AVOCADO The most perfect food

Did you know that the avocado has been called the world's most perfect food and has many health benefits? It has achieved this distinction because many nutritionists claim it not only contains everything a person needs to survive — but it has also been found to contribute to the prevention and control of Alzheimer's, cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other health conditions. The avocado (Persea gratissima or P. americana) originated in Puebla, Mexico and its earliest use dates back to 10,000 years B.C. Since AD 900, the avocado tree has been cultivated and grown in Central and South America. In the 19th century, the avocado made its entry into California, and has since become a very successful commercial crop. Ninety-five percent (95%) of U.S. avocados are gown in Southern California. The avocado, also called the alligator pear, is a high-fiber, sodium- and cholesterol-free food that provides nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, is rich in healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (such as omega-3 fatty acids), vitamins A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 and folate) — as well as potassium. Foods naturally rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as avocados, are widely acknowledged as the secret to a healthy heart, a brilliant brain and eagle eyes. Dr. Daniel G. Amen, a clinical neuroscientist, psychiatrist, brain-imaging expert and author of the New York Times bestseller Change Your Brain, Change Your Life counts avocados as one of the top brain-healthy foods that can help prevent Alzheimer's Disease. That's not only because of the avocado's health benefits omega-3 fatty acid content but also its… Vitamin E content — An international journal called Alzheimer's Disease and Associated Disorders, reported its findings from years of clinical trials — high doses of Vitamin E can neutralize free radicals and the buildup of proteins to reverse the memory loss in Alzheimer's patients; reverse symptoms of Alzheimer's in the early stages and retard the progression of the disease; Folate content — helps to prevent the formation of tangled nerve fibers associated with Alzheimer's. The virtues and benefits of the avocado are too numerous to mention. But Here Are Just a Few More Avocado Health Benefits That Its Nutritional Profile Provides: Monounsaturated Fats — These types of fats help control triglycerides in the bloodstream, lower blood cholesterol and control diabetes. Folate — This water-soluble B vitamin promotes healthy cell and tissue development. According to the National Institute of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements, “This is especially important during periods of rapid cell division and growth such as infancy and pregnancy. Folate is also essential for metabolism of homocysteine and helps maintain normal levels of this amino acid.” Lutein — This is a carotenoid (a natural pigment) that protects against cataracts and certain types of cancer, and reduces the risk of macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in adults 65 years of age and older. Avocados contain 3 or more times as much lutein as found in other common vegetables and fruits. Oleic acid and Potassium — Both of these nutrients also help in lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of high blood pressure. You can add these avocado benefits to your diet in many ways: 1) The easiest way is to cut the avocado in half and sprinkle it with herbal seasoning or maple syrup. 2) Chop the avocado and add it to a salad, or use it as a topping or side garnish for soup. 3) Mash an avocado and spread it on bread or a bagel (in place of butter or cream cheese). 4) Cut an avocado in half and fill the little hollow (left after you remove the pit) with your favorite healthy topping such as herbed rice or couscous. 5) Make an avocado dressing or the crowd-pleasing guacamole dip to add flavor to raw or steamed vegetables. You can easily find many avocado recipes online. Blended with fruit, avocados make a rich and delicious snack, side dish or dessert — and produces highly-nutritious baby food which delivers “good fat” for baby's brain and physical development. Before you indulge in avocados to your heart's content, however, remember that they have lots of calories because of their fat content. According to WebMD, “A medium-sized avocado contains 30 grams of fat, as much as a quarter-pound burger”. That's why diet experts have long urged Americans to go easy on avocados in favor of less fatty fruits and vegetables. But now nutritionists are taking another look. They're finding that most of the fat in an avocado is monounsaturated — the “good” kind that actually lowers cholesterol levels. Thanks to this new understanding, the U.S. government recently revised its official nutrition guidelines to urge Americans to eat more avocados. 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Healthy seeds

