Please read the following article. It examines the benefits of certain spices added to foods. Please note it studied the actual spices and not antioxidant pills. At Kaizen Total Wellness, we recommend healthy eating, not taking unproven pill supplements! Enjoying real spices and fruits and veggies are not only cheaper then pills but taste better.

Barbara Bingham, Director
Kaizen Total Wellness Center
Nutritionist,  Wellness Coach

A laugh before we get serious....

Nutritional benefits of almonds and walnuts are more commonly known, but other nuts can provide a healthy variety for recipe ingredients or snacks as long as you are getting raw or roasted, not salted or sweetened.   Pistachios are rich in lutein, beta-carotene and vitamin E and can have cardiovascular benefits including lowering 'bad' LDL cholesterol.  Antioxidants found in pistachios (and many other foods) have been scientifically proven to help with a variety of health concerns including cancer prevention, improved immune function, healthier skin or reduced risk of heart disease.    Brazil nuts are an abundant food source of the antioxidant selenium.   A recent study showed that eating just one Brazil nut each day for 8 weeks significantly increased plasma selenium status as well as an increase in the enzyme glutathione peroxidase-1 which protects the body from oxidative damage. 

Resveratrol is a type of natural phenol produced by plants when under attack. It is found in grapes, for example, and new studies suggest that it has antioxidant properties. This is one of the many reasons drinking red wine is supposed to be good for one's health.

A new study says that Resveratrol can even help reduce body fat. These are all great claims, but does this really prevent disease? We don't know yet as there is no proof. We do not recommend buying resveratrol supplements at this time. Why not just eat grapes? They are cheaper and taste great.

Alpha-lipoic acid is an antioxidant that is made by the body and is found in every cell, where it helps turn glucose into energy.(Alpha-lipoic acid is not the same as alpha linolenic acid, which is an omega-3 fatty useful in heart health.) ALA has been shown to reduce blood sugar and a recent study showed that it markedly reduced weight gain in rodents. Before trying this supplement, please be aware that it may interact with diabetes medicine to lower blood sugar too much and can also interfere with thyroid hormone production. Please consult your doctor before taking this.