A new study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that certain polyphenols in wine are effective in protecting the teeth and gums against pathogenic bacteria. Polyphenols are a plant’s natural defense mechanism against infection, and researchers from Spain looked at two polyphenols from red wine and others from commercially available grape seed extract, and different red wine extracts.  Of the red wine compounds and extracts studied, two of the pure phenolic compounds found in the wine, caffeic and p-coumaric acids, were found to decrease harmful bacteria’s ability to adhere to the mouth.

What Do Polyphenols Do?

Polyphenols are plentiful phytochemicals with antioxidant properties found in a wide range of foods. More than 8,000 of these micronutrients have been identified, and those are divided into four categories; flavonoids, stilbenes, lignans, and phenolic acids. The two most effective compounds from this study are in the last category, caffeic acid and p-coumaric acid.

Related: Three Homemade Toothpaste Recipes – Better Oral Health for Less Cost

Caffeic acid is the more well-known of the two compounds and is most often ingested through coffee. It’s also in other beverages like wine, beer, and fruits juices and foods including cereal grains, dried fruit, berries, soy and olive oils, herbs and spices, walnuts, and certain vegetables. The compound’s antioxidant properties have been linked to improved athletic performance, decreased risk of diabetes and cancer, and wrinkle prevention, among other things.

The other compound shown to significantly inhibit the effect of harmful bacteria in the mouth, p-coumaric acid, has shown antibacterial activity before. According to a 2012 study, p-coumaric acid “has dual mechanisms of bactericidal activity: disrupting bacterial cell membranes and binding to bacterial genomic DNA to inhibit cellular functions, ultimately leading to cell death.” It can be found in a variety of berries and other foods like wine, vinegar, peanuts, navy beans, tomatoes, carrots, basil, honey, and garlic, among others.

Related: Heal Cavities, Gum Disease, Naturally with Organic Oral Care – Toothpaste Recipes Included

Foods with Polyphenols

This study focused on how compounds in red wine can help your teeth, which is odd when you consider that the most common red wine and teeth association has to do with stains. Despite its known health benefits, red wine is also not an obvious choice for healthy teeth for other reasons. Mouth health is directly related to gut health, and alcohol turns into simple sugars in the digestive system, feeding harmful pathogens like candida. Treat yourself to a glass of wine…once in a while, and take care of your teeth with the multitude of other polyphenol friendly foods.

Sources:

• Wine polyphenols could fend off bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease – ACS
• Inhibition of Oral Pathogens Adhesion to Human Gingival Fibroblasts by Wine Polyphenols Alone and in Combination with an Oral Probiotic – Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
• Polyphenols – What They Are, and Why You Need Them – Dr. Mercola
• Caffeic Acid – Healthline
• p-Coumaric acid kills bacteria through dual damage mechanisms – ScienceDirect

Curcumin, the chemical that gives turmeric its vivid yellow hue, produced significant improvements in mood, memory, and attention for people aged 50 to 90, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. Let’s face it – there’s a reason turmeric makes it onto every list of healthy foods ever. The director of geriatric psychiatry at UCLA’s Longevity Center and the study’s first author, Dr. Gary Small, says, “Exactly how curcumin exerts its effects is not certain, but it may be due to its ability to reduce brain inflammation, which has been linked to both Alzheimer’s disease and major depression…”

Related: Increase your IQ with the Right Foods, Herbs, Vitamins

Why Is Turmeric So Awesome?

Curcumin has a multitude of health benefits. The herb is a powerful anti-inflammatory, but it also detoxes the liver, reduces negative effects of iron overload, increases antioxidant capacity in the body, regenerates brain cells and improves cognitive function, lowers heart disease risk, reduces depression, and combats premature aging. Other studies have also found curcumin to be effective in treating cancer, targeting tumor cells while leaving normal cells alone.

Related: How to Optimize Curcumin Absorption – With Golden Milk Tea Recipe

Bioavailability Matters

Curcumin helps the liver, but that organ also keeps the body from absorbing too much of it. With turmeric, the method of delivery is more important than how much of it you take. Just taking a supplement is not as effective as it could be. Luckily, there are a few ways around that.

