Natural Remedies Archives - Grants Health

What is Resistant Starch? Everything You Need to Know About This Healthy Carb

grantshealth — Thu, 01 Mar 2018 04:25:56 +0000

BY: YURI ELKAIM

With anti-carb fever gripping the fitness world in recent years, you’ve likely come to think of starch as a bad word. However, there’s one type of starch that’s actually good for you: a specific type of healthy carbs known as resistant starch.

Surprised?

As a general rule of thumb, most starchy foods are indeed packed with harmful simple carbohydrates. They’re highly processed, highly refined, and don’t offer much fiber.

You may have even heard they spike blood sugar and insulin, potentially putting you at greater risk for diabetes. It’s all true. Avoiding these kinds of starches is one of those nutrition tips that’s absolutely spot on.

Thankfully, science is beginning to see a new side to starches and it all has to do with something called resistant starch.

What is Resistant Starch?

Resistant starch is food that resists normal digestion in the small intestine.

Lined with enzymes and digestive juices designed to break foods up and absorb available nutrients, most foods are digested there.

However, some foods are resistant to the digestive power of the small intestine. These foods are resistant starches. Undigested in the small intestine, these “super” starches actually end up feeding the good bacteria in your large intestine.

To thrive, your large intestine and the bacteria within it must have proper fuel. Short-chain fatty acids—especially one called butyrate —are the preferred fuel for your internal system.

To make butyrate, the large intestine needs starch. But most starch is broken down in the small intestine. So resistant starch—starch which moves past the small intestine and into the large intestine—is vital for overall colon health because it’s one of the sources for the eventual creation of butyrate.

The Discovery of Resistant Starch

Interest into the benefits of starch and resistant starches began several decades ago. Researchers were first studying cancers of the intestines and saw that tribes and populations in East Africa had oddly low rates of bowel cancers.

This was remarkable because the diet of these populations wasn’t high in fiber, which at the time was thought to be the key to warding off bowel cancers.

Instead, the East African diet was composed of very starchy foods like yams, sweet potatoes, corn and bananas. These are all foods that are relatively low in fiber and very high in the carbohydrates that most people now have an urge to stay away from.

It wasn’t just protection against bowel cancer; these East African groups also had good cardiovascular health and low rates of diabetes too!

Researchers knew there had to be something unrelated to fiber which was contributing to their remarkable health and extremely low rates of bowel cancer. The answer: an unusually high starchy food intake.

Fast forward to today, and there is now significant evidence that a diet which includes healthy starch (especially good amounts of resistant starch) can offer up serious health benefits.

The Health Benefits of Resistant Starch

Resistant starch is just too good to pass up. There are numerous health benefits for the entire body and it’s just too easy to not add to the diet. Here are a few of the most important benefits:

1. Stay Full, Longer

Similar to high-fiber or high-protein diets, resistant starch can keep you feeling full for longer. In light of the low-carb diet obsession, you may have been tempted to cut out starchy foods completely, but healthy high-starch foods can actually help you lose weight, cut cravings and boost energy.

Some studies show no effect on after-meal fullness when people eat resistant starch and others have shown a significant increase.

When you look closer at the studies, it’s clear that the difference lies in the source of the starch beinghttp://www.alldayenergydiet.com/ used. Studies which used resistant starch from breads, corn and wheat showed NO increased fullness. However, studies using resistant starches from potatoes and potato starch DID show a significant increase in fullness after eating. (1)

The cool part about this is that you can actually enjoy white potatoes again, assuming they’re prepared properly to enhance their resistant starch. The same goes for white rice.

Here’s what you need to do to get the most bang for your buck (at least from potatoes and rice):

Step 1: Boil the potatoes or white rice, then…
Step 2: Let the potatoes or rice sit in the fridge for several hours to cool.

It’s the cooling that is very important as it allows the resistant starch to expand within the food. So baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, and so forth just won’t cut it. Other highly recommended options include: tubers, unripe bananas, and legumes.

2. Boost Mineral Absorption

Another exciting feature of resistant starch is how it improves absorption of minerals. Vital minerals like calcium and iron are commonly bound up in foods, making it hard for the body to absorb. Also, these are two minerals that are often deficient in a person’s diet.

When starch is fermented by gut bacteria, it creates an environment that allows minerals to be better absorbed. One study involving resistant starch showed just that—a significantly greater absorption of iron and calcium from the large intestine (2).

3. The Bathroom-Related Benefits

As if all of the above aren’t beneficial enough, resistant starch can also improve bowel function.

Bowel irregularity, constipation or diarrhea can often be improved by adding resistant starch to the diet. Remember, resistant starch isn’t broken down by the small intestine, therefore when it passes to the large intestine it serves as food for all of our good gut bacteria.

These bacteria are the key to a healthy digestion (3). They actively prevent diarrhea, cramping and help create soft bulky stools. This makes resistant starch the perfect solution for anyone who has had to set up shop in the bathroom because of dense and hard bowel movements.

4. Cancer Prevention

Possibly the most important reason to add resistant starch to your diet is for possible protection against a deadly enemy: colorectal cancer.

Today, cancers of the bowel are the 3rd most common form of cancer in the world and they’re the 2nd most deadly for men and women in the United States (4).

This is where much of the resistant-starch research has focused—on the effects of resistant starches to improve bowel health, promote good bacteria and ultimately prevent bowel cancers from forming. Results from these studies continue to come back with good news.

These studies look at makeup of gut bacteria after fermenting resistant starches. If bacteria produces abnormal proteins and acids, there’s a bad environment within the large intestine indicates an unhealthy environment. However, if bacteria make normal byproducts and less acid, the bowels are considered protected and well maintained.

Recent studies have found significantly fewer cancer-related proteins and acids in stools after eating resistant starch. There is even some research now showing resistant starch can help reverse a bad gut environment.

This is all promising, because it means there is likely a link between resistant starch consumption and the possible prevention of some colon cancers.

How to Eat Resistant Starch

Unlike the East African diet studied, you don’t have to have a diet completely composed of starchy foods to reap the benefits. There are some simple ways to add resistant starch to your diet. There are also some less-healthy ways. Let’s walk through all the details.

