Immune System Health

Unleash the Powerful Health Benefits of Superfruits

In simple terms, a superfruit is a food that contains a condensed serving of vitamins and powerful phyto-nutrients that are beneficial to human health. These foods benefit the immune system in a variety of ways and it has been found that they can even benefit the health of bone marrow. Research is only beginning to uncover some of the significant health benefits of superfruits, which may be why more people are adding these foods to their diets.

What Are Superfruits?

The power of superfruits to boost immunity may help stave off illness and help the body recover faster from injuries by providing the body with antioxidant-rich compounds that are called polyphenols. Polyphenols (flavonoids are just one example) are compounds that are found in many natural plant-based foods, but exist in richer concentrations in superfruits.

These compounds have been found to help the body fight off inflammation, while also acting as antioxidant agents. Research into the functions these compounds serve found that they can increase longevity by 30 percent or more when there’s a consistent high level of polyphenols in the body. To achieve this benefit, researchers recommend a daily intake of polyphenols that’s greater than 500 mg.

What Are the Health Benefits of Superfruits?

In addition to increasing longevity, there are many more benefits of superfruits that you can enjoy by adding these foods to your diet. Here is a short list of some of the health benefits that the polyphenols in these fruits deliver.

Regulate Blood Sugar Levels

While it’s common to experience a spike in your blood sugar levels after eating a meal, adding superfruits to your diet can combat that sudden increase. The polyphenols do this by keeping the body from breaking starch down and transforming it into simple sugars. The polyphenols in superfruits may also help regulate insulin production, so more sugars will be pushed to the cells for use as energy.

Improve Heart Health

The antioxidants that polyphenols contain help to decrease inflammation in the cardiovascular system. Since inflammation is a significant factor in causing heart disease, eating more superfruits may help you maintain a healthier heart. Additionally, researchers have found that polyphenols are effective in regulating healthier blood pressure levels and keeping LDL (bad cholesterol) levels lower. These compounds may also be effective in increasing the body’s HDL (good cholesterol) levels.

Protect Cellular Health

Since the antioxidants in polyphenols are effective in reducing inflammation, they may help protect against unhealthy cell growth. Additional research suggests that a high level of polyphenols in the blood may help prevent cancer cells from developing. Even after cancer cells have developed, test-tube research has suggested that polyphenols may help prohibit unhealthy cell growth.

Boost Digestion

If you have digestive problems, eating superfruits may help resolve those problems. This is because polyphenols also promote healthier gut bacteria, which is essential to proper digestion. A higher level of polyphenols has been linked to more diverse growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome, so peptic ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease and similar conditions may be alleviated.

Improve Cognitive Functioning

In a recent study, older adults who had experienced memory loss and difficulties in concentrating on complex tasks were given polyphenol-rich grape juice. By the end of the study, those seniors drinking the grape juice experienced improved memory and better mental focus. There’s also evidence that polyphenols can support oxygen-rich blood flow to the brain in seniors.

What Are Some of the Most Powerful Superfruits?

If you’re unsure about adding superfruits to your meal plan for each day, taking a supplement can help you boost the polyphenols in your blood supply. Resverchron is a high-quality daily supplement that incorporates the nutrients and beneficial compounds found in a broad range of superfruits. Adding this supplement to your daily routine can help you get that healthy boost even on days when you may not eat as healthily as you plan.

Here is a short list of some of the most powerful superfruits:

Plums: These fruits are known to help stave off metabolic disorders and cardiovascular-related health problems.

Cherries: While there are a few different types of cherries, they have all been shown effective in reducing the risks of degenerative diseases in seniors.

Blackberries: Regularly eating these berries can help reduce the risks of degenerative disorders that affect the brain.

Strawberries: The strawberry is one of the most powerful superfruits available, because of all it can do for human health. The polyphenols in this fruit reduce the risks of developing unhealthy cell growth, heart disease, inflammation and metabolic syndrome.

