Keep your veggies in the light?
Here is an interesting little report:
Far from being a food spoiler, the fluorescent lighting in supermarkets actually can boost the nutritional value of fresh spinach, scientists are reporting. The finding could lead to improved ways of preserving and enhancing the nutritional value of spinach and perhaps other veggies, they suggest in a study in ACS’ bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
The full text of the study is available. Here is the abstract:
Current retail marketing conditions allow produce to receive artificial light 24 h per day during its displayed shelf life. Essential human-health vitamins [ascorbic acid (vit C), folate (vit B9), phylloquinone (vit K1), α-tocopherol (vit E), and the carotenoids lutein, violaxanthin, zeaxanthin, and β-carotene (provit A)] also are essential for photosynthesis and are biosynthesized in plants by light conditions even under chilling temperatures. Spinach leaves, notably abundant in the aforementioned human-health compounds, were harvested from flat-leaf ‘Lazio’ and crinkle-leafed ‘Samish’ cultivars at peak whole-plant maturity as baby (top- and midcanopy) and larger (lower-canopy) leaves. Leaves were placed as a single layer in commercial, clear-polymer retail boxes and stored at 4 °C for up to 9 days under continuous light (26.9 μmol·m2 ·s) or dark. Top-canopy, baby-leaf spinach generally had higher concentrations of all bioactive compounds, on a dry weight basis, with the exception of carotenoids, than bottom-canopy leaves. All leaves stored under continuous light generally had higher levels of all bioactive compounds, except β-carotene and violaxanthin, and were more prone to wilting, especially the flat-leafed cultivar. All leaves stored under continuous darkness had declining or unchanged levels of the aforementioned bioactive compounds. Findings from this study revealed that spinach leaves exposed to simulated retail continuous light at 4 °C, in clear plastic containers, were overall more nutritionally dense (enriched) than leaves exposed to continuous darkness.
March 13th, 2010 at 7:41 pm
How much do you do to take care of your health to lower costs for all?
In light of fixing the healthcare crisis, do you take personal responsibility to do as much as possible to lower your health risks? Do you exercise daily? Keep your weight at healthy levels? Eat a balanced diet with little to no junk? Eat lots of fresh fruit and veggies and get plenty of fiber? Do you use condoms if you’re having sex outside of a monogamous relationship? Don’t smoke or use drugs?
If everyone took personal responsibility for their own health, how much would be eased up from the health care system for treating many preventable ailments?
I’m not saying this would cure cancer or anything, but the rates of heart disease and lung cancer, STDs, unwanted pregnancy, drug related treatment - that would drop dramatically. We do live in a free country, but with that freedom comes responsibility. Do you do your part?
How much do a pair of sneakers cost? Take a walk. Run. I run 10 miles a day every day. Never eat processed food. Do yoga in my living room to keep my stress levels low. While yes, things are genetic, you can also greatly influence the way your body fights disease by keeping as healthy as you are able to be.
March 14th, 2010 at 12:43 am
Funny how smoking is slowly being banned, but not fries loaded with transfats. One massive study showed that just less than a 5% increase in transfats increases heart disease.
People like eating fatty foods. Fat has been proven to cause cancer, heart disease, dementia, poor eyesight(due to clogged arteries), etc..
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March 14th, 2010 at 12:45 am
Since my health care policy premiums and medication are $1000 per month I can’t afford a health club membership. In the past I drove to a swimming pool for exercise, but now I can’t afford the gas. I sit at home and watch the world go by on my television.
Most disease is genetic. I can’t change my genes. Every day the "experts" announce that something new is either harmful or is now OK.
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March 14th, 2010 at 12:47 am
I eat healthy (minus the occasional indulgence)
I drink lots of water
I exercize some, not as much as I would like to
I do drink alcohol and smoke
I do not use drugs
I always protect myself when having relations and choose to protect myself from getting pregnant by using several different forms of contraception (pill, condom)
But also, i do not rely on anyone elses paycheck for my healthcare, my employer and I pay for it.
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March 14th, 2010 at 12:49 am
Lard Butt Mikey Moore is driving health care cost up all by himself.
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March 14th, 2010 at 12:51 am
I avoid doctors at all costs. I eat no prepared foods at all, or junk food, drink lots of waters, take vitamins. I don’t smoke, do have a glass of wine or two every now and again, and a Martini is always good for what ails you.
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March 14th, 2010 at 12:53 am
Ah, it must be grand to be self righteous. And perfect. And why is it my responsibility to lower health care for everyone? Isn’t that socialistic? The great majority of healthcare dollars are spent at the end of life - should we pass laws saying no health care after a certain age?
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