Four Food Sources of Resistant Starch

There are four different sources of resistant starch which are grouped according to their source (5):

Type 1 is found in the fibrous cell walls of grains and seeds.
Type 2 is made up of raw starches—potatoes, green bananas and some legumes.
Type 3 foods get their resistant starch from the cooking then cooling process. This includes sweet potatoes, rice, yams and some whole grain breads.
Type 4 is man-made or chemically produced. This form is typically used by food manufacturers who add it to processed food items.

How to Eat It Right

The best and most convenient way to get resistant starch in the diet is through cooked then cooled potatoes and rice, unripe bananas, beans and legumes, sweet potatoes, yams and tubers. These are all essentially good carbs.

Raw potato starch flour is also one of my favorites. It’s available in many health food stores and can be easily stirred into your morning glass of water or smoothie. Remember, if you’re using raw potato starch that heat will destroy much of its benefit so cooking with it will lessen its power.

Some legumes such as black beans, red lentils, and navy beans have adequate amounts of resistant starch, too. As an added bonus, evidence shows that across all populations, legume intake is strongly associated with living a long disease-free life. (6) So this is just one more reason to include a daily serving of vegan protein-packed beans to your diet.

Simple Ways to Get More Healthy Resistant Starch

Add 1-2 tbsp of raw potato starch in your water or smoothies
Add small amounts of potato starch to thicken puddings and non-dairy yogurts
Mix potato starch to almond or coconut milk beverages
Add slices of green banana to morning smoothies
Incorporate unripe banana slices (they don’t have to be completely green) into fruit salads
Mix at least 1 daily serving of cooked legumes into salads, soups or have as a side

Does Resistant Starch Remain Even After Reheating?

Retrograded RS (cooked and cooled) is maintained during subsequent heating. You can even heat it and cool it once again to create even more RS. So you don’t have to eat it cold, though I would advise against re-heating a cooked and cooled RS source into oblivion. Keep the heat relatively low.

Will Resistant Starch Spike My Blood Sugar?

Let’s address any concern that healthy resistant starch foods (like potatoes and bananas) will spike the blood sugar and lead to energy crashes. This is simply false, mainly because very little starch (and thus sugar) is being absorbed into your bloodstream. Remember, these starches are feeding your gut bacteria, not you!

Sweet potatoes and other tuber varieties are some of the MOST nutrient dense and health promoting foods.

If you’re still a little worried about the amount of carbohydrates and low fiber, here’s a great trick:

When preparing sweet potatoes or yams, boil them instead of baking or frying. A study in 2011 revealed that when potatoes are boiled, rather than baked or fried, the glycemic index (increase in blood sugar after being eating) is cut in half. (7)

The topic of blood sugar and insulin has been one of the most heavily researched areas when it comes to resistant starch. Numerous studies have shown that when resistant starches are added to a meal or consumed for a short time, than a person’s blood sugar is lowered and their level of insulin release is decreased. (8) The body essentially becomes more sensitive to insulin, which is great.

This glucose and insulin lowering effect has been shown with various types of food derived resistant starches and has very promising implications for diabetics.

Furthermore, researchers think that some resistant starches in foods can take a full 5-7 hours to break down after being eaten. This means hours of having a slow and steady release of glucose into the system, which is what the body much prefers.

Should You Add a Resistant Starch Supplement?

Some advocates say that you can easily get large amounts of resistant starch through supplementing. I’m personally going to stick to what most of the research says, which is that healthy carbs—raw potato starch, tubers, legumes and green bananas—are the best sources with the most health promoting outcomes.

The other thing to remember is that if your gut bacteria is slightly messed up, you will likely experience some gas and bloating as you start adding more resistant starch into your diet.

This goes away fairly quickly as the gut bacteria starts to readjust and your gut health improves. If you’re using raw potato starch, start slowly with 1 tablespoon per day and build up to 3-4 tbsp per day for maximum benefits.

Enjoy This Article on Resistant Starch?

You might like The All-Day Energy Diet Community Cookbook. You’ll get 67 delicious, allergen-free meals that take less than 15 minutes to make – for free. Just click the banner below for instant access.

Thanks to Yuri Ekaim for this article.

The post What is Resistant Starch? Everything You Need to Know About This Healthy Carb appeared first on Grants Health.

6 All-Natural Ways To Beat Gout

grantshealth — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 02:52:56 +0000

Gout is something that plagues more and more people every day, and it’s caused from uric acid buildup in the body. I want to go over my top six home gout remedies — all-natural ways to beat gout — but right before that, go over the diet that is crucial to get rid of gout, along with the worst food offenders.

So if you have gout, the first thing you have to do is eliminate the excess sugar and grains in your diet, as well as processed meat. That means you need to kick that sugar addiction, as sugar feeds yeast in the body and conventional grains turn into sugar. Meanwhile, those meats are full of unhealthy hormones and antibiotics, and they’re so acidic to your system. In terms of beverages, it’s important to stay away from alcohol. Diet- and drink-wise, those are the best things you can do right now to eliminate gout symptoms.

In terms of a gout diet, it’s key to begin eating plenty of vegetables, fruits and organic meats. Some of the best foods include bone broth and my Chicken Vegetable Soup recipe.

6 Natural Remedies for Gout

Studies show that many of the dietary items we consume lead to gout as well as other health problems. Changing your diet and lifestyle may be the easy solution to beating gout. One of the first things to do is eliminate certain foods and beverages from your diet to beat gout.

Now here are my top six all-natural gout remedies to get rid of gout for good. If you follow these tips, you can get rid of gout in 24 hours or less. Yes, that fast, you can get rid of gout pain for good.

1. Celery Seed Extract

Step No. 1 is to consume celery seed extract and celery juice. Celery seed extract actually has been shown to decrease uric acid buildup in the body.

Researchers have identified over a dozen different types of antioxidants that are responsible for the benefits of celery — these include such phenolic acids as caffeic acid and ferulic acid, plus flavanols like quercetin. This makes celery useful for treating a wide range of conditions that are made worse by inflammation: joint pain (such as from arthritis), gout, kidney and liver infections, skin disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, and urinary tract infections, just to name a few.

