Why is green tea so healthy?

It has just emerged that American doctors have developed a cream to ward off skin cancer. The magic ingredient is green tea, which is well known for its cancer-fighting properties.

Natural antioxidants called polyphenols in the tea help block the growth of skin cancer cells.

In fact, green tea has a whole host of other health benefits.

Here, femail.co.uk investigates why it's the healthiest cuppa you can drink.

Green tea helps burn fat

It can help speed up the metabolic rate because its antioxidant effect helps the liver to function more efficiently.

A recent U.S. study of overweight men found that, with no other changes to their diet or exercise regimes, drinking green tea three times a day burned up 200 extra calories a day. The green tea drinkers also found that their energy levels were greatly increased.

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Green tea protects against heart disease

It has been shown to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, because its potent antioxidant effects inhibit the oxidation of LDL cholesterol in the arteries.

The formation of abnormal blood clots (thrombosis) is the leading cause of heart attack and stroke, and green tea has been shown to inhibit abnormal blood clot formation as effectively as aspirin.

Green tea can help lower blood pressure

A major cause of hypertension (high blood pressure) is an enzyme secreted by the kidneys called angiotension- converting enzyme (ACE).

Popular drugs for hypertension act as ACE inhibitors: by blocking the effects of ACE, blood pressure is reduced. Green tea is a natural ACE inhibitor, and several medical studies show lowered blood pressure in animals and humans given green tea extracts.

Green tea can help protect against diabetes

When starch is consumed, it requires the enzyme amylase to break it down into simple sugars that can be absorbed in the bloodstream.

Green tea polyphenols inhibit amylase, and so can help lower blood sugar levels. High blood levels of glucose and insulin predispose people to diabetes.

Green tea can help prevent food poisoning

As it can kill bacteria, drinking green tea with meals may reduce the risk of bacterial food poisoning.

It prevents the growth of dangerous intestinal bacterial strains such as clostridia and E. coli and promotes the growth of friendly bifidobacteria.

Green tea can prevent bad breath

Drinking green tea - which is a natural anti-bacterial agent - with food may help kill the oral bacteria that cause cavities and bad breath.

Green tea guards against hepatitis

Viral hepatitis is often triggered by high levels of iron in the liver. Green tea lowers iron levels throughout the body, so may have a direct anti-viral effect against certain strains of hepatitis.

Green tea can protect against cancer

There is growing evidence to suggest that green tea contains compounds that fight cancer. The tea contains a compound called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which helps inhibit blood vessel growth.

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Green tea can help prevent arthritis

A recent study found that antioxidants in green tea may prevent or reduce the severity of symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Antioxidants in the tea inhibit the Cox-2 gene that triggers inflammation, working in much the same way as anti-inflammatory drugs.

Green tea improves your immunity

Gargling with green tea boosts immunity to influenza and flu, according to a study in Japan.

Research at Harvard University also indicated that green tea chemicals stimulated gammadelta T-cells, which bolster immunity against bacteria and viruses.

Green tea can protect against Alzheimer's disease

A recent two-year study of a group of people aged 80 and over found that 96 per cent of those who drank ten cups of green tea a day showed no signs of cognitive impairment, compared to only 12 per cent who didn't drink green tea.

Green tea can help fight allergies

Researchers in Japan have identified a compound in green tea that, in laboratory tests, blocks a key cell receptor involved in producing an allergic response.

The compound, methylated epigallocatechin gallate, works by blocking the production of histamine and immunoglobulin E, two compounds in the body that are chiefly involved in triggering and sustaining allergic reactions.

by AMY ANDERSON, Daily Mail

Source

How many cups of green tea do you drink per day? What time, before or after your meal? What do you like about green tea?

Pumpkin and Health

10/6/2016 1:36:00 PM, By Pura Botanica 

Pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice and even pumpkin beer. With October’s arrival, pumpkin season is finally here! While pumpkins may seem frightening in their Jack-O-Lantern state, they are actually one of the most nutritious fruits out there. That’s right, pumpkins are actually fruits and they are loaded with antioxidants and disease-fighting vitamins. We’ve rounded up a list of some of the greatest health benefits of these superfood gourds.

Image by https://pixabay.com/

Keep Eyesight Sharp

Did you know that just one cup of cooked, mashed pumpkin contains over 200% of your recommended daily intake of Vitamin A? This is why pumpkins are great for helping to keep your eyesight sharp, especially in dim light. Pumpkins are also rich in carotenoids, the compounds that give them their bright orange color, including beta-carotene, which the body then converts into Vitamin A for additional eyesight protection. 

Can Help With Weight Loss

When it comes to weight loss, pumpkin is not often the first thing that comes to mind. However, with 3 grams of fiber for every cup, it can keep you feeling full for longer hours with fewer calories. Fiber-rich diets tend to help people eat less and therefore shed a few pounds. If you are one who is looking to lose some weight, try adding pumpkin into your diet for quick results.

May Reduce Risk of Cancer

Just like the sweet potato, the carrot and the butternut squash, pumpkins boast the antioxidant beta-carotene, which may play a major role in cancer prevention, according to a study done by the National Cancer Institute. They found that food sources high in beta-carotene seem to help more than simple supplements. Even more reason to scoop up some pumpkin seeds for your next meal.

Promote a Healthy Mind

Pumpkin seeds are rich in the amino acid tryptophan, which is the famed ingredient in turkey that many believe brings on the post-Thanksgiving snooze. While experts agree that it’s likely overeating rather than tryptophan that puts you to sleep, there is no doubt that the amino acid is important for the production of serotonin, a major player when it comes to controlling your mood. Just a small handful of pumpkin seeds may help your outlook stay bright. 

Image by https://pixabay.com/

Treat Intestinal Worms

Pumpkin seeds can help your body get rid of nasty gut parasites that can make you sick, according to licensed pharmacist of Living Well Magazine, Debbie Edson. She states that “They have traditionally been used for this purpose by Native Americans and even today pumpkin seeds are used to treat tapeworms in some parts of Africa.”

Pumpkin: It’s that time of year. While most pumpkin-flavored treats should be added to the once-in-a-while list, pumpkin itself is actually one of the healthier foods of the season and now you know why. Next time someone mentions pumpkin spice, it’s OK to be totally obsessed with this season’s superfood. 

Source:http://www.motherearthliving.com/food-matters/pumpkin-and-health-zb0z1609  republished from Pura Botanica https://www.purabotanica.com/, oryginal tittle: Beyond the Latte: Pumpkin and Health.

Do you only enjoy pumpkins on Halloween or enjoy eating them as well? 

Have you tried any good meal made from pumkin? 

4 Tablespoons a Day And The Cancer is Gone: The Famous Russian Scientist Reveals the Most Powerful Homemade Remedy

Russian scientist Hristo Mermerski revealed a famous innovative home-based cure for cancer patients and generally people claim that this medicine can be really helpful. During one of the lectures Professor Mermerski revealed “It’s a food for treating the entire body, and cancer in that kind of body will withdraw,” This is the most unbelievable homemade medicine that efficiently cleanses the blood vessels, cures the heart and boosts the immune system. On the other hand, this incredible cure cleanses the liver and kidneys too. It also improves the memory and protects the heart from any sort of severe heart attack. If you have come across any other cure for cancer hopefully this would be the best cure ever. 

The ingredients you need for the cure are:

– 15 fresh lemons

– 12 fresh garlic cloves

– 35 oz. natural honey

– 14 oz. sprouted grains ( green wheat)

– 14 oz. fresh walnuts

Process of making sprouted grains:

Add the green wheat in a glass bowl and Pour water to cover up the wheat with water and leave it for an overnight. After 12 hours drain the grains and rinse them or later onwards strain them through a gauze. Set the drained wheat in a bowl for 24 hours and after that, you will get the sprouted grains.

