How a glass of wine before bed wreaks havoc with your sleep

11 December 2014

By MADLEN DAVIES FOR MAILONLINE

This post is on Healthwise

Alcohol disrupts body's internal timer and triggers insomnia

• Bedtime alcohol does initially induce sleep, but leads to poorer quality rest
• It interferes with sleep homeostasis - the body's internal sleep-regulator
• Over time, regular drinking can lead to withdrawal symptoms and insomnia
• Doctors concluded alcohol should not be used as a sleep aid

Many of us indulge in a tipple before bedtime to relax - or even help us sleep.

But doctors now warn a nightcap may not be such a good idea.

While glass of wine at night may help you drop off, the alcohol disrupts sleep and leads to a poorer night's rest, they say.

This is because drinking alcohol to fall asleep interferes with sleep homeostasis - the body's internal timer that regulates sleeping and waking.

Over time, regular drinking can even lead to withdrawal symptoms and insomnia, they found.

They concluded that alcohol should not be used as a sleep aid.

The team of doctors, from the University of Missouri School of Medicine, U.S., studied alcohol's effects on sleep for more than five years.

Dr Mahesh Thakkar, who led the research, said: 'The prevailing thought was that alcohol promotes sleep by changing a person's circadian rhythm - the body's built-in 24-hour clock.

'However, we discovered that alcohol actually promotes sleep by affecting a person's sleep homeostasis - the brain's built-in mechanism that regulates your sleepiness and wakefulness.'

Sleep homeostasis balances the body's need for sleep in relation to how long a person has already been awake.

If an individual loses sleep, the body produces adenosine, a naturally occurring substance that increases their need for sleep and causes them to drop off.

When a person goes to sleep early, sleep homeostasis is shifted and they may wake up in the middle of the night or early morning.

The researchers found that alcohol alters the sleep homeostatic mechanism and puts pressure on an individual to sleep.

When this happens, the sleep period is shifted, and a person may experience disrupted sleep and wake up earlier.

As alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it causes the body to expel water, it causes people to need to go to the bathroom, therefore waking up earlier in the morning.  

In addition to studying alcohol's impact on sleep homeostasis, the researchers explored how alcohol withdrawal affects sleep.

They found after extended periods of frequent drinking, subjects would fall asleep as expected, but would wake within a few hours and would be unable to fall back asleep.

When the subjects were not given alcohol, the researchers found they showed symptoms of insomnia.

'During acute alcohol withdrawal, subjects displayed a significant increase in wakefulness with a reduction in rapid eye movement and non-rapid eye movement sleep,' Dr Thakkar said.

'This caused insomnia-like symptoms and suggests an impaired sleep homeostasis.'

He added: 'If you are experiencing difficulty sleeping, don't use alcohol. Talk to your doctor or a sleep medicine physician to determine what factors are keeping you from sleeping.

'These factors can then be addressed with individualized treatments.'

The researchers hope to use these findings to explore other effects of alcohol consumption.

The study was published in the journal Alcohol.

CURE YOUR TIREDNESS: ENJOY HOT BATHS AND BANANAS FOR A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP 

Dr Sohere Roked, a leading holistic doctor who specialises in tiredness, shares her tips for a good night's kip... 

1. Nuts such as Brazil nuts and walnuts induce sleep due to being packed with protein, potassium and selenium and can help the body make melatonin, the natural sleep hormone.

2. Eat salad with your evening meal. Lettuce contains lactucarium, which has sedative properties and relaxes the brain.

3. Your body needs vitamin B6 to help make melatonin and serotonin. Foods rich in B6 are fish like tuna, halibut and salmon, as well as raw garlic and pistachio nuts.

4. Certain foods with a high glycaemic index, such as bread and pasta, can induce sleep. This is because after eating them you have a natural spike in your blood sugar and insulin levels, and after this spike you can feel tired.

5. Chamomile tea contains glycine, which relaxes nerves and muscles and can act as a mild sedative, reducing any anxiety.

6. Consider making 2pm your cut-off time for caffeinated drinks if you're having trouble sleeping.

7. Turn off your TV/computer/smartphone an hour before you go to bed - light from electrical appliances stimulates the brain.

8. Take at least 30 minutes to wind down before bed - listen to relaxing music and use the time to take stock of your day.

