vegetable intake Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Slash Your Cancer Risk With Two POTENT Spices

AHA Publisher — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 08:00:34 +0000

Karen Sanders via NaturalHealth365 – Within the past few years, scientists at the forefront of cancer research have increasingly given voice to a once radical-sounding concept: cancer – second only to heart disease as a cause of death for Americans – is largely preventable, with diet playing an important role. In a prominent article published in 2008 in the peer-reviewed scientific publication Pharmaceutical Research, the authors – researchers in the Department of Experimental Therapeutics at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center – boldly state that cancer is, for the most part, a preventable disease that can be avoided with proper lifestyle choices. An article published the following year in the Journal of Clinical Oncology echoes and confirms this finding and goes on to assert that dietary modification alone – namely, increasing intake of fruits, vegetables, and spices – could prevent 20 percent or more of all cases of cancer, saving close to a quarter of a million lives a year. In a more recent study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health authors concluded that indeed, nutrition is one of the most modifiable aspects of people’s lifestyles and dietary choices that can affect cancer risk. Furthermore, with the maintenance of optimum body weight and regular physical activity added to dietary modification, the authors estimate that up to 40 percent of all cancer cases would simply never occur. Stunning Fact: Nearly 50% of All Cancer Cases Can Be Eliminated With Natural Compounds Imagine the headlines, the fanfare, and the triumphant advertising campaign Big Pharma would unleash if a drug manufacturer were to develop a medication with the same rate of success at warding off cancer. Yet, the “medication” already exists. We already have access to safe, natural, and relatively affordable cancer-preventing substances: the phytochemicals contained in luscious fruits, tasty vegetables, and zesty spices. Although a myriad of fresh fruits and vegetables – broccoli, blueberries, garlic, grapes, tomatoes, and dozens more – can help prevent cancer, two spices, in particular, have been impressing researchers with their ability to inhibit and even destroy cancer cells. Fragrant Cloves Offer Up a Protective and Potent Essential Oil Cloves, scientifically known as Sygizium aromaticum, are the unopened flower buds from an evergreen tree indigenous to the Indonesian rain forest. Their aromatic scent and rich, distinctive flavor arise from their high content of eugenol oil, the constituent also responsible for much of their protective benefits. Recent scientific research supports the ability of eugenol oil to inhibit the proliferation of melanoma cells. It also suppresses COX-2 mRNA expression, meaning that it works to “turn off” one of the primary genes implicated in inflammation and cancer development. In one particularly encouraging animal study conducted at the Department of Cancer Causation and Prevention at AMC Cancer Research Center and published in 2005 in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, eugenol not only slowed the growth of tumors but decreased tumor size by 40 percent. While 50 percent of the mice in the control group died from metastatic growth of their tumors, all eugenol-treated mice survived. In addition, researchers reported no evidence of cell invasion or metastasis – no spreading of cancer – in the eugenol group. While clinical studies are lacking, test tube and animal studies point to potential use for cloves as a natural cancer treatment. Cloves Contain a Surprising Variety of Nutrients Although eugenol oil seems to be the major player in the anticancer effects of cloves, these piquantly-flavored buds can also provide health benefits by way of their other constituents. Cloves are rich in tannins and flavonoids and contain hefty amounts of essential minerals such as iron, manganese, and selenium. As if that weren’t enough, they are also a good source of the antioxidant vitamin C and A, as well as the antioxidant carotenoid beta-carotene. What’s the Best Way to Add Cloves to My Diet? Opt for whole, organically grown cloves for maximum health benefits, and powder them yourself in a coffee grinder. Use cloves to enhance meat, poultry, rice dishes, and soups or to add zest to a marinade. You can also use them to flavor desserts such as gingerbread, pumpkin pie, and fruit compote, or pair them with cinnamon in hot spiced apple cider. But, be warned, overindulging in cloves can cause gastric irritation, so moderation is the best policy. And, if you have a digestive condition such as gastric ulcers, ulcerative colitis, or diverticulitis, check with your doctor before using them. Fenugreek: An Ancient Mainstay of Ayurvedic Healing, Proves Its Worth to Western Researchers Scientifically known as Trigonella foenum-graecum, fenugreek is a staple of Middle Eastern cooking and is used to make curry and pickles. It has been employed since antiquity for culinary and medicinal purposes and is particularly prized in the Ayurvedic healing system, known as methi. Recent medical research indicates that fenugreek seeds have anti-cancer properties due to their high diosgenin levels, a steroidal saponin. In a cell study published in 2006 in Oncogene, researchers found that fenugreek extracts suppressed inflammation, inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells, and caused apoptosis – or self-destruction – of tumor cells. Like the eugenol found in cloves, diosgenin in fenugreek regulates pro-inflammatory COX-2. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) concurs, crediting fenugreek seeds with chemopreventive properties and citing a study in which fenugreek extracts induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in MCF-7 receptor-positive breast cancer cells. Although animal and cell studies have been promising, MSKCC points out that studies on humans are currently lacking. However, research into fenugreek’s therapeutic potential is ongoing. Diosgenin Is Not Fenugreek’s Only Weapon Against Cancer While diosgenin has been shown to destroy cancer cells, it is not the only protective gift fenugreek bestows. The seeds are also rich in non-starch polysaccharides such as mucilage, pectin, and hemicellulose. These various types of dietary fiber all have the proven ability to bind to toxins and carcinogens, allowing them to be speedily flushed from the body. So it is no surprise that decades of research have supported fenugreek’s strong protective effects against colon cancer. Like cloves, fenugreek seeds also store essential minerals such as copper, iron, selenium, and manganese. They also contain abundant quantities of vitamin A and vitamin C. What are the best fenugreek seeds to get? Be sure to purchase whole fenugreek seeds from a certified organic supplier – as your best bet for maximum cancer protection. High-quality fenugreek seeds are golden-yellow, with a rich maple syrup aroma. Enthusiasts say that the taste – often likened to burnt caramel with bitter overtones – can be mellowed by browning the seeds lightly over medium heat. The toasted seeds can then be ground and used in curries and sauces. Keep in mind, fenugreek seeds can interact with certain medications, so check with your doctor before using them. Although no one can expect to eliminate all cancer risks, consuming beneficial detoxifying spices such as cloves and fenugreek may help to significantly better your odds while adding sparks of exotic and sophisticated flavor to your recipes. Sources for this article include: NIH.gov NIH.gov NIH.gov NutritionAndYou.com NIH.gov NutritionAndYou.com BiblioMed.org MSKCC.org To read the original article click here.

