Fight Night Blindness, Boost Eye And Vascular Health With Bilberry

Weakness of blood vessels is often seen during the aging process when blood vessels become fragile. Dark bilberry fruit has been shown to reduce blood vessel permeability, improve capillary resistance, and provide antioxidant properties, to scavenge free radicals. One way to fight the aging process of the body is to promote health in the vascular system by eating nourishing foods, exercising, and learning how to handle stress. Evidence shows that eating five servings or more a day of fruit and vegetables can reduce the risk of heart disease, cataracts, and some other disorders that related to blood vessel health. The dark pigment in fruits and vegetables has many health advantages. A lot of people think that the only way to improve blood vessel health is to reduce blood cholesterol, minimizing the risk of a heart attack. That is an essential goal, but blood vessels should also have strength and integrity to maintain their health in order to carry nutrients and oxygen through the body to feed the tissues. As we age, eye function begins to diminish and causes a lot of people to fear that they are losing their eyesight. The blood vessels decline in function, but there are other factors such as the reduction of arrestin and rhodopsin. Arrestin is a protein while rhodopsin is the light sensitive pigment that can be found in the retina. The dark pigment of fruits and vegetables is extremely important to blood vessels and the health of the structures and proteins of the eyes. Brilliant colored fruits and vegetables may prevent strokes, heart disease, and help long-term vision because they improve integrity of blood vessels. Bilberry fruit has been studied for over 40 years for its supportive effects on blood vessel health, blood circulation, and lymph flow. Blood vessels in the brain, heart, eyes, stomach, veins in the legs, and actually anywhere in the body have the potential to leak. In many regions bilberry extract has been used to support individuals with microcirculatory disorders including varicose veins, atherosclerosis, and degenerative retinal conditions including macular degeneration and cataracts. Diabetes, atherosclerosis, poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, excess alcohol and an inability to handle stress can all contribute to blood vessel disorders and cause the capillary’s membrane to thicken, therefore, increasing capillary permeability causing edema and leaking of fluid. During the aging process, oxidative damage occurs by free radicals in the eyes, which then causes a loss in the transparency of the lens. Symptoms that occur because of this are blurred vision, increased sensitivity to glare, reduced visual acuity, color perception, and light sensitivity. When the eye structure begins to break down, vision impairment and cataract formation result. Bilberry extract has been shown to improve vision and twilight vision, helping the retina adapt to darkness and glare. With aging, a gradual degenerative process is experienced which is caused by free radical damage to our body’s genetic material, cell membranes, and tissues. Free radicals attack blood vessel endothelial cells, and they begin to rupture. Antioxidants help to prevent AMD and reduce the damage of the retina’s photo receptors. In summary, blood vessel health is an important part of age management. By improving diet, managing stress, exercising, and supplementing with bilberry extract, one can promote the health of blood vessels throughout the body, and therefore, support the eyes.

Calcium for Beautiful and Healthy Body

Calcium is an essential mineral with a wide range of biological roles and is arguably one of the most important minerals you should take in order to maintain good health. So make it a point to drink milk regularly and also consume other calcium rich foods, so as to promote your health fitness.Calcium is the mineral most likely to be deficient in the average diet. About 99 percent of the calcium in the human body is held in the bones and teeth. A greater percentage of elemental calcium means that fewer tablets are needed to achieve the desired calcium intake. The remaining 1 percent of calcium circulates in the bloodstream, where it performs a variety of important functions.Women who suffer from PMS appear to have elevated levels of these hormones during their menstrual cycle. Calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) have become the “Gold Standard” when discussing supplements, mineral ratios, paired cell receptors, or many nutrition-related health issues in general. A coral calcium deficiency can lead to the following problems: aching joints, brittle nails, eczema, elevated blood cholesterol, heart palpitations, hypertension. The best sources for calcium intake are low fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables.How calcium is advantageous for the health? It helps to contract muscles and helps regulate the contractions of the heart. Calcium supplementation has shown to be helpful in protecting against precancerous changes in the colon. To do regular weight-bearing exercise to maximize bone strength and bone density to help prevent osteoporosis later in life. Aids in the functioning of various enzymes within the body. Coral calcium is vital for the formation of strong bones and teeth and for the maintenance of healthy gums. This is helpful for the for blood coagulation, nerve function, production of energy, the beating of the heart, proper immune function and muscle contraction. High calcium levels interfere with Vitamin D and subsequently inhibit the vitamin’s cancer-protectiveeffect unless extra amounts of Vitamin D are supplemented.This ishelpful for the crucial role in the transformation of lightto electrical impulses in the retina. The steroids and aniticonvulsants (anti-siezure drugs), interfer with bone metabolism and taking a supplemental calcium will help with that.Calcium protects your heart - If you’re low on calcium, researchers say, you’re more likely to have high blood pressure. Your body releases the hormone calcitriol in response to a calcium shortage, and calcitriol acts on the smooth muscle walls of your arteries, constricting them and elevating your blood pressure. A small quntity of calcium is always carried in the blood stream in which it helps to prevent haemorrhages.

