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Want to know if agave is better than sugar? Then why did you stop, and keep reading?
Agave belongs to the genus Monocots, native to warm and arid regions in the southern United States, like Latin America. However, some agave species are also found near tropical areas of South America.
The class Agave is fundamentally known for its juicy and xerophytic species that ordinarily shape huge rosettes of solid, meaty leaves.
Miel de agave used to sweeten foods is formulated from the agave plant sap.
Stay with us to know, is agave better than sugar?
1. Facts about the Agave plant
The Agave plant is specialized for its sweetening properties. In ancient times, Agave was used for medicinal purposes. Agave sugars are fermented to make tequila. Eventually, it became popular in the health and wellness world.
It is considered a healthier substitute for sugar and a diabetic-friendly sweetener. But the question here is, is it?
The agave plant grows from the southwestern U.S. through the northern part of South America. It’s the same plant used to produce tequila in Mexico.
Most of the agave sweeteners originate from the blue agave plant. The agave plant moreover produces nectar containing huge sums of sugar called fructose.
Many health-conscious people are directed away from refined white sugar and pick agave nectar or stevia to satisfy their sugar needs. These elective sweeteners are frequently more characteristic or less highly processed than table sugar and counterfeit sweeteners.
However, both are determined from multistep preparation strategies.
Agave nectar is processed by heat, altering crude agave’s natural nutrition values and bringing down its antioxidant content.
It subsequently does not have a noteworthy nutritional value and contains less potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Agave contains less glucose and more fructose. The plant’s core contains aguamiel, the sweet substance used to produce agave syrup.
2. What Is Agave Syrup and What Are Its Nutritional Facts?
Agave syrup is commonly used to replace sugar, honey, or maple syrup. After extracting the juice from the fruit, it is cleaned, processed, and concentrated into a syrup.
It’s an exceedingly refined extract that sustains the craving for sweet-tasting nourishments and drinks. High Fructose Corn Syrup is cheaper and sweeter but leads to insulin resistance and is unsafe to intake.
Its flavor resembles molasses that becomes darker in color. If you prefer a low-calorie diet, whatever sweetener you use to bliss your taste buds like maple syrup, honey, or agave syrup, use as little as possible.
Agave syrup is commercialized as natural and relatively healthier than sugar. It has a calorie and protein content similar to sugar but contains far fewer sugars.
Agave contains around twice as many calories as white sugar in this case. It’s best to use about 5% agave for sweeter foods. The processing of agave syrup alters the raw nutrients in raw agave.
3. Agave and Its Health Effect
A higher glycemic index in the diet increases blood glucose content, indicating a drop in insulin sensitivity. The glycemic index for agave is low as compared to table sugar. So, we can say that Agave is better than sugar in terms of the glycemic index.
It also contains significantly more fructose than sucrose, which is sweeter, but fructose is differently metabolized than sucrose.
Some people have difficulty absorbing fructose and experience unpleasant side effects, including bloating or abdominal irritation. If you are experiencing digestive pain, you can avoid agave.
Agave syrup contains between 45% and 55.3% fructose and 18% to 30.5% carbohydrates per serving.
Fructose has a lower glycemic index than glucose, but it has much higher glycemic activity and causes seven times as much cell damage as glucose.
The percentage of fructose found in agave syrup is not similar to glucose and thereby gets broken down in the body in a different way, this might ultimately lead to insulin resistance. So, it can often be suggested as a better choice for people who already have diabetes.
However, agave syrup is not recommended due to its high fructose content (sometimes higher than fructose wheat syrup). The plant-releasing Agave nectar is a more natural, healthier alternative to table sugar that doesn’t spike blood sugar levels as much.
2.1. The Adverse Effect of High Fructose Content
Agave Nectar: A sweetener that’s even worse
Individuals prone to gastrointestinal discomfort must take a step away from agave. Agree that it has less sugar content and will have minimal impact on your blood sugar levels due to its low GI score, but the high fructose content may make it more difficult for your body to process.
Glucose and fructose look comparatively the same, but they have entirely diverse impacts on your body.
Glucose is an inconceivably imperative molecule. It is found in numerous healthy nourishments, such as natural products and vegetables, and your body produces it to create beyond any doubt that you continuously have enough.
In reality, all living cells harbor glucose since this molecule is imperative to live.
