Tag: Female health

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The “little trees” are full of fiber, folate, vitamins and more. @ClevelandClinic #broccoli

“Eat your broccoli,” may be a familiar refrain from your childhood. Maybe you didn’t love broccoli as a kid, but your parents were onto something. The “little trees” are full of fiber, folate, vitamins and more.

Broccoli is a member of the Brassica genus of plants, also known as the cabbage family. Broccoli’s relatives include Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, chard and watercress. Many Brassicas have strong flavors and mix well with meats and other vegetables.

“A pile of steamed broccoli doesn’t appeal to everyone,” recognizes registered dietitian Beth Czerwony, RD, LD. “But broccoli is incredibly versatile and can be used in so many different dishes. Toss it in with your stir fry, chop it fresh in a salad or roast it with your baby potatoes. And with an abundance of nutrients, there are many benefits of eating broccoli.”

Broccoli nutrition facts

A cup of chopped raw broccoli has approximately:

In addition, a cup of raw broccoli offers:

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Broccoli benefits

It’s worth finding ways to add broccoli to your diet because it’s a health-boosting dynamo. Here’s some motivation for you to get your green on: Some of the beneficial substances in broccoli are somewhat unique to the Brassica family of vegetables. Broccoli provides nutrients that may:

  • Reduce your risk of cancer.
  • Help control blood sugar.
  • Protect your gut.
  • Boost immunity.

As a superfood status, broccoli can improve your health with these five components:

1. Compounds to reduce cancer risk

“Broccoli offers some powerful molecules that protect your cells from damage,” says Czerwony. “Some of them even destroy cancer cells.”

Cancer-fighting molecules in broccoli include DIM, indole-3-carbinol and sulforaphane. According to studies, they may help:

  • Detoxify certain substances that promote the growth of cancer cells, which means they don’t remove the substances, but they remove the harmful effects.
  • Provide antioxidants, which prevent cell damage that can lead to cancer.
  • Stop the growth and spread of cancer cells.
  • Support apoptosis, your body’s process for destroying cells that could turn into cancer.

These anticancer molecules are in several of broccoli’s cruciferous veggie relatives, too. These nutrients don’t survive cooking or freezing. So, to get the benefits, raw broccoli is best.

“Some of these compounds are even more concentrated in broccoli sprouts,” notes Czerwony. “You can find broccoli sprouts in health food stores and many grocery stores. Sprouts are also easy to grow at home using a sprouting kit.”

2. Nutrients to help manage blood sugar

Both human and lab studies suggest compounds in broccoli may help lower blood sugar in people with Type 2 diabetes. This effect may be due to the antioxidants in broccoli, like vitamin C.

Research shows that fiber can also help with blood sugar management. At 2.5 grams of fiber per cup, broccoli is a good source of this nutrient.

3. Ligands to protect your gut

In a nonhuman study, researchers found that broccoli can help protect the lining of your small intestine. Compounds found in broccoli, called aryl hydrocarbon receptor ligands, help keep small intestine cells working well.

Why do those cells matter so much? When your small intestine lining is healthy, it only allows water and nutrients to pass through it into your bloodstream.

But when the cells of the lining are damaged, undigested food particles, bacteria and other disease-causing particles may pass through. A damaged small intestine lining can lead to infections and inflammation. It can also prevent you from absorbing the nutrients you need.

4. Vitamin C to boost immunity

Vitamin C is well-studied as an immune-boosting nutrient. When you don’t have enough vitamin C, you’re more likely to get infections.

The antioxidant effects of vitamin C also help your body keep free radicals under control. “Free radical damage is linked to all kinds of problems, including Alzheimer’s disease, autoimmune diseases, cancer, heart disease and Parkinson’s disease,” says Czerwony. When you don’t have enough antioxidants to neutralize free radicals, they damage your cells.

Surprising but true: Broccoli has more vitamin C than oranges. In 1 cup of the green cruciferous veggie, you get a whopping 81 milligrams of vitamin C. That’s 90% of the daily U.S. recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for adults. (An orange has about 70 milligrams.)

5. Nutrients to help heart health

Research suggests certain bioactive compounds in broccoli may boost your heart health in a variety of ways. It may:

  • Lower triglycerides and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol: “High LDL can lead to fatty deposits on your artery walls, increasing your risk of artery disease, stroke and heart attack,” Czerwony explains. Research shows that eating broccoli can lower triglycerides, a type of fat, as well as LDL.
  • Provide fiber: According to a review of 22 clinical trials, fiber can reduce your risk of cardiovascular and coronary artery disease.
  • Reduce calcium buildup in blood vessels: When calcium builds up on your blood vessel walls, it increases your risk of heart attack and stroke. According to research, broccoli can help reduce this calcium buildup.

Is frozen broccoli healthy?

“If you want those anticancer compounds like sulforaphane, choose fresh broccoli,” advises Czerwony. Freezing inactivates sulforaphane.

“Frozen broccoli also loses a bit of its vitamin content. But overall, frozen broccoli is still very healthy. It’s better than not eating any broccoli because you still get a lot of the health benefits,” she continues.

Need some broccoli-inspired meals? Try these easy recipes:

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Bananas nature’s perfect snack @ClevelandClinic #therapeutic

Some have called bananas “nature’s perfect snack,” and it’s easy to see why. The curvy yellow fruits come conveniently packaged, travel well in a lunch bag or purse and are incredibly versatile. They make a great smoothie mixer or a tasty topper on cereal or oatmeal and even have their very own category of (delicious!) muffins and bread.

Are bananas healthy?

