Healing Facts – Broccoli

Broccoli700

Developed from a European wild cabbage, broccoli is a member of the cruciferous family of vegetables. Ancient Romans and Italians have cultivated broccoli for over 2,000 years. Italian immigrants first introduced it to the United States during the colonial era. After the development of Italian language radio advertisements in the 1920s, broccoli grew in popularity and became a staple in many American kitchens.

Nutritional Highlights:

· Broccoli is one of the most nutrient-dense foods.
· A one-cup serving of broccoli has the same amount of protein as one cup of corn or rice, but with less than a third of the calories.
· Broccoli is rich in vitamins K, C, and A, as well as folic acid, fiber, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium.
· It also contains phytochemical glucosinolates and the carotenoid lutein, both of which are effective at fighting cancer.
· A 3½ ounce serving of broccoli has only 35 calories.

Health Benefits:

Studies have shown broccoli to be particularly effective in preventing breast cancer, as the glucosinolate sulforaphane found in broccoli helps to increase estrogen.
Broccoli is rich in indole-3-carbinol, which prevents the growth of both breast and prostate cancer cells.
Indole-3-carbinol also increases the liver’s ability to detoxify toxic compounds including the human papillomavirus, which is linked to the development of cervical cancer.
Broccoli also contains high levels of lutein, which helps prevent macular degeneration.

Broccoli can be eaten raw or cooked, hot or cold. Great as a classic crudité at parties, or added to an omelet, broccoli is appropriate for every meal and occasion. Try pureeing cooked broccoli, and adding seasonings to taste for a delicious and healthy soup. What is your favorite broccoli recipe? For the latest Healing Facts, check the Doctor Murray and Good Cacao Facebook pages for a new installment every Wednesday!

Vitamin D3

Critical Illness is Linked to Levels of Coenzyme Q10

Introduction:
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), also known as ubiquinone, is an essential component of the mitochondria – the energy producing unit of the cells of our body. CoQ10 is involved in the manufacture of ATP, the energy currency of all body processes. Its role in the energy production within our cells is similar to the role of a spark plug in a car engine. Just as the engine cannot function without that initial spark, our cells simply cannot function without CoQ10.

Although CoQ10 can be synthesized within the body, deficiencies do exist as a result of impaired CoQ10 synthesis or increased tissue needs. Examples of diseases that require increased tissue levels of CoQ10 are primarily those that affect the heart, liver, brain, and muscles.

In addition, the elderly in general may have increased CoQ10 requirements as CoQ10 levels are known to decline with advancing age. Finally, cholesterol-lowering drugs, especially statins, are known to lower CoQ10 levels.

Background Information:
People suffering from various critical illnesses such as severe infections, heart attacks or strokes, and cancer typically experience failure of multiple organs. Despite intense investigation for many years, the precise mechanisms underlying the multiple organ failure has baffled researchers. Finally, Harvard-based researchers recently demonstrated that low levels of CoQ10 in patients with severe infection was associated with impaired cellular energy production and decreased ATP throughout their body.

The investigation of CoQ10 levels in these patients was spurred on by a study in rats that showed that even less severe infection was associated with lower CoQ10 levels.
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New Data:
A new study by the same group of Harvard researchers was based upon their hypothesis that a broad range of critically ill patients are likely deficient in CoQ10 and that could significantly worsen their condition and lead to organ failure and death. To test this hypothesis, they determined blood CoQ10 levels in 36 critically ill patients in the intensive care unit at Massachusetts General Hospital compared to 18 healthy controls.

Results showed quite clearly that the critically ill patients suffered an approximately 40% drop in CoQ10 levels. The severity of the drop tended to correlate with age as older patients suffered greater reductions than younger patients. There was no association between CoQ10 levels and severity of the illness, but those critically ill patients with higher CoQ10 levels had higher scores on a scale used to assess independence when performing 6 activities required for daily living (bathing, dressing, toileting, moving, continence, feeding).

The authors of the study conclude “our data provide a rationale for further observational and intervention clinical studies to define CoQ10 insufficiency and evaluate the safety and efficacy of CoQ10 supplementation in critically ill patients.”

Comment:
There are some major points to make about this study.

The study is a continuation of a line of solid research conducted by Harvard University researchers.
The study was conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital, one of the leading hospitals in the world.
The study shows a growing openness of conventional medicine to examine the role of physiological aids and dietary supplements even when heroic, life-saving measures are required.
The authors clearly believe that CoQ10 supplementation may be of value in enhancing the health of critically ill patients.

Reference:
Coppadoro A, Berra L, Kumar A, et al. Critical illness is associated with decreased plasma levels of coenzyme Q10: A cross-sectional study. J Crit Care. 2013 Apr 22. pii: S0883-9441(13)00052-X. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2013.02.009.

6 Natural Ways To Reduce Cholesterol

Elevated cholesterol increases the risk of death due to cardiovascular disease. It’s currently recommended that total blood cholesterol (your “bad” cholesterol, LDL, plus your “good” cholesterol, HDL) be less than 200 mg/dl. In addition, your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol should be less than 130 mg/dl and your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol should be greater than 40 mg/dl in men and 50 mg/dl in women.

Lowering Cholesterol Naturally

Lowering total cholesterol, as well as LDL, is associated with reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. In high-risk patients, statins are usually prescribed and can produce decreases in total mortality, cardiovascular events and hospitalizations. However, the debate remains whether statin therapy represents the optimal treatment approach to primary prevention of coronary artery disease in patients whose only risk factor is elevated LDL.

