This Tea Naturally Protects Your Bones and Fights Off Osteoporosis

Margie King | greenmedinfo.com

Image: www.deltalabsusa.com

Green tea is one of the latest superfoods making its way into bottled waters and energy drinks.  You'll even find it in energy bars, mints, chewing gum and ice cream. It has many claimed health benefits.  Texas researchers add to the list with evidence that green tea aids in the prevention of osteoporosis.  Especially when coupled with a tai chi practice.  

Green tea is full of compounds called polyphenols which are known for their potent antioxidant activity. Studies have shown that people who consume the highest levels of green tea polyphenols tend to have lower risks of several chronic degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease.

Animal studies suggest that the mechanism behind this correlation may have to do with lowering chronic levels of inflammation.  These studies show that green tea may benefit bone health by mitigating bone loss due to aging, estrogen deficiency, or chronic inflammation.  That in turn may improve clinical symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, normalize bone metabolic disorders, and impact trace element metabolism.

In humans, the Mediterranean Osteoporosis Study showed that drinking up to 3 cups of tea per day was associated with a 30% reduction in the risk of hip fractures in women as well as men over 50 years of age.

Researchers at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center believe bioactive components in green tea might decrease the risk of fracture by improving bone mineral density.  These compounds may support osteoblastic activities (bone building) while suppressing osteoclastic activities (bone breakdown).

Focusing on postmenopausal women, the researchers investigated the potential for green tea to work synergistically with tai chi in enhancing bone strength.  Tai chi is a traditional Chinese form of moderately intense aerobic fitness activity grounded in mind-body philosophy.

They conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, intervention trial involving 171 postmenopausal women with a mean age of 57 years.  The women had weak bones but not full-fledged osteoporosis.

Subjects were divided into 4 groups:

Placebo: starch pill (placebo) and no tai chi
GTP: green tea polyphenols (500 mg/day) and no tai chi
Placebo+TC: starch pill and tai chi (3 times/week)
GTP+TC: green tea polyphenols and tai chi

The results show that consuming 500 mg of green tea polyphenol improved bone health after 3 months and muscle strength at 6 months.  That dosage is equivalent to about 4-6 cups of steeped green tea daily.  

Participants in the tai chi group improved their markers of bone health and muscle strength within 6 months.

But participants who combined both green tea polyphenols and daily tai chi practice also showed substantial effects on markers of oxidative stress, which is the main precursor to inflammation.

The authors of the study concluded that there is a favorable effect of modest green tea consumption on bone remodeling in pre-osteoporotic postmenopausal women.  They also suggest that green tea and tai chi may help reduce the underlying cause of not only osteoporosis, but other inflammatory diseases as well.

Green tea is one of three main categories of tea.  The other two are black and oolong. Green tea is the least processed of the three and is steamed but unlike black and oolong, is not fermented. As a result, green tea is about five times higher in EGCG, a catechin or antioxidant, which is also found in red wine, chocolate, berries and apples.

The caffeine content of green tea is about half that of coffee and it's also available in decaffeinated versions.

Source: greenmedinfo.com

The 4 Best Foods for Your Bones (and the 4 Worst!)

by Becky Striepe | care2.com

Image: Care2.com

What are the best foods for bone health? What are the worst? The answers might surprise you!
If you’ve turned on the TV or opened a magazine lately, you’ve probably seen one of those Got Milk? ads touting three glasses a day for bone health. The dairy industry spends billions of dollars to convince us that their products are the end-all when it comes to bone health.

Sure, milk is high in calcium, but there are actually a number of nutrients that come into play when we’re talking bone health. I get into the details a little bit more here, but magnesium is actually just as important for your bones as calcium, and dairy products are not rich in this vital nutrient. Vitamin K is another piece of the bone health puzzle that’s missing from dairy products.

Related Reading: 25 Plant-Based Sources of Calcuim

Fortified milk products do have plenty of vitamin D, but you can also get your fill of this vitamin just by spending a few minutes a day outdoors without sunscreen. Boom! Sunshine vitamin? Check!

OK, so maybe dairy’s not at the top of the list when it comes to best foods for bone health, but where it does fall definitely surprised me. Check out the lists below of the best foods and the worst ones for your bones.

Best Foods for Bone Health

1. Dark Leafy Greens

Dark and leafies, like kale and collard greens pack a one-two-three of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin K. When it comes to strong and healthy bones, these are your #1 for sure. Need some leafy green inspiration? Check out these 10 kale recipes to get you started!

