Sunday 18 September 2011

SUNFLOWER SEEDS AND SPROUTS

-7 Top Health Benefits from eating them!


I have already written about the astounding health benefits from the Sun, which helps our bodies to make vitamin D. Well it should be no wonder any at all that the Sunflower Plant is also a very rich provider of health benefits to the human body. The sunflower seeds come from the big round centre of the sunflower, which turns every day to follow the course of the sun. It is definitely one of the unsung heroes of the nutritional world because they are cheap, very accessible, they are available all year round and they are tremendously nutritious.  They have extremely high levels of Vitamin E, a significant source of Vitamin C, a rich source for Vitamin B and they are also packed with minerals such as Magnesium and Zinc. The sunflower sprout is also packed with all the vitamins mentioned earlier, as well as protein, but it is also a very good source of chlorophyll which helps to cleanse the body of toxins. To top it off sunflower seeds also contain a significant amount of fibre.

Now here are the 7 most significant benefits to the body from the sunflower:

Cancer Prevention:
The vitamin E that is so abundant in sunflower seeds has been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer, bladder cancer and prostate cancer. Sunflower seeds are also however a good source of selenium which detoxifies the body and help to prevent cancer. There are studies which suggest a strong correlation between low selenium intake and high incidence of cancer. Selenium has been shown to induce DNA repair and synthesis in damaged cells, to slow the growth of cancer cells and to induce their apoptosis (i.e. the self-destruct mechanism that the body uses to get rid of abnormal cells). A ¼ cup of sunflower seeds provide over 30% of the body’s daily requirement of selenium.

Heart Health:
As already mentioned, sunflowers are an exceptional source of vitamin E, which plays a very important role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.  Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps keep free radicals from oxidising cholesterol. It is only when cholesterol is oxidized that it sticks to blood vessel walls and cause atherosclerosis, which can lead to blocked arteries, heart attack and stroke.  You can get over 90% of the daily value for vitamin E in only a ¼ cup of sunflower seeds!

Nerve Health:
Sunflower is a very good source of the mineral Magnesium. Magnesium keeps our nerves relaxed by preventing calcium from rushing into nerve cells and activating them. If our bodies do not have enough magnesium, then too much calcium can gain entrance to the nerve cells, causing it to send too many messages and leading to too much contraction. Magnesium therefore helps to keep calcium in check! (Do you notice that they tend to twin magnesium and calcium together as a supplement? Now you know why). Insufficient levels of magnesium leads to higher blood pressure, migraine headaches, muscle tension, soreness and fatigue. It is therefore not surprising that studies have demonstrated that magnesium helps to diminish the frequency of migraine attacks, lowers blood pressure and helps prevent heart attacks!  Sunflower seeds also contain tryptophan, an amino acid that helps to produce serotonin, which is an important neurotransmitter. Serotonin relieves tension, calms the brain and promotes relaxation.

Sunflower sprouts are also high in B vitamins, especially folate (folic acid), which is a necessary B-vitamin for pregnant women, as it is required to ensure proper development of the baby’s nervous system. The combinations of B-vitamins also assist in the mother’s circulation as well as aids in stress relief.

Bone Health:
Magnesium is also necessary for strong bones. It is a well known fact that calcium is necessary for strong bones, but so too is magnesium. Most of the magnesium in the human body is in our bones. Some of it actually helps to lend bones their physical structure and the rest is located on the surface of the bone where it is stored for the body to use as it needs it. Copper, (which is also found in sunflower seeds) is vital for the function of enzymes involved in cross linking collagen and elastin, providing strength and flexibility in bones and joints.

Skin Health:
Vitamin E to the rescue again!  It has sometimes been described as the “lightening rod” of the cell, as it allows reactive molecules to strike the cell like lightening without causing damage. This function of vitamin E is particularly apparent in the case of the skin, since it directly protects the skin from ultraviolet radiation.  In many studies, vitamin E has been proven to prevent UV damage even when applied topically. A diet that contains foods rich in vitamin E will therefore promote the same protective effect.

Anti-Inflammatory:
Vitamin E is the body’s primary fat-soluble antioxidant. It travels throughout the body neutralizing free radicals that would otherwise damage fat-containing structures and molecules such as cell membranes, brain cells and cholesterol. By protecting these cellular and molecular components, vitamin E’s significant anti-inflammatory effects result in the reduction of symptoms from asthma, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Fertility:
Both sunflower seeds and their sprouts contain high amounts of zinc. Zinc is a well researched mineral that is essential for the development of sperm. This is why it is especially important for men.

