Shakes and Juices

New York (Reuters) - Contrary to popular belief, drinking pure 100 percent fruit juice does not make young children overweight or at risk for becoming overweight, new research shows. Pure fruit juice provides essential nutrients and, in moderation, may actually help children maintain a healthy weight.

Inconsistent research findings have led to continued debate over the potential associations between drinking 100 percent fruit juice, nutrient intake, and overweight in children.

In the their study, researchers analyzed the juice consumption of 3,618 children ages 2 to 11 using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

“The bottom line is that 100 percent juice consumption is a valuable contributor of nutrients in children’s diet and it does not have an association with being overweight,” study chief Dr. Theresa Nicklas, a child nutrition specialist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, told Reuters Health. She presented the new data at the Pediatric Academic Societies’ annual convention in Toronto this week.

“If you look at the weight of the evidence there are at least 7 studies plus the one I presented (this week) that show no association between 100 percent juice and overweight among children,” Nicklas added. Even among the children who consumed the most juice, there was no association with the children being overweight or at risk for overweight, she said.

The results also indicate that juice consumption “is not excessive among 2- to 11-year-olds,” Nicklas said. In fact, 57 percent of the children did not consume 100 percent juice at all, “which is much higher than I expected,” she said.

The average daily consumption of pure fruit juice in the study population was 4.1 ounces (about half a cup) — an amount in line with recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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NEW YORK (Reuters) Contrary to popular belief, drinking pure 100 percent fruit juice does not make young children overweight or at risk for becoming overweight, new research shows. Pure fruit juice provides essential nutrients and, in moderation, may actually help children maintain a healthy weight.

Inconsistent research findings have led to continued debate over the potential associations between drinking 100 percent fruit juice, nutrient intake, and overweight in children.

In the their study, researchers analyzed the juice consumption of 3,618 children ages 2 to 11 using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

“The bottom line is that 100 percent juice consumption is a valuable contributor of nutrients in children’s diet and it does not have an association with being overweight,” study chief Dr. Theresa Nicklas, a child nutrition specialist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, told Reuters. She presented the new data at the Pediatric Academic Societies’ annual convention in Toronto, Canada, this week.

“If you look at the weight of the evidence there are at least 7 studies plus the one I presented (this week) that show no association between 100 percent juice and overweight among children,” Nicklas added. Even among the children who consumed the most juice, there was no association with the children being overweight or at risk for overweight, she said.

The results also indicate that juice consumption “is not excessive among 2- to 11-year-olds,” Nicklas said. In fact, 57 percent of the children did not consume 100 percent juice at all, “which is much higher than I expected,” she said.

The average daily consumption of pure fruit juice in the study population was 4.1 ounces (about half a cup) — an amount in line with recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

And while there were a few children (13 percent) who consumed larger amounts of juice (12 ounces or more), their increased intake was not associated with overweight or at risk for being overweight. In fact, children in the 2 to 3-year-old category who drank the most juice were nearly three times less likely to be overweight or at risk for overweight than children who drank no juice at all.

Nicklas and her colleagues also found that children who drank any amount of 100 percent juice ate less total fat, saturated fat, sodium, added sugars and added fats. Pure juice drinkers also had higher intakes of a number of key nutrients including vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, folate, vitamin B6 and iron. They also ate more whole fruits, like apples.

Nicklas encourages parents who are concerned about their child being overweight to look beyond their juice consumption. “My advice would be to look at the total number of calories that child is taking in and look at where the bulk of those calories are coming from and equally important look at the activity level of the child.”

Milk does the body good - and may help smokers break the habit, say researchers at Duke University Medical Center.

Smokers reported that consuming milk, water, fruits and vegetables worsened the taste of cigarettes, while consuming alcohol, coffee and meat enhanced their taste, according to the scientists.

The findings could lead to a “Quit Smoking Diet” or to development of a gum or lozenge that makes cigarettes less palatable, said lead study investigator Joseph McClernon, Ph.D., an assistant research professor of medical psychiatry at the Duke Center for Nicotine and Smoking Cessation Research.

