Have you ever wondered why so many people, especially cancer strickened patients are now having broccoli in their daily healthy diet?
Broccoli is a form of cruciferous vegetable that is part of the cabbage plant family. High in Vitamin C, low in carbohydrates, broccoli is said to be without fat content and is known widely for its protective and fighting properties in cancer prevention because they contain plant compounds called glucosinolates.
The variety of benefits that broccoli provides in its raw form include:-
Rich in vitamins A, C, E, B3, B5, folate, phosphorus, folic acid, calcium, iron and zinc,
Contributes to keep blood pressure low,
Enhances prevention of certain types of cancer, immune disorders, digestion and heart disease,
Possess stress-relieving properties as well as strengthens and boosts energy levels.
Broccoli sprouts contain substantive amounts of a precursor called sulphoraphane glucosinolate (SGS), which is readily broken down into sulphoraphane by the body. Sulphoraphane, a naturally occurring phytochemical compound found particularly in broccoli has been particularly researched for its ability to increase tissue antioxidant defense mechanisms, lowered inflammatory response and improved cardiovascular health which eventually reduces high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and stroke risks. Working as an indirect helper antioxidant, sulphoraphane has been identified as helping to boost the body’s natural Phase 2 enzyme antioxidant defense systems and detoxifying carcinogens before they can damage cells. Vitamins C and E, being the typical antioxidant molecules, would scavenge for free radical or other oxidant molecule at a time and bind themselves to a free radical molecule; thus rendering the latter harmless while the typical antioxidants are being consumed and would be no longer active although they can be regenerated. Sulphoraphane does not act directly on free radicals but up-regulates the immune defence system, allowing the body itself to fight free radicals. The anti-cancer properties of sulphoraphane are attributed to its remarkable ability to protect cells against oxidants that can damage cell DNA and kill cells.
When you vomit or fall sick the next time and someone suggests that your drinking water might be the culprit, he/she may be right, just plain right! Why? According to the World Bank, 88% of all diseases in the world are caused by unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene.
Did you know that up to 500 million tons of heavy metals, solvents and toxic sludge slip into the global water supply every year. In the developing world, 70% of the industrial waste is dumped untreated into the rivers and lakes, according to UNESCO. Similarly, did you know that 50% of all people in the developing world will be in hospital suffering from one or more water-related diseases, according to Water Aid sources. On the greater concern level, did you know that 70% of China’s lakes and rivers are now polluted from industrial waste, leaving 300 million people “forced to rely on polluted water supplies”, according to Greenpeace sources.
It is alarming indeed! So what is lurking in your crystal clear water? Contaminated water does not always look murky. In fact, many of the most dangerous contaminants lurk within perfectly crystal-clear water with some up to 500,000 times smaller than you hair diameter and are literally invisible to the naked eye. Water is currently treated at treatment plant where chlorine is added to kill micro-organisms and bacteria but more often than not, are unable to treat most other types of contaminants. Corroded pipes supply treated water continue to pollute the treated water.
In general there are 4 main types of contaminants.
Biological Contaminants
Common types are bacteria, viruses, parasites and worms which originated from fecal waste of both humans and animals are carried by water and spread from one host to another. Just a small drop contains millions of such micro-organisms, most of which are agents of diseases. Incidences are the Cryptosporidium Parvum water contamination case in Milwaukee (1993) and the intestinal bacterium E.Coli O157-H7 strain incident in Walkerton where as many as seven deaths and more than 1,000 taken ill.
