Thursday ?s & Thoughts: Is asparagus a cancer curer?

Amanda from SelfSagacity and I are teaming up to bring to you our a brand new weekly meme.

At the moment, this is still a work-in-progress venture. For those of you who have been so faithful in keeping with Amanda’s Thursday Two Questions, then keep doing what you been doing as nothing has changed. At this point, we don’t have an official button for the hop, so please bear patience with us as we decide.

I am always intrigued a bit when I get an email making outstanding claims of a miraculous cure. I tend to take these reports with a grain of salt recognizing there may be some truth to the claim and I set out to separate facts from fiction.

Yesterday I got such a promise that asparagus cures cancer. Have you seen this email yet? If not, then you take a peak at on Snopes.

What troubles me most about Internet promises is that a desperately ill person may forgo proper treatment in search for that elusive supernatural remedy. I do believe anytime a person does his/her best to eat nutritionally sound, then the body will reap the benefits. A cure? Maybe not, but perhaps for those with a precursor for certain illnesses, I can’t help to wonder,  if eating particular foods will decrease the chance of the disease’s development.

One Internet source behind the asparagus sensation became viral after The National Cancer Institute’s The Glutathione Report names asparagus as the one food that tested highest in glutathione (GSH) — a phyto-chemical that’s an antioxidant with cancer-fighting properties.

Aside from its detoxifying mojo to break down carcinogens in the body, this spear-shaped veggie, acts like a weapon to protect your over all health with various nutrients ~ fiber, vitamins, and trace minerals.

An element found in Asparagus is inulin. What’s this? Simply put, it’s a carbohydrate that can aid the digestion by producing the growth of friendly intestinal bacteria (Bifidobacteria & Lactobacilli). This is a nice perk for someone such as myself with an intestinal disorder and it’s good for anyone who feels off balanced. A problem many face with age.

Asparagus is a good source of anti-inflammatory vitamin K, which helps to keep calcium in our bones, as well as other bone building B-vitamins, copper, & phosphorus. For someone who is lactose intolerant and relies on alternate dietary sources to provide my daily calcium, I like this simple fact that incorporating asparagus in my meals strengthen my body’s ability to hold onto an important bone building mineral.

The fiber and protein in a cup of asparagus helps the body’s mechanics to break down food, makes one feel more satisfied, regulates blood sugar, and encourages BMs

In six asparagus spears you get half of your RDA of folic acid (B-vitamin). This is especially good for expecting moms’ unborn babies with the prevention of neural tube defects (Spina Bifida). What I didn’t know is its benefits for adults, which includes: the prevention of colon cancers for those with inflammatory bowel disorders (that’s me), stroke, osteoporosis, strengthen blood vessels, protect against other cancers, and more.

Remember glutathione is the secret ingredient in asparagus that caused this to be the latest outrage and each decade of our life that we live, we lose 8-12% of this secret ingredient. The good news is our body can synthesize its own production of it, if given the necessary build blocks foods that are rich in amino acids glycine , glutamic acid, and cysteine. For instance, like: avocados, onions, garlic, turmeric, spinach, and of course asparagus. As well as raw eggs and unprocessed meats. One Internet source indicated raw whey protein (usually found in protein powder & bars) or other cultured diary products made from grass-fed cows’ milk as a good high quality precursor for your body to use in making its own glutathione.

Science cannot argue the beneficial properties found in asparagus. It definitely could add a boost toward a healthier you,  but a cure all? Unfortunately, no food can really fulfill such a claim.  I am a firm believer, if a person can replace the quick, overly processed foods with a diet rich with lean meats, fruits, and vegetables progress is made toward better health. I plan to begin including asparagus to my diet more after learning the many benefits from this query.

1. How seriously do you pay attention to emails spouting miraculous cures?
2. Do you immediately forward these emails, research the validity of the source, or send it to the trash bin?

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