Outwit Your Bad Genes With a Good Diet

You really can eat your way to better health. Among folks whose genes put them at high a risk for a heart attack, those who ate more fruits and vegetables were half as likely to have a heart attack over a 4 year period as those who didhn't eat much produce. --Time, Oct. 24, 2011.

Suzanne

Research shows apples prevent stroke

by Duke Mansell

(NaturalNews) Strokes can occur at any age but three-quarters strike those over the age of 65. Many people are always on the hunt for the superfood that will protect them from degenerative diseases, and few are as scary as the aftermath of a stroke. If you survive, you are usually left with debilitating health consequences due to lack of oxygen to the brain, which can leave you mild health issues or requiring around the clock nursing care. Fruits and vegetables are staples of health and are sure to assist in prevention, but which are best for people specifically concerned with a pending stroke in terms of prevention?

A recent study from researchers at Wageningen University in the Netherlands published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association indicates fruits with white flesh such as apples and pears can reduce the risk of stroke by 52%. Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the United states with over 143,579 people dying each year. Approximately 795,000 people suffer a stroke annually meaning 650,000 survive their stroke and are left to suffer the post-stroke health conditions for the remainder of their lives. These post-stroke health conditions include (in no specific order): difficulty moving one side of the body and trouble speaking, which cause many mini-symptoms in and of themselves such as difficulty swallowing, aphasia (slurred speech or inability to speak at all), hemiplegia (weakness on one side of the body), or difficulty with bowel and bladder control. Some conditions do resolve depending on the severity of the stroke but worst case scenarios for survivors include loss of cognitive functioning equal to Alzheimer's, inability to walk or use appendages and never being able to speak again. All of these problems can be life altering if they are unable to return to normal post stroke.

This study compared vegetables and fruits of different colors to determine which would be most beneficial in preventing a stroke. The fruits and vegetables were broken down in color into the following groups:
-cabbages, lettuces and other dark green leafy vegetables
-orange and yellow colors, most of which were citrus fruits
-red and purple colors, most of which were red vegetables
-white colors, apples and pears making up 55% of the whites

The follow-up period was 10 years and the researches documented 233 strokes. They observed that strokes were not reduced in any significant manner by consumption of orange/yellow and red /purple fruits. However, vegetables and white fruits were found to lower the risk of developing stroke by 52%. A reduction of this size is significant considering the size of the study included 20,069 adults with an average age of 41 years old (none of whom had any cardiovascular disease when the study began).

Many people base a lot of their fruit and vegetable purchase on the dark colors of leafy greens and fruits because of the knowledge that they contain more antioxidants, but it appears white fruits also play an important part of the puzzle in lowering the risk of strokes. By increasing your white fruit and vegetable consumption by 25 grams there was a 9% reduction in stroke risk. On average an apple weights 120 grams, meaning for every quarter apple you eat you average close to 10% less chance of having a stroke.

These researchers indicated that further studies are needed to verify their work. If apples, pears and other fruits with white edible portions can reduce the risk of developing stroke by 52%, pass the apple pie please.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/art...

http://www.strokecenter.org/patient...

http://www.medicinenet.com/stroke/a...

Suzanne

Apples Lower Bad Cholesterol

Eating 2 apples a day (or 3/4 cup of the dried fruit)lowers so-called "bad" LDL cholesterol 23%, according to a new Florda State University at Tallahassee study.

The pectin (a fiber) and polyphenols (antioxidants) in apples help remove the waxy substaces from the bloodstream before it can accumulate as plaque on artery walls. --Women's World, 10-17-11.

Suzanne

Banana nutrition facts - nine things you probably never knew about this nutritious tropical food

by Tara Green

(NaturalNews) Whether as a quick snack, cut up and tossed in the blender for a fruit smoothie, or used to make quick bread or pancakes, most people enjoy bananas. Bananas are such a staple on produce shelves that most of us don't stop to think about their tropical origins or their many nutritional benefits. Next time you enjoy a banana, consider some of these facts:

1. Hands and Fingers
Bananas do not grow on trees. The banana plant is classified as an arborescent (tree-like) perennial herb and the banana itself is actually considered a berry. The correct name for bunch of bananas is a hand of bananas; a single banana is a finger.

2. Heart Health
One banana contains 467mg of potassium, providing powerful protection to the cardiovascular system. Regular consumption of the potassium-packed fruit helps guard against high blood pressure, atherosclerosis and stroke.

3. Bones
Although bananas do not contain high amounts of calcium, they do supply the body with an abundance of fructooligosaccharide, a prebiotic substance (one which encourages probiotics, the friendly bacteria in the digestive system). As fructooligosaccharides ferment in the digestive tract, they enhance the body's ability to absorb calcium.

