Healthy Food

12 most nutritious fruits

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1. Lemons

Lemons are a citrus fruit that people often use in traditional remedies because of their health benefits. Like other citrus fruits, they contain vitamin C and other antioxidants.

Antioxidants are essential for human health. These compounds mop up free radicals in the body that can damage the body’s cells and lead to diseases, such as cancers.

Researchers believeTrusted Source that the flavonoids in lemon and other citrus fruits have antibacterial, anticancer, and antidiabetic properties.

Citrus fruits, including lemons, contain active components called phytochemicals that benefit health. These include:

The juice from one 48 g lemon containsTrusted Source the following nutrients in grams (g) or milligrams (mg):

  • 10.6 calories
  • 3.31 g carbohydrate
  • 49.4 mg potassium
  • 18.6 mg vitamin C
  • 2.88 mg calcium
  • 0.1 g of fiber

Lemons also contain thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, and vitamin A.

Read more about the health benefits of lemons and lemon water.

How to eat lemons

Use the juice of a lemon to flavor drinking water or squeeze over a salad or fish.

Try adding lemon juice to boiling water with a teaspoon of honey to help soothe a sore throat.

It is also possible to eat the rind of organic lemons. Some people use the rind in recipes.

2. Strawberries

Strawberries are a juicy red fruit with a high water content. The seeds provide plenty of dietary fiber per serving. Strawberries contain many healthful vitamins and minerals.

Of particular note, they contain anthocyanins, which are flavonoids that can help boost heart health. The fiber and potassium in strawberries can also support a healthy heart.

In one studyTrusted Source, people assigned female at birth who ate 3 or more servings per week of strawberries and blueberries — which are both known for their high anthocyanin content — had a lower risk of having a heart attack than those with a lower intake.

Strawberries and other colorful berries also contain a flavonoid called quercetin. This is a natural anti-inflammatory compound.

One cup, or 150 g, of strawberries provides the following nutrientsTrusted Source:

  • 48 calories
  • 11.5 g carbohydrate
  • 3 g of fiber
  • 24 mg of calcium
  • 19.5 mg of magnesium
  • 230 mg of potassium
  • 88.2 mg of vitamin C

Strawberries also contain thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, and vitamins B-6, A and K.

Learn more about strawberries.

How to eat strawberries

Strawberries are a versatile fruit. People can eat them raw or add them to breakfast cereals or yogurt, blend them into a smoothie, or make them into jam.

Nutrition resources

For more science-backed resources on nutrition, visit our dedicated hub.

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3. Oranges

Oranges are a sweet, round citrus fruit packed with vitamins and minerals.

Oranges are among the richest sources of vitamin C, with one medium fruit providing 78%Trusted Source of a person’s daily value of vitamin C.

A 140 g orange also contains the following nutrientsTrusted Source:

  • around 65 calories
  • 16.5 g carbohydrate
  • 2.8 g of fiber
  • 60.2 mg of calcium
  • 15 mg of magnesium
  • 232 mg of potassium
  • 82.7 mg of vitamin C

Vitamin C acts as a powerful antioxidant in the body. This vitamin is also essential for immune system function. It boosts immune function by helping the body to absorb iron from plant-based foods.

The human body cannot make vitamin C itself, so people need to get this vitamin from their diet. Oranges also contain high levels of pectin, which is a fiber that can keep the colon healthy by binding to chemicals that can cause cancer and removing them from the colon.

Oranges also provide the following healthful vitamins:

  • vitamin A, a compound that is important for healthy skin and eyesight
  • B vitamins, including thiamin and folate, which help keep the nervous and reproductive systems healthy and help create red blood cells.

Learn more about the benefits of oranges.

How to eat oranges

People can eat oranges on their own as a refreshing snack or by drinking a glass of pure orange juice. Juice oranges at home or choose a brand of fresh juice whose label states it is not from concentrate.

People can also grate orange peel into a salad or yogurt, or as a cereal topping to add extra flavor.

4. Limes

Limes are a sour citrus fruit that provides a range of health benefits.

Like other citrus fruits, limes provide a healthful dose of vitamin C. They also have similar health benefits, including antibacterial and antioxidant properties.

The juice of one lime provides the following nutrientsTrusted Source:

  • 11 calories
  • 3.7 g carbohydrate
  • 6.16 g calcium
  • 3.52 mg magnesium
  • 51.5 mg potassium
  • 13.2 mg vitamin C

Read more about the benefits of limes and lime water.

How to eat limes

Limes work well in savory foods. Try adding the juice or grated peel of a lime to flavor salad dressings or rice dishes. Otherwise, juice a lime and add to hot or cold water for a refreshing drink.

5. Grapefruit

Grapefruits are sour fruits full of health-inducing vitamins and minerals. Grapefruits can be pink, red, or white.

Half a grapefruit (154 g) contains the following nutrientsTrusted Source:

  • 64.7 calories
  • 164 g carbohydrate
  • 2.46 g fiber
  • 33.9 g calcium
  • 13.9 g magnesium
  • 208 g potassium
  • 48 g vitamin C

The flavonoids in grapefruits can help protect against some cancers, inflammation, and obesity.

A review study suggests the compounds called furanocoumarins found in grapefruits can help protect against oxidative stress and tumors, and they may support healthy bones.

Some research from this review suggests that grapefruit furanocoumarins may have anticancer properties, which may be especially effective against breast cancer, skin cancer, and leukemia. However, researchers still need to carry out more studies to confirm these properties.

People may wish to contact a doctor before adding grapefruit to their diet, as it can interact with certain medications.

Learn more about grapefruit benefits.

How to eat grapefruit

Try adding grapefruit slices to a fruit salad, or squeeze the juice into water to make a drink.

People can also buy pure grapefruit juice from the supermarket.

6. Blackberries

Like other berries, blackberries contain health-boosting anthocyanins.

Blackberries contain many seeds, so they have a high fiber content. This means they can help improve gut health and heart health.

Half a cup cup (75 g) of blackberries contains the following nutrientsTrusted Source:

  • 32.2 calories
  • 7.21 g carbohydrate
  • 3.98 g fiber
  • 21.8 mg calcium
  • 15 mg magnesium
  • 122 mg potassium
  • 15.8 mg vitamin C

Learn more about blackberries.

How to eat blackberries

People can eat blackberries fresh, add them to yogurt for breakfast or dessert, or add frozen blackberries to smoothies.

7. Apples

Apples make a quick and easy addition to the diet. Eat them with the skin on for the greatest health benefits.

Apples are high fiber fruits, meaning that eating them could boost heart health and promote weight loss. The pectin in apples helps to maintain good gut health.

Research has shown that there is a link between eating apples regularly and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, and diabetes.

Apples also have high levels of quercetin, a flavonoid that may have anti-cancer properties.

One study found that people who ate whole apples were 30%Trusted Source less likely to have obesity than those who did not. This can help lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

One medium apple with the skin contains the following nutrientsTrusted Source:

  • 94.6 calories
  • 25.1 g of carbohydrate
  • 4.37 g of fiber
  • 195 mg of potassium
  • 10.9 mg calcium
  • 8.37 mg vitamin C

Learn more about apples.

How to eat apples

Raw apples make a great snack, and combining them with almond butter helps balance protein and fat intake.

People can also add raw or stewed apples to yogurt, or use applesauce in cooking.

8. Pomegranate

Some people consider pomegranates to be a ‘superfood.’ They are high in antioxidants and polyphenols, which help to combat the oxidative stress that can cause disease in the body.

A review study about the health benefits of pomegranates suggests that they have anti-inflammatory effects and may help protect against brain-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. This may be because pomegranates contain particularly high levels of polyphenols.

Research discussed in this review also suggests that pomegranates may restrict the growth of human prostate cancer cells.

One raw pomegranate (282 g) contains the following nutrientsTrusted Source:

  • 234 calories
  • 52.7 g of carbohydrate
  • 11.3 g of fiber
  • 666 mg of potassium
  • 28.2 mg calcium
  • 28.8 mg vitamin C

One pomegranate also contains 46.2 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin K. This vitamin is essential for strong bones and healthy blood cells.

Learn more about the benefits of pomegranate juice.

How to eat pomegranate

Pomegranates can make a great addition to salads, or to couscous or rice dishes.

Pomegranates are sweet, so people can also add them to yogurt and fruit salads.

9. Pineapple

Pineapple is an exotic fruit that may helpTrusted Source reduce inflammation and promote healthy bowel movements.

Pineapple contains an active compound called bromelain, which many people take as a dietary supplement because of its potential health benefits.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative HealthTrusted Source states that bromelain may help with reducing nasal inflammation or sinusitis, though more research is necessary.

Pineapples aTrusted SourcelTrusted SourcesTrusted SourceoTrusted SourceTrusted SourcecontainTrusted Source manganese, which the body uses to build bone and tissue.

A slice of pineapple (166 g) contains the following nutrientsTrusted Source:

  • 83 calories
  • 21.7 g carbohydrate
  • 2.32 g fiber
  • 181 mg potassium
  • 79.3 mg vitamin C
  • 21.6 mg calcium
  • 1.54 mg manganese

Read more about the benefits of pineapple and pineapple juice.

How to eat pineapple

People can enjoy fresh pineapple by itself or in fruit salads. They can also use pineapple to make tropical salsa or add it as a topping on fish tacos.

Try adding frozen pineapple to smoothies.

10. Bananas

Bananas are well known for their high potassium content. One banana (126 g) containsTrusted Source around 451 mg of potassium. Potassium helpsTrusted Source the body control blood pressure.

Bananas are also a good source of energy, with one banana containing 112 calories and 28.8 g of carbohydrate.

