Pinto Beans Nutrition Benefits the Heart and May Help Fight Cancer

It's easy to make jokes about different types of beans and the effects they have on flatulence, but the focus should be on just how nutritious things like pinto beans can be for our health.

For instance, did you know that many types of beans, such as anasazi beans and pinto beans, are some of the top cancer-fighting foods around? It's true. But that's not all beans do. Pinto beans nutrition also benefits the heart and more.

What Are Pinto Beans?

Pinto beans are similar to the cranberry bean in appearance in their dried form, as they're beige in color with brown splotches and stripes that have given them their name pinto, which means painted in Spanish. However, once they're cooked, those creative-looking, paint-like splotches disappear, leaving the beans a solid brown color.

The Spanish call them frijol pinto, meaning speckled bean, but in South America, they're called poroto frutilla as a reference to what's known as the strawberry bean. Furthermore, Portugal calls them feijo catarino, and Brazil calls them feijo carioca, meaning mottled bean. In fact, Brazil has been cultivating this little nutrition-packed bean since 3000 BCE, making it a staple of most meals with rice, pasta, potatoes and yams.

The pinto bean is a variety of the common bean also known as the string bean. Typical ways of consuming the pinto bean are whole or refried, and they're the mainstay for a good burrito. Pinto beans are often used in a spicy stew called chili con carne, though kidney beans, black beans and many and others are used in this delicious stew as well.

Health Benefits

1. May Slow Tumor Growth

Pinto beans contain antioxidants called polyphenols, which may prevent some forms of cancer, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Pinto beans also contain kaempferol, which is a flavonoid known to help reduce inflammation. These beneficial antioxidants may slow the growth of tumors while increasing the survival rate of much-needed healthy cells.

Studies have found benefits of eating foods that contain kaempferol include reducing the risk of developing cancer. This is the result of the anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties making the pinto bean a great food for possibly preventing, and even treating, some diseases, even potentially cancer.

2. Reduce Heart Disease Risks

Pinto beans may be helpful in reducing cholesterol levels and therefore the risk for heart disease. By having about a half cup of pinto beans on a daily basis, studies published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition show that it can help reduce your total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels.

This works by replacing a protein source that's high in fat with pinto beans, which have almost no fat. The increase in dietary fiber consumption can also help lower your cholesterol, ultimately reducing the risk for developing heart disease as a powerful cholesterol-lowering food.

3. Potentially Help Lower Risk of Breast Cancer

The American Academy of Pediatrics studied premenopausal women who were asked to complete a dietary questionnaire dating back to adolescent years. The study reveals that those women who had more total dietary fiber intake at an earlier age through adulthood were associated with significantly lower breast cancer risks, suggesting that a high-fiber diet during adolescence and early adulthood may be particularly important.

Digging a little deeper, sex steroid hormone levels are known to be strongly related to breast cancer development. A diet high in fiber is thought to reduce the risk of breast cancer by inhibiting reabsorption of estrogen.

4. Fight Diabetes

With the rise in obesity, diabetes is a growing concern. Pinto beans may offer some help, not only in reducing the risk, but in helping keep blood sugar levels in check. The complex carbohydrates that pinto beans contain are useful due to a slower digestion process. This can increase fullness and satiety and help regulate glucose and insulin levels. Additionally, the fiber they contain can help reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome, which affects glucose levels, making pinto beans the perfect addition to any diabetic diet plan.

According to recent research, subjects with type 2 diabetes were placed in a high-legume diet of about one cup per day. After three months, there was a notable decrease in hemoglobin A1c, indicating a reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes.

5. Provide Beneficial Fiber

While pinto beans provide protein in our diets, they're great at providing fiber too, something most U.S. diets lack. The Harvard School of Public Health suggests that children and adults consume about 20 to 30 grams of fiber per day; however, most in the U.S. get only about 15 grams a day. Fiber aids in relieving constipation and may reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Nutrition Facts

One cup of raw, mature pinto beans contain about:
670 calories
121 grams carbohydrates
41.3 grams protein
2.4 grams fat
29.9 grams fiber
1,013 micrograms folate (253 percent DV)
2.2 milligrams manganese (111 percent DV)
1.4 milligrams thiamin (92 percent DV)
1.7 milligrams copper (86 percent DV)
340 milligrams magnesium (85 percent DV)
793 milligrams phosphorus (79 percent DV)
2,689 milligrams potassium (77 percent DV)
53.8 micrograms selenium (77 percent DV)
9.8 milligrams iron (54 percent DV)
0.9 milligram vitamin B6 (46 percent DV)
4.4 milligrams zinc (29 percent DV)
0.4 milligram riboflavin (24 percent DV)
218 milligrams calcium (22 percent DV)
12.2 milligrams vitamin C (20 percent DV)
10.8 micrograms vitamin K (14 percent DV)
2.3 milligrams niacin (11 percent DV)

Beans are pretty important crops with the global harvest estimated at 18.7 million tons and grown in about 150 countries on approximately 27.7 million hectares. Folk medicine claims beans as a natural remedy for acne, bladder problems, burns, heart conditions, diabetes, diarrhea, diuretic issues, eczema, hiccups, rheumatism and sciatica.

What's known as the wild common bean, scientifically labeled as Phaseolus vulgaris, still grows today in the Andes and Guatemala. However, pinto beans, as well as the great northern bean and small red and pink beans, are mainly found in Durango in the central Mexican highlands. It's unclear as to the exact date of the domestication of beans, though evidence dates back to archaeological as far as 10,000 years ago in Argentina and 7,000 years ago in Mexico.

Most U.S. dry beans are produced for human consumption as an important staple crop. However, they’re also used as animal feed in other parts of the world. Currently, the United States is the sixth-leading producer of dry edible beans with approximately 20 percent of U.S. dry bean supplies making their way to the export market, which is nearly 14 percent of the domestic dry bean consumption.

The U.S. produces many kinds of dry edible beans with pinto beans as the leading variety at about 42 percent. Black beans hit at about 11 percent, while the garbanzo bean, or chickpea, comes in at 5 percent.

Risks and Side Effects

Pinto beans are famous for causing intestinal discomfort and flatulence, which can happen due to the large amounts of fiber and a sugar they contain called oligosaccharide. This sugar is difficult to break down during the digestion process and usually does not break down until it gets to the large intestine, where useful bacteria live. It's this process that produces the often annoying and uncomfortable gas.

To help minimize the gas-causing properties of beans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests soaking dried beans in water and changing the water a few times. Canned pinto beans are known to produce less intestinal gas — however, make sure you rinse them to help reduce the high amounts of salt they usually contain. There are some over-the-counter enzymes that may help. Check with your doctor to see what's best.

Another risk that you should be aware of is the iodine. For those suffering from thyroid cancer, it's common that radiation is part of the treatment process. The Thyroid Cancer Survivors Association notes that pinto beans are iodine-rich foods, and consuming excess iodine during treatment may reduce the effectiveness of the radiation.

Final Thoughts

Pinto beans are easy to make and can go in just about anything from salads to burritos and wraps as well as soups. The nutritional and health benefits are phenomenal, including possible reduction in tumor growth, lowering blood sugar levels that can greatly help diabetics, reducing breast cancer risks and heart disease risks, all while offering beneficial fiber.

