In a study that followed older French adults for five years, researchers found that those who regularly used olive oil were 41 percent less likely to have a stroke than those who never used the oil.

The findings, reported in the journal Neurology, hint that the well-known connection between olive oil and heart disease might extend to stroke as well.

Olive oil is a key ingredient in the so-called Mediterranean diet. And some clinical trials have suggested that the diet helps control risk factors for heart disease, like high blood pressure, abdominal obesity and elevated levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol.

High olive oil intake is also linked to a lower risk of heart attack, and a longer lifespan among heart attack survivors.

These latest findings support the general advice that people replace dubious dietary fats — namely, saturated fats and “trans” fats — with olive oil and other unsaturated fats, according to an expert not involved in the study.

But he also stressed that the study does not prove that olive oil, per se, helps prevent strokes.

“We need to remember that this is an observational study,” said Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas, a neurologist at Columbia University Medical Center in New York who wrote an editorial published with the study.

The study found a correlation between people’s olive oil use and their stroke risk, he told Reuters Health — but that doesn’t necessarily translate into cause-and-effect.

“People who use a lot of olive oil may be very different from people who don’t,” Scarmeas said.

Olive oil users may, for example, have higher incomes, eat better overall or exercise more often than people who never use the oil.

The researchers on the new study, led by C?cilia Samieri of the French national research institute INSERM, tried to account for those differences. And after they did, olive oil was still linked to a lower stroke risk.

But it’s impossible to fully account for all those variables, Scarmeas noted. What’s needed, he said, are clinical trials where people are randomly assigned to use olive oil or not, then followed over time to see who suffers a stroke.

Such clinical trials are considered the “gold standard” of medical evidence.

The current study included 7,625 French adults age 65 and older who reported on their diets and other lifestyle factors. People who said they used olive oil for both cooking and as a dressing were considered “intensive users.”

Over the next five to six years, those intensive users suffered strokes at a rate of 0.3 percent per year. That compared with just over 0.5 percent among non-users, and 0.4 percent among moderate users.

When the researchers factored in other diet habits, exercise levels and major risk factors for stroke — like high blood pressure and diabetes — heavy olive oil use was tied to 41 percent reduction in the odds of stroke.

Samieri’s team also took blood samples from another 1,245 older adults, measuring their levels of oleic acid — a monounsaturated fat that accounts for most of the fatty acids in olive oil. The one-third of participants with the highest oleic acid levels were 73 percent less likely to suffer a stroke than the one-third with the lowest levels.

The findings, according to Scarmeas, argue for more research into olive oil’s potential benefits against not only heart disease, but stroke and other neurological diseases as well.

For now, he suggested that people choose olive oil and other unsaturated fats over saturated fats (found largely in meat and dairy) and trans fats (found in some processed foods, like crackers, cookies and chips).

“It’s better to rely on this type of fat for your overall health,” Scarmeas said.

That said, no single food is consumed in isolation, he points out in his editorial.

Olive oil is one part of the Mediterranean diet that has been tied to heart benefits. The diet also boasts plenty of fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish and moderate amounts of red wine.

Drunken Goat Cheese: This Spanish cheese, a signature product of the village of Jumilla in the south-eastern portion of the country, is made exclusively from the milk of Murciana goats and is high in both fat and protein, which gives Drunken Goat its amazing creaminess.

With regard to the creation of Drunken Goat, this is aged goat’s cheese that is soaked in Doble Pasta — a local wine — for 72 hours before being aged for a further 75 days. Soaking the cheese in this manner does a few things, most notably, it gives the rind a stunning violet color that is unmatched, while on the palate the wine imparts a distinct tangy, sweet aroma and finish to this mild and creamy cheese.

Consider serving Drunken Goat with desserts or as an appetizer, accompanied by a bold Spanish red wine, such as Rioja.

Dark chocolate is effective in lowering blood pressure. If you have a blood pressure that is too high, taking a small helping of dark chocolate will help decrease and regulate your blood pressure. Another good thing about dark chocolates is it serves as a strong antioxidant for the body. Keep in mind that in order to benefit from these antioxidants, you need to take dark chocolate without milk content. Constant intake of dark chocolate will result to a much higher level of Epicatechin which is a healthy compound commonly found in chocolate. Dark chocolate has been proven to help reduce risk of cancer and heart diseases. This is due to the fact that raw cacao and dark chocolate contains great amount of antioxidant compounds like those in red wine. They are very effective in protecting cells from harmful toxins as well as slowing the speed of growth of cancer cells. It also contains low saturated fats which are found to be less harmful. It is a proven fact that dark chocolate can help boost good cholesterol thus lowering the risk of having heart attacks.

Carrots have many important vitamins and minerals. They are rich in antioxidants Beta Carotene, Alpha Carotene, Phytochemicals and Glutathione, Calcium and Potassium, and vitamins A, B1, B2, C, and E, which are also considered antioxidants, protecting as well as nourishing the skin. They contain a form of calcium easily absorbed by the body. Finally they also contain Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorous.and Sulphur – better than a wonder drug!!

Carrot can enhance the quality of breast milk. It can improve the appearance of the skin, hair and nails. When taken daily it can lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Raw carrot contains beta-carotene, a strong antioxidant that can prevent cancer. Carrot juice when taken every day prevents bodily infections and is claimed to be valuable for the adrenal glands (the small endocrine glands situated above the kidneys). Carrot can help improve eye health. Carrot can help increase menstrual flow. Carrot can regulate blood sugar. Carrot can promote colon health, because it is rich in fibre.

Carrot is also helpful in the following cases: Obesity, poisoning of the blood, gum disease, insomnia, inflamed kidney, liver, gallbladder, Alzheimer’s disease, colitis, ulcer and painful urination. Carrots are one of the richest sources of Vitamin A. Carotene present in this vegetable gets converted into Vitamin A by our body. It is indeed amazing that a mere 100grams of carrot supplies around 11,000 milligrams of vitamin A.

