Beginning the day with a glass of grape juice, may be particularly good for the heart. Purple grape juice has proven effective in preventing heart attacks, angina and strokes, a research has revealed.
Drinking purple grape juice boosted the nightly dip in blood pressure, offering the heart and veins vital rest, revealed reports of 64 adults in the study.
Such a conclusion has been arrived at because, there already exists evidence that “non-dippers” who do not experience it, are more prone to developing cardiovascular problem.
According to Dr.Joseph Vita and his team in Boston, US, the juice showed favourable effects on nocturnal blood pressure regulation in humans.
An earlier study had revealed that drinking eight to ten ounces of red grape juice a day has potent effect on blood cells called platelets, reducing the tendency to form clots, as clots can lead to heart attacks.
This study also revealed that red grape juice may be even more potent than aspirin, and is widely recommended as a way to prevent heart attacks. Even when one is actually suffering from a heart attack, grape juice treatment tones up the heart and is effective in cardiac pain and heart palpitation.
The researchers also compared the results of grape juice with orange and grapefruit juice, but, arrived at the conclusion that grape juice is the best heart tonic.
Grapes also have several other health benefits, unknown to many. The rich content of glucose in grapes makes it the most valuable fruit. Glucose is pre-digested food, absorbed in the body soon after consumption. It supplies heat and energy to the body within short time and is thus considered a magic fruit for re-energizing the body.
Grapes are rich in Iron, Copper, Manganese and Potassium, but low in sodium. Although grapes are high in acids, they have an alkaline effect on our body. The high potassium and low sodium chloride content makes it good for all kidney problems. Grapes act on the Kidneys and Liver and promote elimination of waste and toxin matters from the system. Moreover, the high iron content helps in improving anaemia too.
The excess alkalinity of grapes and raisins helps by dissolving uric acid and is considered good for arthritis and gout. It is also beneficial in cases of Asthma, Cancer and migraine, wherein the patient is put only on grape juice diet for days. The large sized seeded grapes, when dried, are also used in treatment of anaemia and constipation.
All of us suffer from acidity sometimes or the other. Acidity occurs due to excess secretion of acids in the gastric glands of your stomach. However, when this secretion is more than usual, it results in heartburn. Acidity is caused due to several reasons. But if you suffer from acidity on a regular basis, avoid aerated drinks and caffeine altogether, and switch over to some healthy herbal tea. Also avoid spicy food, which could trigger heartburn.
Here are few simple home/herbal cures to combat acidity.
Make it a habit to drink a glass of lukewarm water every day, as it helps relieve mild acidity. Ensure that you have small but regular meals, and avoid long intervals between meals or skipping a meal. Dinner should be had at least three hours before bedtime.
Ensure that your daily diet includes bananas, watermelons, cucumber, milk, and coconut water. While watermelon juice is excellent for people suffering from acidity, coconut water helps soothe the system if you suffer from acidity. Drinking a glass of cold milk is a quick relief for heartburn and acidity.
Boil few mint leaves in water, and drink a glass of this, just after meals.
Sucking on a piece of clove is another simple remedy. Also, jaggery, lemons, almonds and yogurt are all known to offer instant relief from acidity.
Ginger, with its anti-inflammatory properties is known to aid digestion. Either add it to your recipes, or buy powdered ginger in capsule forms.
Sip lemon water with sugar an hour before lunch to reduce uneasiness.
Chew a few holy basil (tulsi) leaves to get relief from burning, nausea and gas. It is an effective home remedy for acidity.
Mix a teaspoon of the juice of chebulic myroblan (Haritaki) with a teaspoon of Indian gooseberry (amla) and drink daily.
If possible, eat raw garlic. This is considered to be very effective in curing acidity.
Mix 2 tsp each of natural apple cider vinegar and raw honey in a glass of water and drink before meals, to prevent acidity or heartburn.
Mint juice or mint capsules containing peppermint oil are a good herbal remedy for treating acidity.
Consume half a glass of buttermilk, adding a tablespoon of coriander juice to it. This offers relief from stomach burn, acidity and indigestion.
Several vegetables such as drumsticks, pumpkin, beans, cabbage, spring onion, carrot, and capsicum are effective in preventing acidity.
Cut down on alcohol, smoking, and caffeine, and avoid food stuff such as pickles, vinegar or spicy chutneys.
Finally, making few lifestyle modifications could go a long way in treating acidity. Leading a stress-free life, incorporating exercise into your daily routine, apart from yoga and meditation, can help you in maintaining good internal system.
