Health Benefits of Wheatgrass

Most people on raw food are familiar with wheatgrass. Most green superfood supplements contain some percentage of it, and many juice bars offer freshly pressed wheatgrass juice. 

What is wheatgrass?
 

Wheatgrass is the young green grass that grows from germinated seeds of the common wheat plant or Triticum aestivum. The plant grows in the temperate regions of the United States and Europe where the ripe berries are harvested and usually turned into flour. Wheatgrass, however, is harvested long before the plant riches its maturity.

Wheatgrass consumption was initiated by the famous holistic health practitioner, Ann Wigmore. She observed dogs and cats eating grass to improve their digestion and believed that humans could also benefit from the practice. And the easiest way to introduce wheatgrass to human diet was to juice it. 

Ann Wigmore developed a strict health regime for patients with chronic or incurable diseases. The patients were to avoid meat and diary products. They were put on raw, living food diet and had to drink fresh wheatgrass juice. This diet produced incredible results. Patients with cancer, gout and diabetes got healed. Many skin disorders and immune system related problems disappeared as patients indulged in the nutrition-rich foods. Great part of the success was attributed to the detoxifying and alkalizing effect of the wheatgrass juice.

Nutrition facts

Wheatgrass is rich in chlorophyll and SOD (Superoxid dismutase) enzyme. It is a natural source of various minerals and vitamins, including iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and selenium, and vitamins A, C, E, K, and B vitamins including B12. Wheatgrass is a perfect source of protein. It provides all essential amino acids. Moreover, the protein comes in the form of polypeptides which are easily utilized by the body.

Wheatgrass is gluten-free and can be safely consumed by people with gluten allergy and gluten sensitivity. The type of gluten that causes adverse reactions exists only in the wheat grains which are seeds that produce the grass. 

Health benefits of wheatgrass

As mentioned before, wheatgrass is believed to have many health benefits:

• It has the capacity to detoxify blood and liver. It helps neutralize environmental toxins and pollutants. Thanks to SOD it helps to remove heavy metals and radiation form the body;
• It helps alkalize the body and relieve such ailments as peptic ulcers and ulcerative colitis;
• Thanks to a high chlorophyll content, it helps to cleanse and oxygenate the blood and increase the red blood cell count;
• It helps to clear the brain fog;
• It helps improve digestion and relieve constipation, diarrhea, bloating, bad breath and body odor;
• It stimulates the thyroid function and may help to manage weight problems;
• It can help reduce inflammation in the body and alleviate such ailments as rheumatoid arthritis when used topically as a compress;
• It helps improve many skin conditions thanks to its detoxifying and alkalizing function and the effect it has on digestion;
• When consumed fresh in form of juice, it may increase bio-electricity and awaken inner life-force. It helps to increase vibrancy and activates self-healing mechanisms within the body.

Grow your own!
 

If you are living in a big city, you probably have no problems finding a juice bar that serves freshly made wheatgrass juice, but wheatgrass is not as easily accessible in smaller communities. In this case the best thing you can do is to grow your own.

By growing your own wheatgrass you will be in control of its quality and purity. By choosing organic seeds and purified water you can make sure that the wheatgrass you are consuming truly is organic and pollutant-free. You also determine the conditions for growth and the moment of harvest.

Should you decide to grow your own wheatgrass, remember not to expose it to a direct sunlight or it will taste bitter. Also make sure that it does not develop a mold. For best results grow it in specially developed trays and follow the instructions of the manufacturer.

Best time to harvest your wheatgrass for juicing is about one week after germination of the seeds, short before the so called jointing stage. In the life of a cereal plant such as wheat, jointing stage is a moment of growth at which the internodal tissue in the grass leaf begins to elongate and form a stem. By harvesting your wheatgrass at this stage of growth you make sure that your juice will have the highest concentration of nutrients. Once harvested, you can leave the cropped grass in the tray and allow to grow again. With a little practice you will be able to grow your own healthy grass.

Juicing wheatgrass

Juicing wheatgrass is very easy if you have the right tool. Juicers such as the Champion juicer have additional attachments specially developed for juicing grass. There are also juicers on the market that were designed only for juicing grasses and leafy greens. Some of them are electric, some are manual. The price varies depending of the type of juicer. If you decide to buy one, always buy the best you can afford, but make sure it is easy to clean.

A word of caution

Wheatgrass is a powerful detoxifying superfood. Depending on your health condition it may cause so called Herxheimer reaction if consumed in large amounts. This reaction occurs when more toxins are released into the bloodstream that the body can process. Symptoms may include headache, skin rush and even a light fever. To prevent this you should start your detox gradually and always drink a lot of water to support the elimination of toxins from the body. 

 

By Dominique Allmon

Dominique Allmon©2016 

*This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Health Benefits of Wheatgrass by Dominique Allmon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Health Benefits of Aloe Vera

Aloe vera - leaf and jelly

"Of all the herbs I've ever studied - and I've written thousands of articles on nutrition and disease prevention - aloe vera is the most impressive herb of them all." - Mike Adams 

Aloe vera is a succulent household plant from a lily family. It has been used in herbal medicine thousands of years. Earliest records date back to Sumeria and Ancient Egypt. It is believed that Cleopatra used aloe vera in her legendary beauty regimen.

The plant is native to the African continent and has been widely cultivated throughout the world. It grows in the Arabian Peninsula; Eastern Africa, including Sudan; Western Africa, including Nigeria; throughout North Africa, including Egypt, Morocco, and Mauritania; Southern Spain and the Canary Islands, Madeira and Cape Verde; China, Mexico, United States, notably New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, and Florida; Australia and Barbados, to name the most important regions. The leaves are harvested to obtain the inner jelly-like section for health and beauty purposes.

Traditionally, Aloe vera plant has been used to cure many ailments and diseases, including constipation, fungal infections and candida, skin disorders, and even cancer. There are more than 700 scientific and clinical studies documenting efficacy of this plant. Both, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda, use Aloe vera in their preparations.

Aloe vera contains more than 200 biologically active compounds such as amino acids; polysaccharides; antioxidants; vitamins such as the B vitamins, including B12, vitamin C, beta-carotene, choline, and folic acid; minerals including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, chromium, copper and manganese; unsaturated fatty acids and enzymes. All the compounds act in synergy to provide unique healing effect.

