Reverse Insulin Resistance With These 8 Foods

Research indicates that you don't need drugs to control blood sugar. Food, herbs, and spices are the future of medicine

Posted on: Saturday, October 13th 2018 at 9:00 am
Written By: GreenMedInfo Research Group

Research indicates that you don't need drugs to control blood sugar. Food, herbs, and spices are the future of medicine

Over 80 million Americans have insulin resistance that can lead to diabetes. And you could be on the road to diabetes for 10 years or more and never even know it. Here's what happens.

The hormone insulin directs your cells to open up and take in glucose from the blood. With insulin resistance, your cells become desensitized to insulin. They ignore the instructions to open up and take in glucose. Your body keeps producing more insulin to try to get the message heard. But it doesn't work. And your insulin levels rise higher and higher.

Those chronically high insulin levels cause rapid weight gain, premature aging, high blood pressure, heart disease, and higher cancer risks. Eventually they lead to type 2 diabetes.

Herbs, spices and foods are your first line of defense. Here are eight that can help restore and maintain your cells' sensitivity to insulin.

1. Turmeric: 100% Effective In Preventing Diabetes

A 2009 study found curcumin, an active compound found in turmeric, was 500 to 100,000 times more effective than the prescription drug Metformin at activating glucose uptake.[i]

In another study of 240 pre-diabetic adults, patients were given either 250 milligrams of curcumin or a placebo every day. After nine months, NONE of those taking curcumin developed diabetes but 16.4% of the placebo group did. In other words, the curcumin was 100% effective at preventing Type 2 diabetes.

2. Ginger: Lowers Fasting Blood Glucose by 10.5%

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial 88 diabetics were divided into two groups. Every day one group received a placebo while the other received 3 one-gram capsules of ginger powder. After eight weeks, the ginger group reduced their fasting blood sugar by 10.5%. But the placebo group INCREASED their fasting blood sugar by 21%. In addition, insulin sensitivity increased significantly more in the ginger group.[ii]

In another study, researchers proved that 1600 mg per day of ginger improves eight markers of diabetes including insulin sensitivity.[iii]

Many other studies prove the value of ginger for diabetes. For a complete list of studies visit Green Med Info's page on Ginger Health Benefits.

3. Cinnamon: Less Than Half a Teaspoon A Day Reduces Blood Sugar Levels

Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices and most popular spices. It's been used for millennia both for its flavoring and medicinal qualities.

Cinnamon has been shown to normalize blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics by improving the ability to respond to insulin. A meta-analysis of eight clinical studies shows that cinnamon or cinnamon extracts lower fasting blood glucose levels.[iv]

Cinnamon works in part by slowing the rate at which the stomach empties after eating. In one study subjects ate about a cup of rice pudding with and without about a teaspoon of cinnamon. Adding the cinnamon slowed the rate the stomach emptied from 37% to 34.5% and significantly slowed the rise in blood sugar levels. Even less than a half of a teaspoon a day reduces blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics.[v]

Here are 5 more reasons to eat cinnamon every day.

4. Olive Leaf Extract: Results Comparable to Metformin

University of Auckland researchers proved that olive leaf extract decreases insulin sensitivity.

In a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study, 46 overweight men were divided into two groups. One group received capsules containing olive leaf extract and the other group received a placebo. After 12 weeks, olive leaf extract lowered insulin resistance by an average of 15%. It also increased the productivity of the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas by 28%.[vi]

The researchers noted that supplementing with olive leaf extract gave results "comparable to common diabetic therapeutics (particularly metformin)."

5. Berries Lower After-Meal Insulin Spike

Studies show the body needs less insulin for sugar balance after a meal if berries are also eaten. In a study of healthy women in Finland, subjects were asked to eat white and rye bread with or without a selection of different pureed berries. Starch in the bread alone spikes after-meal glucose levels. But the researchers found that adding berries to the bread significantly reduced the after-meal insulin spike.

Strawberries, bilberries, lingonberries, and chokeberries were effective. So was a mixture consisting of strawberries, bilberries, cranberries, and blackberries.[vii]

6. Black Seed (Nigella Sativa): Just 2 Grams Reduces Insulin Resistance

In a study of 94 diabetic patients, researchers prescribed either 1, 2 or 3 grams a day of Nigella sativa capsules. They found that at the dose of 2 grams per day, black seed significantly reduced fasting blood glucose and insulin resistance. The higher dose of 3 grams per day did not result in additional benefits.[viii]

Black seed has been treasured for thousands of years for its healing properties. It is sometimes referred to as Roman coriander, black sesame, black cumin, and black caraway. It's been called the remedy for everything but death.

