El té verde: mucho más que antioxidantes

Además de ser un maravilloso antioxidante, esta infusión alivia problemas recurrentes de salud, de manera rápida y natural. Algunos de sus principales beneficios son:

Disminuye el riesgo de cáncer: las catequinas del té contienen sustancias anticancerígenas, gracias a los polifenoles. Según un estudio del Instituto Nacional del Cáncer de los Estados Unidos y también el Instituto del Cáncer de China, reveló que quienes bebían, al menos una taza de esta infusión a la semana, tuvieron el 57% menos de riesgo de padecer cáncer de esófago y en las mujeres, aumento a un 60%.

Quema grasas: al ser un agente de termogénesis, ayuda de manera natural a gastar más energías, conllevando un descenso de peso. Acelera el metabolismo mediante los polifenoles (sustancias antioxidantes), aceleran el metabolismo, ayudando a las enzimas digestivas a que trabajen mejor, logrando un efecto adelgazante. Y también, es diurético, es decir colabora el proceso de diuresis, depurando el organismo de toxinas acumuladas.

Reduce el estrés: ciertos compuestos de este té disminuyen la formación y la actividad de radicales libres, reduciendo el estrés. Asimismo, posee un aminoácido llamado L-teanina, cuyo efecto principal es la relajación, sin somnolencia y aumenta los niveles de hormona llamada dopamina que mejora el estado de ánimo.

Sin embargo, esas no son todas sus bondades, sino que sólo unas pocas. El té verde también reduce el riesgo de cáncer, previene enfermedades cardiovasculares, combate el envejecimiento, previene las arrugas, reduce el riesgo de artritis, fortalece los huesos, ayuda a bajar el colesterol, previene la obesidad, es bueno para la diabetes, fortalece la memoria, protege contra el mal de Parkinson, es hepatoprotector, previene la hipertensión, protege de intoxicaciones alimentarias, reduce los niveles de glucosa en la sangre, estimula la inmunidad, evita gripes y resfriados, alivia el asma, combate infecciones en los oídos, contribuye en el tratamiento contra el herpes, previene caries, reduce el estrés y alivia las alergias.

¿Cómo consumirlo?

Según la Escuela de Medicina de Harvard, se debe tomar una taza de té tres veces al día. La hierba debe permanecer en agua caliente de tres a cinco minutos y es mejor si se consume recién macerado.

El mejor momento para beberlo es entre comidas, ya que puede impedir la absorción de hierro de las frutas y vegetales. Y si prefieres tomarlo en el desayuno o durante la comida, el problema se soluciona añadiéndole limón o leche.

Por último, los médicos recomienda beberlo al menos, dos horas antes de dormir, para prevenir el insomnio.

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How High-Fat Extra Virgin Olive Oil is good for your immune system

One tablespoon of high-fat extra virgin olive oil can provide numerous benefits to the immune system.

Skip the butter and stick margarine in the kitchen and use oil — extra virgin olive — to improve your immune system. The consumption of this oil has increased dramatically in recent years with a United States purchase of 292,925 metric tons (MT) in 2011, reports the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). This high-fat oil contains 73 grams of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and is popularly used as for frying and baking as a healthier replacement for vegetable oil. It can also serve as a dressing for salads. Its health benefits derive from its nutritional content of high MUFAs that are considered to be a healthy dietary fat. MUFAs have been linked to lower cholesterol and control the insulin levels in the body as they replace the saturated fats or trans fats that can increase LDL cholesterol levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Extra virgin olive oil is a good source of antioxidants with vitamins E and K that can protect the body from oxygen-free radicals and promote healthy cognitive function, says the USDA. Implementing olive oil in cooking provides numerous health benefits if used correctly. The nutritional value of olive oil is affected by heat, light, and air. For storage, Mayo Clinic recommends to keep the oil in a dark, room-temperature cupboard or in the refrigerator to preserve the healthy fats and the taste that can wither over a long period of time.

Combats Inflammation

The phenolic compound — oleocanthal — found in olive oil has anti-inflammatory properties. A study from the Monell chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, Pa. examined the effects of daily intake of teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil on pain. Researchers found that four teaspoons of this high-fat oil per day for 12 weeks acted as an anti-inflammatory drug, such as ibuprofen, to reduce pain. While extra virgin oil and ibuprofen have the same effect on treating inflammation, they have different effects on the body. According to Science Daily, ibuprofen can increase bleeding and gastrointestinal damage whereas olive oil has no such effect on the body.

Tip: The amount of oleocanthal differs in olive oils. To see how strong the oleocanthal content is in an olive oil, you can take a sip and see how it stings the back of your throat. The stronger the sting, the more oleocanthal it has, says Arthritis Today.

