Tag Archives: legume

This Breakfast Food Fights Heart Disease and Diabetes

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Here’s some health advice that shouldn’t be too hard to follow, as it involves eating a delicious breakfast food: whole-grain cereal. Why should you start your day by eating a bowl of cereal?

Whole grains contain a number of special ingredients that could help lower the risk for Continue reading →

Ecuadorian Research into Ancient Diets Unveils a New Super Food

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The contemporary American diet can greatly benefit from the innumerable centuries of experience that many cultures have in food science. Stretching back through generations of home cooking and healing, many of these dietary choices can claim tenure as part of a health positive diet. The successful proliferation of these ancient cultural groups stands as a testament to Continue reading →

Licorice as Treatment for Barrett’s Esophagus

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Licorice, or Glycyrrhiza glabra, is a legume and member of the Fabaceae, or pea family. It has been used for over 3,000 years to treat a variety of ailments. Currently, medical studies support the use of licorice for the treatment of inflamed intestinal tissues, but it does much more than just that. Not only is licorice an adaptogen and strong anti-viral, but it can also be used specifically in the treatment of Barrett’s esophagus.

Licorice contains Gylcyrrhizin, which is very biologically active. It has strong hypertensive properties and can bring blood pressure to dangerous highs. It also can act as antidiuretic, a mineralcoriticoid and can interact with drugs. When consumed, the body converts glycyrrhizin into glycyrrhetinic acid. The glycyrrhetinic acid has a pseudo-aldosterone effect in the body, causing the body to retain water and increase blood pressure. Because of this, most licorice used today is in the form of DGL or deglycyrrhizinated licorice, with the glycyrrhizin removed. This allows us to reap the benefits, without the danger of raising blood pressure. Studies have shown that DGL may increase mucous production and accelerate the healing of duodenal and gastric ulcers. It has also been proven effective in the treatment of chronic stomach discomfort and protect the stomach from NSAIDs (such as aspirin). Continue reading →

Alternative Food Sources that Bestow Availability, Nutrition and Other Uses

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Alternative food sources in a world of shrinking resources are those that offer a diverse profile in terms of availability, nutrition and other important uses. Some food plants grow well in marginal soil, offer high nutrition, and have medicinal uses that could make them high priority in years to come. Easy propagation, tolerance of diverse growing conditions, multiple uses of its products, and beneficial nutrition would be earmarks of life-saving food crops. Another food source already utilized in other countries is insects. An online search for nutritious foods yields results such as broccoli, kale, avocadoes, bee pollen and others equally well-known. While these all-stars undoubtedly have a place in the pantheon of nutritious foods, a few other candidates could nose them out.

Moringa oleifera, also known as horseradish or drumstick tree, is a miracle tree grown throughout the tropics that can nevertheless withstand frost and frozen soil. It propagates easily from stumps, seeds, direct sowing, cuttings or natural regeneration. It is drought-resistant and fast-growing.  Continue reading →