Noni, a shrub which originated from Southeast Asia but later spread in some parts of Pacific Islands, West Indies, and India, has been used by native people to help them cure their various ailments.
Nowadays, modern science had revealed that noni’s flowers and fruits are highly-rich in macro and micronutrients which can prevent certain types of cancers and other illnesses. The noni contains high amount of vitamin C, vitamin B3, potassium, and iron. Micronutrients such as calcium, sodium, and vitamin A are also present but in moderate amount.
Native people in Kuliouou Valley are known to grow noni plants which they use as herbal medicine that provides various health benefits. In some parts of Tahiti, Japan, Samoa, and China, various parts of the shrub such as fruits, bark, leaves, flowers, and roots are being applied to certain parts of the body to treat ailments like skin and eye infections, fever, throat and gum problems, respiratory problems (e.g. coughs, asthma) stomach pain, cramps, nausea, and constipation.
According to a recent report, this plant provides an excellent source of dietary fibers, protein, and carbohydrates while low in fats. These macronutrients are highly-concentrated in the fruit pulp, with great nutrients reduction when converted into juice. (Only vitamin C will retain its high level.)
Pasteurization process is the reason for the great reduction of essential nutrients from the noni plants as these were turned into juice. Due to extreme heat, nutrients are being destroyed since these have low tolerance in such great temperature. Noni fruits provides high-level of pytochemicals only when these are not being pasteurized. This contains polysaccharides, a sugar molecule which serves as a prebiotic that provides colonic bacteria for a healthy digestive track.
Another pytochemicals this plant provides are the glycosides which are sugar-phenolic compounds that include various types of flavonoids (e.g. asperulosidic acid and rutin); damnacanthal which is known as a potent inhibitor of HIV proteins; beta-sitosterol which has been studied due to its potency to lower cholesterol level; and scopoletin which may serve as an antibiotic.
Before considering this seemingly miraculous juice, people should realize that this may not always be the case. According to a recent study, noni juice, when taken with potassium sparing diuretics might increase the person’s risk of developing hyperkalemia, a condition where high levels of potassium build up in the bloodstream.
There has also been some controversy over this juice’s health benefits which prompted the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) to give warning letters to the juice manufacturers stating that the content information provided by them are often misleading since it stated there that it is only a food supplement while according to the FDA’s definition, this juice falls under the category of drugs. So before considering the noni juice as a herbal supplement, consumers must always be aware of the pros and cons of these products and should not solely rely on the manufacturers’ claim that this is a miracle juice.
Eating healthy has become more and more of a concern these days. With the emergence of health risks caused by man-made and naturally induced factors, we are almost now compelled to watch our health in the best way possible. It all started with people becoming more and more watchful of their weight and thus, various new food and exercise regimen have existed. But from more than just a weight control purpose, watching what we eat has also been attached to far more useful and insightful purposes. Nowadays people also watch what they eat not just to regulate their weight but to also lower the risks of being involved with certain major risks in health.
Thus, the emergence of organic food has become increasingly popular. People have shifted their attention from the food that can be easily cooked to the foods which can help prevent heart attack and certain cancers. Among the most popular food items now in the organic food group is brown rice. Health buffs have increasingly moved away from eating rice because of the amount of calories it contains. However, this also means that lesser types of food can be enjoyed. For the health conscious who ironically love food that can be a problem. But with the emergence of brown rice in the market, this problem can finally be resolved.
For a start, brown rice has so many health benefits to offer. It owes this to the fact that the food is actually considered to be a whole grain, meaning it contains a lot of fibrous nutrients. A food considered to be a whole grain contains three important key ingredients which are endosperm, germ and bran. Other grains when processed tend to leave germ and bran behind, thus leaving the person to be able to consume the endosperm content only. This is still a nutritious thing, but leaving out the two other key ingredients can cause you to leave out other key nutrients which these two components also have.
Endosperm is known to contain lots of proteins. This is the reason why grains have subsequently become a protein powerhouse which can give as much energy as people need to accomplish daily tasks and responsibilities. But the bran and the germ also have quite a number of important nutrients to their credit. Almost eighty percent of the nutrients found in bran are considered to be minerals while germ is known to be composed of important minerals as well as vitamin E, some unsaturated form of fats, antioxidants, and even phytochemicals which are known for their cancer fighting properties. Germ also contains other plant substances which are very healthy for human consumption.
In effect, the mix of these three key ingredients found in brown rice effectively causes a stream of health benefits for the person taking it regularly. It becomes a healthy source of protection against heart diseases, reduces the possibility of high blood pressure as well as high levels of cholesterol, reduces the risk of acquiring diabetes and also gaining excessive weight.
