| Beta-Carotene
In addition to flavonoids, fruits and vegetables contain large quantities of carotenoids, a family of fat-soluble antioxidants. Several studies suggest that these nutrients—chiefly beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene—are associated with relatively low levels of C-reactive protein (CRP). This association does not necessarily mean that carotenoids lower CRP levels, though this effect would be consistent with other research on antioxidants. |
| In practical terms this risk may be remote because fruits and vegetables supply many nutrients that enhance the body's repair mechanisms. But still, there is something troubling about taking a potential carcinogen to treat inflammation or allergies. Only one form of quercetin has passed the Ames test. That is quercetin chalcone, made by Thorne Research (208-263-1337). |
Walter Last
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 In normal health and on a diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables, an additional fluid intake of about a quart daily is usually adequate. However, in the following conditions, drinking close to two quarts of fluids daily is desirable, and more than that if you are overweight:
• If mainly concentrated foods are used in the diet
Water and juices
Heal yourself with fresh vegetable and grass juices. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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 Food sources of these nutrients include animal livers, fish liver oils, and green and yellow fruits and vegetables. Significant amounts can be found in apricots, asparagus, beet greens, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, collards, dandelion greens, dulse, garlic, kale, mustard greens, papayas, peaches, pumpkin, red peppers, spinach, spirulina, sweet potatoes, Swiss chard, turnip greens, watercress, and yellow squash. Animal sources of vitamin A are up to six times as strong as vegetable sources. Beta-carotene, the best known of the carotenoids, is converted into vitamin A by the body. |
Walter Last
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| Use plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables; seafood (if not vegetarian); some (organic) poultry; one to two tablespoons of freshly ground or frozen linseed (flaxseed) and one to three capsules or teaspoons of lecithin with most meals; fish oil capsules; oily seeds and nuts (not roasted or rancid), best as seed cheese. Papaya and pineapple are good. If your blood pressure is high, acidify your body with ascorbic acid and take hydrochloric acid supplements with meals. With acid body conditions, more histamine is released, which in turn dilates blood vessels. |
| The most effective anti-inflammatory agents are copper complexes, and commonly these are relatives of salicylic acid which is present in many fruits and vegetables. In addition, copper ascorbate has strong antiviral properties while copper salicylate has a better antiinflammatory effect than cortisone and without the side effects. It also has good anticancer, antitremor, and anticonvulsive properties, suitable for treatment in epilepsy and possibly Parkinson's disease; even certain brain and liver functions can improve with copper salicylate. |
Michael T. Murray, N.D., Joseph E. Pizzorno, N.D.
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 They mainly eat fruits and vegetables but may also eat small animals, lizards, and eggs if given the opportunity. In primates, animal food consumption is inversely related to body weight. In other words, the smaller primates eat more animal food while the larger primates eat less animal food. The gorilla consumes only one percent of its total calories as animal foods, and the orangutan consumes two percent animal foods. The remainder of their diet comes from plants. |
Gabriel Cousens, M.D.
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 Eat cooling, sweet, bitter, and astringent foods, with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables.
7. Eat a bland, 80% raw-food diet. Natural Cycles and the Dosha Energies
"V Tot only can individuals be described as being a particular dosha,
X N but times of the day, the seasons, and periods in the life cycle (teenage, middle age, old age, etc.) also possess the dosha qualities. These natural cycles have an intimate effect on the energy and manifested qualities of the doshas. |
| As we become more sensitive to the colors of fruits and vegetables, we are drawn to the color we need to assimilate to balance, build, heal, and cleanse our system on any particular day.
The general principle of the Rainbow Diet in practice is to eat a full spectrum of colored foods throughout the day to cover the full spectrum of our physical and subde biological systems. Generally the red, orange, and yellow colors are taken at breakfast. This includes a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains. |
| For fast oxidizers, who tend to be acid in their pH, eating lots of carbohydrates such as fruits and vegetables would make them more acidic. They do best by eating more protein, which for an oxidizer-dominant person is alka-linizing. This makes perfect sense if we keep in mind that fast oxidizers need more protein and fat to make their citric acid cycle work optimally as well. The key is bringing the blood pH to an optimal level of 7.46. This is where the brain cellular metabolism works best. The ideal is not to be too acid or alkaline, and to eat foods based on your constitution. |
Michael T. Murray, N.D., Joseph E. Pizzorno, N.D.
