Month: June 2019

Eggs are an essential ingredient in a standard American breakfast. Scrambled, poached, or fried, eggs are so delicious and easy to consume.

Over the last decades, eggs have sparked off much debate. Some people trust that this chicken product is a source of protein and nutrients, while others believe that it could multiply your chances of developing heart disease.

So, let’s clear up some common misconceptions about eggs and shed light on the amazing benefits they confer on the human brain – and body. Here are 5 scientifically proven advantages of eating two eggs every day:

Positive Egg-ffect on the Aging Process

A handful of Dutch investigators conducted a series of studies involving women and men of different ages and diets. Considering the findings, 87% of female participants within the 35 – 40 age range witnessed a significant reduction in age spots and skin sags, after the regular consumption of eggs. On the flip end, men showed a noticeable improvement in the wrinkles around the eyes (they became visibly smooth). That said, the consumption of two eggs every day can slow down the aging process and improve your skin tone and texture.

Remember that the effect of eggs on your skin will not show overnight; it requires time and consistency.

Easy Pregnancy

Thanks to their high content of B vitamins, eggs have a beneficial effect on women who desire to conceive a baby. Indeed, vitamin B9 (or folic acid) plays a vital role in the formation of sex hormones.

As a matter of fact, folic acid contributes to the formation of red blood cells as well as the neural tube of the fetus. On top of that, it helps lower the risk of child’s mental retardation. Moreover, research suggests that women who eat eggs during pregnancy have babies with higher IQ levels.

In brief, vitamin B9 is crucial for women during pregnancy planning – and one egg features 7.0 mcg of this vitamin.

Lower Risk of Cancer

Eggs contain a generous amount of choline, which is important for the human brain and its proper functioning. Actually, phospholipids, which protect the brain and ensure the normal transmission of signals between brain cells are essentially made of choline. Two eggs are sufficient to ensure your recommended daily intake of this nutrient.

As far as the “c” word is concerned, a study found that women who consumed eggs during their adolescence showed an 18% lower risk of breast cancer. So, it is advisable to consume two eggs on a daily basis to keep cancer at bay.

On a side note, eggs boost concentration and help with eyesight correction.

Reduced Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases

While many people believe that eggs can soar your chances of developing cardiovascular diseases, recent studies reveal the exact opposite. The dose of cholesterol eggs contain is balanced with phosphatides. Therefore, the regular consumption of eggs is not dangerous to your health. Furthermore, eggs halt the production of the body’s own cholesterol.

What is even more interesting about eggs is that they reduce the global triglyceride levels, thanks the decent amount of omega 3 fatty acids they contain. For this reason, they are thought to lower the overall risk of cardiovascular diseases and keep your heart as healthy as ever.

Better Liver Health

It may come as a surprise that eating boiled eggs helps cleanse your liver and maintain its optimal function. That’s because eggs harbor essential nutrients for humans, together with a high percentage of vitamin B12, biotin, and digestible nourishing proteins.

More than that, the phospholipids present in eggs aid with the removal of toxins from the liver. In addition, they boost your memory and promote healthy hair and skin. Several studies discovered that a deficiency in choline can lead to non- alcoholic or fatty liver disease. So, the daily consumption of two eggs helps you secure your daily intake of this nutrient.

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Garlic is a powerhouse that has been vastly used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. So, incorporating garlic into your diet plan is bound to confer amazing health benefits. As far as folk stories go, it has long been credited as a deterrent to insects, vampires and evil spirits. Amazingly, garlic is also used as an old folk cure for insomnia. Indeed, its allicin content generates a relaxing effect that helps you nod off fast at night. While this may sound strange, many people swear by it.

Can Prevent Sleep Issues

How Does Garlic Help with Sleep Issues?

The powerful smell of garlic can unclog nasal passages and improve your breathing. If you have tried sleeping with a cold, you certainly know how uncomfortable it gets when you cannot breathe properly. However, you may notice that your susceptibility to sickness decreases when you put garlic under your pillow. Indeed, allicin blocks two groups of enzymes that enable infectious microbes to invade and survive in the body.