So if you're looking for a nutrient-packed superfood without the added fat, try out some pinto bean recipes today.

Sorghum Flour: The High-Fiber, Gluten-Free Ancient Grain

Sorghum is an ancient cereal grain that originated in parts of Africa and Australia more than 5,000 years ago! The sorghum plant, a member of the grass plant family called Panicoideae, still provides nutrients and much-needed calories to impoverished populations living in these areas. In fact, it's considered the fifth-most important cereal crop grown in the world, according to the Whole Grains Council, and the third most important within the United States.

Because of its versatility as a food source, animal feed and bio-available fuel, today sorghum grain is widely grown in the U.S. One of its growing commercial uses is in the gluten-free flour space, where it's both included in store-bought flour blends or sold on its own as sorghum flour.

Why Sorghum Flour Makes a Great Addition to Recipes

Sorghum is an ancient, 100 percent whole grain kernel that is ground into a fine flour that can be used in various ways for cooking and baking. While historically it's taken a backseat in the U.S. to grain alternatives and sandwich substitutes like corn, quinoa or potatoes, the growing knowledge of gluten sensitivities and the gluten-free diet trend in recent years have now brought sorghum flour into the spotlight.

Sorghum flour which is beige or white in color, considered to be sweet, softly textured and mild-tasting is now a popular ingredient found in many health food stores and large supermarkets. While it's still hard to find 100 percent whole grain sorghum grains in most stores, most well-stocked major grocery stores now sell gluten-free flour blends, including sorghum flour, that are convenient, healthy and perfect for baking and other uses.

Sorghum Flour Nutrition

Like other whole grains, sorghum (which has the scientific name Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is impressive when it comes to its nutrient content, adding a good dose of protein, iron, B vitamins and dietary fiber to recipes. Sorghum flour is also surprisingly high in antioxidants like phenolic compounds and anthocyanin, which help reduce inflammation and lower free radical damage.

1/4 cup of sorghum flour has about:
120 calories
1 gram fat
25 grams carbohydrates
3 grams fiber
0 grams sugar
4 grams protein
110 milligrams phosphorus (10 percent DV)
1.68 milligrams iron (8 percent DV)
1.1 milligrams niacin (6 percent DV)
0.12 milligram thiamine (6 percent DV)

5 Benefits of Sorghum Flour

1. Gluten-Free and Non-GMO

Sorghum is an excellent substitute for wheat flour, and sorghum flour makes a great baking ingredient for anyone who cannot tolerate gluten. While the protein gluten can cause digestive and other health issues for many people including bloating, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, headaches and other symptoms — gluten-free sorghum flour tends to be easier to digest and tolerate.

Aside from avoiding gluten, there's another important benefit to using sorghum flour over wheat flour and certain gluten-free blends: avoiding genetically modified ingredients (GMOs). Unlike corn and some wheat crops, sorghum grains are grown from traditional hybrid seeds that combine several types of sorghum grasses. This is a natural method that has been used for centuries and does not require biotechnology, making it nontransgenic (non-GMO food) that doesn't come with the same risks. Why is this an important point? Genetically modified foods are now being linked to worsened allergies, learning disabilities, digestive issues and inflammation.

2. High in Fiber

One of the biggest benefits of eating whole grains is that they retain all of their dietary fiber, unlike refined grains that are processed to remove parts like their bran and germ. Sorghum actually doesn't have an inedible hull like some other grains, so even its outer layers commonly are eaten. This means it supplies even more fiber, in addition to many other crucial nutrients, and has a lower glycemic index.

High-fiber foods are important for digestive, hormonal and cardiovascular health. The high fiber content of sorghum flour also makes it stick to your ribs longer than some other refined flours or flour substitutes, so you experience less of a crash after eating recipes made with sorghum.

3. Good Source of Antioxidants

There are several types of sorghum plants, some of which are high in antioxidants that are tied to reduced risks of developing cancer, diabetes, heart disease and some neurological diseases. Antioxidants are found in anti-inflammatory foods, and they help scavenge free radicals that, when left uncontrolled, can lead to inflammation, aging and various illnesses. Sorghum is a rich source of various phytochemicals, including tannins, phenolic acids, anthocyanins, phytosterols and policosanols — which means sorghum and sorghum flour might offer similar health benefits as eating whole foods such as fruits.

A 2004 study published in the Journal of Argicultural Food Chemistry found that anthocyanin antioxidants are present in black, brown and red sorghum grains. Antioxidant activity and pH stability were found in sorghum at levels three to four times higher than certain other whole grains. Black sorghum is especially considered a high-antioxidant food and had the highest anthocyanin content of all in the study.

Sorghum grains also have a natural, waxy layer that surrounds the grain and contains protective plant compounds, such as the type called policosanol, which research suggests has positive implications for cardiac health. Policosanols have shown cholesterol-lowering potential in human studies, sometimes even comparable to that of statins! The policosanol present in sorghum flour makes it a potential cholesterol-lowering food.

Other research shows great potential for phenolic compounds found in sorghum to help with arterial health, fighting diabetes and even preventing cancer. Mainly located in the bran fraction, phenolics result in the plant having substantial antioxidant properties and non-enzymatic processes that help fight pathogenesis at the root of many diabetic complications and cell mutations.

4. Slowly Digested and Balances Blood Sugar

Because sorghum flour is low on the glycemic index, plus high in starch, fiber and protein, it takes longer than other similar refined-grain products to digest. This slows down the rate at which glucose (sugar) is released into the bloodstream, which is particularly helpful for anyone with blood sugar issues such as diabetes. Sorghum also helps fill you up and prevents spikes and dips in blood sugar levels that can lead to moodiness, fatigue, cravings and overeating.

Impressively, certain varieties of sorghum brans that have a high phenolic content and high antioxidant status have been shown to inhibit protein glycation, which suggests that they can affect critical biological processes that are important in diabetes and insulin resistance. One study conducted by the Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Georgia suggests a nutraceutical rationale for human consumption of sorghum as a natural way to lower diabetes incidences through better control over glycation and other diabetes risk factors.

5. Helps Fight Inflammation, Cancer and Heart Disease

Eating a whole foods-based diet that is high in available phytochemicals is consistenly linked to better protection from common nutrition-related diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease and obesity. So it’s no surprise that epidemiological evidence suggests that sorghum consumption reduces the risk of certain types of cancer in humans compared to other cereals. The high concentration of anti-inflammatory phytochemical antioxidants in sorghum are partly responsible, as is the high fiber and plant-based protein content, all of which make it a potential cancer natural remedy.

Sorghum contains tannins that are widely reported to reduce caloric availability and can help fight obesity, weight gain and metabolic complications. Sorghum phytochemicals also help promote cardiovascular health, which is critical considering that cardiovascular disease is currently the leading killer in the U.S. and developed world in general!



History of Sorghum and Sorghum Flour

Sorghum, also sometimes referred to in studies as sorghum bicolor (the plant species), has been an important food source for centuries. The plant is considered durable, yields high amounts when harvested and stands up to heat well, making it a valuable crop in times of droughts. This is one reason why grains like sorghum have been staples for poor and rural people for thousands of years, especially those living in tropical regions like Africa, Central America and South Asia.