Have you been wondering what all the hype is over soy? Well, soy has been part of Asian cuisine for centuries, but it is only recently gaining popularity in the West, mostly due to its health benefits. Researchers have looked into East-West differences in soy use to see whether soy intake could be related to disease incidence.
Here are some findings:
- By lowering LDL (”bad”) cholesterol but preserving HDL (”good”) cholesterol, soy plays a role in decreasing heart disease and its risk factors.
- Soy has unusual “estrogenic” effects: it mimics estrogen for women undergoing perimenopause, reducing such symptoms as hot flashes, flushing, and night sweats. Yet, it seems to have a preventive ability in certain hormone-sensitive tissues such as breast cancer.
- Soy appears to decrease the risk of osteoporosis.
How do you increase your intake of soy?
If you were turned off to the taste of soy years ago, it’s time to give it a second chance. Soy is a most remarkable bean — roasted, toasted, formed, “b-b-q’d” and turned into “ice cream” sandwiches. And yet, it does not lose nutritional value during these chameleon dances.
Because of its bland base flavor, soy can easily be assimilated into existing recipes and will take on the dominant flavor. Strong flavors such as chocolate and tomato seem to work best, as do some spicy foods. Rather than trying to count the amount of soy, just start by exchanging or adding a small amount at a time.
Here are my personal favorites for boosting soy intake:
- On a home-made pizza (it could be store-bought dough and sauce) replace half of the mozzarella with grated “mozzarella-style” soy cheese. For spaghetti sauce, replace half the real ground beef with soy “ground beef.” This also works for a taco filling.
- Make a soy burger with all the trimmings (”Boca” brand is good) on a hamburger bun with tomato slices, lettuce and pickles. This one has passed the “picky eater” test.
- Replace the milk in muffin and pancake batter with soy milk.
- A soy power shake: soy milk (chocolate “Silk” brand is found in typical dairy cases), soy protein powder (I prefer “spirutein” brand; it mixes well and isn’t chalky), and frozen strawberries all whirled together in the blender. Yum.
- Soy “ice creams” — here again the chocolate as a base flavor or the vanilla sandwiches are the tastiest and have passed the “picky eater” test.
Now party time!
You might try gathering several friends and having a soy tasting party. Everyone brings a different product for the group to taste. That way you can try greater numbers of products without the cost of potentially tossing out something that doesn’t pass your taste test. Experiment with condiments: different mustards, ketchup, pickles, chutneys, etc. If it doesn’t taste good, you won’t eat it; if you don’t eat it, you can’t reap the health benefits. Soy comes in so many forms, you’ll eventually find something for even the most discriminating of palates - yours.
Garlic is just a simple food ingredient, but what’s under your nose is one of the most powerful herbal medicines that you can use. The facts are in and you can never go wrong when you use garlic in your food.
The most active ingredient found in garlic is thiosulfinate allicin. Along with other ingredients, it can prevent common diseases that afflict most of us today. Infections can also be prevented with the regular use of garlic. Whether it would be viral, fungal or bacterial, garlic is able to prevent any of these infections. Use them regularly in your food and you will see the difference. People who have used garlic as part of their daily diet are healthy in terms of healing the wounds inside and outside of their body.
There are other health conditions that could be enhanced by garlic. Constant use of garlic has also been proven to lower blood pressure. If taken raw, its effect is even stronger. The best thing about garlic with blood pressure patients is that it can cure and not just prevent this type of condition. Most of the patients who are suffering from high blood pressure can take at least a seed after meals, and that can make their blood pressure go lower. It’s so effective that it is even advised against those who are suffering from very lower blood pressure.
Here’s a fun fact about garlic: research has proven that when you take garlic for more than 20 weeks, it will actually make you almost invincible against tick bites. If you are planning to go to an exotic area in the near future, better start with your garlic. The recommended dosage is 1.2 grams a day for 20 weeks.
But don’t just get any garlic: there are many types of garlic on the market. The most recommended type of garlic is those that have the freshest and strongest odor. If you really wanted to have the therapeutic effect of garlic in your body, you should consider eating it raw. At first, it may taste really bad but just like any other discipline, it just needs practice for this to work out. Before you know it, garlic will become an integral part of your life.
Of course the bad side of garlic is its smell. Be prepared to have the “garlic breath,” especially after the intake. On the other hand, the odor will just go away if you brush your teeth regularly. Another bad thing about garlic is when eating it raw. There are concerns about cancerous effect based on the amount of intake. Don’t just gobble all the garlic that you can have in your lifetime. Limit yourself to 29 grams of garlic every week.