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| Dietary glutathione (found in fresh fruits and vegetables, cooked fish, and meat) is well absorbed by the intestines and does not appear to be affected by the digestive processes. Dietary glutathione also appears to be efficiently absorbed into the blood,42 but the same may not be true for glutathione supplements. |
| Waxes
In addition to pesticides, consumers must be aware of the waxes applied to many fruits and vegetables. These waxes seal in the water contained in the produce, thereby keeping it looking fresh. According to FDA law, grocery stores must display a sign noting that waxes or post-harvest pesticides have been applied. Unfortunately, most stores do not comply with the law and the FDA lacks the personnel to enforce it.
Currently, the FDA has approved six types of wax for use on produce, including shellac, paraffin, palm oil derivatives, and synthetic resins. |
| Numerous population studies have repeatedly demonstrated that a high intake of carotene-rich fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease, and strokes.3,5 Carotenes represent the most widespread group of naturally occurring pigments in nature. They are a highly colored (red and yellow) group of fat-soluble compounds. Over six hundred carotenoids have been characterized, including thirty to fifty
QUICK REVIEW
The human body is truly one of the universe's major wonders. |
Gabriel Cousens, M.D.
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| Fall is an important time to make sure one's bowels are moving regularly and to eat high-fiber foods, such as fruits and vegetables, to aid the elimination process. It is also a time to work on the assimilation of vitamin O, oxygen, with a focus on breathing exercises to build lung function. Ginger root is a good tonic for the whole system and especially the lungs and sinuses during this time. Other good lung teas are burdock and comfrey. Coltsfoot is another good general lung herb to have occasionally. Licorice root is good for the adrenals and is a mild laxative to support the bowels. |
Michael T. Murray, N.D., Joseph E. Pizzorno, N.D.
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| Use Pectin and Kaolin
An alternative approach to carob is the use of pectin (a fruit fiber found in citrus fruits, apples, and many other fruits and vegetables), alone or in combination with kaolin (clay) as a bulking agent to improve the consistency of the stool. This combination has long been used in the symptomatic treatment of diarrhea (e.g., Kaopectate, Donnagel, Kaodene, etc.). Follow the dosage on the bottle or package insert. |
| Furthermore, the various antioxidant components of fruits and vegetables help the body deal with the pesticides.
Soy Foods
Soy and soy foods contain compounds referred to as phytoestrogens ("plant estrogens") because they are capable of binding to estrogen receptors. Phytoestrogens are also often called anti-estrogens because their estrogenic effect is only two percent as strong as estrogen at the most. However, because of this low activity, phytoestrogens have a balancing action on estrogen effects. |
Grace Ross Lewis
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 We bought some bags that are supposed to keep our fruits and vegetables from rotting as fast. From what chemical is this bag made and how does it work?
These green plastic-like bags are made from oya, a natural mineral that absorbs ethylene gas. The gas causes the rotting.
20. What is the chemical in those little birthday cake candles that reignite after you blow them out?
They have magnesium crystals in them, which retain the heat even after the flame is out. The heat is great enough to reignite them. Obviously this is a dangerous fire hazard if handled improperly.
21. |
| What are some of the waxes used on fruits and vegetables?
They are beeswax, carnauba, candelilla, paraffin, and shellac, to name a few.
32. Aren't some chemical preservatives being replaced by natural products?
An example would be potatoes. They have always been dusted with chemicals to prevent sprouting and rotting during storage. Recently, many producers started to use a product made from jasmine flowers. This is a safe, natural product, which is pleasantly aromatic.
33. Is Kombucha tea hazardous to my health? |
Kathi Keville
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 This broad definition of herbs includes trees, shrubs, mushrooms, lichens and, of course, fruits and vegetables that have medicinal properties. In many of my recipes, you will find items that you consider food rather than herbs, such as apple juice or shiitake mushrooms.
There are countless different herbs and combinations of herbs that are used for health and healing. But even the most potent herb can become worthless if not properly prepared. |
Grace Ross Lewis
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| I have heard that fruits and vegetables are fumigated in trucks and rail cars to kill insects and bacteria. Is there some alternative to this?
One possibility would be food irradiation. It is used in 30 European countries and approved by the FDA and World Health Organization as safe.
11. Would the food that will be hit with gamma rays to kill insects and bacteria be radioactive?
No, it will not. The vitamins A, B, C, and E may be destroyed in the process though.
12. Will irradiated food have labels that indicate it has been irradiated? |
| Phenolics are also found in fresh fruits and vegetables such as raisins, grapes, and onions. At the same time, other scientists say benefits are derived by beer drinkers; therefore, it must be alcohol that provides the benefits.
95. I am pregnant and a heavy coffee drinker. I recently heard that another bad effect was attributed to caffeine. What is that about?
Recent studies indicate that pregnant women who drink three or more cups of coffee or tea a day during the first trimester of pregnancy have twice as many miscarriages as those who drink less.
