ALS, a.k.a. Lou Gehrigs disease, is a degenerative, painful and fatal neurological disease that progressively destroys nerve cells; life expectancy from the time of diagnosis is usually two to five years. One of the largest studies to examine the role of antioxidants in preventing ALS has researched the dietary habits of more than one million people to see if food consumption has a role in preventing the disease. The answer is yes, individuals with a high intake of antioxidants were less likely to develop ALS. In other words, put down the buckets of ice water and pick up the bright-colored vegetables. The researchers found that overall, people who took in high levels of carotenoids through their diets were less likely to have ALS than people who had diets low in the nutrients. Carotenoids are antioxidant compounds that give fruits and vegetables their red, yellow, bright orange or deep green colors. Common examples of carotenoids include beta carotene -- found in foods like sweet potato, carrots and squash -- and lycopene, a carotenoid found in tomatoes. Some carotenoids, such as beta carotene, convert into vitamin A in the body, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, while others can increase levels of vitamins C and E. cbsnews/news/als-risk-reduced-by-eating-brightly-colored-vegetables-study-suggests/
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 14:42:04 +0000
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