9. Take a hot bath. Sleep is normally preceded by a drop in body temperature. 

10. Warm, skimmed milk aids sleep, as do bananas. Both release natural chemicals to relax the body and help you fall asleep due to their calcium content. They also both contain tryptophan. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2870017/How-glass-wine-bed-wreaks-havoc-sleep-Alcohol-disrupts-body-s-internal-timer-triggers-insomnia.html



Go to Healthwise for more articles

Antioxidants Found to Reduce Pancreatic Cancer Risk

Healthwise

By Michael A. Smith, MD

Pancreatic cancer is a silent disease. This is because many times the signs and symptoms can go unnoticed until the cancer is in the advanced stage. And even when there are early signs and symptoms, they can often be vague and easily attributed to something else.

Since pancreatic cancer often lacks these early warning signs and there aren’t any effective screening tests, it’s rarely discovered early. Many times the diagnosis is not made until the cancer has spread to other areas of the body. 

Unfortunately, symptoms of pancreatic cancer often do not appear until the tumor has grown large enough to interfere with the function of nearby organs or exert pressure on the spine. When early symptoms do occur, they are often vague and nonspecific. All of these symptoms can be caused by medical conditions other than pancreatic cancer.

Possible early symptoms that should be evaluated by your physician are:

• Pain in the upper or middle abdomen
• Nausea and vomiting
• Anorexia, weight loss and muscle loss
• Yellowing of the skin and eyes, called jaundice

In the United States, cancer of the pancreas is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women. In 2008, about 38,000 patients were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Almost all patients with pancreatic cancer are older than 55 years and more than 70 percent are older than 65 years. 

Bottom line: Prevention is our best bet for not succumbing to this horrible disease. And there’s good news. A recent study shows that dietary antioxidants could significantly reduce your risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

EPIC Study Shows Pancreatic Cancer Risk Reduction

The researchers from University of East Anglia in the UK, studied lifestyle and dietary habits associated with pancreatic cancer. Their research included 24,000 people from the Norfolk area. All of the participants completed detailed food diaries, which are more extensive than simple food frequency questionnaires used in other population studies.¹

During their follow-up, 49 people developed pancreatic cancer within 10 years. This increased to 86 people within 17 years of starting the study. The researchers than compared the people with pancreatic cancer to 4,000 healthy participants in order to identify any dietary differences.¹

Here’s what they found:

• Those in the top 25% of selenium intake had half the risk of developing pancreatic cancer than those in the lowest 25% of intake.
• People with the highest intake of vitamins C, E and selenium were 67% less likely to develop pancreatic cancer than people with the lowest intake.

A word of caution though — one single population study using food diaries is far from conclusive. But the researchers believe that we should at least consider certain vitamins and antioxidants to be protective. More studies are definitely warranted.

What You Need to Know

Pancreatic cancer is a killer because it’s often diagnosed too late. Usually by the time someone knows they have it, it has already spread throughout the body. This is why the prognosis and outcome of treatment is so poor. Prevention is really our only hope at this time.

So, based on the results of the EPIC trial, selenium seems pretty important. Here’s a list of selenium-rich foods to consider adding into your diet:

• Brazil Nuts
• Sunflower Seeds
• Fish (tuna, halibut, sardines, flounder, salmon)
• Shellfish (oysters, mussels, shrimp, clams, scallops)
• Meat (beef, liver, lamb, pork)
• Poultry (chicken, turkey) and Eggs
• Mushrooms (button, crimini, shiitake)
• Grains (wheat germ, barley, brown rice, oats)
• Onions & Garlic

Keep in mind that the upper limit of selenium intake is around 600 to 800 mcg per day — that includes both dietary and supplement sources. 

So, if you plan on supplementing with selenium, have your doctor check a liver function test first and periodically re-check to make sure your liver is unaffected by higher doses.

References:

1. Gut 23 July 2012. Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2011-301908 (http://gut.bmj.com/content/early/2012/06/28/gutjnl-2011-301908)

http://blog.lef.org/2012/08/antioxidants-reduce-pancreatic-cancer.html

Selenium Benefits Protect Against Cancer

Danica Collins

Did you know…

   ...  that an inexpensive and readily available mineral called selenium offers exceptional protection against cancer?

