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Posts Tagged ‘Free Radicals’

Among the Kuna people of Panama, who can drink up to 40 cups of cocoa per week, rates of the “big killer” diseases are less than 10%. Cocoa is the richest source of flavonoids when cold processed, and since cocoa is the main beverage of the Kuna, they probably have the most flavonoid-rich diet of any population.

For both women’s health and men’s health, dark, unprocessed chocolate, eaten or taken in a drink up to three times a day is showing numerous health benefits for the cardiovascular system, brain function, energy and stamina, and insulin sensitivity.

Cocoa in its unprocessed form has the highest anti-oxidant rating of any food in the world. Anti oxidants are critical in combating free radicals – one of the leading causes of disease and death.

What is a Free Radical?

A free radical is an atom with an unpaired electron in the outermost shell. Say you have a bare piece of steel and you leave it outside for a while. What’s going to happen to the piece of steel? It’s going to rust. This is called oxidation.

Our bodies go through the same process every day. As we breathe, eat, sleep and exercise, our body experiences oxidation. This is the cause of aging and more than 200 degenerative diseases. With the help of antioxidants, you can greatly reduce the number of free radicals in your body.

What are Antioxidants?

Antioxidants are molecules that can prevent the damaging effects of excessive amounts of free radicals in the body by neutralizing and destroying them.

Antioxidants are measured by an ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) scale, per 100 grams of weight. Using this scale, the antioxidant capacities of different foods can be measured. The USDA recommends an intake of 3,000 to 5,000 ORAC daily. If we compare the ORAC score of unprocessed cocoa to other foods, it’s immediately apparent how valuable this is for daily health.

ORAC Scores for Common Foods

Unprocessed Cocoa Powder: 26,000 ORAC
Acai Berry: 18,500 ORAC
Prunes: 5,770 ORAC
Raisins: 2,830 ORAC
Blueberries: 2,400 ORAC
Spinach: 1,260 ORAC
Red Grapes: 739 ORAC

All Chocolate Is Not Created Equal

The health benefits ascribed to chocolate relate nearly exclusively to dark, bittersweet-tasting chocolate and to products with a cocoa content of 60% or more. As a general rule, the darker the chocolate, the more likely it is to offer health benefits. Because polyphenols are found in the cocoa bean but not in the milk, cream, sugar, waxes, fillers, fats and preservatives, the darker the chocolate the better. Also, look for chocolate products that are processed without “dutching” or alkalinization. These processes remove a significant portion of the antioxidant compounds in natural cocoa. The cocoa beans should also have been cold-pressed without heating; the heat also destroys cocoa’s polyphenols and flavonoids.

We no longer need to feel guilty for eating what we all love, chocolate. Take a bite of that dark healthy chocolate three or more times a day – it will contribute to ongoing health!

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies. For tips/information, click here: chocolate
Visit Majon’s Health and Beauty directory.

Article Source: http://www.thecontentcorner.com

Pickles are a popular snack, side dish, and condiment. But did you know that pickles are also a healthy part of your diet? There are many different pickle recipes out there, but each version has its own healthy benefits depending on the ingredients that went into the pickle and the method used for pickling, whether fermented or packed with vinegar. Pickles are great for most diets because not only are they low in calories, and low in fat or fat-free, many versions are also low in sugar.

Pickles are also a healthy edition to your diet for other reasons. Pickles, being made from cucumbers or other vegetables, are high in fiber which is necessary for digestive health and fighting cancer. The cucumbers and other vegetables also contain antioxidants, which fight free-radicals, and depending on the veggie, can be a good source of calcium, magnesium, and iron. The recommendation by most health professionals is to eat five servings of vegetables and fruit each day. Eating pickles is a great way to get a daily serving or two of your five-a-day!

The spices with which pickles are made are also healthy. For example, dill and garlic, both of which are popular in pickles, both have the ability to regulate bacterial growth. Dill and other spices also contain flavonoids, which is a healing addition to your diet. Mustard seeds are known to be good for digesting foods and even turmeric powder has medicinal properties and is believed to lower rates of Alzheimer’s disease.

Fermented pickles also have good bacteria that can control harmful intestinal microbes. When pickles are fermented, lactic acid is created. This acid helps to lower fat in the bloodstream, improve circulation, and lower high blood pressure. It also helps to support a healthy digestive system, reintroduces good bacteria into the intestines, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, and is beneficial for diabetics. In fact, one study even found that eating fermented products regularly contributed to lower rates of skin problems, asthma, and auto-immune disorders.

