Pressure, natural remedies

Walnuts, little elixirs of long life

Vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, help reduce cholesterol and blood pressure, counteract inflammation and cognitive impairment, improve mood.

Walnuts are the fruit of the Juglans regia tree. Practical to always have with you, tasty and full of energy, walnuts are the perfect snack, they enrich the breakfast muesli and make preparations such as bread and cakes even more delicious. But walnuts are also a precious source of health properties for the well-being of the heart, brain and gut, let's see better. Walnuts, properties - Walnuts are an important source of omega 3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are often lacking in Western diet b...

Healthy in the kitchen, salt

Salt maintains food and its main component, sodium chloride, is indispensable in various biological processes. But don't overdo the quantity. So let's see what are the effects of a diet characterized by excessive salt consumption and how to reduce it.

Homer called salt the divine substance, and in ancient times it certainly was. In fact, more than as a condiment, salt was considered essential to preserve food, meat, fish and vegetables, guaranteeing the necessary sustenance and therefore survival even in times of famine or in winter. Over time, however, salt has become the most used ingredient to flavor foods, so much that we can find salt almost everywhere, even in desserts. The problem, however, is that if on the one hand the sodium chlorid...

Extra virgin olive oil, properties

Antioxidant, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, capable of protecting the heart and brain, extra virgin olive oil is a real medicine food.

Extra virgin olive oil is considered much more than a condiment and a real medicine food. Extra virgin olive oil is obtained by mechanical pressing of the olives without resorting to chemical treatments. For several years now, science has been interested in the properties of extra virgin olive oil and its health benefits. So let's see what extra virgin olive oil can do to improve our health, what are the differences compared to olive oil and what happens during cooking. Extra virgin olive oil,...

Bixa orellana

Antioxidant, antimicrobial, antitumor, hypotensive and hypoglycemic, it can also be used externally to protect the skin from free radical damage and keep it elastic, useful against photoaging and stretch marks.

Bixa orellana, or achiote, is a shrubby plant of the Bixaceae family and is native to South America although nowadays its seeds can be found and purchased almost everywhere. From its seeds, in fact, a red orange dye is obtained, called annatto, widely used in cosmetics, such as lipsticks, or in food. The dye appears on the label with the initials E160b. But ground seeds are also an interesting, and healthy, culinary ingredient, especially when mixed with other spices. So let's try to understand ...

Woods, more than an anti-stress, a real stimulant for the immune system

Anti-inflammatory, antitumor and antioxidant action, supports the immune system thanks to the absorption by our body of the essential oils released by the trees, reduction of blood pressure, helpful in case of anxiety, stress, bad mood and depression.

A silent forest, where everything seems motionless but in reality beats with life. The shoes creak on the path as you make your way through ferns and mosses, the air is fresh and clean, slightly scented with aromas of resin. The forest is a unique experience to be immersed in nature, to detach from stress and to bring benefit to body and mind, so much that even science has been interested in its properties for health and a term has been coined to indicate the immersion in a woods as a regenerati...

Earl Grey, the bergamot tea that is good for health

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, protects the heart, helps lower bad cholesterol and regulates blood pressure, counteracts gastritis and intestinal inflammation, fights obesity.

Earl Grey tea is a black tea flavored with oil extracted from bergamot peel. It is named after Charles Grey, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, who received as a gift a tea mixed with bergamot oil. Nowadays, Earl Grey is very popular all over the world with a lot of variations. In fact, sometimes black tea can be replaced with green, white, oolong and even rooibosh tea, the tea leaves can be mixed with bergamot extract, with its essential oil or with the dried citrus peel and other flavors ca...

Kukicha green tea

Supports the immune system, fights anxiety and stress and high blood pressure, improves cognitive function, anticancer, low in caffeine and therefore lends itself to being drunk even in the afternoon.

Lot of small sticks and twigs, this is kukicha green tea, a very particular Japanese tea that differs from other teas that are in the form of leaves. The aroma of kukicha green tea is sweet and stands out from other Japanese green teas that, on the other hand, have a scent that reminds of freshly picked grass. So let's see the types of kukicha, the properties and the preparation of this particular tea. Kukicha tea, types - Whether it's gyokuro, sencha or kukicha, the plant from which green tea...

Watermelon seeds

Mineral salts, proteins and precious antioxidants, help regulate blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure, support for the immune system.

We will soon be able to see watermelon, the fruit with a sweet and juicy flesh, on the greengrocer's shelves. However, today we are not talking about the properties of watermelon pulp, but about those of its seeds! Oh yes, watermelon seeds, those small black seeds contained in the red pulp and that often are left aside, not only can be eaten but are also characterized by interesting healthy properties, too. Let's see better! Watermelon seeds, properties - Watermelon seeds are rich in oils, uns...

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...

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...

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...

Soy

Digestible proteins, important intake of vitamins and mineral salts, such as iron and calcium, antioxidant substances with anti-tumor action, able to protect heart health.