The easiest way to absorb more curcumin is to eat it with black pepper. An alkaloid in black pepper, piperine, keeps the body from dumping what it believes to be excess curcumin. A small amount of piperine can increase curcumin absorption by 2,000 percent or more. The combination is also ridiculously easy to find or make, especially in curry spice mixes. Piperine and Bioperine are also good things to look for in a curcumin supplement. Look for a product with them to give your body a better chance of absorbing beneficial nutrients.

Related: Turmeric and Diabetes

Also a smart play? Beneficial fats. Curcumin doesn’t dissolve properly without fat. That makes it less likely to be absorbed into the bloodstream and distributed throughout the body. Popular, healthy options include coconut oil, ghee, avocado, and olive oil (though not for cooking at high temperatures).

Worth It

Recommendations to consume curcumin are firmly rooted in science. New studies like this one are readily available and becoming more frequent. But for practical applications, there is nothing like taking a page from traditions.

Related: How To Use Turmeric To Kill Cancer

Turmeric and curry are staples of cuisine in India. It’s regularly consumed with pepper in spice mixes and ghee, a healthy fat that lowers the risk of heart disease. Perhaps it is no surprise that older people in India have lower levels of Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline.

Sources:

• Curcumin improves memory and mood, new study says – University of California
• How to Optimize Curcumin Absorption – With Golden Milk Tea Recipe – Organic Lifestyle Magazine
• Curcumin and Cancer Cells: How Many Ways Can Curry Kill Tumor Cells Selectively? – NCBI

Researchers in the United Kingdom have found that supermarket chickens have a higher proportion of Campylobacter bacteria than they did ten years ago. Drug-resistant Campylobacter is a major cause of concern for health officials, with more than 300,000 infections a year in the U.S. causing symptoms like diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, and temporary paralysis. The elevated levels of this pathogen in supermarket protein confirm what scientists and medical professionals have increasingly been saying – treating food animals for long periods with antibiotics intended for human use has caused a major health crisis.

Dangerous Practices

If we are unable to find an answer to antibiotic-resistant pathogens, the World Health Organization predicts that they will kill more people than cancer does by the year 2050. Even major pharmaceutical companies like GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer are beginning to recognize the severity of this issue, removing or adjusting sales incentives related to the sale of antibiotics. Yet British and European authorities still allow chickens to be treated with fluoroquinolone antibiotics, that have been restricted by the FDA for human use.

The Tipping Point

Pharmaceuticals have been slow to develop new antibiotics, and farmers continue to use medication intended for human use on their food animals. At some point, something will need to change. So what can you do right now?

The easiest and most obvious way to protect yourself is to avoid antibiotics, through what you consume and the medications you take. Conventionally raised meat and dairy are a key factor in the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and should be avoided.  While antibiotics may be necessary in some cases, they are prescribed far too often in the modern medical system. Fortifying your immune system decreases the likelihood of catching a bug that would need antibiotic treatment.

Sources:

• Chickens From British Supermarket Show Record Levels of Antibiotic Superbugs – Collective Evolution
• Biggest Threats – CDC.gov
• Be Warned: FDA Issues New Stronger Warnings About Risks of Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics – Collective Evolution
• Four companies move to decouple antibiotic sales volumes from sales agents’ bonuses – Access to Medicine Foundation

Genetically modified rice developed in China has passed safety inspections by the U.S. FDA, the first step for the rice to be exported to the U.S. The good news is that neither China nor the U.S. has approved the genetically modified rice for mass cultivation. The FDA’s letter says that the agency has reviewed the data submitted and has no further questions at this time.

[The letter] also reminds the developer that it is responsible for ensuring the safety of any food it puts on the market – thus absolving the FDA of all responsibility if anything should go wrong!” – GM Watch

Related: The Difference Between Heirlooms, Hybrids, and GMOs

The insect-resistant rice called “Huahui 1” passed FDA safety and nutrition inspections. The rice had previously passed safety inspections by the EPA regarding pesticide residue levels.

