Health

If you want to know how your body fat percentage relates to your health and how lean you can be without having negative consequences for your body, then you should read this article

These days, everyone talks about getting hard and defined to the bone, but few realize that this can also be a curse. Once you've been really slim, anything else will be unacceptable. Slim becomes the new norm. From that point on, you will automatically see anything fatter as fat.

For this reason, many people who were once fixated on achieving a very low body fat percentage are now fixated on maintaining that level of thinness. One could argue that such a bias towards body fat percentage in general is mentally unhealthy, but there is definitely a gray area here.

Some people see dedication and drive, while others see a neurotic obsession. In reality, who is ultimately right depends on individual circumstances. One should also not forget the mental and emotional release that comes from achieving a lean body.

If you're really happy with your body, you won't spend so much time thinking about it. Let's be honest - when we feel like we're too fat or slim but flabby or whatever, it's like a toothache - it won't go away on its own.

Sure, we can avoid acknowledging it or suppress it with rationalizations or other forms of mental gymnastics, but it will never really go away. Its shadow will always be visible.

Now, imagine never having to worry about this again. Imagine never again having to waste energy doubting, worrying or questioning your decisions about what and how to eat. Imagine never having to feel guilty again for breaking the dietary promises you made to yourself.

And imagine the ultimate reward: The freedom to devote all that attention and energy to more positive and meaningful things.

Now, there are two ways to achieve this fitness nirvana:

1. Overcome your desire to be lean and muscular and find satisfaction in your current state
2. Get lean and muscular. Personally, I think that option number two is not only easier, but also psychologically healthier.

But that's not what we're going to talk about in this article. Instead, we're going to focus on the physical effects of different body fat levels.

More specifically, we're going to answer a simple question:

Which body fat levels are healthy and which are unhealthy?

Now that we're on the same page, let's get to the real topic.

What is body fat percentage?

Your body fat percentage is simply the percentage of your weight that is made up of fat. For example, if you weigh 75 kilos and carry around 7.5 kilos of fat, then your body fat percentage is 10% (7.5 divided by 75).

Your body fat percentage changes as your body composition changes. This means that it changes when you build fat, of course, but it also changes when you build muscle.

For example, let's say you start a muscle-building program at a weight of 75 kilos and a body fat percentage of 10%. You eat and train properly and build 7.5 kilos of muscle and 2.5 kilos of fat, so you now weigh 85 kilos and carry around 10 kilos of fat.

Well, your total fat mass has now increased by 33% (from 7.5 to 10 kilos), but your body fat percentage has only increased by 2% to around 12%.

If you then stopped exercising for a year and lost the 5 kilos of muscle you'd gained but didn't lose any fat, your body fat percentage would still be around 12% (10 divided by 80), but you'd look a lot flabbier. So the point is that your body fat percentage goes up and down as you gain and lose muscle and fat.

How can you determine your body fat percentage?

There are a number of ways to calculate your body fat percentage and these can vary significantly in terms of reliability and accuracy.

Here are some examples:

• Body fat scales and other measurements based on electrical impedance measurements are notoriously inconsistent and inaccurate.
• Most skinfold measurement methods are not much better, as they are prone to technical errors and faulty calculation formulas.
• Even the highly acclaimed DEXA scan can be as much off the mark as any other method.

But fortunately, the exact numerical value is not that important when it comes purely to assessing progress. A combination of scales, tape measure, caliper and progress pictures is perfectly adequate for this.

What happens when you lose body fat?

You look better - who would have thought? Apart from that, a lot of other things happen to your body as you slim down (1). You sleep better, your body responds better to exercise and diet, your overall disease risk decreases, your quality of life increases and the list could go on forever (2). Basically, pretty much everything that plays a physiological role works better when you're leaner.

But take thinness too far and it becomes harmful. If your body fat levels get too low, the list of potential negative health consequences is long and includes (3)...

• Hair loss
• Tooth and gum problems
• Low blood pressure
• Bradycardia (athlete's heart)
• Menstrual dysfunction
• Hypogonadism (underactive testicles)
• Hypoglycemia
• Constipation
• Muscle cramps
• Chronic exhaustion
• Mood swings
• Concentration problems

The reason your body fat levels have such a profound effect on your health and well-being is that fat is much more than ugly, oily flesh. It plays many vital roles in the body that include protecting organs from damage, maintaining body temperature, producing hormones and other chemicals, and much more.

Some of these vital hormones and chemicals that require healthy body fat levels include...

