mojo – Page 23 – Juice Health Benefits & Recipes

12 Dec

4 Top Health Benefits of Grape Juice

Grape juice is a delicious and inexpensive alternative to orange or apple juice to have with your morning cereal. However, what you might not realize is that by drinking red or purple grape juice, you’re possibly ingesting one of the most heart-healthy beverages on the planet. Grape juice has tons of positive benefits for your body including benefiting your heart health, blood pressure and even slowing down your body’s aging process. Here you will find four main health benefits of grape juice:

Heart Health

Red wine has long been praised for its heart benefits, including its ability to lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, reduce the incidence of blood clots, lower blood pressure and prevent damage to the blood vessels in the heart. While these are all great things, many people don’t like red wine or try to stay away from alcohol. Thankfully, studies have shown that grape juice, particularly juice from red or purple grapes, has most of the same heart benefits that red wine does.

In a study published in 2007, a group of 12 men and women with coronary heart disease were asked to drink 21 oz. of Concord grape juice every day for 14 days. Other changes to their diet weren’t necessary. After 14 days, all 12 participants showed better dilating blood vessels and lowered LDL levels. These results have been replicated many times over, and improved heart health can be seen by drinking just one glass of grape juice a day.

Lower Blood Pressure

In 2004, Korean scientist studied the effects of grape juice on blood pressure. A group of men with high blood pressure were asked to drink one and a half cups of grape juice daily for 8 weeks. After this time, all men showed a dramatic improvement in systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Brain Power

Grape juice doesn’t just keep your heart healthy, it can actually improve the performance of your brain. The flavonoids, a type of antioxidant, in the grape are responsible for this. Antioxidants are almost like the vacuum cleaners of the body, working to clean up all the free-radicals that cells produce when they burn oxygen for energy. Scientists theorize that these flavonoids help keep the blood vessels in the brain clear of blockages and increase nitric oxide, which keeps the vessels clear as well and increases blood flow to the brain. The extra blood helps the brain function better, and studies in lab rats shows this might help with concentration, memory and other brain functions.

Health Benefits of Grape Juice And Anti-Aging

Grape juice contains another powerful antioxidant called polyphenol. Polyphenol is best known as an anti-aging component. In elderly rats, drinking grape juice has been proven to slow down a lot of the motor skill and memory issues that affect both rats and humans during the aging process. In humans, polyphenol has been shown to slow down Alzheimer’s disease progression, reduce the incidence of colon cancer and other cancers common in older people and improve reflexes and memory. These anti-aging health benefits of grape juice can be received by drinking as little as two glasses of grape juice a day. So if you’ve been drinking grape juice regularly since childhood, you might have already done more than enough to improve the quality of your older years.

12 Dec

11 Health Benefits Of Gooseberry Juice: Heart, Anti Ageing, Diabetes And More

If you have not yet tasted gooseberry juice, you are missing out on quite a few benefits that it can have for your health. Here are the most important and well known health benefits of gooseberry juice:

Gooseberry Juice Strengthens the body’s infection-fighting abilities

Gooseberry contains antibacterial properties, which help in strengthening the body’s defense against infections. Combined with additional astringent properties, it improves the body’s resistance to disease and infection. Taking fresh gooseberry juice regularly can help you stay infection free and build your immunity.

Health for the heart

Gooseberry contains minerals and vitamins that help in strengthening the heart. The stronger the heart is, the better it pumps blood and without straining.

Anti-ageing properties Of Gooseberry Juice

Gooseberry juice contains a high amount of antioxidants, which help prevent oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is the primary cause of ageing and pre-mature ageing in hyperlipidaemia. In cases where you do not have any health-related cause of anti-ageing to worry about, taking gooseberry juice regularly can help your skin stay young too. This is because the antioxidants present in this juice fight off the substances released when you are stressed, thus slowing down the ageing process. Stress accelerates premature ageing in most cases.

Relief for diabetes

It contains chromium, a substance that helps stimulate cells responsible for releasing insulin. As a result, more insulin is produced in the body and blood sugar levels are lowered.

Vitamin C goodness

Gooseberry is one of the richest sources of Vitamin C. No many other fruits give as high a concentration of Vitamin C as gooseberry juice. Consuming this juice provides your body with most of the daily Vitamin C requirement. Among the most significant functions of vitamin C are immunity boosting, anti-oxidant functions and helping in the synthesis of collagen and norepinephrine.

Collagen is what the blood vessels, ligaments, tendons and bones rely on for healing, growth and strength.

Norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter used to enhance brain function and good mood.

Anti-oxidant benefits

Gooseberry juice has a high amount of the antioxidants Vitamin C and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Both help in the elimination of free radicals from the body, thus reducing their harmful effects. Free radicals are notorious for among others, causing different types of cancers.

