Nutrient – Page 2 – Juice Health Benefits & Recipes

21 Jan

Which Fruit Has The Most Phosphorus?

Phosphorus

Phosphorus is both a chemical element and a mineral nutrient that is vital to human, animal and plant life. Phosphates are salts that contain phosphorus and other minerals. Phosphorus derivatives and compounds are used commercially as components of fertilizer and also as food additives and leavening agents. Most of the foods we eat contain phosphorus.

Phosphorus In Our Body

Phosphorus is second only to calcium as the most plentiful mineral in the human body. Eighty-five percent of phosphorus is found in bones and teeth, but it is present in every cell of the body. It is even found in bodily fluids, cell membranes and DNA. The presence of phosphorus is necessary for the utilization of other nutrients such as: calcium, magnesium, iron, sodium and potassium.

Phosphorus is essential to many bodily functions. Its main purpose is to combine with calcium and assist the formation of healthy bones. Phosphorus also enables the body to convert carbohydrates into energy, helps synthesize proteins and aids in both the growth and repair of cells and tissues. It helps maintain a regular heartbeat and also assists in muscle contraction, kidney function and nerve conduction.

The recommended intake of phosphorus for a healthy adult is 700mg per day. Since most foods contain this mineral, deficiency is uncommon. However, certain medications, calcium carbonate supplements and antacids can cause low phosphorus levels. Deficiency may result in weight loss, poor bone growth, bone pain, poor nerve and brain function, skin sensitivity and brittle hair and nails.

The kidneys rid the body of excess phosphorus, so toxic levels are not common in those with healthy kidneys. An excess of carbonated drinks in the diet can lead to higher than normal levels; this may increase the risk of heart disease and cause brittle bones and diarrhea.

Which Fruit Has The Most Choline?

What Is Choline?

Choline, which is found in every cell in the human body, is a newly recognized type of B vitamin. In 1998, the National Academy of Sciences established adequate intake (AI) levels for choline: between 425 and 550 mg daily for adults, and between 150 and 300 mg daily for children. The average dietary intake of choline is between 200 and 600 mg daily. Choline is available in supplement form or from foods, including egg yolks, soybeans, spinach, whole wheat, bananas and oranges.

Choline In Our Bodies

Cell membranes

Cells need choline for cell membrane health and for the transport of fat molecules through cell membranes. Choline can modify fat molecules so that they can combine with water and flow through the bloodstream. Cell membranes, which are made up of fats, need choline to maintain flexibility and strength.

Nervous system

The nervous system needs choline for the communication between nerve cells. A key chemical in this transfer of messages is acetylcholine, which contains choline. Research suggest that choline may be useful in treating and preventing brain and nerve disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease in adults and neural tube defects in babies.

Liver

Choline’s ability to modify fat molecules makes it an important factor in liver health. As choline promotes the transport of fat molecules, it helps to prevent fat accumulation in the liver. Therefore, choline may help to prevent cirrhosis and other liver disorders.

Deficiency

Choline deficiency is associated with increased levels of inflammatory markers, and with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, osteoporosis and other inflammatory disorders. Choline deficiency may also lead to anemia, nerve disorders and folic acid deficiency.

Overdose

Excessive choline intake can cause toxicity symptoms and side effects, including low blood pressure, dizziness, body odor and sweating. Adults should not take more than 3.5 grams in one day.

Which Fruit Has The Most Betaine?

What is Betaine?

In chemistry, a betaine is a general term meaning any neutral chemical compound. Betaine is a naturally occurring chemical found in the human body. It is also present in some foods. The most widely used betaine is a byproduct of processing sugar beets. This byproduct is found in many fruit juices and available as supplements. Betaines are absorbed by our bodies and help to protect our cells from the effects of many stressors.

Betaine in Our Bodies

Betaine is important to our bodies because it helps to prevent a build-up of homocysteine, an amino acid. Homocysteine can damage blood vessels and increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, or circulatory problems. Betaine is therefore important in protecting the functions of the circulatory system.

People have also experienced better digestion with the addition of betaine to their diets. Betaine added to toothpaste has been shown to reduce mouth dryness. The addition of this supplement has been linked to better liver health.

