Category: Supplements

Healthy Immune System Improved from Cinnamon Oil

 

Cinnamon is an aromatic spice that is made from the peeled and dried bark of cinnamon trees. It has been used not only as a spice, but also as a medicine and as a trade commodity for hundreds of years.

Benefits of Cinnamon Oil

Anti-inflammatory

Cinnamon oil is well-known for its anti-inflammatory properties that can help relieve stiff muscles and joints. It is also recommended for people suffering from arthritis and can even alleviate headaches caused by colds.

Treatment for Type II Diabetes

Cinnamon has been found to decrease blood glucose concentration and enhance insulin sensitivity.

Chemopreventive drug

Cinnamon has become one of the most common herbal medicines used for inhibiting tumor growth, particularly in cervical cancer. The reports have shown that cinnamon can cause apoptosis, or cell death, of cervical cancer cells.

Improves Blood Circulation

Cinnamon contains blood thinning properties, which makes the blood circulate in the body effectively. Good blood circulation helps transport the oxygen through all parts of the body. This will result in the proper functioning of all the body systems. It will also prevent heart attacks and stroke.

Antibacterial Properties

Cinnamon oil also has antibacterial properties, as well as anti-fungal, antiviral and antiseptic properties. It is effective in treating infections outside the body and can penetrate deeper into the body as well. Cinnamon oil has also been found to destroy staph infections and germs in the gall bladder.

Different Healthy Ways to Include Cinnamon with Food

  • Add cinnamon to cereal and rice pudding.
  • Ground cinnamon is a great spice for fruit pies such as pear, peach, apple, prune, and apricot.
  • Ground cinnamon can be added to beef or lamb marinades.
  • Cinnamon tea with honey has added health benefits.
  • Boiled milk with a cinnamon stick improves sleep.
  • Make a healthier cinnamon toast without sugar – substitute honey.

Different Types of Cinnamon

Saigon Cinnamon

Saigon cinnamon or Vietnamese cinnamon has superior flavor and odor. It is used mainly in ground form. It is often found in baked goods and processed foods.

Ceylon Cinnamon

It has a subtle and mild scent and is slightly sweeter. It is often seen rolled as a cigar and is soft and crumbly to the touch. It also appears lighter in color. Ceylon cinnamon has low coumarin levels, which are linked to liver failure. So, for those who want to take cinnamon as a daily supplement, Ceylon is the perfect choice.

Cassia Cinnamon

Cassia cinnamon, also known as Chinese cinnamon, is hard, hollow and has only one layer.

Korintje Cinnamon

An intense and spicy cinnamon it is smoother than the others, which is why it is a common choice for bakeries. It is also cheaper, but has a great flavor.

Conclusion

The flavor of cinnamon oil has always been unique. Its aroma is one of the most fragrant and addictive. A daily dose of this spice has many health benefits that will help improve your immune system. So why don’t you try some now?

Does 5 HTP Really Enhance Sleeping Quality and More?

We don’t fully understand why we need sleep, but we sure know the effects on the body if we don’t get enough of it each day. Extended periods of sleep deprivation can cause some serious health issues that most insomniacs would be well aware of.

Sleep disorders are also closely linked to depression, anxiety, stress, and migraines. So it seems that cognitive issues are at least in part to blame for a chronic lack of sleep. Could you then adjust the levels of serotonin (the neurotransmitter responsible for happiness) to improve the quality of your sleep?

Turns out you can, but you don’t need serotonin for it. You need 5 HTP, a common precursor to the neurotransmitter. The chemical is a byproduct of some proteins found naturally in African plants such as Griffonia simplicifolia. It’s been used to treat everything from Parkinson’s disease to premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

5 HTP works on the central nervous system and helps it boost the chemical serotonin in the body. This can affect a number of biological factors including the appetite for sex, hunger, and body temperature.

It has been documented as having incredible effects on a person’s sleep. Researchers found that those who took the drug were likely to sleep more deeply and fall asleep quicker than subjects who were given a placebo in a study. They suggest taking  200 to 400 mg every night to improve the quality of sleep, but it could take between 5 and 10 weeks to be fully effective.

A number of herbal supplements and multivitamins claim to have 5 HTP in them and adults are recommended doses not exceeding 300mgs a day. Children, of course, are not allowed any dose.

The doses are divided and usually taken at different times in the day. Lower, more frequent doses will also have a significant effect. Pairing the dose with other substances is usually okay, unless the substance is a neurological drug used for depression or other cognitive purposes. Do speak to your doctor before you mix 5 HTP with something else.

