A Plant-Based Diet for Health, Longevity....

Athletes Eat Plant-Based Diet for Health, Longevity and Environmental Concerns

by M.Thornley, citizen journalist

(NaturalNews) Vegan athletes are finding plant foods a source for renewed energy and achievement, and are proving, against the traditional wisdom favoring meat consumption, that a vegan diet will support competitive athletic performance. Three vegan star performers are Tony Gonzalez, a tight-end football player, Mac Danzig, a martial arts fighter and Brendan Brazier, a tri-athlete. Reasons these athletes gave for switching to a vegan diet were health and ethical issues related to meat consumption, long term health maintenance, and concern for the environment.

In an article titled "The 127 Lb Vegan," January 25, 2008, writer Reed Albergotti chronicles the odyssey of Tony Gonzalez of the Kansas City Chiefs, who switched to eating vegan after suffering a bout with Bell's palsy. Many doctors advise a vegetarian diet to combat this disorder. Gonzalez at age 31 was also concerned about shortened life span among athletes.

Prior to his brush with disease, Gonzalez had subscribed to the conventional wisdom about athletic performance. He ate steak, drank a gallon of milk a day, and loved macaroni and cheese. In ten seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, Gonzalez established himself as the best tight end in the league. When he decided to become vegan, he worried that a vegan diet would not sustain his athletic performance. Under advice from a vegan strength coach, Gonzalez learned to prepare protein drinks, select fish oils and eat breads dense with whole grains, nuts and seeds to maintain his weight and strength. In his 11th season Gonzalez made 99 catches, and a nagging foot condition cleared up. He found renewed energy and stamina.

Like Gonzalez, Mac Danzig, a martial arts fighter, had encountered problems such as vertigo and ear infections. He discontinued milk and milk products, then gave up eating mammals and then poultry and fish in 2004, and eventually became vegan. Danzig says his diet improved his recovery from workouts while retaining his competitive edge. When questioned about his motives, Danzig, who is a nature enthusiast, cites environmental concerns.

Brendan Brazier is a vegan triathlete from Vancouver, Canada, who describes himself as 80% raw. He became vegetarian in 1990, and in 1998, a strict vegan. Since information on how to become a successful vegan athlete is not widely available, Brazier used trial and error. He noted that when he consumed highly processed protein isolate powders, he experienced muscle stiffness and joint pain. When he began to eat all raw, natural, alkalizing foods his recovery time improved, and his stiffness and pain faded.

Brazier is the author of "The Thrive Diet," and is a world recognized authority on plant-based nutrition. In 2006, Brazier won the National 50km Ultramarathon Championship, setting a new record. Brazier holds an impressive record of other triumphs. He credits his vegan diet to improved sleep and endurance. Brazier is a sought-after speaker who promotes environmental awareness, an interest also shared by Gonzalez and Danzig.

Sources:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120...
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page...
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/kri...
http://sequelnaturals.com/en/vega/t...

Suzanne

The primary form of life support for all life, including man, is the green plant, which constitutes the fundamental link in many diverse food chains. Plants are nature's miraculous pharmacy. Indeed, mankind's very existence depends upon plants.

"The plant grows by receiving that which God has provided to sustain its life. it sends down its roots into the earth. It drinks in the sunshine, the dew, and the rain. It receives the life-giving properties from the air. So the Christian is to grow by co-operating with the divine agencies. Feeling our helplessness, we are to improve all the opportunities granted us to gain a fuller experience. As the plant takes root in the soil, so we are take deep root in Christ. As the plant receives the sunshine, the dew, and the rain, we are to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit...." --Ellen White, Christ's Object Lessons, p. 66, 67.

Suzanne

Levels of toxic chemicals in the body plummet after five days eating nothing but plants

by David Gutierrez, staff writer

(NaturalNews) Just five days on a vegetarian diet can significantly reduce the levels of antibiotics and toxic chemicals in the human body, researchers have found.

Scientists recruited 25 people to stay at a Buddhist temple for five days, living the same lifestyle as the monks residing there. This lifestyle included adhering to a strictly meat-free diet. The researchers did not state whether dairy products were included in the diet or not. Participants were also surveyed about their diet prior to beginning the study.

