Nutrition / Diet Cancer / Oncology Carrots: Health Benefits, Nutritional Information

Carrots are often thought of as the ultimate health food.
You were probably told to "eat your carrots" by your parents and you probably tell your kids the same thing, and when asked why, you explain, "Because they're good for you!"
But how did the carrot get such a good reputation and why exactly are the root vegetables so good for our health?
It is believed that the carrot was first cultivated in the area now known as Afghanistan thousands of years ago as a small forked purple or yellow root with a woody and bitter flavor, resembling nothing of the carrot we know today.¹

                                

Possible health benefits of carrots

An overwhelming body of evidence exists suggesting that increased intake of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables reduce cancer and cardiovascular disease risks, carrots included.

Carrots are rich in vitamin A.

Cancer

A variety of dietary carotenoids have been shown to have anti-cancer effects due to their antioxidant power in reducing free radicals in the body.

Lung Cancer

One study found that current smokers who did not consume carrots had three times the risk of developing lung cancer compared with those who ate carrots more than once a week.²

Colorectal Cancer

Beta-carotene consumption has been shown to have an inverse association with the development of colon cancer in the Japanese population.³

Leukemia

Carrot juice extract was shown to kill leukemia cells and inhibit their progression in a 2011 study.⁴

Prostate Cancer

Among younger men, diets rich in beta-carotene may play a protective role against prostate cancer, according to a study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health's Department of Nutrition.⁵

Vision

According to Duke ophthalmologist Jill Koury, MD, vitamin A deficiency causes the outer segments of the eye's photoreceptors to deteriorate, damaging normal vision. Correcting vitamin A deficiencies with foods high in beta-carotene will restore vision.⁶
Studies have shown that it is unlikely that most people will experience any significant positive changes in their vision from eating carrots unless they have an existing vitamin A deficiency, which is common in developing countries.
So where did all the hype surrounding carrots and vision come from? During World War II, the British Royal Air Force started an advertising campaign claiming that the secret to their fighter pilots clear, sharp vision was carrots. Realistically, the fighter pilot's accuracy was due to a new radar system the British wanted to keep secret from the Germans, but the rumor spread and remains popular today.

Other possible benefits of carrots

The antioxidants and phytochemicals in carrots may also help with blood sugar regulation, delay the effects of aging, and improve immune function.

9 Health Benefits of Cucumbers

Cucumbers belong to the same plant family as squash, pumpkin, and watermelon (the Cucurbitaceae family). Like watermelon, cucumbers are made up of mostly (95 percent) water, which means eating them on a hot summer day can help you stay hydrated.
However, there's reason to eat cucumbers all year long. With vitamin K, B vitamins, copper, potassium, vitamin C, and manganese, cucumbers can help you to avoid nutrient deficiencies that are widespread among those eating a typical American diet.
Plus, cucumbers contain unique polyphenols and other compounds that may help reduce your risk of chronic diseases and much, much more.

                 

9 Reasons to Eat Cucumbers

1. Protect Your Brain
Cucumbers contain an anti-inflammatory flavonol called fisetin that appears to play an important role in brain health. In addition to improving your memory and protecting your nerve cells from age-related decline,¹ fisetin has been found to prevent progressive memory and learning impairments in mice with Alzheimer's disease.²
2. Reduce Your Risk of Cancer
Cucumbers contain polyphenols called lignans (pinoresinol, lariciresinol, and secoisolariciresinol), which may help to lower your risk of breast, uterine, ovarian, and prostate cancers.³ They also contain phytonutrients called cucurbitacins, which also have anti-cancer properties. According to the George Mateljan Foundation:⁴

"Scientists have already determined that several different signaling pathways (for example, the JAK-STAT and MAPK pathways) required for cancer cell development and survival can be blocked by activity of cucurbitacins."

3. Fight Inflammation
Cucumbers may help to "cool" the inflammatory response in your body, and animal studies suggest that cucumber extract helps reduce unwanted inflammation, in part by inhibiting the activity of pro-inflammatory enzymes (including cyclo-oxygenase 2, or COX-2).⁵
4. Antioxidant Properties
Cucumbers contain numerous antioxidants, including the well-known vitamin C and beta-carotene. They also contain antioxidant flavonoids, such as quercetin, apigenin, luteolin, and kaempferol,⁶ which provide additional benefits.
For instance, quercetin is an antioxidant that many believe prevents histamine release—making quercetin-rich foods "natural antihistamines." Kaempferol, meanwhile, may help fight cancer and lower your risk of chronic diseases including heart disease.

