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Juice Cures – Fasting with Juices as a Cure for the Body

Fasting allows you to get to know your body better. Fasting can also be the start of a healthy diet. If your garden provides you with an abundance of fruit and vegetables, an exciting processing alternative is to use a juicer to conjure up delicious juice creations. The convenient alternative to this are ready-made juice cures that you can buy. Natalie from the meine ernte team has discovered the topic for herself and has repeatedly noticed positive effects. After she has tested both methods several times, she can report on her experiences and has tips on what you should consider.

Fasting does not mean starvation!

Classic fasting describes the renunciation of solid food and calories. Only water or herbal teas are drunk. In addition to classic fasting, many other methods are known: base fasting, therapeutic fasting, interval fasting, Schroth cure.

These fasting regimens do not forego 100 percent of the intake of food, but limit certain foods or certain times at which they are eaten.

Tip for fasting beginners: Guided therapeutic fasting provides security

There are guided therapeutic fasting courses (usually during Lent, i.e. in the 2-5 weeks before Easter). Here you will get instructions on which foods you can eat and which you should avoid. There you will be checked by a doctor every day and you can adapt the treatment individually to your body.

Juice fasting with fruit and vegetable juices

Juice fasting is also a suitable method for beginners. Here, only liquids are consumed over a certain period of time. This gives your digestive system a break. These include freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices, water, herbal teas or clear vegetable broths. Solid foods are not consumed during this time. The juices provide important vitamins and minerals. Although more calories are consumed with juice fasting than with other forms of fasting, the basal metabolic rate cannot be covered. That is why the fasting metabolism also occurs during the juice cleanse, in which the body has to fall back on its inner values ​​due to a lack of calories.

Start slowly – three days is enough

If you are doing a juice fast for the first time, a maximum period of three days is recommended. Anyone who has developed a taste and tolerates the fasting cure well can extend the period to a week next time. As a rule, you should not fast for more than three weeks.

Fasting Rules

Nutritionist Ina from the meine ernte team advises:

The proportion of vegetables in your juice should always be greater than the proportion of fruit. This is how you reduce a high intake of fructose from fruit.
Take as much time drinking juice as you would eating solid food. Otherwise, the digestion step through the contact of the food with the saliva is missed.
listen to your body There is a risk that your body will not tolerate the high intake of raw fruits and vegetables well. If you get stomach problems, stop the fasting cure.
The juice fast is perfect for all healthy vegetable gardeners. We have compiled a list of the best vegetables and fruits for juice fasting:

Vegetables for juicing:

Leafy greens like chard, spinach, and kale
carrots
Beetroot
tomatoes
cucumbers
paprika
zucchini
Kohlrabi
Leek
celery
parsnip

Fruit for juicing:

Oranges and lemons without peel
apples
pineapple
blueberries
pears
blackberries
apricots
plums
raspberries
grapes

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Live Healthy – 6 Tips for Body and Soul

The ancient Greeks already knew that mind and body are related to health. In addition to nourishing the body, nourishing the soul also plays an important role in your health.

Move!

The physiognomy of the human body is designed to walk approximately forty kilometers a day. Remember that we were once hunters and gatherers! In our Western working world, however, most people sit. Your breathing is shallower when you are sitting, which limits your oxygen supply. Sitting also damages your back, causes low calorie consumption and does not stress your cardiovascular system. As a result, there is a risk of metabolic diseases and diabetes. Integrate movement into your everyday life wherever possible. Cover small everyday transit distances on foot or by bike, use stairs instead of elevators, get off one stop earlier and walk the rest… Make it your challenge to discover more ways to move in everyday life. Set a time limit for sitting in your free time.

Experience nature!

A visit to the gym can provide some compensation for a lack of physical activity, but does not replace the important, holistic experience of being part of nature. Make time regularly to visit the forest, the park or any place in the open air where you can ground yourself and forget about the noise of the streets and the hustle and bustle of everyday life. If you sit in front of the computer a lot or live in a densely built-up city, your eyes will be happy about a clear view with a wide horizon. It doesn’t have to be a day trip. Watch birds, insects, the flight of clouds, or the flow of water whenever you find time. Tree hugging, forest bathing, outdoor meditation – these are all techniques to move yourself in nature and find inner peace.