The 3.28 g of fiber in a banana can also help with regular bowel movements.

One banana also contains the following nutrients:

  • 1.37 g protein
  • 6.3 mg calcium
  • 34 mg magnesium
  • 11 mg vitamin C

Learn more about bananas.

How to eat bananas

A banana is an excellent fruit to use to thicken a smoothie. People can also use them in baking as a natural sweetener or to make banana bread or pancakes.

11. Avocado

Some people refer to avocados as a superfood because of their healthful qualities.

Avocados are rich in oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat. Monosaturated fats can help lower cholesterol levels. The American Heart AssociationTrusted Source notes that maintaining healthy cholesterol levels with healthful fats could reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Like bananas, avocados are rich in potassium. They also contain lutein, an antioxidant that is importantTrusted Source for healthy eyes and skin.

One avocado (201 g) contains the following nutrientsTrusted Source:

  • 322 calories
  • 4.02 g protein
  • 17.1 g carbohydrate
  • 13.5 g fiber
  • 24.1 mg calcium
  • 58.3 mg magnesium
  • 975 mg potassium
  • 20.1 mg vitamin C

Avocados also contain folate, vitamin A, and beta-carotene.

Learn more about avocados.

How to eat avocado

People can add avocado to salads, or mix with lime, garlic, and tomatoes to make guacamole.

Add avocado to smoothies or hummus, or use avocado instead of other fats in baking.

12. Blueberries

Blueberries can provide many health benefits.

Like strawberries, blueberries contain anthocyanin, which is a powerful antioxidant. Because of this, they might protect against heart disease, stroke, cancers, and other conditions.

Blueberries also containTrusted Source pterostilbene, a compound that may help prevent plaque from collecting in the arteries.

Half a cup of blueberries (75 g) provides the following nutrientsTrusted Source:

  • 42.8 calories
  • 10.9 g carbohydrate
  • 1.8 g fiber
  • 4.5 mg calcium
  • 57.8 mg potassium
  • 7.28 mg vitamin C

Learn more about blueberries.

How to eat blueberries

Fresh or frozen blueberries are a great addition to breakfast cereals, desserts, yogurt, or smoothies.

Frequently asked questions

What is the healthiest fruit in the world?

Berries are among the healthiest fruits to eat. They have high antioxidant levels, averaging nearly 10 times the antioxidants of other fruits and vegetables.

Berries have many health benefits. Research findings suggest eating berries regularly can:

What fruits are extremely healthy?

All fruits have health benefits, but people should eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to gain the most benefit. The colors in fruits and vegetables reflect their phytonutrient or antioxidant content. Eating a rainbow-colored selection will ensure people get the full spectrum of antioxidants.

Examples of phytonutrients and the fruits containing them are as follows:

  • Beta-carotene: Mango, papaya, cantaloupe, apricots
  • Lycopene: Pink grapefruit, watermelon, guava, avocado
  • Anthocyanidins: Blueberries, strawberries, plums, cranberries

Summary

Different fruits have different health benefits. For the best results, add a variety of fruits to the diet.

By eating fruit, a person is providing their body with key vitamins, antioxidants, and dietary fiber. This can have significant benefits for heart health, digestion, weight management, and skin health.

People can enjoy a wide variety of fruits to improve their health and lower the risk of inflammation, heart disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetes.

7 Super Healthy Food Staples, and 7 Superfoods You May Not Know

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Pre-packaged processed foods may be convenient, but if you seek to improve your health, cooking from scratch using fresh unprocessed ingredients is more or less non-negotiable.

Once you’re eating non-adulterated foods—foods that are as close to their natural state as possible—then basically everything you eat is a “superfood.” You need nutrients—all of them—and nutrients are found in abundance in fresh, raw foods.

Still, suggestions of specific items can be helpful to steer you in the right direction, so to help you get started, I’ve compiled two lists: one consisting of seven every-day nutritional powerhouses, plus another one with seven superfoods you may never have heard of—because eating healthy doesn’t have to be monotonously boring!

1. Homemade Bone Broth

Homemade bone broth is as “staple” as it gets if you want to eat healthier. It’s also a really cost effective way to improve your diet, as you can make use of leftover carcass bones that would otherwise be thrown away. 

Bone broth helps “heal and seal” your gut, which is so important for optimal health and disease prevention, and it’s also excellent for speeding up your recovery time when you’re feeling under the weather.  

It contains plenty of healthy fat, along with important nutrients like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur, and trace minerals, as well as the broken down material from cartilage and tendons, including chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine. 

One important caveat when making broth, whether you’re using chicken or beef, is to make sure they’re from organically-raised, pastured or grass-fed animals. For detailed instructions on how to make your own broth, please refer to my previous article: “Bone Broth—One of Your Most Healing Diet Staples.“

2. Sprouted Seeds 

Another easy and inexpensive way to optimize your nutrition is to add sprouted seeds to your vegetable juice and/or salad. They can easily be grown in your own kitchen, year-round, and are a great way to dip your toes in the water if you’re considering growing your own food.