• Aromatase

This is an enzyme involved in the metabolism of sex hormones

• TNF alpha and IL-6

These are proteins that are particularly important for the immune system.

• Leptin

This is a hormone primarily associated with the regulation of body weight

• Angiotensin

This is a hormone involved in the control of blood pressure.

• Lipoprotein lipase

This is an enzyme involved in the storage and metabolism of fat to release energy.

When body fat levels drop too low, the production of this (and many other) chemicals is impaired, which in turn can affect your health.

The bottom line is that there is a point at which looking good and being healthy become mutually exclusive. And once that happens, the only way to regain health is to build back some of the fat you've lost (4).

What is a healthy body fat percentage for men?

If you've been active in fitness for any length of time, you've probably heard a lot of opinions on the subject. Ignorance and envy are rife here, with the result that the general trend is to condemn low body fat levels as unhealthy and irresponsible.

However, these fears are greatly overstated.

The reality is that the negative effects associated with low body fat levels in men only come into play at very low body fat levels - around 5% body fat to be precise (5).

As the image below shows, 5% body fat already equates to extreme definition down to the bone. This is the level of leanness that bodybuilders and fitness class athletes bring to the stage (and for which not inconsiderable amounts of drugs and banned substances are required). And even these athletes can't maintain such a low body fat percentage for long before serious problems begin.

Fortunately, the type of definition most men want to achieve falls in the 7 to 9% range, which is naturally achievable and healthily maintainable (6). I should know, as I keep my body fat percentage in the 8% range all year round and have yet to see any negative effects while maintaining more or less perfect health.

So the point is this: If you are a man and your goal is to be lean, athletic and muscular, then there is nothing to worry about. Diet and nutrition are all you need (and of course a few supplements can help too).

What is a healthy body fat percentage for women?

Many people think that low body fat levels are unhealthy for men, but extremely unhealthy for women. This can also be largely attributed to ignorance and envy.

Negative effects associated with low body fat levels in women start to become apparent at around 12% body fat.

The following pictures are intended to give you an idea of what we are talking about here in practice.

I have worked with thousands of women and have yet to meet a woman who says she is aiming for a body fat percentage of 12% (apart from competitions of course). Instead, most women have set a goal that is more achievable and maintainable, which for most equates to a body fat percentage of 18 to 20%.

Addressing female body fat levels and health would not be complete without addressing concerns about hormone levels and menstruation. Many women believe that getting too lean will inevitably cause major hormonal imbalances that can lead to missed periods.

Well, it's not quite that simple. Low body fat levels are associated with low levels of the hormone leptin (7), which can affect menstruation (7) (and especially if body fat levels drop too low).

What has puzzled scientists, however, is the fact that for every female athlete who suffers from a missed period, you can find an athlete with a normal, regular period who is just as lean. Furthermore, female athletes lose their periods at very different levels of body fat.

It was clear that there was more at play here than just body fat levels. Well, the gears of science kept turning and an answer was finally found: energy balance (8). Energy balance describes the relationship between the amount of energy you eat and the amount of energy you burn.

You can think of it as your body's bank account:

• If you take in more energy than you burn, then you are in a state of positive energy balance (calorie surplus)

If you keep your body in a state of calorie surplus, then you are gaining weight

• If you eat less than you burn, you are in a state of negative energy balance (calorie deficit).

If you keep your body in a state of calorie deficit, you will lose weight.

A lot of things happen in the body when you eat too much or too little and some of them have to do with menstruation. That's why studies show that energy balance affects menstruation more than body fat levels (8).

More specifically, if a woman takes in less energy than she uses, she may lose her period. And the greater the difference between intake and expenditure, the more frequent the menstrual irregularities can be (9).

This explains why missed periods are most common in female athletes who participate in sports that require low body weight and leanness, including ballet, gymnastics, long-distance running and swimming.

In most cases, it simply comes down to training too hard combined with too low a calorie intake (10) (which is why many women who work their asses off to lose weight also lose their periods). This is also the reason why periods often return in such athletes when energy intake is sufficiently increased or energy expenditure is sufficiently reduced.

So if you lose your period while dieting to lose fat, it doesn't necessarily mean that you are too lean. Rather, it probably means that you are being too aggressive with your calorie deficit and should reduce the gap between energy intake and consumption.

It should also be noted that high stress levels can also contribute to reproductive problems (11). This is one of the many reasons why you should make adequate relaxation a priority in your life (especially when dieting).

Lastly, it's worth mentioning that I've also seen women struggle with irregular periods after reaching their target weight because they failed to increase their calorie intake appropriately following their diet. Instead, they stuck to their calorie-restricted diet - usually because they were afraid that eating more could lead to weight gain.

