Nutrition Facts & Health benefits of Celery

Celery is a plant variety in the family Apiaceae, commonly used as a vegetable. The plant grows to 1m tall. The leaves are pinnate to bipinnate leaves with rhombic leaflets 3–6 cm long and 2–4 cm broad.

Nutrition Facts
Celery
Amount Per 100 grams

Calories 16                                          % Daily Value*
Total Fat 0.2g                                                          0%
Saturated fat 0 g                                                      0%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.1g   
Monounsaturated fat 0g   
Cholesterol 0mg                                                       0%
Sodium 80mg                                                           3%
Potassium 260mg                                                     7%
Total Carbohydrate 3g                                             1%
Dietary fiber 1.6g                                                      6%
Sugar 1.8g   
Protein 0.7g                                                              1%
Vitamin A    8%                      Vitamin C                    5%
Calcium        4%                      Iron                           1%
Vitamin D    0%                       Vitamin B-6                5%
Vitamin B-12    0%                   Magnesium                2%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.


Health benefits of Celery

• One of the very low calories herbal plants, celery leaves contain only 16 calories per 100 g weight and lots of non-soluble fiber (roughage) which when combined with other weight loss regimens may help to reduce body weight and blood cholesterol levels.

More Nutrition Facts about Cerel

Water                                                   114.52 g

Energy                                                 19 kcal

               

Energy                                                  80 kj

Protein                                                  0.83 g

               

Total lipid (fat)                                      0.2 g

Ash                                                      0.9 g

Carbohydrate, by difference                 3.56 g

Fiber, total dietary                                1.9 g

Sugars, total                                        2.2 g

Sucrose                                               0.13 g

Nutrition Facts & Health benefits of Parsley

Parsley
Parsley or garden parsley is a species of Petroselinum in the family Apiaceae, native to the central Mediterranean region, naturalized elsewhere in Europe, and widely cultivated as an herb, a spice, and a vegetable.
Nutrition Facts
Parsley
Amount Per 100 grams
Calories 36
                                              % Daily Value*
Total Fat 0.8 g                                  1%
Saturated fat 0.1 g                             0%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.1 g   
Monounsaturated fat 0.3 g   
Cholesterol 0 mg                               0%
Sodium 56 mg                                   2%
Potassium 554 mg                             15%
Total Carbohydrate 6 g                      2%
Dietary fiber 3.3 g                            13%
Sugar 0.8 g   
Protein 3 g                                        6%
Vitamin A    168%    Vitamin C             221%
Calcium    13%    Iron                         34%
Vitamin D    0%    Vitamin B-6              5%
Vitamin B-12    0%    Magnesium          12%
*Per cent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Health benefits of Parsley

• The herb contains no cholesterol; however, it is rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber, which help control blood-cholesterol, prevents constipation, protects the human body from free radicals mediated injury and from cancers.

•  Parsley contains health benefiting essential volatile oils that include myristicin, limonene, eugenol, and alpha-thujene.

• The essential oil, Eugenol, present in this herb has been in therapeutic use in dentistry as a local anesthetic and anti-septic agent for teeth and gum diseases. Eugenol has also been found to reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics; however, further detailed studies required to establish its role.

•   Parsley is rich in poly-phenolic flavonoid antioxidants, including apiin, apigenin, crisoeriol, and luteolin; and has been rated as one of the plant sources with quality antioxidant activities. Total ORAC value, which measures the anti-oxidant strength of 100 g of fresh, raw parsley, is 1301 µmol TE (Trolex equivalents).

•  The herb is a good source of minerals like potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, and magnesium. 100 g fresh herb provides 554 mg or 12% of daily-required levels of potassium. Potassium is the chief component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure by countering the effects of sodium. Iron is essential for the production of heme, which is an important oxygen-carrying component inside the red blood cells. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.    

