Posts Tagged ‘antioxidants’

Health Benefits of Using Home Wheatgrass Juicers

May 13th, 2010 by DietGal | Comments Off | Filed in Health & Nutrition

sweet wheat grassWhether you own a natural foods restaurant or just want to eat healthier at home, you could benefit in many ways from the juice made with wheatgrass juicers.

Wheatgrass is a popular item among people looking to eat more natural and organic types of foods. The juice of this plant is 70 percent chlorophyll, which is a natural plant extract that gives a plant its healthy green color. This element has been used in clinical studies to observe the effects it has on various organisms in the human body. It has been shown to reduce the growth of bacteria, which helps boost the body’s immune system to resist illnesses.
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Whey Protein Powder and the Glutathione Connection

March 27th, 2010 by DietGal | Comments Off | Filed in Diet Supplements

Whey protein powder has become the most popular protein powder in the market. This is not surprising as it is the best-known food source at present for building muscles. It is the highest scoring protein on the BV (biologically value) chart, a system that ranks protein according to how well it is digested and absorbed into the blood stream to be used for essential functions like building muscle. This is the fundamental reason whey protein is the protein powder of choice for many athletes and bodybuilders. However, there is another less known and amazing health benefit of whey protein powder.

The Glutathione Connection
The ability of whey protein to raise glutathione levels in the body is one of the best health benefits of whey protein powder next to muscle building. Glutathione is itself a protein that has some very important functions for maintaining the health of the body. First of all it is the most powerful of antioxidants and for that reason is often referred to as the ‘master antioxidant’. Provided we are not deficient in glutathione it should exist within all of our hundreds of trillions of cells where it protects them from the oxidative damage of free radicals. What is unique about glutathione as an antioxidant is that it lives and is created within our cells. Other antioxidants (although very important too) like vitamin C and E are achieved directly from eating food sources that contain them and do not work as antioxidants deep within a cell. This inner cell protection is the sole responsibility of glutathione. So important is this role of glutathione that its levels in the body is by far the best indicator of how long we will live!
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Health benefits of Papaya

February 7th, 2010 by DietGal | Comments Off | Filed in Food & Recipes

The papaya is a fruit that grows in tropical countries like Brazil, India, Sri lanka and Haiti. It is a deliciously sweet fruit with musky undertones and a texture that is almost butter like. Some describe its taste as a mixture of a pineapple and a peach but without the tartness. Besides its wonderful taste the papaya can be very beneficial for health.

Health Benefits of Papaya
Papayas are a great source of antioxidants such as vitamin C, flavonoids, carotenoids, folate, potassium, magnesium and fiber. In addition to this papayas are also a great source of a digestive enzyme called papain.

Heart Health Benefits of Papaya
Fruits, like papaya, that are a great source of vitamin C and flavonoids go a long way to keeping our arteries healthy. Vitamin C and flavonoids together are a powerful combination that prevents the oxidation of LDL “bad” cholesterol cells. Only when LDL cholesterol cells become oxidized (damaged by unstable oxygen molecules called free radicals) can they stick to the artery wall and build up to form artery plaque – a condition called atherosclerosis that is the number one leading factor for heart disease. Studies show that vitamin C and flavonoids are among the most effective of antioxidants to protect us from the development of atherosclerosis.

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Health Benefits of Grapefruit Juice

February 5th, 2010 by DietGal | Comments Off | Filed in Food & Recipes

Wonderfully juicy with a tart tangy taste underscored with sweetness, the grapefruit may just be the taste of paradise as its Latin name suggests, citrus paradisi. Just like oranges, grapefruits are popular as a morning juice and offer many of the same benefits as oranges.

Brimming with Vitamin C
Grapefruit is a superb source of vitamin C, an essential nutrient for a healthy immune system. More than 20 scientific studies show that vitamin C rich foods, like grapefruit, help lessen the severity of colds or even protect us from them. Vitamin C also protects us from harmful oxygen molecules (called free radicals) that can set off inflammatory chain reactions in our cells. Therefore vitamin C intake has been associated with a reduction in the symptoms of inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and asthma.

The inflammatory effects of free radicals can also damage our arteries causing atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke. So the anti-inflammatory effects of eating vitamin C rich foods can also considerably reduce our risk of developing heart disease. As all fruits and vegetables are a source of vitamin C (to one degree or another), it is not surprising that those who eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables are considerably less likely to have heart problems that those who eat very little or no fruits and vegetables.
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Acai Berry Supplements for Weight Loss

November 18th, 2008 by Inspector | Comments Off | Filed in Diet Supplements

I’m sure you’ve already heard of acai berry. It’s a small purple fruit from Brazil with tons of superfood properties — it’s loaded with fiber, antioxidants, and healthy omega fatty acids. The Acai Berry is basically a nutrition powerhouse, which is what makes it ideal as a weight loss supplement. The acai berry can offer some powerful detoxification and cleansing to your diet.
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