Turmeric, derived from the plant Curcuma longa, is a gold-colored spice commonly used in the Indian subcontinent, not only for health care but also for the preservation of food and as a yellow dye for textiles. Curcumin, which gives the yellow color to turmeric, was first isolated almost two centuries ago, and its structure as diferuloylmethane was determined in 1910. Since the time of Ayurveda (1900 Bc) numerous therapeutic activities have been assigned to turmeric for a wide variety of diseases and conditions, including those of the skin, pulmonary, and gastrointestinal systems, aches, pains, wounds, sprains, and liver disorders. Extensive research within the last half century has proven that most of these activities, once associated with turmeric, are due to curcumin. Curcumin has been shown to exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer activities and thus has a potential against various malignant diseases, diabetes, allergies, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, and other chronic illnesses. These effects are mediated through the regulation of various transcription factors, growth factors, inflammatory cytokines, protein kinases, and other enzymes. Curcumin exhibits activities similar to recently discovered tumor necrosis factor blockers (e.g., HUMIRA, REMICADE, and ENBREL), a vascular endothelial cell growth factor blocker (e.g., AVASTIN), human epidermal growth factor receptor blockers (e.g., ERBITUX, ERLOTINIB, and GEFTINIB), and a HER2 blocker (e.g., HERCEPTIN). Considering the recent scientific bandwagon that multitargeted therapy is better than monotargeted therapy for most diseases, curcumin can be considered an ideal "Spice for Life".
Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA. aggarwal@mdanderson.org
11 FOODS YOU SHOULD BE EATING;
Beets: Think of beets as red spinach, Dr. Bowden said, because they are a rich source of folate as well as natural red pigments that may be cancer fighters. How to eat: Fresh, raw and grated to make a salad. Heating decreases the antioxidant power.
Cabbage: Loaded with nutrients like sulforaphane, a chemical said to boost cancer-fighting enzymes. How to eat: Asian-style slaw or as a crunchy topping on burgers and sandwiches.
Swiss chard: A leafy green vegetable packed with carotenoids that protect aging eyes. How to eat it: Chop and saute in olive oil.
Cinnamon: May help control blood sugar and cholesterol. How to eat it: Sprinkle on coffee or oatmeal.
Pomegranate juice: Appears to lower blood pressure and loaded with antioxidants. How to eat: Just drink it.
Dried plums: Okay, so they are really prunes, but they are packed with antioxidants. How to eat: Wrapped in prosciutto and baked.
Pumpkin seeds: The most nutritious part of the pumpkin and packed with magnesium; high levels of the mineral are associated with lower risk for early death. How to eat: Roasted as a snack, or sprinkled on salad.
Sardines: Dr. Bowden calls them “health food in a can.” They are high in omega-3’s, contain virtually no mercury and are loaded with calcium. They also contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese as well as a full complement of B vitamins. How to eat: Choose sardines packed in olive or sardine oil. Eat plain, mixed with salad, on toast, or mashed with dijon mustard and onions as a spread.
Turmeric: The “superstar of spices,” it may have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. How to eat: Mix with scrambled eggs or in any vegetable dish.
Frozen blueberries: Even though freezing can degrade some of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables, frozen blueberries are available year-round and don’t spoil; associated with better memory in animal studies. How to eat: Blended with yogurt or chocolate soy milk and sprinkled with crushed almonds.
Canned pumpkin: A low-calorie vegetable that is high in fiber and immune-stimulating vitamin A; fills you up on very few calories. How to eat: Mix with a little butter, cinnamon and nutmeg.
(This post was originally published on June 30, 2008, and recently appeared on The New York Times’s list of most-viewed stories for 2008.)