4. Energy and Mood Balancing
Another benefit to bananas high potassium content derives from that mineral's role as an energy-supplying electrolyte. Since bananas also contain tryptophan, serotonin and norepinephrine, they help prevent depression while encouraging feelings of well-being and relaxation. In addition, the vitamin B6 in bananas helps protect against sleeplessness, mood swings and irritability.

5. Vision
Bananas, combined with the African herb orinol, have been used to treat cataracts in Nigeria. They also share with other fruits the ability to prevent macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in adults. According to a study published in the Archives of Opthmalogy in 2004, people who eat 3 servings of fruit per day are statistically unlike to develop the vision-diminishing disease.

6. Better Digestion
Bananas suppress acid in the digestive tract, alleviating heartburn and helping guard against ulcers. Since bananas contain pectin, a soluble fiber, they aid in the elimination process, helping prevent constipation.

7. Baby Food
Since they are easily digested, bananas are a perfect food for babies just beginning to move to solid foods.

8. HIV Protection
The Journal of Biological Chemistry in March 2010 published a study which revealed the healing potential of BanLec, a lectin protein in bananas. Researchers found that this protein which binds to sugars can also bind to HIV-infected cells, enveloping them and preventing their replication and transmission.

8. Clones
Due to modern shipping practices, this tropical yellow berry born of a herb seems so ubiquitous that most consumers take it for granted. However, the banana's constant availability could end soon. Nearly all the bananas sold in stores are cloned from just one variety, the Cavendish banana plant, originally native to Southeast Asia. This means disease could potentially wipe out the cloned plants in one fell swoop. Next time you peel and eat a banana, take the time to savor its flavor and texture, so if this fruit disappears, you can tell future generations about the healthy snack encased in yellow flesh.

That potential disappearance does not derive from science fiction speculation. Botanists say it is likely to happen in the next 20 years and in fact it already has happened. At the beginning of the last century, the dominant banana species was the Gros Michel, also a cloned species, which was wiped out by fungus. The Gros Michel was preferred over the Cavendish because it was larger and had a longer shelf life, and, according to old-timer recollections, better-tasting. The Cavendish replaced the Gros Michel after the latter species decimation because, of the over 1,000 varieties of bananas in the world, most do not have an appealing taste. There are the less sweet plantains, and also a variety called Goldfinger which has an apple-like taste.

9. Save the peels
Even the peels of this fruit are useful. Apply the inside of a banana peel to pimples to naturally dry out these skin blemishes. Also, banana peels make a wonderful fertilizer, particularly for roses.

Sources:

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index...

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?...

http://www.naturalnews.com/031308_b...

http://www.naturalnews.com/031024_H...

http://www.naturalnews.com/028206_b...


Suzanne

My wife makes the best fruit salad in the morning with Papaya, yellow and green bananas and mangos.

I pig out. LOL I hope that's not being unclean. LOL

Fruit and Veggie Based Diets Reduce Stroke Risk

by Michelle Bosmier

(NaturalNews) Eating lots of fruits and vegetables helps lower the risk of developing a stroke, a new study shows. The new report comes from a team of scientists at the the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and was published in the "Stroke" journal of the American Heart Association.

Fruits and vegetables help elevate antioxidant levels

Statistically speaking, stroke ranks second among the world leading causes of death, right after heart diseases. The experiments were based on data which shows that diets rich in antioxidant foods reduce the risk factors associated with stroke, by inhibiting the process which causes oxidative stress and inflammation. Oxidative stress is a condition that develops when the human body is unable to counterbalance free radicals or mitigate their damaging effects. It is known to be one of the main causes for various health problems, including diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Fruits and vegetables have a high content of powerful bioactive substances with antioxidant characteristics. Flavonoids, vitamins E and C, as well as carotenoids have free radical scavenging abilities, and will help the body fight elevated levels of oxidants. Moreover, they can also prevent the onset of oxidative stress and related problems.

The research was aimed at investigating the relation between Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) and the development of stroke, in both subjects with a history of cardiovascular disease and healthy patients. Total Antioxidant Capacity measures the total free radical reducing abilities of all antioxidant capable substances in the diet. It takes into account not only the levels of antioxidants themselves, but also the effects of the synergistic reactions between them.