The earliest known record of sorghum comes from an archaeological dig site at Nabta Playa, near the Egyptian-Sudanese border, dating back to about 8,000 B.C. After originating in Africa, sorghum grains spread through the Middle East and Asia via ancient trade routes. Travelers brought dried sorghum grains to parts of the Arabian Peninsula, India and China along the Silk Road. Many years later, the first known record of sorghum in the United States comes from Ben Franklin in 1757, who wrote about how the grains could be used to make brooms!

Sorghum goes by many names around the globe: milo in parts of India, guinea corn in West Africa, kafir corn in South Africa, dura in Sudan, mtama in eastern Africa, jowar in other areas of India and kaoliang in China. Historically, aside from being grown to make edible sorghum grains or flour, the grain has also been used to make sorghum syrup, (also called sorghum molasses), animal feed, certain alcoholic beverages and even energy-efficient biofuels.

Around the world, some of the ways that sorghum is commonly consumed is to make leavened and unleavened flatbreads called jowar roti in India, porridge eaten for breakfast or couscous served with dinner in Africa, and a flour used to thicken stews in parts of the Pacific Islands. Sorghum is also used to make both various fermented and unfermented beverages or simply consumed as a fresh vegetable in some areas of the world.

Aside from its culinary uses for human consumption, sorghum is also considered an important livestock feed in the U.S., not to mention it has promising eco-friendly uses for providing sustainable and natural energy. In recent years, sorghum's use in the ethanol market has grown rapidly, with estimates showing that today about 30 percent of domestic sorghum is now going to ethanol production.

How to Use Sorghum Flour

Look for 100 percent sorghum flour that hasn't been bleached, enriched or refined. Ground sorghum flour can be used just like other gluten-free grains to make homemade baked goods like bread, muffins, pancakes and even beer! In the United States, it's becoming more common to find sorghum flour in store-bought or commercially sold gluten-free baked goods, but making your own is always the best option. This lets you cut back on preservatives, sugar and any artificial thickening agents that are commonly used in packaged products.

When making recipes that call for wheat flour (such as when you're baking cakes, cookies, breads and muffins), unbleached sorghum can be added or substituted for part of the regular flour or gluten-free flour blends. On top of providing nutrients and more fiber, an added benefit is that unlike some gluten-free flours (like rice flour or corn flour, for example), which can sometimes be crumbly, dry or gritty, sorghum flour usually has a smoother texture and a very mild taste. It's easy to incorporate some into sweet recipes or to use a small amount to thicken stews, sauces and other savory recipes.

Most experts recommend adding between 15 percent to 30 percent sorghum flour to your recipes to replace other flours (like wheat flour). Using 100 percent sorghum isn't usually the best idea because it won't rise as well as lighter flours. It works best when combined with other gluten-free flour like rice or potato starch. You'll likely get the best results if you start with recipes that use relatively small amounts of flour in general, like brownies or pancakes, for example, rather than muffins or bread.

Keep in mind that without gluten to bind together ingredients and add to the texture of recipes, it's a good idea to incorporate a binder such as xanthan gum or cornstarch to add stretch. You can add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum per cup of sorghum flour for cookies and cakes, and one teaspoon per cup for breads. Adding slightly more oil or fat (such as coconut oil or grass-fed butter) and extra eggs to recipes prepared with sorghum blends can improve the moisture content and texture. Another trick is to use apple cider vinegar, which can also improve the volume of doughs made with gluten-free blends.

Are There Any Side Effects or Concerns with Using Sorghum Flour?

While sorghum is definitely a major step up from eating refined grain products, keep in mind that grains of all kinds are not best for everyone. For many people, eating grains (and beans, legumes, nuts and seeds too) is problematic when it comes to digestion and can contribute to disease-causing inflammation. One reason is that all grains naturally contain antinutrients that block some of the grain's minerals and vitamins from being absorbed and utilized properly.

One way to overcome this challenge partially is to sprout grains. A major benefit of sprouting is that it unlocks beneficial digestive enzymes, which make all types of grains, seeds, beans and nuts easier on the digestive system. This also helps increase beneficial flora levels in the gut so you experience less of an autoimmune type of reaction when you eat these foods.

Even after sprouting sorghum or other grains, it's best to have them in small amounts and to vary your diet. Get your nutrients, carbohydrates, fiber and protein from a variety of sources like vegetables (including starchy veggies), fruits, grass-fed animal products, probiotic foods and raw dairy products.

Cannellini Beans Benefit the Heart, Skin and Blood Sugar

If these beans are a musical fruit, it's because they're music to your ears! If you haven't tried the hearty taste of cannellini beans, it's time to.

Beans such as cannellini are an incredible part of a healthy diet because they provide you with a high protein and fiber content without overloading a meal with calories. A part of the legume family, cannellini beans are most often found dried and can be used in a broad variety of dishes. Nutritionally, they're impressively effective in aiding weight loss and even potentially preventing certain cancers.

To find out why these are such a staple in many countries around the world, keep reading and fall in love with creamy cannellini beans.

What Are Cannellini Beans?

Cannellini beans are part of the Phaseolus vulgaris classification of beans, which also includes green beans, navy beans and a long list of others. When you begin researching cannellini beans, you'll find they go by many names, including white kidney beans, Italian kidney beans, northern beans or fasolia beans. Specifically, they belong to the kidney bean family.

For centuries, cannellini beans have been extremely popular in Italian cuisine. They're about half an inch long with a traditional kidney shape and tough seed coat. Most of the time, cannellini beans are found dried.

Health Benefits

1. Help You Lose Weight

Many common bean varieties are well-known for their role in weight loss. One reason for this is that they act as alpha amylase inhibitors. These inhibitors stop your body from absorbing carbohydrates quickly by blocking the enzymes responsible for their digestion.

The white bean (another name for cannellini beans) has been used to develop a weight loss supplement known as Phase 2. Researchers from Medicus Research LLC in California found that this supplement caused no serious side effects and successfully helped participants lose weight. The participants blood sugar noticeably did not spike after meals in the same way as those taking the placebo.

Further research published in the International Journal of Medical Sciences also indicates that similar supplements and extracts from the white bean are responsible for other body changes, such as a reduction in body mass index and reduced body fat, while maintaining lean body mass.

On a very practical note, cannellini beans have a very low calorie count while increasing satiety (the feeling of being full). This makes them a great addition to the diet of anyone desiring to lose weight.

2. Regulate Blood Sugar Levels

I already mentioned in the study above that scientists discovered a drop in blood sugar in study participants taking a white bean extract supplement. Additional research has also been conducted on the ability of cannellini beans to help maintain healthy, normal blood sugar levels. Healthy amounts of blood sugar are common, as a spike in blood sugar is commonly one of the symptoms of diabetes, a destructive disease that impacts more than 3 million people each year in the U.S. alone.

The amylase inhibitor in cannellini beans can help fight this. Various studies have been done on their role in blood sugar levels, including a 2006 study on diabetic and non-diabetic rats. According to this and other research, orally administered doses of the amylase inhibitor from white beans was extremely effective in reducing blood sugar levels and regulating elevated disaccharidase levels, enzymes that break down into sugar.

Cannellini beans also help reduce the risk of diabetes because of their fiber content. Although the recommended daily intake of dietary fiber is between about 25 to 38 grams (depending on gender and body mass), only about 5 percent of people in the U.S. consume as much fiber as they should each day.