Researchers took urine samples from all participants both 48 hours before and immediately after the five-day Temple Stay. This urine was tested for antibiotics and their metabolites, as well as six chemicals produced by the body upon the breakdown of phthalates.

Phthalates are industrial chemicals used in the manufacture of pesticides and soft plastics. They have been proven to interfere with vertebrate hormonal systems, producing defects of the reproductive, nervous and other bodily systems. Because it is difficult to detect phthalates in urine, the researchers instead had to test for its metabolites.

All six phthalate metabolites were detected in every participant both before and after the study, but levels of five metabolites had significantly dropped over the course of the study. The findings suggest that food is one of several sources through which humans are exposed to phthalates. Nonetheless, the researchers found that participants who had eaten more beef, pork and dairy prior to the study started out with higher phthalate levels than participants who had eaten less of those foods.

At the beginning of the study, levels of various antibiotics were detected in nearly all participants; by the end, levels of all drugs had dropped dramatically. The scale of the decrease suggests that food is the major source of human antibiotic exposure.

Livestock raised for both meat and dairy production are regularly treated with large doses of antibiotics in order to promote quick growth.

Sources for this story include: http://www.environmentalhealthnews.....

Suzanne

Buddhist monks also do not eat very large portions, and presumably spend a significantly larger amount of the day in meditation (compared with the average american). Have these additional circumstances been accounted for?

Bill Clinton turns to plant-based diet with almond milk smoothies; no dairy

by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor

(NaturalNews) Former U.S. President Bill Clinton in on board with the holistic health advice we've been promoting at NaturalNews, it seems. He's adopted one of our top-recommended smoothie recipes to lose weight and increase health and vitality. In a televised interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Clinton was asked, "How did you lose so much weight? What kind of diet are you on?"

Looking considerably thinner than during his days as a McDonald's hamburger-eating President, his reply was "I went on essentially a plant-based diet. I live on beans, legumes, vegetables, fruits... I drink a protein supplement every morning, no dairy, I drink almond milk mixed in with fruit, and a protein powder."

"It changed my whole metabolism," Clinton says. "And I lost 24 pounds. And I got back to basically what I weighed in high school."

Here's the rest of what he says in this short video interview, available on CNN.com at: http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/vide....weight.loss.cnn?hpt=C2

"I did it because after I had this stent put in, I realized that even though it happens quite often that after bypass surgery you lose the veins because they're thinner and weaker than arteries, the truth is that it clogged up, which means that the cholesterol was still causing buildup in my vein that was part of my bypass.

I didn't want it to happen again. So I did all this research and it says that 82% of the people since 1986 who have gone on a plant-based, no dairy, no meat of any kind -- I eat very little fish -- 82% of the people who have done that have begun to heal themselves. Their arterial blockage cleans up, the calcium deposit around their heart breaks up.

This movement has been led by Doctor Caldwell B. Esselstyn at the Cleveland, Dean Ornish out in California, the doctors Campbell, father and son who wrote The China Study, and a handful of others. But we now have 25 years of evidence. So I thought... I'll become part of this experiment. I'll see if I can become one of those who can have a self-clearing mechanism."

Dr Esselstyn is, of course, the very same doctor who has been a guest on the NaturalNews Talk Hour (http://www.naturalnews.com/027472_D...) and whose website www.HeartAttackProof.com helps people teach themselves how to reverse heart disease using a plant-based diet.

Bill Clinton has apparently made a courageous decision to pursue a plant-based diet and thereby save his own life. Notably, such a move would have been impossible during his presidency due to a strong political backlash from the dairy and meat industries who continue to push their disease-promoting foods on the population.

Kudos to Clinton for embracing a lifesaving diet that will undoubtedly help him live longer and healthier. That he took on this diet is also a powerful demonstration of how the plant-based diet is going mainstream.

I'm largely a follower of a plant-based diet, of course. But I add in lots of potent superfoods in my smoothies, including things like powdered Chinese medicine herbs (He Shou Wu), spirulina, and Boku Superfood (www.BokuSuperfood.com).

