It is known that diseases of mental health are related to free radical damage (oxidation) of fatty acids in the brain.  For example in Alzheimer’s amyloid plaques in the brain are known to be a result of oxidative damage.    A recent randomized double blind placebo controlled study was just released demonstrating that antioxidants can help improve memory scores and in some cases verbal scores.   Read the rest of this entry

A couple of new studies were just releases showing that fresh is better.   Green tea – even though still stored in the wrapping and in a package – loses its potency of antioxidant catechins after just 6 months at room temperature!    Another study looked at Extra Virgin Olive Oil and found that even though the olive oil was in a closed container that after several months the antioxidants phytochemical potency was reduced dramatically.

What does this tell us?    That buying all the olive oil when it is on sale may not be the healthiest way to go.  Also check dates on bottles and tea boxes.  Purchase the most recent dates you see on the shelf. Read the rest of this entry

There is a plethora of research showing the benefits of blueberries and their super anti-oxidant capacity.  No need to purchase expensive acai berry juice transported from another continent when we have an abundance of a super food all around Massachusetts, Maine and NH.   However the antioxidant capacity of blueberries can be completely undone by a common practice – especially in the morning.  The undoing is a four letter word.  M-i-l-k.  This is similar to how the antioxidant capacity of tea is undone.    

In a just released Italian study looking at blood levels of 2 phenolic phytochemicals, i.e. antioxidants, they found that ingesting blueberries without milk increased antioxidant blood levels.   However when milk was consumed with blueberries there was absolutely no change in blood antioxidant levels.  

We must consider the possibility that the binding of milk to these acidic antioxidants reaches far beyond tea and blueberries.  Any fruit or herb (i.e. tea, coffee, chocolate) that has acidic water soluble antioxidants (as opposed to something fat soluble like beta-carotene in say a mango or vitamin E in nuts) would probably be mitigated by adding milk.    

The researchers of the above article suggest to gain maximum antioxidant potential from fruits that they’d be consumed away from other meals.   (This does make sense for a digestive point of view as well as many people can have trouble with fruits after meals causing gas and bloating.)

So ditch the milk.  Drink your tea black, your coffee black, your chocolate dark, and your berries on its own.

In Health,

George Mandler
Licensed Acupuncturist
Licensed Dietitian / Nutritionist
Maynard, MA & Cambridge, MA

Living in the Northeast we are lucky to have one of the worlds healthiest fruits growing in our backyard. There have been a multitude of studies citing blueberries neuroprotective effect, not to mention its also a great fruit for diabetics because of its low glycemic index. Another study was just released showing blueberries neuroprotective effect against cognitive decline. Read the rest of this entry