Soy, scientific name glycine max, is a plant of the Leguminosae family like beans, peas or lentils. The fruit of the plant are pods that have inside the seeds, the soy beans that we commonly find on supermarket shelves either in dried form or, after a manufacturing process, in form of milk, tofu, yogurt, tempeh or miso. Soy has been studied in recent years to verify its health properties, let's try to understand better what science says about it. Soybean, nutritional properties - What emerges ...

Tibetan singing bowls

Calming action, help to lower blood pressure and counteract anxiety and stress.

Tibetan singing bowls are a very ancient musical instrument. They look like bronze bowls, although the alloy, with which they are made, can include up to 12 metals, they do not have a clapper but are played using a stick that generates a deep and fascinating sound. Tibetan singing bowls are at the center of numerous scientific studies since it is believed that the vibration generated by them is able to act on mood and anxiety. But let's understand better. Tibetan singing bowls, what science sa...

Pear

Vitamins, mineral salts and antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and diuretic action, useful against stones, protects the heart by lowering blood pressure and the risk of type 2 diabetes, helps control weight and reduces the waistline.

The pear is the fruit of the Pyrus trees of the Rosaceae family, one of the oldest plants cultivated by humans. The pear is delicious and versatile, it can be taken both as fresh fruit and in the form of candied fruit, jams or juices. But the strength of the pear is that it is also a powerful source of health! Let's see its properties, proven by scientific studies. Pear, properties - The pear is rich in fiber, therefore useful for the proper functioning of the intestine. But a healthy intestin...

Garlic, supplements, properties and benefits

From garlic, different types of herbal remedies are obtained, such as powdered extract, aqueous or oily extract and aged garlic, each with different properties, such as strengthening the immune system, protecting the heart or fighting inflammation.

Garlic, scientific name allium sativum, is an essential ingredient for cooking, it is excellent rubbed on slices of toasted bread and really delicious minced and added to the preparations of sauces and fillings. But garlic is also a powerful source of important substances for health. In fact, it is useful in reducing cardiovascular risk and tumors, has an antioxidant and antimicrobial effect, helps detoxification processes and is protective for the liver (Bayan et al, AJP, 2013). These propertie...

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,...

Acmella, the natural botox

Powerful anti-wrinkle action, relaxes the contractions of the muscles of the face and strengthens the collagen, also useful in the case of psoriasis, itching and wounds, finally it is a diuretic and helps against hypertension.

Acmella oleracea, also known as Spilanthes acmella, family of Asteraceae, is a plant native to the Brazilian forest that is attracting much interest in the field of cosmetics. In fact, acmella is considered a natural botox and is increasingly used in anti-wrinkle creams. But let's understand better. Acmella, anti wrinkle remedy - The acmella extract contains an active ingredient, called spilanthol, able to act on wrinkles, both the expression lines and the deepest wrinkles. In fact, this subst...

Longevity diet Part 3, the Mediterranean Diet

Mediterranean Diet is recognized by science as a combination of lifestyles and food choices that may play a role in maintaining the general health of the body by counteracting the risk of developing illnesses and by helping live longer and healthier.

Living long and living well, what is the secret of this winning combination? According to the most recent scientific researches, it seems that diet, intended as the set of food choices, plays a pivotal role in determining also our health. In previous posts we discussed about the longevity diet in Okinawa, the Japanese island where the people live long and healthy. Today we’ll see another cornerstone of healthy diet studied a lot by science, the Mediterranean diet. Mediterranean diet, what is a...

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 ...

Food combinations and cooking methods, ginger Part 1

Ginger is rich in active substances that make it a powerful remedy with digestive and anti-inflammatory properties, able to protect the cardiovascular system and the immune system, we’ll see the preparation methods and the food combinations that allow you to make the most of these effects.

Ginger is a plant, scientific name Zingiber officinale family of Zinziberaceae, whose rhizome, also called root, is used to cook, thanks to its fresh aroma, and to prepare herbal remedies. Ginger is rich indeed in active substances, such as zingiberene, gingerol and shogaol, resins and mucilage. Thanks to these characteristics, ginger shows anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-cancer and antioxidant properties. In addition, ginger is also able to keep at bay blood sugar, triglycerides and chol...

Cocoa

Mineral salts such as magnesium and iron, powerful antioxidant food with a demonstrated protective action on brain and heart, able to lower blood pressure, counteracts chronic inflammations, improves the mood and has a beneficial action in case of allergies, acts against fat accumulation and to reduce the waistline.

The plant of cocoa, Theobroma cacao, belongs to the family of Sterculiaceae and is native to south America. When the seeds are extracted from the fruits of the tree they are subjected to a multi step process involving fermentation, drying, roasting and grinding in order to obtain, as a final product, the cocoa powder that we can purchase in the shops. A fine, brown and scented powder that is commonly used for cooking, sweets, drinks but also as an ingredient of beauty cosmetics. Let’s see the pr...

