Vast majority of dietary supplements don't improve heart health or put off death, study finds

In a massive new analysis of findings from 277 clinical trials using 24 different interventions, researchers say they have found that almost all vitamin, mineral and other nutrient supplements or diets cannot be linked to longer life or protection from heart disease.

Date:

July 16, 2019

Source:

Johns Hopkins Medicine

Dietary supplements (stock image).

Credit: © monticellllo / Adobe Stock

In a massive new analysis of findings from 277 clinical trials using 24 different interventions, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they have found that almost all vitamin, mineral and other nutrient supplements or diets cannot be linked to longer life or protection from heart disease.

Although they found that most of the supplements or diets were not associated with any harm, the analysis showed possible health benefits only from a low-salt diet, omega-3 fatty acid supplements and possibly folic acid supplements for some people. Researchers also found that supplements combining calcium and vitamin D may in fact be linked to a slightly increased stroke risk.

Results of the analysis were published on July 8 in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Surveys by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 52% of Americans take a least one vitamin or other dietary/nutritional supplement daily. As a nation, Americans spend $31 billion each year on such over-the-counter products. An increasing number of studies -- including this new one from Johns Hopkins -- have failed to prove health benefits from most of them.

"The panacea or magic bullet that people keep searching for in dietary supplements isn't there," says senior author of the study Erin D. Michos, M.D., M.H.S., associate director of preventive cardiology at the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "People should focus on getting their nutrients from a heart-healthy diet, because the data increasingly show that the majority of healthy adults don't need to take supplements."

For the current study, the researchers used data from 277 randomized clinical trials that evaluated 16 vitamins or other supplements and eight diets for their association with mortality or heart conditions including coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart attack. All together they included data gathered on 992,129 research participants worldwide.

The vitamin and other supplements reviewed included: antioxidants, ?-carotene, vitamin B-complex, multivitamins, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin B3/niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin D alone, calcium alone, calcium and vitamin D together, folic acid, iron and omega-3 fatty acid (fish oil). The diets reviewed were a Mediterranean diet, a reduced saturated fat (less fats from meat and dairy) diet, modified dietary fat intake (less saturated fat or replacing calories with more unsaturated fats or carbohydrates), a reduced fat diet, a reduced salt diet in healthy people and those with high blood pressure, increased alpha linolenic acid (ALA) diet (nuts, seeds and vegetable oils), and increased omega-6 fatty acid diet (nuts, seeds and vegetable oils). Each intervention was also ranked by the strength of the evidence as high, moderate, low or very low risk impact.

The majority of the supplements including multivitamins, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin D alone, calcium alone and iron showed no link to increased or decreased risk of death or heart health.

In the three studies of 3,518 people that looked at a low-salt diet in people with healthy blood pressure, there were 79 deaths. The researchers say that they found a 10% decrease in the risk of death in these people, which they classified as a moderate associated impact.

Of the five studies in which 3,680 participants with high blood pressure were put on a low-salt diet, they found that the risk of death due to heart disease decreased by 33%, as there were 674 heart disease deaths during the study periods. They also classified this intervention as moderate evidence of an impact.

Forty-one studies with 134,034 participants evaluated the possible impact of omega-3 fatty acid supplements. In this group, 10,707 people had events such as a heart attack or stroke indicating heart disease. Overall, these studies suggested that supplement use was linked to an 8 percent reduction in heart attack risk and a 7 percent reduction in coronary heart disease compared to those not on the supplements. The researchers ranked evidence for a beneficial link to this intervention as low.

Based on 25 studies in 25,580 healthy people, data also showed that folic acid was linked to a 20 percent reduced risk of stroke. Some 877 participants had strokes during the trials. The authors graded evidence for a link to beneficial effects as low.

The authors point out that the studies suggesting the greatest impact of folic acid supplementation on reducing stroke risk took place in China, where cereals and grains aren't fortified with folic acid like they are in the U.S. Thus, they say, this apparent protective effect may not be applicable in regions where most people get enough folic acid in their diet.

Twenty studies evaluated the combination of calcium with vitamin D in a supplement. Of the 42,072 research participants, 3,690 had strokes during the trials, and taken together the researchers say this suggests a 17% increased risk for stroke. The risk evidence was ranked as moderate. There was no evidence that calcium or vitamin D taken alone had any health risks or benefits.

"Our analysis carries a simple message that although there may be some evidence that a few interventions have an impact on death and cardiovascular health, the vast majority of multivitamins, minerals and different types of diets had no measurable effect on survival or cardiovascular disease risk reduction," says lead author Safi U. Khan, M.D., an assistant professor of Medicine at West Virginia University.

Other authors include Muhammad U. Khan and Shahul Valavoor of West Virginia University; Haris Riaz of Cleveland Clinic; Di Zhao, Michael J. Blaha and Eliseo Guallar of Johns Hopkins; Lauren Vaughan and Victor Okunrintemi of East Carolina University; Irbaz Bin Riaz and M. Hassan Murad of Mayo Clinic; Muhammad Shahzeb Khan of the John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County; and Edo Kaluski of the Guthrie Health System.

The authors received no financial support for this research study and declare no conflicts of interest.

