The Power of Superfoods

The Power of Super Foods

Almost every day we see articles in the popular press about Super Foods: fruits and vegetables with seemingly miraculous benefits for the people who eat them. Is there any truth to these stories? How can you take advantage of the Super Foods discoveries and glean some of the health benefits for yourself?

To answer these questions we need to understand a few things, such as: the battle between free radicals and antioxidants. What the term ORAC means. And the benefits we get from eating fresh fruits and vegetables every day.

Antioxidants vs. free radicals

Free radicals form as pollution inside your body; these damaging molecules are by-products of metabolism. Metabolism is the way your body converts the three food groups – carbohydrates, protein and fats – into energy. The more energy you produce from food, the more free radical pollution you generate. Free radicals have been linked to a wide array of health problems, ranging from heart disease and cancer to arthritis and inflammation.

Luckily, foods also contain antioxidants. Antioxidants donate molecules to balance, neutralize and quench free radicals. They are very generous that way! They will keep donating until they are completely spent.

The efficiency built into Super Foods is amazing: the carbohydrates, protein and fats create energy and the antioxidants in the same foods neutralize the waste. A healthy food will quench as many free radicals as it makes. A really good food will quench more free radicals than you make metabolizing the food. For this reason, these nutrient sources are called Super Foods. You will feel better today and healthier tomorrow if you eat these foods.

We measure the antioxidant capacity in foods on a scale called ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity). The higher the number, the more free radicals the foods will quench.

Whole foods – the good stuff!
All foods contain antioxidants, even “junk” foods. But the problem is that junk foods don’t contain enough antioxidants to neutralize all the free radical waste they create from the metabolism process. In other words, junk foods contain more pollution than their built-in ORAC capacity can neutralize. So, your body is left imbalanced and at greater risk for health problems.

In contrast to junk foods, whole foods usually contain enough antioxidants to support waste cleanup from metabolism. And certain whole foods go even further – they are filled with antioxidant concentrations that are associated with longevity and vitality. For instance, blueberries have been associated with a sharp mind and clear vision for thousands of years. The berry has numerous concentrated antioxidants that have an affinity for your eyes, brain and heart. You can benefit from these antioxidants by eating fresh blueberries as well as whole food concentrates containing blueberries.

Other berries also contain dense antioxidant concentrations. That’s why eating a variety of berries is a superb way of getting the high ORAC antioxidants you need. Whole berry concentrates, such as blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries provide both the nutrients and antioxidants needed for healthy metabolism. Rare fruits, such as wolfberry (goji), acai drupes, and mangosteen also provide strong boosts of antioxidant power – so much so, that many have labeled them as Super Fruits.

What we need
We were designed to eat whole, ripe foods at their peak of freshness to help our bodies have sufficient antioxidants. So, approximately how many ORAC units do we need each day?

* Children – 3,000 ORAC units daily (about 5 servings of fruit and vegetables)
* Women – 4,200 ORAC units daily (about 7 servings of fruit and vegetables)
* Men – 5,400 ORAC units daily (about 9 servings of fruit and vegetables)

Considering our polluted environment, deficient diet and relentless stress I would suggest we consume even larger amounts of ORAC units every day.

More suggestions: Eat whole foods and make sure you include every color in the rainbow in your diet because different antioxidants come with different colors. Also, look for whole food supplements to augment your diet such as NutraFruits or Adaptogen 10 Plus. Whole foods and whole food supplements will help improve your metabolism, reduce toxicity, increase vitality and improve your health!


Take Control of Your Health

* Eat whole foods of every color:
o Green: avocado, bell peppers, spinach, collard greens
o Orange/yellow: bananas, oranges, carrots, acorn squash, sweet potatoes
o Purple/blue: blueberries, blackberries, grapes, beets, eggplant
o Red: strawberries, raspberries, apples, tomatoes, cranberries
* Include legumes daily:
o Beans: red beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, etc.
o Peas
o Lentils
* Use Super Foods supplements to increase your daily ORAC. Just one scoop of NutraFruits has a 4,954 ORAC value.


