by Gary Saggu | Oct 2, 2022 | General, Herbs
What is it?
Catechin is a type of a polyphenol and it belongs to a group of flavanols part of the flavanoid family. I had recently discussed Naringin, another flavanoid, in a previous post. There are also types of Catechin and Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) is worth mentioning as it is a powerful one(found in tea).
What does it do?
Catechin is a powerful anti-oxidant and helps in the removal of free radicals in our bodies. Free radicals are harmful to our bodies at a cellular level greatly weakening it and leaving it vulnerable to infections or more seriously degenerative diseases, cancer, heart issues etc.
Benefits of Catechin
Yes there are many, IMHO.
– Catechin maybe a natural flu/cold fighter as it has a natural sterilizing effect killing bacteria. Some plants actually secrete catechin into the ground around them to the hinder the growth of other plants around them. Anyone want to wipe out competition around them this easily? 
– Catechin maybe good for the heart and may prevent many heart ailments.
– Maybe a weight loss tonic, fat burner and a blood sugar regulator. I am going to try this and update my blog once I have some results, not that I am admitting that I need to lose weight :-)!
– Maybe an important player fighter against cancer. Hopefully there wil be some scientific research on this in the near future.
Where is Catechin found?
IMHO, the best source is green tea. Not to endorse any brands but I am drinking Tea’s Tea (Unsweetened Green White Tea) which is rich in catechins. And certainly mind the caffeine.
Also found in Acai, Peaches, Kola nut and even garlic and more. (Isn’t garlic amazing?)
Moral: Drink lots of green tea throughout the day, so the catechin from the green tea is entering the body. I certainly am! Enjoy.
– Gary Saggu
by Gary Saggu | Mar 27, 2019 | Fermented
What is it?
Fermentation is the conversion of carbohydrates into alcohol and carbon dioxide(CO2) or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria etc. without the use of oxygen (anaerobically). Wow, carbs and sugars into alcohol sounds really beneficial for the slow carb diet followers but there is more to that. Fermentation is used to make wine, beer, kimchi, pickles, sauerkraut, yogurt and more.
Benefits of fermented foods?
- Preservation – it is a natural way of preserving foods and increasing substantially the shelf life of some foods.
- Fermentation is an all natural process provided no artificial ingredients are used.
- Tasty and inexpensive – I love the taste of almost all fermented foods (even sauerkraut:) ). Moreover, it is easy to ferment foods inexpensively.
- Fermentation eliminates toxins from the food.
- Improves digestion as the food is easier to digest and assimilate due to the fermentation process.
- Friendly probiotics and bacteria in fermented foods that balance the bacteria in the intestines.
- Many studies have shown that fermented soy, helps in preventing and reducing the effects of many diseases including cancer and heart ailments. The macrobiotic diet is a big proponent of miso, made from fermenting soy beans, has many benefits including lowering high blood pressure.
Time for a serving of sauerkraut!
– Gary Saggu
(My tech blog)
by Gary Saggu | Apr 4, 2015 | Herbs
Long overdue but here is the blog post I have promised for a while on the benefits of red palm oil.
What is it?
Red palm oil has a rich, dark red color when it is unprocessed. It is derived from the pulp or the mesocarp of the fruit of the palm oil tree which also has the deep red color. The palm oil tree is the African oil palm, Elaeis guineensis. Red palm oil should not be confused by palm kernel oil which is derived from the seed of the palm tree. (This article is about the benefits of unprocessed red palm oil and not the palm oil extracted from the kernel or the seed). It is used in cooking especially in Asia and Africa.
How is it extracted?
It is cold pressed and best in an unprocessed organic state. Indonesia and Malaysia have been the top producers of this variety.
Nutrients in red palm oil?
Red palm oil is full of lycopene (also found in tomatoes) as well as alpha-carotene and beta-carotene(found in carrots) and these 2 nutrients give it its exotic red color. Red palm oil is also very rich in Vitamin E in the form of tocotreinols. A popular brand from Malaysia was available from Whole Foods – the bottle states no preservates or colors. Also, 1 tbsp (~14g) has 14g of fat out of which 6.5g are Monounsaturates, 5.6g are saturates and 1.9g polyunsaturates. It also contained 11.2mg of natural Vitamin E along with Natural Co-Enzyme Q10. Impressive but watch out for high saturates.
What are its benefits?
