By: Susan Patterson

Cold water can interfere with a number of healthy bodily processes and actually be detrimental to your well-being in the following ways:

• Cold water robs you of nutrients: The body’s natural temperature is 37 degrees Celcius. When you drink something that is very cold, your body has to spend an exorbitant amount of energy to regulate your core temperature. This takes away from energy that is needed to digest food and absorb nutrients.

• It may cause a sore throat: Extremely cold water may cause respiratory mucosa to build up, resulting in increased chance of infection causing a sore throat.

• It can increase your risk of headache: According to a 2001 study, women who had experienced a migraine in the last year were twice as likely to trigger a headache by drinking cold water.

• Heads up, cold water may contain dirty ice: We recently reported that ice is often dirty, coated with bacteria and fungus. This often is true of your ice at home.

On the flipside, here are some of the amazing health benefits of drinking warm water:

Warm water provides pain relief

Forget cold water, drinking warm water can help prevent constipation.

Drinking warm or hot water has a soothing effect on the muscles of the abdomen. It can provide relief from menstrual and abdominal cramping, as well as muscle spasms.

Boosts your weight loss

By drinking a cup of hot water first thing in the morning, you can jump-start your metabolism. Warm water increases body temperature and increases the rate at which your metabolism burns calories.

Prevents premature aging

Drinking warm water helps to flush compounds from the body that can accelerate aging. It also improves skin elasticity by aiding in cellular repair.

Clears nasal and throat congestion

Hot water is a wonderful natural treatment for colds. It can naturally dissolve phlegm and clear your airways. It not only clears out nasal congestion, but it also soothes sore throat symptoms as well.

Prevents constipation

Hot water can help you to maintain bowel movement regularity. Dehydration is a frequent cause of recurring constipation problems. Not to mention that the movement of the bowel slows down as it fills up. The hot water can finish breaking down food remnants and flush them through the intestines.

Aids your digestive process

It is believed that drinking cold water during a meal might promote hardening of oils in the food and lead to a fat deposit in the intestine. As mentioned previously, warm water boosts metabolism and aids the digestive process.

Detoxifies your body

The act of drinking hot water naturally raises the temperature of the body. As the body temperature rises it activates the process of sweating, which flushes toxins out of the body through the pores of the skin. The extra hydration also helps the function of the kidneys to flush waste material out of the body, along with toxins.

Improves your outlook

According to Dr. Michael Wald, the director of Nutritional Services at Integrated Medicine and Nutrition in Mount Kisco, New York, consuming hot water activates receptors found in the stomach, esophagus, intestines and mouth. This stimulates pleasure regions of the brain.

Maintains balance in the body

Practitioners of Chinese Medicine believe that drinking warm water that is similar to the temperature of the body maintains balance. They believe that extremes of either hot or cold throw off the body’s yin and yang. Imbalances are believed to be responsible for symptoms like chills, depression, thirst, “foggy” thinking, sleepiness, bloating and more.

Enhances blood circulation

Drinking warm water breaks down fat deposits that are present in the body and blood stream. The warmth increases the flow of blood circulation and promotes the removal of toxins. The increased circulation induces muscle relaxation, which can reduce pain.

Try warm lemon water

My favorite way to drink warm water is by adding a squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice. This is especially beneficial first thing in the morning. Lemons contain citric acid, magnesium, bioflavonoids, vitamin C, pectin, calcium and limonene, which supercharge our immunity so that the body can fight infection. They also help to lower the activity of free radicals and increase the breaking down of body fat, also known as adipose tissue.

Along with the power of water, combining water with baking soda gives it a super nutritional boost.

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By: Cat Ebeling, RN, MSN-PHN, co-author of the best-sellers:  The Fat Burning Kitchen, The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix

Years ago, I discovered an amazing, but little known tea from South America. It was recommended to me by a very enlightened preventative medicine doctor I knew. I drank it to relieve Candida symptoms, allergy issues, and inflammation. It had a delicious woody, slightly spicy flavor. And it turns out, it is a valuable tea to drink for many other wide-ranging health benefits as well.

The tea is called Pau d’Arco, and it is known to benefit arthritis, pain, and inflammation, fever, diarrhea, and even various cancers. One of the easiest ways to use pau d’arco is by consuming the tea made from the inner bark of pau d’arco or applying the tea water to the skin.

Pau d’Arco, or Taheebo, comes from the inner bark of a tree grown in South America. The inner bark and the live wood can be made into tea which is useful when ingested or even applied externally. While there are many species of pau d’arco trees, only a few types are specifically effective as a health tonic.

