Showing posts with label vitamin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vitamin. Show all posts

April 22, 2010

Health Benefits of Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is a species of plants that grow in arid climates in Africa, India, an other arid places. The leaf juices of the aloe plant has important medicinal properties and is commonly found in many gels, creams and lotions. It can be used on the skin to heal wounds, especially first and second degree burns, and to treat sunburn. It has compounds that work together to decrease and prevent inflammation and control pain. It also stimulates collagen synthesis and skin regeneration. It has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties to help prevent wound infections. It also contains vitamins and amino acids that help to repair damaged tissues.

Aloe vera extracts are also useful at improving glucose levels in diabetics and treating elevated blood lipids. It is non-toxic and has no known side effects.

April 14, 2010

Milk Away Fibroids

Uterine fibroids are solid muscle tissue growths that are in the uterus. The cause of them are unknown but estrogen promotes their growth. They are not cancerous and are malignant, so they do not spread to other parts of the body. A recent study has shown that women who have four or more daily servings of dairy are 30 percent less likely to develop fibroids than women who have less than one per day. Nutrients, such as calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorus help to maintain normal cell division, which might protect the body against fibroids.

January 23, 2010

Health Benefits of Vitamin K

Vitamin K is a fat soluble vitamin that helps to protect bones from fracture, calcification of arteries, and helps blood to clot normally. Vitamin K is not a single chemical substance. It is a family of related chemical substances that go by the name of “vitamin K.” It helps the body transport calcium and metabolize into your skeleton. It increases bone mineral density and reduces fracture. It also lowers the risk of liver and prostate cancer.

Vitamin K is best known for its role in healthy blood clotting. It is important for the function of several proteins involved in the blood clotting process. In the blood clotting process, it is important in the product of prothrombin and is required for the body to make four of the body's blood clotting factors, mainly prothrombin and the factors VII, IX, and X.

Sources of vitamin K include spinach, Brussels sprouts, Swiss chard, green beans, asparagus, broccoli, kale, mustard greens, carrots, green peas, and cauliflower. Vitamin K deficiency is rare due to bacteria synthesis in the body.

October 17, 2009

Health Benefits of Avocados

Avocados are a fruit that are very rich in nutrients. They can grow in many different locations but are native to the Mesoamerican region. They contain folate, which helps to prevent heart disease, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease. Folate also reduces the risk of certain birth defects, such as spina bifida, and is good for healthy cell and tissue development. They contain vitamin E, which is good at slowing down the aging process and protecting the body against heart disease and some forms of cancer.
Avocados even contain a toxin that can kill cancer cells. They contain monounsaturated fat, which lowers bad cholesterol and raises good cholesterol. Monounsaturated fat is also good for cognitive and visual development. They contain lutein, which protects the body against prostrate cancer and certain eye diseases, such as cataracts and macular degeneration. The fruit can also be used to treat skin disorders and to heal people who suffer from digestive and circulatory problems. They are high in oleic acid, which is good for preventing breast cancer.

Avocados contain many minerals that are important for good health. They contain potassium, calcium, vitamin C and K, folic acid, copper, sodium, and dietary fibers. Potassium is good for regulating blood pressure. Sodium is good for reducing the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.

June 24, 2009

Health Benefits of Strawberries

Strawberries are a fruit that is commonly eaten and has a lot of health benefits. It is rich in the antioxidants called anthocyanin and ellagitannin. Anthocyanins help to reduce inflammation, protect cell structures in the body, and prevent oxygen damage to the body's organ systems. Ellagitannins are effective at fighting cancer cells, especially colon and cervical cancer. Strawberries can be used to clean and whiten teeth and to freshen breath. The peak season for ripeness is between April and July.

Strawberries are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, folic acid, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, copper, magnesium, folate, and omega-3 fatty acids. Strawberries have more vitamin C in them per serving than oranges. Vitamin C is important because it helps the brain to function properly and helps the body to rebuild blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, and bones. It also helps to keep blood pressure low. One serving of strawberries has 210 mg of potassium, which is a mineral that helps to regulate the electrolytes in the body and lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. Strawberries are also high in folate, which are important when it comes to the manufacturing of red blood cells.