Taking 5 HTP along with food was also considered a great way to boost appetite. Studies have shown notable differences in appetite. If taken with food, it increases hunger, but may it may reduce your appetite if taken without food. Food intake can be gradually suppressed with the use of this drug.

Other trials have shown similar effects on weight reduction, cortisol control, and sleep terrors.

Insomnia and minor sleep disorders are well noted to be age related. Sleeping aids have been used for centuries, but only recently have we been able to tap into the body’s natural biochemistry to induce deep and restful sleep in most people.

There could be no better way to rebalance serotonin in the body and fix a person’s circadian rhythm. Experts recommend it for people who suffer from chronic sleep deprivation. 5HTP is essentially a natural way to get a good night’s sleep.

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Soy Protein Found to Deplete Testosterone in Men

(NaturalNews – Ethan A. Huff) The health detriments of soy consumption are reiterated in a new study out of the University of Connecticut that highlights the importance of avoiding soy at all costs. Researchers from the school found that men who consume soy protein rather than whey protein for muscle recovery and growth experience considerable reductions in their testosterone levels, as well as marked increases in levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition (JACN), the randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study looked at how soy supplementation affects testosterone, cortisol and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels in men who engage in resistance exercises and training. They compared these effects to those brought about in men who supplement with whey.

For the research, 10 resistance-trained men in their early 20s had their hormones evaluated in conjunction with an assigned supplemental diet. The men were divided into three groups: one receiving whey protein isolate, one receiving soy protein isolate and the last receiving a maltodextrin-based placebo control. The men were not allowed to take any other supplements, and vegetarians, vegans and individuals who were consuming high-protein diets were excluded.

For two weeks, the men were told to ingest 20 grams of their assigned supplement every morning at the same time. The participants were then instructed to perform six sets of heavy resistance squats at 10 reps each, exerting 80 percent of their maximum lifting weight. At the end of the 14-day period, the researchers collected hormone profiles from each of the men and made comparisons.

They found that, compared to the men who supplemented with whey, those taking soy did not necessarily produce more estrogen. They did, however, experience decreased testosterone levels and elevated cortisol levels, a deadly combination that can leave men at risk of disease and weight gain.

Lowered testosterone levels and elevated cortisol levels are also generally attributed to the feminization phenomenon occurring in men that sometimes leads to disorders like nipple discharge, breast enlargement and hot flashes. It can also lead to inhibited thyroid function, bone loss, sleeping disorders, decreased sex function and reproductive problems.

“Our main findings demonstrate that 14 days of supplementation with soy protein does appear to partially blunt serum testosterone,” wrote the authors. “In addition, whey influences the response of cortisol following an acute bout of resistance exercise by blunting its increase during recovery.”

Men: skip the soy and stick with grass-fed whey for optimal muscle growth and hormone maintenance

In other words, soy protein is not what men who work out and train their bodies want to supplement with for muscle recovery and growth. Besides the fact that it lacks the right type of amino acid profile for muscle building, soy protein clearly exerts a demasculinization effect in multiple ways, robbing men of their manly essence and characteristics, including their strength and drive for life.

“[O]ver the past few decades, many researchers have found that phytoestrogens have adverse effects on both the production and utilization of hormones in males,” wrote Tim Boyd for The Weston A. Price Foundation, citing multiple studies looking specifically at soy protein, soy flour and other soy derivatives commonly found in the food supply.

“Testosterone might appear to be just a macho thing, but it’s a vital hormone for growth, repair, red blood cell formation, healthy sleep cycles and immune function, in addition to sex function,” he added, noting that “low levels of testosterone have also been linked to low thyroid function, another unwanted and common side effect of soy consumption. Low thyroid function leads to loss of libido in both men and women.”

Sources for this article include:
http://www.westonaprice.org
http://www.sciencedaily.com
http://www.t-nation.com
http://www.alphagalileo.org

Top Children’s Vitamin Brand Chock-full of GMOs, Aspartame and Other Deadly Ingredients

(NaturalNews – Ethan A. Huff) Do you know all the ingredients contained in the multivitamin you feed to your children? Thousands of American parents apparently do not, as one of the top selling multivitamins for children, Flintstones Vitamins, is loaded with genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), aspartame, aluminum, petroleum-derived artificial colors, and all sorts of other toxic additives that are literally poisonous to humans, and especially to children.

One would assume that because it is a “multivitamin,” and one marketed specifically to children, that it contains only nutritious ingredients in the most appropriate doses and nothing more. To the contrary, the Flintstones Vitamins brand, which is manufactured by global drug giant Bayer, contains a host of synthetic additives that are actually banned in many countries due to their toxicity not only in humans but also in the environment.

