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  • Which Foods Help a Leaky Gut? | NutritionFacts.org

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    What is the recommended diet for treating leaky gut? Which foods and food components can boost the integrity of our intestinal barrier?

    Our intestinal tract is the largest barrier between us and the environment. More than what we touch or breathe, what we eat is our largest exposure to the outside world. Normally, our entire gastrointestinal tract is impermeable to what’s inside of it, allowing our body to pick and choose what goes in or out. But there are things that may make our gut leaky, and the chief among them is our diet.

    The standard American or Western diet can cause gut dysbiosis, meaning a disruption in our gut microbiome, which can lead to intestinal inflammation and a leaky intestinal barrier. Then, tiny bits of undigested food, microbes, and toxins can slip uninvited through our gut lining into our bloodstream and trigger chronic systemic inflammation.

    “To avoid this dysbiosis and intestinal inflammation, a predominantly vegetarian diet”—in other words, eating plants—“should be preferred.” The gut bacteria of people eating a vegetarian diet are associated with intestinal microbiome balance, high bacterial biodiversity, and integrity of the intestinal barrier. Vegetarians tend to have markedly less uremic toxins, like indole and p-cresol, and because fiber is the primary food for our gut microbiome, the gut bacteria of those eating plant-based diets have been found to produce more of the good stuff—namely short-chain fatty acids that play “a protective and nourishing role” for the cells lining our gut, “ensuring the preservation” of our intestinal barrier. Plant fiber is of “prime importance” to preserving the integrity of our intestinal barrier, but you can’t know for sure until you put it to the test.

    When people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease were given whole grains, beans, lentils, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds for six months, they had a significant reduction in zonulin levels.

    Zonulin is a protein responsible for the disassembly of the tight junctions between gut-lining cells and is “considered to be the only measurable biomarker that reflects an impairment of the intestinal barrier.” In other words, zonulin is a useful marker of a leaky gut. But since adding all those plants seemed to lower levels, that may “imply that appropriate fiber intake helps to maintain the proper structure and function of the intestinal barrier.” But whole healthy plant foods have a lot more than fiber. How do we know it’s the fiber? And the study didn’t even have a control group. That’s why the researchers said “gut permeability might be improved by dietary fiber” [emphasis added]. To prove cause and effect, it’d be nice to have a randomized, double-blind, crossover study where you compare the effect of the same food with or without fiber.

    Such a study does, in fact, exist! A group of healthy young men was randomized to eat pasta with or without added fiber, and there was a significant drop in zonulin levels in the added-fiber group compared to both pre-intervention levels and those of the control group, as you can see below and at 2:51 in my video How to Heal a Leaky Gut with Diet.

    So, fiber does indeed appear to improve gut leakiness.

    Are there any plant foods in particular that may help? Curcumin, the yellow pigment in the spice turmeric, can help prevent the intestinal damage caused by ibuprofen-type drugs in rats. Similar protection was noted for the broccoli compound sulforaphane in mice. There are no human studies on broccoli yet, but there was a study on three days of the equivalent of about 2 to 3 teaspoons a day of turmeric, which did reduce markers of gastrointestinal barrier damage and inflammation caused by exercise compared to a placebo. Less turmeric may work, too, but no smaller doses have been put to the test.

    If you ask alternative medicine practitioners what treatments they use for a leaky gut, number one on the list—after reducing alcohol consumption—is zinc. You can see the list below and at 3:42 in my video.

    Zinc doesn’t just protect against aspirin-like drug-induced intestinal damage in rats; when put to the test in a randomized trial of healthy adults, the same thing was found. Five days of 250 mg of indomethacin, an NSAID drug, “caused a threefold rise in gut permeability,” as one would expect from that class of drugs. But this rise in permeability did not occur when participants also took zinc, “strongly suggesting a small-intestinal protective effect.” The dose they used was massive, though—75 mg a day, which is nearly twice the tolerable upper daily limit for zinc. What about getting zinc just at regular doses from food?

    A significant improvement in gut leakiness was found even with a dose of just 3 mg of zinc, suggesting that even relatively low zinc supplementation may work. You can get an extra 3 mg of zinc in your daily diet by eating a cup (200g) of cooked lentils.

    Doctor’s Note

    For more on preventing gut dysbiosis and leaky gut, check out Flashback Friday: Gut Dysbiosis: Starving Our Microbial Self and Avoid These Foods to Prevent a Leaky Gut.

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    Michael Greger M.D. FACLM

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  • Keeping Better Score of Your Diet | NutritionFacts.org

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    How can you get a perfect diet score?

    How do you rate the quality of people’s diets? Well, “what could be more nutrient-dense than a vegetarian diet?” Indeed, if you compare the quality of vegetarian diets with non-vegetarian diets, the more plant-based diets do tend to win out, and the higher diet quality in vegetarian diets may help explain greater improvements in health outcomes. However, vegetarians appear to have a higher intake of refined grains, eating more foods like white rice and white bread that have been stripped of much of their nutrition. So, just because you’re eating a vegetarian diet doesn’t mean you’re necessarily eating as healthfully as possible.

    Those familiar with the science know the primary health importance of eating whole plant foods. So, how about a scoring system that simply adds up how many cups of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, chickpeas, split peas, and lentils, and how many ounces of nuts and seeds per 1,000 calories (with or without counting white potatoes)? Looking only at the total intake of whole plant foods doesn’t mean you aren’t also stuffing donuts into your mouth. So, you could imagine proportional intake measures, based on calories or weight, to determine the proportion of your diet that’s whole plant foods. In that case, you’d get docked points if you eat things like animal-derived foods—meat, dairy, or eggs—or added sugars and fats.

    My favorite proportional intake measure is McCarty’s “phytochemical index,” which I’ve profiled previously. I love it because of its sheer simplicity, “defined as the percent of dietary calories derived from foods rich in phytochemicals.” It assigns a score from 0 to 100, based on the percentage of your calories that are derived from foods rich in phytochemicals, which are biologically active substances naturally found in plants that may be contributing to many of the health benefits obtained from eating whole plant foods. “Monitoring phytochemical intake in the clinical setting could have great utility” in helping people optimize their diet for optimal health and disease prevention. However, quantifying phytochemicals in foods or tissue samples is impractical, laborious, and expensive. But this concept of a phytochemical index score could be a simple alternative method to monitor phytochemical intake.

    Theoretically, a whole food, plant-based or vegan diet that excluded refined grains, white potatoes, hard liquors, added oils, and added sugars could achieve a perfect score of 100. Lamentably, most Americans’ diets today might be lucky to score just 20. What’s going on? In 1998, our shopping baskets were filled with about 20% whole plant foods; more recently, that has actually shrunk, as you can see below and at 2:49 in my video Plant-Based Eating Score Put to the Test.

    Wouldn’t it be interesting if researchers used this phytochemical index to try to correlate it with health outcomes? That’s exactly what they did. We know that studies have demonstrated that vegetarian diets have a protective association with weight and body mass index. For instance, a meta-analysis of five dozen studies has shown that vegetarians had significantly lower weight and BMI compared with non-vegetarians. And even more studies show that high intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes may be protective regardless of meat consumption. So, researchers wanted to use an index that gave points for whole plant foods. They used the phytochemical index and, as you may recall from an earlier video, tracked people’s weight over a few years, using a scale of 0 to 100 to simply reflect what percentage of a person’s diet is whole plant foods. And even though the healthiest-eating tier only averaged a score of about 40, which meant the bulk of their diet was still made up of processed foods and animal products, just making whole plant foods a substantial portion of the diet may help prevent weight gain and decrease body fat. So, it’s not all or nothing. Any steps we can take to increase our whole plant food intake may be beneficial.

    Many more studies have since been performed, with most pointing in the same direction for a variety of health outcomes—indicating, for instance, higher healthy plant intake is associated with about a third of the odds of abdominal obesity and significantly lower odds of high triglycerides. So, the index may be “a useful dietary target for weight loss,” where there is less focus on calorie intake and more on increasing consumption of these high-nutrient, lower-calorie foods over time. Other studies also suggest the same is true for childhood obesity.

    Even at the same weight, with the same amount of belly fat, those eating plant-based diets tend to have higher insulin sensitivity, meaning the insulin they make works better in their body, perhaps thanks to the compounds in plants that alleviate inflammation and quench free radicals. Indeed, the odds of hyperinsulinemia—an indicator of insulin resistance—were progressively lower with greater plant consumption. No wonder researchers found 91% lower odds of prediabetes for people getting more than half their calories from healthy plant foods.

    They also found significantly lower odds of metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure. There were only about half the odds of being diagnosed with hypertension over a three-year period among those eating more healthy plants. Even mental health may be impacted—about 80% less depression, 2/3 less anxiety, and 70% less psychological distress, as you can see below and at 5:15 in my video.

    Is there a link between the dietary phytochemical index and benign breast diseases, such as fibrocystic diseases, fatty necrosis, ductal ectasia, and all sorts of benign tumors? Yes—70% lower odds were observed in those with the highest scores. But what about breast cancer? A higher intake of healthy plant foods was indeed associated with a lower risk of breast cancer, even after controlling for a long list of other factors. And not just by a little bit. Eating twice the proportion of plants compared to the standard American diet was linked to more than 90% lower odds of breast cancer.

    Doctor’s Note

    You can learn more about the phytochemical index in Calculate Your Healthy Eating Score.

    If you’re worried about protein, check out Flashback Friday: Do Vegetarians Get Enough Protein?

    It doesn’t have to be all or nothing, though. Do Flexitarians Live Longer?

    For more on plant-based junk, check out Friday Favorites: Is Vegan Food Always Healthy?.

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    Michael Greger M.D. FACLM

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  • How growing fruit at home encourages healthier eating habits – Growing Family

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    Collaborative post

    Encouraging children to eat more fruit can sometimes feel like an uphill battle. Even when fruit is readily available, it’s not always the first thing they reach for, especially when snacks and convenience foods are competing for attention.

