Health – Nita Naturale

Herbs and Superfoods with modified lifestyle pattern are integral part of diabetes management

Nita — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 12:17:49 +0000

I hope you all agree that effective diabetes management does not possible only by taking conventional hypoglycemic medicines. Diabetologists also recommend dietary modifications and physical activities to patients who have type II diabetes for better treatment outcomes. A scientific literature review concluded that the integration of herbs and superfoods act as an adjuvant therapy with conventional hypoglycemic medicine. Along with modified lifestyle patterns could extensively provide better diabetes management in terms of better blood glucose level control and reduce the risk of diabetes-associated complications. [1]

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is an abnormal health condition and indicative of a high blood sugar level. Broadly, diabetes is two types- type I and type II. Type – I diabetes occurs due to an immune system attack that damages the pancreatic cell and causes insufficient insulin production.

Type II diabetes is the condition in which the body unable to utilize or produce insulin. However, type II diabetes is not an auto-immune condition. Diabetes can occur at any age.

Apart from these two types, gestational diabetes is common among pregnant women, but after childbirth the disorder usually self-corrected. [2]

Diabetes become a global health concern

Administration of insulin is the primary treatment for type -I diabetes, whereas different conventional hypoglycemic medications prescribe to control type II diabetes. The uncontrolled diabetic condition leads to a variety of health complications, such as foot problems, nerve damage, heart disease, kidney failure, stroke attack, eye disorders, dental problems, etc. The incidence rate of diabetes increases day by day. It is assumed that worldwide 380 million people will be affected by diabetes by 2025. [3] This increasing incidence and diabetes-associated vital organ disorders make this a global health issue.

What are the Herbs and Superfood act as adjuvant therapy in diabetes management?

Obesity and dyslipidemia are common in type II diabetes and underlying causes of many complications. Following are some herbs and Superfood complement the blood-glucose-lowering effect of hypoglycemic medicines and also control the underlying complications. But I never suggest these can be used as a substitute for conventional diabetic treatment and stop using prescribed medicine without consultation with a doctor.

Cinnamon

The sweet aroma of cinnamon bark is not only a food flavoring spice but can improve glucose utilization in our body and increase insulin secretion. Cinnamon provides an ‘insulin-like’ effect. The bioactive ingredients present in cinnamon able to lower blood sugar level by following way:

increase cellular utilization of glucose (a type of sugar)
converts more glucose to glycogen and stored them for future utilization
reduce the conversion of glycogen to glucose by decreasing the activity of glycogen synthase kinase 3β
Increases the activity of glucosidase enzymes and thus reduces intestinal absorption of glucose
regulate the energy level by controlling intestinal enzymatic activity. [4]

Cinnamon can lower blood cholesterol through reducing triglyceride, total cholesterol, and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, whereas it increases HDL (good) cholesterol levels in the blood.

Cinnamon inhibits hepatic HMG Co-A reductase enzyme and reduces blood cholesterol level
The antioxidant effect of cinnamon reduces lipid peroxidation and inhibits 5-lipoxygenase enzyme activity in the liver and provides a cholesterol-lowering effect.
Cinnamon also has lipolytic activity and also promotes phagocytosis (engulf) of LDL cholesterol. [5]

Research result also suggested that cinnamon might effective to manage blood glucose level in pre-diabetic people. [6] If your blood test report showed glucose level is borderline, then I recommend you to add cinnamon in your daily diet as a preventive measure.

The selection of dose is critical and usually depends upon patient conditions like a diagnostic report, body weight, current medication, etc. However, I referred to different clinical studies and found 1 gm of cinnamon powder per day can control blood sugar in diabetic patients within three months. [5] But do not increase intake of cinnamon 6 gm per day to avoid any unpleasant side effects like liver toxicity. [7]

Tips to include cinnamon bark in your daily diet for better diabetes management

You can add a measured amount of cinnamon powder in oatmeal and muesli as a flavoring agent and also for better diabetes management. Cinnamon aroma enhances the flavor of different sweet confectionery recipes. But if you want to grasp its bioactive property to get optimum health benefits of cinnamon then prepare herbal tea by adding three inches of cinnamon bark in a cup of hot water and close the lid for 10 minutes and enjoy the drink. Cinnamon has a long shelf-life and easily store for 4 to 5 years in an air-tight container. Another useful tip that I want to share with readers is to select the Ceylon variety of cinnamon to get the best treatment outcome.

Fenugreek

I recommend fenugreek seed solution for newly detected diabetic patients to control their glycemia and dyslipidemia conditions.

