Thursday, April 10, 2008

Top Detox Foods: Greens Can Save Your Life


Green Leafy Vegetables

The healing ingredient is chlorophyll. This is nature’s household cleaner, removing environmental toxins that include heavy metals, pesticides, and air pollutants. It also protects the liver.

There are commercial chlorophyll products that you can buy, but I wouldn’t unless you like the taste of liquid grass. The problem arises when you can’t get fresh picked. It may be a better idea to buy top quality ‘flash frozen’ than week old greens that have been stuffed into a transport truck for several days and ‘sprayed’ to keep them looking fresh.

Head Lettuce has the least value of the green vegetables. The general rule is ‘the darker the better.’ But it is reported to help against yeast infections.

Spinach strengthens weak blood and reduces the severity of bleeding conditions. It includes a blood cleansing or detoxifying agent. It helps with constipation and urinary tract difficulties. Do not eat large amounts of spinach if you suffer from loose stools or urinary incontinence should.

Kale is good for lung congestion. The juice has been used to treat stomach ulcers. It is an exceptional source of iron and should be included in diets that reduce your red meat intake.

Greens offer protection against cancer, infections, heart and circulatory system diseases, bone and joint diseases and disorders associated with old age.

Several Greens such as Romaine lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, collard greens, mustard greens and turnip greens all contain beta-carotene and

carotenoids (lutein and zeaxanthin). Beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin are powerful antioxidants that are reported to block early development of cancer.

Some studies link them to a lowered risk of breast, lung and skin cancer. Lutein helps slow the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), that causes age-related blindness.

Watercress, arugula, bok choy, broccoli and kale are members of the cruciferous family. They contain phytochemicals, including indoles, that are attributed with halting cancer before it starts. In layman’s terms, they repair DNA damage before it turns into cancer.

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