Making Curcumin from Turmeric Root.

As you will recall, curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric root. It is bright orangish-red in color and will stain everything it comes in contact with. I sprinkle a pinch or two of curcumin powder on everything I cook. Turmeric root is expensive, costing about $8.00 a pound at a produce market, so if you have the time and space, it pays to grow your own root. Turmeric root is very slow growing and will take nearly a year to mature and be ready for harvest. Be aware of the fact that some of the turmeric root sold in supermarkets has been treated with a chemical to suppress growth, this makes it almost impossible to grow in the garden. Once you have the root converting it to Curcumin is relatively simple, if a bit laborious and expensive. The first step is to boil the root for approximately 45 minutes. Next, place the root in a pan of cold water to cool it. The root is difficult to slice if still hot from the boiling process. At this point, the root must be sliced into 3 to 4 mm pieces so it can be dried. I dry the sliced pieces of root in a dehydrator at 400 degrees F for 24 hours. Dehydrators are expensive, but I know of no practical alternative to a commercial grade dehydrator when it comes to drying the root. Place the turmeric slices on one of the dehydrator racks, set the drying time and temperature and forget about it. Remove the dried root from the racks in 24 hours. At this point the slices will be hard as a rock. The next step is to grind the dried pieces of turmeric root into a powder. This step is performed with a commercial grade heavy duty vegetable grinder. At this point, the finely ground Curcumin is ready to use. Remember, you have to add black pepper to the curcumin if it is to be taken orally and absorbed from the intestinal tract. A ratio of four parts curcumin to one-part black pepper works well. In any case, this, obviously, is very time consuming and expensive process which explains, in part, the high cost of commercial Curcumin products sold on the internet and elsewhere. I’ll have more to say about the value of these Curcumin based products in my next post.

It Would Be Difficult To Over-Emphasize The Nutritional Value Of Turmeric Root. The most important ingredient of this tuber is, curcumin, one of the most powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents yet discovered. This remarkable natural substance has an ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) of 127,068, as compared to a glass of red wine (3607) or a cup of blue berries (8030). In short, curcumin is one of, if not, the most potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents ever discovered. Inflammation is the precursor to most chronic diseases including Alzheimer’s, most forms of chronic cardiovascular disease and many forms of cancer. Most significantly, for many of us, aging isdirectly related to the various forms of chronic inflammation. So, how do we take advantage of this marvelous natural ingredient? There are two ways to make use of the curcumin in turmeric root. The first is the use turmeric soap. Simply wash daily with a Turmeric-based soap. This will greatly improve the quality of your skin and reduce the chances of developing conditions like senile keratosis. In fact, the daily application of turmeric soap will reverse some of the ill-effects of keratosis and similar skin conditions related to aging. Now, more importantly, how can we take advantage of the potential systemic benefits of the curcumin found in turmeric root. Curcumin has been used for years as a spice and medical remedy in India and other areas of Asia. Unfortunately, most of the curcumin we ingest is not absorbed in the gastrointestinal track and, thus, is of no significant value to us. In this respect, of great importance, was the discovery that the intestinal absorption of Curcumin is greatly enhanced by the presence of black pepper. This simple and inexpensive “trick” enhances the absorption of curcumin by an astounding 2000%. Several commercial brands of curcumin contain Piperine, the active ingredient in black pepper; however, small amounts of black pepper are as effective as this more expensive additive in enhancing Curcumin absorption. In this respect, just add a pinch or two of black pepper to your Curcumin and “you are off to the races!” So, how much curcumin should you be taking daily? As you might expect, the recommended dose of curcumin varies somewhat depending on the studies published. A summary of the material I reviewed suggests that the recommended dosage of curcumin is usually about 600 mgs taken three times a day. This, of course, varies somewhat depending on which of medical conditions one is attempting to treat. But, in general, one should be consuming approximately one level tsp of curcumin powder combined with black pepper each day. For most of us, sprinkling a pinch or two of Curcumin-black pepper mix on the foods we eat is probably adequate.

To death and back!

I haven't posted anything for over a month because I suffered a major heart attach on Easter Sunday and had open heart surgery two days later. If all goes well, expect to be back on the job within a week or so. In the mean time, there is a lot of useful information in my past blogs.