2. Seeds

Sprinkle some seeds onto your next salad for some bone-building power. If you want the most bang for your buck, opt for mineral-rich pumpkin seeds.

3. Nuts

Snack on a handful of nuts to protect your bones. You can add them to soups or salads, use them to top casseroles, or even puree them to make creamy vegan desserts (no, really!). Want the most bone-protection power? Walnuts are your friend.

4. Beans

Beans aren’t just a cheap way to round out a meal. They’re also packed with nutrients to keep your bones healthy! Black beans in particular are great for building bone health.

Worst Foods for Bone Health

1. Dairy Products

I am as surprised as you are! I knew that dairy wasn’t the end all when it comes to bone health, but it turns out that dairy products may leach calcium from bones and increase your risk of fractures over time. What the what?

2. Salt

If you’re trying to eat healthily, chances are that you’re already cutting out the table salt, and here’s one more reason to watch the white stuff: if may increase bone fragility. A Japanese study found that women who ate more salt were four times as likely to fracture a bone.

3. Cola

You may have heard that carbonated beverages or sodapop are bad for your bones, and I found some new research that uncovers what exactly is going on there. Scientists believe that it’s actually the phosphoric acid in cola specifically that depletes your bones.

4. Too Much Protein

Healthy eating is all about balance, and of course you need protein to stay healthy, but there’s some solid evidence that too much of the stuff can weaken your bones. What’s a little bit tricky about this research is that the group who ate less protein also ate a plant-based diet, so it’s unclear whether it’s the amount of protein or the type of protein that’s causing the damage.

Source: care2.com

Health Benefits of Watercress

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Watercress is a popular european leafy green herb that grows along springs and slow running water streams. It has a faint pepper taste to it, and has been used in ancient times for medicinal uses in Europe, Central Asia and the Americas. It is closely related to mustard greens, garden cress, cabbage and arugula. 

This leafy herb contains more vitamin C than some fruit and vegetables! You can get over 72% of your daily vitamin C from just 100 grams of watercress leaves. Vitamin C helps to scavenge free radicals and reactive oxygen species. Vitamin C not only helps boost your immunity against infection, but it also helps prevent iron deficiency anemia, and helps maintain bone health and keep skin supple and radiant looking.

This amazing little herb also happens to be one of the best vegetable sources for vitamin K! Just 100 grams of watercress leaves will leave you absorbing over 200% of your daily recommended amount of vitamin K! Vitamin K is important in bone health by promoting the strengthening and formation of bones (osteotrophic activity). Vitamin K also reduces the amount of neuronal damage in the brain and thus has been used in treatment of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

Vitamin A, which is important for skin, eye, bone, hair and nail health is a fat soluble vitamin that is stored in our liver. Vitamin A acts as an antioxidant in our bodies, however, it is the carotenes (i.e., alpha carotene, beta carotene; the precursors of vitamin A) in the watercress that can either be turned into vitamin A or turned into antioxidants (the body does this! It is very intelligent and will turn carotenes from the plant into vitamin A only if your body needs it. The rest will function in your bloodstream as antioxidants – so you can’t really overdose on carotenes). Watercress is particularly rich in vitamin A with 100g of the leaves providing you with 70% of your RDA of vitamin A.

Watercress is also rich in B vitamins which help to relieve stress, treat anxiety and depression, aid in memory and relieve PMS. Some B vitamins also help cells burn fats and glucose for energy, whereas others help make serotonin (the feel-good neurotransmitter created in our brain). Not only do B vitamins do all of the aforementioned, but they also assist with the production and repair of DNA!

Glucosinolates in watercress help to boost and regulate activity of detoxification enzymes in the liver. When consumed, the glucosinolates in watercress are converted to isothiocyanates, which then have the ability to inhibit tumorigenesis by modulating the metabolism of carcinogens. This effect found to have an even stronger impact when consuming watercress that has not been cooked.

As an anti-inflammatory, watercress has been used for treating eczema, acne and other skin issues (again, we can thank vitamin’s A and C here). It can also be used as a liver tonic to help aid your liver in the detoxification process. It is also interesting to note that watercress is (in terms of calories) 85% protein, making it a great source of plant protein for vegans.

Next time you make a green juice, or a salad, add in some watercress to pack in some of the amazing benefits listed above! Your body will love you for it!

