Properties of Goji Berries

 The benefits of Goji Berries are numerous. Some of these benefits include:

Improving of vision
Increased flexibility
Treating insomnia
Headache and muscle and joints pain
Better and focused memory
Better energy levels
Better stamina

These are just some of the benefits that have already been clinically proven. There have been many studies being conducted on the medical benefits of Goji berries and all of them have come to the same conclusion.

Nutrition and other facts

When one reads about the almost magical properties of Goji berries, one tends to think that most of these properties are mere exaggeration but there have been many modern scientific studies that have confirmed these facts and these possibilities have also opened avenues for further research in the field with better results.

These berries are cultivated in the Himalayan valleys of Tibet, Mongolia and China. These bright red berries are very delicate and that is why when harvested it is not picked out of the vines but shaken out of it. To preserve the Goji fruits, these are slowly dried in the shade. The people in the Himalayas and the Tibetan have been consuming them for ages and some of their festivals are also centered on Goji. It is believed that eating those berries induces a feeling of well being and that is why it is also known as happy berry.

One of the major ingredients of Chinese medicines is Goji and its bark. It is believed that these make your system stronger, enhances your eyesight, increases your sperm count, protects your liver, improves circulation and also is a great anti-aging product. If you read the Chinese medicine (TCM), you would find that Gojies are considered as sweet in taste and in nature neutral. They work on your liver, lung and kidney channels and also enrich your yin. As for eating it, you can eat it raw, or brew it into tea or even take it as tincture.

Some of the properties of Goji berries are:

Vision improvement
Yin tonic
Improves complexion
Increases sperm production
Keeps your liver and kidney in good shape
The vital essence (semen) gets replenished
Antimutagenic
Very powerful antioxidant
Helps in circulation
Anti-carcinogenic properties. 

Gojies are considered very well where improvement of vision is concerned. It is a documented fact for over 15 centuries. But what was restricted to these chronicles of herbalists have been endorsed by modern studies also. It has been found out that Goji fruits contain high percentage of B-carotene (about 8 mg/100 g) and that too in a highly active form biologically. What this does is that it is easily utilized by the body.

One other property of Goji fruits which is very interesting especially to the fairer sex is its ability to benefit complexion and to enhance one's beauty. What is more it is also found to have anti-aging properties. It is true that not many would agree to these observations but there have been many studies that have revealed that Goji fruits do have these properties. Some of these include immuno-potentiating, hypoglycaemic, antioxidant, hypolipemic and hypotensive properties. All these properties considerably slow down the aging process and you get to live a lot longer and a lot better health wise.

Goji berries have found use in skin-care products. Laboratory studies have shown its antioxidant properties as well as its effectiveness in increasing dermal hydroxyproline level in mice which can increase collagen synthesis improving skin quality. It is also seen that they could also be prepared as tonic decoction which is wonderful for regulation of blood pressure and could also lower cholesterol levels. 

Those berries are also very effective on liver and kidneys and it is generally taken internally to treat high blood pressure, poor eyesight, diabetes, lumbago, vertigo, menopausal complaints and impotence. 

The root bark is certainly bitter but has a very cooling, antibacterial effect. It can control cough and high fever. It can also lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol. They could be taken internally and it can treat internal hemorrhages, chronic fevers, tuberculosis, nosebleeds, asthma, coughs and many other ailments. It could also be applied externally in case of itching of genitals. The bark is generally harvested in the winter season and is then dried to be used for diuretic and purgative purposes. 

Tea could also be prepared from the leaves which is quite nourishing. The family to which Goji belong produces other fruits and all of them boast of rich source of vitamins, minerals, flavanoids and other bio-active compounds. Generally fruits dont have essential fatty acids but these berries are exceptions in this case. 

Goji berries are also effective as anti-carcinogenic substance. It prevents tumor growth; neutralize the side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, regulate sugar and blood pressure, resist autoimmune disease, lowers blood cholesterol and blood lipids and also increases adsorption of calcium.