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is also known to help in the alleviation of health problems such as arthritis, corneal ulcers, prostrate complications and inflammatory bowel disease.

Polyphenols benefits

Gooseberry juice is rich in polyphenols, substances that contain a combination of anti-allergenic, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. All these help in minimizing the risk of cancer, strengthening the immune system, lowering blood pressure and lowering cholesterol.

If you are already diagnosed with any of the aforementioned health conditions, you will notice a considerable amount of relief when you start drinking gooseberry juice regularly.

Anti-inflammatory properties

Gooseberry juice naturally acts as an anti-inflammatory agent and helps soothe and heal wounds. These anti-inflammatory properties are also very useful when it comes to protecting your digestive tract.

Health Benefits Of Gooseberry Juice And Digestion

Gooseberry juice provides relief for hyperchlorhydia and gastric syndrome. Its laxative properties also help in the relief of diarrhea and dysentery.

Eyesight

Gooseberry juice helps improve near-sightedness, cataract and intraocular tension. Taking this juice will help improve overall eyesight for you.

Hair

Take gooseberry juice to improve hair growth, strength and color. Gooseberry is used in a lot of hair-products for these same reasons.

These were the most well known health benefits of gooseberry juice.

02 Dec

Health Benefits Of Kiwi Juice: Kiwi Juice To The Rescue!

Your mother always told you to eat your greens, but there is one green you might not have known she was talking about. The kiwi fruit is the new, healthful food your body has been craving. It’s out with the Acai berries and pomegranates and in with the kiwis! The kiwi fruit is chalked full of nutrients, including Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, copper, antioxidants, and fiber. Drinking your kiwi juice everyday is a great way to make sure you don’t miss out on the health benefits of kiwi juice that are a result of these important vitamins, minerals, and more.

More Vitamin C Than Orange Juice

When people are looking for Vitamin C, they often reach for a tall glass of orange juice, but kiwi juice is actually a better option, as it has twice the amount of Vitamin C. So when it comes to health benefits of kiwi juice, Vitamin C is right there at the top of the reason why this juice is good for you. Vitamin C is famous for being an immune system pick-me-up, but along with fighting the common cold, Vitamin C can help protect our bodies from heavy metals, pollution, and assists in detoxifying our bodies from the inside out. Even with all that protection, Vitamin C still does more. Vitamin C helps our cells heal, provides support for good digestive bacteria, as well as helps our bodies absorb iron. So, if you happen to be fighting anemia or low on iron, be sure to drink your kiwi juice with your daily iron pills or iron-rich food (like raisins) so that your body doesn’t miss out on any of the iron you’re feeding it.

Magnesium and Potassium Are Also To “Blame” For The Health Benefits Of Kiwi Juice

Kiwis are also great sources of the minerals that your body just can’t get enough of, such as magnesium and potassium. Magnesium, although essential, is often left out of many of today’s diets. The element can help diminish the incidence of kidney stones, as well as protect against heart disease and high blood pressure. Getting enough magnesium can also help the body’s muscles relax efficiently.

An extra dose of potassium is another benefit of having your daily helping of kiwi juice. Potassium is crucial for the normal function of major body organs like the kidney and heart. Increase your intake of potassium and you can effectively decrease your chances of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, cancer, digestive disorders, and infertility. Who could possibly ask for anything more?

Kiwi Juice Is Full Of Antioxidants And Fiber

Well, even if you aren’t asking for more, you are going to get it with the kiwi. Kiwi juice is a great way to slurp your way to more antioxidants and fiber in your daily diet. Antioxidants help repair damage to your cells as well as prevent more damage from occurring. Some of the damage that they interfere with is the damage from free radicals which can lead to diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Fiber can lead the body to lower blood cholesterol and healthy digestion that helps with weight management.

No longer will you associate green and fuzzy to Oscar the Grouch but to your new go-to food, Kiwi the Healthful Fruit. Harvest all the health benefits of kiwi juice and gulp down your glass of this green juice and give your body the care it needs and deserves.

02 Dec

Blueberry Juice Health Benefits: Blueberrries Have Earned The Right To Be Called A ‘Super Food’

The term “super food” gets thrown around a lot, but when it comes to the blueberries and blueberry juice health benefits, the term is well-deserved and no exaggeration. Blueberries are a veritable miracle of nature. The taste of blueberry is one of life’s greatest pleasures. As a beverage, blueberry juice is sublime – all this, and the health benefits it supplies are enormous.