Constipation is the result of malfunctioning of digestive system. There are several reasons attributed to constipation, the main ones being wrong eating habits and unhealthy sleep patterns, and emotional stress. These tend to disrupt the free flow of ‘prana’ (Sanskrit word for ‘vital life’) in the body. As this flow gets disrupted, prana gets accumulated within the body, which, in-turn, disturbs the movement of ‘apana vayu’ (which governs the eliminative functions) thereby disturbing the bowels.
Yoga and Ayurveda offer natural cure to constipation. These simple yogic poses could help in healing constipation when practised regularly.
Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation): Surya Namaskar is an ancient system of Indian exercise. It is more of a prayer in motion. Surya Namaskar consists of a sequence of 12 poses performed together continuously with synchronized breathing.
Surya Namaskar activates almost all the glands of endocrinal system. Due to this internal activation, the pituitary, thyroid, pancreas, adrenal and other glands begin secretion of respective hormones in normal way. This posture rectifies any disorders of pancreas and liver, while curing constipation, indigestion, acidity, flatulence and intestinal disorders. It also takes away extra weight of abdominal area and strengthens spinal cord.
Dhanurasana (Bow pose): The asana is so named, as when performing this asana, the body takes the shape of a tensed bow. This asana has several benefits and is a combination of two asanas (Bhujangasana and Shalabasana). It helps strengthen kidneys, back muscles, thigh muscles, and is extremely beneficial for diabetics and for constipation problems. This pose clears the toxins in Kidneys, with even the urinary tract getting cleared due to removal of toxins. The digestive system is stimulated, relieving problems of digestion, thereby clearing constipation problems, flatulence and other digestion-related problems.
Agnisaar Kriya: This is a cleansing technique, which draws its name from Agni (fire), saar (essence) and kriya (action). Fire is the essential element of digestion, and this cleansing action stimulates this fire for digestion to work at optimum level.
To perform this asana, stand and bend forward slightly from the waist while keeping back straight. Rest your hands on your knees or just above in such a way that the back is not strained. Ensure that arums are straight. Breathe deeply. Exhale by fully contracting the abdomen so that air is expelled. Hold breath in this position, contract or ‘flap’ abdominal muscles in and out. But, this should be done rapidly in exhaled position without inhaling. Do this as many times as possible, and take a slow, deep breathe inside.
Agnisaar Kriya is excellent for health of abdominal organs and the digestive system. It works wonders for sluggish liver and kidneys, removes gastro-intestinal complaints such as hyperacidity and indigestion, massages abdominal organs, and is an excellent practise to develop control over the sluggish abdominal muscles and diaphragm.
Other specific recommended asanas for relief from constipation are Pavanamukta Asana, Trikonasana, Halasana, Tadasana, Mastyasana, Ardha Matsyendrasana, Pranayama – Bhastrika with kumbhaka, Uddiyana Bandha, and Mulabandha.
Apart from the said asana and pranayama, practice of yoga nidra, concentration and meditation, yields best result.
Ayurveda recommends the following as good aids for relief from constipation.
Take the pulp of the Amaltas fruit and equal quantity of tamarind (half a teaspoon each) and soak them overnight. Mash them in the residue water and remove the seeds. Filter the preparation and drink the liquid one hour after dinner. This when done at a stretch of one month, relieves constipation.
Supplement your daily diet with coconut oil. Coconut oil could be used for cooking or baking or can be added to salads and dressings. This is considered as the easiest constipation cure.
Drinking plenty of water, green leafy vegetables, fruit, sprouted cereals, grapes, guava, papaya, orange, dates, spinach, coconut, methi seeds, cabbage, apple, cucumber, beetroot, carrot, tomato are the best diets for constipation.
Raw spinach juice when taken in the morning regularly cures even chronic constipation. Other home remedies include Triphala powder, raisins, wheat grass juice, lemon juice in warm water, Wood Apple, Figs and Walnut, all help in clearing motion.
The humble fruit Apple, already known to fight several illnesses, has a new addition to its list now. Polish researchers have discovered that eating the fruit daily could cut down the risk of developing bowel cancer by more than a third, while, consuming two unpeeled apples on a daily basis could halve the chances of getting the disease.
When conducting the study, Polish researchers at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, questioned 592 patients with bowel cancer about their diet and lifestyle. When these results were compared to those from more than 700 cancer-free volunteers, it was found that the cancer-free volunteers ate more apples than those diagnosed with bowel cancer.
