What Is Nattokinase?

Nattokinase is a powerful proteolytic enzyme that has both fibrinolytic and anti-inflammatory health benefits. It is best known for its astounding fibrinolytic (anti-clotting) capacities. Perhaps its most supported use is in the area of cardiovascular health, where it helps to restore healthy fibrin metabolism and reduce blood clotting, thus making it an extremely powerful, all-natural enzymatic support which may aid in the prevention of both heart disease and stroke. Nattokinase has also been scientifically proven to offer relief from joint inflammation.

As many of you know, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. As we age, fibrinogen levels rise (blood clotting potentials), and the enzymes that help dissolve these clots actually lower.

According to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, more than 700,000 people have a stroke every year. What is more, the American Heart Association states that almost every year, around 1 million people in the U.S. will have a heart attack. Many clinical studies also suggest that nattokinase may help prevent deep vein thrombus formation.

Continue reading: “The Health Benefits of Nattokinase”

Walnuts are perhaps best-known for being the quintessential healthy brain-food. But who knew that walnuts were also winning top prizes for their heart-healthy, free-radical fighting, antioxidant properties as well?

Recent scientific evidence shows how the walnut may possibly be the number one food on the planet for heart healthy antioxidant support. And it’s not just that the walnut alone that was studied for its antioxidant quantity.

The study included many varieties of tree and ground nuts, with walnuts ranking top dog over other healthy nuts, like almonds, pecans, peanuts and pistachios. In fact, just a handful of walnuts holds two times more heart-healthy antioxidants than all other commonly-purchased nuts.

Continue reading: “Raw Walnuts Have 15x More Antioxidant Potency than Vitamin E”

What is Alpha Galactosidase?

Source: PDB.org

Many foods, such as beans, greens (especially cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower) and heavy carbohydrate-laden foods can cause gassiness and bloating.

Part of the reason for this is that these foods have carbohydrates that are linked to proteins or fats (known as glycoproteins or glycolipids) which aren’t effectively broken down in the gut; these poorly-digested particles then serve as a food source for intestinal bacteria. These bacteria ferment the leftovers producing hydrogen and carbon dioxide gas as byproducts. Excess gas is the culprit for most of the discomfort we feel when eating these foods. One enzyme that halts this process is alpha galactosidase.

The extent to which we can break down starchy, hard-to-digest foods is relatively dependant upon the amount of alpha galactosidase present. The human body produces these enzymes in the mouth in the form of saliva, as well as in the the pancreas, from which it moves into the small intestine and the rest of the digestive tract. With age, the body produces less of this enzyme.

If we do not produce enough because of age, genetics, or for any other reason, we greatly increase our chances of having undigested or partially-digested food particles in our digestive tracts that can stimulate the growth of bacteria, lead to indigestion, cause abdominal cramps, create gas, and help develop an environment that foster overgrowth of Candida and yeast infections.

Continue reading: “The Health Benefits of Alpha Galactosidase”

What is Glucoamylase?

Glucoamylase (also known as amyloglucosidase) is a type of digestive enzyme that cleaves or breaks off a free glucose molecule from the complex sugar-based chains that form starch or from the simpler sugar, maltose. The glucose that is freed can then be used as a source of energy for the body. The most potent form of supplemental glucoamylase is cultured from A. niger.

Basically, glucoamylase helps to break down starch that occurs naturally in most vegetables that we eat (in very high amounts in common foods like potatoes, corn, rice, and wheat) or is added as filler or processing additive in many prepared food products. It is a specific type of amylase (starch-digesting enzyme) that our bodies produce in the mouth and pancreas, but it may also be derived from non-animal sources.

Glucoamylase is often described separately from amylase because it digests starches in a particular way, removing free glucose molecules from the end of the starchy chains rather than simply breaking these longer chains simply into smaller chains. It is part of an extremely important group of enzymes that allow us to absorb nutrients and create energy from some of the most common plant foods that we eat.

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Anybody that has a composting bin or compost pile at their house knows that old apple cores, banana peels and potato skins can be composted. But many people who compost at home are unaware of the sheer vastness of every day waste that can easily be thrown in their compost bin.

source

For example, did you know that you can compost an old tea bag? Old spices? Pencil shavings? How about sticky notes? Yes, each of those items can be composted!

In fact, there are many items that you can compost, and the following list will get you started with the first ninety-nine. And the best news? If everyone began to compost at home on a regular basis, the world’s landfills would be drastically reduced.

If you are composting for an organic garden use organic starting materials. Some of the items below I would not recommend for organic gardens. For clarity, I will specify those items below.

The Basics:

1. All organic vegetable and fruit matter including rinds, skins, shells, seeds, cores and peels
2. Old leaves & hay
3. Used coffee grounds
4. Paper coffee filters
5. Grass clippings
6. Egg shells

Continue reading: “99 Things You Probably Didn’t Know You Can Compost”