So the next time you are looking for a good add-in for your salads, or just looking for a good nutritious snack or drink, opt for some sunflower seeds or sprouts. Your body will be very grateful for it and it will definitely help to preserve your life!

Be blessed and stay healthy!
Sharbs

Sources:

Sunday 4 September 2011

CELL PHONES & CANCER

Many of you who know me well will recall that for years I have been warning about cell phone usage and the risk of cancer (especially if you have kids).  Most of you might recall my warning not to give your kids under the age of 12 years a cell phone as their skull is not fully developed as yet. I am sure that I am known by now as the ‘paranoid friend’. Well the health authorities have now finally decided to confirm this! This is unfortunate and most of you will be sorry to hear this because the cell phone has now become such an essential daily tool which we all feel like we cannot live without!

In 1993, talk-show host Larry King had a guest on his program -- David Reynard, who argued that radiation from a cell phone caused or accelerated the growth of a brain tumour in his wife. Susan Reynard died in 1992, just short of her 34th birthday. The Florida Circuit Court that heard Reynard's case rejected it on the grounds that too little was known about a potential link between cell phones and cancer. What was needed, the court said, was much deeper and more comprehensive knowledge about the subject.

Scientists have long debated whether or not radiation from cell phones can cause adverse health effects but the scientific evidence has now proven this from research conducted. A branch of the World Health organization (WHO), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), has now officially labelled cell phone usage as “possibly carcinogenic”, grouping it with the same risk category as lead, the pesticide DDT and gasoline fumes. Their research has concluded that prolonged use of cell phones may increase chances of developing ‘glioma’ (a type of brain cancer). Of course the report is not claiming that cell phones cause cancer, but the scientists are calling for more research to be done to draw further conclusions about the health effects. As far as I am concerned however I do not need to get any further conclusions on top of what have already been concluded. A group of 31 scientists from 14 countries around the world had assembled in June 2011 and reviewed hundreds of scientific articles before making this conclusion so you can decide for yourselves but this is enough of a conclusion for me.

So why do scientists think cell phones might cause brain cancer?

During phone calls and other data transmissions, cell phone antennas emit radio wave, which is a form of electromagnetic radiation, or light, which is invisible to the human eye. It is still unclear the exact impact that large doses of these radio waves have on biological tissues, but there is enough evidence that it has an impact.

There are two types of electromagnetic radiation: Ionizing and Non-Ionizing. Ionizing radiation includes X-Rays, UV Rays and Gamma-rays, and it has long since been established that large doses these ionizing rays can cause cancer as it dislodges atoms from the cells DNA, breaking chemical bonds and thus causing cell mutations.

Non-Ionizing radiation however, such as microwaves and the radio waves emitted by cell phones, whilst they are not strong enough to break up the atoms, it does heat them up quite a bit and this can still affect the cells DNA. Keith Black, chairman of neurology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles, recently told CNN “What [cell phone radiation] does is similar to what happens to food in microwaves, essentially cooking the brain” Though the effects of this “cooking: are not well defined, some scientists believe it may spur the growth of brain tumours.

What about Kids and cell phones?

Well, according to Keith Black of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center “Children's skulls and scalps are thinner. So the radiation can penetrate deeper into the brain of children and young adults. Their cells are dividing at a faster rate, so the impact of radiation can be much larger"

Children are a great cause for concern because many parents are now finding it necessary to give their kids a cell phone in order to keep in touch with them whenever they are away from the house. According to the NCI "Cell phone use by children and adolescents is increasing rapidly, and they are likely to accumulate many years of exposure during their lives". This is something we need to give great consideration.

So how can you minimize your exposure to radiation?

Non-ionizing radiation is emitted by a cell phone's antenna, which is usually embedded inside the handheld device itself. The best way to minimize your exposure is to use a headset, which allows you to conduct phone calls without holding your phone to your ear.

power radiated from the phone drops off rapidly with distance, so some researchers say you can significantly decrease your exposure by simply holding your phone away from your head slightly during phone calls. Some cell phone manufacturers recommend doing this. The Apple iPhone 4 safety manual advises, "When using iPhone near your body for voice calls or for wireless data transmission over a cellular network, keep iPhone at least 15 mm (5/8 inch) away from the body." Blackberry Bold tells users to "keep the BlackBerry device at least 0.98 in. (25 mm) from your body when the BlackBerry device is transmitting."

My advice is that it is better to be safe than sorry!

Be blessed and stay healthy!
sharbs


http://emf.mercola.com/sites/emf/archive/2011/08/27/do-cell-phones-cause-brain-cancer.aspx?e_cid=20110827_DNL_art_1