Fitness School

Antioxidants are nature’s way to fight illness and disease, Many fruits and vegetables contain these compounds called ‘phytonutrients’, which have the beneficial effect of keeping us healthy by improving our immune system. Although only nine hundred if these phytonutrients have been discovered so far it is the scientist opinion that many more will be found and will change tomorrows health care needs,but medical researchers believe that they are only just beginning and this could be the future of preventative health care in the world. To date a large number of health giving benefits of these phytonutrients have been found,the anti-aging power of blueberries and the effect that cherries have on reducing joint pain, are just two of the benefits found so far.

Blueberries contain an array of antioxidants while having a lower natural sugar content than many other fruits you can care to mention. The easiest way to inject concentrated amounts of these fruits is by drinking juice every day,some of the many benefits have been improvements in the body’s capacity to heal itself and benefits to circulation. The antioxidants are also efficient at fighting disease and dealing with infection. Even the humble apple is not immune with properties to help ward of heart problems.

Now citrus fruits too are showing that they have a use with a number of beneficial phytochemicals contained in them. The particular combination of properties found in tart cherries offers an anti-inflammatory benefit, which is appreciated by those suffering from joint pain caused by arthritis, gout, fibromyalgia or over-exertion. The benefits of vitamins B, C, E and certain other minerals are well studied and widely known. Phytoalexins, also antioxidants like resveratrol, are found in mulberries, blackberries and blueberries have special properties which prevent infection and viruses.

These compounds can help or suppress harmful body aging processes that often end in heart attacks, stroke, faulty blood pressure, and Alzheimer’s disease. Tomatoes too are able to help in the prevention of conditions like heart disease and some cancers. There are a number of ways you can use tomatoes to gain the greatest antioxidant benefit from them and these include pureed, juice concentrate and sauce. In the heat of summer, a watermelon can be one of the most refreshing of fruits but it has also been found to have a range of the most important phytonutrients so far discovered. Now you know the benefits of these fruits to your health, there is no longer any reason not to use them more regularly.

All arthritis conditions affect the musculoskeletal system and joints which causes pain, stiffness, inflammation, and damage to the joint cartilage. Cartilage between the bones is what makes sure that there is no pain thanks to the bones coming into contact with each other in our joints. Therefore, because of this, cartilage has the exact same needs as the other glands and organs; cartilage cells are referred to as Chondrocytes. All chondrocytes will die and are usually replaced by new cartilage cells.

Over time, inflammation might kill more cartilage cells which make replacement difficult to keep up with. Cartilage cells are not sufficiently regenerated when there is injury or insufficient nutrition for regenerating new cells. The condition causes damage where instability, deformities and joint weakness can obstruct daily life. Typically, arthritis is treated with medication, physical therapy, and changes to the person’s lifestyle. The last option left for the physicians to relieve the patients from discomfort is joint replacement surgery.

Arthritis has two main categories which is based on the areas of the body affected, ‘localized’ or ‘generalized’; this is further divided in to sub categories. Localized arthritis affects the cartilage surrounding the joints and bones and includes conditions like bursitis and tendonitis. One of the other sub-categories of localized conditions is known to affect maybe one or two joints, like the hip or knee. A generalized condition is a condition where the muscles and the soft tissues get damaged, in this condition there is no swelling or any kind of inflammation on the joints. This condition does not indicate joint damage.

The next condition in the second sub category causes inflammation which affects the whole body. Rheumatoid arthritis, gout and psortiatis arthritis are examples of the next conditions in this subcategory. Erythematosus or involvement of skin, kidney and other organs, vasculitis or any organ and polymyositis involving the muscles are other generalized conditions.

It is not uncommon for people to have more than one form of arthritis; there are almost 100 medical conditions which affects approximately 300,000 children and 46 million adults in the United States. This condition can start as early as infancy, while it is most common among adults over 60, primarily in the form of osteoarthritis. The numbers are increasing as the American population ages and more and more people are beginning to suffer from arthritis.

Medical care and indirect expenses costs over 124 billion dollars in the US where arthritis and related problems are the main cause of disability. Osteoarthritis can be prevented by taking a few precautionary measures; these include, maintaining suitable or appropriate body weight, and consuming plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, which are good sources for the vitamins C and D. By taking the time to make sure that you are consuming enough calcium, participate in regular exercise and avoiding injuries that are brought about due to sports activities, you can also help with prevention of this condition.