Sunflower seeds are one of my personal favorites, both in terms of flavor and nutritional punch. Once sunflower seeds are sprouted, their protein, vitamin, and mineral content will typically provide you with 30 times the nutrient content of organic vegetables! 

Sprouts in general also contain valuable enzymes—up to 100 times more enzymes than raw fruits and vegetables—that allow your body to absorb and use the nutrients of other foods you eat.

For directions on growing seeds into sprouts, please see, “How to Grow Sprouts.”   

We have kits to grow sprouts in our store. Sprouts-as-medicine.com is another good source for things relating to sprouts: their health benefits, recipes, and how to grow your own. 

3. Fermented Vegetables

Cultured or fermented foods have a very long history in virtually all native diets, and have always been highly prized for their health benefits. The culturing process produces beneficial microbes that are extremely important for your health as they help balance your intestinal flora, thereby boosting overall immune function. 

Fermented foods are also excellent chelators and detox agents that can help rid your body of a wide variety of toxins, including heavy metals. Just one quarter to one half cup of fermented food, eaten with one to three meals per day, can have a dramatically beneficial impact on your health. 

Fermenting your own vegetables is a lot simpler than you might think, and is the most inexpensive route. Wild fermentation is when you allow whatever is on the vegetable to naturally take hold and culture the food. Inoculating the food using a starter culture speeds up the fermentation process, however.

If you use a starter culture formulated to produce higher levels of vitamin K2 (which many are deficient in), you will also save money on supplements. (Vitamin K2 is particularly important if you’re taking a vitamin D supplement.) 

For instructions, and a more in-depth discussion of the health benefits of fermented veggies, please see my previous interview with Caroline Barringer.

4. Avocados

Avocados are an excellent source of healthy raw fat, which most Americans are seriously deficient in. They also provide close to 20 essential health-boosting nutrients, including: fiber, potassium, vitamin E, B-vitamins, and folic acid.

In addition, avocados enable your body to more efficiently absorb fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha- and beta-carotene and lutein, in other foods eaten in conjunction with it.

Besides eating them raw, you can use avocado as fat substitute in recipes calling for butter or other oils. Another boon of avocados—they’re one of the safest fruits you can buy conventionally-grown, so you don’t need to spend more for organic ones. Their thick skin protects the inner fruit from pesticides.

5. Kale

Kale contains fiber and antioxidants, and is one of the best sources of vitamin A, which promotes eye and skin health and may help strengthen your immune system. A one-cup serving has almost as much vitamin C as an orange and as much calcium as a cup of milk. 

6. Organic Coconut Oil

Besides being excellent for your thyroid and your metabolism, coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, which is capable of destroying a number of different viruses, including influenza and measles. Its medium chain fatty acids (MCTs) also impart a number of health benefits, including raising your body’s metabolism. 

Coconut oil is easy on your digestive system and does not produce an insulin spike in your bloodstream, so for a quick energy boost, you could simply eat a spoonful of coconut oil, or add it to your food. 

It’s also the ideal choice for all types of cooking—in fact, it’s the only oil stable enough to resist mild heat-induced damage. So, whenever you need an oil to cook or bake with, use coconut oil instead of butter, olive oil, vegetable oil, margarine, or any other type of oil called for in recipes. 

Just make sure you choose an organic coconut oil that is unrefined, unbleached, made without heat processing or chemicals, and does not contain genetically engineered ingredients.  As an added boon, coconut oil has countless other uses besides cooking and eating; from topical beauty applications to first aid treatments, to general household cleaning. 

7. Fresh Herbs

Herbs do more than add flavor; they’re also densely packed with valuable nutrients, and many are well-known for having medicinal qualities as well. Turmeric is one example of a spice with potent and scientifically proven medicinal benefits—against cancer no less. Another less dramatic example is plain black pepper, which has been shown to increase the bioavailability of just about all other foods. As a general rule, you really can’t go wrong when using herbs and spices and I recommend allowing your taste buds to dictate your choices when cooking. 

Seven Superfoods You May Never Have Heard of

If your pantry is already stocked with these basics and/or you’re looking to expand your culinary repertoire with some more adventurous fare, the following seven superfoods are ones you may never have heard of before. For a few more, see the featured article in Time magazine.

1. Limequat

Limequats are a hybrid cross between lime and kumquat, the latter of which is a sweet but tangy citrus with an edible peel. Limequats are in season between July and November, and contain plenty of fiber and vitamin C. Like the kumquat, they have an edible rind, so it’s a good choice for spicing up dishes with a citrusy flavor. 

