Do Pomegranates Contain the Fountain of Youth?

  3 John 1:2 

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

For anyone first reading the Health and Nutrition Update, please read this first: Your Health.

Also, please go to God’s Health System and subscribe to receive the updates.

Always remember that you are in charge of your health and not the doctors (Babylonians). Please do not put your life in their hands without first seeking God and His health system.

Commentary

The goal of this blog now is to build up your health and especially the immune system to withstand the coming pestilences that are now rampant in America and the world. God gave the knowledge to prepare for pestilences, so take advantage of this information. The focus is posting articles with great information that can immediately help your health and quality of life.

God bless you.

Articles

Health and Nutrition

The fountain of youth?

Pomegranate finally reveals its powerful anti-aging secret  Pomegranates have a special significance in Scripture. Could the reason for this be that they are near-perfect food and promote health like no other fruit? “Exodus 28:33-34 states that images of pomegranates be woven into the hem… [of the] robe worn by the Hebrew High Priest.

Pomegranates can also be found in the Bible in 1 Kings 7:13-22, where the fruit is depicted on the capitals of the two pillars which stood in front of the temple King Solomon built in Jerusalem. King Solomon is said to have designed his crown based on the…pomegranate. The significance of the Jewish pomegranate is further exemplified by its appearance on ancient coins of Judea, one of only a few images that appear as a holy symbol.

Jewish tradition teaches that the pomegranate is a symbol of righteousness because it is said to have 613 seeds, which corresponds with the 613 mitzvot, or commandments, of the Torah. For this reason and others, it is customary to eat pomegranates on Rosh Hashanah. Moreover, the pomegranate represents fruitfulness, knowledge, learning, and wisdom.”

“Are pomegranates really the superfood that will counteract aging? Scientists have discovered that a molecule in pomegranates, transformed by microbes in the gut, enables muscle cells to protect themselves against one of the major causes of aging. In animals, the effect is nothing short of amazing. Clinical trials are underway…

As we age, our cells increasingly struggle to recycle their powerhouses. Called mitochondria, these inner compartments are no longer able to carry out their vital function, thus accumulate in the cell. This degradation affects the health of many tissues, including muscles, which gradually weaken over the years. A buildup of dysfunctional mitochondria is also suspected of playing a role in other diseases of aging, such as Parkinson’s disease.

One molecule plays David against the Goliath of aging

The scientists identified a molecule that, all by itself, managed to re-establish the cell’s ability to recycle the components of the defective mitochondria: urolithin A. “It’s the only known molecule that can relaunch the mitochondrial clean-up process, otherwise known as mitophagy,” says Patrick Aebischer, co-author on the study. “It’s a completely natural substance, and its effect is powerful and measurable.”

How to Cut and De-Seed a Pomegranate  The video above is the most common way to de-seed a pomegranate, but it can get messy. The video immediately below shows a very skilled, clean way to do it and though the presenter makes it look easy, it probably takes a great deal of practice to do it so smoothly. But if you love pomegranates and eat them frequently, you may want to try it.

Late October, early November is the season for pomegranates, pinkish red orbs filled with crunchy, juicy seeds (known as arils), bursting with flavor. You can get them at most supermarkets, but if you live anywhere near where they are grown, it’s best to get them at a local farmer’s market. Here you are most likely to find the ripest pomegranates – the ones whose peels are beginning to crack open, their plump, ripe seeds expanding beyond the peel’s ability to contain them…

Some people cut them in half through the middle and use a wooden spoon to whack the arils out of the pomegranate. We have never found this method particularly effective with our pomegranates. It can be rather messy, and ends up bruising a lot of the seeds, especially if they are ripe and juicy. What follows is the method that we’ve settled upon, which, if done well, results in not one broken seed, and takes hardly anytime at all…

Pomegranate juice stains. So before you begin to cut into one, make sure you are wearing something that you don’t care too much about, like an old t-shirt. The juice will stain a wood cutting board (you can use vinegar or lemon juice to get the pink out) so you may want to cut on a plastic cutting board. Work close to the sink, making cuts and then moving the pomegranate over a large bowl to open.

Health and Nutrition/ Heart Health

Resveratrol appears to restore blood-brain barrier integrity in Alzheimer’s disease  While resveratrol is usually touted for its positive effect on heart health, new research is demonstrating that it is efficacious for Alzheimer’s disease as well.

