THE 24 CARAT CAROTENOIDS

The pigments that give fruits and vegetables their cherry hues, called “carotenoids”are are more then pretty colors- They could save your life! The 24 Carat Carotenoids.

THE 24 CARAT CAROTENOIDS

All rich yellow, red and orange vegetables contain generous amounts of carotenoids, so do the deep green leafy vegetables, like kale and spinach. Carotenoids contribute to heart by helping prevent the dangerous low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol from oxidizing – (the process that causes to stick to artery walls) –To get the most of these healing compounds into your diet here are some of the best food sources.

CARROTS-“Good for the Eyes”

Healing power-can help improve night vision, reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, improves skin, relieves stress.

Call on carrots for help!

Carrots are rich in vitamins A, B, C and E, beta-carotene, an antioxidant compound that fights free radicals. The beta-carotene in carrots does double duty. It converts to vitamin A in the body and helps improve vision.The 24 Carat Carotenoids.

The antioxidant qualities of carrot will help to prevent some of damage caused by smoking. Beta-carotene which your body converts to vitamin A, so by protecting your brain cell, beta-carotene helps you think, reason and remember! Carrot also cleanses the system of impurities.

TIP

• While many foods are more nutritious raw then cooked, carrots benefit from a little cooking.
• Another way to release more of the beta-carotene from carrots is to make a carrot cocktail. Processing carrots in a blander breaks apart the fibers, allowing the beta-carotene to get out.

CAUTION– eating an excessive quantity of carrots may cause the skin to yellow temporarily

 

CANTALOUPE-“Sweet fruit for Circulation”

Healing Power – can help lower high blood pressure and cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease, reduce the risk of cancer and prevent cataracts. Cantaloupe is a great source of potassium (half a cantaloupe contains 825 milligrams of potassium, or 24 % of Daily Value). Potassium is a mineral that can help lower blood pressure. The body uses potassium to help eliminate excess sodium. The more potassium you eat, the more sodium you lose.

Cantaloupe is a rich source of two potent antioxidants, vitamin C and beta-carotene.

Like potassium, vitamin C helps keep the arteries clear and blood moving smoothly.Beta -carotene fights heart disease and cancer.

TIP The 24 Carat Carotenoids. 

• Buy them ripe! The riper the cantaloupe, the more beta-carotene it contains.
• Eat it quickly. Vitamin C degrades quickly when exposed to air.

 

LEAFY GREEN,“Smile and say -Greens”

Healing power can help: control blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease, reduce risk of cancer, protect against vision loss. Important B vitamins particularly spinach -provide the heart healthy minerals, magnesium, potassium, and calcium. These minerals along with sodium, help regulate the amount of fluid that your body retains.

Eating leafy greens is an excellent way to help regulate blood pressure.

The carotenoids in most leafy greens are like bodyguards against cancer causing agents, leafy vegetables are among the best sources of some very important carotenoids.

Kale is loaded with all sorts of beneficial compounds. Dark green vegetables are powerhouses of nutrients.

TIP

• Raw vegetables such as kale also have a large amount of indigestible fiber — not ideal for your stomach to handle in large amounts.

 PUMPKIN-“The Beta-Carotene King”

Healing power can help prevent macular degeneration, boost immune system, prevent heart disease and cancer.

It’s not just due to its size that pumpkin is called the king of squash. Carotenoids, which create the orange color of pumpkin, help protect the body by neutralizing harmful oxygen molecules known as free radicals. Pumpkin is more than just a giant winter squash. It’s also filled with powerful carotenoids like beta-carotene, which can help stop cellular damage before it leads to disease.

Iron is another pumpkin mainstay, even richer in iron than the flesh are pumpkin’s seeds.

Pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc an important mineral for prostate health, A handful of pumpkin seeds a day has long been used as a treatment for enlarged prostate.

TIP

• Consider it canned, an easy convenient alternative is to buy canned pumpkin. Nutritionally it; s almost equal to fresh.

ORANGES-“The Sweet taste of Citrus”

Healing power: can help lower the risk of heart disease and stroke, stop inflammation, fight cancer. Oranges contain compounds that may be able to stop heart disease even before it start.

Vitamin C has long been recognized as a powerful antioxidant, but there appear to be other compounds in oranges that are even more powerful. The extract, contained the compound hesperidin – in laboratory studies, researchers found that hesperidin was able to stop inflammation.

An Orange contains 3 gr of fiber, (12 % of the Daily Value).

 TIP

 

 

 

 

 

• Don’t be too neat when you eat. Half of an orange pectin is contained in the albedo, the inner white spongy layer that lies right under the colorful part of the skin. Eating little of this spongy layer with each section will provide more of this important fiber.

SWEET POTATO-“Packed with Antioxidants”

Healing power: can help preserve memory, control diabetes, reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.

Sweet Potatoes are more then just a filling food. Sweet potatoes are a good source of fiber, also a rich source of vitamin C, Vitamin E.

They are high in complex carbohydrates, they can help people control their weight, which also helps keep diabetes under control.

In addition to fiber and antioxidant vitamins, sweet potatoes also contain the B vitamins folate and B6.

TIP

• Shop for color

TOMATOES-“Protection for the prostate–”

Healing power, can help: reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease, prevent cataracts, keep older people active. Tomatoes another carotenoid that seems to be a crusader against cancer is lycopene –the pigment that gives tomatoes their rosy glow and that is also found in watermelons, guavas, and pink grapefruit.

Tomatoes are also a good source of vitamin A, a vitamin that has been shown to boost immunity and help prevent cancer.

TIP

• If you eat a tomato with a little bit of fat, (olive oil) you’ll absorb the lycopene better. The lycopene in tomatoes is located in the cell walls.

photo credit pixabay.com