NutritionFacts Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Lentil–Walnut Burgers with Cheesy Sauce Recipe

The AHA! Team — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 05:32:38 +0000

Recipe via Nutrition Facts – Lentil–Walnut Burgers with Cheesy Sauce Recipe Recipe by: Dr. Michael Greger & Robin Robertson from The How Not to Age Cookbook Lentils and walnuts make hearty and delicious burgers, and the Cheesy Sauce is perfection. Here’s a tip for you: Be sure your cooked lentils are not wet. You can blot them dry or place them in a skillet over medium heat, tossing to get out any moisture. Alternatively, you can spread them on a baking sheet and bake them for a few minutes at 350°F (175°C) to dry them out. COURSE: Main Course DIFFICULTY: Moderate SERVINGS: 6 Ingredients BURGERS ▢ ⅓ cup chopped walnuts ▢ ⅓ cup chopped red onion ▢ 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds ▢ 2 tablespoons warm water (mix with flaxseed) ▢ 1 tablespoon white miso paste ▢ ½ teaspoon onion powder ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder ▢ ¼ teaspoon paprika ▢ ¼ teaspoon sodium-free salt substitute (optional) ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground pippali or black pepper ▢ 1 tablespoon Roasted Garlic (optional) ▢ 1½ cups cooked (not wet) brown lentils ▢ ½ cup rolled oats, or more as needed FOR SERVING ▢ Whole-grain burger buns or tortillas (optional) ▢ Optional toppings: lettuce leaves, sliced tomato, sliced red onion ▢ Cheesy Sauce Instructions FOR THE BURGERS: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Place a sheet of parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet. Set aside. In a food processor, combine the walnuts, red onion, flaxseed mixture, parsley, miso paste, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, sodium-free salt substitute (if using), and pippali. Pulse to combine, leaving some texture. Add the Roasted Garlic (if using), lentils, and oats. Pulse to mix together while leaving some texture. Pinch off a bit of the mixture and press it in your hand to make sure it holds together. If it’s too wet, add more oats; if it’s too dry, add some water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Taste to adjust the seasonings, it needed. Shape the lentil mixture tightly into six burgers about ½-inch (1-cm) thick. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, turning once, about 8 minutes per side. TO SERVE: When the burgers are ready to serve, arrange them on a plate or on buns or tortillas (if using) along with any toppings you choose. Top with the Cheesy Sauce. Notes VARIATION: For Southwest Black Bean Burgers: Substitute black beans for the lentils, pepitas for the walnuts, and fresh cilantro for the parsley. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of chili powder, ¼ cup (30g) of minced red bell pepper, and 2 tablespoons of chopped green onion, then proceed with the recipe. To read the original article click here.

The post Lentil–Walnut Burgers with Cheesy Sauce Recipe appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Why Is Sorghum One of My New Favorite Grains?

