Inflammation? Isn’t that what happens when you bump your knee against your desk and it becomes swollen? Or when there’s a huge reddish zit on your face that looks half of your face all puffy? If this is your idea of what the term means, then you are on the right track and are getting your medical info correct. You also know that it’s nothing some over-the-counter anti-flammatory pain medication, warm compress or some ice can’t cure.

But chronic inflammation is a completely different story altogether – you may unknowingly have it but feel completely healthy. Its silent existence makes it close to impossible to be detected by even the most advanced diagnostic tests. This is all the more reason more and more medical researchers are hot on its tail. Studies about chronic inflammation are showing that it is behind the progression of serious illnesses. According to Frank Lipman, MD, an integrative medicine specialist and director of the Eleven Elevent Wellness Center in NYC, chronic inflammation is a causative factor behind a lot of medical conditions.

To this date, scientists cannot give a definitive response to the question on how inflammation works. However, it is explained like so:

The body has a built-in protective device in the form of the immune system, which is the primary defense line against harm of any sort. Any injury, infection or illness gets your cells to wake up and call 911 to reach your bone marrow, where white blood cells are produced. These cells have the armor that’s needed to zap infectious agents in their own specialized technique so that you can start to heal and feel better.

But sometimes, these ever-ready white blood cells receive a false-alarm signal of distress but cannot pinpoint the location. They end up being deployed waywardly and unnecessarily. Since they don’t have a particular area in the body to heal and protect, then scatter all around, misguided. They aren’t doing anything, so they are unnecessarily kept hanging around on stand-by for long periods. 

Unfortunately, the human body cannot afford to have its defensive white blood cells acting in an unfocused and wayward manner. The dispatched white blood cells become so bored at not having any virus or germ to attack, so they end up attacking your own cells and organs. Even other protective cells in the body that are made to ward off illnesses are also attacked by these formerly friendly white blood cells, so now other cells mutate and become evil as well. When this happens, you become at risk for cancer and other similar illnesses.

Researchers are working non-stop to find out more about this silent enemy that may be the biggest factor behind unexplained serious illnesses. While they are at it, it helps to be meticulous about your nutrition, prioritizing foods that boost immunity and offer plenty of antioxidants; sleep well; and get your immunizations in check.

Supplements are increasingly becoming popular nowadays due to the stresses and unhealthy lifestyle of most people. To boost one’s health it is advisable to take supplements to fight against certain diseases that can potentially harm us. But among the many supplements available in the market how can we know for sure which ones are the most potent and effective in protecting and strengthening our body’s defenses.

Health enthusiasts rave about a new micro nutrient that seems to sweep other supplements aside. The new wonder supplement is called Resveratrol, a phytoalexin that can be found in grapes, nuts and red wine. It is all natural with no animal derivatives. Research studies on mice shows that resveratrol improves health and prolongs life span. It demonstrates good motor skills in spite of old age. Also classified as flavonoids, resveratrol activates sirtuin activity wherein organs release enzymes as a response to increased level of stress.  Some theories reveal that it enhances longevity when a person is on a calorie restricted diet.

According to a New York Times research article, resveratrol has the potential to increase our endurance in doing activities at a faster rate and at a longer time. In the research study conducted on mice, those who were administered with resveratrol were able to run twice as much as those who were not administered with resveratrol. Other benefits of resveratrol include lowering bad cholesterol or LDL also known as Low Density Lipoproteins. Resveratrol prevents the accumulation of cholesterol deposits in the artery walls that constricts the blood vessels giving the heart a hard time to pump blood throughout the body. It’s good news to people who are at high risks for developing coronary artery disease and other heart problems by improving blood circulation.

Diabetics and those at high risk for the disease can enjoy the benefit of resveratrol in stabilizing blood glucose levels by making glucose readily available for cell consumption. Individuals taking the supplement report feeling more alive, alert and active than ever which contributes to a positive outlook into adapting a healthy lifestyle.

Just like other supplements, resveratrol has many antioxidants beneficial for our body to fight off free radicals that destroys our cells. Antioxidants keep our cells healthy which gives us the natural glow. Some research conducted on the study of resveratrol also shows that it can reduce the cancer risk. The flavonoid can reach the source of energy of a cancer cell called mitochondria thus enabling to destroy it.

