posted 08-14-2002 04:04 PM            

2.) Blackberries

3.) Kale

4.) Spinach (steamed)

5.) Raisins

6.) Orange

7.) Stawberries & cranberries (tied)

8.) Broccoli florets

9.) Raspberry

10.) Beets

Number 5 is a bit suprising. As you can see, berries make up half of the top ten.

The term "superfoods" is used to describe those foods (fruits and vegetables) with extremely high amounts of antioxidants, which have been shown to reduce the risks of cancer, heart disease, and other diseases associated with aging, as well as slow down the aging process of the body and mind.

Some neuroscientists are conducting research into whether the consumption of superfoods can prevent one of the most terrible diseases, Alzheimer's.

Some suggest that in order to take full advantage of the power of these foods, you must eat about 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. However, each food is given a value, and if you choose foods with a higher value (see above), this would reduce the amount you need to consume. For example, if you chose to eat just blueberries, you would need about 2-3 cups of blueberries per day.

I find this type of research very intriguing, because not only do I want to eat in order to look good, but I also want to eat foods which improve my health and reduce, as much as possible, the risks of terrible diseases.

If anyone is interested, research "Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity" -- any search engine should pull up results on that topic.

I've known about this research for a while, and that's why every day I drink a mixed berry smoothie, as well as eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible.

posted 08-14-2002 11:07 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by PoPpLeS:
didnt i read somewhere that the atkins diet says to limit your berry intake? any ideas on why they would say that?

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I'm not sure. Berries are fairly high in carbohydrates so maybe that's why.

If that is true, then it is definitely a major flaw in the diet. Any diet which would exclude these fruits and vegetables should be looked at carefully. You might lose weight quickly on the Atkins diet, but consider the foods you might be missing and the long-term consequences of avoiding healthy fruits and vegetable.

Most of the fruits and vegetables which are "allowed" on the Atkins diet don't have very high ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) values. This is a value representing the antioxidant activity within the food.

For example, blueberries have a value of 1620. Cucumbers, which are heavily promoted by low-carbers, have a value of 28! Do you know how many cucumbers you would need to eat to equal 1/2 cup of blueberries?? Celery has a value of 60, and avocado has a value of 149. The researchers who conducted the study which ultimately set these values recommend that people consume foods which would amount to 3000-3500 ORAC.

You would need to eat 62.5 cups of cucumbers to reach that figure PER DAY! But you would only need to consume 1/2 cup of blueberries, 1/2 cup of blackberries and 1/8 cup of raisins to get the same amount. That really puts it into perspective!

I know people say high-carb fruits make you fat, but come on...how could such bad foods contain such powerful and healthy substances?

posted 08-14-2002 11:25 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by PoPpLeS:
didnt i read somewhere that the atkins diet says to limit your berry intake? any ideas on why they would say that?

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He doesn't specifically limit berries, just carbohydrates. Berries are some of the lowest carbohydrate fruits and are allowed on most low carbohydrate diet plans such as Dr. Atkins or Protein Power. Dr. Eades in "Protein Power" specifically discusses the antioxidant benefits of berries like strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Most berries have approximately 5 to 10 grams of digestible carbohydrate per serving, assuming you don't add sugar to them

posted 08-14-2002 11:32 PM            

1.) Blueberries

2.) Blackberries

3.) Kale

4.) Spinach (steamed)

7.) Stawberries & cranberries (tied)

8.) Broccoli florets

9.) Raspberry

The kale and spinach (all greens) and broccoli are extremely low in digestible carbohydrate and high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber and highly recommended on a low carbohydrate diet. Kale is an excellent source of calcium also.

Alan