(Shutterstock)
The pomelo is yet another member of the citrus family that is typically overlooked. (Shutterstock)

2. Pomelo

The pomelo is yet another member of the citrus family that is typically overlooked. They look a bit like over-sized grapefruits, and the taste is similar too, although pomelos tend to be sweeter. To eat, remove the thick rind and membrane from each “slice.” Just like other citrus fruits, you can eat it as is, or add to salad, salsa, marinades, or fresh juice, just to give you a few ideas.

3. Hubbard Squash

Hubbard squash is in season during the winter, when it can be a welcome source of densely packed nutrients, including vitamins A, C, E and K, potassium, folic acid, iron, lutein, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus,  zeaxanthin, and plant-based omega-3. The featured article suggests pairing roasted Hubbard squash with kale, or adding it to stew. 

4. Celeriac

Celeriac, aka turnip-rooted celery or celery root, is a root vegetable with a taste that resembles conventional celery. You can eat it either raw or cooked, and it’s high in vitamins B6, C, and K, along with potassium and magnesium. Time magazine suggests grating some onto salad, along with beets, apples, and walnuts for a flavorful kick. 

5. Teff

Teff, a tiny North African cereal grass grain, has been a staple of traditional Ethiopian cooking for thousands of years. Naturally gluten-free, teff is rich in calcium, manganese, iron, fiber, protein, B vitamins, zinc, and all eight essential amino acids. It has a mild, nutty flavor that lends itself well to a variety of dishes, including stews, pilaf, and baked goods. You could also add it on top of your salad. 

6. Fenugreek

Fenugreek is a curry-scented plant, the seeds of which have traditionally been valued for their medicinal uses, which include the treatment of digestive problems, upset stomach, constipation, and gastritis, and much more.

Fresh fenugreek leaves can be eaten raw like a vegetable. You can also use them—either fresh or dried—to spice up various dishes. Fresh fenugreek leaves are often used in Indian curries. Fenugreek seeds are rich in minerals like iron, potassium, calcium, fiber, and choline, and can be sprouted for an added health kick.

Passion for eating healthy food declared a mental disorder by ‘expert’ psychiatrists

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Clean eating

It’s no secret to tens of millions of Americans that Big Food is poisoning us daily with their fare. If that were not the case, then GMO-free restaurant chains like Chipotle wouldn’t be as popular as they are, and sales of organic foods would not be reaching record levels year after year.

Big Food, of course, isn’t taking that lying down. “Mainstream” food producers may be enlisting the help of academia in getting Americans who believe in sustainable, clean food, declared mentally unstable.

As reported by Waking Times, scientists at the University of Northern Colorado, who recently conducted a case study about the obsession with healthy eating, have concluded that such clean-food preoccupation could be a mental disorder. They’ve even given it a name (because you can’t have a disorder without a name, right?) – orthorexia nervosa, or ON for short, and researchers say the condition is made worse by a fear of being unhealthy and shunning low-quality, pesticide-ridden, GMO-laden, gluten-stuffed foods.

It’s ‘mental’ to eat processed foods

As the Waking Times reported further:

The psychologists conducting the study argue that healthy eating can become dangerous if one becomes fixated on the types of ingredients in food, how the food is cooked, and what materials are used to prepare it. Those “suffering” from orthorexia may take extra time to prepare their food and carefully consider what they are willing to eat.

The horror.

The news site noted that today, 90 percent of products sitting on grocery store shelves in the U.S. are packed with processed foods, much of which are scientifically engineered to create physical and mental addiction. As such, these overly processed foods, which are also mega-portioned, have led to all sorts of medical problems – diabetes especially, but also heart disease and cancer, obesity and other chronic conditions. Given that even traditional medical science knows this, why would conscientious efforts by Americans to lower their risk of contracting these diseases – thereby driving the cost of health care down – not be encouraged, rather than vilified and misdiagnosed as crazy?

That just seems silly – at least, for rational people. So what’s the problem? Co-author of the recent study, Thomas Dunn, an associate professor at the University of Northern Colorado, notes:

Such draconian diets can lack essential nutrients, and they make the vitamins and minerals a person does get from meals of exclusively, say, leafy greens, impossible for the body to absorb. This can lead to fragile bones, hormonal shifts, and cardiac problems, along with psychological distress and entrenched, delusional thinking.

“Draconian diets?” If the good professor wants to talk about “draconian diets,” he needn’t look any further than what the average American household consumes on a daily basis: fast foods, processed sugars, sugary soda and food that is manufactured, not served in a natural form. If that weren’t the case, then why is there an obesity epidemic in the U.S.?

Eating clean isn’t crazy

In Dunn’s mind, if you meet two of the following, you might need some mental fixing:

1. You consume a nutritionally unbalanced diet because of concerns about “food purity.”
2. You’re preoccupied about how eating impure or unhealthy foods will affect your physical or emotional health.
3. You rigidly avoid any food you deem to be “unhealthy,” such as those containing fat, preservatives, additives or animal products.
4. You spend three or more hours per day reading about, acquiring or preparing certain kinds of food you believe to be “pure.”
5. You feel guilty if you eat foods you believe to be “impure.”
6. You’re intolerant of other’s food beliefs.
7. You spend an excessive proportion of your income on “pure” foods.