The bottom line on healthy body fat percentage

Stop listening to fat people who say that being slim is unhealthy. It is unhealthy to be extremely lean, but it is almost impossible to achieve such low body fat levels naturally (and not considered desirable by most people).

More important is the fact that it is unhealthy to chronically under-eat and over-exercise, regardless of body fat percentage.

So get lean, eat right, train hard, pay attention to your recovery and make your health a priority and you can't lose.

References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23412685
2. https://www.bmj.com/content/353/bmj.i2433
3. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/47/16/1012.abstract
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23412685
5. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/47/16/1012.abstract
6. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/47/16/1012.abstract
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22252944
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17909417/
9. öhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25352438
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3435916/
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20840250

Source: https://www.muscleforlife.com/healthy-body-fat-percentages/

By Michael Matthews

1. drink coffee

Drink 3 to 4 cups of regular or decaffeinated coffee every day and you could live longer. Coffee is a bit of a mystery in that we're not really sure how it does some of the things it does. However, one thing is for sure: the more coffee you drink, the better off you'll be. In fact, the more coffee you drink, the longer you will live.

In a mortality study of 400,000 people published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the mortality rate for coffee drinkers was 6 to 16% lower than average. A Japanese study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that coffee drinkers had a 24% lower risk of death over the 19-year study period.

The optimal amount appears to be in the range of 3 to 4 cups of regular or decaffeinated coffee, but a study involving the consumption of 6 cups of coffee per day saw a reduction in diabetes diagnoses in the range of 33%. Other conditions that were positively impacted included liver cancer, fatty liver, alcohol-related liver disease, heart disease, stroke, depression, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

2. keep your testo levels high

Low androgen levels are associated with a higher mortality rate - and they will also make you fat.

You probably know that male hormones play a role in muscle building, strength, libido, energy and low body fat levels, but adequate levels of these hormones are also important for simply staying alive. Contrary to what some people want to tell you about high testosterone levels, it's not high testosterone levels, but low testosterone levels that are the real problem.

Low androgen levels have a strong correlation with the following problems:

• Increased risk of cardiovascular disease
• Narrowing of the carotid arteries
• Abnormal ECG
• More frequent occurrence of heart failure
• Increased incidence of angina pectoris
• Increased body mass index (BMI)
• Type 2 diabetes
• Metabolic syndrome
• Insulin resistance
• Higher mortality rate from all causes including cardiovascular disease

You may have looked twice at the last entry on the list. You should too. A study of 858 male subjects found that study participants with low androgen levels were 88% more likely to die from all causes, even when variables such as age, disease and body mass index were taken into account.

Are you immune to low levels of male hormones because you train with heavy weights? No. Male athletes often have lower testosterone levels than untrained men. One study found that weightlifters had testosterone levels that were 60 to 85% lower than non-athletic men.

Some scientists attribute this difference to changes in the liver and muscle metabolism of androgens, which cannot be compensated for by the athletes' testicles. However, I suspect that this phenomenon has something to do with an as yet unexplained training-induced increase in steroid hormone binding globulin (SHGB), which makes androgens less available in the tissue. Low androgen levels appear to be reaching epidemic proportions in strength athletes. Sure, androgen levels usually rise after an intense training session, but this increase is short-lived and levels often drop below normal afterwards.

So keep your androgen levels high. Use herbal testo boosters and consider medically supervised hormone replacement therapy if your levels are very low.

3. keep your estrogen levels under control

High estrogen levels can increase the risk of degenerative diseases and premature death.

It's becoming increasingly obvious that a lot of doctors are idiotic islanders. A prime example is the large estrogen study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The scientists monitored the estrogen levels of a large group of men. They found that men whose estradiol levels (a form of estrogen) were in the normal range between 21.80 and 30.11 pg/mL had the lowest risk of death over the three-year study period. Men with the highest levels (above 37.99 pg/mL) had a 133% higher risk of death during the same period. However, men with the lowest estrogen levels (below 12.90) were worst off and had a 317% higher risk of death.

Some doctors concluded from this study that men need estrogen, so they don't want to give their patients anything that lowers estrogen levels. In other words, many doctors ignore the far more common problem of high estrogen levels and therefore refuse to prescribe anti-estrogen drugs. The problem is that as estrogen levels rise, so does the risk of degenerative disease. The risk of arteriosclerosis increases and the same applies to the risk of stroke. The prostate grows. And the risk of death also increases.