The AHA! Team — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 20:01:21 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – Learn why sorghum is one of my favorite new grains. “Despite playing a significant role in Africa and Asia as a staple grain, sorghum has only recently emerged as a potential human food source in the developed world.” And it isn’t just a principal grain in many parts of the world, but it’s “critical in folk medicine” traditions, too. What might its health benefits be? There are some in vitro data from test tubes and petri dishes, as well as in vivo data, meaning “within the living” in laboratory animals, but only in the last decade have we started seeing human trials. In one study, participants were asked to eat sorghum pancakes or corn pancakes for supper every day for three weeks. Both groups saw significant, 20 to 30 percent drops in their cholesterol, but all participants were also “requested not to consume eggs and other cholesterol-boosting foodstuff,” so that may very well have played a role. Another study used biscuits. Those eating sorghum biscuits said they felt more satiated than when they ate wheat biscuits, but that “did not translate to differences in intake at the subsequent ad-libitum [all-you-can-eat] meal.” So, does it matter that they subjectively felt more satiated if that did not cause them to eat any less? Unsurprisingly, when put to the test, those eating sorghum versus wheat biscuits didn’t lose any weight, though the data are a bit mixed. A recent study concluded that “sorghum can be an important strategy for weight loss in humans.” However, those in the sorghum group didn’t actually lose more weight. They did eat hundreds more calories a day, though, and they still lost more body fat, as you can see below and at 1:41 in my video The Health Benefits of Sorghum. This may be because of their greater fiber consumption or intake of other goodies, like the resistant starch in sorghum. The vehicle the researchers used was an artificially flavored, colored, and sweetened powdered drink mixture of water, milk powder, and either sorghum or wheat flour. That may be good for a study since you can make a blinded control, but it leaves you wondering what would happen if you actually ate the whole food. The resistant starch is exciting, though. Most of the starch in sorghum is either slow-starch—that is, slowly digestible—or fully resistant to digestion in the small intestine, which offers a banquet bounty of prebiotics for our good gut flora down in our colon. Evidently, it isn’t the sorghum starch itself, but interactions with the proteins and other compounds that effectively act as starch blockers, inhibiting our starch-munching enzymes. Sorghum ends up with “the lowest starch digestibility” among grains, which is why, traditionally, it was considered to be an “inferior” grain—but inferior in the sense of not providing as many calories. (That’s a good thing in the age of epidemic obesity.) When study participants were given either a whole-wheat muffin (the control) or a sorghum muffin, with both containing the same amount of starch, researchers saw significantly higher blood sugars 45 minutes to two hours after subjects ate the wheat muffin, as shown below and at 2:58 in my video. They also saw a higher insulin spike, starting almost immediately after consuming the wheat muffin, as seen below, and at 3:03. Overall, after consumption of the sorghum muffin, researchers found a 25 percent lower blood sugar response, and the participants’ bodies had to release less than half the insulin to deal with it, as seen here and at 3:11 in my video. The same type of results were found with people with diabetes. Researchers saw a lower blood sugar spike with sorghum porridge compared to grits, and the participants’ bodies could deal with it with a fraction of the insulin. So, we need to educate people on how healthy sorghum is—and, some suggest, “develop products that are…healthy, convenient to use, and tasty.” No need! Sorghum is already healthy, convenient, and tasty just the way it is. I just press a single button on my electric pressure cooker with two parts water and one part sorghum, and it’s ready in 20 minutes. You can make a big batch and use it all week just like you would rice. Of course, there isn’t big money for the food industry when people eat the intact, whole grain. Instead, the industry is looking at sorghum for its “enormous potential for exploitation” in creating “functional foods and food additives.” (Did you know that adding sorghum to pork or turkey patties can decrease their “cardboardy ﬂavor”? Why eat sorghum when you can instead use it to make gluten-free beer?) It’s funny. When I wrote in How Not to Diet about taxpayer subsidies going to the sugar, corn syrup, oil, and livestock industries to subsidize cheap animal feed to help make Dollar Menu meat, I jokingly asked, “When was the last time you sat down to some sorghum?” Now that we know how good it is for us, maybe we should be taking advantage of the quarter billion dollars the United States is spending to prop up the sorghum industry and sit down to some sorghum after all. If you missed the previous video, check out Is Sorghum a Healthy Grain? My How Not to Diet Cookbook is full of delicious and healthful grain recipes. Check it out here. “Resistant starch”? Learn more about Resistant Starch and Colon Cancer and Getting Starch to Take the Path of Most Resistance. For more on the benefits of different grains, see related posts below. Key Takeaways Sorghum, widely used as a staple in Africa and Asia, is now being studied for its health benefits, with emerging human trials on its potential for cholesterol and blood sugar regulation. Studies show that sorghum may aid in lowering cholesterol and can increase feelings of satiety. However, this satiety hasn’t consistently led to reduced food intake. Sorghum’s resistant starch content results in lower blood sugar spikes and requires less insulin after consumption compared to other grains like wheat, making it promising for blood sugar management, especially in people with diabetes. Sorghum’s unique starch composition, largely resistant to digestion, offers prebiotic benefits for gut health and may act as a natural starch blocker. Despite sorghum’s potential health benefits as a whole grain, the food industry is more focused on its use in functional foods and additives. However, the grain can be easily prepared and enjoyed whole, offering a healthy, cost-effective option for any diet. To read the original article click here.