THIS JUICE IS AN ANTIOXIDANT POWERHOUSE

First, blueberry juice is a powerhouse source of antioxidants. As you may know, antioxidants are composed of a variety of compounds, including vitamins, bio-flavonoids, enzymes, and peroxidases. What these substances do is “scrub” something called “free radicals” from the human body. Free radicals attach themselves to healthy cells in your body and essentially deteriorate them leading to a host of negative effects, including making you age faster and rendering you less able to fight off diseases, from colds to cancer.

So when you drink blueberry juice, you charge your body with free radical eliminating agents that get rid of as many of them as possible, thus helping you stave off aging and fend off disease. That almost sounds like a claim too good to be true for a fruit juice, but solid science backs it up.

Yes, many foods contain antioxidants, among the most common of which are Vitamin C, A, and E. But blueberry juice is not only exceptionally high in these essential antioxidant vitamins; it also delivers them to your body without also loading unwanted junk into your body, like fat or refined sugars. Blueberry juice is so naturally sweet that adding artificial sugar is absolutely unnecessary, even for a person with the most demanding sweet tooth!

ESSENTIAL ACIDS OFFER DIFFERENT BLUEBERRY JUICE HEALTH BENEFITS

Blueberry juice is also high in tannic acid, or tannins, which is well known to be an anti-inflammatory agent. The tannins in blueberry juice can ease intestinal inflammation, and also inflammation of the joints, or even the skin.

Let’s talk about one of the most dreaded diseases – cancer. Anyone can get cancer, and so it only makes sense to get as much of those healthy foods which do the most to give you the greatest chance of fending off the start of cancer. Blueberry juice does that, and in a variety of ways. One of the rich level of antioxidants in blueberry juice, which we have already talked about. But blueberry juice also contains ellagic acid. This natural form of acid is known to “switch off” certain metabolic processes that can lead to cancer in the stomach.

Blueberries juice also prevents cancer of the stomach and colon because it contains pectin, which is a soluble form of fiber. Pectin helps break down “bad” cholesterol, both reducing your cholesterol level, but also preventing bile buildup, which is known to lead to some forms of cancer.

EYE PROTECTION AND BLUEBERRIES

Amazingly, blueberry juice offers some protection for the agonizing condition of macular degeneration of the eyes – something for which there is no cure, and which causes blindness. A rigorous, 18-years study published in the Journal of Ophthalmology which followed 100,000 people found that those who drink high amounts of fruit juices, especially antioxidant rich juices like blueberry juice, have far less chance of developing macular generation as they grow older.

BLUEBERRIES AS A MEMORY AGENT

Another one of the blueberry juice health benefits is memory improvement. Blueberries have been shown to not only increase brain function, but specifically memory. This is creating excitement among the scientific community because it suggests high-blueberry/juice diets can play a role in preventing or staving off Alzheimer’s disease. The study which provided these results was published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.

PROTECTING ELEMENTS IN THE JUICE

Now let’s talk about a rather tongue-twisting compound in blueberry juice called pterostilbene. This is a substance closely related to resveratrol. The latter is produced in plants naturally when they are attacked by harmful fungi and bacteria, enabling the plant to fight off these attacking agents.

As it turns out, pterostilbene and resveratrol can deliver similar benefits to human being when they ingest them via plant products. Only blueberries and grapes contain pterostilbene. The end result is that, by taking in these substances via blueberry juice, you arm yourself with a powerful way to fight of a host of diseases caused by all kinds of substances, from molds and fungi, to bacteria and viruses.

When talking about the health benefits of blueberry juice, it’s almost difficult not to sound like a snake-oil salesman making outlandish claims, as if it were some kind of magical potion. But in the case of blueberry juice – it’s all true!

01 Dec

Health Benefits Of Cucumber Juice: A Delicious Cooler That Keeps Your Body In Balance

A lot of people like cucumbers for their fresh crispy taste that is light, never overpowering, yet delightful and satisfying. The juice of the cucumber leverages that same light taste for a refreshing beverage. Most people think cucumbers are merely 95% water — and they are — but what’s astonishing about it are the enormous health benefits of cucumber juice delivered by this “watery” vegetable product. (Note: technically, cucumbers are classified as a fruit, although for legal and tax reasons, government regulations consider cucumbers a vegetable).

Whatever you want to call a cucumber, the science is undeniable that drinking cucumber juice is not only healthy, but the payback it supplies to the human body is far reaching. Let’s check off some of the main known health benefits of cucumber juice:

Cucumbers Juice Regulates Ph Of Your Blood

Human blood Ph must be maintained within a narrow range to be considered healthy. The optimum Ph level of blood is between 7.35 and 7.45. This makes our blood just slightly alkaline. If the blood goes below 7.35 is becomes to acidic, which can lead to problems. Cucumbers juice contains minerals that increase alkalinity or reduce acid levels in the blood, and therefore the body. So cucumber juice is an excellent blood balancer, especially for people with acid-related problems. Cucumber juice also helps regulate normal blood pressure.

