Eat the Colorful Flavonoids, Not the Cans

Once again, I am postponing my segue to the CRP post. Too complicated for my fuzzy brain right now, even though I am feeling better today, and my sore throat is almost gone. But tomorrow I have classes, so I must concentrate on being perky for my students. 😀 One thing struck me when I reread yesterday’s post, though: I didn’t mean to slam specialists. We need specialists, of course. My point was another, and I hope that was clear…

Since I was (and am) not at the top of my mental abilities today, I ignored my increasing pile of medical and scientific studies, and instead read other lighter items such as an article titled “Add Color to Your Diet,” published today in the Tyler Morning Telegraph (East Texas). It’s worth reading, since it explains in simple language what flavonoids €”quercetin, epicathechin (found in chocolate!), delphinidin, capsaicin, curcumin etc. €”are. Instead of posting a summary, here is the link for those interested in flavonoids: http://tinyurl.com/2d3br6

At the end of the article there is a link to a U.S. Department of Agriculture’s database listing 26 selected but important flavonoids in 393 foods. How about that? I was very excited. Until I saw some of the items on the list, that is, then I was sort of amused. Here is the link, have fun! http://tinyurl.com/yvwdrm You will even find chocolate on this list, as follows: “candies, dark chocolate, purchased in the Netherlands.” Dark chocolate candies purchased in…the NETHERLANDS? But the first item that really tickled my funny bone was the ready-to-serve marinara pasta sauce. (No brand name mentioned, so I guess there is only ONE brand that makes this kind of sauce…). The sauce actually turned out to have a tiny percentage (less than 1%) of quercetin. Better than a zero, I suppose.

Another couple of items were canned sauerkraut and commercial condensed canned tomato soup. C’mon, you’ve got to be kidding. Who would go look for flavonoids inside a can??? A Popeye the Sailor Man aficionado? Okay, to be fair I checked the canned foods almost one by one, and it turns out that canned capers do have a high content of kaempferol and quercetin. But the rest of the canned items either turned up a big bunch of zeros or negligible quantities per edible portion. Edible (oh dear, I feel another tickle…)? Oh, I get it, I guess you are not supposed to eat the can part of canned foods like “sweetened canned cranberry sauce” (another item on this list). Just eat the cranberries and put the can in the recycling bin… 😉

3 Comments

  1. margaret,
    i am writing here because i do not understand blogs and how i can email you. i do have a much better understanding of accessing medical info etc since i am an RN.
    my husband was dx w/ mm 4 weeks ago, stage 1a. he is 65 and “was” very healthy!
    for being a nurse i have an unususal aversion to rx! I have read your msg.s but not in order. of course the main interest at the moment lies in curcumin. he is taking it on empty stomach w/ warm cocunut milk-now just in rereading your procotol i do not see where you use that method. how should he take it. are you at present taking bioperpine and how much is in your supplements
    as others have been who wrote to you, i am in a sort of panic and am very anxious to “talk” w. you re exactly what you take now each day.
    the reason for my “state” is my husband is looking to take rev/dex and i am praying in the interval his m protein will decrease
    we were in boston monday for an opinion and may go to mayo. he has a month at best to make his decision
    i would choose to be vigilant in keeping an eye on lab values and follow what you are doing and diet changes thereby not take tx
    i know this is not the place for this exchange but so want to find out how to communicate w/ you personally.
    i am extremely interested in any “trial” , info gathering, etc. you would like to initiate and would like to be of help in any way possible.
    thank you so very much
    pat

  2. How were the heavy metals in the can such as the lead sealer rated for improving your immune system? Keep up the good work!

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