“Food as medicine, medicine as food” is a wise proverb that hails back to Hippocrates and is as relevant today as it was in 5 A.D. But how, exactly, does food keep us healthy? Researchers are constantly discovering the nitty gritty about how nutrients work their magic. It’s a never-ending search that turns up new insights every day. Here are some recent findings.

RED ALL OVER

Fruits and veggies, like the human body, are complex. While scientists can isolate compounds, it can’t definitively be said that a particular compound is solely responsible for a health effect. It could be the synergy among nutrients that provides the results. Case in point: the tomato.

Years ago, it was believed that lycopene in tomatoes staved off prostate cancer. Lycopene supplements hit the market in droves. But research conducted at Ohio State University showed lycopene may not be responsible for reducing cancer risk.

Scientists separated rats into two groups, some ate lycopene supplements; others consumed whole freeze dried tomatoes.

“The tomatoes worked,” said study co-author Steven Clinton, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Hematology and Oncology, and human nutrition at Ohio State University, “but we didn’t see a significant benefit from lycopene supplements alone. There’s something in whole tomatoes that’s causing the effect and it may not even be lycopene.”

The benefits of whole tomatoes aren’t lost during food processing. Feel free to indulge in anything from soups to juices to raw fresh tomatoes. As far as serving size, Clinton recommends eating 5-7 servings of tomato products per week.

And there’s good tomato news for women too, according to researchers at Harvard University. They found that women who consumed seven servings or more of tomato-based foods had a nearly 30 percent risk reduction in total cardiovascular disease compared to the group who ate less than 1 1/2 servings per week. More is even better. Women who ate 10 plus servings per week reduced their risk for heart attack or stroke by as much as 65 percent.

BLUES FOR THE BRAIN

James Joseph, PhD., is a neuroscientist and the Director of the Neuroscience Laboratory at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. His ongoing research with blueberries continues to validate the thought that blueberries boost brain power. More importantly, the berries have been shown to actually reverse some aspects of aging in animal studies.

Initially, scientists thought that antioxidant affects were responsible for the age-defying results. But it could be a compound called pterostilbene. Grapes and berries contain high amounts of it. Scientists suggest that pterostilbene helps facilitate communication among neurons – a facility that declines as we age.

Joseph explained it this way: “Old neurons are like old married couples. They don’t talk so much anymore. They [blueberries] make them young again.”

Better neural communication improves brain power and physical skills. Just how many berries do you need to eat? A mere half a cup to a cup a day does the trick. Researchers used frozen berries in their experiments. According to Joseph, they may be even better than fresh berries because the longer berries are in transit, the more nutrients they lose. In season, however, your best nutritional bet is berries straight from a local farm.

THE MIGHTY MUSHROOM

There has been much ado about eating colorful produce for health. While it’s true that deep color is an indicator of phytonutrients; that might lead you to believe mushrooms, especially the white button variety, may pale in nutritional comparison. Not so. Turns out mushrooms are a very good source of a number of nutrients; for example, selenium. They contain more of this immune-enhancing mineral than any other form of produce. They are also a good source of B vitamins, including riboflavin and pantothenic acid.

The button is the most widely available and least expensive mushroom variety. Research published in the Society of Chemical Industry’s Journal of Food and Agriculture cites that the humble white has as much anti-oxidant properties as its more expensive rivals, the maitake and the matsutake mushrooms - both of which are highly prized in Japanese cuisine for their healthful benefits including lowering blood pressure and their suggested ability to fight cancer.

As the days become shorter, it’s also good to know that mushrooms are the only veggie with vitamin D. About five white button mushrooms provide 15 IU of D (or 4% of the daily recommended value).

Farmers markets and produce aisles are bursting with blueberries, tomatoes and the ubiquitous white mushroom. Eat to your heart’s content. Then freeze some to enjoy in the winter.

A Few Sites to Inspire You in the Kitchen:
www.mushroomcouncil.com for health benefits and recipes.
www.blueberries.com for information from Michigan growers.
whatscookingamerica.net/TomatoRecipes.htm has a variety of delicious tomato recipes.
For more information on how to freeze food, check out the recipe section of www.greencitymarket.org.