Of the four temperaments - Blood

Blood - Sanguine, (ad-Dam in Arabic)

One of the four temperaments, someone whose primary temperament is sanguinous (hot and moist) is enthusiastic, active and social.

One of the two extrovert personalities, “the talker”. 

It combines with a secondary temperament to produce variations on the theme. The secondary temperament of phlegmatic tempers the sanguine nature to produce happy, carefree people who like to help others.  Visitors rather than workers.

The Ibn Sina Institute has an excellent resources page giving information about which foods are best for those who are sanguinous.  Cherries, for example.

Butter

As-Suyuti in "Medicine of the Prophet" said:

·        Butter is hot & wet in the first degree

·        The best butter is fresh butter

·        It is beneficial for constipation and a dry cough

·        It weakens the desire for food.

·        Abu Nu‘aim relates that the Prophet (pbuh) once said to ‘Ayesha: I love you more than I do butter with honey.

·        The Prophet (pbuh) used to like the species of date called ‘Ajwat. Says the writer of this book: Verily the ‘Ajwat is an excellent and sufficient food; and if to it is added some butter, then its sufficiency is completed.

Ibn Qayyim in "Medicine of the Prophet" said, "The fact that the Prophet, peace be upon him, combined butter and dates showed wisdom, for this means the rectification of one by the other.”

Rhubarb – Rawand – Da Huang

As-Suyuti in "Medicine of the Prophet" tells us that rhubarb

• is hot and dry
• dissolves blockages in the liver
• relieves chronic fevers.

Traditional Chinese Medicine calls it Da Huang and, again, it’s used for dissolving blockages.

Capsicum Pepper

An August 2017 study found that capsicum pepper can have an effect in increasing metabolism and may help to manage health weight.

Source: EurekAlert!, the online, global news service operated by AAAS, the science society.

The long term effect of exercise in early life

A July 2017 study at the University of Auckland found that “bone retains a "memory" of exercise’s effects long after the exercise is ceased, and this bone memory continues to change the way the body metabolises a high-fat diet … This is the first demonstration of a long-lasting effect of exercise past puberty.”

Source: EurekAlert!, the online, global news service operated by AAAS, the science society.

Liquorice

Ibn Qayyim in "Medicine of the Prophet" in the Chapter entitled “Observations on Compound Preparations said, "So now we will examine sweet ebullients [agents that causes heat and movement]. These are the ebullients made from jujubes, sebestens, fennel, and extract of liquorice [Arabic ‘araq as-Sus].”

According to a 2012 report, “the root has been treasured in traditional healing since ancient times. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin have now discovered that liquorice root also contains substances with an anti-diabetic effect. These amorfrutins not only reduce blood sugar, they are also anti-inflammatory and are very well tolerated. Thus, they may be suitable for use in the treatment of complex metabolic disorders.” [EurekAlert!, the online, global news service operated by AAAS, the science society.]

Liquorice (“Gan Cao”) according to Sacred Lotus in Chinese Traditional Medicine is considered as a spleen tonic, moistens the lungs, dispels phlegm and stops coughs, it releases cramps and alleviates pain and clears heat.

The College of Chinese Medicine says that liquorice strengthens the spleen, is anti-spasmodic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, detoxicant, anti-tussive and expectorant, antacid and moderates the action of other herbs.

Menzies-Trull in "The Herbalist's Prescriber" says, "Liquorice [glycyrrhiza glabra/ inflata/ uralensis] is a demulcent.  A normaliser of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical system”

David Hoffman in "The New Holistic Herbal" has it as an emollient and a demulcent (for the lung), for coughs (in a 3-part mixture), bronchitis and catarrh, as an expectorant, anti-inflammatory, adrenal agent, anti-spasmodic and mild-laxative.

Green tea: memory, insulin resistance and obesity

A July 2017 study (involving mice) by Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China suggests that, “The ancient habit of drinking green tea may be a more acceptable alternative to medicine when it comes to combating obesity, insulin resistance, and memory impairment."

Source: EurekAlert!, the online, global news service operated by AAAS, the science society.

Brain power: Spinach, Kale, Avocados and Eggs

A study published in July 2017 by Illinois University finds that, “middle-aged participants with higher levels of lutein - a nutrient found in green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale, as well as avocados and eggs -- had neural responses that were more on par with younger individuals than with their peers.”

Professor Naiman Khan said. "We know these foods are related to other health benefits, but these data indicate that there may be cognitive benefits as well."

Source: EurekAlert!, the online, global news service operated by AAAS, the science society.

Walnuts and gut health

We’ve written about walnuts before.

A new July 2017 study (on animals) by Louisiana State University suggests that, “walnut consumption may be beneficial for digestive health by increasing the amount of good probiotic-type bacteria in the gut. Walnuts do this by acting as a prebiotic to help nourish and grow the bacteria that keeps the digestive system healthy.”

Source: EurekAlert!, the online, global news service operated by AAAS, the science society.

Sugar in drinks, protein and energy

According to a July 2017 study by the USDA-Agricultural Research Service Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, “Having a sugar-sweetened drink with a high-protein meal may negatively affect energy balance, alter food preferences and cause the body to store more fat.” 