However, proper fiber consumption is vital to the prevention of disease, including diabetes. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics highly recommends a high-fiber diet including whole grains, legumes (beans), veggies, fruits and nuts in order to help prevent disease.

3. Contribute to a Healthy Heart

The study I just mentioned also includes heart disease on the list of diseases a high-fiber diet can help prevent. Another large analysis of studies involving more than 672,000 participants found that high fiber intake is very closely linked to the prevention of coronary heart disease.

The alpha amylase inhibitor extract of white beans also have various heart-healthy effects, including the reduction of triglycerides. These fat cells found in your blood are produced when your body has calories that it doesn't have to use for energy right away. Your body stores the triglycerides in fat cells, and then hormones trigger their release when you need more energy.

It's an efficient system, but if you consistently consume more calories than you ever burn, triglycerides build up in the bloodstream and increase your risk of heart disease. In the first in a series of studies on the impact of this white bean extract, researchers found that not only was weight loss achieved, but triglyceride levels also dropped in subjects taking the supplement.

Another way these dry beans help protect your heart is by lowering LDL cholesterol levels (considered bad cholesterol). It's very possible to regulate your cholesterol levels by eating a healthy diet, and it's much safer than dangerous medications many doctors may prescribe, all of which have significant side effects.

Other beans in the Phaseolus vulgaris classification have shown preliminary results in helping reduce high blood pressure. As many of the beans in this group have similar health benefits, it's possible that cannellini beans could play a role in lowering blood pressure as well (although this has not yet been proven).

4. May Help Fight Cancer

Like all Phaseolus vulgaris beans, cannellini beans have a high level of antioxidants, fighting the oxidative stress caused by free radicals you encounter in your diet and environment. (9) They also contain polyphenols, a type of antioxidant commonly known for decreasing the risk for heart disease and cancer, making cannellini beans potential cancer-fighting foods.

While research is limited on the exact content of antioxidants in cannellini beans, they're very closely related to navy beans, which contain one of the highest levels of antioxidants of dry beans in their class. Specifically, navy beans (and by extension, cannellini beans) contain ferulic acid, which is known for its role in fighting cancer.

Ferulic acid has shown promising impact in therapeutic treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of liver cancer, causing apoptosis (cell death) of hepatoma cells. The same study also found caffeic acid, an antioxidant found in many healthy foods (and coffee), to have similar effects. Ferulic acid also has the ability to inhibit the growth of some types of breast cancer cells.

5. Protect from Skin Damage

Antioxidants in cannellini beans also play a role in protecting your skin. Because of the way it protects against oxidative stress, ferulic acid helps prevent sun damage. In fact, when added to a topical solution of vitamins C and E in a study conducted at the Duke University Medical Center, ferulic acid doubled the protection sunblock offered and greatly reduced the amount of skin cell death when exposed to excessive UV rays.

Because one in five people develop skin cancer at some point in their lives, it's important to protect your skin from damage caused by the sun and many chemicals you're regularly exposed to.

6. Good for Crohn's Disease Patients

Surprisingly, another benefit of the high fiber content of cannellini beans may be the ability to benefit Crohn's disease sufferers. While it has long been believed that a high-fiber diet is undesirable in the treatment of Crohn's, recent research indicates that plant-based dietary fiber may actually help treat this disease.

So it's a good idea to include cannellini beans and other high-fiber foods in any Crohn's disease diet treatment plan.

Nutrition Facts

The best thing about these great beans is that they're a valuable source of several nutrients, including almost 25 percent of the daily recommended fiber intake. Between that and their high antioxidant load, cannellini beans are a delicious and nutritious way to eat Italian.

One serving of white cannellini beans (about a half cup) contains about:
90 calories
19 grams carbohydrates
7 grams protein
6 grams fiber
80 milligrams calcium (8 percent DV)
270 milligrams potassium (7.7 percent DV)
Cannellini Beans vs. Black-Eyed Peas

If you're wondering how cannellini beans compare to other beans nutritionally, one similar bean they're often compared to is the black-eyed pea.

Both of these beans are rich in fiber content, helping with digestion, feeling full and weight loss.

They're each potassium-rich foods, one of the qualities that makes both of these beans so heart-healthy.

Black-eyed peas, unlike cannellini beans, contain a lot of vitamin A (valuable, in part, for its role in skin and eye health), while cannellini contains none. However, cannellini beans have a significant amount of antioxidants, which can help protect skin and eyes in different ways.

Both cannellini beans and black-eyed peas take an average of 45 minutes to prepare.

Cannellini Beans Interesting Facts

Cannellini beans, as part of the larger bean family, originated in South America, most likely in Peru or Argentina. Like all beans, they were imported to Europe in the 15th century by Spanish explorers. Beans are a high source of protein and fiber while maintaining a low calorie count, and they're inexpensive to buy. They're also staple items in many parts of Asia, Europe and North America.

Today, cannellini beans are commercially produced almost exclusively in Italy and used in a variety of popular Italian dishes, such as minestrone, pasta e fagioli, and a common side dish of bean stew with garlic and rosemary. Residents of Tuscany have been affectionately nicknamed mangiafagioli, which means bean eaters.

Side Effects and Allergies

As with all foods, cannellini beans can potentially cause allergic reactions in rare cases. However, they have no known side effects otherwise and are not known to interact negatively with any medications.

Final Thoughts

Cannellini beans are most popular in Italy and are a vital part of several traditional Italian dishes. Mostly purchased dry and cooked by soaking in water overnight, cannellini beans have a nutty, earthy flavor and are creamy and savory.

Eating these beans can help you lose weight because of the way they inhibit your body from absorbing excess carbohydrates.

The antioxidant content of cannellini beans allows them to keep your heart healthy while also protecting your eyes.

Cannellini effectively regulates blood glucose levels.

Beans like cannellini are recommended as a regular part of a healthy diet to avoid several chronic diseases, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Black Tea Benefits the Heart, Digestion and Stress Levels

Tea is actually the most consumed beverage worldwide after water so it's quite likely you may be acquiring black tea benefits already on a regular basis. But is black tea good for you? Loaded with antioxidants called polyphenols that protect human cells from hazardous free radical damage, it definitely makes the list of one of my top anti-aging foods.

Plus, black tea has been linked with improved mental alertness, lower ovarian cancer risk, and a possible decreased likelihood of developing Parkinson's disease, diabetes and heart disease.

While it's typically consumed black and hot in the East, in the West it's often consumed cold with lemon as iced tea or hot with milk and a sweetener like sugar or honey. Some varieties that may ring a bell include English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast.

You may also be familiar with Earl Grey, which is a black tea with bergamot essential oil, or chai tea, which combines a variety of spices with black tea.

Today, it is by far the most popular of the tea varieties, and it's commonly consumed daily in Western as well as South Asian countries like Sri Lanka and India. So we definitely know it has a lot of fans, but how healthy is black tea?

What Is Black Tea?

Black tea comes from the young leaves and leaf buds of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. Black, white and green tea are all derived from this same tea plant. What sets them apart is how the leaves are treated after picking. Black tea is more oxidized than oolong, green and white teas, which also makes it more strong in flavor.

