I just read ,with great interest, an article in one of the food trade magazines I subscribe to about a recently concluded study on the health benefits of polyphenol-rich fruits like apples, bananas and oranges and how these fruits, and others may protect us against "oxidative stress" which many link to the loss of cognitive function and Alzheimer's.
I love apples, always have since I was a little kid, but I never gave much thought to the whole "an apple a day...keeps the doctor away" reasoning. When I'm hungry, I often reach for a nice juicy, tart Granny Smith or a semi-sweet Gala with that nice little snap to it.
Today, as I sat reading this article, with a Granny Smith apple by my side, I began to wonder, why is it that the more we develope intellectually as a planet...the more these "old wive's tales" seem to make more and more sense?
Often when I begin to contemplate one idea or thought, my mind fills with all these other thoughts and today was no exception! How did our Grandmother's know that eating carrots could improve our sight, especially at night? The University of Chicago in 1988 found after studying 3000 older Americans, that by eating just one (1) carrot a day a person could reduce the chances of mascular degeneration by more then 40%. Carrots, as well as some other fruits and vegetables, are a great source of beta carotene!
How did our Grandmothers know that fish is "brain" food? A study conducted at the University of Texas in Galveston found that a lack of zinc can impair mental functioning and memory. Many species of fish are an excellent source of zinc as well as omega-3 fatty acids which is also great for our hearts!
Or how about this one..."Eat your crust, it's good for you" A published study in The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemsitry in 2005 showed that the crust of bread contains at least eight (8) times the antioxidants than any other part.
"Have a cold, eat chicken soup." A doctor at UCLA found that chicken, being a protein food, contains an amino acid called cystene, which is similar to acetylcysteine, which is often prescribed to people with respiratory infections to help thin out the mucous that forms in the lungs.
Okay, I know that our Grandmothers didn't get it right 100% of the time..."wear garlic around your neck in winter to help fight off colds." But it is a known fact that "eating" (not wearing) garlic can kill almost 100% of the para-influenza 3 virus as well as the rhinovirus. So, although not exactly the ticket, they were at least in the right neighborhood.
So, this weeks question to all of you out there is this...do any of you have any "old wive's tales" that Grandma used that you would care to share?
While your thinking about it, why not have an apple, or a carrot, or some chicken soup or maybe some roasted garlic. If you can't remember them exactly, why not have a piece of grilled salmon to help you remember!!!
Until next week,
Chef John
http://www.cookwithjohn.com/
I love apples, always have since I was a little kid, but I never gave much thought to the whole "an apple a day...keeps the doctor away" reasoning. When I'm hungry, I often reach for a nice juicy, tart Granny Smith or a semi-sweet Gala with that nice little snap to it.
Today, as I sat reading this article, with a Granny Smith apple by my side, I began to wonder, why is it that the more we develope intellectually as a planet...the more these "old wive's tales" seem to make more and more sense?
Often when I begin to contemplate one idea or thought, my mind fills with all these other thoughts and today was no exception! How did our Grandmother's know that eating carrots could improve our sight, especially at night? The University of Chicago in 1988 found after studying 3000 older Americans, that by eating just one (1) carrot a day a person could reduce the chances of mascular degeneration by more then 40%. Carrots, as well as some other fruits and vegetables, are a great source of beta carotene!
How did our Grandmothers know that fish is "brain" food? A study conducted at the University of Texas in Galveston found that a lack of zinc can impair mental functioning and memory. Many species of fish are an excellent source of zinc as well as omega-3 fatty acids which is also great for our hearts!
Or how about this one..."Eat your crust, it's good for you" A published study in The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemsitry in 2005 showed that the crust of bread contains at least eight (8) times the antioxidants than any other part.
"Have a cold, eat chicken soup." A doctor at UCLA found that chicken, being a protein food, contains an amino acid called cystene, which is similar to acetylcysteine, which is often prescribed to people with respiratory infections to help thin out the mucous that forms in the lungs.
Okay, I know that our Grandmothers didn't get it right 100% of the time..."wear garlic around your neck in winter to help fight off colds." But it is a known fact that "eating" (not wearing) garlic can kill almost 100% of the para-influenza 3 virus as well as the rhinovirus. So, although not exactly the ticket, they were at least in the right neighborhood.
So, this weeks question to all of you out there is this...do any of you have any "old wive's tales" that Grandma used that you would care to share?
While your thinking about it, why not have an apple, or a carrot, or some chicken soup or maybe some roasted garlic. If you can't remember them exactly, why not have a piece of grilled salmon to help you remember!!!
Until next week,
Chef John
http://www.cookwithjohn.com/
1 comment:
Good article. I love when more & more research seems to come out reinforcing the benefits of foods I like to eat--blueberries, salmon, almonds, etc. And there's nothing like old fashioned cooking in the winter (I've had a pot of chili simmering here for a couple hours...enough to have more tomorrow for the game).
I mentioned in response to your comment on cooking chat that I'm actually going to a 4 Vines winemaker dinner tuesday night at Summer Winter.
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