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Baking soda or chemically known as sodium bicarbonate is long been used in baking as leavening agent (a substance that make dough rise) and as a cleaning agent. Besides these uses, the alkaline substance has other beneficial uses which are discussed below.

Treatment for Acid Reflux

Commonly known as heartburn, acid reflux is an uncomfortable burning sensation in the lower chest, usually caused by stomach (gastric) acid flowing or leaking back into the lower end of the esophagus. The burning sensation is due to the irritation or sensitivity of esophageal cells from stomach acid.

Heartburn can be relieved by reducing stomach acidity. This is done by taking sodium bicarbonate orally. As a base, sodium bicarbonate decreases stomach pH, a measure of alkalinity or acidity.

Taking a glass of water mixed with a teaspoon of baking soda can help relieve the symptoms of acid reflux.
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Dissolves Kidney Stone

Kidney stones are small hard masses in the kidney, consisting mainly of phosphates, oxalates, and urates. It has been said that strong urine acidity in the kidney environment promotes the formation of kidney stones. Drinking water with bicarbonate of soda may reduce urine acidity resulting to kidney stones being dissolved and stop the formation of new ones.

Treatment of Urinary Tract Infection

Bacteria are the culprits for urinary tract infection. Drinking of baking soda solution may contribute in the cure of urinary tract infection. Sodium bicarbonate decreases the acidity of the urinary tract environment, controlling the multiplication of bacteria that can only survive in acidic environment.

Improves Kidney Function

A study published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) showed that intake of sodium bicarbonate tablet improves the kidney function of some patients with advanced chronic kidney disease. Sodium bicarbonate intake is linked by the researchers to the reduction of rate of decline in kidney function among the patients. Moreover, the researchers said that patients who took baking soda showed improvement in their nutritional statuses. Since the study has limitations (e.g. no placebo group), more similar studies should be done to compare the results of the study.

Mouth Care

Mix a teaspoon of baking soda to a glass of water and use it as a mouthwash. Baking soda is able to inhibit the growth of some mouth bacteria that cause bad breath and tooth decay.

Treatment for Acidosis

Acidosis is the abnormal increase in the acidity of the blood or decrease in blood pH. It is a very serious condition that can lead to multiple organ failure or even death when no immediate medical attention is given to the patient. Oral or intravenous sodium bicarbonate administration is the treatment for acidosis.

Sodium bicarbonate increases blood pH by neutralizing acid in the blood. Take note that the body maintains a constant blood pH or else everything in the body would go wrong.

Deodorant

Baking soda is an alternative deodorant. It absorbs odor instead of masking it like what other deodorants do.

Exfoliant

If you want to get rid of excess dead cells in your skin to make it smoother and more clean, use baking soda. Just mix small amount of water and baking soda to make a paste, which you will gently apply to your skin. The fine crystals in the baking soda will remove dead cells which could not be removed by ordinary soaps. Besides dead cells, baking soda may also remove excess oil in your skin.[ad#afterpost]

Also known as wolfberry, goji berry is the commercial name of the fruit of two very closely related species: Lycium chinense and Lycium barbarum. These plants belong to the Solanaceae family in which eggplant, tomato, potato, chili pepper, and tobacco belong. Goji berry is native to China and Southeastern Europe. Its other names include Chinese wolfberry, red medlar, matrimony vine, bocksdorn, Duke of Argyll’s tea tree, Tibetan goji, and Himalayan goji.
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Goji berry fruit is bright orange-red and ellipsoid in shape. It is produced by a deciduous woody perennial plant that grows up to 3 meters high. Found inside goji berries are 10-60 tiny yellow seeds.

Goji berries have both culinary and medicinal uses. Dried goji berries are added to rice congee, almond jelly, soups, and in combination with pork or chicken, vegetables, and other herbs like licorice, wild yam, and astragalus. They are also boiled to make herbal tea, usually in combination with other traditional Chinese herbs. They can be fermented to make wine.