Instructions:

Crush the walnuts, sprouted wheat and the earlier cleaned garlic cloves.  Grind 5 lemons along with the crust and then add them to the sprouted wheat combination. Squeeze the other 10 lemons and add the lemon juice to the mixture. Mix the ingredients until you come up with a homogeneous mixture. After that add the honey and stir with a wooden spoon. Put the blended ingredients in a glass jar and place it in the fridge. Before bringing the mixture in use let it stay in the fridge for about 3 days.

Usage of the cure

For really good results make sure to consume 1-2 tbsp of the cure 30 minutes before breakfast, dinner and also before going to bed. For those patients who have diagnosed cancer take 1-2 tbsp every 2 hours a day.

The famous Russian scientist, Dr. Mermerski says that this cure not only helps you have a long, healthy life but it also cures cancer efficiently and keeps the body young at heart and lively. He also adds that this medicine consists of all essential vitamins, mineral salts, bioactive substances, proteins, carbohydrates and fats. It helps your organs to work in a more improved way and along with that, it keeps the body in a fit state. If you keep using this cure and maintain your body’s health Dr. Mermensk adds, No cancer can survive in a healthy body,”

http://www.timefornaturalhealthcare.com/4-tablespoons-a-day-and-the-cancer-is-gone-the-famous-russian-scientist-reveals-the-most-powerful-homemade-remedy/ 

What do you think about this revelation? Even if you don`t suffer from cancer you can  still benefit from this cure for its extraordinary properties. Do you believe this?

Amazing Herb Kills 98% Of Cancer Cells In Just 16 Hours In Lab Test

Photo – Wikipedia – lic. under CC 4.0

Artemisia (aka. Wormwood) has been used in herbalism since ancient times. It is extremely bitter tasting and named wormwood on account of its efficacy in destroying intestinal parasites. It is also one of the herbal ingredients in that mysterious alcoholic beverage Absinthe – which according to the traditional recipe was also prepared with several other herbs including lemon balm, mint, anise, fennel, hyssop, marjoram, angelica and dittany of Crete. [1]

After discovering a write-up on the highly selective and rapid anticancer properties of Artemisia on Healthy Food House, I dug in and did some research. What I found was astounding: The research base is solid. Artemisia has tremendous promise as a potential anticancer agent – especially when combined with iron: It targets the cancer cells specifically.

Artemisinin, a compound derived from Wormwood, has been the subject of much research – and it has shown much promise as an anti-malaria agent. It is now well established to have anti-proliferative and apoptotic (killing) effects on a number of cancer cell types. [2]

Artemisia annua was first noted as a possible anticancer herb in 2001, when two researchers at the University of Washington learned that wormwood showed highly selective activity against breast cancer cells. “Artemisinin reacts with iron to form free radicals that kill cells. Since cancer cells uptake relatively large amount of iron than normal cells, they are more susceptible to the toxic effect of artemisinin.” [3] The anticancer effect of artemisinin is thus much enhanced (up to 100x) by the preloading of cancer cells with iron. [4]

Recent scientific research conducted at the Cancer Research Laboratory, University of California (Berkeley) has found that Artemisinin, a compound found in Artemisia, induced a growth arrest of tumorigenic human breast cancer cell lines with preneoplastic and late stage cancer phenotypes, but failed to arrest the growth of a nontumorigenic human mammary cell line. [5]

In lay terms, what this means is that artemisinin killed the breast cancer cells without harming the healthy cells. This is exactly the kind of effect that researchers are looking for – because one of the greatest challenges of modern cancer research is to develop effective anti-cancer agents which do not also harm healthy cells. Current anticancer regimens are notorious for their highly toxic effects – aka “collateral damage”. [4]

It is also thought that hyperbaric oxygen therapy could further enhance the anticancer effects of artemisin. [6]

