Green Tea, Broad Beans, Berries — Are You Eating The Best Five-A-Day?
The title of this post is the same as that of this article in The Times.
This is the sub-heading.
We need 500mg of flavanols a day for heart and brain health, new research shows. Here’s how to boost your intake
These three paragraphs add more details.
You may have ticked off fruit for breakfast, salad for lunch and pulses and veggies for dinner to get your five a day, but you could still be missing out — specifically on key nutrients called flavanols, which are important for disease prevention.
Not all fruit and veg are created equal and while a variety of plant foods is best for all-round health, researchers from the University of Reading, Harvard Medical School and the University of California Davis stressed this week that our focus should be on getting more flavanols, a specific group of antioxidant compounds found in foods such as berries, apples, kale, grapes, tea and cocoa. These matter because they support blood vessels, circulation and heart health.
For their study, published in the latest edition of the Food & Function journal, the scientists tracked the diets and urine biomarkers of more than 30,000 people from the US and the UK, and confirmed that a daily intake of 500mg of flavanols reduced deaths from cardiovascular disease by 27 per cent. Their results also showed that fewer than one in five people get enough flavanols in their diet and even those who hit standard NHS healthy eating guidance are often found to be lacking in the nutrients.
I eat a lot of strawberries, as I find strawberries and yoghurt in the afternoon helps to calm my uncomplicated pancolonic diverticular disease.
I also drink two or three bottles a day of Adnams Ghost Ship Alcohol Free Beer.
Does Low-Alcohol Beer Contain Flavanols?
I asked Google AI and received this slightly surprising answer.
Yes, low-alcohol and non-alcoholic beers contain flavanols. The brewing process retains a significant portion of these bioactive polyphenols (antioxidants).
How Flavanols Get into the Beer
Hops: Hops are the primary source of specific flavonoids and flavanols.
They are also the unique source of prenylflavonoids (like xanthohumol), which are known for their strong antioxidant and potential anti-inflammatory properties.
Malt: Barley and grains provide the majority (70-80%) of the total polyphenolic compounds found in a standard brew.
Brewing: Because non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beers undergo many of the exact same initial fermentation and brewing steps as regular beers, they naturally retain these compounds from the raw ingredients.
Style: Darker, heavier, or more heavily-hopped beers generally contain higher amounts of total flavonoids and polyphenols.
Processing: Certain filtration and stabilization methods used to reduce haze during production can also slightly decrease the flavonoid content.
Health Value: Because low-alcohol variants bypass the negative effects of ethanol, they are often highlighted by dietitians and nutritionists as a great way to enjoy the functional and nutritional benefits of beer, such as antioxidants and vitamins.
I also feel that a lot of what is said here could also apply to real ale.
Does Real Ale Contain Flavanols?
Yes. Real ale contains flavanols (such as catechins and epicatechins) and various other flavonoids, primarily sourced from the hops and malt used in the brewing process.
Key Flavonoids and Polyphenols in Real Ale
Flavanols: Compounds like catechin and epicatechin are present in beer, providing a source of antioxidants.
Flavonols: Real ales contain flavonols such as quercetin and rutin.Prenylated
Flavonoids: Hops provide unique prenylated flavonoids (like xanthohumol and isoxanthohumol). Because ales are typically more heavily hopped than lagers, they often boast higher concentrations of these specific compounds.
Why Real Ale is a Notable Source
Ales are top-fermented at warmer temperatures and are traditionally more heavily hopped than lagers, which aids in the extraction of these plant polyphenols. Furthermore, because real ale (or cask-conditioned ale) undergoes a secondary fermentation in the container from which it is served and is typically unpasteurized and unfiltered, it retains high amounts of these natural plant compounds compared to mass-produced, heavily filtered beers.
I’ve rarely drunk any foreign lager, since my father introduced me to Adnams at about 11.
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