Sudhir Ahluwalia's Blog, page 48

Plants that provide protection against cancer

Fruits and vegetables are rich in phytochemicals—these help in building body immunity. Three types of phytochemicals have been identified—carotenoids, polyphenols, and allium compounds.

Carotenoids are found in abundance in red, yellow, orange, and dark-green colored fruits and vegetables. Polyphenol-rich foods include herbs, spices, vegetables, green tea, apples, and berries. Allium-rich compounds are garlic, onions, leeks, and related vegetables. Many of these vegetables contain antioxidants such as β carotene, selenium, and vitamins C and E. These chemicals reduce the risk of cell damage.

Oxidants are the most common of the cell damage-causing molecules. Oxidants are produced during healthy cellular metabolism. These normally help modulate inflammation, kill bacteria, detoxify toxins, and maintain a good vascular (blood vessel) tone. Excess, unutilized oxidants damage cell membranes, lipids, and DNA. This damage gets repaired by antioxidants obtained from food.

We get exposed to oxidants from external sources too. Smoking, alcohol, certain drugs, deep-fried and fatty foods are other sources. We get exposed to oxidants through radiation, UV light, heat shock, and strong sunlight too. Other oxidant sources are air fresheners as well as vehicular and industrial pollutants. Oxidants interact with antioxidants, destroying these. Diet will need to have enough surplus antioxidants to counterbalance the loss from oxidants.

Free oxidants that are not neutralized by antioxidants can cause degenerative disease such as atherosclerotic heart disease, diabetes, skin ailments, arthritis, neurodegenerative disorders, cancers, etc.

Vitamins B and D and calcium found in plants and other foods have cancer-preventive properties. Plant-based phytochemical-rich foods help regulate hormones such as estrogen, slow cancer cell growth, and block inflammation.

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, related vegetables, lycopene found in tomato products, pink grapefruit, watermelon, and apricots all protect several types of cancers.

Turmeric (curcumin), red chili (capsaicin), cloves (eugenol), ginger (zerumbone), fennel (anethole), kokum (gambogic acid), fenugreek (diosgenin), black cumin (thymoquinone) contain chemicals—shown in the bracket after each herb—that prevent cancer (Aggarwal et al., 2008).

Additional reading:
Natural Solutions for CancerSimilar Posts:

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What are the health benefits of turmeric supplements?

Turmeric is the boiled and dried rhizome of the Curcuma longa plant. It finds mention in the Ebers Papyrus (c. 1500 BC) from Egypt, where, as in India, it continues to be used as a home remedy as an anti-septic and for wound healing. The spice mixed with honey is used to prepare an external ointment. In India, turmeric and clarified butter are heated, and the ointment is used to treat wounds. Turmeric enhances circulation in the affected region and aids the healing process.
Turmeric is water-soluble and contains oxalates. It thins the blood and so is contraindicated with aspirin and warfarin. It is placed in the “generally recognized as safe” category of food additives by the FDA.
The chemical composition of turmeric has been studied. The most important turmeric chemical components are a group of compounds called curcuminoids, which include curcumin (diferuloylmethane), demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin. Curcumin constitutes 3.14% (on average) of powdered turmeric and gives the spice its peppery taste.
Curcumin is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream. Black pepper substantially enhances the absorption of curcumin.
Ayurvedic physicians and nutritionists recommend mixing a pinch of turmeric in milk to be consumed at bedtime. This is said to help build immunity and is beneficial against multiple other ailments.
Curcumin, the bioactive molecule in turmeric, has been extensively studied for its anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic properties. Human clinical trials in some cases have been initiated, but the conclusive recommendation for any of its medicinal properties is yet to be obtained. It is, though, a promising molecule and has the potential of being converted into a scientifically validated medicinal molecule.

Additional reading on herbs:

Holy Herbs: Modern Connections to Ancient PlantsAsian herbs and their wondrous health-giving propertiesNatural Solutions for CancerNatural Solutions for DiabetesNatural Solutions for Obesity

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Cloves and their medicinal properties

Clove is a spice that is used both in Chinese and Indian food. It is an ingredient of Chinese five-spice powder and Indian garam masala. It also is an ingredient in the four-spice popular powder used in French cuisine.

The plant is an evergreen tree indigenous to Indonesia, its biggest producer. Other regions that produce cloves are Madagascar, Tanzania, and Sri Lanka.

It is the aromatic flower buds of the tree that is used as a spice. The flowers are grouped in terminal clusters and harvested just before they open. The buds are picked by hand when they are pink in color. The buds are dried in the sun until they turn brown. They are kept in the shade at night to protect them from moisture.

The cloves have a hard exterior but are fleshy inside. The buds’ essential oil makes for the clove’s fleshiness and is the source of both nutrition and flavor. The spice has a warm, sweet, aromatic, and slightly peppery taste.

Eugenol is the active component found in cloves. It is used globally by dentists in root canal therapy, temporary fillings, gum pain, and a mild anesthetic and antibacterial agent. The species is also used in toothpaste, mouthwashes, and chewing gum.