Aloe vera jelly can be applied to injured, inflamed, infected, burnt or dehydrated skin. it is anti-sceptic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral. It moisturizes and disinfects, and helps reconstruct damaged skin.

The precious jelly, however, can do so much more. You can use it for: 

• detox - the jelly helps clear and expel toxins form the intestines as well as from the liver; 
• immune system support - vitamins and polysaccharides, especially the acemannan in Aloe vera, support healthy immune system. Acemannan stimulates the action of the macrophages or the defense cells that are responsible for fighting infections within the body;
• alkalization - Aloe vera has the same pH as the human skin and can be used to heal the skin, but also internally to normalize the body pH;
• to improve digestive health - compounds in Aloe vera help reduce inflammation of the  stomach and the intestinal tract, and provide relief from heartburn;
• to prevent constipation - skin of the Aloe very leaves contain two laxative substances - aloin and emodin. Preparations containing these substances help improve regularity and prevent constipation; 
• to balance cholesterol - beta sitosterol in Aloe vera may help balance cholesterol levels in serum and thus promote cardiovascular health; 
• to regulate blood sugar - compounds in Aloe vera such as lectins, mannans, and anthraquinones help regulate blood glucose levels;
• to reduce weight - improved digestion, balanced blood sugar and healthy cholesterol levels together with some additional lifestyle changes, lead to weigh loss. Regular consumption of Aloe vera helps maintain optimal body weight;  
• to reduce inflammation - Aloe very soothes inflammation inside and out. 

There are many high quality, certified organic products on the market. Capsules are made mostly for internal use. Aloe vera juice or gel (jelly) are intended for both, internal and external, use. There are also cosmetic products containing certified organic Aloe vera juice. Such products usually help soothe and improve the health of skin, but are not intended of internal use. Choose wisely.

An Aloe very plant on a windowsill in a kitchen or in the garden is a perfect way to prepare for emergencies such as small burns or sunburn. Remember, however, that Aloe vera plant is toxic to cats and dogs. If you have pets, keep the plant in place where they cannot reach it.

Dominique Allmon

Dominique Allmon©2016

*This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Juicing for Health and Beauty

If you are new to juicing you might be mesmerized by all the green juice talk in juice bars, in health magazines and all over the world wide web. So what is this green juice hype all about?

 

Green juices are probably the best food-based medicine we can give our bodies. They are particularly beneficial for all these people who:

• have problems with their digestion
• whose bodies are highly acidic
• those who suffer from toxic overload
• for those who need to lose weight

Juices are easily absorbed as the juicing process breaks down the cell walls of fruits and vegetable making them easier to digest. This means that the nutrients are getting directly into your system.

One very well known benefit of using green herbs and vegetable in juicing is the fact that they are rich in chlorophyll. Scientists discovered that hemoglobin in human blood and chlorophyll in green plants are almost identical. Just like our hemoglobin chlorophyll contains carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. The only chemical difference in the organic construction of the chlorophyll in plants and  in blood is that the former contains magnesium while the latter contains iron.

A research in Germany demonstrated that chlorophyll helped reduce high blood pressure, eliminated anemia, made weak men strong, cured digestive troubles, and seemed to be  a potion of youth.

Once in the digestive system, chlorophyll immediately enriches the blood. The red blood cells increase considerably in number while their haemoglobin content rises. The blood circulation improves and more nutrients and oxygen are transported to tissues and organs. At the same time more toxins are neutralized and removed. The blood is enriched and reinforced with new life. No wonder, then, that those who consume considerable amounts of chlorophyll-rich foods are not only reporting recovery from chronic diseases and ailments, but also more energy, stamina and radiance that they have not experienced for a long time, if ever at all.  

Best fruit and vegetable combination for a nutritious alkalizing green juice:

• cucumber, celery, cilantro
• lime, celery, cucumber, cilantro
• cucumber, celery, fennel
• aloe vera leaves, green apples, lemon balm
• green apple, celery  
• green apple, pear, cucumber
• celery, bell pepper, cucumber
• pear, mint, cucumber
• cucumber, fennel, celery, green chili pepper, cilantro
• cucumber, parsley, bell pepper
• apple, kiwi, cucumber
• honey dew, celery
• bell pepper, green chili pepper, cucumber
• spinach, green apple, cucumber
• kale, celery, cucumber
• dill, apple, cucumber
• orange, kale, cucumber

These are only few suggestions. You can start from here. Experiment with green herbs and veggies; add limes or lemons. Add ginger. The taste will change when you change the proportions of your ingredients, but the alkalizing and detoxifying action will remain unchanged.

I prefer to make pure vegetable juices, but some people love to add a little sweetness of a fruit. I rather add herbs. And I always add a pinch of Celtic salt and few drops of virgin olive oil to activate the bile flow.

If you are planning a detox or a weight loss program, early spring is a perfect time to begin. Start slowly and gradually increase the amount of green, alkalizing foods. Consult your healthcare provider if you have serious health issues.

By Dominique Allmon

For more healthy juice recipes please click here

Dominique Allmon©2015


*This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

How to Break Sugar Addiction

Sugar consumption is on the rise all over the world. This fact has horrendous implications since the metabolic syndrome, obesity, Type 2 diabetes in adults, and alarmingly early onset of Type 2 diabetes in children, are only few consequences of sugar consumption.

Scientists have demonstrated that refined sugar is a highly addictive substance. One study found that the extremely sweet taste can surpass the cocaine reward even in people who are addicted to heavy drugs. In another study scientists demonstrated that quitting sugar can be as difficult for some people as quitting nicotine or alcohol.

Are you addicted to sugar?

Addicts seldom admit that they have a problem and often find justification for their behavior.

• Do you always eat dessert? 
• Do you always have to have something sweet in your house?
• Do you make excuses to take just one more piece of that delicious cake?
• Do you struggle to say no when you are offered something sweet? 
• Do you have sugar "attacks" where you feel you must have something sweet or you will not make it? 

If you eat sweets on regular basis try to give them up for a day or two and see what happens. If you develop headaches and mood swings the chances are that you are addicted.

A few years ago one of my favorite nutritionists, Patrick Holford, devised clever nutritional strategies for people who wished to quit their addictions. 

Quitting any kind of addiction is not an easy process. The withdrawal symptoms are often unbearable and can make it difficult for anyone to give up the stuff he or she is addicted to - be it nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, heavy drugs or even sugar. While drugs or alcohol are considered harmful to our health, sugar addiction is often trivialized, neglected or not even recognized as such. Worse, many people do not even know that sugar is harmful to health. Many do not know that they are addicted.

