Category Archives: acidophilus benefits

Fun Facts on Nutrition You’d Never Guess! – #2

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fun facts on nutritionWelcome back to another edition of our “Fun Facts on Nutrition!” Get ready to be intrigued by some fascinating and little-known facts about food. Here’s to your enjoyment of a fun and nutritious day.

  1. Potatoes Were the First Food Grown in Space

In 1995, NASA and the University of Wisconsin collaborated to grow potatoes in space aboard the space shuttle Columbia. This experiment was part of a larger effort to develop sustainable food sources for long-term space missions. Talk about out-of-this-world nutrition.

Reference: Wheeler, R. M. (2010). Plants for human life support in space: From Myers to Mars. Gravitational and Space Biology Bulletin, 23(2), 25-35.

2. Bell Peppers Have More Vitamin C Than Oranges

While oranges are famous for their vitamin C content, bell peppers actually contain even more. A single cup of chopped red bell pepper provides nearly three times the vitamin C of an orange. Plus, they’re low in calories and rich in health-giving plant chemicals known as antioxidants, making them a perfect snack.

Reference: Howard, L. R., et al. (2000). Antioxidant activity and fruit quality changes in bell pepper. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 48(4), 1713-1720.

3. Avocados Are Actually Berries and Have Many Benefits

Surprise. Avocados are technically berries. They contain one large seed, fitting the botanical definition of a berry. Avocados are also nutritional powerhouses, full of healthy fats, fiber, potassium, and vitamins C, E, and K.

In addition, there are many studies showing the benefits of avocado for heart health, as well as for weight management and anti-aging effects.

Reference: Dreher, M. L., & Davenport, A. J. (2013). Hass avocado composition and potential health effects. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 53(7), 738-750.

Fun and Health Go Hand-in-Hand

Isn’t nutrition interesting? These fun facts on nutrition highlight the amazing world of food. We’ll regularly bring you inspiring nutritional facts for your excellent health.

This health news is shared by Nutrition Breakthroughs, maker of the original calcium and magnesium based sleep aid Sleep Minerals II, and Joints and More, a natural supplement for joint relief, less aches and pains, stronger hair and nails, and more energy.

The Top Five Major Health Benefits of Yogurt

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benefits of yogurtGreetings to you,

Can yogurt actually help with better sleep, weight loss, bone strength and immunity?  Read on to find out!

Yogurt’s healthy bacteria are known as probiotics. The benefits of yogurt include helping with good sleep, assisting weight loss, improving digestion, reducing risk of diabetes, lowering cholesterol and stimulating a stronger immune system.  Here are some of the studies:

Yogurt for Stomach Health

One study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consuming yogurt or the beneficial bacteria from it, has promising health benefits for many conditions and increases the body’s immunity and ability to fight off infections. A variety of conditions were shown to improve including constipation, diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, candida, stomach bacteria infections and allergies.

Bone Strength from Yogurt

A study on yogurt was published in the journal “Archives of Osteoporosis”. It reviewed the ability of yogurt to strengthen bones and found that milk and yogurt are the best dairy choices for increasing bone mineral density in the hip.

Yogurt and Good Sleep

Yogurt is also a great choice to eat in the evening to help with sleep due to the high amount of calcium it contains. The beneficial bacteria in yogurt has also been studied for its ability to create a deeper, longer-lasting sleep.

A 2017 study from the journal “Beneficial Microbes” tested the benefits of yogurt probiotics on the quality of sleep.  The researchers concluded: “These findings suggest that daily consumption of the Lactobacillus casei strain may help to maintain sleep quality during a period of increasing stress.”  As a note, this particular strain is included in virtually all of the most popular yogurt brands.

Regarding the calcium in dairy products, William Sears, M.D. writes: “Calcium helps the brain use the amino acid tryptophan to manufacture the sleep-inducing substance melatonin. This explains why dairy products, which contain both tryptophan and calcium, are one of the top sleep-inducing foods.”

Plain, unsweetened yogurt is healthiest and Greek yogurt is a great, high-protein choice. Fresh fruit can be added as a natural sweetener.

Yogurt and Weight Loss

Yogurt is a boost to weight loss. A healthy supplement similar to the acidophilus used in yogurt was recently found in a Canadian study to help overweight women lose weight and keep it off.  It was discovered that the supplement made the intestinal wall stronger and more able to prevent inflammatory, obesity-causing substances from passing into the intestine and entering the bloodstream.

Immunity Boosting Yogurt

Yogurt is great for strengthening and boosting one’s immunity against infection and illness per studies in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  In particular, yogurt with the Lactobacillus bulgaricus form has been shown to reduce the frequency of colds in older adults after they ate it over a twelve-week period.  This is another commonly used form of probiotic that’s widely-available in yogurts.

This news is shared with you by Nutrition Breakthroughs, a provider of natural health articles and effective natural remedies since 2001. Nutrition Breakthroughs makes the original calcium and magnesium based natural sleep aid Sleep Minerals II, as well as Joints and More, the natural solution for joint relief, aches and pains, stronger hair and nails, and more energy.

For More Info on Sleep Minerals II Visit Here