To Your Health
July, 2007 (Vol. 01, Issue 07) |
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Sea vegetables like dulse and Dunaliella salina are superfoods from the sea and are rich sources of minerals and trace minerals. In fact, seaweed contains all the minerals found in human blood, as well as other bioactive compounds that lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure and have antioxidant activity.
The Asian population, one of the healthiest on the planet, includes seaweed in its diet regularly, yet most Americans rarely take advantage of this superfood. Green tea and white tea have been popular beverages in the Asian diet for thousands of years. They contain catechins and other polyphenols that are powerful antioxidants against cancer, heart disease and strokes. "White tea and green tea may provide some of the same benefits as NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), without their adverse side effects," says Gayle Orner, PhD, a toxicologist at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.
Scientists are discovering endless combinations of antioxidants in whole foods that combat different types of free radicals inside and outside the body. That is why we're experiencing a major shift away from single-nutrient antioxidants (vitamin supplements) and back to whole-food supplementation. The take-home message is this: The number-one antidote to free radicals, along with the disease and accelerated aging they cause, is a wide variety of multi-colored fruits and vegetables, plus whole grains, nuts and seeds. Second, take out an insurance policy. Eating superfoods every day may be the best health insurance you can get to prevent cancer, protect the blood vessels and heart, boost the immune system, and fight the ravages of aging. That's why many chiropractors recommend that their patients take a superfood supplement every day. Today's food is tomorrow's prescription.
James D. Krystosik, DC, is the author of Carbs from Heaven, Carbs from Hell and host of the weekly radio program “The Other Side of Medicine.” For more information on carbohydrates and superfoods, visit www.drgoodcarbs.com.