Go offline!

Maybe you’re spending more time online than you’d like. Clickbait has you hooked, you’re studying the Kardashians’ last facelift, quickly checking your e-mails (after work?), updating your social media profile or browsing through funny cat videos…? Distraction can be good at times, but the internet has some pull. You can also use your time more consciously. Take one, two or more days off the internet (digital detox). Leave your cell phone at home when you go for a walk. Meet friends in real life for a walk, get your hands on DIY and crafts, or read a book. Contact with the physical world lets you regain ground.

Heal low-threshold

There is no need to attack every little ailment with a chemical baton. Side effects cannot be estimated and resistance to drugs is increasing. You can also relieve a cough with thyme tea, a mosquito bite with buckhorn, or a headache with mint oil and sleep. Many superfoods like ginger, barley grass and goji berries can do more for your health than some vitamin pills.

Learn about herbal medicine and alternative healing methods. Not all of them are esoteric – much is based on centuries of experience and has now been confirmed by research.

Avoid stress!

Negative stress has many faces. An unsuitable workplace, an inharmonious team, tensions with friends or family, unresolved conflicts with yourself, financial worries, constant overwork and pressure to perform, as well as an excessive general workload can lead to negative stress. Negative stress is when you experience long-term and recurring overloads that leave you feeling helpless and powerless, and end up inhibiting you from rationally addressing and solving problems.

Feeling overwhelmed can also make you physically ill. Today we know that a large number of pain disorders, immune disorders, back problems and cancer are associated with negative stress.

Find personal ways for you to reduce negative stress and ideally not let it arise in the first place. Yoga, autogenic training, sports and walks, mindfulness exercises, gardening in nature or meditation help to clear your mind and find relaxation phases. If you find that you can’t get your stress level under control on your own, open up and seek help from a coach or therapist – here you have a good chance of getting to the roots and making a change.

Create good habits!

Habits and rituals give the human psyche stability and security. Even tiny, everyday customs are important. Even if you are an active, flexible and spontaneous person, a regular structure and fixed habits will help you to ground yourself in everyday life.

The rituals can be varied:

Consciously drink a cup of tea at the same time
The daily call to a loved one
Regularly stand by the window or on the balcony and let your thoughts wander
A daily morning meditation
Be kind to others and yourself, criticize less and praise more
In between, take a deep breath or focus on your breath
Overcome small inhibitions in everyday life and try something new every day.
A fixed evening routine, including a review of the day and a short analysis of the day
write diary
Good sleep hygiene. It has been proven that regular sleeping habits and good sleep hygiene promote good health
Recover treasures – Establish a gratitude ritual and ask yourself once a day: What can I be thankful for today?
Be a Boy Scout – Do a good deed every day. This makes you and others feel good at the same time
Write a manageable (!) to-do list in the evening for the next day
A conscious walk every day
Give yourself a smile! Don’t just smile at those around you, smile at your own reflection as well. Researchers have proven that your subconscious can’t tell the smiles of strangers from your own smile.

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Cooking Tips

Caffeine: How it Affects Our Body

Many people drink their coffee in the morning not only because it tastes good, but also because of the stimulating effect. This comes from the caffeine. Here we explain exactly what causes this substance in the body and what advantages and disadvantages it has.

What is caffeine?

People like to consume caffeine because it wakes you up and keeps you awake and can help you overcome minor performance dips. It has already been proven that this is not imagination, but true: caffeine stimulates almost the entire body. It is an alkaloid and is one of the psychoactive substances. As a natural ingredient, caffeine (also caffeine) is contained in coffee beans, tea leaves, mate trees, kola nuts and guaraná berries. There are also numerous energy drinks that contain caffeine.