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Story Source:

Materials provided by Johns Hopkins Medicine. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190716095529.htm

10 Facts You Didn’t Know About Blueberries

Last updated by Jessica Attinger on January 3, 2014

Healthwise

Blueberries, or as I like to call them ‘wonder berries’, are refreshing, thirst quenching and deliciously sweet, but it’s not only the taste sensation that makes these little beauties so universally well-loved: they’re also incredibly beneficial to your health and well being.

From blueberry pie to cheesecake topping to a little extra zest in a salad, blueberries make all dishes come alive. Taste is certainly one reason to keep them in your diet, but here are ten more:

1. Brain food
Studies have shown that blueberries improve brain function and may help combat Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, as well as helping to heal damaged brain cells. They also improve memory and help us to retain things we’ve learned. That’s one smart little berry!

2. A fountain of youth
Who hasn’t wished for a magic elixir to keep them young? Well, wish no more and get eating some blueberries as they help to combat the free radicals which make us age quicker.

3. Softer skin
Free radicals also wreak havoc on the skin, damaging cells and leaving us looking pallid and unhealthy. Blueberries neutralize free radicals, leaving you with soft, glowing skin.

4. Spending a penny
If you find you’re nipping to the loo more often than usual you may have a urinary tract infection. Blueberries contain medical antioxidant compounds that can inhibit the bacteria that cause infection, helping you maintain a healthy bladder.

5. High in vitamins
Blueberries are absolutely packed with the good stuff that keeps you healthy: vitamins A, C, E and B complex; selenium, potassium, copper, zinc, manganese and anthocyanins. They truly are a superfruit.

6. Seeing things
Blueberries can help to protect you from age-related vision disorders such as cataracts, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. They contain anthocyanins which reduce eye strain and vision loss, and keep your retina healthy.

7. Lose those extra pounds
The anthocyanins found in blueberries can help to speed up metabolism, which will give you a head start in losing those extra pounds. You know how weight that fell off when you were 20 was hard to shift at 30? Well, blueberries will turn back the clock a little and help you slim down.

8. Healthy heart
Blueberries are chock full of fibre and antioxidants, both of which will help dissolve the bad cholesterol in your system which can narrow your arteries and lead to a heart attack or heart disease.

9. A common problem
Constipation affects many people, but it’s a problem that can often be solved by eating a high fibre diet. One cup of blueberries will provide you with about 15% of your recommended daily fibre intake and help things move a little more smoothly!

10. Beat cancer
Blueberries are full of Vitamin C, copper and phenolic compounds which make up the antioxidant army that can help to suppress cancer cells, and have been found to be especially good at fighting colon, liver and ovarian cancer.

As with everything, blueberries are only part of the solution. An active lifestyle and healthy diet are also required to help fight off any nasties, but adding this little blue wonder to your shopping list will certainly help!

Healthwise

http://www.mindthemunchies.com/10-facts-about-blueberries/

Federally-Funded Analysis Attempts to Undermine Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

Healthwise

June 2012

By Blake Gossard, Kira Schmid, ND, Luke Huber, ND, MBA, Steven V. Joyal, MD

Readers of Life Extension Magazine® are well aware of the recent track record of the UnitedStates Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). In May 2012, this taxpayer-funded group recommended that men avoid life-saving PSA blood tests.

In the December 2012 issue of Life Extension, the fundamental flaws that drove this ill-advised proposition were exposed.

The USPSTF seems to be falling into a pattern of disseminating misleading information based upon consideration of only isolated evidence.

On November 12, 2013, the USPSTF decried that evidence doesn’t support a role for vitamin and mineral supplementation in protecting against cancer and cardiovascular disease.1

Naturally, the mainstream media has regurgitated the USPSTF’s findings via nonsensical headlines such as “Do You Take Vitamin Pills? This is why You Should Stop.”2

As Life Extension® members know, health-conscious individuals can’t rely on government-funded panels and mass media outlets for the interpretation of scientific evidence. This case is no different.

Absurd Definition of “Multivitamins”

The chances that any health-conscious American would consider a combination of only 3 vitamins and minerals a “multivitamin” are slim to none. Not so for the USPSTF.

In their analysis, the USPSTF allowed studies in which only three nutrients were administered to subjects to be considered “multivitamin” trials.

Cancer and cardiovascular disease are extremely complex conditions that involve perturbations of multiple biological processes. We at Life Extension don’t expect a few nutrients in isolation to sufficiently modulate the underlying causes of cancer or cardiovascular disease enough to render robust risk reduction in a clinical trial.

Combatting age-related diseases like these requires a multifactorial approach. For example, Life Extension has identified at least 17 independent variables that contribute to heart attack risk, all of which must be addressed if risk is to be optimally mitigated. Many of these factors can be targeted by a variety of integrative interventions and natural compounds, making the list of potentially beneficial nutrients quite extensive.

Within their manuscript, the USPSTF researchers admit that “ …physiologic systems affected by vitamins and other antioxidant supplements are so complex that the effects of supplementing with only 1 or 2 components is generally ineffective…” Accordingly, they also noted that “…the best support for benefit of supplementation came from 2 multivitamin trials that used physiologic doses of a wider variety of agents.”

In further conceding the limitations of their analysis, the USPSTF researchers noted “Future studies of multivitamin supplements should … use a multivitamin that is reasonably similar to the popular brands in the current market …”This is sound advice, but bodes poorly for the durability of their current conclusions, which were based in part upon the imprudent foundation of three-nutrient combinations constituting a “multivitamin.”