April 2, 2009

The Benefits of Olive Oil

Olive oil can have a positive effect on blood cholesterol levels, heart disease, skin cancer, earaches, constipation, colon cancer, upset stomach, dry skin, and stretch marks. It also contains vitamins E, K, A and hundreds of micronutrients. Many of its health benefits are due to its high amount of monounsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, and moisturizing properties.

Olive oil has a positive effect against heart disease by controlling LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and increasing HDL (good) cholesterol levels. It is good at activating the secretion of bile and pancreatic hormones and lowering the chance of the formation of gallstones. When it is taken orally, it can increase metabolism, help digestion, and lubricate mucous membranes. Putting extra virgin olive oil on skin after sunbathing can help to prevent skin cancer.

March 26, 2009

Natural Ways to Cure Coughs

There are ways to cure coughs without taking medications. The use of dark chocolate, honey, and vitamin C are a few natural ways to cure coughs.

Dark chocolate can help coughs. It has a compound called theobromine that is better than codeine at suppressing coughs without the side effects of drowsiness and constipation. Theobromine has an affect on the vagus nerve, which is responsible for coughing.

Honey can help coughs and works better than cough suppressants for relieving night time coughs and helping to fall asleep. It is assumed that honey works by soothing the throat and stimulating saliva, which calms the coughing reflex. It is found that darker honeys are preferred because they have more antioxidants in them than lighter color honeys. It is not recommended to give honey to children younger than one year old due to the risk of botulism spores.

Vitamin C can help coughs by boosting the immune system at the early stages of a cough. It also reduces inflammation and controls histamines to help stop coughs.

October 14, 2008

Pediatricians Double Vitamin D Recommendation

The American Academy of Pediatrics has doubled its recommendation for the daily dose of vitamin D that children should take to try to prevent diseases, such as rickets, and they say that this decision could have life-long benefits. It is now recommended that children receive 400 international units of vitamin D per day, starting in the few days of their life.

Not getting enough vitamin D can result in the disease rickets, which causes bone-softening, stunted growth, and skeletal deformities if it is not corrected while the child is young. Babies that are breast-fed have a big risk of being vitamin D deficient but these babies can be given supplements of the vitamin.

Good sources of vitamin D include exposure to sunlight, vitamin D fortified milk, fortified cereals, tuna, mackerel, and sardines.

September 21, 2008

Cooking Oils that are Healthy for You

There are oils used for cooking that are healthy to use when preparing meals. These oils have less fat and reduces the risk of developing heart disease. It is good to use olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, walnut oil, and flaxseed oil when preparing meals.

Olive oil has a high amount of monosaturated fats and polyphenols, which are antioxidants that have inflammatory and anticlotting properties. This oil can lower the risk of heart disease, reduce the chances of cancer and diabetes, and can help a person to lose weight. A diet that is rich in olive oil may have pain-relieving properties that are similar to taking a low-dose baby aspirin each day.

Canola Oil has a low level of unhealthy saturated fats and is a good source of alpha-linolenic acid, which is an omega-3 fatty acid that is healthy for the heart. This oil can also reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

Peanut oil is very effective for a healthy heart. The oil contains resveratrol, which is an antioxidant that has been found to reduce the risks of cancer and heart disease.

Sesame oil is very healthy. It is a good source of vitamin E, magnesium, copper, calcium, iron , and vitamin B. The oil contains sesamin and sesamolin, which both have been known to lower cholesterol and protect the liver.

Walnut oil and flaxseed oil are both high in omega-3 fatty acids. Flaxseed has the highest amount of omega-3s out of all non-fish foods and the oil also contains lignans, which are chemicals that could help to prevent cancer.

July 9, 2008

Cut Cancer Risks With Leafy Vegetables

It is found that leafy green vegetables are rich in vitamins A and C and rich in flavonoids, which all can help to protect the body against cancer. A study was done by researchers that found that adults who ate one serving of leafy vegetables each day were half as likely to develop lung cancer when compared to people who ate them less than five times each week.

July 8, 2008

Natural Ways to Treat Migraines

There are several ways to effectively treat migraine symptoms naturally without using prescription medications. There is an extract of the butterbur plant that can reduce the number of migraines a person gets when it is used regularly. The vitamin B2 can reduce the frequency and length of time a person suffers from a migraine when 400mg of it is used each day.