Nowadays, however, caffeine can also be easily produced synthetically. The caffeine tastes bitter, but is otherwise a colorless and odorless powder. The chemical name is 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine (molecular formula: C8H10N4O2) – admittedly a somewhat unwieldy name. There are many different terms for caffeine (which are more common than the chemical name) such as caffeine, theine, guaranine, methyl theobromine or trimethyl xanthine. What is meant here is always the same substance.

Who Discovered Caffeine?

One name you probably don’t associate directly with caffeine is Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. But the famous poet had a decisive part in the discovery of the substance. Whenever the famous poet had a cup of coffee, like so many others, he felt more awake and energized. He wondered what substance in coffee was responsible for this effect. So he gave the young chemist Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge the impetus to get to the bottom of the cause. After numerous attempts and experiments, Runge finally succeeded in isolating caffeine from coffee beans around 1820.

How does caffeine affect our body?

Caffeine is a psychotropic substance. The human psyche is influenced by this and can raise and lower a person’s state of mind. How much caffeine affects the human body also depends on the amount ingested. Every day, people in Germany consume an average of 200 mg of caffeine – that corresponds to around one to two cups (200 ml) of filter coffee. It takes between 30 and 45 minutes for the caffeine to get into the bloodstream and take effect. It reaches the entire body via the blood and is excreted again after about four hours.

Where is caffeine in?

No surprise: coffee beans contain caffeine. However, the caffeine content varies depending on the type of bean. Because caffeine is heat stable, the roasting process does not affect the caffeine content of the beans. In addition to coffee beans, caffeine is also found in more than 60 other plants, for example in the tea bush, the guaranà plant, the mate tree or the kola nut.

In addition to coffee, other drinks also shine with their caffeine content. The classic pioneering role is taken by the energy drink. This also contains other stimulants such as glucuronolactone, taurine and more. Black and green tea, for example, have a caffeine content of 3 to 3.5 percent. But other drinks and foods such as cola, cocoa or chocolate also contain caffeine in harmless amounts

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Correctly Interpreting Body Language: Show Me How You Behave and I’ll Tell You What You’re Thinking

Humans communicate constantly – with words, but above all with body language. This says a lot about us. You can pay attention to this when interpreting body language.

Understand body language – why?

Why should you deal with your own body language? Dr knows that Simon Breil from the University of Munster. He researches the connection between non-verbal language and personality perception. It has been proven that the perception of personalities is very strongly influenced by how we present ourselves, “before we have even spoken a word to each other,” says Breil.

It is well known that first impressions count. And this is derived 95% from our body language and only 5% from what we say. Other people form an image of us based on our body language. Precisely because we find it difficult to consciously control our facial expressions and gestures, it often speaks the truth about what we are actually thinking and feeling.

Is my counterpart telling the truth, is he comfortable? Understanding what your own body language and that of those around you is signaling can help you better understand others. communication becomes easier. In addition, a healthy posture can also have a positive effect on the inner body feeling.

What clear signals are there?

The movements in our face sometimes say a lot about our inner being. A frown can symbolize confusion or anger. A real smile is easy to tell apart from an artificial one. Do the cheeks lift, do small wrinkles appear next to the eyes? Body language is difficult to deceive. Another important aspect of facial expressions is eye contact, which can be used in many different ways. When two eyes cross each other on the dance floor, it’s an expression of mutual interest. You pay attention by looking. But be careful: Eye contact that lasts too long can also be uncomfortable or offensive. If the other person avoids eye contact, they don’t seem interested in you or are embarrassed.

It is also important what we do with our arms, legs and hands. There are gestures that are almost universally understood: raising your hand to greet someone, waving goodbye. If you like something, give it a thumbs up. But our body subconsciously controls many gestures. Anyone who has ever tried to keep their hands still while talking will quickly realize that this is almost impossible. Because the centers for speech and hand movements are close together in the brain. Man gestures to visually support what is being said.

