Cane sugar.
Habitat: Native to eastern Europe; found in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
English: Marshmallow, Hollyhock.Unani: Khatmi, Gul-Khairu (also equated with Althaea rosea Linn.).Siddha/Tamil: Shemai-tutti.Action: Demulcent, emollient, antitussive (used for cough, bronchitis, gastritis, enteritis and cystitis), antilithic, diuretic.
Key application: (leaf and root) In irritation ofthe oral and pharyngeal mucosa and associated dry cough; in mild inflammation of the gastric mucosa. (German Commission E, ESCOP.) As demulcent. (The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia.) In gastroenteritis, peptic and duodenal ulceration, common and ulcerative colitis. (The British Herbal Compendium.) Topically for varicose veins, skin ulcers, abscesses, cuts, burns.Althaea rosea (L.) Cav., synonym Al- cea rosea L., Hollyhock flower, is used as mucilage for prophylaxis and therapy of diseases and discomforts of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract and for urinary complaints. (It is included among unapproved herbs by German Commission E.)The root contains starch, mucilage, pectin, flavonoids, phenolic acids, sucrose, tannins and asparagines. Mucilage (18-35%) consists of a number of polysaccharides. Flavonoids include kaempferol, quercetin and diosmetin glucosides. Polyphenolic acids include syringic, caffeic, salcyclic, vanillic and p-coumaric acids.The mucilages have proven biological activity including stimulation of phagocytosis in vitro.The root counters excess stomach acid, peptic ulceration and gastritis.... althaea officinalisNutritional Profile Energy value (calories per serving): Moderate Protein: Low Fat: Low Saturated fat: Low Cholesterol: None Carbohydrates: High Fiber: Moderate Sodium: Low Major vitamin contribution: B vitamins, vitamin C Major mineral contribution: Potassium, magnesium
About the Nutrients in This Food A banana begins life with more starch than sugar, but as the fruit ripens its starches turn to sugar, which is why ripe bananas taste so much better than unripe ones.* The color of a banana’s skin is a fair guide to its starch/ sugar ratio. When the skin is yellow-green, 40 percent of its carbohydrates are starch; when the skin is fully yellow and the banana is ripe, only 8 per- cent of the carbohydrates are still starch. The rest (91 percent) have broken down into sugars—glucose, fructose, sucrose, the most plentiful sugar in the fruit. Its high sugar content makes the banana, in its self-contained packet, a handy energy source. Bananas are a high-fiber food with insoluble cellulose and lignin in the tiny seeds and soluble pectins in the flesh. They are also a good source of vitamin C and potassium. One small (six-inch) banana or a half-cup of sliced banana has 2.6 g dietary fiber and 8.8 mg vitamin C (12 percent of the R DA for a woman, 10 percent of the R DA for a man), plus 363 mg potassium.
The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food Fresh and ripe. Green bananas contain antinutrients, proteins that inhibit the actions of amylase, an enzyme that makes it possible for us to digest * They are also more healt hful. Green bananas contain proteins t hat inhibit amy- lase, an enzyme t hat makes it possible for us to digest complex carbohydrates. starch and other complex carbohydrates. Raw bananas are richer in potassium than cooked bananas; heating depletes potassium.
Buying This Food Look for: Bananas that will be good when you plan to eat them. Bananas with brown specks on the skin are ripe enough to eat immediately. Bananas with creamy yellow skin will be ready in a day or two. Bananas with mostly yellow skin and a touch of green at either end can be ripened at home and used in two or three days. Avoid: Overripe bananas whose skin has turned brown or split open. A grayish yellow skin means that the fruit has been damaged by cold storage. Bananas with soft spots under the skin may be rotten.
Storing This Food Store bananas that aren’t fully ripe at room temperature for a day or two. Like avocados, bananas are picked green, shipped hard to protect them from damage en route and then sprayed with ethylene gas to ripen them quickly. Untreated bananas release ethylene natu- rally to ripen the fruit and turn its starches to sugar, but natural ripening takes time. Artificial ripening happens so quickly that there is no time for the starches to turn into sugar. The bananas look ripe but they may taste bland and starchy. A few days at room temperature will give the starches a chance to change into sugars. Store ripe bananas in the refrigerator. The cold air will slow (but not stop) the natural enzyme action that ripens and eventually rots the fruit if you leave it at room temperature. Cold storage will darken the banana’s skin, since the chill damages cells in the peel and releases polyphenoloxidase, an enzyme that converts phenols in the banana peel to dark brown compounds, but the fruit inside will remain pale and tasty for several days.
Preparing This Food Do not slice or peel bananas until you are ready to use them. When you cut into the fruit, you tear its cell walls, releasing polyphenoloxidase, an enzyme that hastens the oxidation of phenols in the banana, producing brown pigments that darken the fruit. (Chilling a banana produces the same reaction because the cold damages cells in the banana peel.) You can slow the browning (but not stop it completely) by dipping raw sliced or peeled bananas into a solution of lemon juice or vinegar and water or by mixing the slices with citrus fruits in a fruit salad. Overripe, discolored bananas can be used in baking, where the color doesn’t matter and their intense sweetness is an asset.
What Happens When You Cook This Food When bananas are broiled or fried, they are cooked so quickly that there is very little change in color or texture. Even so, they will probably taste sweeter and have a more intense aroma than uncooked bananas. Heat liberates the volatile molecules that make the fruit taste and smell good.
How Other Kinds of Processing Affect This Food Drying. Drying removes water and concentrates the nutrients and calories in bananas. Bananas may be treated with compounds such as sulfur dioxide to inhibit polyphenoloxi- dase and keep the bananas from browning as they dry. People who are sensitive to sulfites may suffer severe allergic reactions, including anaphylactic shock, if they eat these treated bananas. Freezing. Fresh bananas freeze well but will brown if you try to thaw them at room tem- perature. To protect the creamy color, thaw frozen bananas in the refrigerator and use as quickly as possible.
Medical Uses and/or Benefits Lower risk of stroke. Various nutrition studies have attested to the power of adequate potassium to keep blood pressure within safe levels. For example, in the 1990s, data from the long-running Harvard School of Public Health/Health Professionals Follow-Up Study of male doctors showed that a diet rich in high-potassium foods such as bananas, oranges, and plantain may reduce the risk of stroke. In the study, the men who ate the higher number of potassium-rich foods (an average of nine servings a day) had a risk of stroke 38 percent lower than that of men who consumed fewer than four servings a day. In 2008, a similar survey at the Queen’s Medical Center (Honolulu) showed a similar protective effect among men and women using diuretic drugs (medicines that increase urination and thus the loss of potassium). Improved mood. Bananas and plantains are both rich in serotonin, dopamine, and other natural mood-elevating neurotransmitters—natural chemicals that facilitate the transmis- sion of impulses along nerve cells. Potassium benefits. Because potassium is excreted in urine, potassium-rich foods are often recommended for people taking diuretics. In addition, a diet rich in potassium (from food) is associated with a lower risk of stroke. A 1998 Harvard School of Public Health analysis of data from the long-running Health Professionals Study shows 38 percent fewer strokes among men who ate nine servings of high potassium foods a day vs. those who ate less than four servings. Among men with high blood pressure, taking a daily 1,000 mg potas- sium supplement—about the amount of potassium in one banana—reduced the incidence of stroke by 60 percent.
Adverse Effects Associated with This Food Digestive Problems. Unripe bananas contain proteins that inhibit the actions of amylase, an enzyme required to digest starch and other complex carbohydrates. Sulfite allergies. See How other kinds of processing affect this food. Latex-fruit syndrome. Latex is a milky fluid obtained from the rubber tree and used to make medical and surgical products such as condoms and protective latex gloves, as well as rub- ber bands, balloons, and toys; elastic used in clothing; pacifiers and baby bottle-nipples; chewing gum; and various adhesives. Some of the proteins in latex are allergenic, known to cause reactions ranging from mild to potentially life-threatening. Some of the proteins found naturally in latex also occur naturally in foods from plants such as avocados, bananas, chestnuts, kiwi fruit, tomatoes, and food and diet sodas sweetened with aspartame. Persons sensitive to these foods are likely to be sensitive to latex as well. NOTE : The National Insti- tute of Health Sciences, in Japan, also lists the following foods as suspect: Almonds, apples, apricots, bamboo shoots, bell peppers, buckwheat, cantaloupe, carrots, celery, cherries, chestnuts, coconut, figs, grapefruit, lettuce, loquat, mangoes, mushrooms, mustard, nectar- ines, oranges, passion fruit, papaya, peaches, peanuts, peppermint, pineapples, potatoes, soybeans, strawberries, walnuts, and watermelon.
Food/Drug Interactions Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors are drugs used to treat depression. They inactivate naturally occurring enzymes in your body that metabolize tyra- mine, a substance found in many fermented or aged foods. Tyramine constricts blood vessels and increases blood pressure. If you eat a food containing tyramine while you are taking an M AO inhibitor, you cannot effectively eliminate the tyramine from your body. The result may be a hypertensive crisis. There have been some reports in the past of such reactions in people who have eaten rotten bananas or bananas stewed with the peel. False-positive test for tumors. Carcinoid tumors—which may arise from tissues of the endo- crine system, the intestines, or the lungs—secrete serotonin, a natural chemical that makes blood vessels expand or contract. Because serotonin is excreted in urine, these tumors are diagnosed by measuring the levels of serotonin by-products in the urine. Bananas contain large amounts of serotonin; eating them in the three days before a test for an endocrine tumor might produce a false-positive result, suggesting that you have the tumor when in fact you don’t. (Other foods high in serotonin are avocados, eggplant, pineapple, plums, tomatoes, and walnuts.)... bananas
Habitat: South India; common in the monsoon forests of Western Ghats.
English: Mowra Butter tree, South Indian Mahua.Siddha/Tamil: Illupei, Elupa, Naatu, Iluppei, Iruppei.Action: Flowers—laxative, bechic (used in coughs, colds and bronchitis), stimulant and nervine tonic. Seed oil—galactogenic, anticephalalgic, laxative in cases of habitual constipation and piles; used externally in rheumatism and skin affections. Bark, seed oil and gum—antirheumatic.
The herb contains 17% tannins and is used for bleeding and spongy gums, tonsillitis, ulcers, rheumatism and diabetes mellitus. Roots are applied to ulcers.Seed kernel gave protobassic acid (a sapogenol) and two major saponins— Mi-saponins A and B. Mi-saponins (bisdesmosides of protobassic acid) exhibit anti-inflammatory activity in rheumatism.The carollas are a rich source of sugars and contain an appreciable amount of vitamins and calcium (total sugars 72.9%, calcium 140 mg/100 g). Sugars are identified as sucrose, maltose, glucose, fructose, arabinose and rham- nose. Flowers are largely used in the preparation of distilled liquors. They constitute the most important raw material for fermentative production of alcohol.... bassia longifoliaNutritional Profile Energy value (calories per serving): Moderate Protein: Moderate Fat: Low to moderate Saturated fat: Low to high Cholesterol: Low to high Carbohydrates: High Fiber: Moderate to high Sodium: Moderate to high Major vitamin contribution: B vitamins Major mineral contribution: Calcium, iron, potassium
About the Nutrients in This Food All commercially made yeast breads are approximately equal in nutri- tional value. Enriched white bread contains virtually the same amounts of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates as whole wheat bread, although it may contain only half the dietary fiber (see flour). Bread is a high-carbohydrate food with lots of starch. The exact amount of fiber, fat, and cholesterol in the loaf varies with the recipe. Bread’s proteins, from grain, are low in the essential amino acid lysine. The most important carbohydrate in bread is starch; all breads contain some sugar. Depending on the recipe, the fats may be highly saturated (butter or hydrogenated vegetable fats) or primarily unsaturated (vegetable fat). All bread is a good source of B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin), and in 1998, the Food and Drug Administration ordered food manufactur- ers to add folates—which protect against birth defects of the spinal cord and against heart disease—to flour, rice, and other grain products. One year later, data from the Framingham Heart Study, which has followed heart health among residents of a Boston suburb for nearly half a cen- tury, showed a dramatic increase in blood levels of folic acid. Before the fortification of foods, 22 percent of the study participants had a folic acid deficiency; after, the number fell to 2 percent. Bread is a moderately good source of calcium, magnesium, and phos- phorus. (Breads made with milk contain more calcium than breads made without milk.) Although bread is made from grains and grains contain phytic acid, a natural antinutrient that binds calcium ions into insoluble, indigestible compounds, the phytic acid is inactivated by enzyme action during leavening. Bread does not bind calcium. All commercially made breads are moderately high in sodium; some contain more sugar than others. Grains are not usually considered a good source of iodine, but commer- cially made breads often pick up iodine from the iodophors and iodates used to clean the plants and machines in which they are made. Homemade breads share the basic nutritional characteristics of commercially made breads, but you can vary the recipe to suit your own taste, lowering the salt, sugar, or fat and raising the fiber content, as you prefer.
