Monday, 2 November 2009

No Hype - Just Noni Juice Benefits

By Verity Ferris

Many different people have been claiming for the past twenty years that there are literally hundreds of Noni Juice benefits. Sorting fact from reality in these cases can be a bit difficult, as can be deciding if a benefit might actually help you. Moreover, it can be hard to see which benefits are being claimed by the various types of Noni Juices, from Hawaiian to Polynesian to the Tahiti variety and which are simply being claimed by Noni Juice in its most basic form.

For years, Southern Pacific islanders have used Noni Juice to maintain high quality, healthy skin, even in the face of the tough sun that shines day in and day out on their tiny islands. Now the research suggests that this might just be the case. In fact, many sufferers of serious on-going skin problems like acne are finding Noni Juice helps their skin conditions.

The noni fruit has a reputation for not being very tasty but the recommended dosage to start is 1oz and you can go up from there, it is recommended to do this slowly. If you don't like the taste of the juice you could mix it with orange juice or whatever fruit juice you like the best. You might even want to mix it with a fruit smoothie.

Noni itself is a fruit juice. It's high in vitamin C and it has a number of compounds that are very high in antioxidants and phytochemicals, roughly comparable in dosage to an ounce of grape skins. Also, a glass of Noni juice has slightly less calories than a glass of orange juice. So, each glass of Noni juice benefits you with vitamin C as well as important antioxidants but with fewer calories than either orange juice or the equivalent amount of whole grapes.

Now, these compounds all have benefits, they all exist in other food products. The specific Noni juice benefits come from the fact that you get them in one dose with fewer calories.

As to the actual health benefits? Well, there's a laundry list to work from:

First of all, like all foods high in Vitamin C, Noni has a noticeable impact in improving liver function and protecting the liver from damage. Similarly, it helps the body create more T-Cells and is a good immune system booster. There is anecdotal evidence from Linus Pauling that large doses of Vitamin C can also act to help ward off viruses.

The antioxidant compounds within Noni juice are the same ones that have been proven to help cardiovascular health in lab mice and lab rats; they're also in the general category of 'toxin removers' that help eliminate free radicals, one of the things that promotes aging in the human body.

Depression- Morinda contains antidepressant compounds in the form of two sugars, inulin and nystose, as well as succinic acid, a compound created from simple sugars. Morinda also contains xeronine, which brings about a feeling of well-being by opening brain receptor sites to receive more endorphin hormone.

These Noni Juice studies, suggest what native South Pacific islanders have thought for years - Noni Juice may help with all sorts of medical applications.

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Types Of Natural Sugar Alternatives

By Esther George

With the growing concern about diabetes and obesity, many people have been looking to sugar alternatives as one way to maintain diet while living a healthier lifestyle. Nearly everyone responds to the sweetness of sugar, but processed regular white sugar used in most of our foods is not good for you and presents a host of health risks. Even though refined sugars are not good for you, there are sugar alternatives so you can still enjoy eating.

Natural sugar for one is a much better choice than refined white sugar. Natural sugar can benefit your body in small amounts as it provides easy to digest energy. As long as you do not eat too much at which point your body will store the excess as fat. And that is what we are all trying to avoid.

Other sugar alternatives are also available. Some of these are better for your body than others. The first option is saccharine. This is found in the pink packets in restaurants around the country. This sugar alternative is much sweeter than regular sugar, so you will use less to get the comparable result as natural sugar.

Sugar alternatives do have a downside; they might not be healthy for you. Many people believe that these sugar alternatives cause cancer, although this hasn't been scientifically proven. The biggest factor is they create an urge for more sugar. This does not make you eat healthier and avoid other sugars. Since these alternatives actually trick your body that it is consuming sugar, the empty calories still get stored as fat.

Artificial sugar alternatives are not generally good for cooking with. While they may work for sweetening tea and coffee, they often get a chemical taste during cooking. This is why most homes will have refined sugar in the pantry, even when artificial sweeteners are used.

But there are other natural sugar alternatives that you can use that are great for baking and all your other sweetener needs. Honey is one good choice. It is all natural and good for you in moderation, of course. It is great for baking and as an added bonus it thickens things up as well.

Honey also works in coffee and tea. Honey crystals are available that are dried, making them easy to use. Honey crystals are good to add over cereal or in beverages.

Another great choice is Agave. Also derived from a plant, it is a concentrated liquid sweetener. It usually comes in smaller bottles because it is sweet enough you only need a few drops to replace spoonfuls of sugar!

With all the natural sugar alternatives on your grocer's aisle, make sure you do your research. With so many options, you want to find the one that is right for your heart, health and weight. Make sure that you have the best natural sugar alternatives in your pantry.

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