Health News

Great News about Olive Oil

Tests have shown that increasing olive oil intake can reduce cancer by an astonishing degree, and the indicator is you urine!

Tiny substances in your urine show how efficiently your body is protecting against everyday cell damage, the damage which causes cancer. In a study using olive oil , men who increased their intake had fewer of the damaged substances in their urine samples. The decrease was comparable to what smokers experience when they stop. Now that's some powerful oil.

Olive oil is full of healthy substances which have numerous positive effects on our bodies. Researchers think that phenolic compounds in the oil have properties which fight cancer. Furthermore, it is believed that there is something anti carcinogenic about monounsaturated fat itself!

This means that olive oil, rich in monounsaturated fat, is great for the heart and also helps deter cancer. That helps explain why, in comparison to Northern Europeans and Americans, Southern Europeans, who eat loads and loads of olive oil, have lower rates of both heart disease and cancer.

But one caution to bear in mind: The men in the study didn't add olive oil to their diets. They used it instead of the fats they used to consume. All in all about five to six teaspoons a day. Use olive oil to replace all the butters, margarines, and shortenings in your diet. Using it on top of your usual diet will only lead to weight problems and other areas of concern!

Another fact about olive oil; it’s great for your skin. So feel good and look good by increasing your olive oil intake now.

For thousands of years ginger has been used for cooking due to its unusual taste but also because of its medicinal benefits, which I shall outline below. Ginger is a root that originates from South East Asia, but is now also grown in Jamaica and other tropical countries.

It has been used by Chinese doctors for well over 2000 years as a treatment for many ailments such as: nausea, digestive problems, circulation and arthritis. Ginger is also known to have the ability to calm an upset stomach and to support the production of bile, and also promotes a healthy and efficient cardio-vascular system by reducing the stickiness of platelets which lessens circulatory problems.

Ginger oil has anti-inflammatory properties which can reduce swelling and arthritic problems. It is also used extensively in cold remedies, de-congestants and inhalers.

A study delivered at the Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research meeting in Phoenix, Arizona in October of 2003 suggests that gingerols, a natural component of ginger, may reduce the growth of cancer cells in the colon. While findings presented at the 97th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer suggest that gingerols are able to kill ovarian cancer cells.

Options for taking ginger

Fresh ginger can be grated for use in cooking. It is also freely available as a supplement in both pill and powder form which can be taken on a daily basis.

Ginger Root Tea is also a delicious and refreshing way to take ginger and it can help sooth an irritated digestive tract.

For athletes and body builders, ginger is a superb supplement to your training diet because it increases energy and promotes faster recovery.

Further Information

Further to all the benefits mentioned, it's also good to know that ginger is completely natural and doesn't conflict with any nutrients in the body and is completely safe to take in any form. It's not surprising then that ginger has been used for so many years as a homeopathic remedy throughout the world. Many modern medicines including aspirin and quinine were also developed from plants and natural resources.

One of the biggest killers of men is prostate cancer. We are always reminded to eat lots of vegetables and a high-fiber diet to help reduce the chances of prostate cancer, but the latest and most exciting breakthrough has to be Lycopene.

Lycopene is an unsaturated carotenoid that gives tomatoes, rosehip, watermelon and other fruits, their red tint or color. Lycopene is an established antioxidant which neutralizes free radicals, which are known to harm the body's cells and can lead to the onset of cancer.

Lycopene is deposited in the liver, lungs, prostate gland, colon and skin, all areas in which males have high rates of cancerous growth.

Research by numerous institutions including Harvard University has shown that it is particularly effective in reducing the onset of prostate cancer if eaten regularly. The unusual thing about Lycapene is that it releases its nutritional content more efficiently when cooked. That's great news if you enjoy tomato products such as pasteurized tomato juice, soup, sauces, puree/paste, and ketchup.

According to www.lycopene.org tomato paste has the highest concentrates of Lycapene at 42.2mg per two table spoon serving.

While no model daily dosage has been clearly established, 10-30 mg of lycopene daily is the generally recommended amount. This can easily be achieved with a good dollop of ketchup if you're in hurry or if you are a single, hard working man who doesn't have easy access to pasta sources etc.