Cocoa
German researchers have discovered that eating dark chocolate can give your skin a youthful glow.  The antioxidants act like a mild sunscreen, AND they plump the skin, improve its moisture and reduce redness by 25”   A small study of women added cocoa to their breakfasts every day for three month in another test and it suggests dark chocolate could fight skin cancer as well. 

Research supported by candy giant Mars, confirms previous studies linking consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa products to improved cardiovascular health.  According to two recent papers, this increased blood flow may also have implications for cognitive functions specifically learning and memory.  (International Journal of Medical Science)

Walnuts
Snack on Walnuts….loaded with two omega-3 fatty acids that have the same effect as antidepressants report researchers.  The compounds also improve the communication between brain cells responsible for good moods, says study from Harvard’s McLean Hospital  Adding walnuts to a meal high in saturated fat will also help prevent unhealthy fats from triggering inflammation in a new study.

Berries:
Eat half a cup of berries a day…and you’ll slash your risk of developing esophageal cancer in half…They get their anticarcinogenic properties to their potent antioxidants including anthocyanins says researchers at Ohio State University.

Eating blueberries can fend off snack attacks for four hours, plus help women lose up to 5% of their body weight in six months say researchers at Brooke Army Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston, Texas.  Just ½ cup daily boosts blood sugar-stabilizing antioxidants. 

Green Tea:
Sipping a daily cup of anti-oxidant-rich green tea reduces the risk of developing esophageal cancer as much as 60% as long as the tea isn’t piping hot.  When you drink very hot beverages, you can scald and damage the esophagus, increasing the risk of cancer as much as fourfold according to a study in the International Journal of Cancer.

If you have rosacea, try applying green tea directly to the skin.  Cool a freshly brewed cup of green tea in the fridge for 30 minutes, then dab onto clean skin with a cotton ball.  The polyphenols have a proven anti-inflammatory and cell-regenerating effect that heals irritated skin, plus reducing rosacea bumps by 72% in 30 days.

Umckaloabo:
Research shows that the South African geranium umckaloabo heals sore throats twice as fast as a placebo.  20 drops of the tincture, three times a day are what are needed.

Broccoli
Broccoli can help prevent painful bloat and even stomach ulcers, thanks to sulforaphne.  This chemical is more effective than antibiotics at fighting Hl. Pylori according to a report in the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

Munching on broccoli can cut heart disease by 20% according to researchers at the University of Saskatchewan.  Broccoli contains the compound glucoraphanin which boosts the body’s antioxidant defenses, lowering blood pressure and decreasing harmful inflammation in the heart and arteries. 

High levels of indole-3-carbinol in broccoli reduce 4-hydroxyestrone, a hormone that promotes breast cancer.  And the sulforaphane in broccoli increases the activity of detixifiaton enzymes so the body is able to flush out carcinogens more quickly.

Women with the highest intake of broccoli not only have a significantly lower risk of cancer and heart disease but they’re also able to shed up to one pound weekly without counting calories say researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston.

Onions
A recent study revealed that regularly consuming quercetin, an antioxidant found in onions and red wine, helps cut the number of precancerous colon polyps by 60% and the size of polyps by 51%.

Pomegranates
A whiff of pomegranate will infuse you with pep.  The citrus scent stimulates the brain’s trigeminal nerve, which governs wakefulness from the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago.

Each of the seeds in a single pomegranate contains up to 60% punicic acid, a fatty acid that stimulates skin-cell turnover to reveal a smoother complexion.  Research at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor also revealed that pomegranate oil helps lock in moisture to prevent signs of aging.  Facial: Cut a pomegranate in half and separate the pulp from the seeds with a paring knife.  Blend 2 tsp seeds, 1 Tbsp plain yogurt and 1 Tbsp honey until smooth.  Apply the mixture to your face; leave on 5 minutes, then massage into skin and rinse with cool water.

Pomegranate supplements are found to improve vaginal dryness because of their phytoestrogens.  And in addition, the antioxidant effect energizes, helps the body detox and improves skin and hair.  Avoid if you are taking statin drugs to lower cholesterol.

