Archive for category: Health & Nutrition

What are Greens Powders?

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The benefits of eating your greens have been proven. Unfortunately, many people dislike eating green vegetables despite their known benefits. Good thing that there are now green powders that are sold in the market as vitamins and supplements all over the country which presents people with a convenient greens option.

Green powders are combinations of plants and herbs that have been dried and processed into powder. Green powders contain ingredients that are touted for their dense nutrient content, and these include wheat grass, chlorella, spirulina, kelp, kale, beets, green tea extract, and ginseng. They also contain prebiotics and probiotics that aid the body in digestion and mineral absorption. The premise of green powders is that it allows your body to assimilate the vitamins and minerals quickly. GrandFusion vegetable blends give you many of the same benefits above except in a more concentrated form. With just a 1/4 teaspoon, you can get 100% DV of at least 6 different vitamins all from vegetables. 12 and 21 nutrients also available.

The Benefits of Greens Powders

Greens powders are marketed as beneficial for the body. Many brands of greens powders boast to benefit the immune system. They also improve energy levels and nutrient absorption. Products also claim to help in fat loss and better hormonal balance. While most of the benefits are just claims, registered dietitian Vandana Sheth noted that green powders do have some real benefits to the body. Evidence-based studies linked green powders to improved endurance, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. A study published in the journal Chiropractic Medicine noted that 40 men and women who were subjected to the intake of greens powders had a significant reduction in their blood pressure.

While greens powders bring a lot of health benefits, some experts suggest that it should not replace good eating habits. Lori Zanini, creator of the For the Love of Diabetes online program,  noted that green powders should only be used in addition to a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables. They should never be used as an excuse not to eat your vegetables. The thing is that the body reacts differently when eating whole foods than supplements and while you get concentrated amounts of vitamins and minerals from greens powders, relying on it alone reduces your intake of other essential vegetables within the rest of the color spectrum.

Eating whole plant foods have a synergistic effect on the body. In one study published in Advances in Nutrition, researchers noted that lycopene from tomatoes is more beneficial compared to those found in supplements.  Eating greens powders together with a whole food diet is crucial.

Food-Sourced Nutrition

Vitamins or minerals based on food are 100% assimilated into the body. This is called Food Sourced Nutrition. The NutriFusion products are absorbed into the body because they are a food with its own co-enzyme.

Artificial or synthetic vitamins are poorly assimilated. Typically, the body is only able to absorb 10 to 12% of the synthetic chemical. The balance is passed from the body as waste.

Food-Sourced Nutrients are Bioavailable

In providing the basic nutrient, food can supply all the complex micronutrients, phytonutrients and co-enzymes which help the body to absorb the main nutrient more effectively.The complexity of whole food and the balance and content of micronutrients cannot be matched by isolated extracts or fractions of food (as in synthetic vitamins).

For example, in the case of vitamin C, a food-based supplement would contain ascorbic acid complexed from real oranges and apples (all vitamin C rich foods). Research has shown that substances known as bioflavonoids protect and support the assimilation of vitamin C; they also have benefits in their own right. Bioflavonoids and the many other lesser-known micronutrients are not present in artificial supplements are not as bio-available.

The higher bioavailability of vitamins and minerals in the food-based form means that much lower doses of the nutrients are required to get beneficial effects. This means there is less wastage of nutrients and much less chance of excess fat-soluble nutrient build-up.

Food sourced nutrients contain natural co-enzymes, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, chelated amino acids as well as nutrients and their associated nutrient co-factors. Isolated synthetic nutrients contain only isolated chemical nutrients (and may include artificial colorings, flavorings, and sugar).

Buying Your Greens Powders

So, if you have decided to purchase greens powders to supplement your healthy diet, then you need to make sure that the product contains what it claims it does. Studies have been shown that some labels are contaminated by heavy metals such as arsenic and lead. It should only contain plant ingredients, digestive enzymes, or powdered probiotic strains and nothing more. They should not contain artificial sweeteners, lecithin, and fillers to increase their volume. Make sure that you read the labels and research about the company or supplier before getting your greens powders. Doing due diligence can go a long way and can help you get the most out of this product. If you are interested in trying GrandFusion Greens Powders and our other fruit & vegetable powders, please visit our store. Our products are plant based with NO synthetics.

New Research Shows Vegetables May Have Preventative Properties for Colon Cancer

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In a study reported by Immunity, research showed that mice fed with lots of vegetables belonging to the Brassica genus had lower gut inflammations and benefitted from colon cancer protection. Researchers believe that the substance indole-3-carbinol (I3C) offered these benefits to the gut.