8. Pomegranates

Surprise, surprise I’ll bet you didn’t know that pomegranates were a berry. I didn’t either until I began reading about the health benefits of this large member of the berry family. The small seeds in the pomegranate are called arils and their bright red color gives you a clue as to how healthful and nutritious they are. As we have learned in this review of superfoods, bright colors usually are associated with health and nutrition. The ORAC value of pomegranates is 3302. Pomegranates are rich in fiber and vitamins C and B6. However, this is not the main reason we should be eating pomegranates. There are two unique substances in pomegranate arils that are primarily responsible for their health benefits. First, the punicalagins in this berry are extremely powerful. Punicalagins have three times the antioxidant activity of red wine or green tea. Second, punic acid, also known as pomegranate seed oil, is a type of conjugated linoleic acid that has several extremely beneficial health benefits. Chronic inflammation is a leading cause of many often-fatal diseases including heart disease, various forms of cancer, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and obesity. The anti-inflammatory punicalagin’s in pomegranate juice help reduce the adverse effects of inflammation in these dread diseases. Here are some of the ways pomegranate juice can reduce risk of developing specific forms of cancer and other medical problems. Prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and over 22,000 men die from this cancer each year. Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is a blood marker for prostate cancer, it increases as the prostate cancer cells increase in number and invade normal body tissues. The PSA doubling time is a good indication of how fast the prostate cancer is spreading throughout the body. A recent study found that 8 ounces of pomegranate juice per day increased the PSA doubling time from 15 months to 54 months which, ladies and gentlemen, is huge! A follow-up study achieved similar results with a pomegranate extract called POMx. Now, no one is claiming that pomegranate juice provides a cure for prostate cancer. However, the juice of a pomegranate does inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells and increases the life span of those suffering from prostate cancer. To date, no studies have been performed to determine if pomegranate juice can inhibit the development of prostate cancer. Breast cancer Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women. As with prostate cancer, pomegranate extract has been shown to inhibit the reproduction of breast cancer cells and may even kill them. Unfortunately, to date, there have been no human studies to confirm the value of pomegranate juice or extracts in the treatment or development of breast cancer cells. Why is this? Possibly, because such research would be extremely expensive and not cost effective considering the relatively low cost of pomegranate juice and extracts. Hypertension High blood pressure is one of the leading precursors to heart attacks and strokes. One study showed that people with hypertension had a significant reduction in blood pressure after consuming only 5 ounces of pomegranate juice daily for as little as two weeks. In this respect, pomegranate juice was especially useful in controlling systolic hypertension (the high number). Interestingly, I have hypertension and I can’t recall any of my doctors suggesting that I might start off my day by drinking a glass of pomegranate juice. Arthritis and joint pain Arthritis is one the most common malady’s in western civilization. Arthritis comes in many different forms but most types involve some form of inflammation of the joints. Given that many of the compounds in pomegranates have anti-inflammatory effects, it is not surprising that they would be helpful in the treatment of arthritis and joint pain. And this belief is substantiated by several laboratory studies. These studies have shown that pomegranate extract can block enzymes that are known to damage the joints of people who suffer from osteoarthritis. Pomegranate extracts are beneficial in the treatment of arthritis in mice. Human studies are needed to substantiate these finding in humans. Erectile dysfunction Oxidative damage can impair blood blow in all areas of the body. Pomegranate juice has been shown to increase the blood flow and erectile response in rabbits. In a study of 53 men with erectile dysfunction, pomegranate juice seemed to have some benefit but the results were not statistically significant. Fighting infections The nutrients in pomegranates can help prevent infections in the mouth and genital tract from harmful bacteria and yeasts such as Candida Albicans. They are particularly useful in conditions like gingivitis, periodontitis and denture stomatitis. Improving memory A substantial amount of evidence suggests that pomegranate extract can improve memory after surgery. Another study showed that 8 ounces of pomegranate juice daily significantly improved markers of verbal and visual memory. There also is some evidence from studies in mice that pomegranate extract can prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Exercise performance Pomegranates are rich in nitrates which are known to improve exercise performance. In one study of athletes running on a treadmill, one gram of pomegranate extract given 30 minutes before exercise significantly enhanced blood flow leading to a delay in the onset of fatigue and an increase in exercise efficiency. Summary When all is said and done, pomegranates are among the healthiest foods on the planet. They are indeed a superfood of the highest order right, up there with Goji berries and turmeric root. As with many of the more exotic superfoods, pomegranates are reasonably expensive as are their extracts. Fortunately, pomegranates are easy to grow. They can be grown as a bush or a tree.

Who should pay for the wall?

