Coriander “seed” is actually the common term for the tiny ribbed brown fruit of an annual Herb, Coriandrum sativum. The delicate, bright green leaves are used as a culinary herb–better known as cilantro or Chinese parsley. The seed is also used to flavor various commercial foods, particularly beverages, frozen dairy desserts, candy, and puddings. Its pleasing aromatic oil is a common ingredient in creams, lotions, and perfumes.
Category: C
Soy Foods and Breast Cancer
For the past several years, the advice given to breast cancer survivors by their oncologists simply didn’t make much sense. I must have heard this from dozens of women: “I was told to avoid soy because it would make the cancer worse.” They’d been told that soy “feeds” cancer, like adding gasoline to a smoldering […]
CASE STUDY: C’est Moi
If I hadn’t been experiencing an annoying sensation in my throat with every swallow that in my fears had escalated to advanced throat cancer, the week would otherwise have begun quite nicely. For example, while talking to a new patient with some longstanding neck and shoulder issues, I asked if she would mind if my […]
Zinc/Copper
The minerals zinc and copper can be purchased as single products, but there’s good reason to consider a combination product that pairs the two.
Zinc blocks the absorption and enhances the excretion of copper when taken over time. So, when zinc is recommended long term (over many months) for any condition–from arthritis to prostate problems or even Alzheimer’s–it’s important to get some copper as well. A combination product will help prevent a copper deficiency and the anemia that can develop as a result.
Vitamin C
In the eighteenth century, seasoned sailors found that by sucking on lemons they could avoid scurvy, a debilitating disease that often developed during long voyages when fresh fruits and vegetables were scarce. When the lemon’s key nutrient was formally identified in 1928, it was named ascorbic acid for its anti-scurvy, or antiscorbutic, action. Today ascorbic acid is widely known as vitamin C.
Vitamin C and Flavinoids
Vitamin C, an essential antioxidant, is often sold with plant-based substances called flavonoids in a single product. While each supplement can be purchased individually, there are several reasons to consider a product that combines the two.
For one, flavonoids–the catchall term for some 4,000 antioxidant compounds responsible for the color and numerous health benefits of fruits, vegetables, and herbs–enhance the body’s absorption of vitamin C. Key flavonoids include quercetin, rutin, genistein, grape seed extract, and naringen.
Pumpkin (cucurbita) Seed
Numerous species of the Cucurbita genus are native to North America. Their fruits (mostly squash) have long been used for food, and their seeds for healing. Well-known Cucurbita species include autumn squash, butternut squash, China squash, crookneck squash, summer squash, and the famous Halloween squash and adornment: the pumpkin (C. pepo).
Lecithin and Choline
Lecithin is a fatty substance manufactured in the body and widely found in many animal- and plant-based foods, including eggs, liver, peanuts, soybeans, and wheat germ. Lecithin is often used as an additive in such processed foods as ice cream, margarine, and salad dressings, because it helps blend (or emulsify) fats with water. Lecithin is also available in supplement form.
Creatine
Creatine is an important compound manufactured by the liver. It assists muscles in producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the substance that fuels bursts of energy on the cellular level. Animal proteins are a primary dietary source of creatine. Taken in concentrated dietary supplement form, creatine is thought to extend short bursts of high-energy exercise, such as sprinting and power weight lifting. Creatine supplements may also reduce muscle fatigue. Not surprisingly, these properties make creatine a favorite supplement among athletes and body-builders.
Cranberry
Generations of American women have known that the bitter native cranberry isn’t just the basis of a Thanksgiving relish. In fact, these small, dark red berries have a long medical history in addition to a colorful culinary one. Specifically, cranberry juice and cranberry extract appear to help prevent and even eliminate urinary tract infections. Most women develop this type of problem at least once in their lives, and some suffer from constant recurrences.
Copper
Copper is the third most abundant trace mineral in the human body. Most Americans readily identify it as the dark reddish, malleable metal used in cookware and plumbing. Numerous foods contain copper, although the particularly rich sources such as liver and oysters are not commonly consumed. In fact, most Americans get too little of this important nutrient.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a slightly altered form of linoleic acid (LA), an omega-6 fatty acid important to human health. Omega-6 fatty acids are derived from the foods we eat (primarily from meats and dairy products). The average American ingests probably less than 1 gram of CLA a day.
Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates, primarily starches, are long chains of glucose molecules. These large glucose molecules are also known as polysaccharides which can be composed of various numbers of monosaccharides and disaccharides. Complex carbohydrates are polymers of simple sugars (monosaccharides) that are branched and may contain lipid or protein groups.
Coltsfoot
Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) may qualify as the world’s oldest cough remedy. Folk healers have been using the bright yellow flowers, roots, and hoof-shaped, wooly leaves of this daisy family member for centuries to suppress dry coughs and soothe sore throats. In fact, part of the plant’s scientific name (Tussilago) stems from the Latin word for “cough.” Shop owners in eighteenth century France painted an image of the plant on their signs to let passersby know that they sold healing herbs.
Colloidal Oatmeal
Sold in pharmacies and other drug outlets, colloidal oatmeal (Avena sativa) is not intended for a saucepan on the stove. Instead, this natural product is more suited to the water in the bathtub, where it helps soothe and soften dry skin and relieve itchy skin rashes.
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
One of the world’s most popular supplements, the chemical coenzyme Q10 has generated great excitement as a heart disease remedy and a cure for countless other conditions. The body naturally produces this compound, which has been dubbed “vitamin Q” because of its essential role in keeping all systems running smoothly. In fact, the scientists who identified coenzyme Q10 in 1957 initially honored its ubiquitous presence–it’s found in every human cell and in all living organisms–by naming it “ubiquinone.” Small amounts are also present in most foods.
Chromium
Chromium is an essential trace mineral that the body needs to grow properly and remain healthy. It is necessary, among other things, for the breakdown of protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
Chondroitin
A natural component of the cartilage that cushions joints, chondroitin sulfate seems to block the enzymes that can destroy this crucial tissue. For this reason it has become a popular dietary supplement for the treatment of arthritis. Some studies indicate that it may even be as effective at relieving osteoarthritis pain as aspirin and other NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)–without posing the same risk for gastrointestinal problems.
Chitosan
The shells of crabs, lobsters, and other crustaceans contain a nondigestible fiber called chitosan. Extracted and taken in supplement form with meals, chitosan reportedly encourages weight loss by binding to fat molecules in the digestive tract, preventing the body from absorbing the fat.
Cherry Fruit Extract
Consuming plentiful amounts of cherries–or a cherry extract made from the juicy, red-blue summer berries that grow on Prunus trees–can provide remarkable health benefits, ranging from fighting inflammation to preventing gout, a painful joint condition. This is because the cherries most of us love to eat–including both the sweet and tart varieties–are rich in potent antioxidants called flavonoids that have various therapeutic effects on the body.