7. Spirulina Increases Insulin Sensitivity by 225%

In a randomized study of insulin-resistant patients, researchers compared the power of spirulina and soy to control insulin levels.[ix] They assigned 17 patients to receive 19 grams of spirulina a day. The other 16 patients received 19 grams of soy. After eight weeks the spirulina group on average increased their insulin sensitivity by 224.7% while the soy group increased their insulin sensitivity by 60%.

In addition, 100% of the spirulina group improved their insulin sensitivity while only 69% of the soy group improved.

8. Berberine Just As Good as Three Different Diabetes Drugs

Berberine is a bitter compound found in the roots of several plants including goldenseal, barberry, and Oregon grape. Studies prove it's just as good as prescription diabetes drugs.

Chinese researchers compared berberine to metformin in a pilot study of 36 patients. They found berberine lowered blood sugar levels just as well as metformin in just three months. The patients also significantly decreased their fasting blood glucose, and their after-meal blood glucose.

In the same study, researchers gave berberine to 48 diabetics for three months. After only one week, berberine lowered both fasting and post-meal blood glucose levels. In addition, their insulin resistance dropped 45%.[x]

Other researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 14 studies involving 1,068 participants. They found berberine performed just as well as metformin, glipizide and rosiglitazone. Those are three of the top diabetes drugs on the market.[xi] And berberine has no serious side effects.

For more than 70 studies on this herbal compound visit Green Med Info's page on berberine


References

[i] Teayoun Kim, Jessica Davis, Albert J Zhang, Xiaoming He, Suresh T Mathews. Curcumin activates AMPK and suppresses gluconeogenic gene expression in hepatoma cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2009 Oct 16;388(2):377-82. Epub 2009 Aug 8. PMID: 19665995

[ii] Hassan Mozaffari-Khosravi, Behrouz Talaei, Beman-Ali Jalali, Azadeh Najarzadeh, Mohammad Reza Mozayan. The effect of ginger powder supplementation on insulin resistance and glycemic indices in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Complement Ther Med. 2014 Feb ;22(1):9-16. Epub 2014 Jan 8. PMID: 24559810

[iii] Tahereh Arablou, Naheed Aryaeian, Majid Valizadeh, Faranak Sharifi, Aghafatemeh Hosseini, Mahmoud Djalali. The effect of ginger consumption on glycemic status, lipid profile and some inflammatory markers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2014 Feb 4. Epub 2014 Feb 4. PMID: 24490949

[iv] Paul A Davis, Wallace Yokoyama. Cinnamon intake lowers fasting blood glucose: meta-analysis. J Med Food. 2011 Sep ;14(9):884-9. Epub 2011 Apr 11. PMID: 21480806

[v] Joanna Hlebowicz et al, "Effect of cinnamon on postprandial blood glucose, gastric emptying, and satiety in healthy subjects." Am J Clin Nutr June 2007 vol. 85 no. 6 1552-1556

[vi] Martin de Bock, José G B Derraik, Christine M Brennan, Janene B Biggs, Philip E Morgan, Steven C Hodgkinson, Paul L Hofman, Wayne S Cutfield. Olive (Olea europaea L.) leaf polyphenols improve insulin sensitivity in middle-aged overweight men: a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial.

[vii] Riitta Törrönen, Marjukka Kolehmainen, Essi Sarkkinen, Kaisa Poutanen, Hannu Mykkänen, Leo Niskanen. Berries reduce postprandial insulin responses to wheat and rye breads in healthy women. J Nutr. 2013 Apr ;143(4):430-6. Epub 2013 Jan 30. PMID: 23365108

[viii] Abdullah O Bamosa, Huda Kaatabi, Fatma M Lebdaa, Abdul-Muhssen Al Elq, Ali Al-Sultanb. Effect of Nigella sativa seeds on the glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2010 Oct-Dec;54(4):344-54. PMID: 21675032