It is a widely accepted truth that veggies offer a lot of positive health benefits. However, the real mechanism behind how they provide health benefits is still not well-understood. This is the first study to establish evidence on the specifics of vegetable substances that prevent colon cancer and inflammation. It showed that I3C activates the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a protein that causes epithelial cell differentiation when not stimulated sufficiently.

Reactions in the Gut

The AhR protein essentially works by dispatching signals from the gut linings’ epithelial cells to the immune cells. This then regulates the inflammatory response to the massive amounts of bacteria living in our stomach.

According to one of the research authors, Dr. Amina Metidji, mice who cannot activate or produce AhR in their stomach led to gut inflammation development and consequently led to cancer of the colon. These mice were genetically modified so that they cannot produce AhR. On the other hand, when these mice were fed with vegetables rich in IC3, they did not acquire gut inflammation nor colon cancer. Further, resulting tumors in the gut were few and were non-cancerous.

Moreover, when applied to stem cells that differentiated to mini-guts, the absence of AhR led to the failure of the stem cells to become specialized epithelial cells. These epithelial cells are essential for generating protective mucus and absorb nutrients. The stem cells divided uncontrollably—a precursor to cancer of the colon.

Colon Cancer Prevention

According to Dr. Gitta Stockinger, another author of the study, the effect of diet on colon cancer and gut inflammation is quite salient. We used to believe that a diet deficient in vegetables coupled with rich fats promote colon cancer. However, with the study, increased consumption of AhR promoting chemicals can mitigate the effects of insufficient AhR stimulation thereby preventing colon cancer and intestinal infections.

Although we cannot alter the genetic factors that intensify our risk for having cancer, the study shows a light at the end of the tunnel that we can moderate our colon cancer risk by embracing a diet rich in I3C found in vegetables.

 

The Optimal Diet

In the study, the mice were fed food that was calibrated to eliminate variables that may affect the study. This resulted in findings that suggest that even without genetic risk factors in mice if they are not fed vegetables, it still led to cancer of the colon for them.

Another cancer research expert, Professor Tim Key, commented that it isn’t just the fiber content of veggies that impart health benefits, but likewise, essential veggie substances that give protection against diseases—specifically in this study, against colon inflammation and cancer. So, eat more of Bok choy, Kale, Collards, turnip greens, Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, and the likes.

Inspired by www.sciencedaily.com

Infographic: The Nutrition Rainbow for Health

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Have you ever heard eat the rainbow? This infographic digs into the nutrition rainbow and how the different color fruits and vegetables offer different health benefits. Fruits and vegetables are critical to eat because of their protective compounds. The saddest thing is that only 1 out of 10 U.S. adults are meeting their daily serving of fruits and vegetables. Check out this infographic for more details on the compounds in these different color fruits and vegetables. Enjoy!

nutrition rainbow fruits vegetables vitamins minerals plants nutrifusion infographic

 

Inspired by Dr. Neal Barnard

National School Food Policies Can Improve Health Now & Later

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Children need to develop good eating habits and perceptions of food and nutrition. While they are still young, it is essential for parents to establish good eating habits among children. But the challenge here is that children spend more time in school than at home thus it is crucial for the school to also do its share in improving the health of their students by reinforcing good eating habits.

The Benefits of a School Food Policy

This is the reason why school food policies are in place so that children can be encouraged to make healthy food choices. Providing free fruits and vegetables as well as limiting their sugary drinks while in school can have positive health benefits short and long term.

In a study conducted by researchers from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, they found out that putting healthy food choices in the cafeteria can have potential effects on the widespread juvenile obesity. The study, published in PLOS ONE journal, used risk assessment model to determine the impact of implementing food policies in the country in a national level for all elementary, middle, and high school students particularly on the body mass index (BMI) and the possible cardiometabolic diseases that may spring up in the future.

What Can Food Policies Do?

Since most children consume more than a third of their daily meals as well as snacks in school, having food policies focused mainly on healthy food options is crucial. And it is critical to quantify the effects of the policies on the food choices, health, and nutrition of the children. However, according to senior author Dariush Mozaffarian, the long-term health effects have not yet been evaluated across all levels of primary and secondary education in the country.

 

Several pieces of literature suggest that providing free fruits and vegetables can increase the habitual consumption of healthy foods where stark improvements have been observed among high school students at 25%. Limiting sugary drinks also decreases the frequent consumption among children and a significant decrease in their BMI with elementary school children showed the highest at 27%.