Although I don't drink cow's milk, I am currently using Jay Robb's Whey Protein (www.JayRobb.com) with great success as part of my recent physical training regimen. Over the last four months, using Jay Robb whey protein combined with 12 - 14 hours of martial arts, weights and cardio training, I've added 9 pounds of lean body mass and dropped 10 pounds of body fat while gaining strength and endurance.

As Clinton is now discovering, the foods you eat really do make a difference in your health! That's no surprise, actually, when you think about it. Too bad no sitting President has the political willpower to say such a thing while they're in power. There are simply too many vested interests in disease and pharmaceuticals to make such a move politically viable. --end of article.

Suzanne

U.S. Government Endorses a Plant-Based Diet

Every 5 years since 1980, the government has given the American public nutrition advice by updating the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The revised advice the government recently issued--[b]2010 Dietary Guidelines--puts emphasis on vegetarian and vegan foods and how they can tackle the obesity crisis.

Conclusive scientific evidence supports a low-fat, plant-based diet for optimal health. Peer-reviewed studies find that folks who avoid meat cut their tisk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease--the No. 1 cause of death in the Western World. Researchers have found that low-fat, plant-based diets can even help reverse type 2 diabetes and heart disease after these diseases have already set in.

This is not new inforjmation, but the federal government has been extremely slow to accept that plant-based diets are the healthiest choice for Americans (as well as all North Americans).

The new guidelines devote 2 full pages to vegetarian and vegan diets and the health benefits of following these eating patterns. They point out that these diets provide nutritional advantages and reduce obesity, heart disease ahd overall mortality.

Previous advisory panels have noted the value of vegetarian diets, but the new guidelines are the first to specificallly recommend them. The new guidelines come with a sense of urgency to do all we can to fight obesity and other diet-related health problems. --Susan Levin, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Suzanne

Mainstream Science Validates Healing Properties of Plants

by S. L. Baker, features writer

(NaturalNews) Are plant-based therapies, including potential natural cures for cancer, mostly pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking promoted by "health nuts" and old hippies? Not at all -- and the evidence for the validity of the healing power of plants is coming from none other than mainstream science.

In fact, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has finally accepted the reality and importance of the therapeutic properties in plants and funded a $6 million initiative for an international team of scientists to study how plants produce a rich diversity of chemical compounds, many of which are medicinally important. The results of that research so far, which includes the genetic blueprint of medicinal plants and what beneficial properties are encoded by the genes that have been identified, are now being officially released for the first time to the public.

"Most people are familiar with the natural products we derive from plants," Joe Chappell, professor of plant biochemistry at the University of Kentucky, said in a statement to the media. "These include the delightful fragrances that go into perfumes, soaps, household cleaning products and more. Just as the sensory properties of plants interact with and trigger your sense of smell, the natural compounds of plants can target and cause a reaction within your body."

The compilation of information about the natural potentially healing compounds of plants was developed by the Medicinal Plant Consortium (MPC), headed by Dr. Chappell who worked with Dean DellaPenna, professor of biochemistry at Michigan State University, and Sarah O'Connor, professor of chemistry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and now at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, England. The MPC project also included participants from Michigan State, Iowa State University, the University of Mississippi, Purdue University, Texas A&M University, MIT, and the John Innes Centre in the UK.

Finding out exactly what medicinal plants contain
This research team brought to the project a broad spectrum of expertise from plant biology, systematics, analytical chemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and drug development from natural products. During their two-year project, the scientists collected data to help them understand just how plants make chemicals, a process called biosynthesis.

To this end, the researchers investigated the genes and chemical profiles of 14 plants known to contain compounds with biological activity which are associated with medicinal properties. For example, the foxglove plant is used to make the cardiac muscle stimulant digoxin, and the periwinkle plant is a source for the widely used chemotherapy drugs vincristine and vinblastine. In a press statement, the researchers noted that these and many other medicinal plants, including ginseng, are often found in household gardens and flower boxes. They could be vast cornucopias of compounds ripe for discovering and developing into widespread therapeutic applications.