Fenugreek contains soluble fibers such as glucomannan fiber restrict sugar absorption in your gut.
Fenugrecin and trigonelline are two alkaloids present in fenugreek have hypoglycemic effects
Fenugreek stimulates the pancreas to release insulin due to an amino acid (4 hydroxyisoleucine) present in this herbal ingredient. [8]

Tips to include fenugreek seeds in your daily diet for better diabetes management

Take 25 mg of fenugreek seeds and add them into a glass of water. Keep it overnight for soaking and drink the solution next morning in an empty stomach. Continue this therapy for one month. But monitor your blood glucose level regularly and maintain a dairy to keep the record of your blood sugar level. A human trial result reported that fenugreek seed solution significantly reduced overall cholesterol levels. [9]

Blueberry

Blueberry is a perfect Superfood for diabetic diet due to the following reasons:

Blueberry has a low glycemic index and.
Normalize blood sugar level by reducing insulin resistant
It also acts against obesity and metabolic disorders. [10]

Tips to include blueberry fruits in your daily diet for better diabetes management

Patients with type II diabetes can maintain their blood sugar level within a normal limit by adding blueberry in their daily diet. A bowl of blueberry can be a diabetic snake item. You can also mix Acai berries, Cranberries in your Blueberry bowl to make it a colorful and antioxidant-rich diabetic healthy diet to support the vital functioning of your body.

Moringa

Moringa becomes a more discussed Superfoods nowadays due to its multiple health benefits. One of the significant benefits of this herb is blood glucose maintenance within a normal limit. The glucose tolerance test has proven this benefit of moringa. The phytonutrients present in this Superfood effectively reduce post-prandial hyperglycemia and hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) levels. Moringa exerts an antihyperglycemic effect due to the following reasons:

Delays the intestinal glucose absorption
Increases glucose uptake in skeletal muscles and reduces glucose production in the liver by regulating enzymatic activity. [11]

Tips to include Moringa in your daily diet for better diabetes management

Leaves, seeds, and pods of Moringa have antidiabetic properties. You can add moringa leaves, and fruits in your soup preparation. Moringa powder is available in different organic shops, but you should keep your eyes on the authenticity of the product to avoid any adulteration. You add 500mg moringa powder in green smoothie preparation and drink this healthful appetizer any time a day. But you should monitor blood sugar levels every day to avoid hypoglycemia.

Role of modified lifestyle measures in diabetes management

Physical activity has a positive role in diabetes management. Brisk walking, aerobic exercise, and swimming are different physical activities diabetic patients can include in their daily life to maintain blood glucose levels. But I recommend yoga should be an integral modified lifestyle measure for the diabetic patient for better management of overall health condition.

The systematic approach of yoga is not only limited to physical health but also influence mental well-being. Yoga can advocate mind-full eating and stress-free life, which are two essential parameters to prevent raising blood glucose levels. [12] The following are significant benefits of yoga in diabetes management:

Yoga can regulate eating patterns
Practicing yoga support mind-body connection, which improves self-awareness
Yoga brings modest weight loss
Regular yoga practice can significantly reduce both fasting and post-prandial blood sugar. [13]
Yoga is also an effective diabetes preventive measure.

How to practice yoga for diabetes management?

I have researched and found the following yoga schedule that can lower down both fasting and post-prandial blood sugar. But you have to follow this schedule regularly. You can observe a noticeable change in the blood test report and health parameters within six months.

Sl. No.	Yoga Practices	Duration
1	Prayer	3 Minutes
2	Omkar recitation	3 Minutes
3	Pranayama	5 Minutes
4	Various asanas: · Vajrasana · Halasana · Matsyasana · Bhujangasana · Paschimottanasana · Shalabhasana · Vakrasana · Sarvangasana	30 Minutes
5	Shavasana	5 Minutes

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4437062/

My aim to include this topic in my blog is to increase general awareness. Not only depend on polypharmacy to control blood glucose labels but bring changes in daily life after reading this blog and help the world to fight against the increasing incidence of diabetes and its complications.

References

How detox therapy cleanses our body?

Nita — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 11:59:14 +0000

Detox therapy becomes an established alternative medicinal practice in many western countries in recent days. But many health-conscious people have a query about how it works to cleansing our internal physiological system. Whereas, some have doubts that do detoxification therapy works to remove toxins from our body or not! Readers go through the content to clear your doubt on detox therapy.

Detox therapy is not a new concept. The sauna bath was the ancient detoxification rituals among native Americans. The profuse sweating during sauna purifies and cleansing the body both internally and externally. Bloodletting, fasting, and enemas were also different detoxification process which medically legitimate until the early 20th century. [1] In Ayurveda, Panchakarma also followed the detoxification principle. [2] But in recent days, people reconsidered the self-detoxification process to deal with the increasing release of xenobiotics like emerging pathogens, smoggy air, chemical loaded water supply, harmful metals in different usable items, etc. Exposure to all these harmful substances leads to adverse health effects, such as hormonal imbalance, neurological disorders, and reproductive disruption, increasing incidence of chronic fatal diseases like cancers, autoimmune ailments, and cardiovascular diseases. [2]

What is detox therapy?

Detox therapy is a set of interventions to intoxicate acute toxicity or detoxify the body after exposure to harmful substances. Detox therapy also applied to rescue from substance abuse. [3] Even continuous metabolic process inside our body also generates waste products which unable to eliminate through the excretion process and increase toxic load in our body. [2] Detox therapy has the aim to reduce the toxic load from the body by eliminating existing toxins and avoiding the loading of new toxins to improve the natural healing process of the body. [4]

Principle of detox therapy

Therapies that help to decrease the burden of toxic chemical in the body include hydrotherapy, exercise, fluids, herbs and

nutritional supplements that support liver detoxification pathways and

chelation’

The primary principle to conduct the detox therapy is to support liver and gut functions for the complete elimination of toxic load.