What is sugar?

Sugar is the generalized term used for sweet, short-chain, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food to sweeten and improve the taste. They are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Together with starches and fiber, sugars belong to the class of carbohydrates that are necessary to provide energy and regulate protein and fat metabolism, among others.

All sugars are either monosaccharides (simple sugars) or disaccharides. Simple sugars are easily and quickly digested and utilized by the human body, but there is a difference in the way liver processes glucose and fructose. (This is a vast subject that requires another article.) Disaccharides such as sucrose or the common white table sugar, on the other hand, require enzymes in order to be converted into simple sugars that are then utilized by the body.

Sucrose, which is composed of the monosaccharides fructose and glucose, is found in sugar beets, sugar cane, sorghum, maple syrup, molasses, and pineapple. It is composed of one molecule of fructose and one molecule of glucose and can be metabolized in a healthy body.

Sucrose is used extensively to sweeten food and beverages, but even people who do not add sugar to their diet may be consuming large amounts of so called "hidden" sugar that is added by the food industry into ever growing amount of foods. Salad dressings, mayonnaise, ketchup, peanut butter, baby formula, bread, sausage, luncheon meat, etc. all have sugar added to them.

Addiction to sugar begins very early in life and is constantly reinforced by millions of dollars spent on advertising all over the world by the food industry. Average person living in America consumes more than one hundred fifty pound of sugar per year! It is estimated that only thirty pounds come from sugar that people are consciously adding to their food. The remaining amount comes from industrially produced foods and drinks.

Why should you quit sugar:

• Sugar can make you fat! Sweets and foods with added sugar deliver incredible amount of empty calories and no fiber or nutrients to keep you nourished and satiated. As soon as you had your sweet fix you normally crave for more. You not only eat more calories than you can burn, but sugar promotes belly fat that once there is probably the most difficult to lose.
• Excess sugar consumption has the same toxic effect on liver as does alcohol. In fact, increased sugar consumption had the same detrimental effect on health as the consumption of alcohol and could be responsible for hypertension, myocardial infarction, insulin resistance, obesity, malnutrition, liver disease, and pancreatitis.
• Sugar suppresses the release of  the human growth hormone or HGH. Consumption of sugar, especially within two hours after workout, causes hypothalamus to release the inhibitory hormone somatostatin. Somatostatin from the hypothalamus inhibits the pituitary gland’s secretion of the HGH and the thyroid stimulating hormone. 
• Sugar disrupts the immune system. In the 1970s the Noble Prize winner Dr. Linus Pauling discovered that the vitamin C increases the body's ability to fight infections. He also found that sugar inhibits this ability. In order to be able to fight bacteria and viruses, our white blood cells must accumulate vitamin C at the 50-fold concentration all the time. Vitamin C is constantly being moved through the cell membranes into the white blood cells all over your body. Dr. Pauling discovered that glucose, which has similar chemical structure as the vitamin C, can replace vitamin C concentration in the white cells. In fact, when blood sugar rises to 120 after a consumption of cakes, candies or sodas, the ability of white cells to fight infections decreases by about 75%! Moreover, it can take up to six hours to restore optimal levels of vitamin C in the white blood after consumption of sugar.
• Sugar can increase risk of cancer. Researchers have found that sugar in the intestine triggers the formation of a hormone called GIP. GIP is controlled by a protein called β-catenin that depends entirely on sugar levels in the body. This in turn, increases insulin released by the pancreas. Researchers found that there is a strong correlation between β-catenin and the cell's susceptibility to cancer formation. Moreover, research also shows that high sugar consumption lowers the survival chance of breast cancer and colon cancer patients.
• Sugar can damage your heart and shorten your life. In 2013 the Journal of American Heart Association has published a study confirming that sugar affects pumping mechanism of the heart and can potentially increase the risk of heart failure. Researchers found that a glucose metabolite called glucose 6-phosphate (G6P) that is derived from sugar and from starch was responsible for the changes in the muscle protein of the heart. These changes could eventually lead to heart failure. 
• Sugar contributes to premature aging. When sugar enters your system it has the tendency to bind to fats and protein molecules in your body. This process is know as glycation. It results in the production of advanced glycation end products known as AGEs. These molecules cause damage to connective tissues and are responsible for chronic inflammation. But AGEs are not only responsible for processes that are "hidden" deep inside our bodies. They also are the cause or visible aging. Collagen and elastin are the proteins in skin that are responsible for the health and youthful appearance. These proteins are also most susceptible to the glycation process. 

It is probably much easier to enumerate reasons for quitting sugar than to quit this sweet addiction. Like many people I have a very sweet tooth and cannot imagine a festive dinner menu without dessert, but I also know too well that sugar is not good for me. It is enough for me to look into a mirror the next day after I satisfied my sugar cravings the night before. The skin looks inflamed and the joints feel stiff. I know that if I continued eating sweets for another day or two things would get even worse. So I quit for a week or two only to get tempted again.

Young people can recover from the sugar binge much faster and may not even gain weight, but with age the damage done by sugar becomes more obvious and almost irreversible. So, how do we quit sugar cravings?

Sugar craving exist on two levels:

• physiological, where it manifests itself as an addiction to sugar, the chemical substance that affect entire body chemistry
• emotional, where it manifests itself either as craving for comfort and happiness, or as a reward for a particular type of behavior.

To successfully quit sugar we must understand and address both, the physiological and the emotional  dependence on sugar.

If you are addicted to sugar you must understand that there is no one-fits-all solution to addiction. Every human being is unique and will power and self-motivation are not always enough. However, everyone can implement a few simple steps that would gradually re-set the addicted brain and re-program body chemistry.

The Break-Sugar-Addiction Program

The plan involves two aspects of our physiology: brain chemistry and blood sugar balance. Deficiency in certain neurotransmitters, especially serotonin, often leads to sugar craving. Fluctuation in blood sugar leads to cravings and energy crashes.

