The Importance of Vegetable Oils in Our Life
If you were to look around with the eyes of a physician seeking a medicine, then it can be said that we live in a world of medicines, for there is no substance in nature that would not be suitable for a medicine.
(Ancient Buddhist proverb)
Since prehistoric times people have used various vegetable fats in their food. Vegetable oils improve the taste qualities of food, provide a feeling of satiety, and are a concentrated source of energy in the food allowance and a valuable building material for the cells and tissues. Modern humans often obtain many more calories from their food than they are able to expend in their sedentary way of life and many fewer vitamins and essential fatty acids, which are literally "burned" during the stresses that accompany people throughout their lives. How much fat and which fats should be obtained in a food allowance? Dietitians assert that attention should be paid not only to the quantitative limits of fats in the diet, but also to the quality of the fat products consumed. The best source of the necessary fats for children and adults, for healthy and sick persons, is Cedar Nut Oil (See footnote 1), an ancient Russian product.
The Siberian cedar (Pinus sibirica)-a mighty tree reaching a height of 40 metres, with a trunk diameter from 1.5 to 2 metres-grows slowly, lives up to 500-800 years, its fruitful period begins at 40 to 50 years, the cedar cone takes a long time to ripen, the second year following its flowering. The medicinal properties of the cedar have been well-known for a very long time, the young shoots, needles, bark, and resin are used as raw materials for medicines, but the principal component of value for people are the cedar nuts and products prepared from them.
Applications of Cedar Nut Oil
The medicinal properties of Cedar Nut Oil have been well-known for a long time. As long ago as the reign of Ivan the Terrible, the cedar nut was an item of export-Russia sold up to 5 million kilograms of the nut each year to Sweden, England, Persia, and other countries. "In Switzerland they are used in chemist's shops, they are used to make a milk that is prescribed for chest illnesses... because of their penetrating, delicate, and partly balsamic oil, they were effectively used by people with consumption," wrote the Academician P. S. Pallas at the end of the XVIII century. Comments about the medicinal properties of the Siberian cedar are found in monastery records. The monks grew "cedar orchards" around their monasteries, and outside of Yaroslavl in the XVI century the Tolgskaya Cedar Grove was laid out. Some cedars in that grove have been preserved to our day and are abundantly fruitful.
Russian physicians have used the oil from cedar nuts in the treatment of hypertension, atherosclerosis, stomach ulcers, and have also used it externally-they have treated burns, bruises, and performed inhalations with the oil, as well as baths and massages. In recent years the interest of scientific medicine in the Siberian cedar has grown, fundamental and clinical studies are providing scientific explanations for the beneficial effects of the cedar nut on the health of humans, effects that were well-known from the experience of folk medicine. To date, the chemical structure of cedar nuts has been adequately studied, the richness of this structure is responsible for the broad range of useful effects of cedar products on the human body. Regular use of Cedar Nut Oil enriches the food allowance with essential foodstuffs-polyunsaturated fatty acids, amino acids, fat-soluble vitamins, and macro- and micro-elements.
Cedar Nut Oil is a rich source of natural antioxidants. These properties have been established for vitamins E and A, the carotinoids, nicotinic acid, in mineral substances such as magnesium, calcium, zinc, manganese; in sulphur-containing amino acids. In recent years, the problem of the peroxide oxidation of lipids and the antioxidant status of the organism have attracted active attention. In normal conditions of vital activity, many important metabolic and physiological processes occur with the formation of free radicals. They are involved in the accumulation and biotransformation of energy, provide for the detoxification of certain foreign compounds, participate in the work of the nonspecific immunological protection system of the organism. In the normal situation, the intensity of the processes of free-radical oxidation is maintained at a specified level by a complex antioxidant defence system, which includes a whole series of vitamins, enzymes, micro-elements, amino acids, and certain hormones (thyroxine, the estrogens). In physiological conditions, the peroxide oxidation of lipids and antioxidant defence represent a single system, which is in a state of dynamic equilibrium and capable of self-regulation. The pollution of the external and internal environment of an organism with toxic substances, constant psychological and emotional stress, significant physical loads, the use of a large quantity of refined carbohydrates and animal fats in food lead to the exhaustion of the natural antioxidant defence systems and excessive activation of free-radical oxidation. When free radicals enter into chemical reactions, they damage enzyme systems, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, and lead to disruptions in the functions of the cells, they are regarded as the causes of many acute and chronic illnesses, including atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, oncological diseases, premature aging of the organism, and reduction of the life span. Maintaining the antioxidant defence systems of the organism at an optimal level of functioning plays an important role in disease prevention and health. In this respect, great hopes are being placed on antioxidants of plant origin, since they possess great affinities with the tissues of the human organism, exhibit, as a rule, little toxicity, and, with judicious use, do not cause overdoses.
Cedar Nut Oil is an effective natural antioxidant and may be used for the preventive treatment of any illness, as a means for maintaining the antioxidant status of the organism.
The high content and optimal ratio of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, phospholipids, fat-soluble vitamins, and amino acids, which have a lipotropic action, make it possible to recommend the inclusion of Cedar Nut Oil in healthy diets for the prevention of disruptions in lipid metabolism and its use in the alimentary therapy of persons suffering from obesity and atherosclerosis.