Devouring excess added fructose can wreak havoc on your metabolic health and may contribute to insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes, as suggested by various studies.
As already mentioned earlier, agave contains 85% of fructose, which is more than a normal body intake.
This can cause significant increases in long-term blood sugar and insulin levels, strongly raising your risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
High fructose consumption can increase LDL (bad) cholesterol and oxidize LDL.
It may also cause belly fat accumulation, as suggested by another study.
3. Is Agave Syrup the Best Sweetener for Diabetes?
Agave syrup is a high-fructose sweetener that offers more calories than table sugars. Table sugar contains sucrose which is deadly to the elderly or persons with diabetes. Nonetheless, fructose is a different sugar type linked with fatty liver disease.
Agave offers no miraculous health benefits, as its high fructose content has harmful effects on diabetes.
People with diabetes should avoid adding sugar wherever possible. Studies on mice eating agave nectar had lower blood glucose levels than those consuming table sugar and losing weight.
So, Agave may be marginally better than table sugar, but it does not necessarily constitute an excellent addition to the diet. Using a healthy diet to prevent diabetes can help reduce one’s intake instead of swapping between two different foods that contain sugar.
4. What Are the Healthiest Alternative Sweeteners?
Alternative sweeteners are regularly seen as more characteristic or less highly processed than table sugar and counterfeit sweeteners.
Stevia is considered a low-calorie sweetener inferred from the takes off of the South American bush Stevia rebaudiana. Stevia leaves and extricates are sold as tabletop sweeteners in characteristic nourishment stores.
This plant-based sweetener can be extricated from one of two compounds called glycosides — stevioside and rebaudioside A. These compounds don’t contain any calories and may taste marginally different from sugar.
4.2. Sugar alcohols
Sugar alcohols, also known as polyols, are a sort of carbohydrate typically found in natural products and vegetables. Popular sugar alcohols utilized as sugar choices incorporate erythritol, xylitol, and maltitol.
The microbes in your mouth don’t age sugar alcohols, so they don’t harm your teeth the way that standard sugar does.
Additionally, they have significantly fewer calories and don’t essentially influence blood sugar levels, making them a savvy elective for those with diabetes. Erythritol contains 0.2 calories per gram, whereas xylitol gives 2.4 calories per gram. For reference, sucrose — or table sugar packs have 4 calories per gram.
Although sugar alcohols are considered, for the most part, secure, a few may cause stomach-related disturbances when consumed in massive amounts.
4.3. Monk Fruit Sweetener
Monk natural product extricate derived from the Siraitia grosvenorii plant, local to China.
Monk fruit sweetener, also known as Luo Han Guo, is a natural sweetener derived from the extract of a small, round fruit grown in Southeast Asia.
It is 150-200 times sweeter than sugar but contains no calories or carbohydrates, making it a popular alternative sweetener for people with diabetes or on low-carb diets.
Monk fruit sweetener is considered safe for people with fructose intolerance. Also, it is known as monk fruit extract, monk fruit powder, and luo han guo extract.
This sweetness comes from compounds called mogrosides.
Dates are the dried natural products of the date palm tree. These sweet, chewy natural products are an amazing elective to refined sugar and offer health benefits.
Unlike refined sugar and numerous other sweeteners, dates are a great source of supplements, including fiber, potassium, magnesium, manganese, vitamin B6, and carotenoid and polyphenol cancer prevention agents.
Their sweet taste of dates makes them favorable for different recipes for energy bars, cakes, and cookies. Furthermore, you can blend them to flavor homemade nut pints of milk and smoothies.
Dates are high in calories and normal sugars, but they don’t essentially influence blood sugar levels as table sugar does, indeed among individuals with diabetes.
In a 16-week study of 100 people with type 2 diabetes, one group ate 3 dates daily, and the other ate none. The date-eating group had significant reductions in total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, while their HbA1c — a marker of long-term blood sugar control — remained unaltered.
4.5. Applesauce and Other Fruit Purées
Supplanting sugar with applesauce — or purées of other natural products like bananas — is an amazing way to diminish your refined sugar admissions.
Consider this swap in formulas for cakes, treats, biscuits, and bread. All-natural products offer well-being benefits due to their supplements. For case, squashed bananas are tall in folate, manganese, magnesium, and vitamins B6 and C.