In case smelling garlic does not work for you, try eating some prior to your bedtime- ahem, if your spouse doesn’t mind. Although scientific search is quite meager in this particular area, there is a correlation between garlic and sleep.

Garlic & Sleep

Garlic features a decent amount of magnesium and potassium- both minerals play a vital role in quality sleep. Magnesium helps initiate a deep, restful sleep, by maintaining healthy levels of GABA – a neurotransmitter that lowers the activity of neurons in the brain and central nervous system. This, in turn, boosts relaxation and reduces stress levels. On the other hand, potassium increases sleep efficiency and helps maintain sleep after you drift off into slumber land. If you received enough of these nutrients from your daily diet, you might not need garlic before bed. But if you want to try it, here is a folk remedy for that.

Milk and Garlic Drink

To prepare a warm milk and garlic beverage, you need to boil one crushed clove of garlic in one cup of milk for around 3 minutes. Allow this concoction to cool off, then remove the clove and add a teaspoon of honey. You can customize this drink according to your personal preferences. Drink this mixture 30 minutes before going to bed for maximum benefit.

Now, you might cringe at the thought of drinking this concoction, but you should know that there are garlic supplements that you can ingest to escape the strong flavor of raw garlic. Of course, they are not as effective as garlic, but are also beneficial. Bear in mind that high amounts of garlic can affect some meds, and that supplements have different levels of garlic in them. So, consult with your doctor if you want to try a garlic supplement.

A Word of Caution

If you have pets that invade your room or your food, you should know that garlic is toxic to both dogs and cats. So, do not leave any cloves of garlic under your pillow when you’re not in bed. A clove of garlic is enough to make your furry friend sick. Be that as it may, placing a clove of garlic under your bed at night is the most effective sleep aid.

Eaten or put under your pillow, garlic works wonders for your health. Whether or not you trust folk remedies, people who grapple with insomnia have found results using garlic. In addition, once you get accustomed to the smell of garlic in your room, it reportedly becomes pretty calming. Just don’t forget to put it in a paper towel since garlic releases oil when crushed and can damage your bed sheets.

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says that sunscreen is safe to use, as “no published studies show that sunscreen is toxic to humans or hazardous to human health.”¹ Case closed, right?

…Well, not so fast.

Although research, and your own personal experience, shows that it can prevent sunburn and other potential damage to the skin, there is also a dark side to sunscreen. The problem lies in the ingredients of sunscreen, many of which are classified as chemicals. These ingredients may be harmful to your health because anything that is on your skin can enter into your bloodstream.

The Usual Suspects

Even though the AAD states that sunscreen is safe to use, they also mention that there are alternatives if you are concerned about certain ingredients. Concerns about chemicals in sunscreen are not unfounded. Here is a quick rundown of some common ingredients in sunscreen that can affect the body negatively.

• Oxybenzone (benzophenone-3) – An organic compound found in many sunscreens, oxybenzone has been observed to disrupt hormone balance. One particular study observed changes in sex hormones and adverse reproduction effects from oxybenzone exposure.
• Octinoxate (octyl methoxycinnamate) – Another troublesome ingredient commonly found in sunscreens, octinoxate, or octyl methoxycinnamate, can also be detrimental to your health. Research shows that like oxybenzone, octinoxate displays hormone-like activity in the body.
• Homosalate – Also a widely used ingredient in sunscreens, homosalate can disrupt the hormones estrogen, progesterone, and androgen. It may also increase the absorption of pesticides.
• Vitamin A – This vitamin is beneficial when taken in proper doses, but too much can lead to toxicity. When on the skin in the presence of sunlight, it may speed up the growth of cancerous tumors.

Unfortunately, exposure to many of these chemicals goes beyond just sunscreen. Oxybenzone, for example, is found in more than 500 other personal care products, including moisturizers, lipsticks, and anti-aging creams.

