EXERCISE DURING PREGNANCY
A physically fit woman experiencing a normal pregnancy can continue exercise throughout pregnancy, adjusting the duration and intensity of activity as the pregnancy progresses. Staying active can improve fitness,prevent or manage gestational diabetes, facilitate labor, and reduce stress. Women who usually exercise during pregnancy report fewer discomforts throughout their pregnancies.
GREEN TEA AND IT'S HEALTH BENEFITS
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| Green tea |
INTRODUCTION
Green tea originated in China, but it has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. It is made from the leaves from Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing and it is rich in anti oxidant. Green tea has become the raw material for extracts which are used in various beverages, health foods, dietary supplements, and cosmetic items. Many varieties of green tea have been created in the countries where it is grown. These varieties can differ substantially due to variable growing conditions, horticulture, production processing, and harvesting time.
How are antioxidants good for our body?
Our body has many free radicals (molecules produced when the body breaks down food or due to smoking, drinking, etc) and antioxidants are substances which prevent our cells from the damage caused by the action of these free radicals.
Health benefits of green tea
- The antioxidants in green tea help to burn fat. Fat accumulation leads to blockage of heart. If we drink green tea at least once a day we can reduce the risk of heart ailments.
- This type of tea increases the good cholesterol and reduces the bad cholestrol in one’s body.
- It is also recommended for those who have suffered from heart ailment as green tea can make the heart strong
- It targets belly fat. Research at Tufts University indicates that EGCG(epigallocatechin gallate) in green tea, like other catechins, activate fat-burning genes in the abdomen to speed weight loss by 77 percent.
Would you like to live longer? Eat a polyphenol rich diet.
INTRODUCTION
Polyphenols have recently been termed “lifespan essentials”, and they
actively work in the body to prevent certain disease mechanisms from
occurring.
Polyphenols are antioxidants from plant foods that work in the body to
enhance health in complex ways, and as such they are not simply
antioxidants.
Their specific health-promoting actions are still being actively
researched, and it is generally recognized that they can reduce the risk
factors for cardiovascular disease and basically help to protect many body systems from the risks or ravages of many types of chronic disease. Boosting one's intake of antioxidant polyphenols on a daily basis is easy to do, and can be a tasty, gourmet adventure.
RESEARCH
Researchers have for the first time established a link between the intake of polyphenols, plant derived micronutrients, and longevity, says a study.It is for the first time that a scientific study associates high polyphenols intake with a 30 percent reduction in mortality in older adults.
The research, published in Journal of Nutrition, is the first to evaluate the total dietary polyphenol intake by using a nutritional biomarker and not only a food frequency questionnaire.
Polyphenols are naturally occurring compounds found largely in fruits, vegetables, coffee, tea, nuts, legumes and cereals.
More than 8,000 different phenolic compounds have been identified in plants. Polyphenols have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic effects.
Research is signed by Cristina Andrés Lacueva, Montserrat Rabassa and Mireia Urpí Sardà, from the Department of Nutrition and Bromatology of the UB; Raúl Zamora Ros (ICO-IDIBELL), and experts Antonio Cherubini (Italian National Research Centre on Aging), Stefania Bandinelli (Azienda Sanitaria di Firenze, Italy) and Luigi Ferrucci (National Institute on Ageing, United States).
In conclusion, the research proves that the overall mortality was reduced by 30 percent in participants who had rich-polyphenol diets (more than 650 mg/day) in comparison with the participants who had low-polyphenol intakes (less than 500 mg/day).
Raúl Zamora Ros, first author of the study, points out that ‘results corroborate scientific evidence suggesting that people consuming diets rich in fruit and vegetables are at lower risk of several chronic diseases and overall mortality’.
SOURCES
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| Grapes contain certain polyphenol antioxidant compounds. |
The main source of polyphenols is dietary, since they are found in a wide array of phytochemical-bearing foods. For example, honey; most legumes; fruits such as apples, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, pomegranate, cherries, cranberries, grapes, pears, plums, raspberries, aronia berries, and strawberries; and vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, celery, onion and parsley are rich in polyphenols. Red wine, chocolate, black tea, white tea, green tea, olive oil, argan oil, bee pollen and many grains are sources. Ingestion of polyphenols occurs by consuming a wide array of plant foods.