They come in all different sizes, shapes and colours. The seed is an embryonic plant itself and the origin of nutrition. A plant goes to great lengths to produce each seed and fill it with high concentrations of vitamins, minerals, proteins, essential oils and dormant enzymes. If you're looking for a high quality, nutritious and filling snack, seeds are tough to beat. Let's look at the ten healthiest seeds on Earth and how to consume them. A seed is life. It is a living food. It is impossible to eat a raw seed and not derive nutrition. Many seeds are edible and the majority of human calories come from seeds, especially from legumes and nuts. Seeds also provide most cooking oils, many beverages and spices and some important food additives. In different seeds the seed embryo or the endosperm dominates and provides most of the nutrients. The storage proteins of the embryo and endosperm differ in their amino acid content and physical properties. How to Eat Seeds There is only one way to derive nutrition from seeds and that is to eat them raw. Once they are exposed to heat, they produce toxic substances and the vitamin, mineral and essential oil profiles are denatured. By roasting a seed, its classification moves from a living food to a dead food. There is no seed on earth that can withstand roasting or heating without breaking down its nutritional components. Always remember, eat seeds naturally...eat them raw. This also means they can be soaked, ground or mashed (i.e. tahini), especially if a seed's shell or coat is too difficult to pierce with the teeth. - Choose raw and unsalted seeds - Avoid coated or roasted seeds - Avoid sugar coated seeds The 10 Healthiest Seeds on Earth 1) CHIA SEEDS Serving Size = 1 Tsp Consider these facts about Chia seeds: - 2.5 times more protein than kidney beans - 3 times the antioxidant strength of blueberries - 3 times more iron than spinach - 6 times more calcium than milk - 7 times more vitamin C than oranges - 8 times more omega-3 than salmon - 10 times more fiber than rice - 15 times more magnesium than broccoli The seeds are loaded with vitamins and minerals, are an excellent source of fibre, protein and antioxidants, and are the richest plant source of omega-3 fatty acids. Consumption of chia seeds could help reduce joint pain, aid in weight loss, deliver an energy boost and protect against serious ailments such as diabetes and heart disease. The seeds are gluten-free, which also makes them appealing to people with celiac disease or an aversion to gluten. Consumption of chia seeds may increase blood levels of the long chain omega-3 EPA by 30%, says a new study from the Appalachian State University and the University of North Carolina. Chia seeds are a source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a type of “short-chain” omega-3 fatty acid, whereas fish is a source of the “long-chain” fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). While growing research has linked consumption of EPA and DHA to heart health, improved brain function and possible other health benefits such as improvement in depression or rheumatoid arthritis, studies are now suggesting that ALA may bring about redistribution associated with heart and liver protection. Consumption of chia seeds as a source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) may bring about redistribution associated with heart and liver protection. The top benefits of chia seeds are far reaching and as far as superfoods go, this is undeniably one of the top ten. 2) HEMP SEEDS Serving Size = 1 Tbsp More people are discovering the nutritional benefits of hemp seed, nut and oil. Hemp contains: - All 20 amino acids, including the 9 essential amino acids (EAAs) our bodies cannot produce. - A high protein percentage of the simple proteins that strengthen immunity and fend off toxins. - Eating hemp seeds in any form could aid, if not heal, people suffering from immune deficiency diseases. This conclusion is supported by the fact that hemp seed has been used to treat nutritional deficiencies brought on by tuberculosis, a severe nutrition blocking disease that causes the body to waste away.3 - Nature’s highest botanical source of essential fatty acid, with more essential fatty acid than flax or any other nut or seed oil. - A perfect 3:1 ratio of Omega-6 Linoleic Acid and Omega-3 Linolenic Acid -- for cardiovascular health and general strengthening of the immune system. - A superior vegetarian source of protein considered easily digestible. - A rich source of phytonutrients, the