"The current understanding of molecules and genes involved in the formation of beneficial compounds is very incomplete," said Dr. O'Connor, who is also a lecturer in chemical sciences at University of East Anglia. "However, the ability to conduct genome-wide studies of model plant species has resulted in an explosive increase in our knowledge of and capacity to understand how genes control biological processes and chemical composition."

So does this mean the scientists are advocating using medicinal plants to treat diseases? Not exactly. They appear to be primarily interested in helping Big Pharma translate the information they've come up with into more money-making drugs. "Our major goal in this project has been to capture the genetic blueprints of medicinal plants for the advancement of drug discovery and development," said Dr. Chappell, project coordinator for the MPC, adding that the research gives medicinal plants "tremendous pharmaceutical potential."

However, with the information the scientists have discovered now being placed in the public domain, it may well be a rich resource not just for Big Pharma but for physicians and other scientists seeking natural plant-based therapies for diseases.

For more information:

http://medicinalplantgenomics.msu.edu

http://metnetdb.org/mpmr_public/

http://uic.edu/pharmacy/MedPlTransc...

Suzanne

Even animals and insects recognize the healing power of medicinal plants

by Jonathan Benson, staff writer

(NaturalNews) While mainstream medicine largely continues to deny the inherent healing capacity of natural plants and herbs, the insect world is abuzz with activities that confirm the plant world to be nature's medicine cabinet. According to a new study published in the journal Ecology Letters, the Monarch butterfly routinely uses medicinal plants to help its offspring resist disease and infection.

Researchers observed that Monarch butterflies prefer to lay their egg larvae on milkweed leaves, so they decided to investigate why this is the case. They discovered that milkweed plants contain vital compounds that help the larvae to stay healthy.

"We have shown that some species of milkweed, the larva's food plants, can reduce parasite infection in monarchs," explained Jaap de Roode, an evolutionary biologist at Emory University, and author of the study. "[W]e have also found that infected female butterflies prefer to lay their eggs on plants that will make their offspring less sick."

There are many types of milkweed plants, and some contain very high levels of cardenolides. Cardenolides are toxic to predators, but safe for Monarch butterflies. So when Monarch butterflies eat milkweed rich in the chemical, or lay their larvae on it, they build up a natural resistance to invading predators. The same chemical also helps to stop parasites that can develop in the butterflies' intestines and kill them.

Mark Hunter, a chemical ecologist from the University of Michigan who collaborated with the research team on the study, believes that the findings hold promising implications for humans as well.

"When I walk around outside, I think of the plants I see as a great, green pharmacy," he said. "But what also strikes me is how little we actually know about what that pharmacy has to offer. Studying organisms engaged in self-medication gives us a clue as to what compounds might be worth investigating for their potential as human medicines."

To learn more about the human benefits of milkweed, check out the HerbReference.com milkweed page:
http://www.herbreference.com/milkweed.html

Sources for this story include:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-10/eu-sfm100810.php

Suzanne

How Eating A Plant-based Diet Can Save The World

by Luke Jones

(NaturalNews) It seems that we are heading toward an environmental crisis. Global temperatures are rising; ice caps are melting, and much of our green land is turning to desert. Resources such as water and fossil fuels are becoming scarce, whilst the demand for them increases due to growing populations and widespread industrialization.

If humans are to continue living on this earth, it is evident that we need to start changing some of our habits. A good place to begin may be with the food that we eat.

The Plant-Based Diet
Our food choices are powerful. Not only can they affect the way we think, feel and perform, but they can also have an impact on the planet we live on.

Over the last 100 years, rises in affluence have led to a marked shift in our dietary patterns. As our economic power has increased, so too has our consumption of meat and dairy products, especially in the Western world. In 2012, the people of the USA consumed around 52 billion pounds of meat, compared to 9.8 billion in 1908 [1]. Similar patterns are also being observed in less developed regions, as industrialization spreads across the globe.

Just because we have the option to consume more and more animal products does not necessarily mean that it is a good idea. A report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) highlights that current practices of agriculture and livestock production contribute on a massive scale to climate change, air pollution, land degradation, energy use, deforestation and biodiversity decline [2].