Many pickles are made with vinegars. This healthy liquid has several positive properties in addition to its tangy taste. Vinegar is known to boost the immune system, ease digestive disorders, and can break down calcium deposits in a person’s joints. In addition, vinegar is known to decrease high blood pressure, and help treat urinary infections. It is even said to re-mineralize your bones, balance your blood pH, and fight infection. Vinegar is also anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. It inhibits the growth of the E.coli bacteria, and when used in conjunction with salt, which is common in pickling, the anti-bacterial properties are amplified.

Another common item used for pickling is apple cider vinegar. It has several additional health benefits as well. Not only does it contain several minerals, thirty-plus nutrients, and pectin, which is good for your heart, it also contains several essential amino acids, all of which are a great addition to your diet.

Pickles can be a tasty snack eaten with the confidence that you’re having something healthy at the same time – what could be better? Hey, even Aristotle, Thomas Jefferson, Napoleon, and Cleopatra believed in the health benefits of the pickle, and Hippocrates utilized it for one of the first medicines! So if you ever needed a reason to eat more pickles, now you have it.

Copyright 2006 Jonathan Heusman

To learn much more about pickles, how to pickle, pickle recipes, pickle tips, and everything else having to do with pickling, head over to www.howtopickle.com. Sign up for our free newsletter to receive our Free Pickling Recipe of the month, and our Ultimate Pickling Guide to learn how to make your very own pickles!

Article Source: http://www.thecontentcorner.com

When it comes to lifespan, there is an ongoing discussion within the medical community around issues of quantity vs. quality. While advances in modern medicine have considerably extended the human lifespan, those same advances don’t necessarily ensure one’s quality of life in later years. As a result, many respected researchers are beginning to differentiate between “lifespan” and “healthspan,” a term used to denote the longevity of one’s ability to have full or nearly full cognition and vigor throughout one’s existence. In the quest for a greater healthspan, these same scientists are looking for substances that can ameliorate the aging process. One of the most promising substances seems to be alpha lipoic acid.

As it turns out, alpha lipoic acid has a wealth of health benefits. As a triple antioxidant, it is even viewed by some as an anti-aging formula. Interestingly, alpha lipoic acid does not appear to directly impact cells, but instead triggers the body’s own regenerative mechanisms so that the body can repair itself. Because it has what can truly be termed a holistic effect, the benefits of alpha lipoic acid are far reaching. For example, our glutathione levels lower as we age, which makes our bodies decay in response to free radicals and other environmental factors. Alpha lipoic acid appears to jump start glutathione production, thereby reversing that part of the aging process.

But beyond general antioxidant benefits, researchers are also discovering that alpha lipoic acid can impact and reverse the effects of many diseases, particularly those affecting the liver. Liver disease is often overlooked by the public and the mainstream media, but it is rampant throughout the U.S. Most people think of liver disease as it’s related to alcoholism or hepatitis C, but something called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is reaching epidemic proportions in this country. Caused by diabetes, insulin resistance, and obesity, those who have NAFLD are often asymptomatic, and thus don’t get the medical care they need. Indeed, the only way NAFLD is readily detected is through a liver enzyme test – one that is not routinely administered.

Because alpha lipoic acid can help reverse the aging process and maintain our liver function, it is important that we make sure that our diets are rich in ALA. That’s easier said than done, however. Alpha lipoic acid is found in leafy green vegetables, as well as in organ meats (liver, kidney, and so forth) of animals. The easiest way to make sure you consumer the ALA you need, however, is through taking supplements.

Like many things in life, not all ALA supplements are created equally. When you’re in the market for a supplement, make sure to find one that is a triple antioxidant; in other words, it should contain not only alpha lipoic acid, but should also contain slymarin and selenium. Furthermore, make sure that the supplement is solubilized. Because our bodies contain so much water, our supplements need to be water-soluble. If you buy a supplement that isn’t solubilized, it is likely to pass right through your system and your body won’t reap any of its benefits.

There’s little doubt that alpha lipoic acid can help reverse the aging process and keep your liver healthy. When you take the right supplement, you’ll gain both “lifespan” and “healthspan” – a winning combination!

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies. For tips/information, click here: alpha lipoic acid
Visit Majon’s Health and Beauty directory.

