Category Archives: health & nutrition

The Healing Power of Vegetarian Diets

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In the 1960’s chefs started to experiment with cooking without meat.
But the meals were often tasteless. But now-a-days after experiencing
for more than a quarter of a century, cooks are combining fruits, vegetables
grains, and legumes in exciting new ways. The tastes are so good that even
large restaurants are now offering meatless meals.

As a result, more than 30 million Americans, including one in three teens,
have tried vegetarian meals, according to the American Dietetic Association.
They like the health benefits and how good the food tastes.
Vegetarian diets have changed, but one thing stayed the same: a plant based diet ,
which is low in saturated fat, high in fiber,vitamins, antioxidants, and a powerful
array of protective chemicals. This is the ultimate prescription for a longer and
healthier life, according to Virginia Messina, MPH, R.D. a dietitian in Port Townsend,
Washington, and coauthor of The Vegetarian Way.

Research results have showed that vegetarians have lower rates of cancer, heart
disease, high blood pressure, type two diabetes and obesity than people who eat meat.
According to British researchers, vegetarians have a 20% lower risk of fatal heart
disease and a 40% lower risk of cancer.

Other studies found more positive facts. Fifty years ago a large study of 27,530
Seventh-Day Adventists, whose religion advocates a vegetarian diet, provided the
first scientific link between vegetarian diets and better health.
Researchers were amazed to discover that among the vegetarian Adventists,
death rate from cancer were 50 to 70% lower than among other Americans.
Since then, study after study has confirmed the benefits of vegetarian eating.

In China, where people eat little or no meat, diseases such as heart disease,
breast cancer and diabetes, are far less common than in the United States.

Naturally lean
Something that makes vegetarian meals so healthy is that they don’t have all the
saturated fat and cholesterol that comes from meat. In fact, while most Americans
get about 36% of their total calories from fat, vegetarians get less, usually
between 30% and 34%. And most of the fat they get is the healthier polyunsaturated
and monounsaturated type – and not the dangerous saturated fat that comes from
animal foods.

In one study, researchers put 500 people on a vegetarian diet. After twelve days,
cholesterol levels had dropped an average of 11%.

Besides the fact that vegetarian meals don’t contain saturated fat that makes
vegetarian meals so healthy, they also contain the “good” fats.
According to studies, both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, which are
found in olive oil, canola oil, nuts, seeds, and many other plant foods, can lower
the level of cholesterol when they’re used to replace saturated fat in the diet.
And the omega-3 fatty acids found in some plant foods, such as walnuts and
flaxeed, can further protect against heart disease by helping to keep artery walls
flexible and supporting the electrical “system” within the heart that regulates
a healthy heartbeat.

The Power of Plants
Doctors in the US have been pleading with Americans for years to eat more fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, the same foods that vegetarians eat in
abundance. Most plant foods are loaded with antioxidants, like beta-carotene and
vitamin C and E. They are essential to protect you against diseases.
Also, plant foods contain an abundance of phytonutrients, which are natural plant
compounds that have been shown to lower the risk of cataracts, heart disease,
and many other serious problems.

In another study researchers found that people who got the most carotenoids,
the plant pigment that are found in dark green and deep orange, yellow, and red
fruits and vegetables, had half the risk of developing macular degeneration
(the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in older adults) as people getting less.

Vegetarian diets cut the risk of breast, colon, ovarian, and prostate cancer in a
number of studies. The magic ingredients include a number of cancer-fighting
phytochemicals. The naturally lower levels of saturated fat in most vegetarian diets
(except those that rely heavily on cheese) avoid a problem which is connected
with meat-rich diets: High-saturated fat diets seem to promote the production of
a form of estrogen called estradiol, which is linked to breast cancer.
In a study it showed that women who ate the most animal fats had a one-third
higher risk of breast cancer than those who ate the least.

Another study found that vegetarians have higher levels of “natural killer cells” –
special white blood cells that attack cancer cells – in their bloodstreams.

But even if you took all the nutrients out of plant foods, the vegetarian diet
would still have an edge, because of all the dietary fiber it contains.
The average American gets only 12 to 15 grams of fiber per day,
while vegetarians are getting as much as three times that amount.

It is almost impossible to exaggerate the importance of getting enough dietary
fiber. because it isn’t absorbed by the body, fiber passes through the
digestive tract, adding bulk to stools and helping them to move more quickly.
This does more than preventing constipation. The more quickly stools
and any harmful substances they contain move through the colon,
the less likely they are to do cellular damage that could lead to cancer.

Also, one type of fiber called soluble fiber, forms a gel in the intestine that
helps to prevent fat and cholesterol from passing through the intestinal wall
and into the bloodstream. In a study of more than 43,000 men, for example,
researchers found that those who added just 10 grams of fiber a day to their
diets – about 25% of the amount vegetarians get each day – decreased their
risk of heart disease by almost 30%.

Vegetarian diets also guard against other health issues, like kidney stones,
gallstones, and asthma. Because high-protein diets with much meat prompt
your body to excrete more calcium, oxalate, and uric acid – which are the
main building blocks of kidney stones. Diets with a lot of meat increase
the change of getting gallstones in women and could threaten bone density
by prompting the excretion of calcium.

In a Swedish study of 24 women and men, vegetable-based meals cut
the frequency and severity of asthma attacks.

Balance is the Key
A vegetarian diet can provide all the nutrients your body needs, including protein.
This is even true for strict vegetarians, who may avoid eggs, milk and other
animal foods all together. The proteins in meat are complete, that means they
contain all the amino acids your body needs.
The proteins in legumes and grains, however, may be low in one or more of the
amino acids, but because legumes and grains contain some amino acids, eating
a variety of these foods throughout the day will provide the proper balance.

However, vegetarians have the risk of vitamin B12 deficiency, which the body
needs to make red blood cells. It’s only found in animal foods.
People who don’t get enough vitamin B12 feel weak and tired.
You can get plenty of vitamin B12 by eating foods which are fortified with this
nutrient, such as fortified cereals, or/and you can take vitamin B12 supplements.

Why don’t you try Vegan Cooking? It’s one of the best things you can do for your health!
Try it here!

Prevention of Diabetes

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The number of diabetes cases have increased five fold over the past fifty years.
An estimated 16 million people in the US have diabetes and $150 billion is spent annually on the treatment of diabetes.
But amazingly, almost half of these people don’t even know that they are diabetic.

Although diabetes itself is a big enough health problem, the side effects are also ominous.
For example, one-third of the new cases of end-stage kidney disease are the result of diabetes.
Four out of five patients will die – not from diabetes itself, but from cardiovascular disease
(heart attack, stroke, or peripheral vascular disease) initiated by the diabetes.
Diabetes is the leading cause of amputations and blindness in older people.

Diabetes mellitus has reached epidemic proportions.More than 90% of these cases are known as type-2 diabetes (formerly known as adult-onset diabetes). We must seriously consider what is going wrong.
Type-one diabetes used to be called juvenile diabetes, because this type
of diabetes is usually found in children and is the result of an autoimmune attack on the pancreas.
Which leaves these children without any insulin and therefor they must take insulin
to survive. However, there is a way to decrease the risk of developing diabetes.

Syndrome X
Dr. Gerald Reavens, a physician and professor at Stanford University chose this term to
describe a number of problems that have a common cause: insulin resistance.
Through medical research, Dr. Reavens estimates that more than 80 million Americans
have insulin resistance, or Syndrome X.

What is the common cause of developing insulin resistance?
Over the years, our diet has taken its toll. Because of a high carbohydrate and high fat
diet, many people have become less and less sensitive to insulin as a result.

The body desires to control our blood sugars. Therefore, when the body becomes less
sensitive to its own insulin, it compensates by making more insulin.
In other words, our bodies respond to increasing blood sugar levels by forcing the beta
cells of the pancreas to produce more insulin in order to control our blood sugars.