“Resveratrol, given to Alzheimer’s patients, appears to restore the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, reducing the ability of harmful immune molecules secreted by immune cells to infiltrate from the body into brain tissues, say researchers. The reduction in neuronal inflammation slowed the cognitive decline of patients, compared to a matching group of placebo-treated patients with the disorder.”

Cutting Sugar Boosts Heart Health in 9 Days: Study 

“Cutting dietary sugar results in heart health improvements in as little as nine days, according to a new study of obese children who cut sweets from their meals.

The findings, published in the journal Atherosclerosis, are based on an analysis of 37 children ages 9 to 18 who were at high risk for heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, The New York Times reports.

The children were given food and drinks totaling the same number of calories, fat, protein, and carbohydrates as their typical diets. But the researchers replaced foods high in added sugars, like pastries and sweetened yogurts, with bagels and pizza. This lowered dietary sugar from 28 percent to 10 percent, and fructose from 12 percent to 4 percent of total calories.

After nine days, the researchers found a 33 percent drop in triglycerides, tied to heart disease; a 49 percent reduction in a protein called apoC-III linked to high triglyceride levels; and reductions in small, dense LDL cholesterol, a risk factor for heart disease.

“Sugar calories are not like other carbohydrate calories,” said Dr. Robert Lustig, a co-author of the study and professor of pediatrics at Benioff Children’s Hospital at the University of California, San Francisco. “Without changing total carbohydrate, or fat, or protein, we were able to accomplish this enormous improvement in their cardiovascular risk factors,” unrelated to weight loss, he said.”

Condiments usually have added sugar, especially high fructose corn syrup, which is worse than plain sugar

6 Foods Loaded With Extra Sugar  This article discusses the new labeling requirements for processed foods which will go into effect in 2-3 years. They’ll show what percent of added sugar is contained in those foods. In the meantime, here are some foods you should check carefully – or just limit amounts: sugared cereals; flavored yogurt; granola, cereal, fiber or other bars; candies, cakes and pies; soda; and condiments like ketchup, salad dressings and sauces.

“The government’s new food labels, which target how much added sugar packaged foods contain, is an “exciting” change that should help consumers make healthier choices, a top nutrition expert says…

The newly revised “Nutrition Facts” label was unveiled last week by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Most food manufacturers will have two years to comply to these final changes while those with less than $10 million in annual food sales will have three years to make the changes. Foods imported to the U.S. will also have to meet the requirements…

Discerning the actual amount of sugar in processed foods is especially difficult because sweeteners go by so many names. Among them: corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrin, dextrose, glucose, fructose, honey, invert sugar, lactose, maltodextrin, maltose, mannitol, molasses, natural sweeteners, polydextrose, sucrose, syrup, turbinado sugar and xylitol.”

Babylonian Health System

FDA Fights Blood Ban in Vein  TAKE ACTION – EXPRESS YOUR OPINION AT THE FDA WEBSITE

“Less than a year ago, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did away with an important public health measure to protect the safety of our blood supply — namely, the lifetime deferral of men who have had sex with men (MSM) as blood donors. This longstanding policy was a sensible precaution based on the extraordinarily high rates of HIV infection among MSM. The FDA replaced it with a deferral only of men who had sex with men in the past year.

Now, even that precaution is under attack — and the FDA has invited comments on the possibility of doing away with the deferral of MSM as blood donors altogether, and replacing the question about sexual partners with ones about specific high-risk behaviors.

Why the sudden change? It is being driven by an emotional response to the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando in June. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, people were told that one practical thing they could do to help the (surviving) victims was to donate blood — whereupon some men who engage in homosexual relationships were reminded that they were still rejected as donors. Rep. Jared Polis, a Democrat from Colorado who identifies as gay, has led the charge to do away with the deferral altogether.

Note that this has nothing to do with any shortage of blood. News coverage from the day of the shooting shows that while a story went out late that morning asking for blood donations, within hours medical facilities were saying they had enough and could not handle any more donors.

As recently as 2009, the FDA informed the public that: “Men who have had sex with men since 1977 have an HIV prevalence . . . 60 times higher than the general population, 800 times higher than first time blood donors and 8000 times higher than repeat blood donors.” These risks are enough to justify the previous lifetime deferral; they show it would be absurd to abolish the deferral period altogether.”

