Health Information

The ORAC chronicles
WHAT IS ORAC?

An Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) score is a test tube analysis that measures the antioxidant levels of food and other chemical substances. If a food has a high ORAC score, then it means the food is high in antioxidants. The antioxidant’s strength is its ability to eliminate oxygen free radicals. With the ORAC score, a higher score means the food is better at helping us fight diseases such as heart disease and cancer.

Foods with a high ORAC score may be able to protect cells and their components from oxidative damage. Oxygen radicals are chemicals that form naturally inside the body through the process of oxidation. Everyday functions such as digestion and physical activity produce oxygen radicals. Daily exposure to polluted air, rancid food and oxidizing radiation from the sun and electrical appliances also contribute.

An easy to understand example of oxidation is to imagine rust attacking metal. When the rust eats away at the metal, the metal starts to weaken and decay until it can no longer work. This is what happens to our body when free radicals attack it. Organs, cells and other parts of the body can be weakened by oxidation. This leads to diseases such as cancer, skin and heart diseases, senile dementia and osteoarthritis.

The ORAC score test was developed by Dr. Guohua Cao, a chemist and physician. The ORAC score covers all the antioxidants in foods. Antioxidants cannot easily be measured separately, but the ORAC score test can identify which nutrients are the important antioxidants. Combinations of nutrients found in foods may have greater protective benefits than each nutrient on its own. Many people obtain a number of their daily nutrients from supplements in pill or powder form, but in order to receive the best form of nutrients, it is essential to receive them from plant chemicals rather than just from supplements.

There are certain types of plants that have a better antioxidant level than others, and the ORAC score can measure these. Different types of fruit and vegetables have different ORAC scores. The recommended “5-a-day” fruit and vegetable servings will give you an ORAC score of 1,750 units. You could pick seven fruits with a low ORAC level and achieve only 1,300 ORAC units, or you could pick seven with high values and receive around 6,000 ORAC units or more. A large handful of blueberries would give you an ORAC score of around 6,000.

Studies have shown that eating foods with a high ORAC score will raise the antioxidant levels in the blood by around 10 to 25%. The ORAC figure suggested by experts is around 5,000 units per day to have a significant effect on plasma and tissue antioxidant levels. Eating eight to ten servings of brightly colored fruits and vegetables or dark greens will help achieve this level. More and more foods and supplements are beginning to state the ORAC score on their labels, and this should make it easier to find foods you like which are also good for you. MonaVie and the acai berry have some of the highest ORAC scores available combining 19 fruits. It is an amazing blend that is hard to beat.


Cherry Picking the health benefits
Steven F. Bolling, MD, professor in the department of cardiac surgery at the University of Michigan, who told us of the impressive study results. His research team fed two groups of rats diets that were identical but for one factor -- one group received some of their calories from a powdered dried extract of tart cherries. According to Dr. Bolling, all inflammatory markers decreased significantly in the cherry-fed rats, including a 40% reduction in TNF-alpha (Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha) and a 31% reduction in IL-6 (Interluken-6). Both are markers of inflammation, which is a factor in many diseases and conditions, including heart disease, obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and even cancer. That makes this a significant finding. The rats that ate cherry powder also had significantly lower levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Dr. Bolling believes the potent health benefits are from the anthocyanins, which are what give cherries their color, adding that the high levels of antioxidants in the cherries may also play a role. He cautions, however, that it's likely not a single active compound that should get the credit: "Nature put all these components together in the fruit and designed them to work together."

Interestingly, the obese rats that ate the cherries showed reduced fat accumulation around the middle, which (in both rats and people) has been linked to the development of metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Earlier studies have found that lean rats benefited from cherry powder -- when fed cherries, those prone to high blood pressure, impaired glucose tolerance and high cholesterol stored less fat in the liver and had better blood sugar measures.

I asked Dr. Bolling how many cherries an adult would have to eat to achieve this level of benefit. "It's hard to make a perfect extrapolation to a 150-pound human from a rat that weighs a few ounces," he said, "but our best guess is that about a cup and a half of cherries each day, fresh or frozen, can offer a real potential upside as far as reducing inflammation"


Cancer proof your body
Here are a few recommendations on how to cancer proof your body. Dr. Niles


Consume Cranberries

Make every day Thanksgiving and you could slash your risk of several Here are a few recommendations on how to cancer proof your body.

different cancers. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles have confirmed that cranberries contain a trove of tumor-blocking compounds, including phenolic acids, glycosides, and anthocyanins. These phytochemicals are effective at preventing cancer down below—in the colon and prostate—as well as up top—on the head and neck. "They force cancer cells to die or they inhibit their unregulated growth," says David Heber, M.D., Ph.D., a coauthor of the study."