Study Design Tailored to Pharmaceutical Drugs, not Nutrients

The authors of the analysis remark “This is a review of trials, a study design used primarily to evaluate drug therapy. This design might not be ideally suited to evaluating nutrients .”

By design, the type of analysis the USPSTF conducted is meant to ascertain the effectiveness of drugs, not vitamins and minerals. This approach inherently limits the scope of evidence upon which conclusions about the effects of nutrients can be based.

Assessing the effects of nutrients requires an approach that takes into consideration variables such as the multifarious actions of nutrients and the impossibility of having a true “placebo group” in a trial of vitamins or minerals due to their natural occurrence and presence in the diet, which can vary considerably even among individuals in the same study.3

Conclusions Based on Limited Data Analysis

The USPSTF’s decision to utilize methodology designed to assess the efficacy of drugs in this analysis of vitamins and minerals caused copious data to be ignored.

A quick search in PubMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s database of biomedical information, reveals the scope of data that was overlooked by USPSTF researchers. There are 154 clinical trials in which the words “multivitamin” or “multivitamins” appear in the title of the published manuscript indexed in PubMed as of the time of this writing.

Via adherence to standards for drug assessment, the USPSTF researchers determined that onlytwo trials were methodologically sufficient for inclusion in their analysis of multivitamin efficacy. Moreover, while the USPSTF analysis set out to assess the effects of 16 nutrients, including nutrient combinations and individual nutrients, their analysis encompassed only a total of 26 studies.

Dismissing vast amounts of evidence on the effects of vitamin and mineral supplements just because studies in which they were investigated don’t adhere to the methodological framework of pharmaceutical drug trials provides an overly narrow and skewed view of the body of research on these nutrients.

Worse yet, only a single trial in the USPSTF analysis of multivitamin efficacy included women, and the “multivitamin” in the trial consisted of only five ingredients. In addressing this point, the USPSTF researchers allow that “...it could be argued that there are no data on a ‘true’ multivitamin in women [included in this analysis].”

Not surprisingly, however, this hasn’t stopped mainstream media from espousing generalized headlines discouraging the use of multivitamins for everyone based upon the USPSTF’s findings.

Insufficient Trial Duration

Cardiovascular disease and cancer are the result of decades of accumulated damage caused by a vast array of health insults. Intervening in these processes to delay or prevent the overt onset of these diseases is a primary goal of preventive medicine and especially dietary supplementation.

By this virtue, it is capricious to expect that relatively short-term multivitamin supplementation will dramatically impact the emergence of age-related disease like cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Most multivitamin trials included in the USPSTF analysis were of relatively short duration, which makes it unlikely that robust risk reduction would be evident. Nevertheless, two included trials, the Physicians' Health Study II (PHS-II) and the SU.VI.MAX trial, were of moderate duration (11.2 and 7.5 years, respectively) and revealed evidence of a reduction in cancer risk among men taking multivitamins.4,5

Evidence of some risk reduction in these trials suggests that a more plausible conclusion to be drawn from the USPSTF analysis is that longer-term trials are needed to ascertain the scope of benefits of multivitamin supplementation.

Despite concluding that there’s no evidence that multivitamins reduce cancer or cardiovascular disease risk, the USPSTF researchers do acknowledge that “Most of the included vitamin trials provided less than a decade of follow-up, and vitamin effects on [cardiovascular disease] and cancer may take longer to manifest.”

Flawed Data Included in Analysis

The USPSTF included in their analysis at least one trial known to be fundamentally flawed. This likely considerably influenced their conclusions.

The analysis included the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) which examined the effects of L-selenomethionine and all-racemic alpha-tocopherol acetate, alone or in combination, on the risk of prostate cancer and other health outcomes in relatively healthy men.6

Life Extension predicted in 2008 that SELECT would fail, and furthermore, that this flawed trial would be misused by the pharmaceutical monopoly and the mainstream medical establishment to “prove” to the lay public that low-cost, efficacious nutrients like vitamin E and selenium do not reduce prostate cancer risk,7 and by extrapolation, to impugn other low-cost, efficacious nutrients like vitamin D, fish oil, and soy as having no benefit.

In SELECT, men supplemented with all-racemic alpha-tocopherol experienced significant gamma-tocopherol depletion. A careful review of the full-text SELECT manuscript reveals gamma-tocopherol depletion among those men supplemented with all-racemic alpha-tocopherol. Men supplemented with all-racemic alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopherol plus selenium experienced a 45% and 48% depletion in gamma-tocopherol levels, respectively, by 6 months that was sustained during the course of this 5-year trial.

As far back as March, 2001, in the article “Avoiding Prostate Cancer,” Life Extension identified the importance of gamma-tocopherol supplementation in dramatically lowering the risk of developing prostate cancer8 — in fact, a study of 10,456 men showed that men who had the highest blood levels of gamma-tocopherol were five times less likely to get prostate cancer.9

For Life Extension’s full response to this study, click here.

Report Downplays the Researched Benefits of Vitamins and Minerals

Despite conclusions drawn by the USPSTF, several trials included in their analysis showed protection against cancer and cardiovascular disease.

For example, the Physicians' Health Study II (PHS-II) found that multivitamin supplementation was associated with a 8% reduction in overall cancer incidence and a 12% reduction in cancer death after 11.2 years of follow up.

