A Taste of the Exotic
I realized when I was in the supermarket the other day that I’m in a fruit rut. Maybe you are, too. Apples and pears are my mainstays through the winter, with an occasional melon or strawberry that’s been forced into ripeness at the wrong time of the year.
So I decided it was time to get brave and try some of those mysterious and exotic-looking fruits that many of us walk by during our usual shopping trip. You know the ones — with the funny shapes and strange names. Kumquats, pomegranates, Ugli fruit (which is appropriately named, I might add). Ive always thought the colors and shapes were interesting, but Ive been intimidated by my lack of knowledge — do I peel them, or not? Do I cut them or just bite into them?
So I did a little research for both of us, so that we can liven up our winter fruit routines. Here are just a few that Ill be trying the next time I hit the market. They’re all available throughout the fall and winter, and will add a nice lift to salads, marmalades and sauces, or just on their own:
Star fruit: Also called a carambola, this fruit was apparently popular among Europeans back in the 1700s but only made it to the New World 75 years ago where they now grow in abundance in Florida. When you cut it into slices, its five-points make it look like a star, which explains its more common name. Everything but the seeds are edible. With a flavor that’s a cross between an apple and a grape, the star fruit is a nice addition to salads or you can just eat the slices by themselves. Star fruit contains healthy amounts of vitamins A and C, and potassium. Star fruit are light yellowish-green and are a little bigger than a large kiwi.
Kumquats: A winter fruit with a bright orange color that can brighten up a dreary winter day. Compact and bite-sized, you can eat kumquats as you would a grape. Just wash them and pop in your mouth. They’re also nice in salads or as a garnish in drinks. They have a citrus flavor and can be used in any dish that calls for oranges. Kumquats are high in fiber and vitamin C.
Asian pears: With the crunchiness of an apple and the flavor of a pear, the Asian pear is the least adventurous on this list, but still a nice change to the soft and mushy Bosc so bountiful through the winter. Asian pears come in two basic colors and two shapes. They can be green/yellow or red/brown and can either be a traditional pear shape or more round, almost like an apple.
Pomegranate: Renowned in Greek mythology and cultivated as early as 4,000 years ago in Persia, the pomegranate is a fall favorite (and can be found into the winter in some areas). Granted, it is a bit messy and can stain clothes mercilessly, but the unique sweet taste — and health benefits — are worth it. Recent research to identify foods high in antioxidants have brought the pomegranate out to the forefront with its high levels of polyphenols, tannins, and anthocyanins — all thought to be important parts of our cancer-prevention arsenal. Pomegranates are about the size of a baseball or softball and are usually a deep pink or red color.
Ugli fruit: Also known as Uniq Fruit, this fruit tastes a lot better than it looks — sort of a cross between a tangerine and a grapefruit. And its very easy to peel. You can add it to salads, make a marmalade, or just peel and eat as you would an orange. They’re also nice for kids since they tend to have fewer seeds than oranges. Ugli fruits are about the size of a baseball or softball and look like an orange or grapefruit, only green (though sometimes they are yellow or even orange).
Depending on where you live and where you shop, you might come across even more unusual and exotic fruits. Don’t be afraid to pick them up and try them out. If you’re not sure how to prepare it, be sure to write down the name and go to www.melissas.com and look it up. Melissa’s Produce is a distributor of many of these exotic fruits to grocery stores and their website will give you the necessary information to de-mystify these fruits and add them — and their many varied health benefits — to your diet.
Sweet solution to statin side effects
Q: Shortly after going on Lipitor I started to feel like I had the flu my back aches, my legs feel weak, every muscle hurts, and I’m extremely fatigued. My doctor said it was safe, and I know lots of other people on statins who haven’t had this problem. But its gone on for a few weeks now, and I think if I had the flu, I would have been over it by now. I would appreciate any information you might have that could help me figure out if I do have the flu or if the statins are related to my symptoms.
JVW: Although I cant say for sure that statins are causing your particular problem, they have been widely reported to cause the symptoms you report — all part of a condition called peripheral neuropathy or nerve damage. Also, statins are thought to deplete the system of coenzyme Q10, which can cause fatigue. You should let your doctor know about the symptoms you’ve been having and discuss other treatment options, preferably natural ones. In some cases, the damage caused is permanent, so I wouldn’t recommend the wait-and-see approach.
You might want to consider taking policosanol, which I wrote about more extensively in the January 2002 issue of Nutrition & Healing. Research is accumulating to show that policosanol is more effective than many of the leading patent medicines for lowering total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Also, policosanol might help to prevent strokes by inhibiting platelet aggregation and abnormal blood clotting, and may lower blood pressure. More important, policosanol has virtually no side effects, and does not seriously interfere with the bodys ability to produce coenzyme Q10 as patent statin medications do. When you approach your doctor about your symptoms, you might want to ask about using policosanol instead.
What is CoQ10?
Coenzyme Q10 is a powerful antioxidant that can be found in virtually every cell of the body, and it is a critical factor in energy production. Deficiency of coQ10 is not well-understood yet, but some scientists suspect that statin drugs cause the depletion of coQ10, which could cause muscle wasting, heart failure, and possibly increased risk of cancer. Low blood levels of coQ10 have been found in individuals with heart failure, cardiomyopathies, gingivitis, morbid obesity, hypertension, muscular dystrophy, AIDS, and people on kidney dialysis.
Yours in good health,
Amanda Ross
Managing Editor
Nutrition & Healing
Sources:
Rundek T, Naini A, Sacco R, Coates K, DiMauro S. Atorvastatin decreases the coenzyme Q10 level in the blood of patients at risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke. Arch Neurol 2004; 61: 889-892
