We should avoid cholesterol if we want to be healthy and avoid heart disease, right? Not necessarily. You see, concerning the cholesterol and heart disease, there are thousands of HEALTHY 80+ year old folks with cholesterol levels in the 200’s!
There are many “myths” associated with cholesterol, including:
• High-fat foods and cholesterol cause atherosclerosis leading to the obstruction of blood vessels in the heart
• Lowering your cholesterol will lengthen your life
• Polyunsatured oils are good for your health
• All scientists and doctors support the idea that high cholesterol causes heart disease
• Statin drugs are essential in controlling cholesterol levels and preventing heart disease
Believing all of these cholesterol myths, Americans decreased their intake of good fats and oils (like coconut oil, fish oil, olive oil) and started consuming more vegetable oils and margarine (a trans fat). This diet has CAUSED thousands of deaths from heart disease, as have the statin drugs which supposedly prevent heart disease, but in reality have numerous deleterious effects.
Statins are “HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors”, that is, they act by blocking the enzyme (HMG-CoA reductase) in your liver that is responsible for making cholesterol. There are over 900 studies proving the adverse effects of statin drugs, including anemia, cancer, chronic fatigue, acidosis, liver dysfunction, thyroid disruption, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and even diabetes! Statins have been shown to increase your risk of diabetes through a few different mechanisms. The most important one is that they increase insulin resistance, which contributes to chronic inflammation (the common element of most diseases) and actually *RESULTS* in heart disease, which, ironically, is the primary reason for taking a cholesterol-reducing drug in the first place!
Perhaps most importantly, cholesterol is *NOT* the cause of heart disease. Your body NEEDS cholesterol. What Is Cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that’s found in all the cells of our body. It has a hormone-like structure that behaves like a fat in that it is insoluble in water and in blood. Cholesterol travels through your bloodstream in small packages called “lipoproteins” which are made of lipids (fats) on the inside and proteins on the outside.
Cholesterol plays a critical role in body chemistry. It is ESSENTIAL to our health. When we lower cholesterol, we actually CREATE sickness and disease!
Every cell of the body needs cholesterol to maintain the integrity of its cell membrane. Cholesterol makes the cell membrane more rigid but prevents it from crystallizing. Cholesterol is needed for the liver to make bile; it is the precursor for steroidal hormones (estrogen and testosterone), and in the presence of sunlight, the body can use the photolytic action of UV light on the cholesterol in the skin cells to make Vitamin D, which is essential for our immune system and also maintains the balance of calcium and phosphorus for strong bones and teeth.
Perhaps most importantly, cholesterol is an essential component in the machinery that triggers the release of neurotransmitters in the brain. Mother’s milk is especially rich in cholesterol and contains a special enzyme that helps the baby utilize it. Babies and children need cholesterol-rich foods throughout their growing years to ensure proper development of the brain and nervous system. Cholesterol is very concentrated in the brain, where it contributes to the functioning of “synapses” (tiny gaps between cells which allow nerves to communicate with each other). There is also strong evidence that having too little cholesterol INCREASES your risk for cancer, memory loss, Parkinson's disease, hormonal imbalances, stroke, depression, suicide, and violent behavior.
According to recent research at Harvard, the primary causes of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries which leads to heart disease) are lesions and plaque in the arteries caused by SUGAR which causes insulin to be released. Insulin causes lesions in the endothelium of the arteries that become clogged with cholesterol. So, cholesterol gets the blame, but the real culprit is sugar. So, if you avoid sugar and simple carbs, cholesterol is not an issue.
SOURCE: CancerTruth
Showing posts with label Health Benefits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health Benefits. Show all posts
Friday, October 5, 2012
Cherries Benefits
While sweet cherries may be more fun to eat, the most potent inflammation-fighting cherries are the tart variety. “Anthocyanins” (the phytochemicals which give cherries their vibrant red color) have powerful anti-inflammatory properties since they shut down the enzymes that cause tissue inflammation and pain. (Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology, Sept.-Oct. 2006).
In a recent study, University of Michigan researchers found that giving whole tart cherries to lab rats reduced two common markers of blood vessel inflammation by up to 50%. This not only helps reduce the pain associated with arthritis but also lowers the risk of type-2 diabetes and heart dis
ease. Studies also suggest antioxidant-rich foods (like cherries) may help reduce levels of nitric oxide, a compound associated with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Cherries have a unique antioxidant profile that works similar to some types of pain medication.
