Daily Archives: January 19, 2016

10 Health benefits of Onions

1. Good Oral Health
Onions are often used to prevent tooth decay and oral infections. Chewing raw onions for 2 to 3 minutes can potentially kill all the germs present in the oral area and surrounding places like the throat and lips.

2. Immune System Strength
The phytochemicals that are present in significant amounts in onions act as a stimulant to vitamin C within the body. The efficacy of vitamin C, and subsequently your immune system, is boosted when you eat onions, since it supercharges your immune system against toxins and various foreign bodies that can lead to disease and illness.

3. Digestion
The fiber in onions promotes good digestion and helps keep you regular. Additionally, onions contain a special type of soluble fiber called oligofructose, which promotes good bacteria growth in your intestines. The phytochemicals in onions that scavenge free radicals may also reduce your risk of developing gastric ulcers, according to the National Onion Association.

4. Regulating blood sugar
The chromium in onions assists in regulating blood sugar. The sulfur in onions helps lower blood sugar by triggering increased insulin production. One 2010 study in the journal Environmental Health Insights revealed that this might be especially helpful to people with people with diabetes. People with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes who ate red onions showed lower glucose levels for up to four hours.

5. Manage Diabetes
Onions contain chromium, which is a relatively unusual mineral to find naturally in food. Chromium helps the body manage blood sugar levels and ensure a slow, gradual release of glucose to the muscles and the body cells. Therefore, eating onions can help modulate your blood sugar levels, which is vitally important for diabetic patients.

6. Cancer Prevention
Onion extracts, rich in a variety of sulfides, provide some protection against tumor growth. In central Georgia where Vidalia onions are grown, mortality rates from stomach cancer are about one-half the average level for the United States. Studies in Greece have shown a high consumption of onions, garlic and other allium herbs to be protective against stomach cancer.

7. Treatment for Cough
Consuming an equal mixture of onion juice and honey can relive sore throats and coughing symptoms.

8. Boosts Sexual Drive
Onions are said to increase the urge for a healthy sex life. One table spoon of onion juice along with one spoonful of ginger juice, taken three times a day, can boost the libido and sex drive.

9. Treatment of Anemia
Even anemic conditions can be improved by eating onions along with jaggery and water, because this adds to the mineral content of the body, especially iron, which is an essential part of producing new red blood cells. Therefore, anemia, also known as iron deficiency, can be prevented by having a health amount of onions in your diet.

10. Treating Urinary Disorders
For those suffering from a burning sensation during urination, onions can provide considerable relief. People suffering from this condition should drink water boiled with 6 to 7 grams of onions.

Sources
http://www.livescience.com/45293-onion-nutrition.html

13 Impressive Benefits of Onions


http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/updates/onions.php
http://www.veggiegardener.com

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10 Health benefits of Aloe vera

The powerful aloe vera plant is a part of the Aloaceae, or lily, family, which is known for its diverse perennials with short stems and thick, crowded leaves. Aloe vera has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries.

Benefits of Aloe vera

1. Immune Booster
The polysaccharides in aloe vera juice stimulate macrophages, which are the white blood cells of your immune system that fight against viruses. Aloe is also an immune enhancer because of its high level of anti-oxidants, which help combat the unstable compounds known as free-radicals, contributing to the aging process. (Free radicals are a bi-product of life itself, it is a naturally occurring process but we can overload ourselves with unnecessary free-radicals by living an unhealthy lifestyle). Aloe is also an antipyretic which means it used to reduce or prevent fever.

2. Enhances Skin Health
Aloe vera is one of the natural herbs commonly used in skin care products. It soothes the skin, hydrates it, nourishes it and accelerates the regeneration of new skin tissue. By applying fresh aloe vera gel on your face, you can enjoy well moisturized, glowing and flawless skin.

3. Digestion
Poor digestion is related to many diseases. A properly functioning digestive tract is one of the keys and foundations of health. Aloe is known to soothe and cleanse the digestive tract and help improve digestion. The interesting thing about taking aloe internally is that, because it is an adaptogen, it helps with either constipation or diarrhea, helping to regulate your elimination cycles in whatever way you need. It’s been a great remedy for people with problems such as irritable bowel syndrome as well as acid reflux. Aloe also helps to decrease the amount of unfriendly bacteria and in our gut keeping your healthy intestinal flora in balance.

4. Cures Gum Disease
Tooth decay and diseases of the gum are very common health problems. One of the best ways to prevent this from happening is to reduce the buildup of plaque (bacterial biofilms) on the teeth.

5. Ends Constipation
Aloe vera has often be used to treat constipation. The latex is a sticky yellow residue found just under the skin of the leaf. The key compound responsible for this effect is called aloin, or barbaloin, which has well-established laxative effects.

