Let's Hear it for Healing Fruits and Vegetables (Part Three)Are you aware of the healing power of yellow, red and orange fruits and vegetables? Are you aware of the healing power of yellow, red and orange fruits and vegetables? These fruits and vegetables fall into a category called carotenoids. Carotenoids can be found in all of the plant foods that you can think of in varying quantities. As a general rule of thumb, the more brilliant the color is of a fruit or vegetable the more carotenoids it contains, and for optimum health more is better. Carotenoids are very rich in antioxidants and are to be found in many delicious tasting fruits and vegetables such as oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, summer squash and many more. Carotenoids are composed of three phytochemicals which include beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene and alpha-carotene.
Carotenoids often do not get discussed as often as they should be as they provide a number of amazing benefits to the human body. Carotenoids help the body to ward off infections and bacteria and they include the growth of new tissue as well as the repair of tissue when it is damaged. Some carotenoids such as the beta-carotenoids are able to be converted into vitamin A in order to optimize their benefits to health. Carotenoids are very strong in the antioxidant department and are extremely effective at preventing the development of free radical cells that can easily gain access to DNA in the body and destroy it by way of the oxidation process. For this reason carotenoids are thought to be effective in the fight against cancer development. Cruciferous vegetables hail from the vegetable group called "Brassica" and this group contains the veggies broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, kale and a variety of others. Some people fondly refer to cruciferous vegetables as "tree vegetables." These kind of vegetables have in them a special sulfur compound which is known as glucosinolates. When this sulfur compound is prepared for a meal such as by chopping, slicing and then by chewing, the phytochemicals, indoles and isothiocynantes are released which is a good thing. Eating a large amount of cruciferous vegetables on a regular basis has been shown through research studies to lower a person's risk of developing colon cancer as well as lung cancer. It is strongly believed by researchers that glucosinalte hydrolysis has a way of modifying how the sex hormones are metabolized in the body in such a manner that it directly has an impact on the hormones that play a role in the development of cancers, such as breast cancer and prostate cancer.
Anti-bacterial vegetables derive from a subgroup of cruciferous vegetables known as thiosulfonates. Anti-bacterial vegetables are such vegetables as onions, leeks, garlic and shallots. Although these vegetables are extremely good for the human body they get a bad rap due to their strong sulfur odor and the way they leave your breath smelling after eating them. Nevertheless foods such as onions and garlic are excellent at fighting a variety of bacteria and viruses. The phytochemical allylic sulfides are found in these types of vegetables and they are effective at blocking the toxins that develop as a result of a variety of viruses and bacteria. Allylic sulfides are excellent at lowering the incidence of a number of different kinds of cancer and they also lower levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood and help to strengthen the immune system. New Food Cures
01/22/2012 |