“With a few modifications to their diet — consuming items that make cigarettes taste bad, such as a cold glass of milk, and avoiding items that make cigarettes taste good, like a pint of beer — smokers can make quitting a bit easier,” McClernon said.

The findings appear in the April 2007 issue of the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research. The research was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.…

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Scientists have carried out the first scientific analysis of fruit juices to measure their anti-oxidant activity - the anti-ageing compounds that protect against heart disease and other chronic conditions.

Top of the league is purple grape juice followed by apple juice and cranberry juice, according to the study by researchers at the University of Glasgow.

Orange juice, the most popular fruit juice, comes way down the league.

It contains fewer polyphenols than the other juices tested, which are strong anti-oxidants.

Alan Crozier, professor of Plant Biochemistry and Human Nutrition who led the study, said: “Not all fruit juices are the same. The findings reveal that the variety of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of the individual juices varied markedly.”

“Purple grape juice made with Concord grapes contains the highest and broadest range of polyphenols as well as having the highest antioxidant capacity. Other high-ranking products include cloudy apple juice and cranberry juice drink.”

The research was funded by the National Grape Co-operative, a consortium of farmers in the US owned by Welch’s, makers of Concord purple grape juice.

It is published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.

The finding comes in the wake of research by US scientists which showed an association between long term fruit juice consumption and a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers who followed almost 2,000 volunteers for up to ten years found the risk of Alzheimer’s was 76 per cent lower for those who drank juices more than three times a week compared with those who drank them less than once a week.

The Glasgow study suggests these protective effects may be strengthened by consumption of a combination of juices with a high concentration and broad range of polyphenolic antioxidants.

Anti-oxidants are compounds such as vitamin C found in fruits and vegetables which are believed to play a key role by protecting the body from the damaging effects of free radicals, the products of metabolism.

By quenching free radicals they help to maintain oxidative balance and prevent the development of diseases including cancer and heart disease.

Professor Crozier said: “Supplementing a healthy diet with a regular intake of a variety of fruit juices such as purple grape juice, grapefruit juice, cloudy apple juice and cranberry juice, will increase the consumer’s intake of phenolic antioxidants.”

He added: “The message is to mix these juices during the week. That way you will get all the compounds with anti-oxidant activity. If you drink only one juice you risk missing out on the compounds in the others.”

He said Welch’s had asked his research team to measure the anti-oxidant activity in 13 of the most popular fruit juices in Britain.

“The paper we have published is as we wrote it. If Welch’s had written it they would have said drink only Concord grape juice.”

As well as purple grape juice, the fruit juices examined in the study included cloudy apple, pomegranate, cranberry, grapefruit, clear apple, pineapple, orange, tomato, red grape and white grape.

The findings also revealed the number and level of antioxidant phenolic compounds in purple grape juice equates with those found in a Beaujolais red wine.

Researchers are adding to the list of cancer types for which pomegranates seem to halt growth. A recent study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison using a mouse model shows that consuming pomegranates could potentially help reduce the growth and spread of lung cancer cells or even prevent lung cancer from developing. In the April 1 issue of Cancer Research, researchers led by Hasan Mukhtar, co-leader of the Cancer Chemoprevention Program of the University of Wisconsin Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, demonstrate that drinking pomegranate fruit extract helps slow the growth of lung cancer in mice.

“Pomegranate fruit continues to show great promise,” says Mukhtar, professor of dermatology at the School of Medicine and Public Health and a member of the Carbone Cancer Center. “We have earlier shown that pomegranate fruit contains very powerful skin and prostate cancer-fighting agents. These recent findings expand the possible health benefits of the fruit to the leading cause of cancer death in the country and worldwide: lung cancer.”

In the study, the research team examined the effect of oral consumption of a dose of pomegranate fruit extract on the growth, progression, blood-vessel development and signaling pathways in two mouse lung tumor protocols. The dosages tested were comparable to what humans could reasonably consume in a day. Chemicals were used to induce lung tumors, and the mice received pomegranate extract in drinking water. Lung tumor yield was then examined at different times during several months. Mice who were exposed to cancer-inducing chemicals and who were treated with pomegranate had significantly lower lung tumor growth than mice treated with carcinogens only. Tumor reduction was 53.9 percent at 84 days and 61.6 percent at 140 days.

The key to the cancer-fighting capabilities of pomegranate lies in its abundance of antioxidants that have an anti-inflammatory effect. In fact, researchers say pomegranate juice has higher levels of antioxidants than do red wine and green tea, which have also been investigated for their potential cancer prevention effects.

The pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruit has been used for centuries in ancient cultures for medicinal purposes. For a long time, the fruit has been widely consumed fresh and, more recently, in beverage form as juice. In other studies, the fruit has been shown to suppress inflammatory cell signaling proteins in colon and prostate cancer. The fruit also possesses other remarkable anti-tumor-promoting effects.

Lung cancer has increased at alarming rates in the last decade, particularly because of trends in smoking. Lung cancer is now the most common cause of cancer death in the world, representing 28 percent of all cancer deaths. Physicians have found this cancer difficult to control with conventional therapeutic and surgical approaches, and the prognosis is poor with an overall five-year survival rate of 10-14 percent in the United States.

Researchers believe delaying the process of lung cancer development could be an important strategy to control this disease. Mukhtar says that the use of fruits and vegetables endowed with cancer-fighting properties is the best way to achieve this goal.

Source: http://www.news.wisc.edu/13633.html 

Ingredients
• 1 large banana.
• ¼ cup of raw oat.
• 1 cup of milk.
• 1 spoonful of honey.
• 1 spoonful of peanut butter.
• ½ spoonful of vanilla.
• Ice as needed.

Directions
1. Peel the banana.
2. Bend it with all the other ingredients.
3. Once it is perfectly mix, pour into a large glass.
4. Drink it immediately.

Properties
This milkshake is an excellent source of proteins and carbohydrates. It is an energy drink ideal for sports people because it helps recover from exercising. It is also rich in calcium, and fibre, combats weariness, prevents cramps, tones up tissues and reduces appetite.

Ingredients
• 4 large tomatoes.

Directions
1. Cut the top part of the tomatoes.
2. Cut then into pieces and take them through the juice extractor and drink it immediately.

Properties
Tomato is one of the most complex vegetables in vitamin, mineral, like potassium, phosphor, calcium and iron. Tomato is a great nutrient for anemic and weak person, tomato is excellent at relieving pain caused by burn, it also prevents blisters, prevents obesity, cancer, it is germicide, revitalizes the liver and provides minerals to mothers who are feeding their babies.

Arginine is a precursor for nitric oxide, which has been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce blood clotting and protect against myocardial infarction and strokes.

Researchers from the ARS, Texas A&M University, the University of Nevada, and Oklahoma State University, have reported that blood arginine levels increased by 22 per cent after three weeks of drinking watermelon juice with every meal.

“Some studies have reported that high oral doses of arginine were associated with nausea, gastrointestinal discomfort, and diarrhoea in humans. A solution to this potentially severe problem may be the alternative use of l-citrulline, an effective precursor for arginine synthesis,” explained lead author Julie Collins in the journal Nutrition.

Indeed, L-citrulline is a neutral amine acid, meaning it does not compete with basic amino acids for transport by cells. Conversion of L-citrulline to arginine consumes ammonia, said Collins, meaning the amino acid could be useful for people with elevated ammonia levels, arginine transport problems, or enhanced intestinal arginine breakdown, as is found in people with stress and infection.

The researchers recruited healthy volunteers (between 12 and 23 per intervention group) and assigned them to receive 0, 780, or 1560 grams of watermelon juice per day, providing a daily L-citrulline dose of 0, 1 or 2 grams. The interventions lasted three weeks and subjects were later crossed over after washout periods of two to four weeks.

Arginine Functions
Arginine plays an important role in cell division, the healing of wounds, removing ammonia from the body, immune function, and the release of hormones. Arginine, taken in combination with pycnogenol[2] or yohimbine[3], has also been reported to improve erectile dysfunction significantly.

