Healthy Food & Healthy Living by Dr. Ayala

Food additives and hyperactivity

We are getting incredible feedback from our customers about Ayala's Herbal Water.  One of the things people keep thanking us for is the "zero artificial, zero preservative" feature, which is in our core philosophy. 

Reading and understanding the labels of processed food can be quite a challenge.  When I look at a food label, I am suspicious of any ingredient that does not sound like a recognizable food.  Different additives might be necessary and safe. Others are completely unnecessary, and not only do not add to your health, but may be unsafe, especially if used often.

Substances may be added to food during processing for different reasons.  They may be added to help the consistency and texture, to improve the nutritional value, preserve and stabilize the food, or for color and flavor. 

Artificial food colors and other food additives have long been suggested by parents and educators to negatively affect behavior in children. The evidence though, was inconclusive.

A recent paper published in the Lancet (Lancet. 370(9598):1560-7, 2007 Nov 3) warns that children in general, and not just those suffering from ADD and ADHD, can become more impulsive, inattentive and hyperactive from the cocktail of artificial extras found in drinks, sweets and processed foods. (See report of this paper in the NY Times

In this well designed, randomized, placebo controlled double blind study, scientists at Southampton University recorded the responses of 153 three-year-olds and 144 eight to nine-year-olds to various drinks and found that artificial food color and additives were having "deleterious effects".

In a six-week trial, the researchers gave the children drinks with additives (artificial colors and sodium benzoate) that mimicked commercially available drinks. A control group was given an additive-free placebo drink that looked and tasted the same. The diet was otherwise controlled to be additive free. The children’s behavior was evaluated for inattention and hyperactivity by parents, teachers, and through a computer test for the 8/9 year olds. Neither the researchers nor the subject knew which drink any of the children had consumed.

The researchers discovered that children in both age groups were significantly more hyperactive, and that they had shorter attention spans, if they had consumed the drink containing the additives. The study could not differentiate the effect of food color from that of the preservative.

The authors conclude that food additives exacerbate hyperactive behavior in children at least into middle school. These behaviors are associated with educational difficulties. They comment that although the use of food coloring might seem superfluous, the same cannot be said of sodium benzoate, which has preservative action.

For a useful resource about additives look at: http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm

Ayala

Mayo clinic November health letter advises to add herbs and spices to food, for good health

The Mayo Clinic November health letter (Mayo Clinic Health Letter; Nov2007, Vol. 25 Issue 11, p6-6) advises it’s readers to add a dash of herbs and spices to their meals for good health: “Research is increasingly showing that many herbs and spices have health benefits. Although the amount of herbs and spices that you'd use in cooking may seem trivial, there's likely some benefit to be gained. Just as with eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, regular use of herbs and spices exposes you to a wide array of bioactive substances that are easily worth their weight in functional nutritional value”, the newsletter claims.

According to the newsletter, herbs and spices in foods may offer various benefits:

Serve as a salt substitute, provide antioxidants (allspice, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, oregano, sage, thyme and turmeric), may play a role in helping prevent conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease, and mildly lower blood sugar.

The newsletter recommends using the herbs and spices in the small amounts typical of flavoring food.  They do not recommend using the herbal supplements that give higher amounts of the herb and spice, as these higher doses are not proven effective, and may pose risks.

See:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2007-mchi/4333.html

Ayala

Sage Popcorn: A nutritious snack, rich in fiber, protein and antioxidants

Popcorn is not only popular and fun, but can also be healthful. When made the right way, from scratch, it is whole grain, high in fiber, relatively low in calories and fat, and it does fill you up.

Why make it yourself?  Several reasons:

I recently visited a fair, where an older couple made popcorn the old fashioned way, in a big pot, over direct heat.  People just stopped to watch, it was such a novelty.  The children were quite amazed at this backyard science experiment.

The aroma was that of real food, made fresh, and the taste was so much better than any popcorn I had in a long time.

The microwavable popcorns usually have an artificial buttery flavor.  They contain either hydrogenated oil and trans fat, or have replaced those with palm oil, which is a highly saturated oil and not much better. We have recently learned that microwavable popcorn contains diacetyl, a natural flavor that gives it the butter aroma.  Heated diacetyl becomes a vapor and, when inhaled over a long period of time, inflames the small airways in the lungs and scars them. The severe form of the disease is called bronchiolitis obliterans or “popcorn workers’ lung,” which is untreatable and can be fatal.  Until now considered a risk only to popcorn factory workers, it is now suggested that a patient, who is a very heavy user of microwavable popcorn, may be suffering from the same disease.

In this recipe I add fresh sage to the popcorn.  It gives the popcorn sophistication and spark, but also adds a lot of health benefits.

The amount of antioxidants added to this dish by the 2 tablespoons of sage, is equivalent to 1 cup strawberries, or ½ cup of blueberries, or 5 oranges, or 8 tomatoes.  We added all that, without adding any significant amounts of calories.  You can double and triple the amount of sage in this recipe, and still not overdo it.

What you need:

A large, preferably heavy, pot with lid
2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
2 tablespoons flavorless, high-temperature oil (canola or corn are good choices)
½ cup organic popcorn kernels
salt

Add the oil to the pot over medium heat. Throw a couple kernels of corn in the pot and cover it. When those kernels of corn have popped, your oil is heated enough to start.

Add the rest of your popcorn, fine salt and the sage. Cover the pot and shake it to coat the popcorn with oil. Continue to cook, covered, and shake the pot occasionally (every 20-30 seconds is probably sufficient). Keep this up until the popping basically stops.

Adjust salt to taste.

At this point you can add some of the additions below.

Additions:
Truffle oil- add 1-2 tablespoons of good truffle oil to the popped corn
Butter- sure, you can add melted butter to the popped corn.

Substitutions:
Rosemary- replaces the sage.  Very good.

Tips:

• If your popcorn doesn’t pop into fluffy, crunchy kernels, it may have lost some of its moisture.  Those unpoppable kernels are called "Old Maids”, a politically incorrect term. Popability depends on water. As the kernel heats up, water inside it releases steam, putting more and more pressure on the kernel until it explodes. Rejuvenate “dry” popcorn by putting it in a closed jar adding a little water. Cover and shake occasionally until all the water is absorbed. In two to four days it should be perfect for popping.
• If the pot is very tightly covered, the steam released by the kernels can make the popcorn less crisp. If that happens, set the lid very slightly ajar, or lift the lid a few times to let the steam out.
• If you really want to use the microwave, but make your own: Take regular kernels and throw them in a medium size paper lunch bag. Fold over the top 3-4 times. Put the bag in the microwave for a few minutes. It will pop fantastically and the bag will not burn.  Add butter and salt.

Ayala