Evidential Support

Although many research papers questioning the efficacy of detox therapy due to the lack of trial results. [5] But some clinical data showed positive responses like food supplement with modified diet had found improved metabolic functioning. Moreover, a long-term research study reviewed report also supported good or great self-rated results among 83% of people who had followed a properly designed detoxification protocol. [2]

What are the different detoxification processes followed in detox therapy?

The following are different detox therapies recommended to reduce the toxic load from the body.

Promoting intake of cleansing foods
Increase the intake of fruits and vegetables
Supplementation of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants
Incorporating organic wholesome food items
Probiotics intake
Reduce polluted environmental exposure
Increase intake of fibers to bulking the stool
Reduce intake of food amount
Avoid intake of animal foods
Incorporation of cholagogue herbs, lymphagogue herbs, and laxative herbs
Sauna
Chelating agents’ intake
Skin brushing
Hydrotherapy
Breathing exercise
Increased intake of protein-rich foods
Colonic irrigation
Combination with other alternative medicines like homeopathic remedies, massage therapy, nasal irrigation, etc.
Fasting

The naturopath experts recommend the above-mentioned processes alone or jointly for generalized detoxification. [2]

Which health conditions require detox therapy?

Being a naturopathy doctor, I suggest to start detox therapy in the following health conditions:

Disease prevention and generalized cleansing process
After exposure to a hazardous environment for a prolonged period
Gastrointestinal disorder
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Liver diseases
Premenstrual syndrome
Menopause
Hormonal imbalance
Infertility
Weight loss
Depression
Recovery after radiation therapy or chemotherapy
Heavy metal toxicity
Pre-conceiving
Unexplainable Chronic body ache
Depression

Which indications indicate to start detox therapy?

Healthcare expert recommends detox therapy based on some sign and symptoms usually occur due to an increase in the toxic load, which are as follows:

The poor complexion, skin rash, greasiness, lesions
Taste disturbances, bad breath, digestive abnormality
Fatigue, concentration problem
Muscle pains, and ache
Hyper-reactivity to medicine
Decrease tolerability on the external environment

Most of the detox therapies are harmless, but it is always suggested to diagnose the underlining condition before initiating any intervention.

Why herbs and superfoods side-benefitted detox therapy?

Different types of detox therapy are established in natural therapy to cleanses the body, but few research studies were conducted to check their efficacy and safety. Some of these study results showed positive outcomes in terms of weight loss, fat burn, maintenance of blood glucose level, regulating blood pressure. The efficacy and safety of long-term outcomes of detox therapy are debatable due to the lack of high-quality research data. [6] I prefer to include herbs and superfoods in daily diet to promote a safe detoxification process because the process only gives you side benefits without any side effects.

What herbs and superfoods used in detox therapy?

Cabbage, broccoli, turnip, kale, cauliflower are examples of Brassica vegetables that induce detoxification enzymes and helps in the cleansing body. These vegetables are also a rich source of antioxidants and help to lower down oxidative stress. [7]

Beat root and dandelion also cleanse the body system. [2] The potent antioxidant property of beat root protects from xenobiotics induced liver damage. [8] One glass of red-purple beetroot juice can detoxify your body by upholding liver health.

The liver plays a vital role in the detoxification of the body, but it is one of the vulnerable organs towards injury due to its anatomical location and function. Antifibrotic, antioxidant, antilipidemic, and anticancer properties of dandelion make this plant a promising hepatoprotective agent. [9] I suggest you drink a cup of dandelion tea every day to detoxify your body by protecting your liver naturally. For preparing dandelion tea you can use the leaves, flowers, and roots of this plant. Thoroughly wash these plant parts and chop them into small pieces and add 1 to 2 teaspoon in a cup hot water and cover the lead for 10-15 minutes. Enjoy this detox tea during your detox therapy.

Cranberry helps to breakdown excess fats and promotes transportation through lymph vessels. Promoting lymphatic circulation helps the cleansing body. [10] Therefore, I suggest drinking fresh cranberry juice regularly to detoxify your body naturally. But you may not like unsweetened cranberry juice. I recommend cranberry lemonade to solve this problem. You can prepare it in your kitchen by mixing unsweetened cranberry juice with stevia to flush out toxins by free lymph movement into the lymphatic vessels and also detoxify the liver and kidneys.

Use Triphala powder that is a mixture of equal quality of ground Chebulic myrobalan (Terminalia chebula), Bibhitaki (Terminalia belarica), and Indian gooseberry (Emblica officinalis). This formulation is effective in cleanses your gut due to its laxative property. This combination acts as a detoxifying agent and rejuvenates the body system. [11]

Detox therapy is not a tough task, but small dietary changes can clean your system effectively and prevent you to fall ill.

