Resveratrol has remarkable anti-aging and antioxidant properties. It is an ingredient in red wine.
Resveratrol is most abundant in the skins of red grapes used to make red wine. It slows the buildup of platelets in blood vessels, making them less sticky. This improves blood flow. Resveratrol can slow the growth of cancer, stimulate your immune system, lower inflammation and act as a powerful antioxidant.
Researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston show that resveratrol blocks prostate cancer at every stage. It helps more than a dozen different anticancer mechanisms in your body. What’s more, resveratrol targets cancer cells selectively. It’s toxic to cancer cells but doesn’t harm healthy cells. It also modulates hormones; stops cancer cells from multiplying and can actually destroy cancer cells.
Resveratrol may add years to your life, too. Studies using both mice and yeast show that resveratrol turns on a gene that stimulates a protein called SIRT. The greater the activity of SIRT, the greater the life span of yeast and mice. It turns out that humans can also activate the SIRT protein with resveratrol.
The newest round of studies from the Institute of Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology in France found that resveratrol helped mice run twice as far during exercise. It helped muscles produce more energy, reduced their heart rate and gave them endurance the researchers compared to trained athletes.
What’s more, resveratrol protected mice from gaining weight and developing the symptoms of diabetes and obesity. The benefits included an improved sensitivity to insulin, which is the key to maintaining ideal weight and avoiding diabetes.
A study of men and women from Finland showed that resveratrol is likely to work the same way in humans. “Resveratrol makes you look like a trained athlete without the training,” said Johan Auwerx, one of the lead researchers.
You can easily start getting more resveratrol from your diet. Aside from red wine, blueberries, cranberries, bilberries and red grapes are good sources too.
You can also take a supplement. I recommend a dose ranging from 20 to 50mg daily.
Article source by Al Sears MD
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Bananas are not just for Monkeys any more
Bananas Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout.
No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.
Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS:
Forget the pills -- eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anemia:
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect way to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power:
200 students at a Twickenham school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
Constipation:
High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
Hangovers:
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
Heartburn:
Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
Morning Sickness:
Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
Mosquito bites:
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
Nerves:
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
Overweight and at work?
Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.
Ulcers:
The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
Temperature control:
Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):
Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.
Smoking:
Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
Stress:
Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.
Strokes:
According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine," eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!
So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around.
So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"
No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.
Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS:
Forget the pills -- eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anemia:
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect way to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power:
200 students at a Twickenham school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
Constipation:
High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
Hangovers:
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
Heartburn:
Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
Morning Sickness:
Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
Mosquito bites:
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
Nerves:
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
Overweight and at work?
Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.
Ulcers:
The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
Temperature control:
Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):
Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.
Smoking:
Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
Stress:
Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.
Strokes:
According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine," eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!
So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around.
So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"
Tea is a boon but without milk
Previous studies have shown that drinking tea is a boon for cardiovascular health, but now researchers have found that the beneficial effects of the drink are 'totally wiped out' by putting milk.
German researchers publishing their findings in the online version of the European Heart Journal show that a group of proteins called caseins found in milk prevent the dilation of blood vessels which occurs when pure black tea is consumed.
As a result they argue that those who drink milk with their tea should seriously consider going without on occasion, in order to boost the healthiness of their heart.
'There is a broad body of evidence from experimental and clinical studies indicating that tea exerts antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and vasodilating effects, thereby protecting against cardiovascular diseases.
'As worldwide tea consumption is second only to that of water, its beneficial effects represent an important public health issue. But, up to now, it is not been known whether adding milk to tea, as widely practiced in the UK and some other countries, influences these protective properties. ?So, we decided to investigate the effects of tea, with and without milk, on endothelial function, because that is a sensitive indicator of what is happening to blood vessels,' senior researcher Dr Verena Stangl, professor of Cardiology (Molecular Atherosclerosis) at the hospital, said.
In the study, reported in the European Heart Journal, 16 women drank half a litre of freshly brewed tea, tea with skimmed milk, or plain boiled water. Tests were taken on an artery in the forearm for two hours afterwards.
They showed that drinking black tea significantly improves the ability of the artery to relax and expand -- but adding milk completely blunts the effect.
'We found that, whereas drinking tea significantly increased the ability of the artery to relax and expand to accommodate increased blood flow compared with drinking water, the addition of milk completely prevents the biological effect,' Dr Mario Lopez, who also worked on the study, said.
Stangl also said their findings could also have implications for cancer, against which tea has also been shown to be protective. 'Since milk appears to modify the biological activities of tea ingredients, it is likely that the anti-tumor effects of tea could be affected as well. I think it is essential that we re-examine the association between tea consumption and cancer protection, to see if that is the case,' she said.
Source: rediff.com news, ANI, January 9, 2007
German researchers publishing their findings in the online version of the European Heart Journal show that a group of proteins called caseins found in milk prevent the dilation of blood vessels which occurs when pure black tea is consumed.
As a result they argue that those who drink milk with their tea should seriously consider going without on occasion, in order to boost the healthiness of their heart.