The Future of Health Food Policy

Changing the food policies in school at a nationwide level can also help the future generation. For instance, children today will eventually grow up, and if they grew up learning about healthy food choices, they could easily share with their children. If such policy was implemented, researchers suggest that provisions of healthy foods and drinks can prevent more than 22,000 deaths once they reach adulthood as the likelihood of getting diabetes, heart disease, and stroke reduces once you consume healthier foods.

Establishing a food policy in schools across the nation should be reviewed regularly so that policymakers know which facets they can improve on aside from eliminating sugary drinks and providing free fresh produce to the students. This is also to validate whether there are indeed short and long-term effects to the obesity rate as well as the overall well-being of the students.

Inspired by www.sciencedaily.com

Is Broccoli America’s Favorite Vegetable?

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Green Giant is a well-known brand that markets high quality and delicious vegetables. For National Eat Your Vegetables Day (June 17) they took an open-ended survey from each state nationwide. From that survey, they concluded that America’s favorite veggie is broccoli. To come up with unbiased results, the company surveyed a variety of people across the nation. The Green Giant surveyed almost 4,000 people to determine their findings.

Survey Finds Broccoli is America’s Favorite Veggie

Some key findings from the survey include that broccoli is the most popular vegetable in 47% of the states. In only 9 of the U.S. states, corn was the favorite, making it the second most favorite vegetable. Ironically, Idaho who is known for their potatoes was the only state to choose peas as their favorite. Noticeably missing from the favorites list are celery, onions, peppers, and spinach.

California, Nevada, Texas, and Florida are some of the states whose favorite vegetable was broccoli. Potatoes surprisingly were only chosen as a favorite by only five states. The cucumber was favorited by two states. There were five states who chose carrots. Four states chose green beans as their favorite. Large population states like New York, California, and Florida, all chose broccoli.

More Information on the Survey

After the survey data compilation, it showed that the Green Giant surveyed a total of 3,902 United States residents. All of these people surveyed were 18 years old and above. They all also have agreed to be part of this open-ended survey regarding their favorite vegetable and which state they live in. The Green Giant used Crowd Tap to conduct this survey from April 20, 2018 to May 4, 2018.

How Green Giant Is Making New Products

As the Green Giant continues its research on the development of their products, they will take into account the findings from their surveys in order to make better-suited products for their consumers.  Green Giant is still also looking to expand their Veggie Swap-Ins line, which includes Green Giant Veggie Tots, Green Giant Veggie Spirals, and Green Giant Riced Veggies. There are many more options available from this line. Their website www.greengiant.com has additional information about their lines and their products.

About Green Giant

For over a 100-years, the Green Giant has been picking vegetables at the peak of their perfection and also helping families find new ways to enjoy their products. Over the years the Green Giant became known for their delicious and high-quality vegetables. They have introduced new innovative products that families have loved over the years. Recently, the Green Giant launch of its award-winning Veggie Swap-InsTM line that included many different products, created new convenient and delicious frozen vegetables for families to enjoy.

Vitamin B3 Possibly Prevents Brain Cell Death

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In a breakthrough German-led study published in the journal, Cell Reports, they discovered that the death of nerve cells that occurs in Parkinson’s Disease could be stopped with Vitamin B3. This opens up a lot of possibilities when it comes to treating brain-wasting diseases.

Taking a closer look, nicotinamide riboside is the specific form of Vitamin B3 that is deemed to “stimulate the faulty energy metabolism in the affected nerve cells thereby protecting them from dying off.” In short, this form of Vitamin B3 can possibly preserve nerve cells by boosting their cell’s energy-producing centers, the mitochondria.

The Mitochondria and Parkinson’s Disease

Essentially, Parkinson’s disease is a progressive, gradual and irreversible neurodegenerative disease. What this means is that this disease results from the death of brain cells, connected with the production of dopamine which is accountable for controlling movement. Consequently, Parkinson’s affects a person’s balance, coordination, and walking. Sometimes other symptoms are also felt like depression, fatigue, memory problems, and sleep disruption.

In the US alone, there are 600,000 new diagnoses of Parkinson’s every year aside from the 1 million who already have it. Scientists believe that the disease is a product of environmental and genetic factors that work together.

Mitochondria is known as the powerhouse of the cell where it has the capability to convert food into usable energy by the cell. Since nerve cells constantly need energy, they are much more dependent on the mitochondria. A damaged mitochondrion is a common feature for brain tissue deaths, and related diseases include Huntington’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Cause or Side Effect?

