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Showing posts with label spice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spice. Show all posts

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Benefits of Ginger

Seven ways that taking ginger can spice up your health
(NaturalNews) Cultivated and used medicinally for thousands of years all around the world, ginger root is a powerful medicinal herb that offers a variety of unique health benefits. When taken regularly in therapeutic doses, ginger root can effectively cure nausea; promote healthy digestion; boost immunity; treat asthma; improve cardiovascular function and heart health; relieve pain; and even prevent and cure chronic disease by quelling inflammation.




Besides being widely known for the exotic, spicy flavor it adds to food and beverages, one of ginger's other main claims to fame is its amazing ability to 1) improve digestion and promote better assimilation of nutrients into the body. A plethora of scientific research conducted throughout the past several decades confirms that ginger contains a distinct enzymatic profile that works synergistically to promote healthy digestion, and ease the processing of food in the stomach and intestines. (http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/ginger-000246.htm)

"The 'quintessential digestive herb,' ginger has the ability to restore digestive balance as in the cases of ulcers, parasites or nausea; the anti-emetic effects of ginger are therapeutic in cases of motion sickness, morning sickness, and other kinds of nausea," writes Paul Schulick in his 1995 paper entitled "The Many Roles of Ginger." "Ginger also encourages full digestive potential, and due in part to its enzyme activity, can increase bioavailability of drugs and nutrients."

On a similar note, ginger root is a proven 2) remedy for motion sickness, seasickness, and various other forms of nausea. Pregnant women, chemotherapy patients, and individuals with mild or moderate upset stomach can all experience relief by taking therapeutic doses of ginger, which was shown in at least one major study to eliminate nausea symptoms with as little as a one-quarter of a teaspoon dose. (http://articles.cnn.com)

As quoted in the book Alternative Cures: The Most Effective Natural Home Remedies for 160 Health Problems, Dr. Robert Dozor, M.D., explains that "[g]inger in any form -- as a capsule, as a tea, even as ginger candy, if it's actually made with the herb -- can quickly calm nausea" (http://www.naturalpedia.com/book_Alternative_Cures.html). This includes cancer patients who experience debilitating nausea as a result of chemotherapy treatments.

Even better than its power to eliminate post-chemotherapy nausea; however, is ginger's amazing ability to 3) treat inflammation and boost immunity. Chronic inflammation is linked to a host of debilitating diseases, including cancer, all of which can be effectively prevented and even treated with therapeutic doses of whole ginger extract.

Numerous studies, including one that was published in the British Journal of Nutrition back in 2011, have shown that whole ginger extract effectively fights cancer cells by inducing apoptosis, a process by which cancer cells essentially "commit suicide." In the book Cooking with Foods that Fight Cancer, authors Richard Beliveau and Denis Gingras explain how ginger's powerful anti-inflammatory effect creates an environment within the body that precludes the growth and spread of cancer cells and resultant tumors. (http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/turmeric-ginger.htm)

This same anti-inflammatory effect also makes ginger a powerful 4) pain reliever, particularly for chronic pain conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, sciatica, and fibromyalgia. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism back in 2001, for instance, found that patients with osteoarthritis experienced dramatic pain relief when they took ginger extract twice daily. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11710709)

Ginger is also an effective treatment for milder pain symptoms associated with conditions like the occasional headache, sore muscles, and the common cold. Ginger's unique compositional blend of analgesic substances naturally inhibits pain-producing prostaglandins from activating an inflammatory response within the body. Synthetic pain reliever drugs, on the other hand, cannot accomplish this, at least not without eliciting harmful side-effects.

"Ginger inhibits the production of immune-system components called cytokines, chemicals that create a long-term tendency toward inflammation. It also stimulates blood circulation," writes Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C., in her book Prescription for Herbal Healing: An Easy-to-Use A-Z Reference to Hundreds of Common Disorders and Their Herbal Remedies(http://www.naturalpedia.com/book_Prescription_for_Herbal_Healing.html). "These effects make ginger useful in treating a number of disorders marked by swelling and pain, such as arthritis."

Speaking of circulation, ginger has been shown to greatly promote 5) cardiovascular health by suppressing the biosynthesis of an inflammatory mediator known as leukotrienes. The dual-action, anti-inflammatory nature of ginger, while it inhibits both leukotrienes and prostaglandins, it helps maintain optimal arterial flow. Ginger also prevents platelet aggregation while also stimulating the release of adrenaline, processes that both help strengthen the heart.

Another way that ginger helps prevent and cure disease is through its diverse array of 6) antioxidants, the two most prominent of which are curcumin and gingerol. Not only do these and several other free radical scavengers prevent the growth and spread of cancer cells, but they also prevent from forming, and even eliminate, amyloid plaques in the brain that are linked to causing Alzheimer's disease and other degenerative brain conditions.