disease-protective element of plants with benefits protecting your immunity, bloodstream, tissues, cells, skin, organs and mitochondria. - The richest known source of polyunsaturated essential fatty acids. According to the hemp growers industry, industrial hemp grown for food, fuel and natural fibers contains virtually no THC (less than .3%). In fact, when hemp is processed into hemp seed oil and hemp seed milk, for example, it further reduces the minute amount of THC in hemp. And yet, there's still a stigma due to the long-standing idea that hemp and marijuana are one in the same. Hemp is actually categorized with marijuana as part of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 and is therefore illegal to grow in the US. The best way to insure the body has enough amino acid material to make the globulins is to eat foods high in globulin proteins. Since hemp seed protein is 65% globulin edistin, and also includes quantities of albumin, its protein is readily available in a form quite similar to that found in blood plasma. Eating hemp seeds gives the body all the essential amino acids required to maintain health, and provides the necessary kinds and amounts of amino acids the body needs to make human serum albumin and serum globulins like the immune enhancing gamma globulins. Eating hemp seeds could aid, if not heal, people suffering from immune deficiency diseases. This conclusion is supported by the fact that hemp seed was used to treat nutritional deficiencies brought on by tuberculosis, a severe nutrition blocking disease that causes the body to waste away. 3) POMEGRANATE SEEDS Serving Size = 1/2 Cup Pomegranates are a rich source of antioxidants. Therefore, it helps to protect your body's cells from free radicals, which cause premature aging. In simple words, pomegranate juice pumps the level of oxygen in your blood. The antioxidants fight free radicals and prevents blood clots. This eventually helps the blood to flow freely in your body in turn improving the oxygen levels in your blood. Pomegranates are especially high in polyphenols, a form of antioxidant purported to help reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. In fact, pomegranate juice, which contains health-boosting tannins, anthocyanins, and ellagic acid, has higher antioxidant activity than green tea and red wine. The pomegranate, with its edible seeds inside juicy sacs, is high in vitamin C and potassium, low in calories (80 per serving, which is just under one-third of a medium fruit), and a good source of fibre. The antioxidant properties of a pomegranate prevent low-density lipoprotein cholesterol from oxidizing. This essentially means that pomegranates prevent the hardening of the artery walls with excess fat, leaving your arteries fat free and pumping with antioxidants. "Mice that drank pomegranate juice were able to significantly reduce the progression of atherosclerosis, [by] at least 30 percent," said study co-author Dr. Claudio Napoli, a professor of medicine and clinical pathology at the University of Naples School of Medicine in Italy. Pomegranate health benefits run bone deep; it can reduce the damage on the cartilage for those hit with arthritis. This fruit has the ability to lessen the inflammation and fights the enzymes that destroy the cartilage. 4) FLAX SEEDS Serving Size = 1-2 Tsp (ground) Dietary fiber from flaxseed suppresses rises in blood levels of lipids after a meal and modulate appetite. University of Copenhagen researchers report that flax fiber suppresses appetite and helps support weight loss. Flax has been cultivated for centuries and has been celebrated for its usefulness all over the world. Hippocrates wrote about using flax for the relief of abdominal pains, and the French Emperor Charlemagne favored flax seed so much that he passed laws requiring its consumption! The main health benefits of flax seed are due to its rich content of Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA), dietary fiber, and lignans. The essential fatty acid ALA is a powerful anti-inflammatory, decreasing the production of agents that promote inflammation and lowering blood levels of C-Reactive Protein (CRP), a biomarker of inflammation. Through the actions of the ALA and lignans, flax has been shown to block tumor growth in animals and may help reduce cancer risk in humans. Lignans are phytoestrogens, plant compounds that have estrogen-like effects and antioxidant properties. Phytoestrogens help to stabilize hormonal levels, reducing the symptoms of PMS and menopause, and potentially reducing the risk of developing breast and prostate cancer. The fiber in flax seed promotes healthy bowel function. One tablespoon of whole flax seed contains as much fiber as half a cup of cooked oat bran. Flax's soluble fibers can lower blood cholesterol levels, helping reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Ground flax seed provides more nutritional benefits than does the whole seed. Grind the seeds at home using a coffee grinder or blender, and add them to cereals, baked goods and smoothies. 