You could also use Goji them to improve:

Lack of energy
General weakness
Back and joints ache
Dizziness
Tinnitus
Sexual inadequacies
Blurred vision
Diabetes

What is more, it has several external benefits in case of ulcers, burns, frostbite, furuncles and bedsores.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Charles Kassotis
Learn all about the nutritional facts of the Goji Berries, visit Goji Berries Guide | Nutritional Facts Learn more about the powerful Himalayan Goji Berries at Goji Berry Guide | Himalayan Goji Berries

Diabetic Friendly Chocolate Sweetened with Xylitol

Americans love chocolate. In fact, millions of us are admitted "chocoholics." U.S. chocolate consumption is around 3.3 billion pounds per year, according to the National Confectioners Association. That 's nearly 12 pounds for every man, woman and child in the nation.

But for more than 21 million Americans with diabetes, forbidden treats - such as luscious dark chocolate truffles - are not part of a healthy diet. Many of us believe that sinfully sweet indulgences must be unhealthy, especially for diabetics. Or are they?

The good news is that recent clinical studies show some types of chocolates actually have significant health benefits. Dark chocolates, particularly those made with minimal processing, are high in flavonoids, which are plant compounds with potent antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are known to gobble up free radicals - the killer compounds that harm cell membranes, damage the heart, attack DNA, cause aging, and make heart attacks and cancer far more likely.

It may surprise you to know that dark chocolate actually has more antioxidants per gram than red wine, green tea, peanuts, cranberries, apples, and many other fruits and vegetables that also are rich in antioxidants.

One independent study led by Claudio Ferri and researchers at the University of L'Aquila in Italy found that consuming dark chocolate not only lowers blood pressure and cholesterol as some prior studies suggest, but also improves the body 's processing of sugar - and in theory, guards against diabetes. Jeffrey B. Blumberg of Tufts University, who collaborated on the study, says "the new finding suggests that specific flavonoids have beneficial effects on several measures of health."

Dark chocolate contains more flavonoids and less saturated fat than milk chocolate. Cocoa powder and baking chocolate contain even more flavonoids than dark chocolate, while white chocolate has none. The flavonoids in chocolate, by the way, are called flavanols.

Ferri and his colleagues included dark chocolate bars in the diets of 10 volunteers with high blood pressure, and gave 10 others white chocolate bars with no flavanols. The subjects weren't obese, and none gained a significant amount of weight during the five-week study. The volunteers who consumed dark chocolate bars reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, while those given white chocolate experienced no change.

In addition, the dark chocolate group demonstrated accelerated metabolism of blood sugar (glucose), a process that involves the hormone insulin. Impaired insulin function can lead to diabetes. Dark chocolate also lowered cholesterol in hypertensive patients, the researchers reported.

Additional benefits associated with dark chocolate in other studies include improved flexibility of the arteries, which can contribute to lower blood pressure, and reduced stickiness of clot-forming blood platelets, which may reduce the risk of strokes and other problems.

Another study, at the University Hospital of Cologne, Germany, tested the effects of dark chocolate vs. white chocolate on artery hardening and heart disease in smokers. The study 's authors concluded that "...only a small daily treat of dark chocolate may substantially increase the amount of antioxidant intake and beneficially affect vascular health."

Another study done at the University Hospital of Cologne and published in the July 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) concluded that consumption of small amounts of dark chocolate was "associated with a lowering of blood pressure, without weight gain or other adverse effects."

"Chocolate is a very remarkable substance with enormously beneficial health properties," says Keith Scott-Mumby, MD, PhD, an internationally recognized expert in diet and nutrition who formulated The Doctor 's Chocolate. His delicious dark chocolate truffles, made with the finest unaltered Swiss dark chocolate and red raspberries, contain zero trans fats and very low total fat. Sweetened by Xylitol, a sugar alcohol that is recognized by the FDA as very safe, each truffle has only 20 calories. "It 's totally safe for diabetics," Dr. Scott-Mumby says.

About the Author

Jan Hrkach is an advocate of health, you are what you eat. Exercise and eating right make a big difference in our daily lives and creates a better you. http://www.thedoctorschocolate.com/

Article Source: Content for Reprint

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Other Articles of Interest

Antioxidants in Green Tea and Black Tea

The Health Benefits of Flaxseed

Health Benefits of Acai Berry

Health Benefits of Chocolate

Herbal Green Tea

A Look at Xanthones and Mangosteen

Antioxidants in Goji Berry

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11 Cell Phone Safety Tips to Minimize Radiation Exposure

You might be wondering what this article is doing here. Read on and find out what role antioxidants play with regards to cell phone safety.

