Good Healthy Living

Posts Tagged ‘Free Radicals’

Just like in the air surrounding us and the environment engulfing us, we have toxins inside our body also. Toxins are present inside and outside our body. We probably cannot do much about toxins in the environment around us but we can definitely do something about the toxins in our own body! There are some toxins which are present in very small quantities and will not really harm us, but been aware of the same is equally important. Here is a list of toxins in our body and we need to control them: Read the rest of this entry »

Epidemiological studies have shown that eating foods rich in antioxidants results in a reduced risk of heart attacks,strokes and cancer. Antioxidants reduce damaging oxidative stress caused by highly active free radicals in the blood. These detrimental effects have been implicated as a pathogenic factor in most diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Antioxidant rich foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains. Phytochemicals are strong antioxidants and are naturally present in these foods. For example, soybeans contain genisten, tomatoes and grapefruit contain lycopene, cabbage and brussel sprouts cotain indoles, garlic and onion contain allylic sulfides, tea contains tannins and most fruits and vegetables are rich in flavonoids.

A diet rich in these foods is highly protective. This observation has led to the widespread use of synthetic multivitamins and anti-oxidants to prevent cancer and cardiovascular diseases, and increase life span. However taking these supplements have not shown protective benefits, and have actually been harmful in most people.

Dr. Jaakko Mursu and collegues recently presented disturbing data regarding life expentancy with the use of multivitamins and mineral supplements in healthy older women. They found that most supplements in older women were associated with a higher risk of total mortality. These supplements included multivitamins, vitamin B6, folic acid, and minerals such as iron, magnesium, zinc and copper. There was a 3% to 6% increased risk of death with taking vitamin B6, folic acid, iron, magnesium, and zinc supplements and an 18.0% increased risk for total mortality with copper supplementation. The increased rates appear when compared to individuals not taking these supplements. This large study involved a total of 38,772 older women, between the ages of 55 to 69 years. Their results were published in the October 10, 2011 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

In an earlier review of 47 studies involving nearly 181,000 participants, Bjelakovic and colleagues reported that taking vitamin A supplements increased the risk of death by 16%, beta-carotene by 7%, and vitamin E by 4%. These findings were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2007.

Meta-analysis of several studies have also documented that antioxidants do not prevent cancer. On the contrary, studies have implicated their intake with a higher incidence of some cancers. In a study by Lawson and associates and published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in 2007, the risk of fatal prostate cancer doubled in men who took multivitamins seven days a week, when compared with men who did not take any multivitamin supplements. Their study involed 295,344 men enrolled in the National Institutes of Health Diet and Health Study. Other studies have shown that mortality also appears to be increased in persons with gastrointestinal and lung cancers while ingesting anti-oxidant supplements.

The exact mechanism behind this harmful effect of multivitamin/anti-oxidant supplementation is not clear. It has been suggested that supplemental antioxidants may decrease free radicals and upset defensive mechanisms necessary to destroy precancerous and cancerous cells. Synthetic antioxidants may also possess pro-oxidant properties.

The American diet provides almost 120% the recommended daily allowances for ß-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Except for calcium and prescribed supplementation for documented deficiency (for example Vitamin D), scientific data suggests that most multivitamins and mineral supplements should not be used in otherwise well nourished individuals.

The phenolic acids are a group of non-essential, plant based nutrients that can be found in many different fruits and vegetables. Although they are not believed to be essential for human survival, studies have shown that they can prevent acne, fight free radicals and much more. In this article I will be providing a full breakdown of 2 phenolic acids, listing the best food sources and discussing their main health benefits.

1) CURCUMIN:

Curcumin can only be found in the spice turmeric with 100 grams (g) containing around 5g of this phenolic acid. It is a potent antioxidant that can keep your body’s cells safe from nasty free radicals. Free radicals are dangerous by-products that are released into your body’s cells during oxygen based reactions and have been linked with cancer (a health disorder where your body’s cells start to grow in a rapid, uncontrollable way), diabetes (a health disorder which leads to extremely high blood glucose levels), premature ageing and a weak immune system. Read the rest of this entry »

Stress relief should always start with conscious efforts to remove or relieve the stressor. For instance, if your job is extremely stressful, and it’s making you sick, the best thing you can do is actively look for a less stressful job. Also, there are things like meditation and exercise to help relieve your stress and increase the relaxation response. However, recently there have been a host of studies looking for more positive ways to integrate changes in diet, vitamin regimen, and other holistic alternative approaches to relieve stress. I’m going to summarize some of the research here.