The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food As sandwiches, with cheese, milk, eggs, meat, fish, or poultry. These foods supply the essen- tial amino acid lysine to “complete” the proteins in grains. With beans or peas. The proteins in grains are deficient in the essential amino acids lysine and isoleucine and rich in the essential amino acids tryptophan, methionine, and cystine. The proteins in legumes (beans and peas) are exactly the opposite.
Diets That May Restrict or Exclude This Food Gluten-free diet (excludes breads made with wheat, oats, rye, buckwheat and barley flour) Lactose-free diet Low-fiber diet (excludes coarse whole-grain breads) Low-sodium diet
Buying This Food Look for: Fresh bread. Check the date on closed packages of commercial bread.
Storing This Food Store bread at room temperature, in a tightly closed plastic bag (the best protection) or in a breadbox. How long bread stays fresh depends to a great extent on how much fat it contains. Bread made with some butter or other fat will keep for about three days at room tempera- ture. Bread made without fat (Italian bread, French bread) will dry out in just a few hours; for longer storage, wrap it in foil, put it inside a plastic bag, and freeze it. When you are ready to serve the French or Italian bread, you can remove it from the plastic bag and put the foil- wrapped loaf directly into the oven. Throw away moldy bread. The molds that grow on bread may produce carcinogenic toxins. Do not store fresh bread in the refrigerator; bread stales most quickly at temperatures just above freezing. The one exception: In warm, humid weather, refrigerating bread slows the growth of molds.
When You Are Ready to Serve This Food Use a serrated knife to cut bread easily.
What Happens When You Cook This Food Toasting is a chemical process that caramelizes sugars and amino acids (proteins) on the surface of the bread, turning the bread a golden brown. This chemical reaction, known both as the browning reaction and the Maillard reaction (after the French chemist who first identified it), alters the structure of the surface sugars, starches, and amino acids. The sugars become indigestible food fiber; the amino acids break into smaller fragments that are no longer nutritionally useful. Thus toast has more fiber and less protein than plain bread. How- ever, the role of heat-generated fibers in the human diet is poorly understood. Some experts consider them inert and harmless; others believe they may be hazardous.
How Other Kinds of Processing Affect This Food Freezing. Frozen bread releases moisture that collects inside the paper, foil, or plastic bag in which it is wrapped. If you unwrap the bread before defrosting it, the moisture will be lost and the bread will be dry. Always defrost bread in its wrappings so that it can reabsorb the moisture that keeps it tasting fresh. Drying. Since molds require moisture, the less moisture a food contains, the less likely it is support mold growth. That is why bread crumbs and Melba toast, which are relatively mois- ture-free, keep better than fresh bread. Both can be ground fine and used as a toasty-flavored thickener in place of flour or cornstarch.
Medical Uses and/or Benefits A lower risk of some kinds of cancer. In 1998, scientists at Wayne State University in Detroit conducted a meta-analysis of data from more than 30 well-designed animal studies mea- suring the anti-cancer effects of wheat bran, the part of grain with highest amount of the insoluble dietary fibers cellulose and lignin. They found a 32 percent reduction in the risk of colon cancer among animals fed wheat bran; now they plan to conduct a similar meta- analysis of human studies. Breads made with whole grain wheat are a good source of wheat bran. NOTE : The amount of fiber per serving listed on a food package label shows the total amount of fiber (insoluble and soluble). Early in 1999, however, new data from the long-running Nurses Health Study at Brigham Women’s Hospital/Harvard University School of Public Health showed that women who ate a high-fiber diet had a risk of colon cancer similar to that of women who ate a low fiber diet. Because this study contradicts literally hundreds of others conducted over the past 30 years, researchers are awaiting confirming evidence before changing dietary recommendations. Calming effect. Mood is affected by naturally occurring chemicals called neurotransmitters that facilitate transmission of impulses between brain cells. The amino acid tryptophan amino acid is the most important constituent of serotonin, a “calming” neurotransmitter. Foods such as bread, which are high in complex carbohydrates, help move tryptophan into your brain, increasing the availability of serotonin.
Adverse Effects Associated with This Food Allergic reactions and/or gastric distress. Bread contains several ingredients that may trigger allergic reactions, aggravate digestive problems, or upset a specific diet, among them gluten (prohibited on gluten-free diets); milk (prohibited on a lactose- and galactose-free diet or for people who are sensitive to milk proteins); sugar (prohibited on a sucrose-free diet); salt (controlled on a sodium-restricted diet); and fats (restricted or prohibited on a controlled-fat, low-cholesterol diet).... bread
Habitat: The sub-Himalayan tract from Kashmir eastwards to Assam, and in Bihar, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.
Ayurvedic: Ekaviraa.Siddha/Tamil: Venge-maram.Folk: Gondni, Asaanaa (Maharashtra).Action: Bark and Root—astringent, anthelmintic. Used in the treatment of bone fracture.
The root contains 5.7% tannins.The leaves contain beta-sitosterol, its beta-D-glucoside and a triterpe- noid. Fructose, glucose and sucrose were identified as the components of the glycoside.... bridelia montanaNutritional Profile Energy value (calories per serving): Moderate to high Protein: Moderate to high Fat: Low to high Saturated fat: High Cholesterol: Low to high Carbohydrates: Low Fiber: None Sodium: High Major vitamin contribution: Vitamin A, vitamin D, B vitamins Major mineral contribution: Calcium
About the Nutrients in This Food Cheese making begins when Lactobacilli and/or Streptococci bacteria are added to milk. The bacteria digest lactose (milk sugar) and release lactic acid, which coagulates casein (milk protein) into curds. Rennet (gastric enzymes extracted from the stomach of calves) is added, and the mixture is put aside to set. The longer the curds are left to set, the firmer the cheese will be. When the curds are properly firm, they are pressed to squeeze out the whey (liquid) and cooked. Cooking evaporates even more liquid and makes the cheese even firmer.* At this point, the product is “fresh” or “green” cheese: cottage cheese, cream cheese, farmer cheese. Making “ripe” cheese requires the addition of salt to pull out more moisture and specific organisms, such as Penicil- lium roquefort for Roquefort cheese, blue cheese, and Stilton, or Penicillium cambembert for Camembert and Brie. The nutritional value of cheese is similar to the milk from which it is made. All cheese is a good source of high quality proteins with sufficient amounts of all the essential amino acids. Cheese is low to high in fat, mod- erate to high in cholesterol. * Natural cheese is cheese made direct ly from milk. Processed cheese is natural cheese melted and combined wit h emulsifiers. Pasteurized process cheese foods contain ingredients t hat allow t hem to spread smoot hly; t hey are lower in fat and higher in moisture t han processed cheese. Cholesterol and Saturated Fat Content of Selected Cheeses Mozzarella Source: USDA, Nutritive Value of Foods, Home and Garden Bullet in No. 72 (USDA, 1989). All cheeses, except cottage cheese, are good sources of vitamin A. Orange and yellow cheeses are colored with carotenoid pigments, including bixin (the carotenoid pigment in annatto) and synthetic beta-carotene. Hard cheeses are an excellent source of calcium; softer cheeses are a good source; cream cheese and cottage cheese are poor sources. The R DA for calcium is 1,000 mg for a woman, 1,200 mg for a man, and 1,500 mg for an older woman who is not on hormone- replacement therapy. All cheese, unless otherwise labeled, is high in sodium.
| Calcium Content of Cheese | ||
| Cheese | Serving | Calcium (mg) |
| Blue | oz. | 150 |
| Camembert | wedge | 147 |
| Cheddar | oz. | 204 |
| Cottage cheese | ||
| creamed | cup | 135 |
| uncreamed | cup | 46 |
| Muenster | oz. | 203 |
| Pasteurized processed American | oz. | 174 |
| Parmesan grated | tbsp. | 69 |
| Provolone | oz. | 214 |
| Swiss | oz. | 272 |
The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food With grains, bread, noodles, beans, nuts, or vegetables to add the essential amino acids miss- ing from these foods, “complete” their proteins, and make them more nutritionally valuable.
Diets That May Restrict or Exclude This Food Antiflatulence diet Controlled-fat, low-cholesterol diet Lactose- and galactose-free diet (lactose, a disaccharide [double sugar] is composed of one unit of galactose and one unit of glucose) Low-calcium diet (for patients with kidney disease) Sucrose-free diet (processed cheese)
Buying This Food Look for: Cheese stored in a refrigerated case. Check the date on the package. Avoid: Any cheese with mold that is not an integral part of the food.
Storing This Food Refrigerate all cheese except unopened canned cheeses (such as Camembert in tins) or grated cheeses treated with preservatives and labeled to show that they can be kept outside the refrigerator. Some sealed packages of processed cheeses can be stored at room temperature but must be refrigerated once the package is opened. Wrap cheeses tightly to protect them from contamination by other microorganisms in the air and to keep them from drying out. Well-wrapped, refrigerated hard cheeses that have not been cut or sliced will keep for up to six months; sliced hard cheeses will keep for about two weeks. Soft cheeses (cottage cheese, ricotta, cream cheese, and Neufchatel) should be used within five to seven days. Use all packaged or processed cheeses by the date stamped on the package. Throw out moldy cheese (unless the mold is an integral part of the cheese, as with blue cheese or Stilton).
Preparing This Food To grate cheese, chill the cheese so it won’t stick to the grater. The molecules that give cheese its taste and aroma are largely immobilized when the cheese is cold. When serving cheese with fruit or crackers, bring it to room temperature to activate these molecules.
What Happens When You Cook This Food Heat changes the structure of proteins. The molecules are denatured, which means that they may be broken into smaller fragments or change shape or clump together. All of these changes may force moisture out of the protein tissue, which is why overcooked cheese is often stringy. Whey proteins, which do not clump or string at low temperatures, contain the sulfur atoms that give hot or burned cheese an unpleasant “cooked” odor. To avoid both strings and an unpleasant odor, add cheese to sauces at the last minute and cook just long enough to melt the cheese.
How Other Kinds of Processing Affect This Food Freezing. All cheese loses moisture when frozen, so semisoft cheeses will freeze and thaw better than hard cheeses, which may be crumbly when defrosted. Drying. The less moisture cheese contains, the less able it is to support the growth of organ- isms like mold. Dried cheeses keep significantly longer than ordinary cheeses.
Medical Uses and/or Benefits To strengthen bones and reduce age-related loss of bone density. High-calcium foods protect bone density. The current recommended dietary allowance (R DA) for calcium is still 800 mg for adults 25 and older, but a 1984 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Conference advisory stated that lifelong protection for bones requires an R DA of 1,000 mg for healthy men and women age 25 to 50 ; 1,000 mg for older women using hormone replacement therapy; and 1,500 mg for older women who are not using hormones, and these recommendations have been confirmed in a 1994 NIH Consensus Statement on optimal calcium intake. A diet with adequate amounts of calcium-rich foods helps protect bone density. Low-fat and no-fat cheeses provide calcium without excess fat and cholesterol. Protection against tooth decay. Studies at the University of Iowa (Iowa City) Dental School confirm that a wide variety of cheeses, including aged cheddar, Edam, Gouda, Monterey Jack, Muenster, mozzarella, Port Salut, Roquefort, Romano, Stilton, Swiss, and Tilsit—limit the tooth decay ordinarily expected when sugar becomes trapped in plaque, the sticky film on tooth surfaces where cavity-causing bacteria flourish. In a related experiment using only cheddar cheese, people who ate cheddar four times a day over a two-week period showed a 20 percent buildup of strengthening minerals on the surface of synthetic toothlike material attached to the root surfaces of natural teeth. Protection against periodontal disease. A report in the January 2008 issue of the Journal of Periodontology suggests that consuming adequate amounts of dairy products may reduce the risk of developing periodontal disease. Examining the dental health of 942 subjects ages 40 to 79, researchers at Kyushu University, in Japan, discovered that those whose diets regularly included two ounces (55 g) of foods containing lactic acid (milk, cheese, and yogurt) were significantly less likely to have deep “pockets” (loss of attachment of tooth to gum) than those who consumed fewer dairy products.
