Amazing Food Facts: Red grapes produce resveratrol as a defense against fungal invasion

(NaturalNews) You may have heard of resveratrol, a miracle antioxidant found in grape skins (and many other foods) that’s linked to a lower risk of heart disease and enhanced longevity. Unlike other antioxidants such as anthocyanins, which give blueberries their color and are an integral part of the fruit, plants produce resveratrol only in response to fungal or bacterial attack . That’s right — resveratrol is a natural antibiotic and fungicide that’s intelligently synthesized by the grape plant in order to survive a biological attack! This means that the more natural fungi and bacteria a plant is exposed to, the more resveratrol it will produce. That’s why if a grape plant is repeatedly sprayed with synthetic fungicides — and grapes are among the most pesticide-intensive crops cultivated — the resveratrol content in the fruit will be lower. Conventionally-grown grapes, in other words, contain relatively low levels of resveratrol. Wild grapes , on the other hand, contain enormous quantities of resveratrol (because that’s how they survive in the wild). That alone may be incentive enough to buy organic grapes and wines, because resveratrol may also help maintain “healthy programmed cell death,” which means a process by which cancer cells commit “suicide” and kill themselves. (This helps prevent cancer from growing.) Studies have also shown that resveratrol can make chemotherapy more effective, weaken viruses including influenza and HIV, counter the effects of a high-fat diet and increase physical endurance. Perhaps most miraculously, resveratrol supplements appear to extend the lifespan of yeast, worms and even fish. NaturalNews recently published a downloadable resveratrol report that contains a wealth of well-cited research about the astonishing health benefits of resveratrol. Click here to download that report right now (FREE). Sources for this article include: Source: 25 Amazing Facts About Food , authored by Mike Adams and David Guiterrez. This report reveals surprising things about where your food comes from and what’s really in it! Download the full report (FREE) by clicking here . Inside, you’ll learn 24 more amazing but true facts about foods, beverages and food ingredients. Instant download of the complete PDF. All 25 facts are documented and true.

Acai 1000 – Powerful and Natural Antioxidants for Weight Loss, Fat Burn, Detox Diet Cleanse, Metabolism and Energy Boost (120 Count, 1000mg Per Serving, 60 Day Supply)

Acai 1000 – Powerful and Natural Antioxidants for Weight Loss, Fat Burn, Detox Diet Cleanse, Metabolism and Energy Boost (120 Count, 1000mg Per Serving, 60 Day Supply) Provides natural & powerful antioxidants (No Preservatives, No Sugar) Provides natural and sustainable energy Supports healthy immune system Supports healthy digestive system Contributes to maintenance of brain Antioxidant [...]

Newsweek goes insane, says antioxidants bad for health

(NaturalNews) Just when you think you’ve heard it all, a major mainstream media source goes off the deep end and says that natural antioxidants can kill you. Yes, you heard that right. Citing a few sketchy studies that contradict the bulk of published research on the subject, a report in Newsweek , presumably intended to be taken seriously, actually alleges that the antioxidants found naturally in fruits, vegetables, and various superfoods, are dangerous to your health. And you just might want to stop taking them, the report humorously states. Of course, the idea that natural antioxidants are harmful to health is complete nonsense, as countless studies have shown they boost immunity, prevent oxidative damage, protect against the negative effects of aging, and generally improve overall health (http://www.naturalnews.com/antioxidants.html). Nevertheless, some in the mainstream media seem hellbent on slandering the very nutritional components that give us life, while remaining largely silent about the numerous detriments brought about by conventional medical interventions like pharmaceutical drugs. The Newsweek piece quotes a British “chemist and science writer” named David Bradley as saying that “oxidizing agents,” also known as free radicals, are a “front-line of immune defense against pathogens and cancer cells.” He goes on to claim that because antioxidants eliminate these free radicals, they are damaging to health. But the foundational science behind both antioxidants and the oxidative agents they target completely contradicts Bradley’s unfounded statement. Oxidative stress causes the body’s cells to become damaged, and this cell damage leads to a host of chronic diseases, not to mention rapid aging and health deterioration. It is the antioxidants that scavenge and root out these damaging offenders and protect the body from harm, not the other way around as the Newsweek piece suggests. What the report suggests is to eliminate the very components needed by the body to protect against things like heart disease and cancer, in order to protect against heart disease and cancer. It literally makes no sense at all. And urging people to avoid antioxidants based on this flawed hypothesis is nothing more than highly irresponsible conjecture, which is best ignored for the sake of public health. Sources for this story include: http://www.anh-usa.org/newsweek-publishes-disgraceful-article-on-antioxidants-action-alert/

Ruling Out The Best Antioxidant in Meals and Beverages

With all of the latest findings about free radicals and their association with practically all tissue and cell-damaging processes in the body, many people have began searching for out antioxidant-containing food and supplements to battle in opposition to these substances. Nevertheless, regardless of many advertisements of food products and supplements claiming to comprise the best [...]