You can buy the supplement or celery seed extract. You can also use a vegetable juicer to produce celery juice or just eat celery throughout the day — all of which are great for getting rid of gout.

2. Black Cherry Juice

The No. 2 home remedy for gout is black cherry juice or cherry juice extract. Treating gout is one of the many health benefits of cherries. A study published in Arthritis & Rheumatism evaluated 633 individuals with gout who were treated with cherry extract over a two-day period. This cherry treatment was associated with a 35 percent lower risk of gout attacks. When cherry intake was combined with allopurinol use, a prescribed medication for gout and kidney stones, the risk of gout attacks was 75 percent lower.

Cherry juice, then, has very similar benefits to celery juice: It reduces inflammation and uric acid buildup in the body. If you just add celery and black cherry juice to your diet, you will see very fast results in getting rid of gout.

3. Nettles

The third thing you can add is nettles. Nettles is a powerful anti-inflammatory phytonutrient, and you can buy it in tea form. A review of commonly used herbal remedies, including nettles, published in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, relays the standing of nettles as an anti-inflammatory food. So again, you can buy nettles as a supplement or drink it as a tea, and it’s great for getting rid of gout.

4. Fish Oil

No. 4 on the gout remedies list is fish oil. Now, fish oil doesn’t act as fast as the first two, but over time, fish oil can decrease your risk for gout because one of the health benefits of fish oil is it’s packed with omega-3 fatty acids that reduce disease-causing inflammation in your body.

Since gout is a form of arthritis and fish oil has been proven to be an effective treatment for arthritis, it only makes sense its omega-3 content benefits people with gout.

5. Proteolytic Enzymes

In terms of supplements proteolytic enzymes like benefit-rich bromelain can treat gout as well. Bromelain is found in the core of a pineapple, and it’s a digestive enzyme that’s been shown to help reduce uric acid and inflammation.

A review of gout treatment published in the Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal mentions bromelain, along with many other foods, as part of a gout treatment diet.

6. Magnesium

One other remedy that’s been very beneficial in treating gout is magnesium. Magnesium is an alkaline mineral. That alkaline mineral can also decrease uric acid formation in the body, and studies show magnesium is an effective treatment for gout, particularly acute cases of gout.

If you have signs of magnesium deficiency, you may be susceptible to gout, so it’s a good idea to add magnesium-rich foods or magnesium supplements to your list of natural gout remedies.

If you get rid of the things that I talked about earlier — the excess alcohol, the sugar, the grains, the conventional meats — and if you add in a diet higher in fruits and vegetables along with those six home gout remedies, you will see your gout disapper in 24 hours or less.

The Gout Diet

Gout, also known as gouty arthritis is caused by the buildup of uric acid, a metabolite of protein and can be extremely painful. Gout generally occurs more often in men and second most in post menopausal women.

The excess of uric acid leads to the formation of small crystals of urate (uric acid crystals). Some of these crystal deposits form in the synovial fluid (lubricating fluid around joints) that then cause inflammation and result in this painful condition.

When someone has a gout attack it can be extremely painful in the area of the big toe and signs also include redness and swelling in the joint. Other joints may be affected and the pain can be so intense that even touching the area can be excruciating.

Causes of gout include: a diet high in hydrogenated fats, alcohol, conventional meat and refined carbohydrates. Also having conditions such as insulin resistance, obesity, kidney disease, stress, high blood pressure, and an acidic system can greatly increase the risk of developing gout.

If you want to overcome gout then diet is key. Follow this gout diet for fast relief and do actually address the cause of gout and get rid of it forever.

High-fiber foods – High fiber foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds that are high in fiber which can help reduce uric acid.

Potassium-rich foods – Foods high in potassium like avocado, raw cultured dairy, coconut water, salmon, squash, bananas and apricots can help balance intracellular fluid relieving gout.

Fresh berries and cherries – Berries and especially cherries can help neutralize uric acid.

Wild-caught fish – Omega-3s help reduce inflammation and can help overcome gout pain.

Water – Drink plenty of water, at least 8 oz every 2 hours to flush uric acid out of your system.

You also want to avoid the following foods:

Foods high in purines – Purines are an amino acid that forms uric acid. Foods that have purines include: fatty red meat, shellfish, small fish, mushrooms, organ meats, peas, lentils, and spinach.

Fried foods and hydrogenated oils – Fried foods and hydrogenated oils like soybean, vegetable, corn, and canola oil can aggravate gout.

Sodium – A diet high in sodium can cause tissue swelling and increase gout symptoms.

Alcohol – Increases uric acid and toxicity of the liver.

Refined carbohydrates – Sugar and other refined carbohydrates can make insulin resistance and gout worse.

Gout Causes

Gout is said to be caused by lifestyle and eating choices. Today the staple American diet has shifted to one full of highly processed foods. Many of these highly processed foods contain high fructose corn syrup which is believed to be a leading contributor to gout.

In fact, a recent study showed that men who consumed two or more sugary drinks per day were 85% more likely to develop gout than those men who only consumed less than one sugary beverage a month. This high sugar intake increases the levels of uric acid in the body. High levels of sugar in the body lead to a number of serious health problems including gout.

It’s also been shown that half of all gout sufferers are obese or overweight. And again, a high intake of sugar is shown to lead to obesity.

Another cause of gout is consuming too many high purine foods. These are organ meats, anchovies, herring, asparagus, and even mushrooms. Eating less high purine foods is one way to try to ward off gout.

Conventional Gout Treatment

There are pharmaceuticals that are used to treat gout but I urge you to use these as a last resort. Some of the pharmaceuticals used to treat gout are NSAIDs, Colchicine, corticosteroids, Corticotropin (adrenocorticotropic hormone),Febuxostat, Aloprim, and Zyloprim.

Not only do many of these drugs not work for gout sufferers the side effects of these toxic pharmaceuticals are not worth the risk. This is especially true when diet and lifestyle changes can end or successfully help to manage gout.