    One approach that many families find surprisingly effective is growing fruit at home. It doesn’t require a large garden or a big lifestyle change, but it can have a meaningful impact on how children view food, where it comes from, and how willing they are to eat it.

    Growing fruit can help turn healthy eating from something we talk about into something children experience for themselves.

    small child eating a peach

    Making fruit part of everyday life

    When fruit grows in the garden, on a patio, or even in pots by the door, it becomes part of daily life rather than something that appears briefly in the fruit bowl.

    Children see it change over time. They notice flowers turning into fruit, fruit ripening, and the moment it is ready to pick. This visibility creates familiarity, and familiarity often leads to acceptance.

    Instead of being told that fruit is good for them, children see it as something they helped grow, which makes them far more likely to eat it without resistance.

    Ownership changes attitudes to food

    One of the most powerful shifts that happens when children grow fruit is the sense of ownership it creates.

    When a child has helped water a plant, watched it grow, and waited for fruit to appear, they feel proud of the result. That pride often carries through to eating it.

    Children are far more willing to try food they feel connected to. Fruit that they have grown themselves feels special rather than ordinary, and that emotional connection can change long-term attitudes towards healthy choices.

    Even children who are usually hesitant about fruit may surprise you when it comes from their own garden.

    Encouraging curiosity instead of pressure

    Growing fruit encourages curiosity rather than pressure around food.

    Instead of asking children to eat something because it’s healthy, you can talk about what is growing, how it tastes, and what it might be used for. This approach removes the power struggle that sometimes surrounds mealtimes.

    Children naturally want to taste something they have watched grow. That curiosity is often enough to encourage them to try fruit they might otherwise ignore.

    This gentle exposure helps build positive associations with healthy foods, without making them feel like a requirement or a rule.

    a child holding a basket of fruita child holding a basket of fruit

    A wider variety of fruit

    Another benefit of growing fruit at home is variety.

    Supermarket fruit tends to be limited to what travels well and keeps for longer. Growing fruit opens up opportunities to try different flavours, textures, and varieties that children may not have encountered before.

    Starting with easy-to-grow fruit plants allows you to experiment with options that suit your space and lifestyle. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and fruit trees grown in containers are all accessible ways to introduce variety.

    Exposure to different fruits early on helps children develop a broader palate, which can support healthier eating habits over time.

    Healthy snacks within reach

    One of the simplest ways growing fruit encourages healthier eating is convenience.

    When fruit is growing outside, it becomes an easy snack option. Children can pick a strawberry, a handful of berries, or fruit from a low branch without preparation or packaging.

    This ease matters. Children often choose snacks based on what’s quickest and most accessible. Growing your own fruit removes barriers and makes healthy options feel effortless. It also encourages grazing on fresh produce rather than reaching for processed snacks.

    Connecting food with seasons

    Growing fruit teaches children that food is seasonal.

    They learn that strawberries arrive in summer, apples in autumn, and that not everything is available all year round. This understanding helps set realistic expectations and builds respect for natural cycles.

    Children who understand seasonality often become more patient and more appreciative of food when it’s available. They also learn that healthy eating doesn’t have to look the same all year.

    This awareness supports balanced eating habits and reduces reliance on out-of-season or heavily processed options.

    family gardening in raised bedsfamily gardening in raised beds

    Building routines around healthy choices

    Caring for fruit plants introduces gentle routines into family life.

    Watering, checking for ripeness, and harvesting become shared activities that reinforce consistency and responsibility. These routines create natural opportunities to talk about food, nutrition, and choices without formal lessons or lectures.

    When children are involved in these processes, healthy eating becomes part of their normal routine rather than something that needs constant encouragement.

    Positive mealtime conversations

    Growing fruit often leads to better conversations around meals.

    Children may ask questions about how the fruit grew, what else it can be used for, or why it tastes different from shop-bought versions. These conversations can build understanding and interest rather than resistance.

    When meals include fruit that children have grown themselves, there’s often a sense of pride and excitement that carries through to the table. This positive atmosphere supports healthier eating in a way that feels natural rather than enforced.

    Long-term habits that last

    Perhaps the most valuable impact of growing fruit at home is the long-term influence it can have.

    Children who grow food are more likely to:

    • Try new fruits and vegetables
    • Eat fruit more regularly
    • Understand where food comes from
    • Value fresh, whole foods

    These habits often continue into adulthood, shaping healthier choices later in life.

    Growing fruit isn’t about perfection or eliminating treats. It’s about building a balanced relationship with food that feels positive and achievable.

    A simple step with lasting benefits

    You don’t need a large garden or extensive knowledge to see the benefits of growing fruit at home. Even a small number of plants can make a difference.

    By involving children, creating curiosity, and making healthy options accessible, growing fruit supports better eating habits in a way that feels enjoyable rather than forced.

    Over time, those small moments of picking, tasting, and sharing fruit help build a healthier relationship with food for the whole family.

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    Catherine

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  • Can Olive Oil Compete with Arthritis Drugs? | NutritionFacts.org

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    What happened when topical olive oil was pitted against an ibuprofen-type drug for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis?

    Fifty million Americans suffer from arthritis, and osteoarthritis of the knee is the most common form, making it a leading cause of disability. There are several inflammatory pathways that underlie the disease’s onset and progression, so various anti-inflammatory foods have been put to the test. Strawberries can decrease circulating blood levels of an inflammatory mediator known as tumor necrosis factor, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into clinical improvement. For example, drinking cherry juice may lower a marker of inflammation known as C-reactive protein, but it failed to help treat pain and other symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. However, researchers claimed it “provided symptom relief.” Yes, it did when comparing symptoms before and after six weeks of drinking cherry juice, but not any better than a placebo, meaning drinking it was essentially no better than doing nothing. Cherries may help with another kind of arthritis called gout, but they failed when it came to osteoarthritis.

    However, strawberries did decrease inflammation. In fact, in a randomized, double-blind, crossover trial, dietary strawberries were indeed found to have a significant analgesic effect, causing a significant decrease in pain. There are tumor necrosis factor inhibitor drugs on the market now available for the low, low cost of only about $40,000 a year. For that kind of money, you’d want some really juicy side effects, and they do not disappoint—like an especially fatal lymphoma. I think I’ll stick with the strawberries.

    One reason we suspected berries might be helpful is that when people consumed the equivalent of a cup of blueberries or two cups of strawberries daily, and their blood was then applied to cells in a petri dish, it significantly reduced inflammation compared to blood from those who consumed placebo berries, as you can see below and at 2:02 in my video Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Arthritis.

    Interestingly, the anti-inflammatory effect increased over time, suggesting that the longer you eat berries, the better. Are there any other foods that have been tested in this way?

    Researchers in France collected cartilage from knee replacement surgeries and then exposed it to blood samples from volunteers who had taken a whopping dose of a grapeseed and olive extract. They saw a significant drop in inflammation, as shown below and at 2:30 in my video.

    There haven’t been any human studies putting grapeseeds to the test for arthritis, but an olive extract was shown to decrease pain and improve daily activities in osteoarthritis sufferers. So, does this mean adding olive oil to one’s diet may help? No, because the researchers used freeze-dried olive vegetation water. That’s basically what’s left over after you extract the oil from olives; it’s all the water-soluble components. In other words, it’s all the stuff that’s in an olive that‘s missing from olive oil.

    If you give people actual olives, a dozen large green olives a day, you may see a drop in an inflammatory mediator. But according to a systematic review and meta-analysis, olive oil—on its own—does not appear to offer any anti-inflammatory benefits. What about papers that ascribe “remarkable anti-inflammatory activity” to extra virgin olive oil? Their evidence is from rodents. In people, extra virgin olive oil may be no better than butter when it comes to inflammation and worse than even coconut oil.

    So, should we just stick to olives? Sadly, a dozen olives could take up nearly half your sodium limit for the entire day, as you can see below and at 3:47 in my video.

    When put to the test, extra virgin olive oil did not appear to help with fibromyalgia symptoms either, but it did work better than canola oil in alleviating symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any studies putting olive oil intake to the test for arthritis. But why then is this blog entitled “Can Olive Oil Compete with Arthritis Drugs?” Because—are you ready for this?—it appears to work topically.

    Topical virgin olive oil went up against a gel containing an ibuprofen-type drug for osteoarthritis of the knee in a double-blind, randomized, clinical trial. Just a gram of oil, which is less than a quarter teaspoon, three times a day, costing less than three cents a day, worked! Topical olive oil was significantly better than the drug in reducing pain, as you can see below and at 4:37 in my video.

    The study only lasted a month, so is it possible that the olive oil would have continued to work better and better over time?

    Is olive oil effective in controlling morning inflammatory pain in the fingers and knees among women with rheumatoid arthritis? The researchers went all out, comparing the use of extra virgin olive oil to rubbing on nothing and also to rubbing on that ibuprofen-type gel, and, evidently, the decrease in the disease activity score in the olive oil group beat out the others.

    Doctor’s Note

    For more on joint health, see related posts below.

    What about eating olive oil? See Olive Oil and Artery Function.

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    Michael Greger M.D. FACLM

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  • Why Everyone’s Making Chocolate Berry Yogurt Bark Right Now

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    This post may contain references to products from one or more of our advertisers. Oh Sweet Basil may receive compensation when you click on links to such products.

    Get ready to wow your taste buds with this Healthy Chocolate Swirl Berry Yogurt Bark! Quick, easy, and only 5 minutes to prep, it’s the ultimate after-school snack that’s as fun to make as it is to eat.

    Creamy Greek yogurt, sweet berries, and decadent chocolate swirls come together for a treat that feels indulgent but is totally wholesome. Perfect for kids, grown-ups, or anyone who loves a little sweet crunch without the guilt!