Cedar Nut Oil is traditionally used in the treatment of colds, as a general strengthening agent and agent that increases the nonspecific immune defences. It is used in the form of oil inhalations or taken internally. The carotinoids (provitamins A), vitamins E, B, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and micro-elements that make up Cedar Nut Oil display an alleviating and anti-inflammatory effect on the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, increase the process of regeneration in them, and stimulate the local immune defence system.
The ability of Cedar Nut Oil to hasten the processes of the regeneration (renewal) of mucous membranes is also put to use in the treatment of disorders of the gastro-intestinal tract. Clinical studies carried out at the Tomsk Scientific Research Institute for Health Resort Studies of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation have demonstrated that the inclusion of Cedar Nut Oil in the comprehensive treatment of ulcers of the stomach and duodenum leads to a reduction of the scar formation period of the ulcer. Cedar Nut Oil is well tolerated by patients. When diluted with milk, Cedar Nut Oil displays an anti-inflammatory effect in cases of accompanying cholesystitis and hepatocholecystitis.
Cedar Nut Oil has found wide application in cosmetology. With only Cedar Nut Oil on hand, it is possible to provide proper care of the skin-it can be used to cleanse, nourish, and protect the skin on any part of the body. Cedar Nut Oil dissolves well and removes all dirt, it provides the clean skin with valuable nourishment and vitamins-the antioxidants of Cedar Nut Oil protect the skin from the aggression of oxygen radicals, postpones the aging processes-on the surface of the skin fats form the thinnest film, which retains moisture but does not prevent the skin from breathing. Together with this, it is good to combine the external application of Cedar Nut Oil with its use in food, in order to act on the skin "from the inside."
Importance of lipids for the human body
Don't get carried away, but pay the necessary attention
I. P. Pavlov
Lipids play an important role in the vital activity of the body. The overall quantity of fat in a healthy person makes up 10-20% of the body mass, in the case of obesity it can reach 50%. Several classes of lipids exist, which differ significantly from each other in structure and biological functions. Strictly speaking, fats (triglycerides) are the esters of higher fatty acids and glycerin. In the body, they serve as the main source of energy and create reserves of energy material. Among the food substances, fats possess the greatest energy value-the combustion of 1 gram of fat produces 9 kcal, the combustion of proteins and carbohydrates produces approximately 4 kcal. In many tissues, even with a balanced diet, fats are used almost exclusively to obtain energy, while glucose is retained for the tissues, especially those that need it (brain, erythrocytes). Fats fulfill protective functions. Fatty capsules are formed around vitally important organs (kidneys, sexual glands, thymus, etc.) that hold them in their normal anatomical position and protect them from shifting and injury. On the surface of the skin, fats form a water-repellent film that protects the tissue both from loss of moisture as well as from over-moisturization, and also has an anti-microbial action. In addition, subcutaneous fat creates a thermo-insulating covering for the body. Fats are poor heat conductors, and protect internal organs from overcooling. Fatty tissue is the site of the formation of the hormone leptine, which has an all-round influence on the human body.
Complex lipids-these are complexes of lipids and proteins (lipoproteins), derived from orthophosphoric acid (phospholipids or phosphatides), with sugars (glycolipids), with polyatomic alcohols (sphingolipids, etc.), and also a whole series of compounds. Complex lipids fulfill plastic functions-together with proteins they serve as the basic structural components of cellular membranes.
Lipids also include compounds that are not derivatives of fatty acids-steroids. Their most common representative is cholesterol, it is included as a structural element as part of cellular membranes, and also serves as the precursor of a series of other steroids-cholic acids, steroid hormones (hormones of the adrenal cortex, sexual hormones), and vitamin D.
The simplest in structure of the lipids are the fatty acids, which serve as the intermediate products of lipid metabolism, and also take part in the biological regulation of cellular functions.
Fatty acids may be saturated and unsaturated. In saturated acids, the bonds between the carbon atoms are maximally saturated, unsaturated fatty acids contain one or more double (unsaturated) bonds, on whose site oxygen may join. Fatty acids with one double bond are called monounsaturated. The most common monounsaturated acid in human fat tissue is oleic acid, among the other fatty acids its proportion is 55%. Oleic acid is involved in the regulation of cholesterol metabolism, it facilitates the increase in blood of the level of high density lipoproteins, which transport cholesterol from the tissues to the liver for utilization. This cholesterol is not atherogenic, or "good," its high level in the blood is an antirisk factor for the development of atherosclerosis.
Fatty acids with two (linoleic acid), three (alpha linolenic acid), four (arachidonic acid), and more double bonds are called polyunsaturated.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids are subdivided into Omega classes depending on the location of the double bond, closer to the methyl or Omega-carbon. Monounsaturated oleic acid and palmitic acid are designated as Omega-9 and Omega-7 respectively, and the polyunsaturated fatty acids linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid, as Omega-6 and Omega-3. Two polyunsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid, are indispensable (essential) for humans, since they are not synthesized in the body and must come from the outside, from food products.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids perform a number of important physiological functions in the body: they are part of cellular membranes, they have an influence on the metabolism of other lipids-they stimulate the removal of excess cholesterol from the body, prevent its deposit on the walls of the blood vessels; they participate in the metabolism of several vitamins (thiamine and pyridoxine), they have an immunomodelling action, increase the resistance of the organism to infectious diseases and the action of unfavourable factors from the external environment. In animals that have received a fat-free food allowance, a shortening of the life span has been noted. A deficit of essential polyunsaturated acids has a particularly negative effect on the growing organism, linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid are essential for growth and the normal development of the brain, organ of vision, sexual glands, kidneys, and skin.