Antioxidants help arteries stay healthy in people at risk for heart disease

(NaturalNews) Antioxidants are substances that protect cells against the effects of free radicals — molecules produced when the body breaks down food or is exposed to environmental toxins and radiation. Free radicals are believed to play a role in heart disease, cancer and other disorders. So it makes sense that antioxidants could help protect or even treat many health problems. However, some poorly designed studies have given antioxidants mixed results (http://www.naturalnews.com/023357_pharmas_antioxidants_vitamins.html) and resulted in the mainstream media reporting that antioxidants are virtually worthless. But new research provides hard evidence that taking antioxidant supplements long-term produces dramatic benefits in people with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. That’s the conclusion of a randomized, controlled trial of vitamin C, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10 and selenium capsules. The research results, just reported in BioMed Central’s journal Nutrition and Metabolism , show these dietary antioxidants produce multiple positive effects on sugar and fat metabolism, blood pressure and arterial flexibility (which allows blood to move freely through the body). The study was conducted by scientist Reuven Zimlichman and his research team at Wolfson Medical Center in Israel. They randomly divided 70 high blood pressure patients into two groups. One group was given antioxidants supplements and the other took placebo capsules for six months. Those taking the antioxidants received vitamin C (1000 mg/day), vitamin E (400 i.u/day), coenzyme Q10 (120 mg/day) and selenium (200 mcg/day). Tests at the beginning of the trial, after three months, and again after six months documented that patients in the antioxidant group had marked improvements in their cardiovascular health. They had more elastic arteries and better blood sugar levels. In addition, their cholesterol profiles were healthier with a significant increase in HDL, the so-called “good”, heart-protective cholesterol. In fact, the researchers concluded “antioxidant supplements have the potential to alleviate atherosclerotic damage..” “Antioxidant supplementation significantly increased large and small artery elasticity in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. This beneficial vascular effect was associated with an improvement in glucose and lipid metabolism as well as significant decrease in blood pressure,” Dr. Zimlichman said in a statement to the media. “The findings of the present study justify investigating the overall clinical impact of antioxidant treatment in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors.” More hopeful news for heart patients: another study by Dr. Zimlichman and colleagues published in the June issue of the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology , found that taking the amino acid L-arginine long-term also helped people with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. In this randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 90 patients were assigned to receive either oral L-arginine capsules or placebo capsules. After six months, tests indicated those taking L-arginine had improved vascular health — including a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure. For more information: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20604917 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20531213 http://www.naturalnews.com/021976.html

Green Tea Extracts Halt Growth of Prostate Cancer Tumors

(NaturalNews) An extract made from one of the main antioxidants found in green tea may be able to slow the progression of prostate cancer, according to a study conducted by researchers from Louisiana state University and published in Cancer Prevention Research , a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Researchers gave 26 prostate cancer patients between the ages of 41 and 68′s four capsules of day of Polyphenon E, an extract of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) made by Polyphenon Pharma. EGCG is a powerful antioxidant to which many of the health benefits of green tea have been attributed. The dosage given to the participants in the study was equivalent to that acquired from drinking 12 cups of green tea per day. After 12 weeks, the researchers found that levels of the prostate cancer markers Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and prostate specific antigen (PSA) had fallen by an average of 18.9 percent, 9.9 percent and 10.4 percent, respectively, indicating a slowed progression of the disease. PSA is a marker of inflammation, and indicates disease severity in prostate cancer patients. HGF and VEGF are both produced by prostate tumors as they spread to other parts of the body. In some patients, HGF and VEGF levels fell as much as 30 percent upon treatment with the EGCG extract. The researchers were cautiously optimistic about the study findings. “It’s still in an early stage,” researcher Jim Cardelli said. “Green tea can keep cancer from growing very fast, but it may not be able to shrink tumors. But it can be a good addition to traditional therapies, like chemo (chemotherapy) or radiation.” Researchers do not know whether the same effects could be seen in other cancers, but the antioxidants in green tea have previously been linked to a reduced risk of a variety of cancers, skin and autoimmune conditions, cardiovascular disease and inflammation. Sources for this story include: www.reuters.com.