Garlic is really a wonder herb, and it’s located right under our noses. Just grab a bottle at the market and make yourself healthier slowly but surely.
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Ginseng was introduced to the country way back during the 1960s. Since then, it has been regarded as one of the healthiest herbal supplements that you will find on the market. Many tests have been made to this wonderful plant, and all of its variety has produced exceptional results and it really lives up to its name.
There are three forms of ginseng right now on the market, and they are American ginseng, Asian ginseng, and Siberian ginseng. Each one has different results, and the benefits may vary, but they are all intended for a better you.
American ginseng is known as the cooling ginseng. Mostly recommended for women, American ginseng works great for those who have menopausal problems. Hot flashes and dry cough can be minimized and removed with the constant use of this medicinal plant. It can also be recommended for teens or younger women who have menstrual problems, and the pain has been known to be minimized for those who take this tea. It’s regarded as the yin of the ginseng tea as it brings calmness to those who use it. If you have problems with stress after a days work, a calming American ginseng tea will work perfectly for you.
Asian ginseng is regarded as the strong ginseng. It is the opposite of American ginseng. Instead of giving you the cooling effect, it will give you heat and energy. It’s mostly recommended for men since it gives power to the user in no time. It’s highly recommended for those who have low blood pressure and it can be used to jump start your day with great energy. If you take this everyday, it’s going to work wonders on you. This is regarded as the “yang” of the ginsengs since it makes them fiery and very energetic for the day.
Lastly is the Siberian ginseng. This type of ginseng can work wonders for your mental and physical capability to handle rigorous and continuous stress. It even works as a preventive plant against all common types of illness.
Ginseng can really work for you, and depending on your condition, it will produce benefits. However, you should take note that this will take effect only after taking this in a continuous manner. If you take this when you only have something bad in you, the effect is not guaranteed. Most of the time, it can only be effective when you use them on a pill that has already been mixed with other medicinal plants. However, the effect of these combinations has not been tested on many individuals. You may want to take ginseng for a very long time as a preventive measure against many types of diseases.
The best thing to do with ginseng is to take them raw. If you can get hold of a raw leaf, eat it. However, it gives out an odd flavor and most first timers can’t handle this. But you can always make tea out of it if you purchase ginseng roots from the local market. Take ginseng for a better you. A healthy drink a day will never hurt you and it will protect you for a very long time.
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Thousands of years ago, people just went out and ate what was on the trees or anything that grew out of their gardens. Hundreds of years ago people started planting crops, growing them where they pleased so that there would be no problem in getting them anytime. But problems came when the land that they had was not that fertile. So we did something about it by adding pesticides on the land, and before we knew it, we were putting pesticides in our own food. Everything has gone out of control, and just about everything we eat nowadays has had pesticides applied to it.
But there is a strong movement right now for alternative food. All over the country people have been trying to look for these kinds of foods, and some farmers have gone a very long way just to produce some of the foods that are now called “organic.” Organic vegetables are basically the cleanest kind of food you can get: no pesticides on the produce or on the land. Just raw care for the farm animals and vegetables, which makes them healthy naturally.
Farm markets nowadays are teeming with these type of foods. But you don’t need to purchase all of your foods as organic. There are no organic sea foods that have been officially certified by the government, so you don’t need to go out and look for them. What you do need to look for are the types of beef, dairy and poultry products – they can easily be affected when certain types of chemicals are added to their meals. Add to that are spinach, potatoes, strawberries, pears and apples. If you want to eat organic foods, you should have organic foods.
On the other hand, you don’t need to buy organic foods of these types: bananas, pineapples, corn, cauliflower, and as previously said, sea foods. Studies have shown that these fruits and sea foods can’t have many pesticides even when applied on them. So you really don’t need to buy all of your vegetables and fruits as organic or else you will have a problem – financially.
That’s right. Organic foods are expensive. It will blow a hole in your budget if you are not careful with it. Why expensive? The farmers who grow these foods go a very long way before producing a single organic product. They have to go through hundreds of government certifications and tests on their soil and produce, and they have to shell out more money than the average farmer. Since they are growing organic, they also have to go through the extra mile of taking care of their surroundings. Not that the non-organic farms disregard their own, but the organic farmers need to be more aggressive, and will require not chemicals but hands in taking care of the veggies, beef and poultry.