Over the last few decades, several randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials have shown that a daily dose of just 200 mcg of selenium (at a cost of just pennies) can…slash breast cancer risk by 82%…reduce colon and rectal cancer risk by 69%…cut prostate cancer risk by 54%…and cut lung cancer risk by 39%—even if you are a smoker!

• The research on breast cancer was published in 1982 by Gerhard Schrauser, M.D.
• The research on prostate, colorectal, and lung cancer was conducted by Larry Clark, M.D. and published in the Journal of The American Medical Association. This study used the gold standard of research methodology and took place over 7 years. It compared the effects of patients given 200 mcg of selenomethionine (a type of selenium) with placebo.  

Earth Shattering Results 

Dr. Peter Glidden, N.D., has speculated publicly about why these astonishing findings about selenium benefits and cancer protection are not being brought to the public, despite the supposed “War on Cancer.”  

“The results were earth shattering,” says Dr. Glidden, “but because they involved the use of a mineral supplement, and not a prescription drug, they were overlooked. Imagine the media frenzy that a cancer drug that reduced the occurrence of breast cancer by 82% would receive! Your doctor should have called you up immediately and passed on this news to you, but this is probably the first time that you have heard it.”  

With this kind of data backing it up, selenium—at an average cost of about $5 a bottle for 100 capsules of 200 mcg each—merits a close look as a potential supplement to add to your regimen.

What Is Selenium?

Selenium is a trace mineral that is essential to good health. Selenium is important to the production of antioxidants that protect the body from damage caused by free radicals.

For most people around the world, plant foods are the most common dietary sources of selenium. Good sources include wheat germ, oats, sunflower seeds, and mushrooms.

The amount of selenium benefits in certain plants varies depending on the region it is grown due to differences in soil quality and mineral content. Unfortunately, poor farming practices have left much of our topsoil mineral deficient, a fact widely recognized since the 1930s. This is one of the reasons organically produced produce should contain more nutrients, including selenium, than produce from agribusiness.

Eggs and poultry also provide selenium, as does seafood including tuna, salmon, shrimp, and halibut. However, due to contamination from polluted waters, plant sources are a safer option.

One of the best food sources for selenium benefits are found in Brazil nuts. A single Brazil nut provides more than 50 mcg of selenium—more than the recommended daily allowance.

Remember, though, that the patients in the studies were taking 200 mcg daily in addition to whatever selenium they obtained from foods. Therefore, some experts suggest that a combined total of 300 mcg daily is the minimum amount to ingest for cancer preventive benefits.

How Selenium Fights Cancer

Selenium is believed to protect against cancer by disrupting the carcinogenic process before it makes headway…by preventing tumors from forming. Selenium’s antioxidant properties are also cancer protective, as is its ability to inhibit DNA mutations.

Selenium benefits also promotes thyroid health. It does so by converting stored thyroid T4 hormones into active T3 hormones. Your endocrine system requires this conversion in order to function properly.

Interestingly, endocrine balance is crucial for preventing breast and prostate cancers—two of the cancers selenium benefits are proven to fight.

Tips for Supplementing with Selenium

In addition to selenium benefits from organic Brazil nuts, selenium supplements are readily available wherever vitamins are sold. Experts advise that if you choose to take a selenium supplement, you should pay close attention to your zinc levels, as well.

The two minerals combined work synergistically, and may offer stronger cancer protection.

Further Related Reading:

• Tiger Milk Mushrooms Hold The Key To Natural Cancer Cure
• Raise Your “Master Hormone” With Zinc
• Brighten Your Skin and Enhance Your Libido with Pumpkin Seeds

http://undergroundhealthreporter.com/selenium-benefits#axzz2dBI7gZnd

The good nut guide

by AMANDA URSELL, Daily Mail

Research has shown that the mineral selenium found in Brazil nuts may protect against breast cancer.

But all nuts are a nutritional treasure trove.

Read our good nut guide below to find out which ones can hlep beat cancer, stress, heart disease and boost your diet.


PEANUTS: help the heart

564 calories, 26g protein, 46g fat, 85p per 300g bag of peanuts in their shells (monkey nuts). Star nutrient: folate 

 Nut score: 8/10

Like almonds, eating peanuts need not make you pile on the pounds. In one recent study, people eating 1,500 calories a day - of which 35per cent came from fat, much in the form of peanuts and peanut butter - were shown to lose and keep off 10lb over 18 months. Nutritionists believe this is because the nuts and peanut butter made their eating plan more pleasurable and easier to stick to than a strict low-fat diet.

