referred to the research in a panel discussion on ‘Nature’s Marvellous Medicines‘ at the recent Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition, said: “We were measuring how flavonoids affected the production of inflammatory mediators by cells stimulated by microbial products. We found that the way in which a flavonoid scaffold was decorated had massive effects on how the cells responded.

If a methyl group was attached at one site, there would be no effect; methylate another site, and the cells would produce far greater amounts of these inflammatory mediators. Therefore, the site of attachment on the structural scaffold was all-important in determining the bioactivity of the small molecule.

“Plant products in our diet have immense

molecular diversity and consequently

also have a huge potential for

affecting our health and well being.

We are only at the beginning of

discovering the multitude of their effects.”

Professor Kaye added:  “The research demonstrates the level of control that the shape of a molecule can have on its recognition by our immune system cells. This is really important since we can use information such as this to design new drugs for clinical use, as novel immunomodulators, for example”.

Reference ‘Regiospecific Methylation of a Dietary Flavonoid Scaffold Selectively Enhances IL-1βProduction following Toll-like Receptor 2 Stimulation in THP-1 Monocytes’ is published in *The Journal of Biological Chemistry* 

   Source:http://www.nutritionnews.com/conditions/inflammation-conditions/tiny-changes-to-bioflavinoids-yield-large-impacts-on-bio-activity/

CoEnzyme Q-10 for healthy teeth and gums!

CoEnzyme Q-10 for healthy teeth and gums!

Keeping your smile healthy may depend on antioxidants!

A new study on periodontal disease shows the importance of using the energy supplement CoEnzyme Q-10 on a daily basis. 

Researchers have found that coenzyme Q10 when applied topically to teeth for 28 days can reduce plaque induced gingivitis. 

The authors conclude "Promising results were obtained after the application of coenzyme Q10 as well as when it was used as an adjunct to scaling and root planing for treatment of plaque induced gingivitis".

Periodontal disease is an inflammatory disease process resulting from the interaction of a bacterial attack and host inflammatory response. Arrays of molecules are considered to mediate the inflammatory response at one time or another, among these are free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Periodontal pathogens can induce ROS overproduction and thus may cause collagen and periodontal cell breakdown. When ROS are scavenged by antioxidants, there can be a reduction of collagen degradation.

Ubiquinol (a highly absorbable form of coenzyme Q-10) serves as an endogenous antioxidant which increases the concentration of Coenzyme Q-10 in the diseased gingiva and effectively suppresses advanced periodontal inflammation.

The pharmacology of coenzyme Q-10 indicates that it may be an agent for treatment of periodontitis. On the basis of on new concepts of synergism with nutritional supplements and host response, coenzyme Q-10 may possibly be effective as a topical and/or systemic role or adjunctive treatment for periodontitis either as a stand-alone biological or in combination with other synergistic antioxidants (i.e., vitamins C and E).

Read about the study here.

Vitamin C and E supplementation is beneficial for oral contraceptive users.

Oral contraceptives may increase oxidative stress and increase cardiovascular risk in susceptible women. This study aimed to assess whether supplementation with vitamins E and C reduced this oral contraceptives effect. 120 healthy female individuals were divided into three groups: A, control; B, untreated oral contraceptives users; and C, treated oral contraceptives users with vitamin E (200 IU) and C (150 mg) supplementation for 4 weeks. In all cases, plasma glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) level were determined. The results showed significant increases in the plasma MDA level, and activities of GPx and GR in plasma were decreased in Group B compared to the control group. Supplementation with vitamin C and E significantly increased the activity of GPx and GR activity, and reduced plasma MDA levels in Group C. The authors concludes "These data suggest that low-dose oral contraceptives, by enhancing the stress oxidative and lipid peroxidation, may represent a potential cardiovascular risk factor, and the use of vitamins E and C may be beneficial in ameliorating this side effect of oral contraceptives".

Note: while there are food sources of these important antioxidants, I suggest taking a daily multi-vitamin that provides at least 400 IU of vitamin E and 500 mg

vitamin C.

