You Should Say: Please Pass the Broccoli, Not I’ll Pass

‘Please pass the broccoli’: not something that many mothers hear from their children. In fact, not many children appear to like any green vegetables let alone broccoli. This is not important at such a young age, but there comes a time when the health benefits that broccoli brings become almost essential to your good health and well being. Parents are right, but your children won’t believe you.Some say that the nutritional punch of broccoli is stronger than that of any other vegetable. Is this claim justified? Let’s have a look at the evidence and the facts and you can judge for yourself. First the ‘ordinary’ nutrients of broccoli: vitamin C (more than oranges) and A, folic acid and calcium and also lots and lots of fiber. However, this wonderful vegetable contains not only high levels of calcium, but is also the one of the richest vegetable sources of magnesium. Calcium needs magnesium in order to be properly incorporated into your bone structure, and so broccoli is a very important calcium/magnesium source for vegans that do not drink milk or eat any other dairy products.It is also rich in protein, containing 3% by weight and is also rich in iron. It is therefore an important part of the diet of women during menstruation when iron is important to enable the blood to maintain its proper erythrocyte levels. A deficiency of iron in the diet of women can lead to anemia and render them more susceptible to infection. However, it is more than just iron that renders this vegetable an important part of the female diet. Broccoli has been established to be of major importance in preventing cancer. It is likely the most potent anti-cancer vegetable in your diet, and it has been established over 20 years of study that broccoli can help to prevent cancers of the breast and the cervix. The indoles that it contains prevent estrogens from promoting tumor growth, and it also contains beta-carotene, a strong antioxidant that destroys the free radicals that can also cause cancer. However, there is more to broccoli than just that. Broccoli contains the highest concentration of sulforaphane of all the cruciferous vegetables that include Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, rocket and turnip, amongst many others. When you chew broccoli, the glucosinolate glucoraphan is converted to sulforaphane, not by the enzymes in your saliva, but by the actual physical damage done to the plant by the act of chewing. It could likely also be generated by hitting it with a hammer! It is glucosinolates that provide the slightly bitter taste many people experience when they eat vegetables such as brussels sprouts and broccoli, and that likely renders them somewhat unattractive to children!Sulforaphane is an isothiocyanate containing the NCS functional group, and is actually bound loosely to the sugar as sulforaphane glucosinolate. It is the loose binding that allows it be released on chewing. Broccoli sprouts are its richest source, and it is a strong antioxidant which is why it is so effective in reducing the possibility of certain cancers.When fighting cancers, your body produces phase-II enzymes, and since sulforaphane induces these enzymes, it stops the carcinogens before they can damage your DNA. This is achieved through the enhancement of the transcription of the proteins that suppress the tumors. In layman’s terms, it is the generation of tumor suppressant proteins from DNA that kills off the tumors before they can destroy the DNA.There is even more however. Indoles have already been mentioned, and those in question are predominantly indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and 3,3-diindolylmethane (DIM). The latter is generated from the digestion of the former and possesses very potent anti-cancer properties. However, this indole can affect your health in ways other than just as an anti-cancer agent. It can modulate the immune system in a way that renders it suitable for the treatment of a number of viral infections, and is also believed to be a possible answer to the problem of bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics. It appears to operate synergistically with Interferon-Gamma, a cytokine that helps to prevent viruses from replicating within the cells of the body, to strengthen the MHC-I Complex, a part of the human genome that supports the immune response to viral attacks.To put it plainly, broccoli can aid your resistance not only to certain cancers, but also to attack by viruses and some bacteria. It is not only cancers of the cervix and breast that broccoli can help to prevent, but also of the lung, prostate, larynx and bladder. I3C also helps to support the function of your liver in detoxifying your blood as well as supporting the cellular reproduction without which your body could not maintain itself after damage.Broccoli is therefore an important vegetable to men as well as to women, not only for its anti-cancer properties, but also as a general antioxidant and consequent free radical scavenging properties. Its high fiber content is equally split between soluble and insoluble vegetable fiber, and so meets your dietary needs of both types. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli have been singled out by health organizations the world over as essential to your diet, and you should eat them regularly. Once daily would be good, but more is recommended if possible. As stated at the start, strong tasting vegetables containing glucosinolates might not be attractive to children and younger people, but their phytochemical content (the foresaid indoles and isothiocyanates) render them very potent antioxidants and anti-cancer foods. Taken in relation to other foods, an ounce of broccoli contains as much calcium as a glass of milk, more vitamin C than a similar weight of orange, and a medium floret has more fiber than one slice of bran bread. It is rich in vitamin A and of course there are the other antioxidants and anti-cancer phytochemicals already detailed. There are many ways of cooking broccoli to maintain its nutritional content, but if you do not like broccoli, then there are supplements available. You can purchase pure broccoli extract or an extract from a mixture of cruciferous vegetables. The choice is yours, but of one thing there can be no doubt. Broccoli is the king of green vegetables, and the nutrients it contains are not available in any other vegetable in such a concentrated and easy to assimilate form.Your mom was right: it’s not just ‘eat your veg’, but ‘eat your broccoli’. No nutritional advice could be better than that. “Pass the broccoli please mom!”