The interesting fact about resveratrol is its link to the French paradox. The French paradox is described as the low incidence of cardiovascular diseases and obesity in France even though their diet mainly consists of wine which is rich in saturated fat. Dr. Sinclair from Harvard University found out that the plant extract, resveratrol in mice and fruit flies showed increased life spans. Although this study is linking resveratrol to the French paradox seems to need more research, the overall benefits of resveratrol is worth a try.

It is common knowledge that fatty foods should be avoided as it contains high amount of cholesterol. When the body’s cholesterol levels are up, one is prone  to have heart attacks and other problems of the cardiovascular system. That is why all medical practitioners would recommend staying out of fatty foods if one wants to live longer and healthier lives.

When one would ask what foods are rich in fats, surely butter will always be included on the list. But in reality, butter is one food that contains a lot of benefits to the health. In fact it was one of the staple foods eaten by the people of Olden Europe hundreds of years ago to make their bodies healthy. Eating butter is not at all bad just as long as it is eaten in moderation. As a matter of fact, butter is considered much healthier as compared to margarines and other spreads.

Here are some of the benefits that butter gives the body and why is it considered to give us humans better lives:

• Butter is a rich source of Vitamin A. In fact some nutritionists claim that it is the best source of Vitamin A because it is much easier digested by the body. Those who have problems with their eyes should have ample intake of Vitamin A so she can get the benefits that it can give the vision.
• Butter contains powerful antioxidants like selenium. Antioxidants are needed by the body as it helps release away toxins and free radicals which are the one of the main culprits of many diseases including cancer.
• Butter is a good source of iodine. Iodine is needed to by the body for ample supply of energy. Iodine also plays a very important role in maintaining proper function of the body’s metabolism.
• Vitamin K can be found on butter. The vitamin helps the body achieve normal clotting factor.
• Butter has components of Vitamin E which is needed to keep the red blood cells healthy. This vitamin also promotes a healthier skin because of its antioxidant content. Vitamin E is also responsible for protecting Vitamins A and C from being destroyed inside the body.
• Those who are arthritis sufferers are encouraged to have butter in their meals because it helps protect the arteries so the painful symptoms of the condition are not that felt.

Butter indeed promotes better life to people who eat it. But what all of us should remember is to eat butter in moderation and of course to have it in rawest state so that we can reap the benefits that it has to offer.

In the world that we live in today, being healthy is an everyday struggle. The air we breathe is polluted, the water we drink may be contaminated, and even the food that we eat is not produced the natural way. Fruits and vegetables are grown with too much fertilizers and pesticides that are really bad for our health. Not to mention, how our everyday routine is so unhealthy. Because everyone is busy, most of our days are spent eating in fast food restaurants and just sitting in our office chair for almost eight hours. The lifestyle that most of us practice is really alarming.

There are a lot of medical discoveries that can help us become healthy despite our busy schedule. Most of them are things found in nature that often goes unnoticed. Green tea is one of them.

Green tea is one of the most effective and widely used health supplements that have been proven to work wonders. Green tea comes from leaves of the Camellia sinensis tree. This plant grows in many parts of China and has been by the locals to treat and prevent diseases for thousands of years. Other countries like Japan and Korea have been using green tea for a very long time as influenced by their close neighbor which is China.

What makes green tea very powerful in helping people become healthy comes in its leaves and what composes it. It contains It has ECGG, a chemical component that have high amounts of anti oxidants which cleanses the body. Green tea is proven to have 20 times more anti oxidant properties as compared to Vitamin C.

Although green tea was only used in Asian countries, its popularity rose to all parts of the globe. Here are some of the benefits that one gets from drinking green tea:

• Green tea lessens the risk for one to acquire certain cancers like those of the breast and the lungs.
• Green tea prevents one from having heart problems as it help regulate bold cholesterol to be on its normal levels.
• Green tea helps one to lose weight and maintain a normal body weight as it helps to have normal metabolism.
• Green tea helps to have sharp memory and recall. Elderly are often encouraged to drink green tea to fight dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
• Green tea can lower blood glucose levels preventing Diabetes Mellitus.
• Green tea helps the liver and kidney to attain maximum level of function preventing any diseases from these organs to occur.
• Green tea helps achieve healthy teeth and gums. It kills bacteria inside the mouth that is the leading cause of bad breath, tooth decay, and gum infections.

