Sesame seeds Sesame seeds

Sesame seeds add a nutty taste and a delicate, almost invisible, crunch to many Asian dishes. They are also the main ingredients in tahini (sesame seed paste) and the wonderful Middle Eastern sweet call halvah. They are available throughout the year.

Sesame seeds may be the oldest condiment known to man dating back to as early as 1600 BC. They are highly valued for their oil which is exceptionally resistant to rancidity. "Open sesame," the famous phrase from the Arabian Nights, reflects the distinguishing feature of the sesame seed pod, which bursts open when it reaches maturity. The scientific name for sesame seeds is Sesamun indicum.

Food Chart
This chart graphically details the %DV that a serving of Sesame seeds provides for each of the nutrients of which it is a good, very good, or excellent source according to our Food Rating System. Additional information about the amount of these nutrients provided by Sesame seeds can be found in the Food Rating System Chart. A link that takes you to the In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Sesame seeds, featuring information over 80 nutrients, can be found under the Food Rating System Chart.

* Health Benefits
* Description
* History
* How to Select and Store
* How to Enjoy
* Individual Concerns
* Nutritional Profile
* References

Health Benefits

Not only are sesame seeds a very good source of manganese and copper, but they are also a good source of calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc and dietary fiber. In addition to these important nutrients, sesame seeds contain two unique substances: sesamin and sesamolin. Both of these substances belong to a group of special beneficial fibers called lignans, and have been shown to have a cholesterol-lowering effect in humans, and to prevent high blood pressure and increase vitamin E supplies in animals. Sesamin has also been found to protect the liver from oxidative damage.

Rich In Beneficial Minerals

Sesame seeds are a very good source of copper and a good source of magnesium and calcium. Just a quarter-cup of sesame seeds supplies 74.0% of the daily value for copper, 31.6% of the DV for magnesium, and 35.1% of the DV for calcium. This rich assortment of minerals translates into the following health benefits:

Copper Provides Relief for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Copper is known for its use in reducing some of the pain and swelling of rheumatoid arthritis. Copper's effectiveness is due to the fact that this trace mineral is important in a number of antiinflammatory and antioxidant enzyme systems. In addition, copper plays an important role in the activity of lysyl oxidase, an enzyme needed for the cross-linking of collagen and elastin--the ground substances that provide structure, strength and elasticity in blood vessels, bones and joints.

Magnesium Supports Vascular and Respiratory Health

Studies have supported magnesium's usefulness in:

* Preventing the airway spasm in asthma
* Lowering high blood pressure, a contributing factor in heart attack, stroke, and diabetic heart disease
* Preventing the trigeminal blood vessel spasm that triggers migraine attacks
* Restoring normal sleep patterns in women who are experiencing unpleasant symptoms associated with menopause

To finish this awesome article go to    www.whfoods.com/genpage.php

We need to keep our hearts as healthy, and strong as possible to live an energetic and active life.

21. Kidney beans and black beans: WebMD maintains that kidney beans and black beans are rich sources of B-complex vitamins, niacin, folate, omega-3 fatty acids and soluble fiber, all of which promote heart health.
22. Brown rice: High-fiber foods like brown rice promote heart health.
23. Cabbage: Cabbage is a good choice for integrating needed insoluble fiber into your diet.
24. Low-fat, fat-free dairy products: Choosing low-fat or fat-free milk, cheese and yogurt is better for your heart and figure.
25. Asparagus: Asparagus appears in WebMD’s list of "best foods for cardiovascular health" and contains carotenoids, B-complex vitamins, folate and fiber.
26. Walnuts: Walnuts contain Vitamin E, magnesium, folate, polyunsaturated fats, and other heart-healthy nutrients.
27. Sweet potato: Eat sweet potatoes for a heart-healthy dose of vitamins A,C, and E, plus fiber.
28. Trans fat-free margarine: Use trans fat-free margarine when cooking instead of heavy creams, butters, lard or sauces.
29. Egg whites: Egg whites are lower in cholesterol than regular eggs but still high in protein.
30. Papaya: Mix up your servings of fruit with papaya, which contains potassium, carotenoids, calcium, magnesium, folate, and Vitamins C and E.

