Evan Watson, NatureCity author & contributor

Glutathione is your body’s most powerful antioxidant, helping to protect you against disease, viruses and free radicals. Previous studies have been unclear about the best method to increase glutathione levels, but a recent study suggests that 1,000 mg daily of oral supplementation may raise blood levels by 30-35%.

Participants in the study included 54 healthy adults. Over the course of six months they received one of three daily interventions:

1. a placebo;

2. 250 mg glutathione;

3. 1,000 mg glutathione.

At the conclusion of the study, the researchers noted increases of glutathione in the high dose group in red blood cells, plasma and white bloods cells. The low dose group showed higher plasma levels only.

The high dose group also saw an increase in natural killer cells, which are a marker of immune defense.

Researchers from Penn State College of Medicine conducted the study. It was presented at the 2013 Experimental Biology conference in Boston.

Previous research has shown that glutathione neutralizes free radicals, enhances the immune system and detoxifies the liver. It also protects cells from bacteria, viruses and toxins.

Foods rich in glutathione include asparagus, spinach, avocado, squash, melons, grapefruit and peaches. It is also found in meat sources of protein, whole wheat, oatmeal, bran flakes, popcorn, and whey protein. While eating a balanced diet is the best way to increase your glutathione intake, this study shows that taking oral glutathione supplements is also a viable option.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

Previous studies have suggested that berries help manage blood sugar levels. However, the majority of these studies were conducted in a lab or using animals. A recent study using human participants has found that eating berries with white and rye bread lowers insulin response, possibly reducing the risk of type-2 diabetes.

The study included three trials, each with approximately 15 healthy women.

In the first trial, the women ate white or rye bread with either a control or 5 ounces of puree made of strawberries, bilberries, or lingonberries. In the second trial, the women consumed the same amount of bread with either a control or a puree of raspberries, cloudberries, or chokeberries. In the third trial, the berry puree was made of equal amounts of strawberries, bilberries, cranberries, and blackcurrants.

The researchers then examined the effects of the berry puree on the insulin response of the participants.

The researchers found that only strawberries, bilberries, lingonberries, and chokeberries lowered insulin response. They also found that strawberries lowered the glycemic profile of white bread by 36%. The berry mixture lowered the white bread glycemic profile by 38% and the rye bread glycemic profile by 19%.

Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland conducted the study. It was published in the April 2013 issue of The Journal of Nutrition.

Berries are packed with antioxidants called phytochemicals. The phytochemicals found in berries have previously been linked with weight management, reducing cholesterol and possibly reducing the risk of some cancers.

Berries can easily be added to your daily diet by including them in a balanced breakfast of whole grains and yogurt or substituting frozen berries for your favorite dessert.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

Antioxidants help prevent cells from free radicals that damage the body and increase the risk of certain disease. A recent extensive study indicates that an antioxidant rich diet may decrease the risk of heart disease in women by as much as 42%.

Participants in the study included 33,713 women between the ages of 49 and 83 who were a part of the Swedish Mammography Cohort. The researchers administered food frequency questionnaires to the participants. The results were used to determine the antioxidant capacity of the participants’ diets.

The researchers followed the women for 11.3 years, during which time 894 cases of heart failure occurred. After comparing the antioxidant levels in foods with the incidences of heart failure, the researchers determined that women with the highest antioxidant capacity were 42% less likely to suffer from heart failure than those with the lowest.

The study was conducted by researchers at Harvard, the Karolinska Institutet, and the University of Alabama. It was published online ahead of print on April 3, 2013, in The American Journal of Medicine.

Antioxidants are essential for good health because they combat free radicals, which break down cells in your body and can lead to heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes. The production of free-radicals can be increased as a result of smoking, pollution, alcohol, infection and stress.

The best way to increase your antioxidant intake is through a balanced diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. If you know your diet could use more of these healthy foods, start with small changes like adding fruit to your cereal in the morning.

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

Walnuts have been shown to improve cardiometabolic risk factors such as hypertension and inflammation. A new study looked more closely at the link between walnuts and type-2 diabetes and found that eating walnuts may reduce the risk of developing diabetes by up to 24%.