In addition, the Supplementation in Vitamins and Mineral Antioxidants Study (SU.VI.MAX) found a31% reduction in total cancer incidence in men that supplemented with a multivitamin.

When SU.VI.MAX’s results in men were combined with the PHS-II results, the risk for all cancer incidence was reduced over 10 years of follow-up. However, the USPSTF researchers failed to present the details of this pooled analysis.

The PHS-II study also found a 39% reduction in fatal heart attack risk in those taking a multivitamin.

In addition, one trial found a 58% reduced incidence of cancer for those supplementing with vitamin D plus calcium over 4 years.

Although not statistically significant, additional benefits of vitamin and mineral supplementation were noted in the analysis as well. These type of small improvements in studies should not be overlooked since they can have a big impact on public health considering the large number of individuals taking vitamins and minerals. The review included trials showing the following:

• A reduced risk of all-cause mortality associated with multivitamin use after 12.5 years of follow up.
• When results from vitamin D trials were combined, the researchers found a reduced risk of death with vitamin D supplementation.
• A lower risk of death with vitamin D and calcium supplementation.
• Lower overall cancer rate for calcium supplement users as compared to placebo in 2 trials. One trial found a 45% reduction in overall cancer risk for those supplementing with calcium.

In addition, several trials not included in the USPSTF analysis have shown considerable benefits associated with supplementation. A small sample of the vast number of robust studies that support vitamin and mineral supplementation is provided below.

A 2013 study that enrolled 88,045 postmenopausal women reported that vitamin B6 and riboflavin intake from diet and supplements reduces the risk of colorectal cancer in postmenopausal women,10 and a 2007 study that enrolled 81,184 subjects found that low vitamin B6 intake is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer.11

Another 2013 study that examined 77,446 men and women aged 50 to 76 found an inverse relationship between dietary selenium and the risk of pancreatic cancer.12

In 2012, European researchers published results of a large study on 23,943 subjects who took antioxidant vitamin supplements over an average of 11 years. Individuals who used antioxidant multivitamins were 48% less likely to die from cancer and 42% less likely to die due to any cause compared to antioxidant vitamin nonusers.13

USPSTF Analysis Reinforces Safety of Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation

In addition to attempting to evaluate the efficacy of vitamins and minerals, the USPSTF researchers also examined the safety of these nutrients.

The researchers reaffirm the overall safety for multivitamins noting, “We found little consistent evidence of harm across studies,” and “ no consistent pattern of harm from nutritional dosages of multivitamins.”

The analysis also discredited concerns raised by some researchers about calcium and cardiovascular disease.

“Recently, several investigators have posited that calcium intake or supplementation have harmful effects on CVD outcomes (75– 80). Much of this speculation, however, derives from 2 meta-analyses that used different sets of trials (75, 76) and were heavily influenced by data from a reanalysis of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) trial (77). The WHI reanalysis identified harms only in the subgroup of women not taking calcium or vitamin D at baseline. Such post hoc subgroup analyses, however, can be misleading (81). Indeed, the WHI investigators found no evidence of harm for CVD or cancer in their own reanalysis of their trial results, even when results were stratified by baseline supplement use and the results of their large observational study were added (78).”

The authors then conclude, “…available studies are insufficiently consistent to permit the conclusion that calcium supplementation is harmful…”

Based upon an analysis of this study and the existing research, Life Extension continues to recommend members supplement with a high quality multivitamin containing physiologic doses of a broad array of vitamins, minerals, and vegetable fruit complexes for optimal health.

References

1. Fortmann SP, Burda BU, Senger CA, Lin JS, Whitlock EP. Vitamin and Mineral Supplements in the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer: An Updated Systematic Evidence Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Annals of Internal Medicine.Nov 12 2013. [Epub ahead of print]
2. Fine L. Politix. Do You Take Vitamin Pills? This Is Why You Should Stop. 11/12/2013. Available at: http://politix.topix.com/news/8897-do-you-take-vitamin-pills-this-is-why-you-should-stop. Accessed 11/12/2013. 2013.
3. Blumberg J, Heaney RP, Huncharek M, et al. Evidence-based criteria in the nutritional context. Nutrition reviews. Aug 2010;68(8):478-484.
4. Sesso HD, Christen WG, Bubes V, et al. Multivitamins in the prevention of cardiovascular disease in men: the Physicians' Health Study II randomized controlled trial. JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association. Nov 7 2012;308(17):1751-1760.
5. Hercberg S, Galan P, Preziosi P, et al. The SU.VI.MAX Study: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of the health effects of antioxidant vitamins and minerals. Archives of internal medicine. Nov 22 2004;164(21):2335-2342.
6. Klein EA, Thompson IM, Jr., Tangen CM, et al. Vitamin E and the risk of prostate cancer: the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT). JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association. Oct 12 2011;306(14):1549-1556.
7. Available at http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2008/jan2008_awsi_01.htm Accessed November 13, 2013.
8. Available at http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2001/mar2001_awsi.html Accessed November 13, 2013.
9. Helzlsouer KJ, Huang HY, Alberg AJ, et al. Association between alpha-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, selenium, and subsequent prostate cancer. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Dec 20 2000;92(24):2018-2023.
10. Zschabitz S, Cheng TY, Neuhouser ML, et al. B vitamin intakes and incidence of colorectal cancer: results from the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study cohort. The American journal of clinical nutrition. Feb 2013;97(2):332-343.
11. Ishihara J, Otani T, Inoue M, Iwasaki M, Sasazuki S, Tsugane S. Low intake of vitamin B-6 is associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer in Japanese men. The Journal of nutrition. Jul 2007;137(7):1808-1814.
12. Han X, Li J, Brasky TM, et al. Antioxidant intake and pancreatic cancer risk: the Vitamins and Lifestyle (VITAL) Study. Cancer. Apr 1 2013;119(7):1314-1320.
13. Li K, Kaaks R, Linseisen J, Rohrmann S. Vitamin/mineral supplementation and cancer, cardiovascular, and all-cause mortality in a German prospective cohort (EPIC-Heidelberg).European journal of nutrition. Jun 2012;51(4):407-413.