Is Dunn part of the emerging medical/academia clique attempting to work with the administration to get more people declared mentally incompetent so the FBI can take their guns away?

The reality is, good nutrition actually helps prevent mental disorders, as we have repeatedly noted. [Here, here, and here, for starters]. Clean eating is the key to sound mental health – not processed junk. And it’s not “crazy” to eat that way.

10 Ways To Cleanse Your Body Of Monsanto Chemicals And Other Toxins

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Photo by Sabphoto.

10 Ways To Cleanse Your Body Of Monsanto Chemicals And Other Toxins

Last year senior Monsanto scientist Dan Goldstein attempted to quell fears over the mega company’s chemical pesticide RoundUp poisoning people’s bodies over time. He said, “It is a common misunderstanding that pesticides, in general, accumulate in body fat. While this phenomenon may occur with some older compounds…pesticides that bio-accumulate to any significant degree have been removed from use or are highly restricted.”

But after Reuters reported this week that tests found residues of the active RoundUp herbicide glyphosate in an astounding 41 of 69 honey samples, 10 of 28 samples of soy sauce, three of 18 breast milk samples and six of 40 infant formula samples, Monsanto is singing a different tune.

“According to physicians and other food safety experts, the mere presence of a chemical itself is not a human health hazard. It is the amount, or dose, that matters,” said Monsanto senior toxicologist Kimberly Hodge-Bell.

Dr. Don Huber, professor emeritus of plant pathology at Purdue University warns on the GM education web site that glyphosate in human breast milk, which may be 100 times the level thought safe, is far from the only environmental toxin accumulating in the human body.

“Bisphenol A (BPA, a plastic component), PBDEs (used in flame retardants), perchlorate (used in rocket fuel), perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs, used in floor cleaners and non-stick pans), phthalates (used in plastics), polyvinyl chloride (PVC, commonly known as vinyl) and the heavy metals cadmium, lead and mercury” are also found in the human body, especially breast milk, reports the New York Times.

Older chemicals, especially pesticides, also remain in the human body — like DDT, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxin, heptachlor, chlordane, Aldrin and Dieldrin. They impair the endocrine, reproductive, circulatory, immune, and central nervous systems.

The truth is Monsanto and its biotech/Big Ag cousins have not just hijacked the food supply and food economy; poisoned plants, animals and the environment; annihilated small and independent farmers, and created genetic drift, resistance and new diseases — they have created alarming new risks to human health too. In addition to their deadly chemicals, studies note Monsanto’s GMOs increase human allergy susceptibility, suppress the immune system and possibly cause autism and cancer. In 2009, a temporary ban on glyphosate was sought in Argentina after a high incidence of birth defects and cancers was reported in people living near crop-spraying areas, as Scientific American reported. And just last month, the World Health Organization’sInternational Agency for Research on Cancer published a report which concluded that glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic to humans.”

Luckily scientists and clinicians have identified some ways in which these unwanted toxins can be removed or lessened in the body. Perhaps the most overarching way to prevent the build-up of toxins is to pursue a detoxified lifestyle — that is according to Dr. Robert Zieve, an integrative medicine expert and medical director of Partners in Integrative Cancer Therapies, in Prescott, AZ.

“How do we engage in this lifelong process of detoxification? As a foundation, this involves eating healthy food. This means organic, GMO-free food,” he said in an email interview. “Herbs such as cilantro help us to eliminate metals such as lead and mercury,” he said. “Herbs like turmeric and garlic help to lower the levels of inflammation that are often the underlying causes [of chronic diseases.]”

To guard against endocrine disruptors, which can cause hormonal imbalances, osteoporosis and increase cancer risk, Dr. Zieve told Reset he recommends “adaptogenic combination of herbs such as combinations of high quality forms of Siberian ginseng, ashwagandha, rhodiola, and others similar herbs,” as well herbs such as milk thistle and dandelion root, urtica/nettles and cruciferous vegetables.

Colon hydrotherapy, far infrared saunas when used correctly, clay baths and castor oil packs applied to the liver can also be useful, he said.

Philosophically, Dr. Zieve said, “Detoxification is a lifelong process. The body already knows how to do this. We just need to get out of the way and support it in doing what it already knows how to do.”

Reset also caught up with Dr. Cate Shanahan, author of Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Foods to ask her opinion of living toxin-free lifestyle. While Dr. Shanahan confirms that endocrine disrupters like PCBs and DDT can “stay in the body for a long time,” she is not a big fan of supplements or chelation. Even fasting has its limits, she said, and is mostly valuable “for brief periods and only in conjunction with other modalities that optimize metabolism.”