Apples: The polyphenols in this fruit have been credited for extending longevity by as much as 12 percent.

Peaches: This superfruit is effective in reducing the risks of metabolic syndrome, which is common in those suffering from obesity. Peaches may also help reduce risks to your cardiovascular health.

Nectarines: Eating more nectarines will help boost your immune system due to the high content of polyphenols that they deliver.

In general, eating more plant-based fruits will expose you to a greater supply of vitamins, nutrients and other beneficial compounds. Eating more natural foods will help you live a healthier life for longer, but adding some of these superfruits to your daily routine may give you an even bigger health boost.

As research continues, we may find that polyphenols provide even more health benefits, but changing your diet now can help reduce your risks of developing many of the common health hazards mentioned here.

Comprehensive Research Review Investigates Turmeric and Cancer

Feb 08 by Ewcopywriting

Cancer is a deadly disease that affects millions of people each year. In fact, it is the leading cause of death worldwide. Although there are a number of treatments that can be effective, including radiation and chemotherapy, there is no definitive cure. A recent research review took a closer look at the link between turmeric and cancer, particularly how the root’s active ingredient, curcumin, affects cancer growth.

What Do We Know About Cancer?

Cancer is a broad term that describes a number of different conditions in which cells act abnormally. The cells may either function improperly, or they may continue functioning for longer than intended. As these cells perform in unexpected ways, they begin to divide and multiply, creating even more defective cells.

When a large group of cells accumulates in one place, they come together to form a tumor. In other cases, cancerous cells spread throughout the body via the lymph nodes and inhibit the body’s immune system. During this process, which is called metastasis, the cancerous cells will travel to other organs and infect them as well.

Causes of Cancer

There are many different types of cancer and there are unique causes for each type. Even so, research has taught us that certain causes are preventable, while there are other risk factors that we can do nothing to change. Even when someone has high risk for developing a certain type of cancer, changing preventable causes can still decrease the likelihood that they will develop the disease.

Preventable causes of cancer include:

excessive alcohol or drug use
tobacco use
obesity
sedentary lifestyles
poor eating habits

A primary risk factor that cannot be changed involves genetics. For example, someone who comes from a family with history of leukemia will be more likely to develop that disease at some point in their lifetime. This is because genetics influence how cells develop, function and die in the body.

If the cells in the body lack the protein responsible for repairing them, those cells can continue to function in their damaged state. Ultimately, the damaged cell will divide and multiply, passing on the damage on to the new cells.

Treatments for Cancer

Chemotherapy is effective in treating most types of cancer. It involves the use of medication that targets cancerous cells and destroys them, so it’s effective in killing individual cells as well as tumors. However, the strong adverse side effects that the drugs cause encourage researchers to continue looking for more effective treatments with fewer side effects.

Radiation therapy is often used in conjunction with chemotherapy or other treatments. This is because radiation treatments can shrink the size of a tumor, but may not eradicate all of the cancerous cells in the body. Once the cancerous cells have been reduced, a surgical procedure may help remove the remaining defective cells.

Hormone therapy is effective in treating prostate and breast cancer, because these types of cancer grow as the result of faulty hormone functioning. Hormone therapy is used to limit the production of hormones that may promote the growth of these types of cancers.

An alternative method is immunotherapy, which involves taking drugs that strengthen the immune system. As the immune system becomes supercharged, it can fight cancer growth more effectively. Adoptive cell transfer and checkpoint inhibitors are two types of immunotherapy that are commonly used today.

Turmeric and Cancer

New research suggests that turmeric may be useful as an adjunct cancer treatment in the future, due to the effect that its main ingredient, curcumin, has on human health. While turmeric has been used as an ingredient in cooking over the centuries, recent studies have found that the curcumin it contains possesses anti-inflammatory properties. Since we already know that inflammation contributes to unhealthy cell growth, a recent study focused on the relationship between turmeric and cancer.

