Seven super green foods

Better Nutrition, August, 1998 by James F. Scheer

More good news about chlorella is that it enhances the growth of friendly bacteria in the colon, promoting the healing of ulcers there, reports Atkins. Crohn's disease and diverticulosis all improve when chlorella is taken regularly. It also strengthens the immune system and boosts production of body-protecting interferon.

5 Spirulina. This spiral-shaped, blue-green, freshwater algae gets its color from chlorophyll (green) and phycocyanidins (blue) and is typically grown in man-made ponds.

Nutrient-dense, it is a particularly rich source of protein and one of the few plant sources of vitamin B-12; it is also a good source of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and antioxidants.

Research shows that spirulina has a systemic effect on the entire body, especially immune function. A 1988 animal study showed that spirulina may help to suppress tumor development. Other research has shown that it possesses anti-viral properties, particularly in relation to herpes simplex virus type 1.

6 Blue-green algae (AFA). AFA, which stands for Aphanizomenon Flos Aquae, is called blue-green algae because of its color and is usually harvested from natural resources. In addition to containing 22 amino acids and a full spectrum of naturally chelated minerals (organically bound), it is rich in betacarotene and most of the B-complex vitamins, including vitamin B-12.

Research has shown that consumption of AFA may help to prevent the development of cancer and viral infections. It is also said to promote physical endurance and brain wellness.

7 Green tea. Another cancer-fighting green "food" is green tea. Although it contains chlorophyll, it's main protective ingredients are phenolics, a white crystalline compound composed of various acids -- caffeic, ellagic, ferulic, and gallotannic.

Many biochemists theorize that phenolics in green tea prevent cancer by entering cells and surrounding the DNA, protecting it from cancer-causing substances. This may be true. However, these phenolics also block cancer in another way. When sodium nitrites or nitrates in cured meats such as bacon, ham, sausage, hotdogs, and canned meats join ever-present chemical compounds called amines, they form nitrosamines, substances that can cause cancers.

Compounds found in green tea and, to some extent, black tea, block the formation of nitrosamines in the intestinal tract. Test-tube studies by Hans Stich, Ph.D., at the University of British Columbia, revealed that polyphenols found in both green and black tea, in the moderate amounts consumed by most people, effective-ly stop cancers from developing.

Catechins are the potent polyphenol antioxidants found in green tea, and include: gallocatechin, epicatechin, and many others. They are as powerful as beta-carotene in preventing mouth cancers in users of snuff and chewing tobacco, according to Stich's research. Preliminary tests indicate that catechins may be a lifesaver for those addicted to chewing tobacco.

In The Green Tea Book: China's Fountain of Youth, Lester A. Mitscher, Ph.D., and Victoria Dolby, offer a comprehensive look at the health benefits of this Asian "fountain of youth" in a cup. They discuss not only the dramatic effects of green tea's antioxidants in cancer prevention and treatment, but also its positive effects on cardiovascular disease, longevity, digestion, health of teeth and mouth, and for such women's health concerns as osteoporosis, breast cancer, and healthy collagen in skin.