Portabella and crimini mushrooms nearly rival broccoli and red peppers when it comes to cancer-fighting powers, according to a new Penn State study. Researchers discovered that fungi perfecti are rich in two types of antioxidants (polyphenols and ergothioneine), potentially providing more disease protection than colorful veggies like carrots and green beans. Even white button mushrooms boast a greater antioxidant capacity than tomatoes, pumpkins and green peppers, the study suggests.
A research team examined the three mushroom types by using the Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC) assay, a tool that can measure a food’s antioxidant activity. Lab test results showed that portabella mushrooms had an ORAC value of 9.7, criminis had a 9.5, and white buttons had a 6.9, compared with 12 for broccoli, 10 for red pepper, and 5 each for carrots and green beans.
And a Cherry On Top
To cut back on exercised-induced muscle pain, put a cherry on top of your workout: A recent report from the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that drinking cherry juice may help reduce workout-related soreness and strength loss. University of Vermont researchers asked a group of 14 male college students to chug either 12 ounces of cherry juice or a placebo drink twice daily for three days before and four days after exercising. Levels of post-workout muscle strength loss and pain were significantly lower among those who drank the cherry juice; however, there was little difference in muscle tenderness and range of motion between the two groups.
Although the study couldn’t confirm a considerable protection against all types of muscle damage, lead author Declan Connolly, Ph.D., points out that cherry juice may yield other health benefits. “Current anecdotal evidence suggests the drink may be effective in treatment of arthritis and gout, and thus offer a potentially safer alternative than prescription drugs,” he notes.
Chill Out to Boost Fertility
About five to 10 percent of women suffer from amenorrhea, a frequently stress-related condition marked by lack of menstruation and ovulation. But relieving that stress can bring the menstrual cycle back to normal and help increase fertility among women who have been unable to conceive, suggests a small pilot study from Atlanta’s Emory University. For about five months, 10 study participants with amenorrhea underwent cognitive behavioral therapy, a form of treatment that included coaching on stress relief, exercise and nutrition, and aimed to help the women make “molehills out of mountains,” according to the researchers. The study’s other 10 participants, all of whom also had amenorrhea, received no therapy.
The results were remarkable: 80 percent of women in the therapy group began ovulating again, compared with 25 percent of the control group, and two women who received therapy became pregnant shortly after finishing treatment. The study’s authors are now planning a larger clinical trial to confirm their findings.