Some of the side effects of these dangerous pharmaceuticals are the following:

Side Effects of Pharmaceuticals Used to Treat Gout

Nausea

Vomiting

Diarrhea

Constipation

Rash

Dizziness

Headaches

Drowsiness

Fluid retention

Shortness of breath

Kidney failure

Liver failure

When there are all natural alternatives available to you to fight off gout I suggest you try these methods before you opt for pharmaceuticals and their dangerous side effects.

Additional Tips for Treating Gout Naturally

Studies show that many of the dietary items we consume lead to gout as well as other health problems. Changing your diet and lifestyle may be the easy solution to beating gout. One of the first things to do is eliminate certain foods and beverages from your diet to beat gout.

1. Eliminate or reduce sugar intake

As many studies are now illustrating, gout is common in people with excessive sugar intake, especially high fructose corn syrup (HFCS.) It’s wise to read the labels of all your food and drinks. If you find HFCS then eliminate that from your diet. In addition, look for sugar added under the guise of other common names for sugar; look for ‘cose’ at the end of words and these are probably types of sugar you don’t want to be consuming.

2. Eliminate grains

Grains in the body are converted to sugars so again you want to limit or avoid grains altogether. They are also very inflammatory to your body.

3. Limit alcohol consumption

Again, alcohol becomes sugar once ingested so eliminate this completely unless you have a healthy body already. Any substance that will be converted to one or another type of sugar by the body should be avoided at all costs. In order to get your uric acid levels down you must consistently avoid sugar in your diet.

4. Eliminate soda and diet soda

Soda and diet sodas are loaded with sweeteners either natural or artificial. It’s vital to eliminate them from your diet altogether if you want to be gout-free. Remember the study I mentioned earlier in which just two to three sweet beverages a week increased men’s chance of getting gout by a whopping 85%.

5. Consume cherries and strawberries daily

In order to combat the inflammation try adding fresh, organic cherries and strawberries to your diet. Cherries are rich in anthocyanicns and bioflavonoids both which help to relieve and prevent arthritis. In addition, both are high in antioxidants which will help to fight off free radical damage.

6. Exercise

Since obesity is linked to gout, it’s a good idea to exercise regularly if you’re trying to relieve gout from your life. Include burst training and weight training to maximize your health benefits from exercise. Exercise should be a part of your life no matter if you have gout or not. Burst Training is the best way to get in shape and keep your body healthy. Click here for my burst workout ideas.

As with many health problems there are all natural treatment methods that often involve lifestyle changes that should take place before you opt for pharmaceuticals or other methods. The same is true for gout. Try these solutions and live an overall healthy lifestyle and you’ll be pain free from gout in no time.

If you want to learn more natural remedies and natural cures, subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Thanks to Dr Axe for this article. Visit his site for more information.

The post 6 All-Natural Ways To Beat Gout appeared first on Grants Health.

Tart Cherry – The Science of Using Cherries For Gout

grantshealth — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 02:25:55 +0000

Cherries, and the anthocyanins they contain, may play an important role in maintaining a healthy uric acid balance. Read on to learn more about this natural solution to gout.

BECOME A BELIEVER IN TART CHERRY FOR GOUT

Round, red, and delicious, tart cherries are stars of the summer season. But did you know they also provide powerful nutrients for fighting pain and inflammation associated with gout?

TERRY’S BOTTOM LINE:

TERRY’S BOTTOM LINE: With gout on the rise, many people are looking for ways to relieve the pain and inflammation the disease brings about. While conventional approaches can’t seem to address the problem effectively, tart cherries can. This amazing fruit will:

Relieve the symptoms of gout

Stop pain, swelling, and inflammation

Reduce the number of gout attacks

Normalize uric acid levels

Prevent oxidative damage

It usually starts something like this: It’s the middle of the night, and you’re woken from a sound sleep by a throbbing pain in your big toe. You feel like someone has your toe in a vice grip. It’s red and swollen and even feels warm to the touch. The pain is intense for a day or two and then slowly subsides after a week or more. You’ve got gout.

Gout is caused by a buildup of uric acid in the blood. The uric acid crystallizes in the joint— often the big toe—and causes severe pain and inflammation. These are not mild aches and discomfort. Many who suffer from gout tell me that the pain is excruciating, making it hard to walk or even dress themselves. Some have resorted to sleeping with a box around their foot because they can’t stand to have even a bed sheet touch their toe.

Uric acid is a chemical your body creates when it breaks down purines, a substance found naturally in the body and concentrated in some foods, like red meat, beans, and alcohol. When your body can’t rid itself of uric acid, it builds up and forms sharp crystal deposits. These deposits often accumulate in joints, including the joint of the big toe, ankles, heels, wrists, and fingers. That’s gout.

Gout is on the Rise
They call it “The Rich Man’s Disease” because, historically, only wealthy people could afford to eat the rich foods associated with gout attacks. But today, we are blessed—and cursed—with an overabundance of dietary choices that contribute to the increasing number of people who suffer from gout.

Sadly, once you’ve had one gout attack, it’s likely you’ll have more, and people with chronic gout may have attacks, sometimes called flares, as often as every month. There is no cure for gout, and standard medical treatment, like heavy-duty NSAIDs (such as Celebrex), corticosteroids, or uric acid-lowering drugs, can cause significant side effects. There has to be a better way to combat gout. And, of course, there is. It’s cherries.

Cherries: They’re Not Just for Pie Anymore
Every summer people in my home state of Wisconsin flock to Door County, where the local cherry crop means roadside stands sell all things cherry—even cherry beer and wine. Many people make it a tradition to go to a “pick-your-own” orchard. What many people don’t know is that this little red fruit is an antioxidant powerhouse that researchers are investigating for their ability to prevent or treat injuries and diseases.

Cherries contain anthocyanins-flavonoids that give cherries their deep red color. Studies show that anthocyanins reduce DNA-damaging inflammatory markers and oxidative stress and promote the production of healthy cells. Scientific studies of tart cherry suggest that it may be beneficial for a wide variety of health concerns, including relieving gout symptoms, improving muscle recovery following exercise, improving sleep quality, stopping chronic inflammation, and reducing the risks of type 2 diabetes—just to name a few.

In all these studies, side effects were minimal or non-existent. This makes cherries a great alternative to pharmaceutical treatments with pages of serious warnings attached to them.