The post Why Is Sorghum One of My New Favorite Grains? appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

V-12 Vegetable Blast Recipe

The AHA! Team — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 05:34:12 +0000

Recipe via Nutrition Facts – V-12 Vegetable Blast Recipe Recipe by: Dr. Michael Greger & Robin Robertson from The How Not to Die Cookbook Want more veggies, but not a fan of munching them all day? This is a great way to drink your vegetables! COURSE: Drinks DIFFICULTY: Easy SERVINGS: 1 Ingredients ▢ 2 cups spinach, kale, or other dark greens ▢ 1-2 plum tomatoes ▢ 1 rib celery coarsely chopped ▢ ½ red bell pepper quartered ▢ 1 tablespoon red onion chopped ▢ 1 garlic clove (optional) ▢ ½ jalapeño pepper seeded (optional) ▢ 2 teaspoons lemon juice ▢ 1 apple cored and quartered ▢ 2 teaspoons chlorella (optional) ▢ 1 ¼ inch fresh turmeric (or 1/4 tsp ground) ▢ ½ cup ice cubes Instructions Combine all the ingredients with 2 cups of water in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to large glasses and serve. To see a variation of this smoothie, check out the video: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/dr-greger-in-the-kitchen-my-new-favorite-beverage/ To read the original article click here.

The post V-12 Vegetable Blast Recipe appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Is Sorghum a Healthy Grain?

