Health Wonders of Bitter Leaf

Bitter leaf is a common plant in tropical Africa and it is used mostly for food and medicinal purposes. Among the numerous properties the leaves contain, it is the bitter taste that is of enormous health benefits. Many herbal and medicinal experts copiously testify to this fact.

Bitter leaf is very cheap and easy to obtain. It is easy to grow around dwellings and local gardens particularly in rural areas. It is ingested either by chewing the stem or juicing the leaf to drink. Many families use it as leafy vegetable in local soups.

Among its numerous health benefits are:

It Soothes Body Itching: Bitter leaf juice when rubbed in the itching spots and left to dry off, it soothes the itching and gives relief. 

Helps to Treat Malaria: Bitter leaf comes in very handy to treat malaria which is a very common ailment in tropical climates particularly Africa and the Caribbean. Boiling some of the leaves in a few cups of water helps to juice it. Drinking that juice about three times a day helps to provide relief from malaria.

Helps to Improve Appetite: If you lose your appetite for food, bitter leaf can help. By simply chewing the stem of bitter leaf, there is a tendency to regain your appetite within a few minutes, and you will feel like eating again.
 

Helps to Cure Measles: In many rural dwellings in tropical Africa, women turn to bitter leaf to treat their children when they are afflicted with measles. They squeeze out the juice from the leaves then make a paste of it with palm oil. This they rub on the afflicted children’s skins and left for awhile before bathing the children.

Helps to Cure Ear Inflammation: By squeezing some quantity of bitter leaf you can get out some of the bitter juice. Applying some three drops of the juice into the affected ear helps to provide relief from inflammation. For quick results, you can repeat the process four or five times a day. 

Treatment of toothache: You can boil about 15g of bitter leaf in three cups of water. Taking ½ cup of the boiled juice two or times a day helps relieve toothaches. 

Treatment of Diabetes: There is research evidence that the bitterness in bitter leaf has the ability to lower blood glucose. If you pour boiled water in fresh bitter leaves, just allow it to cool down for some minutes. Take at least one cup of the bitter juice therefrom after meals at least twice a day. It helps to lower the blood glucose of diabetics. 

Helps to treat Typhoid: Bitter leaf has been found to contain properties which help to check disease-causing bacteria in the body. That is why it can be used to treat typhoid.  You can boil about 10-15 leaves of bitter leaf in water. Allow it to be cool then filter it. You may choose to add honey to improve the taste of the boiled juice then drink a cup of it about three times a day.

Helps to Treat Diarrhea: If you boil dried bitter leaf in three cups of water then filter it, you can drink ½ cup twice a day. It helps provide relief from diarrhea.

Cancer Prevention: It has been found that bitter leaf contains properties that can stop tumor growth in the body. Regular consumption of the juice from bitter leaf helps the body to develop a strong immune system which resists tumor growth in the body.

Helps to Reduce Hypertension: Suppression of sodium with potassium in the blood helps to reduce hypertension. It is a known fact that bitter leaf contains a high amount of potassium which helps to reduce the sodium in the blood. Lowering the sodium in the blood helps reduce hypertension.

Incredible Health Benefits of Eating Broccoli

Perhaps, you already know broccoli is good for you, but recent information from the scientific community has revealed that broccoli, the tasty, tiny tree doppelganger, is even better for you than previously thought.

Scientists already knew broccoli and other Brassica vegetables could protect against cancer.

Sulforaphane, a naturally occurring organic sulfur compound within the isothiocyanate group, has caused cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in colon cancer cells and exterminated breast cancer stem cells. Some other study explained:

"Epidemiological studies suggest that intake of cruciferous vegetables including broccoli reduces the risks for the induction of certain forms of cancer.



This protective effect has been linked to the presence of glucoraphanin, a glucosinolate precursor of sulforaphane, an isothiocyanate that influences the process of carcinogenesis."

The same study referenced some of the ways this takes place, including the inhibition of tumor development, cell growth, proliferation and apoptosis.

In other studies, broccoli has played a part in lowering risk factors in lung cancer, one of the most common cancer types in the U.S., as well as prostate cancer, the most common type of cancer in U.S. men (other than skin cancer), due to its isothiocyanate content. It's important to know that you have to get these compounds through your diet.

In the newest revelation, scientists at the University of Illinois identified the "candidate" genes that influence phenolic compounds such as flavonoids in broccoli and found that eating them is strongly associated with a lower risk of several other diseases, including asthma, type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease, as well as several cancer types.
Researchers crossed two broccoli strains, analyzed their offshoots and used "quantitative trait locus analysis"5 to find the genes responsible for both the highest phenolic production and the ability to annihilate free radicals.

Significantly, the scientists reported that the more people eat these compounds, the less they tend to contract these and other diseases. According to Jack Juvik, Ph.D., a geneticist at the University of Illinois, in Phys.org:

"Phenolic compounds have good antioxidant activity, and there is increasing evidence that this antioxidant activity affects biochemical pathways affiliated with inflammation in mammals.