Linoleic and alpha-linolenic fatty acids are the forebears of two families of polyunsaturated fatty acids-Omega-6 and Omega-3, including the eicosanoids: prostaglandins, leucotriens, thromboxanes, which are tissue hormones.
The Omega-6 family is represented by linoleic acid, which, in the presence of the necessary enzymes, in the body becomes gamma-linolenic acid. Gamma-linolenic acid is the precursor of dihomogammalinolenic acid, which is the precursor of the first series of prostaglandins and arachidonic acid, the precursor of the second series of prostaglandins.
Alpha-linolenic acid becomes eicosopentenoic acid, the precursor of the third series of prostaglandins, and docosohexenoic acid.
The metabolism of linoleic acid (18 carbon atoms, two double bonds) and alpha-linolenic acid (18 carbon atoms, three double bonds) is linked to additional desaturation, that is, the increase in the number of double bonds and the lengthening of the basic chain made up of carbon atoms. As a result, arachidonic acid has 20 carbon atoms and 4 double bonds, eicosopentenoic acid has 20 carbon atoms and 5 double bonds, docosohexenoic acid has 22 carbon atoms and 6 double bonds. Arachidonic, eicosopentenoic, and docosohexenoic acid are called long-chain fatty acids. They are important structural components of the cellular membranes of all organs and tissues, but their content is especially great in the brain, retina of the eye, and in the reproductive cells.
It should be noted that the metabolism of Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids occurs with the involvement of exactly the same enzymes, which elicits the occurrence of competing reactions between the two families. An excess of the fatty acids of one class may slow the transformation of the acids of the other class, lowering their activity and modifying their biological action.
Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are the precursors of the eicosanoids (prostaglandins, thromboxanes, leucotriens), which fulfill the functions of local tissue hormones, which regulate numerous functions, including tonus of the blood vessels, musculature of the bronchial tubes and uterus, the degree of the inflammatory reaction, the activity level of the cells of the immune system, the processes of blood coagulation, and a number of others. In addition, the direction of the action of the eicosanoids of the Omega-6 and Omega-3 family are directly opposite. Prostaglandins, which form Omega 6 from fatty acids, narrow the apertures of the blood vessels and bronchial tubes, increase inflammation, increase blood coagulation. Prostaglandins-derivatives of the Omega-3 fatty acids-dilate the bronchial tubes and blood vessels, reduce inflammation, reduce the aggregation of blood platelets, and reduce the formation of blood clots in the blood vessels. Sometimes the first are called the "bad" prostaglandins, and the second, the "good" prostaglandins. However, this assessment is incorrect. It is precisely on the principle of opposing actions that the processes of the regulation of tissue homeostasis are based. For that reason it is important not to oppose these two classes of fatty acids, but to observe a balance between them. Since the source of Omega-6 and Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are food products, it is necessary to know their content and ratio in the food allowance.
Because they perform such significant functions in the human body, fats are an important component of the food allowance. In order to maintain optimum health, it is necessary to keep to the general rules of sound nutrition and the consumption of fats in particular. The average physiological requirement of fats for the healthy person is approximately 30% of the overall calorie content, a third of the consumed fats must be made up of vegetable oils. In some special diets, the proportion of vegetable oils is increased to 50% and more (the rest being nuts, fruits, vegetables, eggs, milk). Fats improve the taste of food and cause a feeling of satiety, in the metabolic process they can be formed from carbohydrates and proteins, but they cannot be replaced completely. The food value of fats is determined by their fatty-acid content, the presence of essential nutritional factors, the degree of assimilability and digestibility. The biological activity of alimentary fats is determined by their content of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids. Since the basic source of polyunsaturated fatty acids is vegetable oils, they also possess the greatest biological activity. The degree of assimilability of vegetable oils is also high, on the average this indicator comes to 97-98%.
Fatty oils of plants are a concentrated energy and building reserve, concentrated in the seeds and other organs of plants. The basic role of stored fats in a plant is their use for food during the germination of seeds and the development of the bud; in addition, they play the important role of protective substances, which help the plant endure unfavourable environmental conditions, in particular, low temperatures. Fats of hibernating seeds promote the preservation of the bud in cold conditions. In trees, in the transition to the dormant state, reserve starch becomes fat, which raises the frost-resistance of the trunk. The greatest calorific capability is possessed by unsaturated fats, for that reason the plants of the northern latitudes contain them in the highest quantities. Vegetable fats are essentially made up of triglycerides-esters of glycerin and fatty acids. Approximately 75% of vegetable fats are made up of the glycerides of only three acids-palmitic acid, oleic acid, and linoleic acid. The fats of some plants contain specific fatty acids that are characteristic only to them. Triglycerides may be monoacids and heteroacids (mixed). The overwhelming majority of fats are a mixture of heteroacidic triglycerides. Fatty acids in vegetable fats may be saturated and unsaturated. The biological value of vegetable oils depends also on their content of accompanying substances-phospholipids, waxes, steroids, fat-soluble vitamins, pigments, photochemical compounds contained in plants and giving the oils a specific direction of action.
