BlueSkies Newsletter - November 2010
Welcome to the November edition of the BlueSkies newsletter.
We hope that you find the articles informative and useful.
In this edition, our feature articles include:
Echiomega - the most effective vegetarian omega-3 supplement?
How to eat healthily on a budget
Can exercise ward off the common cold?
Also this month, find out about the nutritional benefits of pears.
If you have any comments or there is a particular topic that you would like us to cover in the future, please contact us by email.
Echiomega - the most effective vegetarian omega-3 supplement?
A new food supplement, 'Echiomega', will make it easier for vegetarians and vegans to get their daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids. It contains oil from the Echium plant and is purported to be more beneficial than flaxseed oil which is the traditional vegan alternative to omega-3 containing fish oils.
Consuming adequate long-chain omega fatty acids is crucial for optimal body functioning, particularly for cardiovascular health, eye health, brain function, concentration, immunity, mood and joint flexibility. However, vegetarians and vegans can find it difficult to obtain sufficient dietary long-chain fatty acids such as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) as the main source is traditionally fish-oil. Indeed, many vegetarians and vegans have low levels of these crucial nutrients.
Most readily available vegetarian omega oils contain the short-chain fatty acid ALA (alpha linoleic acid) which is the type found in flaxseed oil. However, this must be converted into long-chain fats by the body before it can be used to offer the benefits mentioned above. Unfortunately, only about 4% of ALA is converted to long-chain fats making it even more problematic for vegetarians and vegans to obtain sufficient amounts of these beneficial nutrients.
Part of the problem is believed to stem from the fact that modern life exposes us to several factors including stress, caffeine, alcohol and viruses that limit the efficiency of the enzyme that converts short-chain fatty acids to long-chain ones.
Echiomega is a novel supplement as it contains the omega-3 stearidonic acid (SDA) from the Echium plant. This ingredient is approved by the Vegetarian Society and is a closer relative to EPA than ALA. In fact, research suggests that SDA produces up to 5 times more EPA than oils such as flaxseed that just contain ALA (James et al. (2003). Am J Clin Nutr. May;77(5):1140-5). It appears to be more effective at producing EPA as it is further down the chain of conversion from short-chain to long-chain fatty acids and so bypasses the rate-limiting enzyme. This suggests that Echium oil offers greater health benefits than other plant-based omega-3 oils.
According to nutrition scientist Dr. Nina Bailey, 'Vegetarians, and particularly vegans, have low levels of [long-chain fatty acids] EPA and DHA in comparison to fish-eating populations. Whilst supplementing with ALA [found in flaxseed] increases plasma EPA to a degree, levels of EPA and DHA are still significantly lower than that of fish eaters. The recent approval of refined Echium oil as a novel food ingredient is going to be of particular significance to those individuals who choose to avoid consuming fish or fish-oil supplements.'
Echium oil also contains other beneficial fatty acids including the potent anti-inflammatory omega-6 GLA (gamma linoleic acid) and the omega-9 oleic acid which is known for its cardio-protective properties. Research indicates that SDA in combination with GLA raises red blood cell EPA levels more efficiently than SDA alone. This suggests that Echioemga is therefore a great way to boost the levels of omega-3 in the diets of those who are vegetarian, vegan or allergic to fish. Echiomega can be bought directly from www.vegepa.com or ordered through all good pharmacies - RRP is £11.70 for 60 softgel capsules.
Food Of The Month - Pears
Pears are still in season at the moment and they are a very versatile fruit - they can be poached in red wine, drizzled in chocolate and used in crumbles. However, eating them in their natural state is, obviously, the healthiest option! Pears are low in calories - the average pear contains about 70 calories - and are a good source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium and copper. They also rich in pectin which is a soluble fibre and helps to lower cholesterol and control blood sugar levels.
Can Exercise Ward Off The Common Cold?
A recent American Study which has been published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine online suggests that exercise may help prevent the common cold and limit the severity of cold symptoms (Nieman et al. (2010). Br J Sports Med doi:10.1136/bsjm.2010.077875).