Whether it’s for job interviews, lectures or on a first date – a confident posture is convincing. Anyone who walks and stands upright appears self-confident. A dynamic gait and relaxed arms support this impression. A sunken attitude, however, reflects insecurity, possibly also sadness. Anyone who carries their arms close to their body and takes small steps when walking appears tense. During conversations, you should lean forward a little to pay attention to the other person.

This is how you convince with your own body language

Not everyone has the same prerequisites for correctly assessing facial expressions, gestures and posture. However, being able to interpret signals is a first step in working on your own body language. Here it helps, for example, to observe other people, they can be friends, but also strangers. What gestures and facial expressions do they use to underline their words? How does their behavior appear to the outside world? It is also particularly interesting to do the same with politicians. Because they have often gone through coaching.

Politicians appear determined and self-confident through their body language. The same applies here: not everyone is a natural talent. Insecure people can practice body language in front of the mirror. The social psychologist Amy Cuddy developed the concept of “power poses”. Various exercises should help to radiate self-confidence. To expand the chest area, the hands can be crossed behind the head. Hands on the hips and hands on the front edge of the desk should also convey a confident impression.

You want to permanently change your body language? Rhetoric courses, drama, pantomime or dance can also help. The language of the body is constantly being used here. But ultimately, you shouldn’t force anything. Only those who feel comfortable in their own bodies appear authentic.

The man sticks out his chest, the woman crosses her legs

Typical behavior patterns of men or women indicate differences in their body language. The man sticks out his chest, the woman crosses her legs. You should even be able to tell from the gait whether a female or a male is walking in front of us.

Crossing the legs of women can have various external effects. On the one hand, this gesture is a sign of elegance, on the other hand, it can reflect a reserved and insecure character. The latter also applies when women play with their hair.

Men, on the other hand, tend to make sweeping gestures. They take up a lot of space, for example when sitting with your legs apart. This makes them appear more present. However, it is clear that posture is more a question of type and personality than gender.

Different countries, different customs – different body language

If the next holiday in distant countries is pending, you should also be careful when it comes to body language. Many gestures and facial expressions are culturally influenced and cannot be used universally. While for us a head shake means “no”, in Bulgaria and India a slow shake of the head means “yes”.

Eye contact, which is considered friendly in Germany, encroaches on the private sphere of the Japanese. Crossing legs is considered offensive to Arabs and Asians because it shows the soles of the shoes.

And you should also be careful with the popular “thumbs up” gesture. In Sardinia, Colombia and the Middle East, this sign can be interpreted as indecent.

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Love: This is How Our Body Decides who We Fall in Love With

The body decides who I fall in love with, not the heart. Love is born in the mind. Biology knows which criteria are decisive for falling in love.

This is what happens in our body when we fall in love

What is love? A poet will give a different answer to this question than a biologist. The sober answer from a scientific point of view can take away the romantic illusions of a magical love for many newly in love: Love is a feeling with a biochemical basis and a neurobiological pattern that simplify or even enable the start of a relationship. Above all, love serves a higher mating success. An increased heartbeat, moist skin and hands, cheeks with good blood flow – anyone who has ever been in love knows these symptoms only too well. But what exactly triggers the infatuation signs in our body?

Even if the heart can pound at the sight of the swarm, infatuation does not develop in the heart, but in the brain. There, the lymbic reward system is particularly active during this time, while the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for rational thinking, is particularly inactive. The body releases a lot of dopamine. Some people in love have higher serotonin levels. Both are happiness hormones that make the world look a lot nicer. Testosterone levels in women go up and men go down. Decisions are now made via different neural pathways than before.

It is not always possible to prove exactly why the individual values ​​are falling or rising. But one thing is clear: something is happening in the body! In their thinking, people in love are even similar to people with OCD. However, this only applies to the first phase. After about a year, the intoxication wears off, and bonding and security hormones such as oxytocin and vasopressin replace dopamine. Researchers speak of the so-called Coolidge effect. However, if the two partners are compatible, the exciting infatuation turns into love.

Who do we fall in love with?

