Acai Berries: Mother Nature’s Greatest Astonishment?

Filed Under (Nutrition) by guestauthor on 20-06-2010

Innumerable animals & plants, including acai berries are found in the huge Amazon basin. The acai palm plant which grows abundantly in South & Central America produces acai berries & is regarded as the cure-all by the West. It’s tricky to see a difference between acai berries & any others apart from the dark purple color they attain when ripe. Most of the berry is composed of a significant, single seed, which is covered by the fruity pulp, which is ultimately consumed. The inhabitant Indians of South and Central America have been utilizing these berries for hundreds of years, & just in the last decade, it has caught the attention of health freaks, endorsed by TV personalities and physicians as the number one superfood.

Where Acai Berries Come From

The bulk of the berries are located in the countries of South America. Just about every part of the acai berry can be and is eaten. You may drink the fruity pulp as fresh fruit juice & you may also add it to jams, ice cream, and other foods. The resident Indians were known to have used these pits as cures for fevers or intestinal disorders. Ulcers of the skin are treated by applying the skin directly to the lesion.

What is it that makes these berries distinct among those of the Amazon? Dietary fiber, antioxidants and omega fats, also known as monounsaturated fats, which are valuable to the body, have been shown by research, to exist in elevated quantities in these berries. Acai berries are exceedingly good for assisting you in shedding weight, elevating stamina, warding off bacterial infections & achieving optimum health, if taken regularly. Acai berries have more antioxidants in them than any other fruit in the world, thanks to the presence of Anthocynins which exist in very high quantities in the Acai berries. Antioxidants cancel out the effects of free radicals & help to shed weight by burning unwanted fat. They are loaded with nutrients including amino acids, plant sterols, vitamins, and are a fine source of fiber. The fruits are believed to be good for detoxifying and cleansing our colons.

The important facts about acai berries

Acai berries have a very brief shelf life. Due to the high fat content, the berries must be frozen or otherwise processed for storage. It’s obtainable in a number of forms like capsules, juice, freeze dried acai powder, capsules, & pills in order to meet global purchaser demand. These berries are being eaten in large quantities worldwide frequently because of the medical aspects they contain. Young persons, aware of the fact that popular beverages like soda do not contain any supplements, are gravitating towards this drink. There is always a constant desire for better food supplements by customers. This would help them to attain that edge over others.

The acai berry in the purest form is very nutritious and is free of any side effects. However, various businesses have sprung up to meet the rising demand claiming to deliver 100% pure acai products. Health benefits from these berries are best attained, from their natural state, without additives. Acai products must meet strict quality standards & be recognized as a legitimate food source if maximum benefits and value per dollar is to be assured.

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How Magnesium Contributes to Great Health

Filed Under (Nutrition) by Neil Butterfield on 01-03-2010

When the benefits of minerals to our health are being discussed most of the emphasis seems to be on bulk minerals like calcium and iron. This is unfortunate because our good health truly depends on getting plenty of a wide array of minerals. Magnesium is a mineral that does not receive enough attention. Based on the US RDA, 61% of adults lack sufficient magnesium to stay healthy. This means that most people today could be benefited by a supplementing their diet with magnesium.

Magnesium is especially important for building strong bones. It works with calcium to make bones more dense less prone to breakage. This ability of magnesium to improve the usage of calcium makes it excellent at preventing and even reversing osteoporosis. A serious medical condition, osteoporosis causes the bones to become very weak and easily broken. Magnesium works to bring calcium to the areas of the body where it is needed. This is good since unused calcium can form painful kidney stones or create muscle pains and cramps. Offsetting calcium intake with twice the magnesium can prevent these issues.

Magnesium also helps control high blood pressure. Magnesium does this by relaxing smooth muscles in the arteries that cause them to dilate. Studies suggest that through this action and its ability to work with potassium to manage blood pressure, magnesium helps to prevent hypertension.