4.6. Yacon syrup
Yacon syrup is extricated from the yacon plant (Smallanthus sonchifolius), local to South America. Its sweet taste, dull color, and thick consistency make it comparable to molasses.
This item is rich in fructooligosaccharides, a sort of sugar particle that your body can’t process. Since these sugar atoms are undigested, yacon syrup contains one-third of the calories of regular sugar, or approximately 1.3 calories per gram.
In any case, yacon syrup is less sweet than table sugar, so you will require more to coordinate the sweetness of refined sugar. The fructooligosaccharides in yacon syrup may offer well-being benefits.
For case, these compounds act as prebiotics, which offer assistance to bolster the inviting microbes in your intestine.
It has trace amounts of vitamins and minerals and an abundance of plant compounds that give anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits.
Additionally, honey has a lower GI value than sugar, so it is a safe alternative. But one thing to keep a note of is that it is slightly sweeter than sugar.
Honey is a natural sweetener that is derived from the nectar of flowers. It is composed mostly of glucose and fructose and is sweeter than sugar. It is used as a sugar alternative in many recipes and can be used in baking, cooking, and as a sweetener for drinks.
Honey has some health benefits compared to refined sugar. It contains antioxidants, enzymes, and minerals such as iron, zinc, potassium, calcium, and phosphorous. It also has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
However, it’s important to note that honey still contains sugar and calories, so it should be consumed in moderation. Additionally, honey should be avoided by infants under one year of age due to botulism risk.
Also, it’s worth mentioning that not all honey is created equal, some honey is heavily processed and may lose its nutritional value during the process.
5. Is Agave Better than Sugar?
After knowing everything about agave, we can say that agave is more natural and less harmful than sugar. It is not a healthy replacement.
It has more calories than table sugar. And it doesn’t add much nutritional value to your diet. And since agave nectar has a much higher content of fructose than table sugar, it causes severe health effects in the long run.
It’s worth noting that not all agave nectar is created equal, some agave nectar is highly processed and may lose its nutritional value during the process.
So, if you think of cutting sugar entirely and looking for an alternative, we would say agave is not the way to go.
Overall, it’s best to consume both agave nectar and sugar in moderation and consider other natural sweeteners as well.
6. Frequently Asked Questions
6.1. Is agave nectar really a healthier alternative to sugar?
Agave nectar is often marketed as a healthier alternative to sugar because it has a lower glycemic index, which means that it does not cause a rapid spike in blood sugar levels. However, it’s important to note that agave nectar is not a healthier option than sugar.
Although it has a lower glycemic index, agave nectar is high in fructose, which can contribute to obesity and other health problems such as fatty liver disease. Research suggests that consuming large amounts of fructose can lead to an increase in fat storage, particularly in the liver and abdominal area, which can increase the risk of metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Additionally, many commercial agave syrups are highly processed and may lose some of their nutritional value during the process. They are often heated and treated with enzymes, which break down the carbohydrates into simple sugars, such as fructose. Some of these commercial agave syrups are also blended with high fructose corn syrup, which is not healthy either.
Overall, it’s best to consume both agave nectar and sugar in moderation and consider other natural sweeteners as well. If you’re looking for a natural alternative to sugar, you might consider honey, maple syrup, or Stevia.
6.2. If fructose is worse than sugar, then why is blue agave supposed to be good for you?
Blue Agave is a specific type of agave plant that is commonly used to make tequila, but it is also used to make agave nectar. The sap or juice of the blue agave plant is very low in fructose and high in inulin, which is a type of dietary fiber that has been linked to benefits such as weight loss, improved digestion, and better blood sugar control.
However, most commercial agave syrups are not made from the sap of the blue agave plant, but rather from the cooked and processed starch of the plant’s root bulb. These processed agave syrups are high in fructose and have been treated with enzymes to break down the carbohydrates into simple sugars.
6.3. Is there any sweetener that’s actually good at any size or dose? Is every single sugar substitute bad in the end?
For sweeteners, no sweetener is good at any size or dose. Even natural sweeteners should be consumed in moderation as they still contain calories and sugar. It’s best to use a variety of natural sweeteners in small amounts and to be aware of the potential health effects of consuming large amounts of any sweetener.
It’s also worth noting that reducing overall sugar intake is important for overall health, and it’s a good idea to look for other ways to flavor your food, such as using spices, herbs, and citrus fruits.
