Muscle & Fitness Hers South Africa – July-August 2019

STARGATECHRIS/GETTY IMAGES; KNAUER/JOHNSTON/GETTY IMAGES

Carotenoidshelpmakelife

morecolourful,literally.

Carrots,forexample,helpyou

seebetter.Thiscategoryof

phytonutrientsincludesmore

than 750 pigments,andthe

mostpopularinourdiets

includebeta-carotene(carrots,

sweetpotatoes), lycopene

(tomatoes), andluteinand

zeaxanthin(leafygreensand

eggyolks).

RickHay,authorofThe

AntiAgeingFood&Fitness

Plan, emphasisestheneedto

“eatallthecolours”offood

becausetheydomorethan

protectyourpeepers:

“Carotenoidsinorangeand

yellowfruitandveggieshelp

withcardioperformanceand

health”,saysHay.Plus,“they

providethe‘juice’ourimmune

ystem’scellsneedtobe

efficient”, says Mark Menolas-

cino, MD, key medicalopinion

leaderat Lycored.

Carotenoidsproduce

vitaminA inourbodiesandare

keyfornormalgrowthand

developmentandfora healthy

immunesystem.Accordingto

analysisintheBritishJournal

ofNutrition, beta-carotenehas

alsobeenlinkedtoreduced

heartdiseaserisk.Plus,

apiaceousvegetables,ofwhich

carrots,parsnips,andcelery

areexamples,canhelpstop

procarcinogenic(read:toxic)

ChlorogenicAcid(CA)

FATFIGHTERS

Ifyou wantto losemorefat,

get moreCAinyourdiet.

Foundincoee(especially

greencoeebeans,

sunflowerseeds,tea,and

evenpotatoskins),CAhas

agrowinglistofbenefits,

includingimprovingliver

andgallbladderfunction.

CAcanalsoimprovelipid

metabolism,evenifyou’reon

ahigh-fatdiet,accordingtoa

studyon obesemice,which

foundCAloweredbody

weightandvisceralfatmass

andimprovedobesity-related

hormonelevels.Plus,the

journalFitoterapiafoundthat

yerbamateteaextract,which

ischock-fullofCA,canhelp

reducetheformationof

unhealthyadvancedglycation

endproducts(AGEs)that

causeoxidativecelldamage

by83%.

BREAST-CANCER-FIGHTING PHYTOS

NEW RESEARCH FROM THE JOURNAL SEMINAR IN CANCER

BIOLOGY ANALYZED AN ARRAY OF PHYTOCHEMICALS

IN THE HOPE OF COMBATING THE MOST COMMON

FORM OF CANCER IN WOMEN WORLDWIDE. TOP WELL-

KNOWN PHYTOCHEMICALS TO HELP GUARD AGAINST IT?

CURCUMIN, RESVERATROL, TEA POLYPHENOLS (EGCG),

SULFORAPHANE, VITAMIN E, RETINOIC ACID, AND

QUERCETIN.

Carotenoids

EYE HEALTH, CARDIO PERFORMANCE, ANTI -

CANCER, AND ANTI-INFLAMMATION COMPOUNDS

enzymes in their tracks,

improving cell survival rates,

according to research in

Food and Chemical

Toxicology.

Another carotenoid

you’ve probably heard of is

lycopene, which is abundant

in tomatoes and is also found

in watermelon, papaya, red

carrots, and some non-red

vegetables such as

asparagus and parsley.

Note: Some red fruits such as

strawberries and cherries do

not contain it. “Lycopene is

the most potent of the

carotenoids; it concentrates

in your cell’s membranes to

help protect against free

radicals and toxins. Research

shows it may reduce the risk

of certain cancers, including

skin cancer [creating an

ultraviolet-ray-blocking

effect] and prostate cancer”,

says Menolascino. New

research from China found

that lycopene helped boost

heart-cell viability of mice by

81.75% and decreased cell

death rate by 17%.

“Tomatoes can provide up

to 80% of your total daily

needs. Though there is no

recommended daily

allowance [for lycopene],

adults should consume

15 000 IU or 10mg per day”,

says Menolascino.

82 | M&F HERS | JUL/AUG 2019