5) PUMPKIN SEEDS Serving Size = 1/2 Cup They are the only seed that is alkaline-forming in this world of highly acidic diets. Add pumpkin seeds to your list of foods rich in protein. 100 grams of seeds on a daily basis provide 54 percent of the daily requirement in terms of protein. Most of us pop pills to replenish deficiency of vitamin B-complex, try pumpkin seeds next time. Pumpkin seeds are a good source for vitamin B like thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6 and folates. For those who are down in the dumps, pumpkin seeds can help fight through depression. The chemical component L-tryptophan is the secret ingredient to boost your mood. Did you know that pumpkin seeds can prevent kidney stones? Studies suggest that pumpkin seeds can help prevent certain kidney stone formations like calcium oxalate kidney stone. Pumpkin seeds even hold the secret to fighting parasites, especially tapeworms. 6) APRICOT SEEDS Serving Size = 1/4 Cup Apricot kernels are, like most nuts and seeds, very nutritious. Among the nutrients they contain is one called amygdalin, which is also known as vitamin B17. This attacks cancer cells, and thus can help prevent cancer from breaking out in our bodies. Amygdalin (vitamin B17) is contained in many hundreds of foods, but ones that are particularly rich in amygdalin have disappeared to a large extent from our Western diet. People throughout the world who still eat a traditional diet, have been found to be largely free from cancer. These diets are rich in foods containing amygdalin. Apart from apricot kernels, examples of other amygdalin rich foods are bitter almonds (amygdalin tastes bitter - sweet almonds do not contain it, and apricot kernels that are not bitter do not contain it). Other foods containing amygdalin are apple pips, grape seeds, millet, broad beans, most berries, cassava and many other seeds, beans, pulses and grains - but not ones that have been highly hybridized. For prevention, however, Dr Ernst T Krebs Jr., the biochemist who first produced laetrile (concentrated amygdalin) in the 1950s, recommended that if a person would eat ten to twelve apricot kernels a day for life, then barring the equivalent of Chernobyl, he is likely to be cancer free. 7) SESAME SEEDS Serving Size = 1/4 Cup Sesame seeds may be the oldest condiment known to man. They are highly valued for their oil which is exceptionally resistant to rancidity. 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. 8) SUNFLOWER SEEDS Serving Size = 1/4 Cup Sunflower seeds are an excellent source of vitamin E, the body's primary fat-soluble antioxidant. Vitamin E travels throughout the body neutralizing free radicals that would otherwise damage fat-containing structures and molecules, such as cell membranes, brain cells, and cholesterol. Sesame seeds have some of the highest total phytosterol content of seeds. Phytosterols are compounds found in plants that have a chemical structure very similar to cholesterol, and when present in the diet in sufficient amounts, are believed to reduce blood levels of cholesterol, enhance the immune response and decrease risk of certain cancers. Sunflower seeds are a good source of magnesium. Numerous studies have demonstrated that magnesium helps reduce the severity of asthma, lower high blood pressure, and prevent migraine headaches, as well as reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. 9) CUMIN SEEDS Serving Size = 1 Tbsp Cumin is a seed that has been used since antiquity. This traditional herb is known for its health benefits and medicinal uses for hundreds of years. Cumin is useful for digestive disorders and even as an antiseptic. The seeds themselves are rich in iron and help boost the power of the liver. Cumin also helps relieve symptoms of common cold. If you have a sore throat, try adding some dry ginger to cumin water, to help soothe it. Cumin juice makes for a great tonic for the body even if you don’t have a specific ailment. It is said to increase the heat in the body thus making metabolism more efficient. It is also considered to be a powerful kidney and liver herb which can help boost the immune system. It’s also believed that black cumin seeds can treat asthma and arthritis. 