If you’re worried about lowering your cholesterol level you’re not alone. Changing your diet to lower cholesterol is usually the first step in cholesterol maintenance, before medicines are added. People who have high cholesterol may be able to lower their cholesterol levels with these simple lifestyle changes:

Step 5) The School of Medicine at Stanford University did a study consisting of 377 men and post-menopausal women, with high cholesterol. First they put them on a low-fat diet, and then had half of them to do aerobic exercise, and the other half did no form of exercise at all.

After one year, the exercising group had significantly reduced their cholesterol levels – while the sedentary group showed no such reduction in their cholesterol. So the 5th step is to add aerobic exercise to your lifestyle.

Step 4) Did you know that the average person makes about 75% of their blood cholesterol in their own liver, while only about 25% is absorbed from food. So you should be able to further reduce your cholesterol with dietary changes.

A low-fat diet with no trans-fats will lower your cholesterol anywhere from 8% to 20%. There are several very good low-fat diets – the Dash Diet, Mediterranean Diet, the South Beach Diet, Ultra metabolism Diet, and Weight Watchers Diet are all great diets to reduce your fat and trans-fat intake. All of these diets have either online programs or manuals and books to provide step-by-step instructions and menu plans. So your 4th step is to add a reduced fat diet.

Step 3) One of the reasons your body produces Cholesterol is a self preservation tactic. Your arteries develop cracks and stress fractures as a natural occurrence. Your body must patch these cracks and fractures or you will bleed to death.

The substance of choice for your body to use is Collagen. However, if the raw ingredients needed aren’t present in sufficient quantities to produce this miraculous elixir, cholesterol can also be used instead.

So to keep your collagen production at its peak, rather than giving your liver a reason to produce additional cholesterol, give your body plenty of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Your 3rd step is to add vitamin C (ascorbic acid) to your diet.

Step 2) 60 recent heart bypass surgery patients were divided into groups. The first group had no dietary restrictions, while the second and third group had one white or one red grapefruit each day.

The second and third group had significantly lowered cholesterol levels while the no grapefruit group showed no reduction. But the red grapefruit group also had a reduction in their triglycerides. So step 2 is “Eat Red Grapefruit”, which will incidentally help with step 3 as well.

Step 1) A study of 14,600 men and women ages 45 to 75, recently showed the participants’ total cholesterol declined as their number of meals per day increased. Those who ate five or six times a day had the lowest total cholesterol, on average approximately 5% lower, while the highest measurements were found among those who ate only one or two meals a day. So your number 1 step, and incidentally the easiest, is to eat five or six small meals a day, rather than one or two large ones.

If you find a diet to lower cholesterol and follow these 5 steps, you should have your cholesterol to healthy levels as quickly as possible.

About the author: B.J. Gordey is the owner of Top10-diets.com. Are you looking for a diet to lower cholesterol and ways to add a low cholesterol diet to your lifestyle. You can learn a lot more about how a diet that works can help you at Top10-Diets.com.

What is Fiber Exactly?

