It’s that H Factor Diet that most of you would be waiting eagerly. Simply put, the H Factor Diet is as follows:-
Less Meat, More Fish And Vegetable Protein Consumption
Consume no more than four servings of lean meat per week. Eat unfried fish at least three times a week and if you are not allergic or intolerant, a serving of at least five times per week of a soy-based food such as tofu, soy sausages, tempeh or beans such as chickpea hummus , kidney beans, lentils or bakes beans.
Consume More Greens
Ensure at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. It also means eating two pieces of fruits every single day or three servings of vegetables. You need to vary your selections from day to day and ensure half of what is on your plate for each main meal is vegetables.
Have A Garlic Clove Each Day
Garlic, known for its medicinal and health benefits, is essential. Consume either a clove of garlic a day or a garlic supplement (garlic oil capsules or powdered garlic) every day.
Avoid Salt On Your Food
Do not add salt while you are cooking or to the food on your plate. This as the saying goes, is like “rubbing rub to your wounds”. Use Solo salt instead or soy-sauce for flavoring.
Cut Back On Tea & Coffee
Avoid more than one cup of caffeinated or non-caffeinated coffee or two cups of tea per day. Instead choose from the variety of other herbal teas for detoxification and grain coffees that are available.
Limit Your Alcohol Intake
Limit to not more than a pint of beer or one glass of red wine. Ideally, limit your intake to two pints of beer or four glasses of red wine each week.
Reduce Your Stress
If you are under tremendous stress or reacting stressfully much of the time, adopt the decision to de-stress by changing the circumstances that you are giving you the stress or alter your attitude towards the way you have been doing things in the past. Simple additions to your life such as going for yoga or meditation classes or exercise or resolve to evening-stroll your way away can make the difference. This is to avoid upsetting your body chemical and hormonal imbalances.
Stop Smoking
Seek help to terminate smoking. There is simply no safe homocysteine or health levels for smoking as far as your health is concerned. Smoking is nothing less than slow suicide. The sooner you do so, the longer you will live.
Correct Estrogen Deficiency>
For those postmenopausal or having menopausal symptoms or other menstrual irregularities, check your estrogen or progesterone levels with a hormone saliva test. Where the case of estrogen or progesterone-deficiencies, you can correct them with natural progesterone HRT in the form of a trans-dermal skin cream. Natural progesterone has none of the risks associated with HRT and your body can make its own estrogen or progesterone.
Supplement With A High-Strength Multivitamins Everyday
Take a high-strength multivitamin and mineral supplement regime; providing at least 25mg of the main B vitamins, 200 mcg of folate, 10 mcg of vitamins B12 & B6 plus A, D and E and the minerals magnesium, selenium, chromium and zinc. Include 1 g of vitamin C for general health as well as the specific homocysteine-lowering nutrients listed below.
Homocysteine-Lowering Nutrients
The most powerful and easiest cum quickest way to restore to a normal H Score of 6 units and below is to supplement yourself with specific homocysteine-lowering nutrients which include vitamins B2, B6, B12, folic acid and trimethylglycine (TMG) and zinc. The combination works extremely well. The guidelines are as as follows:-
Firstly before we could deal with the subject matter, we need to understand whether Chemotherapy and radiation therapy cause a number of adverse effects such as leukopenia (white blood cells loss due to bone marrow inhibition), reduced appetite and impaired ability to consume nourishing foods, general weakness with accompanying depression, lack of exercise and inability to pursue health-promoting activities. Due to these, past research efforts were aimed at finding ways in overcoming these side effects of Western medical therapies with herbs. Initiated during the 1970’s to deal with the increasing use of Western medicines to treat cancer, there were limited success.
Western drug therapies are frequently employed for their inhibitory effects on bacteria, cancer cell growth, stomach acid and beta-blocking nerve impulses. In general, and keeping in mind of the diversity of drugs that will generate some exceptions, these inhibitory effects correspond to having cooling actions, even if some of the drug side effects are of a hot nature such as causing mouth ulceration. Hence, antibiotics, understood in Western terms as treatments for bacterial infection, often alleviate fever (a hot condition) and colored discharge (a traditional sign of heat).
Laboratory investigation of herbs for other uses and for cancer therapy has no doubt revealed many startling results but these results affirmed that herbs alone cannot be used on its own for this purpose. There is this one class of active constituents that stands out when it was first investigated amongst the medicinal mushrooms. These are the immune-modulating polysaccharide-peptide combinations obtained from numerous herbs. Most people in the field of natural healing have acquaintances with ganoderma (lingzhi or reishi), lentinus (xianggu or shiitake), polyporus (zhuling or maitake) and coriolus (yunzhi which is the source of the Japanese drug product called PSK, polysaccharide krestin). Found in astragalus, lithospermum, prunella, lycium fruit and other non-mushroom herbs, it appears despite of the many superiority claims of one source over the other, the mechanism of action of these polysaccharides remain the same towards healthy living.
