A Repost From NaturalNews

Help manage stress, blood pressure with walnuts

Wednesday, October 06, 2010 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer

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(NaturalNews) Nuts in general are a great whole food packed with protein, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, fats and other important nutrients that the body needs to maintain good health. And a new study out of Pennsylvania State University (PSU) further confirms this, having found that walnuts -- and walnut oil in particular -- help to reduce blood pressure, decrease stress and improve cardiovascular health.

Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as alpha linolenic acid (ALA) which are known to help lower bad cholesterol, reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, and prevent chronic diseases from developing within the body. So researchers sought out to see how walnuts fare in dealing specifically with hypertension.

For the study, the team monitored 22 healthy adults with elevated LDL cholesterol levels over the course of a six-week dieting period to see how food affected their blood pressure. They observed that patients who consumed walnuts and walnut oil throughout the study had lower resting blood pressure levels and lower blood pressure responses to stress.

"This is the first study to show that walnuts and walnut oil reduce blood pressure during stress," said Sheila G. West, associate professor of biobehavioral health at PSU and author of the study. "This is important because we can't avoid all of the stressors in our daily lives. This study shows that a dietary change could help our bodies better respond to stress."

Additionally, researchers found that adding flax oil to patients' diets improved artery dilation and vascular health. Together, walnut and flax oils exhibited a significant anti-inflammatory effect as well, reducing both c-reactive protein levels and the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

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Calcium and vitamin supplements reduce breast cancer risk Monday, October 04, 2010 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer

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(NaturalNews) Taking vitamin and calcium supplements may reduce women's risk of breast cancer by as much as 40 percent, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico, and presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

"It is not an immediate effect. You don't take a vitamin today and your breast cancer risk is reduced tomorrow," researcher Jaime Matta said. "However, we did see a long-term effect in terms of breast cancer reduction."

The researchers conducted the study on 457 healthy women and 268 with breast cancer, all of whom had been taking vitamin and mineral supplements for the past five years. The women filled out a questionnaire about which vitamins and minerals they were taking, how regularly they took them, and if they were still taking them.

They then took samples of each woman's blood and measured her DNA's ability to repair itself of damage.

"This process involves at least five separate pathways and is critical for maintaining genomic stability," Matta said. "When the DNA is not repaired, it leads to mutation that leads to cancer."

The researchers found that calcium supplements significantly increased a woman's DNA repair capacity. Taking calcium supplements also decreased a woman's risk of breast cancer by 40 percent, while vitamin supplements decreased it by 40 percent.

Women who had a low DNA repair capacity, a family history of breast cancer, and no history of breast feeding were all more likely to suffer from breast cancer. When the researchers adjusted for calcium's effect on DNA repair capacity, they found little remaining effect on breast cancer risk.

This suggests that calcium helps prevent cancers by boosting DNA's ability to regenerate from damage. The mechanisms by which vitamin supplements protect the body from cancer were not determined.

"The importance of the study is that it's addressing normal doses, the recommended amount of vitamins, not high-dose supplements," said Victoria Seewaldt of Duke University.

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Baking Soda is a Super Household Aid

Saturday, October 02, 2010 by: Alice E. Marson, citizen journalist
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(NaturalNews) Baking soda is a white crystalline powder, known as bicarbonate of soda or chemically known as sodium bicarbonate, and is very versatile and effective, yet gentle, environmentally safe, inexpensive and an economical non-toxic compound. It can be used as a more environmentally friendly replacement for many harsher chemicals. It has such a wide variety of uses in relation to cleaning, cooking, safety, plumbing, personal care products, and industrial uses.

The ancient Egyptians first mined the natural product called natron, which contains mostly sodium bicarbonate. The Egyptians used the mixture as a cleansing agent such as soap. It was not until 1791 in France that Nicolas Leblanc, a French chemist, artificially manufactured sodium bicarbonate as we know it today.
The colonists brought baking soda to America from England. However, it was not produced in the U.S. until 1839, but in 1846, Austin Church, a Connecticut physician, and John Dwight, a Massachusetts farmer, established a factory in New York to manufacture baking soda.