The study was conducted on 31035 Swedish women that had no previous cardiovascular issues, and 5680 women who had such complications. The test group was aged 49 to 83 and was based on the Swedish Mammography Cohort, established between 1987 and 1990. The women's dietary habits were evaluated according to a food frequency questionnaire, which asked the participants to answer how often they consumed certain types of food. Based on TAC levels, the participants were split into 9 groups - 4 groups with a history of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and 5 groups with no previous heart related issues.

More antioxidants equal lower stroke risk

"Findings suggest that dietary TAC is inversely associated with total stroke among CVD-free women and hemorrhagic stroke among women with CVD history," the scientists explained. Data showed that in the healthy groups, the risk of stroke was 17% higher for the subjects with low antioxidant levels.

The major contributors to antioxidant levels were fruits and vegetables (50%), whole grains (18%) and tea (16%). For the groups with a history of heart problems, participants with high antioxidant levels had a 46% to 57% lower risk of stroke, when compared to the participants with low antioxidant levels.

The results show that in all cases, the women with low antioxidant levels are more likely to suffer stroke. Including healthier, natural foods in the daily diet, such as fruits, vegetables, teas or whole grains will help prevent the buildup of risk factors leading to stroke. "Eating antioxidant-rich foods may reduce your risk of stroke by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammation. This means people should eat more fruits and vegetables that contribute to total antioxidant capacity," concluded the science team.

Sources for this article include:

http://stroke.ahajournals.org/conte...

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/art...

http://annals.ba0.biz/content/134/1...

Suzanne

Fisetin from fruits and vegetables protects the aging brain and helps fight cancer

by John Phillip

(NaturalNews) Fisetin is a unique flavonoid compound found naturally in many fruits and vegetables including strawberries, blueberries and the skin of cucumbers. A wealth of scientific research now explains how a diet packed with raw fruits and vegetables can help prevent amyloid plaque formation in the aging brain and can promote the early destruction of cancer cells by triggering the body's innate immune response. Researchers reporting in the journal Neuroscience Letters found that fisetin is neuro-protective and helps to maintain normal memory processes while inhibiting plaque formation around synapses. The International Journal of Oncology has published the work of Chinese scientists documenting how fisetin promotes the natural death of potentially malignant breast cancer cells. Fisetin is rapidly emerging as a powerful tool in the arsenal against a number of diseases associated with premature aging.

Fruits and vegetables in their natural state are typically packed with polyphenols; these polyphenols are structurally bioactive and target specific areas of the body or help to lower oxidative stress and inflammation that is behind many disease processes. The brain is particularly sensitive to stress from a high rate of metabolism necessary to oxygenate and fuel the sensitive neurons that control memory and cognition.

Fisetin Helps Prevent Inflammation in the Brain to Boost Memory and Cognition

Researchers have found that fisetin operates in a very specific pathway to boost nerve cell glutathione levels and to reduce one of the most damaging free radicals, peroxynitrite. Scientists have determined that the natural compound protects nerve cells from damage during stroke, while at the same time maintaining vital energy production in the brain. Fisetin also prevents excess activation of specialized glial cells in the brain that helps deter inflammatory nerve damage, excitotoxicity, and declining neurological health. And fisetin reduces amyloid beta fiber accumulation to improve memory and thwart cognitive decline.

In a separate body of research, scientists examined the effect of fisetin from dietary and supplemental sources on breast cancer programmed cell death. Cancer cells normally are detected and destroyed by an alert immune system response. Inflammatory messengers such as TNFa (tumor necrosis factor alpha) allow cancer cells to become cloaked and invisible to our immune system, which prevents cancer cell death through the process known as apoptosis. Fisetin negates the damaging effect of TNFa, reducing systemic inflammation and enabling the normal immune response.

Many health-conscious individuals may not be immediately familiar with fisetin, although they already consume therapeutic quantities from their healthy dietary choices.
Nutrition experts recommend including fruits such as strawberries and mangoes as a source of dietary fisetin or supplementing with 50 mg per day to boost memory and high-level brain function and to promote natural cancer cell death.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.wellnessresources.com/he...
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/art...
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/...
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/...

Suzanne

Does Asparagus Help with Cancer Prevention?

by Tara Green

(NaturalNews) Contrary to popular internet rumor, asparagus is not a miracle cancer cure. Like most fruits and vegetables, asparagus does offer a plethora of health benefits, including delivering some vitamins and minerals effective in cancer prevention. Ingesting massive doses of asparagus to fight cancer will most likely give you foul smelling urine and it also has some potential for feeding certain cancers.

The Good News

A study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association in 2010 found that vitamin B6 when combined with folate and methionine can reduce the chances of lung cancer by as much as two-thirds. Asparagus contains both vitamin B and folate. (Methionine, an amino acid, can be obtained from cottage cheese, peanuts, beans, eggs, garlic, lentils, onions, yogurt and sesame seeds).