Nevertheless, there have been many attempts to integrate traditional herbs and modern medicine nowadays. The cancer curing concept now seems to be basically relying on the Western therapy as the primary means of killing cancer cells while using herbs to protect the bone marrow, improve the appetite and digestion and increase energy.
So, to what extend have these been successful? We all know that, in most cases, there may be some differential results in laboratory animal tests and clinical studies on humans. Experimental tumor cell lines usually cause substantial immune impairment, which is rectified by the polysaccharides, causing the tumor to shrink under the attack of the immune system. In humans, cancer-induced immune suppression is less common and instead, the problem of weakened immunity arises from the cancer therapies. Thus, in the case of polysaccharide extracts of mushrooms which were originally developed as treatments for cancer, these and similar polysaccharides from other plants are now being used as adjunct therapies to protect the patient’s stomach, liver, and bone marrow from toxic effects of drugs and damage due to radiation therapy.
Much has been said about diets being used to control diseases. It is indeed not something new. For years, researchers had been initially stumped with conflicting results on various diets being tested. It is such a complicated area of research that more focused studies need to be extensively done to be sure what exactly causes what types of diseases.
However, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) project, has shown that eating the right foods also works. It can lower blood pressure as much as taking a drug. The results also showed that supplements derived from the right foods can not be done away by just supplementing one’s needs with pure supplements. It has been noted in that study that a vegetable diet achieved such success when supplements of calcium, magnesium, and other individual nutrients flopped in earlier studies. The lowering of the blood pressure in the same study could also be possibly due to that something else in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products but it can’t say for sure which particular attribute nor can it say which nutrients made the difference.
Leicester researchers had found that changing lifestyles in switching to a healthier diet and increasing exercise can be at least as effective as taking prescription drugs. On average, lifestyle changes helped to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by around half. Lifestyle changes were also less likely to have adverse side-effects.
Because of the many researches being carried out in the past, more and more attention have been put into trying to pinpoint the effects of various diets on your health. Vigorous researches on fitting foods as the right diet to manage diseases with ketogenic diets appearing to be the conduit to treat various other neurological disorders including ALS, brain tumors, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease autism, narcolepsy, and migraines. many of such conditions respond to anti-convulsant medications. Diets low in simple carbohydrates for people with diabetes, low-fat diets high in fruits, vegetables and nuts for cardiovascular conditions, phenylalamine-free diets for genetic disorders, low-sodium diets for hypertension, low-fat diets for gallstones and gluten-casein free diets for autistics are just about the many diets advocated. There are now the DASH diets, the Mediterranean diet, and of course the much acclaimed very specific diets for various diseases such as diets for people suffering from multiple sclerosis, anti-inflammation diet, mood diet……and so on and so forth. Errh…..too much to comprehend for you, I suppose.
Lydia Beckett’s epilepsy seizures continued despite ingesting the same drugs that brought about relief to many other children having epilepsy. Her case is a typical example of the fitting food to healthy living. She did not respond well to the drugs but instead to one well documented ketogenic (high fat, low carb) diet that she detailed all in a film about “Childhood Epilepsy - What You Need to Know, A Parents’ Guide to Diagnosis, Treatment and Care of a Child with a Seizure Disorder”.
All in all, all such proclaimed diets are basically meant for good healthy living but no matter what, the vegetarian diet remains the panacea for modern lifestyle diseases. Many studies have shown that a vegetarian diet has always come as top billings. It has been shown that there are inverse associations with the occurrence of diseases with the increase intakes of fiber-based vegetables and fruits.
So, again it is your commitment towards adopting a choice of fitting foods towards achieving ultimate healthy lifestyles and living.
Another great discovery on the usefulness of blueberry fruit has just been found and added on to its greatness discovered in the past. It has been ascertained that blueberry flavonoids activates the parts of the human brain that control memory and learning and this discovery has opened new avenues of research into the ability of blueberries to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.
Its proven capabilities includes:-
lowering LDL cholesterol better than and without the dangers of statin drugs,
its richness in disease-fighting phytochemicals that prevent and even reverse serious diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stomach ulcers and even help lower cholesterol levels,
ability to control high cholesterol and prevent colon cancer
and these add feathers in its hat in asserting its usefulness in modern day nutritional health.
In fact, when I was young, I have a dog much to my liking. There were certain things I noticed whenever my dog fell sick. It naturally goes out into the open to look for grasses. That goes the same for some stray cats in the vicinity. What exactly were these animals doing? They bit chunks of grasses or other plant leaves and chewed them, nimbled over these “natural” sources of “remedies” to get over their sickness. That is the clue Mother Nature has provided. On many such occasions, these dogs and cats had their natural instincts to look to Mother Nature to provide direction to better health. So is, here the berry family, in the same way as Mother Nature by being plant-based products, with blueberry leading the way on others in the family such as elderberry, acai berry, raspberry, cranberry, strayberry and promegranate.
