陽光下的遠行

By Samantha Heller for MSN Health & Fitness

Cabbage or curry for cancer prevention. Sweet potatoes for longevity. Honey to heal wounds? We’ve traveled the globe and found some unusual nutrition secrets you might want to incorporate into your next meal. They could lead to better health.  

Ireland
An underappreciated vegetable in the States, cabbage is a staple comfort food in Ireland, where it’s traditionally served with boiled bacon (corned beef and cabbage is more popular in the U.S. than the Emerald Isle). For a cancer-fighting boost, skip the bacon and corned beef and dive into a head of cabbage. Cabbage has special compounds that detoxify cancer cells and interfere with the formation of cancerous substances. Cabbage’s cousins—the cruciferous vegetables broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and turnips—are also effective disease fighters. Studies show that cruciferous vegetables may be protective against ischemic stroke, lung, breast, gastrointestinal and pancreatic cancer, cognitive decline and diabetes. Maybe all this has something to do with the luck of the Irish. 

Okinawa
People on the Japanese island of Okinawa live the longest, healthiest lives of any single group on earth. In fact Okinawa has the highest prevalence of centenarians (people older than 100) in the world. Research shows that even their arteries stay young—and their diet is one of the biggest contributing factors. 

Dr. Bradley Willcox, associate director of research on healthy aging at Pacific Health Research Institute and a co-principal investigator of the Okinawa Centenarian Study, says a major secret is in their diet. “Okinawans imported delectable dietary secrets from cultures they encountered in the spice trade. They eat a type of healthy East-West fusion diet that includes fish, green and yellow vegetables, legumes (esp. tofu), small amounts of lean meats (pork), sweet potatoes and utilizes spices such as ginger and garlic.” 

Sweet potatoes are just one reason Okinawans have such young, healthy cardiovascular systems. They are loaded with heart-healthy antioxidants, carotenoids, vitamins E and B-6, copper and fiber. Various teas and immune-boosting tonics made from turmeric, mugwort, and other herbs provide potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protection.

Willcox, a clinical assistant professor in the University of Hawaii’s Department of Geriatric Medicine, says fully embracing the Okinawa diet means eating fewer calories. “Their habit of ‘hara hachi bu’ (eating until 80 percent full), regular exercise and active social lives gives Okinawans the right formula for the world’s longest healthy lifespan.”

Summaria
Honey. We use it to sweeten our tea and make decadent desserts, and if we like someone enough it makes an endearing nickname. Ancient civilizations like the Sumarians used this thick, golden syrup as medicine. Today researchers are rediscovering the remarkable healing properties of honey. In July 2007 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of honey-based wound dressings to treat certain types of pressure sores, skin ulcers, surgical wounds and burns. “Honey gives rapid, scar-free healing of wounds. It has numerous beneficial actions in the healing process, the most important of which is the suppression of inflammation through its antibacterial activity,” says Dr. Peter Molan, director of the Honey Research Unit at the University of Waikato in New Zealand.

Honey’s unique healing abilities stem from its composition which include the sugars glucose and fructose, vitamins, minerals and an enzyme called glucose oxidase. The compounds work together to kill bacteria, reduce inflammation and hasten the healing process. But don’t try this at home. Experts recommend having a qualified medical practitioner apply wound dressings with honey. 

Middle East
Lentils are an important part of the Mideast’s food culture because they’re versatile, hearty and wield a nutrient-packing punch.  Lentils and other legumes are rich in amino acids, fiber, B vitamins, iron, potassium, and magnesium. Clinical research tells us that bean-eating people weigh less than non-bean eaters and are at a decreased risk for heart disease and cancer.   Legumes also help boost the immune system by nourishing the healthy bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract. 

India
If you have ever spilled curry on a white shirt, you know how impossible it is to get rid of that bright yellow stain. Can the cause of that glowing splotch help prevent cancer?  Scientists believe it just might.

The disease-fighting actions of turmeric come from a compound called curcumin. Research suggests that curcumin has powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and antioxidant  properties that may be protective against several types of cancers, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Dr. Bharat B. Aggarwal, a  professor of cancer medicine at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston says  that in India where turmeric is consumed daily, the rate of, lung, colon, prostate and breast cancer is ten times lower than in the U.S. Curcumin appears to block the development and multiplication of several types of cancer cells and enhance full body immunity.

“I cannot think of anybody who should not use curcumin, except people who are on blood-thinning medication, since curcumin also thins the blood,” Aggarwal says. He suggests cooking with half a teaspoon of turmeric a day (it doesn’t taste good raw).  With a green light from your physician, Aggarwal recommends supplemental curcumin; 500-1,000mg per day if you are at risk for or suffering from a chronic disease, and 500mg per day to for overall health benefits.