Posts Tagged ‘fight illness’

Can curcumin slow cancer growth?

Sunday February 28, 2010

Curcumin, (sometimes called Turmeric) a substance found in the spice turmeric, has long been used in Asian medicine to treat maladies ranging from heartburn to arthritis. Now some research suggests that curcumin may help prevent or treat cancer.

Curcumin

Curcumin is thought to have antioxidant properties, which means it may decrease swelling and inflammation. It’s being explored as a cancer treatment because inflammation appears to play a role in cancer.

Laboratory and animal research suggests that curcumin may slow the spread of cancer and the growth of new tumor blood vessels. It may also cause cancer cells to die. In the lab, curcumin has been studied for use in treating or preventing a number of cancers, including colon, prostate and breast cancers.

Studies of curcumin in people are still in the early stages. Researchers are examining whether curcumin can reduce the risk of cancer in people with precancerous conditions. Curcumin is also being studied as a treatment for people with pancreatic cancer.

Euforia contains curcumin in every bottle helping to boost it’s ORAC score.

To purchase a bottle of Euforia, visit my store.

Black Seed Benefits

Tuesday February 09, 2010

What is Black Seed?

Black Seed is a traditional herb that has been in use for thousands of years by people living in the Middle East and some parts of Asia and Africa to promote health and fight disease. It is also known the “Blessed Seed”.

What are the essential properties of Black Seed?

Black Seed herb contains over 100 components, many of which still remain to be discovered. It is a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids and contains about 35% oil, 21% protein, and 38% carbohydrates. More than 50% of the oil are essential fatty acids. It’s linoleic acid and gamma linolenic acid content help form Prostaglandin E1, which helps the body to inhibit infections, balances the immune system, and regulates allergic reactions. Gamma-linolenic acid also helps stabilize the cell membrane. Black Seed also contains about .5-1.5% volatile oils including Nigellone and thymochinon which are responsible for Black Seed’s anti-histamine, anti-oxidant, anti-infective, and broncho-dialating effect.

What are some of the traditional uses of Black Seed?

Traditionally, Black Seed has been used for a variety of conditions and treatments related to respiratory health, stomach and intestinal complaints, kidney & liver function, circulatory and immune system support, and to improve general health. Its can be topically used for eczema, psoriasis, arthritis, inflammation, and scalp massage. (more…)

What are free radicals?

Wednesday January 20, 2010

Free radicals are atoms or groups of atoms with an odd (unpaired) number of electrons and can be formed when oxygen interacts with certain molecules. Once formed these highly reactive radicals can start a chain reaction, like dominoes. Their chief danger comes from the damage they can do when they react with important cellular components such as DNA, or the cell membrane. Cells may function poorly or die if this occurs. To prevent free radical damage the body has a defense system of antioxidants.

What are free radicals?

Antioxidants are molecules which can safely interact with free radicals and terminate the chain reaction before vital molecules are damaged. Although there are several enzyme systems within the body that scavenge free radicals, the principle micronutrient (vitamin) antioxidants are vitamin E, beta-carotene, and vitamin C. Additionally, selenium, a trace metal that is required for proper function of one of the body’s antioxidant enzyme systems, is sometimes included in this category. The body cannot manufacture these micronutrients so they must be supplied in the diet.

Vitamin E : d-alpha tocopherol. A fat soluble vitamin present in nuts, seeds, vegetable and fish oils, whole grains (esp. wheat germ), fortified cereals, and apricots. Current recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 15 IU per day for men and 12 IU per day for women.

Vitamin C : Ascorbic acid is a water soluble vitamin present in citrus fruits and juices, green peppers, cabbage, spinach, broccoli, kale, cantaloupe, kiwi, and strawberries. The RDA is 60 mg per day. Intake above 2000 mg may be associated with adverse side effects in some individuals.

Beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A (retinol) and is present in liver, egg yolk, milk, butter, spinach, carrots, squash, broccoli, yams, tomato, cantaloupe, peaches, and grains. Because beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A by the body there is no set requirement. Instead the RDA is expressed as retinol equivalents (RE), to clarify the relationship. (NOTE: Vitamin A has no antioxidant properties and can be quite toxic when taken in excess.)

Nigella sativa Black Seed for your Health

Sunday January 10, 2010

Nigella sativa is an annual flowering plant, native to southwest Asia. It grows to 20–30 cm (7.9–12 in) tall, with finely divided, linear (but not thread-like) leaves. The flowers are delicate, and usually coloured pale blue and white, with 5–10 petals. The fruit is a large and inflated capsule composed of 3–7 united follicles, each containing numerous seeds. The seed is used as a spice.

Nigella Sativa (Black Seed)

In English, Nigella sativa seed is variously called fennel flower, nutmeg flower, Roman coriander, blackseed, black caraway, or black onion seed. Other names used, sometimes misleadingly, are onion seed and black sesame, both of which are similar-looking but unrelated. The seeds are frequently referred to as black cumin (as in Bengali: kalo jira, kalo jeera, kali jeera), but this is also used for a different spice, Bunium persicum. The scientific name is a derivative of Latin niger “black”. An older English name gith is now used for the corncockle. In English-speaking countries with large immigrant populations, it is also variously known as kalonji (Hindi कलौंजी kalauṃjī or कलोंजी kaloṃjī), kezah Hebrew קצח), chernushka (Russian), çörek otu (Turkish), habbat albarakah (Arabic حبه البركة ḥabbatu l-barakah “seed of blessing”) or siyah daneh (Persian سیاه‌دانه siyâh dâne)or كلونجى in urdu. “KARIM JEERAKAM” in Malayalam.
A commercial pack of kalonji

It is used as part of the spice mixture Panch Puran and by itself in a great many recipes in Bengali cookery and most recognizably in Naan Bread as sold in the 90% of Indian restaurants in the UK which are in fact Bengali owned. (more…)

Acai Berries and Acai Berry Juice – What Are the Health Benefits?

Wednesday January 06, 2010

Have you heard about the acai berry? Do you want to know more about the health benefits of acai berries and berry juice? Acai berries are highly touted by marketers who say it’s one of the elite superfoods with anti-aging and weight loss properties. Some manufacturers use acai berries in cosmetics and beauty products. But do scientific studies support these claims of acai benefits?

What is the acai berry?

The acai berry is an inch-long reddish, purple fruit. It comes from the acai palm tree (Euterpe oleracea), which is native to Central and South America. It is a relative of the blueberry, cranberry, and other dark purple fruits.

Research on the acai berry has focused on its possible antioxidant activity. Theoretically, that activity may help prevent diseases caused by oxidative stress such as heart disease and cancer. (more…)