Specifically, the study looked at how turmeric affected the cell signaling pathways that promote the unhealthy growth of cancerous cells. Researchers narrowed their focus to specific types of cancer, such as breast and lung cancers, blood cancer and cancers that affect the digestive tract. The study revealed that curcumin exhibited an effect on four areas of cancer development:

transcription factors for replicating DNA
cell growth factors
cytokines for cell signaling
apoptotic proteins for regulating cell death

Challenges Warrant Additional Research

Before curcumin can be used as an adjuct therapy, further research on a method of delivery is necessary. When taken orally, curcumin is quickly broken down into metabolites, preventing the active ingredients in the compound from reaching the unhealthy cells in the body.

Some research on rats has found that enclosing curcumin in a protein nanoparticle helped to keep the compound from getting metabolized too soon. This may be one way to administer curcumin effectively, either alone or in addition to other forms of treatment.

Another challenge researchers face is in duplicating their results. So far, research on curcumin has been restricted to laboratory experimentation. This means the positive results achieved in the lab may or may not be the same in human subjects. Before a curcumin treatment can be developed and administered to patients, there will have to be additional studies that focus on the effects that curcumin has on human subjects.

While research is ongoing, there are supplements available that contain curcumin. Even though the substance may be broken down too early to affect cellular health, taking a supplement has proven effective in helping to modulate inflammatory processes in the body. Additionally, curcumin has been shown to be effective in promoting joint health, supporting healthy metabolism, aiding liver health and protecting nerve health.

Confirmed: Fish Oil May Help Reduce Inflammation

Feb 07 by Ewcopywriting

While the dangers of inflammation are often discussed, this process is actually a beneficial response that the immune system instigates when there’s an injury or trauma to the body’s tissues. Now, new research links fish oil and inflammation, adding to the broad range of benefits that omega-3 fatty acids are known to provide for human health.

What is Inflammation?

When any part of the body is damaged, the immune system initiates inflammation in that area in order to develop a protective barrier around the damaged cells. As the cells discharge pus and go through a granulation process, they are able to begin the healing process.

However, this process would be inhibited if the damaged cells weren’t protected by the swelling, or inflammation, which the body produces. However, inflammation becomes a problem when the cells heal and yet the inflammation doesn’t subside.

There are two types of inflammation: acute and chronic. In acute inflammation, the immune system is responding to a temporary or short-lived physical condition, such as a cut or fracture. In this case, inflammation can be observed as a reddening and swelling of the skin. The inflamed area will also be painful — either to the touch, or in regard to mobility. As the wound begins healing, these symptoms will subside and the inflammation will be alleviated.

The situation is different with chronic inflammation, which is an immune response to a long-term or permanent physical condition. This type of inflammation is present in conditions like asthma, Crohn’s disease, gum disease, sinusitis and rheumatoid arthritis.

The Dangers of Prolonged Inflammation

Inflammation is intended to be a temporary condition that allows the body to heal itself. However, when chronic health conditions prolong inflammation, the initially beneficial immune response can actually cause these conditions to persist or worsen over time. It’s not uncommon for prolonged inflammation to also increase the risks of developing cancer, atherosclerosis and other medical conditions.

Common signs of chronic inflammation include:

abdominal pain
chest pain
fatigue
joint pain
fever
rash

Fish oil, and the omega-3 compounds that it contains, may beneficially affect inflammation by influencing the levels of anti-inflammatory molecules in the blood. When you ingest fatty acids, including the omega-3’s found in fish oil, specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) break them down and use them to reduce the inflammatory responses caused by red blood cells.

These anti-inflammatory molecules also have a strong impact on the functioning of white blood cells, which are responsible for carrying out the immune system’s response to infection.

New Study Links Fish Oil and Inflammation

While it has been known that the body uses fatty acids to help regulate inflammation in the body, a new research project on the relationship between fish oil and inflammation set out to determine if an omega-3 supplement in particular would have an effect.