We know countless people, with some we are friends, with others we can imagine more. What actually determines who we fall in love with? The first thought that probably comes to many people’s minds is a mixture of looks, character and interests. In fact, various scientific studies have shown that appearance is the first criterion when choosing a partner, especially for men. But that is not how it remains.

If you ask psychologists, the choice is mainly about similarities. Here, for example, age plays a role, but also a similar level of education and a common social milieu. On average, men are two to three years older than women in relationships. A similar milieu creates opportunities for encounters, many people get to know each other at work and at school. Common interests and similar characteristics evoke sympathy in people. But biology thinks differently: it is precisely differences that attract.

The more different two people’s genes are, the more attractive they find each other. This has one purpose above all: to protect the offspring from diseases. In general, from an evolutionary biological point of view, choosing a partner is about sexual reproduction. The genetic material should be combined in such a way that it results in the best conditions for potential children. This is where a surprising fact comes into play: smell is key. Everyone has an individual scent that we subconsciously perceive. This scent signals to the other person whether it is a potential reproductive partner or not.

Partners are like your own parents – is that true?

A mixture of appearance, character and interests – so it’s not quite that simple after all. But while smell is an essential factor in who we fall in love with, looks play a different role. 80 percent choose partners who look a bit like their parents. Is it true that we fall in love with people who resemble our parents?

There’s something to it. At least that’s what the results of a Hungarian study say. For the study, the researchers measured face sections of several people per family. When comparing the measurements, it became apparent that daughters tend to favor men whose central facial area resembles that of their father. For sons, the lower part of the mother’s face was significant. In total, the faces of 312 people were measured.

The researchers attribute this fact to the socialization process of the children. And in principle, familiar faces are more sympathetic to people than strangers. Couple therapists know that resemblance isn’t just limited to looks. The same often applies to character traits and behavioral characteristics. In addition, the actual influence of this factor also depends on how good or bad the parent-child relationship is.

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Study Shows This is What Happens to Your Body When You Smoke Cannabis

Smoking cannabis has different effects on the body. Researchers have now investigated whether there is also a risk of thrombosis.

Cannabis: what happens in the body?

As the University of Saarbrücken announced, the scientists compared the blood cells of three marijuana smokers with those of three non-smokers. All test subjects are in their mid-30s. Prof. Kaestner and his team observed that the red blood cells swelled immediately after contact with the cannabis active ingredient dronabinol – more so in people who regularly smoked marijuana than in non-users.

Dronabinol – also known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – stimulates a specific ion channel on red blood cells during smoking. The channel called TRPV2 regulates the uptake and release of certain messenger substances into and out of the cell. Cannabis consumption increases the concentration of sodium ions in the blood cells, which means that more water is absorbed. This causes the cell to swell.

However, the situation does not last long. Within an hour, the cells returned to their original shape. According to Prof. Kaestner, however, the risk of thrombosis for cannabis smokers increases slightly during this time. Because the blood cells are larger and rounder, they tend to get stuck in small capillaries. In addition, when smoking cannabis, the vessels constrict, which also increases the risk of micro-thrombosis.

Scientists: health risk is unclear

According to the German Society for Angiology (DGA), in the event of a thrombosis, vessels such as veins are blocked by a blood clot. Leg and pelvic veins in particular can be affected. If a clot forms in these areas, there is a risk of the clot being carried through the bloodstream to the lungs. A pulmonary embolism is imminent. Various factors can lead to thrombosis. One danger is, for example, prolonged lying down, for example during a hospital stay. In this case, thrombosis stockings prevent vascular occlusion. However, the tendency to thrombosis can also be inherited.

The disease can be fatal. According to figures from the DGA, around 100,000 people die every year in Germany as a result of a pulmonary embolism. This is the third most common fatal cardiovascular disease after heart attack and stroke. If thrombosis is suspected, action must be taken quickly. As a first step, the patient is injected with an anticoagulant substance. This prevents the clot from growing and leading to a pulmonary embolism.

Prof. Kaestner cannot say that the observations of the Saarbrücken researchers actually pose an immediate health risk. This question was not part of the study.

