Spicy food and their health Benefits

 Spice Up Your Life: The Health Benefits of Spicy Foods

Salsa, chicken wings, chili — if you love spicy foods, your mouth might be watering just reading this. And, if you enjoy fiery flavors, you’re in luck — they may actually benefit your health.

The magic behind the heat is capsaicin, an ingredient that’s found in one of the most heavily consumed spices throughout the world: chili pepper. About a century ago, scientists began researching capsaicin from chili peppers and found that it has many surprising health benefits.

Here are four advantages to adding some spice to your life.

1. Spicy foods may keep your heart healthy

People who eat red chili peppers have been shown to have lower levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein), which is sometimes called “bad” cholesterol because it increases the risk of heart disease. Recent research found that consuming these peppers is associated with a 13 percent lower incidence of deaths from heart disease and stroke.

Heart disease can also be caused by obesity— which capsaicin may help combat.

2. Spicy foods may promote weight loss and kick-start your metabolism

More than two-thirds of US adults are overweight or obese. “Obesity in turn, can put you at a higher risk for developing other diseases such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or the hardening or narrowing of your arteries. There are many factors that can contribute to weight gain. “Inactivity, unhealthy eating habits, genetics, age, or certain medications all can play a role. Capsaicin may help boost your metabolism, which can help you burn more calories both at rest and during exercise — meaning you might be able to lose weight more easily.

 

3. Spicy foods may be an effective pain reliever

If you’ve ever bitten into a chili pepper, you’re probably familiar with the burning sensation that follows. When you apply that same sensation to the nerves on your hands and feet, it can make those nerves lose their feeling for extended periods of time, combating pain.

When used as a lotion or other topical cream, capsaicin causes a slight feeling of heat, stinging, and itching. Over time, the nerves in your hands and feet will grow accustomed to the lotion and will have a lower ability to process pain. This can help with conditions such as arthritis and injuries.

4. Spicy foods may calm your gut and keep it healthy

Your taste buds and your gut may be more connected than you think. When you bite into a pepper, the capsaicin attaches to a receptor that communicates with other cells. That communication causes a nerve on your tongue to immediately tell your brain that it’s hot.

That same receptor is found in your digestive tract. When capsaicin enters your digestive tract and attaches to the receptor, it creates a chemical called anandamide. Anandamide has been shown to lead to less inflammation in the gut, which can be caused by conditions such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

The same reaction that calms down your gastrointestinal tract may also keep it tumor-free. It may be particularly effective for people that are at high risk of developing intestinal tumors — such as people with a family or personal history of tumors.

Some like it hot, but others don’t.

Before you run out for deep-fried buffalo wings, take note: you still need to stick to healthy foods. Using fast food as a vehicle for your red pepper flakes will reverse many of the beneficial effects by adding unnecessary fats to your diet. Also, be careful to not overdo the spice, as it may increase your gastric acid, causing heartburn.

Capsaicin is not a cure-all, but if you’re realistic about how it can help your health, you may be able to reap the benefits of a spiced-up life.

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Eating Organic

Bananas and their benefits

 

You'll never look at the humble banana the same way again after discovering the many health benefits and reasons to add them to your diet.

Are bananas good for you? You bet they are! We all know they’re jam-packed with a whole lotta goodness: loads of fiber, good natural sugars, vitamins B6 and C, and minerals, potassium and magnesium making them the healthiest fruit and a great option for a healthy snack or an addition to healthy lunch. 

When it comes to health benefits, bananas are difficult to beat. They are delicious, cheap, and available throughout the year

 Bananas are among the most important food crops on the planet.

Bananas are also among the world’s most commonly consumed fruits.

Primarily composed of carbs, they contain decent amounts of several vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Potassium, vitamin C, catechin, and resistant starch are among their healthy nutrients.

Bananas have numerous benefits — including improved heart and digestive health — when consumed regularly as a part of a healthy lifestyle.

Bananas are one of the easiest fruit to find around the world.

Don't underestimate the power of something so simple... always remember to incorporate what the earth gives us into your daily eating routine.

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Health Benefits and Important Functions of Iron

 

9 Health Benefits and Important Functions of Iron

Iron is an essential mineral, but it is also the most common nutrient deficiency in the world today.

Among all minerals, why is this micronutrient so crucial for our health?

In this Blog, we look at some of the proven health benefits and biological functions of iron.

What Is Iron?

First of all, iron is a mineral that plays a key role in metabolism, growth, development and the transportation of oxygen around the body.

The mineral is available in a wide range of foods, and it comes in two forms;

• Heme iron: found in animal foods such as organ meats and shellfish. Heme iron has an estimated bioavailability of 14-18%, meaning it is difficult for our body to absorb.