Goji berries have many uses in Traditional Chinese medicine. It is believed that eating goji berries prolongs life, enhance fertility, and promote general well-being.

At the beginning of this century, goji berry became a very popular “superfruit” worldwide. It has been widely marketed online and offline using health claims with inadequate scientific proofs. Marketers have “exaggerated” the health benefits of goji berries to sale tons and tons of goji berry products at very expensive prices. For example, some marketers claimed that the Chinese man named Li Qing Yen lived 252 years just by eating goji berries daily. There is no doubt that this claim was fabricated just to boost the sale of goji berry. Marketers have differentiated goji berry with other berries, fruits, or herbs to make millions of dollars.

It is true that goji berry has many health benefits but it is not more superior to other nutritious fruits and vegetables, contrary to what marketers want us to believe. Continue reading to learn the nutritional content and claimed health benefits of goji berry. Plus, get to know the scientific researches on goji berry which were published in reputable peer-reviewed journals.

Goji Berry Nutritional Content

Goji berry contains amino acids, fatty acids, complex polysaccharides, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, selenium, Vitamin C, riboflavin, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, lutein, lycopene, cryptoxanthin, xanthophylls, phenols, phytosterols, and other vitamins and minerals.

Claimed Health Benefits

• Reduce blood sugar
• Reduce serum lipids
• Immunomodulation
• Anticancer
• Anti-aging
• Antifatigue
• Increase male fertility
• Improve eyesight
• Improve circulation
• Prevent and treat diabetes
• Treat male infertility
• Boost sperm production
• Protect the liver
• Promote longevity

Goji Berry as Great Source of Antioxidants

The antioxidants found in goji berry are Vitamin C, lycopene, lutein, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, cryptoxanthin, and xanthophylls. These antioxidants protect the body from free radical damage. Free radicals are reactive compounds that damages cells and DNA, causing cancer, premature aging, heart disease, neurodegenerative disorders, and metabolic diseases.

Carotenoids like beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin have been shown to protect the eye retina by absorbing blue light and by acting as antioxidant. Studies show that increased intake of fruits and vegetables high in carotenoids like goji berry may decrease the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, the major cause of vision loss and blindness in people over the age of 65.

Selected Researches on Goji Berry

• Gong, H. et al. 2005. Therapeutic effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) on irradiation or chemotherapy-induced myelosuppressive mice. Cancer Biother. Radiopharm.
• Chang, R.C. and So, K.F. 2008. Use of anti-aging herbal medicine, Lycium barbarum, against aging-associated diseases. What do we know so far? Cell Mol. Neurobiol.
• Luo, Q. et al. 2006. Lycium barbarum polysaccharides: Protective effects against heat-induced damage of rat testes and H202-induced DNA damage in mouse testicular cells and beneficial effect on sexual behavior and reproductive function of hemicastrated rats. Life Sci.
• Amagase, H. et al. 2009. Immunomodulatory effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum fruit in Chinese older healthy human subjects. J. Med. Food.
• Zhang, M. et al. 2005. Effect of lyceum barbarum polysaccharide on human hepatoma QGY703 cells: inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis. Life Sci.
• Amagase, H. et al. 2009. Lycium barbarum (goji) juice improves in vivo antioxidant biomarkers in serum of healthy adults. Nutr. Res.
• Li, X.M. et al. 2007. Effect of the Lycium barbarum polysaccharides on age-related oxidative stress in aged mice. Journal of Ethnopharmacology.
• Luo, Qiong. 2009. Lycium barbarum polysaccharides induce apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells and inhibits prostate cancer growth in an Xenograft mouse model of human prostate cancer. Journal of Medicinal Food.