A quick look at the Flintstones Complete Chewables page, for instance, reveals a laundry list of additives that serve absolutely no nutritional purpose whatsoever. Refined sugars, sorbitol, ferrous fumarate, hydrogenated soybean oil, GM corn starch, and artificial, aluminum-based food colorings top the list of questionable additives in this particular children’s multivitamin. Also included in the mix is a host of synthetic compounds labeled as vitamins, all of which have minimal bioavailability.

“Bayer’s Flintstones vitamin brand is far from a natural product, and the consumer should be aware of the unintended, adverse health effects that may occur as a result of using it,” writes Sayer Ji on his health site GreenMedInfo.com about the issue. “It is important to hold accountable brands that refuse to label their products honestly, especially when they contain ingredients that have been produced through genetic modification.”

You can view the full ingredients list for Flintstones Complete Chewables here:
http://www.flintstonesvitamins.com

The rest of the Flintstones vitamin line is not much better. Flintstones Complete Gummies, which are labeled on the company’s site as having a “new formula,” contain many of the same toxic additives. Artificial flavors, coal tar-based artificial coloring agents, and synthetic isolated vitamin compounds are all present in this particular vitamin formula as well.

Many of the ‘vitamins’ used in Flintstones are considered hazardous substances in Europe

Interestingly, many of the ingredients promoted in Flintstones vitamins as helping children get their daily intake of nutrients are actually listed as hazardous or outright banned in places like the European Union (EU), where additive safety is taken more seriously. Cupric oxide, for instance, which is listed as a supposedly nutritional source of copper in Flintstones vitamins, is actually classified as a “hazardous substance” in the EU’s Dangerous Substance Directive.

Similarly, zinc oxide, which is often added to conventional sunscreen products, is listed as a substance that is “dangerous for the environment.” Not only is zinc oxide a poor choice for a zinc supplement as the human body can hardly recognize or use it, but the EU Dangerous Substance Directive considers the substance to be an environmental hazard – how, then, can it be considered healthy for children to ingest?

Then there is the issue of the extreme neurotoxicity of aspartame, which has no place in the human food supply, let alone in children’s multivitamins. And the same goes for artificial colors, which have been shown in scientific studies to trigger attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and various other behavioral disorders in children – why add these to vitamins in the first place?

Parents looking for an alternative to mainstream vitamins like Flintstones may want to take a look at whole food-based vitamin supplement brands like MegaFood, Garden of Life, and Pure Synergy. These brands use vitamins and nutrients derived from whole foods rather than laboratory concoctions, which means the body can assimilate them more effectively.

To learn more about the differences between whole food-based and synthetic vitamins, visit:
http://.healthkismet.com/whole-food-synthetic-vitamins

Sources for this article include:
http://www.greenmedinfo.com
http://www.naturalnews.com
http://.healthkismet.com/whole-food-synthetic-vitamins

The Health Benefits of Kale

Kale is a nutritionally packed leafy vegetable that contains incredible healing and rejuvenating properties. Kale is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, chlorophyll, amino acids, vitamins A, C, E, K, B-complex and minerals such as iron, magnesium, copper, and potassium.

Kale is an anti-cancer powerhouse and contains phytochemicals such as glucosinolates that help protect the body from breast, colon, prostate, ovarian, and bladder cancer. These glucosinolates are also known to detox the body on genetic level and have the ability to literally transform your body and health. Kale also contains an exceptionally high amount of antioxidants such as carotenoids and flavonoids which are essential for protecting the body from degenerative diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, prostatitis, osteoporosis, and neurological disorders.

Kale contains an organic sulfur which has potent antibiotic, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties that work to boost to the immune system and provide significant benefits for chronic inflammation and oxidative stress seen in conditions such as fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic sinusitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, COPD, and irritable bowel disease. Kale also contains isothiocyanates which have been shown to help protect the stomach from H. Pylori bacteria.

Kale is part of the Brassica vegetable family which is known to mildly stimulate the liver and other tissues and organs out of stagnancy. Purple kale is a mild, sweeter variety of kale that is a delicious and beautiful addition to any meal. Purple kale is excellent to add to your green juice, wraps, salad, or steamed vegetables.

Try this simple recipe for a Healthy Kale Salad:

  • 1 cucumber, cubed
  • 3 celery stalks, chopped
  • 2 large tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/2 bunch scallions, chopped
  • 1/2 bunch purple kale, finely chopped
  • 1 avocado, cubed
  • 1-2 oranges, squeezed over salad

Mix all together in a bowl, eat, and enjoy