[ix] Azabji-Kenfack Marcel, Loni G Ekali, Sobngwi Eugene, Onana E Arnold, Edie D Sandrine, Denis von der Weid, Emmanuel Gbaguidi, Jeanne Ngogang, Jean C Mbanya. The Effect of Spirulina platensis versus Soybean on Insulin Resistance in HIV-Infected Patients: A Randomized Pilot Study. Nutrients. 2011 Jul ;3(7):712-24. Epub 2011 Jul 18. PMID: 22254118

[x] Yin J, Xing H, Ye J. Efficacy of berberine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Metabolism May 2008;57(5):712-7 Pubmed 18442638

[xi] Dong H, Wang N, Zhao L, Lu F. Berberine in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systemic review and meta-analysis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:591654 Pubmed 23118793

The GMI Research Group (GMIRG) is dedicated to investigating the most important health and environmental issues of the day. Special emphasis will be placed on environmental health. Our focused and deep research will explore the many ways in which the present condition of the human body directly reflects the true state of the ambient environment.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of GreenMedInfo or its staff.

Key Research Topics

Substance

Berberine

Nigella sativa (aka Black Seed)

Cinnamon

Ginger

Olive leaf extract

Spirulina

Strawberry

Turmeric

Curcumin

Berries: All

Disease

Insulin Resistance

Cancer

Diabetes

high blood pressure

Pharmacological Actions

Insulin Sensitizers

https://www.greenmedinfo.health/blog/reverse-insulin-resistance-these-8-foods

MUST READ: The Very Real Risks of Consuming Too Much Protein

With the popularity of "high-protein" diets, you might be tempted to believe you simply can't overeat protein. But the truth is that consuming excessive protein can actually be quite detrimental to your health.

September 03, 2014 

Story at-a-glance

• Most Americans consume three to five times more protein than they need, along with excessive starchy carbs and not enough healthy fats
• A more ideal protein intake is likely around one-half gram of protein per pound of lean body mass, which for most is 40 to 70 grams a day. Examples are given
• Excess dietary protein can lead to elevated blood sugar, weight gain, kidney stress, leaching of bone minerals, and stimulating cancer cells
• Restricting your protein to plant-only sources may create a sulfur deficiency and potentially accelerate age-related functional decline
• Protein quality is as important as quantity; consuming a wide variety of high–quality, grass-fed animal- and organic plant-based whole foods is the best approach

By Dr. Mercola

With the popularity of "high-protein" diets, you might be tempted to believe you simply can't overeat protein. But the truth is that consuming excessive protein can actually be quite detrimental to your health.

Eating more protein than your body needs can interfere with your health and fitness goals in a number of ways, including weight gain, extra body fat, stress on your kidneys,1 dehydration, and leaching of important bone minerals.

Granted, your body needs protein. Protein and its array of amino acids are the primary building blocks for your muscles, bones, and many hormones. You cannot live without it.

As you age, and during pregnancy, consuming sufficient amounts of high-quality protein is especially important, as your ability to process protein declines with age, raising your protein requirements.

This is especially true for aging males. Protein helps preserve lean muscle that is typically lost with age. High quality proteins from pasture raised animals are more easily used by your body than those from plants.2

That said, there is an upper limit to how much protein your body can actually use. On average, Americans consume anywhere from three to five times more protein than they need for optimal health, along with far too many carbohydrates and not enough healthy fats.

Meat consumption has risen dramatically in the US over the past century. Making matters worse, a large amount of this excess meat is typically poor quality, originating in confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), where the animals are mistreated and fed an unnatural diet of genetically engineered grains instead of fresh grass.

Your goal should be a diet with enough—but not too much—high-quality protein from a variety of plant and animal sources.

Excess Protein May Fuel Weight Gain, Yeast Overgrowth, and Cancer

There are a number of reasons why I believe it's prudent to limit your protein intake. The first is that if you eat more protein than your body requires, it will simply convert most of those calories to sugar and then fat. Increased blood sugar levels can also feed pathogenic bacteria and yeast, such as Candida albicans (candidiasis), as well as fueling cancer cell growth.

Excessive protein can have a stimulating effect on an important biochemical pathway called the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR).

This pathway has an important and significant role in many cancers. When you reduce protein to just what your body needs, mTOR remains inhibited, which helps minimize your chances of cancer growth.