If you are an athlete, high oestrogen levels also affect your ability to build strength and muscle and make it harder to get lean. Certainly estrogen needs to be kept under control. If you suffer from high estrogen levels, you can consider a natural supplement to lower estrogen levels, or - if the problem is really serious - consult a doctor who can prescribe an estrogen-lowering medication.

4. stop cooking yourself from the inside.

Eating too many meals spread evenly throughout the day keeps blood sugar levels high throughout the day, which leads to a number of complications.

Exposing meat to heat causes it to brown. This is simply the result of sugar combining with protein, also known as the Maillard reaction. This is fine if you're frying a pork chop, but it's not so good if you're doing this to your internal organs. Cooking yourself sounds like a pretty unlikely scenario.

However, it's exactly what happens when you habitually keep your blood sugar levels above 85mg/dl. If you "cook" yourself long enough, this will lead to kidney disease, joint damage, stiffening of the connective tissue, arteriosclerosis and insulin resistance, which can ultimately lead to type 2 diabetes. In addition, you will become chubby.

Scientists have estimated that one in three Americans will end up either undercooked or well-done by the middle of the century. This is simply the logical consequence of our current lifestyle, which includes dietary excesses in general, eating too many fast-digesting carbohydrates for too long, and too little exercise and physical activity. Surprisingly, simply eating several small meals throughout the day can lead to insulin resistance and problematically high blood sugar levels.

These multiple meals, contrary to what most people think, cause multiple insulin surges throughout the day, which in turn make the cells more insulin resistant. Over time, more and more insulin will be released to compensate for the insulin resistance until it eventually loses the battle. Blood sugar levels will rise and remain elevated.

Many doctors will tell you to keep your fasting blood sugar levels below 100, as anything higher than this (up to 126 mg/dl) is a sign of a pre-diabetic state. Once your fasting levels are above 126, you are considered diabetic. However, the Maillard reaction starts at or above 85 mg/dl.

There are a few things you can do. You can start eating fewer meals per day (3 or 4 instead of 6), making sure that the meals are glycemically correct (high in protein and healthy fats with low carbohydrates or at least low in simple, fast-digesting carbohydrates).

5. take curcumin every day

Curcumin is a powerful anti-inflammatory, but its other effects range from pain management to benefits that affect nearly every organ in the human body.

Curcumin can:

• Improve cardiovascular health
• Reduce body fat
• Support healthy cholesterol levels
• Slow the decline of cognitive abilities
• Act as an aromatase inhibitor
• Reduce the build-up of plaque in the arteries
• Reduce the risk of diabetes

And like almost everything that comes from a plant, curcumin also has antioxidant effects. Curcumin is found in the spice turmeric and larger quantities of this spice are consumed in India than anywhere else in the world. Considering the seemingly endless health benefits of curcumin, you would think that Indians would be the healthiest people in the world. Unfortunately, the body does not absorb curcumin very well. Simply consuming curcumin as the main ingredient in curry powder will not have much effect, regardless of the amount used.

To benefit from the effects of curcumin, you need to take it as part of a formula containing piperine, which increases the absorption of curcumin by up to 2000%. Take a few grams a day. Curcumin is one of the few compounds that you will consciously feel better after using.

6. eat nutrient dense chili

Cook and eat things that are nutrient dense.

Most of us eat the same junk every week - why not make sure at least some of the stuff we eat all the time has a ton of nutrients? This chili is high in protein, has a low glycemic index, and contains several foods that are high on the ANDI (Aggregate Nutrient Density Index) scale - a scale that ranks foods by their nutrient density.

This chili is so nutritious that you could probably eat it exclusively for an extended period of time. Oh yeah, it tastes pretty darn good too. The following recipe should make enough meals for most of the week.

Nutrient dense chili recipe:

1. 3 ground beef from grass-fed beef or turkey
2. 1 to 2 medium sized chopped onions
3. 2 red bell peppers, diced
4. 5 carrots, diced
5. 2 cups spinach
6. 2 cloves of garlic
7. 900 grams peeled tomatoes with juice
8. 1.3 liters hot V8 juice
9. 500 grams red kidney beans, drained
10. 500 grams white beans, drained
11. 2 tablespoons iodized salt (to protect you from a widespread iodine deficiency)
12. 2 tablespoons oregano
13. 5 tablespoons of chili powder
14. ¾ tablespoon cayenne pepper
15. 1 cup raw cashews, ground
16. Optional: 125 grams beef liver, finely chopped (this small amount will not affect the taste)

Preparation:

1. Fry the ground beef (and liver, if desired) in a large pot, removing it after frying.
2. Fry onions, peppers, carrots and garlic in oil in the same pot.
3. Add the tomatoes, V8 juice, beans, all the spices and the ground cashews and stir well.
4. Leave to simmer for at least two hours, stirring occasionally. Add the spinach about 10 minutes before eating.