10) GRAPE SEEDS Serving Size = 1-2 Tbsp Grape seeds have a great concentration of vitamin E, flavonoids, linoleic acid and polyphenols. Grape seed extract may prevent heart diseases such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. By limiting lipid oxidation, phenolics in grape seeds may reduce risk of heart disease, such as by inhibiting platelet aggregation and reducing inflammation. A study published in the journal Carcinogenesis shows that grape seed extract (GSE) kills squamous cell carcinoma cells, while leaving healthy cells unharmed. Grape seeds may even reduce the infectivity of Norovirus surrogates according to research published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Seeds anyone? Sources for this article: whfoods.com - wikipedia.org - anticancerinfo.co.uk - ratical.org - bodyecology.com - chicagotribune.com Source: Prevent Disease Related: Top 10 Healthy Yet Cheap Organic Foods Vitamin C Can Kill Every Virus Known to Mankind 5 Foods That Kill Cancer 15 Foods That Kill Belly Fat Fast Scientists Officially Link Processed Foods To Autoimmune Disease Common Modern Foods Which Cause DNA Damage 7 Natural Brain Foods for Cognition and Concentration How to Clean Your Liver with 5 Natural Liver-Cleansing Tips Sponsored From Around the Web How to Speed Up Your PC - Tricks Manufacturers Hate What's Your Shoe Personality? 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Eight items in the home to make you a better gardener

Did you know that you can use orange peels to kill ants? Or how about Epsom salt to grow healthier tomatoes? You are sitting on a gold mine of resources in your kitchen that can be re-purposed or recycled to benefit your garden. The best part is that you are eliminating the use of dangerous chemicals, while saving money, and not harming the environment. 1. Natural Pest Control Cayenne Pepper or red chili pepper; if you are using whole peppers combine a half cup chopped peppers and two cups of water in a blender and pour the liquid into a spray bottle, add a tbsp. of liquid soap to help the spray “stick” to the plants. If you are using the powder form of pepper, substitute 2 tbsp for the half cup. Remember that this is not a selective pesticide, meaning it can harm beneficial insects too, so be sure and only use it if you have a major problem. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Sponsored What Happens When You Take a Testosterone Supplement Sponsored How Penny Stocks Create Millionaires Every Day Sponsored Tricks Car Insurance Agents Don't Want You to Know Sponsored How to Speed Up Your PC - Tricks Manufacturers Hate Sponsored How Cruise Ships Fill Their Unsold Cabins ? 2. Japanese Beetle Trap This is a simple one. All you’ll need is a bucket, a brick, and a can of fruit cocktail. Open the fruit cocktail and let it set on the window seal for a few days to ferment. Put the brick in the bucket and place the fruit cocktail on the brick. Fill the bucket with water up to the rim of the fruit cocktail can. Set the bucket near the problem area, the beetles will fly in to get the fruit cocktail and drown in the bucket. 3. Natural Herbicide Vinegar is a great substitute for the toxic and persistent glyphosate. Add a little dish soap with pure vinegar in a spray bottle and apply during the heat of the day. If you find that your kitchen vinegar just won’t cut the tough weeds, you can purchase a horticultural grade vinegar with a higher concentration of acetic acid and apply it the same way. 4. Natural Fertilizer #1 Don’t put down that vinegar just yet. If your acid loving plants, like azaleas or gardenias are looking a little yellow, mix 2 tbsp of vinegar to 1 quart of water and pour at the base of the plant. Repeating this process every two weeks should turn that yellow to green. 5. Ant Killer #1 Don’t spray or pour those broad spectrum pesticides all over the place, these are particularly persistent and harmful to humans and animals, as well as all insects, beneficial and not. Simply boil some water and dump on the mound, the ants die instantly. Be sure to boil enough water so you can keep pouring until you reach the queen. 6. Ant Killer #2 Don’t put those orange peels in the compost pile just yet. Throw equal parts orange peels and water into the blender and puree. Voila, instant ant killer, that won’t kill you. 7. Natural Fertilizer #2 Epsom salt is a natural mineral, discovered in the well water of Epsom, England, and has been used for hundreds of years. It is magnesium sulfate which stimulates root growth in plants, especially tomatoes. Add a teaspoon to the hole when planting and presto, super tomatoes. The magnesium is critical for seed germination and the production of chlorophyll, fruit, and nuts. Magnesium helps strengthen cell walls and improves plants’ uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. As an added bonus, a little pinch will also deter squirrels from digging up bulbs in your flower garden. 