Insulin is basically a storage hormone that drives sugar into the cells to be utilized
or stored as fat.
We know that diabetes damage from sugar occurs mainly by oxidation of fat molecules,
to form toxic lipid peroxides.
Insulin enables the body to deal with sugar. But people usually don’t know that insulin also
controls fat and muscle.

People with insulin resistance need more and more insulin as the years go by to keep
there blood sugars normal. Although these elevated insulin levels are effective in controlling our blood sugars,
they also may lead to some serious health problems.
Here follows a list of harmful effects caused by elevated insulin levels, called syndrome X.

* significant inflammation of the arteries, which can cause heart attack and stroke
* elevated blood pressure (hypertension)
* elevated triglycerides – other fat in the blood besides cholesterol
* lowered HDL (good cholesterol)
* increased LDL (bad cholesterol)
* increased tendency to form blood clots
* development of significant “uncontrolled” weight gain – usually around the middle

When all the syndrome X factors are combined, our risk of developing heart disease
actually jumps twenty fold! When we consider the fact that heart disease is the number
one killer in the industrialized world today, we can’t afford to disregard a growing risk
of developing it!

After patients have had Syndrome X for several years, possibly even ten to twenty,
the beta cells of the pancreas simply wear out and can no longer produce such high
levels of insulin. At this point insulin levels begin to drop and blood sugars begin to rise.

At first only mild elevations of blood sugar may develop, which is known as glucose
intolerance (preclinical diabetes). More than 24 million people in the United States
are at this stage of glucose intolerance. Then, usually within a year or two, if no change
in lifestyle occurs, full blown diabetes mellitus will develop. The aging of the arteries
then accelerates even faster as blood sugar begin to steadily rise.

The cause of Insulin Resistance
There are several reasons which are suggesting why we become less and less sensitive
to insulin over the years. But I truly believe that insulin resistance is the result of the
Western diet. Although we are cutting back on fats, we still like to eat far too much
carbohydrates. Most people don’t realize is that carbohydrates are simply long chains
of sugar that the body absorbs at various rates. White bread, white flour, pasta,rice,
and potatoes release their sugars into the blood stream even faster than table sugar.
That’s why these foods are called high-glycemic.

Compared with foods such as green beans, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, apples,
and oranges , which release their sugars into the bloodstream much slower and are
therefore considered low-glycemic foods.

When you eat too many high-glycemic foods,it causes blood sugar to rise very rapidly
and stimulates the release of insulin.When our blood sugar drops, we feel hungry.
So we grab a snack or have a big meal and the whole process starts all over again.
After a period of time, the release of insulin has been overstimulated so often that
our bodies simply become less and less sensitive to it. In order for the body to control
the blood sugar levels, the pancreas need to put out higher levels of insulin. It is these
elevated levels of insulin that cause the destructive metabolic changes associated with
syndrome X.

How do you know if you have Syndrome X?
After a blood test, you should get the level of HDL (good) cholesterol . LDL (bad)
cholesterol, and triglycerides (the other fat in the blood).
If you divide the triglyceride level by the HDL cholesterol, the ratio you get is an
indication of whether you are developing the syndrome.
If the ratio is greater than two, you may be starting to develop Syndrome X.
Also, if you notice that your blood pressure or that your waistline is increasing,
it is even more likely that you are developing a serious case of Syndrome X.

When a patient treats his insulin resistance with simple but effective lifestyle changes,
not only does he prevent accelerated damage to the arteries, but he also avoids
diabetes itself.This is true preventive medicine. A healthier lifestyle, not the drugs
doctors prescribe, will make the difference.

Diagnosis of Diabetes
The most common test for diabetes is a fasting blood sugar test. Physicians also use
a sugar-challenge test, in which a patient is given a sugar load (a pop-like drink
that is loaded with sugar), and then takes a blood sugar level test two hours later.

Most physicians believe that a two-hour blood sugar above 200 is the level
to diagnose diabetes. A normal two-hour blood sugar level should be less than 110.
Patients who have a slightly elevated fasting blood sugar and a two-hour blood sugar
between 130 and 190 are classified as having glucose intolerance- preclinical diabetes-
and not actual diabetes.)

Since a blood sugar measurement indicates only how a patient is doing at a particular
moment, another helpful test is a hemoglobin A1C, which reveals the amount of sugar
found in a red blood cell. This test is preferably done every four to six months.
Since our red blood cells remain in our body for approximately 140 days, this test is
a great indicator of how well a patient is truly controlling his or her diabetes.
The normal range for a hemoglobin A1C in most labs is 3.5 to 5.7.
A diabetic should keep good control so that the hemoglobin A1C level remains below
6.5%. Then the risk of complications is less than 3%.

Of greater concern is the fact that at the time of actual diagnosis of diabetes, a majority
(more than 60% ) of these patients already have major cardiovascular disease.
This is why it is critical for physicians as soon as possible and encourage lifestyle changes
that can correct the problem. A patient may have Syndrome X for many years before
he truly becomes diabetic.

Obesity
People who are seriously overweight, men and women over 50-60 lbs, are 3000% more likely to develop diabetes.
Even if you are moderate overweight, your risk of diabetes increases by 100%. Insulin resistance (Syndrome X)
leads to central obesity, not the other way around. In fact, obesity is a major aspect of this Syndrome.

What do we mean by “central obesity”? This has to do with how your weight is distributed
in your body. If it is evenly dispersed all over or you are heavy in the bottom (pear shaped),
you may need to drop some weight. But in relation to Syndrome X, you are fine.
But if you have gained substantial weight around your waist line (apple shaped), you may be
in trouble. You have developed a resistance to insulin. If you have essentially a high-
carbohydrate, low fat diet, this makes the insulin resistance worse.
The solution is to balance your diet by eating low-glycemic carbohydrates with good protein
and good fat and when this diet is combined with a modest exercise program and cellular
nutrition, the insulin resistance may be corrected.

Treatment of Diabetes
All physicians agree in order to improve their patients condition that they should encourage
them, firstly: to pay more attention to insulin resistance, the underlying problem in most cases of
type 2 diabetes mellitus, and not simply focus on treating blood sugar levels.
This accounts for the fact that 80% of diabetics still die from cardiovascular disease.
Secondly: they should encourage patients to make effective lifestyle changes that will improve
insulin sensitivity. Physicians should rely on medications only as a last resort.

Healthy Diet
The American Diabetic Association primarily encourage diabetics to have a low fat,
high carbohydrate diet. When we want to treat the underlying problem of insulin resistance,
we have to take into consideration that there are low-glycemic and high glycemic
carbohydrates.The Glycemic Index gives an indication of the rate in which the body absorbs
various carbohydrates and turns them into simple sugar.

Complex carbohydrates (the ones with a lot of fiber) like beans, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts,
and apples release their sugars slowly. When we combine these low-glycemic carbohydrates
with good proteins and good fats, in a balanced meal, our blood sugar does not spike.
Few people know that high-glycemic foods raise blood sugar much faster than when you
eat candy.

The best protein and fats come from vegetables and vegetable oils. Avocados, olive oil,
nuts, beans, and soy are great sources of protein and contain fats that will actually lower
your cholesterol. The best carbohydrates come from fresh whole fruits and vegetables.
Avoid all processed food. An apple is better than apple juice.Whole grains are essential
and avoiding processed grains is critical in developing a healthy diet for everyone,
especially the diabetics. The worst fats and protein comes from red meats and dairy
products, except low-fat cottage cheese, milk and egg whites.

Trans-fatty acids are one of the worst fats you can eat. These are called rancid fats,
because they are so harmful to our bodies. Look at labels when you shop.
When you read “partially hydrogenated”, don’t buy it.

If everyone would eat this way, exercise, and take some basic nutritional supplements,
the diabetic epidemic would be nonexistent.

Exercise
Modest exercise has tremendous health benefits. And exercise is especially critical
for people with Syndrome X or diabetes mellitus. Because exercise makes patients
significantly more sensitive to their own insulin and is therefore a critical part of the
lifestyle changes needed for diabetes and those who have insulin resistance.

