Fruit & Veg Pharmacy: PEACHES - HEALTH BENEFITS. Eye Health Peaches are a great source of beta carotene (a compound that is converted to vitamin A in the body, and which is crucial to the health of our retinas). Individuals with sight problems are often deficient in beta carotene, so consuming peaches will help up your beta carotene levels and nourish the health of your eyes. This compound also helps prevent night blindness and age-related macular degeneration. Protection Against Toxins Peaches are a great way to cleanse out toxins from your colon, kidneys, stomach and liver. The high fibre content pushes out any toxic excess waste matter from your colon, and helps protect against colon cancer. Peaches are also rich in potassium which reduces kidney related diseases and reduces your chance of developing ulcers. Aids in Weight Loss Including lots of fresh ripe juicy fruit in your diet is a great way to help control your hunger and lose weight. Peaches contain natural fruit sugars, so they do not raise your blood sugar or insulin levels (only processed sugary foods do this – refined & artificial sugars which deposit as fat in your body). The sweetness of this fruit also controls any food cravings you may have, so it is a win-win situation! Fights Cancer Peaches are incredibly high in antioxidants. Particularly, they contain an antioxidant called chlorogenic acid (concentrated in the skin and flesh of the peach) which is known to protect the body from cancer and other chronic diseases. This antioxidant is also responsible for reducing inflammation in the body (helping those suffering from arthritis) and helps slow the aging process. Cardiovascular Health Peaches are high in iron and vitamin K which are two important substances for keeping the heart healthy. Vitamin K prevents the blood from clotting and protects against a myriad of heart diseases. Iron keeps the blood healthy and strong and prevents against iron-deficiency anemia. The lycopene and lutein in peaches also significantly reduce your risk of developing heart disease. Do your cardiovascular system a favour and go eat some peaches! Kidney Cleansing The potassium in peaches are great for reducing kidney related diseases and helps to cleanse your bladder. The concentration of potassium and other vitamins in this amazing little fruit allows your body to maintain normal kidney and liver function. Eating peaches will help prevent nephritis and a variety of other kidney diseases as well as help eliminate kidney stones. Skin Health The levels of vitamin C in peaches are very high! Vitamin C is an essential ingredient that benefits the youthfulness of our skin (and also helps keep our immune system high!). Peaches help slow the aging process so they reduce the formation of fine lines and wrinkles on the skin (thanks to the antioxidants like vitamin C and chlorogenic acid). Rubbing some peach on your skin as a temporary mask is another great way to slough away dead skin and to allow the peach enzymes to nourish and refreshen your skin. Antioxidants As we have seen throughout the previous seven points, peaches are very high in antioxidants, ranging from lycopene to vitamin C to chlorogenic acid. All of these antioxidants serve to keep your body healthy and in tip-top shape. Antioxidants help scavenge free radicals in the body which would normally cause life-threatening diseases and illnesses like cancer, auto-immune diseases and a variety of other illnesses. Providing your body with a diet rich in seasonally-ripe fruit is the best way to ensure you are getting more than enough antioxidants. SUMMARY....................................... 1. Peaches are the perfect snack food for losing weight. A peach makes you feel full and keeps you from overeating. The bonus: one peach only contains about 35-50 calories and no fat! 2. Fight obesity-related diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Peaches are rich in phytochemicals called phenols that act as antioxidants. 3. Keep the skin healthy. Vitamin A and C make peaches a great natural moisturizer; they’re often used in cosmetics. These vitamins can help regenerate skin tissue. 4. Reduce hair loss with its positive effect on the scalp. 5. A healthy stress-reliever that helps reduce anxiety. Peaches are often referred to as the ‘Fruit of Calmness’ in Hungary. 6. Helps prevent cancer with selenium A mineral with antioxidant properties that may help protect cells from damage. 7. Peaches can help remove worms from the intestines. 8. Have a diuretic effect which helps cleanse your kidneys and bladder. 9. Peaches can calm an upset stomach. 10. Compounds in stone fruits could help with “metabolic syndrome,” According to Dr. Luis Cisneros-Zevallos, AgriLife Research food scientist involved in a study at the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia. Cisneros-Zevallos says, “Our work indicates that phenolic compounds present in these fruits have anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic properties in different cell lines and may also reduce the oxidation of bad LDL cholesterol which is associated with cardiovascular disease.” 11. Those suffering from gout and rheumatism are recommended by dieticians to eat peaches because peaches tend to have a diuretic and a light laxative effect. 12. Peaches are thought to be an aphrodisiac. 13. Peach flowers have sedative properties . A remedy for restlessness includes boiling peach flowers in water along with some honey. 14. Inhibit tumour growth activity. Peaches have excellent antimicrobial and antioxidant activity according to research. 15. Chronic bronchitis, coughs and gastritis are relieved with the medicinal tea of the leaves and bark of peach trees. 16. Peach tea is used as a kidney cleanser in China.
Posted on: Fri, 11 Jul 2014 15:51:33 +0000
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