Dole Food Company: Better Brain Health
Founded in Hawaii in 1851, Dole Food Company, Inc., is the world's largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit, vegetables, and cut flowers. It also markets a growing line of packaged foods. The company does business in more than 90 countries and employs, on average, 36,000 full-time employees and 23,000 full-time seasonal or temporary employees worldwide.
Dole Food Company's worldwide team of growers, packers, processors, shippers, and employees is committed to consistently providing safe, high-quality fruit, vegetables, and food products while protecting the environment in which its products are grown and processed. Dole's dedication to quality is a commitment solidly backed by comprehensive programs for food safety, scientific crop protection programs, stringent quality control measures, state-of-the-art production and transportation technologies, continuous improvement through research and innovation, and dedication to the safety of our employees, communities, and the environment. Dole is committed to nutrition education to communicate to the public the health benefits of eating five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Dole is a founding member of the National 5 A Day for Better Health program and is a leader in developing technology-based nutrition education programs for children.
Fruits and Vegetables are Linked to Better Brain Health
The recent 2005 USDA Dietary Guidelines encourage five to 13 servings of fruit and vegetables each day for the 1200 to 3200 daily calorie levels. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer and other chronic diseases. This is the new dietary guidance resulting from collaboration between the National Cancer Institute and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This guidance is based on a broad, well-established body of scientific study. The 2005 USDA Dietary Guidelines emphasize the importance of consuming whole fruits, (fresh, frozen, canned, dried) rather than fruit juice for the majority of the total daily amount suggested, so that adequate fiber can also be obtained. The table below provides a summary of key nutrients from fruits and vegetables.
| Sources of Carotenoids (Vitamin A) | Bright orange vegetables: carrots, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin Tomatoes, red sweet peppers Leafy greens such as spinach, collards, turnip greens, kale, beets, green leaf and romaine lettuces Orange fruits such as mango, cantaloupe, apricots, and grapefruit |
|---|---|
| Source of Vitamin C | Citrus fruits, kiwi, strawberries, guava, papaya, cantaloupe Broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, Brussels sprouts Leafy greens, like spinach and mustard greens |
| Sources of Potassium | Cooked greens like spinach, squash Bananas, dried fruits, cantaloupe, honeydew melons Tomatoes, beet greens, soybeans, cooked dry beans |
Source: USDA Dietary Guidelines, 2005 publication
Better Brain Health
Cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure also appear to slow down mental functioning at an earlier age. Boosting your mood and memory is certainly under the influence of proper nutrition. Two studies presented at the Ninth International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders suggest that losing weight, changing diets, and staying mentally and socially active may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
A study by Harvard Medical School and others evaluated participants in the Nurses Health Study, which has followed the diets and health status of 13,000 women since 1972. The researchers calculated the women's intake of fruits and vegetables between 1984 and 1995 and correlated these values with performance on tests of cognitive function conducted between 1995 and 2003, when the women were in their 70s. Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables did not affect the overall decline in the women's cognitive scores. However, the researchers found that subjects with the highest consumption of green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables such as spinach and broccoli—both high in folate and antioxidants such as carotenoids and vitamin C—declined less than women who ate small amounts of these vegetables.
Miia Kivipelto, M.D., Ph.D., of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and colleagues from Sweden and Finland presented data from a group of nearly 1,500 older subjects, followed for an average of 21 years. Study participants who were obese in middle age were twice as likely to develop dementia later in life. For those subjects who also had high cholesterol and hypertension in midlife, the risk of dementia was multiplied six times. Inflammation and impeded blood flow to the brain may be among the factors that leave the obese individual more vulnerable to developing Alzheimers's. Medical experts fear that today's current obesity crisis may contribute to the future incidence rates of Alzheimer's cases. Fruits and vegetables not only contain the protective antioxidants and nutrients to decrease risk factors associated with Alzheimers, but are also nutrient-dense and low-calorie. In other words, they provide the most nutrition with the least amount of calories.
