Life Extension Magazine April 2010

The Sweet Potency of the Sweet Potato By Jon Finkel

While sweet potatoes usually only take center stage in our diets when they’re on the table at Thanksgiving dinner, the sheer magnitude of their health benefits may force you to reconsider eating this dessert-flavored vegetable on a nightly basis. With their impressive array of nutrients, from heavy doses of vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese and potassium, to its high fiber content, sweet potatoes have astounding health-boosting properties.1 In addition, the purple-fleshed variety of sweet potatoes are high in anthocyanins. Anthocyanins have important antioxidant capacities that make it a valuable component to any health maintenance regimen.2 Improved insulin resistance was also discovered in a human study when sweet potatoes were added to the diet.1 Sweet Potato’s Tale First things first: sweet potatoes aren’t even potatoes. Potatoes come from the Solanaceaefamily and sweet potatoes belong to the Convolvulaceae family, which is a group of plants that have trumpet-shaped flowers.1 Sweet potato relics have been found as long ago as 8,000 BC and the vegetables themselves were brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus after his first trip to North America in 1492. There are over 400 varieties, each differentiated by their subtle variations in skin color, ranging from purple to red to orange to yellow to white. The most common form of sweet potato has orange flesh and is often called a yam. It was given that name in the 1900s in the United States to help set it apart from the white-fleshed sweet potato that was popular during that time period.1 Valuable Vegetable In a study conducted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the sweet potato scored more than 100 points higher than a regular baked potato.3 Echoing this study, the journal Advances in Food and Nutrition Research evaluated the sweet potato’s role in the human diet and concluded that its biochemical and nutritional composition make it an excellent source of natural health-promoting compounds.4 Among those compounds are beta-carotene, as stated earlier, and anthocyanins, which have shown potential health benefits against bacterial infections, diabetes, inflammation, aging and neurological disease, and cancer.5 SELECT THE RIGHT SWEET POTATO Do not store uncooked sweet potatoes in the refrigerator. Store sweet potatoes in a dark, cool, and ventilated place. Sweet potatoes will stay fresh for 10 days. The darker varieties of sweet potato have the most carotene content. Choose sweet potatoes that are firm. Avoid sweet potatoes with bruises, soft spots, and cracks. Beta Carotene for the Brain With its high beta-carotene content, eating sweet potatoes can offer improvement in a variety of areas where beta carotene supplementation is recommended. One particular area where beta-carotene has shown promising results is with cognitive function in men. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that men supplementing with beta-carotene for one year scored significantly higher than those taking a placebo in general cognitive tests.5 When it came to boosting verbal memory, men receiving long-term beta-carotene supplementation also performed significantly better, leading the researchers to conclude that long-term supplementation with beta-carotene may provide cognitive benefits. Diabetes Fighter Diabetes is an insidious disease whose early symptoms include weakness, fatigue, weight loss and tingling in the hands and feet.6 Left untreated, the disease can have lethal effects on your health. In a study involving rats to determine sweet potato’s effects on several markers of diabetes, the vegetable showedsignificant abilities to potentially reel in some of the more harmful markers.1 Using white-fleshed sweet potatoes for the study, the rats showed impressive improvement in pancreatic cell function, lipid levels, and glucose management. They also showed reduced insulin resistance inside of just eight weeks. Improved insulin resistance was also discovered in a human study when sweet potatoes were added to the diet.1 Powerful Tool Against Kidney Cancer Incidence of kidney cancer is relatively high in Northern Europe and North America compared to Asia and scientists have been trying to find out what may cause the discrepancy. A study in the Journal of Epidemiology states that one of the reasons may be the rate of ingestion of sweet potatoes in the diet of Asian cultures.7 The study, which was an analytic cohort that evaluated the risk factors for kidney cancer death using the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study (JACC), included 47,997 males and 66,520 females aged 40 years and older. Taking into account medical history, anthropometry, dietary and lifestyle considerations over the 10-year study, the researchers concluded that eating sweet potatoes and potatoes regularly was associated with a decreased risk of disease. If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension® Health Advisor at 1-866-864-3027. SWEET POTATO, BAKED, WITH SKIN 1 POTATO Nutrient Amount DV(%) Vitamin A 1310.69 RE Beta-carotene 7864.16 mcg Vitamin C 17.06 mg 28.4 Manganese 0.52 mg 26.0 Copper 0.26 mg 13.0 Dietary fiber 3.14 g 12.6 Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) 0.25 mg 12.5 Potassium 306.05 mg 8.7 Source: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=64