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This is What Happens to Your Body When You Start Exercising

One in four adults does not exercise enough. More than five million deaths could be avoided if the world’s population would exercise more. It doesn’t matter whether it’s jogging, weight training or cycling: Regular exercise not only promotes physical and mental health, but also prevents numerous diseases.

Sport: Positive effects on the body

When you exercise, your blood pressure and insulin levels drop for a few hours after exercise. After a few months, your heart gets used to the new strain during sport and thus lowers blood pressure and heart rate in the long term, even outside of training. This relieves the heart and reduces the risk of many diseases. For example, many people suffer from high blood pressure without even knowing it. This is where exercise and the right diet can help.

Strength training also strengthens the muscles and bones in particular, which in turn prevents fractures, tension or muscle tears. There is also a big plus in the positive effect on our immune system. Furthermore, sport reduces the risk of diabetes and cancer and has a positive effect on the brain, which stabilizes thinking skills.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), physical activity also promotes metabolic health, musculoskeletal health and the prevention of depression. Sport has an impact not only on physical but also on mental health. Physical activity improves mental well-being, increases quality of life as well as mobility and independence, especially in older people, reduces stress reactions, fears, depression and other forms of dementia.

WHO: This is what happens when you don’t exercise

According to the WHO, physical inactivity has negative consequences. Any movement is better than not moving at all. At six percent, lack of exercise is the fourth largest risk factor for premature mortality, after high blood pressure at thirteen percent, smoking at nine percent and high blood sugar also at six percent. Overweight (obesity) is another major risk factor, accounting for five percent of deaths.

For Europe, the WHO estimates the consequences of lack of exercise at one million deaths every year, which corresponds to ten percent of all deaths. There are also drastic economic costs associated with the negative effects of physical and mental inactivity.

WHO recommendations for physical activity

The WHO recommends at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week for the adult population aged eighteen and over. That’s two and a half hours a week and should definitely be possible. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a workout in the gym, a round of jogging in the forest or a relaxed yoga session with friends, all movement promotes health. Even a long brisk walk improves endurance and keeps you fit.

In addition, muscle-strengthening activities should be incorporated that are not limited to just one area of ​​the body. A mixture of endurance and muscle training is recommended here, in units with a minimum duration of ten minutes each. At best, you spread your sports units over at least twice a week.

From the age of 65, the organization increasingly recommends physical activity that focuses on balance, coordination and muscle strengthening at least three times a week. Children should move for at least an hour a day. Children and teenagers should work up a sweat three days a week to strengthen muscles and bones. Being physically active is crucial to your health and well-being.

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Healthy Fasting, But How? A Plant-Based Diet is Good For The Body!

Goodbye annoying kilos? Ideally, fasting should be healthy and varied: A vegan diet is very suitable for this.

What exactly does it mean to “eat vegan” anyway?

In a vegan diet, no animal products such as meat, cow’s milk and eggs are consumed. Contrary to popular belief, not eating animal products does not lead to malnutrition as long as you eat a wholesome diet. A wholesome diet means getting all the nutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats), vitamins, and minerals you need.

The main components of a vegan diet include grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and of course fruits and vegetables. Sound boring? But it doesn’t have to be. A vegan diet offers diverse and creative dishes – which are also easy and quick to prepare!

Benefits of a vegan diet

In brief: A healthy and balanced vegan diet can support weight loss in the case of overweight, reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases and promote digestion.

1. High in fiber

Many plant-based foods are very low in fat (legumes and grains) and low in calories and can support weight loss. They also contain a high proportion of fiber, which is why plant foods have a very filling effect and at the same time promote digestion. These include, for example, whole grain oatmeal, dried apricots and salsify. Foods such as cheese and meat contain little fiber and can lead to constipation if consumed in excess.

2. Low cholesterol

Plant-based foods have a low cholesterol content. Knew? In fact, oatmeal and walnuts, for example, even lower cholesterol. According to scientific studies, a low-cholesterol diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as a heart attack or stroke. On the other hand, everyday mixed foods such as eggs, butter and cheese contain a lot of cholesterol.

