Color Your Plate Today

The term “Limey,” an old slang nickname referring to sailors, is believed to originate from the practice of giving lime juice to British sailors to prevent scurvy.  In a sense, this was the first functional food claim.  Although functional foods have no legal meaning in the United States since it is a marketing phrase and not a regulatory phrase, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) have defined it as foods which provide additional health benefits which may help reduce disease risk and/or promote optimal health.

What are the different types of functional foods?  Functional foods can be broken up into four categories: conventional foods, modified foods, medical foods, and foods for special dietary use.  Today I will discuss conventional foods: the simplest form of functional foods.  This category is composed of foods in their original state such as fruits and vegetables.  Some examples are garlic, nuts, tomatoes, and berries.  These foods are rich in nutritional components that may help boost the immune system and reduce the risk of cancer.

The color of your fruits and vegetables signify the nutrient you are consuming.  The chart below exhibits some of the most common nutrients found in specific colors. 

 

Color	Nutrients	Functions
Red	Lycopene Ellagic Acid Quercetin	1.    Reduce the risk of prostate cancer 2.    Lowers blood pressure 3.     Antioxidant (fights harmful free radicals)
Orange/Yellow	Beta-carotene Lycopene Potassium Vitamin C Flavonoids	1.    Reduce the risk of prostate cancer 2.    Reduce age-related vision issues 3.    Lowers cholesterol and blood pressure 4.    Antioxidant 5.    Promotes healthy joints
Green	Chlorophyll Fiber Lutein Folate Vitamin C Beta-carotene Zeaxanthin	1.    Reduce cancer risks 2.    Lowers cholesterol and blood pressure 3.    Help with digestion 4.    Antioxidant 5.     Boost immunity
Blue/Purple	Lutein Zeaxanthin Resveratrol Vitamin C Fiber Flavonoids Ellagic acid Quercetin	1.    Support retinal health 2.    Lowers cholesterol 3.    Boost immunity 4.    Help with digestion 5.    Improve mineral absorption 6.    Fight inflammation 7.     Reduce tumor growth
White	Beta-Glucans EGCG (antioxidant) SDG(antioxidant) Lignans	1.    Boost immunity 2.    Reduce cancer risks 3.    Balance hormone levels 4.     Antioxidant

By eating a variety of colors, you are guaranteed a diverse amount of essential vitamins and minerals.  Try to eat a different color every day!  Use the list below to get ideas of colorful produce to incorporate into your meals.  Then, go to the supermarket and pick out 1 veggie or fruit from each color.  Remember, don’t rule out frozen fruits and veggies (as long as there are no added ingredients).  If you have kids, take them with you to help pick out the weekly colors.  This can be a fun activity for kids and will help keep them interested in healthy foods.

Today, food is not just seen as a way to get carbohydrate, protein, and fats into the body.  Rather, food is seen as a route to the best possible wellness.  Consumers are constantly on the prowl for the next trend in nutritional health but it can become confusing to determine which foods will provide an additional physiological benefit beyond that of meeting basic nutritional needs.  The research being done on functional foods is continuously expanding and it is a very exciting time to get on the functional food bandwagon!

Here are some pictures of colorful dishes my family and I have cooked recently:

Roast chicken with yellow squash and quinoa

Shakshuka

Pan-fried Tilapia with corn and roasted brussel sprouts

The Cola Conundrum

It’s no secret that the United States has a notable problem with obesity (see this article).  Blame it on fast food, large portions, or sedentary lifestyle but I think the real culprit is the beverage.  When people come to me for “easy” weight loss tips, the first thing I ask them is “What do you drink?”.  9 times out of 10 I get a sheepish look and I already know what they are going to say.  Here are a few facts about sugary beverages:

• Provides 21% of calories in the American diet and Americans are drinking more caloric beverages than ever before
• People who drink sugary drinks consume more total calories than people who don’t
• Regular soda contributes to dental decay and osteoporosis
• Dark colas have been shown to lead to kidney stones
• 1 or 2 cans of soda can negatively affect a child’s mood and increase anxiety
• sports drinks can contain around 150 calories for 12 ounces (oz)
• A 12 oz beer has the same number of calories as a 12 oz soda
• Specialty coffee drinks can be loaded with calories.  A frappuccino can have 320 calories