Dr. Shanahan says a healthy, balanced diet “rich in a variety of fresh, ideally organic/biodynamic vegetables with healthy fats, prepared by steaming or fermentation, is your best bet.”

An overall lifestyle change is a great baseline, but there are also some specific plants and natural therapies that can amp up your detoxifying capabilities. While some doctors, like gastroenterologist Nasir Moloo believe the kidneys, liver, lungs and skin of healthy people provide sufficient detoxification without the help of preparations and aids, as he told NBC News, medical literature contains studies that suggest there are indeed specific methods to help your body more efficiently remove toxic byproducts.

Here are 10 detoxifying techniques which have solid science behind them:

1. Indian Gooseberry (also called Phyllanthus emblica Linn and Indian amla)

In studies in the Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology and Food and Function, the  gooseberry/amla, an ingredient in some detox preparations, has been shown to be effective in preventing and lessening the toxic effects on the liver of alcohol, heavy metals (including “iron overload”), medications which can be toxic to the liver, and environmental pathogens or fungi. The “hepatoprotective” actions of gooseberry/amla appear to be “mediated by its free radical scavenging, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and modulation of the xenobiotic detoxification process and lipid metabolism,” says the Food and Function study.

2. Chlorella 

Chlorella, a single-cell green algae belonging to the phylum Chlorophyta plant, has long been thought to have beneficial effects in the human body — whether against inflammation or disease risks. A recent study in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology confirms chlorella’s ability to detoxify heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) — carcinogens that are created when dripping meat fat is burned — in the human body. The National Cancer Institute warns against cooking meat over open flames and barbecues because of the dangers of these compounds.

3. Milk Thistle (silymarin)

Milk thistle is a flowering herb in the ragweed family which some studies have shown is effective in helping the liver detoxify from dangerous elements. In the journal Acta medica Hungarica, workers exposed to the industrial toxins toluene and xylene “significantly improved” when given concentrated Milk Thistle (Legalon) compared to untreated workers. The journal, Investigational New Drugs, wrote that silymarin in mice “markedly protects against chemically induced renal cancer and acts plausibly by virtue of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative activities.”

4. Pomegranate Bark (also called Punica granatum, producing Punicalagin/PC)

The bark of the pomegranate fruit exerts detoxification processes according to several scientific studies. “We have demonstrated antioxidant and antigenotoxic properties of Punica granatum,” wrote researchers in the open access journal BioMed Research International. Pomegranates contain ellagic acid which can inhibit the breast cancer-linked enzyme aromatase, an article on About.com about breast cancer says. “Pomegranate bioactives” inhibit the DNA damage done by Benzo[a]pyrene (BP), an extreme carcinogen found in coal tar, report the researchers. Pomegranates also have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic effects according tothe Journal of Medicinal Food.

5. Cilantro (also called Coriander)

Several studies have demonstrated that the well-known cooking herb cilantro, also called coriander, can be useful in reducing liver toxicity — called hepatotoxicity — by inhibiting undesirable oxidation processes. A study in the journal Toxicology and Industrial Health for example finds “treatment with coriander leaves and seeds helps in improving the adverse effect… [of] hepatotoxicity” in animals.  The Journal of Pharmacy And Bioallied Sciences says cilantro “possesses hepatoprotective activity which may be due to the antioxidant potential of phenolic compounds.”

 6. Sulphur-Containing Foods

Foods that contain sulfur, like broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and kale, are valuable for two reasons. Their sulfur releases a substance that activates potent antioxidant and detoxification enzymes according to the Needs.com website. Meanwhile, another substance in such cruciferous plants, indole-3-carbinol, helps deactivate potent estrogen metabolites, which may protect against cancers caused by the hormone-mimicking endocrine disrupters according to the journal, Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology. The sulfur-related compound MSM is also useful in detoxification according to some practitioners on the website Food Matters.

7. Chelation 

For decades, natural clinicians have recommended chelation, the administration of substances like porphine and EDTA, to trap and usher toxic metals like arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury out of the body, according to the web site Livestrong. But chelation’s acceptance in the scientific community has been slow in coming. Recently, a large federally-funded chelation trial, known as TACT, showed positive results and scientists are giving the metal reduction method a second look. A study in Scientific World Journal says in describing how it works that peptides “chelate both essential and toxic elements as they are sequestered, transported, and excreted…enhancing natural chelation detoxification pathways.” A related metal binding therapy uses zeolites, aluminosilicate minerals, that can absorb and catalyze toxins including lead says the journal Biological Trace Element Research.

8. Wolfberry (also called Lycium barbarum polysaccharide, LBP)

Ingredients found in the wolfberry plant called LBP has demonstrated antioxidative, antiaging properties and antitumor activities in scientific studies. A study in the Journal of Drug Design, Development and Therapy says “LBPs protect the liver from injuries due to exposure to toxic chemicals or other insults” and “reduce irradiation — or chemotherapy-induced organ toxicities.” The wolfberry agents are also thought to protect against “neuronal injury,” amyloid-related harm and factors thought to contribute to Alzheimer’s disease, says the article.

