Free radicals, natural remedies

Flowers to eat, colors, scents and health are served Part 2, calendula and pansy

There are flowers that can be eaten and that provide valuable antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, such as calendula and pansy.

Flowers to eat? Yes, some types of flowers are edible and can be added raw to recipes. Perfect in this case are the salads to which the flowers give color but also antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. In the previous post we talked about the rose and nasturtium, today we talk about the properties of calendula and pansy when they are added to our dishes. However, a warning is required first. Avoid picking flowers along the streets or in the meadows as you cannot know if ...

Flowers to eat, colors, scents and health are served Part 1, nasturtium and rose

Flowers are not only ornamental but, in some cases, they can also be eaten and are characterized by important antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity properties.

A well laid table and a colorful bouquet in the center, we are used to see in this way flowers for lunch or dinner. However, there is also another fascinating way in which flowers can make their appearance at the table, namely ... on the plate. In fact, some flowers are edible, they can be added raw to salads, appetizers or drinks, to give color, taste but also healthy properties, useful to counteract the damage of free radicals, tumors, obesity but also to protect the brain (Lu et al, Crit Rev ...

Golden berry

Vitamins, antioxidants for the well-being of eyesight and skin, mineral salts and fibers, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and useful action to keep blood pressure at bay, relaxing and antispasmodic properties.

Physalis peruviana is a plant belonging to the Solanaceae family, the same as potatoes, aubergines and tomatoes. The fruits, called golden berries, are round yellow berries with a bitter sweet taste, with notes of pineapple and vanilla. Golden berries can be purchased in specialized shops or online in the form of dried berries. Golden berry, properties - Golden berries are a source of carbohydrates, therefore energy, of fiber, vitamin C, vitamins of group B and K, tocopherol, carotenoids, such...

Beta-carotene

Antioxidant properties, supports the immune system and counteracts cognitive decline, counteracts the development of chronic diseases, protects the skin.

Beta-carotene is a substance belonging to the group of carotenoids, which are antioxidant substances synthesized by plants and which gives the bright color to different types of fruit and vegetables. Beta carotene is then converted into vitamin A in the body. Let's see why it is important to take beta-carotene with the diet, what are the properties of this substance and what are the main food sources. Beta carotene, properties – Beta carotene is a powerful antioxidant, able to counteract the d...

Strawberries, the fruits of health

Vitamins, mineral salts and powerful antioxidants that counteract aging processes, protect the heart and brain, help to control body weight, blood sugar and cholesterol.

Strawberries are the fruits of the plants of the genus Fragaria, family of the Rosceae. Actually, it is a false fruit as the real fruit is given by the seeds that can be seen on the surface of the strawberry. Fragrant and juicy, the strawberry starts appearing on the shelves of the grocery stores since March and can be found until June, for the joy of adults and children. So let's see the properties of strawberries! Strawberries, properties - Strawberries provide vitamins C, E and group B, but...

Vegetable garden, health and relax Part 6, gooseberry, red currant and coriander

Properties, uses and cultivation of gooseberry, red currant and coriander.

This is the time to take care of the garden! Taking care of plants, seeing them grow, bloom and then reap the fruits is healing, puts you in a good mood, removes bad thoughts and empowers the mind leaving it free to draw on its talents and resources. Because it is these resources that help us overcome any trauma, concern or obstacle. By taking care of a vegetable garden we also take care of ourselves! Today we talk about gooseberries, red currants and coriander. Gooseberry - Gooseberry, scient...

Vegetable garden, health and relax Part 5, tomatoes and zucchini

How to grow tomatoes and zucchini, two seedlings that cannot miss in your garden.

Watering the plants, seeing them grow full of life and then harvesting the fruits! Taking care of a vegetable garden is fascinating and beneficial, it relieves stress, anxiety and also allows you to have fruit, vegetables and aromatic herbs available every day. Today we talk about how to grow tomatoes and zucchini. Tomatoes - The tomatoes are plants that really cannot miss in a vegetable garden. Elongated tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, ribbed tomatoes, there are many varieties of tomatoes and all ...

Wild garlic

Antioxidant, antimicrobial and immune support properties, deep detoxifying action, helps to keep pressure and cholesterol under control, antithrombotic.

