Sunshine To Reduce The Risk Of Developing Asthma In Kids

Researchers have reported that sun exposure during pregnancy reduces the risk of developing asthma in kids. They looked at the vitamin D intake of 2,000 pregnant women in Scotland and the development of asthma in their children.

Those in the highest group of vitamin D intake compared with the group with the lowest intake had a greater than 50 percent lowered risk of wheezing in their children at 5 years of age.

Furthermore, those mothers with the lowest vitamin D intake in pregnancy were associated with a decreased response to asthma medication in their children.

There is no question that we are living in a time of severe vitamin D deficiency. People are inappropriately afraid of the sun. We use sunscreen in ever-increasing amounts. The result of this sun-phobia mentality is vitamin D deficiency, which is occurring at pandemic rates.

Vitamin D supplementation can be an important part of nearly any holistic regimen, including the treatment of asthma. Adults generally require 2,000 to 10,000 IU of vitamin D per day and children smaller amounts. Any lab can measure vitamin D levels easily with a routine blood draw.

Cabbage For Help To Reduce Pain Of Headache

Making a warm compress made from cabbage leaves can reduce the pain of a headache. Or, if you suffer from chronic headaches, drink 2 ounces of raw cabbage juice daily.

Ginger For Relief Of Arthritis

Most of us agree that ginger packs a punch in the food and makes it tastier! But if ginger can also provide relief from arthritis, there is more reason to add this spice as often as possible in food!

The researchers from University of Miami compared the relief obtained from ginger versus a placebo in 247 participants with osteoarthritis. The participants were divided into two groups. One group was given a 255 milligrams dose of highly concentrated ginger extract supplement twice a day for a period of 6 weeks. The other group received a placebo.

About two-thirds of participants who took the ginger supplements showed improvements in arthritis, including relief from joint discomfort and pain. The relief and effects of ginger was found to be comparable to what common pain medications offered.

The results have been so promising that the team is confident that one day ginger will easily replace non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for treating arthritis.

Now, that you know why ginger should not only be in your spice section but also your medicine cabinet, it’s also necessary to see in which form it is most effective.

While gingerbread, ginger tea and ginger snaps all sound divine, they have very low concentration of ginger to actually be effective. But there are capsules available in all most health food stores that contain a highly concentrated form of pure ginger that is found to be most effective when it comes to treating arthritis.

You can also get the natural goodness of ginger by grating fresh ginger in salads or soups!

But if you really want to get rid of arthritis, there’s this really powerful method.

Sunshine For Help In Managing Diabetes

If you're trying to manage your diabetes, spending more time in the sun might be the key. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Southampton found that sunshine may control metabolism to slow weight gain and the development of diabetes.

British scientists took overfed mice whose fur had been shaved and exposed them to ultraviolet light (UV), the same rays in sunshine. After exposure, their skin released nitric oxide, a chemical most known for regulating blood pressure by dilating arteries and increasing oxygen (administered as nitroglycerine). But it also has other vital functions, including increasing strength and endurance. After exposure to UV light, the mice exhibited fewer of the symptoms of metabolic syndrome linked to diabetes, such as abnormal glucose levels and resistance to insulin.

A cream containing nitric oxide had the same beneficial effects as exposure to sunlight.

"These observations further indicate that the amounts of nitric oxide released from the skin may have beneficial effects not only on heart and blood vessels but also on the way our body regulates metabolism," said Dr. Martin Feelisch of the University of Southampton.

Rays from sunlight also interact with the skin to produce vitamin D, which studies have shown to be essential for good health.

"We know from epidemiology studies that sun-seekers live longer than those who spend their lives in the shade," said Dr. Richard Weller of the University of Edinburgh. "Studies such as this one are helping us to understand how the sun can be good for us. We need to remember that skin cancer is not the only disease that can kill us and should perhaps balance our advice on sun exposure."

Grapefruit Juice For Help In Lowering Blood Glucose Levels

Grapefruit been known to boost weight-loss since the 1930s, with studies showing it contains a fat-burning enzyme that helps drinkers to shed pounds. But a new study by researchers at the University of California-Berkeley claims it can also combat diabetes by lowering blood glucose levels and improving insulin tolerance.

The study, which involved experiments on laboratory mice, found those fed a high-fat diet that also drank grapefruit juice gained 18 percent less weight than those on a high-fat and water diet. As well as greater weight loss, the grapefruit-drinking mice also had a 13-17 percent reduction in blood glucose levels and a three-fold reduction in insulin levels, Medical News Today reports.

Lead researchers Joseph Napoli and Andreas Stahl, both of the Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, noted few studies have examined the effects of grapefruit juice on metabolism. But their findings, published in the Public Library of Science journal PLOS ONE, suggest the juice may help control blood sugar as effectively as some diabetes medications.
 

For the study, the researchers tested the effects of clarified, pulp-free grapefruit juice diluted with water at different concentrations on five groups of mice fed either a high- or low-fat diet for 100 days. The grapefruit juice was sweetened with saccharin to make it less bitter. These effects were compared with another group mice, which were fed a high-fat diet but were given water to replace grapefruit juice.
 

The team also tested the effects of a compound found in grapefruit juice — naringin — on some mice fed a high-fat diet. A second group of mice fed a high-fat diet were given metformin — a drug used for lowering glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

The results showed grapefruit juice had no effect on weight for mice fed a low-fat diet, although these mice did show a two-fold reduction in insulin levels. What’s more, the researchers found that naringin lowered blood glucose levels in the mice just as much as metformin.
 

"That means a natural fruit drink lowered glucose levels as effectively as a prescription drug," said Napoli.