Pau d’arco actually contains two primary active ingredients, lapachol and beta-lapachone. These two natural chemicals are what make it effective against bacteria, fungi, yeasts, viruses and even parasites. Lapachol is known to not only kill many different types of fungi, bacteria and yeasts, but it also lowers inflammation. These ingredients are also effective at preventing the spread of cancer from one organ system to another.

Kills Resistant Microorganisms, Including Candida

Pau d’arco has been known to kill certain bacteria, yeasts and fungi, possibly by inhibiting their reproductive cycle. Test tube studies (not tested on human subjects) show that extracts from the bark fight disease-causing organisms including deadly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which is extremely antibiotic-resistant and very difficult to control, especially in hospitals and other medical clinics.

This powerful bark also protects against other disease-causing pathogens, including H.pylori, the bacteria that can attack the stomach lining, causing ulcers. Pau d’arco also fights E.coli bacteria, Clostridium and other staph infections without adverse effects on important beneficial bacteria growing in the digestive system. Pharmaceutical antibiotics, on the other hand, kill ALL bacteria in the body, good and bad, leaving room for the regrowth of harmful bacteria.

Pau d’arco is also useful against Candida albicans, a common fungus that grows in the digestive system. Normally, healthy bacteria growing in the intestines keep Candida levels under control, but often candida can grow out of control when the immune system is compromised, healthy bacteria are killed off by antibiotics, or a diet high in sugar and carbohydrates is consumed.

Overgrowth of candida can cause a multitude of health problems like brain fog, joint aches, fatigue, urinary infections, vaginal infections, digestive issues, sinus problems and even thrush (a candida overgrowth in the mouth). Drinking pau d’arco on a regular basis will help keep this opportunistic yeast under control and lead to more optimal health.

Fights Inflammation

Many people are fighting inflammation in the body due to a poor diet high in processed ingredients, toxins in the environment, allergies, over-exercising, stress and more. When the immune system gets activated, it causes harm to the body by attacking it. Inflammation is involved in the development of diseases such as asthma, arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, heart disease, diabetes, Alzhiemer’s, cancer and more. Think of inflammation as being similar to pouring gasoline on a fire, and you have an idea of how devastating it can be to the human body.

This 2014 study published in The Journal of Toxicological Sciences shows pau d’arco increases the expression of a type of protein, Nrf2, that regulates the expression of antioxidant proteins. These antioxidant proteins actually help protect against cellular damage triggered by inflammation.

The results of this study show that the activation of this protein can be particularly beneficial in the intestine, which is often severely affected by inflammation, through diet, food allergies, gluten, and more. This study, conducted on mice, also shows inflammation was reduced 30-50% when compared to a placebo. Reducing inflammation makes this a valuable part of anyone’s diet, particularly those who deal with inflammation in any body system.

Cancer Fighting

Pau d’arco is known as an effective tool to help fight cancer as well as helping relieve pain from cancer. A study conducted by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston found that beta-lapachone, a major compound in pau d’arco tea, is a potential compound which can be added to cancer therapy to improve the outcomes.

Another 2002 study concluded that beta-lapachone is one of a few novel anticancer drugs that shows promise for chemotherapy alone, and especially in combinations. This powerful compound resulted in killing cancer cells in mice, without any adverse effects, as many chemotherapy drugs seem to have.

Effects of beta-lapachone was also observed in a human leukemia cells. Among other human cancer cells tested, beta-lapachone was active against prostate, breast and ovarian cancer cells, as well. These results suggest that beta-lapachone is a potential compound to be added to a variety of cancer chemotherapies.

Reduces Weight

Pau d’arco seems to be valuable for weight loss. Studies in mice demonstrate that pau d’arco extract inhibits a pancreatic enzyme that helps the body digest and absorb dietary fat. This means that dietary fat is not absorbed, resulting in fewer calories.

In one 16-week study, mice fed pau d’arco extract lost significantly more weight than those on a placebo — even with no changes in food intake or calories ingested. Similarly, pau d’arco prevented weight gain in this trial with mice fed a high-fat diet.

Even though preventing fat from being absorbed may seem like an effective way to lose weight, many dietary fats are beneficial, so preventing their absorption on a regular basis may be detrimental to health. And it’s important to keep in mind that these studies were done on mice, and little research has yet been done on humans with pau d’arco and weight loss.

Detoxifies

Pau d’arco tea is helpful to detoxify the body, especially when removing heavy metals, like lead and mercury—as well as pesticides, preservatives, and toxic residue from chemotherapy.

One of the methods for its detoxifying process is through its laxative effects. While it aids digestion, it also helps to relax the bowels, making evacuation easier, ridding the body of any toxins.

