Monthly Archives: September 2012

Fruits for Health

Stay Young with pomegranates that contain huge amounts of antioxidants

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Pomegranates are those hard looking fruits that seem to be on the edge of all the other fruits in the supermarket. Once it was just a seasonal novelty kind of fruit. Now there is great interest in the medicinal and health giving properties of pomegranates. Some people even say that you can stay young with pomegranates

 

This fruit originates from Asia and the Middle East. In these areas it has been grown since prehistoric times. You can even find mention of pomegranates in the scriptures of the bible and ancient Greek poems. Since then, the growing of this fruit has spread into the rest of Europe. Only hot countries such as Spain and Italy are suitable for growing pomegranates. It was then taken from there onwards to the Americas, where it has proved to be a popular fruit.

 

In the ancient world pomegranates quickly became part of the medical culture where it was used to treat various illnesses such as colds and flu. Pomegranates were said to give health and fertility to the people who ate them. As you can see it has been associated with life and health giving properties almost since the dawn of humankind. It is no wonder, therefore, that it now attracts much scientific and medical interest. Most of the drugs that we already have are derived from plants. You only have to think about aspirin which was developed from the bark of a particular type of willow tree. Botanists are continually searching for new plants in the hope that they will be the new sources of modern wonder drugs. Sometimes, however, we have to look more closely at the plants and fruits that we already eat.

 

individual fruits of the pomegranate
Close up of the individual fruitlets inside the pomegranate

Pomegranates have been found to have a wide spectrum of different chemical substances in their makeup. One thing is certain and that is that they are packed with antioxidants. Antioxidants have been found to be able to combat a number of health issues because they help deal with poisonous substances in the body. These poisons get into our bodies in all aspects of our life. They exist as pollutants in the air we breathe, the food we eat and the fluids that we drink. If they are left unchecked they can cause damage to our genetic material.  This damage can eventually lead to premature aging and cancers.

 

pomegranates whole
The skin of the pomegranate is also of interest

Scientists are busy trying to identify and classify all of the other interesting substances in Pomegranates. Their search for medicinal chemicals has spread to the peel surrounding pomegranates and the leaves of the tree on which they grow. The one thing that is certain is that with all of the antioxidants in them you could stay young with pomegranates. To find out more information on pomegranate health benefits click the link.

Health giving drinks

Rooibos Tea and Health for Everyone

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Rooibos is sold in the form of a tea which you can often find in your supermarket. It is marketed because of certain health giving properties that it has. Rooibos tea comes from a plant that is grown in South Africa. In actual fact the name comes from an Afrikaan word that means ‘Red Bush’. As a result you may find that it is called ‘Red Bush’ or even just ‘Red Tea’. You can buy the tea loose or in convenient tea bag form. These days many people are interested in Rooibos tea and health.

 

Rooibos loose tea
This is what the tea leaves look like when they are ready for packing

The bush that the tea is made from only grows in the mountains high above Cape Town. Initially it was the native people of these areas that picked the leaves from wild bushes, prepared them and used them. They seemed to gain a lot from drinking the tea in terms of their health. The settlers from the West soon recognized that the local indigenous people were able to treat such conditions as indigestion, allergies, anxiety and skin ailments like eczema with the tea that they produced from the leaves. As a result, the colonial South Africans started to grow the bushes in plantations. Initially this was for their own use but soon it was being exported all over the world. Many people now drink Rooibos tea for health.

 

Despite being called tea the Rooibos plant isn’t related to normal tea plants at all. As a result the leaves of the Rooibos bush, that are used to make the tea, don’t contain the same profile of chemical substances. This means, in particular, that they don’t contain caffeine and tannins. Once the leaves have been picked they are bruised and then left on a concrete floor to ferment in a similar way to other teas. During this process substances within the leaves become oxidized and this results in them turning from their natural green color to red. It is this change in color that has resulted in it being called ‘Red Bush’.

 

The tea itself tastes like an ordinary Indian or China tea. It certainly hasn’t got an overpowering taste like some herbal teas. It also has a natural sweet flavor which means that you don’t have to add sugar to it. This is an advantage for people on diets or trying to avoid tooth cavities. It has a warm aromatic flavor with a hint of vanilla and as a result it is very pleasant to drink. Another positive to this tea is that potentially you can drink as much as you like, without getting all the side effects that normal tea would give you. This is because Rooibos contains no caffeine or tannins. After a few cups of ordinary tea you can feel the caffeine causing your pulse to race and sometimes headaches to occur. I personally drink lots of Rooibos every day instead of coffee or ordinary tea. This is due to the fact that I have a heart condition and take pills to slow my heart down. I find that if I drink tea with caffeine in it I can quickly feel that I am getting into trouble with my heart problem. I find the taste so pleasing that I don’t add sugar or milk. There is no need to add anything. Rooibos is completely safe and this means that anybody can enjoy the tea, from children to the elderly.

 

Rooibos tea bag brewing
Tea bags are the easiest way to use Rooibos tea

One of the biggest reasons to drink Rooibos is the fact that it contains huge quantities of antioxidants. These antioxidants are the substances that allow you to fight such diseases as cancer. They do this by helping to purify the body by dealing with the many toxic poll

utants that get into it every day. These pollutants can cause cancer to develop and also genetic damage which can lead to premature aging. These are just a few things that this wonderful tea can do to help our bodies to stay healthy and young looking. Click the link to find out further information on Rooibos tea and how it can benefit you.