Antioxidant-Rich Foods May Reduce the Risk of Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible blindness in developed countries. Age is the most significant risk factor. The cause of AMD is not well understood, but some researchers believe that a diet rich in antioxidants may help reduce the risk of AMD.

A new study in the December 28, 2005 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association studied a large group of older adults, and found that those who consumed above-average intakes of beta-carotene, Vitamin C, Vtamin E, and zinc were less likely to develop AMD.

About the Study
Researchers in the Netherlands followed 4,170 people age 55 years or older for an average of eight years. The participants did not have AMD when the study began. At the start of the study, the participants completed a food frequency questionnaire to determine intake of the following antioxidants/antioxidant cofactors: alpha and beta carotene; beta cryptoxanthin; lutein; lycopene; vitamins A, C, and E; iron; and zinc. During the study, the participants underwent 1-2 eye examinations designed to diagnose AMD. The researchers adjusted their analyses for age, sex, body mass index (a measure of weight in relation to height), smoking status, blood pressure, cholesterol level, atherosclerosis score (a measure of fatty buildup in the arteries), and alcohol intake.

During the study, 560 (13.4%) of the participants were diagnosed with AMD. Higher Vitamin E and zinc intakes were associated with a reduced risk of AMD. Having an above-average intake of the combination of Vitamins C and E, beta carotene, and zinc was associated with a 35% reduced risk of AMD.

These findings are limited because nutrient intake was based on a food frequency questionnaire, which is subject to error.

How Does This Affect You?
This study suggests that diet affects vision, at least in the long-term. Increasing your intake of beta carotene, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and zinc while your vision is good may help prevent AMD later. Beta carotene is found in carrots, kale, and spinach; vitamin C-rich foods include citrus fruits and juices, green peppers, broccoli, and potatoes; Vitamin E can be obtained from whole grains, vegetable oil, eggs, and nuts; and high concentrations of zinc are found in meat, poultry, fish, whole grains, and dairy products.

Symptoms of AMD include seeing blurred words on a page, a dark or empty area in the center of vision and distorted straight lines. If you have any of these symptoms, you should consult with an ophthalmologist, who can diagnose and treat AMD if necessary.

RESOURCES:

American Academy of Ophthalmology
http://www.aao.org/

Macular Degeneration Partnership
http://www.amd.org/

REFERENCES:

Macular degeneration. American Academy of Ophthalmology. Available at: http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZJ4YZNH4C&sub_cat=2013.
Accessed December 28, 2005.

van Leeuwen R, Boekhoorn S, Vingerling JR, et al. Dietary intake of antioxidants and risk of age-related macular degeneration. JAMA . 2005;294(24):3101-3107.

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

Are You Ready for the Flu Season?

Good Things to Do if You Get Flu.

1. Keep Oscillococcinum® readily available.
Oscillococcinum (Oscillo®), one of the world's most popular natural flu medicines, can reduce the duration and severity of flu-like symptoms when taken at the onset of symptoms. Oscillo is regulated as a drug by the FDA1 and its use is supported by published clinical studies as well as more than 65 years of worldwide use. Plus, unlike other flu medicines, Oscillo works without causing side effects, does not interfere with other medications, and is safe for both children (older than 2 years of age) and adults.

2. Stay hydrated.
When you are feeling under the weather, drinking extra fluids prevents dehydration caused by fever, loosens mucus and keeps your throat moist. Warm liquids are preferable, and there is some evidence that inhaling steam early in the course of a cold or flu may reduce the spread of viruses in your upper respiratory tract.

3. Listen to your body.
If you do come down with a cold or flu, take it easy. Spending excessive energy steals valuable resources from your immune system. Even attempting to perform normal activities at work or school may be too much. Besides, if you believe you're coming down with flu, probably the best thing you can do for friends and family is to not expose them unnecessarily to the virus.