Green tree offers more than we expected. With the lifestyles that were living right now, it would be nice to have an alternative health choice. Drinking green tea can bring miracles to your health!

Nobody ever plans on falling sick, not even the little kid who just wants to skip school for the day. In fact, we try so hard to keep ourselves free from disease-causing agents – we wash our hands obsessively, and take a pill at the first sign of a cold. It doesn’t matter how many times you rub your hands with an antibacterial agent, and even gargling salt won’t do much to protect your throat from itching. The truth is, resistance to sickness comes from within. What you eat can be your best protection against illnesses. Many everyday foods boost our natural immunity against infections, and all we need to do is incorporate them into our daily diet:

 1.    Drink chamomile tea every day.

There is nothing more relaxing than a cup of hot chamomile tea at the end of the day. Researchers from the Imperial College in London have found that tea, and chamomile in particular, had powerful sickness-preventing compounds known as polyphenols. Folks who had an average of five cups of chamomile tea showed higher levels of polyphenols, which are anti-bacterial. In fact, the anti-infective ability remained strong even after one had stopped consuming the tea. Chamomile is a natural relaxant and sleep enhancer, but it is also great for calming the digestive system.

 2.    Oats keep you strong as steel.

For many people, oats isn’t the best breakfast, nor does it make a tasty snack. However, it is probably the best food to boost a killer that resides deep within our bones. Macrophage is a type of white blood cell from the bone marrow. It floats around, vacuuming, zapping and killing viruses, bacteria and other infection-causing agents. But macrophage needs a little bit of push for it to work. To do their job, these infection-busting cells need beta-glucans which is found in fiber-rich foods.  Oats are one of the best foods rich in dietary fiber and complex carbs. For best results, get unrolled oats as they have more fiber in them.

 3.    Indulge in salad dressing, and not the fat-free kind.

Who says you have to choose fat-free salad dressing to level up your health? A lesser known fact is that you actually need dietary fat to help your body absorb carotenoids, which are antioxidants that improve resistance against illnesses and aging. The intestinal cells need fat to absorb nutrients. To strike the balance between dressings that put inches to your waist and those that up your health, choose dressings made from healthy, friendly fats – olive oil, nut oils or avocabdo oils. You can even make your own if you aren’t sure of the stuff you get in groceries.

 4.    Learn to love tomatoes.

Our first impulse when we get the flu is to reach for some good ol’ chicken soup. The next time you’re under the weather, sip on some tomato soup instead. Researchers are suggesting that the lycopene content of tomatoes is what gives the antioxidant effect, ridding the blood of free radicals and improving the function of white blood cells.

A person is called a vegan when he only eats foods coming from plant sources. Vegans do not eat only meats but all products coming from animals like eggs, milk and other dairy products. In the past people who eat only pure plant sources do it for ethnic and religious reasons. But being vegan is now widely embraced in different countries even in the West because of the benefits it does to the health.

The fact cannot be discounted that there are a lot of health benefits that one can get from following a strict vegan diet. But there are also accounted negative effects that it gives the body. For those who are considering of becoming a vegan but wants to weigh things first before coming to a decision, here are the good and bad sides of being a vegan.

Good Sides:

• Vegans have lesser risk of acquiring certain cancers especially that of the colon. Vegetables are good sources of dietary fiber which helps promote proper elimination of waste making the gastrointestinal tract functioning properly.
• Being vegan is much recommended for people who are diagnosed to have diabetes mellitus because plant food sources are good sources of dietary fiber and complex carbohydrates needed for the body’s insulin to be working properly making the blood sugar levels of the body at a regulated levels.
• Vegans have their blood pressure at normal levels making them at lesser risk for having heart diseases. Bad cholesterol and fat that are found on animal sources are the ones who can cause diseases like hypertension and atherosclerosis.
• Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants which are very much needed to keep the skin looking healthy and young looking.
•  Because of its antioxidants content that gets rid of the body’s toxins and free radicals, studies show that vegans have higher tendencies to live longer as compared to people who love eat meat.
• Vegetarians are able to maintain a healthy weight as compared to meat lovers. Obesity is one of the leading predisposing factors for conditions like obesity, hypertension, and some cancers.

Bad Sides:

• Vegans are at risk for having pernicious anemia or lack of Vitamin B12 in the body. Vitamin B 12 can only be found on animal sources.
• Vegans may not be getting enough nutrition since protein and other important nutrients can be found in animal sources.
• Other vegans often display lesser energy and easily faint because of the inadequate nutrients that they are getting which may not be able to compensate with the needs in keeping up for daily activities.

