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Chemical Free Living Through Healthy Eating
Living in 21st century society, it is easy to overlook the obvious in our quest to keep healthy- the food we eat. There is an increasing body of evidence that shows eating the right combinations of foods can prevent certain diseases and lessen the symptoms of many other diseases. For example, did you know that eating cranberries and blueberries can prevent bladder infections?or that strawberries and blueberries have been shown to have anti-cancer properties in laboratory settings? It's true. Black berries have powerful anti-oxidants that slow the aging process and make us look younger. Also, like all berries, blackberries are an important source of vitamins and minerals.
From the "Your Guide to Nutrition Newsletter", Shereen Jegtvig writes, "An English-Danish study has found that a component of carrots called falcarinol may be able to prevent cancer. In the study, rats that were fed either raw carrots or just the falcarinol extracted from the carrots demonstrated a delay in the growth of the colon tumors that the researchers were studying. The facarinol study used raw carrots and it is not known how cooking would affect the cancer-preventing quality of falcarinol. The research is certainly preliminary, but it shows another possible benefit of carrots. Carrots also contain beta-carotene, which is a precursor for making vitamin A. We need this form of vitamin A to boost the immune system function and also for healthy vision. Carrots also contain carotenoids, which are found in the orange pigment of the carrots. Some of the carotenoids like zeaxanthin and lutein are important for preventing cataracts and macular degeneration."
From the Winter/Spring issue of the magazine, Making Scents, an article by David Hoffman discusses the herb Milk Thistle. He states that Milk Thistle has traditionally been used as a liver tonic and research now has shown that it does protect liver cells from chemical damage and it is effective in increasing the secretion and flow of bile from the liver and gallbladder, and may also be useful in treating chronic uterine problems.
NOTE: I called the publisher of Making Scents Magazine and arranged for any Organic Excellence Newsletter subscriber to receive a free on line issue of a past Making Scents Magazine issue, by emailing your request to: makingscentsmag@hotmail.com.
Cherry juice for arthritis? In an article called "The Healing Properties of Cherries" in Making Scents Magazine lists many testimonials of people with moderate to severe arthritis (one testimonial from the wife of the retired dean of the Columbia University School of Public Health) talking about how drinking 4 ounces of sour cherry juice twice per day stopped their arthritis pain. One woman, from Illinois chose to eat sour cherries instead of drinking the juice. She started with eating 20 sour cherries per day to help her gout, and after a year was able to cut down to 10 cherries every other day. Now, these are anecdotal stories, and cherries have not been formally tested but in the same article," M. Nair, a professor of natural products chemistry at Michigan State University, put the three anthocyanins (anthocyanin are the antioxidants contained in the pigment that make sour cherries a deep, rich red color) into a test tube along with enzymes that cause inflammation and watched to see if the pigments would block the action of the enzymes. They did." The article also mentions that sweet cherries may work just as well.
In another article from the same magazine there is an article called, "Healing Diabetes by James A. Duke, PhD." Dr. Duke identifies that capsaicin, the compound that makes cayenne pepper hot, relieves diabetic neuropathy in many studies that have been done on it. Also, gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) from evening primrose oil also relieves diabetic neuropathy. He says that diabetic retinopathy (deterioration of the retina) has been found to be helped by eating genistein, which is present in almost all edible beans. Kidney beans, black eyed peas, fava beans, lima beans or mung beans all have high amounts of genistein.
Dr. Duke further states, "If I had diabetic retinopathy, I'd take bilberry as a commercial preparation according to the label directions. The whole fruits aren't widely available in the US, but you can likely find an extract. In addition, I'd eat the following dark colored fruits, all of which contain anthocyanosides (potent antioxidants contained in the rich blue pigment): blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, plums, grapes, prunes and raisins. Research has identified two other herbs that hold promise as treatments for diabetic retinopathy: butcher's broom and buckwheat. For one study, 60 people with type 2 diabetes and retinopathy had their vision tested. Then they were given either butcher's broom extract (two standardized tablets per day) or pressed buckwheat (6 tablets per day). After 3 months, 23 % of those taking butcher's broom showed some reversal of retinopathy. Among those taking buckwheat, the figure was 27%. Both herbs definitely appeared to increase local blood circulation within the eye. If I had diabetes, I'd eat buckwheat, probably as buckwheat pancakes."
Finally for the treatment of Diabetic Ulcers, Dr. Duke says, "Diabetic ulcers are a serious health problem. They're difficult to treat, and they may become gangrenous, leading to foot or leg amputation. In fact, a majority of limb amputations in the US are associated with diabetes. To heal minor wounds so they don't turn into ulcers, I recommend comfrey, which I grow in my Garden of Youth. When I was with the USDA, the father-in-law of one of my secretaries developed a diabetic ulcer on one of his toes. The thing just wouldn't heal, and his doctor was starting to talk about amputation. I suggested that her father-in-law try a comfrey poultice crushed, moistened leaves applied to the wound and held in place by a bandage. I explained to my secretary that when topically applied, comphrey has an amazing ability to spur healing. I once experienced this myself. I had a wound that refused to mend. I began applying comfrey, and within 4 days, the wound was gone. So my secretary told her father-in-law to try comfrey. He did, and he saved his toe from amputation." Dr James A. Duke is the author of "The Green Pharmacy Anti-Aging Prescriptions".
In looking for a healthy cooking oil, Coconut Oil should be considered. In the April 2004 Cooking in the Lite Newsletter, by Brit Elders (available at www.ShirleyMacLaine.com), "Coconut Oil has been found to boost the metabolism, act as a powerful antioxidant, augment the immune system, and working from the inside of the body and/or by applying directly to the skin, it appears that this oil helps make skin feel smoother." She further states, "Health benefits that are currently being attributed to coconut oil are not what the experts expected to find. They are now linking coconut oil to lowered bad or LDL cholesterol, stimulation of thyroid activity, naturally produced anti-aging steroids, pregnenolone, progesterone and DHEA. It is almost 50% lauric acid, a beneficial fatty acid found in human breast mild and capric acid. Lauric and capric acid convert to monolaurin in the human body. Monolaurin is used by the human body to destroy lipid coated viruses, as well as several forms of bacteria and protozoa."
The bottom line is that it is important to evaluate ones diet, when looking for ways to improve ones health. Selecting healthy foods to eat, is clearly the easiest and most inexpensive way of improving health in general.
Copyright 2005 by Cynthia Drasler, MBA. Permission is granted by Cynthia Drasler to reproduce this newsletter in whole or in part only if the information is credited to Cynthia Drasler and www.OrganicExcellence.com.