The study included female nurses between the ages of 35 and 77 who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and the NHS II. Over the course of 10 years, the researchers tracked 137,893 of the participants who did not have diabetes, cardiovascular disease or cancer at the beginning of the study.

Food frequency questionnaires were administered every 4 years to assess consumption of walnuts and other nuts.

After adjusting for total body fat and weight, the researchers found that eating walnuts from one to three times a month reduced the risk of developing diabetes by 4%; eating walnuts once a week resulted in a reduction of 13%; and eating walnuts twice a week was correlated with a reduced risk of 24%.

The study was conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health. It was published in the April 2013 issue of the Journal of Nutrition.

The study also found that nuts only account for approximately 8% of people’s daily intake of antioxidants. This is likely due to the fact that people don’t realize their benefits and are wary of the fat and calories in nuts. However, nuts actually contain healthy polyunsaturated and monosaturated fats rather than artery-clogging saturated fats.

Previous research has found that the health benefits of walnuts include improving heart health and brain health and lowering cholesterol. These benefits are a result of their antioxidant and ant-inflammatory properties. Walnuts are also a great source of protein and are rich in fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, and antioxidants such as Vitamin E.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

Current blood sugar control drugs work by inhibiting enzymes responsible for starch digestion, but they can cause digestive problems such as diarrhea. A recent study has found that tannin extracts from cranberries and pomegranates may help slow starch digestion, possibly providing a dietary way to control blood sugar.

The researchers extracted proanthocyanidins and ellagitannins (referred to as tannins) from pomegranates, cranberries, grapes, and cocoa. They tested their ability to bind to two digestive enzymes responsible for carbohydrate digestion, alpha-amylase and glucoamylase.

They found that the larger and more complex tannins found in cranberry were most effective. Cranberry worked best on alpha-amylase, followed by grape, pomegranate, and cocoa. Cranberry, cocoa, and grape tannins were all able to slow down glucoamylase to varying degrees.

The study was conducted by researchers at the US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center. It was published on January 5, 2013, in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.

Cranberries have anti-microbial and anti-carcinogenic properties, and are packed with beneficial vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and antioxidants. They have been shown to provide a lengthy list of health benefits including improved urological health, protection against heart disease, and inflammatory diseases. They also have been linked with lower plaque formation on teeth and improved cholesterol levels.

Cranberries have a sour taste, so people usually drink cranberry juice with added sugar. However the added sugar can be detrimental to overall health, so it is best to stick with a low-calorie version.

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

Many people with metabolic syndrome have low levels of glutathione, which contributes to oxidative stress and plays a key role in the worsening of metabolic syndrome. Glutathione deficiency may also be linked to their increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The study included 35 obese adults who had metabolic syndrome. They were divided into three groups, and for eight weeks consumed one of the following daily:

• four cups of green tea

• four cups of water

• two capsules of green tea extract and four cups of water.

TThe researchers took blood samples at the beginning and end of the study to assess antioxidant levels. After eight weeks of supplementation, the green tea groups saw a 35% increase in whole blood glutathione levels. The participants who received green tea also saw a 55% increase in plasma antioxidant levels. No changes were seen in the control group.

The study was conducted by researchers at Oklahoma State University. It was published online ahead of print on January 30, 2013, in Nutrition Research.

Green tea has been linked in previous studies with a wide range of health benefits. These benefits are usually attributed to the high level of powerful antioxidants found in green tea called polyphenols, which have been shown to promote weight loss, improve heart health, aid in digestion and decrease the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

A number of studies have suggested that anthocyanin-rich foods may protect the body from DNA damage. Blueberries are a good source of anthocyanins and researchers at the University of Milan conducted a study to determine their effect on oxidative stress.

They found that consuming 200 blueberries resulted in an 18% decrease in oxidative stress related DNA damage to blood cells.

The study included 10 participants who were given either 200 ground blueberries or a jelly as a placebo. The researchers took blood samples before the participants consumed the blueberries or jellies, and then one, two, and 24 hours after ingestion.

At the one hour mark they found that the blueberry group had an 18% reduction in DNA damage compared with the control group. They did not, however, find any difference after two or 24 hours.