Food, Vitamins, and Stress

There are so many schools of thought about how to get your vitamins. Of course the best way is from whole natural foods. The foods found to have an impact on stress are:

Asparagus ,beef, milk, cottage cheese/fruit, almonds, blueberries, tuna, cornflakes/crispy rice cereal Read the rest of this entry »

The flavonoids are a group of non-essential nutrients that can be sourced from fruits, nuts, vegetables and teas. Whilst they are not believed to be essential in humans, they have been shown to protect against mental disorders, fight cancer and more. In this article I will be taking a deeper look at this topic and breaking down 4 flavonoid benefits.

1) BOOSTING YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM:

The immune system is a set of biological structures and processes that keeps you safe from disease and foreign bodies. 1 of the important flavonoid benefits is that they strengthen the immune system and help you stay healthy and disease free all year round.

2) FIGHTING FREE RADICALS:

Free radicals are harmful by-products that are released during oxygen related reactions within your cells. Studies have linked them with cancer (a disease that leads to rapid, uncontrollable cellular growth), diabetes (a disease that leads to significantly high blood glucose levels), a weak immune system and more visible signs of ageing. Fortunately, the flavonoids are all powerful antioxidants (substances that fight free radicals) and can minimise the damage these nasty substances do to your body. Read the rest of this entry »

The flavonols are a group of plant based nutrients that can be found in fruits, vegetables and teas. Research has shown that these powerful nutrients can boost your metabolism, protect your body’s cells from damage and much more. In this article I will be providing a full overview of 4 flavonol benefits.

1) BOOSTING YOUR METABOLISM:

1 of the flavonol benefits is that they increase your metabolism and maximise the number of calories you can burn each day. They do this by stimulating the production of the metabolism boosting hormone triiodothyronine (also known as T3).

2) FIGHTING FREE RADICALS:

Free radicals are dangerous by-products which are released during oxygen based reactions within your body’s cells. They have been linked with an increased risk of cancer (a disease that causes your cells to grow in a rapid, uncontrollable way) an increased risk of diabetes (a disease that causes your blood glucose levels to become extremely high), a weak immune system and increased visible signs of ageing. Fortunately, the flavonols can help you avoid these negative effects by acting as antioxidants (substances that protect your body’s cells from free radicals). Read the rest of this entry »

1. Moisture and Hydration

Using a daily moisturizer is the one thing that can fabricate a tall contrast in how young and healthy your skin is. However, using the putrid product for this treatment can cause you to inspect older after a period of time.

No matter how dedicated you are to your routine of skin care, if you are using products that absorb things like mineral oil, parabens, and chemically formulated fragrances, you are causing injure to your skin.

You need to choose a daily cream that includes Phytessence Wakame, Cynergy TK, Babassu, Maracuja, and Crodamol OP for the very best in daily moisturizing and protection from free radicals. Read the rest of this entry »

Most people have heard about how antioxidants can fight cancer, but not everyone knows that antioxidants and the brain go together as well. The power of these nutrients to fight the effects of aging may be as vital as their ability to fighting cancer.

The power of antioxidants is their ability to neutralize “free radicals”. Free radicals are unstable particles in the body that can hurt healthy cells. Antioxidants bind with these particles and render them inert. When talking about antioxidants and the brain we are talking about how they prevent free radicals from causing damage to the brain.

Researchers believe that free radical hurt is a contributing factor in various diseases and some of the decline in bodily functions that Read the rest of this entry »

Many Japanese women are envied for their pretty looking skin. One of the best hidden secret when it comes to Japanese skin care treatment is the occupy of a diminutive known sea plant called Phytessence Wakame. This is actually sea kelp that grows in the situation and is popularly called the “beauty preserver”. It is also a common delicacy of the Japanese people.

Benefits of Phytessence Wakame

Researchers have found that Wakame is a very noteworthy antioxidant that can wait on to kill the free radicals in your body. It can aid to eliminate signs of aging skin and compose your complexion young and stunning looking again. passe by many Japanese women for centuries, it is a proven ingredient to attend strengthen skin elasticity and prevent saggy looking skin. Read the rest of this entry »

What are the skin and health benefits of Vitamin E? Why engage vitamin and mineral supplements? They can wait on prevent vit. and mineral deficiencies when the diet is not adequate to provide all notorious nutrients. They can also provide amounts of nutrients larger than the diet can provide. Larger amounts of some nutrients may wait on to protect against future disease.

Skin Benefits of Vitamin E:

1. Anti-Aging Benefits

2. Sun Protection and Sun Burn Treatment

3. Treatment of Scars

4. Skin Cancer

Vit. E added to lotions, creams, and other skin care products, as well as taken orally, plays a role in the anti-aging of skin. It helps skin contemplate younger by reducing the appearance of aesthetic lines and wrinkles. Also, free radicals are believed to play an renowned role in skin aging and therefore the antioxidant activity is quite famous for this skin jam. Read the rest of this entry »