6.4. Is blue agave better than honey?
Blue agave and honey are both natural sweeteners that have been used for centuries. Both have some potential health benefits, but they also have some drawbacks.
The sap or juice of the blue agave plant is low in fructose and high in inulin, which is a type of dietary fiber that has been linked to benefits such as weight loss, improved digestion, and better blood sugar control. Some studies have suggested that agave nectar may have benefits for blood sugar control, and it is often marketed as a natural alternative sweetener for people with diabetes or on low-carb diets. However, these studies are inconclusive, and further research is needed to understand the effects of agave nectar on blood sugar control.
Honey is a natural sweetener that is derived from the nectar of flowers. It is composed mostly of glucose and fructose and is sweeter than sugar. It is used as a sugar alternative in many recipes and can be used in baking, cooking, and as a sweetener for drinks. Honey has some health benefits compared to refined sugar. It contains antioxidants, enzymes, and minerals such as iron, zinc, potassium, calcium, and phosphorous. It also has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
When comparing blue agave and honey, both sweeteners have their own unique benefits. Blue agave is lower in fructose, but honey contains antioxidants and minerals, and it also has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
It’s worth noting that not all honey is created equal, some honey is heavily processed and may lose its nutritional value during the process. Also, it’s important to consume both agave nectar and honey in moderation, as they still contain calories and sugar.


“The ability to collect samples on demand enables us to better target areas of scientific interest, potentially allowing us to collect specific samples more efficiently. I am excited about the future of autonomous vehicles, such as the Wave Glider, as innovative ways to meet our scientific and monitoring goals.”
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) can kill fish, mammals and birds, and contaminate water and shellfish that make people sick. Satellite imaging can detect these blooms, but cloud cover adversely affects coverage and so it is not unusual to go several days without a good image covering shelf sea areas such as the southern North Sea. In addition, the colonies often disappear before the next good image is available, possibly due to predation, a diminishing supply of nutrients, or simply sinking below the water surface.
The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) needed a way to track and sample algal blooms in the right place at the right time. If they could confirm the presence of the Karenia sp. dinoflagellate—known to produce toxins that can cause significant mortality in fish—within an algal bloom, then they could help improve the satellite algorithms used in the production of satellite products. This, in the longer term, offers improvements in the remote detection of HABs.
Dr. David Pearce, Cefas’ Marine Observations Systems Manager and the officer in command of this mission, was looking for a way to collect samples on demand, in areas of particular interest based on satellite data. Previous approaches, included the Cefas water sampling sensor integrated into its SmartBuoys or on a ship, but these approaches were limited by lack of mobility or cost and control, respectively. By integrating the Cefas Water Sampler onto the Wave Glider, and engaging the Liquid Robotics Operations Team to remotely pilot it 24/7, the team had a mobile, responsive solution for on-demand autonomous water sampling.
The Wave Glider was deployed in the southern North Sea about 60km off Lincolnshire, UK coastline. Using experimental daily satellite images of a harmful algal bloom (courtesy of NEODAAS, Plymouth Marine Laboratory), Cefas scientists navigated the Wave Glider to a small suspected bloom of Karenia sp. north of the Dogger Bank. Once in the area of the bloom, scientists monitored the near-real time data from the on-board chlorophyll sensor to confirm its presence. They then commanded the water sampler onboard to take two samples that have since been confirmed to contain the phytoplankton Karenia sp.
The remote triggering of the Cefas Water Sampler was a success, and it is believed to be the world’s first “on-demand” marine water sampling using an unmanned surface vehicle. Scientists collected 11 samples, on demand, over the duration of the mission by sending commands over the Iridium satellite network to the Wave Glider.
The area in which the Wave Glider operated successfully was extremely challenging for an unmanned surface vehicle. Over 48 days and 2700 km at sea, the Wave Glider had to contend with strong currents, navigate around many shallow sandbanks in the southern North Sea, and avoid numerous ships and stationary gas platforms.
Cefas scientists are now planning to use the Cefas Water Sampler on additional upcoming Wave Glider missions. The sampler can be used to pump out “tracer” material. When combined with the on-board sensors, this extends the research applications of this innovative technology to, for example, mapping localized areas of sea surface. The Wave Glider expands Cefas’ research and monitoring capabilities in areas such as water quality monitoring, fisheries assessments, aquaculture health and ambient noise measurement.


