A Repost From NaturalNews

Pistachios increase levels of antioxidants in the blood

Thursday, September 16, 2010 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer

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(NaturalNews) A diet high in pistachios can increase the level of disease-fighting antioxidants in your blood, according to a study conducted by an international researcher team and published in the Journal of Nutrition.

"Our previous study showed the benefits of pistachios in lowering lipids and lipoproteins, which are a risk factor for heart disease," said researcher Penny Kris-Etherton of Penn State University. "This new study shows an additional effect of pistachios so now there are multiple health benefits of eating pistachios."

Researchers assigned study participants to eat four different diets for two weeks each, with a two-week break between each diet. Levels of the antioxidants beta-carotene, gamma-tocopherol and lutein were measured after each step of the process, along with levels of oxidized LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

Because oxidation can transform LDL cholesterol into a form more likely to lead to inflammation and to plaque buildup inside the body's blood vessels, antioxidants are expected to reduce levels of oxidized LDLs and thereby reduce the risk of heart disease.

Participants began the study by eating a typical U.S. diet, getting 11 percent of their total calories from saturated fat and 24 percent from unsaturated fats. This was followed by a cholesterol-lowering Step I Diet, then by a modified Step I Diet in which 10 percent of its calories from pistachios, and finally by a modified Step I Diet in which 20 percent of total calories came from pistachios.

Pistachio consumption was roughly 1.5 ounces per day in the 10 percent diet and 3 ounces per day in the 20 percent diet. While on the 10 percent diet, participants got 8 percent of their calories from fat and 22 percent from unsaturated fats; on the 20 percent diet they got 8 percent from saturated fat and 26 percent from unsaturated fats.

While participants were on the pistachio diets, blood levels of all three antioxidants increased significantly compared to the initial diet. Levels of oxidized LDLs decreased relative to the unmodified Step I Diet.

"Our results suggest that a heart-healthy diet including pistachios contributes to a decrease in serum oxidized-LDL levels," Kris-Etherton said.

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A Repost From NaturalNews

Nutrition discovery: black rice rivals blueberries as source of healthful antioxidants Tuesday, September 14, 2010 by: S. L. Baker, features writer

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(NaturalNews) In ancient China, nobles commandeered every grain of a variety of black rice known as "Forbidden Rice" for themselves and forbade the common people from eating it. Now 21st century scientists have discovered that black rice truly is a treasure -- at least when it comes to nutrition. In fact, a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries, plus the rice bran has less sugar, more fiber and an abundance of vitamin E.

That's the conclusion of Zhimin Xu, Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Dr. Xu just announced his research team's findings at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) being held in Boston.

Many fruits are known to be rich sources of anthocyanin antioxidants and these phytochemicals show promise for fighting heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. But according to Dr. Xu and his colleagues, research shows black rice is also rich in these health-protecting phytochemicals -- so adding black rice bran to the diet or the bran extracts to breakfast cereals, beverages, and other foods could help protect and improve health.

"If berries are used to boost health, why not black rice and black rice bran? Especially, black rice bran would be a unique and economical material to increase consumption of health promoting antioxidants," Dr. Xu said in a statement to the media.

Brown rice is the most widely produced variety of rice in the world. It has a brown color because only the outer husks, or "chaff", are taken off the rice grains during milling. When rice is processed more and the underlying nutrient-dense bran is removed, the result is white rice. If you eat brown rice instead of the white kind, you are making a far healthier diet choice because the bran of brown rice contains higher levels of gamma-tocotrienol, one of the vitamin E compounds, and gamma-oryzanol antioxidants, which are lipid-soluble antioxidants.

A large body of research has concluded these antioxidants can reduce blood levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL, the so-called bad cholesterol) and potentially lower the risk for heart disease. In fact, as previously reported in NaturalNews, Temple University scientists have found that a specific natural compound in brown rice can reduce high blood pressure and protect blood vessels (http://www.naturalnews.com/028705_b...) and Harvard University research suggests consuming brown rice may prevent type 2 diabetes (http://www.naturalnews.com/029143_b...).

As healthy as brown rice is, however, Dr.Xu and his colleagues think black rice may be even healthier. They analyzed samples of black rice bran from rice grown in the southern United States and found it possesses higher level of anthocyanins antioxidants than brown rice bran. The scientists also discovered that pigments in black rice bran extracts can produce a variety of different colors, ranging from pink to black, and may provide a healthy, natural alternative to the artificial colorings manufacturers often add to some foods and beverages. Several studies have found an association between artificial food coloring and cancer, behavioral problems in children, and other health concerns.

