Tag: Cancer

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Food & Health

Are There Any Health Benefits To Eating Bone Marrow?

Health Benefits To Eating Bone Marrow
Photo: 303magazine.com

Bone marrow is the soft mushy stuff we find inside bones when we break them open. It is something some people in many parts of the world would not leave untouched after eating the meat attached to the bone.

In this part of the world, many would use their pre-molars and molars to crack open bones to get access to the bone marrow. Many people suck out bone marrow not because they think it has health benefits but just to get the taste of it.

Health Benefits To Eating Bone Marrow
Photo: 303magazine.com

While it is easier to crack the bones of poultry (chicken, turkey, etc.), it could be quite herculean to do the same for bones of animals like cow, sheep and goats. As hard as the bones of such animals can be, some people would stop at nothing to the marrow. However, the question poses itself, is it really worth the trouble?

ALSO SEE: Every Animal Meat Is Not Beef! See All Their Names

So, Are There Any Health Benefits To Eating Bone Marrow?

We asked in the last paragraph — is the trouble of cracking bones to eat the bone marrow really worth the trouble? Well, I think I would say yes. But cracking with your teeth? I wouldn’t be so sure. Below are the benefits you derive from eating bone marrow;

Bone Marrow Helps Build Immunity Against Diseases

For me, one of the most important benefits of eating bone marrow. Immunity to diseases is really a great blessing and something we strive to achieve every day. Bone marrow contains myeloid and lymphoid stem cells. The foundations for red and white blood cells, these cells build immunity and help provide oxygen to cells.

Blood Clotting & Healing of Wounds

Bone marrow assists in blood clotting. It contains Collagen, the protein-rich substance which when subjected to heat, cooks down to gelatin. This can also help repair the body.

ALSO SEE: Foods that help heal wounds fast!

Cindy Micleu, instructor at the Jade Institute complementary healing center says, Collagen deficiency can lead to poor wound healing, easy bruising and bleeding gums. Collagen in bone marrow can help the body rebuild itself.

Using Bone Marrow For Fighting Cancer

Dr. Astrid Brohult, a Swedish oncologist conducted extensive research on the administration of calves’ marrow to children with leukemia. In the initial stage of her test, she was hoping it would replenish white blood cells destroyed by radiation therapy.

Some of the children administered the bone marrow improved immediately with many experiencing increased energy and white blood cell normalization. After her extensive research, Dr. Astrid Brohult eventually isolated a group of compounds that are known as alkylglycerols (AKGs) in the calves’ marrow. She discovered they were the reason for the important process of normalizing white blood cell production.

Bone marrow contains conjugated linoleic acid which is known as a potent cancer inhibitor.

A Good Source of Essential Fatty Acid

Bone marrow is a good source of essential fatty acids. Thinking that bone marrow contains a high percentage of fat — about 96 percent. One would normally ask about the composition of the fat. What kind of fats are contained in the marrow? Ones with healthy fatty acids?

Bone marrow contains less amount of polyunsaturated fat. Bone marrow is a great source of omega-3 fatty acid which is essential for the proper functioning of the brain. Bone marrow is also a good source of glycine. Glycine is an amino used to make and repair other proteins in the body.

With all these said, one could conclude that cracking bones open and eating the bone marrow isn’t a bad idea after all.

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Food & Nutrition

Red, White, Yellow Onion: Which Has Most Health Benefits?

onion with different colours and health benefits

Many people like to just eat onions and blend onion with various foods without knowing their attributes, nutritional composition and which one gives the most health benefits. Many think these onions only differ in colour and taste – but no, they are different in terms of the health benefits and other beneficial compounds they provide.

onion with different colours and health benefits

These onion types are all powerful superfoods that come with anti-carcinogenic, antiviral, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties. All these are beneficial to our body but which one has the most in terms of these benefits.

All these types of onion have been found to be low on the glycemic index (how much sugar they add to our blood), with a rating of 10. They provide about 10 percent of the daily value for vitamin C and the same amount of calcium per serving.

Differences in Health & Nutritional Benefits of Red, White & Yellow Onions

The red onion has about 2 grams of fiber per 100-gram serving. This is slightly a better source of fiber when compared to the white onion which contains about 1.2 grams of fiber in the same serving. Both are not particularly high sources of fiber.

Difference In Antioxidant Properties

From the colour of the red onion, it is easier to predict that they contain higher amount of flavonols. These compounds called flavonols have antioxidant properties. Red onions contain 415 to 1917 mg of flavonols compared to yellow ones, which only contain 270 to 1187 mg.

Red onions have higher flavonols, than yellow onions, which in turn have higher flavonols that white onions. The flavonols are more concentrated in the outer and redder layer of the onion. Therefore, when you peel your onion, don’t do so deep into the outer red layer of the onion.

Another important compound present in red onions is quercetin – a polyphenol compound. It helps in getting rid of free radicals. This compound is present in white onions too, but a lot more in the red type.

Difference In How They Help Fight Cancer

Since the red onions have higher level of antioxidants in them than the white and yellow types, they (the red onions) provide higher protection against cancer.

As mentioned earlier in this article, red onions contain higher level of quercetin. This quercetin, with allicin in red onions has been shown to reduce inflammation and be beneficial for both the prevention and treatment of cancer.

A particular study has shown that the risk of stomach cancer was reduced by 50% when half an onion was eaten daily. Other studies have also shown that eating onions reduces the risk of stomach, colorectal, oral, laryngeal, esophageal and ovarian cancer.

