Good MedicineBy Julia Murphy From the website onthecommons.org which is devoted to exploring and promoting responsibility for a shared future, a recent article by Jonathan Rowe (Note 1) opens by pointing out the skyrocketing drug use by American children. But Rowe is talking about prescription drugs for illnesses like asthma, depression and restlessness in school as the epidemic. Rowe discusses the idea that economic growth may be at odds with human health. He cites the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, which manufactured the drug tamoxifen used to treat breast cancer. AstraZeneca also manufactures “fungicides, herbicides, and other chemicals widely implicated in causing cancer.” He then goes on to note that “Business Week magazine reported that, since 2001, every net new job in the US has come from the medical sector,” and “(D)isease, not health, is the driver.” But we can buck this trend. We have powerful medicine at our disposal: affordable, widely available medicine. We can purchase it at the Farmers’ Market; and as we buy food from our friends and neighbors who grow it, we contribute to the economic health of the community as well. Winter vegetables provide vitamins and minerals to boost health over the winter cold and flu season. Here are some of the best: 1. Kale. This leafy green or purple winter garden staple is a member of the Brassica family, which also includes cabbage, broccoli, and others. It contains compounds (organosulfur phytonutrients) that help prevent cancer—especially for those most at risk. Statistically, that’s men, smokers and people over age 64. As if that wasn’t a good enough reason to eat kale, it also aids in your cell’s ability to detoxify and cleanse (particularly the liver and skin), protects lung health and can help prevent cataracts! 2. Broccoli. This Brassica family member, in addition to having many of kale’s health benefits, also supports stomach health by eliminating a bacteria which is a primary cause of ulcers. Broccoli sprouts have been found to directly counteract animals’ cancer response to UV light; it is a great source of calcium and is rich in flavenoids, which help guard against heart disease. Pregnant women, eat your (organic!) broccoli—a cup contains 94 mg. of folic acid, which is necessary in DNA synthesis, and can help guard against birth defects. 3. Apples. An excellent source of soluble and insoluble fiber, which helps keep cholesterol level down. Apples are anti-inflammatory, regulate blood pressure and overproduction of fat in liver cells. Apples have been shown in studies to lower asthma risk and support general lung function. Nutritional value is highest in the whole, raw fruit. 4. Winter Squash. Smokers take note: Benzo(a)pyrene, a cancer-causing ingredient in cigarette smoke, causes Vitamin A deficiency. Eating squash and other foods rich in Vitamin A can help protect you from emphysema (of course, quitting can, too). Squash is full of beta-carotene, which protects against cholesterol building up in arteries and blood vessels, which leads to stroke and heart attack. The carotenoids in winter squash can also help regulate blood sugar levels, which is key for treating diabetes and is an anti-inflammatory. Containing folate, squash is another good vegetable for pregnant women. 5. Beets. Their luscious color is from the betacyanin they contain, which has been linked to increased liver effectiveness and protection against colon cancer. Beets help prevent cancer mutations in the stomach after exposure to nitrates, a common preservative in processed meats. The betaine in beets helps fight inflammation, and they also contain folate). (Note 2) These are just five of the many vegetables you’ll find at your local Farmers’ Market. Remember that organic vegetables are more affordable at the market and are free of pesticides and herbicides that may undercut the vegetables’ health benefits; but better conventional veggies than none at all. There is only one Market in Chico that accepts EBT (food stamps)—Richard Roth’s Friday market at its new home, the Dorothy Johnson Center, on 16th and C St. See his website, http://www.cchaos.org. Roth is a Grange member and early childhood educator who is taking his belief—that good, nutritious food should be available to every member of the community—and acting on it. Roth’s market runs from 2:00 to 6:00 every Friday, and anyone with produce or crafts to sell is welcome to come set up a table—there is no fee. Non-profits with a related theme (environmental health, environmental justice, nutritional information, community services) are also welcome to come and participate. As more and more people are losing jobs and homes, the number of people depending on food assistance is going up. Please help spread the word that there is a market in Chico where EBT cards are accepted, and check it out for yourself. We can make knowledge of the health benefits of these vegetables—and access to them—available for everyone. Notes: From the Fall 2009 issue of the Environmental News. |