Eat the Rainbow

by: Pm - August 20th, 2007

Eat the Rainbow

Sorry if I got your hopes up, but I’m neither sanctioning, nor endorsing, the consumption of Skittles®, Trix®, Lucky Charms®, or Starburst® (at least not on non-cheat days). True each of these food-like items is colorful, but it’s not in the way that nature had intended. These are manmade colors friends; no more real than the talking rabbits, manic leprechauns, or the Skittles Midas Man on the Saturday morning commercials.

From what I can gather, this R.A. group has its staunch high-carb supporters and its share of low-carb loyalists. Many of us, myself included, fall somewhere in the middle. Whether we fear or favor our sugars and starches, there is one vibrant carb category that all of us will eat: high-water veggies and fruits.

Green leafy’s, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, carrots, eggplants, asparagus, berries, tomatoes, melons, onions, garlic, cabbage, peapods … the list goes on and on. This is just a sampling of the cornucopia of produce that we body builders and fitness enthusiasts regularly feast upon.

Instinctively, we eat these foods because they have virtually no fat, little starch, and few calories. Many of them are packed with fiber too. This enables us to eat them often and in large amounts with little consequence to our physiques. Turns out these foods do affect our bodies more than we think – but in a good way.

Plant foods are packed with phytochemicals. Despite the name, phytochemicals aren’t something concocted in a lab. And, they’re not some sort of pesticide residue either. Phytochemicals are simply compounds – usually, though not always, colorful – that are naturally synthesized within the leaves, stems, flowers, roots, or fruits of a plant. In the wild, these compounds shield the plant from oxidative/radiation damage by the sun. They also help protect the plant against microbial, fungal, and insect attack.

As we eat these plant foods, the phytochemicals are absorbed (often in conjunction with fat soluble vitamins) into our blood or lymphatic systems and are delivered to the liver for further processing or redistribution to peripheral tissues (eyes, prostate, lungs, heart/blood vessels, muscles, etc.). Here, these phytochemicals continue to exert their protective actions; only this time they are protecting our tissues rather than the plant’s tissues. For this reason, some people refer to phytochemicals as phytonutrients, though this isn’t technically accurate as they are not (least so far as we know) essential like vitamins, certain amino acids, fatty acids, and minerals.

There are literally thousands and thousands of different phytochemicals in nature. And new ones are being discovered frequently. Though scientists have known about the existence of phytochemicals for some time, the relationship between phytochemical consumption and good health is just beginning to be understood.

Unless you’re new to the game, you’ve probably heard terms like lycopene and beta carotene. Lycopene is a red colored pigment that made the headlines (at least here in the U.S.) a few years back when researchers found a link between high tomato consumption and reduced risk of prostate cancer. Unlike many vitamins, lycopene is very heat-stable, so cooking actually increases its availability in foods. After the news broke, the tomato industry rejoiced and soon after it wasn’t uncommon to see ketchup companies running full-page ads that basically told people that ketchup counted as a vegetable and that eating it regularly could reduce cancer. (Too bad they failed to acknowledge that the foods that you typically put ketchup on, i.e., hamburgers & hot dogs, contain carcinogens that almost certainly do more to increase your cancer risk than the red condiment does to contain it.)

Beta carotene is an orange-yellow pigment found in a wide variety of foods, most notably carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, and pumpkin. A little over a decade ago, beta carotene was all the rage. Beta carotene was determined to be a powerful antioxidant, so people were popping beta carotene softgels like… like…, well, Skittles®. Then came a study that left everyone scratching their heads. After studying a large group of smokers over a prolong period, researchers found that taking beta carotene actually increased the smokers’ risk of contracting lung cancer. Turns out that the beta carotene may have actually been protecting the cancer cells more than the healthy lung cells enabling them to grow and proliferate. Earlier investigations examining smokers who eat large amounts of beta carotene-rich foods suggested just the opposite: the higher the beta carotene intake, the lower the cancer risk. So what went wrong here? A couple of things. First, the researchers used synthetic beta carotene rather than natural beta carotene. The two may not work identically inside the body (Incidentally, the same is true of vitamin E, so always go with natural). Secondly, the researchers gave a highly concentrated dose of a single carotenoid, rather than a mix of carotenoids, as they are found in nature. The morals of the story, (1) foods are always a better source of phytochemicals than supplements, (2) when taking supplemental phytochemicals choose ones that are naturally-sourced, and (3) look for supplements that contain associated pigments, e.g., alpha-carotene, zeaxanthin, lycopene, etc. bundled together rather than just one type.