Cherries are also one of the only natural sources of melatonin, a potent antioxidant which helps regulate the immune system and prevents cancer. And if that’s not enough reasons to have a bowl of cherries, they are also well known to help reverse gout (a condition caused by too much uric acid circulating in the blood), reduce body fat, and lower cholesterol.
According to these recent studies, perhaps the old saying, “life is like a bowl of cherries” should be changed to “a healthy life depends upon a bowl of cherries.”
SOURCE: CancerTruth
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Top 10 GMO Foods to Avoid
1. Zucchini: It goes without saying that many biotech companies say genetically modified foods are safe for you, but as GMO science expands, reseachers are finding more evidence that such foo
ds can harm your health. One of those is zucchini. While not as potentially harmful as other GM foods, zucchini is nonetheless “engineered” to resist some strains of virus.
2. Cotton: Considered a food item because its oil can be consumed, cotton – in particular, genetically modified Bt cotton, common to India and China – has damaging consequences. According to recent Chinese research, while Bt cotton is capable of killing bollworms without the use of insecticides, its decreased use has increased the presence of other crop-harming pests. Also, Bt cotton production has been linked to drastic depletion of soil nutrients and lower crop yields, as well as much higher water requirements.
3. Canola: This is probably one of the most misunderstood, misguided “healthy” food choices out there right now, but there is little about canola – and similar oils – that is good for you. Extracted from rapeseed, canola oil and others must be chemically removed from the seeds, then deodorized and altered, in order to be utilized in foods. They are among the most chemically altered foods in our diets.
4. Aspartame: An artificial sweetener found in a number of products, aspartame – discovered by accident in 1965 by a chemist testing an anti-ulcer drug – accounts for as many as 75 percent of adverse reactions to food additives reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to some reports. Some seizures and even some deaths have been blamed on aspartame.
5. Dairy: A disturbingly high number – as many as one-fifth – of dairy cows in the U.S. today are given growth hormones to increase milk production, a figure that has been rising since the FDA approved a genetically engineered recombinant bovine growth hormone known as rbGH or rbST for use in dairy cows in 1993. While said to boost production by 5-15 percent, scientists have expressed concern that the increased levels of IGF-1 (insulin growth factors-1) from hormone-treated cows may boost the risks of colon and breast cancer. Since 2008, Hiland Dairy has stopped using milk from dairy farmers who inject their cows with growth hormone.
6. Corn: Modified now to create its own insecticide, as many as half of all U.S. farms growing corn for Monsanto are using genetically modified corn, with tons of it now being introduced for human consumption, according to the FDA. Doctors at Sherbrooke University Hospital in Quebec recently found Bt toxin from modified corn in the blood of pregnant women and their babies, as well as in non-pregnant women.
7. Papayas: Genetically modified papayas have been grown in Hawaii commercially since 1999, designed to combat the Papaya Ringspot Virus. Approved for sale and consumption in the U.S. and Canada, GM papayas cannot be imported or sold in the European Union.
8. Sugar: Sugar from genetically modified sugar beets hit the market in the U.S. in 2009. They were modified by the Monsanto Corporation to be resistant to the company’s Roundup herbicide. In 2010 a group of Oregon farmers sued to stop planting that year of Monsanto’s genetically altered sugar beets over fears the crops could cross-contaminate other nearby fields.
9. Soy: Like other foods, soy, too, has been genetically modified to resist herbicides. Soy is included in soy flour, tofu, soy beverages, soybean oil and scores of other products, especially baked goods and pastries. According to one report, “[a]fter feeding hamsters for two years over three generations, those on the GM diet, and especially the group on the maximum GM soy diet, showed devastating results. By the third generation, most GM soy-fed hamsters lost the ability to have babies. They also suffered slower growth, and a high mortality rate among the pups.”
10. Yellow squash Like zucchini, yellow squash is also a fast-rising GMO crop in the U.S., and as such, should cause you concern. If you like squash – and scores of Americans do – check out a farmer’s market that doesn’t sell GMO squash or grow your own using non-modified seed.”
Source: Rawforbeauty
Dave Sommers
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Health Benefits of Blood Oranges
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is the main reason (apart from the fact that blood oranges are just so damn tasty!) that you will want to eat blood oranges. Since blood oranges are citrus fruits, they are a very good source of Vitamin C, also recognized as ascorbic acid. In the past, sailors who had the disease known as scurvy were cured by eating lots of oranges. In terms of health benefits, vitamin C is an antioxidant required for a large number of metabolic functions in the human body, and can aid in repairing tissues and ensuring healthy gums. Another one of the health benefits of Vitamin C is that it aids in healing wounds and shows benefits on the adrenal gland function. Vitamin C is not produced by the human body and therefore must be produced by our diet. Two blood oranges are more than enough to comply with the recommended daily intake of vitamin C.