Fiber often has been called roughage, as it technically is a food component that is undigested and processed through the gastrointestinal tract. Since it readily absorbs water, it helps to add to the bulk that is required in order to form a good bowel movement. Fiber is often described as a complex carbohydrate, which consists of the polysaccharide and lignin substance that often gives structure to the cell of a plant and is the portion of plant food that is not digested. Fiber which is insoluble has the capability of passing through the intestines intact and unchanged. Unlike fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, fiber does not give the body nutrients or fuel for energy, and has no caloric value. Dietary fiber can only be found in plant components including vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Primarily, there are only two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble, with some foods containing both types. Soluble fiber is eventually digested in the large intestine, causing it to have limited bulking power. Soluble fibers dissolve in water and have often been linked to helping prevent blood sugar highs and lows, helping to lower blood cholesterol, lowering the risk of heart disease, helping to control high blood pressure, and encouraging friendly bacteria growth. Soluble fiber can be found in pectin, lignin, gums, mucilages, and other sources such as psyllium, beans, apples, pears, and oat bran. Soluble fiber doesn’t usually seem like fiber. It is digestible and, when broken down, it creates a gel as it absorbs water in the intestinal tract. It does not bulk the stool to the extent of insoluble fiber, but it does slow down the rate at which food is digested. Soluble fiber is found in vegetables, particularly onions, bulbs, leeks, and asparagus, and also fruits, including dried varieties. Insoluble fiber remains undigested for the most part and promotes a faster stool transit time. Insoluble fiber can keep the bowel clean and operative and also help to bind dangerous toxins and hormones in order to promote better excretion. Insoluble fiber also fosters regularity in the body, contributes to better digestion, prevents constipation, and helps to lower the risk of bowel disease. Insoluble fiber is primarily composed of cellulose and hemicelulose. Cellulose is a non-digestible form of fiber, found in outer portions of vegetables and fruits. Bran or seed covering of whole grains is another type of insoluble fiber. Hemicellulose fibers remain unchanged and absorb water as they travel the digestive tract. They increase stool bulk and transit time, preventing constipation and conditions like hemorrhoids. Stalks, stems, peels, and fruit and vegetable skins are all made up of insoluble fiber. However, the insoluble fiber content of fruits is actually found in its flesh and stringy membranes, rather than its peelings. The average person needs a good variety of foods that contribute to at least 35 grams of dietary fiber in our diet daily. Most foods contain both types of fiber, but the ones that are most fiber rich are not usually the ones that we commonly eat. Whole grain cereal, raw fruits and vegetables, split peas, beans, lentils, millet, and barley are the best sources of fiber. Unfortunately, statistics have shown that most of us only get 9 grams of fiber each day, if we are lucky. Finally, fiber has the ability to increase fecal bulk by retaining water, decrease stool transit time, keep blood sugar levels more stable, lower blood serum and liver cholesterol, help prevent weight gain by slowing the rate of digestion and absorption and controlling hunger, expediting the removal of dangerous toxins, binding with bile salts to help decrease the risk of gallbladder disease and certain types of cancer, and creating the presence of healthier intestinal bacteria.