Exercise

Seniors: Pump Iron, Live Longer 

“You probably already know that strength training, such as lifting weights or doing pushups, is good for you, but now new research suggests it may help you live longer, too.

When people 65 and older did strength training twice a week, they lowered their odds of dying from any cause by almost half during a 15-year study.

“The secret to a longer and healthier life may not be available in pill form, but it may look like a barbell,” said lead study author Dr. Jennifer Kraschnewski. She’s an assistant professor of medicine and public health sciences at Penn State College of Medicine, in Hershey, Pa.

“Strength training can substantially decrease mortality risk, and more importantly, some of our other work demonstrates the impact of strength training on improving functional limitations [in older people],” she added.”

Gut Flora

Connections between gut microbiota and the brain 

“Intestinal bacteria that can boost bravery or trigger multiple sclerosis: An increasing body of research results confirms the importance of the “gut-brain axis” for neurology and indicates that the triggers for a number of neurological diseases may be located in the digestive tract.”

Cancer News

Taking aspirin could increase cancer survival by 20 percent 

“Patients receiving cancer treatment could increase their chance of survival by up to 20 percent and help stop their cancer from spreading by taking a low dose of aspirin, new research suggests.”

Immune System

Turmeric roots and powder

Turmeric vs. Tuberculosis: This superfood can supercharge your immune system for robust protection 

Turmeric, ginger’s little cousin, has gained a lot of popularity in recent years, and for some good reasons, too. It has been used for ages in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine to treat a wide range of ailments. It owes its many medicinal uses to its active ingredient curcumin, which is also responsible for the distinctive yellow color and spicy, bitter flavor.

Curcumin is a polyphenol that possesses strong anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antioxidant properties. It has been linked to reducing inflammation, relieving pain, reducing blood clots and detoxifying the body. Now, a group of experts from Colorado and China suggests it may hold the key to fighting drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB), too…

Dr. Xiyuan Bai and his team found curcumin to be a potent apoptosis inducer. This is a mechanism used by macrophages, a special kind of white blood cells involved in the immune response, to clear out foreign substances such as bacteria, viruses, cancer cells or cellular waste.

Coconut Oil

5 Reasons You Should Be Using Coconut Oil 

“For years, coconuts and coconut oil were avoided by dietary experts and health professionals because coconut is high in saturated fats. But in the past few years, coconut has enjoyed a renaissance, with some of America’s most highly respected doctors advocating coconuts and coconut oil as part of a healthy diet…

“Coconuts are nutrient rich,” he tells Newsmax Health. “They are a good source of iron, phosphorus, zinc, and other minerals and vitamins. They are also a good source of protein and fiber, while containing few naturally occurring sugars…

Renowned natural health expert Dr. Russell Blaylock agrees: “Coconut oil contains a special type of oil known as a medium-chain triglyceride,” he tells Newsmax Health. “This substance is processed by the body the same way it uses glucose, but without the bad effects.”

Emergency Preparation

Should You Use This Simple Water Distillation Method? 

“Water is fundamental to survival. More important than food. It can be more important than shelter (if the weather and elements aren’t too extreme), and it may be second in importance only to air.

But, when you are in a survival situation, a fresh supply of water is not always easy to come by, and a ready-made water purification system may not be in your bug out bag. What to do then?

Try this simple water purification system. The necessary equipment is simple:

Two stainless steel water bottles
10 feet of 1/4 inch soft copper tubing
A cork or rubber stopper
A wet rag

So, what do you do with this odd assortment of items? You distill your water to remove chemical contaminants such as salt from sea water or heavy metals…”

Conclusion

Your physical health is very important, but of even greater importance is your spiritual health. Man suffers from a fatal spiritual disease called sin, which always leads to death.
Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This is why Jesus Christ said we need the Spirit of God who gives us eternal life with Him. We need to be “born again” with a new spirit that is not subject to sin and death.
John 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Right now, through repentance of the spiritual disease called sin, you can come to Jesus Christ, the Great Physician, for healing and assurance of eternal life.
Mark 2:17  When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

For those who love the Lord Jesus and are looking for His coming, the following is their future:
Revelation 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.