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The diet food that fights Alzheimer's
23rd May 2008
Have you ever seen a celery stick run into a phone
box, don a cape, then take to the skies to fight
crime...? (or fight ill health at least...)
No?
Well, that could soon be about to change, because
according to latest research, celery could soon be
classed as a 'superfood'.
Here's why...
How this dieter's favourite can fight
Alzheimer's
Celery has long been on a dieter's menu because
it's one of those rare foods that actually burns more
calories than you consume.
(Contrary what many people think, it's NOT the
chewing and swallowing that burns off the calories
it's the effort that goes into digesting the tough
fibre of the celery).
However, researchers have just discovered that
when eaten (how else would you use celery...?
Wait, don't answer that!), celery creates the natural
chemicals luteolin and diosmin, both of which fight
Alzheimer's and CJD by blocking the inflammation
that causes the brain to start misfiring.
But Dr Terrence Town, of the CedarsSinai
Medical Centre in Los Angeles, said that the
research into the effects of celery on Alzheimer's
was in its early stages.
So far, everything's been based on animal studies.
Mice to be precise.
Mice who where treated with luteolin and diosmin
saw their levels of amyloid beta drop. And as
amyloid beta causes sticky deposits that clog up the
brains of Alzheimer's sufferers, the less of this
substance the better.
The studies are promising, but nothing conclusive
yet.
And that's the thing that bugs me...
You don't need a PhD to work this
one out...
Well, maybe a PhD in common sense would be
handy, because this little story highlights one of the
most irritating (and in my opinion damaging) traits
of mainstream medicine...
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Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, has to be
proved, double and triple-proved, analysed,
stamped, verified by panels and pass an obstacle
course worthy of the Krypton factor before there's
even the slightest chance the authorities may clear
their throats and state something obvious.
Something like 'eat celery, it's good for you.'
Of course, I'm not suggesting that they should
announce' celery cures Alzheimer's'. That would
be ridiculous and irresponsible.
But why not just come out and say that it seems
celery contains two vital chemicals that could help
fight Alzheimer's? That would surely make front-
page news.
As it is, this little article was pushed way down the
pecking order - somewhere between 'Man finds
bus ticket in pocket' and 'Kate Moss wears hat'.
I mean, people who suffer from this terrible illness
need this information now, not in fifteen years time
when all the right papers have been completed and
filed correctly.
It's not as if recommending celery is taking a risk is
it? It's not like saying sticking your head in a
bucketful of cobras could fight heart disease.
In my opinion, the link between celery and
blocking Alzheimer's is there - and if you suffer
from Alzheimer's that's a good enough reason to
up your intake.
Personally I was straight on the phone to my Mum
when I read this report. (Just in case you don't
know, my Dad was diagnosed with dementia a
couple of years back), and she's more than keen to
add more celery to his diet based on this one study.
Getting him to eat it is another matter. My mum
will probably have to chop it up and hide it in his
food in the same way you have to get cats to take
their medication.
But at least she can give a try, unlike some people
who'll never be told about this discovery.
Don't wait for scientists to prove fruit
and vegetables are great for you
Dr Suzanne Sorensen of the Alzheimer's Society
had the best response to this research...
'We know a healthy balanced diet can reduce
dementia risk. This work reinforces the need to eat
a diet rich in fruit and vegetables.'
Brilliant. Common sense over calculators. |
You don't need scientists to prove that:
X+(e5/cv2-Y)>mx5-(b-5/a-5)/3.12/x = eat more
carrots
You just need to make sure you eat a varied diet of
ALL types of fresh, whole food. Because what
scientists say is bad for you today, they'll prove is
good for you tomorrow.
Of course, if they say they've found a link between
celery and fighting Alzheimer's - great. But really,
you should already be eating celery, and every
other vegetable out there. Because they can all help
protect your health and beat disease.
Here's a quick run down of three common health
horrors, and the vegetables that can fight them...
- Heart disease... eat carrots, broccoli and
greens. Make sure you don't overcook them and
lose all the powerful caretenoids. They should
still have some crunch to them when you eat.
I've highlighted three foods here, but the truth
is all fruit and vegetables contain anti-oxidants
that can protect you against all disease,
including heart disease. Fruit and vegetables
also give your body a great dose of folate,
which helps keep your homocysteine in check -
a vicious amino acid that's strongly linked to
heart disease.
- Diabetes... again, when you start delving into
the best ways to protect yourself against this
illness, one remedy crops up again and again...
Eat lots of fruit and vegetables.
Simple isn't it? And I didn't even need to test
this in lab conditions to know this is good
advice.
Just bear in mind to cut down on starchy foods.
Spinach, broccoli, carrots and green beans are
all low in starch.
- Cancer... boost your intake of three potent
anti-oxidants: beta-carotene, lutein and and
lycopene.
Orange foods such as sweet potatoes, mangoes,
pumpkin, squash and carrots will sort out your
beta-carotene intake.
Green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale are
packed with lutein.
Tomatoes, watermelon, apricots, and blood
oranges are packed with lycopene.
I've only scratched the surface here.
These tips are just a handful of the hundreds of
ways food can protect your health and - in some
cases - reverse symptoms of illness.
For the absolutely best source of information on
how to use food properly to fight illness and protect
your health, take a look at this...
Every good life home should have one!
Eat and Heal
That's all for this today. I'm off to see my parents
tomorrow in the hope that I can persuade my Dad
that celery tastes just like vodka.
I'll be back on Sunday with more ways to keep
healthy and enjoy the good life.
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