Additionally, when you consume too much protein, your body must remove more nitrogen waste products from your blood, which stresses your kidneys. Chronic dehydration can result, as was found in a study involving endurance athletes.3

Lowering Your Protein Intake May Extend Your Lifespan

New studies have brought some additional insights into the protein discussion, as it relates to your longevity. Many animal studies have established that calorie restriction leads to increased longevity, but the latest science suggests this phenomenon may actually result more from reduced protein intake—specifically, reduced intake of the amino acid methionine, which happens to be high in meats.4

Yet, other new research suggests it may be the balance of amino acids that is the key, especially with other amino acids like glycine that may actually help lower methionine levels. How can you use this information to your advantage?

Well, you can implement approaches like protein cycling in which you replicate ancestral patterns of going through feast and famine, which can help normalize your amino acid levels. That is one of the reasons why I am such a major fan of intermittent fasting. Bone broth may also be particularly useful as it is especially high in glycine.

How to Calculate Your Protein Requirements

Now that you can appreciate some of the many advantages of reigning in your protein consumption, how do you know exactly how much protein you actually need? Fortunately, there is a simple rule, and all you need to know is your lean body mass.

You likely need about one-half gram of protein per pound of lean body mass.

For most people, this amounts to 40 to 70 grams of protein a day. Rarely does a person need more protein than this—the exception would be those who are aggressively exercising (or competing) and pregnant women, who should have about 25 percent more.

Forty to 70 grams a day is in the general range of the CDC's protein recommendations for adults (46 grams a day for women, and 56 grams a day for men). But the formula has the major advantage of taking into account your weight and body composition, which is more relevant than age and gender.5

This comes down to a protein serving that is about the size of a deck of cards. To estimate your protein requirements, first determine your lean body mass. Subtract your percent body fat from 100. For example, if you have 20 percent body fat, then you have 80 percent lean body mass. Just multiply that percentage (in this case, 0.8) by your current weight to get your lean body mass in pounds or kilos. So, in the above example, if you weighed 160 pounds, 0.8 multiplied by 160 equals 128 pounds of lean body mass. Using the "one-half gram of protein" rule, you would need about 64 grams of protein per day.

Translating Ideal Protein Requirements Into Foods

Substantial amounts of protein can be found in meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Some vegetables also contain generous amounts of protein—for example, broccoli.6 Forty grams of protein is not a large amount of food—it's the equivalent of just two small hamburger patties, or one six-ounce chicken breast.To determine whether or not you're getting too much protein, simply calculate your body's requirement based on your lean body mass, as described above, and write down everything you eat for a few days. 

Then, calculate the amount of daily protein you've consumed from all sources. Again, you're aiming for one-half gram of protein per pound of lean body mass. If you're currently averaging a lot more than what is optimal, adjust downward accordingly. You could use the chart below or simply Google the food you want to know and you will quickly find the grams of protein in that food.

Red meat, pork, poultry, and seafood average 6-9 grams of protein per ounce. An ideal amount for most people would be a 3-ounce serving of meat or seafood (not 9- or 12-ounce steaks!), which will provide about 18-27 grams of protein	Eggs contain about 6-8 grams of protein per egg. So an omelet made from two eggs would give you about 12-16 grams of protein If you add cheese, you need to calculate that protein in as well (check the label of your cheese)
Seeds and nuts contain on average 4-8 grams of protein per quarter cup	Cooked beans average about 7-8 grams per half cup
Cooked grains average 5-7 grams per cup	Most vegetables contain about 1-2 grams of protein per ounce

Eating ONLY Plant-Based Foods May Lead to Deficits

In order to gain the greatest nutritional benefit from the proteins you eat, I recommend consuming a wide variety of high-quality proteins from both animal and plant whole food sources. Research consistently shows that nutritional deficits are extremely hard to avoid if you limit yourself to a strictly plant-based diet. From the standpoint of ancestral nutrition, the hunting and foraging of our predecessors resulted in their consuming a much wider selection of foods than we do today, which means they received a much broader complement of nutrients, including proteins.

Research published in the journal Nutrition7 shows that people who eat a strictly plant-based diet may suffer from subclinical protein malnutrition. This puts one at risk for not getting enough dietary sulfur. Sulfur is derived almost exclusively from dietary protein, such as fish and high-quality (organic and/or grass-fed/pastured) beef and poultry. Meat and fish are considered "complete" as they contain all the sulfur-containing amino acids you need to produce new protein.