In any case, a complete dissertation on the various types of phytochemicals is beyond the scope of this paper. (There are over 600 different types carotenoids alone!) Instead, I am focusing on two of the most diverse classes of phytochemicals: carotenoids and polyphenols. Inquiring minds who want to learn about inositol phosphates (found in whole grains), lignans (flaxseeds, garbanzo beans), isothiocyanates, indoles, sulfides, and thiols (cabbage, broccoli, leeks, onions, garlic), terpenes (coffee, lemons), or other types of phytochemicals the need look no further than their computer; the internet is filled with good information. Just be sure to stick to more reputable government and university sites. Ohio State, American Heart Association, OSU, USDA (Unfortunately, there’s a lot of junk information out there too.)

Carotenoids (beta carotene, alpha carotene, lutine, lycopene, zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin, etc.) As we’ve already discussed, carotenoids are found in red, orange, yellow and green colored foods including spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli bell peppers, winter squash, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, egg yolks, pink grapefruit, guava, and watermelon. Consumption of foods containing beta carotene is associated with reduced risk of certain cancers, heart disease, and macular degeneration. Carotenoids are fat-soluble like vitamins, E, D, A, and K, so eating adding a little oil-based dressing on your salad or butter on your baked sweet potato isn’t a bad idea.

Polyphenols (ellagic aids, anthocyanins, catechins, isoflavones, flavanones, flavones, flavonols, coumarins, etc.) are a diverse category and appear to protect heath in a variety of different ways. Some proposed mechanisms include: (a) enhancing the body’s immune response, (b), favorably altering estrogen metabolism, (c) repairing DNA damage caused by environmental toxins, (d) acting as antioxidants, (e) aiding the liver’s detoxifying activity, and (f) killing cancer cells before they can spread. Look for polyphenols in blue, purple, dark red, brown, and white colored foods ranging from berries, citrus fruits, red cabbage, and soybeans to tea, wine, coffee, and dark chocolate.

Interesting tidbit: The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture recently reported that the naturally blue-pigmented corn meal used to make those trendy new blue tortilla chips, offers more than aesthetic appeal. Upon analysis, researchers discovered that blue corn chips have 20% more protein and a lower glycemic index value (so they don’t spike insulin levels as greatly) than their more pedestrian yellow-colored counterparts. Additionally, the blue corn chips were found to contain free-radical-neutralizing anthocyanins that, like other polyphenols, may help protect against certain types of cancers, urinary-tract infections, protect your blood vessels, and boost your memory.

The length of this paper has gotten out of control, so I’m going to wrap it up.

The take home message is…

• The natural pigments in foods are actually health-protective. In general, the more colorful, the more healthful (e.g., red, yellow, and orange bell peppers contain more vitamin C and phytochemicals than green bell peppers)

• Phytochemicals are found solely in plant foods. Consequently, your diet should contain several daily servings of vegetables and fruits

• No single plant contains all of the healthful compounds, so eat a variety of different types of plant foods at different meals. Get crazy and substitute that steamed broccoli for steamed cauliflower or micro-cooked asparagus spears once and awhile.

To sum things up, here are a few eye-opening statistics from the USDA’s website:

• Americans consume only 0.2 daily servings of deep yellow or green vegetables daily
• 10% of the population consumes < 1 serving of any type of vegetable per day.
• 48% of Americans consume less than one serving of fruit every day.

Is it really any wonder why obesity runs ramped in this country… or why we only rank 40-somethingth, in terms of lifespan, in the world?

Till next time…

Happy Heaving,

PM

The information contained in this article is not intended to be used for, or replace, the advice, medical diagnosis, or treatment of your doctor. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other licensed healthcare provider before starting any new supplement, diet, or exercise routine or when you have questions regarding any medical condition. Use of this article indicates that you expressly acknowledge and agree that Optimum Nutrition, Inc., its suppliers, licensees, and sub-licensees are not responsible for the results of your decision resulting from the use of this information including, but not limited to, your choosing to seek or not seek professional medical care based on the information contained in this article.