As an alternative to drinking regular soda, the masses have turned to diet beverages.  But can too much diet soda be harmful?  Let’s look at some data about artificial sweeteners:

• Examples include saccharin (Sweet ‘N Low), aspartame (Equal), Sucralose (Splenda), Stevia (Truvia, PureVia): all FDA approved
• Provides a sugar substitute for Diabetics
• They are significantly sweeter than sugar so you need much less of them to match the sweetness of sugar

Some studies show that people who consume high quantities of “fake sugar” wind up eating more calories for the day.  They tend to overcompensate with salty or fatty treats thus making it hard to maintain a healthy body weight.  Since the artificial sweeteners on the market are FDA approved (for now), we can’t say they will cause cancer but who knows what studies will find 100 years from now.  Currently we know that sugary drinks DO cause weight gain and tooth decay thus diet beverages are clearly the lesser of the two evils.  The best choices, however, are water, seltzer, milk, tea and plain soy milk.   If you drink more diet beverages than the healthy choices, try reversing your habits.  Start by replacing one bottle of diet soda with a healthy beverage.  Just remember, everything in moderation!

Special thanks goes to Yoni Wilbur for suggesting the topic of artificial sweeteners.  If you have a nutrition, food science, or culinary topic you would like to know more about, send your idea to avitalgreenbaum@gmail.com and your suggestion may be featured next!

The Vitamin Debate: Pro (Part 2)

Part 2 of the debate will discuss why vitamin supplements can be beneficial to certain demographics.  Some examples include pregnant woman, the elderly, vegans, and people who don’t get enough sunlight. There are several reasons why certain people should take a daily supplement.  If you fit into one of the following groups, I would recommend a daily supplement:

• Vegans: Supplementation is especially important for vegans, as vitamin B12 is only found naturally in animal products
• Pregnant: Pregnant women need to take a daily prenatal vitamin to ensure their folic acid needs are met in order to reduce the chance of birth defects
• Elderly: As we age, our bodies require extra Calcium and vitamin D to prevent frail bones and osteoporosis. It’s easier for the elderly to fill these vitamin/mineral needs with a pill, especially if their appetite has decreased so they aren’t eating enough.  Additionally, the body doesn’t absorb vitamin B12 as well thus requiring B12 injections to meet daily requirements. 
• Inadequate sun: Some people have a hard time getting enough vitamin D from food sources and the sun. In the winter, it's impossible to produce vitamin D from the sun if you live north of Atlanta because the sun never gets high enough in the sky for its ultraviolet B rays to enter the atmosphere.  Also, dark-skinned individuals don’t absorb vitamin D from the sun well.
• Alcoholic: Long-term alcoholics have a hard time absorbing a number of nutrients due to decreased digestive enzymes and damage to stomach and intestinal cells so they are advised to take thiamine, folate, and a B-complex vitamin.  Also, they tend to have poor diets since they usually choose alcohol more than fruits and vegetables. 

The Bottom Line

A patient once asked me if he could survive on a multivitamin alone because his body will break down his meals into vitamins anyways.  I explained that a MVI is made up of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), while food provides macronutrients (carbs, protein, and fat) that fuel the body.  Additionally, vitamins are useless without macronutrients to shuttle them around: think of fats as the subway commute for vitamin E.  This story emphasizes the importance of food vs supplements.  A diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, low fat dairy, and lean meat will provide the needed macro and micronutrients. Supplements can’t take the place of a balanced healthful diet but they can ensure that you are receiving basic nutrition: think of a MVI as added insurance that you are meeting your nutrition needs.  If you are susceptible to vitamin deficiencies (see list above), vitamin supplementation is recommended.  If you are an average healthy person, your first priority should be to maintain a healthy diet and use a MVI to fill in the holes.