Adverse Effects Associated with This Food Increased risk of heart disease. Like other foods from animals, cheese is a source of choles- terol and saturated fats, which increase the amount of cholesterol circulating in your blood and raise your risk of heart disease. To reduce the risk of heart disease, the USDA /Health and Human Services Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting the amount of cholesterol in your diet to no more than 300 mg a day. The guidelines also recommend limit- ing the amount of fat you consume to no more than 30 percent of your total calories, while holding your consumption of saturated fats to more than 10 percent of your total calories (the calories from saturated fats are counted as part of the total calories from fat). Food poisoning. Cheese made from raw (unpasteurized) milk may contain hazardous microorganisms, including Salmonella and Listeria. Salmonella causes serious gastric upset; Lis- teria, a flulike infection, encephalitis, or blood infection. Both may be life-threatening to the very young, the very old, pregnant women, and those whose immune systems are weakened either by illness (such as AIDS) or drugs (such as cancer chemotherapy). In 1998, the Federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released data identif ying Listeria as the cause of nearly half the reported deaths from food poisoning. Allergy to milk proteins. Milk is one of the foods most frequently implicated as a cause of allergic reactions, particularly upset stomach. However, in many cases the reaction is not a true allergy but the result of lactose intolerance (see below). Lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance—the inability to digest the sugar in milk—is an inherited metabolic deficiency that affects two thirds of all adults, including 90 to 95 percent of all Orientals, 70 to 75 percent of all blacks, and 6 to 8 percent of Caucasians. These people do not have sufficient amounts of lactase, the enzyme that breaks the disaccharide lactose into its easily digested components, galactose and glucose. When they drink milk, the undi- gested sugar is fermented by bacteria in the gut, causing bloating, diarrhea, flatulence, and intestinal discomfort. Some milk is now sold with added lactase to digest the lactose and make the milk usable for lactase-deficient people. In making cheese, most of the lactose in milk is broken down into glucose and galactose. There is very little lactose in cheeses other than the fresh ones—cottage cheese, cream cheese, and farmer cheese. Galactosemia. Galactosemia is an inherited metabolic disorder in which the body lacks the enzymes needed to metabolize galactose, a component of lactose. Galactosemia is a reces- sive trait; you must receive the gene from both parents to develop the condition. Babies born with galactosemia will fail to thrive and may develop brain damage or cataracts if they are given milk. To prevent this, children with galactosemia are usually kept on a protective milk- free diet for several years, until their bodies have developed alternative pathways by which to metabolize galactose. Pregnant women who are known carriers of galactosemia may be advised to give up milk and milk products while pregnant lest the unmetabolized galactose in their bodies cause brain damage to the fetus (damage not detectable by amniocentesis). Genetic counseling is available to identif y galactosemia carriers and assess their chances of producing a baby with the disorder. Penicillin sensitivity. People who experience a sensitivity reaction the first time they take penicillin may have been sensitized by exposure to the Penicillium molds in the environment, including the Penicillium molds used to make brie, blue, camembert, roquefort, Stilton, and other “blue” cheeses.
Food/Drug Interactions Tetracycline. The calcium ions in milk products, including cheese, bind tetracyclines into insoluble compounds. If you take tetracyclines with cheese, your body may not be able to absorb and use the drug efficiently. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors are drugs used to treat depression. They inactivate naturally occurring enzymes in your body that metabolize tyra- mine, a substance found in many fermented or aged foods. Tyramine constricts blood ves- sels and increases blood pressure. If you eat a food such as aged or fermented cheese which is high in tyramine while you are taking an M AO inhibitor, your body may not be able to eliminate the tyramine. The result may be a hypertensive crisis.
Tyramine Content of Cheeses High Boursault, Camembert, Cheddar, Emmenthaler, Stilton Medium to high Blue, brick, Brie, Gruyère, mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano, Roquefort Low Processed American cheese Very little or none Cottage and cream cheese Sources: The Medical Letter Handbook of Adverse Drug Interactions (1985); Handbook of Clinical Dietetics ( The A merican Dietet ic Associat ion, 1981). False-positive test for pheochromocytoma. Pheochromocytomas (tumors of the adrenal glands) secrete adrenalin that is converted by the body to vanillyl-mandelic acid ( VM A) and excreted in the urine. Tests for this tumor measure the level of VM A in the urine. Since cheese contains VM A, taking the test after eating cheese may result in a false-positive result. Ordinarily, cheese is prohibited for at least 72 hours before this diagnostic test.... cheese
Nutritional Profile Energy value (calories per serving): Low Protein: Trace Fat: Trace Saturated fat: None Cholesterol: None Carbohydrates: Trace Fiber: Trace Sodium: Low Major vitamin contribution: None Major mineral contribution: None
About the Nutrients in This Food Coffee beans are roasted seeds from the fruit of the evergreen coffee tree. Like other nuts and seeds, they are high in proteins (11 percent), sucrose and other sugars (8 percent), oils (10 to 15 percent), assorted organic acids (6 percent), B vitamins, iron, and the central nervous system stimulant caffeine (1 to 2 percent). With the exceptions of caffeine, none of these nutrients is found in coffee. Like spinach, rhubarb, and tea, coffee contains oxalic acid (which binds calcium ions into insoluble compounds your body cannot absorb), but this is of no nutritional consequence as long as your diet contains adequate amounts of calcium-rich foods. Coffee’s best known constituent is the methylxanthine central ner- vous system stimulant caffeine. How much caffeine you get in a cup of coffee depends on how the coffee was processed and brewed. Caffeine is Caffeine Content/Coffee Servings Brewed coffee 60 mg/five-ounce cup Brewed/decaffeinated 5 mg/five-ounce cup Espresso 64 mg/one-ounce serving Instant 47 mg/rounded teaspoon
The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food In moderation, with high-calcium foods. Like spinach, rhubarb, and tea, coffee has oxalic acid, which binds calcium into insoluble compounds. This will have no important effect as long as you keep your consumption moderate (two to four cups of coffee a day) and your calcium consumption high.
Diets That May Restrict or Exclude This Food Bland diet Gout diet Diet for people with heart disease (regular coffee)
Buying This Food Look for: Ground coffee and coffee beans in tightly sealed, air- and moisture-proof containers. Avoid: Bulk coffees or coffee beans stored in open bins. When coffee is exposed to air, the volatile molecules that give it its distinctive flavor and richness escape, leaving the coffee flavorless and/or bitter.
Storing This Food Store unopened vacuum-packed cans of ground coffee or coffee beans in a cool, dark cabinet—where they will stay fresh for six months to a year. They will lose some flavor in storage, though, because it is impossible to can coffee without trapping some flavor- destroying air inside the can. Once the can or paper sack has been opened, the coffee or beans should be sealed as tight as possible and stored in the refrigerator. Tightly wrapped, refrigerated ground coffee will hold its freshness and flavor for about a week, whole beans for about three weeks. For longer storage, freeze the coffee or beans in an air- and moistureproof container. ( You can brew coffee directly from frozen ground coffee and you can grind frozen beans without thawing them.)
Preparing This Food If you make your coffee with tap water, let the water run for a while to add oxygen. Soft water makes “cleaner”-tasting coffee than mineral-rich hard water. Coffee made with chlorinated water will taste better if you refrigerate the water overnight in a glass (not plastic) bottle so that the chlorine evaporates. Never make coffee with hot tap water or water that has been boiled. Both lack oxygen, which means that your coffee will taste flat. Always brew coffee in a scrupulously clean pot. Each time you make coffee, oils are left on the inside of the pot. If you don’t scrub them off, they will turn rancid and the next pot of coffee you brew will taste bitter. To clean a coffee pot, wash it with detergent, rinse it with water in which you have dissolved a few teaspoons of baking soda, then rinse one more time with boiling water.
What Happens When You Cook This Food In making coffee, your aim is to extract flavorful solids (including coffee oils and sucrose and other sugars) from the ground beans without pulling bitter, astringent tannins along with them. How long you brew the coffee determines how much solid material you extract and how the coffee tastes. The longer the brewing time, the greater the amount of solids extracted. If you brew the coffee long enough to extract more than 30 percent of its solids, you will get bitter compounds along with the flavorful ones. (These will also develop by let- ting coffee sit for a long time after brewing it.) Ordinarily, drip coffee tastes less bitter than percolator coffee because the water in a drip coffeemaker goes through the coffee only once, while the water in the percolator pot is circulated through the coffee several times. To make strong but not bitter coffee, increase the amount of coffee—not the brewing time.
How Other Kinds of Processing Affect This Food Drying. Soluble coffees (freeze-dried, instant) are made by dehydrating concentrated brewed coffee. These coffees are often lower in caffeine than regular ground coffees because caffeine, which dissolves in water, is lost when the coffee is dehydrated. Decaffeinating. Decaffeinated coffee is made with beans from which the caffeine has been extracted, either with an organic solvent (methylene chloride) or with water. How the coffee is decaffeinated has no effect on its taste, but many people prefer water-processed decaf- feinated coffee because it is not a chemically treated food. (Methylene chloride is an animal carcinogen, but the amounts that remain in coffees decaffeinated with methylene chloride are so small that the FDA does not consider them hazardous. The carcinogenic organic sol- vent trichloroethylene [TCE], a chemical that causes liver cancer in laboratory animals, is no longer used to decaffeinate coffee.)
Medical Uses and/or Benefits As a stimulant and mood elevator. Caffeine is a stimulant. It increases alertness and concentra- tion, intensifies muscle responses, quickens heartbeat, and elevates mood. Its effects derive from the fact that its molecular structure is similar to that of adenosine, a natural chemical by-product of normal cell activity. Adenosine is a regular chemical that keeps nerve cell activ- ity within safe limits. When caffeine molecules hook up to sites in the brain when adenosine molecules normally dock, nerve cells continue to fire indiscriminately, producing the jangly feeling sometimes associated with drinking coffee, tea, and other caffeine products. As a rule, it takes five to six hours to metabolize and excrete caffeine from the body. During that time, its effects may vary widely from person to person. Some find its stimu- lation pleasant, even relaxing; others experience restlessness, nervousness, hyperactivity, insomnia, flushing, and upset stomach after as little as one cup a day. It is possible to develop a tolerance for caffeine, so people who drink coffee every day are likely to find it less imme- diately stimulating than those who drink it only once in a while. Changes in blood vessels. Caffeine’s effects on blood vessels depend on site: It dilates coronary and gastrointestinal vessels but constricts blood vessels in your head and may relieve headache, such as migraine, which symptoms include swollen cranial blood vessels. It may also increase pain-free exercise time in patients with angina. However, because it speeds up heartbeat, doc- tors often advise patients with heart disease to avoid caffeinated beverages entirely. As a diuretic. Caffeine is a mild diuretic sometimes included in over-the-counter remedies for premenstrual tension or menstrual discomfort.
Adverse Effects Associated with This Food Stimulation of acid secretion in the stomach. Both regular and decaffeinated coffees increase the secretion of stomach acid, which suggests that the culprit is the oil in coffee, not its caffeine. Elevated blood levels of cholesterol and homocysteine. In the mid-1990s, several studies in the Netherlands and Norway suggested that drinking even moderate amounts of coffee (five cups a day or less) might raise blood levels of cholesterol and homocysteine (by-product of protein metabolism considered an independent risk factor for heart disease), thus increas- ing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Follow-up studies, however, showed the risk limited to drinking unfiltered coffees such as coffee made in a coffee press, or boiled coffees such as Greek, Turkish, or espresso coffee. The unfiltered coffees contain problematic amounts of cafestol and kahweol, two members of a chemical family called diterpenes, which are believed to affect cholesterol and homocysteine levels. Diterpenes are removed by filtering coffee, as in a drip-brew pot. Possible increased risk of miscarriage. Two studies released in 2008 arrived at different conclusions regarding a link between coffee consumption and an increased risk of miscar- riage. The first, at Kaiser Permanente (California), found a higher risk of miscarriage among women consuming even two eight-ounce cups of coffee a day. The second, at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine (New York), found no such link. However, although the authors of the Kaiser Permanente study described it as a “prospective study” (a study in which the research- ers report results that occur after the study begins), in fact nearly two-thirds of the women who suffered a miscarriage miscarried before the study began, thus confusing the results. Increased risk of heartburn /acid reflux. The natural oils in both regular and decaffeinated coffees loosen the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), a muscular valve between the esopha- gus and the stomach. When food is swallowed, the valve opens to let food into the stomach, then closes tightly to keep acidic stomach contents from refluxing (flowing backwards) into the esophagus. If the LES does not close efficiently, the stomach contents reflux and cause heartburn, a burning sensation. Repeated reflux is a risk factor for esophageal cancer. Masking of sleep disorders. Sleep deprivation is a serious problem associated not only with automobile accidents but also with health conditions such as depression and high blood pres- sure. People who rely on the caffeine in a morning cup of coffee to compensate for lack of sleep may put themselves at risk for these disorders. Withdrawal symptoms. Caffeine is a drug for which you develop a tolerance; the more often you use it, the more likely you are to require a larger dose to produce the same effects and the more likely you are to experience withdrawal symptoms (headache, irritation) if you stop using it. The symptoms of coffee-withdrawal can be relieved immediately by drinking a cup of coffee.