By: Kalon Prensky

"The voluntary exposure of the brain to microwaves from hand-held mobile phones... [is] the largest human biological experiment ever."
~ Professor Leif Salford, Head of Research at Lund University, Sweden

The BIG Question! Are we on the verge of a health crisis of epidemic proportions due to lack of cell phone protection?

Scientists and Doctors agree that this emerging time of wireless technology is wreaking havoc on our health as a nation and a world. An estimated 30-50,000 cases annually worldwide, of brain and eye cancer are being attributed to cell phone use. WiFi is now also under scrutiny. Dr. George Carlo, former chief scientist of the cell phone industry's $28 million safety research project, predicts 500,000 new cases of brain and eye cancer each year by 2010 attributable to cell phone use.

What are the risks involved with wireless technologies?
You, your family, children and pets are all at significant risk. Children are of particularly high risk due to their thin and still forming skulls and nervous systems.

"Brain Tumors Now Cause More Deaths Among Children than Any Other Forms of Cancer." According to a Sydney TV News Report. You can also watch a special video report, "The Invisible Dangers of EMF Radiation".

Recent studies reveal that cell phone use and WiFi technology are linked to health problems. Invisible radiation from cell phones, microwaves, computers, cordless phones, electrical wiring in homes and office buildings and more are all contributors to health problems such as: neck and shoulder pain, headaches, brain tumors, high blood pressure, cancer, brain and eye tumors, Alzheimer's, and more.

It can take years for many of these dis-eases to occur due to the latency period, however the effects are cumulative. It is better to be safe than sorry. This biological experiment has gone too far and it's up to you and me to take responsibility for our own health and the wellbeing of our family members.

11 Cell Phone Protection Tips to Minimize Radiation Exposure:

1. Minimize cell phone use by keeping calls short and only using for essential calls. Just 2 minutes on a cell phone call has been shown to alter the natural electrical activity of the brain for up to an hour.

2. Use a speaker on your cell phone if possible. Keeping the phone away from the body and head helps minimize exposure to radiation.

3. Limit use of cell phones by children to emergency only. Due to their thin skull and developing body's, radiation can penetrate much more deeply.

4. Avoid wired headsets. Regular wired headsets have been shown to act as an antenna, attracting additional EMFs (Electro-Magnetic Fields) or radiation and concentrating it in the ear canal.

5. Keep your cell phone out of your pocket and off your belt when on or in use. Body tissue in the lower body area absorbs radiation more quickly than the head. One study shows that men who wear cell phones near their groin are at risk of reduced sperm count by up to 30 percent.

6. Avoid using the cell phone in enclosed metal spaces. Vehicles and elevators may require the device to work harder in establishing a connection. The metal also acts as a Faraday cage, trapping the radiation and reflecting it back upon the occupants.

7. Wait for the call to connect before placing phone next to the ear. More radiation is present during the connection time.

8. Avoid using the phone if the signal strength is down to one bar or less. This means the phone must work harder to establish a connection.

9. When purchasing a cell phone, choose one with low SAR (Specific Absorption Rate). The SAR level is listed in most phone instruction manuals. SAR is a way of measuring the quantity of radiofrequency (RF) energy absorbed by the body. A lower number equals less absorption. However, studies reveal that RF hundreds of times lower than current SAR limits still show biological effects.

10.

Take antioxidant nutritional supplements. Free radicals in the body have been shown to create accelerated wear and tear, aging and degeneration. Cell phone and microwave radiation have been shown to decrease levels of these antioxidants in the body. Antioxidants such as Coenzyme Q10, Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD), vitamin C, Picnoginal, Melatonin and others are protective agents against internal and external environmental stressors.

11. Utilize the Cell Phone Protection of a Scientifically Validated EMF Guard Device. Cell phone and microwave radiation and electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs) deplete your bioenergy field and immune system. Since most people can not imagine living without a cell phone, the best option is to utilize an advanced technology now available, which significantly strengthens your bioenergy field and guards the body from the cumulative effects of repeated EMF exposure. EMFs weaken the body's ability to repair itself. Since radiation and EMFs are extremely prevailent, even when not using a cell phone, additional protection devices have been made for people, pets and home or office wiring. Some industry experts predict that we are on the verge of a health crisis that could cripple our current health care infrastructure. Now is the time to protect yourself and family.