96. |
| Some fruits and vegetables (apples, cucumbers, peppers) are coated with wax and the pesticides, fertilizers, and fungicides are sealed in the wax.
29. I thought that the most dangerous pesticides to humans were banned by the U.S. Government for use in the U.S.?
That is true, but chemical companies are still manufacturing them and selling them to South and Central American countries. This produce then comes back to us in the winter, when 40% of the produce comes from foreign countries that do not have the restrictions we do.
30. Is there any other way pesticides can get into food? |
Arthur C. Upton, M.D.
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| On a given day, only one in five Americans eats cruciferous vegetables or fruits and vegetables high in vitamin A; only one in six eats high-fiber breads and cereals. Nearly half of all Americans eat no fruit on a given day and nearly a quarter eat no vegetables, and half the population eats red meat or nitrite-containing foods such as bacon and lunch meat daily.
Achieving the goals of the report requires a new way of thinking about food: We will have to treat meat as a condiment, with rice, beans, and pasta as the core of the meal and fruit and vegetables as staples (see Figure 17.1, p. |
| Produce clerks and cashiers in supermarkets have been known to develop blistering rashes on their hands after handling fruits and vegetables and then being exposed to the sun. The phototoxic substances that prompt this reaction are called furocoumarins and are found in limes, lemons, figs, celery, carrots, parsley, parsnip, and dill.
The components of sunscreens may cause allergic skin reactions. /wra-Aminobenzoic acid, popularly known as PABA, is an effective sunscreen, but it may cause an irritant or allergic dermatitis in those who are sensitive to this chemical. |
| Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly to remove any pesticide residue. Remove from your diet vegetables high in nitrates.
Avoid ingesting MSG. Check ingredients listed on packages of these foods, request MSG-free Chinese dishes, and make sure sauces on foods are MSG-free.
Seek immediate medical help. In certain kinds of fishborne food poisoning, symptoms may progress within hours to death or can leave survivors with nerve damage.
Avoid eating foods known to contain nitrate and nitrite compounds. Check ingredients listings carefully. If headaches persist, consult your doctor. |
Glenn W. Geelhoed, M.D. and Jean Barilla, M.S.
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 Good food sources of vitamin A include green fruits and vegetables.
Vitamin C Vitamin C is another antioxidant. Good food sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, potatoes and broccoli. vitamin E Vitamin E soothes burns and may also help prevent scarring. Apply it by splitting open a capsule and applying it directly.
Turn to page 50 for a chart listing food sources for vitamins and minerals.
CANCER
Cancer is still one of the most feared and misunderstood diseases in the world, despite the fact that we are learning more about it every day. |
| These compounds are found in the white pulp of oranges, grapefruits, and other fruits and vegetables. You can also take bioflavonoid tablets. broth Hot broth can speed up the flow of mucus, especially if your soup contains the fire power of onion, garlic, cayenne pepper or horseradish. ephedra Ephedra, or ma huang, is a potent anti-allergic herb. It contains alkaloids that help soothe bronchial spasms, making it effective against asthma.
CAUTION: Ephedra should never be used by pregnant women or people with high blood pressure. |
Peter Radetsky
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 Not only do many people routinely treat their homes with pesticides, and not only are apartment houses often saturated with pesticides, but most of the commercially produced fruits and vegetables in the United States are sprayed with pesticides. Washing the food may not remove the residue. Solvents? Solvents are a prime component of paint and paint remover, varnish, ink, cleaning fluids, and such synthetic fabrics as nylon. The fact is that these chemicals are omnipresent, simply next to impossible to avoid. |
Arthur C. Upton, M.D.
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| Their study implied that children were uniquely vulnerable for two reasons: First, the typical child consumes fruits and vegetables at a relatively higher rate than an adult, and with this increased intake comes greater relative exposure to pesticides present in food. Second, children may be more vulnerable to the effects of toxic chemicals, including pesticides. The NRDC study concluded that, relative to their weight, preschoolers are exposed to levels of pesticides that are unsafe, increasing their risks of cancer and neurologic impairment.
The NRDC study is controversial. |
Attaining Medical Self SufficiencyDuncan Long
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| Too, for most people the thought of consuming at least five to nine half-cup servings of fruits and vegetables per day just to achieve the mount of vitamin C and beta-carotene listed below may be more than they can stomach; in such a case, a supplement is a good idea.
On the other hand, there are limits to the supplement route. One is that you can't be sure that what the bottle says is in the pills is really there. That means you need to be buying quality supplements rather than a cheap version offered by some company you've never heard of. Yes, you might be getting a bargain. |
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