References

Parental tips to solve the challenges of holistic development of teenagers

Nita — Sat, 10 Oct 2020 14:37:18 +0000

Holistic development encompasses the physical, intellectual, emotional, and relational aspects of life. Globalization, urbanization, and individualization alter the lifestyle of young adults. Eating disorder, obesity, malnutrition, unsafe early onset of sexual behavior, sexual abuse, reproductive and urinary infections, depression, violence, addiction, school dropouts, suicidal tendency, and other psycho-social disorders among teenagers are common familial as well as social issues. [1] Teenagers and their parents would go a long way in preventing these problems.

A flexible parental mindset is the foremost important management to deal with these challenges and to reinforce the holistic development among teenagers. Parents should consider every teenager is a person and has diverse needs. Parents need to recognize and respond to these requirements keeping flexibility in their minds. Both teenagers and their parents jointly participate in different awareness programs to increase their understanding of nutritional, personal, sexual, and environmental health and hygiene. This can help parents to update their knowledge and teenagers can be a better decision-maker to live a healthy life.

Supportive care to deal with physical changes

The physical transition during teenage due to the onset of puberty requires some supportive care to avoid misguided your child from unauthentic sources. [2] During this stage, following parental supportive care require to cope up with the changes:

Give stress to build self-esteem and confidence to your child so that he/she can positively accept his/her physical changes. Do not compare with others or criticize them.
Play a positive role model by eating and offering nutritious foods and healthy drinks. Teenagers require a more calorie supply to match the physical demand. Healthy eating habit at this crucial stage of life remains its benefits until their later stage of life.
Encourage physical activity to burn excess calories and help to keep themselves physically fit. [3] This can help to develop a positive self-image and they also tried hard to become a role model for the society.
Express parental love by showing respect to their physical space but keep in touch with maintaining an open level communication.
Allow teens to apply grooming habits and accept their prolonged bathroom time to sustain a sense of control over their developing bodies in their advanced adolescence age.
Answer sex-related questions honestly but in a knowledgeable way. Show them proper images and educational videos for better understanding by referring to educational websites.

Supportive care to build cognitive development

Your child may not decide their life at their nascent stage but start thinking of their life after reaching their teenage. The concrete thinking operation processing in the brain starts developing after seven years of age and is completed at eleven years. At approximately twelve to fifteen years of age, teenagers developed advanced reasoning skills. Teens usually give priority to their feeling during the thinking process because at this stage brain develops meta-cognition processing. Realistic thinking, logical strategies, memory retainment are the parts of cognitive development during adolescence. [4] These cognitive changes require the following parental supportive care:

Carefully listen to your teens and show respect to their process to develop a genuine trustworthy relationship.
Discuss with your teenage boy/girl about their opinion on different behavioral rules. And encourage them to act in a safe environment and deal with the consequences of the reality check.
Give chance to your teens to take risky actions under your supervision in a fully controlled environment.
Share your bitter experiences with teens and what you learned from them, so that they may not repeat the history.
Provide an opportunity for teens and encourage them to participate in community services for their overall development.

Supportive care for psychosocial development

How teens interact with family and friends is an indication of their psychosocial development. Often psychosocial development of teens influenced by peer pressure, as they spend more time with their friends and lesser time with family. Therefore, both acceptable and non-acceptable social skills are developed, and teens practice them in the influence of their peer group. But teens tend to make their long-term decisions related to their education and values in the influence of their parental inspirations. But they used to showcase themselves as a cool guy and want to enjoy life. Their interest frequently changes due to their fickle mind. [4]

Teens have a demand for their own space and privacy. They are more curious about sexuality and want to know how their parents handled this issue, but unable to ask. They start reading different articles and watch the video to get the answers. Often, teens tend to feel they know to become argumentative and start questioning the values and judgments of adults. [4] Therefore, following supportive care help teens to build consistent psychosocial behavior.

Provide a safe and structured environment where a teen can get the opportunity to create their behavioral guidelines and deal with the consequences. This will help them to become a responsible person for their actions.
Keep a close watch on friends and associations of your son and daughter. Try to make a friendly relationship with parents or guardians of your child’s friend circles. Discuss your views about them with your daughter or son and aware of them if you don’t feel anything right about their behavior.
Give enough opportunity to your home, so that teens feel comfortable to chill out.
Do not forget to praise teens for their efforts, and accomplishments.
Exhibit your cool acceptance of their physiological growth and development. Like, mother and daughter go for lunch to celebrate her first onset of the menstrual cycle or a father can arrange camping and enjoy it with his son when he starts to shave.
Helps teenagers to attempt realistic goal and reward their achievements and do not forget to praise them. This helps them to know the requirements to live a healthy and happy life.
Give your teens importance by listening to them carefully and spending quality time with them.

Different supportive care systems require to deal with behavioral changes that occur during teenage. Parents have to understand the situation from their experiences and provide support to overcome the behavioral challenges their teens faced during their adolescent period. Parents need to be always calm and showcase their care about their child’s help to avoid developing aggressive behavior among their teenagers at this stage.

