Blisstree » ~Prevents Other Diseases

Health Benefits of Artichokes

ruth — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:44:01 +0000

I discovered the joy of eating artichokes just a few years ago. I like it best simply boiled whole, and each shell peeled off and dipped in garlicky creme fraiche. Yeah, I know, not exactly the healthiest dip, but as I ony seldom have it, I allow myself such rare indulgences.

Did you know that artichokes are nutrient dense?

Artichokes are an excellent source of dietary magnesium, fiber, and the trace mineral chromium. They are also a very good source of vitamins A and C, folic acid, biotin, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, potassium, the trace mineral manganese, and a carbohydrate that is in the form of insulin.

In addition, artichokes have also been demonstrated to impart a wide range of health benefits:

It is known to positively help poor liver function (thus helping to lower the blood cholesterol), arteriosclerosis, gout, supports the treatment of hepatitis and improves the gall secretions. It can slightly lower the blood sugar, improve the appetite and digestion, is diuretic and may help some migraine conditions (most especially those caused by toxins in the blood). As it helps the body rid itself of excess water and moves toxins it also has the added side effect of an improved skin luminosity.

Wow, what a superfood indeed. Hm, got artichoke recipes to share?

Post from: Blisstree

Health Benefits of Artichokes

Foods Rich in Folate

ruth — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 14:20:23 +0000

Of course, you can always take folic acid supplements, but folate (aka Vitamin B9) is also naturally present in certain foods.

Leafy vegetables such as spinach and turnip greens, dried beans and peas, fortified cereal products, sunflower seeds and certain other fruits and vegetables are rich sources of folate.

Try out this Kale, Sausage & Lentil Skillet Supper recipe. A serving already covers 79% of the daily value!

For a list of food sources of folate and folic acid, check out the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference and this food chart from the Florida Folic Acid Coalition.

Post from: Blisstree

Foods Rich in Folate

National Folic Acid Awareness Week

ruth — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 05:46:16 +0000

It’s the National Birth Defects Prevention Month and Folic Acid Awareness Week.

What’s the connection of folic acid and birth defects? Folic acid is the single most effective weapon against spina bifida, a disabling birth defect which results from the failure of the baby’s spine to close during its first few months in the womb. It is therefore crucial that a pregnant woman takes sufficient folic acid during the first few months or even before conception to reduce the risks of neural tube defects in the baby. Since most pregnancies are unexpected, all women of childbearing age are recommended to take 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid every day.

In addition to preventing spina bifida, folic acid has also been shown to reduce the risk for heart disease and strokes by lowers the levels of homocystein, an amino acid associated with the development of cardiovascular disease.

Post from: Blisstree

National Folic Acid Awareness Week

Health Benefits of Sesame Seeds

ruth — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 03:25:38 +0000

My son had dairy allergies as a toddler. He has outgrown them now, thank heavens, but there was a time when I was looking for alternative calcium sources for milk-allergics and found out that sesame seeds can be a suitable option.

Apparently, not only are they rich in calcium (a quarter-cup supplies up to more than a third of the daily value for calcium), it’s also rich in

calcium, and provides pain relief for rheumatoid arthritis
magnesium, which is important for managing asthma, high blood pressure, migraine attacks, and sleep in menopausal women
zinc, a trace element important for bone health and preventing osteoporosis
phytoesterols (400-413 mg per 100 grams), which help lower blood cholesterol

WH Foods has more about the health benefits of sesame seeds as well as tips and ideas on how to incorporate them into your diet.

Post from: Blisstree

Health Benefits of Sesame Seeds

Folic Acid Lowers Blood Arsenic Levels

ruth — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 01:51:57 +0000

Looks like aside from being crucial in a pregnant woman’s diet, folic acid is turning out to have many other health benefits. In the past, I’ve posted how this compound can

A more recent study also showed that folic acid supplements can dramatically lower blood arsenic levels in individuals exposed to arsenic through contaminated drinking water.

Folic acid increased the methylation or detoxification of arsenic in the body, allowing the body to change some of its more toxic metabolite, or methylarsonic (MMA) acid, to a form that could more easily be excreted from the body, thus lowering the levels of arsenic found in the blood.

Nifty piece of info, just in case you’re suspicious someone’s trying to poison you . Seriously, though, arsenic poisoning is an all too real threat particularly in some developing countries where drinking water may be contaminated with higher-than-acceptable levels of arsenic.

Post from: Blisstree

Folic Acid Lowers Blood Arsenic Levels

Watercress Reduce DNA Damages Leading to Cancer

ruth — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 14:20:27 +0000

Did you know that daily consumption– about 85g daily– of fresh watercress can significantly reduce DNA damage to blood cells due to free radicals, and thus reduce cancer risks? Watercress is a rich source of phytochemicals called glucosinolates, and also contains phenolic compounds and flavonoids.

According to a study published in this month’s American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a watercress diet resulted to

significant reduction in DNA damage to lymphocytes (white blood cells), by 22.9 per cent.
reduction in DNA damage to lymphocytes (white blood cells) when a sample was challenged with the free radical generating chemical hydrogen peroxide, by 9.4%
reduction in blood triglyceride levels, by an average of 10%
significant increase in blood levels of lutein and beta-carotene, which have antioxidant activity, by 100% and 33% respectively (higher intakes of lutein have also been associated with a lower incidence of eye diseases such as cataract and age-related macular degeneration).

For more on the cancer-fighting abilities of watercress, see this list of medical literature on watercress and phenylethylisothiocyanate.