A new Japanese study shows that adequate intake of animal protein may lower your risk of age-related functional decline. Men who consumed higher levels of meat and fish had a 39 percent lower risk of mental and physical decline compared to those who ate the least animal protein.8

On the flip side, plant-based proteins may be helpful in reducing your blood pressure. A recent meta-analysis9 found that removing meat from the diet led to blood pressure reductions similar to losing five kilos of body weight. So... which is better—plant or animal? I believe the answer is neither—meaning, clinically speaking, most would be best served by consuming a variety of high-quality proteins in order to reap the benefits of both plant- and animal-based protein sources, as each offers its own particular health benefits.

Be Very Selective About Where Your Meat Comes From

The quality of the meat you eat is as important as the quantity. As a general rule, the only meat I recommend eating is grass-fed, pastured, ideally organically raised meats (and of course, the same goes for dairy and eggs.) Meat from pastured or grass-fed animals is FAR superior to that from animals raised in confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs). CAFO beef and poultry is likely to be contaminated with herbicides, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and other drugs, as well as GMOs from the genetically engineered (GE) grains these animals typically consume.

Researchers are even suggesting that CAFO beef may be spreading slow-acting prion infection causing Alzheimer's disease. The damage is identical to that seen in Mad Cow disease, except for the rate of speed with which the infection destroys your brain and causes death. In 2009, a joint research project between the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Clemson University determined a total of 10 key areas where grass-fed is better for human health than grain-fed beef. In a side-by-side comparison, they determined that grass-fed beef was superior in the following ways:10

Higher in total omega-3s	A healthier ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids (1.65 vs 4.84)
Higher in CLA (cis-9 trans-11), a potential cancer fighter	Higher in vaccenic acid (which can be transformed into CLA)
Higher in the B-vitamins thiamin and riboflavin	Higher in the minerals calcium, magnesium, and potassium
Higher in vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)	Higher in beta-carotene

Whey Protein

An excellent source of convenient quick to prepare high-quality protein is whey protein. Whey protein is an excellent "fitness food" because it contains not only high-quality protein, but also extremely high amounts of leucine, which is particularly important for muscle growth and repair. One of the reasons whey protein is so effective for exercise recovery is that it assimilates very quickly—it gets into your muscles within 10-15 minutes of swallowing it, just when they need it most. Whey is also excellent for your immune system, as it is rich in immunoglobulins, lactoferrin, and other precursors for glutathione.

With regard to whey supplements, a word of caution is in order. Isolated amino acid supplements and branched-chain amino acid isolates (such as leucine and glutamine) are dangerous and potentially damaging to your health—so stay away from them. Many contain "putrid proteins," as well as the proteins in the wrong form (isomers) so they cannot be properly used by your body.

They also tend to be acid processed and contain surfactants, artificial sweeteners, heavy metal contaminants (arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury11), and a long list of chemical additives. Instead, look for a high-quality whole food whey supplement that is minimally processed, comes from organic, grass-fed, non-hormone treated cows, and is independently tested and verified for purity.

Seeds, Sprouts, and Spirulina Are Other Great Protein Foods

A key factor in maximizing your nutrition is achieving the right balance of macronutrients—carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. By far, most Westerners consume too much protein and carbohydrate, and not enough healthy fats. For a comprehensive guide, please refer to my Optimized Nutrition Plan, starting with Beginner Plan: Protein, and then progressing intoIntermediate Plan: Protein. In addition to the foods already discussed, a few others deserve special mention for their exceptional protein value:

• Hemp seeds (hemp hearts): About 33 percent protein, providing 11 grams per three tablespoons; also contain all 20 amino acids in an easily digestible form and are loaded with omega-3 fats12
• Chia seeds: About 14 percent protein, providing about four grams per three tablespoons;13 also high in omega-3 fats (but most are ALA)
• Spirulina: Seventy percent protein by weight; six grams of protein per 10 gram serving; contains 18 of the amino acids and all of the essentials, and is easily assimilated (avoid spirulina if allergic to iodine or seafood)
• Sprouts: The quality of the protein and the fiber content of beans, nuts, seeds, and grains improve when sprouted; sunflower sprouts provide some of the highest quality protein you can eat, along with abundant iron and chlorophyll; kamut, hemp, quinoa, and bean sprouts are also good sources
• Bee pollen: Forty percent protein and one of nature's most complete foods; you wouldn't eat a large amount of bee pollen at any one time, but it's an excellent addition for variety

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/09/03/too-much-protein.aspx

Some call this the healthiest food in the world

The secret to evading cancer may live in the sea. The cancer-fighting solution I’m going to tell you about today – perhaps the healthiest food in the world – could save your life. Plus, it’s not an exotic, expensive supplement. It’s cheap!