 “Absolutely,” says registered dietitian Elyse Homan, RD, LD. “They’re full of nutrients and easy on the gut. Very few people have problems digesting bananas.”

So, what are you eating when you peel and enjoy? A medium-sized ripe banana contains:

  • 105 calories.
  • 1 gram of protein.
  • 28 grams of carbohydrates.
  • 15 grams of (natural) sugar.
  • 3 grams of fiber.
  • Less than 1 gram of fat.

Health benefits of eating bananas

From vitamins to minerals to fiber, bananas are good for you, with lots of nutrition to offer. Plus, they’re easy to digest, reiterates Homan. Here’s a breakdown of banana’s most notable nutritional benefits:

1. Fiber for improved digestion and disease prevention

With 3 grams (g) of fiber, a banana supplies nearly 10% of what you need in a day, based on a 2,000-calorie daily diet, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) dietary guidelines.

You hear “fiber” and probably automatically think of digestion. It’s true — fiber is great for your gut. It helps keep things moving in your intestines, and most of us probably need to eat more.

But fiber also impacts your health in other ways. Researchers who looked at data from nearly 200 studies found that people who ate 25 to 29 g of fiber a day had up to a 30% decreased risk of:

  • Colorectal cancer.
  • Heart disease.
  • High blood pressure.
  • High cholesterol.
  • Stroke.
  • Type 2 diabetes.

2. Vitamin C for better immune health

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a nutrient that helps your body absorb iron and boosts your immune system’s ability to fight illness. Adults need 75 to 90 milligrams (mg) per day. A banana delivers about 10 mg of vitamin C.

Vitamin C is one of many antioxidants you can get from food. Antioxidants are important because they cancel out free radicals in your body. Free radicals can build up and damage your cells, leading to disease. But antioxidants like vitamin C keep free radicals in check.

3. Vitamin B6 for improved metabolism and more

Your body needs vitamin B6 for:

  • Appetite regulation.
  • Immune system functions.
  • Metabolic processes.
  • Nervous system health.
  • Sleep regulation.

“One banana will give you one-quarter to one-third of the vitamin B6 you need in a day,” says Homan.

4. Potassium for organ health and lower blood pressure

The USDA recommended daily intake of potassium for adults is 4,700 to 5,000 mg. A banana supplies you with about 422 mg, or a little less than 10% of what you need per day.

Potassium, a mineral, does a lot for your body. It’s essential for the proper function of your:

  • Heart.
  • Kidneys.
  • Muscles.
  • Nerves.

Getting enough potassium also keeps your blood pressure in a healthy range. Potassium, which lowers blood pressure, balances out sodium, which raises blood pressure.

Homan says potassium also benefits your vascular system — the network of blood vessels and lymph vessels that run through your body’s tissues and organs — and reduces your risk of:

  • Heart disease.
  • Kidney failure.
  • Stroke.

5. Magnesium for improved blood pressure, blood sugar and more

A single medium-sized banana offers about 32 mg of the mineral magnesium, which fulfills around 8% to 10% of your daily magnesium requirement.

Magnesium is involved in many processes in your body, including:

  • Blood pressure.
  • Blood sugar levels.
  • Building proteins.
  • Maintaining bone.
  • Muscle function.
  • Nerve function.

Bananas and resistant starch

Green, or unripe, bananas are high in resistant starch. “Your body can’t digest resistant starch,” notes Homan. “Instead, it’s a prebiotic that promotes the growth of good bacteria in your colon.” Prebiotics improve digestive health and can be helpful if you’re experiencing diarrhea.

“I often hear patients say they avoid bananas since they’ve heard the fruit is too high in sugar,” says Homan. As bananas ripen, much of the resistant starch changes to sugar. But the health benefits of antioxidants and fiber outweigh the naturally occurring sugar. For those worried about blood sugar levels, pair bananas with a protein source such as peanut butter or a cheese stick for better control.

A small word of warning about unripe bananas: “If you’re not used to eating resistant starch, start slowly to let your body get used to it. Some people can experience constipation, gas and bloating at first,” adds Homan.

Another plus of this fruit? In addition to all the health benefits of bananas, they’re less expensive than many other fruits.

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Blackrock Health starting drone delivery for medical supplies

Blackrock Health, Blackrock Clinic, through a partnership with healthcare technology company Medtronic and medical drone delivery partners Apian and Wing, will begin receiving medical supplies via drone delivery in the coming days. 

The partnership has been designed to trial faster, more reliable, and sustainable medical logistics – supporting patients as they receive the care they need, sooner. Medical drone deliveries have the potential to create more efficient healthcare systems, with less wastage of medical supplies, and more space for patient-facing care facilities as providers receive what they need, when they need it. The program will run over the next several months. 

“At Blackrock Health, innovation is at the core of what we do, and this partnership is a prime example of the opportunities that exist when integrating technology into healthcare industry, with an added benefit of supporting our commitment to sustainability,” shared Dr. Caroline Whelan, CEO of Blackrock Health “We are excited by the possibilities that come with this drone delivery service, and hope to expand this beyond receiving medical supplies, by extending use to other services in time between our hospitals.”

Currently, hospitals depend on road vehicles to transport medical supplies to hospitals or healthcare centres, but urban locations experience frequent delays due to congestion, as well as associated higher carbon emissions. Wing’s drones, which are being used in this programme, are lightweight and electric, and can make quicker, more reliable deliveries than traditional modes of transport, as seen in its more than 350,000 commercial deliveries across the globe. They will fly more direct routes and at speeds up to approximately 100 km per hour, avoiding the traffic congestion on Dublin’s roads.

To learn more about the partnership, visit Apian’s and Wing’s newsrooms