Camu Camu

The benefits of Camu Camu’s nutrition can be very rewarding to your health. It contains very powerful amino acids, vitamin C, leucine and carries a lot of therapeutic effects. Because of its amounts of vitamin C, a lot of people no longer take vitamin C alone in large doses. They find that not only does Camu Camu contain vitamin C but that it also lifts their moods and strengthens their immune system. There are other medicinal uses for Camu Camu found by a nutritionist after he researched the fruit. It helps maintain healthy gums, healthy skin and eyes. It contains herbs that have been very effective in helping with various disease conditions. It has been known to help with certain organs and system weaknesses in the body. Camu Camu fell into the number two spot on his list of holistic medicines that help balance moods.

Camu Camu ranked number one in the hundreds of herbs that are used for asthma, colds, glaucoma, hepatitis, infertility, migraine cluster headaches, cataracts and Parkinson’s disease just to name a few. The benefits of this fruit are its wide arrange of medicinal effects. There have been some constraints to having Camu Camu expanding of its present use. The prices are high, which limits its demand, and the logistics are too difficult to be expanded outside of its current site. The Peruvian government does anticipate it becoming more widespread in the United States when all of its benefits and nutrition of Camu Camu have been discovered. 

Have you had the Camu Camu?  How’d you like it?

Sambucol has of late become a fairly common household name for a medicine that claims to be a cold and flu remedy.  Studies have indeed shown that Sambucol significantly aids flu recovery.  The earliest double-blind test given in Israel in 1995 showed that both children and adults taking the medicine recovered twice as fast as those who took the placebo—pretty conclusive.  Another study carried out at the Department of Oncology at Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem suggested that Sambucol may be useful in cancer treatment because it generates an active immune system.  So what is Sambucol’s secret of success?  Elder berries.

The sambucus Canadensis, or American elder berry, is a shrub that grows freely in most of Canada and the United States producing dark purple-black berries. Extract from all parts of the plant is useful medicinally, but Europeans have been using elder flowers as an expectorant and treatment for fever and cough since the Middle Ages.  Sambucol functions mainly using black elderberry extract.

Try making elderberry ginger syrup at home for some of the same benefits!  Stem and clean two pounds of elderberries and boil them in about four cups of water until soft, approximately ten to fifteen minutes.  They must be juiced, most effectively done with a food mill to discard the skin.  Return the juice to a pot and add up to four cups of sugar.  Boil the mixture until reduced by half and thickened.  When it cools, add a tablespoon of lemon juice.  The syrup can be stored frozen for months or sealed for some weeks.

Lovely Black Elder

The black elder, or sambucus nigra, is actually a very common shrub in Europe and eastern Asia that has been believed since ancient times to hold mystical medicinal qualities.  The dark purple berries of the black elder smell sweet but are rather tart and spicy in flavor.  Still, wines, jams, and syrups made from from elder berries are a European tradition continued today.  The fruit of the American elder, or sambucus Canadensis, has similar healing properties.  The popular flu drug Sambucol is made from the extract of elder berries.  Studies have shown that the medicine does indeed double flu recovery!  The elder has many benefits:

Treats influenza A and B

Contains antioxidants, which stimulate the immune system

Relieves aches, paints, and fever

Antiviral

Antibiotic

Antibacterial

Sooths upper respiratory problems

Promotes circulation and lymphatic health

For access to the health benefits of elder berries, consider trying an herbal tea made from dried elder flowers or berries by pouring a cup of boiling water over two heaping spoonfuls of elder flowers and straining after ten minutes, or by adding cold water to two spoonfuls of dried elderberries, boiling and straining the mixture.

pomegranate seeds

There are many recipes where pomegranate seeds are being used. To name a few, recipes, such as pomegranate stew with chicken, salad recipes, pomegranate granita and a lot more. Same with salads, there are many varieties of it and you just have to learn how to prepare it and simply choose a recipe that you like most.

Pomegranate is known to be a staple in the cuisine of Persian style. In fact its juice is popular and is most widely present in U.S. It is also not just widely known as the “super food” in nutritional aspects, but because making a juice out of pomegranate is very taxing and lots of fruits are needed. It is advised also to use the seeds or remove pomegranate while it is still fresh. It can stand up for a short time while baking and also keeps their color garnet.   

pomegranate

In some preparations, you will need to know how to get pomegranate seeds out. It is actually not that difficult to remove pomegranate seeds. Simply keep it tidy first, utilize a large mixing bowl, and fill with water to half-full. Next, cut the pomegranate by half, and submerge it in water by halves. Using your hands, separate its seeds from its inner membrane. Remember, membranes are fragile and usually floats on the surface. Remove membrane and its outer rind while removing the seeds. Lastly, skim its surface for the tiny bits to be eliminated. Drain in colander, and there you go, seeds are all set to use.