Food/Drug Interactions Drugs that make it harder to metabolize caffeine. Some medical drugs slow the body’s metabolism of caffeine, thus increasing its stimulating effect. The list of such drugs includes cimetidine (Tagamet), disulfiram (Antabuse), estrogens, fluoroquinolone antibiotics (e.g., ciprofloxacin, enoxacin, norfloxacin), fluconazole (Diflucan), fluvoxamine (Luvox), mexi- letine (Mexitil), riluzole (R ilutek), terbinafine (Lamisil), and verapamil (Calan). If you are taking one of these medicines, check with your doctor regarding your consumption of caf- feinated beverages. Drugs whose adverse effects increase due to consumption of large amounts of caffeine. This list includes such drugs as metaproterenol (Alupent), clozapine (Clozaril), ephedrine, epinephrine, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, phenylpropanolamine, and theophylline. In addition, suddenly decreasing your caffeine intake may increase blood levels of lithium, a drug used to control mood swings. If you are taking one of these medicines, check with your doctor regarding your consumption of caffeinated beverages. Allopurinol. Coffee and other beverages containing methylxanthine stimulants (caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine) reduce the effectiveness of the antigout drug allopurinol, which is designed to inhibit xanthines. Analgesics. Caffeine strengthens over-the-counter painkillers (acetaminophen, aspirin, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories [NSAIDS] such as ibuprofen and naproxen). But it also makes it more likely that NSAIDS will irritate your stomach lining. Antibiotics. Coffee increases stomach acidity, which reduces the rate at which ampicillin, erythromycin, griseofulvin, penicillin, and tetracyclines are absorbed when they are taken by mouth. (There is no effect when the drugs are administered by injection.) Antiulcer medication. Coffee increases stomach acidity and reduces the effectiveness of nor- mal doses of cimetidine and other antiulcer medication. False-positive test for pheochromocytoma. Pheochromocytoma, a tumor of the adrenal glands, secretes adrenalin, which is converted to VM A (vanillylmandelic acid) by the body and excreted in the urine. Until recently, the test for this tumor measured the levels of VM A in the patient’s urine and coffee, which contains VM A, was eliminated from patients’ diets lest it elevate the level of VM A in the urine, producing a false-positive test result. Today, more finely drawn tests make this unnecessary. Iron supplements. Caffeine binds with iron to form insoluble compounds your body cannot absorb. Ideally, iron supplements and coffee should be taken at least two hours apart. Birth control pills. Using oral contraceptives appears to double the time it takes to eliminate caffeine from the body. Instead of five to six hours, the stimulation of one cup of coffee may last as long as 12 hours. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors are drugs used to treat depression. They inactivate naturally occurring enzymes in your body that metabolize tyra- mine, a substance found in many fermented or aged foods. Tyramine constricts blood vessels and increases blood pressure. Caffeine is a substance similar to tyramine. If you consume excessive amounts of a caffeinated beverage such as coffee while you are taking an M AO inhibitor, the result may be a hypertensive crisis. Nonprescription drugs containing caffeine. The caffeine in coffee may add to the stimulant effects of the caffeine in over-the-counter cold remedies, diuretics, pain relievers, stimulants, and weight-control products containing caffeine. Some cold pills contain 30 mg caffeine, some pain relievers 130 mg, and some weight-control products as much as 280 mg caffeine. There are 110 –150 mg caffeine in a five-ounce cup of drip-brewed coffee. Sedatives. The caffeine in coffee may counteract the drowsiness caused by sedative drugs; this may be a boon to people who get sleepy when they take antihistamines. Coffee will not, however, “sober up” people who are experiencing the inebriating effects of alcoholic beverages. Theophylline. Caffeine relaxes the smooth muscle of the bronchi and may intensif y the effects (and/or increase the risk of side effects) of this antiasthmatic drug.... coffee
Nutritional Profile Energy value (calories per serving): High Protein: Moderate Fat: Low Saturated fat: Low Cholesterol: None Carbohydrates: High Fiber: Low to high Sodium: Low (except self-rising flour) Major vitamin contribution: B vitamins Major mineral contribution: Iron
About the Nutrients in This Food Flour is the primary source of the carbohydrates (starch and fiber) in bread, pasta, and baked goods. All wheat and rye flours also provide some of the food fibers, including pectins, gums, and cellulose. Flour also contains significant amounts of protein but, like other plant foods, its proteins are “incomplete” because they are deficient in the essential amino acid lysine. The fat in the wheat germ is primarily polyunsaturated; flour contains no cholesterol. Flour is a good source of iron and the B vitamins. Iodine and iodophors used to clean the equipment in grain-processing plants may add iodine to the flour. In 1998, the Food and Drug Administration ordered food manufac- turers to add folates—which protect against birth defects of the spinal cord and against heart disease—to flour, rice, and other grain products. One year later, data from the Framingham Heart Study, which has fol- lowed heart health among residents of a Boston suburb for nearly half a century, showed a dramatic increase in blood levels of folic acid. Before the fortification of foods, 22 percent of the study participants had a folic acid deficiency; after, the number fell to 2 percent. Whole grain flour, like other grain products, contains phytic acid, an antinutrient that binds calcium, iron, and zinc ions into insoluble com- pounds your body cannot absorb. This has no practical effect so long as your diet includes foods that provide these minerals. Whole wheat flours. Whole wheat flours use every part of the kernel: the fiber-rich bran with its B vitamins, the starch- and protein-rich endosperm with its iron and B vitamins, and the oily germ with its vitamin E.* Because they contain bran, whole-grain flours have much more fiber than refined white flours. However, some studies suggest that the size of the fiber particles may have some bearing on their ability to absorb moisture and “bulk up” stool and that the fiber particles found in fine-ground whole wheat flours may be too small to have a bulking effect. Finely ground whole wheat flour is called whole wheat cake flour; coarsely ground whole wheat flour is called graham flour. Cracked wheat is a whole wheat flour that has been cut rather than ground; it has all the nutrients of whole wheat flour, but its processing makes it less likely to yield its starch in cooking. When dried and parboiled, cracked wheat is known as bulgur, a grain used primarily as a cereal, although it can be mixed with other flours and baked. Gluten flour is a low-starch, high-protein product made by drying and grinding hard- wheat flour from which the starch has been removed. Refined (“white”) flours. Refined flours are paler than whole wheat flours because they do not contain the brown bran and germ. They have less fiber and fat and smaller amounts of vitamins and minerals than whole wheat flours, but enriched refined flours are fortified with B vitamins and iron. Refined flour has no phytic acid. Some refined flours are bleached with chlorine dioxide to destroy the xanthophylls (carotenoid pigments) that give white flours a natural cream color. Unlike carotene, the carotenoid pigment that is converted to vitamin A in the body, xanthophylls have no vita- min A activity; bleaching does not lower the vitamin A levels in the flour, but it does destroy vitamin E. There are several kinds of white flours. All-purpose white flour is a mixture of hard and soft wheats, high in protein and rich in gluten.t Cake flour is a finely milled soft-wheat flour; it has less protein than all-purpose flour. Self-rising flour is flour to which baking powder has been added and is very high in sodium. Instant flour is all-purpose flour that has been ground extra-fine so that it will combine quickly with water. Semolina is a pale high-protein, low- gluten flour made from durum wheat and used to make pasta. Rye flours. Rye flour has less gluten than wheat flour and is less elastic, which is why it makes a denser bread.:j Like whole wheat flour, dark rye flour (the flour used for pumpernickel bread) contains the bran and the germ of the rye grain; light rye flour (the flour used for ordinary rye bread) The bran is t he kernel’s hard, brown outer cover, an ext raordinarily rich source of cellulose and lignin. The endosperm is t he kernel’s pale interior, where t he vitamins abound. The germ, a small part icle in t he interior, is t he part of t he kernel t hat sprouts. Hard wheat has less starch and more protein t han soft wheat. It makes a heavier, denser dough. Gluten is t he st icky substance formed when k neading t he dough relaxes t he long-chain molecules in t he proteins gliadin and glutenin so t hat some of t heir intermolecular bonds (bonds bet ween atoms in t he same molecule) break and new int ramolecular bonds (bonds bet ween atoms on different mol- ecules) are formed. Triticale flour is milled from triticale grain, a rye/wheat hybrid. It has more protein and less gluten than all-purpose wheat flour.
The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food With beans or a “complete” protein food (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk, cheese) to provide the essential amino acid lysine, in which wheat and rye flours are deficient.
Diets That May Restrict or Exclude This Food Low-calcium diet (whole grain and self-rising flours) Low-fiber diet (whole wheat flours) Low-gluten diet (all wheat and rye flour) Sucrose-free diet
Buying This Food Look for: Tightly sealed bags or boxes. Flours in torn packages or in open bins are exposed to air and to insect contamination. Avoid: Stained packages—the liquid that stained the package may have seeped through into the flour.
Storing This Food Store all flours in air- and moistureproof canisters. Whole wheat flours, which contain the germ and bran of the wheat and are higher in fat than white flours, may become rancid if exposed to air; they should be used within a week after you open the package. If you plan to hold the flour for longer than that, store it in the freezer, tightly wrapped to protect it against air and moisture. You do not have to thaw the flour when you are ready to use it; just measure it out and add it directly to the other ingredients. Put a bay leaf in the flour canister to help protect against insect infections. Bay leaves are natural insect repellents.
What Happens When You Cook This Food Protein reactions. The wheat kernel contains several proteins, including gliadin and glute- nin. When you mix flour with water, gliadin and glutenin clump together in a sticky mass. Kneading the dough relaxes the long gliadin and glutenin molecules, breaking internal bonds between individual atoms in each gliadin and glutenin molecule and allowing the molecules to unfold and form new bonds between atoms in different molecules. The result is a network structure made of a new gliadin-glutenin compound called gluten. Gluten is very elastic. The gluten network can stretch to accommodate the gas (carbon dioxide) formed when you add yeast to bread dough or heat a cake batter made with baking powder or baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), trapping the gas and making the bread dough or cake batter rise. When you bake the dough or batter, the gluten network hardens and the bread or cake assumes its finished shape. Starch reactions. Starch consists of molecules of the complex carbohydrates amylose and amylopectin packed into a starch granule. When you heat flour in liquid, the starch gran- ules absorb water molecules, swell, and soften. When the temperature of the liquid reaches approximately 140°F the amylose and amylopectin molecules inside the granules relax and unfold, breaking some of their internal bonds (bonds between atoms on the same molecule) and forming new bonds between atoms on different molecules. The result is a network that traps and holds water molecules. The starch granules then swell, thickening the liquid. If you continue to heat the liquid (or stir it too vigorously), the network will begin to break down, the liquid will leak out of the starch granules, and the sauce will separate.* Combination reaction. Coating food with flour takes advantage of the starch reaction (absorbing liquids) and the protein reaction (baking a hard, crisp protein crust).
Medical Uses and/or Benefits A lower risk of some kinds of cancer. In 1998, scientists at Wayne State University in Detroit conducted a meta-analysis of data from more than 30 well-designed animal studies mea- suring the anti-cancer effects of wheat bran, the part of grain with highest amount of the insoluble dietary fibers cellulose and lignin. They found a 32 percent reduction in the risk of colon cancer among animals fed wheat bran; now they plan to conduct a similar meta- analysis of human studies. Whole wheat flours are a good source of wheat bran. NOTE : The amount of fiber per serving listed on a food package label shows the total amount of fiber (insoluble and soluble). Early in 1999, however, new data from the long-running Nurses Health Study at Brigham Women’s Hospital/Harvard University School of Public Health showed that women who ate a high-fiber diet had a risk of colon cancer similar to that of women who ate a low-fiber diet. * A mylose is a long, unbranched, spiral molecule; amylopect in is a short, compact, branched molecule. A mylose has more room for forming bonds to water. Wheat flours, which have a higher rat io of amy- lose to amylopect in, are superior t hickeners. Because this study contradicts literally hundreds of others conducted over the past 30 years, researchers are awaiting confirming evidence before changing dietary recommendations.
