New Super Fruits

obmar · Site Admin Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 5697

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/s...iving/16524009&sec=lifeliving

New super fruits

By MAJORIE CHIEW

Every now and then, some “miracle” fruit comes along and everyone is abuzz about its health-giving benefits.

At one time, it was the noni craze. Now comes the gac fruit (Momordica cochinchinensis spreng). The size of a honeydew melon, the gac is a large, red fruit indigenous to Southern Asia (Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia) and the gac vine is often seen growing on lattices at the entrance of rural homes.

This “super fruit” is said to protect and rejuvenate cells with its powerful antioxidants.

Beneficial: The cili fruit is said to have many health benefits.
A well-kept secret for centuries in South Asia, the gac fruit (as it is known in Vietnam) has been used as food and medicine to promote healthy eyesight, enhance longevity and increase energy.

It is cooked with rice (as a sort of colourant) and is traditionally served during festive occasions, such as weddings. The fruit is also sought after as a traditional remedy for arthritis, and cardiovascular and macular degeneration.

Studies on this fruit found it to be amongst the most nutrient-dense fruits, containing high concentrations of beta-carotene and lycopene, besides other nutrients.

The gac fruit is one of four Asian super fruits that have been identified and put into a drink so that “big benefits come in small doses”, said Dr Mark Bartlett, 45, vice president of Pharmanex Global Research & Development, in a telephone interview from Shanghai, China.

Pharmanex, which has 130 scientist working for it, is a nutritional R&D company of Nu Skin Enterprise. Dr Bartlett said Pharmanex had done research in the United States and China to scientifically validate and extract potentially vital health benefits from various Asian plants including the gac fruit. Scientists researched the four Asian super fruits for three years and found the gac fruit to be “the most exciting”.

In Vietnam, people have forgotten about the many traditional benefits of the gac fruit and only use it for ceremonial rites. However, attempts are being made to reintroduce the gac to the Vietnamese.

“It’s like a pumpkin and tastes fairly bland,” said Dr Bartlett, who is based in Provo, Utah.

Fruity goodness: The gac fruit is one of a new breed of Asian super fruits.
The gac fruit is planted in February and harvested in November. It grows on vines and each plant bears 10 to 15 fruits, weighing between 500g and 2kg. There are a lot of sub-species of the plant, at least 10 or more, depending on the region.

Heavenly fruit

The heavenly gac fruit not only has 70 times more lycopene than that found in tomatoes, but 10 times beta-carotene than that in carrots. These carotenoid levels far exceed those found in most fruits and vegetables.

According to information from Nu Skin Enterprise, numerous studies highlight that lycopene, which imparts the red colour to brightly-coloured fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes and watermelon, has cancer preventive and various properties. Lycopene is able to protect cells against oxidative damage. It appears to reduce the risk of prostate cancer and cardiovascular diseases and is beneficial to those who have osteoporosis, neuro-degenerative diseases and hypertension.

Lycopene has a cholesterol-reducing effect and is said to be able to lower the risk of death from coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, heart attacks and ischemic stroke.

Five studies support a 30% to 40% reduction in risk associated with high tomato or lycopene consumption.

The Harvard School of Public Health reported that 57 studies demonstrated that a high blood lycopene level can reduce the risk of a number of cancers, particularly prostate, lung, breast and stomach cancers.

Other super fruits

Chinese lycium or wolfberry (kei chee in Cantonese) is also known as “the herb of longevity.” Ancient Chinese medical records praised its ability to improve vision and prevent headaches.

Siberian pineapple or sea buckthorn are yellow-orange berries rich in antioxidant compounds like vitamin A, C and E, carotenoids, flavonoids and phytosterols. According to ancient records, the berries promote energy, enhance the immune and liver functions and can be used to treat skin diseases.

The brilliant orange cili fruit (dubbed the king of vitamin C) has been used for centuries to promote immunity and a fairer complexion. Cili has 60 times more vitamin C than oranges. Its powerful antioxidant attributes, especially polyphenols like those in red wine, may prevent heart disease and cancer.

Protective benefits

“Over the last 15 or 20 years, we started to understand about the chemicals in the plants that provide protective benefits. We know for quite sometime now that the best way to prevent heart disease and cancer is to take lots of fruits and vegetables,” said Dr Bartlett.

“But we haven’t really known what’s in them and what helps to protect us. Now, we understand more and more about phytochemicals (or phytonutrients) that seem to help our bodies, regulate our genes and help with overweight problems and cell communication. Examples are carotenoids such as beta carotene, alpha carotene and lycopene, zeaxanthin and lutein.”

Every 10 years, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) carries out a food consumption survey to find out how much (and what types of) food and vegetables people should eat.

Dr Bartlett said: “The recommended serving size is five (to nine) times a day but most people eat two or three. There is a need to double or triple the intake of fruits and vegetables.”

He feels that there is a need to create awareness and motivate people to eat more fruits and vegetables.

How does one know whether one has eaten adequate carotenoids which are powerful antioxidants?

Dr Bartlett explained that Pharmanex’s BioPhotonic Scanner gives a good indication of the body’s overall antioxidant status and helps people understand that fruits and vegetables are good for them. To date, some five million people have been scanned with this instrument.

As a result of the scanning, many people have changed their diets and lifestyles including quitting smoking.

He said that two of his five daughters became vegetarians after being scanned. They are trying to make a difference in their lives.

Radiate_Truth · Joined: 18 Aug 2007 Posts: 1056

I love foods that are good for you esp fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains.
I will be checking to see if the store sales what all you post.

Trying to stay away from eating lot of red meat due to cholesterol is some what on the high side.

obmar · Site Admin Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 5697

http://www.afruitfromheaven.com/