For More info go to:www.massagetherapyschools.net/blog/2009/50-foods-that-can-help-you-look-and-feel-younger/

 SHANGHAI—A new study from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai suggests adding just one tablespoon of whole flaxseed to a daily diet significantly reduces circulating total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol concentrations, but the changes are dependent on the type of intervention, sex and initial lipid profiles of the subjects.
The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, examined 28 studies and revealed total and LDL cholesterol reductions with whole flaxseed intake were stronger in women, particularly postmenopausal women, than men, and in people with higher cholesterol concentrations at the outset. No significant changes were found in the concentrations of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and triglycerides.

Sources:
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Meta-analysis of the effects of flaxseed interventions on blood lipids

In case you were wondering, one of our 1 ounce kracker provides 1 tablespoon of flaxseed.  So, instead of having a Tablespoon of whole flaxseed, you could munch on one of our tasty krackers. Send me an email at carol@kathyskrackers.com telling me that you read this article, and we will send you one of our tasty krackers to try (US only).

By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter – Thu Jun 11, 7:04 pm ET
THURSDAY, June 11 (HealthDay News) -- Eating a diet rich in carbohydrates that boost blood sugar levels -- foods such as cornflakes or white bread -- may hamper the functioning of your blood vessels and raise your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, a new study suggests.
And another study, released Thursday at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Washington, D.C., found that people might actually feel fuller -- and might therefore eat less -- if they cut back a bit on carbohydrates in their diet.
In the first study, researchers from Israel's Chaim Sheba Medical Center and elsewhere evaluated 56 healthy but overweight or obese men and women, aged 35 to 60. None had diabetes or a history of hospitalizations for cardiovascular disease.
The researchers fed the men and women on four different mornings, following overnight fasts. They were served either glucose, cornflakes, high-fiber cereal or water, in descending order of glycemic index.
Low-glycemic index foods include oatmeal, most fruits and vegetables, legumes and nuts. White bread, cornflakes and instant potatoes are high-glycemic indexes. The higher the glycemic index, the more that food raises blood sugar levels.
Before and after the meals or the water, the team of researchers measured the functioning of the endothelium, the layer of cells that line the inside of blood vessels. If the endothelial function is poor, it is thought to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The measurement used is called brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD), which measures how well the endothelium is functioning. Researchers also measured the participants' blood sugar levels.
The blood sugar levels before and two hours after the meals were similar, but they were higher at 30 to 90 minutes after the high-glycemic meals.
The FMD was reduced two hours after eating for all groups, but the reduction was more marked after the high-glycemic meals.
The high-glycemic meals, the authors conclude, appeared to impair the endothelial function.
"Based on our study, we do urge consumers to have low-glycemic index carbohydrates instead of high-glycemic carbohydrates for better health and less potential hazards for the vascular endothelial function," said Dr. Michael Shechter, senior cardiologist at The Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University in Israel.
"The main take-home message is that high-glycemic index carbs are dangerous since they reduce or inhibit endothelial function, which is the 'risk of the risk factors,' leading to atherosclerosis and potentially leading to heart disease," Shechter said.
Previous research has found that high blood sugar levels after meals is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, not only in patients with diabetes but in the general population. Declining endothelial function is considered a key variable in the development of hardening of the arteries and heart disease.
The study is published in the June 16 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Another expert called the study "interesting" but added a caveat that more research is needed to confirm the findings. "The cross-over design is a real strength," said Barry Braun, director of the Energy Metabolism Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts, in Amherst. But he said some "dots" still need to be connected.
In the second study, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham investigated whether a small cutback in dietary carbohydrates would actually boost that sense of satiety you get after eating.
Led by professor of nutritional sciences Barbara Gower, the team noted that Americans typically get 55 percent of their daily calories from carbs such as sugars, starches and fiber. This was the "control" diet used in the study. The team had other adult participants go on a moderate carb diet where 43 percent of calories came from carbohydrates. Protein intake (a major influence on satiety) was the same for both diets, but people on the moderate-carb diet took in a bit more fat to make up the difference.
The results: after a month, the 16 participants on the moderate carb diet had lowered blood insulin levels, more stable blood sugar, and a longer duration of a sense of fullness after a meal than did the 14 people on the control diet.
A longer time feeling full might translate into less snacking or eating and perhaps fewer added pounds, the team said. So, "over the long run a sustained modest reduction in carbohydrate intake may help to reduce energy consumption and facilitate weight loss," Gower said in a meeting news release.

