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Bodytalk
Question: I know broccoli is a healthy food to eat, but what makes it supposedly prevent disease? Eat broccoli: The
benefits are bountifulAnswer:Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable, meaning it's a member of a family of plants with petals that form a cross.
Broccoli first showed up in this country in the early 1920s. It was brought here by Italian immigrants. Today, most of the broccoli grown in this country is grown in California.
So what is it about broccoli that provides such incredible health benefits?
Like other cruciferous vegetables, broccoli contains glucosinolates, which metabolize into the two important phytochemicals indols and isothiocyanate. These two substances appear to prevent the formation of carcinogens (cancer causing agents) and increase the production of phase 2 enzymes, which help neutralize existing carcinogens.
A high intake of broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of some cancers and coronary artery disease. Besides disease fighting phytochemicals, broccoli delivers a healthy dose of fiber, calcium, vitamin C and folic acid.
All this nutrition wrapped up in a wonderfully delicious taste, and at about 50 calories a serving, that's a pretty good deal.
The good news is that Americans are eating 900 percent more cruciferous vegetables now than they did 20 years ago
Q: I'm told that taking natural vitamin E is better than taking synthetic E. My current bottle of vitamin E supplements doesn't designate natural or synthetic. If natural is better, how can I tell the difference?
A: Natural vitamin E is a better product; we'll get to the reasons why in a minute.
The reason your bottle of Vitamin E isn't labeled natural or synthetic is because it doesn't have to be. The current, and may I add vague, FDA regulations don't require manufacturers to state on their labels if the supplement is natural or synthetic. But believe me, if the product is all natural, the label will say so. If the form isn't specified, assume it's synthetic.
But what about interpreting labels that read "100 percent biologically active" or those that claim to be a "natural blend?"
In cases such as these, check the ingredients list. The ingredients will list natural vitamin E as d-alpha-tocopherol, while synthetic vitamin E is listed as dl-alpha-tocopherol. The only difference is the small letter l after the d, so look carefully.
Another important reason to check the ingredients list is the label can read natural even if it's a blended product.
Both natural and synthetic E are used in blended products, but as a rule, blends tend to have very little natural E in them.
Why?
Because synthetic is a whole lot cheaper.
Natural E is made from vegetable oil. Natural E is actually a mix of tocopherol compounds collectively referred to as alpha-tocopherol. Synthetic E is produced from petrochemicals in a mix of eight molecular configurations, only one of which is equivalent to natural E.
In the case of vitamin E, the body definitely prefers natural to synthetic. It always has been known that natural E is somewhat more potent than synthetic E, but it only recently has been discovered that natural E is much stronger than its synthetic counterpart.
In reality then, even if synthetic E is cheaper, you're still getting short-changed. To make up the difference you'll need to take about 150 international units of synthetic to equal 100 IU of natural.
Health Events
Stephenie Karony is a certified health
and fitness instructor, a personal trainer and the author of
"Body Shaping with Free Weights." Send questions to her at
P.O. Box 262, Wailuku Hi. Her column appears on Wednesdays.