Characteristics of Cedar Nut Oil
Cedar Nut Oil is obtained from the purified kernel of the cedar nut by means of cold pressing, which makes it possible to preserve the useful properties of all its components. Unrefined Cedar Nut Oil is light yellow with a greenish hue, a slight nutty aroma, and the highest taste qualities, several orders higher than the best edible oils-olive, almond, peanut.
The fatty-acid component of Cedar Nut Oil is characterized by a high content of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids (Table 1).
Table 1. Content of fatty acids in some of the most common vegetable oils (in % of the total mass)
In the previous section, mention was made of the necessity to maintain a balance between the various classes of fatty acids. The optimal ratio between the Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids has not yet been definitively established, this problem is actively being discussed in the scientific literature. In the typical diet of a modern person, the ratio of Omega-6/Omega-3 is in the range of 10:1 to 25:1. The World Health Organization recommends an adherence to the ratio from 4:1 to 10:1, while doing so one should strive to increase the proportion of Omega-3 fatty acids, since an excess of Omega-6 fatty acids has even worse consequences for health. Studies on the type of nutrition in the Paleolithic period and features of the nutrition of modern hunter-gatherers make it possible to suppose that, in the food allowance of our ancestors, the ratio between the Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids was more balanced and came to approximately 1:1. The development of new technologies in plant growing and animal husbandry led to the replacement of some types of fats by others. Many cultivated plants contain a significantly smaller quantity of Omega-3 fatty acids in comparison to wild plants, correspondingly also the oil of domestic animals eating feed from cultivated plants is also depleted in Omega-3 fatty acids in comparison to the meat of wild animals, in addition to all this more and more scientists are relating the consumption of meat to the appearance and development in people of such terrible diseases as cancer, atherosclerosis, diseases of the vessels and heart, for that reason one should try to replace meat with natural plant food.
In Cedar Nut Oil the ratio of the Omega-6/Omega-3 fatty acids is approximately 2:1. What attracts our attention is the high content of monounsaturated oleic acid, which is necessary for the normal metabolism of cholesterol. The use of polyunsaturated fatty acids in food requires a concomitant increase in the intake of tocopherols, natural antioxidants, which protect fatty acids from free-radical oxidation. It has been determined that for 1 g of polyunsaturated fatty acids, 0.6 mg of tocopherols should be taken, moreover in the most active forms-alpha and gamma tocopherols. This balance has been observed in Cedar Nut Oil, its content of alpha-tocopherol comes to 55 mg.
The kernel of the cedar nut contains a high quantity of phospholipids-6.9% (in Cedar Nut Oil, it is 1.3%), which exceeds its content in all nut and oil crops. The most common phospholipids are the phosphatidylcholines (old name: lecithins), whose constituents are glycerin, unsaturated fatty acids, and the vitamin-like substance choline, related to phosphoric acid. Phosphatidylcholine is an interchangeable substance, it can be synthesized in the organism in the presence of all the necessary elements, including the essential amino acid methionine. Phosphatidylcholine is of fundamental importance in nutrition, it promotes the digestion, absorption, and proper metabolism of fats, increases bile secretion, normalizes the metabolism of cholesterol, reduces the accumulation of fats in the liver. Cedar Nut Oil also contains phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerin, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidic acid. What attracts our attention is the presence in Cedar Nut Oil of cerebrosides, sulpholipids, and glycolipids, which are nonspecific for plant substances.
Unrefined vegetable oils always contain associated substances, which are extracted together with fats, dissolve in them, and have an influence on their physico-chemical, organoleptic, and, primarily, their pharmacological properties. These substances make up the so-called nonsaponifiable residue of fat. In Cedar Nut Oil, the associated substances are represented by pigments, phytosterols, triterpine hydrocarbons, and fat-soluble vitamins.
Pigments cause the colouring of natural fats, and are mainly represented by chlorophylls and carotenes. Chlorophyll, which is found in the oil, displays its activity also as a medicinal agent. Chlorophyll has a toning action, increases basic metabolism, stimulates the regeneration of the tissues, and possesses bactericidal properties. Chlorophyll-the green pigment of plants-is related in its chemical construction to the hemoglobin of the human erythrocyte. This makes it possible to explain the fact that chlorophyll taken with food has an influence on the blood system-it promotes an increase in the quantity of leucocytes, erythrocytes, and hemoglobin.
Sterols and esters make up the greater part of the nonsaponifiable residue of oils. A distinction is made between sterols of plant origin (phytosterols) and those of animal origin (zoosterols). The most common phytosterol is sitosterol, of the zoosterols it is cholesterol. Sitosterols, in particular the most studied of them beta-sitosterol, has a hypocholesteremic effect, lowering the absorption of cholesterol in the intestines; it displays estrogen, anti-tumor, fungicidal, and bacteriostatic (reduces the growth and multiplication of bacteria) activity. In recent years it has been determined that phytosterols may be included in lipid formation in humans and animals, for example, in the membranes of erythrocytes.