We need inflammation because it's a response to disease or damage, but it's also associated with initiation of a number of degenerative diseases. People whose diets consist of a certain level of these compounds will have a lesser risk of contracting these diseases."

What scientists hope to do with this new information is interesting: they plan to breed broccoli and other vegetables, such as cabbage, cauliflower and kale, and essentially infuse them with "mega-doses" of phenolic compounds. However, as Juvic noted:

"It's going to take awhile. This work is a step in that direction, but is not the final answer. We plan to take the candidate genes we identified here and use them in a breeding program to improve the health benefits of these vegetables. 

Meanwhile, we'll have to make sure yield, appearance and taste are maintained as well."

Facts Source: mercola.com
 

Health Benefits of Ginger

Dr. Mercola writes that Ginger is a good source of vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, copper, and manganese. Ginger is listed as an herbal medicine with carminative effects: a substance that promotes the release of intestinal gas. It's also an intestinal spasmolytic, which relaxes and soothes the intestinal tract. That means it can settle an upset stomach, relieve vomiting, and ease gas and diarrhea discomfort; but it's also effective in preventing nausea in the first place.



Made into hot tea, ginger releases the compounds gingerol and protease, bringing a rush of comforting warmth that actually increases cardiovascular circulation.

Numerous studies have shown the effectiveness of ginger as a pain reliever, but the way it eases nausea and vomiting has to do with its ability to stimulate the flow of saliva. This is particularly effective for morning sickness (very safe, with only a small dose required) and motion sickness (said to be even more effective than the over-the-counter drug Dramamine).

Ginger reduces side effects associated with chemotherapy, including dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and cold sweating. Studies also show ginger to be protective against osteoarthritis pain and several cancers, including ovarian, colorectal, lung, and breast cancers.

Ginger has also been shown to:
• Enhance the bronchodilation in asthmatics.
• Improve blood glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels in diabetics. It also benefits diabetics by inhibiting carbohydrate metabolism and improving insulin sensitivity.
• Relieve motion sickness, morning sickness in pregnant women and general nausea and upset stomach.
Made into hot tea, ginger releases the compounds gingerol and protease, bringing a rush of comforting warmth that actually increases cardiovascular circulation. Its potent anti-inflammatory effects make it a particularly valuable tool for all sorts of pain relief. For example, research has shown it can help:
• Reduce knee pain associated with osteoarthritis.
• Decrease muscle soreness in athletes.
• Relieve menstrual pain in women as effectively as ibuprofen.
• Reduce severity of migraine headaches as well as the migraine medication Sumatriptan, and with fewer side effects.

Facts Credit: mercola.com

How to Use Ginger at Home

Ginger is a versatile addition to soups, sauces, marinades and a number of other dishes, from baked apples to stir-fried vegetables. To get the most of its complex, flavorful nuances, add ginger at the beginning of your cooking as well as toward the end, and peel it as little as possible. You can even use ginger in baked goods and desserts! An article in Serious Eats lists no less than 19 different ginger dessert recipes.



A cup of tea, of course, is one of its hallmarks, not just for pleasant flavor, but also for its soothing, warming qualities. To make ginger tea, simply peel the ginger and steep a couple of thin slices in hot water for several minutes. A little goes a long way, so start with just a slice or two. Following are a couple of creative ways to incorporate ginger into your diet.

What Is Ginger Good For?

Prized for its medicinal and culinary properties in Asian cultures for thousands of years, ginger, also known as ginger root, is an underground rhizome. It's a little strange-looking, like a small, rounded, brown cactus. But the fragrance is pleasantly pungent, and the flavor completely unique, reminiscent of citrus with acidic notes.

Ginger is a versatile addition to soups, sauces, marinades, and a number of other dishes, from baked apples to stir-fried vegetables. A cup of tea, of course, is one of its hallmarks, not just for pleasant flavor, but soothing qualities.

Early Roman traders carried ginger from Southeast Asia to Europe, where it became a hit by the Middle Ages. It was very expensive, but even then renowned for healing capabilities. Henry VIII even suggested it as a remedy for the plague. Spanish explorers introduced it to the West Indies, South America, and Mexico, which began exporting it back to Europe in the 16th century. Today, Jamaica, India, Fiji, Indonesia, and Australia are some of the top commercial producers.

Fresh ginger root is best for both flavor and nutritive qualities, but organic powdered ginger is an excellent alternative that, if refrigerated, can last up to a year. When purchasing fresh ginger, make sure the root is firm, smooth and mold-free. Young, tender roots can be found in many Asian markets, while larger, tougher ginger roots are sold in the produce section of most supermarkets. Both keep very well frozen for up to six months.

To get the most of its complex, flavorful nuances, add ginger at the beginning of your cooking as well as toward the end, and peel it as little as possible.

Facts Credit: mercola.com