Nutritional Supplements
Several studies have indicated that all antioxidants may improve insulin resistance.
It is important for diabetics to take a good mixture of several antioxidants in
supplementation at optimal levels.

Chromium is critical in the metabolism of glucose and to improve insulin resistance.
A study has shown that 90% of the American population has a chromium deficiency.
Chromium significantly increase insulin sensitivity, especially for those who are deficient
in this mineral. Diabetics and patients with Syndrome X need 300 mcg of chromium
in supplementation.

Vitamin E not only improves antioxidant defenses, but also seems to help the body
in the problem of insulin resistance. People with low levels of vitamin E have a five fold higher
risk of developing diabetes than those with a normal amount of vitamin E.

Many studies have proven that vitamin E can protect animals with diabetes from this damage.
It works by complex mechanisms that also neutralize sugar directly, besides reducing peroxide formation.
Vitamin E works in humans too.
In a study by Dr. Guiseppe Paolisso at the University of Napels in Italy gave groups of diabetics
900 IU of vitamin E. After four months the diabetics showed a remarkable reduction in blood sugar.

Magnesium
Magnesium deficit has been associated with both type1 and type 2 diabetes, as well as an
increased risk of retinopathy in diabetic patients.Studies have shown that when this deficiency
is corrected in the elderly, insulin function improves significantly.

Unfortunately, diagnosing magnesium deficiency is very difficult. Typically, serum magnesium
levels are tested where only a trace amount of the body’s total magnesium is located.
Cellular levels of magnesium are much more sensitive and accurate; however, these can only
be tested in research labs, not in hospitals. This is why magnesium deficiency is so under diagnosed.
We all need at least 400 – 500 mg of magnesium in supplementation.

Vanadium
Vanadium is not a well-known mineral, but it is very important for the diabetic patient.
It has been shown to significantly increase insulin sensitivity when taken in supplementation.
A diabetic needs to take 50 – 100 mcg of vanadium in supplementation each day.

As I said before, diabetes is increasing at epidemic proportions.
In spite of the billions of dollars spent on this disease, we are losing the battle.
Physicians and laypeople alike must refocus their attitudes and attack insulin resistance
rather than elevated blood sugars. When we see elevated triglyceride levels along with
lower HDL cholesterol levels, hypertension, or unusual weight gain, we need to recognize
the possible development of Syndrome X and accelerated cardiovascular damage that
may have already begun.

Rather than simply treating the diseases that insulin resistance causes, we need to
aggressively treat the insulin resistance itself. Isn’t it amazing that such simple lifestyle changes
can effect a near-miracle: the disappearance of diabetes? .

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Prevention of Neuro-degenerative Diseases

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Have you ever thought about your ability to think? Thinking about thinking –
what a concept! When you search back into your memory banks and remember
a vivid childhood experience or that special moment with your family, do you
ever marvel at how you can remember even some of the smallest details?
Stop reading for a moment and take a look outside your window.
Have you ever thought about how amazing your colored, wide-angled, binocular
vision is? This is all possible with the brain, one of God’s marvelous creation.

The brain is our most precious organ. Without its full function, we humans
simply exist, unable to relate to the world around us.
The ten billion nerve cells of your brain process such uncountable amounts of
information each second, they make our most advanced computers look like
children’s toys.
Your brain controls everything, from the merest wiggle of toes, to the moment
to moment balancing of hundreds of hormones, to the microscopically regulated
metabolism of all the thirty trillion cells that enable you to think, feel, and behave
as a human being. When even a few thousand brain cells get damaged or die,
your whole body suffers.

However the brain (central nervous system) and our nerves (peripheral nervous
system) are not out of the reach of oxidative stress. This common enemy has been
strongly implicated in a variety of diseases that wreak devastating damage
on the brain and nerves, known as neurodegenerative diseases.
Some of these include Alzheimer’s dementia, Parkinson’s disease, ALS
(Lou Gehrig’s disease), multiple sclerosis, and Huntington’s chorea.
There are several reasons why the brain and the nerves are especially vulnerable
to oxidative stress:

* Relative to its size, the brain experience an increased rate of oxidative activity,
which creates a significant number of free radicals.

* The normal activity, which various chemicals create to establish nerve conduction
is a major producer of free radicals.

* The brain and nerve tissue contain relatively low levels of antioxidants.

* Millions of nonreplicable cells make up the central nervous system.
This means that once they are damaged, they are most likely dysfunctional for life.

* The brain and nervous system are easily disrupted. a small amount of damage
in a critical area can cause severe problems.

The brain is the most important organ of our body. Our thoughts, emotions,
our ability to reason and communicate with the outside world are all in danger
if something damages our brain. How can we best defend this most precious asset?
It’s not just a matter of trying to avoid the devastation of neurodegenerative diseases,
but first and foremost, it’s a matter of protecting our ability to think and reason.

Aging of the brain
Oxidative stress is the leading cause of the aging process. Nowhere is evidence
stronger for this concept than when it comes to the actual aging of the brain.
Several scientific studies have shown oxidative damage to the mitochondria
(the furnace of the cell) and to the DNA of the brain cell.
This can lead to the malfunction and even death of these very sensitive brain cells.

Brain cells do not have the ability to regenerate themselves. So as we lose more
and more brain cells throughout our lifetime due to this oxidative damage,
the brain simply does not function as well as it did when we were younger.
In medical terms this lead to what is called loss of cognition.
In lay terms this is a decrease in our ability to think or reason.
Therefore, oxidative damage to our sensitive brain cells is the greatest enemy
to the functioning of our brain.

Aging of the brain is essentially the first stage of degeneration of these very important
cells in our body. Just as we don’t contract other degenerative diseases out of
the blue, people don’t wake up one day and have Alzheimer’s dementia or
Parkinson’s disease. These diseases represent the final stages of oxidative damage
to the brain. They are part of a progression that begins with the aging of the brain.
When eventually enough brain cells are damaged, a disease manifests.

When a patient is first diagnosed as having Parkinson’s disease, more than 80%
of the brain cells in a particular part of the brain, called the substancia nigra,
have already been destroyed. The same is true for someone who develops
Alzheimer’s dementia. These neurodegenerative diseases have actually been
developing over a period of ten to twenty years.
Let’s look at some of these diseases individually.

Alzheimer’s Dementia
Alzheimer’s dementia affects more than 2 million Americans and is the major cause
for admission in nursing homes.Alzheimer’s patients not only don’t know what day
it is, they don’t even recognize their own families.

Nothing is more devastating than losing the ability to think.Most folk who become
senile, develop Alzheimer’s, or other irriversable forms of brain degeneration know
it is happening. Their anguish is far worse than physical pain.
Progressive senility is living death, turning the most brilliant professors, the greatest
athletes, the most gifted artists, into dribbling zombies. The worst of it is, we do
most of the damage to ourselves.

Anyone who has had to deal with Alzheimer’s dementia within his family understands
just how tragic this is.If you have a loved one who suffers from Alzhemer’s,you
appreciate the fact that it’s the quality of life, not the quantity, with which most of us
are concerned.
The passage of another birthday becomes an empty and painful event for those
suffering from Alzheimer’s dementia and their families.

Numerous studies have shown evidence that free radical damage as the cause of
Alzheimer’s dementia. Recent findings by researchers at Case Western Reserve
University concluded that increasing oxidative stress with age most likely accounts
for all aspects of Alzheimer’s disease. Strong evidence exists that patients with
Alzheimer’s disease have significantly depleted levels of antioxidants in their brains
as well as high levels of oxidative stress.

There is now great interest in the therapeutic benefits that Alzheimer’s patients
could receive from antioxidants. The New England Journal of Medicine
reported a study showing that high doses of vitamin E could significantly decrease
the progression of Alzheimer’s dementia.
Other clinical trials in which patients with Alzheimer’s dementia used various
antioxidants, such as vitamin C, vitamin A, zinc, selenium, and rutin ( a bioflavanoid
antioxidant) have also been encouraging.

