Showing posts with label Protein. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Protein. Show all posts

Sunday, January 12, 2014

New obesity treatment possible with novel protein discovery

  

Posted by Neill Abayon

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one-third of US adults are now obese. But new research published in the Journal of Neuroscience details how a protein in the brain regulates food intake and body weight - opening new doors for the treatment of obesity.

The research team, led by Maribel Rios, associate professor of the department of neuroscience at Tufts University School of Medicine, say their findings may also help explain why some drugs, such as gabapentin and pregabalin, can cause people to gain weight.

The investigators discovered that alpha2/delta-1 - a protein that has not previously been associated with obesity - assists the function of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).

Rios notes that in one of his previous studies, it was found that BDNF is crucial for appetite suppression.


But in this most recent study, the research team found that low levels of BDNF were linked to reduced function of alpha2/delta-1 in the hypothalamus - an area of the brain that plays an important role in regulating weight and food intake.

More here.


 

Sunday, August 18, 2013

The Optimum Diet – Seeds, Nuts, and Grains

By Neill Abayon

Seeds, nuts, and grains are the most important and the most potent foods of all. Their nutritional value is unsurpassed by any other food. Eaten mostly raw and sprouted, but also cooked, they contain all the important nutrients essential for human growth, sustenance of health and prevention of disease in the most perfect combination and balance. In addition, they contain the secret of life itself, the germ, the reproductive power, the spark of life in the seeds, is of extreme importance for the life of man, his health, and his own reproductive capacity and power.

All seeds and grains are useful and beneficial, but you should eat predominantly those that are grown in your own environment. Millet, buckwheat, wheat, oats, barley, brown rice, sesame seed, beans, peas – all are wonderful health foods. Wheat, mung beans. Alfalfa seeds and soybeans make excellent sprouts. Sprouting increases their nutritional value tremendously .  Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, peanuts, sesame seeds, buckwheat and soybeans –  all contains complete proteins or all the essential amino acid, will become complete protein foods if eaten together or if eaten with vegetable or milk.

Seeds, nuts and grains are not only excellent sources of protein but also the best natural sources of essential unsaturated fatty acids without which health cannot be sustained. They are also nature’s best source of lecithin and most of the B-complex vitamins. Sprouted seeds are a good source of vitamins C and A.

Perhaps The most important vitamin for preservation of health and prevention of premature aging is vitamin E. Whole seeds, grains and nuts are, by far, the best natural sources of this vitamin.

Seeds, grains and nuts are also goldmines of minerals and pacifarins, an antibiotic resistance factor that increases man’s natural resistance to disease. They also contain auxones, natural substances that help produce vitamins in the body and play a part in the rejuvenation of cells, preventing premature aging. Whole grains, seeds and nuts will also supply the necessary bulk in the diet. The bran of the grains and seeds is vital for such disease as appendicitis, diverticulitis and cancer of the colon, as shown by recent studies.

All seeds and nuts should be eaten raw. Those that can be sprouted, should be in sprouted form. Some grains, such as rice, buckwheat, millet, rye and barley, can be cooked in the form of cereals or bread. Particularly, sourdough bread is extremely beneficial. During the natural souring process, due to the enzymatic  action on the grain, valuable lactic acid demonstrated by Dr. Jahannes Kuhl and others. Also the fermentation makes certain nutrients in grains more easily available for assimilation in the intestinal tract. This is particularly true in regard to zinc, manganese and other trace minerals. Rye, is the most suitable grain to make sourdough bread. Millet and buckwheat cereals are most delicious and nutritious foods. Beans and peas can be cooked, and should be used often.


Helpful Links:

Saturday, July 20, 2013

"Snail facials" use slime for anti-aging skin care


Snails crawls on the face of a woman for the demonstration of a new beauty treatment at the beauty salon 'Ci:z.Labo' in Tokyo on July 13, 2013.
 / YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

By 
RYAN JASLOW



The latest beauty craze may feel slimier than your typical facial at a spa.

A Tokyo spa has launched a "snail facial" clinic, The Telegraph reports, in which a therapist places the mollusks on clients' faces, leaving trails of mucus slime.

The slime reportedly contain "proteins, antioxidants and hyaluronic acid, which help skin retain moisture, reduce inflammation and remove dead skin," according to the paper.

For about $245, a visitor to the Ci:z.Labo Clinical Salon in the Ebisu district of Tokyo can get the treatment.

One brave Telegraph reporter even tried the facial herself.

"I am relieved to feel Manami san skillfully monitoring their positions, instantly lifting them off my skin with a little tug to defy the suction whenever they go anywhere near my mouth, nostrils or eyes," she described.

Visit here for more.