Wild garlic, scientific name Allium ursinum, is a plant belonging to the Liliaceae family. The name, wild garlic, derives from the Latin word ursus, which means bear, based on the popular belief that bears, once they come out of hibernation, consume this plant to purify themselves of accumulated toxins and to regain their strength. Wild garlic is characterized by broad leaves that smell of garlic due to the presence of sulfur compounds. And it is precisely this aroma that makes wild garlic a rea...

Vegetable garden, health and relax Part 4, chives, parsley and raspberry

Taking care of a garden counteracts stress and allows you to have a continuous production of plants and fruits with a high anti-inflammatory and antioxidant power, today we are talking about the chives, parsley and raspberry.

Taking care of a vegetable garden, whether in the garden or on the balcony, brings joy. Seeing the seedlings grow and enjoying their beauty and their fruits is therapeutic, it frees the mind from anxieties and worries and brings out talents and resources that we never imagined we would have. Not only that, garden plants are also valuable sources of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substances that we can have available even without leaving home! So let's see growing tips, properties and uses of ...

Vegetable garden, health and relax Part 3, common marigold, lavender and strawberry

Today we talk about how to grow and use three very special garden plants, common marigold, lavender and strawberry!.

Taking care of the garden counteracts stress and induces relaxation, science says it, too (Hassan et al, Geriatr Gerontol Int, 2018)! For this reason, especially in particularly difficult periods such as the one we are experiencing, surrounding yourself with plants to grow can be truly therapeutic as well as a healthy choice, because as we will see, garden seedlings can be real powerful remedies at hand in addition to guaranteeing herbs and fruits to bring to the table. Common marigold - With ...

Vegetable garden, health and relax Part 2, thyme, lettuce, rocket and violets

Properties, uses and care of thyme, lettuce, rocket and violets.

Taking care of the garden is good, for health and mood, it helps remove anxiety, keeps the mind occupied making it free and creative, able to follow its potential and talents. That's why we decided to start this section dedicated to properties, uses and ways of growing herbs, flowers and plants that are available in supermarkets or nurseries in this period. Last time we talked about rosemary, primroses and basil, today it's the turn of thyme, lettuce, rocket and violets! Thyme - Thyme is antio...

Vegetable garden, health and relaxation Part 1, basil, daisies and rosemary

Let's start this section dedicated to the vegetable garden by seeing properties, uses and advice on cultivation of basil, rosemary and daisies.

Taking care of the garden or vegetable garden, even on the balcony, is good for your health. Not only because in this way you have your own production of fruit, vegetables, aromatic plants or even flowers as a beautiful ornament for the house, absolutely under control, possibly organic and zero kilometer, but also because, it has been shown by scientific studies, it improves mood and fights anxiety (Soga et al, Prev Med rep, 2017). A Japanese study reported that observing plants even acts on the...

Passion fruit or maracuja, a real superfood for the body and the immune system

Vitamins, mineral salts, carbohydrates and antioxidants, counteracts chronic inflammations, supports the immune system, helps to lower blood pressure and improves digestive processes thanks to the presence of fiber.

Passiflora edulis is a plant of the genus Passiflora, family of Passifloraceae, but is also known by the Portuguese name maracuja. The fruit of the plant, the maracuja or passion fruit, is a berry characterized by a hard zest, a very soft pulp rich in seeds and by a very intense scent that makes the passion fruit an ideal ingredient for the preparation of juices and ice creams. There are many types of passion fruit but the two main varieties are the purple passion fruit, or passiflora edulis, wi...

Matcha green tea

Vitamins and mineral salts, antioxidant, lowers blood sugar and cholesterol, strengthens attention and memory without causing agitation, relaxing and anti-stress, anti-tumor effect.

Matcha is a type of Japanese green tea that is made, like the other varieties of green tea, from the leaves of Camellia sinensis. This tea is considered very valuable and is generally used in tea ceremonies. However, nowadays, the use of matcha is expanding becoming not only a ceremonial drink but also a real super drink. And science has also started to take an interest in matcha, by dedicating numerous studies to this green tea. Let's try to understand the properties of matcha, why it is consid...

Green Cabbage

Vitamins, mineral salts and antioxidants, anticancer properties proven by scientific studies, protects the pancreas and the gastro intestinal tract thanks to its anti-inflammatory action.