HOW TO BOOST YOUR INTAKE OF POLYPHENOL ANTIOXIDANT
1) Eat and drink polyphenol-rich foods throughout the day.
Maintain high levels of polyphenols in your body and bloodstream
throughout the day! Eat and drink the polyphenol-rich foods that are
described below every few hours. Blood levels of polyphenols will peak
soon after they are consumed, then decrease as they are metabolized or
excreted from the body. Some polyphenols will not be absorbed into the
bloodstream, but will merely pass through the digestive tract. These
polyphenols are very important as well because they may help to prevent colon cancer and such diseases.
2) Eat lots of unrefined fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes.
Refining of foods removes polyphenols, so eat fresh or freshly cooked
fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes instead of refined foods
and meat products. Polyphenols tend not to be destroyed by moderate
cooking or heating, and cooked foods may offer a more bioavailable
source of polyphenols. Eat fresh and cooked plant foods.
3) Choose richly hued fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Rich colors such as reds and purples or black indicate that plant foods
are excellent sources of polyphenols. Choose foods such as blueberries, pomegranates, red grapes, cranberries, and red or purple sweet potatoes.
Blueberries as well as foods such as black rice, purple barley, black
sorghum, and purple potatoes are sources of anthocyanins, as well as
other polyphenols. The compound responsible for the color of turmeric, called curcumin, also happens to be a polyphenol.
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4) Drink polyphenol-rich beverages. Beverages are concentrated, easily absorbed sources of polyphenol antioxidants.
Choose fruit juices that do not have added sugar. Pure pomegranate, blueberry, red grape, and unfiltered apple juice or cider are excellent choices.- Tea and coffee are very rich sources certain types of polyphenols. Choose caffeinated tea and coffee, as the decaffeination process may remove polyphenols along with the caffeine.
- Drink red wine and beer instead of other alcoholic beverages. Hard liquor is distilled so essentially does not contain polyphenols. Red wine is a associated with the "French Paradox", which essentially initiated the discovery that red wine and other plant foods may be very important to health and prevent chronic disease. Red wine is a very rich source of the famous polyphenol resveratrol, which is present in high concentrations in the skins of wine grapes. For the highest concentratons of resveratrol, choose Pinot Noir wines from colder, damp climates such as New York and Oregon. Resveratrol is formed in large quantities by the grapes in such climates because the resveratrol is needed to protect the grapes from mold in such conditions. Beer is also a great source of polyphenols, and contains a great variety of polyphenols. This is because beer is made with barley as well as hops. Barley provides the majority of the polyphenols found in beer, but hops are an important source of a variety of polyphenols. For the highest concentrations of polyphenols, choose well-hopped bitter beers such as India Pale Ales or dark beers. Dark malt that is used to make dark beers provides melanoidin antioxidants that actually may help to keep the hop polyphenol antioxidants in the beer during the brewing process. Non-alcoholic red wine and beer are also available, and may be a good source of polyphenols as well.
5) Eat dark chocolate and cocoa powder.
Chocolate and cocoa are somewhat refined, but are one of the richest
sources of polyphenols. Choose dark, bitter chocolate and unsweetened
cocoa. The saturated fat in chocolate should not raise bad cholesterol
when consumed in moderation.
6) Select bitter, astringent, or strongly flavored plant foods.
Polyphenols tend to be astringent, bitter or harsh on the palate. Pure
pomegranate juice is noticeably astringent. Yellow onions that make you
cry are higher in polyphenols than sweet onions. Be sure to choose
polyphenol-rich foods that have not been overly sweetened or diluted, as
the sugar and other such ingredients can negate the healthy effects of
the polyphenols. Unfiltered, astringent olive oils are also great
sources of polyphenols.
7) Shop for produce at the farmers' market or grow your own. Plants raised organically
or in more natural conditions can be much higher in polyphenols. An
Italian study which found that organic peaches and pears have higher
levels of polyphenols than conventional counterparts suggests that the
absence of pesticides encourages a stronger antioxidant defense system
(i.e. more polyphenols).
Plants actually produce polyphenols in order to protect themselves from
diseases and pests, especially when grown in less than ideal
conditions. And then you eat the plants and the polyphenols protect you!