Note that these studies were performed in vitro i.e. in laboratory glassware and so this research, though highly encouraging, should not be considered as proof that artemisinin can cure cancer in human subjects. It is however one of the more promising anticancer herbs we have come across and worthy of due consideration not only by naturopaths but by orthodox medicine. Artemisinin is sometimes being used as supplementation as an adjunct to chemotherapy. I just discovered this comment from a lady whose husband had lung cancer:

“My husband was diagnosed with lung cancer, it filled the left lung and it was wrapped around his spinal cord. Too close to a main artery and esophagus to operate. It also got into the Lymph system. The doctors were surprised that he wasn’t paralyzed since the cancer had crushed and cracked the spinal cord. I gave him Artemisinin capsules for four days at the beginning of the treatments with radiation and chemo. After six weeks hubby was cancer free and stayed that way. An amazing recovery. The medical staff said “they don’t see that very often.”” [7]

I am sure we will here more about artemisinin soon as research continues…

For more anticancer herb reports, please view our full page investigating 60+ “Anticancer herbs” – with links to the scientific studies.

References:

[1] Aleister Crowley “The Green Goddess” (1915) http://www.museeabsinthe.com/Crowley-Green-Goddess.pdf

[2] “Artemisinin Blocks Prostate Cancer Growth and Cell Cycle Progression by Disrupting Sp1 Interactions with the Cyclin-dependent Kinase-4 (CDK4) Promoter and Inhibiting CDK4 Gene Expression” (2009) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2629082/

[3] “Effects of artemisinin-tagged holotransferrin on cancer cells” (Life Sciences 76, 2005) http://assasmus.s.a.f.unblog.fr/files/2010/05/publicationartemisiadrlai.pdf

[4] Antitumor Activity of Artemisinin and Its Derivatives: From a Well-Known Antimalarial Agent to a Potential Anticancer Drug http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3228295/

[5] “Antiproliferative effects of artemisinin on human breast cancer cells requires the downregulated expression of the E2F1 transcription factor and loss of E2F1-target cell cycle genes” http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/22185819

[6] http://www.washington.edu/news/2011/04/04/high-dose-of-oxygen-enhances-natural-cancer-treatment/

[7] http://www.healthyfoodhouse.com/amazing-herb-kills-cancer-cells-in-just-16-hours/ (in comments)

http://www.herbs-info.com/blog/amazing-herb-kills-98-percent-of-cancer-cells-in-just-16-hours/

  

HSE to review link between red meat and cancer

Executive to examine if changes to hospital diets needed in wake of WHO report

The International Agency for Research on Cancer report also suggested that red meat was a likely cause of some cancers. Photograph: Getty Images

To play video: http://bcove.me/y0usja0a

The HSE is to review new research which suggests processed and red meat can cause cancer to determine if changes are needed to dietary and nutritional policies for patients in hospitals and other public healthcare facilities.

World Health Organisation (WHO) experts said on Monday that bacon, ham and sausages were as big a cancer threat as tobacco. Experts from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded 50g of processed meat eaten daily increased the risk of colorectal cancer by 18 per cent.

The report also suggested that red meat was a likely cause of some cancers. The IARC, part of WHO, put processed meat such as hot dogs and ham in its group 1 list, which includes tobacco, asbestos and diesel fumes, for which there is “sufficient evidence” of cancer links.

Red meat, including beef, lamb and pork, was classified as a “probable” carcinogen in the IARC group 2A list that also contains glyphosate, the active ingredient in many weedkillers.

‘Limited evidence’

The lower classification for red meat reflected “limited evidence” that it causes cancer. The agency for research on cancer found links mainly with bowel cancer, but also with pancreatic and prostate cancer, it said. (...)

Martin Wall, Mon, Oct 26, 2015, 20:11

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/hse-to-review-link-between-red-meat-and-cancer-1.2406694

GREEN TEA: Secrets to Flat Belly, Youthful Skin & More

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5RVJY3ZCI4