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Saturday, March 30, 2019

Ashitaba

Ashitaba growing


Ashitaba is the green stuff between the egg and the fish.


When I visited Hachijo Jima, I was served ashitaba every day. I recently read an article saying a new study found that the traditional belief that ashitaba is healthy has good scientific grounds. 


A natural substance in the bitter plant seems to induce a process that helps remove "cellular garbage" that can build up as cells age and cause a range of diseases and disorders.The substance is known as dimethoxychalcone or DMC and it induces a process called autophagy, which removes superfluous material, like aggregated proteins. 


When cells fail to promptly and efficiently remove damaged parts, they can build up and lead to diseases including cancer. Frank Madeo, a professor at the University of Graz's Institute of Molecular Biosciences in Austria helped lead the research. He said "It is always nice to find a scientific rationale for traditional medical folk tales." 


Have you eaten ashitaba before? Is there any food that you eat that you are convinced is healthy and keeps you young?




9 comments:

  1. That sounds interesting.
    There are a lot of food items that are said to promote health and beat diseases: garlic, onion, broccoli etc...
    However, I believe no food item can do this on its own; it needs the active ingredient, and one has to eat many kilograms of garlic, onion, or...ashitaba for a few grams of the active ingredient. So, perhaps supplements in the form of capsule can help with this.

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  2. Hi Pamela, I haven't tried this food. But I do live eating fruits and vegetables that are healthy. Kisses, my friend.

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  3. Hi Pamela how interesting and i have never heard of this before or tasted it,t great that its so good for you to eat xx

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  4. Yes, I am a firm believer in food as medicin. Ashitaba may be bitter, but eaten with other foods or flavored you can take the bitterness out. Tempura is my favorite way of eating ashitaba.

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  5. Pamela: I would have no problem eating that beautiful green, I love all veggies.

    Catherine

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  6. I enjoy trying new foods, this one sounds interesting. When my husband was working in Seoul, he ate kimchi with every meal,I am a firm believer that eating certain foods have powerful qualities for our health.

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  7. I haven't heard of this one. Bitter is one thing I cannot stand; several veggies have to be cooked right for me to eat them and I'm not fond of tea/coffee/dark chocolate either. When you visited Okinawa, did you have any goya (bitter melon)? I have never noped so hard out of eating something haha.

    I think lots of foods are healthy if eaten in moderation (ie NOT the stereotypical American diet hah). But ice cream will keep me young, right? ;)

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  8. Interesting. I like when a scientific study backs up what folk people have found out on their own. My grandson has a business to distribute CBD products. Since using it, I have had NO sciatic issues so I'm a believer.
    xx, Carol

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  9. I don't think I've had it, but then I didn't know the names of a lot of the things I tried. How interesting!

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