References

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222714094_ISSUES_IN_HOLISTIC_DEVELOPMENT_OF_ADOLESCENTS
https://ceufast.com/course/adolescent-holistic-health-issues
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK201497/
https://ceufast.com/course/adolescent-holistic-health-issues

Garlic: stink well accepted because of its extensive health benefits

Nita — Fri, 09 Oct 2020 16:20:43 +0000

Garlic is a superfood because of phytochemicals present in it have multiple health benefits. Garlic belongs to the Allium genus and is scientifically known as Allium Sativum. Allicin is a distinct phytochemical present in garlic responsible for releasing distinct smell after chewing or cutting. [1] Allicin breakdown and formed four specific compounds in our body after metabolism. Among them, allyl methyl sulfide can stay longer in our body and slowly release through exhale air, sweat, and pee and cause bad breath and body odor. [2]

In different folk medicinal systems, garlic widely used since the sixth century BC. Some ancient history had referred to following traditional therapeutic application of garlic:

Athletes who had participated in the initial Olympics league in Greece used garlic Greece to increase their stamina.
Ancient Indian and Chinese medicinal practices recommended garlic for relieving respiratory distress and digestion problem. And for treating leprosy and parasitic invasions.
A book, ‘Al Qanoon Fil Tib’ was written by Avicenna mentioned garlic as an effective treatment for arthritis, chronic cough, constipation, gynecologic diseases, insect and snake bites, parasitic infestation, toothache, and could act as an antibiotic treatment for treating infectious diseases. [3]

Nutritional value of garlic

The nutritional value of garlic is high due to its macro, micro, and bioactive nutrients. The estimated amount of different nutrients are as follows:

Nutritional Value per 100 gm	Amount
Energy	149 kcal
Carbohydrates	33.06 g
Dietary fiber	2.1g
Sugar	1g
Protein	6.36g
Fat	0.5g
Minerals
Calcium	181 mg
Magnesium	25 mg
Iron	1.7 mg
Phosphorus	153 mg
Manganese	1.672 mg
Sodium	17 mg
Potassium	401 mg
Zinc	1.16 mg
Vitamins
Thiamin (B1)	0.2 mg
Riboflavin (B2)	0.11 mg
Niacin (B3)	0.7 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)	0.596 µg
Pyridoxin (B6)	1.235 µg
Folate (B9)	3 µg
Vitamin C	31.2 mg
Other Constituents
Selenium	14.2 µg
Water	59 g

Source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330761861_Proven_Health_Benefits_of_Garlic-A_Review

However, the nutritional value of garlic is not fixed as 600 different species with characteristic aroma belong to the Allium genus with the different nutritional properties. [4] Apart from this, planting, harvesting, transportation, storage, and other processing factors can also alter this value. [5]

What health-promoting factors are present in Garlic?

Garlic has different subspecies. They can be broadly classified as hard-neck garlic (not easily braided and contains 4 to 12 cloves) and soft-neck garlic (easily braided and contains 10 to 40 cloves). [3,6] Following are multiple health-promoting compounds are loaded in a small garlic clove:

Sulfur compounds

Alliin, allicin, and γ-glutamyl-S-alkyl cysteine are the primary bioactive phytochemicals responsible to make garlic as a superfood. Allicin acts as a sensory nerve stimulator that leads to vasodilatation by activating neuropeptides. Allicin can scavenge free radicals due to its antioxidant property. [7]

Sulfur-free compounds

Not only the sulfur compounds, but sulfur-free compounds present in garlic work together and provide various health benefits. [4]

Phenolic and steroidal compounds

Research findings reported that phenolic and steroidal compounds obtain from garlic also promote the therapeutic value of this superfood. [7]

Diallyl trisulfide

Diallyl trisulfide a flavor component present in garlic exhibits antitumor activity. [4]

Why Garlic is considered as a Superfood?

Garlic has multiple medicinal properties due to a combination of phytonutrients that impart a wide range of health-promoting, disease-preventing, and treating benefits. Not only traditional application but scientific research evidence also supports the health benefits of garlic. In many pharmaceutical stores, garlic supplements get a space in complementary medicinal shelves. The following are scientifically proved different health benefits of garlic. [4]

Natural Antimicrobial

Intake of garlic gives you protection against multiple microbial infections such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites invasions. The allicin present in garlic suppresses the microbial growth by interacting with the enzymatic function of the microorganisms and thus helps in curing the infection. Garlic can treat multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. It also helps to balance the beneficial intestinal microflora by inhibiting harmful enterobacteria. [3] If you are suffering from frequent unexplained diarrhea, then take a teaspoonful of raw garlic juice twice a day to get relief from such chronic stomach infections. The antimicrobial effect of garlic is effective against Helicobacter pylori and can prevent gastric ulcers. [8] You can also apply garlic juice topically to treat fungal skin infections, as an animal study showed an effective result against S. schencki fungal infections. [9] Garlic has a synergistic action on antibiotic therapy, so I recommend you take garlic as an adjuvant therapy along with antibiotic treatment to get faster relief from bacterial infections. [8] The antimicrobial property of garlic is expected to prevent cold and cough attacks. [10]

Heart-healthy effect

Garlic can take care of your heart. Multiple heart-healthy mechanisms of garlic including LDL lowering effect without hampering HDL, fibrinolytic Inhibitory activity, prevent platelet aggregation, blood pressure-lowering effect, and antiarrhythmic effect. [11] Both animal and human trial results backed these benefits of garlic. Therefore, both cardiac patients and individuals who have a risk of cardiac disease include garlic in your daily diet for better management of the cardiac functioning.