Heart Disease, high blood pressure, stroke and the power of acai

About half of Americans die from high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Fortunately, 80 percent of those deaths could be prevented by changing the toxic lifestyles at the root of diseases. Hypertention, heart disease and strokes are the problems that start with cell membranes lining our arteries.

By improving the health of our intestines, acai increases the levels of Short Chain Fatty Acids that are indispensable to the health of the cell membranes lining the arteries. The high amino acid content of the acai berry is also helpful in reducing the risk of heart disease. Acai is also high in monounsaturated essential oils, fats, and trace minerals, which are critical for cell membrane, insulin and arterial health.


Jenny talks about autism


Jenny Mc Carthy talks about her son's Autism. Jenny Mc Carthy quotes, " I turned into a detective, and thanks to a ton of Google research, the support of UCLA and my DAN! (Defeat Autism Now) doctor, I found the treatments that worked for Evan.

Evan is now 5 years old and able to communicate completely. Since we can talk, I ask him questions that I so badly wanted to know the answers to during the crisis. When I asked him why he flaps his arms, he replied, "Because I get so excited and then I fly just like the angels do."

Not all children with autism will be able to make leaps like Evan. Some parents have worked longer and harder than I have, with no success, trying the exact same things.

I have no idea why some treatments work on some kids and not on others. But I beg moms and dads to at least try. I will work my ass off raising awareness for autism and banging down doors to get answers.

In the meantime, don't give up hope and remember that acceptance of your child's condition does not mean giving up; it's just simply loving your child for being the perfect little spirit he or she is. That was the shift I had experienced before Evan's healing even began. Faith is what continues to keep me moving forward.

If we are supposed to get our fruits and vegetables everyday, how many of you are getting that? How many of you are getting quality fruits and vegetables. Just as a car rusts and an apple oxidizes, so does our cells. Doctors indicate that inflammation and free radicals contribute to aging, disease and cancer. The only thing that combats that are phytonutrients and antioxidants that can be found from fruit, good fruit.


84-Year Old Tycoon Sumner Redstone's Anti Aging Secret

Sumner Redstone's anti-aging secre .There may be some debate about future control of Viacom and CBS, but the media mogul doesn't plan to bequeath his empire anytime soon - thanks to a little purple elixir. (Fortune Magazine) -- As the years tick by, Sumner Redstone just gets more optimistic. Earlier this year the 84-year-old said he planned to live another 50 years; two years ago he was predicting another 20. His age has been in the spotlight lately because of the recent public spat with his daughter over his succession plans, but the controller of Viacom (Charts) and CBS (Charts, Fortune 500) has lately been getting a bit of help in the form of a superjuice. "It's a miracle drug," he told Fortune. "I feel great." Redstone attributes his good health to a Brazilian berry.

Fountain of Middle Aged?
Let's take a look at one of the ingredients contained in acai that may make you feel like you have made it to the Fountain of Youth or at least Fountain of Middle aged.
This superjungle juice contains additional Glucosamine and Esterifed Fatty Acids to help maintain healthy joint function and to help build cartlidge. Esterifed Fatty Acids is one of the most effective and natural anti-inflammatories on the market. Esterifed Fatty Acids facilitates the cushioning of bones and joints and is proven torelieve pain and improve function for people struggling with aches and discomforts resulting from inflammation. Glucosamine is extracted from a carbohydrate in crustacean shells and has been promoted and researched for over 20 years as a viable supplement for regenerating cartilage, reducing pain, and improving function in people who struggle with joint pain. The Glucosamine is the same form (crystalline Glucosamine sulfate) used in scientific research that has proven Glucosamine effective in restoring flexibility and as a natural building block of healthy cartilage. Glucosamine has also been proven to relieve pain at the same rate as Ibuprofen. (Without the side effects). Together, Esterifed Fatty Acids and Glucosamine perform faster and more efficiently in building joint cartilage and strengthening the overall structure of the joint. The dual action of Esterifed Fatty Acids and Glucosamine, alleviate in flammation, promote joint cushioning, rebuild cartilage and restore the entire joint area.

