Free radicals, natural remedies

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 ...

Plums, fresh and dry fruit

Vitamins, mineral salts and antioxidant substances, protective action on the brain, on bones but also an aid to fertility, able to counteract constipation.

Plums are the fruit of the Prunus domestica of the Rosaceae family. Plums are harvested from June until October but can also be enjoyed throughout the year in the dried version. Fresh and dried plums have slightly different properties since the drying process changes the content of some substances, but let’s see better in detail. Fresh plums - Soft and tasty, plums are the fruit of summer. Fresh plums bring few calories, around 35 Kcal per 100 grams, but different mineral salts, such as copper...

Bay leaves

Digestive, carminative, antioxidant, antitumor, anti-inflammatory and able to reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases thanks to the action in reducing blood sugar and cholesterol, against acne and folliculitis.

Bay tree, or bay laurel, scientific name laurus nobilis, is a plant belonging to the Lauraceae family. The leaves of this plant are often used in cooking to flavor meat dishes or soups, but the properties of the laurel do not end there. Indeed, bay leaf has important healthy properties, it helps keep at bay blood sugar and cholesterol levels, it has also an anti cancer action, it is healing in case of wounds and improves digestion. Bay leaf, diabetes, blood sugar and cholesterol - On the basis...

Curry leaves, health and beauty

Vitamins and mineral salts, powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substances, anticancer, protect the heart, fight high blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol, useful for the beauty of skin and hair by counteracting acne, wrinkles but also gray hair and hair loss.

Curry leaves … no, we are not speaking about the famous spice to season rice and sauces but about real leaves of a plant called curry, scientific name Murraya koenigii. The plant belongs to the Rutaceae family, the same as bergamot, oranges, lemons and rue, and is native to India where it is a very appreciated culinary ingredient but also the basis of various Ayurveda medicinal remedies. Nowadays you can buy curry leaves in well-stocked and online herbalists’s shops. But let's have a look at the...

Pecan nuts

Vitamins, mineral salts and precious monounsaturated fatty acids, protect the cardiovascular system, reduce cholesterol and triglycerides and lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, powerful antioxidant action, contrast arteriosclerosis, very energetic.

Pecan, scientific name Carya illinoinensis of the Juglandaceae family, is a tree native to Mexico and America whose fruits are drupes containing an edible seed. It is precisely this seed that is called Pecan nut and that, nowadays, can be bought in all shops and supermarkets. Pecan nuts, widely used in cooking to prepare tasty desserts but also as a snack, alone or in a mixture with other dry fruits, are characterized by interesting healthy properties. Pecan nuts, properties - First of all, pe...

Buckwheat honey

Proteins, energy, mineral salts, important antioxidant and antibacterial properties proven by scientific studies, useful in case of irritated cough, sore throat and airway infections.

Linden honey? Wild flower honey? Acacia or eucalyptus honey? No, buckwheat honey! Although it may seem strange, there is also buckwheat honey, and what a honey! Based on scientific research, this type of honey is a powerful source of beneficial properties, but let's see better in detail. Buckwheat honey, how it appears and properties - First, buckwheat honey is produced by bees from the flowers of buckwheat that are small flowers characterized by a color ranging from white to light pink. The o...

Blood Plum

Vitamins and minerals, fiber and water, powerful antioxidant action, useful to protect the health of eyesight and skin.

The blood plums, also known as Japanese blood plums, are the fruits of the prunus salicina tree, and should not be confused with the plums, which instead are the fruits of the European plum or prunus domestica. The blood plums make their appearance on the market shelves at the beginning of the summer and, unlike the plums, can be eaten only fresh and are not dried. These fruits have a soft pulp, a color ranging from yellow to red or deep purple and a round shape, not as elongated as the plums, w...

Colorful eating

Why is it important to have colorful meals? Fruits and vegetables of different colors bring also powerful antioxidants that are characterized by different beneficial actions by protecting, for example, the eyes, the cardiovascular system, or by counteracting cancers and abdominal fat.

Orange, red, green or blue, how wonderful the fruit’s and vegetable’s colors are! But these colors aren’t just joyful and fascinating but reflect also the presence of antioxidant compounds that, in addition to giving the color, determine also the healthy properties of the food. We are speaking about carotenoids, anthocyanins and flavonoids, substances that counteract the aging processes and that we can take by varying the type, and therefore the color, of fruit and vegetables that we serve on th...

Mung beans and their sprouts

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, protein content and low caloric intake, useful in case of overweight and obesity, help to reduce cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure, in the form of sprouts powerful antimicrobial and antiviral action, proved useful also to counteract cold sores and Helicobacter pylori.

Mung bean, also called green gram or moong, scientific name Vigna radiata, is a plant of the Fabaceae or Leguminosae family. The fruits of this plant are pods that contain edible seeds characterized by a peel of an intense green color. These seeds can be found on the market both in the dried form, in this case they should be soaked in water and then cooked, or in the form of sprouts, the famous mung bean sprouts, that can also be self-produced at home. Mung beans are the most used seeds in the w...

Lemon, peel

Lemon peel contains more antioxidants and vitamin C than its pulp, useful in cases of sour stomach, gastric reflux, stones, high blood sugar, cholesterol and high triglycerides, hypertension and obesity.

The lemon, scientific name Citrus limoni, is a plant of the Rutaceae family, the same as tangerine, orange and bergamot. The term lemon also refers to the fruit of this plant, of a beautiful intense yellow color and characterized by a rounded shape. Lemon is known and appreciated for its juice, drunk as a purifying and refreshing drink, used to dress salads or to marinate fish, meat or even fruit. But science is also interested in another part of the lemon, less used except for giving flavor to ...

Red kidney beans

Source of proteins, carbohydrates and mineral salts, able to keep blood sugar under control, powerful antioxidant action thanks to the anthocyanins and the catechins present in them.

Red kidney beans are a common bean variety, scientific name Phaseolus vulgaris. These beans should not be confused with azuki beans, scientific name Vigna angularis. Now let's see the properties of this kind of beans and how to serve them! Properties of red kidney beans - The anthocyanins give the beans a dark red color and, according to scientific studies (Akond et al, American Journal of Food Technology, May 2011), result in a higher quantity than amaranth, black sorghum and soy beans as wel...

Longevity diet Part 2, drinks and foods in Okinawa

Jasmine green tea, sweet potato and soy, the foods of the people in Okinawa, let’s find out their longevity secrets.

Okinawa, an archipelago in the East China sea, is considered the country of centenarians. A special mix of healthy diet, antioxidant drinks and exercises able to keep the body flexible and active makes the lifespan of the inhabitants of Okinawa very long. In the previous post we have seen the first part of the Okinawa’s guide lines. Today we’ll the second part, according to the study of the scientists Bradley Willcox and Craig Willcox, who spent much time in Okinawa in order to understand the li...

Longevity diet Part 1, the secret of Okinawa

What causes the people of Okinawa to live so long? The scientists are firmly convinced that the food choices are the reason of the long and healthy lifespan in Okinawa.

Okinawa is a Japanese archipelago composed by 161 lush islands surrounded by a crystal-clear sea. But Okinawa is also the country of centenarians with people that show one of the longest lifespan all over the world. The interesting thing is that in Okinawa the people live so long but also healthy, both in body and in mind. The scientists consider Okinawa an outdoor lab in order to understand the secret that allows people in Okinawa to live so long. The hormone-dependent cancers, such as, for e...

Slow Cosmetique, let’s prepare the skin for the sun Part 2, serums, supplements and water

To prepare the skin for the sun it is important to drink a lot of water or take the foods that are rich in this essential nutrient, but you can also apply a powerful anti-aging and anti-inflammatory serum or use supplements rich in substances against free radicals and able to repair the damages caused by UV rays.

How to prepare the skin for sun exposure now that warmer weather has started? To avoid irritation, redness and premature aging, we’ll see the tips of Slow Cosmetique, the movement that was born with the aim of focusing again on the skin and its needs, by avoiding cosmetics with long lists of ingredients that can often be comedogenic, irritating and, in some cases, even carcinogenic. In addition to sunbathing in the safest hours, staying out of the sun in the hottest hours of the day from 11 am t...