Antioxidants: bioflavonoids and raw foods
Antioxidants: bioflavonoids and raw foods
I wonder how many people start craving cherries in February or March, strawberries in April, or any other berry about 2 months before they ripen, like me! The reason I think I crave such foods is that they have something my body not only wants, but needs: antioxidants, and more specifically, bioflavonoids. This antioxidant is so vital that it’s easy to overlook after orange/grapefruit season and before berry season. Today I would like to talk about the benefits of bioflavonoids, where you can get this important and delicious antioxidant, and the therapeutic applications of bioflavonoids.
Bioflavonoids are not just an antioxidant, they also affect blood, connective tissue (which is skin, gums, ligaments, and bones), red blood cells, teeth, and the strength of capillary walls. Now when we think of capillaries, most of us conclude that it helps with varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and maybe high blood pressure; while bioflavonoids help with all of these ailments, strengthening capillaries also helps prevent vision loss. The health of the capillaries behind the eyes contributes to good or poor vision. Bioflavonoids feed these capillaries directly.
The effect of bioflavonoids on the blood should also not be underestimated. High blood pressure is widespread in this country, and there are many medications to combat it. Bioflavonoids help cleanse the blood and thus help lower high blood pressure. It has been said that if your blood is clean, you cannot get sick. If you can follow a pure diet (raw foods) for 90 days, all of your blood cells will be replaced, according to Dr. Paul Bragg. The cells are replaced anyway, but the health of the cells is the factor. Our bodies are made to heal quickly, with the right diet. I think it’s interesting that blood cells are the first to be replaced.
It has also been said, “you are as old as your arteries.” With the effect that bioflavonoids have on our arteries, an increase in bioflavonoids will not only go a long way towards preserving our inner well-being, but our skin will also benefit from these bioflavonoids, as the antioxidant aspect of bioflavonoids helps prevent wrinkles and sagging.
Bioflavonoids are found abundantly in nature: in the skin and pulp of most fruits, apricots, berries, broccoli, buckwheat, cherries, grapefruit, grapes, lemons, oranges, papaya, pepper, plums, prunes and rose hips, nettle tea, Tomatoes. What a delicious way to get antioxidants and bioflavonoids! I remember what Hippocrates said: “let food be your medicine, and your medicine be food”. I could not agree more. I have never ceased to be amazed by pharmaceutical company advertisements for certain medications, which have such a long list of side effects that I will make sure to Never ask my doctor about what remedy! While everyone must make their own health decisions, I would rather increase my intake of raw food bioflavonoids, simply because they are a delicious way to good health. One more note here: there are no animal sources of this vital nutrient.
Now, even though there are no bioflavonoid side effects like the drug companies have to warn you about, I’ll tell you this, uh, humorous story. During my fourth pregnancy I consumed a lot of lemon water. I like it like half a lemon with a little honey. I drank 2-3 glasses of this every day, maybe more. Simply I loved it. Well, when I went to give birth (I actually stayed home), I gained an inch every hour until it was time to push. A small problem: the bag of waters had not broken. My midwife said it was very thick. So we decided to open it, although we could have waited, we just weren’t feeling particularly patient at the time… and Jordan came out 10 minutes later. Also, on my third child, he was practically born in his bag! So beware of all pregnant women eating healthily as his pouch might be nice and thick. But it could be worse to have a thin bag that breaks too soon! You have some stories to tell when you have nine kids anyway, right?
As for therapeutic applications, bioflavonoids have been used to help with allergies, asthma, bleeding gums, broken capillaries, bursitis, colds, depression, dizziness (caused by the inner ear), eczema, flu, hemorrhoids, blood pressure discharge, spontaneous abortions, rheumatic fever and varicose veins.
To conclude, I believe that bioflavonoids are an essential part of human nutrition. I have read the opposite, but I do not agree with those statements, since there is a lot of research done that shows the benefits that we can obtain from this powerful antioxidant. So, don’t just eat your vegetables, eat your fruit and enjoy good health.