It is a miracle berry. That is one of the many benefits of goji berry. An effect of eating goji berry is even considered to result in you having the most natural way of having a beautiful body. It is also considered to be mainly nutritious and has the richest food supply in planet! The benefits of goji berry are numerous and the most important benefit is for one to have a fitter and slimmer body. Take note that the topic of weight loss is one of the major health issues now, and thus goji berry will really benefit all human kind. 

There is even a benefit of goji health juice as well! Taking the juice before meals, lunch, or dinner, will guarantee effective weight loss as long as it is partnered with regular exercise, such as doing brisk walk at least 30 minutes twice a week. You can even monitor your weight record while taking goji health juice and see for yourself the results in just a few months!

As this is a natural fruit, scientists have not seen any side effects of goji berries. No side effects as this is herbal supplement which have the important nutrients and vitamins in its juice, and thus helps one maintain a healthy life. So just like any healthy fruits there is, regular intake of the goji berry fruit and juice will really benefit your body. Proofs you can see are the many celebrities now who are into taking this natural fruit. So try it and see for yourself!

Dragon Fruit

How to Grow Dragon Fruit

The dragon fruit plant, named for the exotic appearance of its fruit, is native to Central and South America and grows well in temperate climates.  In the United States, this means the plant grows best where it is safe from frost.  A member of the cactus family, the plant is not actually a tree but a series of huge vines that grow from a central stem.  The outside of the fruit is either bright pink or yellow with sweet flesh that can be white or red, dotted with small seeds.  Dragon fruit growing is possible from three stages: as seeds, seedlings, or a young plant.  The following discussion focuses on how to grow dragon fruit at each stage.

From Seeds

Growing dragon fruit from seeds is challenging as is growing any fruit from this stage.  Though they can be bought prepared, seeds can also be harvested from a fresh or dried dragon fruit with care taken to remove all flesh from around the seeds.  The seeds should be planted in very shallow, well-drained potted soil and kept moist under a plastic covering.  The seeds should sprout within two weeks.

From Seedlings

Once the seeds begin to grow, move them to pots that can house the dragon fruit permanently with plenty of room to grow.  The soil or compost should be rich, and again, should have good drainage with small holes drilled in the bottom of the pots.  As long as the temperature remains moderate and the seedlings are not over-watered, they will grow quickly.  Stake the plant early on for support before heavy vines begin growing.

From a Plant

dragon fruit

Cuttings can be taken from a mature dragon fruit plant to begin a new plant.  Cut off a substantial vine from the stem of the plant and deposit it directly into a pot of soil.  If the cutting grows successfully, it could potentially flower within a year.

Have you grown dragon fruit?  What do you recommend?  Leave a comment below!

White Mangosteen Pulp

The health benefits of mangosteen are extensive with a long list of potential uses.  Mangosteen is being called a superfruit – in fact, the queen of superfruit – because of the antioxidants in both the rind and fruit fight free radicals.  Mangosteen can be taken internally as a juice, powder, or capsule; eaten raw; or ground up and applied externally to the skin to treat inflamed joints.  The health benefits of mangosteen have been widely advertised, and though the tropical fruit does not grow in the United States, it is being marketed in extract and powder capsule form by health suppliers.  Most importantly, consumers have seen considerable health benefits from mangosteen including aid for sinus and respiratory illnesses. 

According to the American Cancer Association, the fruit as anti inflammatory treatment may lay ahead; early studies suggested that mangosteen may treat acne when applied topically for the same reason that natives of southern Asia have been using it for skin conditions and wounds.  The beautiful, citrus-like fruit, with its dark purple rind and bright white pulp, is being imported to the U.S. more widely thanks to these findings.

