Orange Juice

Orange Juice
Orange juice is the most nutrient dense fruit juice commonly consumed in the United States. An 8 oz serving provides 110 cal and contains 72 mg of vitamin C. Orange juice is also a good source of potassium (450 mg), folate (60 ug), and Thiamin (0.15 mg). Orange juice is fat free and cholesterol free and is also either sodium free (not-from- concentrate juices) or low in sodium (from concentrate juices have 15 mg/serving).

Other nutrients found in orange juice are vitamin B6, niacin, and magnesium. In addition to these nutrients, orange juice contains more tan 60 plant phytochemicals, specifically flavonoids that function as antioxidants, potential anti inflammatory agents, and may also have other physiological actions.

The main flavonoid in orange juice is hesperidin, which occurs as a glycone, which sugars attached. The sugars are cleaved during digestion, with aglycone as the absorbed form.

Orange juice consumption contributes significantly to the nutrient density of the US diet. It is one of the top three contributors of dietary folate from natural sources. Citrus fruit juices also contribute greatly to vitamin C intake.

The benefits of consuming orange juice and/or its specific components have been related to risk reduction for cancer, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and cataracts. The ingredients in orange juice that are believed to be responsible for these potential health benefits include vitamin C, folate, potassium and phytochemicals.
Orange Juice

Tea: Origin and Health Benefits

Tea: Origin and Health Benefits
The tea plant Camellia sinensis has been grown in Southeast Asia for thousands of years. According to Chinese mythology, it was the emperor Shen Nung who discovered tea in 2737 BC.

In ancient China, tea was considered as a medicinal remedy for headache, body aches and pains, depression, immune enhancement, digestion and detoxification; as an energizer and to prolong life.

The Japanese population learned the habit of drinking tea from the Chinese in approximately 800 AD. Tea consumption has now been adapted and assimilated by many cultures around the world. In Kamakura era (1191 – 1333), the monk Eisai stressed that beneficial effect of tea in his book, ‘Maintaining Health by Drinking Tea’ in 1211 in which he emphasized: “Tea is miraculous medicine for the maintenance of health.”

Of all the beverages consumed today, tea is undoubtedly one of the oldest, most widely known, and most widely consumed. Its consumption was introduced throughout the world by traders and travelers.

One thing that makes tea attractive is that it is inexpensive and comes in numerous flavors. Tea drinking is a pleasurable experience that is enjoyed either alone or shared at social gatherings. The Japanese tea ceremony and the English 4 o’clock tea are examples of how important tea has become in the tradition of some cultures.

As the people age, a major health issue becomes remaining disease free. Thus, understanding what to eat and drink and what to avoid is important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Evidence is accumulating that tea has the potential to help reduce the incidence of major diseases, especially when combined with a healthy lifestyle. Such a lifestyle includes plenty of exercise and minimizing mental stress. It also includes consuming a diet that possesses health promoting effects. Nutrition has, therefore, been an area of intense investigation during the past few decades.

Some foods and beverages have a beneficial and protective effect. Daily intake of tea, fruit juice, and soy milk is part of a health promoting dietary tradition. This undertaking is based on differences in disease incidence as a function of locally prevailing nutritional habits.
Tea: Origin and Health Benefits

Acne and Green Tea

Acne and Green Tea
Green tea is used by the Chinese as a traditional medicine to treat many ailments including acne and to improve general well-being. But does it provide an effective herbal alternative to modern medication?

In a recent study, a green tea cream was trailed against a 4% benzoyl peroxide solution on people suffering with moderate to severe acne. The results from this research study showed that green tea was just as good in treating acne as the benzoyl peroxide.

But benzoyl peroxide dries out skin causing itching or allergic reactions. Unlike green tea that has the added advantages of natural anti-bacterial properties and antioxidants, particularly epigallocatechin gallate which is 200 times more powerful than vitamin E at fighting free radicals.

Green tea also helps to reduce inflammation, hormonal activity and aids in detoxification - which is all good news for acne sufferers.
Green tea extract is an extremely versatile herbal supplement - it can be administered topically, often being used in creams, taken as a in the form of a pill or incorporated into your diet and drunk as a tea.

This last method is very popular (Green Tea with Honeysuckle is often known as Pimple Tea in many Chinatowns) when drunk after a meal it aids digestion and helps to detoxify your system, getting rid of the toxins that can cause acne. Tip: don’t drink it with sugar, this will neutralize the worthwhile effects of the tea.

It seems that taking green tea for acne is a win-win situation It has many beneficial properties which promote good all-round health with little or no known side effects and for the price, green tea its definitely a herbal treatment that is worth trying.
Source: articlehub
Acne and Green Tea

Cranberry Drinks

Cranberry Drinks
Cranberries or botanically name (Vacciunium macrocapron) for millennia have been a part of the diet of North American and used for medicinal purpose in folk medicine. Although cranberries are most familiar to consumers in North America, close relative of the cranberry also consumed in Northern Europe and Asia. In North America and Europe, cranberries are primarily processed and consumed in form of cranberry juices, cranberry juice cocktails, and cranberry fruit juice with the oldest cranberry juice recipe dating back to 1683.

Cranberries have only been cultivated for the last 150 year; therefore, relative to grapes and other cultivated fruits, there is little genetic diversity. The typical annual crop size is approx 500 million pounds, with 60% being used directly in beverages, 35% being processed into sauces and concentrates that are mostly made into beverages, and 5% being consumed fresh.

Cranberries are popular with the consumers because of their bitter-tart taste, and because of their positive implication for health as a functional food, they are one of the first functional foods in America. As a functional food, cranberry juice is associated with protection from urinary tract infections (UTIs). Cranberry juice may also be useful for promoting cardiovascular health and inhibiting cancer development, and suggestions have also been made regarding cranberry applications for improving oral and gastric health.
Cranberry Drinks