Pranayama

Pranayama are breathing techniques of yoga that have important benefits on the mind, by calming and removing the anxiety, and on the body, for example help to normalize the breath, are useful in case of asthma, lower blood pressure and counteract headaches and migraines.

Yoga is an ancient discipline, born thousands of years ago in India with the aim to restore and maintain balance and health of mind, body and emotions. We are witnessing a great spread of yoga all over the world and this thanks to the numerous scientific researches that are demonstrating its effectiveness as an aid to control stress and chronic inflammation in the body, which, as we have seen in several posts, can cause in the long run cardiovascular or autoimmune diseases, depression and even t...

Fat burning diet Part 2, the spices cinnamon and saffron

Cinnamon activates thermogenesis and metabolism and counteracts weight gain and visceral fat, saffron helps prevent metabolic syndrome and fights obesity.

Counteracting obesity, especially if the fat is localized on the waistline, is a question of health rather than aesthetics. In fact, several scientific studies have observed that the fat, and in particular abdominal fat, is not inert but an organ able to produce hormones and pro-inflammatory substances that in the long run may create the conditions for diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and even tumors (Coelho et al, Arch Med Sci, 2013 - Deng et al, Annu Rev Pathol, 2016). Also in t...

Anti-inflammatory lifestyle Part 5, friendship and love for a healthy brain

For a healthy mind and to counteract inflammations also close relationships and friendships and the feeling of being part of a society have a pivotal role.

Aristotle was the first to say it in his work Politics, man is, by nature, a social animal and tends to aggregate with other human beings. But this behavior isn’t just natural, it is also the basis for a healthy mind and an anti-inflammatory lifestyle (Eliana Liotta, Age isn’t the same for everyone, but also articles such as Keicolt-Glaser et al, Neurosci Biobehav rev, 2010). As we have seen in the previous post, an enemy of our physical and mental health is chronic inflammation, that doesn’t gi...

Indian Serpentine

Remedy able to lower blood pressure and counteract anxiety and insomnia, to be taken under medical supervision.

Rauwolfia serpentina, or Indian serpentine, is a medicinal plant of the Apiaceae family known and appreciated for centuries thanks to its health benefits. From the roots of the plants of at least 18 months a remedy with hypotensive, antiarrhythmic and vasodilatory properties is obtained. Indian Serpentine is therefore used to treat anxiety, hypertension and insomnia. Its mechanism of action is well known and is based on an alkaloid present in the remedy, the reserpine, which acts on the nervous ...

Lesser Periwinkle, mother tincture

Demonstrated hypotensive action, improves blood supply to the brain, useful in case of memory loss and high blood pressure.

Lesser periwinkle, scientific name Vinca minor, also known as dwarf periwinkle or myrtle, is a plant of the Apocynaceae family characterized by beautiful small, blue-violet flowers. As a remedy, the periwinkle has a proven hypotensive effect (Quevauviller 1955) thanks to a substance, the vincamine, which is able to lower the blood pressure and induces peripheral vasodilation. Moreover, this substance contained in the plant also has the ability to promote the supply of oxygen to the brain and thu...

Sun

The sun stimulates the synthesis of vitamin D, the release of beta endorphins, the hormones of well-being, and that of nitric oxide, able to lower blood pressure.

In ancient Egypt the sun, represented by the god Ra, struggled every night against the snake god Apofi, the incarnation of chaos and darkness that wanted to prevent him from rising. Every night the priests prayed that Ra would win the fight and the sun would return to shine the next day and guarantee life, wellbeing and prosperity. Beyond the myth the central point is that the sun is essential to life, the sun in fact activates the chlorophyll photosynthesis of plants, which in this way take nou...

Beetroot

Vitamins, mineral salts and antioxidants, able to lower the blood pressure according to scientific studies, against anemia, anti-cancer, brings fiber that guarantee a sense of satiety and a control of cholesterol, against constipation and water retention.

Beetroot, also known as garden beet or red beet, scientific name Beta vulgaris, is a plant that belongs to the Chenopodiaceae family and is characterized by an edible root with interesting healthy and nutritional properties. Beetroot indeed, especially if you eat it raw, is very rich in folate, has mineral salts such as iron, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium, vitamins of groups B and C and water, very useful to counteract water retention. Thanks to these characteristics the beetroot ...

Pumpkin seeds

Vitamins and mineral salts, antioxidant properties proven by scientific studies that have also shown the beneficial effect on prostate health, anti-inflammatory properties, useful against cystitis, prevent the formation of stones in the urinary tract, thanks to the content in tryptophan are an aid on mood and against insomnia, able to keep blood sugar, pressure and cholesterol under control.

The pumpkin is the fruit of various plants belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. Besides its sweet and very healthy pulp, seeds can also be eaten. These oilseeds bring vitamins, E, group B and K, mineral salts, such as magnesium, beneficial for the proper functioning of the heart and blood pressure, selenium and zinc, a useful substance able to support the immune system, to fight infections and to facilitate healing. Pumpkin seeds are also the source of the important omega 3 fatty acids, useful...