Effect of Hormones on Diet Intake-Sports

TestosteroneTestosterone is a steroid hormone secreted from the Leydig cells of the testes that has both anabolic and anticatabolic effects upon muscle tissue. Dietary nutrients, in particular fat, have been shown to affect testosterone. Individuals consuming a diet containing about 20% fat compared with a diet containing 40% fat have significantly lower concentrations of testosterone. Also, replacing dietary carbohydrate with protein has been shown to decrease testosterone concentrations. Men consuming a vegetarian or meatless diet have lower circulating concentrations of testosterone compared with men consuming a mixed Western or a high-meat diet.These studies indicate that the distribution of macronutrients has a significant influence on testosterone concentrations. The specific type or quality of macronutrient may also impact testosterone independent of a change in diet composition. Volek et al. reported significant positive correlations between dietary fat, specifically saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, and resting testosterone concentrations in a group of young resistance-trained men. Raben et al. reported a significant decrease in resting testosterone concentrations and an attenuation in the exerciseinduced increase in testosterone in male endurance athletes who switched from a meat-rich diet to a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet. The diets contained equal percentages of calories derived from protein, carbohydrate, and fat; however, the source of protein in the vegetarian diet was derived mainly from vegetable sources (83%), whereas the mixed diet contained significantly less vegetable protein (35%). The exact mechanism linking nutrition to testosterone is unknown. Increasing anabolic hormone concentrations at rest, after a meal, or after exercise may enhance adaptations to resistance training. Manipulation of the distribution of carbohydrate and fat in the diet may alter the hormonal environment (e.g., habitual consumption of a fatrich diet has been shown to elevate fasting testosterone and growth hormone concentrations). Thus, macronutrient manipulation should be considered a potential strategy to enhance the adaptations to exercise training programs. However, until further research is performed that documents specific training outcome markers in athletes under a variety of dietary regimens, generalizations should be made with caution. Practically no information exists regarding the practical application of increasing circulating anabolic hormones on muscle size and strength; the potential differential effects in different populations (e.g., men vs. women, young vs. old, trained vs. sedentary), the interaction of different hormone responses; the effects at the target tissue (e.g., potential down-regulation of receptors); and the impact of “nutrient cycling”(e.g., consuming a carbohydrate-rich diet followed by a fat-rich diet).Considering the enormous complexity in which the endocrine system operates in the regulation of cellular function and the diverse mechanisms that control homeostasis, the optimal dietary strategy to The total daily energy intake in this scenario then becomes 2015 kcal (524/0.26). In this instance, carbohydrates will comprise 50% of the total (l008 kcal, 252 g), and fat, 24% (484 kcal, 54 g). In TABLE , a sample diet, with a goal of physique enhancement and weight maintenance, is provided for this individual. Note that the dietary regimen outlined in contains five meals per day. This was included as a possible means to stimulate metabolic rate increases via an increased thermic effect of food consumption. It is recommended that consuming multiple daily meals should be a method used regardless of physique modification goals. In this way, potential enhancements in the efficiency of the body’s metabolic processes may ensue. It cannot be stressed enough that the information provided and are recommendations based on limited research and the authors’ discretion. Individual tinkering of the daily caloric total is likely for the achievement of desired goals. For example, rapid weight loss is a sign that caloric intake is deficient, and subsequent losses in weight are more likely the result of water and lean tissue losses than fat. In this case, a slight increase in daily calories is necessary, as weight loss (and gain) should be a consistent, gradual process. Similarly, frequent (roughly every 2 weeks) reassessments of body weight and composition should be performed, and appropriate dietary modifications should be implemented based on these findings. Insulin Insulin is a peptide hormone secreted by the pancreas, which plays a critical role in the regulation of blood glucose levels and stimulation of amino acid uptake for incorporation into skeletal muscle proteins. Carbohydrate ingestion leads to an increase in blood glucose and a relatively similar increase in insulin concentrations. A meal rich in fat results in lower insulin responses compared with meals rich in either carbohydrate or protein. Also, there is a decrease in resting glucose and insulin concentrations in response to 3 to 4 days of a eucaloric low-carbohydrate diet high in fat and low in carbohydrate. Three weeks of a low-carbohydrate diet may significantly lower resting insulin but not glucose concentrations in healthy men. Although insulin stimulates protein synthesis, maximizing insulin concentrations may not be advantageous because of the potent antilipolytic (Le., blocks mobilization of fat from storage) and lipogenic (Le., promotes storage of fat) effects of insulin.