Cholesterol In Young Adult

Parts of adolescent’s body are filled with a waxy stuff identified as cholesterol. It helps to produce vitamin D, cell membranes and certain hormones. Blood cholesterol comes from two different sources, liver within the body and food. The adolescent’s liver produces enough cholesterol to carry out proper functioning. The blood acts as the carrier of cholesterol and transports it to different parts of the body. They are transported in round particle form known as lipoproteins. There are two types of lipoproteins called the low density lipoproteins or LDL and high density lipoproteins or HDL. Low density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol is commonly known as bad cholesterol. It helps in the building up of plaque in arteries and this condition is known as atherosclerosis. The LDL level must be low in the blood and if it is high it must be decreased. Healthy weight must be maintained and exercise should be done regularly. Food items which have high contents of calories, dietary cholesterol and saturated fat must be avoided. High density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol is the good cholesterol. It is actually a kind of fat in blood which helps to remove bad cholesterol from the body and stops the build up of plaque in the arteries. The more the HDL cholesterol in the blood the better it is. The HDL can be raised by at least twenty minutes of exercising daily, decreasing body mass and keeping away from food with saturated fat. Some adolescents need to take medications in order to increase HDL. In such cases, increasing HDL can be a complicated procedure and the physician can make a therapeutic plan to increase HDL in the blood stream. Cholesterol screening helps to determine the cholesterol and fat levels in the blood. Children and adolescents with normal cholesterol level is a thing of the past. Because of the changing lifestyle and junk food trend, even they have a high risk to develop high levels of cholesterol which also increases the risk of developing heart diseases which can affect the blood vessels and the coronary arteries. The main cause of this change is obesity, junk food high in fat, fast food diets, sedentary lifestyle and high cholesterol level in family history. Keeping the blood cholesterol levels at normal is a good way of avoiding high blood pressure and coronary artery diseases. The blood cholesterol level can vary from individual to individual. Healthy levels of LDL is less than one hundred and thirty milligrams, HDL is greater than thirty five milligrams. If the HDL is less than thirty five milligrams then the adolescent is at a higher risk of developing heart diseases. And LDL more than one hundred and thirty milligrams is dangerous. But a high level of LDL cholesterol is a problem in many citizens of America. And there is an expected increase in number, the figure is unknown, of adolescents who have a family history of high cholesterol levels. An adolescent or a child who has a parent having high levels of blood cholesterol and family history of heart diseases at an early age, should take cholesterol test from the age of two. Adolescents who are obese also should have lipid test along with cholesterol test. The lipid test shows levels of kinds of fats in blood such as triglycerides, LDL and HDL.

How to Get Rid of %26quot;Bad%26quot; Cholesterol

An elevated level of serum (blood) cholesterol is one of the major risk factors of heart disease, though by no means the only one. It is recommended for cholesterol levels to be kept under 200 mg/dl. There are certain measures you can take to do this. How can high cholesterol be prevented and treated naturally? Strict adherence to dietary and nutritional requirements can treat high cholesterol. Health care practitioners and natural treatment specialists can give you advice about this kind of preventative treatment.Though high cholesterol levels are related to heart disease, low levels of cholesterol are not a guarantee of heart health, and those with low cholesterol can suffer from heart attacks. It is important to think of all the other factors that come into play with heart health, and not just high cholesterol. Also, a natural treatment for high cholesterol can help you to avoid negative outcomes.High cholesterol treatmentCholesterol measurements include measure of both “good” (HDL) and “bad” (LDL) cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is linked directly to heart disease, while HDL cholesterol is protective. Though saturated fat has been found to be related to serum cholesterol levels, lowering saturated fat in the diet will not necessarily result in lowered cholesterol for every person. If you have made dietary changes with no result cholesterol lowering after several months, you should see a doctor to discuss alternative methods to lowering cholesterol.Reducing cholesterol naturallySupplementing the diet with fish is one of the best ways to naturally lower cholesterol. Fish has been said to increase levels of HDL cholesterol and in most studies has been linked to a reduction in heart disease risk. Fish oil contains ingredients such as EPA and DHA which are omega03 fatty acids that appear to protect against heart disease. Fish also contains very little saturated fat.Natural high cholesterol treatmentToo much meat in the diet can have a negative impact on cholesterol levels. In modern times in the United States, more meat is being consumed, and this has had a side effect of raising the levels of cholesterol of Americans. In general, cholesterol levels and incidences of heart disease among vegetarians are lower, in part because vegetarians do not consume animal fat. In addition, vegans, who eat no animal products, including dairy, have the lowest cholesterol levels of all. Lifestyle changes along with a vegan diet have been shown in studies to reverse heart disease.