You really don’t need to buy everything organic. There are only some fruits on the market that will seep more pesticides than the next fruit or vegetable. Just be sure to get those that are listed and you’ll be fine.
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It’s really tempting nowadays to just get ourselves some pills instead of doing the things the healthy way. As we are speaking, there are millions of people all across the country buying pills not because they are sick, but they are just too lazy to eat healthy and exercise. Instead of devloping these simple and natural lifestyles, we just take vitamins so that we’ll probably survive or live longer than the next person.
But beware, as one great philosopher said, “virtue stands in the middle.” That means everything should stand in moderation, including vitamins. There is a condition called vitamin overdose. Its rarity is the same as its deadliness.
One of the most common over-dosages of vitamins is iron. We often tend to think that we are too weak, and don’t have enough energy in our body, so we tend easily get fatigued by the work required from us. Because of this, we often resort to taking vitamins to boost the iron content in our body. At first you may like it and then you take more than the required amount. That just makes sense at first, since more iron = more energy. Wrong! Excessive iron can damage the cells in some of the most important internal organs in your body. Heart, liver and the gastrointestinal track cells are only some of the victims of excessive iron. And don’t think that reducing the dosage of iron in your body is the answer. There are more expensive medicines in store for you to remove the effects of too much iron.
Excessive vitamin A in our body can also get really nasty. When we take vitamin A in our body, we convert these vitamins into retinoids to perform specific tasks in our body. Our liver has a maximum hold of retinoids, and anything beyond that is already dangerous. If you think more than normal dosage of vitamin A in your body will make your eyes super strong, that’s where you’re wrong. Excessive vitamin A will damage your body, and it will even reverse the good effects on your eyes. Instead of getting the eyes of superman from vitamin A, you’ll end up having thicker glasses than you can think of. And that’s only the start, for more serious cases, insomnia, weight loss, fever and weakened bones are also some of the effects of excessive vitamin A.
Although very rare, you should also watch out for Hypervitaminosis D or excess in vitamin D. The good and the bad thing about vitamin D is that it’s really not known yet how much is too much. We can take as much as we can if we think we lack some of it, but we can just fall victim to this trap anytime. If you’re dehydrating, easily get irritated and become weaker by the day, better check your vitamins.
To make sure your vitamins will help you instead of killing you. Always follow the recommended daily dosage of these vitamins. Vitamin containers should have the information to guide you about the vitamins inside, and warn you about the excessive usage.
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For years now, the popularity of mushrooms as a medicinal plant is growing. Even though mushrooms have been acknowledged as one of the smart addition to your dining table, we really do not know what their value to our health is. But just like any other plants that are grown in our backyard, the mushrooms that we cook have their own advantages that will contribute to our health. Read on as we take a look at the benefits of the mushrooms to our body.
One of the best effects of mushrooms in our body is the ability to kill the bacterium that will cripple our ability to fight back to deadly diseases. Think of it as an alcohol for your internal system but instead of poisoning you, it will also give you more health. In any form of mushroom, these are the known effects that you should expect. Maybe it’s not easy to imagine how mushrooms help our body, but it has been tested and proven to be very effective in fighting the bacteria that had been staying in our body for some time.
Mushrooms are also proven to help us in our immune system. The properties that were found in most mushrooms have preventive properties that are also transferred to humans who consume them. Through time, mushrooms acquire the behavior protecting themselves from bad conditions and this ability can somehow be transferred to humans.
Another important property of the mushroom is Adaptogens. The popularity of this toxin is not the same compared to other good toxins that are identified before. In other culture, however, it has been identified as a very important tool to make people healthy and have a good life. It’s slowly gaining ground in the country and people have slowly acknowledged the idea of the use of Adaptogens. The most immediate use and benefit of Adaptogens in our body is its ability to fight against cold and flu. With enough Adaptogens in your body, you don’t need to worry about the effect of changing weathers or other extreme weather conditions.
Mushrooms can be taken in various forms. The most popular are the cooked mushrooms. Very easy to prepare, mushrooms can give us the nutrients that we need when they are prepared and cooked well. However, it was even proven that mushroom could give better effects when they are taken raw. It’s reported that raw mushroom contains three times more nutrients than the cooked ones. Lastly, as one of the known medicinal herbs in the country, the mushroom can now be taken as a pill. There are specific types of mushrooms that are already sold in pill and it’s usually taken as part of the food supplement. Most of the time, you will find this type of pill associated with strong medicinal herb such as ginseng.
Mushrooms are now gaining in popularity in the country not only because of the good taste it will give. The medicinal benefits are also taking root and people are responding to the benefits of this great plant.