Organic Contaminants
Mainly from poultry farms runoffs, dumps, improper disposal of human waste, animal carcasses, gasoline and oil from vehicles. Derived also from artificially made organic compounds such as insecticides, DDT, pesticides and herbicides which are used for industrial, agricultural and commercial purposes. New researches show pesticides and herbicides can inflict brain damage and may be responsible for autism and ADHD in children. CNN reported that according to Earth Day Network, 14 million people in the US now regularly drink water contaminated with carcinogenic herbicides while Environment California cited pesticides have been detected in suppliers’ water sources serving 16.5 million people in 46 counties in California
Disinfection By-Products (DBP)
DBP is formed when disinfectants used in water treatment plants react ith bromide and/or natural organic matter such as decaying vegetation present in the water source. Identified DBP are trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids, bromates and chlorites. According to Environmental working Group, US Tap Water Quality Database, 20/12/05, 44 pollutants that are residues of water treatment, storage and distribution, including chemical by-products of water disinfection, are served to 178 million people in 4 states in US.
Inorganic Contaminants
These are minerals, salts and metals dissolved in water. Sources include fertilizer runoffs from farms, sand and salt from our roads, erosion from field and banks, ore mining, fossil burning fuels and heavy metals such as lead and mercury from industrial waste. Amongst the most toxic ones are:-
Arsenic
which causes vomiting, diarrhea, limb numbness, partial paralysis, blindness, severe skin lesions and deaths. According to the Texas A & M Univerisity System, nearly 25 million people may be drinking water containing more than 25mg/liter, exceeding the maximum allowable of 10mg/liter. Earth Day Networks reported that more than 140 million people in more than 70 countries are at risk of lung diseases and cancer.
Nitrate
which enters our water system through fertilizers, manure and septic tanks, reduces red blood cells ability to carry oxygen causing the blue baby syndrome.
Lead
often leached from pipes, fixtures and solders can delay mental and physical development as well as causing attention deficit disorder, high blood pressure and kidney problem.
New Threats are emerging from pharmaceuticals and antibiotics given to humans and animals which end up passing into rivers, groundwaters and soils as our treatment plants are not equipped to remove them. WaterTech Online revealed endocrine disruptors are found in rivers and other water supplies.
Well, do not be overpowered by crystal-clear water. Many of you just do not know the danger hanging over your mouth! Every time you start to drink your cup of water, think about this article posted here.
Ginseng roots has long been used to treat a variety of ailments for more than 2000 years from the medieval times in China to present day. Basing on its medicinal abilities, scientists have returned to discover more qualities with its berries.
An extract from the ginseng berry shows real promise in treating diabetes , according to reports from a research team from the University of Chicago’s Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research. Done on mice but have not been clinically studied on humans, the research shows that the extract completely normalized blood glucose levels, improved sensitivity to insulin, lowered cholesterol levels, and decreased weight by reducing appetite and increasing activity levels in mice bred to develop diabetes.
As ginseng berry has a distinctive chemical profile and has not previously been used for therapy, the study focused instead on substances found in the ginseng berry which has very different concentrations of ginsenosides Re known possibly to be medically useful. Tests using ginsenoside Re alone found that it had all of the anti-diabetic but none of the obesity-fighting activities of the extract and this fantastic compound could serve as the basis for a whole new class of anti-diabetic medications for work is being done further to isolate other substances from the extract that contributed to the weight loss. Now with this discovery, the berry contains agents that have some effectiveness against diabetes, the ginseng fruit has enormous promise as a source of new drugs. How well it holds true to treat diabetes has to be determined.
Diabetes is the seventh leading killer in the U.S. Type 2 diabetes affects almost six percent of the U.S. population and 18.4 percent of those over 65. The cost of the disease is estimated at $105 billion each year. On the other hand, the economic cost of obesity in the U.S. was about $117 billion in 2000. As there is a pressing need for new and more effective drugs for both diabetes and obesity, the next step is to isolate the other substances in the extract, find out whether they also effect glucose regulation or weight gain, learn how they work and determine the safe and effective dose.
The power of ginseng, meanwhile remains. Happy living healthily.
Today, I had the opportunity to taste my favorite pumpkin dish which is a long forgotten recipe my grandmother taught me years ago. It reminds me of the great taste she put with in serving pumpkin. It also reminded me to write an article post here about its medicinal qualities as what the Chinese believe.
