Mind-blowing food facts!

Mind-blowing food facts! …compiled by C.K. Ashokumar
Posted by hasnain
June 30, 12

1 Pineapple is a natural painkiller. The fruit contains anti-inflammatory enzymes that bring pain relief from conditions such as arthritis, according to a study at Reading University.

2 Pomegranate juice could prevent a heart attack This wonder juice is believed to improve blood flow to the heart and lower blood pressure.

3 Onions are natural antibiotics. They might make your breath pong but onions contain allicin, a powerful antibiotic that also protects the circulatory system.

4 Mushrooms can ward off colds. They contain more of an immune-boosting antioxidant called ergothioneine than any other food, say researchers at Pennsylvania State University.

5 Blueberries can boost memory. A study at Tufts University in Boston showed eating half a cup of this fruit regularly could delay age-related deterioration in co-ordination and short-term memory.

6 Eat chocolate, live longer Hurray! Harvard University scientists say that eating a couple of chocolate bars a week could extend your life by almost a year.

7 Grapefruit juice can stop medicine working If you’re taking medication, avoid washing it down with grapefruit juice as there is evidence that it prevents some drugs being broken down.

8 You should never drink tea or coffee with meals Tannins in tea and coffee prevent absorption of certain nutrients. A cup of tea with a meal will halve the iron you get from it, whereas a glass of orange juice will double it.

9 Cherries can cure gout Cherries contain compounds that significantly reduce the chemicals in the body which cause joint inflammation.

10 Eating curry could help prevent Alzheimer’s According to a report in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, a yellow pigment used in curry, curcumin, can stop amyloid plaques in the brain that cause the condition.

11 Sniffing a lemon could help you beat asthma The UK’s 5.1 million asthmatics could find lemons ease their symptoms. Studies in rats found that breathing improved after they inhaled limonene, the chemical that gives lemons their smell.

12 Kiwi fruit can improve your eyesight. This fuzzy fruit is a surprisingly good source of lutein, an antioxidant that protects your vision.

13 Garlic can cure mouth ulcers and verrucas. Here’s an old wives’ tale that works: halve a clove of garlic, squeeze, and apply a drop of the juice to the offending growth at bedtime.

14 You can have too little salt. Too much salt isn’t good for us but not getting enough can trigger low blood pressure in those susceptible. Consult your GP before making any major diet changes.

15 Figs can delay brittle bone disease Good news for the three million osteoporosis sufferers in the UK – it is possible to slow its progress by eating calcium-packed figs.

16 Soya can mimic breast cancer drugs. A team of Cambridge researchers discovered that a diet high in soya can have a similar effect to anti-cancer drug Tamoxifen.

17 Barbecued-food can cause cancer. Eating meat that’s chargrilled or burnt could lead to stomach, pancreatic, colon and breast cancer because it creates high levels of carcinogenic compounds.

18 Cinnamon can help diabetics. Just half a teaspoon a day of this spice can significantly reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics, says US research.

19 Chillies can help you breath more easily Capsaicin, which occurs in chillies, shrinks the mucous membranes which can ease blocked noses and sinuses.

20 Watermelon is good for the prostate. Men will be glad to know that the red flesh contains the antioxidant Lycopene, which helps keep the prostate gland healthy.

21 Coriander can lower your cholesterol levels. This aromatic herb can reduce cholesterol levels and prevent heart problems.

22 Nibbling nuts can prevent blood clots. Nuts boost nitric oxide, a compound that relaxes blood vessels and eases blood flow.

23 Banish bad breath with natural yogurt. A few spoonfuls of natural yoghurt can neutralise halitosis, according to Japanese researchers.

The ignored benefits of eating grass-fed beef

Harvard red meat study ignores health benefits of grass-fed meat

Jonathan Benson
Natural News
Wednesday, March 21, 2012

(NaturalNews) A recent study published by researchers from Harvard Medical School (HMC) claims that eating "red meat" can lead to an early death caused by heart problems or cancer. But just like most other studies conducted on meat, this one, which was published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, does not differentiate between red meat from feedlot cattle and red meat from grass-fed cattle, which are two entirely different foods with very different effects on health.

For their study, HMC researchers evaluated more than 120,000 people, including 37,698 men between 1986 and 2008, and 83,644 women between 1980 and 2008. Among these groupings, those individuals that were given an added portion of unprocessed red meat as part of their daily dietary regimen were found to be ten percent more likely to die from cancer, 18 percent more likely to die from cardiovascular disease, and 13 percent more likely to simply die early.

Similarly, those who ate an added serving of processed meat every day were found to be 16 percent more likely to die from cancer, 21 percent more likely to die from heart problems, and 20 percent more likely to die early.

"We found that a higher intake of red meat was associated with a significantly elevated risk of total, cardiovascular disease, and cancer mortality," wrote the researchers in their study. "This association was observed for unprocessed and processed red meat with a relatively greater risk for processed red meat."

Grain-fed, feedlot meat kills - but grass-fed, pastured meat can help support good health

But is all red meat really the same? If you listen only to public health officials and many conventional scientists, the answer to this question is yes. But if you take a look at the science behind grass-fed meat and its clear compositional and nutritional differences compared to grain-fed, feedlot meat, you will see that making blanket statements about the dangers of "red meat" is utter foolishness.

A comprehensive study conducted by researchers from California State University (CSU) in Chico, and the University of California (UC), Davis, that was published in Nutrition Journal in 2010 is just one of many that shows the major differences between grain-fed, feedlot meat and grass-fed, pastured meat.

In this study, researchers evaluated the way feeding cattle grass, which is their natural food of choice, compares to feeding them grains, which is not their natural food of choice and is often responsible for making them sick. They found that in virtually every nutritional category evaluated, grass-fed meat was far superior to grain-fed meat.

The omega-3 fatty acid profile in grass-fed meat, for instance, was found to be similar to that of fatty fish, which is often recommended by health officials as a type of meat that promotes health. Grass-fed animals were also found to produce meat that is higher in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a healthy fat that fights obesity; carotenoids, organic antioxidant pigments that protect cells from cancer-causing free radicals and promote healthy immunity and reproductive function; and vitamin E tocopherols, which protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer.

"Research spanning three decades supports the argument that grass-fed beef has a more desirable SFA (saturated fatty acids) lipid profile as compared to grain-fed beef," write the authors in their conclusion. "This results in a better n-6:n-3 (omega-6 to omega-3) ratio that is preferred by the nutritional community" (http://www.nutritionj.com/content/9/1/10).

To learn more about the health benefits of grass-fed meats, visit:
http://www.eatwild.com/basics.html

Sources for this article include:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17345967