Peanuts are great for boosting the B vitamin folate, 50g providing more than 25per cent of the daily 200mcg recommended amount. Healthy intakes of folate appear to lower levels of homocysteine in men, which, when raised, can lead to blocked arteries and heart disease.


BRAZIL NUTS: fight cancer

682 calories, 14g protein, 68g fat, £1.29 per 175g bag. Star nutrient: selenium 
  Nut score: 10/10

Packed with selenium, just three to four a day provide the daily recommended intake of 60mcg for women (75mcg for men). Research has shown that people with diets rich in selenium have lower rates of various cancers, especially those of the lung, prostate and colon. New research from the dermatology department of the University of Edinburgh has also shown that increasing selenium might also directly protect skin cells from cancerous changes caused by ultra-violet radiation.


HAZELNUTS: anti-stress

650 calories, 14g protein, 64g fat, £1.29 per 175g bag Star nutrient: vitamin E 

 Nut score: 7/10

Exceptionally rich in vitamin E, providing double a woman's vitamin E needs of 3mg in just 25g - 30 kernels. One of vitamin E's main roles in the body is as an antioxidant, helping to protect cell walls from damage by free radicals, excessive levels of which build up when we are exposed to pollution, stress and too much sun. Recent research suggests a role for vitamin E in postponing the development of cataracts and Alzheimer's disease. The oil from hazelnuts is also almost identical in nutritional composition to heart-friendly olive oil.


ALMONDS: diet friendly

612 calories, 21g protein, 56g fat, £1.29 per 175g bag. Star nutrient: calcium 

 Nut score: 10/10

New research has shown that eating almonds does not necessarily lead to weight gain, in spite of a high fat and calorie content.

Almonds: diet friendly
 

Women who ate 40 almonds a day stayed at their starting weight during a six-month test.
Scientists concluded this ' nonfattening' effect could, in part, be because almonds took the place of other calorific snacks such as crisps and biscuits, but they also believe that not all of the fat in almonds is absorbed.

Almonds are bursting with the bone-building mineral, calcium. Just 50g of almonds supply over a seventh of a woman's daily 700mg calcium needs.


WALNUTS: protect skin

688 calories, 15g protein, 69g fat, £1.29 per 100g bag Star nutrient: alpha linolenic acid 

 Nut score: 10/10

Scientists have found that people who add walnuts to a cholesterol-lowering diet can reduce their levels of 'bad' cholesterol by an extra 16 per cent, probably because walnuts are rich in a type of good fat called alpha linolenic acid that appears to have a specific blood-thinning and anticlotting effect.

Walnuts also supply the mineral copper, needed to make melanin, the skin pigment which helps to protect against the harmful effects of ultra-violet radiation.


CASHEWS: iron packed

573 calories, 18g protein, 48g fat, £1.99 per 150g bag. Star nutrient: iron

Nut score: 7/10

Cashews boast double the amount of iron of most other nuts with 50g - 25 cashews - providing 3mg of the 11mg needed each day by women.

Improving iron levels in the body has been linked to better concentration.

Cashews are also great for zinc, with 25 nuts providing about a third of our daily 9mg needs. Essential for a robust immune system and good quality skin, zinc is also vital for fertility in both men and women.


CHESTNUTS: body fuel

170 calories, 2g protein, 3g fat, £1.99 for 500g frozen available all year round. Star nutrient: carbohydrate 

 Nut score: 7/10

Unique in the nut world for their low fat content, more than 86per cent of the calories in chestnuts comes from carbohydrate. This makes them a good snack choice for people wanting to refuel with carbohydrates after a physical workout or as part of a low-fat diet.

Around 100g of roasted chestnuts provide 50mg of the 700mg of calcium needed daily by women for healthy bones.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-186874/The-good-nut-guide.html

6 Foods for Natural Heavy Metal Chelation

by Elizabeth Renter
March 14th, 2013
Updated 03/14/2013 at 3:55 am


Heavy metals can do significant damage to the body. Historically, they’ve been used as “an instrument of murder” (in the case of arsenic) and instruments of war. But most people who are exposed to heavy metals in today’s times are through their food, water, vaccines, or the air around them. The good news is that there are natural ways to chelate heavy metals from your body.