The study was published online ahead of print on February 4, 2013, in Nutrition Research.

There are numerous other reasons to eat more blueberries. Blueberries have been shown to decrease the risk of dementia, aid in weight management, improve blood vessel function, lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol.

They are easy to add to your diet because they go well with pancakes, salads and smoothies.

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

A recent study suggests that taking supplements high in isoflavones may reduce the risk of developing breast cancer by 28%. This reduction increases to 43% if the supplements are taken for one to five years.

Isoflavones are plant-derived compounds with antioxidant and estrogenic activity. Their chemical structure is very similar to that of estrogen and they have the ability to reduce or activate the activity of estrogen in the human body. They are found chiefly in soybeans.

The study included 3,101 women with breast cancer and 3,471 women without breast cancer who were used as controls. The researchers examined data pertaining to their use of 28 different isoflavone supplements.

Supplements with daily dose isoflavone values less than 0.025 mg were classified as low content. Those with daily dose isoflavone values greater than 0.676 were classified as high content.

The 28% and 43% risk reductions that were found only applied to postmenopausal women who took supplements high in isoflavone content. No risk reduction was found for women who took supplements low in isoflavone content.

The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Toronto. It was published in the March 2013 issue of the International Journal of Cancer.

Previous studies have found that consumption of soy isoflavones may result in the widening of blood vessels and improvement in artery function. Additionally, soy isoflavones have been associated with reduced menopause symptoms, reduced bone loss, decreased risk of prostate cancer, and improved bone health.

Soy products can be easily found at many grocery stores in the form of tofu or soy milk. If those products don’t appeal to you, they are also available in supplement form.

Scott Greenberg, NatureCity author & contributor

The common cold still doesn’t have a cure, and symptoms can last several days. However, a recent study suggests that taking an antioxidant-rich larch arabinogalactan extract may reduce the number of times people get colds by 23%.

The study included 199 adults between the ages of 18 and 70 who self-reported at least three colds in the six months prior to the research period. Over the course of 12 weeks, half of the group took 4.5 g daily of the larch bark arabinogalactan supplement while the other half took a placebo.

During the 12 weeks, all of the participants recorded when they had colds and rated how extreme their symptoms were, results of which were confirmed by doctors.

At the conclusion of the study, 91.2% of the supplement group had not suffered from a cold incident at all. Only 88.5% of the individuals in the placebo group went the entire study period without any cold incidents.

The study was conducted by the German consultancy group Analyze & Realize. It was published online ahead of print on January 22, 2013, in Current Medical Research and Opinion.

Larch trees are a type of evergreen native to the Alps and Russia. Arabinogalactan is made from the bark of the Larch tree. It is a source of dietary fiber that acts as a prebiotic by serving as a food supply to friendly intestinal bacteria. Previous studies have also shown that it may boost the immune system and lessen the severity of cold and flu symptoms.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

UV exposure can affect all of us, regardless of skin color, by damaging our skin, eyes, and immune system. A recent study suggests that drinking green tea or taking catechin-rich green tea extract supplements may protect your skin against sunburn and UV damage.

The study included 14 adults with fair skin and an average age of 42.5. Over the course of 12 weeks, the participants took 540 mg of green tea catechins and 50 mg of vitamin C. The buttock skin of the participants was exposed to UV radiation at the beginning and conclusion of the study period to measure the level of sunburn.

The researchers noted increased levels of metabolites of green tea catechins in participant’s skin fluids at the conclusion of the study. Additionally, levels of sunburn were reduced after the 12 week supplementation period.

The researchers also found that levels of 12-HETE, a marker of inflammation, were increased by UV exposure. However, that increase was reduced following the supplementation period.

One large cup of green tea includes 300 mg of catechins, so it would be necessary to drink two cups of green tea daily to receive the same amount of catechins used in this study.

The study was conducted by researchers at The University of Manchester. It was published online ahead of print on January 28, 2013 in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Catechins have been linked to other health benefits including lower cholesterol, weight loss, improved heart health, aiding in digestion and decreased risk of neurodegenerative diseases. They can also be found in red wine, apples, and berries.