Article Source: news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20090611/hl_hsn/cornflakeswhitebreadcouldboostheartrisk

Highlighting the negative impact tobacco use has on cardiovascular health, researchers say that heavy smokers were 2.5 times more likely to die than their non-smoking peers during a 30-year study in Norway.

The newly available research found that nonsmokers lived longer and experienced fewer incidents of heart attack and cardiovascular disease than smokers, especially when compared with heavy smokers (those who lit up at least 20 cigarettes a day).

Smokers were also at greater risk of developing diabetes and strokes than nonsmokers, according to the study findings, presented last week at the EuroPRevent 2009 conference in Stockholm, Sweden.

"What these results show is the cumulative long-term association between smoking and death and cardiovascular risk," investigator Haakon Meyer, a professor at the University of Oslo and Norwegian Institute of Public Health, said in a news release issued by the European Society of Cardiology. "Around two-thirds of the middle-aged heavy-smoking men and half the heavy-smoking women had died or had a cardiovascular disease within the next 30 years. The incidence was much lower in never-smokers and reflects the tremendously adverse effect of smoking on health and longevity. The difference in outcome between the never-smokers and heavy smokers was substantial."

The study began in 1974 with 54,075 middle-aged Norwegian men and women agreeing to take part in a basic cardiovascular examination. By matching the participants to population records over the next three decades, the researchers recorded 13,103 deaths, then followed-up on the living participants with a questionnaire during the mid-2000s.

The team found that 45 percent of males considered to be heavy smokers had died during the study period compared with 18 percent of the men who never smoked; among the women, 33 percent of heavy smokers died while 13 percent of the non-smoking women did.

"These results show what a tremendous impact smoking has on mortality," Meyer said. "We are talking about very high numbers of people."

The questionnaire responses revealed that 21 percent of the heavy-smoking men had experienced a heart attack compared with 10 percent of their non-smoking peers. For women, the rate was similar: 11 percent among the heavy-smoking female survivors and 4 percent among those who never smoked.

"This study underlines the public health messages about smoking. We have seen declines in the prevalence of smoking in developed countries, but challenges still remain. Certain population groups -- young women, immigrant communities -- still have high rates of smoking, and there's more to be done here."

Article Source: healthday.com/Article.asp

Benefits of Flax seed

(HealthCastle.com) Its high content of alpha linolenic acids has made the ancient flax seed become our modern miracle food. Alpha linolenic acid is a type of plant-derived omega 3 fatty acid, similar to those found in fish such as salmon. Benefits of flax seed as shown in many studies include lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) levels. Other benefits show that flax seed may also help lower blood triglyceride and blood pressure. It may also keep platelets from becoming sticky therefore reducing the risk of a heart attack.
flax seed health benefits
Other Benefits of Flax seed

Aside from alpha linolenic acid, flax seed is rich in lignan. Lignan is a type phytoestrogen (antioxidant) and also provides fiber. Researches reveal that lignan in flax seed shows a lot of promise in fighting disease -- including a possible role in cancer prevention especially breast cancer. It is thought that lignan metabolites can bind to estrogen receptors, hence inhibiting the onset of estrogen-stimulated breast cancer.

Recent studies also showed positive benefits of flax seed oil in IBD (Crohn's Disease and Colitis). Flax seed oil seems to be able to heal the inner lining of the inflamed intestines.

