“Everyone Knows Someone Who Needs This Information!” (TM)
This week, I am again highlighting the functional food protocols which Dr. Vincent Marchione, MD, a specialist in using food as medicine, espouses. Food is our natural medicine, when used appropriately, both to prevent disease and aid in the cure of disease, especially for diabetics. Of course, wrongly used, improper food choice also creates disease, especially when people eat nutrient-poor, manufactured “foods” rather than close to Nature foods.
EPICATECHIN:
A 2005 medical study found that a purer form of chocolate can significantly reduce blood pressure in just two weeks, and later, Italian researchers gave healthy people various types of chocolate and discovered the one type had a greater ability to reduce blood sugar as well as lower blood pressure.
This purer type of chocolate contains a full range of beneficial phytonutrients, after all it is a bean. These include antioxidants, flavonoids, phenols, epicatechin, and essential minerals. These nutrients make chocolate beneficial for your heart, and unfortunately, for many diabetics, they have coronary concerns, too.
Can you imagine a better way to impact these health issues? But make sure you use the right type of chocolate — which is 70% cacao — it will be touted on the label. These bars are much more expensive and are less sweet, but still enjoyable. At this level, you only need a few pieces, not the whole bar, so maybe it will not be overly expensive.
Typical chocolate in the average candy bar won’t do the job.
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SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE:
The antioxidant enzyme called superoxide dismutase is a relatively new discovery from the last few decades, or so. Called S.O.D for short, this antioxidant scavenges in your body to eliminate harmful free radicals, before they can cause aging, heart disease or cancer.
Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) is considered to be a powerful antioxidant, and this protein is one of a class of enzymes which encourages the reduction and oxidation of superoxide into its basic components of oxygen and hydrogen peroxide.
This chemical break-down renders superoxide less harmful to our cells because when changed into oxygen and hydrogen peroxide there is no oxidation occurring, as these do not need to steal electrons in order to be stable (the chemical definition of “oxidation”).
There are three types of SOD namely SOD1, SOD2 and SOD3, each with a different mission.
___ SOD1 helps to protect each cell’s cytoplasm
___ SOD2 helps to protect the mitochondria cellular furnaces from free radical damage
___ SOD3 lies outside the cells, and seeks to protect from free radical damage.
There was a study that showed that mice lacking SOD2 died within several days after birth due to massive oxidative stress. Mice lacking SOD1 develop a wide range of problems including hepatocellular (liver) carcinoma, an acceleration of age-related muscle mass loss, an earlier incidence of cataracts as well as a reduced lifespan.
One of the best ways to get plenty of superoxide dismutase is also a delicious treat: real, organic maple syrup!
Never use the typical high-fructose table syrups, and use only tiny amounts of this real, organic maple syrup.
S.O.D. is also found in melons (which should always be eaten alone, 20 minutes before any other foods). Barley grass, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and broccoli are other sources.
Lotus Food, Ltd.’s immune booster Lotus BIO HARVEST is comprised of: soybean, green tea, sesame, wheat germ, rice bran, Yuzu (a Japanese citrus fruit), Eucommia Chinese herb blend and ground matcha tea (the finest green tea).
In a traditional process, Lotus Food then releases the natural antioxidants in these plants and seeds. The biologic materials are stirred in a clay vessel using the ancient Japanese cooking method, which enables even heating and prevents damage from overheating.
After heating, the super-antioxidant mixture is brewed with Japanese Koji, a friendly fungus (traditionally used in inoculating rice to culture it into Amazake). The koji process releases proteases and amylase enzymes to help split the plants’ polymers into small, useful antioxidant units. The mixture is then immersed in sesame oil, for protection.
Steam treatment is also used to prepare the green tea leaves, the immature leaves of Japanese daikon white icicle radish and Yuzu oranges. This gentle processing destroys the unhelpful enzymes that can denature the natural vitamin C present, without destroying the vitamin itself.
Leaves from Aspalathus lineraris plant, which is especially rich in natural antioxidant flavonoids, are added at this stage to a final concentration of 20%. Using high-quality plants and adhering to this specific preparation method ensures that the body can effectively utilize the super-antioxidant properties of the plants used. Diet alone, may not give you enough S.O.D.
Read more at:
Superoxide Dismutase and Antioxidant Therapy
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More from Dr. Marchione next time. You can learn more at his site: Dr. Marchione’s homepage.
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Best to all — Em
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(c)2010 Em at https://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com
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