There are several natural approaches that have been found to be highly effective for reducing cholesterol. Let’s look at six of them.

1. Low-cholesterol diet

While the liver is the major source of blood cholesterol, dietary cholesterol can be an important contributor. The best way to reduce cholesterol in your diet is to minimize saturated fat — no more than 10-15 grams per day. Saturated fat is found primarily in animal products, like meat and dairy products. Restrict dietary cholesterol to 300 mg per day. Familiarize yourself with foods that add cholesterol and unhealthy fat to your diet, and find healthier substitutes for these foods.

2. Soluble fiber

Soluble fiber found in legumes, fruit and vegetables is effective in lowering cholesterol levels. To help lower cholesterol, try to eat 35 grams of fiber per day from fiber-rich foods, which, again, you should familiarize yourself with so you’ll get used to buying high-fiber foods. Oat bran and oatmeal are especially good sources of high-value soluble fiber. Natural fiber supplements can also help to boost soluble fiber in your system, if you just aren’t getting enough roughage in your diet.

3. Niacin

Also known as B3, niacin has been long known to be effective in lowering blood cholesterol levels. In the 1970s, the famous Coronary Drug Project demonstrated that niacin was the only cholesterol-lowering agent to actually reduce overall mortality. Niacin typically lowers LDL cholesterol by 16-23% while raising HDL cholesterol by 20-33%.

The problem with niacin is that it produces skin flushing that typically occurs 20-30 minutes after the niacin is taken. To counteract this, manufactures produced timed-release niacin to reduce flushing, but these formulations have shown to be toxic to the liver. For best results, use intermediate time-release niacin (don’t take any other form of timed-release niacin) should be taken at night, as most cholesterol synthesis occurs during sleep. Start with a dose of 500 mg and increase to 1,500 after two weeks. If after one month of therapy the dosage of 1,500 mg fails to effectively lower LDL cholesterol, increase the dosage to 2,000 mg/day, and then to 3,000 mg a month later if that fails, before discontinuing owing to lack of efficacy.

4. Plant sterols and stanols

Phytosterols and phytostanols are structurally similar to cholesterol and can act in the intestine to lower cholesterol absorption by displacing cholesterol. Because phytosterols and phytostanols are poorly absorbed, blood cholesterol levels will drop as cholesterol is excreted. These compounds are being added to so-called functional foods (e.g., margarine and other spreads, orange juice, granola bars) and are also available as dietary supplements. Phytosterols and phytostanols are effective in lowering LDL in some people. A meta-analysis of 41 trials showed that an intake of 2 grams of stanols or sterols per day reduced LDL by 10%. The best and safest ways to get these nutrients, though, is by eating foods that are high in stanols and sterols: grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds.

5. Pantethine

Pantethine is the stable form of pantetheine, the active form of vitamin B5, or pantothenic acid. Pantothenic acid is the most important component of coenzyme A, which is involved in the transport of fats to and from cells as well as to the energy-producing compartments within the cell. Pantethine has significant lipid-lowering activity, while pantothenic acid has little, if any, effect on lowering cholesterol. Pantethine at 900 mg per day has been shown to significantly reduce levels of total cholesterol (19%), and LDL cholesterol (21%) while increasing HDL cholesterol (23%). The lipid-lowering effects of pantethine are especially impressive because it has virtually no toxicity compared with conventional lipid-lowering prescription drugs.

6. Garlic

Garlic appears to be an important protective factor against heart disease and stroke for many reasons. Garlic has been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels even in apparently healthy individuals. In numerous double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of patients with initial cholesterol levels greater than 200 mg/dl, daily supplementation with commercial preparations providing at least 10 mg alliin can lower total serum cholesterol by about 10-12 %.

A Secret for Younger-Looking Skin

young-skin During red carpet season, we ogle celebrities at the award ceremonies, examining their skin and hair, along with “who they’re wearing.”

It’s hard not to notice women who have clear, radiant, vibrant-looking skin, which is a sign of good health. While celebrities spend a lot of time improving the appearance of their skin from the outside, the real key to young-looking skin is proper nutrition and healthy habits.

In addition to eating healthfully and exercising, there’s a little-discussed supplement that can help prevent the wrinkling and dryness that contribute to old-looking skin. It’s called hyaluronic acid (HA). HA is a glycosaminoglycan that acts as the intracellular cement or glue of connective tissue. Connective tissue, as the term suggests, serves the function of supporting and binding other tissues. The loose connective tissue holds the skin and internal organs in place, while the fibrous connective tissue includes tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. In essence, hyaluronic acid not only helps to provide the structural framework of connective tissue, it is the actual “glue” that holds our body together.

Maintaining HA in body tissues is an important anti-aging strategy. One of the reasons our skin develops lines and wrinkles is due to the loss of HA. By the time most people reach the age of 70, the HA content in their body has dropped by 80% from when they were 40. After the age of 45 or so, HA levels in the skin begin to plummet.

There is a great deal of evidence that applying HA topically helps prevent wrinkles. But now researchers have discovered that taking hyaluronic acid orally is also beneficial for restoring moisture and youthful suppleness to the skin. Recent clinical studies using oral HA in patients with dry and rough skin have shown that patients given a supplement consisting of purified, bioavailable hyaluronic acid had a significant increase (46%) over baseline values in the moisture content of their skin.

Hyaluronic acid is a substance found in our bodies that’s essential for health, but now we know it’s also a key to beautiful-looking skin.