According to US researchers it may well depend on your choice of fruit and veg!
Apparently, the obvious choices are not necessarily the healthiest. Making simple swaps to the fruit and veg we eat can have a significant impact on the nutrients our bodies get.
This would seem to support the opinion that a balanced varied diet is essential for good health. ‘No one food can give you everything you need’ said Dr Emma Williams of the British Nutrition Foundation.
Plant foods are known to contain ‘phytonutrients’ as well as vitamins and minerals, which together can help protect the body against heart diseases as well as prevent cancers. But the most popular selection may not be the best.
Carrots are the most common source of Beta Carotene, oranges and orange juice the most common source of Beta-Cryptoxanthin, whilst spinach supplies Lutein & Zeaxanthin. However, there are richer food sources available if you know what you’re looking for!
Switch from carrots to sweet potato and nearly double your Beta Carotene intake, from oranges to papaya and get fifteen times more Beta-Cryptoxanthin, whilst kale has three times more Lutein & Zeaxanthin than spinach.
What this study doesn’t seem to take into account is seasonality and the condition of the fruit or veg. If an item has been sitting on a shelf for a few days, having spent 2 weeks getting to its destination who knows what sort of nutrient content it has?
That’s why we would always recommend using seasonal, locally grown fruit and veg and encourage a healthy varied diet.
This being said, we would also recommend using supplements to add that extra guarantee that you are getting all the nutrients your body needs. Not just for winter, but for all year round, as your body’s needs change.
So have a look round Bio Nutrition’s website and see what your body might need!
Stay Healthy
Sources:
BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/8645104.stm
This is not what you think!
In a recent article over at the BBC Health pages the humble Cordyceps mushroom has been getting some great press coverage for its potential use in the battle against cancer.
I’m not going to sit here and tell you that mushrooms are the answer to all our cancer prayers, but there does seem to be more and more evidence being reported about the great health giving benefits of these great fungi.
Mushroom Complex is one of the products I take myself on a daily basis, and I heartily recommend it to keep yourself fit and healthy on these cold dark days. A great combination of four mushroom varieties, all high in polysaccharides and immunomodulators, which stimulate the immune system, protect the liver and kidneys, protect the prostate, reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems and promote general wellbeing and vitality.
Sources:
BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/8428340.stm
Sorry to start talking about this now, but with the festive season fast approaching I thought I would just do a quick post to let you all know that we’ve now added some new functionality to our website.
From today you will be able to buy the special people in your lives a Bio Nutrition ‘Gift Certificate‘! It can be for any amount you like from £5 (even £12.62 if you like!)
They can use the whole amount in one go, or the online system can keep a track of what is used and spread the amount over several orders. It really is up to them!
So, are you stuck for a gift idea but know the person uses supplements? Why not give them a Bio Nutrition Gift Certificate and give the gift of health?
Remember, we also donate 1% of our turnover to environmental causes, through the 1% For The Planet initiative.
Happy shopping
Bio Nutrition
According to a recent study, most people get happier as they grow older!
Scientists believe that this is because older people have learned to avoid situations that make them feel sad or stressed.
So, here’s our quick guide to feeling happier:
- Smile: it makes you feel good and enriches the life of those around you! (And you’ll look more attractive, too).
- Be grateful: generally there is so much to be grateful for. And remember – there is always someone worse off than you!
- Laugh: as much as you can because laughter really is the best medicine!
- Exercise: exercising stimulates the release of endorphins. This changes your body’s chemical balance and makes you feel good.
- Learn new things: this is as enriching as exercise, and slows cognitive decline.
Practice the above and make people wonder what you’ve been up too!
You could also check out our Sleep, Mood & Memory section.
In a detailed review of research dating back some 30 years, doctors are now saying there is compelling evidence that everyone, even healthy people, should take omega-3 fatty acids on a daily basis.
“This isn’t just hype – we now have tremendous and compelling evidence from very large studies, some dating back 20 and 30 years, that demonstrate the protective benefits of omega-3 in multiple aspects of preventative cardiology,” said Dr Carl Lavie, from the Ochsner Medical Centre in New Orleans, who led the review. “We are talking about a very safe and relatively inexpensive therapy.”
The Food Standards Agency advises oily fish are a good source of the ‘good’ fatty acids, as well as fish oil supplements and other food stuffs.
Scientists believe that omega-3 works from inside the membranes of cells and may help to improve the heart’s electrical activity as well as helping to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. The body can’t produce its own essential fatty acids, so they must be obtained from external sources such as food and supplements.
There is also significant evidence that omega-3 can help slow, and in some cases halt, the progress of age-related macular degeneration.
More research needs to be done to determine optimal levels of omega-3, but we would recommend a daily intake of at least 1000mg.
Sources:
BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/8088860
Daily Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/5966847/Everyone-should-take-Omega-3-say-experts.html
