I
love stone fruits and their high potency antioxidant power for health and
healing. I use them in my daily fruit smoothie. The smoothie habit is a quick
efficient way to consume mass quantities of fruit. The smoothie is a great vehicle
to carry my daily herbal supplements. It is well known by naturopaths and
herbalists that the gel capsules, even vegetarian, can damage the stomach
lining…so opening up the gel caps and dumping the contents in the smoothie
seemed like a genius solution.
What
is a stone fruit? The Free Dictionary (online) defines a stone fruit as a
drupe, which is a fleshy, succulent fruit usually having a single hard stone that encloses a single
seed, such as an avocado, peach, plum, or cherry. What is a
smoothie? For me a smoothie is a compilation of three fruits (fresh and/or
frozen) tossed into a blender with ½ cup off filtered water all blended
together. I use this smoothie as an easy way to maintain metabolism and energy
levels through the day…a snack, not a meal…no yogurt, no protein powder. Keep
what you don’t drink in the refrigerator, but don’t store for the next day---you
want the fresh potency of the fruit.
Justina
Tseng M.D tells us in her article, “What Stone Fruits Can Do for Your Health” (August 10, 2014) that “plums,
peaches, and nectarines have beneficial bioactive compounds that promote good
health. The compounds are called “phytonutrients”, and can include carotenoids
(orange and yellow pigments), anthocyanins (red pigments), and colorless
polyphenols. They are highest in their concentration in the skin of the fruit,
so it is best to ingest the fruit whole.” She recommends choosing organically
grown fruits to avoid the residue from pesticides, herbicide, and insecticide.
According
to Tseng, the bioactive antioxidants are highly concentrated in the skin of
stone fruits and are believed to combat metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is
a cluster of conditions including high sugar levels, increased blood pressure,
abnormal cholesterol levels, excess waistline fat, and inflammation. If left
unaddressed, metabolic syndrome can lead to an increased risk of heart disease,
stroke, and diabetes.
Research
has shown that the protective ingredients in stone fruits have anti-cancer
benefits.
Despite
their sweetness, plums, peaches, and nectarines are low on the glycemic load,
which is good for metabolic syndrome and diabetics. They are a source of fiber
(average 2.5 gm/serving) and protein (1-2 gm/serving). Plums have about
43 percent and 33 percent of the total antioxidant capacity of green tea and
red wine. Plums are a good source of Vitamins: A, C and K, while peaches and
nectarines are high in A, C, and niacin.
Texas
A&M AgriLife division has been researching stone fruits. “Breast cancer
cells -- even the most aggressive type -- died after treatments with peach and
plum extracts in lab tests in Texas recently, and scientists say the results
are deliciously promising. Not only did the cancerous cells keel over, but the
normal cells were not harmed in the process.” This amazing statement is found in an article in the Journal of
Agriculture and Food Chemistry (June
2, 2010) titled, “Peaches, plums induce
deliciously promising death of breast cancer cells” by Texas A&M
AgriLife division.
The
AgriLife Research scientists found two phenolic compounds are responsible for
the cancer cell deaths in their study. These are organic compounds that occur naturally
in fruits, are slightly acidic and associated with traits such as aroma, taste
or color. This is a significant finding because in current chemotherapy
treatment the therapy substance kills all cells “so it is really tough on the
body," reports Dr. Byrne. Dr. David
Byrne is an AgriLife Research plant breeder specializing in studies stone
fruit.
Byrne
and Dr. Luis Cisneros-Zevallos had studied plums and found them to match or
exceed the antioxidants and phytonutrients in blueberries, which had been
considered superior to other fruits in antioxidants and phytonutrients
properties.
Byrne
and Cisneros-Zevallos choose to investigate breast cancer because of the high incidence
rate for women. The National Cancer Institute reports there were 192,370 new
cases of breast cancer in females and 1,910 cases in males in 2009 and during that
year, 40,170 women and 440 men died from breast cancer. According to the World Health
Organization breast cancer accounts for 16 percent of the cancer deaths of
women globally.