"Ginger is a source of a large number of important antioxidants that, amongst other activities, reduce lipid oxidation by enhancing the activities of crucial internally produced antioxidants, such as superoxide dismutase," says Dr. Keith Scott, M.D., author of the book Medicinal Seasonings, the Healing Power of Spices. "Melatonin, in particular, is not only a highly effective free-radical scavenger itself, but also stimulates production of the main antioxidant enzyme of the brain, glutathione peroxidase." (http://keithscottmd.articlealley.com)

Children and adults who suffer from asthma symptoms will also be pleased to learn that ginger is an effective 7) asthma treatment as well. Ginger naturally contains several different compounds that can help alleviate asthma symptoms. These include alpha-pinene, which loosens mucus in the bronchial tubes, and beta-carotene, the antioxidant precursor to vitamin A.

You can learn more about the health benefits of ginger by visiting the NaturalNews ginger reference page: http://www.naturalnews.com/ginger.html

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/037119_ginger_spice_immunity.html#ixzz25zoobGrJ

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Cinnamon beats Alzheimers


Cinnamon beats Alzheimers


(NaturalNews) The miracle spice cinnamon is the scented bark of a tropical evergreen tree, native to India and Sri Lanka. Cinnamon comes from an evergreen tree in Southeast Asia and is cultivated widely in Vietnam, China, Burma, and Laos for its bark and the oil processed from the bark. Once upon a time in ancient Rome, cinnamon was worth more than silver.

Cinnamon is harvested from the inner bark of the tree branches after scraping off the corky outer layer and then drying the bark. As it dries, the bark curls up into quills which are then cut into sticks to be ground into the spice form. Full of calcium and fiber, cinnamon is one of the oldest known spices, it is mentioned in the Bible and was used in ancient Egypt as medicine, beverage flavoring and an embalming agent.


According to traditional Chinese medicine, cinnamon helps improve the body's "fire."

Cinnamon - Not just a spice!

Professor Daniel Fung, an expert in food science at Kansas State University, says cinnamon contains a compound that has the ability to kill bacteria. "If cinnamon can knock out E.coli 0157:H7, one of the most virulent food-borne microorganisms that exists today, it will certainly have antimicrobial effects on other common food-borne bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter."

Now researchers from Tel Aviv University found that extracts from cinnamon bark inhibit the toxic amyloid polypeptide oligomers and fibrils that have been found in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) brain plaque formations. In animal models of Alzheimer's, cinnamon reduced s-amyloid plaques associated with the pathology of AD. Reduction of these proteins can improve mental cognition. In one model, cinnamon extract resolved AD associate reduced longevity, helped recover locomotion defects and completely abolished tetrameric species of plaque in the brain.

Other benefits of cinnamon are: anti-microbial actions, blood sugar balancing, improving colon health, boosting brain function. Cinnamaldehyde in cinnamon has been well researched for its effects on blood platelets which help the blood clot to stop bleeding. Platelets can also cause strokes if they clump together too much. Cinnamon has been shown to help prevent this deadly clumping. Cinnamon will stop vomiting and relieve feelings of nausea. Cinnamon also helps slow tumor growth while inhibiting inflammatory markers connected to cellular proliferation.

In a recent study, people reduced their blood sugar levels by as much as 29 percent with cinnamon in just 40 days. That's with NO drugs, NO diet changes - just plain old cinnamon!

Study volunteers who took a cinnamon extract showed significant decreases in fasting blood glucose and increases in lean muscle mass compared with the placebo group. Pre and post study analysis of the extract group revealed a statistically significant decrease in body fat and blood pressure.

Research found that cinnamon can have favorable effects on brain function. Participants in a study chewed cinnamon gum or even just smelled the sweet spice. Cognitive tests revealed that subjects who used cinnamon had better memory functions and could process information more quickly.

What kind and how much

Which is best: Ceylon cinnamon, Saigon cinnamon, cinnamomum zeylanicum or regular grocery store variety cinnamon? Interestingly, the grocery store variety known as cinnamomum cassia works the best in most research studies and clinical trials.

Drink cinnamon in tea or sprinkle a little cinnamon on your toast, cereal, oatmeal, or sliced apples. It not only tastes good, it lowers your blood sugar!

Taking two 500 mg capsules of cinnamon a day will help good cholesterol levels and taking two capsules with each meal can make a big difference in blood sugar and insulin levels for diabetics.

Sources for this article

http://www.plosone.org
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/413533.stm
http://www.prevention.com/health/brain-games/memory-and-cinnamon-gum
Solomon TP, Blannin AK. Changes in glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity following 2 weeks of daily cinnamon ingestion in healthy humans. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2009 Apr;105(6):969-76. Epub 2009 Jan 22

About the author:
Craig Stellpflug is a Cancer Nutrition Specialist, Lifestyle Coach and Neuro Development Consultant at Healing Pathways Medical Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ. http://www.healingpathwayscancerclinic.com/ With 17 years of clinical experience working with both brain disorders and cancer, Craig has seen first-hand the devastating effects of vaccines and pharmaceuticals on the human body and has come to the conclusion that a natural lifestyle and natural remedies are the true answers to health and vibrant living. You can find his daily health blog at www.blog.realhealthtalk.com and his articles and radio show archives at www.realhealthtalk.com

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036607_cinnamon_Alzheimers_prevention.html#ixzz221VIyZFa