Effect of Hormones on Diet Intake-Sports

TestosteroneTestosterone is a steroid hormone secreted from the Leydig cells of the testes that has both anabolic and anticatabolic effects upon muscle tissue. Dietary nutrients, in particular fat, have been shown to affect testosterone. Individuals consuming a diet containing about 20% fat compared with a diet containing 40% fat have significantly lower concentrations of testosterone. Also, replacing dietary carbohydrate with protein has been shown to decrease testosterone concentrations. Men consuming a vegetarian or meatless diet have lower circulating concentrations of testosterone compared with men consuming a mixed Western or a high-meat diet.These studies indicate that the distribution of macronutrients has a significant influence on testosterone concentrations. The specific type or quality of macronutrient may also impact testosterone independent of a change in diet composition. Volek et al. reported significant positive correlations between dietary fat, specifically saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, and resting testosterone concentrations in a group of young resistance-trained men. Raben et al. reported a significant decrease in resting testosterone concentrations and an attenuation in the exerciseinduced increase in testosterone in male endurance athletes who switched from a meat-rich diet to a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet. The diets contained equal percentages of calories derived from protein, carbohydrate, and fat; however, the source of protein in the vegetarian diet was derived mainly from vegetable sources (83%), whereas the mixed diet contained significantly less vegetable protein (35%). The exact mechanism linking nutrition to testosterone is unknown. Increasing anabolic hormone concentrations at rest, after a meal, or after exercise may enhance adaptations to resistance training. Manipulation of the distribution of carbohydrate and fat in the diet may alter the hormonal environment (e.g., habitual consumption of a fatrich diet has been shown to elevate fasting testosterone and growth hormone concentrations). Thus, macronutrient manipulation should be considered a potential strategy to enhance the adaptations to exercise training programs. However, until further research is performed that documents specific training outcome markers in athletes under a variety of dietary regimens, generalizations should be made with caution. Practically no information exists regarding the practical application of increasing circulating anabolic hormones on muscle size and strength; the potential differential effects in different populations (e.g., men vs. women, young vs. old, trained vs. sedentary), the interaction of different hormone responses; the effects at the target tissue (e.g., potential down-regulation of receptors); and the impact of “nutrient cycling”(e.g., consuming a carbohydrate-rich diet followed by a fat-rich diet).Considering the enormous complexity in which the endocrine system operates in the regulation of cellular function and the diverse mechanisms that control homeostasis, the optimal dietary strategy to The total daily energy intake in this scenario then becomes 2015 kcal (524/0.26). In this instance, carbohydrates will comprise 50% of the total (l008 kcal, 252 g), and fat, 24% (484 kcal, 54 g). In TABLE , a sample diet, with a goal of physique enhancement and weight maintenance, is provided for this individual. Note that the dietary regimen outlined in contains five meals per day. This was included as a possible means to stimulate metabolic rate increases via an increased thermic effect of food consumption. It is recommended that consuming multiple daily meals should be a method used regardless of physique modification goals. In this way, potential enhancements in the efficiency of the body’s metabolic processes may ensue. It cannot be stressed enough that the information provided and are recommendations based on limited research and the authors’ discretion. Individual tinkering of the daily caloric total is likely for the achievement of desired goals. For example, rapid weight loss is a sign that caloric intake is deficient, and subsequent losses in weight are more likely the result of water and lean tissue losses than fat. In this case, a slight increase in daily calories is necessary, as weight loss (and gain) should be a consistent, gradual process. Similarly, frequent (roughly every 2 weeks) reassessments of body weight and composition should be performed, and appropriate dietary modifications should be implemented based on these findings. Insulin Insulin is a peptide hormone secreted by the pancreas, which plays a critical role in the regulation of blood glucose levels and stimulation of amino acid uptake for incorporation into skeletal muscle proteins. Carbohydrate ingestion leads to an increase in blood glucose and a relatively similar increase in insulin concentrations. A meal rich in fat results in lower insulin responses compared with meals rich in either carbohydrate or protein. Also, there is a decrease in resting glucose and insulin concentrations in response to 3 to 4 days of a eucaloric low-carbohydrate diet high in fat and low in carbohydrate. Three weeks of a low-carbohydrate diet may significantly lower resting insulin but not glucose concentrations in healthy men. Although insulin stimulates protein synthesis, maximizing insulin concentrations may not be advantageous because of the potent antilipolytic (Le., blocks mobilization of fat from storage) and lipogenic (Le., promotes storage of fat) effects of insulin.

