Tuesday, 2 January 2018
Monday, 25 December 2017
Wednesday, 22 November 2017
WHAT ARE FREE RADICALS AND ANTIOXIDANTS
If you're wondering why there
seems to have been an influx of health and wellness products emphasising their
antioxidising properties in the past few years, you're probably not alone.
And though it may seem like a
clever marketing ploy to get you in a panic, oxidation in your body has
dangerous effects and enriching your diet with foods and supplements to aid
your body's antioxidising efforts is important.
Related: Antioxidants
The bad guys at the root of it
all are free radicals that are the result of natural biochemical reactions but
which can also be generated by drinking alcohol, smoking, eating fried foods,
and exposure to air pollutants and pesticides.
Although free
radicals are naturally occurring in our bodies, they can cause major damage because when they
latch onto healthy cells, they compromise their normal functions through the
process of oxidation.
And because free radical
reactions (oxidation) in our bodies can lead to the deterioration of healthy
cells that in turn lead to degenerative diseases including
various cancers, it's important to decrease your exposure to
free-radical-generating substances as well as increase your body's chances of
fighting their harmful effects with, you guessed it, antioxidants!
It's important to note,
though, that your body needs a balance of free radicals and antioxidants to
function, so you can't and shouldn't eat with the aim of completely ridding
your body of the former.
Monday, 20 November 2017
ADAPTOGENS: WHAT ARE THEY?
We’re all under stress, whether at home or at work or due to illness. So
who wouldn’t like to find something that could boost resistance to the adverse
effects of stress?
A wide variety of herbal compounds are touted for their ability to help the body respond to or recover from physical or psychological stress, as well as for bolstering immunity and general well-being. One group of them is called adaptogens, a term coined in the early 1960s by Israel Brekhman, a Russian scientist.
A wide variety of herbal compounds are touted for their ability to help the body respond to or recover from physical or psychological stress, as well as for bolstering immunity and general well-being. One group of them is called adaptogens, a term coined in the early 1960s by Israel Brekhman, a Russian scientist.
The concept of adaptogens was based in part on a
theory of stress called the “general adaptation syndrome,” proposed by an
Austrian endocrinologist, Hans Selye. This basically holds that stress causes
the body to go through three stages—preparing for fight or flight, adapting to
the stress, and then exhaustion if the stress is long-lasting. Adaptogens are
supposed to be a kind of general restorative tonic that counters the effects of
stress, normalizes bodily functions, and helps the body heal itself.
Though not accepted by mainstream Western
medicine, the concept that adaptogenic herbs can boost strength and vitality is
integral to traditional Eastern medicine. As such, these herbs are often
promoted as virtual cure-alls—“magic” or “miracle” remedies for everything from
boosting mental attention and physical endurance to preventing a host of
diseases. (Dr. Oz, in his typical pie-in-the-sky manner, titled
one of them a “miracle pill for anti-aging.”) Even one supplement industry group, while praising adaptogens as
“powerhouses,” warns that the marketing claims for adaptogens often are
exaggerated, misrepresent the research, or are “pure fantasy.”
As with most herbs, there are few well-designed
human studies on adaptogens. Moreover, the studies, many of them done in China
or India, often use mixtures of herbs, so it’s impossible to know what is
having an effect, if there is one.
One key problem is the variability of the herbs.
Different species or varieties have different compounds and biological
properties, and different parts of the plant (roots, leaves, stems) also
contain varying chemicals. How the herbs are processed affects their biological
activity as well. Moreover, it’s hard to study the many vague claims. How, for
instance, do you measure increased “well-being” or “vitality”? Plus, it’s hard
to know what you’re really getting in the bottles, since there is little meaningful regulation of dietary supplements.
That said, here are seven of the most popular
adaptogens. Their potential adverse effects are grouped together at the end.
Saturday, 18 November 2017
ANTIOXIDANTS
Check out this video with some great antioxidant containing foods to boost your health.
Thursday, 16 November 2017
EIGHT FOODS THAT FIGHT ACHES AND PAINS
You know that taking certain
supplements can help to combat aches and pains caused by arthritis and
other conditions, but did you know that some foods have painkilling and
anti-inflammatory properties?
Here are eight foods you might want to put on your plate if you suffer from chronic pain...
Here are eight foods you might want to put on your plate if you suffer from chronic pain...
Turmeric
A spice commonly used in Indian
cooking, turmeric contains the chemical curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory
properties and can help ease the pain of osteoarthritis and regulate the body's
immune response, reducing the inflammation associated with rheumatoid
arthritis.
Extra-virgin olive oil
Extra-virgin olive oil
You already know the benefits of
the Mediterranean diet. As well as helping you to live longer, it seems that
enjoying a diet high in olive oil could help to manage your pain.
Extra-virgin olive oil contains a natural phenolic compound called oleocanthal, which prevents the production of pro-inflammatory COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes. This reduces inflammation and eases pain, much in the same way that ibuprofen works. Extra-virgin olive oil from Tuscany is said to have the highest oleocanthal levels.
Extra-virgin olive oil contains a natural phenolic compound called oleocanthal, which prevents the production of pro-inflammatory COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes. This reduces inflammation and eases pain, much in the same way that ibuprofen works. Extra-virgin olive oil from Tuscany is said to have the highest oleocanthal levels.
Pomegranates
Pomegranates
might not be something you think to eat every day, but you might want to give
them a go if you suffer with chronic pain. The seeds of the fruit contain
anthocyanin antioxidants, which reduce inflammation, and ellagitannin
antioxidants, which studies show are effective at treating pain.
Friday, 10 November 2017
QUICK GUIDE TO OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS
You’ve heard
us tout the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids for years, from their ability to
boost your brainpower to their knack for protecting your ticker. But what
exactly are these fats, and what’s their big lifesaving secret? Consider this
your quick guide to omega-3s:
What
Are They?
Here’s a quick science primer: Omega-3 fatty acids and their cousins,
omega-6s and omega-9s, are polyunsaturated fats. Two polyunsaturated
fats—linoleic, an omega-6, and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3—are
considered essential. “Our bodies can’t make polyunsaturated fatty acids,” says
Stephen Smith, Ph.D, a professor of meat science at Texas A&M University.
“We must have those in the diet for growth and normal health.”
Two important omega-3s found in fish—eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)—are considered conditionally essential. The hitch:
Your body can make them, but sometimes you don’t make enough.
Related: Omega Fatty Acids - 7 Myths Debunked
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