In high amounts, heavy metal toxicity can cause numerous symptoms like headache, nausea, vomiting, sweating, and even death. In lower amounts toxicity from lead or mercury, for example, can have much subtler effects. In either case, however, ridding the body of these harmful metals is important.

Removal of heavy metals from the body is known as chelation. This word actually comes from the Greek word “claw” and was used because early practitioners saw substances that they believed grabbed a hold of the metals and carried them out of the body through the digestive system. The term stuck.

Fortunately, there are foods with natural chelation properties. In cases of minor exposure, you don’t need to spend a fortune on prescriptions or even supplements in order to restore optimal health. The following are natural heavy metal chelating agents.

• Amino Acids. Amino acids are great at removing metals from the body – so good for meat eaters. These proteins are found in eggs and fish, among other things, and can work to increase liver health and balance enzyme production.

• Cilantro. Cilantro is just one super-herb that can effectively remove heavy metals (aluminum, mercury, and lead in particular) – in only two weeks. Also, because these metals can damper the immune system, cilantro is also recognized as an immune-booster.

• Food-Grade Activated Charcoal - Dr. Al Sears, MD, has his patients use food-grade activated charcoal for general detoxifying; this includes detoxing heavy metals. For heavy metal detoxifying, he recommends a total of 20 grams per day, spaced apart in two to four doses, over a 12 day period. I prefer taking a heaping tablespoon once in the morning, well before breakfast for general detoxification.

• Brazil Nuts: Not necessarily a chelation food, Brazil nuts actually work to restore the good minerals, like selenium and zinc, that may be lost in the chelation process.

• Onions and garlic. The sulfur in onions and garlic can also work to eliminate heavy metals. Along with these, things like eggs, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage also have high sulfur content.

• Chlorella. The superfood known as chlorella can serve as a mild chelation-helper. You can find it in supplement form or as a powder to add to various dishes.

If you’re looking for a more advanced way to cleanse your body of heavy metals, Dr. Edward Group has a great starter heavy metal cleansing kit as well as an advanced kit.

Source:  http://naturalsociety.com/6-foods-natural-heavy-metal-chelation/

Building healthy lungs

Steve Yaplifestyle.steve@thesundaily.com

Posted on 3 December 2012 - 06:26pm
 

CANCER is characterised by uncontrolled cell growth that may consume the patient through malnutrition, organ failure or infection.

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for more than 80% of all lung cancer cases ,with just 16% of an overall five-year survival rate.

The presence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can raise risks of lung cancer by up to 450%!

Many cancer patients die from malnutrition and/or infections, both of which are linked to improper nutrition. Dietary factors can lower potential risk for lung cancer, with antioxidants vitamins A, C and E having a protective effect.

Poor nutritional status lowers a patient’s lean body mass and quality of life. Cachexia (physical wasting syndrome) not only shortens survival rates, but any positive response to chemotherapy is significantly reduced.

Even gradual weight loss has been identified as an indicator of poor prognosis in cancer patients. Unfortunately, some 60% of lung cancer patients have already experienced a significant weight loss at the time of their first diagnosis.

Up to 90% of all cancers could be prevented with a skilful and individually-designed nutrition plan.

Proper nutritional therapy helps cancer patients maintain their appropriate body weight and nutrition stores while offering improved quality of life.

In addition, there are other physiological issues affecting a patient’s nutritional status such as indigestion, hypometabolism, food malabsorption and obstructions.

DIETARY ESSENTIALS

Organic cruciferous vegetables

Such vegetables like cabbages, broccoli and bean sprouts may protect against proliferation of cancer cells. Sulforaphane, a sulphur-containing compound present in some cruciferous vegetables, possesses anti-cancer properties. Generally, the more quality vegetables consumed by lung cancer patients, the longer they seem to live.

Fresh corn and green leafy vegetables

Fresh orange-yellow corn is a rich source of lutein, which protects against lung cancer, while green leafy vegetables are rich in folate.

Pumpkin and carrot

These are some of the richest sources of alpha carotene, which protect against lung cancer. Extensive studies confirm free radicals are involved in the initiation and promotion of cancer. Consequently, low blood levels of dietary antioxidants are linked to increased cancer mortality rates.

Red tomatoes

A diet high in red tomatoes may reduce overall risks of most cancers by some 50%, including lung cancer. Furthermore, the flavonoid lycopene can double the protective capacity of carotene.