“Although vegetables or fruits have not shown beneficial effects on risk of bowel cancer, a reduced risk of 35 percent was seen in people who consumed atleast one apple a day. Moreover, when more than one apple was consumed, risk is reduced by about 50percent,” the researchers confirmed.
Apple, when eaten with its skin on, is a good source of fibre, and when more than 30gm of fibre is consumed per day, several cases of bowel cancer could be prevented, states World Cancer Research Fund.
Meanwhile, researchers in California have found that Sphingadienes (SDs), the natural lipid molecule found in Soy, could become a major ingredient in treatment of colon cancer.
The study lead, Dr, Julie Saba, Senior Scientist and Director at Cancer Center at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute, together with the team, found SDs in the fruit fly, used to study genetics of human disease, and discovered higher levels of SDs in the fruit fly led to death of mutant cells.
Although these are preliminary findings, the researchers point out that Soy could be a cancer killer, as it is rich in SDs.
According to the researchers, by revealing how SDs exert their effects, it also helps in finding out the best combinations of drugs that could work synergistically in preventing cancer cells and mutant cells that could lead to cancer.
Bilberry extracts can prevent the build up of plaques in the arteries, thereby preventing hardening of blood vessels and boosting overall heart health reveals a new study in France.
In the study, the fermented bilberry extract, out-performed the standard extract, prompting the French researchers to suggest that yeast fermentation produces new bioactive compounds with heart health effects.
Researchers performed the study on mice, segregating them into three groups. All groups were fed with standard control diet, but two of the groups received one of two bilberry extracts. One rich in anthocyanin extracted from untreated bilberries, and the other extracted from yeast-fermented bilberries.
After 16 weeks, it was noticed that there was considerable inhibition in development of plaques pertaining to atherosclerosis in both bilberry groups.
Lead researcher, Aurelie Mauray, said that the yeast-fermented bilberries extract exerts more effective anti-atherogenic activity than the anthocyanin-rich bilberry extract, which suggests that fermentation generates new compounds with better health-boosting properties, in comparison to the anthocyanin-rich standaridized extract.
Atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries) is the major cause for cardiovascular disease.
Bilberries are closely associated to the North American blueberry, but contain a distinct anthocyanin profile. Both leaves and the ripe fruit of bilberry have been used as folk remedy for treating diabetes since ancient times.
Bilberry was recommended for diabetics, as the constituents in berries help in improving the strength and integrity of blood vessels and reduces damage to the vessels associated with diabetes and other diseases, such as atherosclerosis. The berries contain flavonoids, the compounds found in the pigment of several plants. The flavonoid anthocyanin protects body tissues, particularly the blood vessels from oxidizing agents in the blood.
Bilberry preparations are also useful in treating eye conditions, such as diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, degeneration, night blindness, and degeneration of macula.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by excessive or uncontrollable or irrational worry about routine activities, which is disproportionate to actual source of worry. When this goes to the extent of interfering with daily functioning of an individual, he could be suffering from a condition called GAD.
GAD affects millions of people around the world, with twice as many women as men.
Cause: Just as is the case with several mental health conditions, the cause of GAD is not fully understood. But, among the most common causes are genetics, environment, stress and brain chemicals.
Symptoms: Typical symptoms of GAD include, being easily started, difficulty in focusing, insomnia, fatigue, headache, muscle tension, difficulty in swallowing, trembling, twitching, irritability, sweating, nausea or diarrhoea, breathlessness or rapid heartbeat.
Tackling GAD: In majority of cases, GAD improves with medications or psychotherapy. However, making necessary lifestyle modifications and learning some coping skills and relaxation techniques may also be of immense help in tackling mild anxiety disorders that does not require medical intervention.
Herbs: Certain supplements which could be used as alternative medication in improving conditions of GAD are:
Kava: The herb helps in relaxation, without actually feeling sedated. Few studies have however said that kava could lead to liver problems during prolonged use. Therefore, people with a liver condition may have to check with your physician before deciding on this.
Valerian: Is commonly used as a sleep aid, and has a sedative effect, and may relieve anxiety.
Ginseng: Although Ginseng is considered to be a multi-purpose herb, it is best used for anxiety, as it renders an overall relaxed feeling, reducing stress, and maintaining emotional balance. Therefore, it forms an excellent anti-anxiety herb.
Among the other herbs used in anxiety treatment are Ashwagandha, GLA, Lemon balm, Catnip, Zizyphi seed and illigustrum, GLA, Bugleweed and St. John’s Wort.