• Additionally, the herb is also rich in many antioxidant vitamins, including vitamin-A, beta-carotene, vitamin-C, vitamin-E, zea-xanthin, lutein, and cryptoxanthin. The herb is an excellent source of vitamin-K and folates. Zea-xanthin helps prevent age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) in the retina of the eye in the old age population through its anti-oxidant and ultra-violet light filtering functions. 

• Fresh herb leaves are also rich in many essential vitamins such as pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5), riboflavin (vitamin B-2), niacin (vitamin B-3), pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) and thiamin (vitamin B-1). These vitamins play a vital role in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism by acting as co-enzymes inside the human body.

• It is perhaps the richest of the entire herb source for vitamin K; provide 1640 µg or 1366% of recommended daily intake. Vitamin K has been found to have the potential role in bone health by promoting osteotrophic activity in the bones. It has also established role in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in the brain.

Nutrition Facts & Health Benefits of Banana

Banana 
Fruit
A banana is an edible fruit produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus Musa.  


 Nutrition Facts
 Bananas
 Amount Per 100 grams
 
 Calories 89
                                                        % Daily Value*
Total Fat 0.3 g                                            0%
Saturated fat 0.1 g                                      0%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.1 g   
Monounsaturated fat 0 g   
Cholesterol 0 mg                                        0%
Sodium 1 mg                                              0%
Potassium 358 mg                                       10%
Total Carbohydrate 23 g                              7%
Dietary fiber 2.6 g                                     10%
Sugar 12 g   
Protein 1.1 g                                              2%
Vitamin A   1%         Vitamin C                     14%
Calcium        0%        Iron                            1%
Vitamin D   0%          Vitamin B-6                  20%
Vitamin B-12 0%        Magnesium                   6%
*Per cent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Health Benefits

1. Hands and Fingers
Bananas do not grow on trees. The banana plant is classified as an arborescent (tree-like) perennial herb and the banana itself is actually considered a berry. The correct name for bunch of bananas is a hand of bananas; a single banana is a finger.

2. Heart Health
One banana contains 467mg of potassium, providing powerful protection to the cardiovascular system. Regular consumption of the potassium-packed fruit helps guard against high blood pressure, atherosclerosis and stroke.

3. Bones
Although bananas do not contain high amounts of calcium, they do supply the body with an abundance of fructooligosaccharide, a prebiotic substance (one which encourages probiotics, the friendly bacteria in the digestive system). As fructooligosaccharides ferment in the digestive tract, they enhance the body's ability to absorb calcium.

4. Energy and Mood Balancing
Another benefit to bananas high potassium content derives from that mineral's role as an energy-supplying electrolyte. Since bananas also contain tryptophan, serotonin and norepinephrine, they help prevent depression while encouraging feelings of well-being and relaxation. In addition, the vitamin B6 in bananas helps protect against sleeplessness, mood swings and irritability.

5. Vision
Bananas, combined with the African herb orinol, have been used to treat cataracts in Nigeria. They also share with other fruits the ability to prevent macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in adults. According to a study published in the Archives of Opthmalogy in 2004, people who eat 3 servings of fruit per day are statistically unlike to develop the vision-diminishing disease.

6. Better Digestion
Bananas suppress acid in the digestive tract, alleviating heartburn and helping guard against ulcers. Since bananas contain pectin, a soluble fiber, they aid in the elimination process, helping prevent constipation.

7. Baby Food
Since they are easily digested, bananas are a perfect food for babies just beginning to move to solid foods.

8. HIV Protection
The Journal of Biological Chemistry in March 2010 published a study which revealed the healing potential of BanLec, a lectin protein in bananas. Researchers found that this protein which binds to sugars can also bind to HIV-infected cells, enveloping them and preventing their replication and transmission.

8. Clones
Due to modern shipping practices, this tropical yellow berry born of a herb seems so ubiquitous that most consumers take it for granted. However, the banana's constant availability could end soon. Nearly all the bananas sold in stores are cloned from just one variety, the Cavendish banana plant, originally native to Southeast Asia. This means disease could potentially wipe out the cloned plants in one fell swoop. Next time you peel and eat a banana, take the time to savor its flavor and texture, so if this fruit disappears, you can tell future generations about the healthy snack encased in yellow flesh.

