Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Eat Your Fruits and Veggies For Longer Life

From HealthDay News. Didn't we already know this? Oh well--here it is again.

"Consuming high amounts of beta-carotene's less well-known antioxidant cousin, alpha-carotene, in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of dying from all causes, including heart disease and cancer, new research suggests.

Both nutrients are called carotenoids -- named after carrots -- because of the red, yellow and orange coloring they lend to a range of produce. Once consumed, both alpha- and beta-carotene are converted by the body to vitamin A, although that process is believed to unfold more efficiently with beta-carotene than with alpha-carotene.

However, the new study suggests alpha-carotene may play the more crucial role in defending cells' DNA from attack. This might explain the nutrient's ability to limit the type of tissue damage that can trigger fatal illness, researchers say."

...

"Risk of death for those with alpha-carotene blood levels in the range of between 4 and 5 mcg/dL, between 6 and 8 mcg/dL, and 9 mcg/dL or above dropped 27 percent, 34 percent and 39 percent, respectively, versus those in the 0 to 1 mcg/dL range.

The team also linked higher blood alpha-carotene levels to a lower risk for dying from the nation's two top killers: cardiovascular disease or cancer.

Li's team said that while more research is needed, the findings generally suggest that eating more fruits and vegetables can help lower your risk for premature death."

...

"This is very preliminary," she said. "There haven't been many clinical trials looking into this. And it's always tricky when you're singling out a single nutrient, because components in foods may work individually or synergistically. The question is: Is alpha-carotene acting in conjunction with something else? We don't really know," Sandon explained.

"The alpha-carotene itself is probably not the cause of longer life," she added. "But we can still say that if you're getting more of these kinds of phytonutrients found in foods, this may help you live longer and healthier."

The bottom line, according to Sandon: "I certainly think it would be wrong for people to take away from this that they should set out to specifically consume alpha-carotene. What people should take away from this is that they should go out and eat the foods that have alpha-carotene in them."


Worried about health insurance or the lack of it? You can have all the health insurance you can afford in the produce section of any store, or all you can grow in your garden. In the past, I've written this about produce and health insurance.

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