Article Source: http://www.thecontentcorner.com

Weakness of blood vessels is often seen during the aging process when blood vessels become fragile. Dark bilberry fruit has been shown to reduce blood vessel permeability, improve capillary resistance, and provide antioxidant properties, to scavenge free radicals. One way to fight the aging process of the body is to promote health in the vascular system by eating nourishing foods, exercising, and learning how to handle stress. Evidence shows that eating five servings or more a day of fruit and vegetables can reduce the risk of heart disease, cataracts, and some other disorders that related to blood vessel health. The dark pigment in fruits and vegetables has many health advantages.

A lot of people think that the only way to improve blood vessel health is to reduce blood cholesterol, minimizing the risk of a heart attack. That is an essential goal, but blood vessels should also have strength and integrity to maintain their health in order to carry nutrients and oxygen through the body to feed the tissues. As we age, eye function begins to diminish and causes a lot of people to fear that they are losing their eyesight.

The blood vessels decline in function, but there are other factors such as the reduction of arrestin and rhodopsin. Arrestin is a protein while rhodopsin is the light sensitive pigment that can be found in the retina. The dark pigment of fruits and vegetables is extremely important to blood vessels and the health of the structures and proteins of the eyes. Brilliant colored fruits and vegetables may prevent strokes, heart disease, and help long-term vision because they improve integrity of blood vessels.

Bilberry fruit has been studied for over 40 years for its supportive effects on blood vessel health, blood circulation, and lymph flow. Blood vessels in the brain, heart, eyes, stomach, veins in the legs, and actually anywhere in the body have the potential to leak. In many regions bilberry extract has been used to support individuals with microcirculatory disorders including varicose veins, atherosclerosis, and degenerative retinal conditions including macular degeneration and cataracts. Diabetes, atherosclerosis, poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, excess alcohol and an inability to handle stress can all contribute to blood vessel disorders and cause the capillary’s membrane to thicken, therefore, increasing capillary permeability causing edema and leaking of fluid.

During the aging process, oxidative damage occurs by free radicals in the eyes, which then causes a loss in the transparency of the lens. Symptoms that occur because of this are blurred vision, increased sensitivity to glare, reduced visual acuity, color perception, and light sensitivity. When the eye structure begins to break down, vision impairment and cataract formation result. Bilberry extract has been shown to improve vision and twilight vision, helping the retina adapt to darkness and glare.

With aging, a gradual degenerative process is experienced which is caused by free radical damage to our body’s genetic material, cell membranes, and tissues. Free radicals attack blood vessel endothelial cells, and they begin to rupture. Antioxidants help to prevent AMD and reduce the damage of the retina’s photo receptors. In summary, blood vessel health is an important part of age management. By improving diet, managing stress, exercising, and supplementing with bilberry extract, one can promote the health of blood vessels throughout the body, and therefore, support the eyes.

More information on bilberry herbal extract is available at VitaNet ®, LLC Health Food Store. vitanetonline.com/

Article Source: http://www.thecontentcorner.com

For most people who need a quick caffeine fix but are not a fan of coffee, tea is another alternative. Besides being a substitute for coffee, there’s more to this that tea offers to our body.

Having said this tip – drinking tea over coffee, it would also help to know that it contains 3 times less caffeine than the latter. Furthermore, drinking tea promotes stronger bones as shown by 1 study which determined that those who have been taking tea for more than 10 years have had higher-bone density than those who do not. One reason this is possible according to the authors is because of the high Phytochemical content of tea. Another cool perk of being a tea drinker which would probably amaze you is that it acts as an oral cleansing agent. It protects our gums and has fluoride which as we all know prevents cavities. Antioxidants in tea rid the body of free radicals which are the by-products of metabolism and which cause damage to our cells. Also, it boosts our immune system thus protects the body from infection. Tea helps keep you hydrated as well since it contributes to the body’s fluid needs. It’s also good to know that tea has no calories thereby good news to those keeping track of their sugar intake. Lastly, tea increases the body’s metabolism, particularly green tea. It has been shown to increase metabolic activity by burning those extra calories.

What could be more refreshing than enjoying a cup of hot tea or an iced glass of your flavored choice? With many commercially formulated drinks available now, we are not aware anymore what to believe to be good to our body. But now you know that this is one proof that what is good to taste may actually be healthy too.

Wanna get healthy? Check out gogi juice or just visit www.justgojijuice.com Goji juice has no side effects!

Article Source: http://www.thecontentcorner.com