• The very first step to recovery from sugar addiction is a gradual change of diet. Begin your personal program by conscious reduction of sweets and desserts you consume. Sweets and desserts are the obvious, identifiable sugar sources. This would mean that you have to remove sugar and sweet foods from your pantry and change your shopping habits. Stay clear of cookies, candy, cakes and ice cream, and less sugar to your coffee and tea. Going a cold turkey does not work for everybody so you may need to replace your desserts with sweet fruit that at least has vitamins and minerals, and has a form of sugar that can be digested by the body. Try to replace fast food with high quality protein and add fresh vegetable to your menu. At the same time you should supplement your diet with high quality multivitamin and mineral formula. Vitamins and minerals will help you nourish your body and may help reduce  cravings. In addition you should take a high quality Omega-3 fatty acids and probiotics to restore flora in the intestines.
• Removal of sugar from the diet may cause mood swings, low energy, or headaches. To balance the brain chemistry supplement with L-Tryptophan and 5-HTP. These two supplements will help the brain to produce the mood enhancing serotonin. To support blood sugar balance take a chromium supplement. Also, add sugar-balancing cinnamon to your diet.
• To control sugar cravings supplement with the amino acid L-glutamine. The suggested dose is 500mg 3-4 times a day, best taken on empty stomach about 30 minutes before a meal or when you feel your blood sugar is very low and you feel like having something sweet. The sugar craving vanishes within minutes and you do not even feel jittery or stressed. 

Many nutritionist suggest that we should consume foods that have low glycemic load, or the GL. The GL tells us how a particular food will affect the blood sugar balance. Foods with high GL will cause sugar spikes and cravings. Foods with low GL convert slowly into glucose and encourage body to burn fat. A low glycemic diet will keep you nourished and satiated and will not only help you break your sugar addiction, but also lose weight.

Depending on your current situation you may need to consult a certified health practitioner who will help you break the sugar addiction. A certified nutritionist will help you create a healthy nutrition plan. He or she will also help you clear candida that may also be the cause of your sugar cravings.

If your craving for sugar is mostly emotional you will need to address the underlying emotional issues. Yoga, relaxation and meditation in combination with supplemental magnesium, L-tryptophan and 5-HTP may help a lot, but you may have to see a therapist to understand why your emotional problems are causing addiction. And if you reward yourself with a large piece of cake, you should probably change your strategy. Try a large bowl of fresh strawberries the next time you feel that you need a reward.

By Dominique Allmon

Dominique Allmon©2014

P.S. Many people who wish to break the sugar addiction resort to artificial sweeteners to satisfy their love and craving for the sweet taste. The only artificial sweetener that I would take is stevia. Stevia is made from the leaves of South American plant Stevia rebaudiana. Studies demonstrated that stevia may actually lower blood sugar levels and improve the function of insulin.



*This information is for educational purpose only. It is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure a disease.


How to Break Sugar Addiction by Dominiqe Allmon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Health Benefits of Blueberries

Blueberries are one of the healthiest foods available to us all year round. More and more researchers publish study results that are quite amazing. Short of a nutritional miracle this tiny dark berries can help reverse effects of premature aging and improve debilitating conditions.

Blueberry is a native North American perennial flowering plant from the genus Vaccinium that also includes cranberries, lingonberries and bilberries. The plant produces indigo-colored berries and is mostly cultivated in North America and Europe, but also grows successfully in other parts of the world.

Blueberries are very high in vitamin K, vitamin C, manganese, copper and dietary fiber. They contain anthocyanins, flavonols, and other phytonutrients that include resveratrol and pterostilbene.  Studies demonstrated that all these phytonutirents act as antioxidants that protect the whole body from oxidative stress. These nutrients protect the DNA and act as anti-inflammatory agents that help reduce inflammation in the body.

Cognitive Health 

The latest research suggests that compounds in blueberries may help slow down age-related damage to the brain cells, reverse age-related memory loss and improve overall cognitive health. Test subjects who consumed blueberries had improved memory, learning skills, cognition, reasoning, verbal comprehension and numerical skills. 

Blueberries may help slow down cognitive decline in aging adults and prevent against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Researchers discovered that compounds in blueberries significantly increase production of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine deficiency is associated with bad mood, depression and Parkinson's disease. Increased consumption of blueberries may help ward off the onset of Parkinson's disease, improve mood and alleviate depression in dopamine deficient individuals.

Cardiovascular Health 

Blueberries protect blood vessels from oxidative stress and help balance cholesterol. People who ate 1-2 cups of blueberries daily for a period of 1-3 months had increased levels of HDL (the good cholesterol) and reduced levels of LDL or the blood vessels clogging and damaging bad cholesterol. Blueberry extract was shown to lower blood pressure. People who eat blueberries on regular basis have much lower chance of developing hypertension. Research shows that blueberries help lower blood pressure in two ways: On the one hand they help blood vessels to relax reducing the resistance to blood flow; on the other, blueberries (the extract, to be precise) inhibits the protein that the body uses to keep blood pressure elevated.

Blood Sugar

Blueberries are classified as low-GI fruits. GI or the Glycemic Index is a method of measuring the impact of food on our blood glucose levels. Foods with lower GI release glucose more slowly and steadily and do not cause glucose spikes. This is important for people who struggle with metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and obesity. In addition, fiber in blueberries helps to further balance blood sugar and improve health of those patients who were diagnosed with blood sugar problems. 

Cancer 

Various studies demonstrated that blueberry extract may prevent uncontrolled cell reproduction that could lead to formation of tumors. The extract also prevented formation of pre-cancerous lesions. Cancers such as that of the colon or the cervix begin as pre-cancerous lesions and turn into malignant tumors. Blueberry extract greatly reduced formation of such abnormal tissues.

Blueberry extract also prevented angiogenesis or the formation of new blood vessels that feed the tumors. Cancer has the ability to spread to adjacent or distant organs. Tumor cells can penetrate the blood (and lymphatic) vessels and spread throughout the body. For the metastatic spread of cancer a network of blood (and lymphatic) vessels is important. The formation of new blood vessels is called angiogenesis. (The formation of new lymph vessels is called lymphangiogenesis.) Blueberry extract curtails this growth of blood vessels and increases survival rate in cancer patients. It also has the ability to inhibit enzyme responsible for the proliferation of cancer cells. And last but not least, the extract triggers apoptosis or cancer cells' death.

Vision

Antioxidants in blueberries help protect the retina from oxidative damage. They also protect the retina from damage caused by the sun. Anthocyanosides in blueberries provide protection against such disorders as the age-related macular degeneration, myopia, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, extreme dryness and retinal infections. People who consume blueberries on regular basis report improved night vision. 

