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Pistachio – A Cancer Fighting Food

Pistachio- cancer fighting nutPistachio – A Cancer Fighting Food

Pistachios are one of my favorite nuts. They don’t seem to receive the same respect for being a healthy food like walnuts, almonds, cashews, or even peanuts.

As recently blogged about at the MD Anderson Cancer Center Blog and Dr. Weil’s Blog, it appears as though pistachios may help prevent cancer- specifically lung cancer. Pistachios are a great source of a form of Vitamin E named gamma-tocopherol.

A study conducted at Texas Woman’s University – Houston Center found that a diet containing about 2oz of pistachios per day significantly increased the levels of gamma-tocopherol in the blood.

My take-aways from this are two-fold. First of all, 2oz of pistachios is a lot- about 117 kernels according to the study abstract. Secondly, this study was small and wasn’t designed to show any direct effect on lung cancer, or any other type of cancer. So it’s impossible to infer what a handful of pistachios every now and then will do for your health. Still, to me, this is all the justification I need to eat some yummy pistachios! So think about the pistachio, a cancer fighting food.

More Facts About Pistachios

  • They’re nutrient-dense.
  • They have as much protein as an egg.
  • Their shells may help you eat less.
  • They’re heart-healthy.
  • They’re grown in the U.S.
  • They’ll fill you up, not out.
  • They’re great for cooking and baking.
  • They’ll help you snack smarter.
  • They open on their own.

Pistachios grow in heavy grape-like clusters surrounded by a fleshy hull (they’re actually related to mangoes!). When they ripen, the pistachio kernel grows inside until (in most cases) the shell splits open.

To see if acupuncture might be right for you, give us a call at our Durham location or you may call us at 919-228-8448. If you find it easier to make an appointment online, you can simply click here to use our online schedule to set up a free face-to-face consultation.

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Green Tea – More Amazing Than We Thought

Green Tea- healthy like acupuncture

Green Tea

Medical researchers have had good evidence for the health benefits of green tea for quite some time now. Evidence for its ability to prevent cancer (and perhaps slow the progression of) through a high antioxidant content (through polyphenol compounds) has been supported by years of scientific studies.

Now a study published in the journal Phytomedicine is showing that green tea provides more health benefits than anyone suspected. In particular they show how it helped with the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and cancer.

In this study what they found was that the body’s digestive enzymes created forms of these antioxidants that are more potent than the raw antioxidants originally present in the tea!

Feeling nerdy? Here’s the article in pubmed.

In my next acupuncture newsletter I’m going to talk about how green tea relates to a cancer-preventing lifestyle. I’ll also share what many women do in China that decreases their risk of breast cancer by an amazing 89%! You’re going to want to check this out, so sign up now so you won’t miss out.

Update: On the Dr. Weil blog I found a neat post called “5 Reasons to Drink Green Tea“. He lists five reasons to drink green tea besides its cancer fighting properties.

To see if acupuncture might be right for you, give us a call at our Durham location or you may call us at 919-228-8448. If you find it easier to make an appointment online, you can simply click here to use our online schedule to set up a free face-to-face consultation.

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