It's also the highest in caffeine of the varieties. The caffeine content of brewed black tea is considered moderate, typically averaging around 42 milligrams of caffeine per eight ounces, but it can be anywhere between 14 and 70 milligrams.

There are different grades of black. Whole leaf is the highest grade and has a very small amount or even no changes to the tea leaf. These highest grade black teas are called orange pekoe. Pekoe tea is then further classified according to how many of the adjacent young leaves (two, one or none) were picked along with the leaf buds. The highest-quality pekoe tea only contains the hand-picked leaf buds.

The lower grade black teas consist of broken leaves, fannings and dust. The black tea you find in tea bags is most often dust and fannings, which allow for a quicker brew but also a stronger, harsher taste. Whole leaf teas tend to be less harsh and more floral.

Nutrition Facts

All black tea is made from oxidized tea leaves or, in other words, tea leaves that were allowed to wilt and brown after they were picked. This oxidation causes the formation of theaflavins and thearubigins, which are compounds that are responsible for it's color and taste, and also its possible health benefits.

One cup of brewed black tea contains about:
2 calories
0.7 carbohydrates
0.5 milligrams manganese (26 percent DV)
11.9 micrograms folate (3 percent DV)

Black tea's ORAC score of 1,128 is also quite impressive. ORAC stands for oxygen radical absorbance capacity, and this is a way of measuring the antioxidant content of food and beverages, which was developed by the National Institutes of Health. Black tea benefits are definitely directly related to this high antioxidant content.

Health Benefits

1. Boosts Heart Health

There have been numerous studies revealing black tea's positive impact on heart health. A study published in 2017 looked at the effects of tea consumption on the risk of ischaemic heart disease. The study looked at more than 350,000 men and women between the ages of 30 and 79 from 10 areas in China.

When the researchers followed up about seven years later, they found that consumption of tea was associated with a reduced risk of ischaemic heart disease as well as a lower risk of major coronary events (like a heart attack).

Another study compared black tea (without additives) drinkers to plain hot water drinkers for a period of 12 weeks. It contained high amounts of flavan-3-ols, flavonols, theaflavins and gallic acid derivatives. The researchers found that daily consumption of nine grams of black tea resulted in a highly significant decrease of cardiovascular risk factors, including triglyceride levels and fasting serum glucose.

There was also a significant decrease in the ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol as well as an increase in HDL (healthy) cholesterol levels. Overall, the researchers conclude that drinking black tea within a normal diet leads to a decrease in major cardiovascular risk factors, and it also boosts antioxidant levels in humans.

2. May Help Fight Cancer

Cancer fighter is also on the list of black tea benefits, as consumption has been linked with the reduction of certain types of cancer. For starters, a 2013 study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology investigated the effects of consuming flavonoid-rich black tea on prostate cancer risk in over 58,000 men in the Netherlands who provided detailed baseline information on several cancer risk factors.

Black tea is considered a major source of health-promoting flavonoids like catechin, epicatechin, kaempferol and myricetin. The study revealed that increased flavonoid and black tea intake was linked to a lower risk of advanced stage prostate cancer. However, no associations were observed for overall and earlier stages of prostate cancer.

Another promising study published in 2016 showed how the theaflavin-3 found in black tea had a very strong ability to stop the growth of cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cells. A highly impressive finding since cisplatin is said to be one of the most effective broad-spectrum anticancer drugs. In addition, the theaflavin-3 was less toxic to the healthy ovarian cancer cells, which is awesome since many conventional anticancer drugs kill both cancerous and healthy cells.

3. Helps Reduce Risk of Diabetes

Diabetes is an ever-growing chronic health problem around the world. A study published in the journal Diabetologia wanted to look at tea (and coffee) consumption in relationship to the development of type 2 diabetes. The study involved 40,011 participants, and at the mean follow-up time of 10 years, the researchers found that 918 subjects had developed type 2 diabetes.

They also found that drinking both tea and coffee was linked with a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes. Specifically, consumption of at least three cups of tea or coffee per day reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes by about 42 percent. This makes black tea beneficial as part of a diabetic diet plan.

4. Potentially Staves Off Strokes

A meta-analysis published in 2009 found that drinking black or green tea daily may prevent ischemic stroke. Specifically, the researchers found that regardless of what country the subjects came from, the people who drank the equivalent of three or more cups of tea each day had an overall 21 percent lower risk of stroke as compared to the subjects who drank less than one cup daily.



5. Relieves an Upset Stomach

If you have an upset stomach and are experiencing diarrhea, then one nice strong cup of black tea may be just the answer. The tannins present have a helpful astringent effect on the intestinal lining, which can help calm inflammation in the intestines and get the diarrhea under control.

If you're concerned you're dehydrated, you can opt for decaffeinated black tea. A 2016 study showed that in 2- to 12-year-old patients with acute nonbacterial diarrhea, black tea tablets were not only an effective, but also a safe and inexpensive way to help manage diarrhea not caused by bacteria.

6. Holds Antibacterial Ability

Black tea isn't just a tasty beverage hot or cold it also possesses potent antibacterial and antioxidant powers. Research has shown that it's phenolic compounds as well as its tannins have the ability to inhibit some types of bacteria. In addition, the non-polymeric phenolic compounds are able to be absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract, making these bacteria-killing components of black tea orally active.

Black tea consumed with honey has also been shown to specifically kill H. pylori bacteria, which can prevent all kinds of unwanted symptoms of a H. pylori, infection including ulcers.

7. Lowers Stress Hormones

This is definitely one of my favorite black tea benefits. While coffee is known for getting some people a little too energetic, tea has a reputation for being more of a balanced caffeine source and even a relaxation beverage that can work as a stress reliever. Research has shown that it can actually help its drinkers better recover from the common daily stresses of life by bringing stress hormones, like cortisol, back down.

In one study, 75 healthy male tea drinkers with an average age of 33 all gave their usual caffeinated beverages and were split into two groups. For the following six weeks, one group consumed a fruit-flavored caffeinated black tea mixture containing the active ingredients found in a cup of tea while the other group drank a beverage that tasted the same and had the same level of caffeine yet did not contain any other active tea components.

The subjects then underwent stress-inducing situation similar to what they would experience in normal life. Researchers kept track of their stress hormone and blood pressure levels as well as their heart rates and self-reported stress levels.

What did they find? The tasks were definitely stress-inducing according to all of the monitored health variables, yet 50 minutes after the stressor took place, the real black tea drinking group experienced a lowering of their cortisol levels that was noticeably lower in comparison to the fake tea drinkers. The real tea consumers also had their sense of relaxation rise after the stressful event compared to the fake group.

And to add one more positive result of this study — black tea drinkers had lower blood platelet activation, which is involved in blood clot formation, which raises the risk of heart attack.

Additional Benefits

These are some doses of black tea by mouth that have been shown to be beneficial in scientific research for the following health concerns:

Headaches and mental alertness: up to 250 milligrams of caffeine per day to alleviate headaches and improve mental alertness

Heart attack and kidney stones: at least one cup of black tea each day to reduce heart attack and kidney stone risk

Atherosclerosis: one to four cups (125 to 500 milliliters) of brewed black tea each day to prevent hardening of the arteries

Parkinson's disease: Men who consumed 421 to 2,716 milligrams of total caffeine (approximately five to 33 cups of black tea) daily seem to have the lowest risk of developing Parkinson's disease. However, men who drink as little as 124 to 208 milligrams of caffeine (about one to three cups) daily also have a significantly lower chance of developing Parkinson's disease. In women, one to four cups per day seems to be best.