'There is a broad body of evidence from experimental and clinical studies indicating that tea exerts antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and vasodilating effects, thereby protecting against cardiovascular diseases.
'As worldwide tea consumption is second only to that of water, its beneficial effects represent an important public health issue. But, up to now, it is not been known whether adding milk to tea, as widely practiced in the UK and some other countries, influences these protective properties. ?So, we decided to investigate the effects of tea, with and without milk, on endothelial function, because that is a sensitive indicator of what is happening to blood vessels,' senior researcher Dr Verena Stangl, professor of Cardiology (Molecular Atherosclerosis) at the hospital, said.
In the study, reported in the European Heart Journal, 16 women drank half a litre of freshly brewed tea, tea with skimmed milk, or plain boiled water. Tests were taken on an artery in the forearm for two hours afterwards.
They showed that drinking black tea significantly improves the ability of the artery to relax and expand -- but adding milk completely blunts the effect.
'We found that, whereas drinking tea significantly increased the ability of the artery to relax and expand to accommodate increased blood flow compared with drinking water, the addition of milk completely prevents the biological effect,' Dr Mario Lopez, who also worked on the study, said.
Stangl also said their findings could also have implications for cancer, against which tea has also been shown to be protective. 'Since milk appears to modify the biological activities of tea ingredients, it is likely that the anti-tumor effects of tea could be affected as well. I think it is essential that we re-examine the association between tea consumption and cancer protection, to see if that is the case,' she said.
Source: rediff.com news, ANI, January 9, 2007
Sleep and Obesity
We all know the benefits of getting adequate sleep. Two recent studies points out the effects of sleep patterns on body weight.
In one trial, children who slept less than 9 hours per night were three times as likely to be overweight, independent of their level of physical activity. Children with shorter sleep duration were also more likely to be emotionally labile than children who slept longer.
A second study looked at sleep patterns in adult patients with chronic medical conditions. Those who got less than 7 hours of sleep per night were more likely to be obese than those who slept more. In women, sleep that was too short or too long were both linked to obesity.
It is hard to say exactly what the connection between sleep and body weight is. Perhaps poor sleep leads to dysregulation of hunger or decreased levels of physical activity during the day. On the other hand, decreased sleep may be the result of weight gain, causing individuals difficulty in sustaining normal sleep patterns. It is known that overweight adults are more likely to suffer
from obstructive sleep apnea, which can cause severe disturbances that prevent restful sleep.
Sleep is a key factor in allowing the brain and body to function, but how it actually benefits us is still poorly understood. Whatever the mechanism, it is clear that even slight sleep deprivation impairs our cognitive and physical functioning. Sleep is necessary for our bodies to functional optimally. Mental function declines progressively as sleep deprivation continues, and emotional lability likewise increases with a lack of rest.
Children require more sleep than adults because they are growing so rapidly. It is recommend that pre-school children get 11-13 hours of sleep and older children get 10-11 hours per night. Likewise, patients with chronic disease face metabolic and physical challenges that require more energy just to function normally; adults need at least 8 hours of sleep.
But even healthy adults are commonly sleep deprived, increasing their risk of a myriad of health problems including infection, elevated stress, poor cognitive function and depression, just to name a few. Despite our hectic lifestyles, its important to take the initiative and allow your body the rest it requires.
In one trial, children who slept less than 9 hours per night were three times as likely to be overweight, independent of their level of physical activity. Children with shorter sleep duration were also more likely to be emotionally labile than children who slept longer.
A second study looked at sleep patterns in adult patients with chronic medical conditions. Those who got less than 7 hours of sleep per night were more likely to be obese than those who slept more. In women, sleep that was too short or too long were both linked to obesity.
It is hard to say exactly what the connection between sleep and body weight is. Perhaps poor sleep leads to dysregulation of hunger or decreased levels of physical activity during the day. On the other hand, decreased sleep may be the result of weight gain, causing individuals difficulty in sustaining normal sleep patterns. It is known that overweight adults are more likely to suffer
from obstructive sleep apnea, which can cause severe disturbances that prevent restful sleep.
Sleep is a key factor in allowing the brain and body to function, but how it actually benefits us is still poorly understood. Whatever the mechanism, it is clear that even slight sleep deprivation impairs our cognitive and physical functioning. Sleep is necessary for our bodies to functional optimally. Mental function declines progressively as sleep deprivation continues, and emotional lability likewise increases with a lack of rest.
Children require more sleep than adults because they are growing so rapidly. It is recommend that pre-school children get 11-13 hours of sleep and older children get 10-11 hours per night. Likewise, patients with chronic disease face metabolic and physical challenges that require more energy just to function normally; adults need at least 8 hours of sleep.
But even healthy adults are commonly sleep deprived, increasing their risk of a myriad of health problems including infection, elevated stress, poor cognitive function and depression, just to name a few. Despite our hectic lifestyles, its important to take the initiative and allow your body the rest it requires.
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