Lifestyle modifications: Exercise is a powerful and healthy method of reducing stress and improving mood. It is best to develop a regular exercise routine.
Follow a healthy diet and sleep pattern to keep stress and anxiety related problems at bay. Also avoid use of alcohol and sedatives, as they worsen anxiety.
Yoga, meditation and visualization techniques are simple relaxation methods to ease anxiety.
Certain yoga poses, particularly the childs pose (Balasana) described below can calm anxiety.
- Kneel on the floor. Touch your big toes together and sit on your heels. Separate your knees as wide as your hips.
- Exhale and lay your torso down between your thighs. Broaden your sacrum across the back of your pelvis and narrow your hip points towards the navel, in a manner so that they nestle down onto the inner thighs. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of the pelvis while also lifting the base of your skull away from the back of your neck.
- Lay your hands on the floor, palms facing up, and release fronts of your shoulders towards the floor. Feel the weight of the front shoulders pulling the shoulder blades wide across your back.
- Balasana is basically a resting pose. Stay in this position for 30 seconds to few minutes.
Few other yoga poses recommended for GAD are Bow Pose (Dhanurasana), Camel Pose (Ustrasana), Cow Pose (Bitilasana), Fish Pose (Matsyasana), Bridge Pose (Setu Banda Sarvangasana), Cat pose (Marjaryasana) Easy Pose (Sukhasana), Half moon pose (Ardha Chandrasana) and more.
Want to stay off dementia? Drink a glass or two of apple juice everyday, recommends a new study.
Researchers at Massachussets University in their study noticed that drinking fresh apple juice on a daily basis can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s and several other age-related cognitive declines.
For their study, the researchers carried out several laboratory experiments which demonstrated that drinking apple juice helped mice perform better than normal in maze trials and prevented decline in performance, otherwise observed in aged mice.
They found that mice receiving human equivalent of two glasses of apple juices a day, for a month, produced less of beta-amyloid, the protein fragment responsible to form senile plaques commonly found in brains of individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s.
The studies further suggested that regular consumption of apple juice apart from keeping one’s mind functions at its best, also delays onset of Alzheimer’s disease and augment therapeutic approaches.
People with Alzheimer’s disease have abnormal levels of plaques and tangles in their brain cells. An earlier research in the Loma Linda University, US, revealed that daily consumption of pomegranate juice helps in cutting down risk of Alzheimer’s by fifty percent, as it prevents degeneration of brain cells.
Meanwhile a previous Scandinavian study showed that drinking at least 3 cups of coffee everyday in mid-life can prevent onset of Alzheimer’s in old age. The mice bred with Alzheimer’s when given equivalent of 5 cups of coffee per day, showed better memory and half the beta amyloid plaques, otherwise noticed in decaffeinated mice with the disease.
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, affecting elderly population across the globe. The Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Society, Neil Hunt, said that it is vital for people to lead a healthy lifestyle with balanced diet rich in antioxidants. The best way out is to exercise regularly, eat a balanced diet and monitor blood pressure and cholesterol levels regularly.
Yoga could be more effective than standard treatment in reducing chronic low back pain in minority population, reveals a new study.
People suffering from chronic low back pain (CLBP) can try to gain some relief from complementary therapies such as yoga, confirm researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center.
For their study, the researchers involved adults with CLBP from two community health centers that serve racially diverse, low-income neighbourhoods of Boston.
They were randomly assigned to a standardized 12 week series of Hatha Yoga classes, and 75-minute classes with postures, breathing techniques and meditation, or standard treatment including doctor’s visits and medications. Even home practice was recommended for 30 minutes daily for the yoga group.
The participants had to report average pain intensity for the previous week as part of the trial, and about the limitations of their day to day activities due to back pain, and the amount of medication taken.
Pain scores for the yoga participants decreased by one-third, while the use of pain medicines decreased by 80 percent, compared to the control group, which decreased by only 5 percent. However, the use of pain medication in control group did not change. The improvement in function was also greater for yoga participants.
Low back pain is a common condition and has resulted in considerable disability and cost to society. People from low-income and minority backgrounds who are suffering from CLBP could be more affected due to lack of access to treatment.
“Yoga is well-received in these communities and could be effective in reducing pain and use of pain medication,” concluded Lead Author of the study, Robert B. Saper, MD MPH, Assistant Professor of family medicine at BUSM and Director of integrative medicine at Boston Medical Center.