The Bloody Beet

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clipped by SenorCoconut Jul 04, 2008

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The Bloody Beet

The ancient Romans were the first to cultivate the beet, although originating from North Africa.

In the 19th century it was discovered that beets could be converted into sugar, and immediately became a prized vegetable. The US, Russia, France, Poland and Germany are the major producers of beetroot today.

The controversial Health Minister of South Africa was nicknamed Dr. Beetroot after promoting beetroot for treating South Africa's AIDS epidemic.

Tom Robbins features the beet in his wonderful novel Jitterbug Perfume: "The beet is the most intense of vegetables. The radish, admittedly, is more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent, not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are deadly serious."

Health Benefits

Beet greens

Beet greens are a good source of calcium, iron, Vitamins A and C.

Beetroots

Beetroots are a good source of fiber, folic acid, manganese and potassium.

Liver detoxification

Beetroot contains the bioactive agent betaine, which supports healthy liver function. When the liver is functioning properly, fats are broken down efficiently, aiding weight loss, and preventing fatigue and nausea.

Cholesterol

Beet fiber has been shown to have cholesterol-lowering capabilities.

Antioxidants

Betacyanin is the pigment that gives beetroot its color, and has powerful antioxidant properties. Studies have demonstrated that red beet products used regularly in the diet may provide protection against certain oxidative stress-related disorders in humans.

Cancer

Preliminary tests suggest that beetroot ingestion can be one of the useful means to prevent lung and skin cancer. Other studies have shown that beet juice inhibits the formation of cancer causing compounds called nitrosamines.

Asparagus Pee

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clipped by SenorCoconut Apr 30, 2008

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Asparagus Pee

Asparagus originates from The Mediterranean, and the Southern and Northern areas of Africa, with Egypt

possibly being the first to cultivate asparagus, where it was valued for it’s medicinal properties. Roman emperors kept an “Asparagus Fleet” of boats for collecting this prized delicacy.

Today China is the world’s largest producer of asparagus, with Peru, United States, Mexico and Mediterranean countries being the other main producers.

Asparagus and smelly pee was first researched in 1820, and the French novelist Marcel Prost famously remarked that asparagus "transforms my chamber-pot into a flask of perfume".

Health Benefits

Calories

Asparagus is low in calories and carbohydrates, and relatively high in protein.

Dietary Fiber

Asparagus is an excellent source of potassium, and a good source of dietary fiber.

Kidneys

A study of Asparagus-P, a traditional herbal medicinal product consisting of a combination of asparagus roots and parsley concluded that Asparagus-P supports kidney function.

Antioxidants

Research of anthocyanins from purple asparagus has proved their high antioxidant activities.

Diabetes

Research at the School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland, has demonstrated that asparagus stimulates insulin secretion, which may provide new opportunities for the treatment of diabetes.

Arthritis

At the University of Illinois at Chicago, the constituents of asparagus were evaluated for inhibitory activity against cyclooxygenase-2, an enzyme that catalyzes the production of prostaglandins, which are responsible for promoting inflammation. When cyclooxygenase-2 activity is blocked, inflammation is reduced. This may be the reason that asparagus is beneficial for the treatment of arthritis and rheumatism.

Diuretic

Asparagus has a diuretic effect, and asparagine, an amino acid present in asparagus may be the source of its diuretic properties, and when excreted, gives urine a strong odor. In another study at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Birmingham in the UK, the pungent urinary odor produced by certain individuals within a few hours of eating asparagus has been shown to be due to a combination of up to six sulphur-containing alkyl compounds identified as methanethiol, dimethyl sulphide, dimethyl disulphide, bis-(methylthio)methane, dimethyl sulphoxide and dimethyl sulphone.

Urine

In yet another study, it was determined that everyone’s urine has an odor after ingesting asparagus, and that not everybody has the ability to smell it.

What Are The Health Benefits Of Green Tea?

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clipped by SenorCoconut Apr 25, 2008

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What Are The Health Benefits Of Green Tea?

According to an ancient Chinese legend, a Chinese emperor discovered tea when leaves from a wild tea

bush fell into a pot of water he was boiling. Green tea originates from China, and is also now cultivated in, India, Ceylon and Japan. It has recently become popular in Western countries where it has been more traditional to drink black teas.

The health benefits of green tea have been extensively researched with thousands of studies archived and new studies continuously been undertaken.

Health benefits

Weight Loss.

Green tea has thermogenic properties (a thermogenic increases the metabolism of the body’s fat), and promotes fat oxidation beyond that explained by its caffeine content. In a recent study of 60 obese subjects, it was concluded that green tea could reduce body weight by increasing energy expenditure and fat oxidation. In another study involving obese subjects, it was found that continuous ingestion of a green tea extract led to a reduction in body fat and LDL cholesterol. The three ingredients in green tea that promote fat loss are catechins, caffeine and theanine that work by inhibiting the enzymes that digest triglycerides, which play an important role in metabolism as energy sources and transporters of dietary fat.

Diabetes.

