Recently, I spent a few hours touring Laverstoke Farm - a 2,500-acre organic farm in Hampshire run by the ex-Formula One king of speed Jody Scheckter. After a delicious lunch, I was packed on my way with a box of organic veg. I spent the next few days working my way through the considerable quantities of leafy greens. By the end of the week, I started to wonder what to do with the remaining stack of veg. With the temperature taking a downward turn, I resolved to convert it into a wintry vegetable soup.
My souping-up of several types of vegetables got me thinking about the benefits of a degree of dietary diversity. We are often encouraged to keep our food intake as varied as possible. Different foods have different nutritional attributes in terms of the vitamins, minerals and plant-based substances called phytochemicals they offer. So it stands to reason that eating a wide range of foods helps ensure we get useful levels of a broad spread of these health-giving substances. In theory, my cooking up of several types of vegetables should yield a veritable alphabet soup of nutrients.
While eating a varied diet has theoretical benefits for our health, my recent soup-making experience triggered me into a quest for evidence to support this notion. In one study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers assessed the relationship between the consumption of five major food groups (meat, dairy, grain, fruit and vegetable) and overall risk of death. This research showed that eating a diet limited to two or fewer major food groups was associated with a 50 and 40 per cent increased risk of dying in men and women, respectively. In another study in the same journal, eating a diverse diet was associated with a significantly reduced risk of death due to both cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Another piece of research, published in the journal Preventive Medicine, found that varied veggie intake was associated with a 34 per cent reduced risk of colon cancer in men. In a study published in the International Journal of Cancer, vegetable consumption was found to be associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. Interestingly, it was not so much the volume but rather the variety consumed that seemed to offer protection here.
While there is not a huge crop of research in this field, there is at least some evidence that a varied food palate does indeed have the potential to cover our nutritional bases and reduce our risk of major disease. As far as getting the most from our diets is concerned, it does seem as though variety really is the spice of life.
Dear John
I'm 59, and had been taking HRT for seven years until a recent bout of thrombophlebitis forced me to stop it abruptly. Now I'm coping with 'cold turkey' withdrawal, along with searing hot flushes and mood and memory problems like you wouldn't believe. Do you have any advice for me?
Pat
There is research showing that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can increase the risk of blood-clot formation in the deep veins within the legs, or deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The major risk here is that part of the clot can detach and travel in the bloodstream to the lungs, which can prove fatal. The condition you have, thrombophlebitis, is characterised by inflammation in the superficial veins in the legs and is not related to DVT.
My suggestion would be that you restart your HRT to get rapid control of your symptoms. Then wean off your medication over three months. At the same time, take the herb black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), which is often effective in reducing menopausal-type symptoms. Take 2-4ml of a tincture (alcoholic extract) three times a day for up to six months.
If you have any issues you would like Dr Briffa to address in his column, please email him on john.briffa@observer.co.uk. Please note that Dr Briffa cannot enter into any correspondence. You can also visit drbriffa.com.
Before following any recommendations in this column, you should consult your own medical adviser about any medical problems or special health conditions
Nutrition news
In a previous column I highlighted the benefits to be had from eating turmeric, including biochemical actions that would be expected to help ward off cancer. Laboratory studies suggest that this spice can help reduce the risk of the body's cells turning cancerous, and may help curtail the growth and spread of existing tumours. Other research has found that components in turmeric can help to quell the action of cancer-inducing substances called carcinogens, and might also cause cancerous cells to self-destruct (the technical term for which is apoptosis).
Recently, more research has come to light that suggests that this spice might indeed have anti-cancer properties. In an American study presented at a scientific meeting in London, turmeric was found to inhibit the multiplication of leukaemia (white blood cell cancer) cells in the laboratory. Interestingly, in Asia, where turmeric is a commonly used food ingredient, rates of childhood leukaemia are much lower than they are in the West. While this may be due to variations in other factors, it is believed that the results of the recent laboratory study do suggest that the consumption of turmeric may help in the prevention of childhood leukaemia.