    Some days it feels like the snack struggle is real! How many times can you eat an apple, string cheese, or almonds before your taste buds revolt? I’m so over the same-old, same-old. That’s why I’m beyond excited to share this fun healthy snack idea with you: Healthy Chocolate Swirl Berry Yogurt Bark! It’s officially my new favorite treat, and our kids can’t get enough either. It’s the perfect after school snack!

    a pan of cultured dairy with chocolate swirls and frozen berries

    Ingredients For Yogurt Bark

    This Chocolate Berry Yogurt Bark is healthy and packed with flavor. Let’s break down the ingredients that make it so irresistible…

    • Chocolate Chips: Melted and swirled throughout the bark for rich chocolate flavor. We used semi-sweet, but milk chocolate, white chocolate or dark chocolate would all be good.
    • Greek Yogurt: Vanilla Greek yogurt creates a creamy, lightly sweet base.
    • Fresh Berries or Fresh Fruit: We used blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, but see below for more ideas!

    With just chocolate, creamy Greek yogurt, and fresh berries, you’ve got a snack that’s as pretty as it is delicious!

    Other Mix-Ins & Toppings

    This yogurt bark is easy to customize, so feel free to get creative with mix-ins and toppings.

    Try adding sliced bananas, fresh strawberries, mango, or cherries for more fruit flavor. 

    Granola, chopped nuts, cookies, sprinkles, or coconut flakes add great crunch, while chia seeds, pepitas, or hemp hearts bring a little extra nutrition.

    You can also swap the chocolate swirl for white chocolate, drizzle with honey or pure maple syrup, or sprinkle on crushed pretzels for a sweet-salty twist. Mix and match to make it your own.

    a pan of healthy chocolate swirled berry frozen yogurt barka pan of healthy chocolate swirled berry frozen yogurt bark

    How to Make Yogurt Bark

    Making this yogurt bark is easier than you think! A few simple steps and you’ll have a colorful, chocolatey treat ready to chill.

    • Melt: Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each round, until smooth. Let cool slightly so it doesn’t melt the yogurt.
    • Spread: Line a rimmed baking sheet with a Silpat mat or wax paper and evenly spread the Greek yogurt into a smooth layer.
    • Top: Sprinkle the fresh berries evenly over the yogurt.
    • Swirl: Dot the melted chocolate over the bark, then use a toothpick to gently swirl it through the yogurt.
    • Freeze: Place the pan in the freezer for at least 4 hours or overnight until completely firm.
    • Break: Remove from the freezer, quickly break or slice using a sharp knife, and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

    Once it’s frozen and broken into pieces, you’ve got a healthy snack ready to go!

    a pan of healthy chocolate swirled berry frozen yogurt barka pan of healthy chocolate swirled berry frozen yogurt bark

    Storing Yogurt Bark

    Yogurt bark freezes beautifully for up to 3 months, but honestly, it’s at its absolute best within the first 2 weeks. I love making a big batch and keeping it on hand so I can grab a piece whenever a snack attack (or dessert craving) strikes.

    a pan of healthy chocolate swirled berry frozen yogurt barka pan of healthy chocolate swirled berry frozen yogurt bark

    What Kind Of Yogurt is Best for Yogurt Bark?

    When it comes to yogurt bark, you really can’t go wrong! Vanilla greek yogurt is amazing for this recipe! It’s strained multiple times, giving it a thick, creamy texture that’s rich in flavor and packed with protein. You can use full fat, whole milk yogurt for extra creaminess, or go nonfat if you prefer.

    Flavor-wise, vanilla works beautifully, but plain greek yogurt, strawberry, or any favorite variety will do. Greek yogurt also usually has less sugar than regular yogurt, though keep an eye on the fat and calories since not all yogurts are created equal.

    Feeling adventurous? You can even make your own yogurt at home with our Instant Pot Homemade Yogurt recipe for an extra-special touch.

    a pan of healthy chocolate swirled berry frozen yogurt barka pan of healthy chocolate swirled berry frozen yogurt bark

    This Chocolate Swirl Berry Yogurt Bark is fun, fruity, and totally snackable. Perfect for after school snacks or whenever you need a little sweet fix without the guilt. Make a big batch, hide a few pieces for yourself, and let the rest disappear!

    Healthy Snack RECIPES

    Watch How This Yogurt Bark Recipe is Made…

    Prevent your screen from going dark

    • Place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 second intervals, stirring in between until smooth. Allow to cool slightly.

      ¾ Cup Chocolate Chips

    • Place a Silpat (parchment paper does not work as well) on a rimmed cookie sheet and evenly spread the entire package of yogurt.

      24 Ounces Greek Yogurt

    • Sprinkle with berries.

      Fresh Berries of Choice

    • Dot the chocolate in little mounds all over the bark. Use toothpicks to swirl the chocolate.

    • Freeze for 4 hours or up to overnight or until hardened.

    • Quickly break the bark and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

    Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the freezer.

    Serving: 2pieces, Calories: 93kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 4mg, Sodium: 26mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 8g

    Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

    a pan of healthy chocolate swirled berry frozen yogurt barka pan of healthy chocolate swirled berry frozen yogurt bark

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    Carrian Cheney

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  • Are the Effects of Ochratoxin Concerning? | NutritionFacts.org

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    The overall cost-benefit ratio for mycotoxins depends on which food is contaminated.

    Ochratoxin has been described as toxic to the immune system, developing fetus, kidneys, and nervous system, as well as being carcinogenic, but that is in animal studies. Ochratoxin “causes kidney toxicity in certain animal species, but there is little documented evidence of adverse effects in humans.” That’s why it’s only considered a possible human carcinogen.

    Big Ag assures that current ochratoxin levels are safe, even among those who eat a lot of contaminated foods. The worst-case scenario may be young children eating a lot of oat-based cereals, but, even then, “their lifetime cancer risk is negligible.” Individuals arguing against regulatory standards suggest we can eat more than 42 cups of oatmeal a day and not worry about it. Where do they get these kinds of estimates?

    They determine the so-called benchmark dose in animals—the dose of the toxin that gives a 10% increase in pathology—then, because one would want to err on the side of caution, divide that dose by 500 as a kind of safety fudge factor to develop the tolerable daily intake. For cancer risk, you can find the tumor dose—the dose that increases tumor incidence in lab animals by 5%—and extrapolate down to the ”negligible cancer risk intake,” effectively incorporating a 5,000-fold safety factor, as seen below and at 1:28 in my video Should We Be Concerned About the Effects of Ochratoxin?.

    It seems kind of arbitrary, right? But what else are you going to do? You can’t just intentionally feed people the stuff and see what happens—but people eat it regularly. Can we just follow people and their diets over time and see if those who eat more whole grains, like oats, for example, are more likely to have cancer or live shorter lives?

    What is the association between whole grain intake and all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality? Every additional ounce of whole grains eaten a day is associated with not only a lower risk for cancer mortality but also a lower risk of dying from all causes put together. Below and at 2:05 in my video are findings from all the big cancer studies. Every single one trended towards lower cancer risk.

    The bottom line is that you don’t find adverse effects confirmed in these population studies. This is not to say ochratoxin is necessarily harmless, but “any such risk does not outweigh the known benefits of wholegrain consumption.” In fact, healthy constituents of the whole grains themselves, like their antioxidants, may directly reduce the impacts of mycotoxins by protecting cells from damage. So, eating lots of fruits and vegetables may also help. Either way, “an overall healthy diet can play a significant role in mitigating the risk of contaminants in grain.”

    In summary, healthy foods like whole grains are good, but just not as good as they could be because of ochratoxin, whereas less healthful foods, like wine and pork, are worse because of the mycotoxin, as shown below and at 2:52 in my video. Ochratoxin was detected, for example, in 44% of tested pork.

    Doctor’s Note

    This is the third video in a four-part series on mold toxins. If you missed the first two, see Ochratoxin in Breakfast Cereals and Friday Favorites: Ochratoxin and Breakfast Cereals, Herbs, Spices, and Wine.

    Should We Be Concerned About Aflatoxin? is coming up next.

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    Michael Greger M.D. FACLM

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  • Trump To Ease Tariffs On Four Latin American Nations – KXL

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    The Trump administration expects the price of coffee, beef, and fruit to drop with plans to ease tariffs on four Latin American nations.

    WASHINGTON, DC – The White House expects the price of coffee, beef, and fruit to drop with plans to ease tariffs on four Latin American nations. On Thursday the White House announced it had agreed to frameworks for trade deals with Argentina, Guatemala, Ecuador and El Salvador.

    The deals will remove tariffs on certain foods and other products not produced in the U.S. in large enough numbers. This comes a day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Americans will see “substantial announcements over the next couple days” regarding affordability.

    More about:

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    Tim Lantz

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  • Which foods you should buy organic – and 15 you shouldn’t waste money on

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    With food prices continuing to climb, many of us (myself included!) are asking – is buying organic really worth it? And if so, which foods actually make a difference to our health? I’m a nutrition, health and wellness coach, but even I like a little clarification sometimes. To help assess what the difference actually is between organic and non-organic food, along with the ones worth paying for, I spoke to a doctor for a practical, evidence-based verdict. Thankfully, supporting your health doesn’t require doubling your food shopping bill on exclusively organic foods; these are the ones to prioritise paying more for – even when your budget is tight.

    What are organic foods?

    From meat to fruits and vegetables, there are lots of organic foods available in the supermarket, but there are some misconceptions about what the term organic actually means, according to Dr Daniel Atkinson, Clinical Lead at Treated.

    “A common misunderstanding is that organic foods are pesticide-free, but this isn’t necessarily true. Organic foods may contain pesticides, but the amounts are often smaller or naturally derived. For nutritional value, organic foods generally have a higher content than non-organic foods, but this doesn’t mean that non-organic foods don’t have nutritional value,” he says. 

