Topic summary contributed by volunteer(s): Randy
Image Credit: Luke Besley / Unsplash. This image has been modified.
An elegant study is presented, testing the appetite-suppressing effects of walnuts.
If the fecal fat losses associated with undigested pieces of nuts (due to inadequate chewing), and the tedium of shelling them in the first place, help account for why nuts don’t tend to lead to weight gain, then studies on nut butters would presumably turn out differently.
A few theories have been proposed as to why nuts don’t appear to contribute to weight gain, including the “pistachio principle” and the fecal excretion theory.
Whole food sources of phytosterols, such as seeds and nuts, are likely superior to supplements, or phytosterol-fortified spreads and beverages.
Those eating plant-based diets get the most phytosterols, but there’s still room for improvement to maximize cholesterol reduction.
Phytosterols are plant-based cholesterol look-alikes in nuts and seeds that help maximize our body’s excretion of excess cholesterol.
Iron is a double-edged sword. If we don’t absorb enough, we risk anemia; but if absorb too much, we may increase our risk of cancer, heart disease, and a number of inflammatory conditions. Because the human body has no mechanism to rid itself of excess iron, one should choose plant-based (non-heme) sources, over which our body has some control.
The whole grain phytonutrient phytic acid (phytate) partially inhibits mineral absorption, but has a wide range of health-promoting properties, such as anticancer activity. By concurrently eating mineral absorption enhancers, such as garlic and onions, one can get the best of both worlds by improving the bioavailability of iron and zinc in plant foods.
Can you name a fruit whose processed juice is healthier than just eating the fruit itself?
Fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with a lower risk of heart disease. But which is more protective—raw or cooked?
The trillions of good bacteria in our gut can be thought of as an additional organ—metabolizing, detoxifying, and activating many crucial components of our diet. The formation of lignans from phytonutrient precursors found predominantly in flax seeds is one such example.
In a test tube, the broccoli phytonutrient sulforaphane appears to target breast cancer stem cells. But how do we know it’s even absorbed into the body? Have women undergoing breast reduction surgery eat some an hour before their operation, and directly measure the level in their tissues.
Young infants, and perhaps those with recurrent oxalate kidney stones, should avoid beets. But most commonly, the chief side effect is beeturia, the harmless passage of pink urine, though not all are affected—akin to the malodorous urine (“stinky pee”) that sometimes results from asparagus consumption.
Fortified foods, such as some breakfast cereals and types of nutritional yeast, can provide another cholesterol-free source of vitamin B12.
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) supplementation can cost as little as $2 a year.
Since foods are effectively a package deal, what’s the best way to get vitamin B12 (cobalamin)?
Taking vitamin D supplements with food may be a cost-effective strategy to achieve optimum levels.
Soy milk should be shaken before pouring to get at the calcium that settles to the bottom.
Hay algunos fitonutrientes que se absorben mejor de alimentos cocidos.
¿Cuáles son los métodos de cocción que mejor conservan los nutrientes, y qué vegetales contienen más nutrientes cocinados que crudos?
¿Cuál resulta en una mayor absorción de fitonutrientes? ¿El brócoli crudo, al vapor, hervido, o cocinado en el microondas?
Average vegan diets tend to be deficient in three nutrients, whereas average omnivores tend, unfortunately, to be deficient in seven.
Algunos nutrientes se destruyen al cocinar, pero algunos nutrientes se vuelven más absorbibles.