The damaging effects of EMFs, cell phone radiation and wireless radiation pose an extreme public health risk. Don't wait for the cumulative effects of this highly detrimental force to become fully realized in your life. Take action and protect yourself and your family. Some industry experts predict that we are on the verge of a health crisis that could cripple our current health care infrastructure.

* We now experience 100 million times more EMF exposure than our grandparents
* 40% increase in brain tumors in last 20 years in Australia
* Autism in children increased 30-fold
* 21% increase in brain tumors in children
* 25% increase in brain cancer worldwide

Note: This article is shared for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. If you believe that you have a health problem, see your doctor or health professional immediately.


About the Author:
For over 24 years Kalon Prensky has been a writer, educator and health advocate. He specializes in teaching about cell phone protection, Cold Lasers cold laser therapy and healing technologies. Copyright 2007

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Antioxidants and Health

Learn Why You should Know About Antiaging Antioxidants

By: Louise Nova

When ever the term antiaging antioxidant comes up there are always questions. Everyone has heard of them but that doesn't mean we all understand them. The most common questions are.

1. What is an antiaging antioxidant?
2. Does an antiaging antioxidant really work?
3. How do I use antiaging antioxidants?

These are very important questions and I will try to clear up the confusion with this information here in this short article. Before we can understand how an antiaging antioxidant can be used and if it really works we must first understand what an antioxidant does.

So What Exactly Is An Antioxidant

Basically the term antioxidant refers to any substance that will help to slow or halt the oxidation process. Incase you don't know what the oxidation process is the following explanation may help.

Oxidation is basically the loss of an electron by a molecule, ion, or an atom. This results in harm to the body as the loss of electrons will have a negative effect on the natural growth of the cells and aging and can this results in destruction. To visualise this process, think of the rust on a car which is basically oxidation. That is an illustration of what is happening to every cell in our body every day.

You can now see that antioxidants are important to reduce the chemical damage being done to biological elements. This is why it is crucial to have a diet that contains antioxidants in with the proper nutrients so that the body has a chance to fight this ongoing deterioration process. Antiaging antioxidants are sometimes difficult to get only in our foods, especially if we live on fast food which often is totally lacking in these important elements. Luckily they are now widely available in various dietary supplements. These are becoming more popular in the fight to prevent different types of heart disease as well as cancer. It is important to educate yourself in the correct use of antiaging antioxidant supplements as they are often in more concentrated forms than in fresh food. So check with your doctor before starting them.

The Antiaging Antioxidant Helps .

It stands to reason that if an antioxidant is helping all the cells of the body then it will help the skin too. Antiaging antioxidants are crucial in the anti-aging process because the antioxidant reduces oxidative damage to the cells in the skin as well as your body. The process of slowing down oxidation is what will help our skin. If there is less oxidation then there will be less damage and so the skin will take longer to change its appearance to the older state. Of course, there are different types of antioxidants that will affect different kinds of damage such as either skin damage or, for instance, heart damage.

Another area of the value of antioxidants is in our eye health. Many antioxidants are valuable for preventing, cataracts or other eye problems that we associate with the elderly.

The immune system is another area where it is extremely important to consider the use of antioxidants. Work is being done now with using antioxidants to not only keep the immune system healthy and balanced but also to boost a weakened immune system.

Antioxidants can also protect the nervous system, the brain functions, maintain good cardiovascular health and could even affect your DNA. A word of caution here - some antioxidants can be harmful if not taken correctly. There are toxicity levels that must not be exceeded. It is best to learn which foods can be safely eaten and concentrate on those for optimum health If you want to take supplements then you should definitely consult a medical professional to find out the best antiaging antioxidant for your personal health.

About the Author:

Louise Nova has been involved in the skincare industry for over 20 years and endorses the best in antiaging skincare products.

Article source: http://www.healtharticlesdirectory.com

photo by Dennis Marciniak

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Antioxidants and Health