References

1. Grotto, D. 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life. New York: Bantam Bell; 2008. 2. Lila MA. Anthocyanins and Human Health: An In Vitro Investigative Approach. J Biomed Biotechnol. 2004;(5): 306–13. 3. Available at: http://www.cspinet.org/nah/10foods_bad.html. Accessed December 28, 2009. 4. Bovell B. Sweet Potato: a review of its past, present and future role in human nutrition. Adv Food Nutr Res. 2007;52:1-59. 5. Available at: http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/symptoms/. Accessed December 28, 2009. 6. Grodstein F, Kang JH, Glynn RJ, Cook NR, Gaziano JM. A randomized trial of beta carotene supplementation and cognitive function in men: the Physicians’ Health Study II. Arch Intern Med. 2007 Nov 12;167(20):2184-90. 7. Washio M, Mori M, Sakauchi F, et al. Risk Factors for kidney cancer in a Japanese population: findings from the JACC study. J Epidemiol. 2005 Jun; 15 Suppl 2:S203-11.

19 HOMEMADE REMEDIES FOR HEADACHE PAIN

The other day the hubster came home from work with a pounding headache. He usually takes Excedrin for headache relief, but apparently that wasn’t cutting it on that particular day. He actually asked me if I would make up one of my “voodoo essential oil cures”. lol.

Well, I am no expert, but my SISTER is, and I remembered her posting something on her blog,Camp Wander, about Peppermint and Lavender being effective in getting rid of headaches. So I dug through my ever-growing inventory of essential oils and found the Peppermint and Lavenderand proceeded to work my “voodoo magic”. ;-)

That “magic” consisted of putting a couple of teaspoons of fractionated coconut oil into a little roll-on bottle, and then adding a few drops each of the Peppermint and Lavender EO’s. I then had him roll it on his forehead, temples and neck.

I got distracted with something else after that, but about a half hour later I remembered to ask him how his head felt. For a split second he didn’t know what I was talking about because I think he’d completely forgotten about it! Headache gone!

After that experience (and numerous others) we have become BIG believers in the power of essential oils in this house….AND in the idea that it’s not always necessary to reach for the pill bottle when you have a headache.

Here are some MORE homemade headache remedies to try:

Ginger Tea
Crush up an inch of ginger root and add it to boiling water. This homemade tea reduces inflammation in about the same amount of time as it would take an aspirin to work. It has been used for centuries in Asia to treat a number of ailments.

Capsaicin Cream
The active ingredient in this cream is cayenne pepper. Apply a small amount to the inside of your nostril that’s on the side of your head where you are experiencing pain. The cream works to block nerve pain signals.

Feverfew
In clinical trials, this supplement from the sunflower family has been shown to be effective for treating migraines. It reduces inflammation, which takes pressure off the nerves and can help prevent migraines entirely.

Acupressure Massage
This ancient Chinese healing method involves applying pressure to certain points on the body to relieve pain. Place your finger in the depression between your first and second toe and press firmly for 3-5 minutes. Another technique is to put your thumb in your mouth on the same side as the pain, reaching up to find the cheekbone. Press that bone up and out. Repeat on the other side. Then place both thumbs on the upper palate (inside the mouth) and press the sides out.