Source: EurekAlert!, the online, global news service operated by AAAS, the science society.

Women’s bone health: a daily minute of running

A July 2017 study by the University of Exeter found that, “A single minute of exercise each day is linked to better bone health in women, new research shows.” The researchers found that, “those who did "brief bursts" of high-intensity, weight-bearing activity equivalent to a medium-paced run for pre-menopausal women, or a slow jog for post-menopausal women, had better bone health.”

Source: EurekAlert!, the online, global news service operated by AAAS, the science society.

A link between artificial sweeteners, weight gain and heart disease

A study published in July 2017 by the University of Manitoba found that, “Consumption of artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, sucralose and stevia, is widespread and increasing. Emerging data indicate that artificial, or non-nutritive, sweeteners may have negative effects on metabolism, gut bacteria and appetite, although the evidence is conflicting.”

“The longer observational studies showed a link between consumption of artificial sweeteners and relatively higher risks of weight gain and obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and other health issues.”

We suggest honey or dates rather than sugar or sweetener.

Source: EurekAlert!, the online, global news service operated by AAAS, the science society.

Menopausal symptoms: fermented red clover extract

A July 2017 study by Aarhus University Hospital found that, “The vast majority of women in the menopause are familiar with the status of Red Clover as an herbal medicine that soothes hot flush symptoms and hormonal fluctuations. This holds true, new research shows, if the red clover is taken in a fermented form. Fermented Red Clover extract is demonstrated to decrease significantly both the number and severity of daily hot flushes."

“The study also found that the extract prevents the normally accelerated menopausal bone loss affecting one in three women over the age of 50 (e.g. results showed treatment blunted bone loss in the spine completely).”

Long working hours impacts on the heart

Research published by University College London in July 2017 found that, “People who work long hours have an increased risk of developing an irregular heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation … The study showed that, compared to people who worked a normal week of between 35-40 hours, those who worked 55 hours or more were approximately 40% more likely to develop atrial fibrillation during the following ten years.”

Healthy eating patterns the best strategy

A July 2017 study by the Harvard Chan School of Public Health found that,

“Improving the quality of one's diet over time, even with modest changes, is associated with lower total and cardiovascular mortality. “

And that it is better to,

“Focus on overall healthy eating patterns, rather than on individual nutrients.”

Drinking coffee for health benefits

Researchers at Imperial College London in a July 2017 study found that “People who drink around three cups of coffee a day may live longer than non-coffee drinkers.”

Dr Gunter added: "Due to the limitations of observational research, we are not at the stage of recommending people to drink more or less coffee. That said, our results suggest that moderate coffee drinking - up to around three cups per day - is not detrimental to your health, and that incorporating coffee into your diet could have health benefits."

Cranberries

Prebiotics are molecules we eat but can’t digest.

Some may promote the growth and health of beneficial microorganisms in our intestines.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in a July 2017 study found, “first evidence that certain beneficial gut bacteria are able to grow when fed a carbohydrate found in cranberries.”

The Mediterranean diet and colo-rectal health

An interesting conclusion about the “Mediterranean Diet” from a study published in June 2017 suggests that the three most important things are, “loading up on fish and fruit, and cutting back on soft drinks.”

The researchers found that, "each one of these three choices was associated with a little more than 30% reduced odds of a person having an advanced, pre-cancerous colorectal lesion, compared to people who did not eat any of the Mediterranean Diet components.”

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet components was defined by the researchers as, “consumption levels above the group median for fruits, vegetables and legumes, nuts and seeds, whole grains, fish and poultry and a high ratio of monounsaturated to saturated fatty acids, as well consumption below the median of red meat, alcohol, and soft drinks.”

Vitamin D3 twice as effective as Vitamin D2

In a July 2017 study, researchers at Surrey University concluded that, “vitamin D3 was twice as effective in raising levels of the vitamin in the body than its counterpart D2.”

Public Health England has previously reported that, “more than 1 in 5 people in the UK have low levels of vitamin D and has increased the recommended intake of the vitamin to 10 micrograms per day, throughout the year, for everyone in the general population aged 4 years and older.”

“Daily consumption of products containing vitamin D3 but not vitamin D2 will enable the population to meet this target helping to avoid the health implications such as osteoporosis, rickets and increased risk of cardio vascular disease which are associated with insufficient levels of vitamin D in the body.”

The researchers state, "our findings show that vitamin D3 is twice as effective as D2 in raising vitamin D levels in the body, which turns current thinking about the two types of vitamin D on its head. Those who consume D3 through fish, eggs or vitamin D3 containing supplements are twice as more likely to raise their vitamin D status than when consuming vitamin D2 rich foods such as mushrooms, vitamin D2 fortified bread or vitamin D2 containing supplements, helping to improve their long term health."

The sulforaphane in broccoli may help with diabetes

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg and Lund University, in a June 2017 study, “have identified an antioxidant, - richly occurring in broccoli - as a new antidiabetic substance. A patient study shows significantly lower blood sugar levels in participants who ate broccoli extract with high levels of sulforaphane.”