• Non-heme iron: found in plant foods such as lentils and spinach. Non-heme iron has a lower bioavailability of around 5-12%, and this may depend on other nutrients in the diet.

Unfortunately, iron deficiency is prevalent throughout the world.

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES);

• Iron deficiency anemia almost doubled within the United States from 4.0% to 7.1% during the period 2003 to 2012.

• Anemia rapidly rose within specific population groups. For example, there was a substantial increase in anemia within the black female population, rising from 17.5% to 25%.

• Iron deficiency significantly affected every age, gender, and racial group in the United States, from toddlers to the elderly.

Sadly, this is not unique to iron, and many people have inadequate intakes of other beneficial minerals such as zinc and selenium.

               Health Benefits and Functions

Ensuring sufficient iron intake is important for our health for numerous reasons. Here are some of the benefits and key functions of iron.

1) Iron Helps To Transport Oxygen Around the Body

Iron is present within hemoglobin, which is a protein found within red blood cells.

Firstly, alongside various amino acids, iron is one of the building blocks necessary to produce hemoglobin. Around two-thirds of the body’s iron stores are present within hemoglobin.

As part of its biological roles, hemoglobin collects oxygen from the lungs. This oxygen then becomes bound to the iron within hemoglobin, which creates a compound called oxyhemoglobin.

Oxyhemoglobin travels around the body and transports its oxygen stores to body tissues that require it.

As a result, hemoglobin may start to fall when iron levels are continuously too low. These lower hemoglobin levels can potentially lead to a wide variety of health problems.

Key Point: Iron is essential for producing hemoglobin and transporting oxygen around the body.

2) Important For a Healthy Central Nervous System (CNS)

Iron is a cofactor for numerous enzymes that play a role in the central nervous system.

As a result, iron is an important factor for the cognitive development of children.

On this note, iron deficiency has links to poor cognitive development and behavioral problems in children.

Furthermore, a systematic review found that a higher iron intake has a “modest positive effect” on cognition, motor skills, and coordination in anemic infants.

Key Point: Iron is an important mineral for cognitive development in children.

3) Iron Plays a Role In Energy Metabolism

Enzymes called cytochromes are necessary for cellular energy production, and they require iron to function.

Studies show that a low intake of dietary iron reduces the concentration of cytochromes and in turn, this lowers energy production.

Key Point: Iron has a key involvement in the production of energy.

4) May Alleviate Tiredness/Fatigue Symptoms

Studies consistently show that increasing iron intake appears to improve symptoms of fatigue and tiredness.

For example, a systematic review of intervention trials analyzed the effect of iron supplementation in 1170 iron-deficient patients.

The results found that the higher intake of iron led to reduced self-reported fatigue, which correlated with a “significantly increased serum hemoglobin concentration”.

A further systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that improving blood levels of iron appears to decrease fatigue.

Key Point: Raising iron levels can help reduce symptoms of tiredness and fatigue.

5) Iron Is Important For a Healthy Pregnancy

Iron is widely considered to be one of the most crucial nutrients for a healthy pregnancy.

According to the World Health Organization, “deficiencies in iron and folic acid can potentially negatively impact the health of the mother, her pregnancy, as well as fetal development”.

This warning is not surprising when we consider the impact iron has on a developing baby.

During pregnancy, iron has a significant impact on the development of the baby’s brain and other organs. Therefore, it is a crucial nutrient for the baby’s neurodevelopment.

Key Point: Iron is a vital nutrient during pregnancy, and it has a large influence on fetal development.

6) May Improve Sports Performance

Since iron plays a key role in oxygen transport, the mineral is important for aerobic capacity and endurance.

On this note, some research suggests that higher iron intake may have a beneficial impact on sports performance (for individuals with existing insufficient iron levels).

For example, in a study on 48 female rowers, individuals with impaired iron status had lower endurance than those with sufficient iron levels.

Further studies in athletes with anemia or low iron levels show that increasing iron intake leads to significant improvements in aerobic performance capacity and endurance.

However, it is worth noting that studies which show positive effects of increasing iron levels involve individuals with low iron levels.

In contrast, in athletes with sufficient blood levels of the mineral, increasing iron levels further doesn’t appear to show benefit.

Key Point: Increasing iron intake may improve physical performance in athletes with low blood levels of the mineral.

7) May Protect Cognitive Health In Older Adults

As previously mentioned, iron plays a crucial role in the central nervous system.

There is also some evidence that the mineral may have a positive influence on cognitive health in older adults.

For instance, in a large prospective cohort study featuring 1,744 adults over the age of 71, anemia had a strong association with reduced cognitive function (P = 0.0001). Anemia was also strongly predictive of worsening cognition over the following four years.

Also, anemia is strongly linked with an increased risk of developing dementia. These associations are statistically significant, and anemia has even been classed as an independent risk factor for dementia.

However, a recent systematic review of the evidence on iron and dementia noted that the existing evidence is diverse. The researchers concluded that more research is necessary to fully understand the possible link.

Key Point: Maintaining sufficient iron levels may help to protect cognitive health in older adults.

8) Iron Is An Important Cofactor For Various Enzymes

Both heme and non-heme iron are required cofactors for the activation of various enzymes.

In other words, these compounds require sufficient amounts of iron to perform their biological role optimally.

The compounds that rely on iron as a cofactor are known as ‘iron enzymes,’ and these compounds include;

• Beta-carotene 15, 15-dioxygenase
• Glutamate synthase
• Quercetin 2, 3-dioxygenase
• Taurine dioxygenase
• And many more

Key Point: Iron is a necessary cofactor for a wide range of enzymatic reactions.

9) A Sufficient Intake Can Prevent (Or Treat) Anemia

Iron is an essential mineral, and low blood levels of the nutrient can lead to iron deficiency anemia.

Although there are several potential causes of iron deficiency anemia, low dietary intake of iron is the primary cause.

The typical management and treatment of iron deficiency anemia both focus iron-rich foods to increase plasma iron levels.

Key Point: Consuming an adequate amount of iron-rich foods can help to prevent or manage iron deficiency anemia.

How To Get More Iron

First of all, anyone who feels they might not have sufficient iron levels should discuss this with their doctor.

However, in the case of iron deficiency, both supplements and iron-rich food sources can have benefits.

Food

Many foods contain large amounts of iron.

Some of the best options include liver, cuttlefish, oysters, and cocoa/dark chocolate.

Key Point: Focusing on iron-rich foods is the safest way to increase iron levels.

Final Thoughts

Iron plays a variety of key roles in human health, and it is a vital mineral for our body.

On the positive side, it is relatively easy for healthy individuals to get enough dietary iron.

Since both animal and plant foods contain this essential mineral, there are also a wide variety of iron-rich food sources.

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6 Nutrition Myths that are still alive now

 

6 NUTRITION MYTHS THAT ARE STILL ALIVE 

Even these days nutrition myths are still abound. They are holding on for dear life, but today we are going to cut away the lifeline. These myths that you may believe can hinder your progress, or at the very least make life a little less enjoyable. 

1.) CARBS ARE BAD FOR YOU

Carbs get a bad rap of making people gain weight, but let’s look a little deeper into that claim: it’s not that eating carbs makes someone gain fat, but it’s the overconsumption of calories that causes weight gain. And most of the time when people overeat, they are doing so in the form of processed foods that are usually made with carbohydrates – think pastries, chips, sweets, and other snack and junk foods.

Carbs are just a nutrient like any other, with its own job to do in the body. Carbohydrates are our main source of energy, as the macronutrient is converted into glycogen and used for many forms of activity, mainly long duration activity. While we can use fat as energy, it’s not our body’s preferred source of fuel. Also, the amount of carbs one should eat are dependent on their activity levels and goals; a marathon runner will eat a carb-heavy diet, as the extra energy is needed for long distance racing. On the other hand, someone who does high-intensity resistance training a few times a week will need a lot less. Carb type foods that should be eaten are fresh fruits, whole grains, oats, starches, and plenty of veggies. Try to limit things like white bread, processed baked goods, and other snack foods.

2.) FATS ARE BAD FOR YOU

Fats are bad because if I eat fat, I gain fat, right? Not exactly. Even though many more people know about the benefits of good fats, this myth still persists today.

Fats are a high calorie macronutrient, but they in themselves don’t cause weight gain. Back in the day people had less knowledge of good nutrition, so they thought fat makes you fat. Sounds logical right? People also thought that fat was the cause of heart disease. But now we know that’s not the case; fat is a necessary nutrient in the body, and has many functions, like:

• helps you absorb some vitamins and minerals.
• it build cell membranes, the vital exterior of each cell, and the sheaths surrounding nerves.
• it is essential for blood clotting, muscle movement, and inflammation (1).

Eggs, avocados, nuts & seeds, and certain oils are a good source of healthy fats (as well as crucial vitamins and minerals). But let’s be clear: there are some fats that are bad. Saturated fats are iffy, so it’s best to limit the amount when possible. Trans fats, however, is one form you should stay clear of. Trans fat is naturally occurring in very small amounts in certain animal foods, which is negligible; artificial trans fats are created in an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid. Trans fats have been shown to increase LDL cholesterol – AKA the bad cholesterol – and has been linked to heart disease.

