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The snack that lowers cholesterol
1st February 2007
Every so often I like to pick out some of the most interesting emails I'm sent each week.
As a humble newsletter writer, I can't and wouldn't ever give onetoone medical advice.
But I do use your queries and feedback to write many of my emails.
So think of today's Good Life Letter like a coffee morning.... lots of people gathered round, swapping stories... me pretending to eye up the bowl of fruit.... but secretly eating the biscuits.
Talking of which, I got a lot of emails in response to the Good Life Letter of January 25th 'Why Morning Coffee Cures the January Blues'.
One reader wrote:On the 'This Morning' show today, they reported more than 2 cups of coffee can have the effect of giving a pregnant woman a miscarriage. Yet in the same breath can save her from ovarian cancer later!
How many cases of miscarriages are there I wonder in the Arabic countries, where they make coffee so rich you can virtually stand your spoon in it! The Arabic nations are certainly not diminishing in numbers, so that's why I wonder if it is the type of coffee that is important.... Hmmm, that's an interesting idea.
I know that instant is made from cheap 'robusta' beans rather than the superior 'arabics'. And that the manufacturing process removes all the subtle aromas.
But is fresh, ground coffee necessarily healthier?Well, another reader came up with an answer to the question.From personal passed experience, I can assure anyone that powdered (freeze dried) coffee can be much more harmful, especially to the old 'ticker'!
I really do like the stuff, but stay strictly to the original bean, either whole (do my own grinding) or loose (saves time !).
But for the greatest benefit the filter system (unbleached filter paper is best) is by far the most effective and delicious way to imbibe this excellent drink! Personally, I have an Italian espresso machine with one of those milk steamers.
You can't beat it for taste, but whether it's healthier... I don't know. According to an ezine article I read today, the highpressure process of traditional espresso machines 'sucks out bitter oils and discharges much less caffeine than the other brewing methods'.
So some people think it's healthier. But I'm in it for the flavour. Like I say, a little bit of what you fancy does you good.
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Is this the next 'Superfood'?In another interesting email from my bustling inbox, a Good Lifer asked me.Have you come across raw chocolate? I understand it is full of fantastic things. A friend of mine makes the most delicious choc bars out of it. Well, I've not tried it out myself yet, but I do intend to.
Apparently, un-heated cacao contains over 300 nutritional compounds, is high in anti-oxidants and rich in essential minerals.
David Wolfe is co-author of Naked Chocolate: The Astonishing Truth About The World's Greatest Food. He says:Every study on chocolate is pointing to the same conclusion: there is something in chocolate that is really good for us. That something is the raw cacao bean, the nut that all chocolate is made from.
The cacao bean has always been and will always be Nature's #1 weight loss and high-energy food. Cacao beans are probably the best kept secret in the entire history of food. Those are some major claims. So look out this year for lots of glossy magazine articles about how chocolate is the new 'superfood'.
Seriously, I have no doubt that any book or magazine that promises to combine chocolate with healthy living will FLY off the shelves. And neither do I doubt these claims. As long term readers will know, I've written a fair bit on the health benefits of chocolate.
I'm going to look into this, and get you some more info in raw chocolate in the near future.
How to find an alternative to nutsFinally, I got another interesting question in recent weeks:You had mentioned in your last newsletter how nuts are an excellent source of foods to fight off diseases and increase good health. One of my sons (7 years old) is allergic to nuts. What is a good substitute? Well, I suppose it depends on which nuts he's allergic to.
Peanuts, for example are legumes, like beans or peas, but contain the same compounds as nuts. So if he can eat peanuts, that's an option.
Also consider 'soy nuts', which are dried and roasted soybeans. They have many of the same health benefits as nuts, but aren't officially nuts.
You should also track down some flax seeds, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
Why nuts can help fight depression, heart disease and bad cholesterolIt's well worth considering nuts as a healthy and tasty part of your diet. Or to seek out alternatives if you're allergic.
Nuts are now seen as a powerful way to control cholesterol. Here's what CBC News in the USA reported in October last year.Nuts in general contain as much as 80 per cent fat. However, the type of fat found in nuts is unsaturated fat -specifically monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat.
Both of these unsaturated fats are known for their ability to reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also called 'bad' cholesterol, when consumed in moderation. In the same month a survey examined the diets of more than 31,000 Seventh Day Adventists.
It found that those who ate nuts more than four times per week experienced 51% fewer heart attacks compared to those who ate nuts less than once per week. |
Here's a quick rundown of the top 5....- Pistachios - can produce a 10 point drop in your triglycerides and a 16 point decline in your LDL (bad) cholesterol, according to the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
- Walnuts - Contains omega 3s which may help ward off depression and heart attack, according to Harvard research.
- Brazil nuts - contain selenium, a mineral linked to prostrate cancer protection, according to scientists at the University of Arizona.
- Pecans - have the most antioxidants of any nut. Could help reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.
- Hazelnuts - a handful daily boosts HDL (good) cholesterol levels by 12 percent, according to a study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Lots for you to chew on there. (Terrible pun, but I can't help myself). Have a great weekend.
Yours, as ever,
Ray Collins
The Good Life Letter
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