Adverse Effects Associated with This Food Allergic reactions. According to the Merck Manual, wheat is one of the foods most commonly implicated as a cause of allergic upset stomach, hives, and angioedema (swollen lips and eyes). For more information, see under wheat cer ea ls. Gluten intolerance (celiac disease). Celiac disease is an intestinal allergic disorder that makes it impossible to digest gluten and gliadin (proteins found in wheat and some other grains). Corn flour, potato flour, rice flour, and soy flour are all gluten- and gliadin-free. Ergot poisoning. Rye and some kinds of wheat will support ergot, a parasitic fungus related to lysergic acid (LSD). Because commercial flours are routinely checked for ergot contamina- tion, there has not been a major outbreak of ergot poisoning from bread since a 1951 incident in France. Since baking does not destroy ergot toxins, the safest course is to avoid moldy flour altogether.... flour
Nutritional Profile Energy value (calories per serving): Moderate Protein: Moderate Fat: Low Saturated fat: Low Cholesterol: None Carbohydrates: High Fiber: High Sodium: Low Major vitamin contribution: Niacin Major mineral contribution: Calcium
About the Nutrients in This Food Carob flour, which is milled from the dried pod of a Mediterranean ever- green tree, Ceratonia siliqua, looks like cocoa but has a starchy, beanlike flavor. It can be mixed with sweeteners to make a cocoalike powder or combined with fats and sweeteners to produce a candy that looks like and has the same rich mouthfeel as milk chocolate but tastes more like honey. Ounce for ounce, carob, which is also known as locust bean gum, has more fiber and calcium but fewer calories than cocoa. Its carbohydrates include the sugars sucrose, D-mannose, and D-galactose. (D-galactose is a simple sugar that links up with other sugars to form the complex indigest- ible sugars raffinose and stachyose.) Carob also contains gums and pectins, the indigestible food fibers commonly found in seeds.
The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food As a substitute for cocoa or chocolate for people who are sensitive to chocolate.
Diets That May Restrict or Exclude This Food Low-carbohydrate diet
Buying This Food Look for: Tightly sealed containers that will protect the flour from moisture and insects.
Storing This Food Store carob flour in a cool, dark place in a container that protects it from air, moisture, and insects. Keep carob candy cool and dry.
Preparing This Food Measure out carob flour by filling a cup or tablespoon and leveling it off with a knife. To substitute carob for regular flour, use ¼ cup carob flour plus ¾ cup regular flour for each cup ordinary flour. To substitute for chocolate, use three tablespoons of carob flour plus two tablespoons of water for each ounce of unsweetened chocolate. Carob flour is sweeter than unsweetened chocolate.
What Happens When You Cook This Food Unlike cocoa powder, carob flour contains virtually no fat. It will burn, not melt, if you heat it in a saucepan. When the flour is heated with water, its starch granules absorb moisture and rupture, releasing a gum that can be used as a stabilizer, thickener, or binder in processed foods and cosmetics. In cake batters, it performs just like other flours (see flour).
Medical uses and/or Benefits Adsorbent and demulcent. Medically, carob flour has been used as a soothing skin powder. As a chocolate substitute. People who are sensitive to chocolate can usually use carob instead. Like cocoa beans, carob is free of cholesterol. Unlike cocoa, which contains the cen- tral-nervous-system stimulant caffeine and the muscle stimulant theobromine, carob does not contain any stimulating methylxanthines. Lower cholesterol levels. In 2001, a team of German nutrition researchers from the Institute for Nutritional Science at the University of Potsdam, the German Institute of Human Nutri- tion, Center for Conventional Medicine and Alternative Therapies (Berlin) Nutrinova Nutri- tion Specialties and Food Ingredients GmbH, and PhytoPharm Consulting, Institute for Phytopharmaceuticals GmbH conducted a study to evaluate carob’s effectiveness in lower- ing cholesterol. For a period of eight weeks, 47 volunteers with moderately high cholesterol levels (232– 302 mg/dL) were fed 15 g of carob per day in breakfast cereal, fruit grain bars, and a drink made from powdered carob pulp as supplements to their normal diet. After four weeks, the volunteers’ total cholesterol levels fell an average of 7 percent and their LDL (low density lipoprotein—“bad” cholesterol) levels fell an average 10.6 percent. At six weeks, the numbers were 7.8 percent and 10.6 percent. There was no effect on HDLs (high density lipoproteins, a.k.a. “good” cholesterol).... carob
Habitat: Sub-tropical Himalayas from Kumaon eastwards; Western Ghats from Konkan Southwards.
Ayurvedic: Taalmuuli, Taalpatri, Krishna Mushali, Bhuumitaala.Unani: Musli Siyaah.Siddha/Tamil: Nilappanan kizhangu.Action: Nervine, adaptogenic, sedative, anticonvulsive, androgenic, anti-inflammatory and diuretic. Used in Jaundice, urinary disorders, skin diseases and asthma. Mucilaginous.
The rhizome contains saponins (cur- culigosaponin C and F promoted proliferation of spleen lymphocytes very significantly; F and G increased the weight of the thymus in vitro in mice); sapogenins; phenolic glycosides, a tri- terpene alcohol; a pentacyclic triter- pene, an aliphatic compound, hen- triacontanol, sitosterol, stigmasterol, cycloartenol and sucrose. A pep- tide, Curculin C, containing 114 amino acids, has been isolated from the fruit.In traditional Chinese medicine, dried rhizome, containing curculigo- side is used as a tonic for its immuno- logical and protective property.In Indian medicine, powdered rhizomes with milk are taken as a restorative tonic, also for sexual debility.EtOH (50%) of the plant exhibited hypoglycaemic property.Dosage: Dried rhizome—3-6 g powder. (API Vol. IV.)... curculigo orchioidesNutritional Profile Energy value (calories per serving): Low Protein: Moderate Fat: Low Saturated fat: Low Cholesterol: None Carbohydrates: High Fiber: High Sodium: Moderate Major vitamin contribution: Vitamin A Major mineral contribution: Potassium
About the Nutrients in This Food Carrots are high-fiber food, roots whose crispness comes from cell walls stiffened with the insoluble dietary fibers cellulose and lignin. Carrots also contain soluble pectins, plus appreciable amounts of sugar (mostly sucrose) and a little starch. They are an extraordinary source of vitamin A derived from deep yellow carotenoids (including beta-carotene). One raw carrot, about seven inches long, has two grams of dietary fiber and 20,250 IU vitamin A (nine times the R DA for a woman, seven times the R DA for a man).
The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food Cooked, so that the cellulose- and hemicellulose-stiffened cell walls of the carrot have partially dissolved and the nutrients inside are more readily available.
Diets That May Restrict or Exclude This Food Disaccharide-intolerance diet (for people who are sucrase- and /or invertase-deficient) Low-fiber diet Low-sodium diet (fresh and canned carrots)
Buying This Food Look for: Firm, bright orange yellow carrots with fresh, crisp green tops. Avoid: Wilted or shriveled carrots, pale carrots, or carrots with brown spots on the skin.
Storing This Food Trim off the green tops before you store carrots. The leaf y tops will wilt and rot long before the sturdy root. Keep carrots cool. They will actually gain vitamin A during their first five months in storage. Protected from heat and light, they can hold to their vitamins at least another two and a half months. Store carrots in perforated plastic bags or containers. Circulating air prevents the for- mation of the terpenoids that make the carrots taste bitter. Do not store carrots near apples or other fruits that manufacture ethylene gas as they continue to ripen; this gas encourages the development of terpenoids. Store peeled carrots in ice water in the refrigerator to keep them crisp for as long as 48 hours.
Preparing This Food Scrape the carrots. Ver y young, tender carrots can be cleaned by scrubbing with a veg- etable brush. Soak carrots that are slightly limp in ice water to firm them up. Don’t discard slightly wilted intact carrots; use them in soups or stews where texture doesn’t matter.
What Happens When You Cook This Food Since carotenes do not dissolve in water and are not affected by the normal heat of cooking, carrots stay yellow and retain their vitamin A when you heat them. But cooking will dissolve some of the hemicellulose in the carrot’s stiff cell walls, changing the vegetable’s texture and making it easier for digestive juices to penetrate the cells and reach the nutrients inside.
How Other Kinds of Processing Affect This Food Freezing. The characteristic crunchy texture of fresh carrots depends on the integrity of its cellulose- and hemicellulose-stiffened cell walls. Freezing cooked carrots creates ice crystals that rupture these membranes so that the carrots usually seem mushy when defrosted. If possible, remove the carrots before freezing a soup or stew and add fresh or canned carrots when you defrost the dish.
Medical Uses and/or Benefits A reduced risk of some kinds of cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, carrots and other foods rich in beta-carotene, a deep yellow pigment that your body converts to a form of vitamin A, may lower the risk of cancers of the larynx, esophagus and lungs. There is no such benefit from beta-carotene supplements; indeed, one controversial study actually showed a higher rate of lung cancer among smokers taking the supplement. Protection against vitamin A-deficiency blindness. In the body, the vitamin A from carrots becomes 11-cis retinol, the essential element in rhodopsin, a protein found in the rods (the cells inside your eyes that let you see in dim light). R hodopsin absorbs light, triggering the chain of chemical reactions known as vision. One raw carrot a day provides more than enough vitamin A to maintain vision in a normal healthy adult.
Adverse Effects Associated with This Food Oddly pigmented skin. The carotenoids in carrots are fat-soluble. If you eat large amounts of carrots day after day, these carotenoids will be stored in your fatty tissues, including the fat just under your skin, and eventually your skin will look yellow. If you eat large amounts of carrots and large amounts of tomatoes (which contain the red pigment lycopene), your skin may be tinted orange. This effect has been seen in people who ate two cups of carrots and two tomatoes a day for several months; when the excessive amounts of these vegetables were eliminated from the diet, skin color returned to normal. False-positive test for occult blood in the stool. The active ingredient in the guaiac slide test for hidden blood in feces is alphaguaiaconic acid, a chemical that turns blue in the presence of blood. Carrots contain peroxidase, a natural chemical that also turns alphaguaiaconic acid blue and may produce a positive test in people who do not actually have blood in the stool.... carrots
Nutritional Profile Energy value (calories per serving): Moderate Protein: Moderate Fat: Low Saturated fat: Low Cholesterol: None Carbohydrates: High Fiber: High Sodium: Low Major vitamin contribution: Vitamin A (in yellow corn), B vitamins, vitamin C Major mineral contribution: Potassium
About the Nutrients in This Food Like other grains, corn is a high-carbohydrate, high-fiber food. Eighty-one percent of the solid material in the corn kernel consists of sugars, starch, and dietary fiber, including insoluble cellulose and noncarbohydrate lignin in the seed covering and soluble pectins and gums in the kernel.* Corn has small amounts of vitamin A, the B vitamin folate, and vitamin C. Corn is a moderately good source of plant proteins, but zein (its major protein) is deficient in the essential amino acids lysine, cystine, and tryptophan. Corn is low in fat and its oils are composed primarily of unsaturated fatty acids. Yellow corn, which gets its color from the xanthophyll pigments lutein and zeaxanthin plus the vitamin A-active pigments carotene and cryptoxanthin, contains a little vitamin A; white corn has very little. One fresh ear of yellow corn, 5.5– 6.5 inches long, has three grams dietar y fiber, one gram fat (0.1 g saturated fat, 0.3 g monounsaturated fat, 0.4 mg polyunsaturated fat), 137 IU vitamin A (6 percent of the R DA for a woman, 5 percent of the R DA for a man), 34 mcg folate (9 percent of the R DA), and 5 mg vitamin C (7 percent of the R DA for a woman, 6 percent of the R DA for a man). * The most plent iful sugar in sweet corn is glucose; hydrolysis (chemical splitt ing) of corn starch is t he principal indust rial source of glucose. Since glucose is less sweet t han sucrose, sucrose and fructose are added to commercial corn syrup to make it sweeter.
The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food With beans (which are rich in lysine) or milk (which is rich in lysine and tryptophan), to complement the proteins in corn. With meat or a food rich in vitamin C, to make the iron in corn more useful.
Diets That May Restrict or Exclude This Food Low-fiber diet
Buying This Food Look for: Cobs that feel cool or are stored in a refrigerated bin. Keeping corn cool helps retain its vitamin C and slows the natural conversion of the corn’s sugars to starch. Choose fresh corn with medium-sized kernels that yield slightly when you press them with your fingertip. Very small kernels are immature; very large ones are older and will taste starchy rather than sweet. Both yellow and white kernels may be equally tasty, but the husk of the corn should always be moist and green. A dry yellowish husk means that the corn is old enough for the chlorophyll pigments in the husk to have faded, letting the carotenes underneath show through.