Grapes:
Snacking on grapes boosts insulin sensitivity, reducing blood sugar swings by 42% according to USDA research.  The chemicals including phenolics, cyaniding and kaempferal activate the brain’s satiety center, so less food is need to feel full.  Purple grapes have 10 times more phenolics than green

Tea:
Want to naturally decaffeinate tea in the evening?  Steep a tea bag (or loose tea) in boiling water for one minute, dump the liquid, then prepare a fresh cup using the same bag.  Since 90% of the caffeine is removed in the first “drawing”, you’ll get the flavor you crave and still sleep.  In China, this is standard practice when drinking tea, sometimes even dumping the first 2  liquids.

Spinach
Each 1 cup serving of spinach contains six times more lutein than romaine lettuce, five times more glutathione than watermelon, plus almost 250 mg of calcium.  Studies at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville suggest that these nutrients can speed the loss of belly fat by 81%

Tomatoes:
Tomatoes are nature’s number one source of lycopene, an antioxidant that stalls the absorption of dietary fat. 

Taking a 15-mg daily dose of tomato extract for two months resulted in systolic pressure in people with hypertension to drop by 10 points and their diastolic reduced by four points, according to a new study.

Ginger:
For heartburn try combining 1 cup boiling water and 1 tsp freshly grated gingerroot and sip slowly.  Ginger helps your lower esophageal sphincter relax keeping stomach acid down.   A tablespoon of honey is also extremely effective.

Pumpkin Seeds
For improved bladder health and to prevent urinary tract infections, try pumpkin seeds.  The alpha-linolenic acid and phytosterols in pumpkin seed extract modulates enzymes involved in maintaining hormonal balance improving bladder health in women.

Vanilla
British scientists have found that inhaling the scent of vanilla makes you less likely to eat junk food.  It triggers the release of serotonin, a brain chemical that promotes satisfaction

Coconut
Coconut water, the fluid in coconuts, can be helpful in treating PMS.  Because of the high levels of potassium and magnesium, vitamin C and trace amounts of copper, phosphorus and sulfur, it corrects electrolyte imbalances even better than most sports drinks.  The World Health Organization also recommends it for stomach problems.  In addition, researchers in India found that coconut water may help reduce the symptoms of heart disease.  Other studies suggest that coconut water may help to detoxify the liver.  And subjects who drank coconut water were shown to have lower cholesterol than those who didn’t. 

Coffee
More fiber in coffee than orange juice.  Current research on drinking coffee links it to improved cognitive performance and reduced risks of diseases of the liver and diabetes.  A new study by researchers in Spain now reports that coffee has more dietary fiber than other common beverages. 

Spearmint
If women find themselves with a condition that makes them grow hair on their breasts, faces and stomachs, new research finds symptoms are relieved by drinking a few cups of spearmint tea daily.  2-5 cups daily reduces the level of androgens in the body.  More studies are planned to verify the results.

Watercress                                                                                       
A recent dietary trial by researchers from the University of Ulster, shows that a regular intake of watercress may protect against DNA damage in blood cells, considered an important trigger in cancer development by 23%.  Those in the study ate a bowlful of watercress every day for 8 weeks, resulting in blood triglyceride levels being reduced by 10% and blood levels of the antioxidants lutein and beta-carotene increasing by 100 and 33 per cent, respectively.  (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Tomatoes and broccoli slow prostate tumors in rats
Experiments in rats show that eating both tomatoes and broccoli is better than eating either vegetable alone, or lycopene supplements, for slowing prostate tumor growth, researchers report in the journal Cancer Research.  The findings show that men hoping to beat or prevent prostate cancer should stick with whole foods, rather than dietary supplements.  The human equivalent of the study rats' diet would be 2.5 cups of cherry tomatoes, two 3-inch tomatoes, or one cup of tomato sauce daily along with 1.5 cups of broccoli every day.  Epidemiological studies have shown that men who consume that much broccoli and tomato three to five times weekly cut their prostate cancer risk by 30 percent.  In the study, rats were fed a variety of diets: with different concentrations of lycopene, a phytochemical contained in tomatoes; tomato powder; broccoli powder; 5 percent broccoli powder plus 5 percent tomato powder; or 10 percent broccoli plus 10 percent tomato. The animals stayed on their allotted diet for one month before being implanted with prostate tumor tissue.  Other tumor-implanted rats were fed a normal diet but were given the drug finasteride, which is used to treat benign prostate enlargement, while others were castrated.  Tumor growth was slowest in the castrated animals, followed by those given the 10 percent tomato and 10 percent broccoli diet. Microscopic studies showed that the most concentrated veggie combination enhanced destruction of tumor cells and slowed their growth. However, animals given only lycopene did not show a significant reduction in tumor growth. Lycopene alone may have some anti-prostate cancer activity, but the whole tomato and its array of phytochemicals clearly shows anticancer potential that exceeds the pure carotenoid.
SOURCE: Cancer Research, January 15, 2007.