Consumption of green tea has been associated with a reduced risk for type 2 diabetes, and people who drink green tea regularly are less likely to develop diabetes. The results of a study published in the August 2004 issue of BMC Pharmacology, stated that green tea promoted glucose metabolism in the healthy human participants, providing evidence that green tea has an anti-diabetic effect.

Cancer.

EGCG is the catechin polyphenol in green tea that is thought to be responsible for it’s anti-cancer properties. EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant, inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, with the ability to kill cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. EGCG accomplishes this by inhibiting the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), which cancer cells need to be able to grow, and which happens to be a target of anti-cancer drugs such as Methotrexate. However evidence to date has been obtained only from preliminary trials, and further studies are needed to determine the ability of EGCG as an anticancer agent.

Skin.

It has been suggested that a polyphenolic fraction from green tea may prevent UV radiation-induced skin cancer. There is however insufficient scientific research to back this theory up, and further studies are needed. In a double blind trial of green tea extracts in its role to treat aging skin, participants treated with a combination regimen of topical and oral green tea showed improvement in elastic tissue content.

Tooth Decay.

Several studies have demonstrated the anti-bacterial properties of green tea polyphenols are an effective agent against tooth decay.

Arthritis.

In vitro studies concluded that green tea consumption might benefit arthritis sufferers by reducing inflammation and slowing cartilage breakdown. Further studies are required to confirm in vitro results.

Quality and brewing time are important to derive optimal health benefits from green tea. Mediocre quality tea infused for less than 5 minutes will have polyphenol content 60 times less than a good quality tea brewed for more than 5 minutes.

Celery, Good for Dieting and More

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clipped by SenorCoconut Apr 16, 2008

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Celery, Good for Dieting and More

Celery is a member of the carrot family, and originates from the Mediterranean, and was introduced into the celery

US in the early 1900’s. The medicinal properties of celery were mentioned in the Odyssey, the Greek epic poem written by Homer. In ancient Greece it was called selinon, and was regarded as a holy plant, and the leaves from the plant were used to decorate the winners of the Nemean Games.

Health Benefits of Celery:

In a study of essential oils at the Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California, limonene oil found in celery seed showed high antioxidant activity. Antioxidants act as scavengers of free radicals which cause cell damage in the body.
Researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center concluded that a compound present in celery reduces blood pressure.
Department of Dermatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham concluded that the dietary agent apigenin present in celery might contribute to the prevention of cancer.
In another study of subjects suffering from chronic joint pain such as gout, significant relief was experienced after three weeks of daily intake of celery extract.
Data collected in during research at University of Utah Medical School, Salt Lake City, suggests that incorporating celery and other foods containing the carotenoid lutein in the diet may help reduce the risk of developing colon cancer.
It has been suggested that celery root can be used as a diuretic and is effective for kidney stones, there is however no scientific evidence as yet to support these claims.
Celery seeds are used to make celery salt which is usually mixed with unrefined salt, providing a healthier alternative to table salt which contains aluminum and other harmful additives.
Celery’s high fiber low calorie and high fiber combination making it useful for diets.

Warnings:

Celery seeds or celery seed extract must be avoided during pregnancy as they may act as a uterine stimulant.
Celery root is a frequent cause of food allergy.

Turmeric, the Golden Spice of Life

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clipped by SenorCoconut Feb 26, 2008

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Turmeric, the Golden Spice of India

Turmeric powder is made from the Curcuma longa shrub by fist drying and then crushing the stalk of the plant. Turmeric has been cultivated in Indonesia and India since 3000 B.C. and is an important part of culture in the East. In India turmeric is mixed with lime to make a red powder called kunkuma, and in a paste form, Hindu women apply it as a bindi, a small dot between the eyebrows, which is the area of the sixth chakra.

Curcumin, turmeric’s yellow pigment, has turmeric spice powerful antioxidant properties that protect healthy cells from free radicals that can cause cancer. Extensive research over the last 50 years has indicated the potential of curcumin to not only prevent, but also treat cancer. The anticancer potential of this spice is in its ability to inhibit production of a number of tumor cells. Laboratory studies have demonstrated that curcumin has the potential to fight tumors occurring from prostate, breast, skin, colon, stomach and liver cancers. In a human study involving chronic smokers ingesting turmeric over a period of thirty days, results showed a significant drop in the cancer causing compounds of tobacco smoke.

Studies have shown that curcumin also possesses powerful anti-inflammatory properties, by inhibiting levels of cyclooxygenase-2, an enzyme instrumental in the creation of molecules that causes inflammation. Clinical studies have also suggested that curcumin has a positive effect on rheumatoid arthritis.

Other ongoing research has indicated that curcumin may help in the prevention of heart disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, and the ability to lower cholesterol.

While further human studies are necessary, evidence to date looks promising for the healing powers of this golden spice from India.

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The Bloody Beet

The Bloody Beet

Health Benefits

Asparagus Pee

Asparagus Pee

Health Benefits

What Are The Health Benefits Of Green Tea?

What Are The Health Benefits Of Green Tea?

Health benefits

Celery, Good for Dieting and More

Celery, Good for Dieting and More

Health Benefits of Celery:

Warnings:

Turmeric, the Golden Spice of Life

Turmeric, the Golden Spice of India