Maintain Healthy Cholesterol Levels With Beta Sitosterol A Plant Phytosterol

Beta Sitosterol is a plant phytosterol that offers many benefits to your health. Many of these are due to its effect in reducing both total and LDL cholesterol in the blood, although that is not the only effect that phytosterols can have on your body. Phytosterol is one of many phytochemicals that are beneficial to your health, and the term ‘phyto’ simply indicates that the substance is obtained from plants. Phytosterols are not obtainable in your diet from animal sources, and beta sitosterol is mainly found in seeds, soy and corn oils. Because of this, most of the population do not have high intake, and so supplements are generally the most common source of this valuable material.There are commonly two types of cholesterol: HDL and LDL, and it is the LDL form that is said to be the ‘bad’ cholesterol. In fact the terms refer to the high density and low density lipoproteins that carry the cholesterol around the body. Cholesterol itself is fat soluble, and does not dissolve in water. It therefore cannot travel through the blood without the aid of a water soluble protein, which is what the lipoproteins are. Low density lipoproteins consist of a charged protein portion and a lipid, or fat, frequently a triglyceride. The charged protein portion is water soluble, and can carry the lipid and cholesterol round the blood. Cholesterol is not a bad substance, but carries out many useful functions, one of which is repairing damage to blood vessels: a bit like a sticking plaster. However, the LDL can become oxidized by free radicals in the body, and it is this oxidized LDL that reacts by depositing fatty plaques of cholesterol onto the arterial walls and ultimately blocking them. The HDL carries cholesterol from the blood to the liver where it is destroyed and then secreted, which is why it is sometimes termed ‘good’ cholesterol. Beta sitosterol significantly reduces the amount of both LDL and total cholesterol levels in the blood. Once the total cholesterol level has dropped to a certain level, then the body produces more HDL cholesterol and so maintains balance that is higher than normal in the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol. The way that phytosterols do this is believed to be by reducing the absorption of dietary cholesterol in the gut, because the sterols have a similar chemical structure to cholesterol and can occupy the cholesterol absorption sites. Beta sitosterol is particularly effective in this mechanism. Rather than the body absorbing cholesterol it passes it thorough the gut unchanged and eliminates it. The National Cholesterol Education Program has recommended that the optimum blood LDL cholesterol level is below 100 mg/dl and that the total of LDL and HDL be below 200 mg/dl. A regular intake of beta sitosterol can help to maintain these levels without reducing your cholesterol to a dangerously low level. As previously stated, cholesterol is an essential component of your normal biochemistry, and too low a level could be dangerous. What you need is natural regulation of the LDL form, and that is what beta sitosterol and the other phytosterols do. However, beta sitosterol does more than just control your cholesterol balance.It also supports the health of your prostate. Studies indicate that a daily intake of 60 mg – 130 mg beta sitosterol can reduce the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia, the Sunday name for non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate. This could be due to its effect on LDL cholesterol levels, since other studies have indicated a possible connection between high cholesterol levels and prostate enlargement. This might again be due to the occupation of receptor sites in the prostate cell membranes by the phytosterol. Saw palmetto, commonly used to treat prostate problems, contains beta sitosterol. It also appears to modulate the biochemical synthesis of cytokines, which are responsible for the inflammatory response of the immune system to foreign invaders and tissue damage. It also appears to boost the activity of NK-cells, and also of the proliferation of lymphocytes in general. Another effect of beta sitosterol is in normalizing the insulin and blood sugar levels in Type 2 diabetes. It does this by inhibiting the enzyme glucose-6-phosphatase that is responsible for the conversion of carbohydrates to D-glucose which raises blood sugar levels. The upshot is that the onset of age related Type 2 diabetes is delayed. In general, beta sitosterol displays many properties beneficial to your health. It displays anti-viral and anti-fungal properties, is believed to be responsible for the suppression of cancers of the colon and prostate, and lymphocytic leukemia. It appears to act as an anti-inflammatory, and has a beneficial effect on ulcers and cramps. There is even evidence that it can help to cure allergies, although more studies are required to confirm this. Those suffering from specific allergies have reported a lessening of the effects when taking beta sitosterol supplements, although it is possible that other dietary factors were also involved.Beta sitosterol is contained in some concentration or another in most plants, but those richest in the phytosterol are wheat germ, peanuts, soybeans, corn oil, pumpkin seeds and rice bran. None of these form a particularly large part of the western diet, and a supplement is likely the best way to ensure a sufficiently adequate frequent intake as to have a significant effect on your LDL cholesterol level. Although a daily intake of 300 mg has been cited by some sources as adequate, there have been no reported ill effects of taking this supplement at higher dosages. As already stated, your cholesterol levels are self regulating to a minimum level and you cannot completely block its absorption. Hence, it is not possible to take so much beta sitosterol as to reduce your LDL cholesterol to a dangerously low level.There is sufficient evidence for the effects of beta sitosterol on the body to indicate that if your diet is low in those seeds, nuts and beans that contain significant quantities, the a supplement will provide you with benefits to your health, particularly if you have high blood cholesterol levels or problems with your prostate gland.

