almond

March 28, 2009 at 8:23 pm (lungs)
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Last year, I concentrated on two vegetables – watercress and spinach – for strengthening lungs, and now I’m following it up with the almond.

My family are nuts about nuts: peanuts, pine nuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, etc. After having a handful of nuts though, oftentimes they can irritate the throat. Alas, here’s another example of fighting fire with fire, or in this case, nuts with more nuts. Did you know that almonds, especially, are good for dry coughs? Even though the almond is not a true “nut,” it is chock-full (smile) of healthy nutrients, and it still baffles me that I have to eat more almonds in order to address irritating coughs.

Although there are a host of cough medicine and over-the-counter treatments for the cough – some of which actually list “almond” as an ingredient (or a flavor) – we have found relief in just a handful of almonds at a time. As for the issue of toxicity, stick with “sweet” almonds (as opposed to “bitter” almonds) or domesticated almonds. Bitter ones are toxic when raw. Finally, like for most things, take everything in moderation.

How to cook/eat almonds: Besides eating it roasted-crunchy (I like it with a touch of burnt flavor!), there are countless recipes on how to use almonds, from Cinnamon-Roasted Almonds to Herbed Almonnaise. Try something old, something new, mix it up.

Where to find it: Almonds can be found in most grocery stores, both in the raw and toasted variety. While in the nuts section, be sure to try some of your other healthy “nutty” selections.

What else: Ever heard of “seven almonds a day?” Almonds also strengthen memory, lower blood cholesterol, help in nerve transmission, and provide a rich dose of calcium, protein, niacin, copper, iron, zinc, vitamins B2, B1, and E.

Who’s done the research:

  • Studies of the composition of almond have shown that the protein content of the almond is about 28% and its oil content ranges from 55% to 60%; more than that, over 90% of the fatty acids are of the unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) variety. – Ma Y, Dong C H. 2004. Almond Germplasm Resource and Present Situation of Research. Journal of Hebei Normal University of Science & Technology, 18(2):29-31
  • As a nutrient-dense food, almond and its products have been shown to have health benefits in many areas, including cardiovascular health, diabetes, protein quality as well as body weight control. Relevant studies have indicated that various forms of almond products, whole, raw, or roasted, almond butter and almond oil, all have cholesterol-lowering effects and other health benefits. – Lapsley K G, Huang G. 2004. Health Benefits of Almonds. Cereal Foods World. 49(1):6-10.
  • The almond is also abundant in mineral elements and vitamins; in particular, it has a high content of vitamin E, which can effectively reduce oxidation of LDL cholesterol. – Hyson D A. Schneeman B O, Davis P A. 2002. Almonds and almond oil have similar effects on plasma lipds and LDL oxidation in healthy men and women. The Journal of Nutrition. 132(4):703-7.

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spinach

May 10, 2008 at 9:31 am (lungs)
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Living in the city, I know that there’s bad air without having to breathe it in. But when the American Lung Association officially stamps it as one of the Top 10 most polluted US cities – okay, just by ozone – I have to make sure that I’m doing my best to treat these lungs nicely for putting up with me – without going to those Japanese oxygen-therapy places.

Since the last post recognized the connection between eating watercress and developing stronger, healthier lungs, I have to follow it up with the spinach – no, not exactly Popeye’s spinach. Spinach is so easily accessible here, it really shouldn’t come from a can.

Ever been on the receiving end of, “Eat your spinach?” It’s not only because they’re deliciously green and look so healthy. In fact, spinach is full of healthy benefits, including cleaning the lungs. Although watercress has been proven – in my family – to clear my congested lungs and cure my brother’s near asthmatic symptoms (including wheezing), my mom also liked to toss in a dose of spinach into our meals once a week. When my dad had a bit of the coughing fits – coughing day and night to clear up on-the-job pollutants – my mom steamed and boiled a batch of spinach for him to eat. After two to three days of eating spinach, he stopped coughing. I asked my mom, “Why didn’t you try watercress?” Her reply was, “Watercress takes longer; spinach is a faster relief for polluted lungs.” Well, that’s all the experimenting we have done.

How to cook spinach: Spinach is a dirty vegetable. Yes, it grows close to the ground, and often comes with plenty of soil and, sometimes, bugs. After thoroughly washing it and soaking it in fresh water as many times as one is obsessive, it is still best to cook it thoroughly, in my opinion. Since this is laughably not a cooking site, I’ll explain how to cook spinach in noodle soup. When your noodles and/or contents are almost done cooking, toss in the fresh and cleaned spinach. Boil a good full minute or two. Add your choice of various oils and/or spices, and it’s good to eat. Ah, here’s an advantage for cooked over uncooked spinach: Cooked spinach ensures that you eat plenty of it.

Where to find it: You can find spinach in your local grocery store and in Chinatown vegetable stands. Again, don’t look for them in cans. Like watercress, they are also found in batches. My local Korean fruit and vegetable stand recently acquired the savoy variety of spinach, with a bit of curls. Tastes the same.

