| Nine Herbs and Spices That Help Prevent Ageing |
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| Joseph Mercola | |||
| Wednesday, 27 August 2008 | |||
  Any molecule in your body is capable of causing damage, but probably the most damaging of all are glucose and other sugar molecules. They cause more inflammation that leads to heart disease than cholesterol could ever hope to. How Does High Blood Sugar Cause Tissue Damage and Heart Disease? Glucose and other sugar molecules cause glycation; a process in which the sugar bonds with proteins and form so-called advanced glycation end products, or AGEs. It’s a fitting acronym as it – along with oxidation -- is one of the major molecular mechanisms whereby damage accrues in your body, which leads to disease, aging, and eventually, death. When sugar glycates it creates inflammation, which activates your immune system in a defensive manoeuvre. Macrophages are scavenger cells that are part of your immune defense system, and as such they have special receptors for AGEs, aptly called RAGEs (think: raging inflammation). These RAGEs bind to the AGEs and get rid of them. Unfortunately, this process can leave its fair share of battle scars. And, voila – Heart Disease! This is why there’s such a strong correlation between diabetes and heart disease – and shortened lifespan. People with Type 2 diabetes get heart disease about 15 years earlier than non-diabetics, and also lose about 18 years from their expected life span, according to findings from hospital and death records of close to 9.5 million Canadians. How Common Spices Can Protect Against Heart Disease and the Ravages of Aging A study published in the current issue of the Journal of Medicinal Foods found a strong and direct correlation between the phenol content of common herbs and spices and their ability to inhibit glycation and the formation of AGE compounds, making them potent preventers of heart disease and premature aging. The top 9 most potent herbs and spices are:
Cinnamon and cinnamon extracts have been previously shown to effectively lower blood sugar. As a matter of fact, cinnamon was found to increase glucose metabolism 20-fold, in one such study! Interestingly, cinnamon lowers your blood sugar by acting on several different levels. It slows the emptying of your stomach to reduce sharp rises in blood sugar following meals, and improves the effectiveness, or sensitivity, of insulin. It also enhances your antioxidant defenses. Researchers have even gone so far as to say cinnamon could play the role of an insulin substitute in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. My personal experience with diabetes and review of the literature has made it VERY clear to me that virtually every case of type 2 diabetes is 100 percent reversible without the use of prescription drugs. And let me assure you, the cure for type 2 diabetes has NOTHING to do with giving insulin. Giving someone insulin with type 2 diabetes is one of the WORST things that can be done. Any physician doing this for type 2 diabetes is suffering from profound ignorance of insulin physiology. Unfortunately, the vast majority of physicians are still seriously confused about this issue, which is why most doctors cause diabetics to D.I.E. (doctor-induced exacerbation) How to Prevent Diabetes and Heart Disease, and Increase Longevity First things first: For people with diabetes, the last thing you want to eat is a lot of grains, or any sugar for that matter. Swap out your grains and sugar for high-quality sources of protein, healthy fat (which INCLUDES saturated fat) and vegetables according to your nutritional type, and you’ll be off to a great start. Add in regular exercise, the other essential key to preventing and reversing diabetes, and you’ll be even better off. These two measures alone will help you to shed excess weight, and a weight loss of 10 pounds can reduce your risk of diabetes by nearly 60 percent. Last but not least, why not add some spice to your life? Herbs and spices have very low calorie content, they’re relatively inexpensive, and they’re a great way to turbo-boost the natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory power of your diet! Tons of benefits and zero hazardous side effects. It doesn’t get any better than that, which is why I keep advocating for the return to a healthy whole food diet that is tailored for your individual biochemistry, rather than stocking up on a cabinet-full of (often synthetic) supplements. Set up a good herb and spice cabinet and season your food liberally, and you could potentially double or even triple the medicinal value of your meal.
Disclaimer: Harmonious Living is written for and read by a community of individuals with strong and independent opinions. While the publishers of Harmonious Living are dedicated to providing a forum in which views can be openly expressed, those views do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers.
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