In proteins
The geometry, charge distribution and ability to form multiple H-bonds make arginine ideal for binding negatively charged groups. For this reason arginine prefers to be on the outside of the proteins where it can interact with the polar environment. Incorporated in proteins, arginine can also be converted to citrulline by PAD enzymes. In addition, arginine can be methylated by protein methyltransferases.

As a precursor
Arginine is the immediate precursor of NO, urea, ornithine and agmatine; is necessary for the synthesis of creatine; and can be used for the synthesis of polyamines (mainly through ornithine and to a lesser degree through agmatine), citrulline, and glutamate. For being a precursor of NO, (relaxes blood vessels), arginine is used in many conditions where vasodilation is required. The presence of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), a close relative, inhibits the nitric oxide reaction; therefore, ADMA is considered a marker for vascular disease, just as L-arginine is considered a sign of a healthy endothelium.

Sources:
NutraIngredients-usa.com
Wikipedia.com

Ingredients
• 2 oranges.
• 1 lemon.
• 2 spoonfuls of honey.

Directions
1. Wash the orange and lemon perfectly.
2. Extract their juice.
3. Pour in into a glass and honey.
4. Tell the kid to drink it little by little.

Properties
This juice is rich in vitamin C, so it increases considerably the defences in kids, thus preventing respiratory infections; it also relieves the flu caused by the sudden change of weather temperature.

*Decoction: Put herbs in cold water first, than heat is for some minutes.
*Infusion: Add the herbs in boiling water and let them steep for short time.

Most Common Infusions
In order to make kind of teas, we should know that we can use one kind of plant or we can combine two or more herbs, stems or fruit, as long as they can be mix as presented in the following recommendations.

One Plant Tea
Chamomile tea: It is recommended to drink chamomile tea to control slight digestive problems like diarrhea, indigestion, and cramps. This tea may also be used when we get swallowed or tired eyes by placing two small cotton balls on the eyes, previously soaked in this tea.

Its beneficial properties can help control nervousness, acting as sedative and relaxant the same that the tila. Drinking this tea should be carefully consumed.

Mint Tea
Mint is a very aromatic plant, nice to the taste when sweetened with honey or sugar, its properties are beneficial are to relive cough, asthma problems, and lack appetite.

Anis Tea
Its properties regulate menstrual functions, at the some time it helps combat those uncomfortable intestinal gases, since this tea helps the digestive system.

Zarzaparrilla Tea
Its properties eliminate liquid retention in the body; you can enjoy its benefits by taking a cup of this tea everyday.

Marrubio Tea
This is tea is anti – inflammatory and helps loose weight, just to mention some of benefits. Take 2 cups daily.

Apple and cinnamon tea to relieve flu and common cold
• 4 apples.
• ½ liter of water.
• 2 cinnamon.
• Honey as desired.

Directions:
1. Wash the apples perfectly.
2. Cut them in thin slices.
3. Add them in water with the cinnamon sticks.
4. Cook it over low heat.
5. Pour it through a strainer and then serve it in a cup.
6. Sweeten with honey as desired.

Ingredients:
• 6 carrots gig enough.

Directions:
1. Cut the ends of the carrots.
2. Extract their juice.
3. Drink it and enjoy!

Properties of Carrots:
Carrots contain a great amount of vitamin A, B and C, minerals like calcium, phosphorus and potassium; purify the blood, improve eyesight, disinfect intestines, help over weight problems, skin problems, intestinal disorders and help expel intestinal parasites by drinking the juice having eating no food before.

You may be kid of person who does not like to combine the different flavours that we can obtain from fruit and vegetables juices, and like to drink a single ingredient juice. Because of that, we recommend you the following single ingredient juices orange, carrot and grape. Please do not forget to wash and disinfect fruits and vegetables.

Instructions:
• 2 peaches.
• 1 glass of skimmed milk.
• ½ small spoonful of vanilla.
• 6 almonds.
• 1 spoonful of honey.

Directions:
1. Cut the peaches and put them in the blender with al the other ingredients.
2. Blend it at high speed.
3. Several and enjoy this delicious milkshake immediately.

This kind of milkshakes helps eliminate toxins from the body; it is moisturizing, astringent, antioxidant, improves circulation and helps prevent colon, prostate, and lung cancer.