7 Moderate your antioxidant intake

Too many antioxidants are no better than too few and can do more harm than good.

The theory, which was put forward in 1972, was as follows: Free radicals impair the function of cells' mitochondria and set in motion a cascade of enzymes that dismember and kill the cell, ultimately leading to organ failure and possibly systemic failure of bodily functions. This is why you need to protect yourself with antioxidants to be impervious to attacks from chemicals, poor diet, too much sunlight, radioactive radiation, pollution, internet trolls, etc. This is the reason that almost everyone in the civilized world blindly believes that eating as many antioxidants as possible is a good thing.

However, it is quite likely that we are all wrong. Yes, reducing free radical production is a good thing...up to a point. The problem is probably one of dosing, incorrect timing, the wrong antioxidants or too many antioxidants. If you completely shut off the release of free radicals by antioxidants, then the membrane potential of the energy producing organelles known as mitochondria will collapse and cell-dissolving proteins will be distributed throughout the cell. If a whole bunch of mitochondria do this, then the cell dies. When many cells die, organ health and overall health will suffer.

Free radicals are important to health because - in addition to telling the cell when or when not to "commit suicide" - they also fine-tune cellular respiration, known as ATP production (the cell's energy currency). ATP is essential to your body's existence. If you mess with these mechanisms too much by using antioxidants, you may not feel a conscious difference, but you could be destroying yourself bit by bit on a cellular level.

Of course you should take antioxidants, but probably not individual antioxidants in tablet or capsule form. Nutritional science, in its hubris, has cherry-picked individual antioxidants and megadosed them under the assumption that they act alone, rather than in concert with dozens, hundreds or even thousands of other antioxidants. This is the reason for reports that too much vitamin E or C can cause serious health problems.

Consider a humble sprig of thyme. This sprout alone contains 30 different antioxidants. Isn't it possible that perhaps - and only perhaps - their purported benefits come when they are all taken together, rather than cherry-picking just one or two of these antioxidants? For this reason, it's smarter to take your antioxidants in the form of fruits and vegetables, or perhaps in the form of a freeze-dried fruit and vegetable formula that contains thousands of antioxidants combined with myriad phytochemicals. This way, you'll likely get the right amount of antioxidants for optimal free radical control - enough to prevent premature aging or damage to the body, but not so much as to promote cell suicide.

8. train sprints

Sprinting not only makes you look hot, but also improves mitochondrial health and performance.

If only people would sprint instead of using cardio machines. Think of all the space this would free up for weights, racks and machines.

The benefits of sprinting include the following:

• Preferential burning of fat and increasing fat oxidation by 75% after exercise.
• Builds muscle in the legs and core.
• Builds significant amounts of muscle in women (in women, protein synthesis increases by 222% after sprinting, while in men it only increases by 43%).
• Improves insulin sensitivity.

In addition, sprinting improves mitochondrial health and performance. Intense exercise like sprinting increases the number of mitochondria within cells, which is good for performance and overall systemic health (since mitochondrial count - the higher the better - correlates strongly with performance, heart health, prostate health, liver health, etc.).

9. take aspirin.

Aspirin can help control free radicals, improve health, extend lifespan, and potentially even burn fat.

You may know the link between aspirin and heart attacks. In people over 50, taking one baby aspirin (80 mg) results in a 22% reduction in heart attack risk and a 25 to 80% reduction in stroke risk. In addition, there is evidence that taking a baby aspirin every day leads to a substantial reduction in the risk of bowel cancer.

But these may not be the most important reasons for taking aspirin regularly - which is especially true if you're in your forties, thirties or even your twenties. Aspirin has been found to be a mild respiratory uncoupler, which may explain some of its mysterious health benefits. Uncoupling is a cellular process that allows a constant flow of electrons down the respiratory chain (i.e. ATP production) into the energy-producing mitochondria. This process limits the flow of free radicals without completely eliminating it and could theoretically improve health, increase longevity and even burn fat.

Complete deactivation of free radical production, which can occur when you overdose on antioxidants, can lead to cell death, which is pretty much the opposite of what you want to achieve by taking antioxidants. So respiratory decoupling, which is what aspirin does, is a good thing.