Connective Tissues

The bones in our body are connected to muscle by something called connective tissues. People with arthritis, for example, are suffering from a deterioration of their connective tissue. Cucumber juice is a natural source of silica, which is an integral element in building and maintaining healthy connective tissue.

Cool Off, Ever From A Fever

Everybody knows that drinking something cool when you’re hot is a way to cool off. Chilled cucumber juice is good for this, but not only because the temperature of the drink is cool. Enzymes found in cucumber juice help balance the electrolytes in the body, which help regulate a natural temperature for the body in hot weather. Note that this also makes cucumber juice an excellent choice for treating a fever.

Elimination and Cleansing

Health benefits of cucumber juice are also the result of its mild, natural diuretic effect – that is, it will make you need to go the bathroom slightly more often, as does coffee and other caffeinated drinks. But cucumber juice is not as powerful a diuretic as coffee and colas, and not harshly acidic like those drinks. It’s a gentle diuretic, which makes you go more, and helps you eliminate toxic substances from your body.

Hair Growth

Are you ready for this one? Cucumber juice to help grow hair? Well, if you are already bald or balding, drinking cucumber juice will not bring back the flowing locks of your youth. However, the specific mineral content of cucumber juice promotes healthy hair growth, and can help you keep what you have, while also making your hair look more healthy, thick and lustrous.

Healthy Skin

People with skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, or just dry flakey skin can see a tremendous benefit from cucumber juice because it is high in Vitamin C, but also a range of other antioxidants that our skins needs to retain healthy cell growth and a normal balance. Note that diseases such as arthritis are often linked to psoriasis, and that we have already seen that cucumber juice helps maintain healthy connective tissue.

Sun Burns

Speaking of skin, applying cucumber juice to a sun burn is a fantastic cooler to inflamed skin, and will have a healing effect on sun burned skin.

Health Benefits Of Cucumber Juice Come From A Long List Of Nutrients

How does cucumber juice get all of the above done? When you look at the list of nutrients in cucumber juice, it becomes obvious that it’s jam-packed with healthy stuff, including: Vitamin C and A, folate, manganese, molybdenum, potassium, silica and sulfur. It also has smaller amounts of Vitamin B, sodium, calcium, phosphorus and clorine. Try getting that in a diet soda!

The power of cucumber juice can be magnified if you mix it with other vegetable juices, especially carrot juice and celery juice. This also helps you find a flavor of beverage that more suits your individual taste.

Finally, strive to buy cucumbers and cucumber juice that is certified organic, and grown without the use of pesticides and herbicides. That means growing your own (which is easy and fun to do), or buying from farmer’s markets or other trusted organic producers. Making your own juice is also a snap if you own a juicer, or even a blender in is the best way the get the most health benefits of cucumber juice.

30 Nov

Health Benefits of Cherry Juice: The Top 4 Benefits You’ll Receive By Drinking Cherry Juice

Are the health benefits of cherry juice as strong as of some other juices that you can get on the marker? I am sure you’ve heard of the numerous benefits of drinking “magical” juices that are all the rage nowadays. Many companies start up every month trying to create the latest and greatest juice gimmick taking hard earned cash from their potential customers. It seems as if everyone is discovering a new fruit in the jungles of South America that may hold the key to everlasting life.

In reality, you don’t have to spend $40 on a bottle of juice to get the benefits. You can start with the regular juices you can find at your local grocery story. Today we’re going to talk about one of the most common juices to drink and why it’s beneficial. Cherry juice is a great juice to start with. It’s full of nutrients that provide all sorts of benefits to your body. Let’s go ahead and take a look at some of those and you’ll be able to see why you want to add this to your daily diet. You’ll quickly realize the health benefits of cherry juice and why everyone that cares about their healthy and body should be drinking at least 1 glass per day.

1. Cherry Juice Contains Perillyl Alcohol, Limonene and Ellagic Acid

Cherry juice is loaded with 3 disease fighting substances which are perillyl alcohol, limonene and ellagic acid. Each of these are powerful in fighting cancer, especially when it comes to breast or lung cancer. They help stop cell transformation which is one of the quickest ways that cancer will develop and spread through the body.

2. Antioxidants Are One Of The Main Health Benefits of Cherry Juice

The next benefit is the vast amount of antioxidants that are found in the juice. It has been said that there are a grand total of 17 powerful antioxidants found. One of the main benefits of these antioxidants is that they can help ward off disease and they’re also proven to help the body not age as fast. Out of all of the fruits and vegetables researches currently shows that drinking cherry juice has the highest antioxidant level out of any of them.