4. Be careful with medicines.
Children should not take any medicines containing aspirin while they have flu. If you take over-the-counter (OTC) cold or flu preparations, make certain that you're not overdosing. For example, many decongestant OTC medicines offer "all-in-one" relief; that is, they may contain fever and pain reducers. If you are also taking acetaminophen or ibuprofen separately, you may inadvertently be ingesting too much of these compounds.

5. Seek help if you get worse.
If your symptoms become significantly worse after the first 3 days of illness, especially if your fever subsides and then returns, be sure to seek medical attention right away. The reason that flu is considered a potentially dangerous infection is that it leaves the body vulnerable to other infections like pneumonia.

"Basically, your grandmother was right: when you have flu, stay at home, rest, drink plenty of fluids, and have some chicken soup - after inhaling the steam while it's cooking. I would add that you can gain an advantage in shortening the duration and severity of flu-like symptoms by taking Oscillococcinum as soon as they appear."

Clinical Studies on Oscillococcinum

Oscillococcinum has been shown in clinical trials to help reduce the severity and shorten the duration of flu symptoms.1,2

Oscillococcinum works rapidly, with 63 percent of patients showing “complete resolution" or "clear improvement” at 48 hours.*1 In a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, the recovery rate within 48 hours of treatment was significantly greater in the group that received the active drug than in the placebo group.†2

Unlike other flu medicines, Oscillococcinum does not cause side effects, such as drowsiness, and has no known or reported drug interactions. Oscillococcinum is regulated as a drug by the FDA3 and can be purchased at pharmacies, natural food stores and supermarkets.

Make sure patients have Oscillococcinum on hand because it works best when taken early. Recommend Oscillococcinum at the first signs of flu.

Summary of Studies

Download a PDF summary of four double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies on Oscillococcinum. Included in this PDF is a chart comparing Oscillococcinum with antivirals, herbs, vitamins, and symptomatic medicines for aches and fever.
Read More Research

Read an independent review of research studies on Oscillococcinum conducted by the Cochrane Collaboration (Cochrane Database Syst. Rev. 3: CD001957, 2006.)


“Taking Oscillococcinum at the first sign of flu symptoms reduced the average bout by about 6 hours in the two studies that provided enough data to analyze.”

-Andrew Vickers, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, who reviewed the evidence on Oscillococcinum for the Cochrane Collaboration (quote published in Nutrition Action Healthletter, January/February 2007)

“The research is somewhat promising. Two separate authors reviewed seven well-controlled studies that showed that it was able to reduce flu-like symptoms by about 7 hours. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but if you feel miserable, 7 hours can make a difference.”

-Joy Bauer, Joy Bauer Nutrition Center, New York, N.Y., and Today Show contributor (quote heard on the Today Show, Feb. 13, 2007)

Healthy Water for a Healthy Life!

Water is the single most important resource for the human body. Water is the most
essential nutrient involved in every function of the body. Water accounts for
approximately 70% of an individual’s complete fat free body mass. In order to function
properly, water must be consumed in set quantities in consistent intervals (average of
2.5 liters per day). When not enough water is consumed, people can begin to develop
certain illnesses and even accelerate their aging processes.

Now after establishing the importance of water, one must then think what kind of water
is good to drink? Many people believe that the water concentrations in coffee, sodas,
and energy drinks will be sufficient for the human body to function on optimal levels;
but that is incorrect. Simply stated, the water from these beverages is nothing but
poor quality distilled water.

Your Answer to Hydration and Better Health Lies in Kangen
Water!

What is Kangen Water?



Kangen water is being recognized by more and more people around the world as the purest and healthiest water for the human body. As more and more people have been seeing the benefits of this water, Kangen has gained a vast amount of ground in the
health world to become one of Japan's newest and most popular household names. This delicious water is rich in minerals, purged of free radicals by way of ionization, and can be used in countless ways outside of everyday water drinking.