Consider taking a baby aspirin, but also keep in mind that aspirin can cause stomach bleeding in a small percentage of the population.

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/living/9-ways-to-live-longer-and-look-better-naked

From TC Luoma

Herbs and spices not only make food taste better, they also make it much more nutritious. They definitely fall into the "superfood" category. But many people don't even know the difference between herbs and spices.

1. Herbs: Typically come from leaves and stems.
2. Spices: Typically come from seeds, fruits and bark.

Most nutrient density scales and indices rank herbs and spices second, just behind offal. Take a look at the following nutrient density ranking by organic chemist Dr. Mathieu Lalonde:

1. Offal
2. Herbs and spices
3. Nuts and seeds
4. Cocoa
5. Fish and seafood
6. Pork and
7. Beef

This ranking sounds like pretty good news if you don't have an appetite for sheep brains, pork liver or beef kidneys right now. Instead, simply spice up your food with herbs and spices.

What makes herbs and spices so nutritious?

For starters, they're packed with antioxidants, with levels of many of these antioxidants far exceeding what you'll find in fruits and vegetables. The phenol levels in cloves are equivalent to 30% of the dry weight, compared to 5% in blueberries. And oregano contains 42 times more antioxidants than apples (1 tablespoon = 1 medium sized apple).

Even though these levels are reduced by heat (by up to 50 percent), scientific research shows that they can still inhibit oxidative damage to unstable fats and the formation of cell-damaging, carcinogenic compounds produced during cooking. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that meat seasoned with an antioxidant-rich spice blend reduced levels of malondialdehyde (a marker of oxidation) by 71 percent.

So adding herbs and spices to your meals means you're increasing your body's protection against free radical damage.

Other benefits include:

• A reduction in inflammation
• Better control of blood sugar and appetite
• A strengthened immune system (antibacterial, antiviral)
• Improved digestion and digestive health
• Improved blood lipid levels (triglycerides, cholesterol)

The top 10 herbs

1 - Rosemary

This carnosol-rich herb, often added to olive oil and fish oil supplements, is the perfect artery protector. Scientific research shows that rosemary inhibits the formation of HCAs (heterocyclic aromatic amines) when roasting and frying meat, improves the oxidative stability of butter and even promotes an upregulation of glutathione levels. Rosmarinic acid, the active ingredient in rosemary, also appears to help with nasal congestion and allergy symptoms, making it the perfect ingredient in soups and teas.

2 - Thyme

Thymol, the antioxidant found in thyme, is a perfect infection fighter. This member of the mint family is a popular ingredient in mouthwashes and cleansers and is also used in tea form to treat everything from athlete's foot to yeast infections. Thyme is also used as a stabilizer for oils used in cooking. Combined with rosemary and garlic, thyme makes a nice dry marinade that goes particularly well with lamb.

3 - Oregano

In terms of antioxidant ranking, organo is a real powerhouse. It contains 42 times more antioxidants than apples, 30 times more antioxidants than potatoes, 12 times more antioxidants than oranges and four times more antioxidants than blueberries.

Oregano is also a powerful antiviral and antibacterial agent that kills E. coli and staphylococci as effectively as penicillin. This makes oregano the perfect addition to your meals to protect you from food-borne pathogens (and carcinogenic compounds produced during cooking) and it also makes a perfect ingredient for your soups and teas to protect you from coughs, colds and nausea.

A little oregano can make a big difference, especially when we're talking about the dried form, which has a stronger flavor than fresh leaves.

4 - Sage

This herb doesn't get as much publicity as the anti-inflammatory spices when it comes to brain support, but the oil contained in sage appears to inhibit the breakdown of an important neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, which aids memory and whose levels are often reduced in people suffering from Alzheimer's or dementia.

In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics in 2003, scientists observed a significant improvement in brain function in 42 subjects with mild to moderate cognitive impairment after administration of a sage extract over a 4-month period. A long list of other studies have observed similar improvements in healthy people (both young and old) when it came to memory and attention.

Just like rosemary, this pine-tasting herb is a rich source of rosemary oil, which can provide additional protection against oxidation of fats and free radical damage. Add sage to meat dishes and steamed vegetables.

5 - Basil

If you've ever eaten pesto, then you've also eaten basil. And even though basil is often praised for its anti-inflammatory properties and high vitamin K content, you should also add basil to your food for extra protection against bacteria. Basil can directly fight a long list of infections (including listeria, staphylococcus and E. coli) with its numerous volatile oils (estragole, myrcene cineole, eugenol, limonene, etc.).