Many people who cannot tolerate milk, either because of a protein allergy or lactose intolerance, can enjoy yogurt. The culturing process makes yogurt more digestible than milk. The live active cultures create lactase, the enzyme lactose-intolerant people lack, and another enzyme contained in some yogurts (beta-galactosidase) also helps improve lactose absorption in lactase-deficient persons. Bacterial enzymes created by the culturing process, partially digest the milk protein casein, making it easier to absorb and less allergenic. In our pediatric practice, we have observed that children who cannot tolerate milk can often eat yogurt without any intestinal upset. While the amount varies among brands of yogurt, in general, yogurt has less lactose than milk. The culturing process has already broken down the milk sugar lactose into glucose and galactose, two sugars that are easily absorbed by lactose-intolerant persons.

Researchers who studied 68 people who ate two cups of live-culture yogurt daily for three months found that these persons produced higher levels of immunity boosting interferon. The bacterial cultures in yogurt have also been shown to stimulate infection-fighting white cells in the bloodstream. Some studies have shown yogurt cultures to contain a factor that has anti-tumor effects in experimental animals.

2. Apples: Apples contain vitamins a, b, and c as well as high content in iron and potassium. Not too many doctors know about this one because they’re so worried about prescribing you expensive medicine prescriptions like birth control pills and Accutane.

3. Foods rich in sulfur: Eggs are one of the best foods you can eat with acne. The less you cook them (provided you cook them at least somewhat) the better.

1. Reduce the risk of some chronic diseases – Eating it give so many benefits. To name one, they actually reduce the risk of some chronic diseases. They are very important to maintain a healthy body. They actually contain certain antioxidants, minerals and nutrients that help in fighting some cancer diseases, keep the blood sugar in a balanced state and give so much energy in the body. Fruits and vegetables are also responsible in maintaining a strong immune system. They actually boost your immune system, enough to fight some serious disease conditions.

2. It controls weight – They are great sources of food that are very helpful in controlling one’s weight. They contain the necessary vitamins and minerals that are helpful in maintaining your balanced weight. If you do not want to turn into an obese person, then consider taking them. This is one of the greatest benefits it can offer. They actually balance your fats, proteins and other important nutrients found in the body. They neutralize it and they just increase metabolism, which makes digestion faster and easier.

3. It makes you glow and feel good – You will actually feel good about yourself and your beauty will actually glow inside and out. They are the secret ingredient of having lighter and younger skin. They also help in preventing wrinkle formation in the future. They are the best natural remedies for simple beautification. You do not need any skin and facial products to make you glow. All you need to do is to consider fruits and vegetables to be in your diet all the time.

Muskmelon is one of the most popular fruits in tropical countries and it is available in numerous varieties. The two main types of the fruit are those with smooth skin and those with netted skin. The health benefits of muskmelon are many, as it has high nutritional values. The fruit contains Vitamin A, B, C and minerals like magnesium, sodium and potassium. It has zero cholesterol and is safe for blood cholesterol patients.

Muskmelon tastes well and can satisfy your dessert needs. It can be a great substitute for high calorie snacks and can aid in losing weight healthily. Since it is rich in potassium, it can help control blood pressure and can prevent the risk of strokes. Potassium in the fruit can also reduce the problem of developing kidney stones.

Muskmelon has great amount of dietary fiber (1.3gram in 1 cup of muskmelon) and thus it can provide great relief for those who suffer from constipation problem. The health benefits of muskmelon are recognized by many physicians all over the world. They believe the fruit can prevent age-related bone loss.

Muskmelon is a good source of vitamin C, which is an anti-oxidant. This helps to prevent heart diseases and even cancer. It has beta-carotene too. Researches reveal the fact that the combination of beta-carotene and vitamin c can prevent many chronic conditions.

Over the past few decades sugar  has been categorized as a tempting but hazardous ingredient, indulged in by the undisciplined and avoided by the virtuous. Expanding waistlines, increased health problems and hyperactivity in children were all chalked up to America’s increasing consumption of sugar. Recently, The New York Times featured an article detailing the ways in which this indulgence is being recast as a healthy alternative to synthetic and corn-based sweeteners — sugar’s days as a “bad guy” may be coming to an end, at least for now.

Fructose, otherwise known as high-fructose corn syrup, has replaced sugar as the sweetener that consumers are shunning.

Is this the right way to go? Is sugar really the healthier alternative? What are the health benefits of sugar?
Calorie content
Since total calorie intake is what will impact body fat levels and weight gain, it’s the first factor to assess when comparing two foods. Both fructose and sugar are forms of carbohydrate, and contain four calories per gram consumed. Both also lack dietary fiber (which goes partially undigested through the body) and are generally lacking in nutritious value. There’s not many health benefits of sugar or fructose here.

Sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are both composed of glucose and fructose; the only difference is that high-fructose corn syrup has a higher degree of fructose in it by about 5%.
Impact on insulin and blood glucose levels
While total calorie content is important, it’s not the entire story. Different nutrients also have varying impacts on how we feel after we consume them, and that can impact how much we eat at mealtime.

Fructose wins the race when it comes to blood glucose levels, as it’s sent to the liver after consumption and has minimal impacts on insulin and blood sugar levels. This makes it a better option if you want to avoid the highs and lows typically associated with foods that contain pure glucose.

Sugar, while composed of partial fructose, will still send the glucose straight to the blood, causing insulin levels to increase while you experience a quick burst of energy.

Unfortunately, this burst of energy is frequently followed by a drop, which often just leaves you hungry and craving more. That, in turn, can cause you to consume more food during the day, increasing your calorie intake.

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