17 May 2015

Newsletter #500
Lee Euler, Editor

The Oceans Create What Some Call The World’s Healthiest Food

The secret to evading cancer may live in the sea. The cancer-fighting solution I’m going to tell you about today – perhaps the healthiest food in the world – could save your life. Plus, it’s not an exotic, expensive supplement. It’s cheap!

Yet few people know about it. Here’s the story. . .

If your visits to the beach leave you thinking there’s too much seaweed in the ocean … it’s time to reconsider this plant’s awesome but hidden benefits.

Seaweed is a very broad term used to describe many varieties of marine plants and algae. Kelp (one of the largest types of seaweed and well-known among health fanatics) is actually a type of multicellular algae. Like all algae, it feeds itself by photosynthesis, like a plant.

This type of seaweed contains massive amounts of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

It contains Vitamin C, Vitamin E, iodine, other minerals, and fiber. All are powerful, cancer-fighting nutrients. I take a kelp supplement daily.

Mere kelp can help prevent and treat prostate cancer, breast cancer, gastric cancer, and more. It could be your “lifeboat” back to good health.

This stunning Japanese secret is lost on most Americans

The Japanese diet includes more than 21 different types of seaweed. Japanese men and women eat up to 11 grams of seaweed every day.

The seaweed-rich diet makes a significant dent in the cancer rate in Japan. And it could slash your risk, too.

Japanese men have a lower risk of getting prostate cancer (the most common type of cancer for men) than do American men. However, when Japanese men emigrate to the US and start eating a Western diet, they get prostate cancer at the same rate as American men. Of course, I can’t ascribe the entire difference to seaweed, but it probably plays a role.

The same is true for Japanese women. Mostly because seaweed contains so much iodine, Japanese women consume 25 times more iodine than American women. This extra iodine protects Japanese women from getting breast cancer.

In fact, 83 percent fewer Japanese women get breast cancer than American women. From the earliest days of this newsletter, I’ve urged readers to consume more iodine. It’s a particularly powerful tool against breast cancer.

Like the men, when Japanese women settle in the U.S. and start eating a Western diet, they get breast cancer at the same rate as American women.

Do the Japanese know a secret that’s lost on Americans? And if so, why do they stop taking advantage of it when they move to the U.S.? I guess it’s a case of “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” And like most of us, their eating habits are probably dictated more by what they like than by what’s good for them.

Seaweed protects you from cancer
in many different ways

There are thousands of seaweed species. Scientists divide them into three main categories:

1. Brown algae (such as kelp and wracks)

2. Red algae (such as dulse, weeds, and mosses)

3. Green algae (such as sea lettuce, which resembles land-grown lettuce in appearance)

Together they comprise one of the world’s great superfoods… your proverbial lifeboat.

Seaweed prevents cancer tumors from developing and helps maintain blood vessels that keep tumors from growing.

A type of brown seaweed – known as fucoxanthin – makes prostate cancer cells commit suicide.

Another type of seaweed – this one a red algae that grows near the equator in Southeast Asia – shrinks breast tumors more effectively than chemotherapy.

Researchers at the University Putra in Malaysia used rats to test the effectiveness of red seaweed compared to chemotherapy. Chemotherapy shrank breast tumors 71 percent in four weeks. The seaweed shrank breast tumors 91 percent in four weeks.

In addition to working 27 percent better than chemotherapy, red seaweed showed another amazing benefit. While chemotherapy devastated the rats’ kidneys and livers, the seaweed protected those organs.

Seaweed also softens tumors.

Destroys free radicals, ushers out toxins,
boosts immunity

According to Denmark’s National Food Institute and the Technical University of Denmark, seaweed finds and destroys free radicals in your body.

Certain types of blue-green algae work wonders for your immune system.