Alzheimer's disease: Recent research gleaned from studying 957 Chinese seniors 55 and older found that regular consumption of tea lowers the risk of cognitive decline in the elderly by 50 percent, while APOE e4 gene carriers who are genetically at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease may experience a reduction in cognitive impairment risk by as much as 86 percent.

I want to note that I certainly don't recommend having 33 cups of black tea per day. We all handle caffeine differently, but in general it's not recommended to have more than five cups (40 ounces) each day.

Black Tea vs. Green Tea vs. White Tea

Black, green and white tea all share the same tea source, which is the tea plant. The processing of tea results in the different colors, flavors and health benefits of tea. After picking, white tea is the least processed while black tea is the most processed. White tea is the closest you can get to just picking a tea leaf off the plant and incurs very little oxidation. Meanwhile, green tea gets dried and undergoes a pan-frying or steam-heating process depending on the variety. Black tea is made using leaves that have oxidized, which means they were purposely permitted to wilt and brown after picking.

The ORAC value (antioxidant content) of brewed black tea is 1,128 while green tea is slightly higher at 1,253. So green tea definitely wins when it comes to antioxidants, but it's probably not by as much as you expected.

Black, green and white tea all share common tea benefits thanks to their polyphenols, which science has shown to have antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, detoxifying and immune-stimulating effects.

Green tea is usually lower in caffeine than black tea while green tea is typically lower than white tea. Research has shown that green and white tea have similar levels of health-promoting catechins and polyphenols.

Black Tea Infused Irish Porridge with Acai Berry (No. 8)
Chai Tea Recipe (this recipe has no caffeine as is, but black tea makes the perfect addition)
Black tea has many uses in the kitchen, but I also want to know what an awesome natural beauty aid it can be as well.

Black Tea Interesting Facts

Black tea benefits are definitely not a new thing. For thousands of years, tea has been consumed has a medicinal beverage. In approximately the third century AD, experts say that tea started to be consumed daily, and this is when tea cultivation and processing started up. The very first published account of tea planting, processing and drinking methods is said to be from 350 AD. In the 1800s, tea began to spread further from China and Japan to Taiwan, Indonesia, Burma and India.

In the mid 1800s, the British introduced tea culture into India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Today, the top five producers of tea in the world are China (No. 1), India, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Turkey.  Being the second most popular beverage in the world after water, it's no wonder that tea is mass-produced all across the globe.

When you steep black tea, you allow the flavor the tea to infuse the hot water. The more steep time, the more intense the flavor and vice versa. Scientists say that you shouldn't steep your black tea for any less than two minutes, but apparently research has shown that a whopping 80 percent of tea drinkers don't wait for even that small amount of time.

Plus, 40 percent drink their tea immediately, which means they get a less flavorful, less antioxidant-rich, very weak brew. To get the most black tea benefits, you definitely want to allow ample steeping time.

Risks and Side Effects

Is tea bad for you ever? 

Beetroot Juice Boosts Athletic Performance and Detoxifies

From the Middle Ages, beetroot was used as a treatment for a variety of conditions, especially illnesses relating to digestion and the blood. In recent years, the beetroot vegetable, otherwise known as Beta vulgaris rubra, has attracted much attention as a health-promoting, functional food.

While scientific interest in beetroot has only gained momentum in the past few decades, it's been used as a means of natural medicine for thousands of years.

What Is Beetroot?

The beetroot taste is described as sweet, earthy and tender to eat. Grown in the ground, it's related to turnips, swedes and sugar beet. When compared with beet benefits, drinking beetroot juice provides a more sudden boost of ascorbic acid, vitamin E, carotenes, phenolic acids and phytoestrogens to the body. This helps improve cardiac and immunity function.

Drinking beetroot juice also introduces a greater concentration of potassium than when eating the vegetable. Beetroot juice provides more nutritious value than consuming cooked beats because the heat reduces the nutrient content. Drinking beetroot juice is one of the best ways to detoxify the body boosting the function of all bodily systems.

Nutrition Facts

One important compound found in beetroot juice is nitrate. You may have heard about nitrates in the past and how they are harmful when consumed through products like deli meats, bacon or other low-quality packaged meats, but the type of nitrates found in whole foods like beets are actually very beneficial.

In the human body, inorganic nitrate converts to nitric oxide, which relaxes and dilates blood vessels. Beetroots take up nitrate from soil, just like many other leafy greens such as cabbage and lettuce.

A cup of raw beets has about:
58 calories
zero grams fat
zero cholesterol
106 milligrams sodium
13 grams carbohydrate
4 grams dietary fiber
9 grams sugar
2 grams protein
148 micrograms folate (37 percent DV)
6 milligrams vitamin C (11 percent DV)
0.1 milligrams vitamin B6 (5 percent DV)
0.01 micrograms thiamin (3 percent DV)
0.1 milligrams riboflavin (3 percent DV)
0.5 milligrams niacin (2 percent DV)
0.2 milligrams pantothenic acid (2 percent DV)
0.4 milligrams manganese (22 percent DV)
442 milligrams potassium (13 percent DV)
31 milligrams magnesium (8 percent DV)
1 milligram iron (6 percent DV)
54 milligrams phosphorus (5 percent DV)
0.1 milligrams copper (5 percent DV)
106 milligrams sodium (4 percent DV)
0.5 milligrams zinc (3 percent DV)
21 milligrams calcium (2 percent DV)

Benefits

1. Boosts Athletic Performance

Beetroot can increase the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood and has also been found to reduce the amount of oxygen that muscles require in order to function optimally. This means that consuming beetroot will provide an increase in energy, performance and stamina.

A 2012 study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests that the consumption of nitrate-rich, whole beetroot improves running performance in healthy adults.  In the study, 11 healthy and athletic men and women were studied in a double-blind placebo controlled crossover trial evaluation.

Participants underwent two 5-kilometer treadmill time trials in random sequence, one 75 minutes after consuming baked beetroot and once 75 minutes after consuming cranberry relish as a eucaloric placebo. Based on paired tests, mean running velocity during the run tended to be faster after beetroot consumption. During the last 1.1 miles of the run, running velocity was 5 percent faster in the beetroot trial. No differences in exercise heart rate were observed between trials; however, rating of perceived exertion was lower with beetroot.

Another study published in 2014 by Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that nitrate-rich beetroot juice enhanced the time trial performance of trained cyclists using devices that simulate altitude.

The ingestion of beetroot served as a practical and effective enhancing agent for endurance exercise at high altitude. The nine competitive amateur male cyclists involved in the study were most influenced by 70 milliliters of beetroot three hours before a performance trial comprised of 15 minutes of steady exercise at 60 percent maximum work rate.

2. Powerful Antioxidant

Beetroot juice has been considered a promising therapeutic treatment in a range of clinical diseases associated with oxidative stress and inflammation. Its constituents, most notably the betalain pigments, display potent antioxidant, chemo-preventive and anti-inflammatory activity.