Nuts snack

Brazil nuts may be a rich source of selenium that could offer a 50% reduction in overall cancer death rate and decrease lung cancer risks by up to 50%. A higher intake of vitamin E from raw nuts and seeds could also cut lung cancer risk by 55%.

Fish

Mackerel, cod or anchovy are rich in omega-3 fats needed to reverse cachexia by inhibiting the lipid mobilising factor produced by a developing tumour, which causes breakdown of the patient’s adipose (fat) tissues.

Organic berries and fruits

Fresh organic berries and fruits such as blueberry, kiwi, bell pepper and guava are some of the richest sources of ascorbic acid. A deficiency of these has been linked to most cancers.

Food rich in L-tryptophan

Soy isolate, organic lean poultry, leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds are rich in this essential amino acid– a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin – which is then converted to neurohormone melatonin that can enhance a patient’s survival.

Spices

Onions contain quercetin which, like the anti-estrogen drug tamoxifen, has similar affinity to type II estrogen-binding sites in lung cancer cell lines, hence, it could regulate their growth. Turmeric contains curcumin, which is able to positively affect gene transcription to induce cancer cell apoptosis (programmed cell death).

Yellow (Chinese) or green (Japanese) tea

This can prevent further development of tumours by blocking angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels). It may reduce the toxic effect of chemotherapy by reducing the dosage of chemo drugs used through enhancing their cytotoxicity. It can also block or reduce absorption of dietary iron, which cancer cells need to grow.

Source: Building healthy lungs

Selenium Benefits Protect Against Cancer

Danica Collins | More

 

Did you know…

that an inexpensive and readily available mineral called selenium offers exceptional protection against cancer?

Over the last few decades, several randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials have shown that a daily dose of just 200 mcg of selenium (at a cost of just pennies) can…slash breast cancer risk by 82%…reduce colon and rectal cancer risk by 69%…cut prostate cancer risk by 54%…and cut lung cancer risk by 39%—even if you are a smoker!

• The research on breast cancer was published in 1982 by Gerhard Schrauser, M.D.
• The research on prostate, colorectal, and lung cancer was conducted by Larry Clark, M.D. and published in the Journal of The American Medical Association. This study used the gold standard of research methodology and took place over 7 years. It compared the effects of patients given 200 mcg of selenomethionine (a type of selenium) with placebo.

Earth Shattering Results

Dr. Peter Glidden, N.D., has speculated publicly about why these astonishing findings about selenium benefits and cancer protection are not being brought to the public, despite the supposed “War on Cancer.”

“The results were earth shattering,” says Dr. Glidden, “but because they involved the use of a mineral supplement, and not a prescription drug, they were overlooked. Imagine the media frenzy that a cancer drug that reduced the occurrence of breast cancer by 82% would receive! Your doctor should have called you up immediately and passed on this news to you, but this is probably the first time that you have heard it.”

With this kind of data backing it up, selenium—at an average cost of about $5 a bottle for 100 capsules of 200 mcg each—merits a close look as a potential supplement to add to your regimen.

What Is Selenium?

Selenium is a trace mineral that is essential to good health. Selenium is important to the production of antioxidants that protect the body from damage caused by free radicals.

For most people around the world, plant foods are the most common dietary sources of selenium.

Good sources include wheat germ, oats, sunflower seeds, and mushrooms.

The amount of selenium benefits in certain plants varies depending on the region it is grown due to differences in soil quality and mineral content. Unfortunately, poor farming practices have left much of our topsoil mineral deficient, a fact widely recognized since the 1930s. This is one of the reasons organically produced produce should contain more nutrients, including selenium, than produce from agribusiness.

Eggs and poultry also provide selenium, as does seafood including tuna, salmon, shrimp, and halibut.

However, due to contamination from polluted waters, plant sources are a safer option.

One of the best food sources for selenium benefits are found in Brazil nuts. A single Brazil nut provides more than 50 mcg of selenium—more than the recommended daily allowance.

Remember, though, that the patients in the studies were taking 200 mcg daily in addition to whatever selenium they obtained from foods. Therefore, some experts suggest that a combined total of 300 mcg daily is the minimum amount to ingest for cancer preventive benefits.