Stress can also affects one's mood. It is well established that chronic stress has negative effects on our health. Elevated levels of stress chemicals and hormones increase blood pressure, abdominal fat deposition, insulin resistance, and overeating by increasing the craving for sugary and fatty foods. During stress, neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, known as the "happy messengers," begin to malfunction, and the body's nerve centers begin to receive mostly overstress messengers. The elevated blood pressure damages blood vessels, leading to inflammation and atherosclerosis. Stress can also deplete certain nutrients such as Vitamin C, leaving one more vulnerable to health complications. The best sources of Vitamin C include citrus fruits, kiwi, broccoli, cauliflower, pineapple, strawberries, and cantaloupe.
A new study from the MIT Clinical Research Center suggests irritability and moods swings are often associated with extreme low carbohydrate diets. According to study author and Director of Women's Health Judith Wurtman, low-carb dieting can cause serotonin levels to plummet, which in turn contributes to mood disorders. Other research has linked depression with low levels of the important B vitamin, folate, found in abundance in most fruits and vegetables as well as fortified grain products, which is also consumed in low amounts in low-carbohydrate diets.
These hormonal and emotional effects may help explain why such extreme low-carb regimes are so difficult to maintain in the long run. Serotonin deprivation can lead to carbohydrate cravings, setting unsuspecting dieters up for binges and rebounds.
A good mood prescription includes B-vitamin-rich foods such as asparagus, spinach, broccoli, bananas, cantaloupe, and beans.
Top 10 Anti-Cancer Fruits and Vegetables
The many different paths which fruits and vegetables take to health benefits may be confusing or difficult to understand. However, what is simple to realize is that adding more color to your daily menus is the healthiest way to go.
Phytochemicals work synergistically to exert their protective health benefits in the body. Dole Nutrition Institute research scientist Tom Mahier has provided an analysis of existing research to summarize the top 10 list of anti cancer fruits and vegetables
- TOMATOES Lycopene, also found in watermelon and pink grapefruit, has been linked to lower risk of prostate, ovarian, and cervical cancers. It also targets the free radical that is implicated in lung and digestive cancers.
- BROCCOLI SPROUTS: The ultimate baby vegetable. One forkful triggers a cascade of antioxidant activity that lasts for days. You'll get similar benefits from other cruciferous veggies, including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage. Sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol protect against prostate, bladder, colon, pancreatic, gastric, breast and other hormone-related cancers. A medium stalk of broccoli contains 50 calories and is an excellent source of Vitamin C, folate, and Vitamin K. This same portion provides a good source of fiber, potassium, and Vitamin A, and offers 2500 mg of the carotenoid antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin.
- BERRIES: Blueberries, cranberries, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, and grapes are all rich in anthocyanins that repair and protect DNA.
- SOYBEANS: Isoflavones such as genistein may help prevent and treat prostate cancer, and may reduce breast cancer risk.
- TEA: Both black and green contain powerful compounds shown in countless studies to lower the risk of several types of cancer.
- PUMPKIN: This unsung superfood is a extremely rich source of both beta-carotene and alpha-carotene, two hard-working carotenoids that combat lung and ovarian cancer. Other good bets: carrots, yams, squash, melons, and sweet red peppers.
- SPINACH: Popeye's favorite may help KO cancers of the liver, ovaries, colon and prostate. The active antioxidant lutein is also found in kale and other leafy greens. Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamins A and K, and a good source of Vitamin C and folate.
- GARLIC: Allium veggies (which also include onions and scallions) work to get your body's own antioxidant defense systems in gear. This process provides protective benefits against stomach, esophageal, and breast cancers.
- PINEAPPLE: The enzyme bromelain may inhibit the growth of malignant cells in both lung and breast cancer, while the phenolic compounds also provide a protective benefit. Pineapple is also an excellent source of Vitamin C, an antioxidant.
- APPLE: Can one a day help keep cancer at bay? Studies show quercetin may reduce the risk of lung cancer and impede growth of prostate cancer cells. Other antioxidants, together with pectin, help halt colon and liver cancer cell replication.
Suggested Reading
Kivipelto, M., et al. Body mass index, clustering of vascular risk factors, risk of dementia: A longitudinal population based study. Neurol Bio of Aging. Elsevior Vol 25, supplement 2. 2004.
Kang, J. et al. Fruit and vegetable consumption and cognitive decline in women. Neurol Bio of Aging. Elsevior Vol 25, supplement 2. 2004.