In our last article we gave instruction on how to deal with anger. The same techniques can be applied to grief, anxiety, and any root emotion associated with stress. The techniques should work with you whether you have an explosive type of anger, or if you are one of those people who just hold anger in, and allow it to slowly wear away at your stomach, liver, heart and other parts of your body. Through much research Aryuvedic practitioners have discovered, and have reported, that a large percent of illness is caused by stress.
Internalized anger, or anger turned inward, is a source of stress that is very much related to depression.
Many people in the world today, especially in the west, suffer a great deal from depression—especially those who have traditionally not been allowed to express their anger openly. It is not surprising that another name for depression is learned helplessness. An example of learned helplessness can be understood through an experiment done a long time ago with a dog. The dog was put into a big box with a metal grate on the floor and a partition in the middle. Scientists would push a button and send an electric current through the grate. Each time the dog would jump over to the other side.
After doing this several times the scientists decided to tie the dog down so he couldn’t jump, and see what happened. They hit the button several times. He whimpered and hollered trying to escape. Eventually he just laid there, stopped struggling, and took the pain. When they released him they hit the button again expecting him to jump over the partition. To their surprise he just stood there and took the pain until they let go of the button each time. He never jumped again. They also noticed that the dog became very depressed.
The dog had accepted that he couldn’t do anything about his circumstances except bear the pain. He was depressed because he had learned that he was helpless and had accepted it. What was the difference between the pre-depressed dog and the post- depressed dog? One fought and struggled to be free each time, and for a moment, after he jumped the barrier he was free. The other one had accepted that he was helpless and from that moment on, during the shock or not during it, he was tied down. The same thing happens with many people in our society. They learn to be helpless and become depressed.
When horrible circumstances happen in people’s lives, they often hold on and struggle to live joyful lives until the circumstance pass. After the circumstance they usually, slowly rebound from the sadness or fear that comes with their loss. They expand their awareness of self, and realize that they are more then anything that has been lost. Sometimes, however, what happens is that the person gives up in the midst of the struggle. They, like the dog, begin to just wait for one painful episode after the next to pass. The outcome of this is depression and also a living death.
A major part of life is the struggle. We struggle to be born, we struggle to learn to walk, we struggle to talk, and we struggle with awkwardness during our teenage years…life is about struggle and overcoming circumstances. If we are not working to overcome circumstances and to be fully engaged in the world and with life, we are not living completely; we are only existing. It is important to live fully and completely in the midst of the storm, even if we are feeling lonely or depressed if we ever want to come out of the circumstances as whole, more powerful individuals. We can do this by: Doing the opposite that our emotions suggest. Instead of separating from people and breaking relationships we should start spending time with others and building more meaningful, supportive relationships; If we are more lethargic, we should become engaged in an exercise program that gives more strength and vitality—one where we can see a physical change to our bodies, not sleep more and gain weight; And instead of avoiding the problem, or trying to shove it under the rug or forget it, we should be working on whatever the core problem is, not the outgrowth.
The Shaolin say that many people work on the outgrowth of a problem when they are trying to solve it, and not the root. This is like trying to heal an ailing tree by working on the branches, instead of the root. According to the Shaolin it is important to find the root of the problem, and then bring all of our gifts and talents to bear to work on the root. Above we have suggested ways to work on the physical—the body, through physical exercise to improve self image, the mental through social interactions with friends and loved ones, but the most important is to work on the core of the problem.
What is the core of the problem? It is probably different for everyone, but it is likely that it is the same problem that the dog had in our previous example, with some variation. I once knew a man who said that he learned the cure for depression. He said that he was depressed for a long time. He discovered that he was only depressed when he stopped trying to live the way that he really wanted. When he couldn’t do that, or stopped trying to do what we refer to in our philosophy as his life work, or that which he felt called to, he was depressed. “All I do now,” he said, “is keep trying to do what I want.”
Very simple, yet profound. This basically means that you shouldn’t give up on life. As long as we keep jumping over the barriers, as long as we struggle and strive to do our life work, we will never be depressed. And we will see each little step—each little leap, as a victory, because that, after all, is what it is. It only takes one step at a time to make the longest journey. If you are a person inclined to be depressed, or if you know someone depressed consider this article. Work on the self image, work on your social life, and find the core of the problem and work to correct that. In the next three articles we will give you some techniques for doing one step at a time. Perhaps then you will find life more satisfying and you will discover your life work and be able to do it one step at a time.