Turmeric
Turmeric Can Ward off Alzheimers and Cancer.  A study conducted in the University of California shows that one of the reasons why the rate of Alzheimer’s in India is four times lower than in the USA is because turmeric is used in Indian cooking.  Turmeric contains a powerful substance called curcumin, which shields the brain from the damage that leads to Alzheimer’s.  In 1989, Bharat Aggarwal, a leading researchers on turmeric, threw some turmeric onto cancer cells. The results were unbelievable. He found that turmeric cut down inflammation, preventing the replication of cancer cells.
               It was this anti-inflammatory character of turmeric that led researchers to experiment with brain cells in rats, proving curcumin effective in Alzheimer’s disease. The research fits in with Ayurvedic knowledge, which uses turmeric to treat cancer and memory related disorders because of its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic qualities.
              The difference is Ayurveda uses turmeric in combination with other herbs or with milk while modern research aims at isolating curcumin and using it as a drug.
             Aggarwal prescribes a daily dose of 8 gms of turmeric, about 40 times the amount of turmeric used in Indian cooking.  Experts in India say such a dose could be less safe than Ayurvedic prescriptions.  “It can react in cases of gastric ulcers. We also advise people to take it with milk. So it’s absorbed by the fat in the milk, not otherwise,” said Dr Joshi, Ayurvedic expert, BHU. “Ayurveda says use the herb in its full form. It balances the side effects,” added Ajay Sharma, President, Baidyanath.  Clinical trials on humans are on in the US to test curcumin’s safety and efficacy in treating pancreatic cancer and preventing lung and colon cancer. If successful, the future could see curcumin being developed into a drug much less toxic than existing anti-cancer drugs. In India too, scientists are combining turmeric in anti-cancer drugs to reduce both dosage and toxic side effects.
               Trials combining turmeric with malaria drug chloroquin to fight chloroquin resistance are also on. If this works, it can prevent many malaria deaths in India.

Vitamin D
More Evidence on the Benefits of Vitamin D:  In an excellent paper, a pair of researchers (father and son) presented considerable evidence that vitamin D deficiency is a cause, and possibly the major cause, of Parkinson's disease.  The researchers reviewed a 1997 case report in which a patient with Parkinson's disease steadily improved when treated daily with 4,000 IU of vitamin D. At the same time, two new meta-analysis studies (which combine data from multiple reports) have found even more evidence that vitamin D is an important cancer-fighting tool. The first study examined nearly 1,800 records and found that:   People with the highest blood levels of vitamin D had the lowest risk of breast cancer  Those with the lowest vitamin D levels had the highest rates of breast cancer  The second study, which looked at nearly 1,500 people, showed similar results. Raising vitamin D levels (serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D) to 34 ng/ml reduced rates of colorectal cancer by half, while raising levels to 46ng/ml cut the risk by two-thirds.

Odds and Ends
Here’s good news…a study at the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago found that women wearing a spicy floral scent were thought to be an average of 12 pounds lighter than their actual weight.