Not surprisingly, its high concentrations of polyphenols and flavonoids also mean increased resistance to cellular damage. This seems to apply to all parts of the plant and all subspecies. King basil - also known as Indian basil - is the best-studied and most popular species in the medicinal field.

6 - Mint

At this point, we're talking about spearmint and peppermint leaves, which taste like toothpaste and chewing gum. Aside from being an effective option for fighting nausea and infection, mint also provides healthy amounts of digestive support and gastrointestinal support.

In a 2007 study, 75% of 57 subjects experienced significant relief from irritable bowel syndrome after 4 weeks of peppermint oil supplementation. How? Evidence suggests that this is a combination of relaxing the muscles of the digestive tract, stimulating enzyme production and killing excessive growth of "bad" gut bacteria in the small intestine. Add some mint to your meals, or take mint in the form of peppermint after a meal.

7 - Ginseng

Ginseng is known as an adaptogen. An adaptogen is something that brings you into balance or a state of homeostasis. This means that ginseng wakes you up when you're tired and calms you down when you're hyper, primarily due to an increased resistance to cellular stress.

Ginseng is commonly marketed for its ability to boost mental performance and improve mood, but the area where ginseng is really helpful is in preventing cognitive impairment and neuronal damage. In a Chinese study, patients with mild to moderate dementia showed a significant improvement in memory performance after 12 weeks of supplementation with a ginseng extract compared to a placebo.

This additional protection of the brain is probably the result of a reduction in oxidative stress, but the anti-inflammatory properties of ginseng could also play a role here. As well as improving cognitive performance, ginseng has also been linked to improving blood sugar levels, boosting the immune system and has even been used to treat sexual dysfunction.

8 - Tarragon

Sleep and digestive health are critical components to a long, healthy life. Fortunately, tarragon can help with both if you get into the habit of adding it to your food regularly. Tarragon improves digestion by stimulating enzyme production and relaxing the muscles of the digestive tract, while also fighting bacterial infections that may be present in the digestive tract. As for sleep, tarragon seems to be driven by the pain-relieving properties of eugenol. The French use tarragon to treat insomnia.

9 - Coriander

In the journal Phytotherapy Research, coriander is described as "antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antianxiety, antiepileptic, antidepressant, antimutagenic, anti-inflammatory, antidyslipidemic, antihypertensive, neuroprotective and duiretic".

Both the leaves and seeds of coriander contribute to the benefits listed above, but the seeds of coriander (Coriandrum sativum) have been studied more intensively in this regard, particularly with regard to their effects on blood sugar, blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels.

10 - Dill

If there's one member of the herb family that you should eat fresh and not cook at high temperatures, it's dill. Dill loses most of its nutrients when heated and much of its flavor when dried.

Dill is more antibacterial and antimicrobial than antioxidant. It is best known for its stomach-soothing, digestion-improving and bacteria-killing abilities. So don't shy away from adding dill to soups, salads, sauces and cooked fish. Laurel, fennel, parsley, chives and lemongrass should also be praised.

The top 10 spices

1 - Turmeric

Curcumin is the primary health-promoting compound contained in turmeric and turmeric is the basis of curry. Turmeric has an anti-inflammatory effect, helping to reduce the risk of just about any degenerative disease, particularly those associated with the brain, heart and nervous system.

There is scientific research suggesting that the low rates of Alzheimer's disease in India (compared to the US) and East Asia (compared to Europe) may be linked to the higher consumption of turmeric in these countries. This is based on curcumin's ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and exert a range of neuroprotective effects.

Curcumin is also a powerful antioxidant, which means that it has a dual protective effect against disease. Scientific studies show that the antioxidant effects of curcumin are 5 to 10 times stronger than the corresponding effects of vitamins C and E.

2 - Cinnamon

When you think of cinnamon, think of blood sugar. Cinnamon is one of the best things you can add to your diet to improve your insulin sensitivity and glycemic control. A study review published in the journal Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism looked at the effects of cinnamon on fasting blood sugar in type 2 diabetics and found that the reductions brought about by cinnamon ranged from 10 to 29%.

An easy way to add cinnamon to your diet is to add it to your coffee or tea. By doing this, you can easily get 1 to 3 grams (1 to 2 teaspoons) of cinnamon, which is the range in which the above-mentioned positive effects have been observed. Cinnamon is also a spice that goes well with many other foods. The popular combination of sweet potatoes and cinnamon will delight your taste buds without spiking your blood sugar levels.