Moderately include flax seed in your diet. Indeed, a lot of food products contain flax seed such as bread, cereal and bakery goods. Bakers may use flax seed flour or include flax seed in baking.

www.healthcastle.com/flax.shtml

The list of flax seed benefits just goes on and on!

What simple step can you take to relieve stress, lower blood pressure, boost your immune system, and enjoy an overall feeling of well being? Laugh more. There is even evidence that laughter makes the heart grow stronger. Michael Miller, M.D., F.A.C.C., director of the Center for Preventive Cardiology at the University of Maryland says, “We don’t know yet why laughing protects the heart but we know that mental stress is associated with impairment of the endothelium, the protective barrier lining our blood vessels. This can cause a series of inflammatory reactions that lead to fat and cholesterol build-up in the coronary arteries and ultimately to a heart attack.” Elbert Hubbard said “Do not take life too seriously; you will never get out of it alive.” Maybe the phrase “I died laughing” should be changed to “I died because I didn’t laugh.”

To read the rest of this article go to:http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/04/humor-laughing-your-way-to-health/

 

I believe having a happy heart is one of the challenges we all face living in this world today. It is so easy to get pulled into a depressive state if one is not very careful. But can having a bad or stressful attitude really effect your physical heart? Yes! There is such a difference between having an excited heart and a heart that is stressed out. Stress hormones attack the heart muscle and can cause major damage. I unfortunately was born with a heart that has the challenge of working with two valves that do not funtion correctly. I have to be very careful of the effects of stress in my life. So what can we do to protect our hearts? Number one.. Don't hold on to worry. Find a way to make changes in your life and get rid of what ever is causing the stress. Set aside some time each day to make a plan to make changes in your life. If you are around people who are abusive, either in work or home life, make a change. It doesn't have to be a big one at first. Maybe just writing down what the negatives are in your life could be your first step. Then start working on one little step at a time to make the needed changes. Eat Right! Are you getting 5 -9 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day? These foods are full of atioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients. Inflammation is the bodies response to damage. If the inflammation becomes chronic we experience free radical damage, also known as oxidative stress. The more we can do to lesson the damage of infammation the better off our bodies will be. We need to get enough fatty acids. Our hearts use fatty acids for fuel and actually need good fats to stay healthy. But what kind of fat? Omega-3 fatty acids are essential. What are good sources? Flax and hemp seeds, nuts like walnuts and macadamia nuts are very good sources. Other good fats for the heart are coconut oil, whole raw milk and butter from grass fed organically raised cows. The fats to stay away from are shortening, margarine, and processed vegetable oils. What are some good supplements to take if you have heart challenges? Co-Q10 will help reduce blood pressure, aids in recovery from heart attacks, reduces heart inflammation, and improves energy production in the heart muscle. L- Carnitine can improve oxygenation and energy function in the heart by transporting the fatty acids to be metabolized for the engergy in the mitochondria. Magnesium helps to prevent muscle spasms by helping the blood vessels to relax properly and helps lower blood pressure.

Take care of yourself by eating right and getting away from situations in your life that are wrong for you. Making small changes today will add up to big changes in your future. Namaste, Kathy
 

If you have a cardiovascular disease, you will be interested in a study that is being conducted in Winnepeg Canada.  This is a two year study of the effects of a flaxseed enriched diet on heart disease.  To read more about this, go to http://www.cjob.com/News/Local/Story.aspx?ID=1035997.

Those conducting the study feel that those who consume the flaxseed will suffer fewer heart disease problems.  This is due to the fact that flaxseed is probably the best choice for getting omega-3 fats into your diet, especially if you are not a fish lover, Omega-3 fats are used to produce substances that reduce the formation of blood clots, which can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients with atherosclerosis or diabetic heart disease.

Omega-3 fats are also needed to produce flexible cell membranes. Cell membranes allow absorption of needed nutrients while promoting the elimination of wastes. While this is important for everyone, it is especially critical for people with diabetes since flexible cell membranes are better able to respond to insulin and to absorb glucose than the stiff membranes that are present when the diet is high in saturated fats.