Storing This Food Refrigerate fresh corn. At room temperature, fresh-picked sweet corn will convert nearly half its sugar to starch within 24 hours and lose half its vitamin C in four days. In the refrigera- tor, it may keep all its vitamin C for up to a week and may retain its sweet taste for as long as ten days.
Preparing This Food Strip off the husks and silk, and brush with a vegetable brush to get rid of clinging silky threads. R inse the corn briefly under running water, and plunge into boiling water for four to six minutes, depending on the size of the corn.
What Happens When You Cook This Food Heat denatures (breaks apart) the long-chain protein molecules in the liquid inside the corn kernel, allowing them to form a network of protein molecules that will squeeze out moisture and turn rubbery if you cook the corn too long. Heat also allows the starch granules inside the kernel to absorb water so that they swell and eventually rupture, releasing the nutrients inside. When you cook corn, the trick is to cook it just long enough to rupture its starch granules while keeping its protein molecules from turning tough and chewy. Cooking fresh corn for several minutes in boiling water may destroy at least half of its vitamin C. At Cornell University, food scientists found that cooking fresh corn in the microwave oven (two ears/without water if very fresh/4 minutes/600 –700 watts) preserves most of the vitamin C.
How Other Kinds of Processing Affect This Food Canning and freezing. Canned corn and frozen corn both have less vitamin C than fresh- cooked corn. The vitamin is lost when the corn is heated during canning or blanched before freezing to destroy the natural enzymes that would otherwise continue to ripen it. Blanch- ing in a microwave oven rather than in boiling water can preserve the vitamin C in frozen corn (see above). Milling. Milling removes the hull and germ from the corn kernel, leaving what is called hominy. Hominy, which is sometimes soaked in wood ash (lye) to increase its calcium con- tent, can be dried and used as a cereal (grits) or ground into corn flour. Coarsely ground corn flour is called cornmeal. Processed corn cereals. All processed, ready-to-eat corn cereals are much higher in sodium and sugar than fresh corn. Added calcium carbonate. Pellagra is a niacin-deficiency disease that occurs most com- monly among people for whom corn is the staple food in a diet lacking protein foods with the essential amino acid tryptophan, which can be converted to niacin in the human body. Pellagra is not an inevitable result of a diet high in corn, however, since the niacin in corn can be made more useful by soaking the corn in a solution of calcium carbonate (lime) and water. In Mexico, for example, the corn used to make tortillas is boiled in a dilute solution of calcium carbonate (from shells or limestone) and water, then washed, drained, and ground. The alkaline bath appears to release the bound niacin in corn so that it can be absorbed by the body.
Medical Uses and/or Benefits As a wheat substitute in baking. People who are allergic to wheat or cannot tolerate the glu- ten in wheat flour or wheat cereals can often use corn flour or hominy instead. Bath powder. Corn starch, a fine powder refined from the endosperm (inner part) of the corn kernel, can be used as an inexpensive, unperfumed body or face powder. Because it absorbs oils, it is also used as an ingredient in dry shampoos.
Adverse Effects Associated with This Food Allergic reaction. According to the Merck Manual, corn is one of the 12 foods most likely to trigger the classic food allergy symptoms: hives, swelling of the lips and eyes, and upset stomach. The others are berries (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries), choco- late, eggs, fish, legumes (green peas, lima beans, peanuts, soybeans), milk, nuts, peaches, pork, shellfish, and wheat (see wheat cer ea ls).... corn
Nutritional Profile Energy value (calories per serving): Moderate (fresh figs) High (dried figs) Protein: Low Fat: Low Saturated fat: Low Cholesterol: None Carbohydrates: High Fiber: Very high Sodium: Low (fresh or dried fruit) High (dried fruit treated with sodium sulfur compounds) Major vitamin contribution: B vitamins Major mineral contribution: Iron (dried figs)
About the Nutrients in This Food Figs, whether fresh or dried, are high-carbohydrate food, an extraordinarily good source of dietary fiber, natural sugars, iron, calcium, and potassium. Ninety-two percent of the carbohydrates in dried figs are sugars (42 percent glucose, 31 percent fructose, 0.1 percent sucrose). The rest is dietary fiber, insoluble cellulose in the skin, soluble pectins in fruit. The most important mineral in dried figs is iron. Gram for gram, figs have about 50 percent as much iron as beef liver (0.8 mg/gram vs. 1.9 mg/gram). One medium fresh fig has 1.4 g dietary fiber, six grams sugars, and 0.18 mg iron (1 percent of the R DA for a woman, 2 percent of the R DA for a man). A similar size dried, uncooked fig has 0.8 g fiber, four grams sugars and the same amount of iron as a fresh fig.
The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food Dried (but see How other kinds of processing affect this food, below).
Diets That May Restrict or Exclude This Food Low-fiber, low-residue diets Low-sodium (dried figs treated with sulfites)
Buying This Food Look for: Plump, soft fresh figs whose skin may be green, brown, or purple, depending on the variety. As figs ripen, the pectin in their cell walls dissolves and the figs grow softer to the touch. The largest, best-tasting figs are generally the ones harvested and shipped in late spring and early summer, during June and July. Choose dried figs in tightly sealed airtight packages. Avoid: Fresh figs that smell sour. The odor indicates that the sugars in the fig have fer- mented; such fruit is spoiled.
Storing This Food Refrigerate fresh figs. Dried figs can be stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature; either way, wrap them tightly in an air- and moistureproof container to keep them from los- ing moisture and becoming hard. Dried figs may keep for several months.
Preparing This Food Wash fresh figs under cool water; use dried figs right out of the package. If you want to slice the dried figs, chill them first in the refrigerator or freezer: cold figs slice clean.
What Happens When You Cook This Food Fresh figs contain ficin, a proteolytic (protein-breaking) enzyme similar to papain in papayas and bromelin in fresh pineapple. Proteolytic enzymes split long-chain protein molecules into smaller units, which is why they help tenderize meat. Ficin is most effective at about 140 –160°F, the temperature at which stews simmer, and it will continue to work after you take the stew off the stove until the food cools down. Temperatures higher than 160°F inac- tivate ficin; canned figs—which have been exposed to very high heat in processing—will not tenderize meat. Both fresh and dried figs contain pectin, which dissolves when you cook the figs, mak- ing them softer. Dried figs also absorb water and swell.
How Other Kinds of Processing Affect This Food Drying. Figs contain polyphenoloxidase, an enzyme that hastens the oxidation of phenols in the fig, creating brownish compounds that darken its flesh. To prevent this reaction, figs may be treated with a sulfur compound such as sulfur dioxide or sodium sulfite. People who are sensitive to sulfites may suffer serious allergic reactions, including potentially fatal ana- phylactic shock, if they eat figs that have been treated with one of these compounds. Canning. Canned figs contain slightly less vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin than fresh figs, and no active ficin.
Medical Uses and/or Benefits Iron supplementation. Dried figs are an excellent source of iron. As a laxative. Figs are a good source of the indigestible food fiber lignin. Cells whose walls are highly lignified retain water and, since they are impossible to digest, help bulk up the stool. In addition, ficin has some laxative effects. Together, the lignin and the ficin make figs (particularly dried figs) an efficient laxative food. Lower risk of stroke. Potassium lowers blood pressure. According to new data from the Harvard University Health Professionals Study, a long-running survey of male doctors, a diet rich in high-potassium foods such as bananas may also reduce the risk of stroke. The men who ate the most potassium-rich foods (an average nine servings a day) had 38 percent fewer strokes than men who ate the least (less than four servings a day).
Adverse Effects Associated with This Food Sulfite allergies. See How other kinds of processing affect this food.
Food/Drug Interactions MAO inhibitors. Monoamine oxidase (M AO) inhibitors are drugs used as antidepressants or antihypertensives. They inhibit the action of natural enzymes that break down tyramine, a nitrogen compound formed when proteins are metabolized, so it can be eliminated from the body. Tyramine is a pressor amine, a chemical that constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure. If you eat a food rich in one of these chemicals while you are taking an M AO inhibitor, the pressor amines cannot be eliminated from your body, and the result may be a hypertensive crisis (sustained elevated blood pressure). There has been one report of such a reaction in a patient who ate canned figs while taking an M AO inhibitor.... figs
Nutritional Profile Energy value (calories per serving): Low Protein: Low Fat: Low Saturated fat: Low Cholesterol: Low Carbohydrates: None Fiber: None Sodium: Low Major vitamin contribution: None Major mineral contribution: None
About the Nutrients in This Food Although gelatin is made from the collagen (connective tissue) of cattle hides and bones or pig skin, its proteins are limited in the essential acid tryptophan, which is destroyed when the bones and skin are treated with acid, and is deficient in several others, including lysine. In fact, gelatin’s proteins are of such poor quality that, unlike other foods of animal origin (meat, milk), gelatin cannot sustain life. Laboratory rats fed a diet in which gelatin was the primary protein did not grow as they should; half died within 48 days, even though the gelatin was supplemented with some of the essential amino acids. Plain gelatin has no carbohydrates and fiber. It is low in fat. Flavored gel- atin desserts, however, are high in carbohydrates because of the added sugar.
The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food With a protein food rich in complete proteins. Gelatin desserts whipped with milk fit the bill.
Diets That May Restrict or Exclude This Food Low-carbohydrate diet (gelatin desserts prepared with sugar) Low-sodium diet (commercial gelatin powders) Sucrose-free diet (gelatin desserts prepared with sugar) * Values are for prepared unsweetened gelat in.
Buying This Food Look for: Tightly sealed, clean boxes.
Storing This Food Store gelatin boxes in a cool, dry cabinet.
Preparing This Food Commercial unflavored gelatin comes in premeasured 1-tablespoon packets. One tablespoon of gelatin will thicken about two cups of water. To combine the gelatin and water, first heat ¾ cup water to boiling. While it is heating, add the gelatin to ¼ cup cold liquid and let it absorb moisture until it is translucent. Then add the boiling water. (Flavored fruit gelatins can be dissolved directly in hot water.)
What Happens When You Cook This Food When you mix gelatin with hot water, its protein molecules create a network that stiffens into a stable, solid gel as it squeezes out moisture. The longer the gel sits, the more intermo- lecular bonds it forms, the more moisture it loses and the firmer it becomes. A day-old gel is much firmer than one you’ve just made. Gelatin is used as a thickener in prepared foods and can be used at home to thicken sauces. Flavored gelatin dessert powders have less stiffening power than plain gelatin because some of their protein has been replaced by sugar. To build a layered gelatin mold, let each layer harden before you add the next.... gelatin
Habitat: Native to tropical America; cultivated throughout India for edible tubers.
English: Sweet potato.Ayurvedic: Mukhaaluka, Rataalu, Raktaalu, Raktapindaka, Raktakan- da.Siddha/Tamil: Sakkareivelleikulan- gu.Unani: Shakarkand, Rataalu.Action: Root—used in strangury, urinary discharges, burning sensation, thirst. Whole plant—used in low fever and skin diseases.
Cooked tubers contain reducing sugars 6.45, sucrose 2.23, maltose 864, dextrins 0.51 and polysaccharides 14-13%. Cooking increases the sweetness as a result of the hydrolysis of starch to maltose and dextrins through the action of beta-amylase.Sweet potatoes are rich in starch content. During the storage a part of starch content is converted into reducing sugars and subsequently into sucrose. In a sample stored for 5 months, the starch content was reduced from 19.1% to 14.1% while the percentage of reducing sugars (as dextrose) and sucrose increased from 0.9 to 1.7 and 1.9 to 6.1% respectively.Indian types with white flesh contain little or no carotene, while American types with pink flesh contain as high as 5.4-7.2 mg/100 g of carotene. Vitamins present in the tubers are : thiamine 0.09-0.14, riboflavin 0.05-0.10 and vitamin C 16-22 mg/100 g.The hot aqueous extract of leaves exhibits significant inhibitory activity of rat lens aldose reductase (AR). Ellagic and 3,5-dicaffoylquinic acids have been isolated as potent inhibitors.The leaves also contain polysaccha- rides which increase the platelet count in experimental animals due to enhanced production ofthrombopoietin.From the stem and root, hexadecyl, octadecyl and eicosyl p-coumarates have been isolated.The tubers show significant lectin activity and exhibit haemagglutinating activity in trypsinized rabbit erythro- cytes.... ipomoea batatasSulphonylureas The main group of hypoglycaemic agents, these act on the beta cells to stimulate insulin release; consequently they are e?ective only when there is some residual pancreatic beta-cell activity (see INSULIN). They also act on peripheral tissues to increase sensitivity, although this is less important. All sulphonylureas may lead to HYPOGLYCAEMIA four hours or more after food, but this is relatively uncommon, and usually an indication of overdose.