Betaine, like most substances, can be found as allergic to some people. Signs of a serious allergic reaction may be headaches, dizziness, changes in mental state, vision changes and seizures. Less serious allergic reactions can include nausea, diarrhea, unusual body odor or taste in the mouth. You should seek the advice of a medical professional if you experience any of these symptoms. People who have high cholesterol should consult their doctors before adding betaine to their diets as it has been linked to increased cholesterol levels. It can also interfere with some medications used for the treatment of kidney disease.

There are many ways to increase betaine. You can get it in the form of a powder and mix it with many types of liquids. You can also find it naturally occurring in various food sources.

Which Fruit Has The Most Vitamin C?

What Is Vitamin C?

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that has many benefits for healthy living. Fruits, vegetables and supplements all contain this vital nutrient. Vitamin C is an antioxidant, maintains and forms bones, skin and blood vessels. Most notable is that it plays a vital role in collagen production. Having proper amounts of vitamin C has several benefits for healthy living.

Why Is Vitamin C Good For Our Health?

Humans and other animals cannot live without this vitamin. Humans and other mammals cannot make vitamin C on their own and must obtain the nutrient from various fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C is water soluble, so daily replenishment is necessary to prevent deficiencies. The body cannot store vitamin C, so overdosing on the vitamin is difficult. Taking too much vitamin C may cause stomach upset and diarrhea.

The largest role vitamin C plays in the body is collagen production. Collagen production depends highly upon vitamin C to play its part in enzymatic reactions. Collagen production is essential in healing, maintenance of healthy blood vessels and capillaries, and protection against infections, oxidative stress and scurvy. Scurvy is not as common in the past but is the main result of a vitamin C deficiency. Scurvy has many different symptoms including gum disease, bruising and wounds that will not heal.

Vitamin C helps the healing of any wounds the body may incur, fight against infection and slow down the effects of carcinogens. Proper vitamin C intake also lowers risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, cataracts and cholesterol. Kidney, eye and nerve health also benefit from proper Vitamin C levels. The antioxidant properties of Vitamin C are perhaps most beneficial to anyone who is conscious of their supplement intake. Scientists and doctors believe antioxidants help to prevent many debilitating diseases.

Health Benefits of Pear Juice

Instead of having coffee or a chocolate drink, why not have a boost of various nutrients in just a few gulps by having a glass of pear juice? Delicious and nutritious, pear juice is definitely one of the best healthy drinks that you can have. If having a glass is not part of your diet, here are some of the health benefits of pear juice which might help to convince you.

Pears Contain Lots Of Vitamins And Minerals

If you eat a pear, or about 100 grams of the fruit, there are a lot of vitamins and minerals that you can get which include Vitamin A, riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, calcium, Vitamin C, iron, phosphorus, fat, potassium, protein and carbohydrates. Pears are known as good sources of Vitamin C and dietary fiber, especially the skin which most people tend to discard. Adding a pear to your diet is surely a great way of taking in the said nutrients and for those who are watching their weight, having a pear daily will surely help you.

Boosting Your Immune System

If you don’t want to be constantly missing school or work because you often get the flu, you should start thinking about drinking healthy juices such as pear juice to boost your immune system. As pear juice is rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants, it will help in building up your immune system. Regular intake of pear juice can help you avoid common diseases such as cough and colds, the flu and other similar disorders.

Good Source Of Energy

Furthermore, you can always be energetic when you drink pear juice since this is a quick and good source of energy. Pears are rich in fructose and glucose, two monosacharides that can easily be converted to energy. With the added carbohydrates, you will surely be grateful when you drink this after feeling tired and sleepy.

Pear Juice Helps Prevent Cancer

There are several health benefits of pear juices which includes having the necessary nutrients needed by the body. The Vitamin C and copper content of pear juice is essential in protecting your body from cancers and other diseases. As you may already know, when free radicals attach to the cells, these particular cells will be damaged which will often lead to cancer or other similar disorders. Cancers are difficult to treat especially during the late stages. The best treatment for cancer is actually prevention which you can do by drinking a glass of pear juice regularly. The antioxidants of pear juice protect your cells from the damaging free radicals, helping you avoid cancer. As studies have already proven, having a pear daily can reduce your chances of getting lung cancer and for women, it will help you avoid breast cancer after menopause.