If you’re worried about lowering your cholesterol level you’re not alone. Changing your diet to lower cholesterol is usually the first step in cholesterol maintenance, before medicines are added. People who have high cholesterol may be able to lower their cholesterol levels with these simple lifestyle changes:

Step 5) The School of Medicine at Stanford University did a study consisting of 377 men and post-menopausal women, with high cholesterol. First they put them on a low-fat diet, and then had half of them to do aerobic exercise, and the other half did no form of exercise at all.

After one year, the exercising group had significantly reduced their cholesterol levels – while the sedentary group showed no such reduction in their cholesterol. So the 5th step is to add aerobic exercise to your lifestyle.

Step 4) Did you know that the average person makes about 75% of their blood cholesterol in their own liver, while only about 25% is absorbed from food. So you should be able to further reduce your cholesterol with dietary changes.

A low-fat diet with no trans-fats will lower your cholesterol anywhere from 8% to 20%. There are several very good low-fat diets – the Dash Diet, Mediterranean Diet, the South Beach Diet, Ultra metabolism Diet, and Weight Watchers Diet are all great diets to reduce your fat and trans-fat intake. All of these diets have either online programs or manuals and books to provide step-by-step instructions and menu plans. So your 4th step is to add a reduced fat diet.

Step 3) One of the reasons your body produces Cholesterol is a self preservation tactic. Your arteries develop cracks and stress fractures as a natural occurrence. Your body must patch these cracks and fractures or you will bleed to death.

The substance of choice for your body to use is Collagen. However, if the raw ingredients needed aren’t present in sufficient quantities to produce this miraculous elixir, cholesterol can also be used instead.

So to keep your collagen production at its peak, rather than giving your liver a reason to produce additional cholesterol, give your body plenty of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Your 3rd step is to add vitamin C (ascorbic acid) to your diet.

Step 2) 60 recent heart bypass surgery patients were divided into groups. The first group had no dietary restrictions, while the second and third group had one white or one red grapefruit each day.

The second and third group had significantly lowered cholesterol levels while the no grapefruit group showed no reduction. But the red grapefruit group also had a reduction in their triglycerides. So step 2 is “Eat Red Grapefruit”, which will incidentally help with step 3 as well.

Step 1) A study of 14,600 men and women ages 45 to 75, recently showed the participants’ total cholesterol declined as their number of meals per day increased. Those who ate five or six times a day had the lowest total cholesterol, on average approximately 5% lower, while the highest measurements were found among those who ate only one or two meals a day. So your number 1 step, and incidentally the easiest, is to eat five or six small meals a day, rather than one or two large ones.

If you find a diet to lower cholesterol and follow these 5 steps, you should have your cholesterol to healthy levels as quickly as possible.

About the author: B.J. Gordey is the owner of Top10-diets.com. Are you looking for a diet to lower cholesterol and ways to add a low cholesterol diet to your lifestyle. You can learn a lot more about how a diet that works can help you at Top10-Diets.com.

What is Fiber Exactly?