8) Look for polyphenols listed on grocery shelves when choosing produce.
Many supermarkets actually list certain poyphenols in the produce
section for many vegetables, although it is unlikely that the word
“polyphenol” will be used. Look for words such as “phenol” and
“anthocyanin”. Other healthy plant compounds that are not polyphenols
will also be listed, such as the carotenoid lutein. Try writing down
these words and then search for them online to determine exactly what
they are.
9) Read food labels and choose foods with listed polyphenols.
Many current food products list polyphenols on their labels. Some
polyohenols may be listed as substances such as flavonoids, flavonols,
or anthocyanins. Current products such as antioxidant beverages and
chocolate specifically list polyphenols and polyphenol flavonols.
10) Avoid foods that are sources of free radicals and destroy antioxidant polyphenols.
Polyphenols are antioxidants so will essentially be neutralized or
destroyed by unhealthy free radicals. It is good that free radicals can
be neutralized by polyphenols, but the polyphenols will not be able to
act in the body to the extent that is desirable. Therefore, avoid foods
that are high in free radicals such as deep fried foods,
meats, and refined foods. Be sure to avoid overly cooked or charred
meats and chemically treated meats such as bacon. Deep fried foods are
notorious sources of free radicals, as the deep frying oil is
continuously oxidized as it is heated. The fried food is also cooked at
very high temperatures, so more free radicals are formed.
DNA links Yeti to old polar bear
LONDON — A British scientist says he may have solved the mystery of the Abominable Snowman — the elusive ape-like creature of the Himalayas. He thinks it's a bear.
DNA analysis conducted by Oxford University genetics professor Bryan Sykes suggests the creature, also known as the Yeti, is the descendant of an ancient polar bear.
Sykes compared DNA from hair samples taken from two Himalayan animals — identified by local people as Yetis — to a database of animal genomes. He found they shared a genetic fingerprint with a polar bear jawbone found in the Norwegian Arctic that is at least 40,000 years old.
Sykes said Thursday that the tests showed the creatures were not related to modern Himalayan bears but were direct descendants of the prehistoric animal.
He said, "it may be a new species, it may be a hybrid" between polar bears and brown bears.
"The next thing is go there and find one."
Sykes put out a call last year for museums, scientists and Yeti aficionados to share hair samples thought to be from the creature.
One of the samples he analyzed came from an alleged Yeti mummy in the Indian region of Ladakh, at the Western edge of the Himalayas, and was taken by a French mountaineer who was shown the corpse 40 years ago.
The other was a single hair found a decade ago in Bhutan, 800 miles to the east.
Sykes said the fact the hair samples were found so far apart, and so recently, suggests the members of the species are still alive.
"I can't imagine we managed to get samples from the only two 'snow bears' in the Himalayas," he said.
Finding a living creature could explain whether differences in appearance and behavior to other bears account for descriptions of the Yeti as a hairy hominid.
"The polar bear ingredient in their genomes may have changed their behavior so they act different, look different, maybe walk on two feet more often," he said.
Sykes' research has not been published, but he says he has submitted it for peer review. His findings will be broadcast Sunday in a television program on Britain's Channel 4.
Tom Gilbert, professor of paleogenomics at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, said Sykes' research provided a "reasonable explanation" for Yeti sightings.
"It's a lot easier to believe that than if he had found something else," said Gilbert, who was not involved in the study. "If he had said it's some kind of new primate, I'd want to see all the data."
Sykes' findings are unlikely to lay the myth of the Yeti to rest.
The Yeti or Abominmable Snowman is one of a number of legendary ape-like beasts — along with Sasquatch and Bigfoot — reputed to live in heavily forested or snowy mountains. Scientists are skeptical, but decades of eyewitness reports, blurry photos and stories have kept the legend alive.
"I do not think the study gives any comfort to Yeti-believers," David Frayer, a professor of biological anthropology at the University of Kansas, said in an email. But "no amount of scientific data will ever shake their belief."
"If (Sykes') motivation for doing the analyses is to refute the Yeti nonsense, then good luck," he said.
Sykes said he was simply trying "to inject some science into a rather murky field."
"The Yeti, the Bigfoot, is surrounded in myth and hoaxes," he said. "But you can't invent a DNA sequence from a hair."
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