Zal F, Mostafavi-Pour Z, Amini F, Heidari A. Effect of vitamin E and C supplements on lipid peroxidation and GSH-dependent antioxidant enzyme status in the blood of women consuming oral contraceptives. Contraception. 2012 Jul;86(1):62-6.

Multivitamin Use Improves Survival rate in Breast Cancer Patients

Breast cancer patients who take multivitamins with minerals are less likely to have disease recurrence than patients who do not take multivitamins with minerals, according to new data.

The routine use of multivitamins with minerals also appears to be associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer–specific and overall death.

Findings of the prospective Life After Cancer Epidemiology study were reported by Heather Greenlee, ND, PhD, who is a naturopathic physician and assistant professor of epidemiology and medical oncology at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City.

Her group analyzed questionnaires completed by 2239 women diagnosed with a first primary early-stage breast cancer between 1997 and 2000.

“Many women diagnosed with breast cancer have questions about what lifestyle changes they can make to improve their prognosis as a breast cancer survivor, including whether taking vitamin supplements can reduce adverse side effects from treatment, decrease their risk of recurrence, and improve survival,” Greenlee pointed out.

Compared with healthy women, breast cancer patients appear to be more frequent users of multivitamins and vitamin/mineral supplements, she added. In fact, data from the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey show ed that 57% to 62% of women with breast cancer use multivitamins compared with only 38% of healthy women.

“To date, no studies have examined the association between multivitamin use either pre- and/or postdiagnosis and the risk of breast cancer recurrence and death,” she said.

Of the study population, there were 363 breast cancer recurrences, 202 deaths from breast cancer, and 372 deaths overall, as of May 7, 2010.

Forty-four percent of patients reportedly took multivitamins with minerals at least three times a week for at least 12 months during the 5 years before they had been diagnosed with breast cancer. After diagnosis, 60% of women reported using multivitamins with minerals. In the study, women who were categorized as having used multivitamins and minerals after their diagnosis had to have taken them at least three times a week for at least 1 year after their diagnosis.

Women who reported that they had continually taken multivitamins with minerals before their diagnosis and continuing afterward were 31% less likely to have a disease recurrence than women who said that they had never taken multivitamins with minerals. They were also 47% less likely to die of breast cancer and 27% less likely to die of any cause.

Further analysis revealed that the protective associations occurred only in women who had undergone radiation and hormone therapy.

For more information:

The most up-to-date and complete resource on the powerful benefits of micronutrients for cancer treatment and prevention

* Written by the nation's leading expert on vitamins and cancer research

* Reveals how to maximize the benefits of your cancer treatment program while minimizing the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation

* Shows how to counteract the carcinogenic effects of dental X-rays, CT scans, mammograms, cell phones, and other unavoidable hazards of modern life

* Provides an easy-to-follow program of nutritional supplements to improve your odds of avoiding and beating cancer

Despite extensive research and the development of new treatments and drugs, the U.S. mortality rate from cancer has not changed during the past several decades. Yet there are promising nutritional ways of avoiding and even beating cancer. In this completely revised and expanded edition, leading anticancer researcher Kedar N. Prasad and doctor K. Che Prasad reveal the latest revolutionary discoveries in the use of antioxidants and micro-nutrients to prevent and treat cancer--and also help with heart disease, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's.

Providing a simple nutritional program to follow, the authors show how micro-nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants can enhance the beneficial effects of conventional cancer treatments, decrease their toxic side effects, improve long-term prognosis, and reduce the risk of new cancer. Explaining how antioxidants regulate gene expression and cancer heredity, the authors detail how to counteract the risks of dental and medical X-rays, CT scans, mammograms, cell phones, frequent flying, and other unavoidable hazards of modern life; reduce the oxidative stress of free radicals in the blood; and decrease chronic inflammation. Reviewing recent studies, they deflate the controversies surrounding the use of antioxidants in cancer treatment, revealing everything from the reason why many vitamins in foods are destroyed during storage to the surprising role of selenium in cancer prevention.