Acupuncture and biofeedback can also be very helpful. Having acupuncture done twice each week can help to prevent migraine symptoms and biofeedback can reduce migraines by 56 percent.

June 5, 2008

Save Your Skin With Antioxidants

Antioxidants are very important in achieving healthy skin. They work by turning free radicals into benign compounds and stop them from causing inflammation, DNA mutation, and loss of collagen. They can help to prevent wrinkles, spots, and possibly skin cancer. Green Tea, Vitamin C, Idebenone, Pomegranate, and CoffeeBerry are all rich in antioxidants.

Green tea is made from the steaming and drying of fresh leaves. The antioxidant properties in it are preserved very well. It is 100 times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times more effective than vitamin E at neutralizing free radicals. It also protects against DNA damage that is caused by the sun.

Vitamin C is an effective antioxidant source. Increasing the amount of vitamin C in the diet can repair some signs of aging on the skin. It does this because it plays apart in the metabolism of collagen. Vitamin C can also produce free radicals by itself.

Idebenone is an antioxidant that is a little different than others because instead of canceling out one free radical per molecule, it can cancel out multiple free radicals or stop them from forming. This would cause the skin to be protected longer and decrease fine lines and wrinkles.

Pomegranate is a fruit that is high in polyphenol, which makes the cell membrane stronger and less prone to damage and loss of moisture. This would help the skin stay hydrated and moist longer and help to prevent premature wrinkles. It can also help to prevent skin cancer because there is an extract in it that has been proved to prevent skin tumors and increases the effectiveness of sunscreen.

CoffeeBerry is the extract of the cherries of the coffee plant. It is considered to have the most potent mixture of natural antioxidants and is able to neutralize a wide variety of free radicals. It can also reverse some signs of UV damage and is good at decreasing fine lines and wrinkles. Dermatologists say that it can help with skin pigmentation problems, such as dark spots, red spots, and rosacea.

May 7, 2008

Medication for Ex-Smokers

There is a new medication that was made originally for people with acne problems that can help people that used to smoke by reducing their lung cancer risk. Ex-smokers that took the prescription retinoid isotretinoin, which also contained vitamin E, or an experimental retinoid had significant decrease in the amount of precancerous cell growth in the lungs when compared to people that took placebos.

February 14, 2008

Vitamin C Helps Prevent Arthritis

Scientists have recently found that the antioxidant found in produce, such as bell peppers, kiwi fruit, tomatoes, and oranges, can help your knees against arthritis. People eating a lot of Vitamin C are less likely to have bone degeneration that would cause knee osteoarthritis.

January 19, 2008

Anti-aging Vitamins

Are you interested in spending the rest of your life looking and feeling young and healthy? Aging is the result of the body’s cells dying faster than new cells being created. Most of the consequences we suffer from aging come from lifestyle choices more than from the natural aging process.

It is important to take vitamins for overall healthy but they also play a major part when it comes to slowing down the aging process. As we age, our bodies don’t process nutrients as well, so you have to increase your nutrient intake. You should take a multivitamin daily to get important nutritional protection against free radicals and help eliminate toxins.

Vitamin D helps to prevent osteoporosis and B Vitamins help to prevent heart disease and memory loss.

The mineral selenium helps to protect the body from cancers, including skin cancer. It also helps with tissue elasticity and slows down the aging and hardening of tissues that are associated with oxidation. The mineral can be found in whole grain cereals, seafood, garlic, and eggs.

Vitamin E is an important antioxidant because it helps to delay the aging process and protects cell membranes and prevents damages to enzymes. It also helps to inactivate free radicals to make them less likely to cause damage. Putting the vitamin on your skin can reduce damage caused by sun exposure and limit the production of cancer-causing cells. It also reduces wrinkles and improves the texture of the skin. It can be found in sunflower oil, grains, oats, nuts, and dairy products.

Vitamin C helps to slow down the aging process and helps to repair free radicals and keeps them from becoming cancerous.

Vitamin K helps to reduce many degenerative diseases.

Lutien helps to keep your eyes healthy and helps to reduce Age-related Macular Degeneration. It can be found in leafy vegetables, such as spinach, collard greens, and kale.