There are several di?erent sulphonylureas; apart from some di?erences in their duration or action (and hence in their suitability for individual patients) there is little di?erence in their e?ectiveness. Only chlorpropamide has appreciably more side-effects – mainly because of its prolonged duration of action and consequent risk of hypoglycaemia. There is also the common and unpleasant chlorpropamide/ alcohol-?ush phenomenon when the patient takes alcohol. Selection of an individual sulphonylurea depends on the patient’s age and renal function, and often just on personal preference. Elderly patients are particularly prone to the risks of hypoglycaemia when long-acting drugs are used. In these patients chlorpropamide, and preferably glibenclamide, should be avoided and replaced by others such as gliclazide or tolbutamide.
These drugs may cause weight gain and are indicated only if poor control persists despite adequate attempts at dieting. They should not be used during breast feeding, and caution is necessary in the elderly and in those with renal or hepatic insu?ciency. They should also be avoided in porphyria (see PORPHYRIAS). During surgery and intercurrent illness (such as myocardial infarction, COMA, infection and trauma), insulin therapy should be temporarily substituted. Insulin is generally used during pregnancy and should be used in the presence of ketoacidosis.
Side-effects Chie?y gastrointestinal disturbances and headache; these are generally mild and infrequent. After drinking alcohol, chlorpropamide may cause facial ?ushing. It also may enhance the action of antidiuretic hormone (see VASOPRESSIN), very rarely causing HYPONATRAEMIA.
Sensitivity reactions are very rare, usually occurring in the ?rst six to eight weeks of therapy. They include transient rashes which rarely progress to erythema multiforme (see under ERYTHEMA) and exfoliate DERMATITIS, fever and jaundice; chlorpropamide may also occasionally result in photosensitivity. Rare blood disorders include THROMBOCYTOPENIA, AGRANULOCYTOSIS and aplastic ANAEMIA.
Biguanides Metformin, the only available member of this group, acts by reducing GLUCONEOGENESIS and by increasing peripheral utilisation of glucose. It can act only if there is some residual insulin activity, hence it is only of value in the treatment of non-insulin dependent (type 2) diabetics. It may be used alone or with a sulphonylurea, and is indicated when strict dieting and sulphonylurea treatment have failed to control the diabetes. It is particularly valuable in overweight patients, in whom it may be used ?rst. Metformin has several advantages: hypoglycaemia is not usually a problem; weight gain is uncommon; and plasma insulin levels are lowered. Gastrointestinal side-effects are initially common and persistent in some patients, especially when high doses are being taken. Lactic acidosis is a rarely seen hazard occurring in patients with renal impairment, in whom metformin should not be used.
Other antidiabetics Acarbose is an inhibitor of intestinal alpha glucosidases (enzymes that process GLUCOSIDES), delaying the digestion of starch and sucrose, and hence the increase in blood glucose concentrations after a meal containing carbohydrate. It has been introduced for the treatment of type 2 patients inadequately controlled by diet or diet with oral hypoglycaemics.
Guar gum, if taken in adequate doses, acts by delaying carbohydrate absorption, and therefore reducing the postprandial blood glucose levels. It is also used to relieve symptoms of the DUMPING SYNDROME.... hypoglycaemic agents
Habitat: Found in sub-Himalayan tract from Kumaon to Bhutan.
Ayurvedic: Madhuuka (related species).Synonym: M. longifolia (Koen.) Macb. var. latifolia (Roxb.) Cheval. Bassia latifolia Roxb.Family: Sapotaceae.Habitat: A large tree, cultivated mainly in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar.
English: Mahua tree, Moha.Ayurvedic: Madhuuka, Madhu- pushpa, Madhusrav, Gudapushpa.Unani: Mahuaa.Siddha/Tamil: Ieluppai.Action: Flowers—stimulant, demulcent, laxative, anthelmintic, bechic. Seed oil—galactogenic, anticephalgic, emetic. Used in pneumonia, skin diseases, piles. Bark—astringent, emollient. Used for tonsilitis, gum troubles, diabetes, ulcers. Bark, seed oil and gum— antirheumatic.
The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India recommends the flower without stalk or calyx in asthma and pthisis.The fruit pulp yielded a number of triterpenoids (including alpha- and beta-amyrin acetate); also n-hexaco- sanol, beta-D-glucoside of beta-sitos- terol and free sitosterol.Nut shell gave beta-sitosterol gluco- side, quercetin and dihydroquercetin.The carollas are rich source of sugars, vitamins, phosphorus, calcium and iron; magnesium and copper are also present. The sugars identified are sucrose, maltose, glucose, fructose, ara- binose and rhamnose.The seeds yielded saponins—2,3- di-O-glucopyranoside of bassic acid (saponin A and saponin B). Mixture of saponins from seeds exhibits spermi- cidal activity.Trunkbarkcontainedlupeol acetate, beta-amyrin acetate, alpha-spinasterol, erythrodiol monocaprylate, betulinic acid and oleanolic acid caprylates.Dosage: Flower—10-15 g (API, Vol. II.); flower-juice—10-20 ml; bark— 50-100 ml decoction. (CCRAS.)... madhuca indicaHabitat: Native to Europe and West Asia; now cultivated in Himachal Pradesh., Kashmir, Kulu, Kumaon, Assam and in the Nilgiris.
English: Cultivated Apple.Ayurvedic: Sinchitikaa.Folk: Seb, Sev.Action: Bark—anthelmintic, refrigerant, hypnotic, given in intermittent, remittent and bilious fevers. Leaves—inhibit the growth of a number of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
The fruit contains malic (90-95% of the total acids), citric, lactic and succinic acids; (unripe fruit contains quinic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, lactic acid); caffeic acid derivatives, pectins, minerals and vitamins.Edible portion of fresh apple contains thiamine 0.12, riboflavin 0.03, niacin 0.2 and ascorbic acid 2 mg/100 g. The ascorbic acid content varies widely and values up to 40 mg/100 g. Sugars constitute about 80% of the total carbohydrates of ripe fruits—fructose (60), glucose (25) and sucrose (15%). The pectin content of the edible portion varies from 0.14 to 0.96% (as calcium pectate). The uronic acid content of apple pectin varies from 0.5 to 15%.The astringent principles of apple include tannins, tannin derivatives and colouring materials (flavones). The browning of apple slices on exposure to air is due to enzymic oxidation of tannin compounds.Fresh juice contains 0.20-0.80 malic acid, 11.6 total sugars and 0.02100.080% tannin.The seeds contain cyanogenic gly- coside, amygdalin (0.62-1.38%, HCN equivalent, 0.037-00.087%).... malus pumilaHabitat: Northwestern Himalaya from Kashmir to Kumaon at 2,0003,000 m.
English: Himalayan Paeony.Unani: Ood Saleeb, Ood Gharqi, Phaavaaniaa.Folk: Root—used in nervous affections, uterine diseases, as a blood purifier. Flower—antidiarrhoeal. Seed—emetic, cathartic. Plant— CNS depressant, hypothermic, diuretic, anti-inflammatory.The root contains an essential oil, with salicylaldehyde as the chief component, a fixed oil, benzoic acid and sucrose. The plant gave Gallo tannin and glucogallin.... paeonia emodiHabitat: Cultivated in Punjab and Rajasthan.
English: Date Palm.Ayurvedic: Kharjuura, Kharjuuraka, Kharjuurikaa. Pindakharjuurikaa. Chhuhaaraa (dry date). Pindakhar- juura is the fruit of Phoenix acaulis Roxb.Unani: Khurmaa, Khajuur, Chhuharaa.Siddha/Tamil: Perichchankay, Ita.Action: Fruit pulp—antitussive, expectorant, demulcent, laxative, diuretic, restorative. Sap—cooling, laxative. Gum—used in diarrhoea and genitourinary diseases.
The fruit contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C), carotene (as vitamin A), nicotinic acid, riboflavin, thiamine, sugars (60-80%). Besides sucrose and invert sugars, rhamnose, xylose, ara- binose, ribose, galactose and galac- turonic acid have been identified in the fruit. Invert sugar predominates in the soft dates; sucrose in dry varieties. The dried date, used in Ayurvedic and Unani compositions, contains protein 2.5-3, fat 0.5, carbohydrates 75.882.9% and calcium 35.9, phosphorus 129.3 and iron 3.4 mg/100 g. Presence of sterols of ergosterol group, and esterone has been reported from dried date seeds.Charged C-glycosylflavones and caf- feylshikimic acid, leucocyanidin are characteristically present in the plant. Flavonol glycosides are also common. Several uncharged C-glycosylflavones were also detected.Dosage: Fresh fruit—10-50 g, dried fruit—10-15 g. (API, Vol. IV.)... phoenix dactyliferaHabitat: The Himalayas, from Kashmir to Kumaon up to an altitude of 4,000 m.
English: Common Reed.Folk: Dila, Dambu (Punjab).Action: Rhizomes and roots—diuretic, emmenagogue, diaphoretic, hypoglycaemic, antiemetic.
The rhizomes are rich in carbohydrates; contain nitrogenous substances 5.2, fat 0.9, N-free extr. 50.8, crude fibre 32.0, sucrose 5.1, reducing sugars 1.1, and ash (rich in silica) 5.8%; as- paragine 0.1% is also present. Leaves possess a high ascorbic acid content (200 mg/100 g).Nodes and sheaths yield 6.6% and the underground parts over 13% of furfural.The root of common Reed is prescribed in Chinese traditional medicine as an antipyretic against influenza and fevers. Presence of polyols, betaines and free poline has been reported in the methanolic extract. The extract is reported to show bactericidal activity. The root gave a polysaccha- ride which contains sugars, arabinose, xylose and glucose in a molar ratio of 10:19:94; some ofthe fractions showed immunological activity.... phragmites communisHabitat: Dry and acrid regions of India.
Ayurvedic: Shami, Tungaa, Keshahantri, Shankuphalaa.Siddha/Tamil: Kalisam.Action: Pod—astringent, pectoral, demulcent. Bark—anti- inflammatory, antirheumatic. Flower—administered to prevent miscarriage.
The stem bark contains vitamin K, n-octacosyl acetate, the long chain aliphatic acid. Presence of glucose, rhamnose, sucrose and starch is also reported.A cytotoxic principle, patulibin, has been isolated from flowers.Dosage: Leaf, fruit—3-5 g powder, 50-100 ml decoction. (CCRAS.)... prosopis spicigeraHabitat: Native to Eurasia; cultivated in Kashmir, Kumaon and Himachal Pradesh.
English: Sweet Cherry.Ayurvedic: Elavaaluka, Elaya, Harivaaluka.Folk: Gilaas, Krusbal.Action: Fruit stalks—diuretic, antiinflammatory, astringent, used for oedema, inflammation of urinary tract, cystitis, nephritis, urinary retention.
The stems contain salicylic acid, organic acids tannins and potassium salts. Protocatechuic, p-coumaric, fer- ulic and diferculic acids have been identified in the shoots.The fruit contains salicylates and cyanogenic glycosides, and vitamin A, B1 and C. Sugars consist mainly of glucose and fructose, with sucrose as a minor component. Malic acid is the principal acid, small amounts of citric, tartaric and succinic acids are also reported. The lipids of the fruit pulp contain cis-vaccenic acid.The acetone extract of peduncle gave an isoflavone, prunetin, which on hydrolysis yielded an aglycone identified as prunetin and sugar as glucose.The seeds contain a cyanogenic gly- coside and are toxic. The bark contains tannins up to 16%.Dosage: Seed—3-5 g powder. (CCRAS.)... prunus aviumHabitat: Eastern Himalayas, Assam and Khasi Hills.
English: Tropical Kudze.Ayurvedic: Vidaari (var.).Action: Root—antipyretic, antiinflammatory, spasmolytic. Flower—hepatoprotective.