How Selenium Fights Cancer

Selenium is believed to protect against cancer by disrupting the carcinogenic process before it makes headway…by preventing tumors from forming. Selenium’s antioxidant properties are also cancer protective, as is its ability to inhibit DNA mutations.

Selenium benefits also promotes thyroid health. It does so by converting stored thyroid T4 hormones into active T3 hormones. Your endocrine system requires this conversion in order to function properly.

Interestingly, endocrine balance is crucial for preventing breast and prostate cancers—two of the cancers selenium benefits are proven to fight.

Tips for Supplementing with Selenium

In addition to selenium benefits from organic Brazil nuts, selenium supplements are readily available wherever vitamins are sold. Experts advise that if you choose to take a selenium supplement, you should pay close attention to your zinc levels, as well.

The two minerals combined work synergistically, and may offer stronger cancer protection.

http://undergroundhealthreporter.com/selenium-benefits#axzz2DUiGKpgE

Brazil Nuts - Actually Healthy for Overweight Women

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

 

The Tasty Snack That’s Actually Healthy for Overweight Women

We all enjoy good food, satisfying food. And by mid-morning, late-afternoon, it’s tough to say no to a treat.

Instead of reaching for the “junk food,” like cookies and candy bars, here’s another snack idea…

One that’s satisfying… good-tasting… mostly because it’s got that ingredient we all love… FAT.

In a recent study, a group of Brazilian researchers focused on this fatty little snack.

Their study involved a group of 37 severely obese women. The researchers tested the women’s blood before the study began. And, as it turned out, these severely overweight women were low in several key nutrients – selenium, for one. They also had less evidence of active antioxidants.

Which meant less ammunition against “free radicals” from pollution, chemicals, and other modern-day assaults.

So their health suffered. They were at higher risk for heart disease, diabetes… all the chronic diseases.

But then, each woman was asked to eat one of these snacks every day for 8 weeks.¹

Just one.

They wanted to see just what effect the snack had on the women’s overall nutrition.

And in that 8-week study, by eating just ONE of these yummy snacks, the women turned their health around.

After blood tests done at the end of the study, it was found that the women’s selenium levels were higher. They had more antioxidants in their bloodstreams – fighting against the free-radicals.

So what was the luscious snack that did all that?

It’s one you don’t hear about too often.

But this group of researchers is ready to fill the candy bowl with it…

Brazil nuts.

That’s right, one Brazil nut every day made these women healthier. The study appears in the journal, Nutrition Research.

With Brazil nuts in their daily diet, those ladies had a significant increase in their HDL (good) cholesterol. And that greatly reduced their risk of heart disease.

Just from one nut a day!

Another study had a similar finding about Brazil nuts – improved HDL, lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, and improved overall total cholesterol. The levels of triglycerides (another “bad” fat) were lower, too.

That study involved teens living in Brazil. So, yes – this snack is healthy for people of all ages and sizes.²

In fact, nuts in general are good for you.

They are high in healthy fats called mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs and PUFAs, respectively), as well as protein, fiber, polyphenols (antioxidants), vitamins, and minerals.

Nuts are also rich in natural polysterols, which act much like “statin drugs” to improve cholesterol in your bloodstream.

And, nuts help control blood sugar. Research shows that they work particularly well after eating a high-carbohydrate meal. So if you happen to indulge in your favorite pasta dish? Make sure you eat a handful of nuts after. Your blood sugar stands a better chance of staying stable.³

The tricky thing about nuts, though, is the fat and calories. Can you gain weight from eating too many nuts?

Just the opposite, it seems. Eating nuts regularly may lower body weight and body fat, says one group of researchers. But that’s among people who are watching their calories.

And among people trying to lose weight, eating nuts helped them accomplish their goal – and keep the weight off. Nuts also improved insulin sensitivity – which means it helped control blood sugar, and prevent diabetes.⁴

The moral of this story: Fill those candy dishes with nuts instead. Brazil nuts are an especially good choice. Keep them in the pantry for after-school or after-work snacks. Or even bedtime snacks.

Like this Article? Share this article here with one of your friends or family.

References:
¹http://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/APJCN/Volume19/vol19.1/Finished/15_1734_110-116.pdf
²http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21619692
³http://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/APJCN/Volume19/vol19.1/Finished/15_1734_110-116.pdf
⁴http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17125537″>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17125537


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