Parkinson’s disease
A stooped posture, slow voluntary movement, rigidity, and a “pill rolling” tremor
that causes the hands to move back and forth in a “rolling” action characterize
Parkinson’s disease. Public appearances by Muhammad Ali have made us all
more aware of effects of this debilitating disease.

A wide variety of studies support the role of free radicals as the underlying cause
of Parkinson’s. The actual cell death (approximately 80%) in the area of the brain
called the substantia nigra leads to decreased production of dopamine,
a substance that allows the brain to function normally.

Studies indicate that patients with early Parkinson’s disease who received high
doses of vitamin C and vitamin E were able to slow down the progression of
their disease. They actually avoided taking any medication for their disease for
approximately two years longer than the control group.
Glutathione and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (both antioxidants) were also effective in
protecting the nerves in the substania nigra from further damage by oxidative stress.

Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis affects more than 250,000 Americans and is about twice as
common in women as in men. Unlike Alzheimer’s dementia and Parkinson’s
disease, in which the brain cells are actually damaged, this disorder affects
the myelin sheath (the insulation around the nerve). This breakdown of the myelin,
called demyelination, results in impairment of the function of the nerve.
It is like an electrical wire that shorts out because of a breakdown in the insulation
around the wire, and is responsible for the clinical symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

Investigators have stated the fact that oxidative stress was significantly higher in
patients with MS during a flare-up when compared to MS patients who were stable.
MS differ from the other forms of neurodegenerative diseases in that the mechanism
of injury to the central nervous system and peripheral nerves is the immune system,
rather than outside toxins. When one’s own immune system attacks the myelin sheath,
this creates oxidative stress that then damages the nerves.

Multiple sclerosis responds amazingly well to cellular nutrition. The body does have
the potential to repair damage to the myelin sheath. Placing MS patients on potent
antioxidants is critical.

If we are going to have any success decreased risk or delayed progression of neuro-
degenerative diseases, we must research the effects of antioxidants that cross over
into the brain easily. Researchers are not studying antioxidants that can smoothly pass
through what is known as the blood brain barrier.

The Blood Brain Barrier
The brain needs a barrier that separates it from the blood to permit complex nerve
signaling. The blood brain barrier is a thick lining of epithelial cells that are present in
the small arteries that course through the brain. This lining is designed with very tight
junctions, which makes crossover of nutrients into the brain cells particularly difficult.

Important nutrients needed by the brain actually have specialized transporting proteins
available that allows them to cross this barrier. At the same time, toxic substances,
infectious organisms, and most other nutrients, have difficulty passing through this barrier.
This keeps the brain isolated with only the most essential nutrients to be able to enter.
Our brain has significant protection from the dangers of the outside world.
God created this amazing defensive barrier for the protection of this very sensitive area
of our body.

What has gone wrong in the case of aging of the brain and neurological disease?
The neurology department of the Rabin Medical Center in Tel Aviv concluded that
as a result of today’s environment, the brain is exposed to significantly increased amount
of toxins, such as heavy metals, and thus oxidative stress.
The antioxidant defense system is no longer completely effective in protecting this vital
organ. They believe that additional antioxidants, which particularly need to be taken in
as supplements, have the potential for reduce or even preventing the damage from
increased oxidative stress. They stress, however, that the antioxidants must be able to
readily cross the blood brain barrier.

The Right Antioxidants for the Brain

Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant which is very important in the protection of brain
and peripheral nerve cells. It has some difficulty crossing the blood brain barrier and
need therefore to be supplied in high doses. This vitamin is important to protect the brain
cells but probably not the best one for this purpose.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C can concentrate in the tissue and fluid around the brain and nerves.
It is able to pass through the blood brain barrier, and in fact, vitamin C levels are 10 times
higher in this tissue than in the plasma. When you realize that vitamin C is not only a great
antioxidant but also has the ability to regenerate vitamin E and glutathione, it becomes
a very important nutrient in protecting brain and nerve cells.

Dr. M. C. Morris reported a study showing that vitaminC and vitamin E given as
supplements to normal patients over the age of sixty-five actually decreased their risk
of developing Alzhemer’s dementia. This was only a small study, but larger and more
aggressive studies need to be done.

Glutathione
Glutathione is the most important antioxidant within the brain and nerve cells.
But this nutrient is difficult to absorb from oral supplements, and its ability to cross
the blood brain barrier is not yet clear.
The best strategy at tis time is to supplement the nutrients the body needs to make
its own glutathione (N-acetyl-L-cysteine, niacin, selenium, and vitamin B2).
You also need to have those antioxidant nutrients available that regenerate glutathione,
so it can be used again and again ( vitamin C, alpha-lipoic acid, and QoQ10).

Alpha-lipoic Acid
The medical community is recognizing alpha-lipoic acid more and more as an important
antioxidant. It is both fat- and water-soluble and it has also the ability to cross over the
blood brain barrier. It can regenerate vitamin C & E, intracellular gluthacione and CoQ10.

Another important property of this antioxidant is that it can attach itself to
toxic metals in the brain and help eliminate them from our body.
Heavy metals, such as mercury, aluminum, cadmium, and lead have been implicated in
increasing the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases.
These metals tend to deposit themselves in brain tissue because of the high amount of fat
concentrated in that part of the body.These metals can cause an increased amount of
oxidative stress and are extremely difficult to remove from the central nervous system
once they are there. Antioxidants that not only are potent but have the ability to help
remove these toxic heavy metals will become more and more important in the prevention
and treatment of these diseases.

Coenzyme Q10
Coenzyme Q10 is a very potent antioxidant as well as one of the most important nutrients
for the production of energy within the cell. Clinical studies have shown that oxidative
damage in the mitochondria (this is where CoQ10 works) is an important aspect in the
developing of neurodegenerative diseases.

As we age, the level of CoQ10 in our brains and nerve cells decreases significantly.
CoQ10 may be a missing link in the prevention of diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
disease. However, more study in this subject is necessary. How well QoQ10 passes
through the blood brain barrier is not yet been fully evaluated.

Grape-Seed Extract
Studies show that grape-seed extract crosses the blood brain barrier quite easily.
It is an exceptionally potent antioxidant, and the mere fact that high concentrations can be
obtained in the fluid and cells of the brain and nerve tissue makes it an ideal antioxidant
for the brain.

Serotonin and memory
Professors Eric Kandel and James Schwartz at the Center of Neurobiology at
Columbia University have shown that memory storage can be increased by putting
additional serotonin into the neuron. In humans also, we know that periods of additional
serotonin release improve memory storage.

Acetylcholine and memory
As memory declines with age, so does acetylcholine. This biochemical deficit is especially evident in the post-morton bains of people who had suffered the severe
memory problems of premature senility or Alzheimer’s disease.

Studies using drugs to block acetylcholine synthesis in the brain, provide further strong
evidence that optimum acetylcholine levels are crucial to good memory.

Acetyl-l-carnitine
The big discovery about the brain is that much of the damage to brain cells occurs
by oxidation. In addition to the antioxidants we have discussed previously, European
research shows that the amino acid acetyl-l-carnitine maintains brain function partly by
antioxidant action.

More than 50 controlled studies show that this remarkable nutrient has profound effects
in addition to antioxidant action. It improves memory, prevents brain cell loss, boosts
intelligence, and restores acetylcholine metabolism. It is used in millions of doses of
1000- 2000 mg per day throughout Europe, for treatment of Alzheimer’s, depression,
and memory loss in the aged, and for improvement of cognition in normal folk.

Protecting our most precious asset
Everyone desires to maintain and protect the ability to reason and to think.
In fact, losing this ability is probably the number-one fear of most people.
As we age, we all have this concern at one time or other.

The principle of optimizing our own natural antioxidant defense system is paramount
when it comes to protecting the cells in our brain against our common enemy:
oxidative stress. Remember, we must focus on prevention and protection, because
once a brain cell is destroyed, it is not readily replaced.