The cabbage, scientific name Brassica oleracea var capitata, is a plant of the Brassicaceae or Cruciferae family characterized by smooth and well-closed leaves. Green cabbage is a delicious ingredient for your recipes, but also really healthy. So let's see its properties for the health. Cabbage, properties - Like all other cabbages, green cabbage contains glucosinolates. Glucosinolates, as long as they remain closed inside the plant tissue, are inactive, but when, through chewing, the tissues ...

Bancha green tea

Antioxidant, useful for the health of heart and blood vessels, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, protects the teeth by reducing the formation of pits and fissures, a possible cause of tooth decay.

Bancha green tea is a Japanese green tea, probably one of the best known and most drunk in the world. This tea derives from the second or third harvest of the biggest leaves of the Camellia sinensis, which is the tea plant. Therefore, bancha cannot be considered as valuable as other types of green tea such as gyokuro or sencha but, despite this, it is highly appreciated for its stronger aroma and powerful properties, which are in any case remarkable. Bancha green tea, properties – First of all...

Red onion

Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, protects the liver and the heart, stimulates the immune system.

Red onion is a type of onion, Allium cepa of the Liliaceae family, with a red-purple skin and a white flesh tinged with red. Red onion, properties - The red onion is rich in antioxidant substances such as thiosulfinates, which give it the classic pungent odor, quercetin, kaempferol but also anthocyanins that are powerful substances that give to the bulb a purple color. These beneficial substances make red onion a food able to fight free radicals and infections, to stimulate the immune system, ...

Black garlic

More antioxidant and active than fresh garlic, beneficial in case of obesity, high cholesterol, inflammation and dermatitis, protects the heart, brain and liver.

Black garlic is obtained from the normal garlic that we all know, Allium sativum, which is subjected to a special processing. In particular, the garlic cloves are fermented at a temperature between 60 and 70° C and at a very high humidity level, up to 90%, for several weeks and, as a result of a reaction called Maillard, the color of the garlic cloves turns dark. The odor is less pungent than that of fresh garlic due to the lower content in allicin that, during the process, has been converted in...

Food combinations and cooking methods, corn polenta

Source of antioxidants, vitamins, mineral salts and polyunsaturated fatty acids, useful to fight aging processes, it may be a part of the diet of those who have skin problems such as psoriasis or dermatitis.

Polenta is a dish prepared by stirring a mixture of water and cornmeal over a low heat. Considered for long a food of the poor kitchen, nowadays even science has been interested in its properties by studying its benefits thanks to the interesting characteristics of the cereal from which it is obtained, the corn. In fact, corn contains carbohydrates, polyunsaturated fatty acids, essential amino acids, vitamin E, which is a powerful antioxidant, but also carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, whose qu...

Persimmon leaves

Digestive properties, antioxidants, antihypertensive and useful in case of type 2 diabetes, for heart and skin health.

The persimmons are the edible fruits of a tree, scientific name Diospyros kaki, which means divine fruit, and have always been considered the sun of autumn since they are able to bring the power of the sun even in the coldest periods. Diospyros kaki is native to China, belongs to the Ebenaceae family and the persimmons can be found on supermarket shelves all over the world from November to December. But it is not only the fruit that is a restorative, re-mineralizing and revitalizing remedy, even...

Clementine

Refreshing, source of vitamins, mineral salts and powerful antioxidants also present in its juice and that make clementine a truly healthy fruit that can be eaten for breakfast or as a snack.

Clementine, also known as easy peeler, scientific name citrus clementina, is a very fragrant, juicy and delicious citrus fruit that is harvested between November and January. Clementine should not be confused with mandarin, scientific name citrus reticulata. There are in fact two different fruits although similar in appearance and in the way they are eaten in segments. Mandarin, in fact, has very ancient origins making its appearance more than 3000 years ago in Japan while the clementine arises ...

Red lettuce

High antioxidant power and more than the other lettuce varieties, it fights free radicals, provides minerals and vitamins, promotes good sleep.

Red lettuce is a type of lettuce, scientific name Lactuca sativa from the Asteraceae family, with dark red leaves. It is this characteristic that makes red lettuce a food particularly rich in antioxidants, substances able to counteract aging processes and oxidative stress, the cause of various conditions and diseases, such as, for example, neurodegenerative, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases, tumors or arthritis (Pham-Huy et al, Int J Biomed Sci, 2008 - Lobo et al, Pharmacogn Rev, 2010). In...

Tiger nuts

Vitamins and mineral salts, antioxidant action, protective for heart and intestine, energy and fiber, able to bring a sense of satiety and to fight hunger attacks that can occur during the morning.