Fiber often has been called roughage, as it technically is a food component that is undigested and processed through the gastrointestinal tract. Since it readily absorbs water, it helps to add to the bulk that is required in order to form a good bowel movement. Fiber is often described as a complex carbohydrate, which consists of the polysaccharide and lignin substance that often gives structure to the cell of a plant and is the portion of plant food that is not digested. Fiber which is insoluble has the capability of passing through the intestines intact and unchanged. Unlike fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, fiber does not give the body nutrients or fuel for energy, and has no caloric value. Dietary fiber can only be found in plant components including vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Primarily, there are only two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble, with some foods containing both types. Soluble fiber is eventually digested in the large intestine, causing it to have limited bulking power. Soluble fibers dissolve in water and have often been linked to helping prevent blood sugar highs and lows, helping to lower blood cholesterol, lowering the risk of heart disease, helping to control high blood pressure, and encouraging friendly bacteria growth. Soluble fiber can be found in pectin, lignin, gums, mucilages, and other sources such as psyllium, beans, apples, pears, and oat bran. Soluble fiber doesn’t usually seem like fiber. It is digestible and, when broken down, it creates a gel as it absorbs water in the intestinal tract. It does not bulk the stool to the extent of insoluble fiber, but it does slow down the rate at which food is digested. Soluble fiber is found in vegetables, particularly onions, bulbs, leeks, and asparagus, and also fruits, including dried varieties. Insoluble fiber remains undigested for the most part and promotes a faster stool transit time. Insoluble fiber can keep the bowel clean and operative and also help to bind dangerous toxins and hormones in order to promote better excretion. Insoluble fiber also fosters regularity in the body, contributes to better digestion, prevents constipation, and helps to lower the risk of bowel disease. Insoluble fiber is primarily composed of cellulose and hemicelulose. Cellulose is a non-digestible form of fiber, found in outer portions of vegetables and fruits. Bran or seed covering of whole grains is another type of insoluble fiber. Hemicellulose fibers remain unchanged and absorb water as they travel the digestive tract. They increase stool bulk and transit time, preventing constipation and conditions like hemorrhoids. Stalks, stems, peels, and fruit and vegetable skins are all made up of insoluble fiber. However, the insoluble fiber content of fruits is actually found in its flesh and stringy membranes, rather than its peelings. The average person needs a good variety of foods that contribute to at least 35 grams of dietary fiber in our diet daily. Most foods contain both types of fiber, but the ones that are most fiber rich are not usually the ones that we commonly eat. Whole grain cereal, raw fruits and vegetables, split peas, beans, lentils, millet, and barley are the best sources of fiber. Unfortunately, statistics have shown that most of us only get 9 grams of fiber each day, if we are lucky. Finally, fiber has the ability to increase fecal bulk by retaining water, decrease stool transit time, keep blood sugar levels more stable, lower blood serum and liver cholesterol, help prevent weight gain by slowing the rate of digestion and absorption and controlling hunger, expediting the removal of dangerous toxins, binding with bile salts to help decrease the risk of gallbladder disease and certain types of cancer, and creating the presence of healthier intestinal bacteria.

