Want to Improve Your Immune System? Then Here’s What You Need to Know about Flavonoids

Posted on January 10th, 2010 | In Diabetes, General, Health & Lifestyle

For the first time ever, a study has proven that eating flavonoids, a type of antioxidant that’s especially concentrated in fruits and vegetables, may boost your immune system.

How did the researchers come to this realization? By watching birds.

Researchers from the University of Freiburg and the Max Plank Institute for Ornithology in Germany offered blackcaps a choice of two foods; they were identical except one contained more flavonoids. Sure enough, the birds chose to eat the foods that contained the extra antioxidants.

Next, they looked into what impact the flavonoids had on the birds’ health. Compared with birds not fed flavonoids, those that ate modest amounts of the healthy antioxidants for four weeks had stronger immune systems.

“We fed the birds an amount of flavonoids that they would obtain by eating 1-2 blackberries, bilberries or elderberries a day,” said the lead author of the study, Carlo Catoni of the University of Freiburg.

“We used this modest intake of flavonoids because high quantities are only available during the limited time of maximum berry abundance. Our study shows for the first time that flavonoids are beneficial compounds that can boost the immune system in a living organism,” he continued.

What are Flavonoids?

Flavonoids are actually classified as plant pigments because they’re the substances that contribute to the red color in grapes, and countless other shades of yellow, orange and red in plants. In fact, there are over 6,000 types of flavonoids, and they’re found in virtually all plants.

In your body, flavonoids act as powerful antioxidants that neutralize damage from free radicals. They’re known to:

• Help protect your blood vessels from rupture or leakage
• Enhance the power of vitamin C
• Protect your cells from oxygen damage
• Prevent excessive inflammation in your body

They are also known to support a healthy immune system, which is why if you get a lot of colds or infections, your body may be lacking in these healthy compounds. Other signs that you’re not getting enough flavonoids include:

• Bruising easily
• Getting frequent nose bleeds
• Excessive swelling after injury
• Hemorrhoids

Are You Getting Enough Healthy Flavonoids?

Because flavonoids exist in nearly all fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices, it’s not difficult to get plenty of these antioxidants from your diet. However, if you don’t eat many fresh fruits and veggies, and instead rely on mostly processed food, you could be missing out — flavonoids are highly susceptible to damage from processing and cooking.

For example, boiling fresh spinach removes half of the total flavonoid content, and overcooking veggies is known to significantly reduce levels as well.

Keeping that in mind, some of the best sources of flavonoids include:

• Apples
• Apricots
• Blueberries, raspberries and strawberries
• Pears
• Black beans and pinto beans
• Cabbage
• Onions
• Parsley
• Tomatoes

You can also get significant amounts of flavonoids by drinking red wine and green tea, which has about 1,000 mg per cup. For comparison, black raspberries contain about 100 mg per ounce, and clinical studies using flavonoids often use levels in the 500-3,000 mg range.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog at RivergateDentalCare.com, you can learn more about our dental services by reading our blogs. We have additional information concerning pregnancy and diabetes, pregnancy and gum disease, diabetes dentistry, cosmetic dental work such as lumineers and teeth whitening. Information on  oral health, systemic connection with periodontal disease, tooth extractions, dentures, cosmetic dentistry, sedation dentistry and sedation solutions, gum disease, root canals, children’s dentist, family dentist, smile solutions. Rivergate Dental Care is located in Goodlettsville TN, Rivergate area and provides dental services to Nashville and the surrounding areas including Gallatin, Hendersonville, White House and Greenbrier. We have three doctors in our office: Dr. David Weaver, Dr John Friedmann and Dr Katie Ham (female dentist). We accept Blue Cross Blue Shield and also work with Delta Dental. Call today to schedule an appointment! We offer free exam and free x-rays to all new patients! 1 800 FIX MY TEETH (1 800 349 6983).

Stretching and Exercise: Is Stretching Before Exercise Dangerous? When Should You Stretch?

Posted on January 10th, 2010 | In Diabetes, General, Health & Lifestyle

Most everyone who exercises (even those among us who may not have exercised since our high school gym class) has heard the advice to stretch. Doing so before, after and during your workout, we were told, would help to prevent injuries, reduce sore muscles and help us get a better overall workout.

As it turns out, this advice is a bit outdated. It seems that the advice was being given before anyone really knew for sure if, and when, stretching was beneficial for exercisers. So here we’ve all been, stretching to our hearts’ content, and possibly causing more harm than good. If, that is, you’ve been stretching incorrectly.

Why it’s Important to Stretch When You Exercise

The notion that stretching is important for anyone who does aerobic or strength-training exercise (or even for those who don’t) still holds true. Stretching is enormously beneficial for your health. Among the benefits that stretching provides are:

• Increased energy levels
• Increased flexibility
• Increased circulation of the blood to various parts of the body
• Greater sense of well-being
• Reduced muscle tension
• Injury prevention
• Enhanced muscular coordination

It takes just 15 to 20 minutes of stretching a day to experience these beneficial effects.

When Should You Stretch? Before or After Your Workout?

If you’re a regular exerciser (and if you’re not, here are some tips to help you become one), it makes grand sense to fit your stretching right in with your workout. But should you do it before or after?

Truth be told, the jury is still out on this one, largely because studies have found conflicting results. Case in point, a study in the British Medical Journal found that stretching before or after exercising does not confer protection from muscle soreness. Meanwhile, stretching before exercising, according to the study, “does not seem to confer a practically useful reduction in the risk of injury,” either.

Another review of exercise evidence, this one published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, found similar results.

“The use of stretching primarily as a way to prevent sports injury has been based on intuition and observation, rather than scientific evidence,” said lead researcher Stephen B. Thacker, M.D. “The best advice is to include a combination of warm-up, strength training, plyometrics and balance exercises to lessen injury risks.”

“We are not suggesting athletes discontinue flexibility training and stretching altogether,” Thacker pointed out, adding that warm-ups, balance training and other activities may enhance safety and performance.

What’s the bottom line? Most experts do NOT recommend stretching before exercise because your muscles are not properly warmed up yet. Instead, stretch right after your warm-up (such as walking briskly for five minutes or doing some jumping jacks) and after your workout.

At this time, your muscles are warm and more elastic, and stretching increases your flexibility and maximizes the range of motion around your joints. You should stretch all the major muscles groups that you used during your workout.

What about stretching during your exercise routine? The rule of thumb is, if you feel tight go ahead and do a gentle stretch, then get back to your workout.

And remember, stretching can be done any time of day, not just while you exercise, to help energize you, increase mental clarity and focus, and just to experience how good it feels!

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog at RivergateDentalCare.com, you can learn more about our dental services by reading our blogs. We have additional information concerning pregnancy and diabetes, pregnancy and gum disease, diabetes dentistry, cosmetic dental work such as lumineers and teeth whitening. Information on  oral health, systemic connection with periodontal disease, tooth extractions, dentures, cosmetic dentistry, sedation dentistry and sedation solutions, gum disease, root canals, children’s dentist, family dentist, smile solutions. Rivergate Dental Care is located in Goodlettsville TN, Rivergate area and provides dental services to Nashville and the surrounding areas including Gallatin, Hendersonville, White House and Greenbrier. We have three doctors in our office: Dr. David Weaver, Dr John Friedmann and Dr Katie Ham (female dentist). We accept Blue Cross Blue Shield and also work with Delta Dental. Call today to schedule an appointment! We offer free exam and free x-rays to all new patients! 1 800 FIX MY TEETH (1 800 349 6983).