Health benefits of oranges
Health benefits of oranges
Delicious and juicy orange fruit contains an impressive list of essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals for normal growth and development and overall well-being.
Orange is a tropical to semitropical, evergreen, small flowering tree growing to about 5 to 8 m tall and bears seasonal fruits that measure about 3 inches in diameter and weighs about 100-150 g. Oranges are classified into two general categories, sweet and bitter, with the former being the type most commonly consumed. Popular varieties of the sweet orange include Valencia, Navel, Persian variety, and blood orange.
Health benefits of oranges
- Nutrients in oranges are plentiful and diverse. The fruit is low in calories, contains no saturated fats or cholesterol, but is rich in dietary fiber, pectin, which is very effective in persons with excess body weight. Pectin, by its action as bulk laxative, helps to protect the mucous membrane of the colon by decreasing its exposure time to toxic substances as well as by binding to cancer causing chemicals in the colon. Pectin has also been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels by decreasing its re-absorption in the colon by binding to bile acids in the colon.
- Oranges, like other citrus fruits, is an excellent source of vitamin C (provides about 60% of DRI); Vitamin C is a powerful natural antioxidant. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the blood.
- Orange fruit contains a variety of phytochemicals. Hesperetin and Narigenin are flavonoids found in citrus fruits. Naringenin is found to have a bio-active effect on human health as antioxidant, free radical scavenger, anti-inflammatory, and immune system modulator. This substance has also been shown to reduce oxidant injury to DNA in vitro studies.
- Oranges also contain very good levels of vitamin A, and other flavonoid antioxidants such as alpha andbeta-carotenes, beta-cryptoxanthin, zea-xanthin and lutein. These compounds are known to have antioxidant properties. Vitamin A is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin and is essential for vision. Consumption of natural fruits rich in flavonoids helps body to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
Download full eBook here
Herbal Remedies for Vertigo
Herbal Remedies for Vertigo
Herbal Remedies for Vertigo
Several herbal remedies for vertigo are effective in helping to restore normal balance and alleviating the dizziness and nausea often associated with the condition. It is important to know that vertigo is not considered a disease, but rather a symptom of a larger overlying cause. It is imperative that you and your physician work together to find a solution for the larger problem, but using herbal home remedies will provide relief from the condition on a more immediate basis.
Treating Vertigo with Herbal Remedies
A number of herbal solutions have been proven to help lessen the dizziness and other symptoms related to vertigo. Using herbal remedies for vertigo is by no means a cure for the condition, and recurrence is likely unless the overlying condition is treated. However, using home solutions to treat the condition is an exponentially safer, more natural and cheaper alternative to utilizing prescription medications.
Herbal Remedies for Vertigo
While herbal solutions for treating vertigo are infinitely safer and less expensive than medications, it is still important that you consult your doctor before implementing a home treatment plan. Discuss with your doctor the home remedies that you plan to try, and make sure that you do not have any allergies to the herbs and other ingredients that you plan on using.
Poppy Paste
One natural remedy for vertigo is the popular poppy paste. To use this method, soak one tablespoon of poppy seeds, also called khus-khus, eight almonds and eight watermelon seeds together in water for about an hour before grinding them into a paste. In a frying pan on low heat, add one teaspoon of ghee and heat before adding two cloves to fry and melt. Pour this heated concoction into a glass of milk and add to the paste you previously made and drink. Repeat this process daily for drastic alleviation of vertigo symptoms.
Download full eBook here
Papaya fruit health benefits
Papaya fruit health benefits
Exotic papaya fruit or pawpaw is packed with numerous health benefiting nutrients. The fruit is one of the favorite of fruit lovers for its nutritional, digestive, and medicinal properties. Papaya tree is grown extensively all over the tropical regions and cultivated for its fruits and latex papain, an enzyme that is used in food industry.
Papaya fruit health benefits
- The fruit is very low in calories (just 39 cal/100 g) and contains no cholesterol; but is a rich source of phyto-nutrients, minerals, and vitamins.
- Papayas contain soft, easily digestible pulp/flesh with good amount of soluble dietary fiber that helps to have normal bowel movements; thereby reducing constipation.
It is also an excellent source of Vitamin-A (provides 1094 IU/100 g) and flavonoids like beta carotenes, lutein, zeaxanthin and cryptoxanthins. Vitamin A is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin and is essential for vision. These compounds are known to have antioxidant properties; help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play role in aging and various disease processes. Consumption of natural fruits rich in carotenes has known to protect body from lung and oral cavity cancers.