In traditional Chinese medicine, the spice is said to possess anti-fungal, anti-cholera, and anti-diarrheal properties. A poultice made from cloves provides relief in cases of cracked nipples and insect and scorpion bites. Clove helps relieve indigestion.

Anti-microbial clove effects were observed in experiments conducted on soft cheese and other food (Leuschner et al., 2003). The anti-fungal properties of spice essential oils that included cloves have been demonstrated in experiments conducted on bakery products (Guynot et al., 2003).

The local anesthesia property of clove essential oil has been demonstrated in experiments (Alqareer et al., 2006).

Additional reading:

Asian herbs and their wondrous  health-giving propertiesHoly Herbs: Modern Connections to Ancient Plants

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What causes diabetes?

Let us set the stage here – Fundamental facts on diabetes?

There are three main types of diabetes.

Children are mainly affected by Type 1 diabetes. The ability of the body to produce insulin is impaired. It is due to damage or destruction of the insulin-producing organ pancreas. Such patients require insulin regularly to prevent hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). Type 1 diabetes is often inherited.

Then we have gestational diabetes which, is seen during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes affects the mother and the child.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the third type and accounts for approximately 90 percent of all diabetes.

Diabetes manifests itself when insulin produced in the body cannot adequately metabolize the blood’s sugar, causing blood sugar levels to spike. Insulin plays a blood sugar regulatory role. It prevents blood sugar levels from either rising too high.

Another reason is that the blood sugar conversion process itself has become retarded. The cells of the body have become resistant to the available insulin. As a consequence, blood sugar levels rise. The medical name for such a condition is insulin resistance.

Type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle disease. Multiple risk factors like overweight or obesity, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, enhanced cholesterol levels, smoking, gene dysfunction can cause diabetes. Racial factors also have been found to strengthen risk. (Feskens et al., 1989; Choi et al., 2001; Salman. I et al., 2013; Knowler et al.,1990)

Fasting, low-calorie food, consumption of vitamins is little related to diabetes. Intermittent fasting, incidentally, is one of the recommendations to bring diabetes under control.

Additional reading references:

Natural Solutions for DiabetesNutrition Facts- a guide to good health

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An overview on probiotics food

There are food and food supplements that contain probiotic bacteria. These include dietary supplements, pharmaceutical products, medical foods, infant formula, fermented foods like fresh yogurt, fermented milk, aged cheese, kimchi, craft beer, miso, fermented vegetables, sauerkraut pickles, and sourdough bread.

According to World Health Organization, probiotics are seen to confer a health benefit to the host when taken in adequate quantities. They help maintain a healthy balance in the gut microbiota and help build the body’s immune system. (The Good Gut – Justin and Erica Sonnenburg, 2015)

Gut microbiota balance is affected by poor diet, infections, antibiotic treatments, and other external factors. To restore balance, physicians regularly prescribe supplements containing live probiotic bacteria.

Probiotics have been found to trigger the immune system and devour tumor cells (Perdigon et al., 1995; Gourbeyre et al., 2011). The protective role of probiotics indigestion is now well established. A meta-analysis of 74 studies, 84 trials, and 10351 patients showed that probiotics are beneficial adjuncts in treating and preventing gastrointestinal diseases (Ritchie et al., 2012).

Probiotics are beneficial in acute diarrhea in children caused by pathogens like Salmonella and rotavirus. Those who travel internationally do often become victim to what is popularly called the travelers’ diarrhea. Probiotics help provide relief in such cases (Hilton et al., 1997). Most studies have been conducted with probiotics in non-food form.

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Is obesity a underlying health condition?

Absolutely.

Obesity was first recognized as a disease in 1948 by the WHO. Obesity, according to the Obesity Medicine Association is not a personal choice as many people often think. It is a complex interplay of genetics, environment, and other factors. The magnitude of the condition becomes apparent when we realize that this condition impacts 236 diseases of which 13 are cancers. (Obesity Medicine Association)

The Obesity Medicine Association regards obesity as a medical disease that occurs when a person’s body accumulates and stores excessive body fat amounts. Genetic factors that include thousands of different genes contribute to 40 to 70 percent of obesity.

Some genetic mutations are known to trigger obesity directly. But as is the case in most genetic-related ailments, the possession of such genes only predisposes the individual towards the emergence of that ailment; it is not a definitive outcome of these genes.

Obesity appears as a polygenic condition. It is affected by environmental factors (mainly unbalanced dietary patterns and physical inactivity). We will have to take into account genetic factors in the fat reduction process. These are associated with a negative energy balance. (Martinez et al., 2008)

During the course of the research of my book on natural solutions to obesity, I interacted with several experts on the subject. I learned that epigenetics is a critical cause of obesity.

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What fruits should people with diabetes avoid consuming?

Foods with a low GI help in glycemic control in diabetes and lipid management. Such foods are energy-dense contain high amounts of sugars or undesirable fats that will reduce glycemic response.

Apple, cantaloupe, strawberries, and blueberries are the recommended fruits by American Diabetes Association.

Ayurveda recommends the following fruits- Eugenia jambolana (common name- java plum or black plum), Borassus flabellfer (common name – toddy palm or wine palm), Embilica officinalis (common name- Indian gooseberry), pomegranate, and Disospyrus malabarica (common name – Malabar ebony).