5 Reasons Mosquitoes Bite Some People and Not Others

Ever notice how mosquitoes seem to frantically feast on some folks while ignoring others? It's not just your imagination, says entomologist Joseph M. Conlon, a technical advisor to the American Mosquito Control Association. "There is no question that some individuals are more attractive to mosquitoes due to chemicals they secrete from their skin and from their particular skin flora." We talked with experts to learn more about the biological factors that can turn a person into skeeter bait. If the little buggers happen to find you irresistible, here are five possible reasons why:

You're pregnant

Female mosquitoes (the kind that bite) have a thing for carbon dioxide. Special nerve receptors help them detect the gas in the environment. What does that have to do with your baby bump? A 2002 study published in The Lancet found that women in the later stages of pregnancy (with a mean gestational age of 28 weeks) exhale 21% more CO2 than their non-pregnant peers. The researchers speculated that this physiological difference could help explain why the pregnant women who participated in their experiments attracted twice as many mosquitoes. (Because itchy welts are just what you need in your third trimester.) But CO2 may not be the only reason you're suddenly more appealing: It could also be that pregnant women emit volatile odors that draw the insects, says Laura Harrington, PhD, a professor in the department of entomology at Cornell University.

You're dripping with sweat

If bug bites drive you nuts, you may want to take your workouts indoors this summer. Lactic acid, a byproduct of vigorous physical activity that's excreted through sweat, is "indeed an attractant" for mosquitoes, according to Conlon. If you're sweating profusely, your higher body temperature may play a role too. Warmth becomes more attractive as mosquitoes approach a potential host, says Conlon.

TWIM (The Woman In You) Motivational Speaker

                    

General odey The Gospel Comedian

                   

Sweet Potatoes – Best Food For Diabetics, Side Effects, And Healthy Recipes

Sweet potatoes, though resembling in appearance to yams or the common potato, belong to an entirely different food family, so when you choose sweet potatoes as a dietary root vegetable, you are getting a truly unique type of potato that is nutritionally different from other types.
The intensity of the sweet potato’s yellow or orange flesh color is directly correlated to its beta-carotene content, which is referred to as “Provitamin A” as our bodies can typically produce vitamin A from it.
Purple-fleshed sweet potatoes, on the other hand, are a fantastic source of anthocyanins (especially peonidins and cyanidins) and have outstanding antioxidant activity, more than even blueberries.
Here’s why this is getting the thumbs up from nutritionists to be part of a diabetic’s diet. Also understand when can it be harmful and simple recipes to try at home.


 15 Reasons Sweet Potato Is A Staple Food For Diabetics

Sweet potato actually helps to balance blood sugar in diabetics. Research shows that sweet potatoes contain adiponectin, a protein hormone produced by our fat cells. People with diabetes tend to have lower levels of adiponectin, and sweet potato extracts have been shown to significantly increase adiponectin levels in persons with type 2 diabetes.

Side Effects of Lemon Juice You Didn’t Know About

Lemon juice may cause excessive dry and flakey skin. The acid in lemon juice may cause your pimples to sting or possibly bleed. Citric and ascorbic acids are strong antimicrobials, which deter mouth infections, but too much can irritate mucous membranes and cause canker sores. It can trigger heartburn, ulcers, GERD, dehydration and cause kidney problems.



Side Effects of Lemon Juice
Do you know Lemon/Lemon water has side effects too.  Lemon is generally a safe fruit that can be used for culinary and beauty purposes. Many people drink lemon juice with water in the morning as a way to cleanse, make their skin look better and many other benefits that some traditional medicines claim. Along with various benefits, drinking lemon juice/water has side effects too.

Firstly, lemon is very acidic and some people have to avoid it because of its low pH (those with sensitive stomachs). Secondly, lemon is largely used to treat many skin problems like acne scars, pimples and pigmentation, because lemon is slightly acidic, it’s believed that it will help in erasing these problems. But, this is not always true and lemon might have side effects on your skin. Here are some precautions you need to take before using lemons for your face.