That potential disappearance does not derive from science fiction speculation. Botanists say it is likely to happen in the next 20 years and in fact it already has happened. At the beginning of the last century, the dominant banana species was the Gros Michel, also a cloned species, which was wiped out by fungus. The Gros Michel was preferred over the Cavendish because it was larger and had a longer shelf life, and, according to old-timer recollections, better-tasting. The Cavendish replaced the Gros Michel after the latter species decimation because, of the over 1,000 varieties of bananas in the world, most do not have an appealing taste. There are the less sweet plantains, and also a variety called Goldfinger which has an apple-like taste.

9. Save the peels
Even the peels of this fruit are useful. Apply the inside of a banana peel to pimples to naturally dry out these skin blemishes. Also, banana peels make a wonderful fertilizer, particularly for roses.

Health Benefit of Milk to the Body

Milk is natures’ most complete food,and important drink or food it contains more than 500 nutrients, Milk is not high in calories unlike other foods or drinks it’s low fat so, milk can not be totally remove from your diet, but choose low fat milk since it contains all the nutrients found in full cream milk except for the fat. Even as an adult, you need to drink milk, bit it is important to know that not all milks are the same. Fortifying milk with vitamins and minerals is a very delicate process, and the quality and quantity of the added nutrients have a direct effect on health. Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Prof. Ngozi Nnam, recommends regular drinking of milk because of its richness in calcium and importance for the bones. “Milk contains more than nine essential nutrients necessary for good health, strong bones, energy and a stronger immune system,” she noted. She spoke on World Milk Day, at a forum by FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria, noting that the 2013 theme: “Do More with Milk” is a central idea to communicate milk as an essential nutritional beverage for a healthy life style. Mnam argued the importance of enabling Nigerians exchange knowledge on the various ways milk can be used. Nigerians are already versatile with conventional ways of using milk, hence the awareness is focused on the goodness of milk and education on other possible milk usages and their corresponding nutritional benefits. . Less Stress Milk is a great way to de-stress at the end of the day. A glass of warm milk will help to relax tense muscles and soothe frayed nerves. Milk has also been proven to reduce symptoms of PMS and boost energy. Milk does not help prevent osteoporosis Milk is the best drink by far as it is actually natural nutrition -- not like the other drinks Avoid sugar and have honey, protein rich foods. Milk is the perfect food/drink so drink lots of it as it really works.

Zobo Reduces Diabetes-Induced Kidney Disease Risk

The popular zobo drink made from the calyx (flower part) of roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) has been successfully used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases such as cough, hypertension, stomach disorders, loss of appetite, upper respiratory congestion, nerve and heart disorders and menstrual difficulties. But recent studies suggest that although it could be used to reduce the risk of kidney damage in diabetics, high doses could lead to kidney damage. CHUKWUMA MUANYA writes.

CAN drinking high doses of the popular zobo drink lead to kidney damage? Results of a recent study suggest that aqueous extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa (HSE) has no harmful effect on the liver but when consumed in high doses could be harmful to the kidney. “Further research aimed at identifying the chemical composition and potential toxic agent(s) in HS is recommended,” the researchers wrote.

Commonly called zobo or roselle in Nigeria, Hibiscus sabdariffa belongs to the plant family malvaceae.

The study titled: “Toxicilogical effects of aqueous extract of Hibiscus Sabdariffa on the liver and kidney,” was published in Journal of College of Medicine.

The aim of the study is to show the effect of graded doses of aqueous extract of HS on major excretory organs (liver and kidney) of albino Wistar rats. This may be helpful in determining the safety or otherwise of its consumption at different concentrations.

The researchers wrote: “There were no significant changes in the histology of the liver throughout the period of HS administration in all the groups. However, there were significant histological changes in the kidney, which were more pronounced at higher doses (80 and 160mg/kg). There was shrinkage of glomerular tuft, increase in urinary pole, increase in size of tubular lumen and tubular damage. These effects were more marked as the duration of administration of the extract progressed with greatest effect observed at 12th week.”