According to research, beetroot juice might serve as a useful strategy to strengthen internal antioxidant defenses, helping to protect cellular components from oxidative damage. When certain types of oxygen molecules are allowed to travel freely in the body, they cause what is known as free radical damage. Oxidative damage has been linked to health conditions like heart disease, cancer and dementia; this is why consuming high antioxidant foods regularly is so important.

According to a scientific review conducted in 2015, the most abundant betalain found in beetroot, betanin, was the most effective inhibitor of oxidative stress.  Betanin's high antioxidant activity appeared to stem from its exceptional electron contributing capacity and ability to defuse highly reactive radicals targeting cell membranes. This suggests that beetroot juice, or beetroot juice supplements, protect against oxidative damage to DNA, lipid and protein structures.

3. Lowers Blood Pressure

Because beetroots are rich in natural chemicals called nitrates, through a chain reaction, your body changes nitrates into nitric oxide, which helps with blood flow and blood pressure. A 2012 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that a low dose of beetroot demonstrated significant hypotensive effects.

The results of this study suggest that beetroot consumption remarkably lowered systolic blood pressure (when heart muscles contract) and diastolic blood pressure (when heart muscles relax) over a period of 24 hours when compared with a water control group.

Another 2012 study published in Nutrition Journal involved 15 men and 15 women who received 500 grams of beetroot and apple juice or a placebo juice. As a result of the evaluation, it was clear that beetroot and apple juice lowered systolic blood pressure, as indicated with measurements six hours after juice consumption. This was especially true for men, who showed a more significant reduction in blood pressure levels.

Overall, researchers concluded that beetroot juice is one of the best foods to lower blood pressure levels naturally when consumed as part of a normal diet in healthy adults.



4. Aids Detoxification

Beetroot juice serves as a natural blood cleaner. It's able to help the body detox and cleanse the blood of heavy metals, toxins and waste due to its compounds called glutathiones, which are essential for detoxification within the liver and other digestive organs. Additionally, the fiber content in beetroot juice helps to sweep the digestive tract of waste and toxins while restoring healthy and regular bowel movements.

It's the betalains in beetroot that help to form glutathione enabling the body to neutralize toxins and make them water-soluble, meaning they can be exerted through urine and flushed out of the body.

Beetroot juice is also a powerful tool for cleansing and supporting liver function. It's important to keep the liver at optimal function because it filters our blood and is responsible for the largest percentage of detoxification in the body. It works tirelessly to detoxify our blood, produce the bile needed to digest fat, break down hormones and store essential vitamins, minerals and iron.

With impaired liver function, juicing vegetables has the added benefit of making the vegetables easier to digest and more readily available for absorption. Drinking beetroot juice for a liver cleanse also helps to reduce acid levels in the body, helping to create a more friendly pH balance.

5. Supports Cognitive Health

Drinking beetroot juice increases blood flow to the brain in older people, which may be able to serve as a natural remedy for Alzheimer's and fight the progression of dementia and other cognitive conditions. The nitrates in beetroot juice are converted into nitrites by bacteria in the mouth; these nitrites help open blood vessels in the body, increasing blood flow and oxygen to places lacking in oxygen.

As we age, there are areas in the brain that become poorly perfused, meaning there is not enough blood flowing through those areas. This is what may lead to cognitive conditions like dementia.

A study done by Wake Forest researchers at the Translational Science Center evaluated how dietary nitrates affected 14 adults age 70 and older over a period of four days. The MRIs done at the end of the four-day testing period showed that after eating a high-nitrate diet, the older adults had increased blood flow to the white matter of the frontal lobes. This is the area of the brain that is commonly associated with degeneration that leads to dementia and other cognitive issues.

Similarly, a 2016 study performed by Wake Forest University researchers explored the effects of drinking beetroot juice before a workout. The study observed 26 men and women, 55 years of age and older who did not exercise, had high blood pressure and took two or less medications for high blood pressure.

Three times a week for six weeks, they drank a beetroot juice supplement one hour before a moderately intense 50-minute walk on a treadmill. Half the participants received a supplement containing 560 mg of nitrate; the others received a placebo with very little nitrate.

Researchers found that the beetroot group had brain networks that more closely resembled those of younger adults, showing the potential enhanced neuroplasticity conferred by combining exercise and beetroot juice consumption.

6. Fights Diabetes

Beets contain an antioxidant known as alpha-lipoic acid, which has been shown to lower glucose levels, increase insulin sensitivity and prevent oxidative stress-induced changes in patients with diabetes. A 2008 study published in Nutrition Reviews found that alpha-lipoic acid can be extremely beneficial for patients with diabetic neuropathy.

According to researchers, alpha-lipoic acid terminates free radicals, chelates transition metal ions, increases cytosolic glutathione and vitamin C levels, and prevents toxicities associated with their loss. This means that beetroot juice is able to reduce the oxidative stress that has the power to destroy healthy cells in the body.

Beetroot juice is also high in fiber, so it keeps toxins and wastes moving through the digestive system properly. When the pancreas does not produce proper amounts of insulin, or if cells cannot properly process insulin, this results in diabetes. High-fiber foods, like beetroot, help to slow down glucose absorption giving the body time to process the insulin.

7. High Source of Folate

Folate consumption is important because it helps the body make new cells, specifically by playing a role in copying and synthesizing DNA. A folate deficiency will cause anemia (poorly formed red blood cells), a weakened immune function and poor digestion.

Pregnant women, women who are breastfeeding, people with liver disease, people who are medications for diabetes, alcoholics and people on kidney dialysis are most at risk of a folate deficiency. High folic acid foods, like beetroot, lentils, spinach and chickpeas, help to ensure a healthy pregnancy, fight to prevent cancer and support cardiovascular health.

History and Interesting Facts

Beets are a part of the plant family called Amaranthaceae-Chenopodiaceae. Nutrition-rich Swiss chard varieties and other root vegetables are also part of this family, explaining why they share beet's earthy but sweet taste. Beetroot leaves were historically consumed before the roots ever were, even though today many people prefer to consume the sweet roots and discard the more bitter, but very beneficial greens.

Beet greens are thought to be first consumed in Africa, thousands of years ago. The popularity of the root vegetables then spread to the Asian and European regions, with the Ancient Roman populations being some of the first people to harvest beets and eat their brightly colored roots.

From the 16th to the 19th century, beets became more widespread and they were used in various ways; for example, their bright juices were used as food dyes and their sugars quickly became noticed as a source of concentrated sweetness. By the 19th century, beets were being used as a means for extracting and refining sugar.

This continued to be a popular method for making cane sugar throughout Europe, eventually spreading to the United States, where today beets are still used in this way. Thankfully, the nutritious benefits of beets and beetroot juice are gaining notice and more studies are being conducted to prove their amazing capabilities. Today the largest producers of beets are the United States, Russia and European nations such as France, Poland and Germany.

Risks and Side Effects

You may have noticed in the past that your urine actually turns somewhat pink or red after consuming beets; this isn't anything to worry about because it's completely normal, as about 15 percent of the population reacts to compounds in beets this way.

Beetroot contains oxalates, which prevents calcium from being absorbed by the body, thereby allowing it to build up as stones in the kidney. If you get kidney stones because of too much calcium, you may be advised to cut down on oxalates in your diet.