Butterbur
Used medicinally since the middle ages, butterbur extract can be taken daily to help reduce the number and severity of headache attacks. It is available commercially in capsules, powder, tincture, or other forms and is thought to have both antispasmodic effects and anti-inflammatory properties.

Magnesium
Take a multivitamin containing magnesium. The mineral helps to calm nerves, which tend to get overexcited during a migraine. Some studies have found that migraine sufferers tend to be deficient in magnesium. You can also increase your magnesium by eating foods like broccoli, beans, soy milk, nuts, spinach, etc.

Hydrotherapy
Stand in water as hot as you can stand for two minutes (this increases blood flow to the skin), then as cold as you can stand for two minutes (this sends blood to the core of the body). Alternate back and forth for 20 minutes to increase blood flow and circulation, bringing nutrients to organs and carrying away toxins.

Cold (or Hot) Compress
Apply icepack to your head, but make sure not to put the ice directly on your head. You can wrap ice or a bag of frozen vegetables in a towel.
Apply heat to the back of the neck with a hot shower, bath, or heating pad. Heat can loosen up the muscles that tighten with tension headaches.

Avoiding Eyestrain
Staring at a computer screen for long periods of time can leave your head aching. To avoid eyestrain the most important thing you can do is take frequent breaks from your monitor. Get up at least once every fifteen minutes and focus your eyes on something that is at least twenty to thirty feet away. Adjust the brightness and the contrast on your monitor so that the glare is not hard on your eyes. You should also have your monitor set up so you are viewing it at eye level and keep it at least a foot and a half from your face.

Getting Adequate Sleep
Studies indicate that those who sleep an average of six hours a night tend to have significantly more severe and more frequent headaches than those who get more z’s. Keeping a regular schedule that allows for adequate sleep may reduce sleep-related headaches.

Proper Sleeping Conditions
Make your sleeping place comfortable. Be sure that it is dark, quiet, and not too warm or too cold. If light is a problem, try a sleeping mask. If noise is a problem, try earplugs, a fan, or a “white noise” machine to cover up the sounds.

Exercise
Exercise increases blood circulation and the fresh air will also help to relieve headache. Also, it allows the whole body to relax. Most tension headache sufferers find immense relief with the addition of exercise.

Relaxation Techniques

• Count to 10. This makes you stop and relax before you react to a stressful situation.
• Take deep breaths. This makes you breathe slower and helps your muscles relax.
• Think positive. Remember the things that are good in your life.
• S T R E T C H. Stretching makes muscles relax and helps you feel less tense.
• Take hot baths or showers to help you relax.
• Massage tense muscles. The muscles in the back of your neck and upper back usually get tense when you are stressed.
• Listen to relaxing music.

Aromatherapy
Boil a handful of rosemary in a liter of water and place it in a bowl after it boils. Place a towel over your head and inhale the steam for as long as you can. Keep repeating this until the headache goes away. Peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus, sandalwood, and basil work well also.

Staying Hydrated
Probably the most common reason people get headaches is because they are dehydrated. A headache is a warning sign, letting you know that something is wrong. Most people don’t drink enough water. Drinking at least 4-6 glasses of water every day will ease a lot of headaches.

Lemon
Fresh lemon juice with tea is one of the best cures for headaches. The lemon peel is also very useful. Pound the lemon peel into a fine paste and apply it as a plaster on the forehead.

Avoiding Certain Foods
Some foods can cause headaches and migraines. Limit foods rich in sodium (salt), saturated fats, cholesterol, Trans fats, and added sugars. Foods like milk, butter, cheese, cream, meat products, red wine, caffeine, and chocolate are known headache triggers. You should also try to avoid foods with nitrites and sulfites in them. These dilate capillaries in the brain and increase blood flow which causes pain.

And possibly my FAVORITE natural headache remedy…….

LAUGHTER!

A headache is often brought on by lack of oxygen to the brain.  Laughter increases our intake of oxygen, so, you feel better!  :-)