It is hard to believe but one of the ways to help prevent certain cancers relies on the compounds found in a number of plants that are known to have antioxidant properties. The amazing property of these phytonutrients is they seem perfectly compatible with our own bodies and can work in conjunction with them to protect us from disease. Research into these fantastic compounds continues with over nine hundred compounds discovered already,huge advances in preventative health care and nutrition are advancing at an almost daily rate. Many new compounds have been found that have very specific effects on conditions many of us suffer,blueberries, pomegranates can reduce the signs of aging, whereas cherries can help relieve joint pain.
Containing many different antioxidants, blueberries also have one of the lowest sugar contents of the fruits tested. Fruit juice provides many benefits and is a more pleasurable way to consume this type of food,some of the many benefits have been improvements in the body’s capacity to heal itself and benefits to circulation. Infection is also reduced as are the chances of disease from the powerful antioxidants they contain. The chance of heart disease can be reduced by eating apples which also contain these nutrients.
Phytochemicals which can be an aid to our health are even contained in citrus fruits. Tart cherries can also provide anti-inflammatory benefits to people who suffer with conditions that cause pain in and around the joints. Most of us have already heard about the benefits that certain minerals and vitamins like B, c and E provide which have now become widely used in products. Another antioxidant is resveratrol has many infection and viral prevention properties and is found in the likes of blackberries, mulberries but more highly in blueberries.
Many people with other aging conditions prevalent around the world, for instance: heart attacks, stroke and Alzheimer’s can all benefit when these compounds are used. Tomatoes too are able to help in the prevention of conditions like heart disease and some cancers. However, it is now recognized that the best way to receive a sufficient quantity of the antioxidants contained in a tomato is by having it as a puree in a dish using tomato sauce or as a juice. Nature has also blessed the watermelon with phytonutrients, People have been advised to eat more fruit (more than they currently consume) for some time but now the science behind this advice is finally beginning to show through.
Heart disease is one of the deadliest killers in the world to date. Congestive heart failure, one of the so-called secondary conditions to many cardiac diseases has its own mortality rate which can be very high. Five years is the time period in which up to 50% of those diagnosed will die. Scientists and researchers are struggling to understand the exact mechanisms of the disease, and to find a cure.
An heart attack can cause the heart to become nonfunctional and congestive heart failure can cause the cells of the heart to die. Whatever the cause, the heart is subsequently unable to pump blood adequately throughout the body, resulting in the blood pooling in the organs and fluid building up in and around the lungs as sodium is unable to be properly excreted, causing the dyspnea that is the classic symptom of congestive heart failure.
Clinical research is targeted at both the treatment of the disease and the possibility of repairing the damaged cells in the heart. There are lots of new medications that would assist in vasodilation that are currently being researched, there are medications currently on the market that present a higher incidence of cardiac arrhythmia that couldn’t be stopped by the current research.
Meditation and relaxation techniques have been used in this new age of natural medicine, these are undergoing clinical trials to help patients relax and combat stress on their heart. The body’s blood pressure can be negatively effected by stress, causing an already weakened muscle to be forced to work harder which in turn places an undue amount of pressure on this precious organ. The heart is less likely to fail completely and therefore giving the patient a better prognosis if the heart is under less stress, this is the theory that lies in the belief that by learning to maintain a lower level of mental stress your hearts will not be under so much pressure.
There have been incredible advancements in clinical technology that’s was not available 20 or 30 years ago, this is due to new and advanced holistic methods of treatment. Attempts are being made to reverse the effects of congestive heart disease, scientists are now claiming to have identified a set of altered genes that can make an individual more disposed to suffer from this type of heart disease. In addition, medications to tamp down on the genes’ activities, such as beta blockers and alpha-2 agonists are already available and being used in treatment programs.
Also being explored is the possibility of using stem cells, the body’s pluripotent progenitors, to assist in reparation of the damaged heart tissue. Clinical trials showed that patients suffering from congestive heart failure responded very favorably to an injection of their own stem cells into the heart, although the exact means by which this causes improvement is as yet unknown. Stem cells can help facilitate the growth of new vessels in the heart, it is also believed they stimulate and repair the heart by extracting the bodies own healing cells.
Current research that is being explored is transplanting embryonic stem cells into a patient’s body it is believed that they can grow healthy tissues, this is in some circles questionable as it involves the destruction of the embryo. Scientists have determined that adult stem cells simply cannot provide an adequate number of new cells to meet the needs of patients who have suffered heart failure.
A person’s body cannot reproduce dead cells in the heart and this makes heart failure incredibly dangerous; it is hoped that researchers will one day find a cure with all the modern medical advancements which are being discovered every day.