For a variety of reasons, there is a quiet movement of people reducing their meat and dairy consumption and moving toward a plant-based diet (whether it is vegan, pescetarian, lacto-ovo vegetarian or part-time vegetarian).

Not only has a plant-based way of eating been shown to reduce the risk of developing many diseases, but it could also significantly reduce the environmental impacts that we are having on the planet. So much so that a 2010 UN report urged people to make a shift toward a meat- and dairy-free diet to save the environment [3]. Let's take a look at a few reasons why.

Energy
Global temperatures are rising at an unprecedented rate, and the consensus amongst the top environmental scientists is that the burning of fossil fuels and subsequent production of greenhouse gases is the main culprit [4]. Along with transportation, industry and domestic uses, agriculture and livestock production contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.

In 2006, it was estimated that the livestock sector (including meat, dairy, eggs, draft animal power, leather, wool, fertilizers and pharmaceuticals) contributes approximately 18 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions [2].

It seems that moving toward a plant-based diet on the other hand leads to significantly less of an impact. The typical carbon footprint of a meat lover is around 3.3 tons CO2 equivalent each year, and that of the average American is around 2.5. Switching to a vegetarian diet, however, can reduce your carbon footprint down to 1.7, and if you were to take it a step further, the vegan diet carries a carbon footprint of 1.5 tons CO2 equivalent. It seems that getting rid of meat and dairy could have more of an impact on the environment than swapping your conventional car for a hybrid [5].

Even if we were to just reduce our consumption of animal products rather than cut them out completely, the planet would experience benefits. If everyone in the U.S ate no meat or cheese for just one day a week, it would be equivalent to taking around 7.6 million cars off the road [6].

Land Degradation
As well as affecting the atmosphere above, our current eating habits are also placing a large strain on the surface of the planet. As populations rise and industrialization spreads, the demand for food increases. If we were to carry on at the current rate of growth with the same dietary preferences, it is estimated that, by 2050, the need for animal products will double.

Thirty percent of our land is however already dedicated to raising livestock for food, some 17 million square miles [7]. In many places, overgrazing has led to soil erosion and desertification, reducing the fertility and depth of the soil. These areas can take many years to recover, and an increased demand for meat and dairy will only place more strain on the land [8].

Half of the plant foods that we produce are used to feed the animals that we then eat [9]. This is a very inefficient means of transferring energy, and if we are to continue to feed our growing populations, we clearly need to think about using our space in a more sustainable way.

Water
Water security is becoming an increasingly urgent issue and is exacerbated by the changing climate. Only a small percentage of the world's freshwater is currently available for human use, as the majority of it is locked in ice caps and underground aquifers. The small amount that is available is not being used sustainably.

Agriculture, particularly for meat and dairy products, currently accounts for 70 percent of the world's freshwater usage [10]. Not only does agriculture place a strain on the quantity of freshwater, but it also affects the quality. Runoff from the heavy uses of pesticides and fertilizers can often leave the surrounding groundwater polluted, affecting drinking water supplies and harming fragile ecosystems.

Moving toward a plant-based diet however, may help mitigate some of the problems. The average diet containing animal products requires around 4,000 gallons of water a day, whereas a vegan diet uses approximately 300 gallons of water a day [11]. To produce 1 kilogram of rice requires about 3,500 liters of water, whereas 1 kilogram of beef requires a staggering 15,000 liters [10].

Summary
It is quite clear that our current eating habits in the West are not sustainable, and something needs to change. We cannot carry on doing the same things and expect the environment to accommodate us.

Some believe that the plant-based movement is unrealistic, and that the majority of people will not be willing to alter their ingrained habits, but I do believe that progress is slowly being made. Meatless Monday's campaign is now running in 36 countries across the world, and a number of athletes and celebrities have recently turned toward a vegan diet.

The more people who are educated about the impact of their food choices, the larger chance we stand for a sustainable future. The question still remains, however, whether the change in eating habits can happen before it is too late. I suppose time will tell.