In 2009, researchers in Nanjing, China identified a compound called Asparanin A in asparagus. The researchers found that Asparanin A arrests the growth liver cancer cells and can even cause death in those cells.
Asparagus is the best food source of the anti-oxidant glutathione, a substance researchers at the Institute for Cancer Prevention have identified as effective in warding off cancer. Glutathione is also believed to have anti-viral properties.

Research has shown that chronic, excessive inflammation and chronic oxidative stress heighten the risk for many types of cancers. Since asparagus contains many nutrients, including saponins, which have an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory property, it deserves a place in a healthy diet, along with other vegetables and fruits. The anti-inflammatory nutrients in asparagus make it an excellent dietary choice for people trying to combat diseases such as arthritis and rheumatism. It can also help prevent varicose veins.

Asparagus benefits the body in many other ways. Ayurvedic healing refers to asparagus as "shatavari" which means "women with a thousand husbands." Ayurvedic experts have used shatavari for centuries to treat the symptoms of menopause as well as infertility and loss of libido.

The Bad News

Asparagus contains an amino acid called asparagine. Normal cells generally manufacture this substance, but leukemia cells often cannot and must obtain their supply from adjacent normal cells. If starved of asparagine, leukemia cells die. Elgar, a pharmaceutical prescribed for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), contains an enzyme, L-asparaginase, which destroys circulating asparagine in order to starve leukemia cells. The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians states "Eating asparagus would seem ill advised for people who have cancers that respond to l-asparaginase."

Conclusions

The popular health myth of asparagus as a magical remedy for cancer is unfounded; the prescriptions which accompany that myth for ingesting massive quantities of this vegetable will likely not have the desired effect. Recommendations which rely solely on one food as a supposed miracle cure are based on a mistaken allopathic "magic bullet" concept to the alternative health model.

Alternative health is about balance, not about one single herb, vegetable or fruit with extraordinary properties. Take with a grain of full spectrum salt any health advice which sounds suspiciously like it came from the Lord of the Rings.

Nature offers an abundance of healthy choices for creating health and these foods work in combination with each other, and with a healthy lifestyle. Eating reasonable amounts of asparagus, as part a diet which includes many different fruits and vegetables, will help protect you against cancer, as well as help strengthen the body in other ways.

Certain foods are not advisable for some people, who have allergies and food sensitivities. In the case of those few cancers, such as ALL, which respond to l-asparaginase, asparagus may be a food to limit in your diet.

Sources:

http://www.naturalnews.com/032074_a...

http://www.naturalnews.com/023368_a...

http://www.naturalnews.com/029203_l...

http://www.goodhealthwellnessblog.c...

http://www.cancerdecisions.com/cont...

http://physicianswholisten.blogspot...

http://www.rvita.com/index.php?opti...

Suzanne

More than just vitamin C - Enjoy the health benefits of oranges

by Brett Brown

(NaturalNews) Oranges are one of the most widely eaten fruits in the world. They make an excellent snack, are great for breakfast and are extremely versatile in their many uses in recipes. Oranges are also a very nutritionally dense food that is renowned for its vitamin C content and all the health benefits that come along with it, but oranges have much more to offer than just vitamin C.

Limonoids:

Oranges are an excellent source for a long lasting compound called limonoids. Limonoids are phytochemicals that are abundant in many citrus fruits, including oranges. Limonoids are known to help fight cancers of the mouth, lung, breast, skin, stomach and colon. The limonoids found in citrus fruits can stay in our bodies for roughly 24 hours, and can help to prevent the proliferation of cancer cells for a much longer time than the phenols found in green tea, which remain active in our bodies for 4 to 6 hours.

Herperidin:

Oranges also contain a flavanone molecule called herperidin. Herperidin, possibly one of the most important flavanones in oranges, has been shown to lower cholesterol and high blood pressure in animal studies. Herperidin is also a strong anti-inflammatory. It is important to note that herperidin is mostly found in the peel and inner white pith of the orange, and to gain the benefits of herperidin you should leave some of the pith on the orange while you eat it.

Kidney Stones:

According to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, women, who drank half to one liter of either apple, grapefruit, or orange juice daily, increased their pH level of their urine and citric acid excretion. This in turn significantly decreased their risk of forming calcium oxalate stones.