Having passed safety inspections by the FDA and EPA, Huahui 1 and its products are able to be exported to the US for consumption. It suggests safety evaluations by Chinese testing institutes of Huahui 1 have been fully recognized by institutes in the US.” – ChinaDaily

Related:  Scientists Against GMOs, Hear From Those Who Have Done the Research

The species is said to be able to resist destruction caused by insects such as larva, and can “greatly reduce the use of pesticides during production.” Huahui 1 was successfully bred by a university in China in 1998 and was awarded with a biosafety certificate by China’s Ministry of Agriculture in 2009, following safety evaluations that lasted for almost 10 years, according to the university.

Related: Understanding and Detoxifying Genetically Modified Foods

GM foods including this rice breed is not likely to win approval in China for large-scale production any time soon; the Chinese population has no interest in GMO foods. Researchers in the university are looking to the US for commercial use. China Daily also states,

China has the world’s most strict safety evaluation system for GM products, and all GM products that have passed inspections by the authorities in China are safe, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.”

Related: How to Avoid GMO Apples

Some of the best natural remedies take root thousands of years ago, and only today are making a huge comeback. No wonder, some of these can completely change if not save lives.

One of these remedies that is quickly growing in popularity is black seed oil, also known as black cumin oil, black caraway oil, Roman coriander oil, or black sesame oil.

The oil is derived from the Nigella sativa plant, a native to Asia. The plant’s small, black, crescent-looking seeds were used for centuries in India, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean. It was used to make the oil as early as 3,000 years ago in Egypt. The oil was even found in the famous Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tomb. It is also been said that Hippocrates, a Greek physician, used it for digestive issues.

Related Product:  Annatto Tocotrienols with Black Cumin Seed Oil • 60sg – Designs For Health

What’s so special about this oil? Over 630 scientific peer-reviewed studies have suggested that there is virtually no health issue that black seed oil cannot help defeat.

This is not surprising, looking at its long list of properties. Black seed oil is:

• Anti-bacterial
• Anti-fungal
• Antiviral
• Anti-inflammatory
• Antioxidant
• Analgesic
• Antispasmodic
• Insulin-sensitizing
• Anti-hypertensive
• Hypotensive

Black seed oil contains over 100 compounds! Its powerful medicinal properties come from arachidonic acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid, myristic acid, palmitoleic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, protein, calcium, phosphorous, folate, zinc, iron, copper, and vitamins B1, B2, B3.

But its best active compounds are crystalline nigellone and thymoquinone.

Must Read: Candida, Gut Flora, Allergies, and Disease

Black Seed Oil: Cures Everything Except Death!

It is said that the prophet Mohammad said that black cumin can cure everything but death itself. And it truly may be so! From heart disease and severe allergies to diabetes and cancer.

Reasons to Consume Black Seed Oil Regularly

Cancer prevention

Colon, lung, brain, prostate, pancreatic and multiple other cancers can be significantly reduced by using black cumin oil. A 2012 study found that thymoquinone has an anti-tumor effect and can be used to reduce the toxicity of chemotherapy. Other studies also suggested that it can protect the body from radiation, for those who are using conventional cancer therapies.

Black seed oil also helps prevent and treat cancer because of its many mechanisms: anti-metastasis (prevents spreading of secondary cancer), anti-proliferation (prevents spreading of cells), and anti-angiogenesis (prevents developing of new blood vessels, which feed and grow tumors).

Heart health

Because black seed is full of unsaturated omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids. In addition to providing phytosterols, they help you keep a healthy heart, healthy blood pressure, and healthy cholesterol — all of which are interconnected. Just consuming a teaspoon of black cumin oil every day will have these positive effects on the heart.

Weight Loss

Have you ever wished you lost cravings for junk food? Black cumin’s unique combination of compounds reduces appetite for unhealthy foods! Meanwhile, it also helps burn body fat. It may be one of the best natural anti-obesity remedies on the planet!

Hair and Skin

Back in ancient Egypt, Cleopatra is said to have used black seed oil for her long, beautiful hair to give it shine and luster. It also strengthens hair roots, giving it an incredible ability to restore hair loss, likely to its high antioxidant content. While promoting new hair growth, black seed oil clears out dandruff. Leaving it on the hair for 30-60 minutes is the best treatment for hair.