Sources:

1. http://www.npr.org

2. http://www.fao.org

3. http://www.theguardian.com

4. http://www.climatechange2013.org [PDF]

5. http://shrinkthatfootprint.com

6. http://www.timigustafson.com

7. http://www.kkl.org.il

8. http://www.wvu.edu

9. http://www.upworthy.com

10. http://www.un.org

11. www.vrg.org

http://science.naturalnews.com

Suzanne

Six Distinct Benefits Of Eating a Primarily Whole Foods, Plant-Based Diet

by Derek Henry

(NaturalNews) People are catching on that a whole foods diet is a superior approach to achieving optimal health. Consuming plants directly from nature in an unadulterated format just seems to be the right thing to do and the way we feel confirms it. However, if one needs more convincing, here are six distinct benefits of eating a whole foods diet.

More fiber

Most animal products, like meat, eggs, dairy and cheese, do not contain fiber, while brown rice, broccoli, oatmeal and almonds have six to 15g per serving. Fiber is the transport system of the digestive tract, moving food wastes out of the body before it has the chance to form into potentially cancer causing chemicals. These toxic chemicals can cause colon cancer or pass through the gastrointestinal membrane into the bloodstream and damage other cells.

Decreased sugar consumption

Eating a diet high in natural complex carbohydrates tends to be more filling and decreases the desire to consumed processed sugars. Lower sugar consumption also decreases overall food intake. As with fat, sugar is a hidden and unwelcome ingredient in many processed foods.

When eating primarily vegetables, a high sugar intake is automatically kept under control due to their low sugar content.

More nutrients

Plant foods are richer sources of nutrients than their animal counterparts. Compare wheat germ to round steak. Ounce for ounce, wheat germ contains twice the vitamin B2, vitamin K, potassium, iron and copper; three times the vitamin B6, molybdenum and selenium; 15 times as much magnesium; and over 20 times the vitamin B1, folate and inositol. The steak only has three nutrients in greater amounts: vitamin B12, chromium and zinc.

Plant foods also contain a higher probiotic and enzyme content, which is key to maintaining proper intestinal ecology. A thriving gut promotes proper nutrient absorption and proper disposal of waste, both of which are critical to a healthy body.

Increased variation

A greater variety of vegetables also exposes consumers to, literally, more colorful foods, like red beets, chard, yellow squash, red peppers and cabbage. The variations in color are due to various minerals, vitamins and other nutrients that perform important health promoting functions in the body.

More food satisfaction and less over-eating

Foods, such as vegetables, whole grains and beans, that are dense in nutrients and fiber require more chewing time and often result in the consumption of fewer calories. Eating whole foods makes a person more quickly satisfied, which means that the person will eat less. Eating less is associated with longevity and optimal health.

Balanced nutrients

Foods grown naturally develop with the right proportion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats intended for that particular food. They contain balanced vitamins, minerals, phyto-nutrients and enzymes.

This natural balance within the foods ensures that the body can properly utilize the nutrients provided to it in order to balance and heal each and every body cell. Foods that have been refined, processed (parts of them removed or altered) or enriched/fortified (things added) upset this natural balance in foods and will do the same to your body and your body's cells.

Transitioning from processed to whole foods can be a challenge due to habits and taste profiles that have been created over decades. However, adopting a whole foods diet and knowing which foods have the most benefits will provide a new energy that will keep one motivated to stay on the path to true health.

Sources for this article include:

Trivieri, Larry. Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide. Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts, 2002. Print.
http://www.healingthebody.ca
http://www.naturalnews.com

Suzanne

Dark green leafies and life-enhancing chlorophyll

by Dr. David Jockers

(NaturalNews) One of the most powerful life-giving substances on the planet is chlorophyll. This is the pigment that gives green foods their color. Chlorophyll is the major player in the photosynthetic process which allows plants to obtain energy from light by converting the sun's rays into chemical energy. Dark green leafy veggies are nature's greatest source of life-enhancing chlorophyll.

The chlorophyll content of a food is a major indicator of the health attributes of any given plant-based food. Chlorophyll-rich foods have a very deep green and are extraordinarily useful in building new blood cells and purifying the body from cancer and radiation. Chlorophyll also assists in wound healing, intestinal regularity, detoxification and deodorization of the body.(1, 2)

For optimal health, it is a great idea to make sure that you have some of the best chlorophyll-rich dark greens in your meal and fresh juices. This includes spinach, collard greens, kale, watercress and cereal grasses to name a few.