The versatility of baking soda is unsurpassed; it can be used in many areas both inside and outside the house. The following provides a few popular uses:

Fire retardant- baking soda can be used to extinguish oil and electrical fires.
Deodorizer- a box of baking soda in your refrigerator will help to neutralize strong odors. It can also be used to wash out and deodorize garbage cans, and it also controls undesirable odors in the bottom of your dishwasher.
Desiccant- baking soda is a drying agent and can remove excess moisture from your refrigerator, cupboards and wardrobe.
Stain remover- apply a thin paste of baking soda to stains prior to washing - even blood stains.

Degreaser- apply baking soda on grease or oil patches on cement floors or driveways, or on stovetops and barbecue grills.

Blocked or sluggish drains- place a cup of baking soda in the drain followed by a cup of warm vinegar.

Cooking/baking- baking soda is a leavening agent which reacts with acid compounds causing dough to rise. In cooking it acts to neutralize acids, breaks down protein, and tenderizes also.
Cleaning- baking soda cleans bathrooms, carpets, kitchens, glass, ovens, walls and mirrors.

Personal care- baking soda can be used on sunburn, insect bites, dentures, sore throats, acid indigestion, and shampooing.
Insecticide/herbicide- repels ants and roaches. It can be used to kill many weeds.

Baking soda has been a household staple for nearly 200 years.

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A Repost From NaturalNews

Eating nuts lowers cholesterol

Thursday, September 30, 2010 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer

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(NaturalNews) Making nuts a regular part of your diet may help lower your cholesterol, according to a study conducted by researchers from Loma Linda University and published in the hives of Internal Medicine

"Increasing consumption of nuts as part of an otherwise prudent diet can be expected to favorably affect blood lipid levels ... and have the potential to lower coronary heart disease risk," the researchers wrote.

The researchers reviewed the results of 25 prior studies that had measured the relationship between nut consumption and blood lipid levels in almost 600 participants. They found that a diet containing an average of 67 grams (2.4 ounces) of nuts per day led to a 7.4 percent drop in cholesterol levels, as well as a significant drop in triglyceride levels. Higher levels of both substances have been linked to a higher risk of heart disease.

The effect was seen in a variety of nut types. The decrease in cholesterol and triglyceride levels was proportional to the increase in nut consumption.

Researchers do not yet understand why nuts, which can be high in saturated fat, may actually lower cholesterol levels. They suspect that some of the plant sterols found in nuts may actually decrease the body's absorption of cholesterol from other foods.

Various health experts warned, however, that nut consumption should be limited to three ounces per day, due to the foods' high fat and calorie content. In addition, consumers should avoid sugary or salty nuts and instead increase their intake of plain nuts.

"Apart from salted peanuts at the pub, nuts in sugary cereals or the traditional Christmas selection, nuts have been largely lacking in our diets in the UK," said Ellen Mason of the British Heart Foundation.

The study was funded by the Almond Board of California, the California Walnut Commission, the International Tree Nut Council and the National Peanut Board. Lead researcher Joan Sabate is also a member of the Pistachio Scientific Advisory Board and has received an honorarium from that institution.

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Vitamin K helps prevent diabetes

Wednesday, September 29, 2010 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer

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(NaturalNews) People with a higher dietary intake of vitamin K are significantly less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes, according to a study conducted by researchers from University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands and published in the journal Diabetes Care.

Vitamin K, known to play a critical role in blood coagulation, comes in two forms: K1 and K2. Vitamin K1 is found primarily in green leafy vegetables, as well as certain fruits such as kiwifruit and avocado. Vitamin K2 is found in meat, eggs and dairy products, and is also synthesized by the human body. Because the vitamin can be produced by the body and is needed only in small quantities, deficiencies are rare except in those with underlying medical conditions.

In the new study, researchers followed more than 38,000 Dutch adults for more than 10 years, tracking their diet and lifestyle habits and overall health data. At the end of 10 years, they found that participants with the highest vitamin K1 intake were 19 percent less likely to have developed Type 2 diabetes than those with the lowest intake. Likewise, those with the highest vitamin K2 intake were 20 percent less likely to develop the disease than those with the lowest intake.

The U.S. government recommends a daily vitamin K intake (all forms combined) of 12 micrograms for men and 90 micrograms for women. Study participants with the highest intake were consuming between 250 and 360 micrograms per day.

Vitamin K1 appeared to be associated with decreased diabetes risk only at very high doses. In contrast, every 10 microgram increase in vitamin K2 intake led to a decrease in diabetes risk.

The researchers noted that since the study was correlational, they could not show whether vitamin K plays an active role in diabetes prevention or not. They did separate the effects seen from those of age, body weight, exercise and intake of fat, fiber, vitamin C and vitamin E, however.