Kangen Water - "return to origin"

Dating back to its roots in Japan, Kangen Water essentially means “return to origin”. Because this beautiful world of ours has been polluted and soiled with human waste, the human body has not been able to reach optimal growth potential.
Medical studies have long recognized the devastating effects of high levels of acidity in our bodies. Kangen Water has a pH of 8.5 -11.0 which would then make this water basic or an alkaline. In addition to Kangen waters pH level, tests have
also shown a negative ORP (oxidizing reduction potential) rating. Kangen water is perhaps the most effective anti-oxidant and its negative ORP rating further proves that hypothesis. Anti-oxidants can help balance out some of these acids and restore the body to equilibrium or its “original state” as it should be, where we can all grow and flourish.

Free Radicals


Conditions such as exposure to electromagnetic or ultra-violet radiation,alcohol, tobacco, and the stresses that arise in each individual’s daily life can all contribute to the build up of free radicals in one’s body. Free radicals are an
atomic or molecular species with unpaired electrons on an open shell configuration. The unpaired electrons in these free radicals make it very easy to partake in chemical reactions within the body as it searches to fill its outer most
shells with electrons inside of our bodies. Studies have shown that these free
radicals account for 70% of all diseases including some forms of cancer,
diabetes, and speeding up the aging process. A healthier lifestyle can be
achieved immediately as these free radicals are eliminated from our bodies.
Kangen Water simply rids these free radicals from our drinking water and
bodies through the process of ionization.

Recognizing Alkaline Water

As medical studies have recognized for years, the average human body contains acidity levels that can be harmful to the human body. Alkaline and acidic treatment has been widely used in medical treatments in Japan since the 1960s
with success stories of many various illnesses. When patients began requesting medical facilities to continue their treatment in the convenience of their own homes, Enagic Inc. started doing research on how to bring these wondrous machines to the people. After much valuable research, Enagic Inc. of Japan made
medical breakthroughs by bringing fortunate people machines that could dispense pure
alkaline and acidic water to continue their healthy lifestyles in the comfort of their own homes. To say that this company has been successful in the distribution of these devices would be an understatement in Japan as Enagic Inc. has truly
become the top premier water company.

Kangen water - an antioxidant

It is safe to say that Kangen water is an incredible antioxidant. Some may go as
far as to say that Kangen water is more powerful that any single food or vitamin
supplement in the world. Simply stated, Kangen water contains active hydrogen
which supplies vast amounts of free electrons to our body. This process of
electrolysis immediately neutralizes the free radicals in the water and renders it
non-poisonous. Most water electrolysis equipment will not create active
hydrogen in the water; therefore, the equipment merely produces ionized
alkaline water. Because our bodies fluid concentration is roughly two-thirds
water, the antioxidant potential of a single glass of Kangen water would be
much easier for the body to absorb than expensive vitamin supplements.


In fact, instead of breaking down calcium to supply the electrons to neutralize
free radicals, Kangen water supplies the active hydrogen to do the job for you.
When your body retains the extra calcium that is no longer used to break down
free radicals, these calcium minerals can be used to aid in weight loss.

Miracle Healing Water

“Magical miracle healing water” has been found in nature at only a few specific
locations throughout the world. These so called “miracle” water sources have
been discovered in Mexico, Germany, India, China, Australia, and Japan. Large
numbers of people from all over the world wait in line almost every hour of every
day to obtain some of this “magical water” at all of these locations. For many
years, the healing power of this “magical water” was a mystery, but according,
Dr. Sanetaka Shirahata, Graduate School of Genetic Resources Technology,
Kyushu University, these so called “miracle waters” all contain active hydrogen
in the water. Because active hydrogen has an evaporation rate of 0.3-0.7
seconds after generating it, people had to visit these sources to improve on
their chronic illnesses. Kangen water has the same active hydrogen properties
and actually improves on this miracle water. With all said and done, Kangen
Water can now be produced in the comfort of your own home straight from your
tap.