Cyperus esculentus, also called water grass, tiger nutsedge, nut grass or yellow nutsedge, is a plant characterized by an edible rhizome called tiger nuts or sweet almond, chufa in Spanish. Tiger nuts, properties - Tiger nuts, characterized by a natural sweet taste, provide carbohydrates and therefore energy, are rich in proteins, fibers, antioxidants such as terpenoids and saponins, mineral salts such as phosphorus, calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron and zinc, vitamins such as E a...

Ginger honey

Antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer and anti-inflammatory, the synergy of honey and ginger maximizes the properties of the individual ingredients.

Wind, cold, temperature changes and humidity may also bring cold, flu and sore throat. However, we have a very powerful natural remedy, beneficial and really easy to find or make, ginger honey. Ginger honey, properties - Ginger honey is obtained by infusing pieces of fresh ginger in honey instead of water. The resulting product is antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial since it combines the properties of ginger and honey and can therefore be used now and throughout the winter to stre...

Barley coffee

Rich in energy, antioxidants and to help fight dental caries.

Barley is a very ancient, energizing and digestible cereal. The ancient Greeks and Romans cultivated it to prepare soups and bread and, according to Pliny the Elder, barley was also the main food of gladiators. But barley is not just a food, in fact, it can be the basis for very interesting, fragrant, healthy and non-irritating drinks that, nowadays, often take the place of coffee as they are caffeine-free and therefore suitable to all. Barley coffee is prepared from roasted barley and can be ob...

Pomegranate, juice

Vitamins, energy and powerful antioxidants, protects the brain and improves memory, supports the heart by reducing blood pressure and bad cholesterol, anti-tumor action and against free radicals.

What a wonderful fruit the pomegranate is! With a rounded shape and a hard rind, the fruit of the Punica granatum tree, or pomegranate, is a berry that contains inside its seeds of a beautiful deep red color, juicy and sweet with a slight bitter note. Pomegranate seeds are edible, can be added to yogurt or salads, pasta recipes or desserts, but they can also be used to obtain a fragrant and really healthy juice! Today we are talking about the properties of pomegranate juice. Pomegranate juice,...

Black grapes

Both in the form of fruit and juice, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, able to show protective properties for the heart, for the liver and the brain, useful to counteract diabetes and overweight.

Grapes are the fruit of the grape vine, vitis vinifera, juicy, sweet and tasty, have been a part of human life for thousands of years. There are different types of grapes, sweeter or more sour, smaller or bigger and of different colors. Today we will talk about black grapes. Black grapes, properties and benefits - Black grapes, more than other varieties, are an exceptional source of polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants. Polyphenols are mainly found in grape skin and, in case of catechi...

Auricularia

Antioxidant, source of vitamins and mineral salts, it strengthens the immune system, helps lower cholesterol and blood sugar, promotes the synthesis of collagen and hyaluronic acid by fighting wrinkles.

The auricularia auricula judae, also known as wood ear or jelly ear, is an edible mushroom characterized by a particular ear-like elongated shape. This fungus grows on tree trunks, especially elder, and has been used since ancient times in China as a food and herbal remedy (Balakrishnan et al, International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jan 2015). From the auricularia fungus a supplement is obtained with important medicinal properties, useful for the well-being of the organism...

Hemp seeds

Proteins, amino acids, antioxidants, essential fatty acids useful for heart health, able to lower cholesterol, fiber, vitamins and mineral salts.

Hemp seeds are considered, nowadays and thanks to the numerous scientific researches that have studied their properties, real supplements. Hemp seeds, properties - These seeds, technically considered nuts, are completely devoid of psychotropic substances and are precious sources of omega 3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids in the ratio 1-2, which is considered optimal for the health of the human body (Callaway et al, Euphytica, 2004). Among these fatty acids we can find, mainly, linoleic acid,...

Sea as a source of health

For baths, oral use or as a nasal spray, sea water has innumerable benefits for health and beauty.

Renè Quinton was a biologist who, at the beginning of the last century, saw sea water as an important source of health for the body. Indeed, he considered this water as a real medicine, similar to the blood that flows in the body and able to keep alive, according to Quinton, something that can survive just in the blood and organic liquids, the white blood cell. Sea water can enter the body through the skin but can also be taken orally or sprayed into the nose. Bathing in the sea - But why sea ...