Currently, black rice is used mainly in Asia for food decoration and in sushi, noodles, and puddings. Dr. Xu stated that farmers in Louisiana are interested in growing black rice and he is optimistic Americans may soon embrace this nutrient-rich rice variety.

Reposted From NaturalNews

A Repost From NaturalNews

Drinking Coffee can Help Reduce the Risk of Diabetes

Monday, September 13, 2010 by: Mariam Antony, citizen journalist
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(NaturalNews) Coffee lovers across the world have been disheartened by all the bad things that coffee is supposed to do. Caffeine, the major culprit in coffee, is said to cause addiction, dehydration, panic attacks and emotional fatigue. Pregnant and lactating mothers are often advised not to drink coffee at all. However all is not lost! Several studies have found that drinking coffee actually helps in fighting heart diseases, headaches, asthma and Parkinson`s disease. New studies have confirmed that coffee can also help reduce diabetes.

Fumihiko Horio and colleagues at the Department of Applied Molecular Bio-science, Nagoya University found that coffee may help in preventing diabetes. As a part of their study, they fed either water or coffee to two different groups of lab mice that were prone to diabetes. The group that was fed on coffee showed improved insulin sensitivity and they also did not develop high blood sugars. The research which was published in Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that coffee has beneficial effects in fatty liver and inflammatory adipocytokines, linked to a decreased risk of diabetes.

Previous studies have also indicated that drinking coffee lowers the risk of diabetes. In one study researchers looked at more than 28,000 post-menopausal women over a period of eleven years. Women who drank more than six cups a day were 22 percent less likely to develop diabetes compared to women who drank no coffee. The researchers found that the more coffee a person drank, the more beneficial effects it had in reducing diabetes. The study also found that women benefited more than men. The improved levels of insulin sensitivity were present regardless of whether decaf or regular coffee was consumed. This indicates that an ingredient other than caffeine may be responsible for the beneficial effects of coffee.

In another study published in the journal of American Diabetes Association, the relation between coffee consumption and risk of diabetes was studied in 88,259 women aged between 26 and 46 years. The objective was to assess the risk of diabetes on lower levels of consumption of coffee. The study found that the risk of diabetes decreased proportionately with the number of cups of coffee consumed. The risk decreased from 0.87 for women who drank one cup of coffee per day to 0.53 for four or more cups per day compared with nondrinkers. According to the journal, associations were similar between caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee.

Coffee is found to be especially useful in preventing type II diabetes. Type II diabetes starts with the onset of insulin resistance, a condition when the cells in the body show resistance to insulin. Insulin is the hormone which is the carrier of glucose molecules to the cells. The pancreas compensates for this by producing larger quantities of insulin. As cells become more and more insulin resistant, even the higher levels of insulin produced by the pancreas may not be sufficient. This results in a concentration of glucose molecules in the cells and is called hyperglycemia. Prolonged cases of hyperglycemia lead to diabetes.

Diabetes, a lifestyle disease, is a leading cause of death in the United Sates and in the world. Fortunately, it has been found that diabetes can be prevented to an extent by certain lifestyle and diet changes. A combination of healthy diet and regular exercise can often postpone the offset of type II diabetes in most people.

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A simple massage could keep you from getting sick

Saturday, September 11, 2010 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer
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(NaturalNews) Massages are a great way to release tension and stress and promote relaxation. But a new study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine has revealed for the first time that massages also provide a measurable, therapeutic benefit to the immune system as well.

Dr. Mark Rapaport and his team of researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Calif., evaluated 53 people, 29 of which received 45-minute Swedish massages--one of the most common forms of massage used in the U.S.--and 24 who received gentler, light touch massages. Researchers took blood samples at intervals before and after the massages and found that those who received even just one Swedish massage experienced significant, positive changes in blood composition.

"This research indicates that massage doesn't only feel good, it also may be good for you," explained Dr. Rapaport in a press release. "People often seek out massage as part of a healthy lifestyle but there hasn't been much physiological proof of the body's heightened immune response following massage until now."

Besides experiencing a significant increase in lymphocytes, the white cells in the body that help fight and prevent disease, the Swedish massage group experienced lower cortisol levels as well. Cortisol is the hormone released by the adrenal gland in response to stress.

The Swedish massage group also experienced a decrease in arginine vasopressin, a hormone linked with aggressive behavior.

"European-style massage is often used to treat back pain, sleep disorders, and other stress-related disorders," explain Bradley J. Willcox, D. Craig Willcox and Makoto Suzuki in their book The Okinawa Program: How the World's Longest-Lived People Achieve Everlasting Health.

Reposted From NaturalNews