The Science of Tart Cherries

We’ve known about using cherries to treat gout for a long time. Finally, the science is starting to catch up, and recent studies indicate that tart cherry is highly effective as a treatment for gout.

The first clinical study I found on tart cherries that mentioned uric acid was a 2009 study that examined cherry juice in marathon runners. In this study, runners were given cherry juice or placebo daily for five days before a marathon, the day of, and 48 hours after the marathon. The researchers measured muscle damage, inflammatory markers (including uric acid levels), and oxidative stress before and after the race. They reported faster strength recovery and reduced inflammatory markers in the cherry group. Of particular note to those who suffer from gout, uric acid levels stayed virtually the same in the cherry group, but increased post-race in the placebo group.

A 2012 article published in Arthritis summarized three studies that investigated the use of tart cherries as a gout treatment. The in vitrostudy found tart cherry juice concentrate was able to inhibit inflammatory markers in cells, demonstrating tart cherry’s potent anti-inflammatory effects. The researchers theorized that it may be these anti-inflammatory effects that make tart cherry work so well for gout.

Tart Cherry and Black Cherry Extracts – It Works!

Another article also presented the findings of a retrospective study of 24 patients that took cherry juice concentrate for at least four months. In this study, the researchers compared those taking an uric acid lowering medication from those who didn’t. The 11 people in the study who didn’t use the prescription drug were not randomized—they were people who had contraindications, intolerance to the drug, or were not getting any results from the drug treatment. The cherry juice concentrate reduced gout flares in both groups from nearly seven per year to about two per year. Fifty percent of all patients were flare-free at four to six months. It is especially important to note that the people who did not benefit from the uric acid reducing drug still benefited greatly from the use of cherry juice.

A 2014 clinical study examined the effects of tart cherry juice on plasma levels of uric acid and inflammatory markers in healthy volunteers. The researchers found that those who drank 30 or 60 ml of cherry juice for two days had reduced levels of uric acid and C-reactive protein, an inflammatory marker, in their blood, regardless of the tart cherry dose. Uric acid output in urine samples was increased, suggesting that tart cherry helps the body process excess uric acid. This is very important in gout because excessive uric acid buildup triggers the excruciating pain and deformities.

Juice vs. Supplement
You may have noticed that a lot of the research on cherries involves cherry juice or cherry juice concentrate. So why shouldn’t you just drink juice? The problem is sugar. Tart cherries are quite sour, and tart cherry juice contains a lot of added sugar to make it palatable. In fact, a cherry juice concentrate used in one of the clinical studies includes 80 calories and 15 grams of sugar in a one-ounce serving. That’s a lot of sugar in two tablespoons of concentrate.

We know that dietary sugar causes inflammation, which is already a problem with gout, so why would you want to add to your sugar load? That’s why I recommend adding tart cherry to your regimen in the form of a supplement. Taking a capsule or two is so much more convenient, and a quality capsule will not have added sugar.

Why Freeze-Drying is Best
Drying is an ancient process used to preserve food. Unfortunately, the nutritional content in foods can be drastically altered or reduced when dried conventionally. This is why freeze-dried cherry fruit is superior. The absence of water combined with the low process temperature stops cellular deterioration, enzymatic activity, and microbiological reactions.

Freeze-drying retains the ideal phytochemical content, enzymatic activity, nutritional value, and bioactivity of fresh cherries. Unfortunately, freeze-drying is expensive, but this is definitely an example of getting what you pay for. That’s why I recommend supplements that use freeze-dried cherries instead of cherries that have been dried by conventional hot air-drying, spray-drying, or sun-drying.

A Dramatic Difference
Tart cherry is the natural choice to stop the pain and inflammation of gout and reduce the number of gout attacks. It also keeps your joints flexible, your blood sugar levels stable, and your arteries healthy. I strongly encourage you to make changes to your daily food choices, drink 8 glasses of water a day, and add a quality freeze-dried tart cherry supplement to your daily regimen. You’ll notice a dramatic difference!

To help stop the pain and inflammation of gout and reduce the number of gout attacks, I recommend taking 750-1,500 mg of tart cherry (Prunus cerasus) twice daily.

Thanks to Terry Lemerond at Terrytalksnutrition.com for this article

Terry Lemerond has 45 years of experience in the health food industry as an owner of several health food stores and dietary supplement manufacturing companies. He has researched and developed over 400 nutritional and botanical formulations that continue to be top selling products on the market today.

The post Tart Cherry – The Science of Using Cherries For Gout appeared first on Grants Health.

Celery Seed Extract for Blood Pressure and Gout

grantshealth — Sat, 09 Sep 2017 16:07:14 +0000

Celery and Celery Seed Extract Are Powerful, Proven Healers

Celery is a member of the umbelliferous family, along with carrots, parsley and fennel. The celery we see today originated from wild celery native to the Mediterranean, where its seeds were once highly valued as a medicine. As with many other folk remedies, modern research is upholding the medicinal value of this common vegetable. In particular, scientists are evaluating the most powerful healing factor of celery—a compound known as 3-nbutylphthalide, or 3nB.

What is 3nB?

3nB is unique to celery and is responsible for the vegetable’s characteristic flavor and odor. It was discovered as the active component of celery by researchers who were seeking to explain some of the vegetable’s medicinal effects. 3nB first drew significant scientific attention when researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center identified it as the component responsible for celery’s blood pressure–lowering effect.

The research was prompted by one of the researcher’s fathers who, after eating a quarter-pound of celery every day for a week, observed his blood pressure dropped from 158 over 96 to a normal reading of 118 over 82. Subsequent animal studies found that a very small amount of 3nB lowered blood pressure by 12 to 14 percent, and also reduced cholesterol by about 7 percent.

How Does 3nB Lower Blood Pressure?

The blood pressure–lowering effect of 3nB appears to be a result of several factors.