Conducted at London’s William Harvey Research Institute, the study was aimed at observing the effects that a fish oil dietary supplement would have on 22 subjects, ranging in ages from 19 to 37. The participants were divided into two groups, with one group receiving the supplement, while the second group was given a placebo.

In the study, biomarkers were attached to the SPM molecules, allowing the researchers to see how omega-3’s were used by the body and what effect the fish oil supplements had on the white blood cells. Once the study began, blood samples were taken from all subjects at regular intervals. In all, five blood samples were extracted from each subject within a 24-hour period.

The testing confirmed that those subjects taking the fish oil supplement had a significant increase in SPM levels in their blood. Also, SPM increases spiked in accordance with the dosage time and amounts, confirming that the supplement was causing this effect.

The researchers found that the dosages also caused an increased immune response against bacteria, while acting to prevent blood clotting in the arteries. In reducing the risk of blood clots, SPM molecules help to reduce the inflammation which can damage healed tissue if it persists for too long.

What Other Benefits Do Omega-3 Fatty Acids Provide?

One of the primary benefits of taking a fish oil supplement is the effect that it has on heart health. Consuming one gram of fish oil, or the equivalent in a supplement, can help protect against heart disease. Another study found that taking an omega-3 supplement helped to reduce the likelihood of developing coronary heart disease and lowered the risks of heart failure.

A daily intake of omega-3 fatty acids has also been found beneficial in treating Alzheimer’s disease, depression and anxiety. In one recent study, taking a supplement that contained both omega-3 and vitamin D helped kill cancerous cells in women with breast cancer. There was also a study that found that omega-3 supplements reduced the rates of mortality in patients suffering from prostate cancer.

Natural sources of omega-3 fatty acids include:

Dietary Supplements

Since the FDA doesn’t regulate how much fish oil can be put into a supplement, there are a wide range of choices out there. Typically, you can expect to get supplements that provide one gram of fish oil, containing varying doses of EPA and DHA long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. In addition to fish oil supplements, these beneficial fatty acids are also found in krill oil and in supplements derived from cod liver oil.

Food Sources

Salmon contains the highest content of Omega-3 fatty acids at 4,123 milligrams, followed closely by mackerel, with 4,107 milligrams. Herring is another seafood that rates high in omega-3’s with an average 946 milligrams. Oysters (370 mg.), sardines (2,205 mg.), anchovies (951 mg.) and caviar (1,086 mg.) round off the various types of seafood that contain generous amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. If you’re not fond of seafood, omega-3 fatty acids can also be found in flax seeds (2,350 mg. per serving) and chia seeds (5,060 mg. per serving).

Is Blue Monday Really the Most Depressing Day of the Year?

Jan 20 by Ewcopywriting

Blue Monday is coming, with a flurry of media attention promoting this day as the most depressing of the year. News sites point to this day as the time when post-holiday fatigue, debt and poor weather converge to bring our collective moods to an annual low. However, depression and other mental-health issues are more than a once-yearly phenomenon for many people. Is this day really the most depressing in the year?

January 20th: The Bluest Monday of the Year?

Mondays give many people the blues, but one particular Monday has been singled out as a particularly demoralizing day. Although seasonal depression, debt and post-holiday fatigue are very real issues for many of us, experts question whether the media coverage of this one day is helpful or harmful for people struggling with mental health and mood disorders.

Stephen Buckley, Head of Information for UK mental health group Mind, points out that depression is a serious issue and not merely a one-day phenomenon for many people. “Blue Monday contributes to damaging misconceptions about depression and trivializes an illness that can be life-threatening.”

Although many people may suffer from a case of the blues in January, this is very different from depression, an illness affecting millions of people around the world.

