CAYENNE, CHILI FLAKES AND CANCER

What, you say?  Cayenne pepper and chili flakes in relationship to cancer?  The answer is yes!  These foods or spices however you want to consider them, are something we should all be eating.  Not only are they "active" calories which have been discussed on this blog, they have protective properties!  Some of the active benefits of eating these items are that they can stimulate appetite in those who are suffering a loss of appetite due to illness and/or drugs.  They are also digestive aids, anti-inflammatories, and antibacterial.  The capsacain that protects chili peppers from disease may also extend that protection to humans!  Studies show that capsacain decreases PSA levels, the antigen whose level normally rises as prostate cancer develops.  It may also protect against stomach cancer and may even affect the spread of brain and spinal cord tumors known as gliomas.

My advice to anyone who doesn't currently use these ingredients in your food would be to start doing so immediately.  You don't have to drown your food with them, just use them regularly.

REASONS TO EAT BRAZIL NUTS

Ever since I was a child and my dad bought us bags of mixed nuts, I have always enjoyed the Brazil nuts.  But frankly, I never really thought about them except during the Christmas holidays.  Now that I have discovered some of the great benefits we derive from these nuts, I plan to think about them and thus eat them a lot more often!

Brazil nuts have anti-inflammatory properties and anyone who follows this blog knows how I stress the importance of getting enough anti-inflammatory foods into our diets.  These nuts contain a large amount of selenium, which is known to help our bodies fight colon and prostate cancers.  The American Cancer Society also notes that Brazil nuts also contain the antioxidant quercetin that may trigger cell death in certain cancer cells.

Add Brazil nuts to your list of cancer fighting foods you consume on a regular basis.