Cedar Nut Oil contains the steroid squalene, which is an intermediary product in the biosynthesis of cholesterol.
Triterpene carbohydrates form triterpene saponins, and are part of the essential oil, they have bactericidal, anti-inflammatory, and expectorant actions.
Cedar Nut Oil is a rich source of fat-soluble vitamins and some B vitamin groups.
Vitamin D regulates the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus, ensures that these substances are absorbed in the intestines and deposited in growing bones, thus ensuring the strength of bones and teeth. Vitamin D promotes the assimilation of magnesium, which is also necessary for the building of bone tissue. Vitamin D has an influence on the permeability of cellular and subcellular membranes to calcium ions. It is synthesized in the organism as a result of the action of sunlight on the skin. The formation of the biologically active form of the vitamin occurs in the liver and kidneys. Vitamin D insufficiency is widespread among very young children, and plays an important role in the development of rickets. In adults, D vitaminosis occurs rarely, and manifests itself in the form of osteoporosis. Vitamin D is toxic, with the unreasonable use of concentrated preparations, hypervitaminosis may develop, for that reason it is important that it enters the body in a natural form, with food products.
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Vitamin PP (niacin, nicotinic acid) participates in reactions involving cellular respiration and intermediate metabolism, since it is incorporated into proteins that carry out oxidation-reduction reactions; it improves carbohydrate metabolism, has a positive effect on mild forms of sugar diabetes; it lowers the level of cholesterol in the blood; it normalizes the secretory and motor functions of the gastro-intestinal tract, it has a positive effect on stomach ulcers; it displays a vasodilatory effect. In avitaminosis, pellagra ("rough skin") develops, typical of which is dermatitis (inflammation of the skin), a disturbance of the functions of the gastro-intestinal tract, lesions of the oral mucous membrane, mental disturbances. Niacin is formed in the body from the amino acid tryptophan, 60 mg of tryptophan makes 1 mg of niacin.
A kernel of the cedar nut ripened to the milky stage contains 64 mg of vitamin C.
A kernel of the cedar nut contains a large quantity of mineral substances-2.6%-which represents a collection of macro- and micro-elements.
Significant from a dietary point of view is the content of phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, and iodine. The presence of the listed macro- and micro-elements classifies the kernel of the cedar nut as a natural source of the mineral substances that play an important role in many biochemical processes in the human body.
Cedar Nut Oil contains nitrogenous compounds, represented mainly by free amino acids. Among them are all the essential amino acids-valine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan, phenylalanine-and the nonessential amino acids-arginine, histidine, tyrosine, alanine, glycine, proline, serine, asparagine, glutamine.
The importance of amino acids for the body depends above all on the fact that they are used for the synthesis of proteins. In addition, a large number of substances of a non-peptide nature used in special functions are formed from amino acids. These substances include choline (a constituent of phospholipids), taurine (involved in the metabolism of cholic acids), and heme (a component of hemoglobin). The amino acid tyrosine is the precursor of the hormones of the thyroid gland, the catecholamines-adrenaline and norepinephrine-are constituents of the dark-coloured pigments, the melanins, which determine the colour of the skin and hair. The melanins are also found in the pigmented layer of the retina of the eyes. Derived from histidine is the biogenic amine-histamine-which plays the role of a local hormone. A small quantity of vitamin PP (niacin) is synthesized from tryptophan in the body, in addition, tryptophan is the precursor of the neuromediator serotonin, on which the emotional state of the organism depends, an insufficiency of serotonin is characteristic of depressive conditions.
Some amino acids themselves have a biological activity. The amino acid lysine increases the nonspecific resistance of the body, influences the tone of the cardiac vessels, and lowers the level of cholesterol in the blood. Methionine prevents the deposit of excess fat in the liver, protects liver cells from the influence of toxic substances, and participates in the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine. The amino acids alanine and glycine play the role of inhibiting mediators in the brain, while glutamic acid and aspartic acid play the role of stimulating mediators. The amino acid arginine increases the nonspecific resistance of the body, alleviates spasm of the blood vessels, lowers the level of cholesterol in the blood, and is an essential amino acid in the growth period of children. The sulphur-containing amino acid cysteine is a natural antioxidant.
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Customer Reviews:
Siberian Pine Nut Oil is the greatest for stomach ulcers. I have tryed many medicines,other home remedies, and this is the only thing that will help.
Thank you.
Debbie Peska, IA, USA
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I am writing to tell you that I have only just started to use your product. About eight months ago I got a rash on my legs. I have been to several doctors. had shots of cortisone and a biopsy that turned up no diagnosis. My sister sent me a bottle of the oil. She told me to rub it on the rash and take it internally, I was reluctant to take drink the oil so I only used it topically. It really did not do much. My sister kept insisting that i drink the oil also. I drank some as she said to take it, For the first time in eight months my itching is gone. the itch was so intense i felt like I had been in poison ivy. My daughters noticed a difference in the color of the rash and I can say it looks better in just a few days of using it both internally and externally than it has looked in eight months.
thank you.
Monica
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I noticed that taking cedar oil before running races tones me up, gives me strength, and increases my chances for victory.