More Than Just the Blues

While it’s true that people may feel a bit low after the holidays, depression is a serious mental illness that can have devastating effects. People with depression have a variety of symptoms, including:

low mood lasting at least two weeks
feelings of worthlessness, guilt and pessimism
a lack of pleasure and interest in hobbies and normal daily activities
lack of energy
difficulties sleeping, eating and performing essential activities
increase of aches and pains such as headaches
thoughts of self-harm and suicide

These symptoms can make it extremely difficult for people who suffer from the disease to carry out normal activities and be engaged in their lives. In fact, the key differences between ‘the blues’ and true depression is that depression lasts longer (two weeks or more) and has negative effects on your life.

The Annual Rhythm of Depression

Although no particular Monday is bluer than others, depression does appear to be linked in some ways to the season. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), for example, is a type of depression that affects people in the winter months. People with this illness develop persistent low mood, changes in appetite, increased fatigue and need for sleep and other symptoms every year when light levels fall.

Seasonal affective disorder is just one type of season-related mood disorder. In addition, people with depression and other mood disorders often notice that their symptoms worsen in the winter. However, this phenomenon does not occur on only one day of the year but rather for several months.

Although the weather can take its toll on mental health, no one should have to live with the devastating and life-threatening effects of this illness. Getting treatment is the first step to reclaiming your life and your mood. In many cases, natural remedies can be the most effective way to fight depression.

Hope for Mood Disorders

If you are feeling depressed this January, the first step towards feeling better is to acknowledge the problem and seek treatment. There are a variety of treatment options for depression. Therapy, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy, has been found to be effective in treating depression. In addition, there are medications that can help in more serious cases.

For many people, lifestyle changes and other natural remedies are the most effective approach to maintaining a healthy mood. First, make sure you are taking care of yourself. Eat healthy foods, get enough sleep and take time to be active and outdoors every day. Although these habits can be difficult to maintain while depressed, they are essential to recovery.

Second, avoid ingesting substances that negatively affect your mood. This includes alcohol, tobacco and even caffeine. If you have noticed that certain situations are triggers for you, try to avoid them until you have made progress with your own health.

Last, there are many natural remedies that have been shown in studies to improve mood. 5-HTP and tryptophan, both serotonin precursors in the human body, are supplements that can help mood dramatically. A high-quality supplement that provides these ingredients may give you the boost that you need to make necessary mood-supporting lifestyle changes. Omega-3-rich fish oil also can help to fight depression by increasing energy and reducing levels of inflammation in the body. Melatonin can also be beneficial because it will help you to get the sleep you need at a time when this can be a challenge.

If you are feeling blue this January, don’t blame it on the date. There are simple changes and natural remedies that can help you to get your mood on track and get back to enjoying your life.

Curcumin Kills Bacteria: Could it Be a Solution to the Antibiotic-Resistance Crisis?

Nov 06 by Ewcopywriting

Resistance to antibiotics is a growing problem worldwide, as more and more bacterial strains become resistant to the very antibacterial medications that could eradicate them and the dangerous health conditions they cause. Fortunately, new research may have pinpointed a natural remedy that could offer a more effective treatment to everyone. A new study finds that curcumin kills bacteria, which may be good news for people suffering from medication-resistant bacterial infections.

New Research Discovers Curcumin Kills Bacteria

One type of bacteria alone, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), affects up to 79 percent of the planet’s population, yet it is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotic medications. Thus, a joint study with researchers in Germany and in the U.K. has been looking for natural, alternative ways to combat the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection.

Their study focused on the use of capsules filled with natural ingredients, but primarily containing curcumin, which is a compound found in the turmeric plant. Curcumin was included because its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities have been established through previous studies. In the study, capsules were coated with lysozyme, which is an enzyme engineered to fight bacterial infections. Dextran sulfate, a substance used specifically to treat Helicobacter pylori infections, was also added to the capsules. The researchers found that curcumin kills bacteria by preventing the bacteria from clinging to the walls of the stomach. This suggests that a treatment that combines curcumin with antibiotics might have the best chances for effectively eradicating the Helicobacter pylori infection in most people.