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Higher Fruit and Veg Intake Associated with Better Mental Health in Secondary School Pupils

AHA Publisher — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 07:00:27 +0000

BMJ via News-Medical – Higher fruit and veg intake are significantly associated with better mental health in secondary school children, while a nutritious breakfast and lunch is linked to emotional wellbeing in pupils across the age spectrum, finds research published in the online journal BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health. The findings prompt the researchers to call for the inclusion of good nutrition in public health strategies to maximize kids’ mental health. Poor mental health is a major issue for young people, with survey data indicating that its prevalence is rising. The evidence suggests that teen mental health problems often persist into adulthood, leading to poorer life outcomes and achievement. It’s not clear if school pupils’ dietary choices might be linked to their mental health. To explore this further, the researchers drew on responses from over 50 schools in Norfolk, England, to The Norfolk Children and Young People Health and Wellbeing Survey 2017. In total, 10,853 pupils completed the survey on their mental health and nutrition: 9% of Norfolk primary school children in the target year groups (9-11-year-olds); 22% of secondary school pupils; and around 6% of young people in years 12 and 13 (17-18-year-olds). Dietary questions aimed to explore fruit and vegetable intake, as well as the type of breakfast and lunch eaten; alcohol intake; eligibility for free school meals; and satisfaction with weight. Background and general health information were also collected; as well as a range of other factors, ranging from whether they had their own bedroom and bed to whether they felt safe at school and at home, including whether they had witnessed violence or arguing at home. Mental health was assessed using validated age-appropriate measures. Data from 7570 secondary school and 1253 primary school pupils were included in the final analysis. The average mental health score was 46.6 out of 70 for secondary school pupils and 46 out of 60 for primary school pupils. Only around 1 in 4 (25%) secondary school pupils and 28.5% of primary school pupils reported eating the recommended 5 portions of fruit and veg a day, with 10% and 9%, respectively, eating none. Around 1 in 5 (21%) secondary school pupils and 1 in 8 (12%) primary school pupils consumed only a non-energy drink or nothing at all for breakfast, while around 1 in 8 secondary school children (11.5%) ate no lunch. Higher combined fruit and veg intake were significantly associated with higher mental health scores; the higher the intake, the higher was the score. Compared with secondary school pupils eating no fruit or veg, eating one or two daily portions was associated with a score of 1.42 units higher while eating 3 or 4 portions was associated with a score of 2.34 units higher. Eating 5 or more portions was associated with a score of 3.73 units higher. Breakfast type was also significantly associated with mental wellbeing. Compared with a conventional breakfast, such as toast, porridge, cereal, yogurt, fruit, or a cooked breakfast, eating only a snack or breakfast bar was associated with a score that was 1.15 units lower. Consumption of energy drinks as a breakfast substitute was associated with particularly low mental health scores, and lower than those for children eating no breakfast at all. Just having nothing more than an energy drink was associated with a score of 3.14 units lower; not eating any breakfast at all was associated with a score of 2.73 units lower. Similarly, lunch type was also significantly associated with mental health scores. Not eating any lunch was associated with a score of 2.95 units lower than when eating a packed lunch. Among primary school pupils, eating only a snack for breakfast was associated with a score of 5.50 units lower while consuming only a non-energy drink was associated with a score of 2.67 units lower than those eating a conventional breakfast. Not eating any breakfast was associated with a score of 3.62 units lower. And compared with eating a packed lunch, eating school food was associated with a score of 1.27 units lower, although this wasn’t statistically significant; having no lunch was associated with a score of 6.08 units lower, although there were only a few children in this group, caution the researchers. This is an observational study, and as such, can’t establish cause, added to which there was no detailed nutritional information in the survey data and the study relied on children’s subjective assessments. But, the researchers argue: “The importance of good quality nutrition for childhood growth and development is well established. Our study adds to this prior evidence the finding that nutrition is also highly relevant to childhood mental wellbeing. The difference in mental wellbeing between children who ate the most fruit and vegetables and those who ate the least was of a similar scale to those children who reported daily, or almost daily, arguing or violence at home, they point out. “As a potentially modifiable factor, both at an individual and societal level, nutrition may therefore represent an important public health target for strategies to address childhood mental wellbeing.” “This study provides the first insights into how fruit and vegetable intake affects children’s mental health, and contributes to the emerging evidence around ‘food and mood’.” Sumantra Ray, Executive Director, NNEdPro Global Centre for Nutrition and Health “The findings are timely, not only because of the impact the pandemic has had on mental wellbeing, food security, and diet quality, especially in school children, but also in light of the recently published National Food Strategy for England, which highlighted gaps in school meal provision.” He adds: “This study should help to stimulate further research on diet and mental health, as well as helping to inform public health policy.” To read the original article click here.

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