The antioxidant properties of these berries, with their natural occurring chemical compounds, are best obtained in its raw form rather than be processed form unless strict processing were adopted to maintain these properties to be effective for optimum health functionality. Folks, it is easier said than done to eat fresh and raw. Yes, it is really not complicated like what your ancestors did. This is what your body was designed to eat. However, how many of you are that “fortunate” to be in North America to be able to “enjoy” eating these native berries fresh. Even if you did, how long can you be there to consume sufficient antioxidants to ensure your healthy living? It is just impracticable for many of you. It is not like just grabbing some fresh roots like carrots and radishes to munch raw. Perhaps, get yourself to pay a fairly big sum for such fresh berries sent to your doorstep or you may have to go down to the fresh market for some shopping.
And if you do all this on a daily basis without consuming the processed foods common to western societies, you would likely find that you do not need any prescription drugs whatsoever. Miraculously, you would be a perfectly healthy human being if you have supplemented yourself with superfoods like spirulina, chlorella, broccoli sprouts and other similar concentrate nutrient sources. You would find your cholesterol achieving perfect balance and your nervous system to be in perfect health and you would experience accelerated healing at every level. These berries are that powerful. They are the ultimate medicine. Let us be honest about it. You have to be ethically informed as an individual to grasp the idea about the healing foods nature has provided.
What is so interesting about these berries is why are they such powerful disease fighters. Berries contain a variety of phytonutrients, phytochemicals and antioxidants which many of these are exhibited in their colors and flavors. These phytonutrients are extremely powerful compounds for supporting optimum human health and in fact they are far more powerful than any pharmaceutical in terms of providing healthy benefits without dangerous side effects. Unlike human-built pharmaceutical factories, plants are natural pharmaceutical factories where edible plants create healing phytochemicals that are precisely the compounds that your body needs to be healthy. The marvelous thing about these are they are available without the negative side effects that are frequently associated with prescription drugs. Compared to other fruit sources, berries offer the highest content of antioxidants and phytochemicals for fighting disease. Berries are also rich in many vitamins and minerals, including calcium, magnesium and zinc which are all minerals that are frequently deficient in the diets of most of you including Americans.
Take a closer look at the different berries and discuss what’s so good about them.
Blueberry
Blueberries are perhaps the most powerful berries in terms of antioxidant content. Much research has been conducted recently on the purported health benefits of blueberries. The berries are known to be high in anthocynins and other phytochemicals known to reduce the risk of some cancers. The berries are also a good source of ellagic acid, which blocks metabolic pathways that can lead to cancer. Laboratory research has supported this hypothesis, as have some animal studies. In addition, animal studies have suggested that dietary consumption of blueberries helps reduce the risk of urinary tract infections and heart disease, decrease the damage caused by strokes, and helps to stave off Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related conditions. Blueberries contain pterostilbene, a naturally occurring compound which is thought to be one of the primary chemicals that contribute to these effects and which is able to lessen pre-cancerous lesions and inhibited genes involved in inflammation. Animal studies have linked the chemicals to decreased cognitive impairment due to age, reduction in blood cholesterol and fat levels, and even reductions in blood glucose levels.High in flavonoids that are known to help protect against prostate cancer, urinary tract infections and cataracts apart from being known to protect against brain damage from strokes and heart disease.
Cranberry
Cranberries are perhaps best known for preventing urinary tract infections, but they have also been shown to prevent breast cancer and reduce stomach ulcers. Cranberries can also be used to help decrease LDL cholesterol levels.
Strawberry
Strawberries are high in antioxidants and vitamin C. They are known to fight heart disease and provide a number of vitamins and minerals that support overall human health.
Raspberry
Raspberries are known for their ability to fight cancer thanks to the phytochemical content and abundant supply of vitamins and minerals.
Acai Berry
Acai berry is known to be the most powerful antioxidant ever found in fighting Alzeihmer’s Disease, cancer, diabetes, heart problems etc to name a few. Do you know of the 39 Reasons Why You Need To Consume Acai?
The bottom line is that berries can be an extremely powerful disease-fighting part of your daily diet. Simply choose a variety of berries which can be blue, red, and purple and be sure to consume them into your body on a frequent basis. Remember, nature provides everything that your body needs in order to be healthy and prevent chronic disease and that leaves you with no other choice but to trust nature in order to experience a disease-free life. To do that it is important to nourish your body with the optimum nutrition of berries apart from those provided by fruits and vegetables found in nature.
Well, it looks like you cannot forgo your berries if you want to live healthily!
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.
As the next best source of vitamin C next to citrus fruits, broccoli takes the pride as the most nutritious vegetable with health benefits as a bonus. Along with many other green leafy vegetables, it has added qualities of cancer prevention properties. It alone supplies a large variety of nutrients needed for healthy living and maintaining good health but what sets it apart from all other vegetables is its distinct taste. Broccoli can be sautéed, stir-fried, added to soups and sauces, or even be the main ingredients in many dishes. These are many great ways to consume broccoli, but it is most nutritious when eaten raw. Just as with Brussel sprouts, two or three day old broccoli have been found to provide 20 times the concentration of sulphoraphane glucosinolate as found in adult broccoli.
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.