8. Slug and snail deterrent Don’t dump out that last bit of coffee that you didn’t finish, throw it in a spray bottle and spray your plants to naturally deter slugs and snails. Also, you can make a slug “fence” around the garden with the grounds. This is a double bonus because as the coffee grounds deter slugs, they are also a great addition to soil and earthworms love them! 12763 459 107 18 15 Share 14368 SPONSORED FROM AROUND THE WEB What Happens When You Take a Testosterone Supplement How to Speed Up Your PC - Tricks Manufacturers Hate How Penny Stocks Create Millionaires Every Day How Cruise Ships Fill Their Unsold Cabins How to Exercise Your Brain to Make It Strong ? DIYNatural Productsre-purposingVinegar RELATED POSTS How To Make Your Own Non-Toxic Sunscreen 13 Uses for Cucumbers That Will Amaze You How To Make An Herb Spiral Read more at http://www.realfarmacy.com/8-kitchen-items-better-gardener/#Y7Bw6Zp0b145rsAp.99

Processed food

The modern diet of processed foods, takeaways and microwave meals could be to blame for a sharp increase in autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, including alopecia, asthma and eczema. A team of scientists from Yale University in the U.S and the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, in Germany, say junk food diets could be partly to blame. 'This study is the first to indicate that excess refined and processed salt may be one of the environmental factors driving the increased incidence of autoimmune diseases,' they said. Junk foods at fast food restaurants as well as processed foods at grocery retailers represent the largest sources of sodium intake from refined salts. The Canadian Medical Association Journal sent out an international team of researchers to compare the salt content of 2,124 items from fast food establishments such as Burger King, Domino's Pizza, Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald's, Pizza Hut and Subway. They found that the average salt content varied between companies and between the same products sold in different countries. U.S. fast foods are often more than twice as salt-laden as those of other countries. While government-led public health campaigns and legislation efforts have reduced refined salt levels in many countries, the U.S. government has been reluctant to press the issue. That’s left fast-food companies free to go salt crazy, says Norm Campbell, M.D., one of the study authors and a blood-pressure specialist at the University of Calgary. Many low-fat foods rely on salt--and lots of it--for their flavor. One packet of KFC’s Marzetti Light Italian Dressing might only have 15 calories and 0.5 grams fat, but it also has 510 mg sodium--about 1.5 times as much as one Original Recipe chicken drumstick. (Feel like you’re having too much of a good thing? You probably are. Bread is the No. 1 source of refined salt consumption in the American diet, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Just one 6-inch Roasted Garlic loaf from Subway--just the bread, no meat, no cheeses, no nothing--has 1,260 mg sodium, about as much as 14 strips of bacon. How Refined Salt Causes Autoimmune Disease The team from Yale University studied the role of T helper cells in the body. These activate and 'help' other cells to fight dangerous pathogens such as bacteria or viruses and battle infections. Previous research suggests that a subset of these cells - known as Th17 cells - also play an important role in the development of autoimmune diseases. In the latest study, scientists discovered that exposing these cells in a lab to a table salt solution made them act more 'aggressively.' They found that mice fed a diet high in refined salts saw a dramatic increase in the number of Th17 cells in their nervous systems that promoted inflammation. They were also more likely to develop a severe form of a disease associated with multiple sclerosis in humans. The scientists then conducted a closer examination of these effects at a molecular level. Laboratory tests revealed that salt exposure increased the levels of cytokines released by Th17 cells 10 times more than usual. Cytokines are proteins used to pass messages between cells. Study co-author Ralf Linker, from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, said: 'These findings are an important contribution to the understanding of multiple sclerosis and may offer new targets for a better treatment of the disease, for which at present there is no cure.' It develops when the immune system mistakes the myelin that surrounds the nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord for a foreign body. It strips the myelin off the nerves fibres, which disrupts messages passed between the brain and body causing problems with speech, vision and balance. Another of the study's authors, Professor David Hafler, from Yale University, said that nature had clearly not intended for the immune system to attack its host body, so he expected that an external factor was playing a part. He said: 'These are not diseases of bad genes alone or diseases caused by the environment, but diseases of a bad interaction between genes and the environment.' Humans were genetically selected for conditions in sub-Saharan Africa, where there was no salt. It's one of the reasons that having a particular gene may make African Americans much more sensitive to salt. 