Eating a diet of highly processed, refined, artificial foods overloads our digestive systems, and causes imbalances in our healthy gut microbiome. Drinking pau d’arco tea helps the body to eliminate these toxic substances quicker, cleaning out the system.

This allows the body’s natural detoxification process to function more efficiently moving waste through the lymph system, the blood and the cells.

Conclusion

Pau d’ arco or taheebo tea is very beneficial as for its anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, candida controlling, cancer fighting, weight reduction, and detoxifying properties.

Pau d’arco has few side effects and can be taken as a tea, in capsules, liquid or powder form. It is important to note, however, that many of the benefits of pau d’arco have not been fully tested on human subjects, and pau d’arco can be toxic in large quantities, so follow directions carefully.

References
http://pennstatehershey.adam.com/content.aspx?productId=107&pid=33&gid=000268
https://draxe.com/pau-darco-tea/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/pau-d-arco#forms-and-dosage

The post What This Amazing South American Tree Bark Can Do For Your Body (Pau d’arco) appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

Mint is a popular herb in cooking, especially Greek and Mediterranean dishes, as well as teas, sauces, and mojitos. Mint is also very popular in toothpastes, mouthwashes, soaps, and soothing salves.

Mint has several outstanding proven health benefits as well and has been used by Ayurvedic medicine, and has been around long enough to be a part of ancient Greek mythology. It was used in ancient Athens as a deodorant and was used in the 14th century as a toothpaste.

There are a variety of types of mint available. (I used to have ‘chocolate mint’ plants that had a mild chocolate mint flavor.) Mint can be any plant that belongs to the Mentha family of plants and includes mint, peppermint, spearmint and all kinds of varieties related to these. Spearmint actually has a sweeter taste, while peppermint has more of the powerful menthol concentrations.

Many studies show the different variations of the mint plant have a number of different health benefits that can range from helping indigestion to boosting athletic performance. And considering just how common it is, it should be pretty easy to incorporate into your daily routine!
Below are a few of the most common forms of mint, all belonging to the Mentha family–

• Peppermint—This very common form of mint contains the classic minty fragrance and flavor.  Peppermint can be used dried or fresh in foods, tinctures or teas.
• Spearmint—You can find this version growing wild all over North America. This variety gained popularity when added to chewing gum and toothpaste.
• Catnip — Cat lovers know this herb can make cats go crazy. While cats love it, it also is popular in teas for people.
• Bergamot— Bergamot oil is excellent for aromatherapy, and this mint plant actually has a delicious orange-y citrus fragrance.
• Lemon balm— The delicate lemon flavor of lemon balm makes it a well-loved garnish for drinks, and also adds a delicate flavor to tangy dishes.

The plants in the mentha family are well-known to have health benefits. These include:

• Relieving Indigestion, Stomach Pain, and Nausea
• Fights Colds, Sinus Infections and Improves Allergies
• Boosts Brain Function, Memory and Mood
• Improved Exercise Performance and Motivation
• Pain Relief

Indigestion and Nausea–Mint has a long legacy as being helpful for stomach aches, nausea and indigestion. Peppermint, with its more concentrated menthols, actually helps to increase bile secretion and other digestive enzymes that help improve indigestion and help the stomach empty quicker. Peppermint can also relieve the pain from gas, bloating and even peptic ulcers.

The active ingredient in mint is a strong antispasmodic that actually soothes the spasms in the stomach and intestines. This antispasmodic action helps nausea and vomiting, gas pains, colic, stomach cramping, and even irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, if you happen to have a lot of issues with GERD (gastrointestinal esophageal reflux disease), be cautious, it could make it worse.

Colds, Sinus Infections and Allergies—Menthol from the peppermint plant is often used in cold and flu treatments. Menthol is believed to have soothing properties and to help with breathing and congestion. Check out the label of most any over-the-counter cold or flu medicine and you’ll most likely see “menthol” on the list of ingredients. A very popular commercial ‘chest rub’ for colds and congestion contains menthol as its active ingredient. Although many people believe menthol is an effective bronchial and nasal decongestant, studies show that menthol has no direct action on airways. The cooling sensation that menthol causes has minor anesthetic properties, though, making it feel easier to breathe.

Peppermint also acts as an expectorant, helping to open your airways and clear out mucus to reduce congestion, and is one of the best essential oils to use for coughs, sinus infections, asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory conditions. Lab studies show that the compounds found in peppermint oil have antimicrobial, antiviral and antioxidant properties, meaning it may also help to fight infections that lead to symptoms involving the respiratory tract.