There are two main concepts to keep in mind.
Firstly, we must use a cocktail of antioxidants that will work in synergy while readily
crossing the blood brain barrier.
Secondly, we must avoid any excessive exposure to the heavy metals, and other toxins
in our environment.
Balance is th. key, and we must work on decreasing our toxic exposures as well as
building up our body’s natural defenses.

It is quite obvious that the proper function of our brain and our nerves is an essential
aspect of our health, and we now realize that the main enemy to this central part of
our body is oxidative stress. It is paramount that we protect these sensitive cells from
being damaged in the first place.
Supplementing our diet with potent antioxidants that readily cross over the blood
brain barrier can effectively protect us against these horrible diseases.

I believe the evidence in the medical literature is strong enough to advice people
to supplement a healthy diet with antioxidants at optimal levels.
Such a regimen can only help!

How to Speed Up Wound Healing

Health & Nutrition, , , ,

Everyone during his or her lifetime gets cuts and scrapes along the way.
Americans are getting more than 12 million cuts and other wounds every year,
according to doctor’s estimation.

The skin is usually able to heal itself by showing signs of quick regeneration.
But you have to eat the right foods for healing to occur.
Nutrients like Vitamin C, protein and zinc are the building blocks for new skin.
If you don’t get enough of them in your diet, it takes longer for wounds to heal.

Protein
Protein is essential for healing cuts and wounds, but it isn’t always available
where you need it most. Only about 10% of the body’s protein is found in the
skin, and the rest is used elsewhere in the body.
Protein is used for energy before it goes to healing.
The need for protein can double,when your body goes into healing mode.
For example, when you get 50 grams of protein per day, you have to increase
this to 100 gram per day, when you have burned yourself.

The amount of protein you need depends mainly on the severity of the wound.
If you are recovering from massive burns, for example, you may need to increase
your protein intake by stirring non-fat dry-milk into milk, cereal, soups, and
graves, having desserts made with eggs, such as pudding or gustard, and adding
shredded cheese to vegetable dishes.

Meats are one of the best sources of protein. A 3-ounce serving of flank steak
for example, has 23 grams of protein, which is about 46% of the Daily Value.
If you are not a meat eater, you can also get protein from fish, beans, nuts,
and grains. Tofu is also an impressive source of protein. A 4-ounce serving
has more than 9 grams, which is about the same you get from 11/4 ounces of
ground beef.

Vitamin C
Orange juice is a favorite home remedy against colds, because the vitamin C
it contains helps to strengthen your immune system. Vitamin C helps for wounds
as well. If you’re not getting enough vitamin C in your diet, you are more
susceptible to infections.

Also, vitamin C is essential for strengthening collagen, the tissue that helps
to hold skin cells together.
When there is not enough vitamin C in your diet, collagen gets weaker and
it takes longer for wounds to heal. Tissue integrity, the actual strength of the skin,
relies on vitamin C.

Whether you have a cut, a burn, or any other kind of wound, it’s a good idea
to get at least 500 milligrams of vitamin C per day. Or about 8 times the recommended
Daily value of 60 milligrams.
In fact, you can take even more than that – up to 1000 milligrams a day.
This is especially true for older people and smokers, because these people often
don’t have enough vitamin C

Strawberries, broccoli, cantaloupe, tomatoes, bell peppers and potatoes.
For example, a half-cup serving of red bell peppers has 95 milligrams of vitamin C,
or 158% of the Daily Value, while an orange has nearly 70 milligrams, or 116%
of the Daily Value. For a superb vitamin C kick, grab a guava. One guava
contains 165 milligrams of vitamin C, or 275% of the Daily Value.

Honey
If you saw a jar of honey in a doctor’s black bag, you’d just assume that he packed
in the dark. But as it turns out, doctors have been using honey for centuries.
“Up until World War II, honey was used commonly to treat skin wounds”, says
Dr. Molan. With the introduction of antibiotics in the 1940’s, honey was taken
out of doctor’s bags and returned to the kitchen. But today, doctors are trying to
bring it back into circulation as a medicine. “We’re finding that doctors are starting
to use honey where modern medicine have been tried – and have failed – to cure
sskin wounds.” according to Dr. Molan.

Honey contains three ingredients that make it ideal for treating wounds.
Because it’s high in sugar, it absorbs much of the moisture inside wounds, making
it hard for bacteria to survive, Dr. Molan explains. In addition, many honey varieties
contain large amounts of hydrogen peroxide, the same medicine you can use at home
to disinfect cuts and scrapes. Finally, some honeys contain propolis, a compound in
nectar that can kill bacteria.

Zinc
Many people don’t get enough zinc,a mineral that helps grow tissues and repair
themselves. In fact, slow wound healing is often s sign that you’re not getting enough
of this important mineral.
The Daily Value for zinc is 15 milligrams. This doesn’t sound a lot, but getting
enough zinc can be tricky, since only 20% of the zinc in foods is absorbed during
digestion. However, eating zinc-rich foods along with protein from animal foods
will help the absorption of zinc.

An excellent source of zinc are oysters, with 1/2 cup providing 8 milligram, or 54%
of the DV. Wheat germ is also good, with 1 2/3 tablespoon containing about
2 milligram, or 13% of the DV.

Water keeps your skin hydrated, which is important while helping to heal burns.
Drink eight 8-ounce glasses per day.

Focus on omega-3 fatty acids.Fat helps your body tto build new cells, and they
become part of every cell membrane. Choose oily fish, walnuts and flaxseed.

Get a full range of vitamins and minerals. If your diet is not always up to par
(and nobody is perfect), consider taking a multivitamin, preferably one from USANA,
as an insurance policy against a shortfall of essential vitamins and minerals,
Dr.Gottschlich suggests.These include B vitamins, which help your body use
energy from carbohydrates to rebuild tissue; vitamin K, which helps blood clot;
and vitamin A, which help collagen from supportive nets and skin cells reproduce.

GOOD NUTRITION AS PART OF A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Health & Nutrition, , , , ,

It’s a sad fact that about one-third of American adults are overweight. But people can change that by adopting a lifestyle with the right diet.
It’s important to know how fat is deposited in the body, so that you
understand how to make the body lose it. Your body needs food to obtain the necessary energy to function and feed its cells.
The calories in food have energy, commonly referred to as calories.
The more calories food contains, the more fuel the body can obtain from it.

In order to use the energy from the food, your body has to digest the food first. The process of digestion causes the body to burn some old energy to get the new energy from the food.
More energy/calories are burned if it’s more difficult to digest the food.
The body’s fuel is categorized as protein, carbohydrates or fats. This fuel nourishes the body and keeps the body functioning. The left over calories are eventually stored in the fat cells. Your body uses a part of the foods fuel for nutrition. The excess fuel is eventually stored up as fat in the “fat cells” of your body, around the kidneys and liver.

Fat cells are often deposited in the chest, hips and waist region. As the cells become bigger, your physique acquires a doughy look. The body has a limited number of fat cells, and there is only so much fat these cells can store. Once the threshold is reached, fat begins to accumulate in the muscle lining of your arms and thighs, creating
unsightly, flabby limbs.

EAT FAT BURNING FOODS
All foods can create fat, but certain foods can actually help burn fat. Some foods have minerals or vitamins that raise metabolism and act as virtual fat burners. There are negative calorie foods with low calories that burn extra calories during digestion.
Other foods, even if you eat them in small quantities, gives you a feeling of fullness.They contain very little calories.
You will significantly reduce the fat profile of your body if you consume the right whole foods.
By eating these fat burning foods at the right time, in the correct amount, the body fat profile starts to reduce. Add in foods that lower the likelihood of fat depositing in your body for an extra boost.

