MCS Consensus III Postscript Splash: Micronutrients - Vegetables Essential (a)

[michael edward badolato jr]

MCS Consensus III Postscript Splash: Micronutrients - Vegetables Essential

Vitamins, minerals, phytoestrogens, lignans, flavonoids, glucosinolates, more:

vegetables primary in meeting the RDA for many essential nutrients;

the difference between 34 oz vegetables per day and 12 oz includes nutrient deficiencies and 45 mg/d increased urinary calcium loss - likely major to bone health. Vegetables and fruit are the only source of necessary alkalinity so that renal net acid excretion (RNAE) is not excessive;

vital nutrients and fiber for immuno-stimulation and detoxification;

antiviral, anticancer, and antioxidant properties;

promoting health - preventing disease.

an ongoing process, antioxidant reactivity results in toxic metabolites and phase II glutathione detox enzyme activity. Oxidative stress occurs when toxic levels are not attenuated and metabolites are not readied for excretion promptly - accompanied with overproduction of reactive species.

DRI 2006: "...oxidative stress...imbalance between the production of various reactive species and the ability of the organism's natural protective mechanisms to cope with the reactive compounds and prevent adverse effects..."

While there is no RDA for the vast majority - it is the broad presentation of whole food phytochemicals that taken together are protective - but cannot be expected to counter overwhelming oxidative input such as SJF (specified junk food) or polluted environment.

Phytoestrogen Lignans

Lignans including matairesinol (MAT), secoisolariciresinol (SECO) and their glycosides are transformed by large intestinal bacteria to the mammalian lignans: enterolactones and enterodiols (Rodriguez-Garcia 2019,  Wang 2002, Tham 1998).

Rodriguez 2019: "...A beneficial inflammatory marker profile is associated with adult lignan consumption (Eichholzer 2014)..."

highest amounts mg/100gr

vegetables:      broccoli                     98          fruit:      pear           18

                                kale                            63                        apricot       11

                          brussels sprouts      50                        peach          7

                          green beans              23                        nectarines  5

                                white cabbage          21

                          green bell pepper     12     

                          cauliflower                  9

                          red bell pepper           8  

whole grain: lignans are found in the fiber outer layer of whole grain - little in the endosperm of a refined grain product.

Flavonoids  (Pennington 2005)

anthocyanidins (grapes and berries)

flavan-3-ols (scattered among fruits, in a few vegetables)

flavones (celery, parsley, thyme, peppers, queen anne's lace, little elsewhere)

flavanones (citrus fruits)

isoflavones: daidzein, genistein, glycitein (soybeans, soy products - soy is too oily)

flavonols: isorhamnetin, kaempferol, myricetin, quercetin (fairly wide distribution, higher amounts in tea, cranberries, some green leafy such as kale, collard greens)

mg/100gr (3.5oz)  Isorhamnetin  Kaempferol  Quercetin   (Huang 2007)

    collard greens             -                    43                12               

    kale                              23                  90                32

It has been shown that quercetin - in countering hydrogen peroxide - both at high concentration - protected DNA but formed thiol reactive quercetin metabolites leading to glutathione loss, impaired calcium sequestration, and cellular damage in vitro (Boots 2007). This study result is consistent with the suggestion that concentrating exposure to phytochemicals out of whole food matrix such as in supplements or extracts may not be a good idea.  Elevated hydrogen peroxide is usually involved with oxidative stress and thiols refers to the cysteine thiol component of glutathione.

Boots A.W. et al. The quercetin paradox. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 222;1:89-97 2007

DRI 2006 Dietary Reference Intakes. The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements. Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Washington D.C. www.nap.edu 

Huang Z. et al. Phenolic compound profile of selected vegetables frequently consumed by African Americans in the southeast United States. Food Chem 103:1395-1402 2007 

Pennington J.A.T. & Douglass J.S. Bowes and Church's Food Values of Portions Commonly Used. Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins 2005

Glucosinolates

Although alligator kale and mustard greens may not be edible - the latter perhaps due to high levels of sinigrin - and cooking seems necessary for all - generally the level of glucosinolates found in brassica vegetables is thought beneficial - these sulfur compounds referred to as protective factors. Brassica vegetable consumption - shown to be antioxidant and anticarcinogenic - may result in significantly less DNA damage even though isothiocyanates formed from glucosinolates by the enzyme myrosinase released upon plant cell dysruption - are potentially toxic and mutagenic at high concentrations.

                                Food Source             Amount            Drewnowski 2000

glucobrassicin    brussels sprouts     220-1100 mg/kg

progoitrin             brussels sprouts     100-1000   "    "

                              turnip or swede        90-830      "    "

                                     cabbage                    10-80        "    "

                              cauliflower                0-140        "    "

                                     calabrese                   0-82           "    "

sinigrin                 mustard greens      6930-7790 umol/kg

                              collard greens         625-1973      "     "

                              brussels sprouts     110-1560   mg/kg

                              cabbage                     70-410      "    "

                              cauliflower                 10-630      "    "

                              kale                              0-287    umol/kg

                              turnip or swede          0-100     mg/kg

                              broccoli                       0-16      umol/kg

                              calabrese                     0-10       mg/kg

Vegetable Preparation