Eco Green Facts

Archive for April, 2011

Eco Green Facts has uncovered some alarming statistics. Did you know that many personal care products sold contain the carcinogen 1.4-Dioxane which is suspected of causing cancer and birth defects?

 Over 150,000 babies are born with defects each year and the cause is unknown, which begs the question “Could the carcinogens in our personal care products cause birth defects?”

 Statistically, 500,000 babies are miscarried early in pregnancy or stillborn.

 Over two million couples are unable to conceive and it appears that infertility is increasing. Could this be due to the amount of chemicals ingested from cleaning products?

 If you are pregnant, eating organic foods is one way of lessening the amount of toxins you are exposed to during pregnancy. Studies show that high levels of toxins can be found in the blood stream of newborn babies due to the mother’s level of exposure during pregnancy. Since exposure begins in the womb with toxins being transferred from mom to baby by umbilical cord blood, this is a vital stage to reduce exposure. With no one knowing the true effects on a developing brain and other vital organs, using natural cleaning & personal care products both during and after pregnancy seems a logical choice.

 It is important to eat organic foods whenever possible to decrease your exposure level to toxins. Even if you already have children, it is never too late to introduce organic foods to their diets. Eating organic foods decreases toxins. Certain fruits and vegetables are more toxic than others and going organic in this group reduces your level of exposure to pesticides by 90%. These include potatoes, strawberries, peaches, apples, spinach, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, cherries, pears, imported grapes and lettuce. Finding organic foods is not always the most convenient or affordable but if you focused on these foods it would truly make an impact on your child’s toxin intake.

Sweet potatoes or baby potatoes are a better option to large potatoes as the antioxidant in these foods is remarkably higher. Onions and capsicums are also good antioxidant foods.

Sweet Potato

The sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), commonly called a yam in parts of the United States, is a crop plant whose large, starchy, sweet tasting tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The sweet potato is only distantly related to the potato (Solanum tuberosum). It is even more distantly related to the true yam (Dioscorea species) which is native to Africa and Asia.  Sweet potatoes are native to the tropical parts of the Americas and are one of the oldest vegetables known to man.

Sweet Potato is one of the healthiest vegetables offering an array of essential nutrients.  This root vegetable is an excellent source of vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene which is benefits night blindness, boosts the immune system and skin), a very good source of vitamin C and manganese, and a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin B6 and potassium.  The sweet potato is a source of  copper and iron making it a great blood building food.

Onion

Onions are native to Asia and the Middle East and have been cultivated for over five thousand years. Onions were highly regarded by the Egyptians. Not only did they use them as currency to pay the workers who built the pyramids, but they also placed them in the tombs of kings, such as Tutankhamen, so that they could carry these gifts bestowed with spiritual significance with them to the afterlife.

Onions have been revered throughout time not only for their culinary use, but also for their therapeutic properties. As early as the 6th century, onions were used as a medicine in India. While they were popular with the ancient Greeks and Romans, they were oftentimes dressed with extra seasonings since many people did not find them spicy enough. Yet, it was their pungency that made onions popular among poor people throughout the world who could freely use this inexpensive vegetable to spark up their meals. Onions were an indispensable vegetable in the cuisines of many European countries during the Middle Ages and later even served as a classic healthy breakfast food. Christopher Columbus brought onions to the West Indies; their cultivation spread from there throughout the Western Hemisphere.

Onions, like garlic, are members of the Allium family, and both are rich in sulfur-containing compounds that are responsible for their pungent odors and for many of their health-promoting effects. A wide variety of allyl sulfides are found in onion, including the four major diallyl sulfides: DMS (diallyl monosulfide), DDS (diallyl disulfide), DTS (diallyl trisulfide), and DTTS (diallyl tetrasulfide). Also present are a wide variety of sulfoxides, including (+) S-methyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide (MCSO), (+)-S-(1-propenyl)-L-cysteine sulfoxide (PRENCSO), S-methyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide, S-propyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide, and S-propenyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide. Onions are an outstanding source of polyphenols, including the flavonoid polyphenols. Within this flavonoid category, onions are a standout source of quercetin.

Cardiovascular Benefits

Unlike the research on garlic and its cardiovascular benefits, research specifically focused on onion has mostly been conducted on animals rather than humans. In animal studies, there is evidence that onion’s sulfur compounds may work in an anti-clotting capacity and help prevent the unwanted clumping together of blood platelet cells. There is also evidence showing that sulfur compounds in onion can lower blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, and also improve cell membrane function in red blood cells.

In human studies, most of the cardiovascular benefits have been demonstrated in the form of overall diet. Multiple studies show onion to be a food that provides protection for the heart and blood vessels when consumed in a diet that is rich in other vegetables and fruits-especially flavonoid-containing vegetables and fruits. The benefits of onion in this overall dietary context extend to prevention of heart attack. In virtually all of these diet-based studies, participants with the greatest intake of vegetables (including onions) gain the most protection. The outstanding flavonoid content of onions supports these research findings. It’s also interesting to note that onion is most commonly consumed in relatively small amounts along with other foods rather than by itself. For this reason, it can be more difficult to study in large-scale dietary research studies that involve thousands of participants and rely on diet diaries to determine onion consumption.