The AHA! Team — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 05:11:56 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – How does sorghum compare with other grains in terms of protein, antioxidants, and micronutrients? And the benefits of red sorghum compared to black and white varieties? Sorghum is “the Forgotten Grain.” The United States is the top producer of sorghum, “but it is typically not used to produce food for American consumers.” Instead, it’s used mainly “to produce livestock feed, pet foods, household building materials…but it is a preferred grain for human diets in other parts of the world, such as Africa and Asia.” There, it’s been a staple and eaten for thousands of years, making it currently the fifth most popular grain grown after wheat, corn, rice, and barley, beating out oats and rye. Sorghum is gluten-free Because sorghum is gluten-free and “can be deﬁnitively considered safe for consumption by people with celiac disease,” we’re starting to see it “increasingly used” as actual human food in the United States, so I decided to look into just how healthy it might be. As you can see below and at 0:59 in my video Is Sorghum a Healthy Grain?, it is comparable to other grains when it comes to protein. Since when do we have to worry about getting enough protein, though? Fiber is what Americans are desperately deficient in, and sorghum does pull towards the front of the pack, as seen here and at 1:06 in my video. The micronutrient composition is relatively “unremarkable, relative to other cereal grains.” As shown below and at 1:15 in my video, you can see how it rates on minerals, for example. Where sorghum shines is its polyphenol content. Polyphenols are plant compounds and “their regular consumption has been associated with a reduced risk of a number of chronic diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and neurodegenerative disorders.” It’s also been shown to have “a protective effect…on all-cause mortality.” If you compare different grains, sorghum really does pull ahead, helping to explain why its antioxidant power is so much higher, as seen here and at 1:40 in my video. Now, sorghum gets its grainy butt kicked by fruits and vegetables, but when compared to other grains, a sorghum-based breakfast cereal, for example, might have about eight times the antioxidants than a whole wheat-based one. What we care about, though, isn’t antioxidant activity in a test tube, but antioxidant activity within our body. If you measure the antioxidant capacity of your blood after eating regular pasta, it goes up a little. If you replace 30 percent of the wheat flour with sorghum flour, it doesn’t go up much higher. But, if you eat 30 percent red sorghum flour pasta, the antioxidant capacity in your bloodstream shoots up about 15-fold, as seen below and at 2:22 in my video. Red sorghum? Yes. In fact, there are multiple types of sorghum—such as black sorghum, white sorghum, and red sorghum. Below and at 2:31 in my video is how they look in grain form (including yellow sorghum). Red sorghum and especially black sorghum have extremely high antioxidant activity, comparable to fruits and vegetables, as seen here and at 2:41. The problem is I can’t find any of the colored sorghum varieties. I can go online and buy red or black rice, purple, blue, or red popping corn, and purple or black barley, but red or black sorghum can be harder to find. White sorghum is widely available for about four dollars a pound, though. Does it have any “unique nutritional and health-promoting attributes”? It’s promoted as “An Underutilized Cereal Whole Grain with the Potential to Assist in the Prevention of Chronic Disease,” according to a study title, but what is the “effect of sorghum consumption on health outcomes”? Epidemiological study As you can see below and at 3:20 in my video, an epidemiological study in China found lower esophageal cancer mortality rates in areas where more millet and sorghum were eaten, compared to corn and wheat, but that may have been due more to avoiding fungal contamination of corn than from any benefit of sorghum itself. Though, it’s possible. “Oats are the only source of avenanthramides,” which give oats some unique health benefits. Similarly, sorghum, even white sorghum, contains unique pigments known as 3-deoxyanthocyanins, which are strong inducers of some of the detoxifying enzymes in our liver and can inhibit the growth of human cancer cells growing in a petri dish, compared to red cabbage, for instance, which just has regular anthocyanin pigments. White sorghum didn’t do much worse than red or black varieties, which have way more of the unique 3-deoxyanthocyanins, so it may just be a general sorghum effect. You don’t know until you put it to the test. Researchers found that sorghum suppresses tumor growth and metastasis in human breast cancer xenografts. What does that mean? They concluded that sorghum could be used as “an inexpensive natural cancer therapy, without any side effects. We strongly recommend the use of [sorghum] as an edible therapeutic agent as it possesses tumor suppression, migration inhibition, and anti-metastatic effects on breast cancer” for humans. However, xenograft means human breast cancer implanted in a mouse. Yes, the human tumors grew more slowly in the mice-fed sorghum extracts and blocked metastasis to the lung. Yes, sorghum did the same for human colon cancer that, again, was in mice, but that can’t necessarily be translated to how human cancers would grow in humans, since not only do these mice not have a human immune system, they hardly have any immune system at all. They’re bred without a thymus gland, which is where cancer-fighting immunity largely originates. I mean, how else could you keep the mouse’s immune system from rejecting the human tissue outright? But this immunosuppression makes these kinds of mouse models that much more artificial—and that much more difficult to extrapolate to humans. And that’s a lot of what we see in the sorghum literature—in vitro data from test tubes and petri dishes, and data from rats and mice. There has been “a critical missing piece of the puzzle” needed to link laboratory data to actual beneﬁts in humans. Missing, that is, until now. Thankfully, we now have human interventional studies, which we’ll explore next. Stay tuned for The Health Benefits of Sorghum. Should we all be seeking gluten-free grains? See related posts below. Key Takeaways Sorghum, especially red and black varieties, has high antioxidant levels, comparable to some fruits and vegetables, which may benefit chronic disease prevention. Sorghum contains 3-deoxyanthocyanins, unique pigments that may help inhibit cancer cell growth and enhance liver detoxifying enzymes, especially in red and black sorghum. Animal studies show sorghum extracts may slow tumor growth and prevent metastasis, though these findings need confirmation in human studies. Sorghum is gluten-free, making it a suitable grain for people with celiac disease, and its fiber content may aid overall digestive health. Despite its nutritional benefits, sorghum is mainly used for farm animal feed in the United States, though it is a dietary staple in parts of Africa and Asia. To read the original article click here.

The post Is Sorghum a Healthy Grain? appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Baked Onion Rings Recipe

The AHA! Team — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 05:48:12 +0000