Final verdict on choosing onions…

As has been said earlier, don’t over-peel onions. This way, you get the best nutritional and health benefits from them. Most of these compounds that give these health benefits are more concentrated in the outer layers of onion.

According to a particular study, peeling the first two layers of the onion removes 75% of the antioxidant anthocyanins. So, you might want to simmer down on cutting those outer layers of your onions.

ALSO SEE: Working Tips For Cutting Onions Without Crying!

Categories
Food & Body Food & Nutrition

Top Five Reasons To Consume Watermelon More

watermelon

In the past few months, the city of Lagos and its neighbouring communities had been unprecedentedly bombarded with trucks of watermelon like never before. I presume many more people are beginning to go the healthy way especially considering the many illnesses and diseases that stare us in the face daily.

watermelon

In recent times, I have not been an avid consumer of watermelon due to my love for golden melon but the truth about this thirst-quenching fruits has to be told. Watermelon has so many nutritional and health benefits but these five under-listed are the five topmost reasons to consume watermelon fruits.

FIGHTS CANCER:

Although, scientists are still digging deep to make a conclusion on this claim but many of the previous tests and researches conducted indicated that the fruit which is amongst the best sources of antioxidant lycophene has the ability to fight cancer cells. This powerful lycophene has been linked to reduce the risk of prostate, breast, lung, uterus and colon cancer.

AIDS WEIGHT LOSS AND HYDRATES THE BODY:

Weight loss difficulty is faced by many overweights and obese. A good plan to include watermelon which usually contains more than 90% of water into your daily diet might be helpful. It will fill you up quickly while supplying very low amount of calorie.

Also, with the high amount of water and electrolytes; the occurrence of headaches, dryness and other conditions which result due to dehydration would become a thing of the past

BOOSTS IMMUNE SYSTEM:

Watermelon is loaded with vitamin C; an effective immune booster. Vitamin C strengthens your immune system and protects your body against free radicals and oxidative stress. It has also been quite effective in making wounds and injuries heal faster.

A good daily consumption of watermelon will prevent your skin from conditions like acne and thereby making your skin glow bright.

LOWERS BLOOD SUGAR:

Many diabetics crave for sugar but due to their condition, they cannot indulge in foods that will spike their sugar level. Watermelon, although sweet in taste, contains very low amount of sugar that is will not raise sugar level.

A plate of the diced fruit fills the belly while supplying small quantity of calorie which directly reduces the chances of high blood sugar.

LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE:

Usually there is need for a balance between sodium and potassium levels in the body for a proper blood pressure. There are records of good amount of potassium and magnesium in this fruit that is very beneficial in terms of bringing down blood pressure.

If you do have people suffering from this condition, watermelon might just be helpful.

ALSO SEE:  Foods That Keep Your Heart Healthy & Functioning Properly

Categories
Food Safety

Canned Foods Causing Cancer; The Real Truth Behind It

Do canned foods cause cancer? Are they truly dangerous for consumption? Is it possible one falls ill after eating canned foods? These are some of the questions that have been put to me by people who know I studied Food Science and Technology in School. I have always given them the same answer; this same answer is what I am going to give here. A classmate of mine asked this question in class and the professor in charge that day explained so many things to us about the relationship between canned foods and cancer.

Why Do People Think They Could Have Cancer By Eating Canned Foods?

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical which has been in use for years in clear plastic bottles and food-can liners. Some studies have linked Bisphenol A to reproductive abnormalities and a heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, and heart disease. This is why people get so scared when they are offered canned food.

Food Cans

This chemical, also called BPA was also found to cause actions in the body like those caused by the body’s own sex hormones e.g. Oestrogen. This coupled with the revelation that BPA used in lining of food cans could lead to the development of breast and prostate cancers have made people the world over scared of consuming canned foods.

“We should not set a place for bisphenol A at the dinner table,” Elizabeth Hitchcock, a public health advocate for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, said at a news conference on Capitol Hill.

But Is There A Chance of Getting Cancer From Canned Foods?

First of all, let me inform you that before chemicals are approved to be used in food or food packages, they usually go through serious years of testing on experimental animals. The results from these animals are then evaluated and acceptable daily intake of the chemicals are determined. It is always taken into consideration that our body mass and some other factors are different from those of the experimental animals before making this informed decisions.

The limits that are prescribed are also always way way below that level that showed no observable adverse effect on experimental animals. These animals usually have similar body system as humans.

COMING SOON: Danger of Deadly Botulism In Canned Foods

Now, back to our question, I can inform you that recent research has shown that the level of BPA being used in industries today do not pose any risk of cancer in humans. This has been established over the years but serious concerns over the risk of developing cancer from consumption of canned foods came up again between 2008 and 2010.

This prompted many researchers to go back to the laboratory to study the adverse effects of this chemical on animals again.

Not long ago, the United States Government officials reported in a study that the chemical had no effect on rats fed thousands of times the amount a typical person ingests. This finding was reported in the journal of Toxicological Sciences. This result bolster results from previous researches that told us BPA at levels found in food cans would not lead to development of cancer.

This recent research published in the Toxicological Sciences journal both support and extend the conclusion from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that BPA is safe as currently used.

So, you can continue to enjoy your canned food as it has been established that the BPA in the can of your food isn’t so bad after all.

ALSO READ: What Are The Dangers Associated With Consumption Of Microwaved Foods?