Sources:

Gill, C., Haldar, S., Boyd, L., Bennett, R., Whiteford, J., Butler, M., Pearson, J., Bradbury, I., & Rowland, I. (2007) Watercress supplementation in diet reduces lymphocyte DNA damage and alters blood antioxidant status in healthy adults. Am J Clin Nutr, 85, 504-510.

Rose, P., Won, Y., Ong, C., & Whiteman, M. (2005) B-Phenylethyl and 8-methylsulphinyloctyl isothiocyanates, constituents of watercress, suppress LPS induced production of nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Nitric Oxide, 12, 237-243.

Getahun, S., & Chung, F. (1999) Conversion of glucosinolates to isothiocyanates in humans after ingestion of cooked watercress. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev., 8, 447-451.

Water Is Life For The Human Body

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The majority of us are chronically dehydrated and don't even know it. Did you know that when you are chronically dehydrated your body actually stops feeling thirsty? Also, often times when you feel hungry, it is just another way your body is trying to tell you it is thirsty.

It is impossible for your body to function properly while dehydrated.
You may have problems concentrating
Your blood slows down creating high blood pressure
Muscles can ache, cramp or you may even wake in the night with a Charlie Horse
Your liver does not function up to par which slows down your body's detoxification creating illness and diseases. Cancer occurs when your body cannot eliminate the toxins faster than you put them in. This is why the liver is vital for healing cancer
Your skin becomes dry and crusty. If you are looking to look younger, drinking plenty of water will help.
There are a lot of figures out there which will tell you how much water to drink but I'm going to say that if you don't drink at least 100 oz a day, your body is paying for it. Also, almost everything else you drink such as soda, coffee and alcohol all dehydrate you. This figure may sound high but your body will help you. The more water you drink the more your body tells you that it is thirsty. Build up to this number slowly if you need to. Just keep improving.

Sources: Dave Sommers, Herculean Health

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3-D Printed Cast For Broken Arms

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3D printing is the process of making a three-dimensional solid object of essentially any shape from a digital model. It has been used to make jewellery to intricate toy models, and is now being utilized by the medical industry to construct 3D casts for broken arms. This means better air-flow and less hassle of trying to bathe with the conventional bulky fibreglass plaster casts used to treat broken bones.

The new 3D cast design was developed by Jake Evill, a graduate from the School of Design at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. He named it “The Cortex” and looks like a labyrinth of spider webs weaved in a honeycomb-like design (something you’d almost witness in a sci-fi movie like Spiderman). This design is much more user-friendly, because it reduces the amount of weight required to carry around (conventional casts are rather heavy!).

The cast allows for ample air flow (meaning less odour buildup), and allows the wearer to itch themselves as much as they please (which is a majorly annoying feeling for those who have ever suffered a broken bone which required casting, such as myself).

This Cortex Cast fits in a similar way as other casts, with X-rays to determine bone fractures. Leon Benson, the spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, said that the network of holes is the major benefit of this casts structure, because it allows breathability, space to scratch, and is light-weight.

Source: Live Love Fruit

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Reduce Arthritis and Inflammatory Pain

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Eat these foods and add these to your diet to reduce inflammation and pain! TURMERIC or Circumin, the active compound in this spice, is what makes it so powerful for healing. CHERRIES contain substances called anthocyanosides which are very effective at lowering uric acid levels. GINGER can be made into a tea from roots or be added to juices or smoothies.PINEAPPLE contains the anti-inflammatory bromeliad. OMEGA-3 FOODS try freshly ground flax seeds, chia seeds unground, and hemp seeds. RAW APPLE CIDER VINEGAR - pour a tablespoon or two into 4-8 oz of purified water.

Source : Dave Sommers, Natural Society

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A dozen reasons to eat Brussels sprouts

Ok, not the most popular veggies among children but they could be nature's health insurance if you include these strange looking greens in your diet.

Brussels sprouts have been cultivated for food since the 16th century.  Cultivation in the U.S. began in the 8th century when French settlers brought them to Louisiana.  Like broccoli, they contain a chemical called sulforaphane which is believed to have strong anti cancer properties.  Brussels sprouts also contain indole-3-carbinol, a substance that helps repair DNA in the cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells.  The best way to prepare Brussels sprouts in order to maintain the potent nutritive and healing value is to steam or stir fry rather than boiling. 

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