Recipe via Nutrition Facts – Baked Onion Rings Recipe Recipe by: Dr. Michael Greger & Robin Robertson from The How Not to Age Cookbook Onion rings were a favorite of mine growing up, but I thankfully (and heartfully) gave up my taste for those greasy oily, deep-fried, fatty monstrosities. The onion rings in this recipe come out pretty close to perfection. Try them with Black Bean Burgers and the Ranch Dressing from the How Not to Die Cookbook. COURSE: Appetizer, Side Dish DIFFICULTY: Moderate SERVINGS: 4 Ingredients ▢ 1 large red onion cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices ▢ ⅔ cup oat flour ▢ ¼ cup chickpea flour ▢ 1 cup Almond Milk ▢ 1 teaspoon rice vinegar ▢ ⅓ cup cornmeal ▢ ¾ cup bread crumbs 100% whole-grain salt-free ▢ ⅓ cup nutritional yeast ▢ 2 tablespoons Savory Spice Blend ▢ 1 teaspoon smoked paprika Instructions Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper and set aside. Separate the onion slices into rings. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. In a shallow bowl, combine the oat flour, chickpea flour, Almond Milk, and vinegar. Stir to blend well. In a separate shallow bowl, combine the cornmeal, bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, Savory Spice Blend, and paprika. Mix well. In a row, line up the bowls of onion rings, batter, breading mixture, and the prepared baking sheet. Dip an onion ring into the batter, coating it all over. Transfer the onion ring to the breading, tossing to coat. Use a clean, dry hand to sprinkle the breading onto the onion as needed. Place the coated onion ring on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining ingredients, arranging the rings in a single layer. Use a second sheet if needed. You should have enough batter and breading for about 20 onion rings. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and carefully turn rings over. Bake for about 10 minutes longer, or until crisp and nicely browned. Serve hot. To read the original article click here.

The post Baked Onion Rings Recipe appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Vegetable Stacks with Tomato–Red Pepper Coulis Recipe

The AHA! Team — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 05:38:47 +0000

Recipe via Nutrition Facts – Vegetable Stacks with Tomato–Red Pepper Coulis Recipe Recipe by: Dr. Michael Greger & Robin Robertson from The How Not to Age Cookbook This dish takes a little extra time to assemble, but the bit of effort is so very worth it. It’s actually a quite simple dish to make and looks very fancy when plated. Perfect for when you want to impress your dining companion! COURSE: Main Course DIFFICULTY: Moderate SERVINGS: 4 Ingredients ▢ 1 large eggplant trimmed and into 4 rounds about 1/2-inch thick ▢ 1 large red onion cut into 4 slices about 1/2-inch thick ▢ 1 orange or yellow bell pepper sides cut vertically to make 4 square pieces ▢ 4 large portobello mushroom caps gills removed ▢ 1-2 large ripe tomatoes cut into 4 slices about 1/2-inch thick ▢ 3 tablespoons red onion minced ▢ 2 plum tomatoes chopped ▢ 2 roasted red bell peppers homemade or store-bought ▢ 1 teaspoon white miso paste ▢ 1 teaspoon dried basil ▢ ½ teaspoon dried thyme ▢ 1 ¼ inch turmeric, grated (or 1/4 teaspoon ground) ▢ black pepper to taste ▢ fresh parsley for garnish Instructions Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220°C) Line two large baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper. Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on one of the prepared baking sheets. Bake the eggplant until soft, turning once, about 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set aside to cool; then remove the eggplant from the pan. Meanwhile, on the second prepared baking sheet, arrange the onion slices in a single layer and bake for 7 to 8 minutes. Turn over the onion slices, place the bell pepper pieces on the same baking sheet as the onion, and roast until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes longer. Set aside to cool. Arrange the mushroom caps, gill side up, on the baking sheet from which the eggplant has been removed. Roast until softened, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool for a few minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350ºF (180°C). Assemble the roasted vegetables in stacks: To begin, leave the four mushroom caps, gill side up, on their baking sheet. Top each cap with a slice of eggplant, followed by a slice of onion, then a bell pepper slice, topped with a slice of tomato. Cover the baking sheet and bake until the vegetables are hot, about 20 minutes. While the vegetables are cooking, make the sauce: In a skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of water (45 ml) over medium heat and add the minced onion. Cover and cook for 4 minutes, or until soft. Stir in the plum tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, miso, basil, thyme, turmeric, and black pepper to taste. Cover and cook until the vegetables are very soft, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a food processor and purée the sauce until smooth. Keep warm over low heat until ready to use. When the stacks are ready, use a metal spatula to carefully remove them from the baking dish. Place one stack in the center of each of four dinner plates. Top and surround each stack with the sauce and parsley garnish, and serve hot. TIP: For a more attractive dish, cut the stackable vegetables slices so they are approximately the same size. Reserve the remaining pieces of the vegetables for another use To read the original article click here.

