Friday, January 22, 2010

Mangosteen- A Natural Curative

Called the Queen of Fruits, Mangosteen has been used by the peoples of Southeast, Asia for many years as a natural curative. This dark-purple fruit grows on trees in countries like China, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Thailand, and it has been considered to be one of the finest tasting fruits in the world.
Its taste isn’t the only thing that makes the mangosteen so great though. It is a natural curative that works as a natural anti-inflammatory. With a host of medicinal uses, it has been used to control pain and increase energy as well as protect against disease. They way that this works is the Xanthones contained within the rind of the fruit itself.
Xanthones are natural chemical substances that have been found to work as strong anti-oxidants, but that is not all that they do. Studies have found that these xanthones support and enhance the body’s immune system and disarm the free radicals within the body. Over 40 of these natural chemicals have been found within the rind of the mangosteen which makes this rind a potent friend to the human body.
The list of ways that these chemicals, or plant phenols, can help the health and well being of the human body is a lengthy one. It includes things like weight loss, diminishing heart disease, and reducing hypertension, improving mental awareness, fighting and diminishing cancer, lowering cholesterol, and reducing the effects of aging. These are only a few of at least 22 different ways that xanthones can help.
The edible interior of the mangosteen is another reason for the high praise that has been given by all who have encountered it. It possesses a unique blend of sweet and sour, and it ranks high in nutritional value, even though the inner fruit contains a much lower percentage of xanthones. All of these factors combine into a very tasty and delightful fruit with a lot of healing potential. It is a fruit that has been eaten for many years by those who live near the trees for good reason. Mangosteen is a fruit heavy in health from the rind to the inner fruit, and it possesses great curative potential.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

The Sweeter Vitamin A Choice

Hippocrates once stated "Let food be your medicine and let medicine be your food" and there could hardly be a better medicinal food than the goji berry.

The goji berry is even a better source of beta-carotene than carrots, in nutritional information Goji Berries beat out carrots in beta-carotene levels. And why is this important? Because our body converts beta-carotene in to Vitamin A and Vitamin A plays a role in our hair and skin health as well as the health of our mucous membranes, it helps us to improve our eyesight and helps to regulate the immune system, giving us the immune boost we need to help our body to fight sickness and infection leaving us to live longer and healthier lives.

The gogi berry also has the highest level of antioxidants of any known food, containing a complete spectrum of antioxidant carotenoids. A complete spectrum! What does this mean for us? It means that we are protecting our bodies from damaging free radicals, we are aiding our bodies preventing diseases such as cancer, heart disease, cataracts and more. So what does this mean to us in the long and short term? It means that we live healthier lives full of energy.

As if that were not enough not only is the goji berry a carrot topper but it also beats out oranges by 500 percent! There is 500 percent more Vitamin C per ounce in goji berries than there are in oranges. The assist with weight loss and have 19 amino acids including the 8 that are essential for life. Goji berries contain more protein than whole wheat and are contain 21 trace minerals as well as essential fatty acids and much more.

To be and to remain healthy the bulk of your nutritional needs should be filled by eating actual food, not by taking supplements, the Goji Berry is just that, a food and as far as your Vitamin A needs go a better food source of beta-carotene than carrots, not to mention a much sweeter alternative!

These amazing berries are your one-stop-carrot-topping-Vitamin A building nutritional go-to!

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Goji berries: a nutritionally rich food with proven benefits

Whether you like your goji berries dried, cooked, or straight off the vine, one thing is certain: they are one of the most nutritionally rich foods found in nature. Goji berries, the reddish-orange fruit also known as wolfberries, have been consumed in their native China for centuries as a means of maintaining youthfulness. It is widely believed that goji berries increase longevity while at the same time allowing those who consume them to remain young, both physically and in spirit. And it's not as much of a stretch as it might sound -- like the increasingly popular fruit pomegranate, goji berries are high in antioxidants, which help eliminate harmful free radicals. And reducing free radicals helps reduce the risk of a variety of illnesses, not the very least of which include cancer and heart disease.

Goji berries are plentiful in vitamins as well. The fruit contains at least 6 essential vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, C, E) in addition to compounds containing vitamin A, which may also contribute to that highly sought after anti-aging effect. Vitamin A helps boost the immune system and is great for preserving good vision.

Goji berries also contain 11 essential and 22 trace dietary minerals as well as 19 amino acids. There are 8 polysaccharides and 6 monosaccharides in the fruit. These compounds can also help fight off those harmful free radicals as well as repairing damaged DNA -- traits which have earned goji berries the nickname "the longevity fruit." Also found in goji berries are 5 unsaturated fatty acids (including essential fatty acids linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid) and 5 carotenoids: beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, lutein, beta-cryptoxanthin, and lycopene. Lycopene is yet another compound with antioxidant properties, and it is vital to basic health -- its benefits include lessening the likelihood of cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes.

And the health benefits don't end there. By weight, goji berries contain more beta-carotene than carrots and more vitamin C than oranges, which can mean a much needed immune system boost. Goji berries can be dried and cooked without losing much of their nutritional value, which allows for them to be consumed as a snack, or even as a tea or wine. And as one of the most nutritionally rich foods on the planet, it is certainly a fruit worth trying.