Spinach:

Spinach is a powerful source of chlorophyll and glycoglycerolipids that protect the digestive tract from inflammatory damage. These glycoglycerolipids are the main fatty acids that makeup the cell membranes of light-sensitive organs in chlorophyll-containing plants. They have powerful immune-boosting and anticancer effects.(3) Additionally, spinach is an important source of copper, zinc and selenium, which boost immunity.

Collards:

These fan-like greens stand out as a nutritional superstar. Their levels of magnesium and vitamins K, A and C are off the charts, and they are rich in folate, B2 and B6.(4) Collards are also rich in isothiocyanates, which are powerful sulfur compounds that protect the P53 gene. The P53 gene is considered to be the guardian of the genome and regulates a normal cell cycle. Mutated p53 gene leads to failure in the normal cell cycle and the development of cancerous formations.(5)

Kale:

Some of the hottest nutrients present in kale include the glucosinolates and methyl cysteine sulfoxides.(6, 7) These super-nutrients help activate detoxifying enzymes in the liver that play an important role in neutralizing carcinogenic substances. One such glucosinolate, sulforaphane, is formed when kale is either chopped or chewed. Sulforaphane has been shown to alter the genetic expression of the liver, allowing it to more effectively use its detoxification enzymes.(8)

Lacianto kale contains more water and a better flavor than curly kale. Curly kale is very challenging to juice and is not recommended. I stick with lacianto kale for juicing and curly kale for things like kale chips.

Watercress:

Watercress is a fast-growing, aquatic or semi-aquatic perennial and one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by humans. It has a significant amount of bioavailable B6, magnesium and folate and acts as a great digestive aid. It is also rich in chlorophyll and carotenoid antioxidants.

Cereal juices:

This would include wheatgrass, barley grass, oat grass and rye grass among others. These are the grass portions and not the grains. Therefore, they are free of gluten and are very low-carb and nutrient-dense. They are best juiced alone and without other veggies mixed in.

Cows can live an extremely healthy and long life surviving solely on these cereal grasses. Humans cannot digest the tough fibers, and the only way to really consume these is through juicing.Cereal grasses are some of the absolute richest sources of blood-cleansing chlorophyll. They also contain tons of carotenoid antioxidants as well as key methylating agents such as magnesium, B2, B6 and folate.

Sources:

1) http://www.nature.com

2) http://lpi.oregonstate.edu

3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

4) http://www.whfoods.com

5) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

6) http://www.whfoods.com

7) http://plantsciences.utk.edu[PDF]

8) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Suzanne

Plant-based Diets Improve Health, Strengthen Bones, Lower Hip Fracture Incidence

by David Gutierrez, staff writer

(NaturalNews) A diet high in plant foods could reduce the risk of hip fractures and prevent chronic diseases, according to a study conducted by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and published in the Journal of Nutrition.

The researchers focused on hip fractures, which account for the majority of all fracture-related morbidity, mortality and healthcare expenditures in adults over the age of 50. By 2050, 50 percent of all hip fractures worldwide are expected to occur in Asia, with the population of Singapore considered at an especially high risk.

Vegetables, fruit and soy better than meat and noodles

The researchers examined the lifestyle and diet of 63,257 men and women taking part in the Singapore Chinese Health Study, a long-term study of chronic disease risk factors in ethnically Chinese people living in Singapore. Other findings from the study have shown that drinking coffee lowers the risk of liver cancer and that eating Western fast food increases the risk of dying from heart disease.

For the current study, researchers looked only at participants from the Hokkien and Cantonese dialect groups. Participants enrolled in the study between 1993 and 1998 at the ages of 45 to 74 and were followed through December 2010.

The researchers identified two major eating patterns: one was rich in vegetables, fruits and soy, and the other high in red meat, processed meat and refined, starchy foods.

After adjusting for other risk factors such as age, body mass index and smoking, the researchers found that the 20 percent of participants who most closely adhered to the vegetable-based pattern were 34 percent less likely to suffer hip fractures than the 20 percent who adhered to the diet least closely.