The post Vegetable Stacks with Tomato–Red Pepper Coulis Recipe appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Stone Fruit Bowls Recipe

The AHA! Team — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 05:44:29 +0000

Recipe via Nutrition Facts – Stone Fruit Bowls Recipe Recipe by: Dr. Michael Greger & Robin Robertson from The How Not to Age Cookbook A drupe, more commonly known as stone fruit, is so named because it contains a stone (or a pit) inside. Many popular stone fruits, such as cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, mangos, and dates, are in season in late summer. COURSE: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack DIFFICULTY: Easy SERVINGS: 4 Ingredients ▢ 3 tbsp ground chia seeds ▢ 1.5 cups fresh or thawed frozen diced mango ▢ 1 tsp fresh lemon juice ▢ 2 pitted soft dates, soaked for 10 minutes in hot water and then drained ▢ 3 ripe apricots, pitted and quartered ▢ 3 ripe plums, pitted and cut into 1-inch pieces ▢ 2 ripe peaches or nectarines, pitted and cut into 1-inch pieces ▢ 2 cups pitted cherries Instructions In a small bowl, combine the chia seeds and 1/4 cup water and mix well. Set aside for 10 minutes to thicken. In a food processor or a blender, combine the mango, lemon juice, dates, and the chia mixture and process until smooth. Divide equally among four small glass dessert bowls. Cover and refrigerate until firm, 4 hours overnight. Combine the apricots, plums, peaches, and cherries in a large bowl. Toss gently to combine. To serve, spoon the fruit evenly over the chilled mango mixture. Serve immediately. Notes See the recipe video on our Instagram. To read the original article click here.

The post Stone Fruit Bowls Recipe appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Forest Bathing to Boost Anticancer Immunity