The
AgriLife Research food scientist team studied two commercial stone fruit varieties,
the "Rich Lady" peach and the "Black Splendor" plum. "These
extracts killed the cancer cells but not the normal cells," reported
Cisneros-Zevallos. He explained these two
phenolic compounds are very common in fruits but are especially high in stone fruits
such as plums and peaches.
The
Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center at Texas A&M University, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and the California Tree Fruit Agreement supports the
work and findings of AgriLife Research scientists documenting the health
benefits of stone fruit.
Benefits
of stone fruits:
1.
Boost your immunity.
2.
Create collagen.
3.
Promote healthy nerves and muscles.
4.
Fight diabetes and obesity.
5.
Improve eyesight.
6.
Encourage healthy digestion.
7.
Strengthen bones and teeth.
Avocados are often not recognized as a stone fruit. According
to Natalie
Olsen, RD, LD, ACSM EP-C, avocados have
many potential health benefits include improving digestion, decreasing risk of
depression, and protection against cancer. The avocado, also known as an
alligator pear or butter fruit, is the only fruit that provides a substantial
amount of healthy monounsaturated fatty acids. Avocados are a naturally
nutrient-dense food and contain nearly 20 vitamins and minerals.
12 possible health benefits of
avocados:
1. Avocados are nutrient rich
According
to the USDA National Nutrient Database, one serving (one-fifth of
an avocado, approximately 40 grams) contains: According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, one serving (one-fifth of an avocado, approximately 40 grams)
contains: 64 calories, 6
grams of fat, 3.4 grams of carbohydrate, less than a gram of
sugar, almost 3 grams of fiber, vitamins C, E, K, and B-6, as well
as riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, and potassium,
and they also provide lutein, beta-carotene, and omega-3 fatty
acids.
·
2. Healthy for the heart
3. Great for vision
4. Osteoporosis prevention
5. Cancer
6. Healthy babies
7. Lower risk of depression
8. Improved digestion
9. Natural detoxification
10. Osteoporosis treatment
11. Antimicrobial action
12. Protection from chronic disease
How
can you tell if an avocado is ripe? Gently press into the skin if the avocado
is firm and does not budge it needs to ripen for a few days before eating. Also,
you can check the stem, usually there is a tiny piece of stem left on the avocado,
if you lightly wiggle the stem and it falls off easily it is ripe. To speed up
the ripening process, place an avocado in a paper bag.
Firmer
avocados are great for slicing and adding to a salad and sandwiches. Use your soft
avocados make great guacamole or dip. They can be mashed and spread on toast
instead of butter. A good diet tip is to
spread avocado on toast in the morning instead of butter. Try using an avocado
instead of mayonnaise in chicken or egg salad. Because of the soft, creamy
texture and mild taste, the avocado is a perfect first food for babies.
You
may want to be careful with avocado intake if you are taking blood-thinners,
such as Coumadin (warfarin). Because of its vitamin K content, which plays a
large role in blood clotting, it is important that you do not suddenly begin to
eat more or less foods containing vitamin K.
My Favorite Stone Fruit
Smoothie
1/4 c wild blue berries (from
the frozen food section)
1/4 c dark sweet pitted
cherries (from the frozen food section)
Put frozen fruits in
container and add ½ cup hot water on fruit to defrost
A few minutes later I add:
1 large fresh peach
(or pear, plum, or an
orange of some kind, or an apple, or ½ banana---your favorite fruit in season, I
need to try ½ an avocado sometime, or strawberries, blackberries, pineapple, or
whatever makes you happy)
Then blend for a couple of
minutes pour in a glass—Enjoy!
If it seems too thick add a
little more water or almond milk---avoid cow milk that might curdle when mixed
with acid fruits---but if you like curdled toss in yogurt
When
you put the smoothie in the fridge, it will thicken up, especially from high
pectin fruits like pears, apples or bananas. Then I eat it with a spoon like
gelato. Eat it all in one day to make the most of the fresh nutrients.
