Conscious Choice Seattle: Sunny Side of Seeds

February 2006 | Body Shop

Sunny Side of Seeds

By Elizabeth Barker

Crack the shell, swallow the seed, save your heart. Of all the commonly eaten nuts and seeds, sunflower kernels boast the highest concentration of a class of plant chemicals shown to reduce cholesterol levels and improve heart health, according to a new study from the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Analyzing 27 types of nuts and seeds, chemists found sunflower kernels and pistachios were the most phytosterol-rich among those typically eaten as snack foods. Sesame seed and wheat germ were ranked highest overall, but neither is frequently consumed as an individual food.

Los Angeles-based dietitian, Matt Ruscigno recommends snacking on a quarter-cup serving of nuts and seeds at least five times a week.

“They’re an excellent source of protein, micronutrients, vitamin E, and essentially fatty acids,” he says. “And their culinary use is extremely versatile—from stir-fries to sauces and even desserts, nuts and seeds can easily be incorporated into a healthy diet.”

Though the study ranked walnuts and peanuts among the lowest in phytosterol content, each possesses other healthful properties, notes study author, Katherine M. Phillips, Ph.D.

“For example, walnuts are found to be very high in antioxidants,” Phillips says. “This highlights the importance of not making food choices based on one single component.”

Cranberry Paste for Teeth?

Cranberries may help curb plaque buildup and keep your smile cavity-free, according to lab tests from the University of Rochester Medical Center. Just as the sweet-tart fruit helps prevent urinary tract infections by stopping bacteria from sticking to the bladder, cranberries appear to stave off tooth decay by keeping the microbe Streptococcus mutans from clinging to tooth surfaces. When those bacteria stick to the teeth, says study author, Hyun Koo, they end up secreting acids that result in cavities.

The study authors have yet to identify the anti-cavity compounds within cranberries, but Koo hopes the isolated compounds could be used as cavity-fighting ingredients in toothpaste or mouth wash. While 100 percent pure cranberry juice concentrates lack the cavity-causing added sugar found in most blends, the juice’s natural acidity may lead to tooth decay, Koo warns.

Kudos (Sort of) for Coffee Habit

That four-cup-a-day habit might be worth keeping up. In a Journal of Nutrition study, premenopausal women who drank four or more cups of regular coffee daily had a 40 percent lower risk of breast cancer when compared to non-coffee-drinkers. Researchers surveyed 1,932 women with breast cancer and 1,895 without breast cancer, finding that breast cancer risk did not decrease among those who regularly drank black tea or decaf coffee.

In fact, coffee may jack up your protection against type-2 diabetes, according to a 2003 study from the Harvard School of Public Health. Research on the link between coffee drinking and heart disease has produced conflicting results, but the American Heart Association states drinking one to two cups daily doesn’t appear to increase heart disease risk.

Tea lovers: Don’t trade your bags for beans just yet.

“Both black and green tea are an important source of antioxidant polyphenols that are suspected to yield health benefits,” says study author, Gregory P. Beehler.

Elizabeth Barker writes the BodyShop column for Conscious Choice.

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