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A Repost From Kaboodle.com

5 Spices That Can Help You Lose Weight

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Although we’re inclined to scour the Web in search of the best diets and meal plans, the truth is, some of the tools to weight-loss success are already on your spice rack! Here are five ingredients that not only add flavor to your favorite dishes but can help in your battle against the bulge.

1. Cinnamon
A 2003 study published in Diabetes Care showed that as little as one teaspoon of cinnamon per day can boost the body’s weight-loss ability by reducing blood sugar and promoting healthier processing of carbohydrates. It also lowers LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) by seven to 27% and total cholesterol by 12 to 26%. Plus, cinnamon has been shown to prevent the metabolic syndrome commonly seen in pre-diabetics. But before you go on piling the spice by spoonful, note that cinnamon contains a chemical called coumarin, which can lead to liver damage if consumed in very large amounts.

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2. Cayenne
The main ingredient in spicy cayenne—capsaicin, which is also found in other hot peppers—has long been studied for its fat-burning abilities and thermogenic properties (the stimulating of the central nervous system to produce heat in the body, leading to an increase in calorie burning). In fact, Nicholas Perricone, M.D., cites several of these studies in his wildly popular The Perricone Weight-Loss Diet and concludes that capsaicin acts as an appetite suppressant. Many think that cayenne pepper promotes weight loss because it’s simply difficult to overindulge in spicy food. However, later studies performed by the Journal of Obesity also found that the spice increases fat oxidation, “ramps up energy expenditure, and stimulates activity by the sympathetic nervous system”—all which help the body to shed excess weight. Not a fan of fiery cuisine? Not to worry! Research has found that cayenne’s ability to reduce appetite is equally effective whether ingested as food or in capsule form.

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3. Black Pepper
Among the dozens of health benefits of this common household ingredient is its ability to improve digestion and promote the absorption of nutrients in tissues all over the body. Plus, its main component—piperine (which gives pepper its pungent taste)—boosts fat metabolism by as much as 8% for several hours after ingesting it. If you want your pepper to pack the most punch, use freshly ground pepper, which has the most concentrated amounts of piperine.

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4. Mustard Seed
Like the other hot ingredients on this list, spicy mustard helps boost metabolism and allows you to burn fat more quickly, thanks in part to its thermogenic properties. Scientists at England’s Oxford Polytechnic Institute recently found that eating just one teaspoon of hot mustard can “boost metabolism 20 to 25% for several hours after eating, resulting in an additional burn of about 45 calories if a 700-calorie meal is consumed.”

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5. Ginger
Long used for its medicinal properties, ginger is also an effective diuretic (a substance that increases the elimination of urine). It improves gastric mobility (i.e. it pushes food and waste through the digestive system) and hinders the absorption of cholesterol. Although according to the Mayo Clinic, more study is needed, preliminary evidence suggests that this versatile spice helps to increase metabolism.

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A Repost From NaturalNews

Protect yourself from Alzheimer's disease with cinnamon Friday, September 24, 2010 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer

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(NaturalNews) Degenerative mental diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia continue to ravish the lives of millions around the world. And to make matters worse, the financial burden of caring for dementia patients now tops one percent of the entire world's gross domestic product (GDP). But there are ways to help prevent and treat serious mental decline, including simply eating lots of cinnamon.

Dr. Richard Anderson, a diabetes expert from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, discovered several years ago that cinnamon helps to stabilize blood sugar levels by improving the quality of insulin in the body. But more recently, he found that cinnamon also helps to stop the formation of Alzheimer's disease, the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S.

When eaten with food or taken in extract form, cinnamon helps block the formation of "tau filaments" that are associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease. In tests, cinnamon actually disassembled and eliminated these filaments from within cells, effectively reversing the effects of the disease.

So how much is best to take? According to Dr. Anderson, getting 1000 milligrams (mg) of cinnamon a day is optimal. However a recent Fox News report suggests that people might benefit from taking even more. That report indicates that people can take up to a teaspoon a day of cinnamon for good health.

Since cinnamon is a food and not a drug, it is safe to consume even higher amounts than these if you choose. But it is important to obtain non-irradiated cinnamon in order to get the maximum therapeutic benefits from it. If you are unsure whether or not the cinnamon you buy is irradiated, it is best to contact the manufacturer to verify.

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