Combats Diabetes

Diabetics are often told to limit their daily intake of dietary fat because they are at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease. In a landmark government study, it was determined that foods with high MUFAs does not cause weight gain in diabetics and can even reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by approximately 60 percent. MUFAs help diabetics regulate their insulin levels and blood sugar, especially for those who have type 2 diabetes.

Combats Cancer

The consumption of olive oil has been linked to a decrease in tumors of colon, prostate, and breast cancer. Before recent studies, researchers concluded that higher incidences of breast cancer are linked to a high saturated fat diet. In a study published in Annals of Oncology, researchers found that oleic acid — the main MUFA in olive oil — can weaken a cancer gene found in 25 to 30 percent of all breast cancers. What's more, with oleic acid, the effective of the breast cancer drug Herceptin improved dramatically.

Reduces Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

MUFAs in olive oil have been shown to reduce heart problems and rate of heart disease deaths. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers conducted a randomized trial of the Mediterranean diet pattern and its prevention of cardiovascular disease. In Spain, participants who were at high risk of cardiovascular disease but did not develop it yet were assigned to a Mediterranean diet with extra virgin oil, a Mediterranean diet with the addition of mixed nuts, or a control diet with advice on how to reduce dietary fat. Researchers found that a Mediterranean diet with either extra virgin olive oil or mixed nuts can significantly reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease.

Promotes Healthy Fetal Development

Pregnant women are often advised to include olive oil in their diet due to its high content of omega-3 fatty acids. This heart healthy oil has the ability to improve brain function and learning capacities in young children. The consumption of extra virgin olive oil has been linked to a positive effect on a child's height, weight, and cognitive and behavioral development. In a study published in the Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry, researchers tested the effects of consuming olive oil in relation to body weight gain and foot efficiency as well as placental and fetal development. The results of the study showed that a pregnant rat's consumption of olive oil as the only dietary fat source did not have any detrimental effects on the expectant mother's weight gain or placental and fetal development.

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Top 10 Health benefits of Marijuana

There is no plant on Earth more condemned than marijuana.

Marijuana has been found to suppress cancer, reduce blood pressure, treat glaucoma, alleviate pain and even inhibit HIV. It's an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective. Otherwise it's illegal in many countries.

"Currently, there is no strong evidence that use of cannabis of itself causes psychological o social problems", such as mental illness or school failure, lead study author Dr. John Macleod of the University of Birmingham in the UK told Reuters Health.

"There is a great deal of evidence that cannabis use is associated with these things, but this association could have several explanations" he said.

Macleod and his team reviewed 48 long-term studies, 16 of which provided the highest quality information about the association between illicit drug use reported by people 25 years old or younger and later psychological or social problems. Most of the drug-specific results involved cannabis use.

Cannabis use was not consistently associated with violent or antisocial behavior, or with psychological problems.

In another study, Scientists from King’s College, London, found occasional pot use could actually improve concentration levels.

The study, carried in the American Journal of Epidemiology, tested the mental function and memory of nearly 9,000 Britons at age 50 and found that those who had used illegal drugs as recently as in their 40s did just as well, or slightly better, on the tests than peers who had never used drugs.

‘Overall, at the population level, the results seem to suggest that past or even current illicit drug use is not necessarily associated with impaired cognitive functioning in early middle age,’ said lead researcher Dr Alex Dregan.

Dr Dregan’s team used data on 8,992 42-year-olds participating in a UK national health study, who were asked if they had ever used any of 12 illegal drugs. Then, at the age of 50, they took standard tests of memory, attention and other cognitive abilities.

Overall, the study found, there was no evidence that current or past drug users had poorer mental performance. In fact, when current and past users were lumped together, their test scores tended to be higher.

The Age of Deception is Ending

In 2003, the U.S. Government as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services filed for, and was awarded a patent on cannabinoids. The reason? Because research into cannabinoids allowed pharmaceutical companies to acquire practical knowledge on one of the most powerful antioxidants and neuroprotectants known to the natural world.

The U.S. Patent 6630507 was specifically initiated when researchers found that cannabinoids had specific antioxidant properties making them useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia. Nonpsychoactive cannabinoids, such as cannabidoil, are particularly advantageous to use because they avoid toxicity that is encountered with psychoactive cannabinoids at high doses useful in the method of the present invention.

In a historic and significant moment in American history, last November, Colorado became the first US state to legalize marijuana for recreational use. The impact of the decision could ripple across the entire country with vast opportunities to educate millions on the top health benefits of marijuana.