- It may help lowering cholestrol and prevent heart ailments
- Nutritional benefit (see above)
- Promotes skin health
- May aid in weight loss
- Anti-oxidant and enables elimination of free radicals from body
Cons?
There is some talk of the massive deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia to accomodate for the high demand for palm oil worldwide. Also, species like the “pygmy elephant” are becoming high risk due to this.
I wonder what cooking with this almost exotically bizzare looking oil will be like. I cannot wait to try…this weekend!
– Gary Saggu
Part 1 of this series – Olive Oil
Part 2 of this series – Macadamia Oil
My tech blog
by Gary Saggu | Mar 16, 2013 | Herbs
This is my second post on the healthy oil series – Read the previous post on Olive oil here. I have been reading about the benefits of Macadamia nut oil a lot recently. I had given up on the Macadamia nut after an article I read about a year and half ago that called the nut with not many nutrients and full of fats. It was rated as the least useful of the 6 or 7 nuts profiles in this category. I put it in my list of decadent nuts until I read about Macadamia nut oil and it benefits. It made sense to me as nothing from nature has absolutely no benefit.
What is it?
It is oil extracted from the nut meat of the Macadamia tree. This nut (and tree) natively grows in Australia as well as Brazil, Hawaii and other places. The Macadamia nut trees, Macadamia integrifolia, prefer volcanic soil in more of a tropical climate. The nut has a number of nutrients and the extracted oil has a number of anti-oxidants and is rich in monounsaturated fats. The oil itself is clear, with a light yellow color and a distinctive nutty odor. It is tasty, IMHO!
What are its benefits?
- Heart and Head friendly:Since the oil is rich in monounsaturated fats(including Omega 3, 6), it helps in the lowering of the LDL cholesterol (bad) and helps in the maintenance of HDL (good) cholesterol. This oil may reduce the risk of heart problems and stroke.
- As a beauty oil: Since the oil does not oxidise easily and has a rich, buttery feel on the skin it is used in creams and sunblocks. Full of anti-oxidants and the high fat content, it may help keep the skin supple and soft. Also, loaded with Vitamin E, It may be the youth tonic I was searching for :). Btw, it is supposed to be also good for the hair and nails, although I have not tried it yet.
- As a cooking oil: Since the oil can withstand high temperatures(smoke point at about 425 F) and has a great flavor, it is a good choice for cooking especially frying or sautéing. This oil also has a high shell life of almost 2 years.
I use it in my morning omelets almost every other day and am trying to integrate it in my diet. While it is more expensive than other alternatives, it has become a regular in my kitchen.
Next post on healthy oils will be on Red palm oil – Happy Saturday!
– Gary Saggu
(My tech blog)
by Gary Saggu | Mar 13, 2013 | General
I was eating breakfast this morning and decided to indulge in a little salt. As I was about to open the packet of salt, I decided to look at the ingredients. I was quite surprised to see the list – Salt, Sodium Silicoaluminate, Dextrose and Potassium Iodide.
Salt – as expected Sodium Chloride (NaCl). Essential to human life but harmful to us in excess.
Sodium Silicoaluminate – an anti-caking agent used to prevent lumping in table salt. I did some research on this and realized that there is speculation around it being linked to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. This is also known as E554 and there is no way I can believe that it is good for the body. My take is that anything with this synthetic of Silicon and Aluminium should be avoided. IMHO, all E-ingredients should be avoided.
Dextrose – another mystery! According to the dictionary it is “The dextrorotatory form of glucose found naturally in animal and plant tissue and derived synthetically from starch.“. Personally, I do not want any form of sugar in my food especially in a sneaky way. It is claimed by the salt makers that Dextrose keeps the Potassium Iodide stable (preventing its oxidation) but I am sure there are other ways to get iodine – naturally. Also, definitely not good if you are on the slow carb diet (SCD)!
Potassium Iodide – (KI) This ingredient has a purpose – Iodine is a micro-nurient that enables proper functioning of the thyroid gland and used to prevent Goiter (swelling of the thyroid). Some people argue the need of this in table salt as we need only a little bit of Iodine and it is present in sea vegetables, cranberries and strawberries (all organic I hope!).
I have attached the photo for reference for all :-)!
My take on this is to start eating natural unrefined sea salts from pure sources – like Celtic sea salt. I will check in my local Whole foods and update this list.
– Gary Saggu
(My tech blog)