Dr. J. W. Gilmore is a Writer, Spiritual Director, Anti-oppression Consultant and Wellness Consultant. He is a Certified Massage Therapist and Reflexologist, a Reiki Master Teacher, a Martial Arts Instructor and a Spiritual Coach living in Costa Rica. For more article like this or similar information visit: http://www.dswellness.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Gilmore


Then on December 23 in 1688, that same James (James II and VII) escaped from his Dutch guards in Rochester, Kent and fled for France. The leaders of the Glorious Revolution in Parliament took that flight as abdication and soon William and Mary would succeed to the thrones of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
More seasonally, Clement C. Moore's "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (or "The Night Before Christmas") was anonymously published on December 23 in 1823 in the Sentinel of Troy, New York:
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar plums danc'd in their heads . . .
According to the Poetry Foundation, Moore wrote the poem for his family and was quite a learned man, but we remember him for this one poem:
During his lifetime Moore wrote on a variety of subjects. He produced a two-volume A Compendious Lexicon of the Hebrew Language (1809), a translation from the French of A Complete Treatise on Merinos and Other Sheep (1811), and the historical biography George Castriot, Surnamed Scanderbeg, King of Albania (1850). Throughout his life he also wrote poetry, which was published in the Portfolio and similar periodicals. The New-York Book of Poetry (1837), an anthology of works by New York poets, contained some written by Moore, including "A Visit from St. Nicholas," although "Anonymous" was still listed as the author. Not until 1844, when Moore's collection Poems was published, was "A Visit from St. Nicholas" acknowledged in print as having been written by Clement C. Moore, LL.D.
And finally, Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel und Gretel was first performed on December 23, 1893 in Weimar, conducted by Richard Strauss. This Engelbert Humperdinck of course should not be confused with Arnold George Dorsey!
Here, Herbert von Karajan gives the Dream Pantomime its full Wagnerian due;
And you can see an excerpt from the 1982 Metropolitan Opera live Christmas Day broadcast here:
And tonight, the last O Antiphon:
O Emmanuel, our King and our Law-giver, Longing of the Gentiles, yea, and salvation thereof,
come to save us, O Lord our God!
O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, exspectatio gentium, et Salvator earum:
veni ad salvandum nos Domine Deus noster.


While there is no certain or perfect way to prevent cancer, there are certain risk factors that increase the likelihood. You can take action to lower those risks through healthy lifestyle choices such as eliminating smoking, reduction of excess body weight, increased physical activity and getting recommended cancer screenings.But let’s talk about breast cancer. We are often told that breast cancer is linked to hormone levels such as high estrogen. While there is true correlation there, the devil is in the details. The real risk and danger comes from our body not properly metabolizing or eliminating that estrogen and new research points to estrogen metabolites (breakdown) that damage our DNA causing mutations that can initiate breast and other human cancers. So how can we take action on safe estrogen metabolism and reduction of DNA damage? There are some over the counter options that have been shown to help! Diindolylmethane, better known as DIM, has been shown to support healthy estrogen levels, especially in estrogen dominant conditions. Estrogen dominance has been linked to a variety of health issues, including certain types of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and are associated with both environmental toxins mimicking estrogen and compromised metabolism of estrogens. Other things that have been shown to enhance estrogen metabolism are increasing cruciferous vegetables in your diet and having 1-2 bowel movements per day. If your bowels aren’t moving, your estrogen sticks around longer than it should and goes back into circulation in the body. Let’s move on to other over-the-counter supplements that can help you take action on cancer prevention. Two antioxidants, N-Acetylcysteine and Resveratrol, are prime candidates to prevent breast and other human cancers because in various in vitro and in vivo experiments, they reduce the formation of estrogen–DNA damage. Antioxidants are chemicals that interact with and neutralize free radicals, thus preventing them from causing damage. Free radicals are produced either from normal cell metabolisms or from external sources such as pollution, cigarette smoke, radiation, and medication. When an overload of free radicals cannot gradually be destroyed, their accumulation in the body generates a phenomenon called oxidative stress. This free radical and oxidative stress process plays a major part in the development of chronic illnesses such as cancer. Antioxidants, also known as “free radical scavengers”, are one of the ways the human body counteracts oxidative stress and the damage it can cause. But how do you choose and how do you know what to take? While the above article mentions some excellent suggestions, your compounding pharmacist may also be able to help. Since compounding pharmacists have extra experience with hormone and nutrition recommendations, they can likely walk through this supplement decision with you. And when in doubt, reach out to your healthcare provider if you have concerns about starting any new supplements or medications.