3. Lower risk of cancer

The risk of cancer can also be reduced with a vegan diet. The plant-based diet reduces the risk of colon and lung cancer, as well as stomach and prostate cancer. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), red meat (like beef and pork) and processed meat (like cured meats and ham) are classified as carcinogenic to humans. Processed meat and tobacco smoking are even on the same cancer risk level.

Disadvantages of a vegan diet

Since the consumption of meat and dairy products is instilled in many people and is therefore firmly anchored in our cultural values, the switch to a plant-based diet is difficult at first. This takes some getting used to and some research.

In a purely vegan diet, vitamin B12 must be added to the diet, since plant foods primarily contain no B12.

If you only eat vegan for a limited period of time (approx. 1 month), there is no risk of a B12 deficiency.

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Salt in Food is Harmful: Here’s How Cheese Can Protect Your Body

Cheese can be healthy? Yes! Many foods contain excessive amounts of salt, which is why many people exceed the daily recommended amount of salt. This can lead to kidney damage in the long term and damage the heart and blood vessels. According to a new study, cheese is the answer.

Too much salt excreted by the kidneys – significant water loss is associated

Too much salt in the body is primarily eliminated through the kidneys. There is a significant loss of water in the body. Over a long period of time, this puts a strain on the kidneys. Furthermore, the lack of water can lead to vasoconstriction and thus affect blood pressure and the heart. PennState University from Pennsylvania takes a closer look at this phenomenon.

Cheese is said to protect blood vessels from damage caused by excessive salt consumption

Accordingly, it is difficult to find a balance between delicious food and the right amount of salt, since a lot of food is characterized by a high salt content. Antioxidants in cheese have been found to help protect blood vessels from damage caused by high levels of salt in the body, in a new study from PennState University. Billie Alba, who led the study, confirms that the new findings could strike a balance between minimizing the risk of eating too much salt and eating tasty food.

Eleven adults follow four different diets for eight days

To support the theory that a diet containing cheese is good for blood pressure and heart health, 11 adults were included in the study. Each subject followed four different diets for eight days each: a low-sodium diet without cheese products, a low-sodium diet high in cheese, a diet high in cheese and sodium, and a high-sodium diet without cheese.

On the high-sodium diets, participants consumed 5,500 mg of salt per day, while those on the low-sodium diets only consumed 1,500 mg of salt. The cheese content in the high-cheese diets was about 170 grams, which translates to about four servings of different types of cheese per day. After each week-long diet, subjects returned to the lab for testing.

Drug acetylcholine helps with examinations

In order to obtain meaningful results, tiny fibers were placed under the skin of all test subjects and soaked with the drug acetylcholine. This ensures that the blood vessels relax. The blood vessels of each test person reacted differently to the drug – this allowed the function of the blood vessels to be measured. The subjects also had their blood pressure measured and urine tested to make sure they were consuming the right amount of salt.

Antioxidants in cheese have a positive effect on blood vessels

After the week-long high-salt, low-cheese diet, it was observed that the participants’ blood vessels did not respond as well to the acetylcholine and had more difficulty relaxing. This was not observed after the high-salt, high-cheese diet.

“While the participants ate the high-sodium chloride, no-cheese diet, you could see that blood vessel function dropped to levels seen in people at advanced cardiovascular risk,” said Lacy Alexander, professor of the cardiovascular system Exercise Science at PennState. “But when they consumed the same amount of salt and cheese was one of those sources of salt, those effects were completely avoided.”
While the test results cannot indicate that specific nutrients in cheese cause the effect, the antioxidants in cheese are considered contributing factors. According to Billie Alba, there is scientific evidence that milk-based nutrients, particularly peptides formed during the digestion of milk proteins, have beneficial antioxidant properties. This means they can scavenge these oxidant molecules, protecting them from their harmful physiological effects.

In the future, it is important to examine these effects in larger studies, as possible new mechanisms could help dairy products to maintain vascular health.