Mint plants also contain an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory ingredient called rosmarinic acid—as does rosemary and other herbs. Rosmarinic helps allergies by relieving the inflammation that accompanies allergies. Rosmarinic acid is increasingly being identified as a highly effective anti-inflammatory and immune modulating substance. This antioxidant works by inhibiting COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes, in a similar fashion as medications such as ibuprofen.

Improved Athletic Performance—Almost every athlete is looking for ways to (legally and safely) increase their athletic performance. Peppermint has held popularity among athletes as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and antioxidant. Most research has focused on using peppermint aroma as a performance enhancer that also helps to decrease perceived effort.

This study looked at how peppermint odor affected actual athletic task performance. Forty athletes undertook a series of physical tasks under conditions of no-odor or peppermint odor. The peppermint odor condition resulted in increases in running speed, hand grip strength, and number of push-ups. Using a Peak Flow Meter device showed an improvement in the lung capacity and inhalation ability after inhalation of peppermint aroma. Nasal airflow force increased as well, so it was speculated that the peppermint aroma may help the body to supply more oxygen to the brain, which could be effective for continuing physical performance.

And, this study shows the effectiveness of supplementing with peppermint oil to improve actual physical performance. In this study, 12 males consumed 500ml of water with 0.05ml of peppermint oil. Blood pressure, heart rate, and spirometry parameters including forced vital capacity (FVC), peak expiratory flow rate (PEF), and peak inspiratory flow (PIF) were determined before and after the supplementation period. The results of the experiment support the effectiveness of peppermint essential oil on the exercise performance, gas analysis, spirometry parameters, blood pressure, and respiratory rate in the young male students. Researchers think that the relaxation of bronchial muscles, increase in ventilation and brain oxygen concentration, and decrease in the blood lactate level are the most plausible explanations.

Brain Booster—A nice cup of peppermint tea may be just thing to boost your brain function and improve your mood. A recent study from Northumbria University shows it helps to not only stimulate the central nervous system, but it also helps to improve both short and long-term memory. The research presented at the British Psychological Society’s Annual Conference in England last week, adds yet another health benefit to peppermint tea’s impressive resume. Study subjects showed significant improvement in both long and short-term memory tasks, and they reported a higher level of alertness and improved mood as well.

Pain Relief— Mint is a very effective natural pain killer, as well as a muscle relaxant. ‘Mentholated’ balms or sprays used externally help to relieve pain on sore achy muscles and joints. Because the sensation of mint or menthol is very cooling, it can provide an intensely cold sensation to any affected area. In case of injuries, or aches and pains, topically applied peppermint oil or ‘menthol’ rubs will help to reduce swelling, relieve pain, and decrease uncomfortable inflammation. Mint can also provide a number of other benefits because of its calming and cooling properties. It helps to relieve insect bites and stings, rashes, sunburn and other skin ailments.

Dr. Josh Axe has some great suggestions on using peppermint oil for pain:

• To use peppermint oil for pain relief, simply apply 2–3 drops topically to the area of concern three times daily, add 5 drops to a warm water bath with Epsom salt or try this recipe for Homemade Muscle Rub. Combining peppermint with lavender oil is also a great way to help your body relax and reduce muscle pain even more.
• Where to get mint, spearmint or peppermint—If you don’t happen to have it growing out of control in your yard, you can purchase fresh mint from the grocery store or farmers’ market. Add to your salads, spaghetti sauces, salsas and soup to enjoy its many benefits.
• Peppermint oil, which is edible, can be purchased from almost any health food store and can be added to teas, drinks and other foods.
• Peppermint essential oil should not be confused with peppermint oil, as it is NOT edible, but very useful in topical applications, inhaled or infused.
• Tinctures can be purchased or made at home, by soaking the mint in alcohol to draw out its beneficial compounds. Tinctures are much stronger than teas, as the alcohol can draw out the medicinal compounds in the mint.
• Dried mint, spearmint or peppermint are also available as delicious and soothing teas—or you can use your fresh mint in a tea as well.
• Add a few sprigs of mint into a big jug of spring water and it will taste refreshing and delicious, and you’ll get some of the benefits, especially if you chew on the mint leaves.
• You can also crush mint leaves into a paste, mix in with your favorite lotion or cream, and apply it topically to reap the rewards of this powerful herb.

References
https://healthfreedomidaho.org/peppermint-for-upset-stomach
https://articles.mercola.com/herbs-spices/mint.aspx
https://draxe.com/mint-leaves/
https://healthfreedomidaho.org/peppermint-for-upset-stomach
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mint-benefits#section8
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/275944.php
https://draxe.com/peppermint-oil-uses-benefits/
https://www.healthline.com/health/peppermint-health-potential#6

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