'Today, Western diets all have high salt content and that has led to increase in hypertension and perhaps autoimmune disease as well.' The team next plan to study the role that Th17 cells play in autoimmune conditions that affect the skin. 'It would be interesting to find out if patients with psoriasis can alleviate their symptoms by reducing their salt intake,' they said. 'However, the development of autoimmune diseases is a very complex process which depends on many genetic and environmental factors.' Stick to Good Salts Refined, processed and bleached salts are the problem. Salt is critical to our health and is the most readily available nonmetallic mineral in the world. Our bodies are not designed to processed refined sodium chloride since it has no nutritional value. However, when a salt is filled with dozens of minerals such as in rose-coloured crystals of Himalayan rock salt or the grey texture of Celtic salt, our bodies benefit tremendously for their incorporation into our diet. "These mineral salts are identical to the elements of which our bodies have been built and were originally found in the primal ocean from where life originated," argues Dr Barbara Hendel, researcher and co-author of Water & Salt, The Essence of Life. "We have salty tears and salty perspiration. The chemical and mineral composition of our blood and body fluids are similar to sea water. From the beginning of life, as unborn babies, we are encased in a sack of salty fluid." "In water, salt dissolves into mineral ions," explains Dr Hendel. "These conduct electrical nerve impulses that drive muscle movement and thought processes. Just the simple act of drinking a glass of water requires millions of instructions that come from mineral ions. They're also needed to balance PH levels in the body." Mineral salts, she says, are healthy because they give your body the variety of mineral ions needed to balance its functions, remain healthy and heal. These healing properties have long been recognised in central Europe. At Wieliczka in Poland, a hospital has been carved in a salt mountain. Asthmatics and patients with lung disease and allergies find that breathing air in the saline underground chambers helps improve symptoms in 90 per cent of cases. Dr Hendel believes too few minerals, rather than too much salt, may be to blame for health problems. It's a view that is echoed by other academics such as David McCarron, of Oregon Health Sciences University in the US. He says salt has always been part of the human diet, but what has changed is the mineral content of our food. Instead of eating food high in minerals, such as nuts, fruit and vegetables, people are filling themselves up with "mineral empty" processed food and fizzy drinks. Study Source: This is the result of a study conducted by Dr. Markus Kleinewietfeld, Prof. David Hafler (both Yale University, New Haven and the Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, and Harvard University, USA), PD Dr. Ralf Linker (Dept. of Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen), Professor Jens Titze (Vanderbilt University and Friedrich-Alexander-Universitat Erlangen-Nurnberg, FAU, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg) and Professor Dominik N. Muller (Experimental and Clinical Research Center, ECRC, a joint cooperation between the Max-Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine, MDC, Berlin, and the Charite -- Universitatsmedizin Berlin and FAU) (Nature, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature11868)*. In autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks healthy tissue instead of fighting pathogens. Source: Prevent Disease Related: Food Matters. We are What we Eat! 800 Scientists Demand Global GMO “Experiment” End Top 10 Worst GMO Foods to Avoid Eating Top 10 Disgusting Ingredients You've Probably Eaten Today Top 10 Healthy Yet Cheap Organic Foods Vegetarianism Can Reduce Your Risk of Death Over 30% and Add 9 Years To Your Life Monsanto Loses In Europe! Apple Didn't Tell You About These Problems Stunning Concept Designs For Laptops The Coolest Collection Of iPad Wallpapers! The New Mac that Came to Market with a Bang Categories: Health , Science