Anticarcinogenic agent

In 1958, researchers first discovered that garlic has anti-tumor property. Garlic targets cancer cells by inducing apoptotic cell death and angiogenic activity. It is an effective remedy for gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, and liver cancer protection. [12]

Control blood sugar level

Garlic has a hypoglycemic effect due to enhance serum insulin levels and its antioxidant property. [11] Research experts assumed that garlic could increase insulin secretion by activating the pancreas or release bounded insulin. Diabetic patients who are taking metformin medications can include garlic in their daily diet as adjuvant therapy for better blood sugar control. [3]

Prevent brain aging

Impaired cerebrovascular diseases with increasing of age cause different neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s Disease, dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, motor neuron disease, and Huntington’s Disease. Garlic has antioxidant properties and prevents cell death and fat deposition in the arteries. The phytochemicals present in garlic can protect neuronal cells against beta-amyloid toxicity and cell death (apoptosis). Beta-amyloid toxicity is a primary reason for Alzheimer’s Disease. [13]

Immune system booster

Immune system disorder leads to the development and progression of several diseases. Garlic can modulate immune system functioning. This superfood modulates cytokine secretion, immunoglobulin production, phagocytosis, and macrophage activation by stimulating different immune cell activities like lymphocytes, macrophages, eosinophils, natural killer (NK) cells, and dendritic cells. [14]

Bone health improvement

Many women are facing bone disorders like bone loss and decrease bone density after menopause. Reduced estrogen level is one of the involve pathophysiology. But daily intake of raw garlic clove is a source of garlic oil that can help to maintain estrogen level by reducing oxidative stress in lymphocytes and macrophages. Garlic is also a natural source of calcium. Therefore, you can use this small superfood as a bone supplement as a prophylactic treatment to prevent bone mass reduction. [15]

Effective against kidney disorders

Chronic hypertension can cause kidney disorders. Hypertension management is an effective treatment to prevent kidney injury. The anti-hypertensive property of garlic is well studied. Allicin, the bioactive phytochemical of Garlic can lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Thus it reduces the risk of kidney failure and effective complementary treatment of chronic kidney diseases. [16]

Tips to Include Garlic in your daily diet

The garlic can be stored for several months. Proper ventilation is necessary to store garlic to prevent mold attack. But I recommend you use fresh garlic bulbs with tight peel and fleshy pulps to get maximum active ingredients. Do not use dried, moldy, loose, and frayed garlic, as these are signs of aging. Phytonutrients are degraded with aging and unable to provide adequate health benefits.
The antioxidant property of garlic is not completely damaged even after cutting or on exposure to heat. [7] Chopping or smashing of garlic cloves triggers a chemical reaction to produce allicin and imparting health benefits. You can add crushed garlic in different recipes. However, immediate high heat exposure can reduce the allicin production. Therefore, after chopping the garlic cloves wait for 5 to 10 min to complete the reaction and then cook it in moderate heat. Exposure to high flame heat can decrease the health benefits of garlic. [17]
Hongqixing and Ershuizao are two garlic varieties that have distinct medicinal properties compared with other varieties. If possible, select these two varieties to get the highest health benefits of garlic. [4]
If you worry about garlic stink and avoid intake garlic. Then I suggest munch some mint leaves to prevent the garlicky smell from your breath. This small effort can bring a big change in your health.

What precautionary measure requires to include barley grass in a regular diet?

Moderate intake of garlic does not cause any side effects. I suggest you should intake garlic within 500mg to 1 gm per day. Excessive intake of garlic can cause nausea and other gastrointestinal disorders. Some may experience excessive sweating, dizziness, and headache. Individuals with allergic tendencies should avoid eating garlic preparation. Before including garlic in the daily diet, talk with doctors who have taken prescribed antiplatelet medication. Garlic has an antiplatelet effect and may additively interact with the prescribed medication that leads to hemorrhage. [11]

Note: Write to me if you have any queries regarding the health benefits of garlic by filling the form under the contact section or in the comment box.

References

Barley grass: Promotes health by supporting basic physiological functioning

Nita — Tue, 06 Oct 2020 10:49:30 +0000

You may aware of barley, but may this crop does not get a place in your diet. But barley gets global recognition as a fourth important cereal due to multiple reasons including its high fiber content, a functional ingredient in beer preparation, and Chinese herbal medicine. The healthiest major dietary guidelines for modern humans also have enlisted barley. Therefore, if you consider you are modern and health-conscious, then I hope soon barley gets a place in your kitchen.

But do you have any idea about barley grass and its health-promoting effects? You can grow barley grass if you have a passion for pot gardening. Barley grass is young green leaves and stem arise from barley seedling. Barley green appears almost ten days after sprouting. The nutritional parameters of barley grass are at peak at the elongation stage just before the reproductive cycle of barley starts. It has multiple therapeutic benefits to prevent chronic diseases, like circulatory disorders, reducing obesity, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, anti-arthritis, anti-diabetes, and control cholesterol levels.