Ingredients:
• 3 apples.

Preparation:
1. Chop the apples.
2. Extract their juice.
3. Drink and enjoy it!

Properties of apples:
Apples are rich in fibre, and our body can ingest them easily. Apples are refreshing and moisturizing fruits due to large amount of water that contain, apples also have vitamin E and C, for this reason it is recommended to eat apples to keep body skin nice and healthy; it is also recommended to combat intestine problems and anaemia, in short, consuming apples helps us be always healthy.

Ingredients
• 1 glass skimmed milk.
• 1 banana.
• 1/8 coconut chopped without husk.
• 5 almonds.

Preparation:
1. Pell the bananas and put it in the blender with the coconut.
2. Add milk and the almonds.
3. Blend at high speed.
4. Pour in glass and, if desired, sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon power on it.
5. We recommend drinking it slowly and by little.

It improves the learning process in kids and enhances their memory. It is rich in fibre, calcium, potassium, vitamin A, C and E, folic acid, iron it strengthens the bones, and the nervous system, reinforce nails, teeth and tissues. It is recommended to help kid’s growth, it is energetic, and it is also good to throw out intestinal parasites. Have kids drink it only once or twice per moth in the morning.

Researchers at the Universite Louis Pasteur de Strasbourg were examining the effect on the heart of Concord grape juice.

“Grape juice can have a similar effect (against heart disease) as red wine but without the alcohol. That is a very important message,” said Dr Valerie Schini-Kerth, lead author of the study published in the journal Cardiovascular Research.

Red wine and certain types of grape juice have high levels of polyphenols, which block the production of a protein linked to cardiovascular disease - the number one killer in many Western countries.

Heart and vascular problems develop when endothelial cells that make up blood vessels do not work properly.

Dr Schini-Kerth and her team found that polyphenols in Concord grape juice activate endothelial cells to produce nitric oxide which helps to protect against cardiovascular disease and to maintain healthy blood vessels and blood pressure. “But not every grape juice has the beneficial effect. It has to have a high level of polyphenols,” Dr Schini-Kerth said.

The amount of polyphenols in grape juice, as in red wine, depends on the type of grape used and how it is processed.

“We have information on more than 100 different kinds of wine and the amount of polyphenols. What we know is that the most protective ones have the highest levels of polyphenols. That is established,” she said.

But Dr Schini-Kerth, whose research was partly funded by Welch Foods, a leading producer of grape juice, said little information is available on the levels of polyphenols in grape juice.

The scientists were studying cells from pigs, which provide a good model for studying human cells.
They were looking at healthy blood vessels and are planning a further study to see whether grape juice has a similar impact on blood vessels that show signs of cardiovascular disease.

Ingredients:
• 1 Manila Mango
• 1 Banana
• 1 Large glass of milk
• 1 Spoonful of oat
• 2 Almonds

Preparation:
- Wash the mango very well, peel it removing the stone and extracting the pulp
- Blend the pulp with the banana, milk, oat and almonds.
- Pour it into a glass and drink it right after.

Fruits and Vegetables are healthy and easily ingested by the body.

A way to achieve a healthy and natural feeding is to consume fruits and vegetables to keep a well balanced body. Little by little juice therapy (therapy based on fruits and vegetables juices) can heal a countless number of diseases which were originated by poor feeding.

We should never forget that nature is wise; therefore, we have to trust everything it provides for us, like fruits, vegetables which must be ripe and fresh. The best thing is that the body can assimilate them easily; another thing about this fruits and vegetables is that most of them are eatable with the exception of some citrus fruits, the melon and watermelon should be consumed alone.

It is important than the fruits and vegetables are perfectly washed and disinfected before making juice, and drink it right after preparing it, otherwise it may loose some properties, the most adequate way to drink it is little by little and we recommend to drink it 45 minutes or 1 hour before eaten our normal food.

Juices have different effects in the body; detoxify, regenerate, strengthen, purify, help restore cells and more than anything provide energy to the body. If a person suffers from any disease like diabetes, juices high in sugar should be avoided.