Support for Bone and Connective Tissue

Human studies have shown that onion can help increase our bone density and may be of special benefit to women of menopausal age who are experiencing loss of bone density. In addition, there is evidence that women who have passed the age of menopause may be able to lower their risk of hip fracture through frequent consumption of onions. “Frequent” in this context means onion consumption on a daily basis! In this research on bone density in older women, very sporadic eating of onion (once a month or less) did not provide much benefit. That finding, of course, was very expected. But less expected was the finding that it took daily consumption of onion to show robust benefits for bone density. Just as in the cancer-related onion research, the take-away message here is clear: you don’t want to skimp on onions when you are incorporating them into your meal plan.

In and of itself, the high sulfur content of onions may provide direct benefits to our connective tissue. Many of our connective tissue components require sulfur for their formation. For example, with the exception of hyaluronic acid, all glycosaminoglycans (GAGS) are sulfated. (GAGS are the premiere family of molecules found in the ground substance of our connective tissue.)

Anti-Inflammatory Benefits

While onion is not as well researched as garlic in terms of specific inflammatory health problems like rheumatoid arthritis or allergic airway inflammation, this allium vegetable has nevertheless been shown to provide important anti-inflammatory benefits. Onionin A-a unique sulfur molecule in onion that is found in the bulb portion of the plant-has been shown to inhibit the activity of macrophages, specialized white blood cells that play a key role in our body’s immune defense system, and one of their defense activities involves the triggering of large-scale inflammatory responses. While macrophage activity is typically a good thing, inhibition of their activity can sometimes be critical in getting chronic unwanted inflammation under control.

Onion’s antioxidants-including its hallmark flavonoid antioxidant, quercetin-also provide us with anti-inflammatory benefits. These antioxidants help prevent the oxidation of fatty acids in our body. When we have lower levels of oxidized fatty acids, our body produces fewer pro-inflammatory messaging molecules, and our level of inflammation is kept in check.

Cancer Protection

Onion has repeatedly been shown to lower our risk of several cancers, even when we consume it in only moderate amounts. “Moderate” generally means 1-2 times per week, even though in some studies it has been used to mean up to 5-6 times per week. Colorectal cancer, laryngeal cancer, and ovarian cancer are the cancer types for which risk is reduced along with moderate amounts of dietary onion. For other cancer types, however, moderate intake of onion has not been enough to show significant risk reduction. For these cancer types-including esophageal cancer and cancers of the mouth-daily intake of onion is required before research results show significant risk reduction.

Many factors may play a role in these different research findings for different cancer types. However, the overall take-away from this research seems clear: you do not want to err on the side of small onion servings or infrequent onion intake if you want to obtain the full cancer-related benefits of onion. A few slivers of sliced onion on a tossed salad are a good thing-but probably not enough to provide you with the cancer-related onion benefits that you are seeking. In recipes that already call for onion, try to include at least 1 whole onion (medium size) in the recipe. In recipes that do not already call for onion, consider the addition of 1 medium size onion (if you think onion might fit into the recipe and still provide a tasty outcome). In terms of individual portion sizes when you sit down to eat a meal, try to consume the equivalent of ½ onion.

Foods are considered to be the preferred way of boosting antioxidant levels because they’re thought to contain a wide array of antioxidant substances. Many of them are also high in vitamins, minerals and fiber.

A USDA study analyzed the antioxidant content of commonly consumed foods. Researchers tested over 100 foods. Here is a ranked list of the top 20 fruits, vegetables and nuts:

1. Small red bean (dried), 1/2 cup

2. Wild blueberry, 1 cup

3. Red kidney bean (dried), 1/2 cup[br[

4. Pinto bean, 1/2 cup

5. Blueberry (cultivated), 1 cup

6. Cranberry, 1 cup (whole)

7. Artichoke (cooked hearts), 1 cup

8. Blackberry, 1 cup

9. Prune, 1/2 cup

10. Raspberry, 1 cup

11. Strawberry, 1 cup

12. Red delicious apple, 1

13. Granny Smith apple, 1

14. Pecan, 1 ounce

15. Sweet cherry, 1 cup

16. Black plum, 1

17. Russet potato, 1 cooked

18. Black bean (dried), 1/2 cup

19. Plum, 1

20. Gala apple, 1

Now that you have introduced good antioxidant foods into your family’s diet, you can also make a smarter decision when it comes to your children’s mattresses. Some bassinet and cot mattresses are constructed of polyurethane foam enclosed in vinyl covers. The plastic products are made by combining highly toxic chemicals together. Every night your child breathes in these toxins. A healthier alternative would be to purchase a mattress made from 100% natural and raw fibres. You can find natural mattresses for all stages of your child’s life from birth to teens. These are positive steps to a more natural life style for you and your children. By taking these steps, your children will be healthier by your choices.

If you have views or ideas on any of the topics covered in these blogs Eco Green Facts would love to hear from you. Alternatively, if there is a subject you would like discussed in our blogs, please email us with your thoughts. Happy reading!