Blood pressure refers to the force with which your blood flows through your vessels. High blood pressure is usually the result of too much fluid in your blood and inflexible or resistant blood vessels. Sodium (salt) retention leads to increased fluid volume in the blood, while hardening of the arteries and the hormones released during stress lead to loss of flexibility or constriction of blood vessels. If you put your thumb over a garden hose, the pressure against your thumb and the resultant pressure of the flow of water out of the hose can be reduced by either turning down the faucet (reducing the fluid volume) or by letting more water flow out of the hose (dilating the vessel).

To treat high blood pressure, doctors usually prescribe diuretics (water pills) to reduce the fluid volume; and vasodilators to relax the arteries to reduce the resistance of blood flow, or beta-blockers to turn down the pumping action of the heart. 3nB appears to help lower blood pressure by acting both as a diuretic and vasodilator, as well as working in a manner similar to drugs known as calcium-channel blockers. 3nB has also been shown in animal and test-tube studies to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the formation of arterial plaque. This effect may increase the elasticity of the blood vessels and thus lead to lower blood pressure readings. In addition, 3nB appears to have some effect on areas and systems of the brain that control vascular resistance.

The benefit of 3nB in treating high blood pressure is its apparent safety and the fact that it has a very unusual mechanism of action as a diuretic. Most diuretics change the ratio of sodium to potassium in the blood and as a result, dangerous side effects can occur due to either too much potassium or sodium. In contrast, 3nB acts as a diuretic but does not alter the ratio of sodium to potassium in the blood.

Research on the blood pressure–lowering effect of celery and celery seed extracts is quite preliminary, but I think it is certainly worth giving them a try, as some people have noted significant reductions in their blood pressure. What research will probably show is that some people with high blood pressure will respond to celery seed extract while others will not. This occurrence is not unusual—physicians will tell you there is a similar phenomenon with conventional drugs used in high blood pressure.

Another real advantage of celery seed extract over conventional drugs used in high blood pressure is that the drugs lower blood flow to the brain. While this effect is helpful in reducing the likelihood of stroke, it often makes people feel tired, depressed, dizzy and forgetful. Celery seed extract, on the other hand, has been shown in animal studies to not only help prevent stroke, but also to improve blood flow and protect the brain and enhance brain energy production in a manner similar to Ginkgo biloba extract. Celery seed extract has also produced dramatic recovery in neurological and brain function in animals in studies that simulate a stroke. In addition, it has been shown to significantly increase life spans in animals.

What Other Effects Have Been Noted With 3nB?

3nB has shown tremendous promise in animal studies as an anticancer phytonutrient and detoxification aid, but its use as a pain reliever in arthritis, fibromyalgia and gout is getting most of the attention.

A celery seed extract standardized to contain 85 percent 3nB has been evaluated in the treatment of rheumatism—the general term used for arthritic and muscular aches and pain. In this study, 3nB’s efficacy was evaluated by well-established clinical protocols used to measure the effectiveness of conventional drugs used in arthritis and muscular pain. These protocols allow objective measures of clinical pain that can be assessed statistically and for individual comparisons. Due to the chronic, fluctuating nature of rheumatism, the study compared results with and without 3nB supplementation.

During the 12-week study, 15 subjects suffering from either osteoarthritis, osteoporosis or gout received 34 mg of the celery seed extract twice daily. Each subject’s pain had been present for approximately 10 years in a remittent or continual form, and it led to a lack of joint mobility and pain that prevented the carrying out of household duties, hobbies and other activities.

The results of the study were extremely positive and quite statistically significant. The chance that these results were due to a placebo effect is less than one in 1000. After three weeks of taking the celery seed extract, the average reduction in subjects’ pain scores was 68 percent, with some subjects experiencing 100 percent relief from pain. Most subjects achieved maximum benefit after six weeks of use, although some did notice improvements the longer the extract was used. Detailed blood chemistry as well as clinical evaluation of the subjects did not turn up any side effects. Many subjects noticed the celery seed extract produced a diuretic effect, but no changes were noted in their sodium and potassium balances.

Based on the positive results in this small pilot study, a larger 70-patient study was conducted. Subjects received 75 mg of the celery seed extract twice daily for three weeks. At this higher dosage, subjects reported even better results than in the pilot study. Statistically and clinically significant reductions were noted in pain scores, mobility and quality of life. Again, no side effects were noted other than the diuretic effect with no changes in the sodium and potassium balance. The celery seed extract appeared to be particularly helpful for sufferers of gout, as 3nB appears to lower the production of the uric acid that causes gout by inhibiting the enzyme xanthine oxidase.

What is the Proper Dosage?

More than 100,000 people in Australia have now used this proprietary celery seed extract standardized at 85 percent 3nB without any reports of side effects. The current dosage recommendations, based on the information available from trials as well as clinical experience, are:

For the relief of joint and muscle pain (including pain due to osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia): One tablet two to three times daily.

For gout: Two tablets twice daily. NOTE: Initial blood uric acid measurements may increase in people with gout as uric acid crystals begin to dissolve.

Study results indicate that as long as the celery seed extract is used, it keeps pain at bay. But if it is stopped, the pain tends to recur.

Thanks to DoctorMurray.com for this article. You can read the entire article and references here:

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Help Prevent Gout Attacks With These Doctor Tips

grantshealth — Thu, 27 Apr 2017 05:56:13 +0000

What Exactly Is Gout?

Here is an excellent overview of Gout, or gouty arthritis, including some little known tips for prevention and pain relief.

Gout, or gouty arthritis, is believed to be the most painful type of arthritis. Cases of gout are on a decades long upswing, affecting almost 850 out of every 100,000 Americans, mostly men. Gout is caused by a build up of uric acid in the joints. Uric acid is a naturally occurring chemical produced when the body breaks down purines – a type of protein found in the body, and in most foods.

In normal quantities, uric acid is a natural and healthy antioxidant, helping to prevent damage to blood vessels. But an excess of uric acid forms needle sharp crystals that irritate and inflame the cartilage around the joints, usually at the base of the big toe (also called podagra), although it can strike other joints such as the knees or the elbows.

Symptoms of gout include a sudden onset of excruciating pain, swelling, redness, heat and stiffness in the affected joint. Many podagra sufferers cannot even bear the pressure of a sock or even a sheet on their foot during an attack. Gout attacks are usually intermittent, flaring up every few months to every few years, and lasting from a few days to a few weeks. In severe gout, the uric acid can form knobby, chalky lumps in the joints or under the skin called tophi.

