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Ginger for Arthritis
There’s a reason some call arthritis the nation’s number one crippler.
More than 100 different diseases are collected into the category of arthritis, and the symptom that links all of them is inflammation.
That’s why a new study from Tel Aviv University is so exciting. The study’s authors identified an all-natural arthritis treatment that is just as effective as mainstream medicine’s beloved non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAID’s)—but without the dangerous side effects.
Sharpen your mincing knives, and prepare to embrace the health benefits of ginger.
The latest statistics indicate that approximately 80% of individuals over the age of 50 suffer from osteoarthritis. Nearly 7 million people in the United States alone suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic condition that inflames the entire body.
Aspirin and other NSAID’s are among the most common treatments for inflammation and pain, yet these drugs, especially NSAID’s, are notorious for their diminishing effectiveness and nasty side effects.
Conventional arthritis treatments cause 3,300 NSAID’s-related ulcer deaths annually.
In contrast, ginger is not only a remarkably safe and natural arthritis treatment, but studies also show it to be equally effective as aspirin and NSAIDs.
On his site Herbal Legacy, Dr. John R. Christopher writes: “Modern science is beginning to demonstrate that the range of diseases that the health benefits of ginger can positively affect as an anti-inflammatory is staggering.” Two clinical trials in Denmark went further and strongly suggested that ginger be included in all arthritis treatment programs.
Health Benefits of Ginger – A Healing Gift
While modern science has only just begun to embrace the health benefits of ginger, it has appeared in the annals of nearly every medical system throughout history. In ancient Ayurvedic texts, ginger is called “vishwabhesaj,” the universal medicine.
Dr. Christopher notes that traditional Chinese and Indian practitioners considered ginger “a healing gift from God.” Now, thanks to advances in technology, scientists can connect inpidual chemical constituents to specific effects.
Somewhat surprisingly, ginger contains a high amount of protein. The root is packed full of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids—notably, vitamin A and niacin. Ginger also contains special components called volatile oils.
Volatile Oils in Ginger Pack A Disease Fighting Punch
These oils are the secret behind its characteristically pungent flavor and many of its health benefits. Two of the most potent of these volatile oils are shagaols and gingerol.
Studies confirm gingerol’s ability to reduce inflammation and block pain pathways. Gingerol and shagaol are proven to neutralize stomach acid… improve circulation… regularize blood pressure… and tone the muscles of the digestive tract. Existing research demonstrates ginger’s efficacy as a treatment for a variety of health issues, such as…
- Elevated blood sugar and cholesterol levels
- Cataracts
- Some blood clotting disorders
- Radiation exposure
- Nausea (specifically, resulting from pregnancy or from chemotherapy)
- Colon cancer
- Lymphoma
- Ovarian cancer
Ginger also combats a particular aggravating kind of pain: post-workout muscle soreness. An investigation carried out at the University of Georgia showed both raw and heat-treated ginger alleviates moderate muscular pain.
Beet Juice and its Benefits
Beet Juice and Endurance
Andrew Jones, at the University of Exeter shared some interesting findings in 2011 regarding beet juice and endurance. His group performed a study of eight male cyclists, who consumed approximately two cups of beet juice, which is naturally high in nitrate. A control group consumed the same amount of currant cordial juice, which has very low levels of nitrate.
After a variety of low-intensity and high-intensity 
cycling tests, cyclists in the beet juice drinking group were able to cycle an average of 16 minutes longer. Findings also found these men had lower resting blood pressure. But, why is that?
Ultimately, the nitrate in beet juice is the cause of this improvement. The flow of nitrates help your mitochondria produce ATP, the fuel and energy needed for your muscles during exercise. This translates to increased oxygen uptake extending time-to-exhaustion, which allows endurance athletes to push longer and harder.
Beet Juice and Mouthwash
Now, this is where it gets even trickier. According to Active.com, “While it’s not totally clear how it works, the authors suspect that when dietary nitrate turns into nitric oxide in the body, it reduces the amount of oxygen required to perform exercise.” However, new studies by same group at Exeter have found that mouthwash may inhibit the transformation of dietary nitrate into nitric oxide.
Dietary nitrate is turned into nitric oxide through bacteria in the salivary gland, via secretion to the saliva. Because mouthwash is meant to remove oral bacteria, the most important step in this process is blocked. Without this first step, your body won’t benefit from the beet juice’s high nitrate concentration.
Beet Juice and Your Workout
While the data is very interesting, it is only the first step in learning more about the benefits of beet juice and how mouthwash can affect that. So, to see the benefits of beet juice on your performance, you can take necessary precautions until further studies are done.
In a similar study, released in the journal Hypertension, the effects of beet juice were seen
almost immediately, within an hour, and were strongest after two or three hours. With this in mind, you can avoid using mouthwash before a big race, allowing the nitrate process to happen.
At the end of the day, these findings are very new and have yet to be tested against other opposing studies. However, natural beet juice is beneficial for your body in a number of other ways, such as promoting blood flow and regulation blood sugar, so seeing whether this improves your personal endurance will be beneficial regardless. While you shouldn’t count on beating your PR from beet juice alone, why not give it a shot?
Fennel and it’s Benefits – Digestive Solution
In the United States, fennel was once a widely prescribed drug for treating digestive issues. But that was before drug companies’ focus on patents and profit pushed natural remedies to the wayside.
It’s time for a fennel revival, especially if you suffer from any sort of digestive ailment—cramps, heartburn, indigestion, stomachaches, bowel irregularities, bloating, gas—you name it!
Make IBS Symptoms Vanish with Volatile Oils
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a gastrointestinal disorder that affects the colon. In the United States alone, IBS afflicts between 25 and 45 million people! If you or someone you know is plagued by IBS, then fennel might ease your suffering. Replete with volatile oils, fennel helps to prevent and relieve the symptoms of IBS (along with other gastrointestinal conditions) by first revving up the production of digestive enzyme secretions so that digestion kicks into gear. It also helps regulate contractions of the intestines, thereby alleviating cramps and trapped stomach gas.
Fennel contains the following volatile oils:
- Anethole
- Fenchone
- Estragole
Together, these volatile oils lend their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antibacterial, and antimicrobial properties to fennel. Better yet, these volatile oils render fennel anti-spasmodic, which means regular consumption of the herb helps to relax the muscle lining of the digestive tract.
How Do You Take Your Fennel?
The higher the volatile oils, the more effective fennel is for digestion. For this reason, you might want to consider getting your fennel dose via a high volatile fennel tea.
If you’re more of a do-it-yourselfer, you may purchase crushed fennel seeds from your spice store—or whole fennel seeds that 
can be crushed via mortar and pestle—and then brew as a tea.
Or, you can chew on a whole fennel seed. Daily ingestion of fennel can help prevent digestive issues from flaring up, but if you’re already suffering symptoms, fennel can help solve the problem.
| Other Benefits When you add fennel to your daily diet, be on the lookout for the following health benefits (some positive side effects if ever there were any!):Detoxification—fennel is a mild diuretic and can help flush water and toxins from the body Pain relief—the anti-inflammatory properties of fennel help subdue joint pain Cold cure—fennel is a phlegm fighter, a sore throat soother, and a fever reducer Blood pressure regulator—fennel has been shown to help lower blood pressure Breath freshener—a quick fix for bad breath |
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 