    “It’s also important to look at the organic label on food products. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “‘100% organic’ refers to a fully organic product, but if it simply says ‘Organic’, that typically means 95% of the ingredients are organic.”

    Which foods should you only buy organic, and why?

    © Getty Images
    It can be hard to know which products are worth buying organic

    Organic foods can cost considerably more than their non-organic counterparts, so for many of us, it is unrealistic to consider upgrading all of our fresh produce. However, there are some that are particularly worth swapping, according to Dr Atkinson.

    “It’s good to buy organic fruits and vegetables where you’ll eat the skin, such as strawberries, peaches, spinach, or apples. This is because pesticides can remain on the outer skin even after cleaning it,” he recommends. “From this perspective, foods with a thick non-edible skin, such as bananas, avocados, or oranges, might be less worthwhile buying organic, as they already have a natural protective outer layer.”

    Strawberries are one of the fruits that it is worth buying organic© Getty Images
    Strawberries are one of the fruits that it is worth buying organic

    The doctor adds: “Animal products, like eggs, meat, and fish, might also be worth buying organically. This is because synthetic growth hormones, antibiotics, and certain feed additives are often used during farming, which might affect their nutritional value. Additionally, people who are more concerned with the welfare of livestock might gravitate towards organic animal products that are more ethically and sustainably produced.

    “Another significant factor is that organic foods tend to be more expensive. ‘Regular’ foods are still regulated and have to meet certain standards before they’re made available for sale.”

    The Dirty Dozen

    One way to consider what foods you should prioritise buying organic is to look at the Dirty Dozen list, published by PAN UK. This list features fruits and vegetables most likely to contain residues of two or more pesticides, which may have an impact on health. See the most recent list below, along with the percentage of samples tested which were found to have multiple pesticide residues.

    1. Peaches and Nectarines – 85%
    2. Grapes – 84%
    3. Strawberries – 83%
    4. Cherries – 81%
    5. Spinach – 73%
    6. Apples – 72%
    7. Brussels Sprouts – 50%
    8. Cucumber – 47%
    9. Tomato – 46%
    10. Apricots – 43%
    11. Lettuce – 39%
    12. Beans with pods – 38%

    The Clean Fifteen

    If you’re on the hunt for the foods with the lowest amounts of pesticide residues, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has published the Clean Fifteen:

    1. Pineapples
    2. Sweet Corn, fresh and frozen
    3. Avocados
    4. Papaya
    5. Onion
    6. Sweet Peas (frozen)
    7. Asparagus
    8. Cabbage
    9. Watermelon
    10. Cauliflower
    11. Bananas
    12. Mangoes
    13. Carrots
    14. Mushrooms
    15. Kiwi

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    Chloe Couchman

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  • Best Of Houston® 2025: Best Dessert Service – Houston Press

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    Best Dessert Service: Camaraderie

    Camaraderie proves chef Shawn Gawle didn’t leave his sweet tooth at March, where he was executive pastry chef. The buzzy Heights newcomer splits its personality between a tasting-menu dining room and a laid-back lounge and patio, but both end with show-stopping, whimsical desserts that are almost too pretty to eat (we said almost). Think froyo with stone fruit, granola and olive oil, “Milk & Honey” with beeswax gelato and candied almonds, a miso-butterscotch bombe with toasted buckwheat gelato, and a peachy melba pavlova. Come for dinner, stay for dessert — or skip straight to the sweets with a fancy cocktail in hand.

    608 West 11th 

    camaraderiehtx.com

    This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.

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    Houston Press

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  • Best Of Houston® 2025: Best Breakfast – Downtown – Houston Press

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    Overview:

    We choose this year’s winner of Houston’s Best Downtown Breakfast.

    Best Breakfast – Downtown: Press Waffle Co.

    Downtown’s Lyric Market has a breakfast star in Press Waffle Co., where golden Liége waffles come loaded with both sweet and savory hits. Go indulgent with the Chicken & Waffles, piled high with crispy tenders, bacon crumble and a generous maple syrup drizzle, or the American, topped with cheddar, bacon and an oozing fried egg. Sweet tooths can’t miss The Elvis with banana, peanut butter, honey and some bacon for good measure.

    411 Smith

    713-405-1407 

    presswaffleco.com

    This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.

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    Houston Press

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  • Video: Train plows into truck carrying thousands of pears

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    After a speeding train collided with a semi-truck carrying pears in the Netherlands, authorities have released video of the incident to “raise awareness and improve behavior.”Jeremy Roth for CNN’s “Take a Look at This (TALAT)” reports that authorities are using the truck driver’s ill-timed hesitation as a cautionary tale about safety at railroad crossings.The train’s collision with the truck’s cargo trailer sent thousands of pears flying across the scene.See the TALAT video in the player above, and learn what happened when a bear got trapped in an SUV in ColoradoVideo released by Pro Rail shows the truck approaching the crossing, pausing, and then reversing as safety arms closed around it.The driver appeared unsure of what to do and attempted to move just as the commuter train bore down. Pro Rail reported minor injuries and shared the video on social media. They advised drivers to move through lowered safety arms if they become stuck.

    (Video: CNN, PRO RAIL, TMX, LARIMER COUNTY SD, Pro Rail/TMX via CNN Newsource) —

    After a speeding train collided with a semi-truck carrying pears in the Netherlands, authorities have released video of the incident to “raise awareness and improve behavior.”

    Jeremy Roth for CNN’s “Take a Look at This (TALAT)” reports that authorities are using the truck driver’s ill-timed hesitation as a cautionary tale about safety at railroad crossings.

    The train’s collision with the truck’s cargo trailer sent thousands of pears flying across the scene.

    See the TALAT video in the player above, and learn what happened when a bear got trapped in an SUV in Colorado

    Video released by Pro Rail shows the truck approaching the crossing, pausing, and then reversing as safety arms closed around it.

    The driver appeared unsure of what to do and attempted to move just as the commuter train bore down.

    Pro Rail reported minor injuries and shared the video on social media. They advised drivers to move through lowered safety arms if they become stuck.

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  • A Longer Life on Statins?  | NutritionFacts.org

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    What are the pros and cons of relative risk, absolute risk, number needed to treat, and average postponement of death when taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs?

    In response to the charge that describing the benefits of statin drugs only in terms of relative risk reduction is a “statistical deception” created to give the appearance that statins are more effective than they really are, it was pointed out that describing things in terms of absolute risk reduction or number needed to treat can depend on the duration of the study.

    For example, let’s say a disease has a 2% chance of killing you every year, but some drug cuts that risk by 50%. That sounds amazing, until you realize that, at the end of a year, your risk will only have fallen from 2% to 1%, so the absolute reduction of risk is only 1%. If a hundred people were treated with the drug, instead of two people dying, one person would die, so a hundred people would have to be treated to save one life, as shown below and at 1:01 in my video How Much Longer Do You Live on Statins?.

    But there’s about a 99% chance that taking the drug all year would have no effect either way. So, to say the drug cuts the risk of dying by 50% seems like an overstatement. But think about it: Benefits accrue over time. If there’s a 2% chance of dying every year, year after year, after a few decades, the majority of those who refused the drug would be dead, whereas the majority who took the drug would be alive. So, yes, perhaps during the first year on the drug, there was only about a 1% chance it would be life-saving, but, eventually, you could end up with a decent chance the drug would save your life after all.

    “This is actually the very reason why the usage of relative risk makes sense…” Absolute risk changes depending on the time frame being discussed, but with relative risk, you know that whatever risk you have, you can cut it in half by taking the drug. On average, statins only cut the risk of a cardiovascular “event” by 25%, but since cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of men and women, if you’re unwilling to change your diet, that’s a powerful argument in favor of taking these kinds of drugs. You can see the same kind of dependency on trial duration, looking at the “postponement of death” by taking a statin. How much longer might you live if you take statins?

    The average postponement of death has some advantages over other statistics because it may offer “a better intuitive understanding among lay persons,” whereas a stat like a number needed to treat has more of a win-or-lose “lottery-like” quality. So, when a statin drug prevents, say, one heart attack out of a hundred people treated over five years, it’s not as though the other 99 completely lost out. Their cholesterol also dropped, and their heart disease progression presumably slowed down, too, just not enough to catch a heart attack within that narrow time frame.

    So, what’s the effect of statins on average survival? According to an early estimate, if you put all the randomized trials together, the average postponement of death was calculated at maybe three or four days. Three or four days? Who would take a drug every day for years just to live a few more days? Well, let’s try to put that into context. Three or four days is comparable to the gains in life expectancy from other medical interventions. For example, it’s nearly identical to what you’d get from “highly effective childhood vaccines.” Because vaccines have been so effective in wiping out infectious diseases, these days, they only add an average of three extra days to a child’s life. But, of course, “those whose deaths are averted gain virtually their whole lifetimes.” That’s why we vaccinate. It just seems like such a small average benefit because it gets distributed over the many millions of kids who get the vaccine. Is that the same with statins?

    An updated estimate was published in 2019, which explained that the prior estimate of three or four days was plagued by “important weaknesses,” and the actual average postponement of death was actually ten days. Headline writers went giddy from these data, but what they didn’t understand was that this was only for the duration of the trial. So, if your life expectancy is only five years, then, yes, statins may increase your lifespan by only ten days, but statins are meant to be taken a lot longer than five years. What you want to know is how much longer you might get to live if you stick with the drugs your whole life.

    In that case, it isn’t an extra ten days, but living up to ten extra years. Taking statins can enable you to live years longer. That’s because, for every millimole per liter you lower your bad LDL cholesterol, you may live three years longer and maybe even six more years, depending on which study you’re reading. A millimole in U.S. units is 39 points. Drop your LDL cholesterol by about 39 points, and you could live years longer. Exercise your whole life, and you may only increase your lifespan by six months, and stopping smoking may net you nine months. But if you drop your LDL cholesterol by about 39 points, you could live years longer. You can accomplish that by taking drugs, or you can achieve that within just two weeks of eating a diet packed with fruits, vegetables, and nuts, as seen here and at 5:30 in my video. 