http://www.lef.org/featured-articles/Federally-Funded-Analysis-Attempts-to-Undermine-Vitamin-and-Mineral-Supplements.htm

Healthwise

Cucumbers....Uses of

This from an email received this morning.
Also previously posted on 13 August 2011.

WOW!

WHAT A LITTLE GEM THE CUCUMBER IS. 

I WILL LOOK AT IT DIFFERENTLY FROM NOW ON!

 

 

1. Cucumbers have most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron , Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.
 

5 Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6.. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don 't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don 't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don 't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

The healthy goodness of oats

Posted on 3 June 2008 - 08:14am

Oats were once weeds that grew among other crops and served as horse fodder until they were recognised for having more soluble fibre than any other grain. The discovery of the humble grain’s ability to lower cholesterol levels elevated the status of oats from cattle feed to a super grain worthy of human consumption.

 

Oats are the main ingredient in cereals like muesli and granola. They are either consumed raw in the form of a healthy breakfast of rolled oats or oatmeal, or ground into fine oat flour to be transformed into freshly baked oatmeal cookies, oat cakes and oat bread.

Whole grain goodness

Grains are good for you, but many of today’s products contain refined grains that have been stripped of their nutrients. Refined grains retain only the endosperm, the part which is rich in carbohydrates, proteins and small amounts of B vitamins, but lack the fibre, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants found in the germ and bran of whole grains.

 

Oats contain all the goodness of whole grains. Eating the entire grain – the bran, endosperm and germ – gives you the benefit of all three parts.

Full of fibre

Nutrient-rich oats have four times more dietary fibre than refined grains. Found in the indigestible part of fruit, vegetables and whole grains, dietary fibre helps to move food through the digestive tract to assist the elimination of waste. While some foods have only soluble fibre (beta glucan) and others, insoluble fibre, oats have a combination of both.

 

Soluble fibre dissolves in water as it passes through the digestive tract, forming a thick, viscous gel. It feeds the intestinal bacteria which ferments the fibre to produce chemicals called short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that help lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

 

Insoluble fibre absorbs water to soften stool and shorten the transit time through the intestinal tract. Although insoluble fibre doesn’t have any effect on cholesterol levels, it keeps intestinal toxins under check and decreases the risk of colon and breast cancer. Insoluble fibre also prevents disease-causing bacteria and parasites from attaching themselves to the intestinal wall.

 

A diet high in fibre helps to regulate bowel movement, prevent constipation, reduce cholesterol levels and the risk of colon cancer, improve glucose tolerance and insulin response and prevent obesity-related diseases.

Lower cholesterol levels

High cholesterol levels increase the build up of plaques in the blood vessels. If these plaques grow too large, they can rupture and block a blood vessel, causing a heart attack, stroke or blood clots.

 

Oats contain beta glucan, a soluble form of fibre, which is essential in the fight against cholesterol. SCFAs in soluble fibre help nourish the cells of the large intestine, reduce the development of cancer and decrease the liver’s production of cholesterol which in turn, lowers ‘bad’ cholesterol in the blood. Fibre-rich oats boost the removal of cholesterol from the digestive system before they end up in the bloodstream.

Low Glycaemic Index (GI)

Oats make an ideal food for people with diabetes due to its low Glycaemic Index (GI). Glycaemic Index refers to the effect of carbohydrate on blood glucose levels. Carbohydrates with a high GI break down rapidly during digestion causing the rapid release of glucose into the bloodstream.

 

Carbohydrates with a low GI do the opposite, breaking down slowly and releasing glucose gradually into the bloodstream, posing less danger to people with diabetes.

 

The carbohydrates in oats are digested and enter the bloodstream slowly as they contain fibre which is a slow-release food. This helps to steady the absorption of sugars in the body, so you don’t suffer from sugar highs and lows.

Enhance weight loss

High in complex carbohydrates and low in fat, oats fuel your body with a constant supply of energy. They fill you up easily and keep you staying full longer so that you’ll be less likely to overeat. A good source of dietary fibre, oats help to keep your blood sugar levels steady, preventing insulin spikes that can cause craving and binges. Fibre contained in oats ensures a healthy digestive system and regular elimination which helps in weight control.

Natural anti-depressant

If you’ve been feeling a little down in the dumps or stressed lately, fill up on oats. This ordinary looking grain has been found to be ideal for warding off symptoms of depression, anxiety and nervousness. Eating oats calms and relaxes a person and is said to help people suffering from insomnia to sleep better.

Chockfull of vitamins and minerals

Oats contain a full range of vital nutrients including fibre, protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. They contain twice as much protein as brown rice, antioxidant vitamin E, vitamin B1 and B3 and important minerals like zinc, magnesium, iron and selenium.

 

Zinc is needed for wounds to heal properly and the maintenance of good vision while magnesium helps sustain normal muscle and nerve function; regulate blood sugar levels and keep bones strong.

 

Selenium is important for the proper function of the thyroid gland while iron is essential for cell growth. Lack of iron limits the delivery of oxygen to the cells which could result in fatigue, a weak immune system and poor work performance.

 

A deficiency in niacin (vitamin B3) slows the metabolism, leaving you susceptible to colds while thiamine (vitamin B1) is essential for neural function and carbohydrate metabolism. An antioxidant that helps to fight free radicals, vitamin E helps improve skin tone, moisturise skin and keeps nails looking pink, healthy and strong.

 

As oats are also rich in protein, calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron, they help to build strong bones and teeth in children.

A healthier you

Regular consumption of oats helps towards creating a healthy heart as eating whole grain products high in dietary fibre has been shown to lower the risk of high blood pressure and heart attacks. Oats are also a good source of selenium which works together with vitamin E to create antioxidant benefits that help prevent heart disease and decrease symptoms of asthma. Selenium also assists in DNA repair and is associated with the reduced risk of colon cancer.

 

Beta glucan, found in abundance in oats has been reported to have the ability to boost the immune system’s response to bacterial infection. It not only helps the ‘immune cell’ to locate and reach the infected site faster but also enhances its capacity to eliminate bacteria found at the site and encourages healing.

The goodness of oats in a biscuit

The best way to increase the amount of soluble fibre in your diet is to have a breakfast of oatmeal every morning. But if that’s hard to swallow, Jacob’s has the perfect alternative – oatmeal biscuits that are tasty and contain all the wholesome goodness of oats.

 

Jacob’s take the blandness out of oats by baking them into crunchy biscuits. Baking injects a nutty flavour into the humble grain adding crispy goodness, fibre and nutrients to this delightful snack which goes well with milk. Combined with the healthy goodness of apples and apricot, Jacob’s Oatmeal biscuits are a delicious treat.

 

And you don’t have to eat them in the morning. You can have them anytime, anywhere.

http://www.thesundaily.my/node/165764

Nine reasons to eat more sweet potatoes

Tuesday, March 01, 2011 by: Elizabeth Walling

(NaturalNews) Sweet potatoes are packed with nutrition. They are a great source of minerals such as manganese, folate, copper, and iron. The darker-colored variety is a great source of carotenes (precursor of vitamin A), vitamins C, B2, B6, E and biotin. Sweet potatoes are also a fantastic source of dietary fiber. Here are nine reasons you should be eating more sweet potatoes:

Nine Reasons Why You Should Eat Sweet Potatoes

1. Sweet potatoes are high in antioxidants, which work in the body to prevent inflammatory problems like asthma, arthritis, gout, and many more.

2. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of carbohydrates for those with blood sugar problems. These fibrous root vegetables can help regulate blood sugar levels and prevent conditions like insulin resistance.
3. Sweet potatoes are healthy for the digestive tract. Being rich in digestive fiber, especially when the skin is also consumed, it helps to relieve constipation and may prevent colon cancer.

4. Sweet potatoes are good for those who are pregnant or trying to conceive because they are high in folate, which is essential for the healthy development of fetal cell and tissue.

5. Packed with important vitamins and other nutrients, eating sweet potatoes can boost immunity by supporting the needs of the body.

6. Sweet potatoes are good for preventing heart disease. High in potassium, sweet potatoes can help prevent the onset of heart attack and stroke. Potassium also helps to maintain fluid and electrolyte balance in the body, which is important for stabilizing blood pressure and regulating heart function.

7. Sweet potatoes are good for alleviating muscle cramps. Potassium deficiencies are a leading cause of muscle cramps, as well injuries. By making sweet potatoes a regular part of your diet (along with proper exercise), you can expect an energy boost and fewer muscle cramps and injuries.

8. Sweet potatoes are good for treating stress-related symptoms. The body tends to use a lot of potassium and other important minerals when it is under stress. Sweet potatoes provide important minerals that will help maintain balance throughout the body during times of stress.

9. Sweet potatoes ranked number one in nutrition out of all vegetables by the Center for Science in the Public Interest because they are such a rich source of dietary fiber, natural sugars, complex carbohydrates, protein, carotenoids, vitamin C, iron and calcium.

Further Reading:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=64

http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits...

http://www.ayushveda.com/womens-magazine/health-benefits-of-sweet-pot...

Articles Related to This Article:

• Find Out How Potatoes Could Save Your Life

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• Sweet potato nutrition - six amazing facts you need to know

• Potatoes may help reduce blood pressure without affecting weight

• Finding Happiness the Natural Way

• Potatoes hold nutritional benefits

http://www.naturalnews.com/031543_sweet_potatoes_minerals.html

Why Most People Need Vitamin Diet Supplements?

With more and more people especially going into diet programs, there is an ever important need for these image and health conscious people to consume vitamin diet supplements. They are taking more and more on shelf space in the stores and they're also available all over the internet. There are different kinds of vitamin diet supplements.

What are the types?

#1 Vitamin dietary supplements
#2 Mineral supplements
#3 Herbal-based supplements

Vitamin diet supplements may not always be the answer we are looking for in balancing our diet and body. It's important to understand what role the different vitamins play in our overall health and to understand how much of each of the vitamins our bodies need.

If we truly need a vitamin diet supplement, it becomes something of value to our health but it can also be detrimental to our health to take too much of a good thing.

Why they need?

Vitamins diet supplements are supposed to improve your physical well being by making sure you get your recommended amounts of vitamins, or even more than what is needed.

It should be used in addition to a healthy diet, so everyone should take vitamin supplements in moderation. However, some medical conditions make it difficult for our bodies to absorb certain vitamins so a vitamin dietary supplement certainly has an important role to play when it is truly needed.

What other things to consider?

Another thing to consider: Our bodies can stand 500 times the RDA of vitamin as long as it comes from food yet that is not the case for synthetic vitamin diet supplement. We can reach toxic levels by taking too much of vitamin dietary supplement.

Also, you need to consult your doctors and to be sure you are getting enough of the vitamins that you need and to see if you might need a vitamin diet supplement.

What are the basic toxins found?

This means that whatever we don't need at any given time is stored in our bodies. Diet pills containing vitamin A is one such vitamin. In fact, Arctic explorers once went blind and then died from vitamin A toxicity. It seems polar bear liver contains toxic levels of vitamin A and while this is an important vitamin for our eyes, too much of it can cause blindness and even death. It is important to note, however, that too much of a good thing is not necessarily a good thing.

I hope this article will enlighten you where to buy vitamin supplements at great discount and thus saving you money in return.

By Eddy Kong   
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/792258

All About Vitamin Nutritional Supplements

What are Vitamin Nutritional Supplements?

Vitamins are crucial nutrients and substances of an organic nature that are vital for our health.

Vitamins serve as components of enzymes and coenzymes. Enzymes are essential for speeding up our chemical reactions that take happen within our body.

Such reactions are responsible for our metabolic processes, so because of this, consuming vitamin nutritional supplements is vitally important. If one has a vitamin deficiency, then consuming such a supplement becomes even more imperative.

So how can vitamin nutritional supplements benefit you?

Vitamins and minerals control and help with our metabolic processes, because of this, they are very important when it comes to helping us produce energy. They also help with the reproduction and health of our internal cells. If someone has a deficiency in a certain vitamin or mineral, this can actually lead to some serious health problems. This is because the nutrients often work synergistically - together with other vitamins, minerals, enzymes and coenzymes. To summarize, vitamins and minerals are vitally important for your health.

To illustrate the above, vitamin C is required for an enzyme known as proline hydroxylase to produce collagen. When there is a lack of vitamin C, collagen synthesis becomes affected dramatically.

Collagen synthesis is crucial in helping with wounds and it also helps keep our skin healthy, elastic, resilient, and youthful.

The best multivitamin what we use is a product known as Total Balance because the supplement works in a way which is not only beneficial to your health, but can actually prevent further health problems by helping aid in building a stronger more effective immune system. This vitamin nutritional supplement has a vast array of vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, and important speciality nutrients that all work together to give the best possible health benefits.

It is known that it is true that someone could get all of the vitamins and minerals they need from food alone, it is now a difficult task due to the rapid decline in todays farming methods, which have seriously eroded the nutrient content of fruits and vegetables over the last several decades.

Unfortunately, it is now at the point where it has reached such a level that unless one is obtaning a "perfect" diet, it is vital in our oppionion to consume quality vitamin nutritional supplements.

To be honest, many comprehensive studies done by the U.S. and the UK government have concluded that nutrient deficiencies exist in well more than half of the people in these countires.

Precautions and Tips on Choosing Vitamin Nutritional Supplements

It is vitally important that consumers of health supplements are very careful in choosing a top quality supplement manufacturer. The reasons for this are as follows:

1. There is a vast difference in quality and therapeutic effects between supplement companies. Many companies use much cheaper synthetic vitamins, while some manufacturers much more expensive natural ingredients. Even among the natural ingredients within supplements, wide variations in potency still sadly exist.

2. Because vitamins and minerals work synergistically together, it is very important that your supplement is produced by scientists with top notch credentials. Many supplements on the health market today are simply "thrown together" and because of this, many ingredients end up canceling each other out. This is no good to ones health and can eventually lead to more stress on ones internal systems, which cold actually impair your health.

On top of this, vitamin nutritional supplements that are not formulated by a top notch scientist generally have a much poorer bioavailability, which leaves many ingredients not being used, and therefore, many nutrients will simply pass through ones system through the urine.

3. . Ensure their products are produced at pharmaceutical standard GMP registered facilities. Such places comply with the most exacting regulatory standards. Most supplement companies are self-policing, which means they have little incentive to produce their products true to label. This is a known problem in the industry and consumers should be made aware of this problem before they buy health supplements.

4. Make a Call or even email the company and ask if they have a certificate of analysis on file, this will confirm the potency of the supplements you are purchasing. Avoid so called health companies that do not respond or waver with lame responses. You want direct responses with proof.


By John Gibb   

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/386247

Asparagus: Cancer Cure?

According to the National Cancer Institute, asparagus is the highest tested food containing glutathione, one of the body's most potent cancer fighters.






