This
makes EFA's an important part of your diet. Other sources
of these fats are fish and nuts.
Flax Seed Oil is also known as Linseed Oil.
FlaxSeed is a blue flowering plant that is grown on the Western
Canadian Prairies for its oil rich seeds. FlaxSeed oil is
highly recommended for the general well being, whole body
nutrition and helps in restoring body's natural balance of
good and bad prostaglandins.
The first time you see flax seeds you were
probably, like ¡°ok, they look like sesame seeds,
who are you trying to fool?¡± They may look like
sesame seeds, but boy do they pack in a lot of nutrition.
Another study has found that omega-3 fatty
acids, and by extension, flaxseed, can reduce the risk of
macular degeneration, which is an eye disease that destroys
vision by damaging nerve cells in the eye.
Besides lignans, flaxseeds and their oil are
also the best food sources of an essential fatty acid, alpha-linolenic
acid. "Essential" means we must consume it, because
our bodies cannot manufacture it.
Diabetes: African Americans Deadly Foe
Diabetes is having a devastating effect on
the African American community. Diabetes is the fifth leading
cause of death in African Americans and their death rates
are twenty seven percent higher than whites.
Over 2.8 million African Americans have diabetes
and one third of them don¡¯t know they have the
disease. In addition, twenty five percent of African Americans
between the ages of 65 ¨C 74 have diabetes and one in
four African American women, over the age of 55, have been
diagnosed with the disease The cause of diabetes is a mystery,
but researchers believe that both genetics and environmental
factors play roles in who will develop the disease.
Heredity
Researchers believe that African Americans
and African Immigrants are predisposed to developing diabetes.
Research suggests that African Americans and recent African
immigrants have inherited a "thrifty gene" from
their African ancestors.
This gene may have enabled Africans to use
food energy more efficiently during cycles of feast and famine.
Now, with fewer cycles of feast and famine, this gene may
make weight control more difficult for African Americans and
African Immigrants. This genetic predisposition, coupled with
impaired glucose tolerance, is often associated with the genetic
tendency toward high blood pressure. People with impaired
glucose tolerance have higher than normal blood glucose levels
and are at a higher risk for developing diabetes.
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes, commonly know as ¡°sugar
diabetes¡±, is a condition that occurs when the
body is unable to properly produce or use insulin. Insulin
is needed by the body to process sugar, starches and other
foods into energy. Diabetes is a chronic condition for which
there is no known cure; diabetes is a serious disease and
should not be ignored.
Diabetics often suffer from low glucose levels
(sugar) in their blood. Low blood sugar levels can make you
disorientated, dizzy, sweaty, hungry, have headaches, have
sudden mood swings, have difficulty paying attention, or have
tingling sensations around the mouth.
Types of Diabetes
Pre-diabetes is a condition that occurs when
a person's blood glucose levels is higher than normal but
not high enough for a diagnosis of type II diabetes. Pre-diabetes
can cause damage to the heart and circulatory system, but
pre-diabetes can often be controlled by controlling blood
glucose levels. By controlling pre-diabetes you can often
prevent or delay the onset of Type II diabetes.
Type I or juvenile-onset diabetes usually
strikes people under the age of 20, but can strike at any
age. Five to ten percent of African Americans who are diagnosed
with diabetes are diagnosed with this type of the disease.
Type I diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the body produces
little or no insulin and this type of diabetes must be treated
with daily insulin injections.
Type II or adult onset diabetes is responsible
for ninety to ninety-five percent of diagnosed diabetes cases
in African Americans. Type II results from a condition where
the body fails to properly use insulin. According to the American
Diabetes Association, ¡°Type II is usually found
in people over 45, who have diabetes in their family, who
are overweight, who don't exercise and who have cholesterol
problems.¡± In the early stages it can often
be controlled with lifestyle changes, but in the later stages
diabetic pills or insulin injections are often needed.
There are also many ways of consuming the
seeds. You can simply just chew them. You can grind the seeds
to make a power.
As a source of fiber mucilage, oral flaxseed
(not flaxseed oil) may possess laxative properties, although
only one human trial has been conducted for this indication.
Researchers found low incidences of breast cancer and colon
cancer in populations that have high amounts of Lignan in
their diet.
Flax Hull Lignans are very beneficial for
many health conditions. Studies have shown that SDG or lignan
(secoisolariciresinol diglycoside, but for simplicity this
substance will be referred to as lignans)
The fiber in flaxseeds may also help against
cholesterol, since it is soluble (similar to that in oats).
Pregnancy related diabetes or gestational diabetes can occur
in pregnant women. Gestational diabetes is often associated
with high glucose blood levels or hyperglycemia. Gestational
diabetes affects about four percent of all pregnant women.
The disease usually goes away after delivery, but women who
suffer from gestational diabetes are at a higher risk for
developing diabetes later in life.
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