Because uric acid results from a breakdown of purines, gout sufferers have long been advised to avoid high purine foods such as red meat, organ meat, fatty fish, high fat dairy products, mushrooms, peas, beans, cauliflower, spinach, asparagus and alcohol (especially beer and red wine).

More recently, a large long-term study demonstrated that some high purine foods that gout sufferers have traditionally been told to avoid, including mushrooms, peas, beans, cauliflower and spinach, are not associated with attacks of gout. The researchers also discovered that eating low fat dairy products can decrease the risk of gout attacks.

According to Dr. Thomas Cowan, misconceptions about gout abound. He says the newer theories about gout recognize that the disease is not simply a result of high-protein or purine intake, but is associated with excessive carbohydrate consumption, particularly refined flour and sugar. This explains the known connections between obesity and gout, and the connection between high uric acid levels and insulin resistance.

We now know it’s not always high levels of uric acid that bring on a gout attack – a rapid rise or drop in uric acid levels, perhaps as a result of a change in diet, can also trigger a flare-up. Dr. Gowan views gout as a problem of the kidneys not being able to excrete enough uric acid to prevent a buildup, rather than simply a matter of excessive protein intake.

He believes gout is better understood as a situation of unbalanced protein intake compared to fat and gelatin intake, pointing out that traditional peoples always balanced protein consumption with the consumption of fat and gelatinous soup broths.

Natural Treatment For Gout

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A 1999 study reported by the world’s largest scientific society, the American Chemical Society, in the Journal of Natural Products showed that consuming about 20 cherries relieved the intense pain and inflammation of a gout attack as effectively as top-selling anti-inflammatory medications like Aspirin and COX-2 inhibitors such as Celebrex. Capsules of cherry concentrate reduced inflammation at 1/10 the dosage of Aspirin.

But when cherry growers began to cite this scientific research, the FDA sent warning letters to 29 companies threatening regulatory action if they didn’t remove the scientific evidence regarding the anti- inflammatory properties of cherries from their websites.

Dr. Wright has developed another unique treatment to manage uric acid and control gout – low-dose lithium combined with high-dose vitamin C. For well over a century, doctors have known that lithium makes uric acid more soluble and less likely to crystallize, and research has shown that vitamin C promotes the excretion of uric acid into the urine.

Dr. Wright recommends 10 to 15 mg of lithium orotate, twice daily, and 2 grams of vitamin C, twice daily. Although most people think of lithium as a drug, it’s actually a mineral – part of the same mineral family as sodium and potassium. This dosage of lithium is unlikely to cause any toxic effects.

But to be on the safe side, Dr. Wright also recommends 1 to 2 teaspoonfuls of flaxseed oil (or another fatty acid) daily, along with 400 IU of vitamin E, to offset any possible negative responses. He also recommends that this regimen be monitored by a doctor who’s familiar with complementary and alternative medicine.

According to Dr. Wright, “Although there are no published studies on this topic, over the years I’ve found the combination of low-dose lithium (10 to 15 milligrams twice daily) and vitamin C (2 grams twice daily) can be very effective in preventing recurrent attacks of gout. Vitamin C significantly reduces serum uric acid levels. Lithium makes uric acid more soluble so it doesn’t crystallize into painful ‘needles’. These two actions combine to significantly reduce gout attacks.”

Other health practitioners also stress the importance of healthy oils to treat gout, including flax oil, coconut oil, fish oil, cod liver oil, or Udo’s Choice Oil Blend. Mainstream and alternative medical professionals emphasize the need to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water or other non-alcoholic beverages daily to help dilute uric acid and flush it from your body.

Making the blood less acidic is said to lessen its ability to hold uric acid. To alkalize your blood and add beneficial magnesium (helpful for a wide variety of ills) to your body, take 1 tablespoon of Bone Support (a nanoparticle-sized blend of key minerals needed for bone and teeth health) 4 times a day (last dose right before bed).

Note: If you cannot afford Bone Support minerals to alkalize, then you can use baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) instead. Take 1/2 teaspoon 4 times a day, dissolved in 8 ounces of filtered water (take the last dose right before bed). However, this remedy has a much stronger taste and is not as beneficial, since along with the beneficial minerals (including lots of magnesium), it contains a lot of salt (sodium).

People with appendicitis, heart, kidney or liver disease should not take baking soda. If you take too much baking soda for too long, you can develop a condition called alkalosis, in which the ph of your tissues is elevated.

Another popular natural remedy for the pain and inflammation of gout is Epsom salt. Epsom salt gets its name from the town of Epsom in England, where it is distilled from springs rising in an area where porous chalk hills meet non-porous clay. Epsom salt is composed of magnesium, sulpher and oxygen, and is also known by its chemical name, magnesium sulphate.

Both magnesium and sulphate can be absorbed through the skin, which is the body’s largest organ. Epsom salt’s ability to relax muscles, reduce swelling, relieve pain, fade bruises, draw out toxins and soften skin has made it the primary ingredient in most bath salts. Of special interest to gout patients, Epsom salt also increases the secretion of uric acid through the skin.

Soaking a gout-affected foot in a footbath of warm water and Epsom salt can provide almost immediate relief for many gout sufferers. Add 2 cups of Epsom salt to a standard size bathtub of warm water (or 1 cup to a warm footbath) and soak for 12 to 20 minutes 2 to 3 times a week (more often for foot baths). Some people claim adding 1 cup of vinegar (preferably apple cider) per every 2 cups of Epsom salt enhances its effects as a gout treatment. I like to add 1 ounce of magnesium oil to the bath water (or foot bath) along with the Espsom salt. I get my Epsom salt in bulk at Costco.

You can also make a compress by dissolving 2 cups of Epsom salt in a gallon of warm water, soaking a cloth or towel in it, and wrapping the cloth around the sore joint (usually the big toe). Some people use a thick sock to hold the compress against the effected area. You can also cut the end off an old sock and use it to secure a compress applied to arthritic knees, wrists, and elbows.