Asparagus Facts

Additionally, asparagus is high in rutin, which is valuable in strengthening the blood vessels and is great for the heart.

Asparagus is packed with nutrients and easy to prepare ahead for a crowd.

One serving of asparagus is low in calories, very low in sodium and is a great source of potassium.
Asparagus is an excellent source of folic acid and is a fairly significant source of Vitamin C, Thiamin, and Vitamin B6.

It contains no fat or cholesterol of dietary significance.

Besides it a great excuse to eat Asparagus - I will just add mine to salads - pureeing it sounds a little gross :)

Here is a healthy recipe to get you started :

Sesame Ginger Asparagus Salad

2 lb. fresh asparagus cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces.
5 tsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. honey
2 tsp. sesame seed oil (I prefer toasted sesame oil)
2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
1/2 tsp. ginger powder or freshly grated ginger
1 tbsp. minced garlic

Cover asparagus in salted boiling water (1 tablespoon sea salt). Cook until tender. Rinse immediately in cold water to stop cooking process and pat dry. Mix other ingredients in small mixing bowl and pour over asparagus. Can serve hot or chilled.

_____________________________________________

iReport -
**************
Received an e-mail today ~

Here are the contents of the e-mail:

Several years ago, I had a man seeking asparagus for a friend who had cancer. He gave me a photocopied copy of an article, entitled, `Asparagus for cancer' printed in Cancer News Journal, December 1979.

I will share it here, just as it was shared with me: 'I am a biochemist, and have specialized in the relation of diet to health for over 50 years. Several years ago, I learned of the discovery of Richard R. Vensal, D.D.S. that asparagus might cure cancer.

Since then, I have worked with him on his project. We have accumulated a number of favorable case histories.

Here are a few examples:
Case No. 1 : A man with an almost hopeless case of Hodgkin's disease (cancer of the lymph glands) who was completely incapacitated. Within 1 year of starting the asparagus therapy, his doctors were unable to detect any signs of cancer, and he was back on a schedule of strenuous exercise.

Case No. 2 : a successful businessman 68 years old who suffered from cancer of the bladder for 16 years. After years of medical treatments, including radiation without improvement, he went on asparagus. Within 3 months, examinations revealed that his bladder tumor had disappeared and that his kidneys were normal.

Case No. 3 : a man who had lung cancer. On March 5th 1971, he was put on the operating table where they found lung cancer so widely spread that it was inoperable. The surgeon sewed him up and declared his case hopeless. On April 5th he heard about the asparagus therapy and immediately started taking it. By August, x-ray pictures revealed that all signs of the cancer had disappeared. He is back at his regular business routine.

Case No. 4 : a woman who was troubled for a number of years with skin cancer. She finally developed different skin cancers which were diagnosed by asking specialist as advanced.. Within 3 months after starting on asparagus, her skin specialist said that her skin looked fine and no more skin lesions. This woman reported that the asparagus therapy also cure her kidney disease, which started in 1949. She had over 10 operations for kidney stones, and was receiving government disability payments for an inoperable, terminal, kidney condition. She attributes the cure of this kidney trouble entirely to the asparagus.

I was not surprised at this result, as `The elements of material medica', edited in 1854 by a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania , stated that asparagus was used as a popular remedy for kidney stones. He even referred to experiments, in 1739, on the power of asparagus in dissolving stones.

We would have other case histories but the medical establishment has interfered with our obtaining some of the records. I am therefore appealing to readers to spread this good news and help us to gather a large number of case histories that will overwhelm the medical skeptics about this unbelievably simple and natural remedy.

For the treatment, asparagus should be cooked before using, and therefore canned asparagus is just as good as fresh.

I have corresponded with the two leading canners of asparagus, Giant and Stokely, and I am satisfied that these brands contain no pesticides or preservatives.

Place the cooked asparagus in a blender and liquefy to make a puree, and store in the refrigerator. Give the patient 4 full tablespoons twice daily, morning and evening.

Patients usually show some improvement in from 2-4 weeks. It can be diluted with water and used as a cold or hot drink. This suggested dosage is based on present experience, but certainly larger amounts can do no harm and may be needed in some cases.

As a biochemist I am convinced of the old saying that `what cures can prevent'. Based on this theory, my wife and I have been using asparagus puree as a beverage with our meals.

We take 2 tablespoons diluted in water to suit our taste with breakfast and with dinner. I take mine hot and my wife prefers hers cold. For years we have made it a practice to have blood surveys taken as part of our regular checkups.

The last blood survey, taken by a medical doctor who specializes in the nutritional approach to health, showed substantial improvements in all categories over the last one, and we can attribute these improvements to nothing but the asparagus drink...

As a biochemist, I have made an extensive study of all aspects of cancer, and all of the proposed cures. As a result, I am convinced that asparagus fits in better with the latest theories about cancer. Asparagus contains a good supply of protein called histones, which are believed to be active in controlling cell growth. For that reason, I believe asparagus can be said to contain a substance that I call cell growth normalizer. That accounts for its action on cancer and acting as a general body tonic.

In any event, regardless of theory, asparagus used as we suggest, is a harmless substance.

The FDA cannot prevent you from using it and it may do you much good.. It has been reported by the US National Cancer Institute, that asparagus is the highest tested food containing glutathione, which is considered one of the body's most potent anticarcinogens and antioxidants.

CNNiReport
22 February 2009