How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease

by Michael Greger

piperine

is

also a potent inhibitor of drug m...

One of the ways your liver gets rid of foreign substances is by making them water soluble so you can pee them out. This black pepper molecule, however, inhibits that process, thereb...

source of fat,

Cooked turmeric appears to offer better DNA protection, while raw turmeric may have greater anti-inflammatory effects.22 I enjoy it both ways.

Consuming turmeric with soy may offer a double benefit for osteoarthritis sufferers.23

can of pumpkin purée, a handful of frozen cranberries and pitted dates, pumpkin pie spice to taste, a quarter-inch turmeric slice (or quarter-teaspoon of powder), and unsweetened soy milk to reach your preferred consistency.

one can of pumpkin purée with about ten ounces of silken tofu (the Mori-Nu brand is convenient because it stays fresh without refrigeration), as much pumpkin pie spice as you like, and one to two dozen pitted dates (depending on how much of a sweet tooth you have). Pour into a dish and bake at 350°F until cracks appear on the surface.

brown rice dishes, lentil soup, and roasted cauliflower.

Against breast cancer, for instance, curcumin kicked butt, but turmeric kicked even more butt. The same was true against pancreatic cancer, colon cancer, multiple myeloma, myelogenous leukemia, and others—turmeric came out on top, above just its yellow pigment curcumin. These findings suggest that components other than curcumin can also contribute to anticancer activities.

curcumin-free turmeric—turmeric with the so-called active ingredient removed—may be as effective as or even more effective than turmeric with curcumin.

There are turmerones, for example, in turmeric (but processed out of curcumin supplements) that may exhibit both anticancer and anti-inflammatory

inflammatory act...

If you suffer from gallstones, turmeric may trigger pain.

it may help prevent gallstones from forming in the first place. But what if you already have a stone obstructing your bile duct? That turmeric-induced squeeze could be painful.

For everyone else, though, the effect of turmeric would be expected to reduce the risk of gallstone formation and ultimately even reduce the risk

of gallbladder cancer.34

Too much turmeric, however, may increase the risk of certain kidney stones. Turmeric is high in soluble oxalates, which can bind to calcium and develop into the most common form of kidney stone—insoluble calcium oxalate, which is responsible for about 75 percent of all cases. Those who have a tendency to form th...

than 50 mg per day. This would mean no more than a teaspoon of tu...

Turmeric, by the way, is considered safe during pregnancy, but curcumin supplements may not be.36)

there’s evidence other herbs and spices have health benefits as well. I’ve talked about the role of saffron, for example, in the treatment of Alzheimer’s (chapter 3) and depression (chapter 12). Spices don’t just make food taste better; they make food better for you.

Fenugreek appears to significantly improve muscle strength and weight-lifting power output, allowing men in training, for example, to leg press an extra eighty pounds compared to those ingesting a placebo.37 Fenugreek may also

possess “potent anticancer properties” in vitro.

I just throw in fenugreek seeds with my broccoli seeds when I’m sprouting.

There is a side effect of fenugreek seed consumption, however: It can make your armpits smell like maple syrup.39 I kid you not.

maple syrup urine disease, a serious congenital disorder. Breast-feeding infants with mothers who use fenugreek to boost their milk production may be misdiagnosed with this completely unrelated disorder.40 If you’re pregnant or breast-feeding and eating fenugreek, make ...

has maple syrup urine...

A gene called OR6A2 that enables you to smell certain chemicals like E-(2)-decenal, which is both a primary constituent of cilantro and a defensive secretion of stink bugs. So maybe cilantro does taste like bugs! Cilantro lovers may just be

genetic mutants who have an inability to smell the unpleasant compound.

About twenty sprigs of cilantro daily for two months reduced inflammation levels in arthritis sufferers and cut uric-acid levels in

half, suggesting that lots of cilantro may be useful for people suffering from gout.

Those who rubbed capsaicin in the nostril on the side of the head where the headaches occurred cut the average number of attacks in half. In fact, half the patients were apparently cured

their cluster headaches were gone completely. All in all, 80 percent responded,

comparing the efficacy of ginger for the treatment of migraine headaches to sumatriptan (Imitrex), one of the top-selling, billion-dollar drugs in the world. Just one-eighth of a teaspoon of powdered ginger worked just as well and just as fast as the drug (and costs less than a penny).

Most migraine sufferers started with moderate or severe pain, but after taking the drug or the ginger, ended up in mild pain or were entirely pain-free.

Even just one-eighth of a teaspoon of ginger powder three times a day dropped pain from an eight to a six on a scale of one to ten, and down further to a three in the second month.65 And these women hadn’t been taking ginger all month; they started the day before their periods began, suggesting that even if it doesn’t seem to help much the first month, women

should try sticking with it.

A quarter teaspoon of ginger powder three times a day was found to not only drop the severity of menstrual pain from about seven down to five but decrease the duration from ...

fifteen hours,66 significantly better than the placebo, which were capsules fil...

Researchers...

one-eighth of a teaspoon of powdered ginger head-to-h...

of ibup...

and the ginger worked just as effectively as th...

ginger can also reduce the amount of menstrual bleeding, from around a half cup per period down to a quarter cup.68 What’s more, ginger intake of one-eighth of a teaspoon twice daily started a week before your period can yield a significant drop in premenstrual mood, physical, and behavioral symptoms.69 I like sprinkling powdered ginger on sweet potatoes or using it fresh to make lemon-ginger apple chews as an antinausea remedy.

In a blender, liquefy one peeled lemon with a palm-sized “hand” of fresh gingerroot. Use the mixture to coat thin slices of four apples, and then place them in a dehydrator until they reach desired chewiness. I like them

a little moist, but you can dehydrate them further to make lemon-ginger apple chips, which store longer than the chews.

The most antioxidant-packed herb is dried Norwegian bearberry leaf. (Good luck finding that!) The most antioxidant-packed common herb is peppermint.

oregano may “act as a potent radioprotective agent.”

anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties.