The Onion: Heart Protective and Anti-carcinogen
Onions are a rich source of oligosaccharides, which can stimulate the growth of healthy bifid bacteria and suppress the growth of potentially harmful bacteria in the colon, which translates into protection preventing tumor development in the area.
Onions contain a number of sulfides similar to those found in garlic, both of which belong to the family of the lilies, compounds that can reduce blood lipids and blood pressure.
In India, according to statistics, those communities who did not eat onion or garlic, and cholesterol were significantly higher triglycerides and altered blood clotting times in relation to the communities that ate liberal amounts of garlic and onion. Read the rest of this entry »
Isoflavones for health
Isoflavones are secondary plant substances with phytoestrogenic elements that function as protective and are found mainly in soybeans.
These have great health benefits. Isoflavones:
• Prevents certain cancers such as prostate, breast and colon.
• Prevent osteoporosis, helping to maintain bone density.
• Reduce cardiovascular risk.
• Help at menopause, reducing their symptoms and disorders associated with this time as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, night sweats, irritability, anxiety, fatigue, etc..
This has been proven because in some places like Asia, which consume high amounts of isoflavones, there is very little incidence of these diseases.
How do they work?
Being secondary plant substances can act like estrogen (a hormone involved in sexual development of female secondary sex characteristics). Can be found in soya, lentils, chickpeas, alfalfa, cabbage, wheat and flax among other foods.
Isoflavones are biologically inactive in its natural form, but at the time of ingested bacteria from the intestinal flora acting on them breaking or hydrolyzing its molecular structure. When suffering from this transformation are set in hormone receptors and initiate therapeutic activity. Read the rest of this entry »