Mangosteen

Mangosteen juice,  mangosteen powder, and  mangosteen capsules – these are a few of the all-natural fruit products that are taking advantage of the mangosteen superfruit.  The health benefits from mangosteen have caught public attention, and now all elements of the fruit are being harvested as a nutritional supplement.  The skin of the mangosteen (also called the pericarp) is full of xanthones, a valuable antioxidant compound.  It is ground into powder and marketed in jars as smoothie supplements or in capsules to be taken as a pill.  The white, peach-flavored fruit within the mangosteen has the consistency or orange segments.  Juice from the fruit is also sold online and in health food stores.  

Potential mangosteen fruit benefits include: 

• Anti-fatigue (energy booster)
• Anti-inflammatory (prevents inflammation)
• Anti-ulcer (stomach, mouth and bowel ulcers)
• Anti-depressant (low to moderate)
• Anti-tumor and cancer prevention (multiple categories cited)
• Anti-aging
• Anti-viral (prevent/modulate viral infection)
• Anti-fungal (prevents fungal infections)
• Hypoglycemic (anti-diabetic effect)
• Anti-obesity (helps with weight loss)
• Anti-arthritic (prevention of arthritis)
• Anti-osteoporosis
• Anti-periodontic (prevents gum disease)
• Anti-allergenic (prevents allergic reaction)
• Anti-diarrheal

The mangosteen fruit as anti inflammatory is of special interest because the fruit can be ground and applied externally to treat joint pain.  Taken internally in one of the above forms, the mangosteen also treats many digestive and respiratory symptoms.

Pure Mangosteen Capsules – Great Value!
Why buy a watered down juice blend when you can get 100% pure mangosteen pericarp in a pill form? Try Mangosteen RX, an all natural dietary supplement for 1/4th the cost of leading mangosteen juice!

Mangosteen

Don’t confuse this southwest Asian fruit with the mango commonly sold in grocery stores.  The mangosteen,  in size somewhere between an apple and an orange, has an outer purple skin with soft white fruit inside with a flavor that is both citrus and peach-like.  Most importantly, consumers have seen considerable health benefits from mangosteen including aid for sinus and respiratory illnesses.  This fruit isn’t just for allergy sufferers.  Mangosteen is being called a superfruit because of the antioxidants in both the rind and fruit that fight free radicals.   The health benefits of mangosteen have been widely advertised, and though the tropical fruit does not grow in the United States, it is being marketed in extract and powder capsule form by health suppliers.  You can buy fresh Mangosteen online.  Mangosteen can be taken internally in these forms, eaten raw, or ground up and applied externally to the skin to treat inflamed joints.  Mangosteen fruit benefits also include the respiratory and digestive systems.  If you can find imported mangosteens, try this recipe for a delicious Thai Mangosteen Beef Soup :

Ingredients:

3 oz beef sirloin
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons fish sauce
4 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
pinch of sugar
3 mangosteens, peeled and segmented
pinch of pepper
1 tablespoon cilantro/coriander leaves

Directions:

Slice beef into small cubes.  Marinate for an hour with ground peppercorn, coriander, and garlic.  Stir fry the beef in oil.  Remove from heat and add the fish sauce.

Bring the chicken stock to a boil.  Add soy sauce and sugar.  Remove from heat and add beef and mangosteens when cooled.

Mangosteen Fruit

“Yes” is the short answer. For starters, it’s important to remember that mangosteen is not the same as a mango. While both are native to southeastern Asia, they are not of the same family. Mangoes have a warm, yellow-orange skin and orange fruit that grows around a large seed. Mangosteen, on the other hand, is dark purple-green in color and the flesh is white and segmented like an orange. Both are high in antioxidants, and while mangoes have been available (and grown) in the U.S. for some time, the mangosteen has just recently been introduced to western markets though they do not grow well in less than ultra-tropical climates.

Nutritionists are beginning to document the health benefits of mangosteen. A compound called xanthones, which occur naturally in mangosteens, possesses antioxidant-like qualities. The mangosteen fruit as anti inflammatory is one benefit of xanthones that nutrition companies have tapped into as well as anti-allergins. A study of the mangosteen fruit in Beijing showed that a product derived from mangosteen improved the immunity and overall health of test subjects. Mangosteen also shows up in anti-aging products as a “superfruit.”

You can order fresh mangosteen online – Frieda’s Fresh Mangosteen

There are also a whole bunch of products that have mangosteen in them:

• Stash Premium Mangosteen Green Tea, Tea Bags, 18-Count Boxes (Pack of 6)
• Mangosteen 500 mg, 60 Capsules
• Dynamic Health Labs Mangosteen Juice