3. Inflammation – Cherry Juice For Arthritis

Another key benefit is that cherry juice is up to 10 times more beneficial than commercial drugs like aspirin in preventing inflammation and reducing pain from arthritis. By reducing inflammation of your joints you’ll likely have healthier knees, ankles, wrists, and other body parts that are likely to really suffer from arthritis like effects.

4. Fighting Free Radicals

Have you ever heard of the term free radicals? Most likely you haven’t so let me explain exactly what it is. Free radicals are atoms or molecules that have a single unpaired electron in an outer shell. Most common source of free radicals in our body is simply oxidation – breathing. But this can be greatly influenced also by the air around us – a good example would be pollution from a car or a factory. These free radicals in your body cause it to slowly decay over time. Luckily cherry juice has a powerful effect on fighting these dangerous chemicals.

Your cells become weaker from all of these radicals entering your body. The only way you can safely get rid of them is by supplying your body the antioxidants it needs to do so.

Drinking Cherry Juice

Please understand that cherry juice is a very powerful, natural supplement that will greatly improve your health and help you to fight off unwanted diseases or problems that you may have without drinking fruit juice. However, it’s not a cure all and you should never think that drinking a gallon of cherry juice each day is going to cure any of your ailments you may already have.

The biggest benefit is to start drinking it right away so you can try and prevent any future harm that may come upon your body from not having the proper antioxidants in it to stave off disease and other complications. While pure cherry juice might be expensive if you’re going to drink a glass or two every day, the health benefits of cherry juice that you receive will be greater than any future costs of suffering or expensive medical costs that you may experience later in life.

After reading this article you can clearly see the health benefits of cherry juice and why it’s so important to add it to your daily diet. You no longer have to worry about shelling out $20+ for an unknown juice that supposedly contains the fountain of youth. You can drink a juice for a lot less than has plenty of research over time to back up the health benefits of it.

29 Nov

Health Benefits Of Apricot Juice

Apricot juice is one of the most delicious fruit juices and the health benefits of apricot juice are numerous. Because apricot pulp is very thick when the fruit is juiced many apricot juices have other fruit juices added to make them more liquid and are then marketed as apricot juice blends. So be careful if you are looking for pure 100% apricot juice.

Beneficial Nutrients found in Apricot Juice

Apricots are extremely rich in carotenoids, specifically beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin (anti-oxidants). These are found mostly in the skin of the apricot, so never throw the skin away. Juice the skin with the pulp of the apricot.
Vitamins A, Riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3) and C
Mineral content in apricots includes: Potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, copper and traces of cobalt, bromide, sodium and sulfur.
Fiber and pectin.
Natural sugars.

Cardiovascular Health Benefits of Apricot Juice

1. Free radicals are responsible for the plaque-like deposits of cholesterol in the arteries, making them rigid and narrow. Artherosclerosis and heart attacks are the eventual result of these build-ups. Beta-carotene in apricot juice is a powerful antioxidant that helps to lower bad cholesterol (LDL or low density lipoprotein) levels in the blood. Antioxidants get rid of the free radicals in the body. They help keep arteries clean.

2. The vitamin C content of apricots is also an excellent antioxidant and works together with beta-carotenes. It protects the good cholesterol HDL (high density lipoproteins). Vitamin C has another important attribute in fighting or preventing heart disease. It enhances the elasticity of artery walls. Elasticity of artery walls helps prevent high blood pressure associated with artherosclerosis (hardening of the artery walls). The heart does not have to pump so hard in order to circulate the blood.

Eye Health Benefits of Apricot Juice

The lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids found in apricots help to prevent eye diseases. The retinal nerve endings that send messages of vision to the brain are protected from both UV light and free radicals by carotenoids. Eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts and degeneration are significantly reduced. Vitamin A in apricot juice also aids eye and vision health.

Health Benefits of Apricot Juice During Pregnancy

Apricot juice, because of the iron, vitamin and antioxidant content, is excellent in preventing anemia, enhancing health, and preventing sickness during pregnancy. It is also excellent for settling nausea and indigestion. Pregnant women need extra calcium and minerals. Apricot juice provides these.

Digestive Health Benefits

Apricot juice:

* is excellent for preventing, but also treating constipation. It has gentle laxative qualities. The pectin and fiber content will add necessary bulk and draw moisture to prevent hard stools.
* though acidic to the taste, is alkaline in the digestive system. Drink a glass of apricot juice before eating, it will aid your digestion.
* will help relieve flatulence and colitis.
* alkaline content helps dissolve gall stones

Skin, Hair and Bone Benefits

The vitamin C in apricot juices improves skin elasticity. The minerals are also essential for keeping bones strong, and hair and skin healthy. Antioxidants prevent aging and promote the immune system so improve resistance to disease.