There are many arguments for and against the wall which I will not address in this post, other than to say that without boarders we are not a Nation State and never will be. In any case, one of the main arguments against the wall is its cost which liberals, and some conservatives, maintain we can’t afford. At this point, the United States has a debt approaching 21 trillion. I maintain that no one reading this blog can comprehend the magnitude of a figure such as this. The truth is that no one alive today has lived under a fiscally sound form of government, for more than very short periods of time, and we are not likely to in the future. Our government is based, not on what we can pay for, but on what we can borrow. I have no idea how much we can steal from future generations before this house of cards crumbles, and I doubt if anyone else does either. In fact, few if any seem to care. Certainly, The Donald is not the slightest bit concerned about our debt and will agree to spend whatever in may take to achieve what he perceives as the goals of our nation. In any case, the cost of the wall, In the grand scheme of things, is “small potatoes”. One thing’s for sure though, no one in Washington DC is the slightest bit concerned about the debt, certainly not the liberals who basically believe that money grows on trees and is just “there for the picking”. To believe the libs are the slightest bit concerned about the wall’s cost is blatantly absurd! No, these low-lives are only interested in the advantages they perceive will be gained from the illiterates that are streaming across our porous boarders by the thousands each and every day. But, getting back to the main point, why should we be so concerned about spending a few billion dollars to secure our boarders. We will end up spending ten times that amount to build Jerry Brown’s “choo-choo” train to nowhere and the hundreds of other boondoggles that Washington and the various State Legislatures force down our throats each day. No, a nation without boarders is nothing more than an illusion and a ticket to third world poverty as we can see on every inner-city street corner in America today. So, let’s build the damned wall without further ado, at this point I don’t care who pays for it and neither should you! In the end we will at least have a wall, even if we don’t have anything meaningful left to put in it.

Lets Arm The Teachers!

Why are the miscreants shooting up our schools? The answer is simple, because that is an easy place for them to inflict their carnage. It's really as simple as that. The solution is equally simple and straight forward, we need to arm our school personnel. There are a lot of misconceptions to this simple and straight forward solution to the problem. First, this is a freedom of choice issue. If the liberals on the East and West coasts want to concentrate on the gun issue that is their choice, let the slaughter of the innocents in their schools continue. For the rest of us, we need to concentrate on the root cause of the problem which results from the fact that our political leaders, both right and left, refuse to address the problem on the mentally ill which roam our streets with abandon. The bottom line is that we need to keep these Wackos away from our children. We accomplish this by shooting first and asking questions later. In this respect, there is a lot of unnecessary confusion with respect to who should be armed. The more the better, but realistically, only a small percentage of our school personnel need to be armed to greatly increase the safety of the school environment. Who should be included in this group? First, no one should be forced to participate in this protection program, but those that do should be paid a reasonable stipend, in addition to their salary, if they are willing to step up and provide protection for our children. OF course, those that volunteer for the gun patrol will have to be trained to carry and use a firearm. Fortunately, there are many people well trained in firearms already on our campuses, including retired military officers, retired policemen and a whole host of sportsmen who know how to use a gun. I expect, many, if not most of these people, would volunteer to carry a gun, or better yet a concealed weapon, if it would increase the safety of our schools, especially if they were paid a little extra to do so. I do not believe, for a second, that the crazies roaming the streets of our cities would pick a school yard to take out their frustrations on society if they knew that they were more likely than not to be shot the second they reached for a gun. Maybe some of them would, but certainly they would be put out of their misery before they killed 15 or twenty innocent children, as is now so often the case. As with many of our societal problems, the answer to these mass school shootings is simple, arm the teachers and school personnel before a crazy decides to shoot up another school!

6. Blackberries

One cup of black berries provides 32% of our daily need for fiber and 50% of our daily requirement for vitamin C. The ORAC value of blackberries is 2036. General Health benefits Studies have shown that blackberries have more antioxidant content than most foods. Anthocyanins give the berry its glossy dark color and it is this powerful phyonutrient that protects the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the risk of age related conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Blackberries have been used to fight cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. Anti-cancer effects There is a growing body of evidence that show that berries such as blackberries are among the most potent cancer-fighting foods. Blackberries are rich in cyanidin 3-glucoside, ellagic acid, lignans and myricetin. All of these substances protect against the development of cancer. For example, postmenopausal women with breast cancer who consume high amounts of plant lignans are less likely to die from their breast cancers than those who have low intake of lignans. Cyanidin 3- glucoside has profound chemotherapeutic and chem-protective activity. Ellagic acid, another potent ingredient in blackberries, has been shown to inhibit cancer formation and myricetin has potent antioxidant action. It is thought that the combination of the beneficial compounds in blackberries may be more effective in the prevention of malignancies than any one of the chemicals alone. Propagation Blackberries are easy to grow and propagate wild in many areas along the west coast. These delicious berries also are readily available at farmers markets throughout California and elsewhere.