Here is a list of everyday foods that double as secret fat burners.
Poultry Salmon , Tuna, Citrus Fruits,Apples, Berries, Oatmeal, Vegetables, Beans, Eggs, Almonds & Walnuts, Pine Nuts

ADD FAT BOOSTERS TO YOUR DIET

Mustard, Onions, Coconut Oil, Hot Peppers, Green Tea

INCREASE WATER INTAKE
Help your body to reduce fat deposits by drinking more water.
The kidneys do not function correctly without enough water intake.
If they don’t work properly, some of the load is discarded to the liver. If the liver is doing the kidney’s work, it can’t concentrate on its’
main job of metabolizing fat. More fat will remain in the body and fat burning stops. So drinking the right amount of water improves metabolism and keeps your fat burning at full capacity. Water also flushes out toxins and improves the body’s ability to stay healthy.

BUILD MUSCLES
Muscles keep your metabolism active and help burning calories.
Adding muscle improves your body’s fat composition ratio.
Because muscles are an active tissue that continually renews itself,
it always needs calories. While normal cardio burns fat only during the exercise, weight training builds muscle to ensure that body fat continues to burn throughout the day. The main source of energy for muscles is fat. So, even when relaxing or sleeping, you continue to
burn calories. The more muscle mass on your frame the more positive effect on your metabolism.It’s important to do weight resistant exercises to build muscle and to avoid your metabolism from getting sluggish and packing on fat.

Now you have the secrets to a beautiful toned body in the palm of your hands. The only thing standing in the way of a lean sexy physique is you. Adopt these fat burning secrets into your lifestyle and you will see results in a matter of weeks. The right diet plan will show you how to combine the fat burning foods to keep your body melting away the
flab.

There are countless delicious recipes to make the switch painless. Add a weight lifting exercise regime and you will sculpt your body into an object of desire. The new you is ready to emerge.

You can read full details about how to loose weight by clicking here!

Celery: A Strong Protector

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As a member of the parsley family, these stalks contain compounds that may help
lower blood pressure and perhaps help prevent cancer.
Celery is also a good source of insoluble fiber as well as some essential nutrients,
like potassium, vitamin C and calcium.

Lower bad cholesterol
Laboratory tests with animals shows the ability to lower cholesterol.
In a study conducted at the National University of Singapore, laboratory animals were
fed a high-fat diet,plumping them up for 8 weeks and raising their cholesterol.
Then they gave some of the animals celery juice. The animals that drank the celery juice
had significantly lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol than the animals that didn’t
received any celery juice.

Lower Blood Pressure
Celery has been used in Asia as a remedy for people with high blood pressure.
In the United States, a man named Mr. Le with mild high blood pressure and persistence persuaded
researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Rather than cutting back on salt as his doctor advised, he began eating four stalks of
celery per day. Within a week, his blood pressure had dropped from 158/96 to 118/82.

An assistant professor of medicine and pharmacological and physiological science
at the University of Chicago, W. J. Elliott, MD, PhD, decided to put celery at the test.
Test animals were injected with a small amount of 3-n-phthalide, a chemical compound celery
that is found in celery. Within a week, the blood pressure of the animals dropped an
average of 12 to 14 percent.

“Phthalide was found to relax the muscles of the arteries that regulate blood pressure,
allowing the vessels to dilate.” according to Dr. Elliott. In addition, the chemical reduced
the number of “stress hormones” called catecholamines in the blood.
This may be helpful because stress hormones typically raise blood pressure by causing
blood vessels to constrict.

If you have high blood pressure and would like to give celery a try, use this strategy
recommended by Asian practisioners. Eat four to five stalks of celery every day for
a week, then stop for three weeks. Then start over and eat celery for another week.
But don’t overdo it and eat celery by the pound, warns Dr. Elliott.
Each celery stalk contains 35 milligrams of sodium, and for some people, this can cause
blood pressure to go up instead of going down. “Eating a ton of celery can be dangerous
if you have salt-sensitive hypertension.” says Dr. Elliott.

Preventing Cancer
Celery contains compounds that may help prevent cancer, according to research.
Firstly, celery contains compounds called acetylenics, which proved to stop the growth
of tumor cells.
Secondly, celery contains compounds called phenolic acids, which block the action of
hormone like substances called prostaglandins. Some prostaglandins are thought to encourage the growth of tumor cells.
Thirdly, celery contains compounds called coumarins, which help prevent free radicals
from damaging cells. That gives celery a one-two-three punch against cancer.

A Skin Stalker
As celery is such a sweet, succulent stalk, it has to produce its own pesticides to
protect it from hungry fungi.
These compounds protect the celery, however, they could do humans some harm.
For some people, getting these compounds in the diet, or even through the skin,
can make their skin very sensitive to sunlight. So much so that they can get sunburns
after they have spent even a short period of time in the sun.

If you begin having skin problems after eating celery, stop eating it.
You have to wash celery thoroughly before you eat it . That way you remove any fungi
that may have formed on the plant, which sometimes causes the production of those
compounds.

Protect the Flavonoids
Don’t be tempted to cut up celery to eat later. It’s best to eat the celery soon after
you cut it. After only 24 hours in the fridge, the flavonoids are consider ably
decreased, according to researchers in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Save the leaves
While celery stalks are certainly a healthy snack, however, the leaves contain the
most potassium, vitamin C and calcium.

Eat it the way you like it.
While many foods lose nutrients during cooking, most of the compounds in celery
are staying on during cooking. Eating a cup of celery raw or cooked, provides about
9 milligrams of vitamin C, which is 15% of the Daily Value; 426 milligrams of potassium
of 12% of the Daily Value, and 60 milligrams of calcium, or 6% of the Daily Value.

A Heart Healthy Diet Prevent Stroke

Health & Nutrition, , , , , , ,

The fact that stroke can strike suddenly without warning is most frighting.
There is often no sign or anything, just a fraction of a second sense that something went wrong.
Although the stroke itself comes out of the blue, the problems that causes it usually develop
over years. When the blood, that contains oxygen and nutrients, can’t reach parts of the brain,
stroke occurs, or when an artery ruptures and blood is lost.

The risk of a stroke will be present by high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes,
and a dangerous prediabetic condition called metabolic syndrome – and all these factors
can be reduced by choosing the right food and a healthy lifestyle.
“Your diet plays a critical role in preventing stroke”, says Thomas Pearson, M.D. PhD,
professor of epidemiology and chairman of the department of community and preventive
medicine at the University of Rochester in New York.

A study involving more than 87,000 nurses at the Harvard School of Public Health showed that women
who ate the most fruits and vegetables had a 40% less change of having a stroke than those who ate the least.
Another study conducted at the University of California, San Diego, discovered that people who ate a single
serving of potassium-rich fruits and vegetables a day where also able to cut there risk of stroke by 40%.

The following six strategies offer powerful protection:
Calm high blood pressure with dairy and potassium. High blood pressure (135/85 or higher)
doubles your risk for a stroke. Here is why. Pressured by high-speed blood flow, arteries
in the brain thicken and can eventually squeeze shut. Small arteries may rupture under pressure.
The risk for developing clot-producing plaque on the artery walls due to high blood pressure.
More than 300,000 strokes annually could be prevented if everyone in the US brought it
under control. Your diet should include low-fat dairy products and plenty of potassium-rich
foods. Not only does potassium fight high blood pressure, it also appears to make blood
less likely to clot, which can reduce the risk of stroke even more.
Potassium rich foods are fat-free milk, low-fat yogurt, vegetable juice cocktail, baby limas,
kidney beans, lentils, baked potatoes, prune juice and died peaches.

Reverse metabolic syndrome with smart meal combo’s.
Metabolic syndrome is a combination of prediabetic conditions including insulin resistance
which occur when your cells stop responding quickly to insulin’s command to absorb blood
sugar – plus slightly high blood pressure, blood sugar, and triglycerides, plus low levels of
good high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Nearly everyone with this condition is
overweight. There are at least 40 million Americans at risk for metabolic syndrome.
People with metabolic syndrome doubles their risk of stroke.