Some research has shown that this effect could potentially indicate a problem with absorbing iron, so if you have concerns about either being too high or too low in iron and experience this effect after consuming beets, you may want to speak you're your doctor about having an iron test completed if you have been feeling sluggish, fatigued and showing signs of iron deficiency.

Bay Leaf Benefits for Digestion, Wounds and Diabetics

When most folks think of bay leaf, they immediately recall the aroma of delicious Italian food cooking on the stove. This herb has been around for centuries for medicinal purposes as well as for flavoring flood. Used in cooking for a distinctive, savory flavor or fragrance for meats, soups and stews, and even as an ingredient in a cologne known as bay rum, you may find bay leaf in cosmetics, soaps and detergents as well.

The bay leaf is extraordinary for its many health benefits, such as helping treat cancer, gas and bloating and digestion. There's even some evidence it may help treat dandruff, muscle and joint pain, and skin infections, though further research is needed to confirm those uses. Find out how to use this ancient herb in order to get some of these amazing benefits.

What Is Bay Leaf?

The bay leaf references various plants, including bay laurel, California bay leaf, Indian bay leaf, Indonesian bay leaf or Indonesian laurel, West Indian bay leaf, and the Mexican bay leaf. However, Turkish bay leaves are the most commonly used type from the ancient tree, Laurus nobilis.

It seems that various references to the bay leaf species of this aromatic plant can cause some confusion in regard to the true bay leaf, but to be a true bay leaf, it must come from the tree Laurus nobilis. It may also be called bay laurel or sweet bay.

The tree is an evergreen of the family Lauraceae, originating in the Mediterranean. The baby leaf is delicately fragrant with a bitter taste and holds about 2 percent essential oil. It's most common to use the dried version of the whole leaf when cooking, then removing the leaf from the dish before serving.

Nutrition Facts

One tablespoon (two grams) of crumbled bay leaf contains about:

5.5 calories
1.3 grams carbohydrates
0.1 gram protein
0.1 gram fat
0.5 gram fiber
0.1 milligram manganese (7 percent DV)
0.8 milligram iron (4 percent DV)
108 IU vitamin A (2 percent DV)

Benefits

1. Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Qualities

Bay leaf, including bay leaf essential oil, offers antimicrobial and antioxidant benefits. A study conducted at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University focused on the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of specific essential oils from white wormwood, rose-scented geranium and bay laurel on fresh produce against Salmonella and E. coli. All three essential oils showed antioxidant properties, with the highest activity occurring in bay laurel essential oil.

2. May Prevent Candida and Contain Wound-Healing Benefits

Bay leaf has been shown to provide antifungal properties. A study published in the Archives of Oral Biology was conducted demonstrating the antifungal potential of the essential oil of bay laurel against candida. In the study, the bay laurel disrupted adhesion of candida to cell walls, therefore reducing its ability to penetrate the membrane, making it a great addition to a candida diet in order to combat this condition.

In addition to fighting candida, bay leaf has been used as an extract and in a poultice to heal wounds in rats. While it wasn't as effective in healing wounds as quickly or as effectively as the Allamanda cathartica. L. extract, the bay laurel extract did show improved wound healing compared to the control group.

3. May Help Fight Cancer

Evaluation of the use of bay leaf extracts showed that both the leaves and fruits were potent against breast cancer cell models. The study notes bay leaf as a potential natural agent for breast cancer therapy by comparing cells that were induced with the extracts and those that were not. Cell death occurred in those that were induced, making bay leaf a possible natural cancer treatment option.

Further research published in Nutrition and Cancer suggests that it may help fight colorectal cancer. In vitro studies were conducted using extracts of the bay leaf against colon cancer cell growth. By using a process of incorporating ingredients, such as bay leaf into food, results exhibited the potential for colon cancer-regulating properties, showing relevance to protection against colorectal cancer during early stages of detection.

4. Could Be Useful for Diabetics

It's possible that bay leaf can help lower blood sugar levels. Research suggests that by taking ground bay leaf two times per day, blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels (LDL) dropped in participants in the study. It's important to note that this study included the regular medication that the subjects were using for diabetes. However, the benefits were positive, also showing that it increases the good cholesterol (HDL).

Further research by the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition reveals that bay leaves may improve insulin function. The study was conducted to determine if bay leaves may help prevent and eliminate type 2 diabetes. Forty people were given varied amounts of bay leaf, in the form of a capsule, per day over a period of 30 days. All amounts reduced serum glucose and total cholesterol, but there were no significant changes in the placebo group.

The overall outcome shows that regular consumption of bay leaves may help decrease risk factors for diabetes and and even cardiovascular diseases.

5. Aids Digestion

Bay leaves may have an impact on the gastrointestinal system by promoting urination, which helps release toxins in the body. Within bay leaves are certain organic compounds containing enzymes that may help eliminate an upset tummy and soothe irritable bowel syndrome, reducing bloating and gas.

In some cases, it has been known to decrease symptoms of celiac disease as well. Overall, the bay leaf may provide much relief by enhancing the digestion process and, therefore, increasing nutrient absorption.



Bay Leaf Interesting Facts

The bay leaf goes way back to ancient times when wreaths of laurel were made to crown victorious athletes in ancient Greece, which inspired the famous crown for the winners of the Boston Marathon and the Olympics. Furthermore, it was Nike, also known as Victory and the origin of the name for the well-known Nike shoe, that led the path for the laurel wreath to adorn heads of athletes worldwide. Representing the goddess of strength, speed, victory, glory and fame, Nike flew around battlefields rewarding the winners with the now famous wreath of laurel leaves (bay leaves).

Due to its menthol-like fragrance, early European settlers named the bay tree pepperwood. The Salinan Indians created a poultice to help those suffering with seizures by combining bay leaves with cinnamon, nutmeg and olive oil, and some tribes placed a single leaf into the nostril to cure headaches. It was even used to attract deer by some hunters. And let's not forget the fun the Karok Indian children had tossing the leaves into a fire so that they would make a firecracker-like sound.

Risks and Side Effects

While this herb is common in preparing food, you need to use caution when cooking with the whole bay leaf. It's important to remember to pull it out of your sauces and stews to prevent someone from choking on it. If you have concerns, go for the dried, ground version. The leaf itself is easily lodged, so it's best not actually eat it. That's why this herb is used in cooking and typically removed. That way, you can enhance the flavor and aroma without having to consume the whole leaf.

Though uncommon, if you notice any sort of allergic reaction, seek help as needed, as some people are allergic bay laurel.

Final Thoughts

Bay leaf is a classic spice that can be that special ingredient in almost any dish. Incorporating spices not only adds delicious flavor, but can offer many health benefits too. For instance, bay leaves or the essential oil derived from them have been shown to help prevent candida, heal wounds, potentially fight cancer and aid digestion.

Furthermore, they're useful in diabetics due to evidence they can help manage blood sugar and lower cholesterol. This herb also holds antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, and while further research is needed to confirm the efficacy, evidence shows it may help treat dandruff, muscle and joint pain, and skin infections.

As you can see, this herb can do quite a bit. If you have haven't cooked with bay leaf, start with small amounts. You can break bay leaves in half or use the fresh or ground versions and start to get some of the great flavor and benefits this herb has to offer.