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Called by navigator Christopher Columbus as “the fruit of the angels,” papaya is the fruit of Carica papaya, a tropical plant that grows up to ten meters tall. The spherical or pear-shaped fruit grows up to 20 inches and changes color from green (unripe) to yellow or orange when ripe. The flesh of the fruit is orange with either pink or yellow hues. The seeds are aggregated at the center of the fruit and each of them has gelatinous covering. Although the seeds are edible, they are usually discarded because of bitter taste. The skin of the fruit is generally not consumed.
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Papaya is a native plant of Central America but was introduced by Spanish and Portuguese navigators to many tropical lands to which they journeyed including the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Caribbean, and some parts of Africa.  Today, the largest commercial producers of papaya are Puerto Rico, Mexico, and the United States.

Papaya is usually eaten ripe but it can be eaten raw. Unripe papaya (the one with green skin) can be used in making salad or in cooking. In the Philippines, unripe papaya is grated to make “atsara,” a vegetable salad with vinegar, black pepper, and sugar. It is traditionally served as appetizer. In the same country, unripe papaya is popularly used in chicken and pork soups.

Also called as papaw, paw paw, mamao, and tree melon, papaya is one of the most nutritious tropical fruits. Once considered as an exotic fruit, papaya rapidly gained popularity because of its amazing health benefits which are briefly discussed below.

Health Benefits of Papaya

Papaya> contains the digestive enzyme papain which aids in the digestion of protein. Before we absorb protein, it should be broken down into the smallest unit called amino acid. Papain is a protease that breaks meat (large protein) into tiny pieces called peptides and amino acids.

Papaya is rich in dietary fibers which help regulate bowel movement and prevent constipation. By absorbing toxins in the digestive tract, dietary fibers may help prevent colorectal cancer and other gastrointestinal diseases.

Another wonderful thing about papaya is it contains three very powerful antioxidants: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Vitamin A. These antioxidants prevent the oxidation of cholesterol, which will only stick in blood vessels and become plaques when oxidized. Cholesterol plaques in the inner linings of blood vessels can cause heart attacks or strokes.

The antioxidants also get rid of free radicals in the body. Free radicals are unstable reactive compounds that damage cells and cause cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, premature aging, and other diseases.

Papaya is a great source of folic acid, a B vitamin needed to breakdown homocysteine, a harmful amino acid that damages blood vessels. An elevated level of homocysteine in the blood is a significant risk factor for heart attack and stroke.

The Vitamin C and Vitamin E which we can get from eating papaya boost our immune system to help our body fight infection and cancer.

The carotenoids in papaya including lutein and beta-carotene are helpful in maintaining the health of our eyes. These carotenoids act as antioxidants to prevent eye disease like macular degeneration, the primary cause of vision loss in older adults.

Studies show that increasing consumption of fruits rich in Vitamin C like papaya gives a person protection against rheumatoid arthritis.

Papaya can also prevent emphysema in smokers. Smoking reduces Vitamin A in the body as this vitamin is involved in the detoxification of toxins found in cigarette smoke like benzo(a)pyrene.  When the body of smokers is deficient with Vitamin A, they tend to develop lung inflammation or emphysema. Smokers should increase their consumption of Vitamin A rich foods like papaya to prevent emphysema and other lung diseases.

Like tomato, papaya is also rich in lycopene, a compound that protects the body against prostate cancer, the second most common cancer in men. It has been found in cancer studies that men who frequently consume fruits and vegetables rich in lycopene are 82% less likely to develop prostate cancer compared to those consuming the least lycopene-rich foods.

Conclusion

Papaya, indeed, is packed with nutrients that are amazingly beneficial to our body. Eating papaya regularly can protect our body against many diseases that cause sufferings to millions of people today.

References

• Papaya – WHFoods – The George Mateljan Foundation
• Papaya Fruit Facts – Californa Rare Fruit Growers, Inc.