Vitamin K, usually associated with leafy green vegetables, is an important factor in proper blood clotting and bone metabolism. Researchers at the Jean Mayer U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, along with the USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, has found that vegetable oils are also an excellent source of vitamin K.

To attain a more comprehensive understanding of vitamin K content of various fats and oils used by consumers in the U.S., the researchers analyzed margarines, spreads, butters, shortening, vegetable oils, and salad dressings

Their results showed that vitamin K content decreased with hydrogenation, the process of converting liquid oils to semisolid forms by adding hydrogen molecules to the fatty acid. Butter was shown to contain less vitamin K than vegetable-derived oils and spreads, corroborating the current USDA dietary guidelines recommending that consumers obtain most of their dietary fat from nonhydrogenated vegetable sources. The concentration of vitamin K varied according to fat content, which is why reduced-fat salad dressings contain lower amounts of the vitamin.

The guidelines suggest that women take in 90 micrograms of vitamin K a day, while the adequate intake (AI) requirement for men is 120 micrograms. One tablespoon of margarine would be equal to about 10 percent of the AI for men and 13 percent for women; two tablespoons of regular salad dressing provides 25 percent and 33 percent of the AI for men and women, respectively. Please send your review to Indo Munch.

The researchers also measured blood concentrations of several molecules that the body secretes in response to stress. High readings for these molecules can indicate increased vulnerability to various illnesses because stress molecules, such as various hormonelike prostaglandins, induce inflammation and oxidative stress. Inflammation normally aids the repair of injured tissue as part of the body’s infection-fighting defenses, but when a person’s internal regulatory mechanisms are faulty, systemic low-grade inflammation can cause progressive damage.

Looking for natural wrinkle remedies? That’s good, because a natural wrinkle cure should be much more effective than a synthetic one. The problem is “advertising”.

There are a number of products on the market that advertising agents refer to as naturally occurring, when in fact, they are synthetic replicas. Take vitamin E, for example. If you see that listed as an ingredient, you would think, “that should really be safe!”

But, most companies use synthetic vitamin E. Natural wrinkle remedies should only include vitamin E that comes from grape seed oil or other plants.

Actually, there are several vitamins that should be mentioned here.

Vitamin A is another good example. It is often touted as a natural wrinkle cure.

The vitamin is very important to the skin’s health, but there is no clear evidence concerning its effectiveness for the reduction of wrinkles.

It may be ineffective because most companies choose to isolate an include retinol, sourced from animals. Naturalists believe the vegetable sources are better.

Most companies include retinol, the animal sources.

Better companies include extracts derived from the best parts of the whole plant, such as Shea butter and Wakame kelp. That way, you get a more effective natural wrinkle cure, because your face is getting more of the things that it needs for better health.

Vitamins A and E are only two of the nutrients important to the skin’s health. The best natural wrinkle remedies include most, if not all of those necessary nutrients. Proteins, for example,

are the skin’s building blocks. Essential fatty acids are the primary component of sebum, the skin’s natural oil.

One protein, keratin, is responsible for the skin’s strength and firmness.

If you want to end sagging, you can start by using a cream that contains Functional Keratin.

It’s extracted from sheep’s wool and processed in a gentle manner that allows the protein to remain active and fully available for use by the skin.

Not only does Functional Keratin improve firmness, it is an effective natural wrinkle cure.

In clinical studies, volunteers have seen a tremendous decrease in the depth of wrinkles and fine lines gradually disappear.

It’s one of the best and most well researched natural wrinkle remedies on the market.

Some companies combine the keratin complex with wakame kelp extract and Shea butter for a night cream. The Shea butter is a little to heavy for daytime wear.

Grape seed oil is a good choice for the day. It’s a good source of vitamin E, contains many of the fatty acids necessary for moisturizing and dries to an invisible film that locks in moisture, keeps out dirt and grime.

Just be sure that your natural wrinkle cure is safe.

It is not unusual to see companies include organic sun screening compounds that have been shown to increase free radical damage and increase the risk of skin cancer.

Oxybenzone and benzophenone are two of the carcinogenic sunscreens.

Don’t buy natural wrinkle remedies that contain those ingredients. You have much better options.