YOUR REPLIES;
Monday night is sardine night in our house. I have blueberries right now and the cinnamon. Been sprinkling the cinnamon on toast off and on for a few months. Have the dried plums but are not eating them all the time. Tumeric is something that we have never had, guess I will go find some. I usually hate swiss chard probably because my mother in law cooks the stuff for forty five minutes before serving. She does this to all veggies, yecch! Definately will try the raw beet salad, saw one on TV and it looked good. Bought a jar of goji blueberry juice months ago it is still in the fridge, going to go have it now.— hoover
I am Indian; turmeric and cinnamon are part of our daily cooking. Typical vegetarian sides my mum used to make included cabbage and beet.
I think it is foolish to pick and choose a handful of ‘healthy’ foods like the ones you mentioned. It should be a life style change - leaning more towards being a vegetarian and picking and choosing your meat intakes (less red meat, preferring organic chicken, limiting steak, pork chops and such).
And Pomegranate juice is awfully expensive to drink on a regular basis.— Moksh
Recipe of the Day: Beet Rosti With RosemaryBy Mark BittmanThis thick beet pancake — which I learned 20 years ago from Michael Romano — is cooked slowly until the beet sugars caramelize and a crunchy, sweet crust forms. It’s a lovely, unusual and versatile side dish, good with braised meats or grilled food. Served with a salad, it can even be a light dinner.
Beet Rosti With RosemaryYield 4 servings
Time 30 minutes
Mark BittmanSummaryKeep the heat moderate — cooking too quickly will burn the sugary outside of the pancake while leaving the inside raw. And don’t forget to wear an apron when you're grating the beets. Ingredients2 pounds beets (3 very large or 4 to 6 medium)
2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemarySalt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter
Minced parsley or a few rosemary leaves for garnishMethod
1. Trim beets, and peel them as you would potatoes; grate them in food processor or by hand. Begin preheating 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat.
2. Toss grated beets in bowl with rosemary, salt and pepper. Add about half the flour; toss well, add rest of flour, and toss again.
3. Put butter in skillet; heat until it begins to turn nut-brown. Scrape beet mixture into skillet, and press with spatula to form a round. With medium to medium-high heat -- the pancake should gently sizzle -- cook, shaking pan occasionally, until bottom of cake is nicely crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Slide cake onto a plate, top with another plate, invert the two plates, and return cake to pan. Keep cooking, adjusting heat if necessary, until other side is browned, another 10 minutes or so. Garnish, cut into wedges, and serve hot or at room temperature.
Source: The New York Times
YOUR REPLIES
perfect wine pairing: Chateau Reynella Grenache “basket pressed”, McLaren Vale, Australia or Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir “whole cluster press”, Oregon
Tried this last night, added about 20% red potatoes to make up for not quite enough beets, and they turned out fantastic. Got rave reviews. Seems like you could mix up to 50% of most any root vegetable (turnip, rutabaga, potato, …) with beets and it would turn out fine. Some thyme is a good addition, too. Plan to experiment with adding a small amount of shredded apple or pear next time.— Ken
When you say that prunes have all of these antioxidants, does that mean fresh plums have the exact same antioxidants, or is there something about the drying process that brings them out to a greater extent? Because eating prunes reminds me of eating shriveled up dead bugs, but I do love me some plums! DR.BOWMEN RESPONDS; Great question- both are high in antioxidants but the prunes are more concentrated since they have less water and more “stuff” for the same volume.
Both frozen and fresh are great, and sometimes- not always- frozen is even better. Why? Because in many cases of fruits and vegetables, it may be 5 or more days from picking to your table. Sometimes these travel across country and then sit on your grocers shelf for a while before you buy them. They lose a small but significant part of their value in that time. Frozen foods are frozen at their height and so don’t “age” in the same way. Both are great. And fresh aren’t available everywhere. In addition, there’s something uniquely delicious and “desert” like about the frozen kind. Not that they’re better, just that they taste different. You can also freeze the fresh kind- it’s the ‘ice cream-y” taste we were talking about here.— Tom Peace and Health to you. 21. Why is chard a delicacy if beet greens are a throw-away? Both are great. Very odd.
Dr. Bowden responds: You are 100 percent right. And whenever I juice the beets, I include the greens. They’re terrific for you and should not be a throw-away!— duh,