Being vegan needs strong conviction and before deciding to be one make sure to see your doctor first if your body is suited to follow such strict plant sources diet.

Today, living healthy is not just an option but a way of life. People are more aware on what things can harm and what those that are beneficial to the body are. No wonder why a lot of businesses focusing on health and wellness have sprouted. But we should not rely much on health products even if they were made with natural ingredients. Yes, they use herbal plants, still these underwent chemical processes. Although minimal, it can still give side effects to the body.

To get the nutrients and health benefits from plants, it is best that we eat or drink them raw or with minimal preparation. Too much heat and preparation can destroy the important components that make these plants healthy. In this way you are assured that you get all the benefits that the herbal plant offers at its purest content.

One of the healthiest root vegetables is carrots. Almost all homes use carrots as part of their daily menu. Not just because of its sweet and pleasant taste, but also for the medical benefits it offers the body. It is also easy to prepare that is why mothers use it in cooking most of the time whether eaten raw, added in stew, or made into juice.

Here are the most common benefits of carrots:

• Carrots are known to be a good source of beta carotene. Beta carotene is specifically good preventing the occurrence of cancer, specifically that of the colon and lungs.
• Carrots also contain high level of antioxidants that is also good in preventing cancer cells in developing in the body.
• Carrots are also good for stroke patients. Stroke patients who have daily intake of carrots improve their condition and regain normal functions again.
• The beta carotene found in carrots is also good for the eyes. It is needed to prevent the occurrence of night blindness.
• Carrots contain fiber which is needed in keeping a healthy digestive system. Fiber helps preventing constipation and prevents the occurrence of cancer of the colon.
• Carrots are also good for diabetic patients as it contains carotenoids which help regulate insulin levels in the body which in turns lower the blood sugar.
• Carrots have components that help the skin looking young and healthy.

Carrots really do a lot in helping maintain good health in persons. Always including carrots in your diet paired with exercise and a healthy lifestyle then you are under the right route to a better life.

Cancer remains to be one of the most dreaded conditions that a person can have. Even with the advancement of technology, there are still so many people that are dying every day because of cancer especially in developing countries. Most of the times even with radiation therapy and chemotherapy that technology has invented, they are still not enough in treating cancer and the person still dies.

That is why it is not harmful to try alternative medicines in treating cancer. There are a lot of alternative treatments for cancer and one of the most commonly used by cancer patients are foods from nature. They are used by patients in treating cancer because they can use it together with what was prescribed by the doctor, without the fear of having side effects.

Just like any other conditions, prevention will always be better than cure. So before cancer hits you, why not eat these foods to avoid yourself from being affected with cancer. Here are some of the most effective anti-cancer foods:

• Carrots

It is one of the best food sources for those who want to prevent having cancer. The beta carotene content in carrots helps in preventing cancer cells from developing in the body. But just make sure that the carrots are not cooked when eaten as it destroys the important component that can prevent cancer.

• Blueberries

This fruit together with acai berries, cranberries, and raspberries have high contents of phtyochemicals which acts as a shield to the human body from infections and cancer. Blueberries even have components that enable the cancer of the liver to destroy itself leaving the good cells behind. These berries are very effective in preventing and treating cancer that is why many health supplements have used them as its main ingredient.

• Broccoli and Cauliflower

These vegetables are very good in preventing cancer most specifically that of the breasts because it contains indole-3-carbinol which turns estrogen to be functioning well and not cause harm to the body just like what it does during breast cancer. Broccoli and cauliflower also contains high level of anti-oxidants which gets rid of the free radicals that harms the cells of the body.

• Garlic

This spice is very good in preventing the occurrence of cancer because it helps impede carcinogens from doing harm to the body. Those who regularly include garlic in the diet have very slim risk of acquiring stomach cancer because it fights the bacteria H. pylori which is known to cause cancer of the stomach.

• Mushrooms

They are very good in preventing cancer because it contains lectin that fights cancer cells so it won’t be able to multiply inside the body.

• Tomatoes

Tomatoes are not just good for the skin but most especially it helps the body not to catch cancer. It contains lycopene, a substance that eliminates free radicals in the body before it can diseases like cancer.