Top TEN Healthy things to eat and Why.

Apples

Apples are rich in two plant compounds called catechins, and in quercetin. All help to prevent strokes, heart disease and cancer. Quercetin has also been shown to improve the firmness of collagen, which helps the skin to keep its elasticity. Apples are also rich in the soluble fibre pectin, which helps to lower blood cholesterol. Lastly, the flesh of apples contains the mineral boron, which helps to prevent calcium loss and provides some protection against osteoporosis.

Avocados

Avocados contain an amino acid called glutathione, which strengthens your defences against heart disease and cancer. They are also rich in vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant important for good skin condition and wound healing. Avocados are also a good source of monounsaturated fat, which is linked to lower risk of heart disease.

Barley

Whole-grain barley - or "pot barley" - and other whole grains, such as rye and oats, contain phytic acid which has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancers. Barley is particularly rich in chemicals called protease inhibitors, which also have properties that combat cancer, including breast and bowel cancer. Whole grains are also high in fibre, which helps to keep the digestive and circulatory systems healthy.

Blackcurrants

Blackcurrants are one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C, at around 130mg per 100g when stewed. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant which helps keep the immune system healthy, keeps the skin in good condition and helps wounds and fractures to heal. High levels of vitamin C are linked with the lowest risk of heart disease. Blackcurrants also contain other implant compounds such as lutein (see Broccoli) and anthocyanins (see Blueberries), and the oil from their seeds has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects, relieving arthritic pain. Vitamin C from foods may offer more protection than supplements.

Blueberries

Discovered in recent tests to be the most powerful antioxidants of all, blueberries have the strongest potential to prevent the diseases of old age. It has been found that 100g a day can stimulate the growth of new brain cells and may help prevent memory loss. Blueberries are also rich in a plant chemical group called anthocyanins, which help oxygenate the skin and keep it looking young. Many other red, purple and blue berries have similar properties.

Broccoli

Broccoli is high in antioxidant carotenoids, vitamin C and indoles, which help fight lung, breast and colon cancers. It is rich in lipoic acid, a fatty acid linked with increased brain power and energy. As well as high levels of lutein and zeaxanthin, which help keep vision healthy, it's the best vegetable source of vitamin E which is linked with protection against Alzheimer's disease. It is rich in fibre, and a natural source of chromium, which helps to regulate blood sugars.

Carrots

Carrots are the best source of carotenes - compounds which have a strong antioxidant effect that is important in helping to prevent cancers. Regular carrot intake can also help protect against macular degeneration and cataracts, help minimise night blindness and reduce harmful cholesterol. Carotenes also protect the skin from sun damage and cancers. Eating carrots cooked with a little oil or fat encourages carotene absorption.

Celery

Celery is renowned for reducing blood pressure, possibly because it contains the plant chemical 3-n-butyl phthalid, as well as apigenin, one of the flavonoid plant chemicals. It is also an excellent source of potassium, a mineral that balances body fluids and can lower blood pressure in some. Celery also has anti-inflammatory properties and can help reduce pain from arthritis, as well as helping to beat fluid retention. One study found that celery is one of the vegetables most strongly linked with protection from bowel cancer.

Eggs

Fresh, organic eggs that are certified salmonella-free are an excellent food. They contain high levels of selenium which may be lacking in the diet and have cancer- and heart disease-fighting qualities. They're a good source of iodine, which can help to promote healthy thyroid activity and also contain lecithin, a substance that can help to prevent heart disease and gallstones. Eggs are rich in vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E and zinc - both lacking in many older people's diets - as well as the B group, which helps nerve health and stress, and protein. Aim to have about four eggs a week unless you have specifically been told to avoid cholesterol in your diet.

Flax seeds

Flax seeds - sometimes called linseeds - are tiny golden seeds from the flax plant. They are one of the few plant foods rich in alpha-linolenic acid which the body converts to the fatty acids EPA and DHA. These fats have a host of important anti-ageing properties - they help to prevent blood clots, stroke and heart disease, may improve brain power and lift depression, can help arthritis, improve insulin sensitivity and are vital in retaining smooth skin. Flax seeds also contain lignans - oestrogen-like plant compounds that may reduce menopausal symptoms.

Fibromyalgia Mystery Finally Solved!

Fibromyalgia Mystery Finally Solved!

Researchers Find Main Source of Pain in Blood Vessels

Added by Rebecca Savastio on June 20, 2013.
Saved under Health, Rebecca Savastio, U.S.
Tags: top

Researchers have found the main source of pain in Fibromyalgia patients, and contrary to what many believe, it does not stem from the brain. The findings mark the end of a decades-old mystery about the disease, which many doctors believed was conjured in patients’ imaginations. The mystery of Fibromyalgia has left millions of sufferers searching for hope in pain medications. Up until recently, many physicians thought that the disease was “imaginary” or psychological, but scientists have now revealed that the main source of pain stems from a most unlikely place- excess blood vessels in the hand.
The discovery may lead to new treatments and perhaps even a total cure in the future, bringing relief to as many as 5 million Americans thought to have the disease. To solve the Fibromyalgia mystery, researchers zeroed in on the skin from the hand of one patient who had a lack of the sensory nerve fibers, causing a reduced reaction to pain. They then took skin samples from the hands of Fibromyalgia patients and were surprised to find an extremely excessive amount of a particular type of nerve fiber called arteriole-venule (AV) shunts.
Up until this point scientists had thought that these fibers were only responsible for regulating blood flow, and did not play any role in pain sensation, but now they’ve discovered that there is a direct link between these nerves and the widespread body pain that Fibromyalgia sufferers feel.
The breakthrough also could solve the lingering question of why many sufferers have extremely painful hands as well as other “tender points” throughout the body, and why cold weather seems to aggravate the symptoms. In addition to feeling widespread deep tissue pain, many Fibromyalgia patients also suffer from debilitating fatigue.
Neuroscientist Dr. Frank L. Rice explained: “We previously thought that these nerve endings were only involved in regulating blood flow at a subconscious level, yet here we had evidences that the blood vessel endings could also contribute to our conscious sense of touch… and also pain,” Rice said. “This mismanaged blood flow could be the source of muscular pain and achiness, and the sense of fatigue which are thought to be due to a build-up of lactic acid and low levels of inflammation fibromyalgia patients. This, in turn, could contribute to the hyperactivity in the brain.”
Current treatments for the disease have not brought complete relief to the millions of sufferers. Therapies include narcotic pain medicines; anti-seizure drugs, anti-depressants and even simple advice such as “get more sleep and exercise regularly.” Now that the cause of Fibromyalgia has been pinpointed, patients are looking forward to an eventual cure. Other expressed frustration about how much they had suffered already:
“When are they ever going to figure out that things are never “all in your head?” said one commenter. “Whenever something doesn’t fit in their tiny little understanding, they belittle the patient and tell them they are crazy. People have suffered through this since they were invented. Prescribing SSRIs for everything is not the answer any more than a lobotomy or hysterectomy was.”
The announcement has the potential to unlock better future treatments and undoubtedly has patients all over the world rejoicing that the mystery of Fibromyalgia has finally been solved.
By: Rebecca Savastio
Source: Redorbit
Source: Womenshealth.gov