Tag: leafy greens

Vitamin K, the unheard of vitamin.

Today’s post is about Vitamin K, the one vitamin you’ve probably never heard of.

It is a vitamin most people have never heard of, unless perhaps your doctor has mentioned it after putting you on a course of blood thinners.

What is it?

Vitamin K is basically just another fat-soluble vitamin and is actually a group of compounds.  The group consists of K1, K2 and K3, all do slightly different things and come from different foods. The human body only requires K1 and K2. The name vitamin K comes from the German word “Koagulationsvitamin.” Unlike many other vitamins, it is not typically used as a dietary supplement.

What does it do?

It is one of several fat-soluble vitamins essential to the body, but this one has some specific uses in the body. It is used for blood clotting, bone building, and other important processes

Possibly its most important job is clotting the blood, which is why you may have heard of it if prescribed blood thinners like warfarin. However, it does more than that. In fact, it is an important cofactor in bone mineralisation and calcium metabolism. So, if you want to keep those bones strong, then keep eating foods high in vitamin K.

Because it has an influence on calcium metabolism, it means that calcium supplementation can cause an increased need for this vitamin . Some people that also may need additional vitamin K, are people with some kinds of digestive problems. This is due to the gut not fully absorbing the nutrients from the foods eaten, but also because K2 is made in the gut, by bacteria which are affected by gut health.

How do we get it?

Generally, vitamin K is not given as a supplement as we normally get plenty from our diet. K1 is obtained from leafy greens and some other vegetables such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts. K2 is a group of compounds largely obtained from meats, cheeses, and eggs, and is  synthesised by our gut bacteria. K3 is not found in significant amounts in any natural food sources.

Having said that, supplemental forms can be used for some very interesting reasons like acute leukaemia, Alzheimer’s disease and certain types of kidney stones.

Since there is rarely an excess or deficiency that will cause major health problems, vitamin K is one vitamin we don’t hear much about, but it is important all the same.

There are many drugs can interfere with the effects of vitamin K. They include antacids, blood thinners, antibiotics, aspirin, and drugs for cancer, seizures, high cholesterol, and other conditions. Too much vitamin K can actually be harmful if you are receiving dialysis treatments due to kidney disease.

So as always, check with your chosen health care professional before taking vitamin K supplements.

 We hope you found this information interesting,

 Till the next post,

Live clean n Prosper

Sources – Web MD – National Institute of Health -it

Food for the Mind

  • Todays post is about Food for the Mind.

It seems that a groups of U.S. scientists have been researching nutrition. They found that certain foods are not only good for our body; but also good for our brain.

Finally science is catching up with what naturopaths have been trying to teach us for years. The father of western medicine, Hippocrates, did say ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’ way back in 5th century BC. Even back then, Hippocrates recognised the value of eating well and the potential of certain foods for good health.

Good food lowers our risk of ALZHEIMERS!

Scientists have taken our diets in almost a full circle. Along the way they have created ‘food substances’ in laboratories and developed ways of genetically modifying food to ‘improve it’. Over the years, scientists have generally messed around with foods that were okay to start with.

Now research has shown that by eating a diet of vegetable, legumes, fish and poultry can lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease among ageing adults by up to 53%.

Just as there is no magic pill to prevent cognitive decline, no single almighty brain food can ensure a sharp brain as you age. Nutritionists emphasise that the most important strategy is to follow a healthy dietary pattern that includes a lot of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Try to get protein from plant sources and fish and choose healthy fats, such as olive oil or canola, rather than saturated fats.

The MIND Diet

The MIND diet was developed by a Dr Morris from Rush University and she stated; ‘in the same way our organs need nutrients the brain is no different. This means that the more a person adheres to the MIND diet, the greater the protection and the healthier they’ll be.’

The MIND diet has ’10 brain-healthy food groups’, which cover a spectrum of nutrients, healthy fats, antioxidants, and proteins that nourish the brain.

*Green leafy vegetables

*Other vegetables

*Nuts

*Berries

*Beans

*Wholegrains

*Fish

*Poultry

*Olive oil

*Wine

Research shows that the best brain foods are the same ones that protect your heart and blood vessels.

The 5 brainpower foods

Green, leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, collards, and broccoli are rich in brain-healthy nutrients like vitamin K, lutein, folate, and beta carotene. Research suggests these plant-based foods may help slow cognitive decline.