Let me touch on a bit about pumpkins. Pumpkins by the jovial version may mean “stupid” but errh……..hope you just have to bear with me here. It has nothing to mean that!
Pumpkins are a traditional part of many favorite Chinese menus and guess what…it is a tasty way to add important vitamins into your diet. Its orange pulp is an excellent source of vitamin A and a great source of fiber and potassium. Pumpkin can be served cooked (roasted, baked, steamed), or made into soups, pies, or baked goods while its seeds also make a great snack. They are high in iron and fat, but the fat is the unsaturated type. Excellent….right?
Compounds found within the pumpkin could potentially replace or at least drastically reduce the daily insulin injections that many diabetics currently would love to have it replacing insulin. Recent research had brought cheers to this revelation, with renewed confidence that pumpkin extract promotes regeneration of damaged pancreatic cells in diabetic rats, boosting levels of insulin-producing beta cells and insulin in the blood. Led by Tao Xia of the East China Normal University, researchers found that diabetic rats fed the extract had only 5% less plasma insulin and 8% fewer insulin-positive (beta) cells compared to normal healthy rats (Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 87(9) 1753-7 2007). According to Xia, pumpkin extract is potentially a very good product for metabolic diabetics as well as those who have already developed diabetes. Although insulin injections will probably always be necessary for these patients, pumpkin extract could drastically reduce the amount of insulin they need to take.
A complete and balance nutrition intake into the body would not necessary mean you have a healthy body. Good nutrition is not merely dependent on what is ingested but it is very much associated with the entire digestive and adsorption processes.
Your body derives no benefit from even the most complete diet if it does not breakdown properly and be absorbed into the blood system. Most physical problems and diseases can be retraced to its underlying root problem of improper food digestion which allows undigested food particles leaking back into the bloodstream from the colon and create further toxicity and health challenges.
Digestive enzymes are part and parcel of your nutritional delivery system where digestive enzymes aid in the breakdown and unleash the nutrients. Pancreatic enzymes are responsible for the proper digestion and absorption of your food. Pancreatic juices are transported to the small intestines make it possible for you to utilize the life-giving nutrients found in the food you eat. There are three basic categories of digestive enzymes namely amylases which break down starch, lipases which breakdown fats and proteases which account for the breakdown of proteins. A lack of these enzymes can result in mal-absorption. The breakdown of proteins to amino acids is import. Any deficiency in proteases exists, bits of undigested protein stay in the body and are responsible for the development of allergies, autoimmune diseases and auto intoxication. Proteases also protect the intestines from parasites and other organisms from weakening the intestinal system. More and more suggests that certain individuals have increased permeability of the digestive tracts allowing macro “bit” to pass through the walls of the stomach and subsequently end up in the blood stream. Thus it is vital that you should not overlook symptoms of indigestion as unimportant. Anyone suffering from gas bloating, heartburns, or constipation should add digestive enzymes to their meals. Pancreatin, bromelain and papain are common and can be combined with other enzymatic compounds to promote better food breakdown.
Digestive Enzymes and Benefits
Enzymes are energized protein molecules essential for the digestion of food, brain stimulation, tissue, cell and organ repairing and generating cellular energy. As a catalyst for many biochemical reactions, they do not take part, change or get consumed in the process but merely assist in such biochemical reactions. Two of the three types of enzymes; metabolic, digestive and food are dealt with here.
Digestive
Digestive enzymes are secreted along the gastrointestinal tract and break down the food in the body so that the nutrients can be absorbed. Enzymes are present in the food you eat which is why there is great importance placed upon having plenty of raw foods in the diet. The enzymes in raw food help start the process of digestion which reduces the body’s need to secret digestive enzymes.
There are imminent good news for individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) due to improved disposal of hepatic fat. Studies have now been made by the University of Texas South-Western Medical Centre and they have revealed that a low carbohydrate diet can alter glucose formation by the liver.