Folic Acid
This is also known as Vitamin B9. Studies show that folic acid helps against some cancers and heart disease. It is generally recommended for pregnant women before conception as folic acid is vital for forming red blood cells in the body, and thus prevents birth defects. Experts also claim that it helps to lower blood vessels. Through blood oranges alone, eating just one or two will not be enough to reach the recommended daily amount of folic acid. Either eat other fruits, or you will need to eat around five to six blood oranges.
Anthocyanins
Blood oranges’ red pigmentation contains anthocyanins, which are basic natural compounds that give color to fruits, plants and vegetables. Nutrition experts believe that anthocyanins have anti-inflammatory properties that affect the collagen, and are also good for preventing cancer, diabetes and bacterial infections, as well as reducing the risk of heart disease. Studies show that they also help against illnesses that come with age. Another one of the health benefits of blood oranges is that they help to defend blood vessels from oxidative damage. In addition, they help prevent LDL cholesterol accumulation. In general, the anthocyanin in blood oranges will help the body heal itself.
Calcium
Calcium helps with bones and teeth. It gives bones strength. Since most of our bodies stand in place due to our bones, calcium is an absolutely vital mineral. Blood Oranges contain some calcium and are thus a good source of this mineral.
Vitamin A
This is another absolutely necessary vitamin for the body. One of the main health benefits of Vitamin A is that it maintains health of certain tissues like the retina. It helps in growth and keeps the skin healthy and promotes regular development of skeletal tissue and teeth.
In short: It really is the crimson tint that really makes blood oranges healthy. Just think about it, these fruits are grown in the volcanic atmosphere of Mount Etna in Sicily. This is what has given them such high levels of antioxidants, which gives them these unique health benefits that are simply not found in normal oranges.
Benefits of Nopal Cactus
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| Photo Credit prickly pear cactus image by Jan Ebling from Fotolia.com |
Nopal cactus, also known as Opuntia ficus-indica or more commonly, prickly pear, is found along U.S. roadsides in the desert southwest and throughout its native Mexico. It's used in Mexican cuisine, it's added to plaster as a hardener and it has long been regarded as a medicinal plant among the indigenous people of the Americas. Nopal is also gaining popularity in the U.S. for its health benefits, including the promise for treating inflammation and disease.
Antioxidant
The stems and fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica contain eight flavonoids, which have antioxidant properties. They're also high in vitamin C, and a study in the August 2004 "Journal of Clinical Nutrition" reported on a comparison between vitamin C and prickly pear fruit to see if there were differences in antioxidant potency. Although both decreased oxidative damage to lipids and improved antioxidant status in healthy humans, only the prickly pear fruit significantly affected body oxidative stress.
Inflammation
Ethanol extracts from prickly pear cactus fruit and stems were prepared and used to evaluate the pharmacological activities of the plant. The Korean study found that both extracts suppressed paw edema in laboratory animals and had a potent inhibitory effect against leukocyte migration, which is an important mechanism in the development of inflammatory diseases.
Cholesterol
In studies led by Dr. Maria L. Fernandez in California and published in the "Journal of Nutrition," prickly pear pectin decreased LDL concentrations and led to a 28 percent drop in total cholesterol levels. Furthermore, Mexican researchers found that animals fed raw nopal had lower weight gains and a 34 percent reduction in LDL cholesterol levels.
Diabetes
Nopal has been studied for its effects on blood sugar levels, with one study published in the "Journal of Ethnopharmacology" in 1995 finding the cactus extracts caused a significant decrease in blood glucose values by almost 18 percent. The Calzada Tecnologico in Baja California also discovered that adding nopal to traditional high-carbohydrate Mexican meals among patients with Type 2 diabetes induced a reduction in glucose concentration after the meal.
Ulcers
The Opuntia ficus indica (nopal) cactus has been used in Sicily folk medicine for years to treat gastric ulcers. Italian scientists pre-treated laboratory animals with nopal before inducing gastric ulcers and found that the pre-treatment provided a protective action against the ulcers, most likely from the mucilage present in the plant.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/115063-nopal-cactus-health-benefits/#ixzz284NUDHe5
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