Types of Water

We often call the earth "The Planet of Water"

Roughly 70% of its surface is covered with water. All living things on the
planet rely on water for survival. We need to drink lots of water, but
unfortunately most of the drinking water available to us is simply not
healthy anymore. In some cases, our drinking water is dangerous to our
health.



Tap Water


How do you feel about drinking 8 glasses of tap water each day?
Chlorination makes tap water safe to drink but it can also react with
organic compounds inside your body to produce toxic substances,
especially in your colon. Small amounts of chlorine are added to our
public drinking water supply to kill bacteria and other microorganisms.
This amount of chlorine is small enough for us to drink but it can still kill
bacteria and enzymes in our body essential to digestion.

During a shower, our bodies absorb roughly 2 glasses of this
chlorinated water through our skin. We also inhale the mist and steam
of this water while we shower. Nearly all tap water supplies contain large
amounts of active oxygen (oxidants) and high positive ORP (Oxidation
Reduction Potential) values. Having a high POSITIVE ORP means that
tap water can be very oxidizing, or destructive to your body.



Purified Water Distilled Water and Reverse Osmosis


Distilled water and water purified by reverse osmosis may not have most
pollutants and additives found in tap water, but it also lacks any
minerals naturally found earth's water that are essential to our well
being. These processes remove EVERYTHING from the water, including
helpful minerals.

Since this water contains no minerals or life whatsoever, it leaches vital
minerals and alkaline buffers from our bodies. Distilled water and
reverse osmosis water have no energy or vitality at all and can
contribute to an acidic state in our bodies.



Bottled Water (Including "Mineral Water")


You might think that bottled water is healthier than tap water. But in a
four-year scientific study, The NRDC (Natural Resources Defense
Council) tested more than 1,000 bottles of 103 brands, a third of them
were found to contain contaminants such as arsenic and carcinogens.

Recently, another shocking study showed that over time cancer-causing
toxins such as dioxin leach into the water from the plastic bottle.
Actually, a lot of the bottled "spring" waters are just filtered tap water put
in a plastic bottle. These bottles often remain on store and factory
shelves, unopened for months or even years.

Bottled water is essentially dead water. If you choose your water based
on the package or the brand, you should know that some 95% of the
price you are paying for that bottled water is covering other costs, such
as packaging, advertising, distribution costs, rather than the water itself.

Yet, bottled water is so popular and available almost everywhere. As a
result, the bottled water industry enjoys annual sales of more than $3.5
billion worldwide. 15 years ago people wouldn't spend $3-$5 per day on
bottled water; these days they do.



Alkaline Ionized Water


Alkaline ionized water is by far the healthiest water available today.
Decades of scientific and medical research have gone into its
developement. It is produced by an in-home machine that first filters and
then ionizes tap water. This process splits the water into its alkaline and
acidic parts. The alkaline water is used for drinking. It has tremendous
hydrating and antioxidant qualities, due in part to its smaller water
clusters and abundance of extra electrons created by the ionization
process.



Kangen™ Water - The Highest Grade of Alkaline Ionized
Water


Kangen™ water has the strongest antioxidant power of any alkaline
ionized water. The Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP) of Kangen™
water can reach up to -500mV, where most average ionized water
reaches only around -150mV.

The difference is significant. As a matter of fact, regular Alkaline Ionized
Water units are classified as "home health appliance," while Kangen™
Water units are in the "medical device" classification by the Ministry of
Health and Welfare in Japan, which is equivalent to the FDA in the U.S.
Currently, out of 44 companies manufacturing ionized water generators,
Only 6 of them make units certified as Kangen™ Water grade.

Enagic ONLY manufactures certified Kangen™ Water units. And its
quality is considered by many as the best of the best in the industry.

The word "Kangen™" "return to origin" in Japanese. A more general
meanings would be "renewing" or "restoring". Drinking Kangen™ Water
can help "renew" and "restore" a healthy balance in your life.


© Kangen Water USA. All Rights Reserved