Relish the bounty of the season along with improved health

With the cherry season upon us, now is a great time for basking in all the pleasurable, health promoting benefits of the fruit. Here are a few examples of how cherries can enhance your well-being:

Cancer protection – Overflowing with beta carotene, vitamin C, boron and a class of powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins, cherries offer a formidable defense against cancer. As reported by Karen Ansel, M.S., R.D., in Eating Well, “… preliminary studies suggest the anthocyanin cyanidin may prevent genetic mutations that can lead to cancer and keep cancer cells from growing out of control. While tart cherries contain some anthocyanins, sweet cherries pack nearly three times as many (two-thirds are found in the skins). The riper the better: As cherries darken, they produce more antioxidants.”

Better sleep – Cherries provide one of the few naturally occurring sources of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep/wake cycles. According to a study published in the European Journal of Nutrition, “These data suggest that consumption of a tart cherry juice concentrate provides an increase in exogenous melatonin that is beneficial in improving sleep duration and quality in healthy men and women and might be of benefit in managing disturbed sleep.”

Pain relief – Research at Michigan State University discovered anthocyanins in cherries relieve pain as effectively as aspirin. Lead researcher Muralee G. Nair, Ph.D., observes, “It is as good as ibuprofen and some of the nonsteriodal anti-inflammatory drugs.” The lab results indicate consumption of 20 tart cherries can significantly reduce inflammation and discomfort.

Regulate blood pressure – Loaded with potassium, cherries are an exceptional food for easing high blood pressure. A balancing mineral, potassium helps to maintain fluid equilibrium within the body by offsetting the bloating effect of sodium. Cherries are also a good source of quercetin, an antioxidant that maintains blood vessel integrity.

Tame gout – A study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that women, aged 22 to 40, who consumed approximately 45 sweet cherries after fasting had improved urinary uric acid levels and lowered C-reactive protein. Further research demonstrated anti-inflammatory characteristics of the fruit. When rats were fed 2 ounces of cherries, joint swelling was significantly reduced. Both findings indicate cherries are an exceptional food for painful gout flare-ups.

Sources for this article include:

http://naturalmedicinejournal.com/article_content.asp?article=227

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22038497

http://www.huffingtonpost.com

http://pubs.acs.org

http://www.eatingwell.com

The post Cherries a superfood? Research confirms this well-known fruit tackles cancer, insomnia, high blood pressure and gout appeared first on Grow Real Food — Organic Gardening, Homesteading & Real Food Recipes.

Garlic

Garlic is an amazing superfood that can dramatically alter your inner ecology with its antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. Quite simply, it helps safely remove all those little critters that are destroying your digestive system.

In fact, Washington State University has confirmed that garlic is far more effective than pharmaceutical antibiotics in fighting a common bacteria known as campylobacter bacterium, which currently infects 2.4 million Americans per year.

Keeping your gut clear of these harmful bacteria will go a long ways to healing your digestive system.

Coconut kefir

Coconut kefir is somewhat of a lesser-known superfood, but is powerful nonetheless.

Coconut kefir is the simple process of using young coconut water and fermenting it to a state that leaves it teeming with billions of beneficial microorganisms. These friendly bacteria help balance your inner ecosystem, which in turn facilitates digestion, nutrient absorption, and toxin removal.

Bottom line, if you want to clean up your gut, repopulating it with beneficial bacteria is a requirement. Taking an ounce of kefir in the morning, at meals, and before bed is a great way to start.

Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is essentially fermented cabbage, which contains a vast array of nutrients and a hardy strain of probiotics, and does an exceptional job of cleaning and ‘furnishing’ your gut with beneficial bacteria so that it can heal and work efficiently again.

Add it as a side to any meal, or get creative and incorporate it into dishes where you would normally add vegetables.

Aloe vera

Aloe vera is a highly medicinal plant, and most of the benefits seem to come from the gel.

Aloe gel contains active compounds that help temper inflammation and block bacteria from infecting various areas of our body, including our digestive tract. They are also believed to help regenerate cells for faster healing times, which is vitally important in healing your gut after significant damage has occurred.

Aloe gel has also showed promise in healing gastric ulcers. According to a study in the World Journal of Gastroenterology in April 2006, when given internally, aloe gel reduced gastric inflammation and generated ulcer healing in mice.

Sangre de drago

Sangre de Drago is a latex-like red sap that comes from the Croton species of tree in the Amazon rainforests. This medicinal sap has been used for a variety of ailments, including ulcers in the stomach and intestines.

The two main phytochemicals responsible for its healing properties are an alkaloid known as Taspine (documented as anti-inflammatory, anti-tumorous, and antiviral) and a lignan known as Dimethylcedrusine, which plays a central role in sangre de drago’s wound healing capabilities.

When smeared onto a sterile plate and allowed to dry, then doused with E. coli bacteria, it was found that the bacteria promptly died in the presence of the sangre de drago.

A clean gut can create a clean bill of health

Eighty percent of our immunity, and conversely, where 80 percent of things go wrong, starts in the gut. It is perhaps the most important factor to consider when deciding to clean up your health.

Start with these five superfoods, and continue to add to your arsenal in order to keep your gut free of damaging pathogens, and full of beneficial bacteria.

My gut says go for it.

Sources for this article include:

http://news.wsu.edu

http://ajpgi.physiology.org/content/279/1/G192.full

http://www.rain-tree.com/sangre.htm#.Ucifa-BQPTQ

The post Heal the gut with these five superfoods appeared first on Grow Real Food — Organic Gardening, Homesteading & Real Food Recipes.