For those wondering, glucosamine will cost you around 20-30$ a month alone in pill form. Here you will find it included in this blend combined with all of the other fruits and associated benefits. A no brainer in my book. It is concentrated enough to work fairly quickly. Everyone I know including myself feel better and have less joint pain. I would take the fountain of youth but would settle for the fountain of middle aged.

Optimal Bone Health

Every day we launch an army of free radical when we eat convenient and processed foods that are deep fried, made non-fat, artificially powdered, hydrogenated, sweetened, etc. Things like coffee creamer, french fries, crackers, cookies, chips, nonfat milk, and more. It is estimated that at least one third of the population is allergic to wheat gluten, the highly lauded protein in wheat... which inflames the gut. That spongy softness we love in our baked goods is evidence that we are eating highly hybridized wheat. This makes our bread, cakes, pasta and cereals delicious and harmful. They all now contain more starch, less protein and few trace minerals.

This absence of nutrition actually causes us to crave them more creating a vicious circle of eating habits. The original set of allergies we may possess are now fully inflamed and out of control. The immune system works poorly as a result. Infections are easy to attract. Root canals and dental problems can then add to our burden of infection. In some an overgrowth of candida eventually overload the gut and all sorts of problems ensue. This is the internal environment that sparks arthritis and other diseases. When inflammation attacks a joint it eats away the cartilage, becoming crippling in the worst cases.

Before our modern food processing, back on the farm so to speak, soups and broths included the bones and cartilage as part of the recipe. This base contained glycine rich gelatin as a result, a protein released from boiled bones. The soup was rich in flavor and it provided anti inflammation properties. The raw cream, milk and butter of the day also contained preventative ingredients, lost now to pasteurization. Further, the grass fed livestock we once digested provided gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) that also diminishes joint pain as well as many diseases.
Drugs can arrest the pain but they never put out the fire. The immune system just becomes further stressed.

Fruits are inflammation busters. Glucosamine and esterified fatty acids help to lubricate joints and to help build cartilidge. Combining the two would make a powerful blend.

More Fruits equal lower risk of diabetes and less weight

In an article by Joene Hendry, a common conclusion is reached about the benefits of fruit.
Amid numerous ongoing debates over which dietary interventions are most beneficial, one standard suggestion continues to ring true: Eat more fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables “are unbelievably loaded with good-for-you nutrients,” observes American Dietetic Association (ADietA) spokesperson Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, LD, of the Northwestern Memorial Wellness Institute in Chicago.
“Eating more fruits and vegetables can only help prevent diseases, as well as manage diseases that people already have,” she says. “I have never seen a research article that implicates fruits and vegetables in any sort of negative light.”
Evidence shows that fruits and vegetables, consumed in proper amounts, are good for preventing stroke, heart disease, and hypertension, as well as promoting vascular function, weight loss, and other health aspects.


Suffer from allergies? The superjungle Juice to the rescue

What is an allergy?

Chances are, you know exactly what an allergy is since allergies affect millions of people. An allergy refers to an exaggerated reaction by our immune system in response to bodily contact with certain foreign substances. It is exaggerated because these foreign substances are usually seen by the body as harmless and no response occurs in non- allergic people. Allergic people's bodies recognize the foreign substance and one part of the immune system is turned on. Allergy-producing substances are called "allergens." Examples of allergens include pollens, dust mite, molds, danders, and foods. To understand the language of allergy it is important to remember that allergens are substances that are foreign to the body and can cause an allergic reaction in certain people.

When an allergen comes in contact with the body, it causes the immune system to develop an allergic reaction in persons who are allergic to it. When you inappropriately react to allergens that are normally harmless to other people, you are having an allergic reaction and can be referred to as allergic or atopic. Therefore, people who are prone to allergies are said to be allergic or "atopic."

Acai and other fruits helps the immune system fight allergies. This super jungle juice has two different products on the market today. Both are basically the same except one of them, the Active formula, contains Glucosamine and esterfied acids for the promotion of joint and cartilidge health. The regular blend is safe for children especially and highly effective in fighting allergies.