What else:  We generally enjoy our spinach steamed, boiled, sautéed, or in noodle or plain soup. Cooking spinach loses the iron and other soluble elements, but spinach is chock full of other nutrients, including vitamins K, A, C, B2, B6, B1, E, B3; and the following: manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium, tryptophan, dietary fiber, copper, protein, phosphorus, zinc, omega 3 fatty acids, and selenium.

Who’s done the research:

  • Spinach leaves, containing several active components, including flavonoids, exhibit antioxidative, antiproliferative, and antiinflammatory properties in biological systems. Spinach extracts have been demonstrated to exert numerous beneficial effects, such as chemo- and central nervous system protection and anticancer and antiaging functions. A powerful, water-soluble, natural antioxidant mixture (NAO), which specifically inhibits the lipoxygenase enzyme, was isolated from spinach leaves. NAO has been found to be nonmutagenic and has shown promising anticarcinogenic effects in a few experimental models, such as skin and prostate cancer; it has not shown any target-organ toxicity or side effects. The current review provides epidemiological and preclinical data supporting the efficacy of extracts of spinach and the safety of its consumption. - Lomnitski L, et al. Composition, efficacy, and safety of spinach extracts. Nutr Cancer 46(2):222-31, 2003
  • The major dietary sources of lutein in subjects with colon cancer and in control subjects were spinach, broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes, oranges and orange juice, carrots, celery, and greens. These data suggest that incorporating these foods into the diet may help reduce the risk of developing colon cancer. - Slattery ML, et al. Carotenoids and colon cancer. Am J Clin Nutr 71:575-82, 2000
  • High intake of cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli and cauliflower, may be associated with reduced risk of aggressive prostate cancer, particularly extraprostatic disease. - Kirsh VA, et al. Prospective study of fruit and vegetable intake and risk of prostate cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 99(15):1200-9, Aug 1, 2007

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watercress

May 8, 2008 at 11:07 am (lungs)
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During a lengthy period of my youth, my mom said that I was breathing funny at night and always having lung congestion, with a lot of phlegm production. She said she did some research and decided that I should go on a watercress binge. For three to four weeks, my mom would cook up a pot of watercress soup three to four times a week, and she and I could eat four batches of watercress in one sitting. It was delicious! To this day, she says the transformation to healthy breathing happened quickly because I was a youngster at the time, but sure enough, I gradually had no more trouble with lung congestion, even to this day. As with most edible “treatments,” Mom continues to use watercress in her cooking ever so often because of its healthy benefits in clearing up the lungs.

How to make watercress soup: Starting off with a pot of boiling chicken stock (made or bought), add one batch of watercress (or as much as you want) and add a bit of julienned ginger for more flavor. Let it boil for three to five minutes – the watercress tastes best when it’s still got a slight crisp. Add salt and sesame oil, as needed.

Where to find it: You can find watercress in your local grocery store and in Chinatown vegetable stands. They are usually tied up in convenient batches.

What else: Doing some extra research last night, I found that – whether or not related – watercress has a chemopreventive agent against lung cancer in smokers. This does not mean that watercress can cure or prevent lung cancer, but it’s the first study to report an effect of vegetable consumption on metabolism of a lung carcinogen in humans – a protective effect. I’m not sure why it’s only specific to lungs, but you can check out the research done on tobacco smokers below and look up the research paper. In another study of nine plants used in Mexican traditional medicine to treat tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases, watercress showed the best antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Study cited below.

Who’s done the research:

  • The results of this study support our hypothesis that PEITC inhibits this oxidative metabolism of NNK in humans, as seen in rodents, and support further development of PEITC as a chemopreventive agent against lung cancer. This is the first study to report an effect of vegetable consumption on metabolism of a lung carcinogen in humans. - Hecht SS, et al. Effects of watercress consumption on metabolism of a tobacco-specific lung carcinogen in smokers. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 4(8):877-84, Dec 1995
  • The study evaluated the antimycobacterial activity of nine plants used in Mexican traditional medicine to treat tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases. Nasturtium officinale (watercress) showed the best activity against the sensitive Mycobacterium tuberculosis. - Camacho-Corona Mdel R, et al. Activity against drug resistant-tuberculosis strains of plants used in Mexican traditional medicine to treat tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases. Phytother Res 22(1):82-5, Jan 2008
  • It was demonstrated that therapy with the herbal drug preparation in the indications acute sinusitis, acute bronchitis and acute urinary tract infection is–with regard to efficacy–comparable to a treatment with standard antibiotics. The test preparation displayed in all indications a significantly lower potential for adverse events compared to a treatment with standard antibiotics and, therefore, a better safety profile could be concluded. - Goos KH, et al. On-going investigations on efficacy and safety profile of a herbal drug containing nasturtium (watercress) herb and horseradish root in acute sinusitis, acute bronchitis and acute urinary tract infection in children in comparison with other antibiotic treatments. Arzneimittelforschung 57(4):238-46, 2007
  • The results support the theory that consumption of watercress can be linked to a reduced risk of cancer via decreased damage to DNA and possible modulation of antioxidant status by increasing carotenoid concentrations. - Gill CI, et al. Watercress supplementation in diet reduces lymphocyte DNA damage and alters blood antioxidant status in healthy adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 85(2):504-10, Feb 2007

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