The researchers monitored Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI) symptoms and severity in 1002 adults for 12 weeks during autumn and winter seasons. They found that the number of days with URTIs was significantly reduced in the more active subjects.
People who were undertaking physical activity on 5 or more days per week were found to suffer with cold symptoms for approximately 5 days over the 3-month study period. However, the more sedentary subjects who took part in little or no physical activity had cold symptoms for about 9 days over the same period.
What's more the severity of any infection was less in fitter people. Those subjects who were classified as the most active reported symptoms that were over 30% less severe than those who were least active.
Most adults are likely to suffer two to five colds per year but it appears as if exercise helps to boost a person's immune system which makes them more capable of fighting of URTIs. A bout of exercise results in a rise in the immune cells that circulate in the body - these are responsible for 'attacking' invading infections. However, this rise in immune function is temporary and will fall back to normal after a few hours. Therefore, regular exercise or activity is needed for optimal bug-battling!
Other factors that this study suggests will reduce the frequency of URTIs were eating lots of fruit, being married, being male and being older. However, these factors were seriously outweighed by the benefit of physical activity.
For more information on how beating winter bugs, click here to read our article from November 2007.
Healthy Eating On A Budget
You don't have to have a huge budget to eat healthily, all you need is to be a little savvy about your shopping and cooking.
Here are some tips from BlueSkies and Heart Research UK.
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Plan your meals for the week - work out what you want to eat in advance and only buy the ingredients for these meals. This will prevent impulse buying and ensure that you have a healthy meal each day.
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Know your budget - work out how much you can afford to spend on food each week and stick to it. This will help you to make the most of your money.
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Avoid processed foods - processed foods are normally more expensive than buying the basic ingredients and making your own versions - they are also likely to be less healthy. Buy a good cook book or look up some recipes on the internet instead of relying on ready-made foods.
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Fill your freezer - not with ready-meals but with extra portions of home-cooked food. This will help you to save money, prevent food wastage and ensure that there's always something healthy on-hand for when you don't have time to cook.
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Don't be too loyal - remember that prices may be vary at different shops. Compare supermarket prices with each other and with local market/shop prices to see where you can get the best deal.
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Cheaper doesn't mean worse - don't be surprised if supermarket's own brands are lower in fat/sugar/salt than branded goods as this is often the case! Try looking at the labels of branded and own-brand products next time you shop.
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Stock up on good deals - if a food that you use regularly is on offer, stock up on it. However, check the use-by date to make sure that you don't end up throwing your 'bargains' in the bin and only stock up if they are healthy options!
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Check out your local farmers market - sometimes they offer good deals on fresh fruit, veg, poultry and fish. However, this is not always the case so don't presume - check out the prices. Visiting markets at the end of the day is often a good way to grab yourself some bargains.
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Buy frozen fruit & veg - remember that frozen food is often higher in nutrients than fresh alternatives as it is frozen soon after being harvested. Fresh products have often travelled thousand of miles, spent time in cold storage and sat on supermarket shelves for a period of time before making it into your basket - all of these things will lead to a loss in nutrients. Frozen foods also result in less wastage as you can simply use what you need.
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Consider tinned products - tinned products have a long shelf life and can be a good buy. Products such as tinned sardines and salmon still contain the healthy omega fats and are much easier to store and prepare than fresh alternatives. However, when buying tinned foods, be aware of what they are stored in - go for fish in spring water rather than oil or brine and fruit in juice as opposed to syrup.
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Use your leftovers - if your eyes are bigger than your belly, why not make your leftovers into a healthy casserole or soup and put it in the fridge or freezer? Also, if fruit and veg are close to their use-by dates, turn them into soups or purees or chop them up and freeze them ready for future use.
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Be clever at breakfast - cereals are often expensive and aren't always that healthy but porridge oats are cheap, free from additives and may help to lower your cholesterol. Add frozen fruit to sweeten it and make it a little more interesting.
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Get your beans - meat and fish can be expensive but beans, lentils and pulses are cheaper alternative sources of protein. Also, these foods can be stored for longer and are less likely to be wasted.
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