But Doesn’t Sunscreen Prevent Skin Cancer?

There is evidence that sunscreen application has a beneficial effect in relation to skin cancer and photoaging. However, despite a steady increase in sunscreen sales, melanoma rates have increased significantly in the last few decades. Interestingly, the introduction of more powerful UV blockers in the 1990s correlates with increased, not decreased rates of melanoma.

The main purpose of sunscreen is to protect against sunburn. Yet there are other types of sun damage that increase the risk of skin cancer and speed up the skin’s aging process. Sunscreen is less effective at combating this type of damage that includes the formation of free radicals. Even worse, certain chemicals in sunscreen may promote free radical production. This could be another reason why skin cancer rates are on the rise.

Another issue is that people tend to think that as long as they apply a high-SPF sunscreen, they are good to stay out in the sun all day. However, total sun exposure is significant in relation to skin cancer and skin aging regardless of whether you put sunscreen on. Everyone should take measures to limit their exposure to the sun by moving to shaded areas frequently and wearing protective clothing as much as possible.

On the other end of the spectrum, it’s not a good idea to avoid the sun altogether. This is because the sun is our best source of vitamin D, which is an incredibly beneficial vitamin for many body functions.

Zinc and Titanium Oxide Sunscreens a Better Option

It’s been established that both too much and not enough sun exposure can be harmful. But it’s often not feasible to get the right amount of sun exposure each day. After all, many of our favorite activities and sports are enjoyed outside. So, what do we do if we want to be out in the sun but also don’t want to be exposed to harmful sunscreen ingredients?

Fortunately, concerns with commonly-used sunscreen ingredients have led the rise of natural alternatives. With a natural sunscreen, you can get the same sun-protection benefits, but without the synthetic chemicals that can potentially disrupt hormones, create free radicals, irritate the skin, and negatively impact the environment.

It’s important to note that to be classified as “natural,” a sunscreen needs only to contain zinc oxide and titanium oxide as its active ingredients. Although these substances are classified as naturally-occurring minerals, they are also on the list of harmful ingredients due mainly to their carcinogenic properties when inhaled. Therefore, you should steer clear of spray or powder forms of sunscreen that contain these ingredients.

Because titanium or zinc oxide sunscreens create a physical barrier to the sun, they can be more effective at preventing skin aging compared to their chemical counterparts. As these substances are not absorbed by the skin, your skin will likely look more opaque or white after application. In other words, don’t expect that rubbing this type of sunscreen on your skin will remove the white tint.

Choosing the Best Sunscreen

Titanium and zinc oxide sunscreens are effective and can be a healthy alternative to traditional sunscreens. But if you decide to use this type of sunscreen, you’ll want to take a look at the inactive ingredients to make sure they are not potentially harmful.

Like natural sunscreens, sunscreen products that are labeled “organic” can be problematic too. These products only have to contain a certain percentage of organic ingredients, so some synthetic ingredients may be hiding in these too. Again, make sure to check the labels and research any ingredients that you aren’t familiar with.

Some people believe that certain essential oils can be used as an effective sunscreen. The SPF value of these essential oils, however, is far too low to be considered an effective sunscreen. Additionally, certain essential oils are photosensitive, so they can actually be harmful to use in the sun. Stick with using essential oils for sun-damaged skin and not as a sunscreen.

To sum it up, research shows that chemical-based sunscreens can cause a number of health issues. When choosing a sunscreen, make sure to follow these guidelines:

• Make sure it is mineral-based (zinc oxide or zinc & titanium oxide)
• Steer clear of spray-ons or powders
• Avoid toxic ingredients (read the label)
• Look for fewer ingredients overall
• Pass on sunscreens that contain fragrances
• Choose an SPF of 30 or higher

Remember also that it’s not all about the sunscreen. You should also take measures to limit your exposure by covering up and finding shade as much as possible.