As research continues, the hope is that analyzing the molecular makeup of curcumin will help scientists create a more direct method of targeting bacteria in the body. In doing so, bacteria which are resistant to traditional antibiotics may be treated more successfully by targeting them at a molecular level.

Curcumin May Also Provide Relief for Those Suffering From Anxiety

Ongoing research into the health benefits of curcumin has found that it possesses many medicinal properties. Curcumin has been found to positively impact metabolic syndrome, arthritis and hyperlipidemia, while another study found that it can also help alleviate the symptoms of anxiety; the anti-inflammatory properties in curcumin help reduce the chronic inflammation that’s associated with anxiety and depression. It also works as an antioxidant, helping to reduce oxidative stress, which also helps to reduce the presence of stress hormones that drive the symptoms of anxiety.

During the research, it was discovered that, while curcumin can provide these health benefits, it’s lack of bioavailability may prevent the substance from interacting with the body. The cells in the body are unable to effectively absorb the compounds in the curcumin, which means any treatment that may be derived from the substance would be ineffective. Fortunately, further research found that combining the curcumin with the piperine found in black pepper increased the substance’s bioavailability by up to 2,000 percent. Coupling these two spices may provide the key to treating anxiety naturally, if future research confirms these findings.

Another consideration in using curcumin as a treatment for anxiety is the side effects it can produce. In addition to physical side effects, such as abnormal stool, diarrhea and rash, it may also cause headaches. As researchers continue to explore the possibility using curcumin as the basis for new anxiety treatments, they may also have to address the side effects it may produce.

Could Curcumin Help Treat Cancer?

Currently, curcumin can’t be used as an effective treatment for cancer, but that may change in the future. Researchers are exploring this possibility because of the role that curcumin plays in reducing inflammation. Swelling and inflammation is common in patients with cancer, and inflamed areas are often the first locations to develop cancerous cells. Since curcumin is both an anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant, researchers hope those properties can be enhanced to support healthy cell growth.

In laboratory testing and studies conducted on mice, curcumin showed promise in slowing the spread of cancer. It also helped to protect healthy cells from the damage caused by radiation therapy, suggesting it could be used in conjunction with traditional cancer treatments. When used to supplement chemotherapy, curcumin was found to increase the effectiveness of the treatment. The promise that these studies have shown has encouraged further research to proceed.

Current research is focused in two directions. First, some research is focused on using curcumin to prevent the development of cancerous cells. Since it can help to modulate inflammation, scientists hope it will similarly affect the growth of cancer cells. A second area of research is examining the possibility of a curcumin treatment for slowing the spread of cancer in the body. Either coupled with radiation and chemotherapy, or as a treatment of its own, the hope is that curcumin may provide a way of slowing the growth of cancer cells. While curcumin alone may not necessarily cure cancer, it could help reduce the rate of growth and allow cancer to be treated more successfully via other methods.

As more research focuses on the benefits that curcumin provides, we’re discovering that this natural compound can help with a number of medical conditions. While alternative treatments for bacterial infections and cancer may still be a few years away, there’s no denying that this substance has a positive effect on human health. In the meantime, taking a supplement that includes curcumin as an ingredient may be beneficial for whole-body health. As with starting any new supplement, check with your doctor to make sure it won’t adversely interact with other medications you may be taking. This will help you safely add a curcumin-based supplement to your daily routine.

Diallyl Sulfide and Cancer: Can a Vegetable Compound Protect Against a Deadly Disease?

Oct 03 by Ewcopywriting

While vegetable compounds like diallyl sulfide make onions and garlic more flavorful and contribute to their spiciness, they may also play a more important role when it comes to human health. While previous research has looked at how these compounds affect the development of various medical conditions, a recent study focused specifically on their effects on breast cancer risk. This new research linking diallyl sulfide and cancer suggests eating more onions and garlic may provide greater protection from developing certain types of cancer.