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Years ago, we started hearing about this amino acid called taurine. I’m not sure what the fuss was about but all I can understand is that it’s something rather essential for our body if we want to loss weight in a very healthy way. I came across this word again as I try to lose some weight and need some supplements hoping to make the process go faster. Apparently, taurine really has something to do with our lives and somehow we really need them to be really healthy. Even if you’re not asking to be slim, you might need them for major bodily functions.
You can look at the benefits of taurine by way of its function in our body. Taurine is one of the most important ingredients in our body to create bile. Bile is not just something created for nothing. Rather it is responsible for digesting fat faster and also heightens the effects of the vitamins produced by our body. Because of this, taurine is seen as a helpful acid for those who wanted to lose weight or for those who want to remove fats in their body. Taurine is also combined with some other acids to produce a very powerful remedy that will ensure that our nutrients will function properly.
Taurine is naturally created by our body to address certain problems and ensures the success of the vitamins through the foods that we eat or through the vitamins that we take religiously. However, a certain amount of Taurine produced in our body may not be enough to ensure that the nutrients we take will work properly. This usually happens to the vegetarians who refuse to eat dairy products. You can take vitamins that have taurine to ensure you have enough. This condition is found also in infant who can’t produce taurine just yet.
However, there’s a requirement for taurine to work properly. Alcoholic drinking is the number one enemy of taurine. If you drink beer everyday, you eliminate the possibility of the effects of taurine. Your adult body will still produce them but it will not matter since alcohol will burn all the possible benefits of taurine.
If you can’t find a decent vitamin pill that would produce enough taurine for the day, you can consider adding some foods in your diet to make sure you have them. Meat and fish are the number one source of taurine that are not in vitamin form. It’s as easy as eating meat that you’ll be ensured to have the proper amount of taurine. The effects of fish are also the same.
Although there are no proof that someone can get hurt by taking so much of these, taking taurine through vitamins should still not be excessive. It’s recommended that you have at least six grams a day distributed in three meals.
Taurine is an essential acid in your body. Eat enough fish or meat and avoid alcohol if you want to make sure you have lots of them especially when you’re trying to lose some weight.
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In recent years we have seen various commercials where ketchups now has lycopene and it should be beneficial for us. We can say the commercials are good but we really do not know why lycopene can give benefits to our body if we take them for some time. Read through this post and you may be surprised what lycopene can do to your body.
As the advertisers claim in using their ketchup, lycopene can be more beneficial than beta-carotene, and this is true. It is believed that the effects of lycopene in terms of cancer prevention is twice more effective than the beta-carotene that we thought to be very effective in itself. If you are a ketchup fanatic, you are in good hands in your fight against cancer as you have a very powerful tool that you need to eat, but you love to eat anyway. Being healthy and eating good is really a good combination.
Another benefit that you can get from lycopene rich rood is better cell metabolism. That means bye-bye fats. It can even work in fat concentrated tissues. Think of your belly that is concentrated with lycopene and in no time, of course with proper exercise, it will increase the rate of losing those fats and achieve that eight pack wonder abs that you really love to have.
The last but not the least, another effect of lycopene is its ability to protect you from the UV rays of the sun. That’s right, an edible sun block. Theoretically, you can put on some ketchup as a sun block although scientists and common sense will advice you to think twice in putting the ketchup in your body. Even though it’s a sun block, your ketchup with lycopene can only give you SPF 3; not enough to protect you from the strong rays of the sun.
With all the benefits posted by lycopene, where can you get this aside from tomatoes? Pink grapefruit, watermelon and guava are also some of the fruits that you should consider if you are not into tomatoes and ketchup. You can take them raw to enjoy the rich lycopene content that you really need for your body.
The best among them of course are the tomatoes. As you can see in the commercial, tomatoes are being processed into ketchups to give you this great lycopene content for your body. You may already know that the best form of getting the nutrients in your fruits and vegetables is to take them raw. That may be true to most fruits and vegetables but not in tomatoes if you want to have them get the high concentration of lycopene.
You need to cook your tomatoes in order to get the lycopene out of the tomatoes. Why? The lycopene that can be found in the tomatoes are embedded with fibers in tomatoes. If you take them raw, all you will have is fiber with virtually no lycopene but when cooked, lycopene is freed and you can enjoy the full benefits of this caretenoid for your body.
When you’re looking for a great food additive that tastes good and healthy at the same time, make sure you get ketchup with high lycopene content. It’s as easy as looking at the ingredients to know if the ketchup you have has lycopene.
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