It is now know that a low-carbohydrate diet changes hepatic (liver) energy metabolism. The liver, when subjected to a restricted carbohydrate regime, and at the expense of glycerol, relies more on substances like lactate and amino acids to form glucose instead.
With the gradual change in eating habits of Americans over the last 30 years, migrating from a reduction in fats intake to a carbohydrate diet, obesity has increasingly crept in with sharp prevalence of metabolic liver disease where fatty deposits increases in the liver give rise to inflammation, fibrosis and cirrhosis.
A low-carb diet could also cut inflammation and blood saturated fat in metabolic syndrome patients. Studies have shown that a diet low in carbohydrates is more effective than a diet low in fat in reducing saturated fatty acids in the blood and reducing markers of inflammation. Reduction in inflammation factors are key in treating metabolic syndrome related diseases. This discovery leads to the need for general health improvement beyond simple weight loss in keeping blood glucose and insulin under control. The study is currently under review and shows that lowering total and saturated fat only had a small effect on circulating inflammatory markers whereas reducing carbohydrate led to considerably greater reductions in a number of pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules. These data implicate dietary carbohydrate rather than fat as a more significant nutritional factor contributing to inflammatory processes.
Scientist have also claimed that a low-carb diets thwart diabetes better than low-fat diets. In the study, the researchers found that a diet low in carbohydrates but high in animal fat and protein doesn’t seem to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in women. The results was a surprise to many researchers as most doctors and nutritionists suggest a low-fat diet to prevent type 2 diabetes. In contrast, total carbohydrate consumption was associated with type 2 diabetes, and that the relative risk for the glycemic load was extremely high. However, the long-term effects of such a regimen are yet to be known. People who lower their carbohydrate consumption generally take in more total and saturated fat and less whole grains, cereal fibre, fruit and vegetables, which can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. Thus, is there any link between low-carb diets and the risk of diabetes? No, absolutely did not have a heightened risk of diabetes. In fact, there is lower decreased risk when fat and protein consumption is from vegetable rather than from animal sources.
It was also found by researchers that a low-carb diets may prevent prostate cancer progression. Eating foods that contain fewer amounts of carbohydrates would give rise to a decline in insulin production, which may be helpful in stunting tumour growth.
A new study has claimed that a diet low in carbohydrates is better than a diet low in fat at preventing diabetes. In the study, the researchers found that a diet low in carbohydrates but high in animal fat and protein doesn’t seem to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in women. However, the study is interesting in that it shows that a low-fat diet is no better than a low-carbohydrate diet in preventing type 2 diabetes. A vegetable-based, low-carb diet which consisted of higher amounts of vegetable fat and vegetable protein, and lower amounts of carbohydrate is one diet that seem to show positive results as opposed to the generally accepted version of a low-fat diet in preventing type 2 diabetes. The study showed that a low-fat diet didn’t really prevent type 2 diabetes in our cohort when compared to a low-carb diet. Nevertheless, while low fat, high-carb diets are often suggested, the long-term effects of such a regimen are not known. People who lower their carbohydrate consumption generally take in more total and saturated fat and less whole grains, cereal fibre, fruit and vegetables, which can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Well, more of these results need to be further investigated with human clinical trials to be followed up before it is certain. It only shows how complex your body is.
Most of you would have been advised or have long believed that people can transform their health with the foods they eat. Yes, it is true, only if you know what to eat and how much and how often to eat.
For those with a wide array of health conditions, it is important to examine your own diets and living lifestyles. Managing one without the other is as good as coming back to square one. For some of you out there, adopting a healthy diet full of produce, whole grains and lean protein can improve symptoms through weight loss. For other people with certain diseases, choosing foods with unique, wellness-promoting qualities can provide a major boost to their health. Indeed, the choice is YOURS!
In the quest to actively prevent cancer, it is important to note seriously that the foods you eat can bring big health benefits. Unlimited studies have been carried out on the effects of different diets or individual foods on the many types of cancer that strike. Many healthy foods have excellent antioxidant powers which scientist have over the years discovered.
