3 articles - on fertility, skim milk, and apples

The following are three interesting articles from Press TV. I just found this website, and their health articles are very well-written and make more sense than most. They also aren't the alarmist type so the articles are safe for consumption.

3 articles
1. Dairy fat good for fertility and conception
2. Skim milk can lead to prostate cancer
3. Interesting facts about apples

Go with Full Fat Raw Milk from your local farmer!
If you can't drink milk, go with Full Fat Coconut Milk.

Rich food paves way to conception
Fri, 02 Mar 2007 18:37:23
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail.aspx?id=1239&sectionid=3510210
Eating rich ice cream and drinking whole-fat milk, and using heavy cream for coffee, may help reward women shooting for pregnancy, researchers report.

On the other hand, if pregnancy is not the goal, low-fat dairy foods, such as skimmed milk and low-fat yogurt, may the better bill of fare.

In a turn-about from the standard health prescription, researchers found that women who ate two or more portions of low-fat dairy foods a day increased their risk of ovulation-related infertility by 85%, compared with women who ate less than one portion a week, reported Jorge Chavarro, M.D., Sc.D., of the Harvard School of Public Health here, and colleagues, in the Feb. 28 issue of Human Reproduction.

If women ate at least one portion of high-fat dairy food a day, their risk of anovulatory infertility was 27% lower compared with women who had one high-fat dairy serving a week, or even less.

To determine whether the intake of dairy foods was associated with anovulatory infertility and whether this association differed according to fat content, the researchers prospectively followed 18,555 married premenopausal women without a history of infertility.

During follow-up, 438 women reported infertility because of an ovulatory disorder. Intake of total dairy foods was not associated with the risk of anovulatory infertility, but the association with infertility appeared when low-fat and high-fat foods were considered separately.

Overall, there was an inverse association between dairy-fat intake and anovulatory infertility.

Low-fat dairy foods included yogurt or sherbet, skim or low-fat milk, and low-fat cottage cheese. High-fat foods included whole milk, ice cream, whipped or heavy cream, sour cream, cream cheese, and other cheeses.
Scientists recommend people to take more dairy products and especially low-fat dairy to prevent osteoporosis and other ailments, which serves controversial to the findings of the study.
Skim milk linked to prostate cancer
Sat, 26 Jan 2008 18:14:16
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail.aspx?id=40450&sectionid=3510210
Recent studies suggest while whole milk decreases the risk of prostate cancer, drinking low-fat or nonfat milk can raise this risk.

Previous studies have reported dairy products to be a risk factor for prostate cancer because of their high content of calcium.

They claimed calcium converts vitamin D to its active form 1, 25 dihydroxy vitamin D, depleting the body of the cancer-fighting vitamin.

However, according to the study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, calcium and vitamin D intake have no impact on increasing cancer risk.

Scientists believe skim milk can increase localized tumors or non-aggressive prostate tumors.

Prostate tumor is relatively slow-growing and considered to be the most frequent type of cancer among elderly men.

Getting regular sun exposure, optimizing vitamin D levels, regular exercise, adding omega 3, vitamin E, and lycopene-rich foods (such as tomato sauce) to the daily diet and drinking green and black tea can help prevent prostate cancer.

PKH/HGH

Alternative medicine: Apple
Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:18:26
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=33039&sectionid=3510210 By Patricia Khashayar, MD., Press TV, Tehran
The many health benefits attributed to apples have given rise to the ancient saying that eating an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Botanical: Pyrus malus
Family: N.O. Pomaceae
Synonym: Wild Apple. Malus communis.

Habitat:

The temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Description:

The 5 to 12 meter tall apple tree is deciduous. Its simple oval leaves are alternately arranged with acute tips. The flowers are white with a pink tinge which gradually fades. The centre of the fruit contains five carpels arranged in a five-point star.

Part Used Medicinally:

The fruit and the bark.

Constituents:

Apple has 80 to 85 percent water, 5 percent proteid, 10 to 15 percent starch and sugar, and 1 to 1.5 percent acids and salts.

All apples contain varying amount of the organic malic and gallic acids, vitamins A and C, pectin and iron.

Medicinal Uses:

Fresh apple is rich in vitamins, and is used to treat scurvy.

Apple is sedative and tonic. It is used to treat diabetes and lower the blood cholesterol.

It also has antiseptic and anti-rheumatismal effects and may help with heart disease, and weight loss.

Apple's high content of vitamin C as well as other antioxidant compounds reduces the risk of colon, prostate and lung cancers.

Its fiber content helps regulate bowel movements.

A group of chemicals in apples protect the brain from damages triggering neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinsonism.

Apple consumption can act as an excellent dentifrice. It also pushes back the gums so that the borders are cleared of deposit.

It's malic and tartaric acid content helps individuals with liver disorders.

Apple acids not only make the fruit itself digestible, but also help with the digestion of other foods. Its sugar is predigested and enters the blood rapidly to provide the body with energy and warmth.

Apple juice, without sugar, reduces the stomach acidity and corrects sour fermentation.

Consuming ripe, sour, juicy apples at bedtime cure constipation and some cases of insomnia.

Regular apple consumption prolongs life span.

The glucoside extracted from apple bark and root, is effective in treating diabetes.

Apple bark decoction is used to treat intermittent fevers.

Cooked apples make a good homemade remedy for sore throats, fevers, eyes inflammation and erysipelas.

Apple consumption appears to promote hair growth. It may also delay aging and skin wrinkles.

A polyphenol compound extracted from unripe apples has an inhibitory dose-dependent effect against cholera toxin and can treat diarrhea.

Apple is a rich source of flavonoid and can improve lung function in asthmatics and lower the incidence of coughing and breathlessness in COPD patients.

It may also prevent the development of carcinogenic substances in the bladder, lung and prostate.

Consuming apples is related to a decreased risk of thrombotic stroke and heart attack mortality.

Apples play an important role in reducing the risk of a wide variety of chronic disease and maintaining a healthy lifestyle in general.

In India, physicians prescribe apple cider vinegar in combination with the herb Gotu Kola to help revitalize the skin. When mixed with honey it improves digestion.

It is antibacterial and anti-fungal and boosts the immune system. It also fights respiratory infections, sore throats and nasal discharges.

Apple cider vinegar is good in individuals suffering from arthritis because it breaks down calcium deposits in the joints while remineralizing the bones.

Apple cider vinegar is a good remedy for food poisoning, urinary tract infections and lowering high blood pressure.

It is also a good source of potassium for diuretic users.

preparation

Eating 2 to 3 unpeeled red apples 3 times a day, is an effective treatment for diarrhea.

Consuming unpeeled yellow apples before sleeping or in the morning is a good remedy for constipation.

Eating 1 or 2 yellow apples after each meal will also lower the blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Eating green apples helps the liver function.

Caution

Eating too many apples especially when cooked may cause amnesia.

The fruit's malic acid erodes tooth enamel over time.

The seeds, which contain small amounts of amygdaline, a cyanogenic glycoside, are mildly poisonous, but only chewing a large amount can cause toxic effects.

PKH/HGH