You can prevent this condition by eating high-fiber, low-sugar foods, lean protein, good fats
such as nuts, oily cold-water fish, and flaxseed. Fruits, vegetables and grain products low
on the Glycemic Index, also keeps blood sugar and insulin levels lower.
This will cut cravings and help you lose weight and can almost instantly make your body cells
more sensitive to insulin’s signals. Avoid foods like doughnuts, sugary soft drinks, and white
bread, which send sugar levels soaring, fast.
You can also slow the rise in blood sugar after a meal by combining a high-fiber or high-
protein food with a refined carbohydrate – for example, with some navy beans with instant rice,

Lose weight
Not only what you eat but also how much you eat can play a role in controlling stroke.
Overweight can raise a woman’s stroke risk by 75%. Obesity raises it by 100%.
When researchers at Harvard University compared body weight and stroke risk in 116,759
nurses, they found that overweight women were two to four times more likely to have high
blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.
Being overweight is perhaps the leading cause of high blood pressure, which rapidly increases
stroke risk. As a matter of fact, people with high blood pressure are five times more likely
to have a stroke than those who’s blood pressure are normal.
Also, being overweight increase your risk of developing diabetes and the risk of stroke.

Treat diabetes with slow carbs
Having diabetes in women seems to be a bigger threat for a stroke than for men, because
of raising blood pressure and brain-threatening blood clots, and makes her risk for stroke
two to four times higher than normal.

The best food strategy for keeping diabetes under control is choosing “good”, “slow”
complex carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
These keep blood sugar levels lower and steadier and also help control levels of insulin
in your body. Experts theorize that surges of insulin after a meal heavy loaded with
refined carbs advance biochemical changes in the body that promote high blood pressure
and blood clot formation – which are two big stroke risks.

Rebalance your cholesterol profile with good fats
High levels of bad low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and low levels of good (HDL)
cholesterol increase the risk of stroke. When the level of good cholesterol is low, your body
is unable to haul away the bad cholesterol , giving it free entry inside the lining of your
artery walls and start the process that leads to clogged arteries.
To get lower LDL and higher HDL levels you should eat less saturated fats and more good
fats. Choose olive oil or canola oil for cooking to maintain healthy HDL levels.
By adding plenty of exercise you give them a boost.

Also, skip full-fat milk, cheese, sour cream, and ice cream….and turn down that fat-marbled
prime rib. What you don’t eat can be just as important as what you do eat.
Research has shown that people who get the most fat in their diet – especially the saturated
fat in meats and other animal foods – have a bigger change of having a stroke than those who
eat healthier foods. This is because a diet that is high in saturated fat raises cholesterol levels.
Cholesterol which is known for clogging arteries in the heart, can also block blood vessels
in and leading to the brain.

“Reducing saturated fat intake is the most powerful dietary maneuver you can make”‘
according to John Crouse, MD, professor of medicine and public health sciences and
associate director of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine General Clinical
Research Center.

Limiting meat servings to 3 to 4 ounces a day, using little or no butter, switching to low-fat
dairy foods, and avoiding high-fat snacks is all what’s necessary for most people to keep
healthy cholesterol levels.

Choose lots of produce as well.
When researchers from the well-known Framingham Heart Study Group scrutinized the diets
of 830 men, they found that for every three servings of fruits and vegetables people ate
every day, their risk of stroke declined 22%.

There are several reasons that fruits and vegetables are so beneficial for preventing stroke.
Most of all, they are high in fiber, which has been shown to lower bad cholesterol.
These foods also contain powerful antioxidants, according to epidemiologist Michael Hertog,
PhD, of the National Institute of Public Health and Environmental protection in the Netherlands.
They help prevent the harmful LDL cholesterol from sticking to your artery walls and blocking
blood flow to the brain. Foods that contain a large quantity of antioxidants are: garlic,onions,
kale, carrots, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, blueberries, plums, cherries, oranges and red grapes.

You don’t need a lot of antioxidant-rich food to get the benefits. In the Nurses’ Health Study,
for example, Harvard researchers discovered that women who get as little as 15 milligrams
of beta-carotene daily, which is the amount in a large carrot, reduced their risk of stroke.

Except fruits and vegetables, tea (both green and black tea) is also an excellent source of
flavonoids. When Dr. Hertog studied more than 550 men aged 50 to 69, he found that those
who got most of their flavonoids from tea were able to reduce their risk of stroke by 73%,
compared with those who got the least of these healthful compounds.
He found that those men who drink at least 5 cups of tea daily can reduce their stroke risk
by more than two-thirds, compared with those drink who less than 3 cups a day.

Dropping just a few pounds can cut stroke risk. You don’t have to be model-thin to stay
healthy, says Thomas A Pearson, MD. PhD, of the University of Rochester.
Losing 10 to 20 pounds is often sufficient to lower blood pressure and with it, the risk
of having a stroke.

The Healing Power of Currants

Health & Nutrition, , , ,

Currants are a favorite fruit in various countries.
The British love currant jams and jellies. The French consider black currant liquor
as their favorite. Until the turn of the previous century, Americans enjoyed fresh currants,
as well as currant jellies and sauces.

Today, fresh currants are hard to find in the US. (Don’t be fooled by the black “currants”
sold in supermarkets, they are really zante grapes.
What caused the end of our craving for currants? In the early 1900s, the USDA banned
the cultivation of currants because the shrubs harbored a fungus that was destroying
white pines. Even though the ban was lifted in the 1960s, currants never really made
a comeback. This is unfortunate, because currants, the forgotten fruit are a superb source
of vitamin C and fiber. What’s more, they contain a compound that present a powerful
cancer fighting potential.

Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention
It’s ironic that the forgotten fruit might prove to be helpful in keeping your memory sharp.
Researchers in New Zealand found that substances in currants could help prevent
Alzheimer’s disease. Two compounds in the currants, anthocyanins (which give them
their deep red color) and polyphenolics ( which is also abundant in red wine and chocolate),
where found to protect the brain cells of rats against the kind of damage that occurs in
people’s brains afflicted by Alzheimer’s disease.

Anthocyanins as well as polyphenolics are powerful antioxidants that provide protection
against free radicals.These highly reactive oxygen molecules can damage the brain and
other tissues if left to run amok. Much more research is needed to see if these results
would actually translate to people too.

Cancer Protection
Besides the fact that currants are extremely high in vitamin C content – a half cup of black
currants for example, has 101 milligrams of vitamin C, which is 168% of the Daily Value
and three times that of oranges – there is another thing that gets researches excited.
It’s the fact that berries contain a compound called ellagic acid, which has the ability
to prevent cancer from starting.

Ellagic acid belongs to a disease-fighting family of compounds known as polyphenols.
(Cranberries, raspberries, strawberries, and grapes also contain polyphenols).
It has been shown in laboratory studies to be a powerful antioxidant that helps neutralizing
free radicals, according to Gary Stoner, PhD, professor and cancer researcher at Ohio
State University in Columbus.
Free radicals try to replace their missing electrons by stealing electrons from healthy cells,
causing cellular changes that can lead to cancer.

It may surprise you that researchers found that currants are a much higher source of
antioxidants than blueberries, long regarded as the antioxidant champ.

Ellagic acid also has the ability to block the effects of cancer-causing chemicals in the body
at the same time that it stimulates the activity of enzymes that fight cancer growth.
This two-pronged approach makes this compound a powerful alley for blocking cancer.

Another antioxidant that has been found in currants is quercetin. In general, the most
common sources of quercetin are onions, tea, apples and red wine.
That’s for most of us anyway. The Finns, however, commonly eat certain types of berries
that contain quercetin – currants, lingonberries, and bilberries.
Researchers in Finland reasoned that these berries may be an important source of quercetin
in that country. The scientists divided 40 healthy men into two groups.
Half of the men ate their usual diets, but the other half 100 grams of black currants,
lingonberries and bilberries every day. After 8 weeks, the researchers found that the men
who ate the berries had blood levels of quercetin 32 to 51% higher than the men who ate
their regular diets. So the researchers concluded that these berries are a good source of
quercetin.

Like ellagic acid, quercetin has long been considered important in possibly helping to
prevent cancer. In test tube studies, it inhibits the growth of cancer cells, including those
from breast, colon, prostate, and lung tumors.