With the passage of I-502 in the 2012 Washington State election, marijuana also became legal in Washington–not just for medical use, but also for recreational use. Weed is still illegal as far as the United States government is concerned, but Washington and Colorado both have yet to figure out how that will work. It’s certain that this issue will continue to evolve and smooth out as time goes by, but the remaining states will eventually follow suit or be left behind with outdated laws.

Top Health Benefits

It’s no surprise that the United States has decreed that marijuana has no accepted medical use use and should remain classified as a highly dangerous drug like heroin. Accepting and promoting the powerful health benefits of marijuana would instantly cut huge profits geared towards cancer treatment and the U.S. would have to admit it imprisons the population for no cause. Nearly half of all drug arrests in the United States are for marijuana.

According to MarijuanaNews.com editor Richard Cowan, the answer is because it is a threat to cannabis prohibition “…there really is massive proof that the suppression of medical cannabis represents the greatest failure of the institutions of a free society, medicine, journalism, science, and our fundamental values,” Cowan notes.

Besides the top 10 health benefits below, findings published in the journal PLoS ONE, researchers have now have now discovered that marijuana-like chemicals trigger receptors on human immune cells that can directly inhibit a type of human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) found in late-stage AIDS.

Recent studies have even shown it to be an effective atypical anti-psychotic in treating schizophrenia, a disease many other studies have inconsistently found it causing.

1. Cancer
Cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana, inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals and also kill cancer cells. Western governments have known this for a long time yet they continued to suppress the information so that cannabis prohibition and the profits generated by the drug industry proliferated.

THC that targets cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 is similar in function to endocannabinoids, which are cannabinoids that are naturally produced in the body and activate these receptors. The researchers suggest that THC or other designer agents that activate these receptors might be used in a targeted fashion to treat lung cancer.

2. Tourette’s Syndrome
Tourette’s syndrome is a neurological condition characterized by uncontrollable facial grimaces, tics, and involuntary grunts, snorts and shouts.

Dr. Kirsten Mueller-Vahl of the Hanover Medical College in Germany led a team that investigated the effects of chemicals called cannabinols in 12 adult Tourette’s patients. A single dose of the cannabinol produced a significant reduction in symptoms for several hours compared to placebo, the researchers reported.

3. Seizures
Marijuana is a muscle relaxant and has “antispasmodic” qualities that have proven to be a very effective treatment for seizures. There are actually countless cases of people suffering from seizures that have only been able to function better through the use of marijuana.

4. Migraines 
Since medicinal marijuana was legalized in California, doctors have reported that they have been able to treat more than 300,000 cases of migraines that conventional medicine couldn’t through marijuana.

5. Glaucoma 
Marijuana’s treatment of glaucoma has been one of the best documented. There isn’t a single valid study that exists that disproves marijuana’s very powerful and popular effects on glaucoma patients.

6. Multiple Sclerosis 
Marijuana’s effects on multiple sclerosis patients became better documented when former talk-show host, Montel Williams began to use pot to treat his MS. Marijuana works to stop the neurological effects and muscle spasms that come from the fatal disease.

7. ADD and ADHD 
A well documented USC study done about a year ago showed that marijuana is not only a perfect alternative for Ritalin but treats the disorder without any of the negative side effects of the pharmaceutical.

8. IBS and Crohn’s 
Marijuana has shown that it can help with symptoms of the chronic diseases as it stops nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

9. Alzheimer’s 
Despite what you may have heard about marijuana’s effects on the brain, the Scripps Institute, in 2006, proved that the THC found in marijuana works to prevent Alzheimer’s by blocking the deposits in the brain that cause the disease.

10. Premenstrual Syndrome 
Just like marijuana is used to treat IBS, it can be used to treat the cramps and discomfort that causes PMS symptoms. Using marijuana for PMS actually goes all the way back to Queen Victoria.

Mounting Evidence Suggests Raw Cannabis is Best

Cannabinoids can prevent cancer, reduce heart attacks by 66% and insulin dependent diabetes by 58%. Cannabis clinician Dr. William Courtney recommends drinking 4 – 8 ounces of raw flower and leaf juice from any Hemp plant, 5 mg of Cannabidiol (CBD) per kg of body weight, a salad of Hemp seed sprouts and 50 mg of THC taken in 5 daily doses.

Why raw? Heat destroys certain enzymes and nutrients in plants. Incorporating raw cannabis allows for a greater availability of those elements. Those who require large amounts of cannabinoids without the psychoactive effects need to look no further than raw cannabis. In this capacity, it can be used at 60 times more tolerance than if it were heated.
Raw cannabis is considered by many experts as a dietary essential. As a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, raw cannabis may be right u there with garlic and tumeric.

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