Many would be wondering what are actually good antioxidants and where are the natural sources of these for you to lay your hands on. Your body sometimes creates its own free radicals in order to destroy viruses or bacteria and to balance out these unruly molecules, your body will also create antioxidants, which have the sole purpose of neutralizing free radicals. It is to be noted that your body is only designed to create a certain amount of antioxidants on its own however, and as we are faced with an ever-growing number of environmental toxins, your body is less capable of fighting off the unwanted harmful invaders.
Antioxidants are only one piece of the healthy eating puzzle. Some of those foods that are low in antioxidants may have other positive benefits, such as fiber, minerals, and other nutrients that are important. Basically, in essence, antioxidants helps prevent heart diseases and cancer, reduce blood pressure and slow the effects of aging. These naturally occurring compounds protect the body from harmful, excess free radicals, neutralizing them up before they can cause damage. And the best way to lay an antioxidant-rich foundation that is inhospitable to toxins and free radicals is through a combination of whole foods.
Antioxidants can be derived from a few main groups of foods, namely:-
Vegetables
Tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, asparagus, brussel sprouts, kale, spinach, sweet potatoes, carrots, watercress are amongst other greens rich in antioxidants,
Beans
Beans, particularly the kidney-shaped red bean has tremendous of such power with the highest Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC, is a test tube analysis that measures the total antioxidant power of foods),
Berries
Acai berries, blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, cherry, dried plum (prune), cranberry, crowberry and black chokeberry are examples of great antioxidant fruits,
Citrus Fruits
Orange, grapefruit, dark grapes (including raisins, purple grape juice and red wine), kiwi, pomegranate, papaya to name a few most prominent ones,
Nuts
Pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts were the winners in the nut category,
Spices
Ground cloves, cinnamon, onions, garlics, ginger and oregano were the top few antioxidant-rich spices,
WholegrainsThese contain a wide variety of flavonoids and other plant phenolics (such as ellagic, ferulic and caffeic acids) that act as powerful antioxidants.
Tea
Tea has long been a drink of the past and will still be for the future for its antioxidant power.
Those were the days when your forefathers led a simple lifestyle; depending on whole grains and for contributions to their healthy diets. However, not today anymore where many youngsters are living on the fast track lifestyle; grabbing anything from fast foods to good-to-taste buds foods without giving a thought about what happens to them in their later years.
You would have know by now the greatness of whole grains but what exactly represents whole grains? These are cereals which are members of the gramineae (grass) plant family comprising of eigth class types namely wheat, corn, rice, oats, rye, barley, millet and sorghum.
Wholegrains that undergo minimal processing are good sources of fibre and comprise of three layers termed as the germ, endosperm and the bran. Called the embryo, the germ portion contains vitamins E and K, essentila oils, minerals and proteins whereas the endosperm is that starchy part containing 80% of the kernel. The bran portion is the outer layer consisting of fibre, protein, B-complex vitaminsand minerals. All grains containing these three layers differ in composition and nutrient values.
However, in modern times, most grains undergo some form of refining process which results in the loss of many vitamins, minerals and bioactive phytochemical substances found within the bran and germ layers. Such stripping of its nutrients may not make wholegrains a wholegrain by itself.
Wholegrains that undergo minimal processing are good sources of fibre which is needed not only to maintain a healthy digestive tract but instead reduces cholesterol levels. Excellent sources of folate, B vitamins, iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, selenium, chromium, vitamin E and phosphorus are found in abundance in wholegrains; thereby replenishing your body with natural supplies. The importance of folate is noted for its ability to reduce blood levels of amino acid homocysteine which in high levels, despite experiencing low cholesterol level in the blood stream, is associated with increased heart diseases. These are the healthy contributions from wholegrains.