Protection against Digestion and Heart disease
Like most berries, currants are also high in fiber. The black, red, and white types all provide
about 2 grams, or 8% of the Daily Value. Apart from controlling digestive problems like
constipation and hemorrhoids, fiber also helps to deal with more serious health problems,
like high cholesterol and heart disease.

From a study of 21,930 Finnish men it showed that those who got just 10 extra grams of
fiber a day were able to reduce their risk of dying from heart disease by 17%.
Eating one or two servings of currants a day , along with extra fruits and vegetables,
will provide all the fiber you need to help keep your circulation in optimum form.

The only problem with fresh currants is that they are hard to find, since most supermarkets
don’t stock them. Your best change to find them is to check out roadside stands or farmers’
markets, as growers sometimes sell small amounts of these homegrown favorites.

When you are lucky enough to get your hands on fresh currants, you will get the most
out of them by storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. That way you will
be able to keep them fresh for 2 to 3 days. Or you can freeze them for use throughout
the year.

Benefits of Apples are Skin Deep

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Apples are more than just a wholesome snack. Research have shown that eating apples can help reduce the risk of heart disease, and they may also help protect you from lung cancer. In addition, they may lower your risk of asthma and improve your overall long function.
Antioxidant Protection Phenolics are some of the most powerful disease-fighting components in apples, and they have been getting a lot of research attention lately. Phenolics are a type of phytochemicals that can act as powerful antioxidants, neutralizing free radicals before they can get a change to damage your DNA and other important components within your body.

Researchers at the Cornell University in Ithaca, New York and Seoul University in South Korea found that these phenolics may provide the bulk of the antioxidant power in apples, rather than the vitamin C. Other research from Cornell set out to rank the total phenolic content in many popular fruits. Apples came in second place behind the cranberries, and beat out other favorites such as the red grape, strawberry, pineapple, banana, peach lemon, orange, pear, and grapefruit.

This study also found that apples have the second highest total antioxidant activity of these fruits, again beaten by the cranberry. If you take into account their tastiness, easy preparation time and versatility, apples are hard to beat as an easy way to get a quick dose of antioxidants.

Getting to the Heart of the Matter
The phytochemicals in apples may make them useful tools in warding off heart disease. A study that followed almost 40,000 women for about seven years associated apples with a 13% to 22% lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

Research in Finland has found that intake of flavonoids – a type of phenolics found in apples – was inversely associated with death from heart disease in women.

Another study, involving more than 30,000 older Iowa women found that, consuming catechin and epicatechin – both flavonoids found in apples – was associated with a lower risk of death from coronary heart disease.

Even though, many people favor the flesh, much of an apple’s healing power can be found in the skin, which ccontains large amounts – about 4 milligrams – of an antioxidant compound called quercetin. Like vitamin C and beta-carotene, quercetin can help prevent harmful oxygen molecules from damaging individual cells.

Even in the healing world of antioxidants, quercetin is thought to be exceptional. Another Finnish study, this one following more than 10,000 men and women, found that the people who ate the most quercetin had a 20% lower risk of dying from coronary heart disease than those who ate the least.

Cancer Protection
A study involving more than 120,000 men and women found that women who ate at least one serving of apples daily had a lower risk of lung cancer. A Hawaiian study looked at the diet history of 582 people who had lung cancer and 582 without the disease found that the people who consumed the most apples and onions and white grapefruit had nearly half the risk of lung cancer than those who ate the least amounts of these foods.

Effect of Apples on Lung Problems Apples may also help reduce your risk of asthma and improve your lung health. An Australian study involving 1,600 adults associated apple and pear consumption with a lower risk of asthma. And a study of more than 13,000 adults in the Netherlands found that those who consumed more apples and pears had a better lung function and less chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Apple Fiber for Digestive Health
Apples are also a rich source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. A 5-ounce apple including the skin has about 3 grams of fiber. Insoluble fiber, found in the skin, has long been recommended to relieve constipation. Studies show that a smoothly operating digestive tract can help prevent colon cancer. Also, insoluble fiber is filling which make apples an excellent weight control food for people who want to lose weight without feeling hungry.

The soluble fiber in apples, which is the same kind that is found in oat bran, acts differently from the insoluble kind. In stead of passing through the digestive tract more or less unchanged, soluble fiber forms a gel-like material in the digestive tract that helps lower cholesterol and with it, the risk of heart disease and stroke.

A particular form of soluble fiber called pectin is very helpful to reduce the amount of cholesterol produced in the liver. An average-seize apple contains 0.7 gram of pectin, more than the amount in strawberries and bananas.

Indeed, it appears that having an apple or two a day really can help to keep the doctor away.

Health Benefits of Pineapple

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This tropical fruit has more health benefits than most people know. Apart from being a rich source of vitamin C, it also contains a substance called bromelain, which can ease swelling and inflammation, associated with rheumatoid arthritis, tendonitis, bursitis, soft tissue injuries, inflammatory conditions in the colon, and even chronic pain.

In a recent lab study at the University of Connecticut, researchers found that promelain reduced the level of eosinophils, the main inflammatory cells associated with asthma by half. “Asthma is a very serious disease. It can be life threatening”, says Eric Secor, ND, a naturopathic physician at the University of Connecticut. Promelain may even speed up healing time and decrease pain and bruising after surgery.

Bone Builder
You need calcium to prevent osteoporosis, the bone-thinning disease that primarily affects postmenopausal women. What you may not know is that your bones need the trace mineral manganese as well.. The body uses manganese to make collagen, a tough, fibrous protein that helps build connective tissues like bone, skin, and cartilage. Research has shown that people deficient in manganese develop bone problems similar to osteoporosis. One study found that women with osteoporosis had lower levels of manganese than women who didn’t had the disease.

“Eating fresh pineapple or drinking pineapple juice is a good way to add manganese to your diet,” says Jeanne Freeland Graves, PhD, professor of nutrition at the University of Texas in Austin. A cup of fresh pineapple chunks or pineapple juice will give you more than 2 milligrams of manganese, witch is more than 100% of the Daily Value (DV).

Promoting Digestion
Pineapple has a centuries-old reputation for relieving indigestion, and there may be good reasons for that. Bromelain in pineapple also helps digestion by breaking down protein. This could be important for some older people who have low levels of stomach acid, which is needed for protein digestion. If you are older and have frequent indigestion, adding a few pineapple slices to your dessert plate might help to keep your stomach calm.

Great Source of Vitamin C
Vitamin C gets a lot of attention, and for good reason. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, that means it helps to combat free radicals, unstable oxygen molecules that damage cells and can cause cancer and heart disease. The body also uses vitamin C to make collagen, the “glue” that holds tissue and bone together.

And when you have a cold, the first thing you reach out for is probably vitamin C. It reduces levels of a chemical called histamine, which causes the cold symptoms like watery eyes and running noses.

While pineapples aren’t as rich in vitamin C as oranges and grapefruits, they’re still excellent sources. One cup of pineapple chunks, for example, contains about 24 milligrams of vitamin C, or 40% of the daily value (DV). Juice is even better. A glass of canned pineapple juice contains 60 milligrams, or 100% of the DV.

To get the most out of pineapples, buy them fresh, when eating them to soothe an upset stomach. Fresh fruit is best because the intense heat used in canning destroys the bromelain.

Eat pineapple alone, otherwise the bromelain will be deactivated as it helps to digest protein in the other foods that you eat.

The next time you’re at the store, try a new variety. The “Gold” pineapple from Costa Rica is exceptionally sweet, and it has more than four times the vitamin C content than found in other varieties.

Look for freshness
The leaves on pineapples should be crisp and deep green, without yellowed or browned tips. Contrary to popular wisdom, a leave that comes off easily doesn’t indicate that the fruit is ripe.

Reveal the fruit
When you get the pineapple home, cut off the top and bottom ends. Then place the pineapple in a shallow dish to catch the juices a you slice off the spiny skin vertically. You can then cut it into rounds and remove the tough center core. Enjoy your healthy snack!