18 Nov

Health Benefits Of Pumpkin Juice: Pumpkins Aren’t Just Good for Halloween

When I think of pumpkins, Halloween is the first thing that pops into my mind. But you might be surprised to learn that pumpkins are good for more than just carving and putting on your porch to scare trick-or-treaters. The health benefits of pumpkin juice have been demonstrated time and time again, yet this valuable health resource often flies under the radar of even the most devoted health aficionados.

Pumpkins are a rich source of several important vitamins

Beta-carotene

Pumpkins are a rich source of several important vitamins. Beta-carotene is the orange pigment responsible for giving pumpkins their distinctive color (it also provides color for other healthy vegetables, like carrots). When you consume beta-carotene, the body converts some of it to vitamin A. Vitamin A is important to maintaining the health of many bodily functions, especially vision. Thus, it may be possible to help some vision problems through drinking pumpkin juice. The health benefits of pumpkin juice don’t stop there, however, as vitamin A is also an important component of healthy skin. Many high-end dermatology products rely primarily on the influence of vitamin A derivatives to reduce acne, but drinking pumpkin juice may allow you to achieve the same result for much less money!

Vitamin C and vitamin E

Pumpkin juice also contains high amounts of vitamin C and vitamin E. Vitamin C is involved in a multitude of functions in the human body, and is essential for maintaining a healthy immune system. It’s also a valuable antioxidant, and thus it helps to slow the natural aging process of the body. Vitamin E is an antioxidant as well, and the combined effect of both through drinking pumpkin juice has the potential to make you feel years younger.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is also found at high levels in pumpkin juice. Vitamin D is essential for healthy bone development, hormone development, and nervous system functioning. Vitamin D deficiencies have been associated with a number of negative health outcomes, including increased mortality, cancer rates, and growth deformities. Drinking pumpkin juice is a healthy way to obtain the recommended daily amount of vitamin D.

Health benefits of pumpkin juice

People have been drinking pumpkin juice for many years, and out of the practice have come a number of medicinal uses of pumpkin juice. For example, The health benefits of pumpkin juice are believed to include maintaining a healthy cholesterol level. The mechanism behind this link could involve one of the several vitamins that are packed into a glass of pumpkin juice. There are indications, for example, that Vitamin C may have a cholesterol-reducing effect. Antioxidants have also been demonstrated to help keep cholesterol levels within a healthy range, and pumpkin juice has a high antioxidant index.

The health benefits of pumpkin juice also involve its digestive-stimulating capabilities. Pumpkin juice can serve as a digestive system regulator, and can be used in instances of constipation or indigestion. Its laxative properties are very mild, however, so drinking pumpkin juice in general won’t cause an over-active bowel. Pumpkin juice can also soothe the stomach, and is a recommended treatment for ulcers.

There are many who advocate pumpkin juice as a cure for insomnia. Pumpkin juice is high in magnesium, a mineral that can play an important role in our ability to sleep. One of the many suggested functions for magnesium is its soothing action on the nervous system. There is an indication that some people who suffer from insomnia do so because they are experiencing magnesium deficiency. If only they knew to drink pumpkin juice! Often, pumpkin juice mixed with a small amount of honey is drank before lying down as a sleep aid.

Pumpkin Seeds

Some believe that pumpkin seeds offer the greatest of the health benefits of pumpkin juice. The seeds are thought to have an overall cleansing effect on the body. Nutrients in the seeds may help rid the body of impurities by stimulating the activity of the kidneys. For this reason, many people who make fresh pumpkin juice will be sure to include ground up seeds in their concoction.

Pumpkin juice is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants–all of which combine to maintain healthy functioning of the body. While many of us search for foods that will provide us with one vitamin or another, it may be that the one-shot solution to our health needs is sitting right in front of us. So next time you think of a pumpkin, think about putting it in your juicer, not carving it!

Juice Health Benefits & Recipes

Health benefits of natural juices and recipes for making them

Tag Archives: Nutrient