Cryptoxanthin and Lung Cancer:

A study published in an issue of Cancer Epidemiology: Biomarkers and Prevention, reviewed the dietary lifestyles of over 60,000 adults in Shanghai, China. Those who had eaten a diet rich in the carotenoid cryptoxanthin showed a 27% decrease in their risk of lung cancer. Oranges are an excellent source of cryptoxanthin.

History:

Oranges originated thousands of years ago in Asia from the region of southern China to Indonesia where they were then spread to India. Somewhere around the 15th century, groups of European explorers had found oranges in Asia and decided to bring them back to Europe.

Spanish explorers are responsible for bringing oranges to Florida around the 16th century, while it wasn`t until the 18th century that Spanish missionaries had taken them to California; thus, the cultivation of these fruits that are most widely found in these two states began.

Although oranges are a great source of vitamin C, they are truly much more than that, proving themselves as powerhouses of nutrition. Much can be benefited by eating oranges and their pith regularly, along with consuming some freshly squeezed organic juice!

[Editor`s Note: NaturalNews is strongly against the use of all forms of animal testing. We fully support implementation of humane medical experimentation that promotes the health and wellbeing of all living creatures.]

Resources:

http://www.elements4health.com/oran...

http://www.juicing-for-health.com/o...

http://hubpages.com/hub/Health_Bene...

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?...

Suzanne

Sulfur in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables may hold the key to healing genetic diseases

by Donna Earnest Pravel

(NaturalNews) Our mothers were right. Broccoli is good for us, but possibly in ways our mothers never knew. Health practitioners and fitness experts around the world have heralded the benefits of broccoli for decades. Scientists have long demonstrated the [antioxidant properties of broccoli. Many people know that broccoli is rich in vitamins A, C, and E, the big free radical scavenger vitamins. However, a brand new clinical study was just released in January 2012 which is getting scientists excited about broccoli - and other cruciferous vegetables - again. Broccoli, and similar vegetables like Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower may be able to manipulate human genes. The secret ingredient is sulfur.

Sulfur in glucosinolate induces enzyme expression and activates detoxification

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts have been shown to reduce the risk of several degenerative diseases and conditions. The benefits of a diet rich in these vegetables have been well-documented in the medical literature for cardiovascular disease and cancer. What scientists are excited about now is a unique organic compound called glucosinolate, which is made from several plant amino acids and glucose. Glucosinolate contains high amounts of sulfur and nitrogen.

In particular, the sulfur-containing part of plant cells in broccoli has been demonstrated to be an indirect antioxidant. According to a 2012 study published in Frontiers in Genetics, sulforaphane, as the compound is called, has an incredible ability to get certain enzymes to express. This is done by signaling genes in the cell nucleus. These particular enzymes activate the detoxification and antioxidant process. Over the past ten years, scientists have watched sulforaphane do this in vivo, meaning live, in humans. Sulfur heals.

Sulfur works through redox reactions and altering the cellular environment

How does sulfur work as an antioxidant and detoxifier in the human body? The molecules in sulforaphane work via a process known in biochemistry as a redox reaction. Redox is a nickname for oxidation-reduction reactions. A redox reaction is when two chemical compounds exchange electrons. One molecule gives electrons, while the other molecule receives electrons. This is the chemical reaction which occurs when an alkaline molecule gives negatively charged electrons to acidic molecules in order to neutralize the acid. While many antioxidants do this, sulforaphane also alters the epigenetic endpoints.

The field of epigenetics, the cellular environment surrounding genes, is exploding. This discovery with sulforaphane has tremendous possibilities for people with modified genetics and suggests the possibility that genetic diseases may be able to be corrected. A 2011 doctoral dissertation presented by John D. Clarke for a doctorate in molecular and cellular biology proved that a diet rich in broccoli sprouts was able to prevent prostate cancer. Dr. Terry Wahls, M.D. was able to reverse multiple sclerosis without pharmaceuticals by eating a diet high in organic sulfur-rich foods, including broccoli. Others are experiencing similar results.

Sources for this article include:

Pubmed.gov, "Induction of phase 2 antioxidant enzymes by broccoli sulforaphane: perspectives im maintaining the antioxidant activity of vitamins A, C, and E." S. Boddupalli, et al. Frontiers in Genetics 2012; 3:7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22303412

Chemistry.co.nz, "Redox Reactions: Introduction" http://www.chemistry.co.nz/redox_begin.htm

OregonStateUniversity.edu, "Prostate Cancer Prevention With Broccoli: From Cellular to Human Studies," by John D. Clarke, doctoral candidate for PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology, April 28, 2011
http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu

Terry Wahls.com, "Up From the Chair: Defeating Progressive MS Without Drugs"
http://www.terrywahls.com/

Suzanne