Health Benefits of Magnesium in Apricot Juice

The magnesium content in apricots is approximately ten times higher than in most other fruits. Magnesium has two very beneficial effects.

* It helps to normalize blood pressure.
* Magnesium and phosphorus together enhance brain function. Both are present in apricot juice.

Apricot Juice Helps Prevent Anemia

The iron and copper present in apricots help prevent anemia. Both iron and copper are necessary for the formation of hemoglobin, the essential “oxygen and nutrient carriers” in the red blood cells. Apricot juice is as effective in providing iron for blood regeneration as eating liver.

Longevity – a Possible Health Benefit of Apricot Juice

Scientists link regular apricot consumption with longevity and health in general. Nothing has been proved scientifically, but a village in Pakistan where the people eat only apricots (all forms, fresh, dried and juiced), cereals and vegetables, have some of the longest living and healthiest people on earth. Vitamin A is also reputed to slow down aging.

Cancer Prevention

Apricot juice contains lycopene that is known to help prevent cancer. Interestingly enough, lycopene is more easily digested when the apricots are cooked or processed as in juicing.

Drink apricot juice often and enjoy all the health benefits of apricot juice. There is good reason for naming apricot juice “The Nectar of the Gods”. It is not only delicious to taste, but it works wonders in your body.

27 Nov

The Multiple Health Benefits of Redcurrant Juice

The health benefits of redcurrant juice are considerable; the antioxidant properties of bright red fruits, such as redcurrants, have long been regarded as some of the strongest natural sources to be found, and for thousands of years, the healing properties of redcurrants have helped to treat a variety of wounds and illnesses. Drinking the juice squeezed from fresh fruit juice is a great way to ensure that you get your required daily dose of vitamins and minerals, and the juice obtained from the redcurrant is no exception to this rule.

Redcurrants Contain a Significant Amount of Vitamin C

Redcurrants contain a significant amount of vitamin C. However, because of their slightly sour taste, if the juice is found to be unpalatable, it may be preferable to mix it with a little natural sweetener, such as honey, before drinking. Vitamin C is highly regarded for its properties which help protect the immune system, as well as those which keep the skin healthy. It is a potent antioxidant, which helps to fight against free radical damage caused by exposure to environmental toxins such as pollution, or smoke produced by tobacco products.

Lots Of Other Nutrients And Vitamins

A wonderful natural nutritional source – as well as being packed with vitamin C – redcurrants are rich in potassium, magnesium and iron, and are an excellent source of vitamin B1. In addition, this tiny super-fruit is high in fiber, and possesses superb anti-inflammatory properties.

Healthy Immune And Cardio-vascular System, Diabetes, Cancer, Blood Pressure And More…

The health benefits of redcurrant juice can be further attributed to helping maintain a healthy immune system, and offer protection against cardio-vascular disease, diabetes, and certain forms of cancer. The potassium contained in redcurrants will help to maintain a healthy blood pressure and prevent muscle cramps; just one cup of redcurrants will provide a little under one-sixth of the recommended adult daily intake of potassium.

The health benefits of redcurrant juice are further illustrated by the presence of magnesium, which, amongst other things, helps to promote healthy nerve and muscle function, and strong and healthy bones.

Redcurrant Juice is Also a Mild Laxative

Due to their high fiber content – a cup yields almost 5g of fiber – redcurrants possess mild laxative and diuretic properties. As such, their juice can be used to great effect as a tonic to help calm minor stomach upsets, to help flush the bladder through and to keep bowel movements regular. Consuming a fiber-rich diet is also recommended for helping to maintain a healthy cholesterol level.

Regular consumption of redcurrant juice will help to ensure that the digestive system and gut are kept in a healthy condition, and that they perform at an optimum level.

Additionally, the Health Benefits of Redcurrant Juice Include

* Being used as a mouthwash and gargle to help protect against infections and keep the mouth healthy
* Helping to induce an appetite
* Encouraging the body to perspire
* Helping to keep the blood healthy
* Assisting in reducing fevers
* Helping to alleviate problems with menstrual flow
* Reducing the symptoms of arthritis, gout and rheumatism with their natural anti-inflammatory properties
* Being used as a natural antiseptic to help soothe cuts, grazes, spots or rashes

It should be noted, though, that some of the health benefits of redcurrant juice are diminished when the fruit is subjected to certain processes involving heat and light. With this in mind, freshly squeezed juice should always be the first choice to ensure that the maximum benefits are obtained.