Michael R., New York, NY
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PROPHYLACTIC NUTRITION:
EFFECTIVENESS OF USING
SIBERIAN CEDAR NUT OIL IN THE COMPREHENSIVE TREATMENT
OF PATIENTS WITH ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION
Yu. V. Bakhtin, V. V. Budaeva, A. L. Vereshchagin, E. Yu. Egorova, E. E. Zhukova, A. S. Saratikov
Biysk Institute of Technology, I. I. Polzunov Altai State Technical University, Biysk
In patients with arterial hypertension who are receiving basic hypertension treatment, the consumption of a 17.5 g daily dose of Siberian Cedar Nut Oil demonstrated a cholesterol lowering effect, was accompanied by the normalization of the lipid spectrum of the blood and systolic pressure, and a decrease in excess body mass.
The prime objective in treating a patient with arterial hypertension is to lower his elevated blood pressure and thereby reduce the risk of the onset of cardiovascular complications that occur, as is well known, on the background of an elevated level of cholesterol in the blood and general obesity.
To achieve this indicated objective, in Altai Krai over the past four years we have drawn on the experience from the School for Arterial Hypertension Patients [4]. Special attention in the programme of this school is paid to the correction of disruptions in lipid metabolism, first and foremost, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, and also the regular observance of the principles of sound nutrition. In the process, a lowering of the total calorie value of the food (to 2000 kcal/day) is actively promoted, as is the obligatory daily consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits, and the replacement of animal fats with fats from fish products and vegetable oils, which are rich in essential polyunsaturated fatty acids from the omega-3 and omega-6 families. Of the vegetable oils, sunflower, olive, linseed oil are more often used, Siberian Cedar Nut Oil is used more rarely.
All the oils listed, with the exception of Siberian Cedar Nut Oil, as is well known, are rich in alpha-linolenic acid. Characteristic for Siberian Cedar Nut Oil is the presence of octadecatrienoic acids, whose composition is dominated by the 5,9,12 isomer; the location of the first bond (5) distinguishes it from gamma-linolenic acid. The presence of precisely this isomer in Siberian Cedar Nut Oil has been determined by both foreign [7, 8] and domestic authors [5], moreover in the latter paper it was determined using the chromato-spectrometric method. Siberian Cedar Nut Oil, although not included in the list of industrial vegetable oils (its production in Russia in 2003 came to only 50 tons on the background of 1500 thousand tons of the total vegetable oil produced in the country), is eagerly used in food by the population of Gorny Altai and Khakasin [4], which satisfies the special local nutritional peculiarities of the patients [3].
The goal of this study is to determined the level of effectiveness of using of Siberian Cedar Nut Oil in the comprehensive therapy of arterial hypertension.
Material and methods
In our study we used Siberian Cedar Nut Oil bearing the Ringing Cedars of Russia trademark, made according to the original technology of cold-pressing. It is a transparent liquid with the colour of golden straw, a delicate nutty taste, and a characteristic aroma. The oil is obtained by the cold pressing of selected shelled kernels. The Siberian Cedar Nut Oil obtained in this manner is packed only in a glass container. The produced oil is unrefined and therefore the most valuable, since it preserves the natural fatty-acid composition of the kernel of the cedar nut, tocopherols, sterols, phosphatides, and other native biologically active components, which ensure an extended shelf life of the product. The physiochemical features of the oil are presented in Table 1.
Table 1. Physicochemical indicators of the
Siberian Cedar Nut Oil used
The safety coefficients of Siberian Cedar Nut Oil meet the requirements of Public Health Regulations and Standards 2.3.2.1078-01, which attests to the ecological purity of the cedar nut purchased for processing. The amino-acid composition of the oil (Table 2) corresponds to the standard norms for Siberian Cedar Nut Oil [2].
Table 2. Fatty acid components in Siberian cedar nut oil
A distinguishing feature of the Siberian Cedar Nut Oil used according to Official Standard 30623-98 is the presence of gamma-linolenic acid with a fraction of the total mass not less than 18%.
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In accordance with the standards for physiological requirements in food substances and energy, and the recommendations of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization, the rated daily requirement in fats, including polyunsaturated fatty acids, comes to 11 g [6]. The Cedar Nut Oil we used is a valuable source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, moreover the content of the total omega-3 and omega-6 acids is 60 to 66%. To meet the daily requirement in Siberian Cedar Nut Oil as a source of essential fatty acids, it was recommended that the participants in the study consume 17.5 g or 20 ml (two tablespoons) of oil per day.
The study was conducted with the participation of two groups of patient-participants in the "School for Arterial Hypertension Patients" at Municipal Hospital No. 4 at Biysk. The basic group (p = 12) and control group (p = 12) did not differ in the age of the subjects or the expression of arterial hypertension (I-II stage), the blood content of total cholesterol, and also the body mass index. Patients in both groups received basic hypertension therapy and followed the recommendations for their diet. Patients of the first, basic group, in distinction to the second, control group, over the course of three months took a daily dose of 17.5 g of Siberian Cedar Nut Oil (as desired: on an empty stomach, one tablespoon twice a day, or during the consumption of meals, as part of vegetable salads).