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Called as nature’s “energy drink,” coconut water is the clear liquid found inside young coconuts, which are fruits of coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). As the fruit matures, the volume of the water inside decreases and replaced by coconut meat and air. Although coconut water is still present in mature coconut, it is not as delicious as the water of young coconut. Therefore, it is important to drink coconut water when the fruit is still young. In addition to the sweet and refreshing water, you can consume the edible meat of young coconut which is soft, sweet, and very nutritious. When the fruit matures, the meat hardens and becomes inedible, but coconut milk can be readily extracted from it. Take note that difference between coconut water and milk. Coconut water is the ready to drink water/juice that pours out when a coconut fruit is cut open while coconut milk is the juice that is produced when mechanically squeezing coconut meat. Coconut milk is widely used in cooking as observed in Indian and Southeast Asian cooking.
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Coconut water is a favorite beverage in tropical countries, where coconut tree is abundant. The tree is widely cultivated in Latin America, Caribbean, Southeast Asia, India, and Pacific Islands. Although coconut trees cannot survive in temperate countries, people in these countries can now enjoy canned coconut water with no preservatives. But it is more enjoyable to drink coconut water directly from a cut opened coconut fruit. When you visit tropical countries, it is not uncommon to see coconut water vendors in the street. They will open the coconut before your very eyes when you buy. You are not only assured of the coconut water’s freshness but also amazed on how cheap it is. One piece of coconut costs 50 cents in the Philippines. When you visit the Philippines, don’t forget to try our coconut water. You will surely enjoy it.

Coconut water is not only delicious but also very nutritious. It is packed with nutrients and minerals that give our body energy and protection against infection and disease. Continue reading to learn the various health benefits of coconut water.

Health Benefits of Coconut Water

Coconut water is as good as mineral water or energy drink in hydrating our body after physical activity. Ninety five percent of coconut water is pure water, which is essential in regulating body temperature. Other than pure water, coconut water provides the body with important electrolytes such as calcium, chloride, and potassium. These electrolytes keep the body active and alert.

Since coconut water is almost identical to blood plasma in composition, it can be used as intravenous (IV) blood hydration fluid instead of the standard IV fluid. Coconut water does not harm because it is sterile and does not destroy red blood cells or damage organs. It saves lives as proven during World War II in which many wounded soldiers were saved in the Pacific because of emergency transfusion using coconut water as plasma.

Besides its use as IV fluid, coconut water can be used as oral rehydration for gastroenteritis as it is rich in potassium and glucose. Since coconut water is deficient with important electrolytes sodium and chloride, table salt can be added into it to make it more effective oral rehydration fluid.

It is a common knowledge in tropical countries that coconut water is a remedy for kidney stones. It both prevents the formation of kidney stones and reduces the sizes of these stones to make their passing easier.

According to the book of nutritionist and naturopathic doctor Dr. Bruce Fife (Coconut Water for Health and Healing), coconut water may help prevent and treat cataract, an eye disease. Washing the eye with fresh coconut water can heal various eye problems like cataract.

Since coconut water is low in carbohydrates, it does not raise a blood glucose level which is harmful to people with diabetes.

Coconut water is low in sodium so it will not cause high blood pressure. It may in fact regulate blood pressure as it contains electrolytes involved in regulation of blood pressure.

Coconut water contains antioxidants which help detoxify toxins in our body. They get rid of free radicals that cause cancer, heart disease, neurodegenerative disorders, and metabolic diseases.

Coconut water has antibacterial and antiviral properties. Drinking it will not only prevent infection but also heal infection itself. Monolaurin is a potent antimicrobial compound found in coconut water.

Coconut water, together with coconut meat and coconut milk has antigenotoxic effects or the ability to block the actions of genotoxins, compounds that cause chromosome breakage, which is a risk factor for various genetic disorders such as cancer, birth defects, and metabolic diseases.

Drinking coconut water can also reduce vomiting.[ad#afterpost]

References

• Sylianco, C.Y.L. 1992. Antigenotoxic effects of coconut meat, coconut milk, and coconut water. Philippine Journal of Science.
• Kuberski, T. 1979. Coconut water as a rehydration fluid. N. Z. Med J.
• Favis-Villafuerte, Nellys. 2009. Coconut water for health and healing. The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online