TCM recommends fruits like crab apple, guava, plum strawberry, and mulberry.

Bananas, sweet potatoes, raisins have a glycemic index of 56 to 69. These are medium glycemic foods. Watermelon is 70 on the glycemic index putting the fruit in the high-glycemic category. People with diabetes best avoid this fruit.

High glycemic foods cause a spike in blood sugar levels. A person with diabetes has impaired insulin availability, or their cells are insulin resistant. They are unable to metabolize the high blood sugar that becomes available after consuming high glycemic index foods.

On the other hand, bananas, apples, grapes, and oranges (raw) all are in the medium Glycemic Index category, with values being 47, 40, 43, and 48, respectively.

Additional reading:

Natural Solutions for DiabetesNatural Solutions for ObesityNutrition facts- a guide to good health

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What are the best ways to lose weight?

Diet plays a critical role in weight loss. Fats are the primary foods that most dietitians ask their clients to reduce. But these are essential for our health. The alternate is to select low-fat foods that are nutritious and less fattening at the same time.
The choice of food is often a factor of availability, price, and cultural preference.
Losing weight is best achieved when we proceed systematically. Check with your physician before consulting a weight loss dietitian.
The physician will order a series of medical assessments to evaluate medical causes for weight gain and identify the triggers leading to weight gain.
Once the physician’s assessment is completed and the physiological and genetic causes of obesity are ruled out. If there are no clinical recommendations, we move to the next stage of a weight loss process.
It entails consulting a physical therapist who will recommend an exercise schedule appropriate to your physical condition.
The next step is diet planning. This is best done in consultation with an expert. The expert will help you fix short-term and long-term goals. He will also help put a self-monitoring mechanism in place. Behavior and motivation are critical to achieving weight-loss goals and require integration into a weight loss regime. Losing weight requires comprehensive handling. Food and diet are just one part of the weight-loss equation.

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Why are people leaning more towards naturopathy for health answers?

We are beginning to understand that there are health benefits from living off nature. Industrialization and excessive energy consumption have led to an increase in harmful chemicals in food and air. The move to consumption of organic food is driven by the need to protect themselves from the harmful health effects of pollutants, insecticides, pesticides, and other harmful substances that conventional agriculture brings into our food chain. For others, it is driven by the desire to slow down the pace of climate change.

The role of herbal medicine, herbal cosmetics, and other herbal solutions is now being better understood. These contain small amounts of harmful substances and have the potential of providing complementary healing solutions. Scientific studies are helping us better understand the positive role of some plants in overall health management.

Scientific studies have shown that yoga, tai chi, and meditation have psychotherapeutic benefits. Many of these practices are being mainstreamed into cancer, cardiovascular treatments, and stress reduction. Studies on the brain and the mind show that this organ plays a central role in health and disease management. Adoption of de-stressing solutions from nature can play a meaningfully significant role in human health management.

Trends will be dictated by science, and the movement towards nature is an example of this.

Additional reading:

Holy Herbs: Modern Connections to Ancient PlantsAsian Herbs- and their amazing health-giving propertiesNatural Solutions for DiabetesNatural Solutions for CancerNatural Solutions for ObesityNutrition Facts- a guide to good health

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Nutritional benefits of legumes

Legumes come from the Fabaceae family. These, with regional variations, are popular food across the globe. The legume family of plants includes pulses, which are the dried seed of legumes.

Food and Agriculture Organization recognizes 11 primary pulse categories. These include dry beans (e.g., pinto, kidney, and navy beans); chickpeas; dry peas, cowpeas, lentils, broad or fava beans, and pigeon peas.

Legumes are split, ground into flour, dried, canned, cooked, or whole frozen. While soybean, groundnut (peanut), dry bean, and chickpeas are the world’s most-produced legumes.

Some of the more popular legumes with low-fat content include chickpeas, lentils, peas, beans of multiple types – red kidney beans, black-eyed beans, navy beans, adzuki beans, cannellini beans, butter beans, etc. These are low-fat foods and have a role in weight management and obesity control.

Soybean is a popular source of plant protein. Soybean has 16.6% protein, 9.9% carbohydrates, 9% fats, 3% sugar, and 6% fiber. Most of the fat is in the form of polyunsaturated form, with saturated fat content being put at 1.3%. Soybean has the highest protein content (around 40%); other legumes have a protein content between 20 and 30%.

All processed beans steaming results in higher retention of nutritional properties than boiling. Pressure boiling shortened processing time compared to cooking with insignificant nutritional loss. Steam processing helps develop high-quality health-promoting black bean products (Xu et al., 2008)

Dry beans reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer. (Geil et al., 1994)

Peas, among other legumes, have the least amount of fat, carbohydrate, and protein. Still, it is rich in vitamins A, C, Calcium, and Iron. Given its nutritional profile, it will be an excellent addition to a model weight loss diet.

Legumes are a cheap alternative to meat and a great source of quality, healthy protein. This makes legumes a popular food option for people across the globe.

Additional reading:

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