Indian Gooseberry
Indian gooseberry is a super food source of antioxidant vitamin C. Repeated laboratory tests at Coonoor show that every 100 grams of this fresh fruit provides 470 to 680 mgs of vitamin C A versatile and powerful anti-oxidant, vitamin C seem to protect against asthma, bronchitis, cataract, heart arrhythmias, angina and cancer of all types. It has also stopped the growth of the AIDS virus in test tubes. Many experts believe that the ability of Vitamin C as an. antioxidant helps keep LDL cholesterol from becoming oxidized, making it a strong deterrent to clogged arteries and cardiovascular disease. Vitamin C and Vitamin E work together to revitalize and replenish each other.
Main food sources of Vitamin C, besides Indian gooseberry, are red and green sweet peppers, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, strawberries, spinach, citrus fruits and cabbage.
Indoles Rich Foods
Indoles are antioxidant compounds. They are one of the earliest classes of anticancer food compounds discovered. They are highly successful in blocking cancer in animals. They work by deactivating cancer-causing agents. In humans, indoles are especially likely to help prevent colon and breast cancer. The main food sources of Indoles are cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower, watercress, drumstick, mustard, radish and turnip. Studies at the University of Manitoba found that boiled cruciferous vegetables lost about half of their indoles in cooking water. They should therefore be preferably taken in raw form.
Lettuce
Lettuce is the most popular of all the salad vegetables and is regarded as the king of salad plants. It is a live food with its rich vitamin and mineral content, especially the antioxidant vitamin C. This vegetable is bulky, low in food value but high in health value. It is rich in mineral salts with the alkaline elements greatly predominating. So it helps keep the blood clean, the mind alert and body in good health.
Lettuce is a powerful antioxidant and contains many different antioxidants, including beta-carotene and folic acid, as well as lutein, an antioxidant that some scientists considered as potent as beta-carotene in fighting cancer. Lettuce exhibits extraordinary anti-cancer powers. According to Frederick Khachik, Ph.D., a research scientist at the Department of Agriculture, lutein and other carotenoids are not lost during cooking or freezing, although heat does harm more fragile antioxidants, including Vitamin C and Glutathione.
Liquorice
Liquorice is a popular flavoring agent. It plays an important part in Indian medicine and is one of the principal drugs of the ‘ Susruta’. It was also frequently used in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. It has been known in pharmacy for thousands of years. In old Chinese pharmacy, it was considered to be a first class drug and rejuvenating property was ascribed to it.
Liquorice possesses antioxidant property and is a powerful multi-faceted medicine. It also has strong anti-cancer powers, presumably due to high concentration of glycyrrhizin. Experiments have shown that mice drinking glycyrrhizin dissolved in water have a very few skin cancers. This spice also kills bacteria, fights ulcers and diarrhea.
Liquorice can be chewed or sucked or it can be taken in the form of powder mixed with honey or powdered jaggery. It can also be taken in the form of decoction or an infusion.
Oats
Oats are used for human consumption in the form of oatmeal and rolled oats. A dish of oatmeal, with milk and a little honey, is regarded as a perfect breakfast. It is a pleasant food and is enjoyed by children and old people alike. Oats possess antioxidant and estrogenic properties. It helps stabilize blood sugar. A couple of bowls of oat bran or three bowls of oatmeal a day can lower cholesterol 10 per cent or more, depending on individual responses. Oats also contain psychoactive compounds that may combat nicotine cravings and have antidepressant powers. Excessive use of oats should, however, be avoided as their excessive intake can cause gas, abdominal bloating and pain in some persons. Oats, like other cereals, can also trigger food intolerances in susceptible persons and may cause chronic bowel distress.