The root of P. lobata is used in Chinese medicine as an antipyretic and spasmolytic agent.The root contains pueraria glyco- sides and puerarol. The glycosides showed strong antioxidant activity and inhibited lipid peroxidation. The root also contain several flavones which showed 66.8% inhibition against stomach cancer in vivo in mice. The isofla- yvonoids, daidzein, formononetin, daidzin and puerarin. Daidzein and puerarin show significant anti-inflammatory activity.The cosmetics containing the root extracts with 20-40% puerarin and 2045% sugars (as sucrose) are used as moisturizing, skin-lightening and sun- screening and hair-growth stimulating preparations.An isoflavonoid, triterpenoid sapo- nin and tryptophan derivative isolated from the flowers showed protective effect against experimental liver injuries in mice.The tryptophan derivatives and their glycosides exhibited antihyperglycae- mic activity.Pueraria phaseoloides (Roxb.) Benth., synonym P. javanica Benth. (Sub-Himalayan regions; Assam, An- dhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, up to 1,100 m) is equated with Tropical Kudze. The plant is used against ulcers and boils.... pueraria lobataHabitat: Distributed in the temperate regions of Europe and West Asia. Grown in Punjab and Kashmir.
English: Common or European Pear.Folk: Bagu-goshaa, Babbu-goshaa.Action: Fruits—a good source of pectin, help in maintaining a desirable acid balance in the body. Recommended to patients suffering from diabetes because of low sucrose content; and included in low antigen content diets to alleviate the symptoms in the management of immune-mediated disease.
Fresh pear juice exhibited good activity against Micrococcus pyogenes var. aureus and Escherichia coli.An aqueous extract of the leaves was active against some strains of E. coli.The leaves contain arbutin, iso- quercitrin, sorbitol, ursolic acid, astra- galin and tannin (0.8-2.9%). The bark contains friedelin, epifriedelanol and beta-sitosterol. Phloridzin is present in the root bark.The plant extract controls the development of freckles and blemishes on the skin and prevents melanin formation. It finds application in skin- lightening creams.... pyrus communisHabitat: Cold temperate regions extending from Himalayas to northern Asia and Europe.
English: European Black Currant.Folk: Nabar.Action: Dried leaves and twigs— a home remedy for coughs. Leaves—diuretic, hypotensive, refrigerant. An infusion is used for inflammatory conditions, sore throat, hoarseness. Fruits— refrigerant, mildly spasmolytic, vasoprotective, anti-inflammatory.
Black currents are very rich in vitamin C (average 150 mg/100g) and contain 0.9-1.7% pectin as calcium pec- tate, also minerals, potassium (372 mg/ 100 g). The acidity of the fruit is mainly due to citric acid; malic acid is present in small amounts. Glucose and fructose are principal sugars; sucrose is a minor component.The flavonoids in the fruits include kaempferol, quercetin and myricetin. About 0.3% anthocyanosides, concentrated mainly in the skin, consist of glycosides of cyanidol and delphinidol.The anthocyanosides are reportedly bacteriostatic and exhibit vasopro- tective and anti-inflammatory activity. They are antisecretory against cholera toxin-induced intestinal fluid secretion in vitro.The leaves contain an anti-inflammatory principle, pycnometol and minute quantities of an essential oil composed mostly of terpenes.Polyphenolic extract of buds inhibited lipid peroxidation by rat liver mi- crosomes.Polyphenols present in R. nigrum and R. rubrum (Red Current, Western Himalayas from Kumaon to Kashmir) exhibit free radical scavenging activity. The seed oil lowers VLDL and total cholesterol.Contraindicated in bleeding disorders. (Sharon M. Herr.)... ribes nigrumHabitat: Europe, including Britain. The Himalayas from Kashmir to Bhutan, Assam, Western Ghats and Palni hills in South India.
English: Wood Sanicle.Action: Plant—astringent, alterative, vulnerary. Used in leucorrhoea, menorrhagia, bleeding piles; also in diarrhoea and dysentery. The herb is also employed as an ingredient of an ointment used for septic ulcers.
The herb contains saponins based on saniculogenins; allantoin; chlorogenic and rosmarinic acids. The flowers contain 3.1 and fruits 1.1% rosmarinic acid. The leaves contain 0.6% chlorogenic acid. The roots contain 23.1, leaves 12.8, flowers 6.0 and fruits 5.2% surcose. Rhizome contains chlorogeni acid 1.2 and sucrose 13.9%.... sanicula europaeaHabitat: Native to South Africa; occurring throughout India.
Folk: Tosad kesari, Dudma Saaga.Action: Root—used in pulmonary infections. Herb—used externally for strengthening the loose teeth, also for skin diseases.
The flower contains delphinidin- chloride-3, 5-diglucoside. The roots contain glucose, sucrose, methyl 9, 12-octadecadienoate, beta-sitosterol, beta-sitosterol glucoside and lupenone.... wahlenbergia marginataAvailable carbohydrates are predominantly starches (complex carbohydrates) and sugars (simple carbohydrates). In carbohydrate metabolism, the monosaccharides (simple sugars) glucose (grape sugar), galactose (a milk sugar), and fructose (fruit sugar) are absorbed into the bloodstream unchanged. The disaccharides (double sugars) sucrose, maltose and lactose (a milk sugar) are broken down into simple sugars before they are absorbed. Starches also have to be broken down into simple sugars.
Some glucose is burned up immediately (see metabolism) in order to generate energy for cells, such as brain cells, that need a constant supply. Galactose and fructose have to be converted to glucose in the liver before they can be used by body cells. Surplus glucose is conveyed to the liver, muscles, and fat cells where it is converted into glycogen and fat for storage. When blood glucose levels are high, glucose storage is stimulated by insulin, a hormone that is secreted by the pancreas. When the blood glucose level becomes low, insulin secretion diminishes and glucagon, which is another hormone produced by the pancreas, stimulates the conversion of stored glycogen to glucose for release into the bloodstream. Although fat cannot be converted to glucose, it can be burned as a fuel in order to conserve glucose. In the disorder diabetes mellitus, carbohydrate metabolism is disturbed by a deficiency of insulin.... carbohydrates
FAMILY: Nelumbonaceae (Nymphaeaceae)
SYNONYMS: N. komarovii, N. nucifera var. macrorhizomata, Nelumbium speciosum, Nymphaea nelumbo, Indian lotus, sacred lotus, pink lotus, bean of India, kamala and padma (Sanskrit).
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The sacred lotus is a perennial aquatic plant with rhizomes that grow in the mud at the bottom of shallow ponds, lakes and marshes. Its large leaves, which rise above the water surface, can be up to 60 cm in diameter, with a 3-metre horizontal spread, while the showy flowers can be up to 20 cm in diameter. The beautiful pink, fragrant flowers are solitary, borne at or above the leaf level, with a brilliant yellow centre and white sepals. The fruits form a conical pod, with seeds contained in holes in the pod.
DISTRIBUTION: Native to Greater India, the sacred lotus now occurs in the wild in warm-temperate to tropical regions throughout Asia, the Middle East and tropical Australia. It is common in China, Japan, Iran, Bhutan, India, Indonesia (Java), Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, New Guinea, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia (Far East), Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and north-west Australia. Introduced to Europe in 1787 as a ‘stove house water lily’ by Joseph Banks, today it is cultivated as an ornamental plant worldwide.
OTHER SPECIES: The family Nelumbonaceae has two important genera having aquatic species with attractive flowers i.e. the lotus, Nelumbo and water lily, Nymphea. The genus Nelumbo has only two species, N. nucifera (Indian or sacred lotus) and N. lutea (American lotus or yellow lotus).
The Egyptian blue lotus (Nymphaea caerulea) and the white sacred lotus of Egypt (Nymphaea lotus) are both members of the water lily family. These water lilies are indigenous to Egypt and their flowers are often depicted in Egypt’s ancient art. Remains of both blue and white water lily petals were found in the burial tomb of Ramesses II and sprinkled on the mummified body of Tutankhamun. The blue lotus is also mentioned in numerous Egyptian historical texts, mainly for its aphrodisiac, narcotic and euphoric properties. Both species are still cultivated in Egypt as well as in India and Indonesia today and are both used to produce absolutes, although these are rare and costly. Egyptians refer to both these flowers as ‘lotus’ so these two species are often confused with the ‘true’ lotus species.
HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION: Nelumbo nucifera has been in cultivation for more than 3,000 years, and has been grown not only for its cultural and ornamental value, but also for medicinal uses and for its edible seeds and rhizomes. In China, Japan and India, for example, the rhizomes are roasted, pickled, candied or sliced and fried as chips. A paste made from the nutlets is used as a filling in mooncakes (traditional Chinese pastries). The young leaves, leaf stalks and flowers are eaten as vegetables in India. The petals of the flower are used as a wrap for foods in Asia and the rhizome is a common ingredient in soups and stir-fries.
The sacred lotus has also been used as a medicinal herb for generations in Asia and its uses in contemporary medicine are virtually unchanged. Many parts of the plant are used: the leaf juices are used for diarrhoea and sunstroke when mixed with licorice; the flower is used for abdominal cramps, bloody discharges, bleeding gastric ulcers, excessive menstruation and post-partum haemorrhage; the flower stamens are used in urinary frequency, premature ejaculation and uterine bleeding; the fruit is used for agitation and fever; the seed has been shown to lower cholesterol levels and to relax the smooth muscle of the uterus and is used for poor digestion, chronic diarrhoea, insomnia, and palpitations. Various parts of the flower, including the petals are used for diarrhoea, cholera, liver conditions, bronchitis, skin eruptions, snake bites, and scorpion stings. The dried flowers are prepared into a syrup to treat coughs and the stamens are dried and made into a fragrant herbal tea. Practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine use lotus flowers for their soothing, cooling properties and they are often employed in skin care to improve the complexion. Oils from the lotus flower are said to have a calming influence on those suffering from fear, anxiety, insomnia or tremors, according to the principles of Ayurveda. A recent study has shown that oil extracted from the lotus flower might be effective in preventing greying hair.
Several bioactive compounds have been derived from these various plant parts belonging to different chemical groups, including alkaloids, flavonoids and glycosides which all have their own therapeutic impact. Both Nelumbo nucifera and Nymphaea caerulea contain the alkaloids nuciferine and aporphine, which have a sedative effect; studies using isolated neferine (found only in N. nucifera), indicates it has potent antidepressant and sedative properties. Sacred lotus is also nutritious, containing vitamins B and C, protein, fat, carbohydrate, starch, moisture, sucrose, calcium, phosphorus, iron and ascorbic acid.
The lotus is of great significance to many Asian cultures, and in particular to the Eastern religions. From ancestral times, the idea of enlightenment has been symbolized by the life cycle of the sacred lotus plant, whose life starts humbly in the mud yet eventually produces exquisite, untainted flowers, showing the path of spiritual enfoldment. Thus the sacred lotus has a deep ritual meaning to Hindus and Buddhists alike, to whom the lotus flower symbolizes beauty, purity and divinity. Most deities of Asian religions are depicted as seated on a lotus flower. In Buddhist temples, lotus is burned in powdered form as ceremonial incense and the flowers are given as a sacred offering in many Eastern temples. A thread made from the leaf stalks is used for making oil-wicks for lamps in temples. Cloth woven from this yarn is believed to cure many ailments and is used to make Buddhist robes; lotus seeds are also used to make malas (strings of prayer beads). The sacred lotus is the national flower of India and Vietnam.
ACTIONS: Antibacterial, antimicrobial, antidepressant, anti-oxidant, refrigerant, rejuvenating, sedative, tonic (heart, immune system, nervous system), vasodilator.
EXTRACTION: An absolute by solvent extraction from fresh flowers. The CO2 extraction process achieves a cleaner end product that is true to the oil and is thicker than other extraction methods. This product is often adulterated or blended with other oils (see other uses).
CHARACTERISTICS: A viscous liquid with an intense rich, sweet-floral scent and a spicy-leathery undertone. It blends well with tuberose, jasmine, neroli, rose, gardenia and spice oils.
PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS: The absolute (and oil) was found to be comprised mainly of palmitic acid methyl ester (22.66 per cent), linoleic acid methyl ester (11.16 per cent), palmitoleic acid methyl ester (7.55 per cent) and linolenic acid methyl ester (5.16 per cent) with myristic acid and oleic acid.
SAFETY DATA: Generally considered a safe oil.
AROMATHERAPY/HOME: USE
Skin care: Damaged, sensitive and mature skin: to improve the condition of uneven or tired looking skin as it helps regulate, soothe, illuminate and rejuvenate the tissue.
Immune system: Weak immunity.
Nervous system: Anxiety, depression, fear, insomnia, nervous debility and tension, mood swings, poor libido, stress.
OTHER USES: Lotus flower oil and absolute are used in perfumery in high-class floral compositions, such as ‘White Lotus’ by Kenzo and in cosmetics. However, the ‘lotus’ perfume component commonly available in the trade is actually a blend of patchouli, benzoin and styrax with phenylethyl and cinnamic alcohols.... lotus
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