The Blueberry and the Huckleberry
proudly wear the crown of the Kings of Antioxidants
Greetings!
August means huckleberry picking! Our family's huckleberry hunts award us with good memories and tasty huckleberries that could last all year as they freeze very well without losing their nutritional benefits. August is also a great time of year for beautiful, colorful, vegetables. Our local farmer's market is busting out with more nutritious choices as we approach the time of harvest. I can't encourage you enough to eat a diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables. These foods can help you ward off infections like colds and flu because these super foods contain immune-boosting antioxidants.
Adding more fruit and vegetables of any kind to your diet will improve your health. But some foods are higher in antioxidants than others. The three major antioxidant vitamins are beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E. You'll find them in colorful fruits and vegetables - especially those with purple, blue, red, orange, and yellow hues. To get the biggest benefits of antioxidants, eat these foods raw or lightly steamed; don't overcook or boil - you'll destroy all the good stuff.
What are antioxidants? Technically, an antioxidant is a molecule that inhibits the oxidation of other molecules. Free Radicals are substances in our body that causes damage or rapid aging to our cells. Examples of oxidation as a result of free radical damage is an apple browning when you cut it or rust on a metal structure. There is gradual damage or aging to the molecules causing the browning color. When this happens in our bodies it can make us feel fatigued and ill. Anti-oxidants fight this process and prevent free radicals from causing oxidation to our cells. Certain chemicals are strong oxidants like bleach and nicotine. That's why people who smoke often look older than their age.
Antioxidants are vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that protect and repair cells from damage caused by free radicals. Many experts believe this damage plays a part in a number of chronic diseases, including heart disease, autoimmune disorders, chronic fatigue, arthritis, and others. Free radicals can interfere with your immune system. So, fighting off damage with antioxidants helps keep your immune system strong, making you better able to ward off colds, flu, and other infections.
The welcome signs are out!
Here's where you can find antioxidants:
Beta-carotene and other carotenoids: Apricots, asparagus, beets, blueberries, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, corn, green peppers, kale, mangoes, turnip and collard greens, nectarines, peaches, pink grapefruit, pumpkin, squash, spinach, sweet potato, tangerines, tomatoes, and watermelon
Vitamin C: Berries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cantaloupe, cauliflower, grapefruit, honeydew, kale, kiwi, mangoes, nectarines, orange, papaya, red, green or yellow peppers, snow peas, sweet potato, strawberries, and tomatoes
Vitamin E: Broccoli, carrots, chard, mustard and turnip greens, mangoes, nuts, papaya, pumpkin, red peppers, spinach, and sunflower seeds
Vitamins aren't the only antioxidants in food. Some minerals act as antioxidants that may help boost immunity:
Zinc: Found in oysters, red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, seafood, whole grains, fortified cereals, and dairy products
Selenium: Found in Brazil nuts, tuna, beef, poultry and fortified breads, and other grain products
According to Mark Hyman, MD, in his excellent article entitled Glutathione: The Mother of All Antioxidants (read article here),
glutathione (pronounced "gloota-thigh-own") is the master detoxifier and master of the immune system. Dr. Hyman states that there are more than 89,000 medical articles about it - but most physicians don't know how to address the epidemic deficiency of this critical life-giving molecule. It is the most important molecule you need to stay healthy and prevent disease.
According to Dr. Hyman, if you are sick, or old, or just not in top shape, you likely have Glutathione deficiency. In fact, the top British medical journal, the Lancet, found the highest glutathione levels in healthy young people, lower levels in healthy elderly, lower still in sick elderly, and the lowest of all in the hospitalized elderly.
The good news is that your body produces its own glutathione. The bad news is that poor diet, pollution, toxins, medications, stress, trauma, aging, infections and radiation all deplete your glutathione. Dr. Hyman points out that glutathione is a very simple molecule that is produced naturally all the time in your body. It is a combination of three simple building blocks of protein or amino acids - cysteine, glycine, and glutamine.
The following are tips from Dr. Hyman to optimize your glutathione Levels:
Eat Glutathione Supporting Foods:
1. Consume sulfur-rich foods. The main ones in the diet are garlic, onions and the cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, collards, cabbage, cauliflower, watercress, etc.).
2. Try bioactive whey protein. This is great source of cysteine and the amino acid building blocks for glutathione synthesis.
3. Exercise boosts your glutathione levels and thereby helps boost your immune system, improve detoxification and enhance your body's own antioxidant defenses. Start slow and build up to 30 minutes a day of vigorous aerobic exercise like walking or jogging, or play various sports. Strength training for 20 minutes 3 times a week is also helpful.
Take Glutathione Supporting Supplements:
One would think it would be easy just to take glutathione as a pill, but the body digests protein so you wouldn't get the benefits if you did it this way. However, the production and recycling of glutathione in the body requires many different nutrients and you CAN take these. Here are the main supplements that need to be taken consistently to boost glutathione.
4. N-acetyl-cysteine. This has been used for years to help treat asthma and lung disease and to treat people with life-threatening liver failure from Tylenol overdose.
5. Alpha Lipoic acid. This is a close second to glutathione in importance in our cells and is involved in energy production, blood sugar control, brain health and detoxification.
6. Methylation nutrients (folate and vitamins B6 and B12). These are perhaps the most critical to keep the body producing glutathione. Methylation and the production and recycling of glutathione are the two most important biochemical functions in your body.
7. Selenium. This important mineral helps the body recycle and produce more glutathione.
8. A family of antioxidants including vitamins C and E (in the form of mixed Tochopherols), work together to recycle glutathione.