The best redcurrants are firm in texture, with a bright color. After purchase, they should be used as soon as possible, but if they cannot be used straight away, they should be removed from any plastic packaging, put onto a plate or into a paper bag, and stored in a refrigerator. Under these conditions, they should last for about a week. To ensure that they keep as well as possible, they should not be washed until just before they are ready to be used.

It should be noted that the health benefits of redcurrant juice will not be compromised too much by juicing fruit which has been stored for a while, providing it has been kept in a cool, dark, place. In addition, if fresh redcurrants cannot be found, frozen redcurrants can be used for their juice, although their nutritional value will be somewhat diminished.

If you are keen to introduce fresh fruit into your diet as a natural way to obtain the necessary vitamins and minerals for a healthy constitution, the healthy redcurrant juice will certainly help you to achieve your goal.

26 Nov

Health Benefits Of Strawberry Juice: A Natural Anti-Inflammation Agent and Blood Sugar Regulator

Because strawberry juice is made out of simple and worldwide known berries that don’t seem really that special or exotic, people are often surprised that there are so many health benefits of strawberry juice. But it’s established scientific fact now that drinking strawberry juice is among the most high-impact ways to deliver an astonishing amount of healthy nutrients, anti-oxidant agents and vitamins to the human body. Strawberry juice is easy to digest, contains natural fiber, and is even inexpensive to buy. It does all this while tasting great, with little or no need for added sugars or artificial sweetener.

Before we talk more about the health benefits of drinking strawberry juice, let’s consider its source, the strawberry itself. Among all American foods, strawberries easily landed in the Top 50 in a survey to determine which foods are best for human consumption. In fact, they ranked as “27th best” overall.

Strawberries: Third Best Fruits You Can Eat

But when considering fruits alone, strawberries ranked third as the best fruits people can eat based on nutrition delivered per amount eaten. Only walnuts and blackberries ranked higher in terms of total amount of vitamins and anti-oxidants they deliver based on eating 3.5 ounces.

A Long List Of Healthy Nutrients And 136% of Vitamin C RDA in One Cup

When you eat a daily serving of strawberry or drink strawberry juice, you are gaining a laundry list of healthy nutrients. These include: Vitamin C, manganese, potassium, folate, iodine, Vitamins B2 and B5, omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin K, copper, magnesium and fiber! Strawberries are highest in Vitamin C, with one cup delivering 136% of the recommended daily allowance.

Additionally, strawberries contain dozens of phyto-nutrients too numerous to mention here. Keep in mind that vitamins themselves, such as Vitamin C, are anti-oxidants, but there are many other classifications of anti-oxidant substances, and suffice it to say that strawberries are packed with dozens of them, even to an amazing degree.

Are Health Benefits Of Strawberries Lost In The Juice?

Okay, so when strawberries are processed into strawberry juice, do you still get all the nutritional value you would get if you ate the solid fruit itself? The simple answer is yes, but it depends on what kind of strawberry juice you select, so let’s take a quick look at this issue.

You may have heard of something called “juice concentrate.” What that means is that a fruit has had all of its water removed to make it easier to ship and store. When you buy frozen strawberry concentrate, for example, it is necessary for you to “add water” to make strawberry juice that you can drink. In general, strawberry juice from concentrate will have less nutritional value than pure, fresh strawberry juice. Whenever you process any vegetable in any way – be it drying, freezing, cooking or canning – some of the nutritional value is lost in the process.

However, if you buy strawberry juice listed as “not from concentrate” you are basically getting pure strawberries that have been blended into juice – although some brands may have had some of the pulp removed – and thus you lose nutrition and fiber.

Both concentrate and pure strawberry juice products still pack a lot of nutrition and are extremely healthy drinks; it’s just that some of the nutrition has been removed in the process. Many people choose to make their own strawberry juice using their own blender or food processor, however. In this case, you are getting the very same nutrition as you would if you simply ate strawberries whole.

Eat Them Fresh For The Best Health Impact

It’s also important to note that the strawberry is a relatively fragile fruit in that they do not hold their nutrition well over long periods. In fact, studies show that just two days after picking, strawberries lose significant amounts of vitamins and other anti-oxidants. So whether you are drinking the juice or eating the berry, think “fresh” for maximum nutritional punch.

Anti-inflammatory Effects

We should also mention that strawberries and strawberry juice has been shown to have significant anti-inflammatory effects on the human body, but only if eaten often and regularly. Strawberries lower the levels of something called C-reactive proteins in the body, which are associated with inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis. To get this benefit, studies show that strawberries must be eaten at least three times per week over a period of several weeks.

Strawberry Juice Regulates Blood Sugars

Strawberry juice is also now understood to be an excellent regulator of blood sugars, and will even counterbalance the negative effects of eating refined sugars. This makes strawberries and strawberry juice an excellent choice for diabetics and others on sugar-restricted diets.