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/antioxidants-fact-sheetPham-Huy LA, He H, Pham-Huy C. Free radicals, antioxidants in disease and health. Int J Biomed Sci. 2008;4(2):89-96.
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P3 is a subsidiary of the Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding. APC is the voice for pharmacy compounding, representing compounding pharmacists and technicians in both 503A and 503B settings, as well as prescribers, educators, researchers, suppliers, and patients.
In traditional compounding, pharmacists create a customized medication, most often from pure ingredients, for an individual patient pursuant to a prescription. Pharmacists’ ability to compound medications from pure ingredients is authorized in federal law and for good reason: Manufactured drugs don’t come in strengths and dosage forms that are right for everyone, and prescribers need to be able to prescribe customized medications when, in their judgment, a manufactured drug is not the best course of therapy for a human or animal patient.
Every day, APC members play a critical role in patients’ lives, preparing essential, custom medications for a range of health conditions, including autism, oncology, dermatology, ophthalmology, pediatrics, women’s health, animal health, and others.
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When a City Becomes a State
Transforming relationship between cities and their nation as world’s growing population settles in urban centres
By: Fatima Syed, Staff Writer
Greater Shanghai has a population surpassing 20 million; Mexico City and Mumbai are home to approximately another 20 million each. These cities have become bigger than entire nations in the world and are continuing to grow at an astonishingly rapid rate. Functioning as the key economic centres of the world, and involved in serious national and international political debates, the rise of these cities is forcing a change, or the very least a question, in their relationship with the countries they are in.
Most great cities in the world today function separately from their nation-state in terms of economics; the main streams of international investment now occur between big cities rather than big nations: London to New York, New York to Tokyo, Tokyo to Singapore.
The root of this power is, of course, the expansion of infrastructure. Size matters in geography and great cities across the world have recognised this. They campaign for increasing shares of the national budget to build and develop a solid transport and housing structure to cater for a booming urban population.
In this, the city landscapes of today are reminiscent of the European tradition of city states like Rome, Athens, Sparta, and Babylon, which were centres of power, culture and trade.
Back then, the rise of cities forced the rise of agriculture and innovation. City centres became the root of prosperity and happy dwelling as more and more people were attracted towards them.
In the 18th century, 3% of the world’s population lived in cities. In the 19th century this increased to 14%. By 2007 this figure rose to 50% and is estimated to become 80% by 2050.
This rise of population naturally meant cities had to grow bigger and work better.
Today, the top 25 cities in the world account for more than half of the world’s wealth. The five largest cities in India and China now account for 50% of those countries’ wealth. Nagoya-Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe in Japan is expected to have a population of 60 million by 2015 and will be the effective powerhouse of Japan while a similar effect on an even larger scale is occurring in fast-growing urban areas such as that between Mumbai and Delhi.
In a Foreign Affairs article “The Next Big Thing: Neomedievalism,” Parag Khanna, Director of the Global Governance Initiative at the New America Foundation, argues that this sentiment needs to come back. “Today just 40 city-regions account for two-thirds of the world economy and 90 percent of its innovation,” he notes, adding that “The mighty Hanseatic constellation of well-armed North and Baltic Sea trading hubs in the late Middle Ages, will be reborn as cities such as Hamburg and Dubai form commercial alliances and operate “free zones” across Africa like the ones Dubai Ports World is building. Add in sovereign wealth funds and private military contractors, and you have the agile geopolitical units of a neomedieval world.”
In this respect, cities have remained the most pertinent governmental structure on earth and the most well-inhabited: Syria’s capital-city Damascus has been continuously occupied since 6300 BCE. Because of this consistency, growth, and the recent destabilisation and diminished effectiveness of federal governments after the global economic collapse, the focus on cities has increased even more. How to protect their burgeoning population and all the economics and politics that it requires, becomes a serious problem to resolve.
The argument stands that if national policies – a set of practices implemented for the betterment of the entire nation rather than a specific aspect of it – becomes a road-block for growing urban centres such as Toronto and Mumbai, then shouldn’t the same cities be allowed their independence?