Fatty fish are abundant sources of omega-3 fatty acids, healthy unsaturated fats that have been linked to lower blood levels of beta-amyloid—the protein that forms damaging clumps in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Try to eat fish at least twice a week, but choose varieties that are low in mercury, such as salmon, cod and canned light tuna. If you’re not a fan of fish, ask your doctor about taking an omega-3 supplement, or choose omega-3 sources such as flaxseeds, avocados, and walnuts.

Berries, as they contain flavonoids, the natural plant pigments that give berries their brilliant hues. Studies have found that flavonoids also help improve memory.

Tea and coffee might offer more than just a short-term concentration boost. In a 2014 study published in The Journal of Nutrition, participants with higher caffeine consumption scored better on tests of mental function. Caffeine might also help solidify new memories, according to other research.

Nuts are excellent sources of protein and healthy fats, and one type of nut in particular might also improve memory. Walnuts are high in a type of omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Diets rich in ALA and other omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to lower blood pressure and cleaner arteries. That’s good for both the heart and brain.

Well, it seems that we are on to a good thing with our desire to ‘live clean’ and eat ‘real, whole foods.’ Science is backing us up.

Other lifestyle choices mentioned to assist with brain health are – reduce stress, be creative, keep learning and

Get moving!

We are also making an effort to get moving and go for a daily walk, as well as monitoring our incidental movement throughout the day. This has been a bit of an eye opener; it’s really surprising some days how little we move.

There are also some mornings when I really don’t feel like going walking, but you know, once I have made the effort and I’m walking down the street, I’m really glad I did. It wakes me up, gives me time to think about my day; what I need to do and what I want to achieve. Of course it gets the metabolism up and running for the day, increasing the heart rate, burning the calories and improving lung capacity.

Till next post,

Live clean ‘n’ prosper.

(Sources – Harvard health Publishing – Premier Neurology & Wellness – Mayo Clinic 

Spinach and Iron – myth or fact ??

Today i’m going to tackle the myth that Spinach provides us with lots of Iron.

The idea that spinach contained exceptional levels of iron originated in 1870 with a German chemist named Erich von Wolf. Dr Von Wolf was researching the nutritional benefits of this leafy vegetable. In his notes, he accidentally printed the decimal point in the vegetable’s iron content in the wrong spot. 3.5 grams of iron suddenly became 35 grams, an extremely high amount of iron.

Those figures remained unchallenged until 1937, when it was discovered that the content was 1/10th the claim. The oversight resulted from a misplaced decimal point.

The cartoon character Popeye also popularised the idea of high iron content in spinach. In fact, spinach growers credited Popeye with a 33% increase in U.S. spinach consumption and saving the industry in the 1930s, according to Popeye’s official website.

 The nutrition facts 

Spinach doesn’t have that much more iron than other leafy greens like broccoli and kale. One cup of raw leaves has .81 milligrams of iron, while the same amount of broccoli has .66 mg. and kale has .24 mg.

Although it contains higher levels of iron and calcium, the rate of absorption is almost nil. This is due to it containing high levels of oxalic acid, a food component that inhibits iron and calcium absorption.

Despite its unusable iron and calcium content, Spinach is still a highly nutritious vegetable. It’s rich in several important minerals, proteins, and vitamins. It’s juice is also said to be the most potent for the prevention of cancer cell formation. Research has shown that those who eat spinach daily are less likely to develop lung cancer. It is also a good source of the B vitamin, Folate, that promotes normal foetal development during pregnancy.       (Source – www.innvista.com)

Spinach is often paired with dairy products, especially cheeses in many recipes. In the Middle East and Greece it is often teamed with feta or haloumi, while Italians combine it with ricotta or parmesan. However, pairing this dark green vegetable with dairy can lessen the amount of calcium your body absorbs from the dairy products.

 The different varieties

 

English spinach, or true spinach, is often confused with silverbeet. Spinach, however, has a smaller, flatter leaf and green veins, as opposed to the white veins of silverbeet.

Baby spinach is a flat-leaf green with soft, tender and mild-flavoured leaves. Usually sold pre-washed, it requires no advance preparation. Because the stems are so tender, there is no need to remove them. It’s perfect raw in salads, and can be added at the last minute to many dishes, or used in any recipe requiring English spinach.

Silverbeet is a close relative of spinach and beetroot, and is believed to have originated in the Mediterranean. Silverbeet is also best with the stalks removed and cooked. Cook as briefly as possible to retain maximum nutrient content.

 

So whichever type of spinach you prefer, continue to enjoy it. Just don’t rely on it as a source of iron or calcium.

 

Till the next post,

 

Live clean n prosper.