by Sherry Dell, PhD, CN

Purple is my favorite color.  This predisposes me to love all things purple.  So when it comes to food, blueberries get my attention for several reasons.  Besides their luscious color and their delicious taste, they are one of the most therapeutic plants on the planet.

Purple and indigo colored food of all kinds is high in a flavonoid called anthocyanins.  Anthocyanins are very high in antioxidants.  Because oxidative stress and the free radicals that are produced by oxidation are linked with so many degenerative processes, not surprisingly, the fruit of the blueberry plant and its antioxidant capacity have been shown in research to reduce aging symptoms in general.

Oxidation essentially wears down the tissues of the body.  Just like your old car that had oxidized or rust spots on it, our bodies can also “rust out.”  Oxidation is caused by everything from just plain breathing to being exposed to toxins either by choice (processed foods, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, etc.) or by environmental features (smog, paint fumes, farm chemicals in food, etc.).

The natural design of our bodies allows these oxidative processes or “fires” to be quenched through the anti-oxidants in our foods.  Water, for example, has very high antioxidant capacity. Measurements vary but below is a list of the 20 highest antioxidant capacity foods as identified by a recent USDA study (1).  Eating from this list is a very good idea for most people.  Notice especially the rating of the blueberry.

1. Small red bean (dried), 1/2 cup
2. Wild blueberry, 1 cup
3. Red kidney bean (dried), 1/2 cup
4. Pinto bean, 1/2 cup
5. Blueberry (cultivated), 1 cup
6. Cranberry, 1 cup (whole)
7. Artichoke (cooked hearts), 1 cup
8. Blackberry, 1 cup
9. Prune, 1/2 cup
10. Raspberry, 1 cup
11. Strawberry, 1 cup
12. Red delicious apple, 1
13. Granny Smith apple, 1
14. Pecan, 1 ounce
15. Sweet cherry, 1 cup
16. Black plum, 1
17. Russet potato, 1 cooked
18. Black bean (dried), 1/2 cup
19. Plum, 1
20. Gala apple, 1

To  be more specific about blueberries (both the fruit and the leaves), research has shown their positive impact on:

A close European cousin of the American blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum and Vaccinium corymbosum)  is called bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus).  Bilberry leaf has been researched to show similar results to the blueberry.

A therapeutic dose of blueberry fruit is one cup per day.  Not a bad prescription, eh?

_{(1) American Chemical Society. “Largest USDA Study Of Food Antioxidants Reveals Best Sources.” ScienceDaily 17 June 2004.}

_{(2) “Anthocyanins and Blueberries,” Nutrition Week, October 3, 1997;27(38):7/Doctor’s Guide to Medical and Other News, September 25, 1997;3.}

_{(3) “Blueberry-induced changes in spatial working memory correlate with changes in hippocampal CREB phosphorylation and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels,” Williams CM, El Mohsen MA, et al, Free Radical Biol Med, 2008 May 2.}

_{(4) “Cellular antioxidant activity of common fruits,” Wolfe KL, Kang X, et al, J Agric Food Chem, 2008; 24(56): 8418-26.} 

_{(5) “Blueberries May Reverse Some Aging,” Sison A, Medical Tribune, October, 1999;40(17):4.}

_{(6) “Antioxidant Activity of Berry Phenolics on Human Low-Density Lipoprotein and Liposome Oxidation,” Heinonen IM, et al, J Agric Food Chem, 1998;46(10):4107-4112.}

_{(7) “Blueberry fruit polyphenolics suppress oxidative stress-induced skeletal muscle cell damage in vitro,” Hurst RD, Wells RW, et al, Mol Nutr Food Res, 2010 March; 54(3): 353-63.}

_{(8) “Dietary flavanols and flavanol-rich foods intake and the risk of breast cancer,” Adebamowo CA, Cho E, et al, Int J Cancer., 2005; 114(4): 628-33.} 

By Michelle Mukatis

2-3 servings

1 can water packed albacore tuna

2 T. mayonnaise

2 T. plain yogurt

••• c. finely chopped red bell pepper

••• c. finely chopped bokchoi stems

••• c. finely chopped green onion

••• t. each salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 t. toasted sesame oil, if desired

Drain tuna and place in a small bowl, breaking into small chunks.

Add mayonnaise, yogurt, bell pepper, bokchoi stems, green onion and salt and

pepper. Mix well to distribute

ingredients.

Stir in sesame oil, if

desired.

Serve on toasted whole grain

bread or a bed of mixed

greens lightly dressed with

lemon juice and light sesame oil.

Enjoy!

Presented by: Michele E. Mukatis

CultivateHealth@gmail.com

A pork tenderloin is the perfect size for two –
four people. Think Valentine’s Day or just to
chase away the winter blues.
1 T. unsalted butter
8 oz. dried apricots and plums
½ c. apricot nectar
¼ c. port wine
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 ½ lb.)
1 T. olive oil
1 T. unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ c. port wine
1 ½-2 c. beef or chicken stock
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Heat the butter in a small, heavy saucepan. Add
dried fruit, orange juice and port. Cook over
medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until fruit
is soft and liquid has thickened. Set aside.
Heat the oil and butter in a sauté pan or heavy
casserole large enough to hold the tenderloin.
Pat pork dry with paper towels. Season with salt
and pepper. Brown pork well on all sides over
medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the macerated fruit with the liquid to pan.
Add the broth. Cover and cook over medium
heat until pork is tender, about 10 to 15
minutes. The temperature should reach 150
degrees on an instant-read meat thermometer.
Remove pork and fruit from the oven and let
rest about 10 minutes before carving.
To make the sauce: Add the port to the pan
and scrape up all the brown bits from the sides
and bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and
reduce the sauce, simmering uncovered until
thickened. If more sauce is desired, add another
cup or so of stock and simmer and reduce again.
Slice pork into ½- to ¾-inch-thick slices and
place on a serving platter. Arrange fruit around
pork and drizzle with
sauce. Serve immediately.

Also see article on Winter foods for Colorado

http://www.vitesis.com/?p=1044