 Another study found that Hibiscus sabdariffa might help treat kidney stones via uricosuric activity. The study titled: “Uricosuric effect of Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) in normal and renal-stone former subjects,” was published in Journal of Ethnopharmacology.

Uricosuric agents are used to lower the uric acid level in the blood and to prevent the formation of uric acid crystals in the joints and kidneys. These drugs are often used to treat gout, a disease in which uric acid crystals deposit in joints and cause pain. By decreasing plasma uric acid levels, these drugs decrease the deposition of crystals in joints, eventually decreasing inflammation and thereby reducing the pain of gout.

Researchers from Thailand conducted a study with nine subjects with no history of kidney stones and nine with a history of kidney stones. A cup of tea made from 1.5 grams of dry roselle was provided to subjects twice daily (morning and evening) for 15 days.

After taking the tea, both groups showed increases in oxalate and citrate. In the non-kidney stone group, increases in uric acid excretion and clearance were observed. In the patients with kidney stones, both uric acid excretion and clearance were significantly increased.

The study authors concluded that roselle has a uricosuric effect and they suggested that the chemical constituents exerting this effect should be identified.

Also, researchers have shown that aqueous (water) extracts of HSE is capable of reducing lipid peroxidation, increasing catalase and glutathione activities significantly in diabetic kidney, and decreasing the plasma levels of triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL) value.

Peanut Nutrition Facts

Delicious, crunchy, and nutty peanuts are one of the popular oil seeds known to humankind since ancient times. The nuts are enriched with many noteworthy health-benefiting nutrients that are essential for optimum health. They are actually legumes but have almost all the qualities that true nuts like almonds have.

Botanically, the nuts are small size fruit pods of plant belonging to the Fabaceae family of the genus, Arachis. Some of the common names are groundnut, earthnuts, etc. 

Peanut is a small annual herb growing up to a foot above the ground. It is thought to have originated in the Central Americas and from where it spread to rest of the world through Spanish explorers. Today, the nuts are widely cultivated oil seeds and has established as prime commercial crop in China, India, African nations, and the United States of America.

After the seedling, the plant takes approximately 120 to 150 days to produce the crop. The process of peanut development is quite interesting! The yellow flowers, after self-pollination, develop in to "ovaries," called pedicels, which elongate rapidly to turn downward to bury several inches deep under the ground from where the fruits develop into peanut pods we know.

To harvest, the entire plant, including roots, is dug out from the soil. Each plant may bear 10-150 fruit pods. The pods have wrinkled shells that are constricted between pairs of the two to four seeds per pod. Each seed is covered with thin brown color cover and can be split into two equal halves as in any other legumes.

Health Benefits of Peanuts: 

•Whole peanuts contains high amount of protein, which makes it a preferred diet of those people engaged in body-building and those people who are weak and underweight. The raw peanut butter with crushed skin contains much higher amounts of nutrient than refined "nut-only" butter. 

• Peanut is a good source of Coenzyme Q10 which protects the heart during the period of lack of oxygen example high altitudes and clogged arteries. 

•Peanuts contain high concentrations of antioxidant polyphenols, primarily a compound called p-coumaric acid. Roasting peanuts increases its p-coumaric acid levels, boosting it overall antioxidant content by as much as 22%. Roasted peanuts rival the antioxidant content of blackberries and strawberries, and are far richer in antioxidants than apples, carrots or beets. 

•Unsalted peanuts are good for your arteries. One quarter cup of peanuts contains as much monounsaturated fat as a tablespoon of olive oil. Monounsaturated fats have been shown to lower blood cholesterol. 

•Peanuts' high niacin content helps in the recovery of cell damage provides protection against Alzheimer's disease and age-related cognitive problem.

•Peanut contain vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that is shown to significantly reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

•Peanut contain iron which is essential for the correct functioning of red blood cells.

•Peanut is rich in calcium which helps promotes healthy bones.