    Want to know what’s better than drugs? “Something important and fundamental has been lost in the controversy around this broad expansion of statin therapy.…It is imperative that physicians (and drug labels) inform patients that not only their lipid [cholesterol] levels but also their cardiovascular risk can be reduced substantially by adoption of a plant-based dietary pattern, and without drugs. Dietary modifications for cardiovascular risk reduction, including plant-based diets, have been shown to improve not only lipid status, but also obesity, hypertension, systemic inflammation, insulin sensitivity, oxidative stress, endothelial function, thrombosis, and cardiovascular event risk…The importance of this [plant-based] approach is magnified when one considers that, in contrast to statins, the ‘side effects’ of plant-based diets—weight loss, more energy, and improved quality of life—are beneficial.” 

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    Michael Greger M.D. FACLM

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  • Are Doctors Knowledgeable About Nutrition?  | NutritionFacts.org

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    Do you know more about basic nutrition than most doctors?

    “A poor diet now outranks smoking as the leading cause of death globally and in the United States, according to the latest data.” The top killer of Americans is the American diet, as you can see below and at 0:23 in my video How Much Do Doctors Actually Know About Nutrition?.

    If diet is humanity’s number one killer, then, obviously, nutrition is the number one subject taught in medical school, right? Sadly, “medical students around the world [are] poorly trained in nutrition.” It isn’t that medical students aren’t interested in learning about it. In fact, “interest in nutrition was ‘uniformly high’ among medical students,” but medical schools just aren’t teaching it. “Without a solid foundation of clinical nutrition knowledge and skills, physicians worldwide are generally not equipped to even begin to have an informed nutrition conversation with their patients….”

    How bad is it? One study, “Assessing the clinical nutrition knowledge of medical doctors,” found the majority of participants got 70 percent of the questions wrong—and they were multiple choice questions, so they should have gotten about a fifth of them right just by chance. “Wrong answers in the…knowledge test were not limited to difficult or demanding questions” either. For example, less than half of the doctors were able to guess how many calories are in fat, carbohydrates, and protein; only one in ten knew the recommended protein intake; and only about one in three knew what a healthy body mass index (BMI) was. We’re talking about really basic nutrition knowledge.

    Even worse, not only did the majority of medical doctors get a failing grade, but 30 percent of those who failed had “a high self-perception of their CN [clinical nutrition] expertise.” They weren’t only clueless about nutrition; they were clueless that they were clueless about nutrition, a particularly bad combination given that doctors are “trusted and influential sources” of healthy eating advice. “For those consumers who get information from their personal healthcare professional, 78% indicate making a change in their eating habits as a result of those conversations.” So, if the doctor got everything they know from some article in a magazine while waiting in the grocery store checkout aisle, that’s what the patients will be following.

    Of doctors surveyed, “only 25% correctly identified the American Heart Association recommended number of fruit and vegetable servings per day, and fewer still (20%) were aware of the recommended daily added sugar limit for adults.” So how are they going to counsel their patients? And get ready for this: Of the doctors who perceived themselves as having high nutrition knowledge, 93 percent couldn’t answer those two basic multiple-choice questions, as seen here and at 2:39 in my video.

    “Physicians with no genuine expertise in, say, neurosurgery [brain surgery] are neither likely to broadcast detailed opinions on that topic nor to have their ‘expert’ opinions solicited by the media. Most topical domains in medicine enjoy such respect: we defer expert opinion and commentary to actual experts. Not so nutrition, where the common knowledge that physicians are generally ill-trained in this area is conjoined to routine invitations to physicians for their expert opinions on the matter. All too many are willing to provide theirs, absent any basis for actual expertise…” Or worse, they’re “often made on the basis of native bias and personal preference, at times directly tethered to personal gain—such as diet book sales—and so arises yet another ethical challenge.” That’s one of the reasons all the proceeds I receive from my books are donated directly to charity. I don’t want even the appearance of any conflicts of interest.

    “In a culture that routinely fails to distinguish expertise from mere opinion or personal anecdote, we physicians should be doing all we can to establish relevant barriers to entry for expert opinion in this [diet and nutrition], as in all other matters of genuine medical significance.” I mean, we aren’t talking celebrity gossip. Lives are at stake. “Entire industries are devoted to marketing messages that may conspire directly against well-informed medical advice in this area.”

    “Medical education must be brought up to date. For physicians to be ill-trained in the very area most impactful on the rate of premature death at the population level is an absurd anachronism….The mission of medicine is to protect, defend, and advance the human condition. That mission cannot be fulfilled if the diet is neglected.”

    A possible starting place? “Physicians and health care organizations can collectively begin to emphasize their seriousness about nutrition in health care by practicing what they (theoretically) preach. Is it appropriate to serve pizza and soft drinks at a resident conference while bemoaning the high prevalence of obesity and encouraging patients to eat healthier? A similarly poor example exists in medical conferences, including national meetings, where some morning sessions are accompanied by foods such as donuts and sausage.”

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    Michael Greger M.D. FACLM

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  • Homemade Fruit and Vegetable Wash Recipe – Garden Therapy

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    Unless it’s homegrown, we know so little about where our produce really comes from. To ensure you remove all traces of pesticides and herbicides, as well as prolong shelf life, I recommend using a fruit and vegetable wash. This homemade recipe uses only 4 ingredients, all staples you are sure to have in your pantry already!

    Do you ever pick up a fruit or vegetable from the grocery store and already feel the gunk from its surface on your hands? Even after I rinse an apple or nectarine, I still feel as though something is lingering there.

    I like to use my fruit and vegetable wash to ensure that all my produce is completely free from any surface contaminants, such as herbicides and pesticides. Even with my own organic produce, I feel more comfortable making sure they are 100% clean before I store them away in my fridge.

    The good news is, washing fruit only takes a few minutes and doesn’t have to be a huge and annoying step in a grocery store routine. All you need are a few quick sprays of my vegetable and fruit wash.

    This post will cover…

    homemade fruit and vegetable wash surrounded by fresh producehomemade fruit and vegetable wash surrounded by fresh produce
    This veggie wash only requires four ingredients.

    Is Fruit and Veggie Wash Necessary?

    When it comes to the garden, I don’t mind popping homegrown fruit and veggies straight from the plant to my mouth. I use only organic gardening methods, meaning no pesticides, herbicides, and only natural fertilizers. This makes me feel safe about my veggies!

    But when it comes to large harvests, I still like to wash my vegetables. Since I live in the city, I never truly know 100% what is in my soil at any given time. If you use any kind of herbicides or pesticides, I highly recommend giving them a wash beforehand.

    Plain tap water works just fine for removing debris and dirt, but a fruit and vegetable wash helps to remove the more difficult stuff, such as apple wax and surface-level pesticides.

    It’s important to note that vegetables and fruits usually have some microorganisms on them. In most cases, washing produce removes these organisms, prolonging their life. However, some fruit and vegetables have their own protective measures. For example, blueberries have bloom, the fine powdery covering that allows them to fight off bacteria and fungus that would cause premature decay.

    fruit washfruit wash
    If you live in the city, it’s still a good idea to use a wash to remove surface pollutants.

    When To Use Fruit Wash

    Most fruit and vegetables can be washed when they come home from the grocery store. I like to wash produce with the skin on, like avocados and beets, right away. I remove packaged goods, like raspberries or cherry tomatoes, completely before washing them. Make sure all produce dries before storing it in the fridge or pantry.

    Others you may want to wait to wash until just before eating to prolong the shelf life. For fresh fruit such as apples, grapes, blueberries, and tomatoes, I like to wait to keep the protective bloom I mentioned earlier. The same goes for kale!

    For more on when and how to properly wash vegetables, visit this post.

    washing an apple with fruit and vegetable washwashing an apple with fruit and vegetable wash
    Wash fresh fruit shortly before you plan on eating it.

    How Does Veggie Wash Work?

    When you soak vegetables and fruits in an acidic solution, it helps to remove bacteria and any surface-level pesticides. This recipe uses both vinegar and citric acid to lower the pH. This helps to further break down any wax left on produce as well as any contaminants left on the surface.

    A fruit and vegetable wash that’s made of a combination of acid and salt makes it easier to remove some of the waxes, chemical sprays, and dirt that can stick to produce when it comes home from the grocery store.

    The ingredients in this fruit and vegetable wash help to get produce squeaky clean without adding an off-putting flavour.

    vegetable wash spray with veggiesvegetable wash spray with veggies
    Acid and salt combined help to remove surface contaminants easily.

    Fruit and Vegetable Wash Recipe

    This recipe is so quick and easy to make. It uses common grocery store ingredients that you may already have in your pantry. Keep it handy in the kitchen for any quick produce trips!

    Materials & Ingredients

    See the recipe card below for exact measurements.

    veggie wash ingredientsveggie wash ingredients

    Make it!

    Measure the warm water. Add citric acid and salt.

    making fruit and vegetable wash with citric acidmaking fruit and vegetable wash with citric acid

    Stir until both are fully dissolved.

    Add vinegar and mix ingredients well together. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle.

    homemade fruit and vegetable washhomemade fruit and vegetable wash
    Store on a counter for up to 3 months.

    How to Use

    Spray produce 2-3 times, let it rest for two minutes, and then rinse off with tap water before consuming.

    While this fruit and vegetable wash tastes rather good (if you like salt and vinegar flavoured chips), it will not change or affect the flavour of the fruit. As long as it’s applied as described, even soft skin fruit like strawberries and raspberries will not take on the salt and vinegar flavour.

    DIY Veggie Wash Storage

    This vinegar-based wash will keep for three months on your counter or in a cabinet. Simply give it a shake before spraying to disperse the ingredients. However, if your veggie wash changes colour or has a strange aroma, it should be discarded.

    More Natural Cleaning Ideas to Try

    Fruit and Vegetable Wash

    Makes 2 1/2 cups of fruit and vegetable wash.

    • Measure out your warm water. Add in your citric acid and salt, stirring until fully dissolved.

    • Add in vinegar, stirring again. Pour into a glass spray bottle.

    • To use, spray produce 2-3 times. Let sit for a couple of minutes before rinsing produce with cold water.

    • Use cleaner within 3 months. Discard if odour arises or colour changes.

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    Stephanie Rose

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  • Do Fruits and Vegetables Boost Our Mood?  | NutritionFacts.org

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    A randomized controlled trial investigates diet and psychological well-being.

    “Psychological health can be broadly conceptualized as comprising 2 key components: mental health (i.e., the presence of absence of mental health disorders such as depression) and psychological well-being (i.e., a positive psychological state, which is more than the absence of a mental health disorder,” and that is the focus of an “emerging field of positive psychology [that] focuses on the positive facts of life, including happiness, life satisfaction, personal strengths, and flourishing.” This may translate to physical “benefits of enhanced well-being, including improvements in blood pressure, immune competence, longevity, career success, and satisfaction with personal relationships.”

    What is “The Contribution of Food Consumption to Well-Being,” the title of an article in Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism? Studies have “linked the consumption of fruits and vegetables with enhanced well-being.” A systematic review of research found evidence that fruit and vegetable intake “was associated with increased psychological well-being.” Only an association?

    There is “a famous criticism in this area of research—namely, that deep-down personality or family upbringing might lead people simultaneously to eat in a healthy way and also to have better mental well-being, so that diet is then merely correlated with, but incorrectly gives the appearance of helping to cause, the level of well-being.” However, recent research circumvented this problem by examining if “changes in diet are correlated with changes in mental well-being”—in effect, studying the “Evolution of Well-Being and Happiness After Increases in Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables.” As you can see below and at 1:37 in my video Fruits and Vegetables Put to the Test for Boosting Mood, as individuals began eating more fruits and veggies, there was a straight-line increase in their change in life satisfaction over time.

    “Increased fruit and vegetable consumption was predictive of increased happiness, life satisfaction, and well-being. They were up to 0.24 life-satisfaction points (for an increase of 8 portions a day), which is equal in size to the psychological gain of going from unemployment to employment.” (My Daily Dozen recommendation is for at least nine servings of fruits and veggies a day.)

    That study was done in Australia. It was repeated in the United Kingdom, and researchers found the same results, though Brits may need to bump up their daily minimum consumption of fruits and vegetables to more like 10 or 11 servings a day.

    As researchers asked in the title of their paper, “Does eating fruit and vegetables also reduce the longitudinal risk of depression and anxiety?” Improved well-being is nice, but “governments and medical authorities are often interested in the determinants of major mental ill-health conditions, such as depression and high levels of anxiety, and not solely in a more typical citizen’s level of well-being”—for instance, not just life satisfaction. And, indeed, using the same dataset but instead looking for mental illness, researchers found that “eating fruit and vegetables may help to protect against future risk of clinical depression and anxiety,” as well.

    A systematic review and meta-analysis of dozens of studies found “an inverse linear association between fruit or vegetable intake and risk of depression, such that every 100-gram increased intake of fruit was associated with a 3% reduced risk of depression,” about half an apple. Yet, “less than 10% of most Western populations consume adequate levels of whole fruits and dietary fiber, with typical intake being about half of the recommended levels.” Maybe the problem is we’re just telling people about the long-term benefits of fruit intake for chronic disease prevention, rather than the near-immediate improvements in well-being. Maybe we should be advertising the “happiness’ gains.” Perhaps, but we first need to make sure they’re real.

    We’ve been talking about associations. Yes, “a healthy diet may reduce the risk of future depression or anxiety, but being diagnosed with depression or anxiety today could also lead to lower fruit and vegetable intake in the future.” Now, in these studies, we can indeed show that the increase in fruit and vegetable consumption came first, and not the other way around, but as the great enlightenment philosopher David Hume pointed out, just because the rooster crows before the dawn doesn’t mean the rooster caused the sun to rise.

    To prove cause and effect, we need to put it to the test with an interventional study. Unfortunately, to date, many studies have compared fruit to chocolate and chips, for instance. Indeed, study participants randomized to eat fruit showed significant improvements in anxiety, depression, fatigue, and emotional distress, which is amazing, but that was compared to chocolate and potato chips, as you can see below and at 4:26 in my video. Apples, clementines, and bananas making people feel better than assorted potato chips and chunky chocolate wafers is not exactly a revelation.

    This is the kind of study I’ve been waiting for: a randomized controlled trial in which young adults were randomized to one of three groups—a diet-as-usual group, a group encouraged to eat more fruits and vegetables, or a third group given two servings of fruits and vegetables a day to eat in addition to their regular diet. Those in the third group “showed improvements to their psychological well-being with increases in vitality, flourishing, and motivation” within just two weeks. However, simply educating people to eat their fruits and vegetables may not be enough to reap the full rewards, so perhaps greater emphasis needs to be placed on providing people with fresh produce—for example, offering free fruit for people when they shop. I know that would certainly make me happy!

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    Michael Greger M.D. FACLM

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  • Taking Advantage of Sensory-Specific Satiety  | NutritionFacts.org

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    How can we use sensory-specific satiety to our advantage?

    When we eat the same foods over and over, we become habituated to them and end up liking them less. That’s why the “10th bite of chocolate, for example, is desired less than the first bite.” We have a built-in biological drive to keep changing up our foods so we’ll be more likely to hit all our nutritional requirements. The drive is so powerful that even “imagined consumption reduces actual consumption.” When study participants imagined again and again that they were eating cheese and were then given actual cheese, they ate less of it than those who repeatedly imagined eating that food fewer times, imagined eating a different food (such as candy), or did not imagine eating the food at all.

    Ironically, habituation may be one of the reasons fad “mono diets,” like the cabbage soup diet, the oatmeal diet, or meal replacement shakes, can actually result in better adherence and lower hunger ratings compared to less restrictive diets.

    In the landmark study “A Satiety Index of Common Foods,” in which dozens of foods were put to the test, boiled potatoes were found to be the most satiating food. Two hundred and forty calories of boiled potatoes were found to be more satisfying in terms of quelling hunger than the same number of calories of any other food tested. In fact, no other food even came close, as you can see below and at 1:14 in my video Exploiting Sensory-Specific Satiety for Weight Loss.

    No doubt the low calorie density of potatoes plays a role. In order to consume 240 calories, nearly one pound of potatoes must be eaten, compared to just a few cookies, and even more apples, grapes, and oranges must be consumed. Each fruit was about 40 percent less satiating than potatoes, though, as shown here and at 1:45 in my video. So, an all-potato diet would probably take the gold—the Yukon gold—for the most bland, monotonous, and satiating diet.

    A mono diet, where only one food is eaten, is the poster child for unsustainability—and thank goodness for that. Over time, they can lead to serious nutrient deficiencies, such as blindness from vitamin A deficiency in the case of white potatoes.

    The satiating power of potatoes can still be brought to bear, though. Boiled potatoes beat out rice and pasta in terms of a satiating side dish, cutting as many as about 200 calories of intake off a meal. Compared to boiled and mashed potatoes, fried french fries or even baked fries do not appear to have the same satiating impact.

    To exploit habituation for weight loss while maintaining nutrient abundance, we could limit the variety of unhealthy foods we eat while expanding the variety of healthy foods. In that way, we can simultaneously take advantage of the appetite-suppressing effects of monotony while diversifying our fruit and vegetable portfolio. Studies have shown that a greater variety of calorie-dense foods, like sweets and snacks, is associated with excess body fat, but a greater variety of vegetables appears protective. When presented with a greater variety of fruit, offered a greater variety of vegetables, or given a greater variety of vegetable seasonings, people may consume a greater quantity, crowding out less healthy options.

    The first 20 years of the official Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended generally eating “a variety of foods.” In the new millennium, they started getting more precise, specifying a diversity of healthier foods, as seen below and at 3:30 in my video. 

    A pair of Harvard and New York University dietitians concluded in their paper “Dietary Variety: An Overlooked Strategy for Obesity and Chronic Disease Control”: “Choose and prepare a greater variety of plant-based foods,” recognizing that a greater variety of less healthy options could be counterproductive.

    So, how can we respond to industry attempts to lure us into temptation by turning our natural biological drives against us? Should we never eat really delicious food? No, but it may help to recognize the effects hyperpalatable foods can have on hijacking our appetites and undermining our body’s better judgment. We can also use some of those same primitive impulses to our advantage by minimizing our choices of the bad and diversifying our choices of the good. In How Not to Diet, I call this “Meatball Monotony and Veggie Variety.” Try picking out a new fruit or vegetable every time you shop.

    In my own family’s home, we always have a wide array of healthy snacks on hand to entice the finickiest of tastes. The contrasting collage of colors and shapes in fruit baskets and vegetable platters beat out boring bowls of a single fruit because they make you want to mix it up and try a little of each. And with different healthy dipping sauces, the possibilities are endless.

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    Michael Greger M.D. FACLM

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  • Chia Seed Pudding

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    Perfect for meal prep, this chia seed pudding recipe is a cinch to make. Chia seeds are mixed with milk, yogurt, honey, and your favorite fruit for a satisfying and wholesome start to your day!