In the initial period, the lipid spectrum of the blood of all subjects was studied to determine the content of total cholesterol, cholesterol with low density lipoproteins (LDL) and high density lipoproteins (HDL), triglycerides, and also the level of atherogenesis, the body mass index, and blood pressure. The indicators of lipid metabolism were determined for a second time in the control group after three months, in the basic group after one and three months of observation, and the body mass index and blood pressure in both groups after three months. An analysis of the lipid spectrum of the blood was carried out according to the standardized method of determining total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol; the body mass index and arterial pressure were determined using standard methods.
The results obtained were processed according to the Student's t-distribution with a determination of the arithmetic mean (M) and its standard error (m). An evaluation of the normality of the distribution in the samples was conducted according to the criterion of Kolmogorov-Smirnov. The Statistics 5.0 program for Windows was used.
Results and discussion
In patients of the first group, after one month, a substantial lowering of the level of LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and the atherogenic index was detected (Table 3), after three months the lipid reducing effect of Siberian Cedar Nut Oil under Ringing Cedars of Russia trade mark was even more pronounced. The level of HDL cholesterol in patients who received Siberian Cedar Nut Oil under Ringing Cedars of Russia trade mark reliably increased after one month by 35%, and after three months, by 29% from the initial point. As a result, indicators, such as the level of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides reached the target value, while the level of LDL cholesterol was close to it. The atherogenic index, although decreased by 40%, did not reach the target value (2.6), but came to 2.9.
In the control group after three months only a tendency to the lowering of the level of total cholesterol (p=0.06) was observed, without substantial changes in the remaining indicators. As can be seen from Table 4, in patients of the basic group the lowering of the systolic pressure was more pronounced (by 19.5%) than in the control group (by 10.6%), in this case the diastolic pressure became lower in the groups approximately in equal measure. The lowering of the body mass index was also more pronounced in patients in the first group.
Table 3. Indicators of the lipid spectrum of the blood (in mmol/l)
in patients with arterial hypertension (M+/-m)
Note. A - change in the indicator, expressed as a percentage; here and in Table 4: * - p<0.05; ** - p<0.001 compared to the original indicator.
Table 4. Dynamics of the change of the body mass index
and arterial pressure in the subjects (M+/-m)
The results obtained make it possible to conclude that Siberian Cedar Nut Oil under Ringing Cedars of Russia trade mark, which has a cholesterol lowering effect, promotes the normalization of the lipid spectrum of the blood and the systolic pressure, and a reduction of excess body mass. It should also be emphasized that all patients mentioned the high taste qualities of the Siberian Cedar Nut Oil under Ringing Cedars of Russia trade mark, its good tolerability, the absence of dyspeptic phenomena, and an increase in their ability to work during the second half of the day.
The use of high quality Siberian Cedar Nut Oil under Ringing Cedars of Russia trade mark in the comprehensive therapy of arterial hypertension makes it possible to lower the magnitude of patients' blood pressure, the content of cholesterol in their blood, and their body mass index. Thus, Siberian Cedar Nut Oil may be used for the treatment of arterial hypertension in persons with accompanying obesity, hyperlipoidemia and hypercholesterolemia with the goal of correcting risk factors and the prevention of cardiovascular complications.
LITERATURE:
1. Bakhtin, Yu. V., Mzhsluskiy, A. F. A method for obtaining vegetable oil and a nutritive protein product. Russian Federation Patent No. 2198913. Published on 20 February 2003. "Useful Models" Inventions Bulletin 2003, No. 5, part 11, p. 430.
2. Official Standard 30623-98. Vegetable oils and margarine production. A method for detecting adulteration. Minsk: Izdatelstvo standartov, 1999, 15 p.
3. Diagnosis and correction of disruptions in lipid metabolism for the purpose of the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis. Cardiovascular therapy and prophylaxis. Moscow: 2004, No. 4, pp. 107-108.
4. Zhukova, E. E. The role of the "School for the hypertensive patient" in the light of the non-medicinal treatment of hypertension. Materials from the applied science conference of 17-20 June 2003 "New technologies and the comprehensive use of the natural resources of Altai Krai for the production of VAL." Biysk: Biysk Institute of Technology, Altai State Technical University, 2003, pp. 182-188.
5. Medvedey, F. A., Kulakova, S. I., Levauev, M. M. Issues in nutrition, 1992, no. 2, pp. 70-71.
6. Public Health Regulations and Standards 2..3.2.1078-01. Hygienic safety requirements and the nutritional value of food products. Moscow: Minzdrav Rossii, 2002, p. 160.
7. Takahi, T., Liabashi, J. Lipids. 1982, vol. 17, pp. 716-723.
8. Yoon Tai-Heon. Nutr. Res. 1989, vol. 9, pp. 357-361.
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The brand name "THE RINGING CEDARS OF RUSSIA" stands for business integrity, decency and the highest possible quality of product. All products marketed under this brand name convey the primordial power of Nature and the warmth of our hearts. We offer:
A variety of high-quality cedar products, including cedar nuts and cedar nut oil.
Huge plantations of cedar trees grow in the Siberian taiga, said to be the ecologically purest area of the world. The virgin forest of the taiga has never been treated with any chemicals or artificial fertilisation, nor abused by agricultural machines.