Let us look at the difference between wholgrains and refined grains. Whole grains, such as rolled oats and brown rice, must contain all three parts of the kernel. You can eat whole grains on their own or find them as ingredients in products or recipes. Refined grains are whole grains that have had the germ and the bran removed such as white rice, white flour, grits and cream of wheat. This results in a loss of fibre, vitamins and minerals. Some refined grains are enriched with vitamin where some of the lost minerals and vitamins are added back.
How would wholegrains contribute to disease prevention? What is its role in prevention of diseases?New studies have shown that a diet rich in whole grains may help fight your belly bulge while lowering the risk of heart diseases. Wholegrain consumption leads to a decrease in the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein levels in their blood. A high level of this marker is thought to place patients at a higher risk for diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Increase in fiber and magnesium intake through whole grain consumption may prevent or delay the potential onset of diabetes.
According to studies done, eating whole grain cereal for breakfast every day can reduce a man’s risk of heart disease by 29 percent whereas ischeamic stroke amongst women were noticeably reduced. Other benefits indicated by recent studies include reduced risk of asthma, healthier carotid arteries, lower risk of colorectal cancer, healthier blood pressure levels, less gum disease and tooth loss, acne formation, promotes increases in probiotics benefits in bifidobacteria and lactobacillus, contributes to lower BMI and less central adiposity (abdominal fat), reduction in age-related macular degeneration, reduction in breast cancer and increases in antioxidants power.
It looks like you must not miss out your path to healthy diet. Continue with your crave over wholegrain diets. Happy eating.
Many of you would have thought that any mention of enzymes would be related to food digestion. Your first thought, when you experienced, say constipation, might be a general feeling that “Something I might have eaten wrongly”.
It is common to be inclined to such thinking as most of you may not have full knowledge of what enzymes are, what and how they are made of, what do they do in your body and most of all without them what would the effect they have on your body.
Are enzymes that important? Yes, they are. As described by K. Miehlke, they are the fountain of life. Enzymes are so vital to our health that any lack or malfunction of an enzyme can have catastrophe unto your health. What roles do enzymes play in your life? Are they, without it, the missing link to healthy living and nutrition?
In order to divide, grow and perform their normal functions, living cells and tissues require basic nutrients and essential substances which are synthesized from components of ingested food, water, and other nutritional supplements, or from breakdown products of tissues. The synthesization of the basic elements required by living cells involves biochemical reactions which depends on a steady supply of energy from the oxidation of food components or from the energy released during such biochemical reactions.
During times of stress or disease, there is an increased demand for the nutrients and essential supplies required by cells. Without enzymes, it would be impossible for the cells and tissues to perform all the essential biochemical reactions required fast enough to meet the basic needs of the body. Enzymes are very specific proteins catalyst that initiate, accelerate and terminate every biochemical reaction in your body.
To start off in understanding the importance of enzymes, you need to understand firstly the role of nutrition in your health. Nutrition is the body’s ability to use and metabolize food. For the body to function properly, specific amounts of the 45 types of known essential nutrients is necessary which are not synthesized by your body. Nutrients are derived from carbohydrates, fats, proteins, water, 13 types of vitamins and 20 types of minerals for proper metabolic function.
Upon its consumption, food containing nutrients must be digested to a state that the nutrients can be absorbed into and transported by the blood stream to all parts of the body. Through the process of metabolism, your body cells are programmed to direct each nutrient to combine and interact with other nutrients and chemicals to create other chemicals and compounds which, in turn, are used to build and repair the body’s cells, bones, tissue, and organs. Each metabolic reaction is initiated, controlled, and terminated by enzymes. Without enzymes, no metabolic activity will occur. A body that does not consistently and efficiently metabolize the essential food nutrients necessary for life will fare poorly, and many diseases are the result of a dietary problem that causes toxemia inside of the body.
Enzymes are specialized protein molecules facilitating most of our body metabolic processes, like supplying energy, digesting foods, purifying the blood and ridding the body of waste products. (more…)