Magnesium is also active in the balancing our blood sugar. It is needed to metabolize carbohydrates. Too little magnesium can cause insulin, the enzyme that control the levels of blood sugar, to stop working. Insulin resistance is the term that describes this condition. Insulin resistance is usually a first step towards the development of type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is another name for adult-onset diabetes. As insulin becomes less effective, it takes more and more of it to create the same drop in blood sugar. Eventually full-blown diabetes develops. Getting the recommended amount of magnesium will improve the ability of the body to control blood sugar and hopefully prevent diabetes from developing in later life.

Since magnesium has such an effect on diabetes and hypertension, it only seems natural that it would be a factor in cardiovascular health as well. Indeed, it is. Low magnesium is often associated with irregular heart rhythms. Sufficient levels of magnesium also help prevent abnormal clotting of the blood in the heart. Several studies have suggested that magnesium supplements can help lower the risk of stroke and heart disease and may help patients recover from strokes and heart attacks.

Much of the population does not get enough magnesium. This mineral influences a number of vital processes and in the body. This makes it one of the more important minerals of which to get an adequate amount. Supplementation is an excellent way to receive the many health benefits magnesium provides. A recommended supplemental amount of magnesium is twice the amount as any calcium supplements. Another recommendation is to use liquid mineral supplements. Liquid minerals are much more readily absorbed by the body and make a far greater amount of the magnesium available for use by the body’s cells. Don’t you owe it to yourself to make sure you benefit from the correct level of magnesium?

To learn more about the powers of magnesium supplementsas well as other important mineral supplements, visit us online and download your FREE audio Minerals: What your body needs and why. Neil Butterfield is the owner and founder of Mineralife and is also their mineral supplement expert, Mineralife is known countrywide for its quality mineral supplements.

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Are You Living With Pain?

Filed Under (Nutrition) by Dr. Jason Fowler on 29-08-2009

Chronic disease is a major problem in U.S. health care. More than one-third of Americans have one or more chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The personal costs to patients and families are often severe, daily, and ongoing. The economic costs to society are almost $1 trillion annually.

Heart disease includes high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, coronary artery obstruction, angina, and heart attacks. Most of these conditions represent a chain of events. If left untreated, of course, high blood pressure is a leading cause of heart attack and stroke.

Most cases of diabetes develop from a pre-diabetic state which is also known as insulin resistance. Insulin - a hormone produced by the pancreas is necessary for cells to be able to absorb glucose from the bloodstream and use the glucose for energy. If cells become insulin resistant, glucose stays in the bloodstream, leading to a pre-diabetic condition.

Left untreated, pre-diabetes likely advances to diabetes, in which insulin resistance is combined with insulin depletion, as the pancreas loses its ability to produce this important hormone. Diabetes may lead to many severe problems, including kidney failure, and is a leading cause of death from heart failure.

Cancer is now being recognized as a chronic disease.3 Rather than being a mysterious disorder that occurs randomly, many cancers are now understood to have many elements in common with other chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

Pain is a common element to chronic disease. Affected persons often take daily pain medications. Most people become tolerant to their medication and require increasingly stronger doses. The pain of chronic disease is very difficult to treat.

In the last few years a holistic approach has been successfully applied in the treatment of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Chiropractic care is an important component of the holistic approach.

Chiropractic care helps restore more normal biomechanical function to the spine, which in turn improves the ability of the nervous system to effectively communicate with the rest of the body. Important benefits of this restored function may be an improvement in the body’s ability to repair damaged tissues, a strengthened immune system, and reduced levels of musculoskeletal pain. Such improvements may help lead to improved daily functioning. As levels of pain decrease, a person may be able to engage in more physical activity. Multiple benefits follow.

Chiropractic care is a key part of an integrative approach to the management of pain of chronic disease. Your local chiropractor will be glad to help you determine whether chiropractic care is right for you.

1An Unhealthy America: The Economic Burden of Chronic Disease. Santa Monica, CA, Milken Institute, 2007 2Eddy DM, et al: The metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk: implications for clinical practice. Int J Obes 32(Suppl 2):S5-S10, 2008 3″Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer”. Washington, DC, American Institute for Cancer Research, 2007

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