Well-known for its traditional medicinal uses and beauty purpose, lemon juice is also known to have side effects on human body. These side effects include tooth erosion, ulcers., upset stomach, GERD, dehydration, kidney & gallbladder problems, frequent urination.
Lemon Juice For Dry skin: If you have dry or normal skin lemon juice may cause excessively dry and flakey skin.
Lemon For Pimples: The acid in lemon juice may cause your pimples to sting or possibly bleed.
Lightens skin: Astringents like lemon juice can cause your skin to lighten.
Not for dark skin: Those with dark skin should avoid using lemon juice on skin as an acne treatment as it can cause dark spots on your skin

Other Side Effects Of Lemon

1. Tooth Erosion

Consuming too many acidic foods or beverages, such as lemon water, causes extensive contact of acid with your teeth. This will erode tooth enamel and make your teeth sensitive, especially to hot or cold foods. To protect your teeth, drink acidic beverages through a straw. Citric and ascorbic acids are strong antimicrobials, which deter mouth infections, but drinking too much lemon juice can irritate mucous membranes and potentially lead to canker sores.

22 Okra (Ladies’ Finger) Benefits That Are Good For Your Health

Okra is a rich source of fiber, reduces blood sugar, helps conceiving, improves bone health, is anti-inflammatory, home remedy for cold and flu, relieves constipation, kills exhaustion and reduces colon cancer risk. It also prevents obesity, lowers cholesterol, prevents anemia, cures ulcers, boosts immunity and clears vision. Include it in your diet and see for yourself.


What is Okra?
Okra is one of the best medicinal vegetables, that hasn’t got its due sometimes due to its taste. Read this article to understand the benefits of eating Okra and why this is unarguably one of the best natural veggies to add to your wonder list and diet today!

okra, commonly known as lady’s fingers, is used in various recipes. This vegetable is of high medicinal and nutritional value. it can be eaten raw, cooked, or steamed depending on the diet plan. it helps in normalizing blood sugar levels, relieves constipation acts as a respiratory soother.
It is a perennial flowering plant belonging to the Malvaceae (mallows) family and named scientifically as Abelmoschus esculentus.  One of most nutritious vegetables around Okra is cultivated throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions around the world for its fibrous fruits or “pods”. The pods are handpicked while just short of reaching maturity and eaten as a vegetable.

What are the health benefits of eating Okra?

Okra has a long list of health benefits:

1. Rich Fiber Source: Okra’s rich fiber content helps in better digestion, and regularization of bowels. The soluble fiber, Pectin, swells up in the intestine and helps in easier elimination of the wastes from the intestine.

Popular Nollywood actor Olu Jacobs marks 74th birthday today

July 11, 2016 – Nigerian Actor Olu Jacobs Marks 74th Birthday Today One of the highly respected actors in Nollywood Pa Olu Jacobs is a year older today.

                                  

The veteran Nollywood star is celebrating his 74th birthday with joy and good health today. His beautiful wife, Ajoke Silva took to the social media few hours ago to honour him. In her words:

The Nollywood’s oldest couple married over 30 years ago. Their marriage is blessed with two handsome boys. Wishing Olu Jacobs many happy returns.

BREAKING: Adeboye Makes Move Over Death Of RCCG Pastor

– Pastor Adeboye has paid a visit to the family of an RCCG evangelist who was slain in Kubwa
 – The RCCG general overseer made the condolence visit alongside some members of his church 
– There are reports that Adeboye is to hold a programme at the Abuja stadium Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), on Tuesday, July 12  paid a condolence visit to the family of Mrs Eunice Olawale.


It would be recalled that Mrs Eunice was murdered while preaching in Kubwa, a satellite town in Abuja. 

Reports that Adeboye and his entourage visited the family at their Gbazango Estate, Kubwa residence around 6am. 

Pastor Adebayo Tiamiyu, a family friend to the Olawales confirmed the visit. “I just learnt that the G.O visited the family early this morning to condole with them on the death of their loved one. 

You know the man of God had a programme at the Abuja stadium on Monday, so he visited the family on his way to the airport for his flight to Lagos,” he stated on the phone.

Mrs Eunice met with her untimely death at the hands of some suspected religious fanatics on Saturday, July 9. 

The 42-year-old Eunice Elisha was a deaconess at the Divine Touch parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) on Old NEPA Road, Phase 4, Kubwa. She had gone out to evangelize along Gbazango-West area of Kubwa, when she was hacked to death by unknown assailants suspected to be extremists. More details shortly.