The superfood that can combat metabolic syndrome
Every few months a new super food seems to emerge into the public domain. Avocado seems to have caught the british public’s imagination as sales soar. With Avocado the hype seems to be justified.
The fruit slows down and even reverses metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions –
- high blood pressure
- high cholesterol
- high blood pressure
- high body mass index (i.e. overweight)
Metabolic syndrome can lead to diabetes and heart disease.
Avocado’s bignest impact is on lipids, or fats, as it can alter levels of HDL and LDL cholesterol, trigylcerides and phospholipids.
Researches who reviewed studies of Avocado say there is strong evidence that the fruit has all the ingredients to counter symtoms of metabolic syndrome. It should be noted that the whole fruit that was studied including the peel, stone, flesh and leaves.
Research
J Tabeshpour, BM Razavi, H Husseingzadeh, 2017, Effects of Avacado (Persea americana) on Metabolic Syndrome: A comprehensive Systemic Review, Phytotherapy Research, Vol 31, Issue 6, pg 819-837
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Mundane superfoods – part 4
This week I explain how to replace goji berries.
Rose Hips can replace Goji Berries
Goji berries are renowned for having a lot of vitamin C. Originally from Asia, they were used by the ancients to replenish body fluids, improve skin and soothe jangled nerves. The bush-like plant belongs to the nightshade family of plants with tomatoes and peppers and is reputed to be beneficial for insomnia, tuberculosis and to increase testosterone. On the other hand, rose hips, contain so much vitamin C, aka ascorbic acid, they're actually known to be the most abundant source in the world, which explains why they're so sought after by many markets. It was only in the last several decades that anyone thought to consider if there might be actual nutrition in rose hips. Once used in animal food, today they're an ingredient in jams, jellies and pie, as well as soups, bread and wine. Bon Appetit adds:"The hips, like the petals, are high in flavonoids, those small but mighty antioxidant friends. Like nettle, rose hips are anti-inflammatory. The pectin in rose hips also make it a heart healthy medicine … "
Mother Nature Network adds vitamins A and E to rose hips' benefits, so they can be made into tea or even eaten to help treat colds and sore throat. Because they also contain free radical-fighting antioxidants, the anti-inflammatory properties can even treat rheumatoid arthritis. The odd pods also contain pectin, which is good for your heart. Organic Facts reveals more advantages of consuming rose hips in some form, including an ability to optimize cholesterol, boost your immune system, prevent chronic disease such as cancer, regulate your blood sugar and eliminate toxins. References Bon Appétit July 19, 2017 Mother Nature Network July 6, 2011 International Society for Horticultural Science Organic Facts 2017Do your friends impact your health?
In our day to day lives, during the times when we are deciding what to eat or whether to watch TV or take a walk, who is more likely to be around us, our family, friends, flat mates or a doctor? Even for individuals living with a chronic condition who will probably only spend a few hours a year with medical professionals compared to the thousands of waking hours with family and friends. Recently researches discovered that women are more likely to survive breast cancer if they have a strong social network of friends and family, whereas those who are more isolated are twice as likely to die of the disease. University of Pennsylvania have found that good health is more likely if people see fewer doctors and more of their family and friends especially if they get their support and help. They discovered that people are more likely to make healthier choices - like going for a walk over watching TV if they are around family and friends. In addition people are more likely to go to the gym if they have someone to go with. Being part of a group e.g. family, friends, book club, tennis club, social group, religious/spiritual practice seems to aid our motivation to be healthier in terms of diet, exercise, smoking or drinking. This could be because being part of a group enhances your sense of meaning in life, which in turn leads you to better take care of yourself. Or it could be down to feeling a sense of responsibility towards other or even just wanting to fit in. References D A. Asch, and R Rosin, Engineering Social Incentives for Health, N Engl J Med 2016; 375:2511-2513 Kroenke, C. H., Michael, Y. L., Poole, E. M., Kwan, M. L., Nechuta, S., Leas, E., Caan, B. J., Pierce, J., Shu, X.-O., Zheng, Y. and Chen, W. Y. (2017), Postdiagnosis social networks and breast cancer mortality in the After Breast Cancer Pooling Project. Cancer, 123: 1228–1237. doi:10.1002/cncr.30440 Tarrant, M., Warmoth, K., Code, C., Dean, S., Goodwin, V. A., Stein, K., & Sugavanam, T. (2016). Creating psychological connections between intervention recipients: development and focus group evaluation of a group singing session for people with aphasia. BMJ Open, 6(2), e009652.