Maintain Healthy Cholesterol Levels With Beta Sitosterol A Plant Phytosterol

Beta Sitosterol is a plant phytosterol that offers many benefits to your health. Many of these are due to its effect in reducing both total and LDL cholesterol in the blood, although that is not the only effect that phytosterols can have on your body. Phytosterol is one of many phytochemicals that are beneficial to your health, and the term ‘phyto’ simply indicates that the substance is obtained from plants. Phytosterols are not obtainable in your diet from animal sources, and beta sitosterol is mainly found in seeds, soy and corn oils. Because of this, most of the population do not have high intake, and so supplements are generally the most common source of this valuable material.There are commonly two types of cholesterol: HDL and LDL, and it is the LDL form that is said to be the ‘bad’ cholesterol. In fact the terms refer to the high density and low density lipoproteins that carry the cholesterol around the body. Cholesterol itself is fat soluble, and does not dissolve in water. It therefore cannot travel through the blood without the aid of a water soluble protein, which is what the lipoproteins are. Low density lipoproteins consist of a charged protein portion and a lipid, or fat, frequently a triglyceride. The charged protein portion is water soluble, and can carry the lipid and cholesterol round the blood. Cholesterol is not a bad substance, but carries out many useful functions, one of which is repairing damage to blood vessels: a bit like a sticking plaster. However, the LDL can become oxidized by free radicals in the body, and it is this oxidized LDL that reacts by depositing fatty plaques of cholesterol onto the arterial walls and ultimately blocking them. The HDL carries cholesterol from the blood to the liver where it is destroyed and then secreted, which is why it is sometimes termed ‘good’ cholesterol. Beta sitosterol significantly reduces the amount of both LDL and total cholesterol levels in the blood. Once the total cholesterol level has dropped to a certain level, then the body produces more HDL cholesterol and so maintains balance that is higher than normal in the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol. The way that phytosterols do this is believed to be by reducing the absorption of dietary cholesterol in the gut, because the sterols have a similar chemical structure to cholesterol and can occupy the cholesterol absorption sites. Beta sitosterol is particularly effective in this mechanism. Rather than the body absorbing cholesterol it passes it thorough the gut unchanged and eliminates it. The National Cholesterol Education Program has recommended that the optimum blood LDL cholesterol level is below 100 mg/dl and that the total of LDL and HDL be below 200 mg/dl. A regular intake of beta sitosterol can help to maintain these levels without reducing your cholesterol to a dangerously low level. As previously stated, cholesterol is an essential component of your normal biochemistry, and too low a level could be dangerous. What you need is natural regulation of the LDL form, and that is what beta sitosterol and the other phytosterols do. However, beta sitosterol does more than just control your cholesterol balance.It also supports the health of your prostate. Studies indicate that a daily intake of 60 mg – 130 mg beta sitosterol can reduce the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia, the Sunday name for non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate. This could be due to its effect on LDL cholesterol levels, since other studies have indicated a possible connection between high cholesterol levels and prostate enlargement. This might again be due to the occupation of receptor sites in the prostate cell membranes by the phytosterol. Saw palmetto, commonly used to treat prostate problems, contains beta sitosterol. It also appears to modulate the biochemical synthesis of cytokines, which are responsible for the inflammatory response of the immune system to foreign invaders and tissue damage. It also appears to boost the activity of NK-cells, and also of the proliferation of lymphocytes in general. Another effect of beta sitosterol is in normalizing the insulin and blood sugar levels in Type 2 diabetes. It does this by inhibiting the enzyme glucose-6-phosphatase that is responsible for the conversion of carbohydrates to D-glucose which raises blood sugar levels. The upshot is that the onset of age related Type 2 diabetes is delayed. In general, beta sitosterol displays many properties beneficial to your health. It displays anti-viral and anti-fungal properties, is believed to be responsible for the suppression of cancers of the colon and prostate, and lymphocytic leukemia. It appears to act as an anti-inflammatory, and has a beneficial effect on ulcers and cramps. There is even evidence that it can help to cure allergies, although more studies are required to confirm this. Those suffering from specific allergies have reported a lessening of the effects when taking beta sitosterol supplements, although it is possible that other dietary factors were also involved.Beta sitosterol is contained in some concentration or another in most plants, but those richest in the phytosterol are wheat germ, peanuts, soybeans, corn oil, pumpkin seeds and rice bran. None of these form a particularly large part of the western diet, and a supplement is likely the best way to ensure a sufficiently adequate frequent intake as to have a significant effect on your LDL cholesterol level. Although a daily intake of 300 mg has been cited by some sources as adequate, there have been no reported ill effects of taking this supplement at higher dosages. As already stated, your cholesterol levels are self regulating to a minimum level and you cannot completely block its absorption. Hence, it is not possible to take so much beta sitosterol as to reduce your LDL cholesterol to a dangerously low level.There is sufficient evidence for the effects of beta sitosterol on the body to indicate that if your diet is low in those seeds, nuts and beans that contain significant quantities, the a supplement will provide you with benefits to your health, particularly if you have high blood cholesterol levels or problems with your prostate gland.