All these discoveries lead to the question, which comes first the chicken or the egg? Are faulty mitochondria the cause of the disease or the side effect? Dr. Deledi and his crew studied the effect of Vitamin B-3 on mitochondria and nerve cells.

The Outcome of Study on Vitamin B3

By far, the studies were only limited within the four walls of a laboratory, but the results have been optimistic. By feeding the cells with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), the levels rise within the cells rise. As a result, it created new mitochondria within the cell and thereby increasing the cell’s energy production.

This study was then replicated using flies. In the flies that received the Vitamin B3 supplement, the flies showed substantially fewer dead nerve cells and they had longer retention of mobility in contrast to the flies that did not have B3 supplementation.

The next step in the study is to test the effects of vitamin B3 supplements on individuals with Parkinson’s. As Dr. Deledi has pointed out, “Administering nicotinamide riboside may be a new starting point for treatment and there is already evidence from other studies that show that vitamins do not have side effects when ingested.”

Inspired by www.medicalnewstoday.com

Infographic: Love Your Heart With These Fruits & Vegetables

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NutriFusion developed our GrandFusion fruit and vegetable powders because we know how important these whole foods are to our diets. We saw that people were eating more packaged and processed foods, but most of these were not packed with fruits and vegetables. On top of that, the products that did have fruits and vegetables in them were not retaining the beneficial vitamins and minerals that our bodies so desperately need. Check out the infographic below created by SunWarrior and a list of heart-healthy foods.

love your heart heart healthy foods fruits vegetables nutrifusion sunwarrior

 

Infographic Credit: sunwarrior.com

Study: Excess Body Fat Correlates to Low Vitamin D Levels

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Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, is a fat-soluble nutrient produced the body naturally through regular exposure to the sun. Aside from sunshine, Vitamin D is also sourced from tuna, salmon, eggs, and sardines. While it is known that Vitamin D helps the body absorb Calcium effectively, recent studies suggest that it has a critical role in protecting the body against diabetes, heart failure, bone health, cancer, and respiratory tract infection.

The Link Between Vitamin D and Health

Researchers from the Leiden University Medical Center and VU University Medical Center presented their findings regarding the link between Vitamin D and excess fat. The study examined the data from the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity involving men and women between the ages of 45 and 65. The researchers noted that the lower levels of Vitamin D are correlated with the total body fat and liver fat among men and abdominal fat among women. The research suggests that individuals who have higher amounts of abdominal fat are at risk of Vitamin D deficiency; thus they should consider getting their Vitamin D levels checked.

Americans Suffer from Low Vitamin D Levels

While Vitamin D is one of the essential vitamins that the body needs, many studies noted that a large percentage of the population is deficient. In the survey conducted by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), about 8.1% of the people in the United States suffer from Vitamin D deficiency. This equates to a gap in one out of 10 Americans. For the body to carry its natural physiological function, it is crucial to take in between 400 and 800 IU (10 to 20 micrograms) per day. Higher intake of Vitamin D will also benefit the body.

This is the reason why the Food and Drug Administration has approved the fortification of milk and other beverages with Vitamin D. In fact, fortifying milk with Vitamin D has been done since the 1930s, but it is only now that people are taking heed. While many food companies are strengthening their products with Vitamin D, there is still a challenge when it comes to introducing more of it on products.

Food Manufacturers Jumping on Vitamin D Bandwagon

The deficiency of Vitamin D among the broader American population has led to the manufacturers to create products that are infused with Vitamin D. Products that are fortified with Vitamin D should be labeled appropriately.

Vitamin D provides an off-taste to the product; thus ingredients place importance on creating custom premixes and employing the right blending techniques to avoid the lousy mouthfeel of Vitamin D. This is to ensure that milk products still taste the same, especially among children. What many food companies do not know about is GrandFusion…NutriFusion developed GrandFusion blends to concentrate naturally occurring, plant-based vitamins. GrandFusion blends include plant-based versions of Vitamin D, Vitamin D2, and Vitamin D3. The blends are so concentrated that the consumer will never taste the product when adequately blended into the product.

But with the food and beverage manufacturers advertising that their products are fortified with Vitamin D, are the consumers paying attention to the labels or not? We are still not sure, and after almost 100 years of enriching milk, we still see low vitamin D levels. Only time will tell if these new Vitamin D infused products well attract attention and grow into essential products for consumers.

Inspired by www.fooddive.com