6. Halts Inflammation
Aloe vera can be used externally to ease inflammation of joints and reduce arthritis pain. You can also drink aloe vera juice to reduce inflammation throughout the body. People who drink aloe vera juice for two weeks typically begin to experience a significant reduction of inflammation and pain symptoms.

7. Stabilizes Blood Sugar Level
Might aloe vera be able to help people with diabetes regulate their blood sugar levels? One study conducted in Thailand found that two tablespoons of aloe vera juice per day caused blood sugar levels to fall in people with type 2 diabetes, which means it may have a future in diabetes treatment. These results were confirmed with a later study from Turkey that used pulp extract.

8. Lowers High Cholesterol
Some studies suggest that aloe vera gel can lower high cholesterol levels. When taken internally, the gel improves the quality of the blood and also lowers high cholesterol.

9. Keeps away from bacteria
Aloe vera gel contains powerful antioxidants, which belong to a large family of substances known as polyphenols. These polyphenols, along with several other compounds in Aloe vera, can help inhibit the growth of certain bacteria that can cause infections in humans.

10. Cancer
According to a new study, aloe-emodin, a compound in aloe vera leaves, could slow down the spread of breast cancer cells. Researchers are currently investigating how aloe may play a role in other types of cancer, as well.

Sources
http://authoritynutrition.com/8-proven-health-benefits-of-aloe-vera/
http://happyandraw.com/top-12-benefits-of-aloe-vera/
http://www.healthline.com/health/7-amazing-uses-aloe-vera#2
http://www.top10homeremedies.com/kitchen-ingredients/10-health-benefits-of-aloe-vera.html/3
http://www.essentialoil.in

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7 Health Benefits of Pumpkin

Pumpkin fruit is one of the widely grown vegetables incredibly rich in vital antioxidants, and vitamins. Though this humble backyard vegetable is less in calories, nonetheless, it carries vitamin A, and flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, xanthin, and carotenes in abundance.

Pumpkin is a fast-growing vine that creeps along the surface in a similar fashion like that of other Cucurbitaceae family vegetables and fruits such as cucumber, squash, cantaloupes…etc. It is one of the most popular field crops cultivated around the world, including in the USA at commercial scale for its fruit, and seeds.

1. Boost Vision
A cup of cubed pumpkin contains almost twice the recommended daily intake of vitamin A, which promotes good vision, especially in dim light, according to the National Institutes of Health. It has also been found to slow the decline of retinal function in those with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease that can lead to blindness, according to researchers from Harvard. Vitamin A also helps form and maintain healthy skin, teeth and bones.

2. Immunity
Plant foods like pumpkins that are high in both vitamin C and beta-carotene offer an immunity boost from their powerful combination of nutrients. Pumpkin is a storehouse of many anti-oxidant vitamins such as vitamin-A, vitamin-C and vitamin-E.

3. Blood pressure
There are many creative ways pumpkin can be incorporated into your diet, including desserts, soups, salads, preserves and even as a substitute for butter.

4. Sleep Better
Pumpkin seeds are rich in tryptophan, the amino acid that contributes to post-Thanksgiving dinner sleepiness, says Virgin. Tryptophan is also responsible for helping the body make serotonin, the feel-good neurotransmitter that helps you relax and unwind. Not only do pumpkin seeds promote better sleep, the serotonin will improve your mood, says Virgin.

5. Have a Healthier Heart
All that fiber can also help protect your ticker, research shows. One Harvard study of over 40,000 male health professionals found that those who ate a diet high in fiber had a 40 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease, compared to those who ate a diet low in fiber. A more recent study by Swedish researchers found that women who ate a diet high in fiber had a 25 percent lower risk of heart disease compared with women who ate a low fiber diet. Men benefitted less, likely because they’re more likely to get their fiber from breads, while women are more likely to get their fiber from healthier sources, like fruits and vegetables, the researchers write.

6. Cancer
One particular type of cancer where research has shown a positive benefits of a diet rich in beta-carotene is prostate cancer, according to a study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health’s Department of Nutrition.5 Beta-carotene has also been shown to have an inverse association with the development of colon cancer in the Japanese population.

7. Fertility
For women of child-bearing age, consuming more iron from plant sources such as spinach, beans, pumpkin, tomatoes, and beets appear to promote fertility, according Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publications. The vitamin A in pumpkin (consumed as beta-carotene then converted to vitamin A in the body) is also essential during pregnancy and lactation for hormone synthesis.

Sources
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/pumpkin.html
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/279610.php
http://dailyburn.com/life/health/pumpkin-health-benefits/
http://thejunctionbia.ca

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