Nutritional value of Barley Grass

The nutritional and functional ingredients list of barley grass is quite long. It contains both macro and micro nutritional substances. Barley grass is a rich source of fiber, protein, and dietary fats. The significant quantity of trace minerals and essential vitamins include calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, sulfur, chromium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, and folic acid. Chlorophyll, β-carotene are two natural pigments present in barley grass along with bioactive phytochemicals like flavonoid, polyphenol, Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), tryptophan, and many more which make barley grass as a nutritious and functional herbal ingredient. You may surprise to know the following fact that the nutritional value of certain nutrients in barley grass is significantly higher than commonly known healthy food items. [1]

Macro/micro nutrients	Barley grass	Other food items
Vitamin B1	30 times more than	Cow milk
Vitamin B1	4 times more than	Whole wheat
Calcium	11 times more than	Cow Milk
Carotene	6.5 times more than	Spinach
Iron	5 times more than	Spinach
Vitamin C	7 times more than	Orange
Protein	2 times more than	Barley grains
Total flavonoids	2.1 times more than	Brown rice
Alkaloids	10.7 times more than	Brown rice
GABA (is an amino acid takes part in neurological functioning)	37.8 times more than	Brown rice

What are the health-promoting factors present in barley grass?

The unique functional nutritional composition of barley grass makes this green as a health-promoting herb. If you read the following details, you also agree with my view.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)

GABA inhibits neurotransmission and smoothens neurological excitement that occurs in the brain. Barley grass exerts multiple health benefits due to the presence of this bioactive composition. This green herb controls your anxiety and gives mental relaxation by regulating the sleep cycle, which is essential for enduring cognitive and reproductive functioning. GABA contents of barley grass activate antioxidant defense which alleviates oxidative damage.

Apart from GABA, barley grass contains 20 amino acids including eight essential amino acids. This abundant source of plant-based amino acids makes you more energetic throughout the day by increasing energy production. Barley grass keeps you young by improving cell building, and regeneration. These balance cellular damage that occurs with aging because of the bioactive constituent present in it. [1]

Flavonoids

Barley grass containing flavonoids have radical scavenging activity. Intake of barley grass after a meal can act against excessive weight gain due to the presence of a variety of flavonoids. Research conducted in the European population reported that flavonoids intake can reduce the risk of gastric cancer. [1]

Enzymes

Barley grass contains almost 300 different variety of enzymes which are ready to use by our body to maintain the natural antioxidant ability. [1] Free radical burden in our physiology is the main culprit for aging and associated diseases. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and other antioxidants we produce in our body to combat the free radicals. But unfortunately, our sedentary lifestyle, exposure to pollutants, and the intake of many chemicals containing items often increase the load of free radicals. These bring early aging and much chronic illness. Barley grass intake can compensate for the need for antioxidant enzymes need in our body, because Barley grass is loaded with SOD, catalase, and other antioxidant enzymes. [1]

Minerals

Barley grass contains many trace minerals, but potassium, calcium, iron, and sulfur are present in the highest amount. Potassium containing diet is usually recommended for individuals who have to tend to develop hypertension, cardiac problems, and Alzheimer’s disease. Potassium plays an important role in the improvement of cognitive performance due to its anti-inflammatory and oxidative stress management ability. [1]

Chlorophyll pigment

The intense green color of Barley grass is due to the presence of chlorophyll pigment. Chlorophyll and heme are considered as fundamental pigments of life. Without these two, no life can exist on this earth. Chlorophyll is not only essential for photosynthesis but has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which prevent diseases. [1]

Vitamins

You already read the multiple vitamin compositions in Barley grass in the nutritional value section. A combination of these vitamins can act as a catalyst to regulate bodily functioning and prevent the onset of diseases. [1]

Polyphenols

The polyphenols composition of Barley grass plays a protective role against cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. [1]

How Barley grass promotes health?

Regulate sleep cycle

Adequate sleep is very important to keep ourselves healthy. But work stress or other anxiety often hampers our sleep cycle and make us dizzy throughout the day. NitaNaturale recommends to its readers to include Barley grass powder in your dinner along with rice or wheat flour to improve your sleep cycle. A combination of GABA, Calcium, and potassium in Barley grass imparts this benefit. [1]

Immunity enhancer

Hard-immunity is essential to survive in the present as well as the future world. Barley grass stimulates immune functioning to act against invaders. [1]

Liver protective

The liver is the largest gland present in our body and plays an important role in detoxification. Therefore, a healthy liver is an utmost need to lead a healthy life. Deficient natural antioxidant enzymes are a major cause of liver cancer development. Barley grass containing antioxidant enzymes can provide hepatoprotection. [1]

Conserve skin health

Barley grass maintains the intracellular homeostasis and also takes part in detoxification. [1] Both of these bioactivities are essential for maintaining long-lasting skin health. If you have an acne tendency, then include Barley grass in your green smoothie recipes to make it an acne-treatment recipe.

