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It's Nice-AND YET it's good for you!
We all know the old saying - 'it's either illegal, immoral or
it's not good for you'! Well, here's a change. Research is increasingly
finding things we enjoy which are also good for men's health
- and women's of course.
Let's start with chocolate. It IS good for you, if you have
heart problems. Mind you - remember it won't be good if you
eat too much of it.
These were some of the findings presented to a special chocolate
symposium at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions
2002.
According to Carl L. Keen, PhD, professor and chair, department
of nutrition, University of California at Davis it is the flavonol
constituent of chocolate which has attracted the attention of
heart researchers. And it appears that the cacao bean is "among
the most potent sources of flavonol."
A Bordeaux professor has for some time proclaimed the wonders
of Bodeaux's famous vintages- because they too are rich in flavonols.
Same goes for grape juice -which is hardly surprising because
there's no wine without grapes.
Generally dark chocolates are more likely to be higher in flavonols
and European consumers have the edge for once over the USA because
their chocolates usually have higher flavonol content than American-made
chocolates.
But it's also said that all good things come in small packages.
That's true not least of chocolate -and wine. Both are easy
to consume in quantities - but then the health advantages are
lost - and indeed problems start. Keep consumption small. Then
you can enjoy something while it's doing you good!
The other great food constituent which is good for your heart
-and also your prostate- is Lycopene. And here the big advantage
is the more you stuff down, the better. The major source of
lycopene is cooked tomatoes. In recent years intensive research
has conclusively demonstrated the high value of lycopene in
aiding the heart, and the prostate -and indeed the body in general.
Natural substances within fruits, vegetables, grains and beans
called phytochemicals seem to fight cancer at all stages of
its development. Lycopene is only one such substance, but for
the heart and prostate it is one of the most important. Lycopene
also falls under the heading of a member of the carotenoid family.
These are antioxidants in our cells, helping to reduce the damage
caused by wear and tear. Lycopene works particularly well for
the prostate. It has roughly twice the power of Beta-Carotene
and 10 times the strength of Vitamin E, when it comes to protecting
and healing bodies from the damage of free radicals. Free radicals
are now considered to be one of the main causes of disease and
ageing. In a process known as oxidation, they accelerate the
break-down of a cell's structure, damaging the DNA, and weakening
the immune system.
The first clear evidence of lycopene's value in prostate cancer
prevention was presented to the American Institute for Cancer
Research in 1999. David Heber, M.D., Ph.D. He showed that lycopene
levels in prostate cancer patients was dramatically increased
by supplementing the diet with processed tomato products. "Processed
tomato products should be considered an important part of a
plant-based diet," said Dr. Huber. In a world sometimes made
gloomy with talk of the inevitability of cancer in older people
his conclusion was almost startling: "We know now that cancer
is the result of gene-nutrient interaction. It's important that
people realise they are not ticking time-bombs," he said. "Cancer
is preventable."
The value of lycopene has been confirmed more recently in 20002
in research by Dr. Edward Giovannucci of Brigham and Women's
Hospital and Harvard Medical School? They found that, of the
50,000 healthy males studied, those who ate at least 10 servings
of tomatoes or tomato-based foods per week were 33% less likely
to develop prostate cancer than those who never ate them. Even
those who only ate tomato-based products once a week had a 23%
less chance of developing prostate cancer. The significance
of these figures needs no emphasis.
Cooked rather than fresh tomatoes are the best source of lycopene.
So go for it! Tomato sauce, which is cooked, is one of the best
products. But if you like tomato soup, fish in tomato sauce,
tomato sauce topped pizzas, -eat up, they're good for you! And
lycopene is just one of the ingredients in our powerful blended
supplement for prostate treatment 'Prostate Plus',
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