New Study Finds Link Between Diallyl Sulfide and Cancer

Diallyl Sulfide and Cancer: Can a Vegetable Compound Protect Against a Deadly Disease? 2 A new study sought to examine how eating vegetables that belong to the allium genus (garlic, onions, chives, leeks and the like) affected the development of breast cancer in women living in Puerto Rico. The study, which was conducted at The University of Buffalo in upstate New York, focused on women of that particular area because Puerto Rico has a significantly lower rate of breast cancer than the continental United States. Additionally, “sofrito,” which includes garlic and onion as primary ingredients, is a popular condiment all across Puerto Rico.

The study examined the medical histories for 314 women who were between the ages of 30 and 79, and who were diagnosed with breast cancer between 2008 and 2014. A control group consisted of 346 women within the same age range and geographical area, but who had not been diagnosed with cancer. A survey administered to the women in both groups asked about their dietary habits, focusing on their consumption of garlic and onion. In particular, the questionnaire asked participants to record their consumption of sofrito.

Using unconditional logistic regression, the researchers examined how the consumption of onions and garlic affected the rate of breast cancer. The study involved comparing breast cancer risk among women with a high consumption of these types of vegetables versus women who consumed lower amounts of garlic and onions. Surprisingly, they found that there was a correlation between eating vegetables in the allium genus and lower rates of breast cancer. They determined that consuming high amounts of sofrito resulted in as much as a 67 percent drop in the risk of developing breast cancer.

As an observational study, this research can’t pinpoint exactly why or how onions and garlic lower the risks of breast cancer. Until more direct research can be conducted, scientists have theorized that there is likely a link between the highly antioxidant vegetable compound diallyl sulfide and cancer. Together with other compounds, such as the S-allylcysteine anddiallyl disulfide found in garlic and the alk(en)yl cysteine sulphoxides found in onions, diallyl sulfide may help protect cellular health when consumed regularly in one’s diet.

Diallyl Sulfide May Benefit Health in Other Ways

Diallyl Sulfide and Cancer: Can a Vegetable Compound Protect Against a Deadly Disease? 1 In previous research, scientists found that diallyl sulfide may affect the risk of developing other types of cancer. In an experiment conducted with mice, it was found that the risk of developing colorectal cancer was reduced by 74 percent overall when a 1,2-dimethylhydrazine injection was administered once weekly over a 20-week period. The 1,2-dimethylhydrazine injection contained the same compounds in comparable amounts as those consumed by eating fresh onions and garlic.

Other previous research found that diallyl trisulfide may protect against the development of prostate cancer in men. A newer study examined how the compound appeared to cause prostate cancer cell death, with researchers taking an interest in exactly how this process was instigated. Specifically, they looked at inhibitor proteins to determine how they were related to cell death in mice with prostate cancer. They found that as the inhibitor protein levels decreased, cancer cell death increased. Ultimately, it was determined that the compounds found naturally in onions and garlic may affect cellular health by blocking the inhibitor proteins that allow cancer cells to thrive. In this way, prostate cancer cells can’t get the nourishment they need to grow, so, as people consume more onions and garlic, they could be building up a stronger defense against the development of prostate cancer.

In other studies, diallyl sulfide was found to provide a broad range of health benefits. While its promotion of cellular health alone may be enough to encourage more regular onion and garlic consumption, it has been found that the compound also provides other important benefits. Studies have found that it helps cut down on oxidative stress while also modulating internal inflammation. In addition to supporting cardiovascular health, diallyl sulfide also has antimicrobial properties. This suggests that regular consumption of onions and garlic may also help fortify the immune system.

While we don’t fully understand all of the benefits that onions and garlic provide, early research has shown us that these vegetables can be very beneficial to overall health. Regular consumption of certain onions and garlic compounds, whether via diet or supplementation, may help protect cellular health. It may also help us boost heart health and keep the immune system strong. As scientists continue to look deeper into how this compound benefits the human body, we will likely find that its consumption provides even more health advantages. In the meantime, adding diallyl sulfide-rich foods and supplements to your daily routine may help you stay healthier longer.