The pomegranate is an extraordinary fruit, steeped in history: the number of seeds (roughly 613) found in a single fruit were said by ancient scholars to correspond to the 613 commands of the Hebrew Torah. Now, renowned herbalist James Duke, a former ecologist with the USDA, has published (in the April, 2008 issue of Alternative & Complementary Therapies) an exhaustive review of the scientific literature on the pomegranate. His conclusion: it is “one of the most promising of health foods” with “a dozen known anti-inflammatory phytochemicals and some 3 dozen antioxidants.” Duke found studies that suggest pomegranate fruit and/or juice may help prevent or alleviate:
- Heart disease and atherosclerosis
- High cholesterol
- Prostate cancer
- Alzheimer's disease
If you have access to inexpensive pomegranates (as many in the southern U.S. do; the trees grow prolifically with little tending) or can afford the delicious but rather expensive juices now on the market, by all means indulge. And if you can't, remember that deep-colored fruits such as cherries, blueberries and raspberries, and deep-colored vegetables, all offer similar benefits. Enjoy!
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Pycnogenol for Jet Lag
Melatonin works well for jet lag, and now it appears that pycnogenol (pine bark extract) may do so as well. Italian researchers reported that taking pycnogenol for a few days before and after a long flight may cut the severity and duration of jet lag. The investigators asked study participants to take 50 mg of the extract three times a day, beginning two days before long flights (seven to nine hours), and for five days after the flight. A control group received a placebo. In the 48 hours following the flight, all participants reported symptoms such as fatigue, grogginess and insomnia. The group that took the pycnogenol had symptoms that lasted an average of 18.2 hours, while participants in the control group reported symptoms lasting an average of 39.3 hours. In the second part of the study, all participants underwent brain scans within 28 hours of their flights. The researchers noted that the controls showed more swelling in the brain than the participants who took pycnogenol. The investigators suggested that jet lag symptoms may be related to swelling of the brain, which may be prevented by the pycnogenol. The study was published in the October 2008 issue of the journal Minerva Cardioangiologica.
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Exercise Plus Sleep to Prevent Cancer
Regular exercise can cut your risk of cancer… but only if you also get enough sleep! That news comes from a 10-year National Cancer Institute (NCI) study involving nearly 6,000 women. In a report to the annual conference of the American Association of Cancer Research, James McClain, Ph.D., of the NCI said that researchers aren't sure how exercise works to prevent cancer - its effects on hormone levels, the immune system and body weight may be involved - but it does seem to protect against several types of cancer including malignancies of the breast and colon. The NCI study found a significantly reduced risk of cancer overall and of breast cancer in particular among those who exercised the most. But this advantage was wiped out among women who didn't get at least seven hours of sleep at night. McClain said the next stage of research would be to confirm the findings and investigate the connection between sleep and exercise to see how they're related to cancer prevention.
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Miso Soup
Miso soup is the Japanese version of chicken soup - a combination soul food and comfort food. It is traditionally eaten at breakfast in Japan as a daily staple. Miso is a paste made from fermented soybeans, and is full of antioxidants like vitamin E, as well as protective fatty acids. It's healthful and delicious, and the Japanese say that the linoleic acid in miso promotes soft skin. The soybeans miso is made from also contain isoflavones and other elements that provide protection against some forms of cancer. To preserve these properties, miso should not be boiled. Add it to a soup after it has been removed from direct heat.
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Healthy Aging Tip
Courtesy of Dr.Weil on Healthy Aging
Healthful Spice: Garlic. This culinary mainstay also provides a host of health benefits, including improving cholesterol ratios, lowering blood pressure and platelet aggregation, and even reducing the risk of stroke and heart attack. It also has antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties, making it especially helpful in combating colds. A simple way to treat a cold is to eat two cloves of raw garlic at the onset of symptoms. Chop or crush the cloves to release the allicin (a sulfur compound with strong antibiotic effects) and put them on a sandwich or mix them in applesauce.
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