Download full eBook here
Health benefits of passion fruit
Health benefits of passion fruit
Pleasantly sweet and tart, passion fruit or granadilla is rich in health benefiting plant nutrients. Botanically this exotic fruit belongs to the family of Passifloraceae, of the genus Passiflora. Scientific name: Passiflora edulis.
Health benefits of passion fruit
- Delicious, passion fruit is rich source of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and fiber. 100 g fruit contains about 97 calories.
- The fruit is a very good source of dietary fiber. 100 g fruit pulp contains 10.4 g or 27% of dietary fiber. Good fiber in the diet helps remove cholesterol from the body. In addition dietary insoluble fiber by acting as bulk laxative helps protect the colon mucous membrane by decreasing exposure time to toxic substances in the colon as well as binding to cancer causing chemicals in the colon.
- Passion fruit is good in vitamin C; provides about 30 mg per 100 g. Vitamin-C (ascorbic acid) is a powerful water soluble anti-oxidant. Consumption of fruits rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against flu-like infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals.
Download full eBook here
Health benefits of Peaches
Health benefits of Peaches
Delicious and widely popular peaches are native to China from where they spread to rest of the world via ancient silk route. They belong to the genus Prunus; family of rosaeae and named as Prunus persica.
Health benefits of Peaches
- Wonderfully delicious peaches are low in calories (100 g just provide 39 calories) and contain no saturated fats. Nonetheless, they are packed with numerous health promoting compounds, minerals and vitamins.
- The total measured anti-oxidant strength (ORAC value) of 100 g peach fruit is 1814 TE (Trolex equivalents).
- Fresh peaches are a very good source of antioxidant vitamin C. Vitamin-C has anti-oxidant effects and is required for connective tissue synthesis in the body. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and help scavenge harmful free radicals.
- Fresh peaches are also moderate source of vitamin A and ß-carotene. ß-carotene is a pro-vitamin, which converts into vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is essential for vision. It is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in vitamin A is known to offer protection from lung and oral cavity cancers.
Download full eBook here
Health benefits of pears
Health benefits of pears
Mildly sweet and rich in flavor pears offer crunchiness of apples yet juicy as peach and nectarine. This simple fruit is widely popular, especially in the whole of northern hemisphere, for its unique nutrient qualities.
Health benefits of pears
- Pear fruit is packed with health benefiting nutrients such as dietary fiber, anti-oxidants, minerals and vitamins which are necessary for optimum health.
- Pears provide about 3.1 g of dietary fiber per 100g. Regular eating of pears may offer protection against colon cancer. Most of the fiber is non soluble polysaccharide (NSP), making them a good bulk laxative. Also, the gritty fiber content binds to cancer causing toxins and chemicals in the colon, protecting its mucous membrane from contact with these compounds.
- In addition, pear fruit is one of the very low calorie fruits, just provides 58 cal per 100g. Just a few sections a day in the diet can bring significant reduction in weight and blood LDL cholesterol levels.
- It contains good quantities of vitamin C. Fresh fruits provide about 7% of RDA per 100 g.
Download full eBook here
Health benefits of persimmon fruit
A persimmon is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus Diospyros in the ebony wood family (Ebenaceae). The word Diospyros means “the fire of Zeus” in ancient Greek.It is likely that Diospyros means “fruit of Zeus or pear of Zeus.” As a tree, it is a perennial plant. The word persimmon is derived from putchamin, pasiminan, or pessamin, from Powhatan, an Algonquian language of the eastern United States, meaning “a dry fruit”.Persimmons are generally light yellow-orange to dark red-orange in color, and depending on the species, vary in size from 1.5 to 9 cm (0.5 to 4 in) in diameter, and may be spherical, acorn-, or pumpkin-shaped.The calyx often remains attached to the fruit after harvesting, but becomes easier to remove as it ripens. They are high in glucose, with a balanced protein profile, and possess various medicinal and chemical uses.
Like the tomato, it is not considered a “common berry”, but is in fact a “true berry” by definition.
Health benefits of persimmon fruit
- The fruit is low in calories (provides 70 cal/100g) and fats but is rich source of dietary fiber.
- Persimmons contain many health benefiting phyto-nutrients flavonoid poly-phenolic anti-oxidants likecatechins and gallocatechins as well as important anti-tumor compound betulinic acid. Catechins are known to have anti-infective, anti-inflammatory and anti-hemorrhagic (prevents bleeding from small blood vessels) properties.