Red Wine protective against breast cancer!

This is certainly good news for those who love the darker grapes. For years we've been hearing that alcohol raises a woman's risk of breast cancer due to the lift in estrogen that happens when we drink. Turns out if we like red wine we have protection...not increased risk. It has to do with aromatase.

Previous research has suggested that all alcoholic beverages increase the risk of breast cancer since they activate the aromatase enzyme (responsible for a key step in the production of estrogens from androgens).

By comparing levels of important hormones in people consuming a moderate amount of red and white wine daily, this new study investigated whether red wine

consumption was associated with hormonal changes that may reduce the risk of breast cancer .

The researchers found that red wine consumption was associated with increased free testosterone and lower levels of female sex hormones.

Their findings suggest that components in red wine act as aromatase inhibitors, which challenge the wide-held belief that all types of alcohol increase the risk of developing breast cancer.

So women at risk of breast cancer who enjoy having the occasional cocktail, may find some relief in this study, as long as they stick to red wine.

Here's the study:

Red Versus White Wine as a Nutritional Aromatase Inhibitor in Premenopausal Women

More evidence that red wine is healthier than other wines and drinks? The amount of alcohol and certain unique substances that are present in the red wine helps it to increase the “good” cholesterol and also prevents the artery, blood vessels that carry blood from the heart, from damage. Antioxidants, like flavonoids and resveratrol certainly have heart healthy effects and these are present in red wine!

Sleep better with tart cherry juice...

Tart Montmorency cherries have been reported to contain high levels of phytochemicals that produce a wide array of benefits. Now those benefits extend to boosting melatonin, a molecule critical in regulating the sleep-wake cycle in humans.

A group of people were given tart cherry juice in the morning and again before bedtime. There were significant increases in time in bed, total sleep time and sleep efficiency total with cherry juice supplementation.

The results suggest that consumption of a tart cherry juice concentrate provides an increase in exogenous melatonin that is beneficial in improving sleep duration and quality in healthy men and women and might be of benefit in managing disturbed sleep.

Other benefits have been seen for tart cherries including reduction in symptoms of gout, reduction in circulating inflammatory markers, pain relief after long distance running, reduced oxidative stress, improved recovery following exercise induced muscle damage, and improved sleep quality in late life insomnia. It appears that the phenolic compounds in the cherries act as free radical scavengers that reduce oxidative stress. The anti-inflammatory properties of tart cherries appear to rival those of noon-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Cherries are high in protective phytonutrients called anthocyanins.

European Journal of Nutrition

“Effect of cherry juice ( Prunuscerasus) on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality.”

Frequent Use of Vitamins E and C Linked to Reduced Breast Cancer Recurrence

Wow! Look at this study showing vitamins E and C to be protective. There is concern that antioxidant supplement use during chemotherapy and radiation therapy may decrease treatment effects, yet the effects of such supplements on recurrence and survival are largely unknown.


Antioxidant supplement use after diagnosis was reported by 81% of women. Among antioxidant users, frequent use of vitamin C and vitamin E was associated with a 27%  and 29% decreased risk of BC recurrence respectively; and vitamin E use was associated with a 24% decreased risk of all-cause mortality. CONVERSELY frequent use of combination carotenoids was associated with increased mortality.


Greenlee H, Kwan ML, et al.

Antioxidant supplement use after breast cancer diagnosis and mortality in the Life After Cancer Epidemiology (LACE) cohort. [JOURNAL ARTICLE] Cancer 2011 Sep 27.

Your hearts desire..if you're a chocoholic...

A study at Cambridge University has found a delicious answer to reducing heart disease: Chocolate. Polyphenol rich chocolate consumption can slash your risk of heart disease by about a third. One likely mechanism is an increase in nitric oxide which might lead to healthier blood vessels, reductions in stickiness of platelets and beneficial affects on blood pressure, insulin resistance and lipid levels. The findings were presented today at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Paris.