Urinary Tract

Just like cranberries, blueberries contain compounds that prevent E. coli bacteria from adhering to the walls of the bladder. According to latest research this helps ward off the urinary tract infections.

Weight Management

As I mentioned before, blueberries have a very low glycemic index and help balance blood sugar. This helps people with weight problems to reduce cravings. Blueberries help lower triglycerides and cholesterol levels, and improve fasting glucose and insulin sensitivity. Moreover, polyphenols and catechins found in blueberries help activate fat-burning genes in abdominal fat cells. And last but not least, fiber in blueberries helps improve digestion and elimination. All these factors combined with active lifestyle, exercise and sensible calorie intake may contribute to a desired weight loss. 

Conclusion

There is hardly any system in the body that is not positively affected by the consumption of blueberries. Adding one or two cups of blueberries to your daily diet can help your reverse premature aging and protect you from many diseases.

Blueberries are rather inexpensive and are easily accessible throughout the year. When buying fresh blueberries make sure that you are buying pesticide-free organically grown berries. They are darker and richer in antioxidants. Fresh and frozen blueberries can be used to make smoothies or desserts. Dried blueberries can be added to cereals or trail mixes. 

Standardized blueberry extract sold in capsules has one advantage over the fresh fruit. It provides the most reliable means of delivering the vital flavonoid components to your body. Capsules can be taken as a means of prevention in addition to regular consumption of fresh fruit.

By Dominique Allmon

For inspiring blueberry recipes visit my raw food blog Passionately Raw!

*This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.




Health Benefits of Blueberries by Dominique Allmon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Why Do We Age?

The fountain of youth - such metaphorical piece of myth that alludes to immortality has been used over and over again on different forms of literature both in the past and in the present. Oftentimes, the fountain of youth's classification as myth is challenged from time to time with some expeditions or travels that claim to have finally found the fountain's location. Nonetheless, this recurring symbol of eternal youth in most forms of literature and art, verifies man's innate affinity with immortality. In our contemporary setting, this longing for immortality is almost within mankind's grasp with the promise of better technologies and sciences in the near future. However, to completely grasp and understand the means of acquiring eternal life or a very long life span in the very least, one must first see the process behind our aging. This question kept many brilliant scientists hell-bent on searching for clues and theories that may answer such relentless query.

Through the course of these scientific explorations on the realm of human aging, scientists were able to come up with a term that refers to the human aging process - senescence. This term refers to a degeneration implication that manifests itself as people get old. Senescence is believed to be the result of a biochemical deregulation that is a natural component of life.

However, the effects of senescence vary among different species. Take for example a bat and a rodent, both of them are classified as mammals and both are of the same size, but a bat generally lives longer than a rodent for the former can live up to 30 years while the latter usually have a life span of only two to three years. However, some animal species such as rockfish, turtles, and lobsters display a certain trait known as the negligible senescence. This trait enables these specific animal species to live through a longer period of time compared to other species. Some of these species can even live for an unbelievable span of 200 years.

Findings through extensive studies that were carried out by various scientists imply that this peculiar trait is a result of evolutionary and genetic factors that rule over these animals' life longevity. However, scientists still find it hard to assimilate this kind of trait to humans and the reason behind it is fairly simple: we humans live under a completely different environment compared to those animals that possess the negligible senescence trait.

The best that we humans can do for now is to first determine the various factors that fuel the process of aging and to address these factors accordingly. One of the most obvious reasons or factors behind aging is stress. In a nutshell, the dynamics of stress simply say that constant beatings and punishments that our bodies take from everyday tasks lead to hormone disturbance which can ultimately lead to cell damage.

Furthermore, the degeneration of the hypothalamus, a gland that resides in your head, is also one of the determining factors of aging. The hypothalamus is solely responsible for setting the "traffic" of various hormones to other glands. Through the course of time, the hypothalamus becomes weary and tends to be inaccurate in releasing proper amounts of hormone to other glands in the human body. This leads to imbalanced hormone levels which cause damage to tissues.

External factors brought about by the environment are also some of the very viable reasons behind the aging process. Environmental harms such as pollution, radiation, contaminants coupled with self induced stress, and poor nutrition inflict damage on human cells. Significant damage is instantly inflicted upon these cells once they are exposed to such harmful external factors. Cells play a very substantial role on the process of aging because they contain valuable information for the human body's development. Whenever a cell reproduces or divides itself, it makes sure that the new cell is of the same level with the previous cell that it originated from. If that previous cell received any slightest form of damaged from the previously mentioned factors, it will then spawn new cells that possess slightly deformed information sets. This will then start a trend of degenerated cells which leads to what is commonly known as the aging process.

Among these scientific theories that deal with the process of aging the Free Radical Theory tends to be the most popular among contemporary American health buffs. This theory suggests that extremely reactive chemicals, which the term free radicals refer to, are responsible for inflicting damage to the human body's tissues. In general, however, these free radicals are not completely bad for the human body for they also serve numerous purposes for the body's development. But what is damaging to the human body, especially to the tissues, is the free radicals' ability to reproduce itself in excessive amounts. Free radicals are endowed with an extra electron which makes them more capable of stealing electrons from other molecules which they tend to do frequently. This act subsequently leads to a very dangerous cycle that can burnout the cells from constantly repairing damaged molecules.

With these various theories that try to decipher the process of aging, certain medical solutions are also devised to combat the inevitable aging ritual. The most common among these medical solutions are taking vitamin C and vitamin E supplements to combat stress and to balance out the damage induced by free radicals in the body. Another effective method is to lessen your average intake of junk foods and substituting it with healthier food choices such as fruits and vegetables.

One means to combat the toll of aging today is through the consumption of high quality HGH or Human Growth Hormone precursors. HGH supplements can help increase energy levels that can make you a lot more productive by enabling you to perform more tasks efficiently. 

HGH supplements can also help to lower cholesterol plus help to improve brain, vision, and immune function. The GenF20™ supplement is, by far, the most advanced dietary supplement that can help with the process of aging. These advances that were made in the light of combating factors that leads to premature aging, can truly give reaffirmation in believing that the fountain of youth that every man longs for is truly within reach.

Article courtesy of GenF20Plus website

*This information is for educational purpose only. It is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.

Image source here

The Ancient Tibetan Garlic Cure

A few months ago a colleague of mine told me that her grandmother makes her own garlic potion to stay healthy. She marinates garlic in alcohol for up to six weeks and when the potion is ready, she drinks few drops a day for few weeks. She repeats this cure every year and never gets sick.

