Onion, garlic and leek belong to the Allium family of bulb-shaped plants. They are a part of daily cooking since the times of ancient Greece and Rome, and currently used as foods all over the world. The Allium family is rich in nutrients such as sulphides, arginine, oligosaccarides, flavonoides, chromium, potasium, selenium and vitamins B and C. Health benefits consist in their natural antibiotic and antioxidant proprieties that fight cancer by preventing cell damage. In addition to cancer protection, the allyl sulfides of garlic, onions, and leek decrease the blood clots formation in human body, they lower the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol, and decrease total cholesterol, both risk factors for coronary heart disease.

Onion is the number two vegetable, after tomatoes, cultivated everywhere on earth. Onion has antioxidants and contains quercitin a flavonoid that may help fight or prevent cancer. Onion prevents arthritis, fights infections, fevers and asthma, maintains hearth health, prevents osteoporosis, may lover blood pressure and triglycerides, improves gastrointestinal health and prevents constipation. The stronger the onion-with more tears when cutting, the better for health. Protection against disease and infection is achieved when onion is eaten raw.

Garlic contains allicin a chemical produced when garlic is chopped, chewed or bruised. Allicin is an antimicrobial agent that prevents the formation of a carcinogen-nitrosamine. A diet rich in fresh garlic-flavored foods can improve health by lovering high blood pressure and bad cholesterol. Recent scientific studies show that garlic stimulates T-lymphocytes and macrophage action, promotes interleukin-1 levels, and supports natural killer cells. Strong activity of these important group of cells strengthens the immune system’s function. Both, traditional and microwave cooking destroy allicin and annihilate the health benefits. Maximum levels of allicin are released only from the fresh garlic clove. Eating one fresh clove of garlic a day may lover the risk of esophageal, stomach, colon, pancreas, breast and prostate cancer.

Leek contains B vitamins and protective antioxidants including carotenoids, lutein, and zeaxanthin. The green parts of leek are very nutritious. Leek is also a good source of allyl sulfides. It may play a role in preventing certain types of cancer. Leek has lower amounts of allyl sulfides than onion or garlic, but has high enough concentrations to protect against cancer and heart disease. Medical research has been shown that leek reduces bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol levels in the body. Leek also helps keep down high blood pressure. Eating leeks at least two times per week can reduce the risk of colon and prostate cancers. Leek is  rich in kaempferol which can reduce a woman’s risk of ovarian cancer by up to 40%.

Daily Apple Is Healthy

A new University of Illinois study shows the benefits of soluble fiber – found in food such as apples and nuts.
The soluble fiber of apple reduces the inflammation associated with obesity-related diseases and fortifies your immune system.

Soluble fiber causes increased production of the anti-inflammatory protein called interleukin-4.

In the experiment, laboratory mice consumed diets that were identical except that they contained either soluble or insoluble fiber. After six weeks on the diet, the animals had distinctly different responses when the scientists induced illness by introducing a substance (lipopolysaccharide) that causes the body to mimic a bacterial infection.

Two hours after lipopolysaccharide injection, the mice fed soluble fiber were only half as sick as the other group, and they recovered 50 percent sooner.

Apples, together with pears and grapes, are the fruits most affected by pesticides, so choose to buy organic apples instead.

Also see: Saturated Fat Does Not Cause Heart Disease

Best Sources Of Vitamin D

By Gabor Timis

The best source of Vitamin D is sunshine which can seriously increase your Vitamin D intake. In fact, this vitamin is also known as the sunshine vitamin.
Light from the sun rays hits the skin and stimulates the production of vitamin D.
Those of us in colder, cloudier climates, we need intake from the foods we eat.

Foods Containing Most Vitamin D

Cod Liver Oil
This fish oil is very rich in Vitamin D. It is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
One tablespoon of cod liver oil provides enough Vitamin D for the day.

Herring
Herring are high in vitamin D because they thrive on plankton, which is full of the vitamin – through absorbtion of the sunlight.

Catfish
Another fish that feeds on plankton.

Sockeye Salmon
Wild caught salmon is the best, next is sustainably farmed salmon.

Oyster, Mollusks
The best are the Eastern, wild oysters.

Sardines
These tiny canned fish are also a great source for Vitamin B12, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and selenium.

Mackerel
Another good source of Vitamin D.

If you don’t like fish much, try these:

Milk
Choose organic milk.

Eggs
Choose organic, free-range eggs.

Shiitake & Button Mushrooms
The dried versions of shiitake mushrooms are high in Vitamin D.

It is a good idea to supplement with Vitamin D3 – cholecalciferol, especially in the fall and winter, and for elderly whose body cannot produce vitamin D from sunshine effectively.
Recommended dose is 2,000 IU daily.

Health Benefits of Vitamin D
There are many health benefits of this vitamin (some even call it a hormone):

- Prevention of chronic diseases such as cancer, osteoporosis, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes.
- Protection of your bones, teeth and hair.
- Regulation of cellular growth and healthy cell activity
- Reduction of the inflammatory response, a condition known to cause many chronic diseases, from cancer to diabetes to obesity.
- Protection against adult osteoporosis
- Reduction in the risk of breast cancer in perimenopausal women

Best Calcium Sources

By Gabor Timis

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body, and the recommended intake is 1,000 mg a day for adults, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
99% of the body’s calcium is stored in bones and teeth for structural support. It is essential for growth in children, and helps provide efficient muscle contraction (including the heart) and blood clotting.

Our body cannot make calcium so we must get it from the foods we eat.
When there is deficiency of calcium from food, the body will take the calcium from our bones to meet its needs.
In aging adults, particularly among postmenopausal women, bone breakdown exceeds formation, resulting in bone loss that increases the risk of osteoporosis over time.

The best way to get adequate calcium is food, preferably organic food.
Some very good sources of calcium: