To begin with, what is essential oil? I explained it in the last blog entry that essential oil is 100% natural ingredient extracted from flowers, leaves, and stems of plants. More specifically, it is highly-concentrated, volatile scented liquids extracted from natural plants. The scented liquids exist in petals, leaves, stems, roots, seeds, resins, or fruit skins. Extracted through the most appropriate methods for the kind of plants, they become essential oils. There seem to be many people consider that essential oils are the same as vegetable oils, but they are completely different for essential oils contain resins and fatty acids which vegetable oils do not.

Essential oils have three major practical ways to use. One is to provide fragrance. Fragrance of essential oils acts upon our mind and body. Another is to apply. Applying essential oils on skin will affect directly on inflammation of one’s body. And lastly, essential oils can be used for take-in or drinking purpose. But this is not a common way at all and it is only practiced in medical aromatherapy. Professional knowledge and guidance is required when taking-in essential oils. Some essential oils are drinking-prohibited.

There are the three major ways to use essential oils. Which way to use essential oils depends on the status of one’s mind and body. When you are not feeling well, fragrance of essential oils works the best. When you have fatigue or inflammation on your body, applying essential oils will ease. Some medical professionals may recommend to take-in essential oils for strengthening one’s immune system to keep being healthy. Obviously, the most effective way to use essential oils varies depending on the person in need, thus, I cannot mention what is recommended.

Considering the effectiveness of essential oils, there is not much big difference in how essential oils act on us. I would like to explain in details in the next blog entry.

Aromatherapy has been widely well-known these days. It is mostly recognized as a method to relax our mind and bodies using aroma oils. There are two major kinds of oils used in aromatherapy. One is essential oils which are 100% pure natural ingredient extracted from flowers, leaves, or stems of plants. Another one is the synthetic oils. They are so called when the chemically-made oils are mixed with essential oils or when the oils whose natural chemical composition is artificially made. In this blog entry, I refer such synthetic oils to those besides essential oils (100% pure natural oils). Aroma oils sold in novelty (household goods) stores in Japan are mostly categorized in the latter.

As a general knowledge, aromatherapy uses the oils with fragrance. But those who study aromatherapy in a professional manner have a different understanding. They consider that aromatherapy uses only essential oils, the first kind mentioned in the former paragraph. The term, aromatherapy was created by a French scientist. The study on essential oils started when surprising effects of essential oils were witnessed. One day when essential oil of lavender was applied on a burn during an experiment, it healed the burn much quickly. It was only early 1900s when the study about effectiveness of essential oils on human body. But the historical background of using essential oils can trace way back in the past. Recent studies have proved that how essential oils were used in those days were correct.

Now that aromatherapy has become so common but it is used in many different fields. Taking advantage of essential oils with full of precious historical background is definitely beneficial and it is highly recommended to increase knowledge on it.

URL: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fiber-foods/NU00582

Looking to add more fiber to your diet? Fiber — along with adequate fluid intake — moves quickly and relatively easily through your digestive tract and helps it function properly. A high-fiber diet may also help reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

Here’s a look at the fiber content of some common foods. Read nutrition labels to find out exactly how much fiber is in your favorite foods. Women should try to eat at least 21 to 25 grams of fiber a day, while men should aim for 30 to 38 grams a day.

*Fiber content can vary between brands.
Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 2012
Original article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fiber-foods/NU00582

Posted by Aneuk Agam　on Fruits Benefits for Health

Tomato juice for health benefits – Tomato fruit is a type of vegetable that is enjoyed by many people, and this is very popular. Some people believe that the benefits of ‘tomato juice’ is reduced compared to eating fresh tomatoes. However, it is only a myth! Tomatoes do not lose important nutrients that it contains after you put them through the blender. There are many benefits to be gained from tomato juice. In this article, we will discuss more about the health benefits of tomato juice.

Efficacy and benefits of tomato juice
Tomato juice is rich in nutrients such as magnesium, potassium, iron, iodine, potassium, zinc, fluoride, vitamin A, C, organic acids and more. The benefits of consuming tomato juice regularly can reduce the risk of cancer, particularly prostate cancer, and may reduce the risk of heart disease and makes the heart and blood vessels stronger.