[Photo: Watercress.co.uk]

Post from: Blisstree

Watercress Reduce DNA Damages Leading to Cancer

Folic Acid Supplements May Cut Risk of Cleft Lip

ruth — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 20:10:34 +0000

Expectant moms are always advised to take folic acid supplements, sometimes even those who are still in the planning stage of conception. It has been shown that folic acid is vital during early pregnancy to reduce the risk of the infant developing neural tube defects, such as spina bifida.

A recent study conducted in Norway also showed that taking folic acid supplements in addition to a folate-rich diet also seems to substantially reduce the risk of cleft lip.

Folic acid supplementation during early pregnancy (≥400 µg/day) was associated with a reduced risk of isolated cleft lip with or without cleft palate after adjustment for multivitamins, smoking, and other potential confounding factors (adjusted odds ratio 0.61, 95% confidence interval 0.39 to 0.96). Independent of supplements, diets rich in fruits, vegetables, and other high folate containing foods reduced the risk somewhat (adjusted odds ratio 0.75, 0.50 to 1.11). The lowest risk of cleft lip was among women with folate rich diets who also took folic acid supplements and multivitamins (0.36, 0.17 to 0.77). Folic acid provided no protection against cleft palate alone (1.07, 0.56 to 2.03).

Other health benefits of folic acid supplementation also points to reduction in cardiovascular disease risks, although it doesn’t seem to help those with pre-existing vascular ailments.

Post from: Blisstree

Folic Acid Supplements May Cut Risk of Cleft Lip

Food and Diet at the Medical Blogging Grand Rounds

ruth — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 09:24:13 +0000

I’ve been invited to participate in this week’s edition of the Grand Rounds, a carnival of medical blog entries, and I’ve submitted my entry on 9 suprisingly healthy foods. It’s an edition you readers of Eating Fabulous shouldn’t miss, as this week’s theme revolve around food and diet.

Although all entries beg reading, here are my top picks which emphasize the medicinal benefits of food:

Jolie Bookspan of The Fitness Fixer enumerates food items that may help with hyperacidity and other gastric problems.

Cynthia Sass of The Diet Dish discusses the various health benefits we can derive from brussels sprouts: helps in blood clots, boosts immunity care of the antioxidants, controls blood pressure, prevent certain types of cancer, among others.

Gloria Gamat from Straight from the Doc highlights a study that says people who ate the most fish on a weekly basis were almost 50% less likely to develop dementia or mental deterioration. In the Cancer Commentary, she also mentions the anti-cancer properties of pterostilbene, a derivative of resveratrol found in some berries and grapes.

Hop over to Dr. John La Puma’s summary and you’ll see more entries on diet, nutrition, including recipes and tips.

Post from: Blisstree

Food and Diet at the Medical Blogging Grand Rounds

Medicinal and Health Benefits of Blueberries

ruth — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 10:51:32 +0000

Researchers from the USDA Human Nutrition Center say blueberries rank as #1 in antioxidant activity when compared to 40 other fresh fruits and vegetables, and thus contribute in preventing cancer and other age-related diseases.

Dr. Fuhrman of DiseaseProof reiterates the medicinal value of blueberries:

Like all other foods, the calories in blueberries come from its macro nutrients – 56 grams of carbohydrate, 1.5 grams of fat and 2.7 grams of protein. But it is blueberries’ micro nutrient content that packs the most impressive wallop. Blueberries are packed with tannins, anthocyanins that have been linked to prevention – and even reversal – of age related mental decline and anti-cancer effects.

In addition, a compound in blueberries called pterostilbene has been identified and researchers say it has “the potential to be developed into a nutraceutical for lowering cholesterol“.

The US Highbush Blueberry Council has compiled all the recent research on the health benefits of blueberries. These articles (pdf files) are especially interesting:

Research Excerpts on the antioxidant capacity of blueberries
Research Excerpts on blueberries and aging
Blueberry Composition, including the nutrient content of blueberries, flavonoids, proanthycyanins, blueberry nutrition research

Wondering how to incorporate blueberries into your diet? Personally, I love blueberry jams and muffins (I’m not such a star in the kitchen, so I make do with ready-mix stuff), and I never get tired of blueberry cheesecake! Have a look at these blueberry recipes and storage tips for other creative ideas!

Post from: Blisstree

Medicinal and Health Benefits of Blueberries

Plant Sterol-Fortified Orange Juice May Prevent Heart Disease

ruth — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 13:27:21 +0000

Orange juice is a healthy beverage. Not only is it a wonderfully refreshing and rich source of Vitamin C, it’s also been shown to effectively prevent the formation of kidney stones.

Well some people even made it healthier… by fortifying OJ with plant sterols, and thus coming up with a heart-healthy drink.

Plant cholesterols known as sterols — recognized for their cholesterol-lowering power when added to margarines, salad dressings and other fats — also have been found to be effective in reducing low-density lipoprotein, or “bad” cholesterol” levels, when added to orange juice. Now, UC Davis researchers have found that twice-daily servings of a reduced-calorie orange juice beverage fortified with plant sterols also reduces levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation and an accepted risk marker for heart disease.

The study has been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The beverages used in the study were provided by the The Coca-Cola Company’s Beverage Institute for Health & Wellness. Didn’t say which brand, though, but my guess would be Minute Maid Heart Wise Orange Juice, launched as a heart-healthy juice a couple of years ago.

Post from: Blisstree

Plant Sterol-Fortified Orange Juice May Prevent Heart Disease