Blue-green algae contain a compound known as chlorophyll. Chlorophyll helps purify your blood, detoxify your body, and rejuvenate your organs. Via this cleansing and detoxing mechanism, blue-green algae help prevent cancer and reduce tumor growth.

A specific type of blue-green algae – named spirulina because it looks like a spiral – boosts your immune system and prevents breast cancer cells from growing.

Spirulina is also a useful treatment for allergies, high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Chlorella – a type of green algae – is a “near-perfect food,” according to some doctors.

It binds to toxins and escorts them out of your body, enhancing your immune system. It also kills liver cancer cells.

Sea lettuce – a type of green algae (genus Ulva) — boosts your antioxidant enzymes, according to Dr. Hendrik Luesch from the University of Florida.

These enzymes increase the antioxidants in your cells. Boosted by higher levels of antioxidants, your body wards off damage and inflammation, and protects you from cancer.

Abundant trace minerals bring the gift of health

Brown algae contain all 72 trace minerals that are typically missing from our Western diet.

Besides these minerals, brown algae contain a compound called fucoidan that’s been proven to have significant cancer-fighting ability (see Issue #119).

Fucoidan prevents tumors from growing in at least three ways:

1. It triggers enzymes that kill cancer cells.

2. It changes the membrane of a cancer cell’s mitochondria (the cell’s “power house” or “engine”), causing the cancer cell to die.

3. It prevents cancer cells (especially lung cancer cells) from metastasizing.

Men who eat brown algae enjoy a reduced risk of contracting prostate cancer. Brown algae also help combat breast cancer, diabetes, obesity, chemical overloads, and more.

Boosts your iodine levels

If you’re health-literate you probably know that iodine is essential to thyroid health, but few people know it also offers powerful protection against breast cancer. Most Americans lack this essential mineral, because the practice of iodizing salt and even putting some iodine in bread dough has fallen out of favor.

The official recommended intake of iodine, at 150 micrograms, is absurdly low. A teaspoon of iodized salt is said to contain around 400 micrograms.

Kelp contains more iodine than any other known food. Even better, kelp contains a natural form of iodine that your body easily processes.

Helps neutralize carbohydrates

Eating carbohydrates increases your risk of cancer. Not to mention a host of other inflammatory diseases such as diabetes, dementia and heart disease.

Carbs contain a certain signaling molecule called IGF-1. High IGF-1 levels make cancer resistant to treatment.

When you lower your IGF-1 levels you reduce your risk of getting cancer, slow cancer growth if you’ve already got the disease, and increase your odds of surviving. Eating seaweed (i.e. the different varieties of algae) naturally reduces your IGF-1 levels.

When you eat carbs, your blood sugar increases. Seaweed helps prevents big spikes in your blood sugar levels, improving your insulin sensitivity and reducing your insulin levels.

Don’t take this as a gimmick that allows you to pig out on carbs – the best move is to eat as few carbohydrates as possible. But seaweed can help neutralize an occasional indulgence.

Don’t go overboard with seaweed

Chinese and Japanese healers have used seaweed to treat cancer for centuries. Just be careful not to eat too much.

Seaweed is almost too healthy. Ten grams (about two tablespoons) contains 34 times more potassium than the same amount of banana – and bananas are a potassium-rich food. That much potassium could cause heart palpitations if you have kidney problems.

It’s also possible to overdose on iodine.

To solve this problem, eat small amounts regularly.

Many ways to get some seaweed

Sushi rolls and seaweed salad will give you a weekly seaweed boost. Not a big fan of sushi? Buy seaweed in pill form.

I take Nature’s Way kelp myself, as well as various brands of chlorella or spirulina (depending on what mood I’m in). Just follow the directions on the bottles and you’ll be fine.

If you’d rather not take a pill, buy dried seaweed and add one-fourth teaspoon or more to:

• Smoothies

• Fresh squeezed juice

• Salad dressings (olive oil and vinegar dressings work best)

• Condiments, such as hummus, olive tapenade, or pesto

• Soups and stews (note to moms… your children won’t even notice, especially if you also include a fair amount of garlic!)

Just start small and add more over time!

By including more seaweed in your diet, you can lower your risk of getting cancer.

http://www.cancerdefeated.com/the-oceans-create-what-some-call-the-worlds-healthiest-food-2/3206

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