Vitamin Benefits

The health benefits and medicinal uses of garlic have long been known. Garlic is considered by many to be the herbal wonder drug. It has a reputation of preventing everything from the common cold to typhoid. Studies have shown that garlic has a powerful antioxidant effect and it has been used extensively in herbal medicine to protect the body against the damaging effects of free radicals.

Garlic is most effective when eaten raw and a daily intake of one half to two cloves seems to be sufficient to ward off illness for most people. The body does not appear to build up resistance to garlic, so its positive health benefits continue over time. Raw garlic is used by some to treat the symptoms of acne and there is evidence that it can assist in lowering cholesterol levels. It is even effective as a natural mosquito repellent.

A stronger tasting clove of garlic indicates that it has more sulphur content and therefore more medicinal value. Some people feel that organically grown garlic tends to have a higher sulphur level and hence greater health benefit. Others prefer to take odorless garlic pills or capsules but most garlic advocates believe the processing of garlic to remove the odor also drastically lessens the health benefits.

Raw garlic is very strong, so eating too much could produce irritation the digestive tract. It also seems that a few people are allergic to garlic. Symptoms of garlic allergy include skin rash, temperature and headaches. Garlic can potentially disrupt anti-coagulants, so it’s best avoided before surgery. Garlic breath can be counteracted by chewing parsley, cardamom seeds or an apple, or by washing the mouth out with lemon juice.

Garlic is a natural antibiotic and it has strong germ killing powers. Garlic stimulates the activity of all the digestive organs and is also good for respiratory problems. Garlic assists the functioning of the liver and gall bladder and is helpful for intestinal infections and problems caused by putrefactive intestinal bacteria. Garlic lowers blood pressure and stimulates the circulatory action of the heart.

The two main medical ingredients which produce the garlic health benefits are allicin and diallyl sulphides. Garlic also contains vitamins B and C and is rich in calcium, sulphur, zinc, copper, potassium and phosphoric acid. Garlic makes a wonderful health supplement but the garlic cure is no substitute for the basics of sensible eating and appropriate exercise. Garlic should be used as part of a healthy lifestyle, not as an alternative to it. You should always consult your physician regarding a medical condition.

James Houston http://www.free-income-online.com/home-business-startup.html




By: James Houston

The health benefits of turmeric may be numerous. Research is still being conducted concerning the turmeric health benefits, although the plant has been used since ancient times as a natural medicine.

Currently, the US National Institutes of Health are conducting studies concerning the health benefits of turmeric for treating cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and liver disorders. When news of these studies was reported, supplement sales increased by 35%. We all want to feel better and reduce are risk of chronic diseases.

Some of the known turmeric health benefits concern its antibacterial activity. Many plant compounds have anti-bacterial activity. Turmeric, and the curcumin that it contains, is just one of the more active varieties.

Some of these plants act as antioxidants, which is why they may be beneficial for preventing or treating cancer. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, preventing them from turning a cell into a cancerous growth.

Many plant extracts have natural anti-inflammatory activity, which is important because chronic inflammation plays a role in cancer development and heart disease, as well as general aging. Some of your favorite food may cause chronic inflammation.

Fighting inflammation and acting as an antioxidant are two of the turmeric health benefits. If this all sounds good, there are other beneficial nutrients and plant extracts that may sound even better.

Green tea extract, for example, has been shown to reduce the risk of breast and prostate cancer, stomach cancer and throat cancer. It is believed to explain the Japanese paradox, lower than expected incidences of heart disease, despite a heavy smoking rate. Thus, it may help to prevent heart disease.

Gingko biloba extracts have been shown in numerous trials to increase the oxygen content of the brain and other bodily tissues. It promotes mental clarity, alertness and concentration, without acting as a stimulant.

You can get the health benefits of turmeric, green tea, gingko biloba and many others, if you choose a supplement that contains a variety of different ingredients, instead of just one. Most naturopaths and other practitioners feel that striving for optimal nutritional intake is one way to live a longer, disease-free life. There are some good supplements on the market that provide the minimum daily requirements of standard vitamins and minerals, as well as many plant extracts, like those mentioned in this article.

You can also get more of the turmeric health benefits by suing it as a spice for cooking. The flavor is similar to ginger. It is available in the fresh and powdered form and is the primary ingredient in curry.

Many people want the health benefits of turmeric, but don’t like the flavor. That’s why the supplement sales have increased recently, but some of the better companies have been providing the turmeric health benefits, along with others, for many years.

Look for a supplement that was developed by a doctor of naturopathic medicine for your specific age group and physical condition. Focus on eating a varied diet and try to eat more fresh, rather than processed foods. If you follow a healthy lifestyle whenever possible, then you are more likely to see the health benefits of turmeric in your own life.




By: Valerie Rosenbaum

What are the health benefits of green tea pills? They may be numerous, but consumers need to use caution when they are shopping for supplements, of any kind. Here’s why.

Plants and botanicals can be contaminated with herbicides, pesticides, lead, mercury and other harmful chemicals. Even some of the beverages on the market are known to contain benzene, a cancer-causing chemical, due to the combination of sodium benzoate, a preservative, and vitamin C.

Manufactures of foods and supplements should be required to test each raw ingredient for contaminants and test the completed batch. Before they are released to the consumer, but judging by the number of recalls that occurs every year, most of them don’t test, ahead of time.

The health benefits of green tea pills, one of which is to help prevent cancer, would be negated if the plant or the final product contained carcinogens. So, your first step is to check out the manufacturer. Find out what efforts they make to guarantee purity. They should also be testing for potency.

The antioxidant content of plants from the same species varies greatly. Antioxidants form as the plants are exposed to viruses, fungi, UV rays from the sun, insects and other environmental factors that could damage the plant. The antioxidants in green teas are called catechins.

There is no way to determine how many catechins are in a plant without testing. The manufacturer should list the amount of catechins on the bottle, not just the amount of the extract that is in each capsule.

The next thing that consumers need to remember is that “more” is not necessarily “better”. At high concentrations, the teas can actually cause oxidative stress, just the opposite of what an antioxidant is supposed to do. They can also be toxic to the liver.

To get the health benefits of green tea pills without worrying about “over-dosing”, an appropriate amount is 100mg of a purified extract, with 80% catechin content.

The smart consumer shops for value. Buying numerous single-ingredient supplements can really add up after a while and take a big chunk out of your bank account. There are some excellent multi-nutritional supplements on the market that contain all of your basic vitamins and minerals, along with herbal extracts, amino acids, digestive enzymes and other cofactors that are needed for the body to make use of all of these nutrients.

Some of the health benefits of green tea pills, other than cancer prevention, include maintaining heart and cardiovascular health, increasing the amount of fat that you burn during exercise, improving your sensitivity to insulin, which can help prevent type II diabetes. Many of these things go unnoticed. What most people realize, almost immediately, is that they feel more alert.

The information in this article should help you get the health benefits of green tea pills, without any risk. But, I believe that the best piece of advice is to shop for a supplement that contains a variety of nutrients, rather than just a single ingredient. If you have a minute to spare, please check out my website now.




By: Gordon Hall