    Chia Seed Pudding with fruit on top
    • Flavor: Cold, creamy, and slightly nutty, chia seed pudding can be customized with fruit, flavored yogurt, and mix-ins. 
    • Skill Level: This recipe is so easy, the kids can help make their own!
    • Prep Note: Chia seed pudding is the ideal prep recipe and keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days.
    • Recommended Tools: Invest in some mason jars with lids for perfectly portioned pudding every time.
    chia seeds , fruit , honey , yogurt , almond milk with labels to make Chia Seed Pudding

    Ingredient Tips for Chia Seed Pudding

    • Chia Seeds: Both black and white chia seeds work in this recipe, just make sure to use whole chia seeds, not ground, for the signature gel-like texture.
    • Milk: Any type of milk will work; however, creamier blends like almond milk, whole milk, or oat milk will make the pudding rich and creamy.
    • Yogurt: Choose your favorite yogurt flavor: try strawberry, blueberry, vanilla, or lemon for a fun twist. Using Greek yogurt will make a thicker pudding and give this recipe a boost of protein!
    • Sweetener: I love using honey, but monkfruit, agave, maple syrup, or a swirl of jam, jelly, or preserves can work too. Add sweetener to taste!
    • Toppings: Fresh or frozen fruit, toasted walnuts, pecans, seeds, coconut, or homemade granola are all tasty extras that make chia seed pudding different every time. Feel free to swirl in your favorite nut butter, chocolate syrup, or a caramel drizzle for a sweet treat.

    Variations

    • A splash of vanilla extract, a half teaspoon of cocoa powder, a dash of cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or apple pie spice are quick and easy flavor enhancers.
    • Try putting the chia seed mixture through the blender for a smoother, more pudding-like texture.
    • For an extra boost of protein, stir in a scoop of your favorite protein powder.
    measuring cup with ingredients to make Chia Seed Pudding
    adding yogurt to ingredients to make Chia Seed Pudding
    jars of Chia Seed Pudding

    How to Make Chia Seed Pudding

    1. Whisk milk and chia seeds in a medium-sized bowl, breaking up any clumps.
    2. Add yogurt and honey until combined (full recipe below).
    3. Pour evenly into 4 containers and refrigerate.
    4. Top with desired fresh fruit, nuts, or other extras before serving.
    • For the best texture, make sure chia seed pudding has plenty of time to work its magic by letting it rest in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
    • If using sweetened yogurt or sweetened milk, you will want to adjust the amount of honey you add to this recipe or omit it completely.
    • Not thick enough? Add more chia seeds and stir again. Then let it chill for an additional 30 minutes or more. Too thick? Stir in some additional milk to thin the mixture out.
    jars of Chia Seed Pudding with berries on top

    Storing Leftovers

    Keep leftover chia seed pudding covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Refresh by stirring it and adding new fruit, nuts, or other tasty extras.

    Quick and Delicious Breakfast Bites

    Did you make this Chia Seed Pudding Recipe? Leave a comment and rating below!

    image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text
    Chia Seed Pudding with fruit on top

    5 from 16 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
    Or to leave a comment, click here!

    Chia Seed Pudding

    Try this delicious chia pudding recipe for a nutritious, cold, and creamy breakfast.

    Prep Time 10 minutes

    Resting time 8 hours

    Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes

    • Pour the milk into a medium bowl. While whisking, add the chia seeds. Let rest for 5 minutes.

    • Whisk yogurt and honey into the chia seed mixture until well combined.

    • Pour into 4 small jars or containers and cover. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 4 days.

    • Top each jar with fresh fruit for serving.

    • Flavorings such as 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, cocoa powder, or ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon or other spices can be added.
    • When using sweetened yogurt or almond milk, consider reducing or eliminating the honey or other sweetener.
    • Yogurt is an optional ingredient in chia pudding.

    Calories: 245 | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 269mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 415IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 321mg | Iron: 2mg

    Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

    Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine American

    © SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.

    jars of Chia Seed Pudding with blackberries and raspberries with a title
    cool and creamy Chia Seed Pudding with writing
    close up of Chia Seed Pudding with fruit and a title
    Chia Seed Pudding in jars and top photo of Chia Seed Pudding with berries on top and a title

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    Holly Nilsson

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  • Baked Vanilla Cardamom Nectarines – Simply Scratch

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    Baked Vanilla Cardamom Nectarines is such an easy and delicious dessert! Nectarine halves are baked with butter, brown sugar and spices and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a homemade granola. Serves 4 to 8 depending.

    Baked Vanilla Cardamom Nectarines

    Need a Quick and Easy dessert? I’ve got you.

    In this recipe, nectarines are baked with butter, brown sugar, earthy spices and served warm with cool and creamy ice cream. It doesn’t get much better than that.

    I remember when I first made this recipe, I didn’t have much time before I had to get the girls off the school bus (they’re 24 and 21 years old now 🥲) so I quickly grabbed the four nectarines I had left in my fruit bowl and devised a plan to bake them in the oven and top with ice cream. After school snack? Dessert before dinner? Who cares! Fast forward 13 years and while I still like to serve these baked vanilla cardamom nectarines with ice cream, I’ve since discovered that I like a little bit of homemade granola sprinkled over top because it adds delicious texture and crunch.

    Baked Vanilla Cardamom NectarinesBaked Vanilla Cardamom Nectarines

    This is summer heaven in a bowl.

    ingredients for Baked Vanilla Cardamom Nectarinesingredients for Baked Vanilla Cardamom Nectarines

    To Make These Baked Vanilla Cardamom Nectarines You Will Need:

    • nectarines  – Use slightly firm yet not overly-ripe fruit. Can substitute with peaches.
    • light brown sugar – Lends sweetness and subtle caramel-like flavor.
    • cardamom (ground) – Slightly citrusy with notes of mint and pepper.
    • cinnamon (ground) – Lends distinct warm and woodsy flavor.
    • nutmeg (ground) – Warm, aromatic with subtle hints of clove.
    • orange juice – Adds a subtle citrus note without overpowering the natural taste of the fruit.
    • vanilla bean paste – Or substitute with pure vanilla extract.
    • unsalted butter – Lends richness and flavor.

    for serving (optional):

    • ice cream – Vanilla or butter pecan ice cream.
    • granola – Use homemade or store-bought. I like to use this honey almond granola.
    • fresh rosemary – Adds a subtle pine-like or woodsy flavor with notes of  lemon, pepper and sage which works well with the nectarines. (optional)

    bowl of nectarine halvesbowl of nectarine halves

    Preheat your oven to 350°F (or 180°C).

    Start by running your knife around 4 nectarines, like you would an avocado. Remove the pit, I used a spoon but you could use your fingers too.

    combine spices and brown sugarcombine spices and brown sugar

    Make The Brown Sugar Mixture:

    In a small bowl, measure and add 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg.

    spice brown sugar in a bowlspice brown sugar in a bowl

    Mix well until combined and set off to the side.

    add vanilla to orange juiceadd vanilla to orange juice

    Make The Vanilla Orange Juice:

    Then, to 1/2 cup of orange juice add 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract.

    stir to combinestir to combine

    Stir well to incorporate.

    add vanilla orange juice and nectarines to a panadd vanilla orange juice and nectarines to a pan

    Bake The Nectarines:

    In a baking dish or nonstick pan, pour in the vanilla orange juice and place the nectarines cut-side up in the pan.

    fill each nectarine half with a little spiced brown sugar and a dot of butterfill each nectarine half with a little spiced brown sugar and a dot of butter

    Then evenly sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of the spiced sugar over top and into the center of the nectarines and dot with a piece of butter. Slide the pan onto the middle rack of your preheated oven for 30 minutes – rotating the pan halfway through baking.

    baked nectarinesbaked nectarines

    I wish you could smell this!

    brush nectarines with the buttery brown sugar mixturebrush nectarines with the buttery brown sugar mixture

    Once baked, brush the buttery brown sugar mixture that has collected in the center of the nectarines over the cut side of the nectarine.

    glazed baked nectarinesglazed baked nectarines

    Really I could just eat these like this and be content.

    Baked Vanilla Cardamom NectarinesBaked Vanilla Cardamom Nectarines

    However, adding 2 nectarine halves per bowl and top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is way better. Because ice cream.

    Baked Vanilla Cardamom NectarinesBaked Vanilla Cardamom Nectarines

    So is topping it with a little homemade granola along with a sprinkle of chopped fresh rosemary, which adds a subtle earthy herbaceous flavor.

    Baked Vanilla Cardamom NectarinesBaked Vanilla Cardamom Nectarines

    You could even drizzle a little of the syrup that’s in the baking dish over top. If the syrup is stuck on the bottom of the pan, add a little orange juice to the warm pan and use a spatula to scrape and soften it.

    Baked Vanilla Cardamom NectarinesBaked Vanilla Cardamom Nectarines

    You’re going to love this dessert!

    Baked Vanilla Cardamom NectarinesBaked Vanilla Cardamom Nectarines

    Enjoy! And if you give this Baked Vanilla Cardamom Nectarines recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

    Baked Vanilla Cardamom NectarinesBaked Vanilla Cardamom Nectarines

    Yield: 4 servings

    Baked Vanilla Cardamom Nectarines

    Baked Vanilla Cardamom Nectarines is such an easy and delicious dessert! Nectarine halves are baked with butter, brown sugar and spices and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a homemade granola. Yields 4 servings.

    Prep Time: 20 minutes

    Cook Time: 20 minutes

    Total Time: 40 minutes

    • 4 nectarines, slightly firm but not over-ripe
    • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, granulated sugar or honey
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 1/2 cup orange juice
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, or pure vanilla extract
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
    • Preheat your oven to 350°F (OR 180°C).Cut the nectarines in half like you would an avocado, starting at the stem and circle around. Remove the pits and any of the remaining stem and discard. Setting the nectarines off to the side.

    • In a small bowl, measure and add brown sugar, cardamom, cinnamon and ground nutmeg. Mix well until combined and set off to the side.

    • To a the orange juice add vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract. Mix well to incorporate.

    • In a baking dish or nonstick pan, pour in the vanilla orange juice and place the nectarines cut-side up in the pan. Evenly sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of the spiced sugar over top and into the center of the nectarines and dot with a piece of butter. Slide the pan onto the middle rack of your preheated oven for 30 minutes – rotating the pan halfway through baking.

    • Once baked, brush the buttery brown sugar mixture that has collected in the center of the nectarines. Let cool slightly.

    • Divide 2 nectarines per bowl and top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, 1/4 cup of granola and a sprinkle of chopped fresh rosemary.You could even drizzle a little of the syrup that’s in the baking dish over top.Note: If the syrup is somewhat stuck on the bottom of the pan, while warm, add a little splash of orange juice and use a spatula to scrape and soften it.
    Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on SimplyScratch.com should only be used as a general guideline.
    Note: Nutritional value is for the baked nectarines and DOES NOT include granola or ice cream, as it would depend on if homemade or store-bought because the calories will differ.

    Serving: 1serving, Calories: 149kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 21mg, Potassium: 261mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 709IU, Vitamin C: 20mg, Calcium: 15mg, Iron: 1mg

    Author: Laurie McNamara

    Course: Desserts & Sweet Treats

    Cuisine: American

    This recipe was originally posted on September 11th, 2012 and has been updated with clear and concise instructions, new photography and helpful information.

    This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Laurie McNamara

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  • Is Moringa the Most Nutritious Food?  | NutritionFacts.org

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    Does the so-called miracle tree live up to the hype?

    Moringa (Moringa oleifera) is a plant commonly known as the “miracle” tree due to its purported healing powers across a spectrum of diseases. If “miracle” isn’t hyperbolic enough for you, “on the Internet,” it’s also known as “God’s Gift to Man.” Is moringa a miracle or just a mirage? “The enthusiasm for the health benefits of M. oleifera is in dire contrast with the scarcity of strong experimental and clinical evidence supporting them. Fortunately, the chasm is slowly being filled.” There has been a surge in scientific publications on moringa. In just the last ten years, the number of articles is closer to a thousand, as shown here and at 1:02 in my video The Benefits of Moringa: Is It the Most Nutritious Food?.

    What got my attention was the presence of glucosinolates, compounds that boost our liver’s detoxifying enzymes. I thought they were only found in cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli, kale, collards, and cauliflower. Still, it turns out they’re also present in the moringa family, with a potency comparable to broccoli. But rather than mail-ordering exotic moringa powder, why not just eat broccoli?Is there something special about moringa?

    “Moringa oleifera has been described as the most nutritious tree yet discovered,” but who eats trees? Moringa supposedly “contains higher amounts of elemental nutrients than most conventional vegetable sources,” such as featuring 10 times more vitamin A than carrots, 12 times more vitamin C than oranges, 17 times more calcium than milk, 15 times more potassium than bananas, 25 times more iron than spinach, and 9 times more protein than yogurt, as shown here and at 2:08 in my video. 
    Sounds impressive, but first of all, even if this were true, it is relevant for 100 grams of dry moringa leaf, which is about 14 tablespoons, almost a whole cup of leaf powder. Researchers have had trouble getting people to eat even 20 grams, so anything more would likely “result in excessively unpleasant taste, due to the bitterness of the leaves.”

    Secondly, the nutritional claims in these papers are “adapted from Fuglie,” which is evidently a lay publication. If you go to the nutrient database of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and enter a more reasonable dose, such as the amount that might be in a smoothie, about a tablespoon, for instance, a serving of moringa powder has as much vitamin A as a quarter of one baby carrot and as much vitamin C as one one-hundredth of an orange. So, an orange has as much vitamin C as a hundred tablespoons of moringa. A serving of moringa powder has the calcium of half a cup of milk, the potassium of not fifteen bananas but a quarter of one banana, the iron of a quarter cup of spinach, and the protein of a third of a container of yogurt, as seen below and at 3:15 in my video. So, it may be nutritious, but not off the charts and certainly not what’s commonly touted. So, again, why not just eat broccoli?

    Moringa does seem to have anticancer activity—in a petri dish—against cell lines of breast cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer, and fibrosarcoma, while tending to leave normal cells relatively alone, but there haven’t been any clinical studies. What’s the point in finding out that “Moringa oleifera extract enhances sexual performance in stressed rats,” as one study was titled?

    Studies like “Effect of supplementation of drumstick (Moringa oleifera) and amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor) leaves powder on antioxidant profile and oxidative status among postmenopausal women” started to make things a little interesting. When researchers were testing the effects of a tablespoon of moringa leaf powder once a day for three months on antioxidant status, they saw a drop in oxidative stress, as one might expect from eating any healthy plant food. However, they also saw a drop in fasting blood sugars from prediabetic levels exceeding 100 to more normal levels. Now, that’s interesting. Should we start recommending a daily tablespoon of moringa powder to people with diabetes, or was it just a fluke? I’ll discuss the study “Moringa oleifera and glycemic [blood sugar] control: A review of the current evidence” next.

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    Michael Greger M.D. FACLM

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  • Boosting BDNF Levels in Our Brain to Treat Depression  | NutritionFacts.org

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    We can raise BDNF levels in our brain by fasting and exercising, as well as by eating and avoiding certain foods.

    There is accumulating evidence that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) may be playing a role in human depression. BDNF controls the growth of new nerve cells. “So, low levels of this peptide could lead to an atrophy of specific brain areas such as the amygdala and the hippocampus, as it has been observed among depressed patients.” That may be one of the reasons that exercise is so good for our brains. Start an hour-a-day exercise regimen, and, within three months, there can be a quadrupling of BDNF release from our brain, as seen below and at 0:35 in my video How to Boost Brain BDNF Levels for Depression Treatment.

    This makes sense. Any time we were desperate to catch prey (or desperate not to become prey ourselves), we needed to be cognitively sharp. So, when we’re fasting, exercising, or in a negative calorie balance, our brain starts churning out BDNF to make sure we’re firing on all cylinders. Of course, Big Pharma is eager to create drugs to mimic this effect, but is there any way to boost BDNF naturally? Yes, I just said it: fasting and exercising. Is there anything we can add to our diet to boost BDNF?

    Higher intakes of dietary flavonoids appear to be protectively associated with symptoms of depression. The Harvard Nurses’ Health Study followed tens of thousands of women for years and found that those who were consuming the most flavonoids appeared to reduce their risk of becoming depressed. Flavonoids occur naturally in plants, so there’s a substantial amount in a variety of healthy foods. But how do we know the benefits are from the flavonoids and not just from eating more healthfully in general? We put it to the test.

    Some fruits and vegetables have more flavonoids than others. As shown below and at 1:51 in my video, apples have more than apricots, plums more than peaches, red cabbage more than white, and kale more than cucumbers. Researchers randomized people into one of three groups: more high-flavonoid fruits and vegetables, more low-flavonoid fruits and vegetables, or no extra fruits and vegetables at all. After 18 weeks, only the high-flavonoid group got a significant boost in BDNF levels, which corresponded with an improvement in cognitive performance. The BDNF boost may help explain why each additional daily serving of fruits or vegetables is associated with a 3 percent decrease in the risk of depression. 

    What’s more, as seen here and at 2:27 in my video, a teaspoon a day of the spice turmeric may boost BNDF levels by more than 50 percent within a month. This is consistent with the other randomized controlled trials that have so far been done. 

    Nuts may help, too. In the PREDIMED study, where people were randomized to receive weekly batches of nuts or extra-virgin olive oil, the nut group lowered their risk of having low BDNF levels by 78 percent, as shown below and at 2:46.

    And BDNF is not implicated only in depression, but schizophrenia. When individuals with schizophrenia underwent a 12-week exercise program, they got a significant boost in their BDNF levels, which led the researchers to “suggest that exercise-induced modulation of BDNF may play an important role in developing non-pharmacological treatment for chronic schizophrenic patients.”

    What about schizophrenia symptoms? Thirty individuals with schizophrenia were randomized to ramp up to 40 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week or not, and there did appear to be an improvement in psychiatric symptoms, such as hallucinations, as well as an increase in their quality of life, with exercise. In fact, researchers could actually visualize what happened in their brains. Loss of brain volume in a certain region appears to be a feature of schizophrenia, but 30 minutes of exercise, three times a week, resulted in an increase of up to 20 percent in the size of that region within three months, as seen here and at 3:46 in my video. 

    Caloric restriction may also increase BDNF levels in people with schizophrenia. So, researchers didn’t just have study participants eat less, but more healthfully, too—less saturated fat and sugar, and more fruits and veggies. The study was like the Soviet fasting trials for schizophrenia that reported truly unbelievable results, supposedly restoring people to function, and described fasting as “an unparalleled achievement in the treatment of schizophrenia”—but part of the problem is that the diagnostic system the Soviets used is completely different than ours, making any results hard to interpret. There was a subgroup that seemed to correspond to the Western definition, but they still reported 40 to 60 percent improvement rates from fasting, but fasting wasn’t all they did. After the participants fasted for up to a month, they were put on a meat- and egg-free diet. So, when the researchers reported these remarkable effects even years later, they were for those individuals who stuck with the meat- and egg-free diet. Evidently, the closer the diet was followed, the better the effect, and those who broke the diet relapsed. The researchers noted: “Not all patients can remain vegetarian, but they must not take meat for at least six months, and then in very small portions.” We know from randomized controlled trials that simply eschewing meat and eggs can improve mental states within just two weeks, so it’s hard to know what role fasting itself played in the reported improvements.

    A single high-fat meal can drop BDNF levels within hours of consumption, and we can prove it’s the fat itself by seeing the same result after injecting fat straight into our veins. Perhaps that helps explain why increased consumption of saturated fats in a high-fat diet may contribute to brain dysfunction—that is, neurodegenerative diseases, long-term memory loss, and cognitive impairment. It may also help explain why the standard American diet has been linked to a higher risk of depression, as dietary factors modulate the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

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    Michael Greger M.D. FACLM

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