Organic garlic

I wondered if anyone else knew about the garlic cure and started an online search. To my surprise the search produced "Tibetan garlic cure." The post showed up on several blogs and some bloggers claimed that this ancient garlic recipe was discovered in Tibet in 1970s by an UNESCO commission. 

Unfortunately I do not have any better information and cannot verify this claim, but I know that the therapeutic properties of garlic were known in many cultures for centuries, and that many cultures use alcohol to prepare herbal liquors, tinctures and medicinal wines. The Chinese used therapeutic liquors for centuries; so did Hildegard von Bingen in Medieval Europe. Herbs, flowers, fruits, roots, and even small animals (such as snakes) or animal parts were preserved in alcohol. Alcohol potentiated the healing properties of used ingredients and allowed better preservation from spoilage. To this day Chinese pharmacies in Hong Kong and everywhere where Traditional Chinese Medicine is practiced, sell therapeutic wines. You can see a coiled snake or a ginseng root that has been preserved to extract the its highest healing potential. 

Garlic (Allium sativum) is a plant native to Central Asia. For thousands of years garlic has been used not only in cooking, but also as medicine. The Sumerians, Egyptians, Chinese, Tibetans, Indians, Ancient Greeks and Romans, all valued garlic's therapeutic qualities. They discovered garlic's potential to kill germs and used it as medicine to cure various infections, including typhus, dysentery, influenza, and cholera.

Modern research confirms what the ancients knew for ages. Garlic not only kills germs, it is also an effective herb that can be used modulate and strengthen the immune system. Scientists also found that garlic can also prevent cardiovascular disease and reduce blood pressure.

 Miron glass jar

Garlic seems to be a very healthy herb all by itself. Is it possible that preserving it in alcohol enhances its healing potential even more?

To make the garlic solution you will need about 12 ounces (350 g) garlic, 3 ounces of 96% pure, food grade alcohol, and a tight closing jar.

I decided to use a violet Miron glass jar. Miron glass blocks the complete spectrum of visible light with the exception of the violet part. At the same time it allows a certain part to be permeable for radiation in the spectral range of UV-A, and infra red light. This unique combination offers optimal protection against the ageing processes that are released by visible light, thus lengthening durability and potency of products. Scientists in Germany found that Miron glass enhances the therapeutic strength of products stored in it. 

Making of the Ancient Tibetan Garlic Cure:

• Wash and dry the jar. Set aside.
• Peal the garlic cloves. You may want to wear rubber gloves.
• Roughly chop the garlic cloves and transfer them into your clean jar.
• Slowly pour the alcohol into the jar making sure that the garlic is well covered. Add more alcohol if you find it necessary. 
• Tightly close the lid and place the jar in a cool, dark place. Allow the garlic to marinade for 10 days.
• After 10 days carefully open the jar and strain the garlic tincture through a sieve pouring it into a clean measuring jar. 
• Pour the clear liquid into a clean dark glass bottle and close it with a pipette stopper.  (I used Miron glass bottles)

This is how the Tibetan garlic should be made according to various websites. I changed the method a bit remembering that my colleague's grandmother kept her garlic in alcohol for at least three weeks. I allowed the tincture to mature even more when I transferred it into two small Miron glass bottles. I stored the bottles for another three weeks before I began the cure.

Miron glass bottles with garlic tincture

There is a suggested way to administer the garlic cure beginning with one drop at breakfast on the first day and increasing the amount with each meal up to 25 drops on day eleven. Continue taking 25 drops per meal until the tincture is finished. Remember to shake the bottle before each use.

I am not sure that such "schedule" is necessary, although some homeopathic or alchemistic principles might be involved here. I decided to take two drops with each meal, three times a day and I take it in a spoon of yogurt to neutralize the strong garlic odor. 

The tincture is said to have incredible healing potential: 

• it may help decrease blood pressure
• it may improve blood circulation
• it may help regulate and balance blood lipids
• it may prevent the LDL cholesterol buildup in arteries
• it may help prevent thrombosis
• it may help speed up metabolism and stimulate fat burning in the body
• it may help detoxify the kidney and improve the kidney function
• it may help improve the function of the immune system
• it may help eradicate candida 

November is a perfect time to start caring for the immune system. If the cure works I should be infection free till the end of winter. 

By Dominique Allmon

*A word of caution: The tincture contains alcohol and is not recommended for children, pregnant women, and people who have alcohol addiction problem. 

**This information is for educational purpose only. It is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.

The Ancient Tibetan Garlic Cure by Dominique Allmon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Good Health and Longevity - For Educational Purposes Only?

Since the pharmaceutical industry rules the world of the the healthy and the sick, no one is allowed to make certain statements about health and healing even if there were a valid research to back them up. People who are not "careful" enough are accused of quackery or even arrested and prosecuted. 

 

Interestingly enough, spectacular claims can be made by doctors and sales people when a molecule or a substance is patented and sold as a drug, even if that drug comes with a long list of side effects. The drug may eventually harm or kill a patient and law suits may follow, but for as long as nothing "drastic" happens the claims of "cure" can be made shamelessly.  

This is quite amusing, but also incredibly frustrating. If you made a claim that elderberry, ginger and honey cured flu like symptoms and started advertising and selling your "potion" to afflicted people, you would probably end up in court. But no one gets punished for selling drugs with similar curing power even if such drugs may cause drowsiness, liver damage, kidney failure and what not. At least not right away. Justice is done to patients only after some one's health has been damaged irreversibly by the drug. The liability lawyers find a real gold mine in cases like that and the pharmaceutical industry can afford to pay reparations. 

Do not get me wrong. I am not against pharmaceutical industry as such and I am not against allopathic medicine, but I despise a culture of arrogance and cynicism.

I am a healthy individual, but I do not necessarily attribute my health to my genes. There is much more to it. The genes carry an information that may work for you or against you. If there is a history of disease in your family you may be the next in the line to develop it as well. But genetic information is not necessarily a sentence or a curse. Unless you are living with congenital, manifested genetic disorder, your lifestyle is contributing to your overall health and you may never get sick or morbidly obese even if everyone in your family is. If you live a healthy lifestyle, genetic traits remain what they are - potentialities, not death sentences. 