3 - Garlic

Garlic is like an insurance policy. It protects you from colds and other illnesses and improves the overall health of your digestive tract, where many illnesses start. A regular dose of garlic keeps things balanced in your digestive tract by killing yeast and pathogenic bacteria and nourishing the beneficial microorganisms that keep us lean and healthy. Onions and shallots do the same, but what sets garlic apart is its allicin content. Allicin is a compound that is only released when garlic cloves are chopped or crushed, which is why you should enjoy garlic fresh whenever possible.

4 - Cayenne/pepperoni

This spice comes from these small red and green chili peppers. It is best known for its ability to stimulate your metabolism and get your blood pumping. The high capsaicin content is known to increase energy levels and dilate blood vessels.

However, the real benefit of capsaicin-containing spices lies in their ability to control hunger. This is undoubtedly the bigger driving factor behind all the positive research on fat loss. In a study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior, 25 normal-weight men and women were divided into two groups. One group was given one gram of pepperoni spice and the other was not. The group that received the spice had a slightly higher body temperature and slightly higher energy expenditure, as well as a significantly lower appetite and a significantly lower desire to eat fatty, salty and sweet foods.

A study published in 2009 showed a significant difference in ghrelin (a hunger hormone) levels after a capsaicin-containing meal compared to a capsaicin-free meal.

However, hot spices can also irritate the digestive tract. If you already suffer from or suspect you may suffer from problems along these lines, then it may be wise to avoid such spices.

5 - Ginger

Ginger is best known for its anti-inflammatory effects. It helps to soothe the muscles of the digestive system and relieves nausea including morning sickness. There is ample research to suggest that ginger can relieve arthritis pain and muscle soreness, which is not surprising given its anti-inflammatory properties. In addition to this, ginger delivers a hefty dose of antioxidants, so you can expect protection against disease - and in particular diseases affecting the brain and heart.

6 - Cloves

If we look at the more common herbs and spices, ground cloves have the highest ORAC value - a measure of antioxidant status - with some research suggesting that this value is double that of oregano, the second most common member of the herb family.

Cloves are good for digestion as they 'warm up the stomach' and stimulate the body to produce stomach acid, which is essential for the proper breakdown of food and absorption of nutrients contained in food. Cloves also provide a shot of antimicrobial, antifungal and antiviral oil, which fights potential pathogens and boosts the overall strength and function of the immune and digestive systems.

Contrary to popular belief, a lack of stomach acid is the reason many people struggle with heartburn and other digestive issues. So put down the malox and get some cloves (preferably in combination with apple cider vinegar).

7 - Caraway seeds

Caraway is another popular ingredient in curry and is also responsible for the delicious taco flavor of Mexican dishes. Cumin aids digestion, fights bacteria and acts as an antioxidant. It may also lower blood sugar, reduce glycation (in rats) and improve immune response (in mice exposed to stress). However, the latter information should be taken with a grain of salt.

8 - Cardamom

Cardamom is one of the best spices for aiding digestion, its powerful oil kills pathogenic bacteria (Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans) in the mouth and likely in the digestive tract, and it has vasodilating effects that can support better blood flow and oxygenation throughout the body. As well as adding cardamom to tea or sweet dishes, you can also chew cardamom capsules to combat bad breath and clean your teeth through the fibrous shell, as is widely done in India.

9 - Fennel seeds

This cooling spice aids digestion and fights bad breath. The essential oils contained in fennel seeds also appear to ward off infections and relax the muscles of the stomach. Fennel is known to provide relief from digestive tract infections and can protect against excessive bacterial growth and infection. Fennel is also a rich source of antioxidants. One analysis identified 23 bioflavonoids and phenyl-rich compounds in the essential oil extracted from fennel seeds.

10 - Black pepper

Black pepper is the most commonly consumed spice and yet most people are unaware of its benefits. If they were better known, we would see more combinations of pepper with other spices, as enhancing the absorption of other nutrients is one of pepper's greatest benefits. In one study, scientists administered two grams of curcumin with or without piperine (a chemical found in pepper) and found that piperine increased the bioavailability of curcumin by 2000%.

Saffron, aniseed, mustard seeds, allspice, fenugreek and cocoa beans should also be praised.

A note on disease prevention

Disease prevention is about diet, lifestyle and genetic predispositions as a whole - not about individual foods, no matter how nutritious they may be. However, herbs and spices can reduce oxidation, inflammation and other disease-promoting factors. And yes, certain compounds have been shown to target disease, but that doesn't mean we should rely on them as primary means of treating or preventing disease.

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Source: https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/top-20-herbs-spices-for-super-health

By Mike Sheridan