Vegetables are really good for you

"Some vegetables contain chemicals that appear to enhance DNA repair in cells, which could lead to protection against cancer development, say Georgetown University Medical Center researchers. In a new study published in the "British Journal of Cancer" and by the journal "Nature" the researchers show that in laboratory tests, a compound called indole-3-carinol (I3C), found in broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, and a chemical called genistein, found in soy beans, can increase the levels of two specific proteins that repair damaged DNA.

This study is one of the first to provide a molecular explanation as to how eating vegetables could cut the risk of developing cancer, an association that some population studies have found, says the study's senior author, Eliot M. Rosen, MD, PhD, professor of oncology, cell biology, and radiation medicine at Georgetown 's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center . "It is now clear that the function of crucial cancer genes can be influenced by compounds in the things we eat," Rosen says. "Our findings suggest a clear molecular process that would explain the connection between diet and cancer prevention." In this study, Rosen exposed breast and prostate cancer cells to increasing doses of I3C and genistein, and found that these chemicals boosted production of the repair proteins BRCA1 and BRCA2.

Since decreased amounts of the BRCA proteins are seen in cancer cells, higher levels might prevent cancer from developing, Rosen speculates, adding that the ability of I3C and genistein to increase production of BRCA proteins could explain their protective effects. The study was funded by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the National Cancer Institute and co-authors include Drs. Saijun Fan, MD, PhD, Qinghui Meng , MS , Karen Auborn, PhD, and Timothy Carter, PhD.

For many decades, science has been focused on understanding the mechanisms of disease so that drugs could be developed. But the closer they look at disease, the more they discover about the powerful and protective nature of whole foods. Have you had your veggies today? "

Wholefood farmacy newsletter

Live Longer

New research published in the January, 2008, issue of the journal of the Public Library of Science shows that people who drink moderately, exercise, quit smoking and eat five servings of fruit and vegetables each day live, on average, 14 years longer than people who do not practice these lifestyle habits.
British researchers followed 20,000 healthy British men and women ages 45 to 79 from 1993 to 2006. Each participant was assigned a “health score” receiving one point for each healthy habit. Those who practiced none got a health score of zero; those who practiced all of them got a health score of four. The researchers also tested each participant's blood to measure vitamin C intake, an indicator of how much fruit and vegetables they were eating.
After adjusting for age and other factors that could affect one’s chances of dying, the researchers found that people with a health score of zero were four times more likely to have died during the course of the study, particularly from cardiovascular disease,.
The researches noted that a person with a health score of zero had the same risk of dying as someone with a health score of four who was 14 years older. The lifestyle changes offering the most health benefits were not smoking and eating five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
In our fast paced society, it can be difficult to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day – but that’s where Wholefood Farmacy foods can help you, your family and your children to bridge the gap.
Fruitalicous contains a wide variety of fruits which are preserved through the natural process of drying – this increases the nutritional density dramatically. Eating one ounce of Fruitalicous is the same as eating about half a pound of fresh fruits - one ounce of Veggielicious is the same as eating about half a pound of fresh vegetables.
There’s no better way to start the New Year than making sure that you, your family and your children are getting five servings of fruits and vegetables each and every day!

Middle Age Health

Dr. Dana King and his team of researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina have just completed a very inspirational study. Dr. King and his team set out to find if middle-aged adults could reap the rewards of habits like eating vegetables and walking 30 minutes a day.
The researchers reported in June 2007 that middle-aged adults age 45 to 64 who began eating five or more fruits and vegetables every day, exercising for at least 2 1/2 hours a week, keeping weight down and not smoking decreased their risk of heart disease by 35 percent and risk of death by 40 percent in the four years after they started.
“The adopters of a healthy lifestyle basically caught up. Within four years, their mortality rate and rate of heart attacks matched the people who had been doing these behaviors all along,” said Dr. Dana King at the Medical University of South Carolina, who led the research. Dr. King added “even if you have not had a healthy lifestyle previously, it’s not too late to adopt those healthy lifestyle habits and gain almost immediate benefits.”
The four key habits are eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables everyday, exercising for 2 ½ hours per week, not smoking and maintaining a healthy weight. The study participants who adopted all four healthy habits enjoyed a sharp decline in heart disease risk and in death from any cause.
It took all four — having just three of the healthy habits yielded no heart benefits and a more modest decrease in overall risk of death.
Still, said Dr. Nichola Davis at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, “these benefits are on a continuum. The more of the healthy habits that you can adapt, the better. ...These are modest changes that they’re talking about.”
The Wholefood Farmacy foods offer you a convenient and delicious way to enjoy five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each and every day. How many servings have you had today?