Good health is a precious gift and it is a gift you can give to yourself. I advocate active prevention of disease rather than a cure of existing one. Simple changes in lifestyle and nutrition may have very dramatic changes on your overall health. You can lose weight, reverse chronic disease, slow the aging process and prolong your lifespan. But this does not come as a pill. You will have to change established bad habits and invest some money in your nutrition. And most importantly, you will have to consider yourself worthy of such a change. But once you do, you will be amazed. Your body has the potential to heal itself. You just have to give it a chance. 

Changes to be made include:

• exercise
• stress control
• detoxification
• diet and nutrition
• supplementation with high quality nutritional supplements
• self-perception and attitude 
• health education - ignorance may kill you! 

The changes may be quite overwhelming and should be made gradually. You may have to consult a certified fitness coach who will help you devise a fitness plan that suits your current needs, but once you gain the knowledge and develop your own intuition you will be able to take care of yourself without any help. Empower yourself. You will not regret it.

In radiant health - Dominique Allmon

By Dominique Allmon ©2013

*This information is for educational purpose only. It is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.

Health Benefits of Ginger

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a tropical perennial plant native to Southeast Asia that is also cultivated in West Africa and the Caribbean. The Latin name is derived from the Sanskrit word shringavera which means "horn shaped" and pertains to the horn-like protrusions on the rhizome.

 

History

For centuries rhizome of the ginger plant has been used as a spice in Asian cooking. Its healing properties did not go unnoticed in China and in India where ginger is used to this day to cure various ailments and health disorders. Ginger was described in the Classic of Herbs, a compilation by the Chinese around 3000 BC. Confucius (551 - 479 BC) praised its many benefits. The Greek physician and botanist Dioscorides (circa 40 - 90 AD) wrote about ginger's ability to soothe the stomach. Ginger was also valued by the Arabs and in the Ancient Roman Empire which imported it from Asia. The Romans introduced ginger to various parts of continental Europe and to Britain. The Vikings used it to prevent sea sickness.

Health benefits

Traditionally, ginger has been used to alleviate such health problems as nausea, infections of the upper respiratory tract, digestive disorders, and migraines and was even considered to be an effective aphrodisiac. Applied topically, ginger was used to cure rheumatism, arthritis, minor sprains, and burns.

Ginger contains powerful compounds such as shogaols, zingerone, and gingerols, that are potent antioxidants responsible for the remarkable healing properties of this spice. The rhizome is rich in protein, potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese, vitamin A, and vitamin B6. The ginger rhizome has a firm, but striated texture and a characteristic pungent and hot taste. Its flesh is either white or yellow in color and is quite aromatic.

Modern scientific research confirmed the ancient knowledge making ginger one of the most versatile medicinal plants. Healing benefits include the ability to alleviate or cure following health issues:

• Gastrointestinal disorders such as stomach ache, indigestion, diarrhea, and dyspepsia - active compounds in ginger increase the production of bile, reduce inflammation, and help detoxify the digestive tract.
• Motion sickness and vertigo - various studies demonstrated that ginger is as effective as many over-the-counter drugs. The exact mechanism in not yet well understood, but it is believed that ginger increases stomach acidity balancing at the same time the pressure in the inner ear canal.
• Morning sickness during pregnancy - for thousands of years ginger has been safely used for morning sickness that accompanies pregnancy. Ginger has no side effects and does not cause any birth defects. Practitioners of the Traditional Chinese Medicine, however, advise to use ginger rather sparingly during pregnancy and only to treat the morning sickness.
• Chemotherapy-induced nausea - studies conducted on cancer patients demonstrated that those who drank high protein shakes infused with ginger reported fewer episodes of nausea after their chemotherapy treatments.
• Inflammation - the active compound in ginger called gingerol is characterized by a very strong anti-inflammatory activity. Double-blind, placebo-controlled studies demonstrated that patients suffering from arthritis who took ginger over a longer period of time experienced less pain than those who did not. These patients also reported improved mobility.
• Cancer of the colon - in a study conducted at the University of Minnesota, gingerol exhibited a strong anti-tumor activity. It inhibits the action of a protein involved in the genesis of the cancer cells in the colon, thus preventing the growth of tumors.
• Ovarian cancer - gingerol has the remarkable ability to kill ovarian cancer cells. It induces apoptosis or a programmed cell death of these cells, as well as their self-digestion or autophagocythosis. The studies conducted at the University of Michigan also demonstrated that the ovarian cancer cells do not become resistant to ginger.
• Weak immune system - ginger stimulates thymus gland and increases body's own ability to fight infections. It also has anti-microbial, anti-candida, and anti-parasitic properties.
• Common cold and flu - ginger reduces inflammation, eases congestion, and induces sweating, which helps speed up recovery from infections.
• Pathological blood clotting - studies conducted in Denmark and at the Cornell University demonstrated that ginger is a very potent anticoagulant and is, therefore, valuable in preventing cardiovascular disease. The active compound gingerol has a chemical structure that resembles that of aspirin. 
• Elevated cholesterol - taken therapeutically over a longer periods of time, ginger has the capacity to lower the "bad" cholesterol and reverse the damage caused by diet high in fat, thus reducing the chance of stroke.

Dosage

There is no established daily dose of ginger. The suggested dose is 150 mg of full spectrum ginger extract taken three times a day.

Ginger can also be taken in the form of tea or added to freshly made fruit and vegetable juices and, of course, added to many Chinese, Indian, and Middle Eastern dishes.

A powdered, dried ginger can be used to make a detoxifying, hot bath. Essential oil of ginger may be used topically as analgesic.

When buying ginger, fresh rhizome should be chosen over the dried one. Fresh ginger not only has a better aroma and taste, but it also contains higher levels of the active compound gingerol.

Caution

Like any other plant, ginger may cause allergic reactions. A caution is also advised for those who suffer from gall bladder disease as ginger increases the production of bile. As mentioned before, ginger has blood thinning properties. A caution is advised for those who take blood thinning medication.

By Dominique Allmon

*This information is for educational purpose only. It is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.

Health Benefits of Ginger by Dominique Allmon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://helpyourselftohealth.blogspot.com/.

Lose Weight With Wild African Mango

Obesity is a major risk factor for many diseases including cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and Type 2 diabetes. For many people weight loss has become a necessity. Losing weight, however, proves very difficult at times.

As we age, our metabolism often slows down and it is more difficult to lose weight now than it was when we were in our twenties or thirties. It is important to understand these physiological changes and to adjust our nutrition accordingly. Some people, however, may became either glucose or leptin resistant and need more than a simple adjustment of their nutrition.