Cedar nuts (the seeds of the cedar tree) take two years to mature, during which time the tree accumulates a huge volume of positive cosmic energy. Crops of nuts are harvested manually by people lovingly devoted to this task, working in a pleasant environment without undue haste to create unique products full of positive energy reflecting the infinite powers of Nature. Specific preparations include:
We pick only cedar cones which fall naturally from the trees, thus ensuring that only ripe cones are selected. We always avoid hitting the trees to shake unripe cedar cones down (as happens with some other commercial operations) -- a practice which causes the nuts to lose their healing power.
Cones are then manually shelled with the help of wooden shell-removers. Nut centres are separated from their shells using wooden rollers.
Cedar nut oil and cedar nut flour marketed under our brand name are obtained by the cold-pressure method, using manual wooden oil-presses.
Cedar nut oil is then stored in special containers and packed in a small village near Novosibirsk by name "Kandayrovo" using unique technology to avoid any contact with metal. The whole process is strictly supervised to ensure it complies with all sanitary requirements.
Final products are placed in special packaging to prevent daylight penetration, and stored at a temperature of 0C to +5C to better preserve the product's natural components. The resulting product is a bright gold-coloured liquid with the pleasant smell of cedar nuts. It is a 100% natural product with strong healing powers.
SIBERIAN CEDAR NUT OIL
Siberian Cedar nuts (cedar nuts) contain about 60% oil. They are therefore pressed to obtain Cedar nut oil, which is available on the market as a very expensive gourmet cooking oil. Cold pressing in all-wooden presses is preferred to retain the nutritional properties of nuts and derive the oil of highest quality.
The Cedar nut oil bearing "The Ringing Cedars of Russia" brand comes exclusively from wild-harvested Siberian Cedar nuts - one of the most nutritious Cedar nuts in the world. In comparison, other Cedar nut oils are usually pressed from the Italian pignolia Cedar nuts, which are not nearly as potent and are often harvested from trees growing in plantations. Our Siberian Cedar nut oil is extra virgin (100% cold pressed from freshly shelled raw Siberian Cedar nuts), whereas most Cedar nut oils on the market are either not cold pressed or even pressed from roasted (!) Cedar nuts, which significantly decreases the oil value. Finally, "The Ringing Cedars of Russia" Siberian Cedar nut oil is the only one which is available on the market anywhere in the world pressed with wooden presses in accordance with traditional techniques described in Vladimir Megre's life-changing book "The Ringing Cedars of Russia". In contrast, all other Cedar nut oils are pressed using steel presses, which immediately degrades them (contact with steel oxidizes some of the Cedar nut oil's most important ingredients such as vitamins, and is known to remove the 'life force' from the oil).
Cedar nut oil has also traditionally been used in ancient Russian and European natural medicine to cure a wide array of ailments - ingested (decreasing blood pressure, boosting immune system resistance, etc.) or applied externally (a range of dermatological disorders). It is also used in expensive cosmetics.
Cedar nut oil contains pinolenic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid, and is marketed in the U.S. as a means stimulate cell proliferation, prevent hypertension, decrease blood lipid and blood sugar, and inhibit allergic reactions.
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LEMON ORZO WITH MUSHROOMS AND CEDAR NUTS
Ingredients:
1 pound orzo pasta
3/4 cup cedar nuts, toasted
3/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
cedar nut oil
Juice of 2 lemons, plus grated peel of 1 lemon
Two 6-ounce packages sliced white mushrooms
Preparation:
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the orzo until al dente; drain and return to the pot. Stir in the cedar nuts, parsley, lemon juice, lemon peel and 2 tablespoons cedar nut oil; season with salt and pepper.
In a skillet, heat 1/4 cup cedar nut oil over high heat until rippling. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 7 minutes. Divide the orzo among 4 plates and top with the mushrooms.
Serves 4
TAPENADE APPETIZER
Ingredients:
7 oz stoned nicoise or kalamata olives
1 oz cedar nuts
2-3 tbsp. capers
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup cedar nut oil
freshly ground pepper
lemon juice, thyme or basil
Preparation:
Put olives, nuts, capers and garlic in mortar, processor or blender and pound or process, but the paste should not be too finely ground.
Put in a bowl and whisk the oil into the paste, little by little. Add lemon juice and herbs if wished and season to taste. Keeps for a few days in the fridge (keep covered).
PESTO SPAGHETTI
Ingredients:
1/2 cup minced parsley
2 cups fresh minced basil, firmly packed
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tblsp. butter
1/2 cup cedar nut oil
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 lb. thin spaghetti
1/4 cup minced cedar nuts
Preparation:
Combine basil, cedar nuts, parsley and garlic in processor or blender and puree; add oil and butter gradually in a slow, steady stream until mixture is the consistency of mayonnaise.
Add white pepper and salt to taste. Pour sauce over cooked spaghetti in a large shallow serving bowl and toss well. Serve immediately with Parmesan cheese. The sauce can be frozen.
http://recipebridges.com/; http://www.cooks.com/; http://recipes.epicurean.com/
CEDAR NUTS CAN BE SUBSTITUTED WITH CEDAR NUT FLAKES.
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