9. Intestinal Treatments

Colonic cleansing routines including coffee enemas have been the basis of many natural detoxification methods for years including the Gerson regimen. Though they no longer have medical standing, coffee enemas were found in the doctors’ Merck Manual until the mid 1970s. Suzy Cohen, a.k.a. “America’s Pharmacist™” says coffee enemas “jumpstart your liver and gallbladder” and cause bile to flow. To cleanse the gut, health practitioners also recommend cascara sagrada, burdock root, psyllium husks and other fiber containing plants. An article in Drug Metabolism and Dispositioncites the value of activated charcoal in gut cleansing and probiotics to replenish a “microdome“ compromised by toxins.

10. Clay

Clay treatments, taken internally or externally as baths or skin treatments, like the “living, swelling clays” calcium bentonite and montmorillonites, are used in detoxification regimes. An article in the journal Chemosphere speculates that “adsorption on the clay can reduce the extent of the DNA damage caused by heavy metals” such as cadium and mercury.

Dr. Miriam Jang, M.D., says: “I have put a huge number of patients on these clay baths and the levels of heavy metals — mercury, lead, arsenic, aluminum, and cadmium have come down dramatically.” Dr. Jang describes one patient with high levels of mercury whose levels came down after three months of bath treatment, supporting “the theory that mercury is sequestered in different areas of our body and it takes time to get it all out.” 

Smart Food Swaps for a Healthier 2014.

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It’s that time of year — a new year and a new beginning. As a nutritionist, I often hear from new clients that they make New Year’s resolutions early January and by Valentine’s Day, they are discouraged and back to their same old patterns. Resolutions such as, “I have to lose weight” or, “I want to eat healthier” tend to be too broad, and therefore do not generally work. What I have found in my private practice is that small action-oriented steps and simple substitutions tend to work a lot better.

Here are some smart-and simple food swaps that you can actually implement and incorporate into your everyday routine to help you lead a healthier life.

1. Choose whole fruit instead of juice.

Juice tends to be high in sugar and low in fiber. Fresh fruit, on the other hand, contains more fiber than the juice and has a higher water content, both which are excellent for weight loss. Eating an orange instead of guzzling down a pint of orange juice can save you over 150 calories. Imagine how many calories you can save if you make this switch daily.

2. Start your day with a low fat Greek yogurt instead of a doughnut.

Greek yogurt is an excellent breakfast as it is high in protein, which can keep you full longer. Top your yogurt with fresh fruit and a handful of walnuts to round out your breakfast. A doughnut, on the other hand, is full of calories without much nutrition.

3. Choose whole grains instead of refined grains.

Grains and starches are not taboo and do not need to be avoided to be healthier and lose some weight in the process. The trick is to eat the right kind of grains. Whole grains are the best choice as they are chock full of nutrients and fiber. Include brown rice, quinoa, and oatmeal instead of white bread, white rice, and white pasta.

4. Drink water and seltzer instead of soda.

Soda contains pure sugar, is liquid candy, and a waste of calories. Why not eat your calories instead of drink them? Swapping soda for water or seltzer can save you hundreds of calories. For flavor, add a splash of lemon, orange, or cucumber or throw in a few fruity ice cubes (pour your favorite juice into an ice cube tray and freeze for flavored ice cubes).

5. Eat an English muffin (whole grain, of course) instead of a bagel.

Making this swap can save you over 200 calories. While both a bagel and an English muffin are just one item, a bagel is equivalent to approximately five bread slices whereas an English muffin is more like two bread slices. Save the bagel as an occasional treat.

6. Start your meal with a vegetable salad (dressing on side) instead of a fried appetizer.

Starting your meal with a fresh salad is a great way to include vegetables into your diet. Salad and vegetables are high in vitamins and minerals, full of fiber, and low in calories.

7. Choose a low-fat tomato-based soup instead of a cream-based soup.

I am a soup lover. I enjoy eating soup in the cold winters in NY and also in the summer. Soups make a great snack, a healthy appetizer, and even a great meal. The key is to eat a vegetable based soup and to skip the cream. Great choices include 10 vegetable soup, minestrone soup, and white bean and escarole soup.

8. Eat an apple or a pear as a snack instead of a bag of chips.

When you feel the urge to nibble, go for a healthy piece of fruit instead of a bag of chips.

9. Choose salmon instead of steak.

I advise limiting read meat and choosing fish instead. Grilled salmon, for example, is high in protein, much lower in saturated fat than red meat, and full of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

10. Finish your meal with a cup of blueberries instead of a slice of blueberry pie.

Berries are rich in antioxidants, fiber, and other nutrients and low in calories. If you want to indulge in an occasional slice of pie, make it a sliver, and surround it with a cup of fresh fruit.

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2014!