There are many products on the market making spectacular claims about weight loss. Some of them have excellent results, while others bring disappointment and may even cause damage to health. Information about weight loss products and dieting is confusing at times and may discourage those who want to lose weight from taking any action at all, especially if they have tried to lose weight before and did not succeed.

A serious research is being conducted all around the world since obesity is becoming an acute problem in many countries. Plants that have been used for weight loss in many traditional cultures are now investigated in controlled laboratory settings. The results are very promising and give hope to countless people struggling with health challenges related to the excess weight they are carrying around.

One such plant is the wild African mango (Irvingia gabonensis) also known as the bush mango or ogbono. Research shows that Irvingia extract  can help overweight individuals shed their unwanted pounds. In addition, this extract can help lower the levels of bad cholesterol.

The bush mango is native to West Africa and grows mostly in Southern Nigeria and Cameroon. The tree produces small fruits that look like mangoes, hence the name. The flesh of these fruits is sweet and juicy, but the natives also utilize their seeds. Just like other nuts and seeds, African mango seeds are high in fat. The oil can be extracted and is used for cooking and in soap making, but more often, the nuts are dried, crashed or ground to a fine flour that is used in local cuisine to thicken soups and stews or to bake a cake called "dika bread". The flour is high in carbohydrates, calcium, iron, proteins, and fiber.

Studies show that the wild mango extract can produce considerable weight loss by inhibiting calorie absorption and storage. The extract exerts potent anti-diabetic effect. It normalizes blood sugar and increases the activity of enzymes involved in cellular energy metabolism. Further, the extract also lowers the levels of "bad" cholesterol, at the same time increasing the levels of beneficial cholesterol in the body. Wild mango extract is also capable of inhibiting the enzyme amylase which is responsible for breaking up the starches into sugar. In this way irvingia extract is useful for dieters who wish to restrict their total carbohydrate exposure. In addition to blocking amylase, the extract acts directly on fat cells in the body. it helps reduce the lipid formation and storage.

What is leptin?

Leptin is a fat-burning and appetite-suppressing hormone. It modulates appetite by sending signals to our brains when we have consumed enough calories. It also enhances the body's ability to utilize fat deposits as energy source.

As we age our cells may become leptin resistant and this hormone loses its ability to regulate body weight. The more overweight we are, the more leptin circulates in the body in attempt to inform the brain that there are enough fat cells in the body and that our food intake is adequate. But because these fat cells are constantly infused with leptin, they lose their sensitivity to this hormone. We develop leptin resistance, or the inability to respond to the satiety signals, and as a consequence are unable to lose belly fat or to maintain optimal weight. This condition is paired with insulin resistance and we develop so called metabolic syndrome.

Seed extract of the wild African mango shows a great promise in correcting leptin resistance. It enhances the breakdown of fat in fat cells and signals the brain to turn on the satiety message. The extract also shows the ability to increase insulin sensitivity and to inhibit amylase - a digestive enzyme responsible for carbohydrate digestion. People who participated in 10-week studies not only lost some weight, but also showed improved blood levels of total cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, and the C-reactive protein.

Dosage

The suggested daily dose of wild African mango seed extract is 150mg taken twice a day approximately 30 minutes before meals. It is best to take the extract before breakfast and before lunch.

The extract is fairly safe and it is often mixed with such nutrients zinc, chromium, caffeine, and green tea extract. The extract will not work for overweight people who consume more calories than they can actually utilize. One cannot irresponsibly overeat and expect to lose weight with pills and potions. No pill can substitute a healthy diet and exercise. And no pill can take away our responsibility for the choices we make.

By Dominique Allmon

*This information is for educational purpose only. It is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.

Lose Weigh With Wild African Mango by Dominique Allmon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Health Benefits of Beets

The beet (Beta vulgaris) is a herbaceous biennial plant in the Amarathaceae-Chenopodiaceae family that is best known in its numerous cultivated varieties, of which the beetroot, or the garden beet, is the most popular.

Medicinal use of beets dates back to Ancient Rome where the bulbous roots and the leaves were used to cure variety of ailments that included fever, constipation, blood conditions and law libido.

The roots come in a variety of colors that can range from deep purple to golden yellow and white. The roots are round or oblong and are attached to purple-green leaves that are rich in vitamins, minerals  and carotenoids and can also be eaten.

Health benefits of beets:

• anti-aging
• hormonal rejuvenation
• antioxidant
• anti-inflammatory
• detoxification and liver support
• digestion support
• cancer prevention
• great source of energy

Beets are a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains. Betanin (which is a betacyanin pigment) and vulgaxanthin (a betaxanthin) are two best-studied betalains from beets, and both have shown antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. They also support the body's own detoxification processes. Although these betalain pigments are also present in such foods as the stems of chard or rhubarb, concentration of betalains in the peel and flesh of beets is the highest.

Beets are an excellent source of folic acid and a very good source of manganese, potassium, magnesium, copper and iron. They also contain high levels of boron which is responsible for optimal levels of sex hormones in the body.

Raw beets are rich in vitamin C, B1, B3, B5, and B6. They are a great source of dietary fiber. 

Betain present in beets helps lower homocysteine levels in the blood and reduce inflammation. High levels of homocystiene are responsible for the development of coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular diseases.

The leaves are rich in carotenoids, flavonoids  and vitamins A and K, and can be eaten raw or cooked. 

Researchers found that the combination of phytonutrients in beets may help prevent a number of cancers including breast, prostate, and colon cancers. They also support healthy vision and overall health of the nerve cells. With an ORAC value of 800 they are fairly good antioxidants.

Although high in sugar, beets do not cause sugar spikes. They have a very low glycemic index which means that the sugar is released very slowly into the blood stream.

Beets are perfect for people who wish to lose weight. They are low in calories and almost fat free. High in fiber, vitamins and minerals, they provide optimal health support. They can be eaten raw, cooked, grilled or marinated.

By Dominique Allmon ©2012

A word of caution

Beets and, especially, the beet leaves, contain oxalic acid that has been implicated in the formation of kidney stones. Oxalates also interfere with the absorption of calcium within the body. 

Individuals with a kidney stones history should eat beets in moderation or avoid them completely.

*ORAC - Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity is a method of measuring antioxidant capacities in biological samples in vitro.

*This information is for educational purpose only. It is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.