The AHA! Team — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 06:38:14 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – Spending time in a forest, or even anticipating it, significantly lowers levels of cortisol (a stress hormone), more so than being in an urban area. Natural killer cells are one of the ways our body fights off cancer, and visiting a forest can induce a significant increase in both their numbers and their activity. I’ve previously shown how exposure to nature can have self-reported psychological benefits, but there was a dearth of data on changes in objective measurements, so I was excited to see this paper on the effects of forest bathing, “a traditional practice characterized by visiting a forest and breathing its air,” on levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the participants’ saliva. The level of cortisol in our saliva is considered an indicator of our stress level, and study participants’ salivary cortisol levels were significantly lower after walking in a forest or even just hanging out in one (“forest watching”), compared to walking or just being in a city, as you can see at 0:49 in my video Boosting Anticancer Immunity with Forest Bathing. However, the same effect was found before they went to the forest, too. Indeed, “forest bathing, in particular forest watching, was associated with significantly lower cortisol levels both before and after this practice if compared with visiting an urban area.” Therefore, it appears that just the thought of spending time in a forest relieves stress. So, “when comparing the effects of forest bathing versus urban visiting, the anticipated placebo effect…may play a more important role in influencing cortisol [stress] levels than the actual experience” of being in the forest. I was ready to dismiss this as just another nebulous psychological effect until I read this: “Studies on the effects of ‘Shinrin-yoku’ [forest bathing] on the immune function showed that visiting a forest can induce a significant increase in the number and activity of natural killer (NK) cells,” one of the ways our body fights off cancer. That got my attention. It all started with this study: Twelve men were taken on a long weekend trip to walk in the forest, and nearly all of them (11 out of 12) showed higher natural killer cell activity afterward. It wasn’t just a little increase either; they had about a 50 percent increase in NK cell activity after the trip compared to before they went to the forest, as you can see at 2:00 in my video. Now, exercise alone can affect immune function, but “there were no significant differences in walking steps before and during the trip.” The study participants were just walking in a forest instead. However, they were taken on a trip somewhere, which introduced other variables, so what about randomizing them to go on a city trip versus a forest trip? If there were some special forest effect, how long would it last? Do you have to walk in the forest every day? Before jumping into all that, let’s first see if it works in women, too. This study had the same kind of set-up, and the same kind of results: a significant boost in natural killer cell activity from walking in the woods. What’s more, this time, the participants were retested a week later, and their natural killer cell activity was still up. When they were retested a month after the trip their levels were back to baseline, as you can see at 2:45 in my video. So, walking in the woods once a week should do it, but the study involved a multi-day trip. Who can go to the forest all weekend, every weekend? How about just a day trip? The title gives it all away: “A Day Trip to a Forest Park Increases Human Natural Killer Activity and the Expression of Anti-Cancer Proteins in Male Subjects.” The same results and the same big jump measured the day after the trip compared to before and with the same staying power, as you can see at 3:08 in my video. And, natural killer cell activity was still boosted a week later. “This suggests that if people visit a suburban forest park once a week on a day trip, they may be able to maintain increased NK activity” and a boost in anticancer immune function. I’m still not convinced, though. How can you attribute the benefit to the forest itself, when all you have are before and after data? To make the case that nature had anything to do with it, you’d need a control group of study participants who took the same kind of trip but went somewhere else instead. And here we go. Again, the study title says it all: “Visiting a Forest, but Not a City, Increases Human Natural Killer Activity and Expression of Anti-Cancer Proteins.” By the end of the forest trip, the participants experienced a boost of 80 percent in NK activity after forest bathing, compared to only a 10 percent bump for the city walkers, as shown below and at 3:58 in my video. Both trips were matched for physical activity, alcohol, and sleep, too— other factors and behaviors that can affect immune function. So, we’ve got confirmation of boosted immunity, but only on the forest trip, “indicating that forest bathing does indeed enhance human NK activity.” Moreover, the researchers found that “the increased NK activity and numbers of NK cells induced by a forest bathing trip lasted more than 7 days, even 30 days, after the trip.” As you can see below and at 4:26 in my video, NK activity was still up a week later and even a bit up a month later. “This suggests that if people visit a forest once a month, they may be able to maintain increased NK activity. This may be important in health promotion and preventive medicine.” Now that we know that forest bathing induces a real effect, the next question is, Why? What is it about forests that give us the boost? (You can imagine Big Pharma wondering if it can be made into a pill.) We’ll find out next. The video I mentioned at the start is Are There Health Benefits of Spending Time in Nature?. Stay tuned for the follow-up post: Why Does Forest Bathing Boost Natural Killer Cell Function?. For other ways to improve immune function, check out related posts below. Key Takeaways Spending time in a forest, or even anticipating it, significantly lowers levels of cortisol (a stress hormone), more so than being in an urban area. Forest exposure is associated with a notable increase (around 50 percent) in NK cell activity, which plays a role in fighting off cancer. After a single forest trip, NK cell activity remains elevated for up to a week, and, in some cases, positive effects last up to a month. A day trip to the forest can be enough to maintain elevated NK cell activity if done weekly or monthly. Studies comparing forest versus city exposure confirm that forest environments uniquely boost immune function, independent of other factors like exercise and sleep. To read the original article click here.

The post Forest Bathing to Boost Anticancer Immunity appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal Recipe

The AHA! Team — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 05:34:30 +0000

Recipe via Nutrition Facts – Baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal Recipe Recipe by: Dr. Michael Greger & Robin Robertson from The How Not to Age Cookbook To save prep time in the morning, you can assemble this savory breakfast the night before and just pop it in the oven when you’re getting ready to eat. COURSE: Breakfast or Dessert DIFFICULTY: Easy SERVINGS: 4 Ingredients ▢ 1 cup rolled oats ▢ 2 tablespoons ground chia seed ▢ 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed ▢ 1 cup grated carrot ▢ ¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts ▢ 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon ▢ 1½ cups unsweetened soy milk ▢ ½ cup Date Syrup ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Instructions Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line an 8-inch (20-cm) square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. In a bowl, combine the oats, chia seed, flaxseeds, carrot, nuts, and cinnamon, and stir until well mixed. Add the soy milk, Date Syrup, and vanilla, then stir until well combined. Transfer the oatmeal mixture to the prepared baking pan and smooth it evenly. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the oatmeal is golden brown and set. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. To read the original article click here.

The post Baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal Recipe appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.