"In our study, factors such as age, gender, body weight, level of education and smoking habit, which may be different in distribution among different ethnic groups, did not modify the effect of diet on hip fracture risk," wrote associate professor Koh Woon Puay, who led the study.

Although the study was restricted to ethnically Chinese adults, the researchers believe that the findings should apply to other ethnic groups as well. Associate professor Koh noted that studies in Europe and the United States have also shown that diets high in vegetables, fruits and whole grains increase bone strength and reduce fracture risk.

She said that the researchers plan to follow up with the study participants to better understand the effects of diet on aging.

"The mean age of surviving subjects in this cohort is now mid-70s," Koh said. "We are going to start a follow-up study of assessing their health in ageing to see how this is affected by the way they lived in their mid-life."

Vitamin K connection?

Although the Singapore study focused on overall diet quality rather than on any specific nutrient, other studies have suggested one potential reason that a diet rich in vegetables may be good for bone health: vitamin K, which is found in green, leafy vegetables.

One such study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2012, found that vitamin K is essential in allowing bones to absorb osteocalcin, a protein that protects them from fractures. Although conventional medical advice focuses on calcium for bone health, research is now showing that the role of osteocalcin may be just as important in fracture prevention.

The long-term Rotterdam Study also found that people who consumed the most vitamin K not only had improved bone health but also lower rates of arterial calcification and arterial death. This may be because vitamin K helps move calcium out of the blood and into the bones, preventing it from forming obstructions in the blood vessels.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.todayonline.com

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

Suzanne

Eating Fruits and Vegetables Early In Life lowers Heart Disease Risk By 40 Percent As We Age

by John Phillip

(NaturalNews) It is common knowledge that eating vegetables and fruits is part of a sensible diet, and yet millions of otherwise health-conscious people ignore this advice and continue to nosh on a variety of processed junk foods placing them at considerable risk to succumb to the leading killer of men and women in the US and western societies. Mortality statistics clearly show that more than half of all deaths each year are due to cardiovascular disease, a largely preventable illness that can squelch life in an instant or dramatically lower quality of life as the heart is strained to supply oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.

Researchers from the Minneapolis Heart Institute have presented the results of their research to the American College of Cardiology's 63rd Annual Scientific Session that demonstrates how women who were eating a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables as young adults were much less likely to have plaque build-up in their arteries 20 years later compared with those who consumed lower amounts of these foods. Prior studies have provided incidental evidence about the importance of eating a diet packed with fresh produce in its natural form, but this research provided documented proof by utilizing Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) scans that show the percentage of arterial blockage in the heart by measuring vascular calcification.

Micronutrients found in fresh fruits and vegetables lower inflammation and plaque buildup to slash cardiovascular risk factors

Lead study researcher Dr. Michael Miedema commented "It's an important question because lifestyle behaviors, such as a heart healthy diet, are the foundation of cardiovascular prevention and we need to know what dietary components are most important." The study included 2,508 participants from the ongoing government-sponsored Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) that analyzed diet over a 20-year period utilizing dietary food questionnaires. Research began in the mid-1980s with a group of men and women 18-30 years of age and has collected extensive data on medical, socioeconomic, psychosocial and behavioral characteristics.

The scientists found that women who reported consuming the most fruits and vegetables (eight to nine servings a day for a 2,000-calorie diet) in their 20s were 40 percent less likely to have calcified plaque in their arteries in their 40s compared with those who ate the least amount (three to four servings a day) during the same time period. In their analysis, researchers controlled for smoking, exercise, consumption of red meat, sugar-sweetened beverages and other dietary and cardiovascular risk factors that correlate with atherosclerosis.

Dr. Miedema concluded "These findings confirm the concept that plaque development is a lifelong process, and that process can be slowed down with a healthy diet at a young age... this is often when dietary habits are established, so there is value in knowing how the choices we make in early life have lifelong benefits." The researchers noted that fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and other things that are known to promote good health. The study underscores the importance of including 2.5 cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fresh fruits each day (8 to 10 servings) to slash cardiovascular risk by nearly half.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/274788.php

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140328085534.htm

www.cardiosmart.org

-Suzanne-