citrus
Take Your Vitamin C – Everyday
Vitamin C may not be the most glamorous antioxidant on the block, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still one of the most powerful. This miraculous nutrient has been shown to:
- Help prevent the oxidative damage that leads to degenerative diseases
- Accelerate wound healing
- Play an essential role in the production of collagen (a protein that holds the body together), carnitin (which aids the body in transforming fat into energy), and catecholamines (hormones produced by the adrenal glands)
- Help the body absorb iron
- Clear the body of harmful toxins
- Restore oxidized vitamin E to its healthful form
- Help metabolize cholesterol and bile acids, which may help reduce cholesterol and gallstones
Except for three species most animals produce vitamin C internally. Humans, along with primates and guinea pigs, can only get their vitamin C from their diets. Unfortunately, the
recommended daily value for vitamin C is just 60 mg/d…far lower than vitamin C experts advise. But you can easily boost your vitamin C levels by eating a colorful diet of organically grown produce.
Follow Linus’s Lead
Despite his untarnished reputation and amazing accomplishments in the fields of chemistry and medicine, two-time Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling came under fire for his controversial claims regarding the remarkable healing nature of vitamin C…that in large doses it could essentially forestall life-threatening illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. Since his death, however, research suggests that his vitamin C claims may not be all that far-reaching.
The healing power of vitamin C lies in its ability to prevent the free radical damage that contributes to aging and disease. It acts as a reducing agent, lending an electron to free radicals intent on damaging your cells and DNA. By adding an extra electron to these damaged molecules, vitamin C neutralizes them before they can do harm.
A 10-year study conducted by Dr. James Engstrom of UCLA showed that men who supplemented with 800 mg of vitamin C daily had less heart disease and lived up to 10 years longer than men who took just 60 mg of vitamin C a day—the recommended RDA!
Another study found that among 11,200 senior citizens, those who supplemented with high potency vitamins C and E had a reduced mortality rate of 42%, while those who took a low potency multivitamin experienced no beneficial effect on mortality. Forty other studies have shown that diets replete in vitamin C may help reduce the risk of cancer.
Fill Up Your Plate
To get your daily dose of vitamin C fill your plate with colorful fruits and veggies, like…
- Broccoli
- Tomatoes
- Strawberries
- Artichokes
- Oranges
- Brussels sprouts
- Kiwi
- Papaya
- Kale
- Sweet peppers
- Cantaloupe
For further protection, experts advise supplementing with 200-800 mg of vitamin C in liposomal or buffered form such as Ester-C to help prevent gastrointestinal upset.
Citrus Fruits and Tea Can Help Lower Ovarian Cancer
New research reveals that women who consume foods containing flavonols and flavanones (two forms of dietary flavonoids) cut their risk of developing epithelial ovarian cancer. This is amazingly good news for women, because ovarian cancer is currently the 5th leading cause of cancer death among women. About 20,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year.
An Extremely Deadly Cancer
Ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest of all cancers affecting women. One of the reasons this type of cancer is so terribly dangerous is that it is nearly impossible to detect early. Only about 19% of ovarian cancer is diagnosed before the cancer has spread, after which point treatment is usually not effective.
Making matters worse is the fact that the ovaries are tiny organs located deep within the abdominal cavity. This makes it extremely difficult to pinpoint symptoms specific to the ovaries. Sadly, such symptoms are all too often mistaken for other far less serious health issues until it is simply too late.
The good news is that there are choices you or your loved ones can make to lower ovarian cancer risk. Most recently, scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) discovered that tea and citrus fruits and juices can lower ovarian cancer risk.
How Tea and Citrus Prevent Ovarian Cancer
The UEA study followed the dietary habits of 171,940 women between the ages of 25 and 55 for more than three decades. The research team found that those who consumed food and drinks high in flavonols were less likely to develop ovarian cancer.
Flavonols are found in…
- Tea
- Red wine
- Apples
- Grapes
Consumption of flavanones was also associated with lower incidence of ovarian cancer.
Flavanones are found in …
- Citrus fruits
- Citrus juices
| Two Cups A Day The consumption of just two cups of black tea every day was associated with a whopping 31% reduction in ovarian cancer risk. Black tea also slashes your risk of diabetes. A study of elderly people living in the Mediterranean islands showed that people who consumed 1-2 cups of black tea a day had a 70% lower chance of having or developing Type 2 diabetes. |
A Groundbreaking Study
The UEA study was the first large-scale study to examine how the substances in black tea and citrus fruits and juices affect the risk of ovarian cancer. The study’s authors concluded that very simple and inexpensive changes in food intake could have a drastic effect on reducing ovarian cancer risk.
HealthyDad 