It successfully treats not only hair damage but also skin damage. From a simple hand cream for dryness to addressing hand eczema, this oil is popular to use on skin.

Immune System

Black cumin stimulates the increase of white blood cells in the body, which are responsible for fighting off disease. This boost of the immune system can be vital in treating a cold, flu, or even bronchitis and pneumonia.

Respiratory Problems

Having a hard time breathing? The respiratory tract is not doing well due to allergies or congestion? Black seed oil can reduce inflammation in the body and allow you to breathe freely again. For this health problem, it is better to take the oil as a preventative than as a medicine to treat an existing issue.

Coughing

Speaking of respiratory health, for a simple cough, just adding black cumin oil to ginger tea and a teaspoon of honey does wonders. It suppressed the need to cough and relaxes bronchial muscles, all while soothing a sore throat.

Rubbing black seed oil on the chest also helps open up and clear out the airways.

The third way to use it to relieve a cough is to add it to boiled water and breathe in the healing steam.

Recommended: Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases

Digestion

Hippocrates knew what he was doing when he used this remedy for digestion. Black cumin can aid healthy digestion, decrease bloating, relieve gas, and alleviate muscle cramps. It also has a soothing effect on the whole intestines, which can provide real relief for those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome.

Anxiety and depression

Black cumin seeds can stabilize the mood, and by doing so decrease anxiety and lift depression.

Related: Sugar Leads to Depression – World’s First Trial Proves Gut and Brain are Linked (Protocol Included)

Other uses:

• Acne
• Allergies and sinus infections
• Arthritis and joint pain
• Asthma and cholesterol
• Bacterial infections and the flu
• Blood sugar
• Boils and carbuncles
• Breast pain
• Bruising and scars
• Colic
• Diabetes
• Diarrhea
• Epilepsy
• Fertility issues and low testosterone
• Fever
• Fungal infections
• Gum disease
• Headaches and migraines
• Heartburn and constipation
• Hemorrhoids and gallstones
• Hypertension
• Infections and nasal congestion
• Insect Bites
• Insomnia
• Kidney stones and Liver Health
• Lactation issues
• Lead poisoning
• Memory problems
• Menstrual pain
• Moles
• Muscle spasms and cramps
• Nausea and upset stomach
• Nosebleeds
• Opioid addiction
• Osteoporosis
• Pain
• Parasites
• Pink eye and earaches
• Psoriasis
• Toothaches
• Vision problems
• Ulcers

Most of these are thanks to thymoquinone — heals anything but death!

NOTE: black cumin oil should NOT be taken by pregnant women as it can trigger a miscarriage; or by those with diabetes as it can lower blood sugar. Taking too much of this oil can be problematic for people who have liver and kidney problems. For anyone, do not take more than one teaspoon of this oil twice a day.

Easiest Ways to Take Black Seed Oil

Many holistic doctors agree that one teaspoon of black seed oil a day is the perfect amount to take to receive all of its health benefits (1 tsp for a 150-pound person). Because it can be too bitter for some people prefer to mix it with honey for taste and to add extra medicinal properties.

Related Product: Organic Black Seed Oil

The best time to take the oil is first thing in the morning. By itself, with honey, or mixed with a small amount of water on an empty stomach, black seed oil will kick-start your metabolism.

The oil can also be used in cooking. It is not the kind to use for fried foods, but rather as a dressing.

Cooking with it can also be a great way to incorporate it into the diet. You can add it to bread or bagels, soups or stir-fries, and mix it into seasonings such as mustard.

Finally, black seed oil also has great cosmetic uses. It can be used on the skin as a moisturizer, an exfoliator, or a face mask; or added to shampoo for split hair prevention and a healthy scalp.