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Food

Matcha Tea: Its Healthy Effects on the Body

Matcha tea and its special properties at a glance. We will tell you everything about the effect of Matcha tea and how you can prepare Matcha tea successfully. Because regular consumption has many positive effects on your health.

Matcha tea is made from green tea powder and comes from Japan. It is very popular because it is said to have a very healthy effect. Accordingly, it can reduce stress and prevent cardiovascular diseases. That’s why you should definitely try it.

History of Matcha Tea

Tea has always been an essential part of the local food culture of the people of China. According to Chinese legend, the divine ruler and plant expert Shen Nong tested numerous plants on himself about 5000 years ago. His goal was to find useful species that could be used to make beverages with medicinal properties, giving rise to tea. Later, Buddhist monks traveled to China. From there they brought green tea to Japan as a meditation drink.

This is how the preparation and drinking of ground tea, the so-called Matcha, became known. While it was gradually forgotten in China, it became increasingly important in Japanese Buddhism. Today it is regarded as the highest quality and rarest type of tea in Japan and is still characterized by its meditative and health-promoting effects. Also, note other superfood foods and their benefits.

Manufacture of Japanese Gold

Matcha is a tea that is only made from the finest components of the green tea leaf, the fine leaf flesh. As a result, it is also characterized by strong, green color. To harvest, the tea is ground in stone mills into an extremely fine powder. Only the freshest leaves with a smooth aroma are suitable for further processing into matcha. This corresponds to about five percent of a tea bush.

Since the tea is very elaborate and produced according to centuries of tradition, it is considered a particularly noble and high-quality type of tea and is correspondingly expensive. Nevertheless, its valuable ingredients and its invigorating effect make it so popular. The cheaper alternative would be soothing green tea.

The healthy Matcha tea effect

Scientific studies confirm: Green tea has a health-promoting effect if it is drunk daily. The ingredient EGCG has an anti-inflammatory effect and has a positive effect on diseases of the immune system. Matcha is even said to have health-promoting effects on cancer, as it appears to inhibit tumor growth. And by enjoying Matcha tea, the body absorbs not only the water-soluble but also all the water-insoluble active ingredients in green tea. This includes valuable ingredients such as:

  • chlorophyll
  • antioxidants
  • catechins
  • Vitamins A and E
  • beta carotenes
  • minerals
  • proteins
  • cell fibers

Benefits and uses of matcha tea

In the following, we have listed the advantages of regular consumption of tea. It is important to note that most of the findings come from studies with animals and cannot be transferred one-to-one. Nevertheless, the results show the valuable and healthy effects of matcha.

1) As a healthy alternative to coffee

Matcha is not only healthy, it also has other great properties. Because the tea is a real pick-me-up. As a result, it represents a healthy alternative to classic coffee. It contains half the caffeine of a cup of coffee but is just as invigorating. At the same time, it has a balancing effect due to the large number of amino acids it contains.

2) Stress reduction through matcha tea

Since the popular tea contains the ingredients theanine and arginine, it contributes to effective stress reduction. A few amounts of matcha powder are sufficient. So you should treat yourself to 2-3 delicious matcha biscuits or a cup of green tea a day.

3) Matcha tea for weight loss

In addition, Japanese researchers have discovered that catechins boost the breakdown of fat in the body. For this reason, it is increasingly used in diets. Consequently, it is one of many effective tips for losing weight faster without having to give up anything.

4) Effectively protects the skin

Matcha is also a very good skin and sun protection. If the body is exposed to direct sunlight for a long time, free radicals damage the cell membranes of the skin. This causes them to age faster. The catechins contained in Matcha prevent the radicals from penetrating the skin and prevent wrinkles and skin damage.

5) Lower blood pressure with matcha tea

Since matcha powder is made from green tea and is a good home remedy for lowering blood pressure, it can be assumed that it will have a similar effect. Consequently, this could prevent strokes and cardiovascular diseases. However, you can do just as well with the cheaper green tea.

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