Individuals who inflammatory skin diseases, NitaNaturale announces good news for them that Barley grass is a new therapeutic way to treat atopic dermatitis. GABA present in Barley grass regulates the Th1/Th2 balance, which corrects the immune response of our body. [1]

Mental health well-being

Vitamin and minerals present in Barley grass prevent stress-related psychiatric disorders like depression symptoms. Barley grass is an effective herbal remedy to prevent mental disorders like depression, dementia by regulating the hippocampus functioning. [1]

A combination of GABA and potassium present in Barley grass also increase cognitive effects. [1] You have another reason to include Barley grass in your daily life to do better performance in your workplace.

Take care of gastro-intestinal health

The water-insoluble dietary fiber present in young barley leaf is an excellent laxative, which prevents constipation. [1]
Barley grass also a good remedy for indigestion as it lowers gastrointestinal pH and prevents gastric ulcers. [1]
Barley grass also effective to support the digestive system against ulcerative colitis, pancreatitis, and other gastrointestinal disorders. [1]

Promotes cardiovascular functioning

Barley grass can prevent blood clotting inside the blood vessels and uphold the blood fluidity, [1]which is essential for the smooth functioning of the cardiovascular system.
Individuals who have hemoglobin deficiency can take barley leaf juice regularly. Chlorophyll and iron content in this herb promotes hemoglobin synthesis and balance oxygen supply to everybody tissues. Saponarin is a flavonoid present in Barley grass plays an important role in regulating blood pressure. [1]
A combination of potassium, calcium, GABA with minimum sodium content in Barley grass can lowering hypertension. [1]
Barley leaf has a lipid-lowering effect as it modulates lipid metabolism, opposes lipid peroxidation, and improves vascular endothelium. These mechanisms altogether prevent atherosclerosis. Barley grass control cholesterol level by improving cholesterol metabolism and reducing cholesterol synthesis due to the presence of Hexacosanol in it. But this herb significantly increases the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. [1]

Good for Bone Health

Barley grass can act as a natural calcium supplement which helps to intact the bone composition and prevent osteoporosis. Barley grass also reduces the uric acid level and treat gout. [1]

Prevents rapid fatigue condition

Lutonarin and saponarin are the phytochemicals present in the Barley grass act against hypoxia. An animal research result reported that Barley grass had anti-fatigue due to its antianoxic effect, which helps to improve endurance in physical activity. [1]

Antitumor & anticancer

We cannot ignore the advancement of medical science. But still, medical science does not win against certain serious health disorders like Cancer. Unwanted cell growth due to mutagenic changes in cells leads to tumor formation and in the serious condition it turns to cancer formation. A recent journal published review report stated that the antioxidant property of barley grass containing phytochemicals could be a promising tumor treatment. [2] However, different research papers have mentioned barley grass has anticancer activity and prevents gastric cancer. [1]

Normalizes blood sugar level

Dietary fiber of barley grass is effective to normalize fasting blood sugar level, whereas saponarin present in this green herb controls the postprandial blood glucose in diabetic condition. Barley grass is an effective treatment to control stress-related hyperglycemia as it then functions as insulin. [1]

Tips to include Barley grass in your daily diet

Take raw Barley grass preparation to intact enzyme content, which may be degraded during cooking.
If you have a body odor problem, take a glass of Barley grass juice daily. Chlorophyll and soluble protein in Barley grass can solve the issue by omitting the root cause of this problem. [1]
Always select young Barley grass, which is more nutritious, increasing the seeding rate impact its nutritional value. If you have Barley grass plantation in your kitchen garden, then collect barley grass between 13 to 56 days after sprouting.
If you or your family member have diabetes, check Vitamin B12 level periodically, as often the diabetic patient has Vitamin B12 deficiency. Barley grass can compensate for the deficiency.
If you have gout, take fermented barley extract to normalize uric acid level.
Barley grass is a health trendy herb often used in a green smoothie. You can prepare the smoothie by putting one banana, one cup apple juice, 15 gm fresh Barley grass, 100gm mixed berries, and 10 to 15 mint leaves in a blender. Blend them till the mixture becomes smooth and frothy. Enjoy this energetic drink any time in a day to refresh your mind and body.
Barley grass powder is one of the best functional foods for both healthy individuals and patients with chronic illnesses.
If you want to Barley grass is ready to eat from, then Yungong branded Barley grass powder is well tested. [1] Otherwise you can buy organically sourced Barley grass powder, which can be manufactured by freeze-drying or spray-drying process to increase its shelf -life.
The recommended dose of Barley grass powder is 1.2 g/day. [1] You need to take this for two months if you want to get a significant result of the reduction of fasting blood sugar, glycated hemoglobin, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.

What precautionary measure requires to include barley grass in regular diet?

If you have any chronic illness, then inform your dietician that you want to include Barley grass in your diet. Dietician will guide you better regimen which suits your condition.

Note: Blogs under NitaNaturale contain some medical terms and concepts, which you may not know in detail. For better understanding, readers can feel free to contact me by filling the consultation form under the contact section.

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