Sources:

• Scientific studies on Nigella sativa — U.S. National Library of Medicine
• Black Cumin Seed Oil Benefits: The Seed You Need — Activation Products
• 7 Proven Black Seed Oil Benefits — Dr. Josh Axe

More people want to consume meat in a more humane or ethical way, and grass-fed beef has been a large part of that equation. The grass-fed beef market is on the verge of a crisis though, as the levels of protein in the grass for grazing have decreased by 20 percent over the last twenty-five years. Jonah Ventures of Boulder, CO analyzed 50,000 cow pies from Texas and found that the nutritional content of the grass is down, leading to smaller cattle. According to Joe Craine, the co-owner and a researcher at Jonah Ventures, “If we were still back at the forage quality that we would’ve had 25 years ago, no less 100 years ago, our animals would be gaining a lot more weight…”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmKhFDYLDWw

Two Likely Reasons

Researchers haven’t pinpointed the exact reason for the declining nutritional content of grass, but there are two likely suspects. Grass-fed, grain-finished cattle are moved from the prairie to a feedlot for the last 90 to 160 days of their lives. This move takes away cow pies, the best means of returning valuable nutrients back to the soil.

Another reason for the decline of nutritious? The increasing amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is causing plants to grow larger, more quickly with the same nutrient content. According to Irakli Loladze, a mathematician studying the effect of CO2 on pants for 15 years, “Every leaf and every grass blade on earth makes more and more sugars as CO2 levels keep rising…We are witnessing the greatest injection of carbohydrates into the biosphere in human history―[an] injection that dilutes other nutrients in our food supply.”

It All Begins With Food

There aren’t many people talking about what happens when our food is no longer able to sustain us. As many beef farmers are now finding out, that time is fast approaching. It doesn’t really matter why the grass is no longer as nutritious. The most important thing here is that it’s happening to the cows, and it will happen to us.

Recommended Reading:

• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet
• How to Make the Healthiest Smoothies – 4 Recipes
• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones

Source:

• Soaring Popularity Of Grass-Fed Beef May Hit Roadblock: Less Nutritious Grass – NPR
• Grass-fed beef is threatened by nutritionally-deficient grass – TreeHugger
• Climate Change Causing Less Nutrition, More Sugar In Our food – Organic Lifestyle Magazine
• A Look At The Grain-Finished Vs. Grass-Finished Beef Debate – Grill Beast

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and their egg supplier are currently facing a federal lawsuit for misleading consumers by selling organic eggs with packaging that claimed the birds had access to the outdoors. The lawsuit alleges that Cal-Maine Foods Inc., the megastores’ supplier and also the largest egg producer in the country, defined outdoor access as an enclosed structure with screens allowing outdoor air. Wal-Mart has not reviewed the allegations, but according to spokesman Randy Hargrove, “We hold our suppliers to high standards and are committed to providing our customers the quality products they expect.”

Animal Welfare Standards and Consumer Demands

It’s difficult to determine if this lawsuit will go anywhere, especially in light of the USDA’s recent rejection of more humane animal welfare standards. The Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices, intended to allow natural behaviors and reduce stress, was permanently shuttered half a year before it could go into effect. Wal-Mart and Cal-Maine Foods Inc could argue that it has met organic standards as they currently are in an attempt to justify the higher price. The companies would likely win

Where is the consumer in all of this? Demands for verifiably organic, humane, and high-quality products are skyrocketing, making organic foods the largest growing food market. A business like Wal-mart would be crazy not to take advantage of that, but millennials value integrity and the allegations in this lawsuit make it clear that could be an issue for the retail giant. The lawsuit says “Consumers paying more for these eggs have been deceived…The theoretical ability to view the outdoors is not the same as having access to it.”

We Want to Know

As a consumer, how does this make you feel? Do you stop purchasing eggs from Wal-Mart? From Cal-Maine Foods Inc? Is that even possible? Cal-Maine Foods Inc, a company who markets its brands, Egg-Land’s Best, Land O’ Lakes, Farmhouse, and 4-Grain, to a quarter of the population through megastores Wal-Mart and Publix?

How do we eat healthy food in an ethical way within our current food system?

Recommended Reading:

• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet
• How to Make the Healthiest Smoothies – 4 Recipes
• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones

Source:

• U.S. lawsuit says Wal-Mart deceived buyers of organic eggs – Reuters
• Years in the Making, Organic Animal Welfare Rules Killed by Trump’s USDA – Civil Eats
• Cal-Maine Foods pursuing more acquisitions – wattagnet.com