You’ll normally find trans fats in fried foods, baked goods, breaded foods, margarine, and other snacks. Main word to look out for: Partially hydrogenated oil. Good news is that the FDA banned trans fats to be used in food products, but they are taking a bit of time taking those items off shelves. Always read packaging first before buying!

3.) YOU NEED PROTEIN RIGHT AFTER A WORKOUT

This myth is still purported by many gym bros around the world, whom still believe that after a workout you have a small crucial window – usually 30 minutes to an hour – of time to ingest protein, or else the workout was for naught and you’ll wither away as your body eats what muscle you have.

The truth is, of course, more complex: after a workout, you’ll most likely benefit from ingesting protein within a few hours, but you don’t need to rush to get your protein in immediately after a workout. Studies have shown that the evidence for nutrient timing isn’t as clear as people thought, and what matters more is overall intake at the end of the day.

While there is nothing wrong with ingesting protein immediately following a workout, there’s really no magic anabolic window. Do what works best for you!

4.) RED MEAT IS BAD

Red meat has been taking a beating lately, getting blamed for things like heart disease, cancer related issues, and more. The World Health Organization has classified red meat as probable carcinogen, and documentaries like What The Health have swayed people into thinking that red meat is bad.

While eating pounds of red meat everyday is bad, some of this blame is unwarranted. Red meat does come with some benefits, like being high in vitamin B12, iron, and other nutrients not commonly found in other foods, especially in the amounts that meat have.

Meat usually gets the blame because some studies have shown that processed red meats can have cancer causing agents, so in turn scientists link meat to cancer. And as far as the average American diet goes, it is very processed meat heavy. But if you moderate your meat intake, exercise regularly, don’t smoke, eat your fruits and veggies, and do other activities that have a positive effect on your health, then you probably don’t have much to worry about.

5.) “NATURAL” OR ORGANIC IS BETTER

Healthier options for foods have never been more diverse, which is a good thing – but there is some confusion on “all-natural” and organic foods vs conventional. First, we have to divide all natural and organic into two groups.

All Natural Products

This first one is a marketing term, with a very broad scope. All natural can be defined by the FDA to mean “nothing artificial or synthetic (including all color additives regardless of source) has been included in, or has been added to, a food that would not normally be expected to be in that food.” Which means that if all the ingredients in a pack of Oreos are the normal ingredients found in a pack of Oreos, then it could technically be considered “natural”, as there is no ingredient that is not normally found in it. If it sounds confusing, that’s because it is. This doesn’t take into consideration food manufacturing, pesticides, pasteurization, or other forms of processing.

Organic Foods

Organic has been touted as the better equivalent to conventional foods, as they claim to be made without synthetic pesticides, GMOs, or other processing methods. The catch, of course, is that many organic foods do have pesticides, albeit organic ones, which may actually be more harmful than conventional ones. GMOs haven’t been shown to be really all that harmful, or at least the current evidence doesn’t support that idea (who knows, we might have different evidence in the future). Even comparing the nutrient profiles of both organic and conventional foods show them to pretty similar, and organic foods don’t necessarily mean better health.

As far as ethical concerns go though, organic foods may be better – but not perfect. While we’re not saying veganism is the way to go, there should be some serious thought and overhaul of our Food and Agricultural industries for long-term sustainability. But, that’s a whole other topic that is way out of our scope. For now, know that there isn’t really a difference between all natural, organic, or conventional food products; just aim for a well balanced diet and you’ll get the benefits.

6.) EATING SMALL MEALS MORE OFTEN IS BETTER FOR WEIGHT LOSS

It’s easy to trace the origins of this myth. Digestion does raise your metabolism a little, so it would make sense to think that eating less food more often keeps your metabolism elevated, which in turn could be good for weight loss.

However, the opposite also does the same: larger but fewer meals means larger but fewer spikes in metabolism. So it really doesn’t matter the size of the meal, as long as total intake is accounted for. Something to note: Eating smaller meals might leave you feeling hungry, so it could lead to overeating. What matters more is what works for you, and total calorie intake – whether that means 6 small meals, 3 big meals, or anything in-between.

Information is a Double-Edged Sword

In today’s technology-driven era, information is everywhere. You’ve likely heard these myths from a friend, on social media, or some other blog. While the mass of information we have at our fingertips today is truly an amazing thing, we have to be extra careful at discerning fact from fiction. Know that many generalizations can be false, especially when it comes to nutrition – so it’s best to read from multiple sources that provide unbiased answers, and draw your conclusions from evidence.

Hopefully this information helped you clear out some myths about food, and make sure to pass it along to a friend or loved one that would find this information useful. 

Most important thing to remember is:  A balance diet is the best diet!! 

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