- Fresh permissions contain anti-oxidant compounds like vitamin-A, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin and cryptoxanthin. Together, these compounds functions as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that plays a role in aging and various disease processes.
- zeaxanthin, an important dietary carotenoid, selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea in the eyes where it is thought to provide antioxidant and protective light-filtering functions; thus, helps prevent “Age related macular disease”(ARMD) in the elderly.
Download full eBook here
Health benefits of Plums
A plum or gage is a stone fruit tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The subgenus is distinguished from other subgenera (peaches, cherries, bird cherries, etc.) in the shoots having a terminal bud and solitary side buds (not clustered), the flowers in groups of one to five together on short stems, and the fruit having a groove running down one side and a smooth stone (or pit).
Mature plum fruit may have a dusty-white coating that gives them a glaucous appearance; this is easily rubbed off. This is an epicuticular wax coating and is known as “wax bloom”. Dried plum fruits are called dried plums or prunes, although prunes are a distinct type of plum, and may have antedated the fruits now commonly known as plums.
Health benefits of Plums
- Delicious, fleshy, succulent plums are low in calories and contain no saturated fats; but contain numerous health promoting compounds, minerals and vitamins.
- Certain health benefiting compounds present in the plum fruits, such as dietary fiber, sorbitol, andisatin are known to help regulate the functioning of the digestive system and thereby used in constipation conditions.
- Fresh plums are an excellent source of vitamin C, which is also a powerful natural antioxidant. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents, counter inflammation and scavenge harmful free radicals.
Download full eBook here
Health benefits of Pomegranate
Health benefits of Pomegranate
Pomegranate is among the most popular, nutritionally rich fruit with unique flavor, taste, and heath promoting characteristics. Along with berries, and some tropical exotics such as mango, it too has novel qualities of functional foods often called as “super fruits.”
Botanically, it is a small size fruit-bearing deciduous tree belonging to the Lythraceae family, of genus:Punica. The fruit is thought to originate in the Sub-Himalayan range of North India.
Health benefits of Pomegranate
- The fruit is moderate in calories; 100 g provides 85 calories, slightly more than that in the apples. It contains no cholesterol or saturated fats.
- It is rich source of soluble and insoluble dietary fibers, providing about 4 g per 100 g (about 12% of RDA), which aid in smooth digestive and bowel movements. The fruit is suggested in the diet for weight reduction and cholesterol controlling programs. Regular inclusion of fruits in the diet helps protect from colon cancers.
- Punicalagin is a polyphenolic anti-oxidant compound found abundantly in the pomegranate juice. Studies suggest that punicalagin and tannins are effective in reducing heart disease risk factors by scavenging harmful free radicals from the body.
- It is also good source of antioxidant vitamin-C, provides about 17% per 100 g of daily requirement. Consumption of fruits rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents by boosting immunity.
Download full eBook here
Health benefits of raspberries
Health benefits of raspberries
The fruit of any of several shrubs belonging to the genusRubus, of the rose family, consisting of small and juicy red,black, or pale yellow drupelets forming a detachable capabout a convex receptacle.
Botanically, the plant is a small shrub belonging to the family Rosaceae, of the genus: Rubus. It grows very well in temperate regions. The exotic berry is native to Europe but now widely cultivated in many temperate regions all over the world. Main producers of raspberries are Poland, United States, Germany, and Chile.
Health benefits of raspberries
- Delicious raspberries are low in calories and saturated fats but are rich source of dietary fiber and anti-oxidants.100 g berries provide just 52 calories but contain 6.5 g of fiber.
- Raspberries have significantly high levels of phenolic flavonoid phytochemicals such as anthocyanins, ellagic acid (a tannin), quercetin, gallic acid, cyanidins, pelargonidins, catechins, kaempferol andsalicylic acid. Scientific studies show that these antioxidant compounds in these berries have potential health benefits against cancer, aging, inflammation, and neuro-degenerative diseases.
- Xylitol, a low-calorie sugar substitute extracted from raspberries. Xylitol contains just 9.6 calories, as compared to one teaspoon of sugar, which has 15 calories. Xylitol absorbs more slowly than sugar and does not contribute to high blood sugar levels; can be helpful in diabetics.
- Fresh raspberries are excellent source of vitamin-C, which is also a powerful natural anti-oxidant. 100 g berries provide 26.2 mg of vitamin C. Consumption of fruits rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents, counter inflammation, and scavenge harmful free radicals.
Download full eBook here