Cure-All Juices

Doug Andersen, DC, DACBSP, CCN gave another great talk at our sports symposium this year. He always covers the newest updates in nutrition and performance. He gave a great run down on all the miracle juices hawked through various MLMs and media.

Try to guess this first one. I'll tell you the answer at the end:

• Grown on trees, named after its color.
• 17 vitamins and minerals.
• 18 amino acids.
• 20 carotenoids.
• Over 150 phytochemicals.
• One medium-sized fruit contains 100 mg vitamin C, 75 mg calcium, 325 mg potassium, 3 g fiber, and 12.5 mg omega-3 fatty acids.
• Taste is delicious.

Indian Gooseberry:

• From a tree native to foothills of India.
• AKA Amalaki.
• Fruit is cherry-sized, lime-green, with 6 furrows.
• Very high in vitamin C (125-475 mg/oz).
• Also contains quercitin.
• Low in other vitamins and minerals.
• Fibrous with bitter/sour taste; often dipped in salt when consumed in India.

Noni:

• Fruit from South Pacific evergreen tree.
• Pale yellow, oval with bumpy skin, around 2" long.
• When ripe has a foul smell.
• Around 20 vitamins and minerals and over 120 phytochemicals.
• Taste is bitter; juice is dark brown; grape and other juices are added to commercial products.

Mangosteen:

• Fruit from an Asian evergreen tree.
• A thick dark purple skin with juicy white tangerine-sized wedges in the center.
• Low in vitamin and minerals.
• Has 40 of the known 200 xanthones which are antioxidants in the polyphenol family.
• Tastes like a grape/strawberry mix.

Acai:

• From a palm tree in the Amazon.
• Purple/black berries the size of a grape.
• 12-15 vitamins and minerals; 15-20 amino and fatty acids.
• High anthocyanin content (class of flavonoids known for red/purple/blue pigment and antioxidant properties).
• High ORAC score but cannot quench hydroxyl radical.
• Tastes like unsweetened dark chocolate.

Goji:

• Berries from a vine-like bush in Tibet, West China, and Mongolia.
• AKA Wolfberry.
• When dried looks like red/orange raisin.
• Around 20 vitamins and minerals; 15 amino acids; 12 fatty acids.
• High ORAC score from carotenoids and vitamin C.
• Has bitter/sour taste.

Did you guess the first one?

Yes, that's right. It's orange juice.

Don't forget we have a lot of great fruits and vegetables that are easily attainable in the continental U.S. let alone Oklahoma. How about blueberries and blackberries? They are a phenomenal source of antioxidants. Blackberries grow in Oklahoma almost like weeds. Strawberries grow wild as well and have some of the highest vitamin C contents around, superceding even oranges. Cranberry and pomegranate juice are also both amazingly good for you.

My point is that you don't have to go to the farthest corners of South America or Tibet to have an excellent arrangement of great-tasting, nutritious fruit or berries. Just eat the local ones everyday, and you'll be doing better than most people.

Here's to your health,

Michael K. Van Antwerp, DC, CPed, CCSP