Natural Gout Treatment Summary:

Take pure cherry juice concentrate (unsweetened, with no artificial ingredients or preservatives) – 1 teaspoon, twice per day.

Take 2 grams of vitamin C, twice per day to promote uric acid secretion via urine.

Drink at least 8 to 10 8-ounce glasses of non-alcoholic fluids every day to help flush the excess uric acid from your body.

Decrease your intake of refined carbohydrates (grains, sugars, starches) and alcohol.

Increase your intake of “good fats” (organic butter, olive oil, fish oil, coconut oil, flax oil or Udo’s Oil). Dr. Cowan recommends one teaspoon per day of high-vitamin cod liver oil for its rich supply of vitamin A, which counters uric acid buildup and nourishes the kidneys.

Take 400 IU of Vitamin E per day.

Make and drink homemade bone broths (store-bought do not contain the important gelatin). See my blog for broth recipes.

Take one tablespoon of Bone Support 4 times a day (the last dose right before bed). Or substitute with baking soda, but beware of baking soda’s high sodium content.

Add 2 cups of Epsom salt and 1 ounce of magnesium oil to a standard size bathtub of warm water (or 1 cup to a warm footbath) and soak for 12 to 20 minutes 2 to 3 times a week (more often for foot baths).

The cherry juice, dietary changes, Bone Support, magnesium oil and Epsom salt should resolve the underlying causes and relieve your painful gout symptoms. But if they don’t, then try Dr. Wright’s unique lithium treatment, and take 10 to 15 mg of lithium orotate (available at health food stores) twice daily, along with 2 grams of vitamin C.

Thanks to Listentoyourgut.com for this article

The post Help Prevent Gout Attacks With These Doctor Tips appeared first on Grants Health.

Simple and Natural Ways To Lower Your Blood Sugar

grantshealth — Sat, 22 Apr 2017 18:05:28 +0000

What can you do to lower your blood sugar without taking more medication?

Being diagnosed with Type II diabetes can be a bummer, and it can be a struggle to keep blood sugars under control.

Sometimes, you may find yourself with blood sugar levels that are higher than normal (let’s say around 150, for example), but not excessive enough to necessitate taking more medication. You don’t feel very good with the higher blood sugar, but taking medication can make your blood sugar TOO low.

So what can you do to lower your blood sugar up to 40 points without taking more medication? Try the following these 13 tips and see if you can lower your blood sugar naturally. (See also: How to Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes)

Health Disclaimer: As always, you need to be careful to monitor your sugar levels so as not to become hypoglycemic (that’s when your blood sugar is too low, which is dangerous). Talk to your physician before making any changes to your diet. And remember, these 13 tips for lowering blood sugar may work for many people, but they won’t work for everyone.

Carb Intake

Carbs are basically sugar, and everybody should make an effort to control their intake, especially diabetics.

1. Cut Back the Carbs

Effects seen: Immediate

Your diet is something you want to talk to your physician about, but the simple fact is that a lower carb diet makes it easier to maintain stable blood sugar levels. It’s part of why you’re hearing so much about the Paleo Diet these days.

Carbohydrates are found in starchy foods — root vegetables, grains, rice, and legumes — and all of their derivatives, like bread, pasta, sushi, French fries, mashed yams, and even lentil soup. As someone who has been diabetic for nearly 20 years, I can attest that eating a diet low in carbohydrates, but rich in leafy greens, nuts, dark fruits like berries, and lean meats has had an amazing effect on my blood sugar control. I get all of the nutrients that I need without consuming grains. It takes a lot more effort to choose low-carb snacks over something as delicious as pie, but it makes a huge difference in the way that I feel. (See also: 12 Cheap and Healthy Snacks)

2. Spread Out the Carbs

Effects seen: Immediate

For the carbohydrates that you do eat, try to spread them out evenly throughout the day. For instance, if you really love apples, but eating an entire apple raises your blood sugar, simply eat your apple wedge by wedge over the course of a few hours, rather than all at once. The apple will likely raise your blood sugar, but not in a huge spike. If you can keep your blood sugar levels more steady (without big jumps and drops), you’ll feel less hungry and grumpy.

Move Around

Exercise helps in the short term by immediately lowering blood sugar, and in the long term helps your body burn glucose more efficiently.

3. Get Some Light Exercise

Effects seen: Within 1 hour

Light exercise can lower your blood sugar level, often within minutes. I’m talking about a brisk walk or bicycle ride — not a long run or weight lifting. I’ve personally lowered my blood sugar by 40 points with a 20-minute walk. Light exercise is my go-to technique for lowering my blood sugar. (See also: Ways to Exercise in Under 5 Minutes)

4. Weight Training

Effects seen: Long term

Strength training may temporarily raise your blood sugar, but over time, it will help you build the kind of muscle that can burn glucose more efficiently.

Drink These

Several beverages can bring your blood sugar down quickly, too.

5. Unsweetened Tea

Effects seen: Within 30 minutes

Unsweetened black, white, and green tea can help lower your blood sugar within as little as a half hour. Green tea supplements also have a positive effect on blood sugar levels. (See also: Types and Benefits of Tea)

6. A Glass of Red Wine

Effects seen: Within 1 hour

Many kinds of alcohol have the effect of lowering overall blood sugar levels (beer may have the opposite effect because of the total carbohydrate content). Red wine lowers your blood sugar by preventing the absorption of glucose by the intestines. Keep in mind that alcohol is not an effective long term blood glucose control, because it can contribute to the build-up of liver fat. (See also: Best Wine Openers)

Take a Supplement

Lots of people take supplements for long term health benefits, but these will bring down blood sugar relatively quickly.

7. Cinnamon Pills

Effects seen: Within 1 hour

Cinnamon has been shown to reduce blood sugars, although not effectively in post-menopausal women. In order to take enough cinnamon to lower your blood sugar, take it in capsule form. I take approximately 3,000 mg at each meal.

8. Chromium Picolinate

Effects seen: Within 1 hour

Chromium picolinate has been shown to lower blood sugar levels in Type II diabetics in many studies. Go easy on this particular supplement, though — it can do damage to your liver if you take too much.

You can read the rest of Andrea Karim’s article here:

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