That strawberry juice is one of the best possible sources of human nutrition is an established fact beyond a reasonable doubt. This juice is a natural win-win situation: It tastes great and the numerous health benefits of strawberry juice can do wonders for your health. It’s the best of all worlds.

25 Nov

The Health Benefits Of Pomegranate Juice

Have you been noticing a large red bumpy-textured fruit on your grocer’s produce display? Or maybe you have seen bottles of dark red juice prominently featured in the fruit juice section of the store? The rise in popularity and availability of the pomegranate fruit and its extracted juice has been meteoric in recent years.

The pomegranate tree is a native to the middle east and is one with a long history. Variously called a shrub or a small tree, it can reach heights of fifteen to twenty feet. Grown originally in countries such as Iran and Iraq, a variety of the plant developed to produce as much juice as possible has been transplanted to the United States, especially California and Arizona. And while pomegranates are sold as an eating fruit in the produce section of the grocery, it is the juice that has become well-known in the last decade for its apparently never-ending list of healthy effects. Many of the health benefits of pomegranate juice have been researched and verified, and studies continue to bolster its reputation as it shows the promise of being a near-miracle fruit juice.

Antioxidant Potency Levels In Pomegranate Juice

Pomegranate juice is easily and efficiently absorbed into the bloodstream. Studies have shown that the active ingredients in pomegranate juice are readily available to the body, especially the ellagic acid which is quickly absorbed after ingestion. This means that the beneficial substances in the juice can be efficiently used by the body, and there is little waste of these nutrients. The antioxidant potency levels in pomegranate juice equal or exceed those found in red wine and green tea, and many of its benefits result from this quality.

Positive Effects On The Cardiovascular System

Drinking the juice of the pomegranate regularly is beneficial for your heart. Several research studies have focused on the positive effects on the cardiovascular system from drinking the juice. In the case of atherosclerosis, the growth rate of the disease was slowed in nearly one-third of trial subjects in one study. Plaque build-up in the arteries was reduced in 30% of the subjects in another study of the cardiovascular effects, and a further study showed a 20% reduction in the levels of LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) in the blood after a regular regimen of the juice. Increased blood flow to the heart has also been the subject of research, and the juice was effective in producing improved flow in almost 20% of the subjects studied. These studies and others have proved that pomegranate juice can be good for the heart and the circulatory system.

Growth-slowing Effect On Various Types Of Cancers

While results have not been completely conclusive, there is quite a bit of evidence that the use of pomegranate juice has a growth-slowing effect on various types of cancers. Clinical studies first with mice, then on male human subjects, showed that the growth of prostate cancer was decreased over a several year period when pomegranate juice was regularly consumed. Other research suggested that the fruit juice can limit or reverse the progress of lung cancer. A study of the effect on women with breast cancer of pomegranate extract revealed that drinking the juice actually seemed to kill the cancerous cells, while keeping new cells from occurring. It is not a stretch of the imagination to assume that if there is a preventative and curative result from drinking the juice on some cancers, it may be enlisted in the fight against the disease in general. Pomegranate may someday be credited with providing an end to the cancer crisis.

Other Health Benefits Of Pomegranate Juice

Many other health benefits of pomegranate juice have been reported.

A positive effect on metabolism has been shown to happen for people who drink the dark red juice of the pomegranate. In studies with diabetics ingestion of the juice was proved to have no negative effects on any measures of the disease parameters, and it has also been shown to be a good low-glycemic index food for diabetics.

Regular consumption has been effective in lowering blood pressure as well, with measures of systolic pressure averaging 5% lower in test subjects.

Cartilage deterioration may be slowed by drinking pomegranate juice, which in turn means that it can improve osteoarthritis and relieve associated pain.

Patients with Alzheimer’s disease in one study showed improved brain functioning after ingesting the extracted juice over a year period.

It may be a competitor and a natural one in the viagra market – in a study of men exhibiting erectile dysfunction, the regular daily drinking of pomegranate juice was seen to reduce the incidence of sexual difficulties.

Finally, pomegranate juice has been proved to have a reducing effect on the build-up of dental plaque.

The Health Benefits Of Pomegranate Juice can be realized by drinking the juice in sufficient amounts (most studies used a standard of 8 ounces per day) and as part of a regular daily regimen. It is important as well to be sure that you are getting 100% juice, because many cocktails and watered-down combinations with other fruit juices have come on the market to take advantage of the reputation of the pure juice. In addition to all of the benefits discussed, pomegranate juice is loaded with vitamins and minerals, and it tastes very good, with a tart but sweet and full flavor. So raise a glass of pomegranate juice and drink to your health, and to everyone’s!