Consuming tomato juice every day can also help you to control your weight. Most of us are always trying to lose weight; tomato juice may help us to suppress hunger. In addition, the efficacy of tomato juice can also stimulate the body’s metabolism, making our immune system is stronger, benefits of tomatoes also as anti-oxidants that are good for our bodies.

Quick Tips on How to Make Tomato Juice

The fastest way to make tomato juice is by using juicer or juice extractor. But if you do not have it, blender can also be used to make a delicious tomato juice. Before you start making tomato juice with a juice extractor, it is recommended to peel the skin, because it is easier to process. However, with no nutrients are lost to peel the skin of the tomato also has nutrients that are not inferior to the flesh.

Well, if the choice falls to the blender, you can just put 2 medium tomatoes with a little milk and sugar (adjusted to taste).

http://fruitsbenefitshealth.blogspot.com/2012/12/tomato-juice-for-health-benefits.html

Today I am writing about the tomato plant root growth. What amazes me about growing cherry tomatoes from seeds is the plant’s rapid growth. It is fantastic to see them grow day by day. In my case, the plants grew taller and taller; finally growing to be taller than I am. The growth of the roots is also amazing. You notice it when you water the plants. As the roots grew, they were thickly seated inside the pot and the planter, sticking out from the bottom of the planter.

First, the seedlings were grown in the tea filter bags. As the roots grew, they broke the tea bag and stuck out of the planter. The roots, which spread thickly throughout the planter, continued to grow and stuck out from the bottom of the planter, looking as if they had been lost. When watering the plants you will find that the water penetration slows. This is because of the thickly grown roots. I think the roots take hold more thickly in the hydroponic setting then in the ordinary soil culture.

In this article, I’ve examined the bottom part of the cherry tomato plants.

As you see in the above pictures, some of the tomatoes were totally red and ripe. I thought it was time to harvest. It was my first harvest of hydroponic cherry tomatoes.

These six tomatoes are from the first harvest in this experiment. Two of them were ruptured, maybe because they were picked too late. Two other tomatoes (shown right in the above picture) looked younger; maybe they were picked too early. I thought finding the best time to harvest was a delicate matter. These cherry tomatoes were from the plants grown in the heated room, where 12 seedlings were planted in four plastic pots.

“How’s the taste?” I wondered. I’ve heard that the characteristic flavor for this kind of cherry tomato is a distinctive tomato taste with both sweetness and sourness. I was thrilled to try them.

The size of the tomatoes was smaller than those in the store. Was this because I hadn’t trimmed the extra branches and leaves? Or because they had been grown in winter?

The tomatoes in the above picture were actually a darker red, and two on the right were reddish-orange. All were shiny and firm and looked tasty. When I tried them, I felt that both the skin and the flesh were firm and crisp. The jelly-like part with the seeds inside was fresh. The more of the flesh I ate, the more sweetness I tasted. While the jelly-like part had a tomato-specific flavor and sourness, it gave me a rich flavor with both sour and sweet tastes. Every tomato tasted good.

Since this was the first harvest in this experiment, I looked forward to tasting the tomatoes. They were better than I expected, with rich, sour and sweet flavors unique to tomatoes. I had only one concern; they were small. I don’t know what caused the stunted growth. Did they need more care? Was growing them in winter inappropriate? Did I choose the right variety? To find the answer to the questions, I will continue to observe the future growth of these tomatoes.

Posted on March 13, 2013 on redOrbit
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1112802158/bitter-melon-may-cure-pancreatic-cancer-031313/

Image Credit: bonchan / Shutterstock

April Flowers for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

A new study from the University of Colorado Cancer Center reveals that bitter melon juice restricts the ability of pancreatic cancer cells to metabolize glucose, thus cutting the cells’ energy source and eventually killing them.

The findings of the study were published in the journal Carcinogenesis.

“Three years ago researchers showed the effect of bitter melon extract on breast cancer cells only in a Petri dish. This study goes much, much farther,” says Rajesh Agarwal, PhD, co-program leader of Cancer Prevention and Control at the CU Cancer Center and professor at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

“We used the juice – people especially in Asian countries are already consuming it in quantity. We show that it affects the glucose metabolism pathway to restrict energy and kill pancreatic cancer cells.”

Argwal became interested in bitter melon juice by connecting the dots of existing research in new ways. Pancreatic cancer is typically preceded by diabetes, and bitter melon juice has been shown to effect type-II diabetes. It has been used for centuries in the folk medicines of China and India to combat diabetes. Argwal and colleagues wondered what would happen if they left diabetes out of the equation and directly examined the link between pancreatic cancer and bitter melon.

Argwal says the result is an “alteration in metabolic events in pancreatic cancer cells and an activation of the AMP-activated protein kinase, an enzyme that indicates low energy levels in the cells.”

Bitter melon also regulates insulin secretion by pancreatic beta cells. The mouse model of pancreatic cancer was fed bitter melon juice after studies of cell cultures were done. Compared to the control group, the mice fed the bitter melon juice were 60 percent less likely to develop pancreatic cancer.

“It’s a very exciting finding,” Agarwal says. “Many researchers are engineering new drugs to target cancer cells’ ability to supply themselves with energy, and here we have a naturally-occurring compound that may do just that.”

Argwal’s team is applying for grants to allow them to continue studying bitter melon in further chemoprevention trials in mouse models of pancreatic cancer.

Source: April Flowers for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1112802158/bitter-melon-may-cure-pancreatic-cancer-031313/

Topics: Health Medical Pharma, Anatomy, Oncology, Biology, Medicine, pancreatic cancer, Cucurbitaceae, Okinawan cuisine, Pancreas, Insulin, carcinogenesis, pancreas disorders, Bitter melon, Flora of Pakistan Image Credit: bonchan / Shutterstock

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Anyway, as the article says if blocking glucose metabolism is really effective in curing pancreas cancer, it also means that it shall work on the intractable pancreas cancer by controlling one’s nutrition, eliminating glucose or carbohydrates from one’s daily meals, or sticking with low-carb diet meals. This is quite amazing.
Why does the bitter melon juice gather specifically in the pancreas? If we eat the bitter melon, the ingredient of its juice will be absorbed into blood and distributed throughout the body. Then, how much of bitter melon do we need to eat to receive such benefit to the pancreas? This is not rational. In another words, this experiment shows the effect when the extract of bitter melon is injected directly into the pancreas of animals.　　If glucose metabolic block does occur properly, I would expect that there should already be some reports that it effects on diet and diabetes.

The above photo was taken on March 14, 2013 one week after the pictures taken for the last article.
The tomatoes were turning red.

The cherry tomatoes in the above photo were grown in the heated room. The plants grew faster than those in the unheated room so they were the first ones to start turning red. I wanted to show the change first but that’s all for today.

This photo was taken on March 7, 2013, about one week after the pictures taken for the last article.

The plants in the unheated room came to bear fruit.

The fruit proves that the plant is growing and that the flowers were successfully pollinated. As I previously wrote, in order to pollinate the tomatoes you need to shake them. Since there is little wind in an indoor environment, you have to shake the flowers manually. Although I have no picture to show you, quite a few of the flowers I didn’t shake failed to bear fruit. Therefore, if you grow tomatoes indoors, it’s better to shake the flowers to let them pollinate. This minor effort will greatly increase the fruition.

This is the picture of all the tomato plants growing in the heated room. You can see they have grown upward.

These plants were growing steadily with a lot of fruit.

It was March. We still had cold days but the sunlight has warmer than in winter. The spring sunlight was shining on the cherry tomatoes. The green color of the young leaves sparkled in the sunlight. The plants placed by the window were in a warm environment and were able to receive good amounts of sunlight during the day. Possibly because the plants had more hours of sunlight, their s growth rate increased.