12 Natural Ways to Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

With brain diseases like Alzheimer’s becoming a growing concern, most of us want to make dietary and lifestyle choices that will protect our brains from this serious disease.

While there are many ways to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease, here are some of my favorites:

POMEGRANATES

These beautiful fruits deserve a place in your daily diet. That’s because they rate high on the US Department of Agriculture’s ORAC scale. ORAC is a rating of how well antioxidants are absorbed where they can protect the body and brain against harmful free radicals. The brain is especially vulnerable to free radicals, which are linked to brain diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Add pomegranate arils to salads, rice dishes, quinoa dishes or enjoy pomegranate juice diluted with water 1:1. 

SKIP THE FABRIC SOFTENER

I’m betting you weren’t planning to see fabric softener mentioned in an article about Alzheimer’s Disease, but our obsession with soft clothes comes at the high cost of our mental functions. That’s because most commercial fabric softeners have never been tested for safety, and, worse than that, contain substances that are linked to brain damage and may leave our brain vulnerable to diseases like Alzheimer’s disease. For example, the chemical benzyl acetate found in almost all fabric softeners is a known mutagen that damages our genetic material, which may leave our brain vulnerable to diseases including brain diseases.

BLUEBERRIES

Enjoy a half-cup of blueberries daily to reap the brain-protecting benefits of this tiny berry. While it may be small, it is a powerful brain healer thanks to their ability to protect both the watery and fatty parts of the brain against damage from free radicals—a claim that few foods can make. Blueberries are also highly anti-inflammatories and increase heat shock proteins that are used by your body to address sudden internal temperature increases and other stresses. Heat shock proteins tend to decrease with age but blueberries help restore the compounds, making your brain less vulnerable. 

COENZYME Q10 (COQ10)

This nutrient assists thousands of enzymes in the body to ensure our many biochemical functions work properly.  This is true of our brain functions which depend on this nutrient. For healthy brain function and to aid in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, I typically recommend 100 milligrams daily.​ Research by scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), links supplementation with this nutrient to memory improvement and protecting the brain against brain diseases like Alzheimer’s disease. Since CoQ10 levels diminish as we age, particularly over the age of 40, it is helpful to boost them through supplementation. CoQ10, particularly taken as a lozenge, absorbs quickly to replenish our brain’s supplies.

CURCUMIN

Research shows that the compound curcumin, found in the curry spice turmeric, not only protects the brain against memory loss, it may even help to protect it against Alzheimer’s disease. Curcumin is the plant nutrient that gives turmeric its golden-yellow hue. It turns out this vibrant compound also holds tremendous promise against serious brain disease by preventing the formation of beta amyloid plaques, which are involved in Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s patients with severe symptoms, including dementia, irritability, agitation, anxiety and apathy, have shown excellent therapeutic results when taking curcumin, according to a study published in the Japanese medical journal Ayu. When participants took 764 mg of turmeric with a standardized amount of 100 mg/day of curcumin for one year of treatment, they had noticeable memory improvements. You can benefit from this spice’s brain-protecting properties by eating curries that contain the spice turmeric, adding turmeric to other foods like soups, stews, curries and smoothies, and supplementing with curcumin. Supplement with 400 mg of curcumin to help prevent against Alzheimer’s disease. 

REDUCE YOUR SUGAR INTAKE

It may be tempting to eat all the cookies, pie and cakes you want but your brain won’t appreciate it. That’s because a high sugar diet reduces the production of a brain chemical known as brain-derived neurotrophic facto (BDNF). Without sufficient BDNF, your brain can’t form new memories, nor can you learn new things or remember much. Low levels of BDNF have been linked to diabetes, prediabetes, depression and dementia. By taming your sugar intake, you’ll help make BDNF your new BFF.

MENTAL EXERCISES AND LEARNING

Lifelong learning and participating in mental exercise helps to keep connections in the brain active. Like a muscle in the body, it’s imperative to use the brain to keep it functioning properly. You can take classes at your local high school or college, start doing crosswords or Sudoku, or pick up a book to learn a new skill. Whatever you choose to do, you’ll reap the rewards of better brain health.

PURPLE GRAPES OR GRAPE JUICE

Purple grapes contain a powerful brain-protecting compound known as resveratrol, which has been shown in study after study to help prevent brain damage and brain diseases. Enjoy a handful of red or purple grapes or a small glass of purple grape juice daily to reap the brain-protecting ability of this fruit. Choose organic as much as possible because grapes are a heavily-sprayed crop. 

WALNUTS

Not only do walnuts look remarkably like a tiny brain, research in The Journal of Nutritionshows that these nuts may help to protect the brain against free radicals that cause brain damage. Choose raw, unsalted and refrigerated nuts since the delicate Omega 3 fatty acids found in walnuts go rancid quickly.

TEA

Black, green and white tea all have significant amounts of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds known as catechins. Drinking at least one to three cups of tea daily helps to protect your brain from brain-damaging free radicals.

GINGER

Research in the Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine found that ginger works on multiple levels to help protect against Alzheimer’s disease and holds promise as a natural treatment for the disease. Add fresh ginger root to curries, soups, stews or other dishes on a daily basis to help reap the brain health rewards of this potent herb. You can also make a decoction from the herb which involves bringing 1 quart of water with 2 inches of freshly-chopped gingerroot to a boil and then turning down the heat and allowing to simmer for 45 minutes. Strain and drink, sweetened with a small amount of stevia if desired, 3 cups daily.

PROBIOTICS

It may be hard to imagine that the health benefits of getting more probiotics go beyond the gut, but they do. Scientists are aware of something called a gut-brain axis in which improved gut health results in improved brain health. Research even shows that the brain benefits of ingesting more probiotics are sufficient to warrant including probiotics in the treatment plans of those suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease.

11 Ways to Get More Fiber Without Eating More Grains

It lowers glucose levels. It protects against diabetes and heart disease. It helps lower cholesterol. And it keeps you regular. We’re talking about our best friend fiber, and its list of benefits seems to grow every day.

Recent research found a link between higher fiber intake (more than 17.5 grams per day) and a lowered risk of lung disease. And on the heels of that research, a long-term studyof 44,000 women found that those who consumed 28 grams of fiber per day on average had a 24 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer before menopause, compared to women who ate 14 grams a day on average.

If you want to increase your intake, the magic numbers to keep in mind are 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men per day, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. And though we’re often used to hearing the words “fiber” and “whole grains” in the same breath, there are actually plenty of other (often healthier) options for getting more fiber without piling our plates high with bread and rice. Whether you’re just watching your grain intake or eating a strictly low-carb diet, fear not for your bowels—we’ve got you covered with the following high-fiber, grain-free (and some low-carb) fiber sources:

AVOCADOS

Sprinkled with a little sea salt and eaten with a spoon or whipped up into guacamole, avocados are packed with potassium, heart-healthy fat, vitamin K, vitamin E, magnesium and fiber—13 grams of it in the average 200-gram avocado. And with only 17 grams of carbohydrates total, including fiber, it’s a great low-carb food too. Prefer something sweet?  

ARTICHOKES

One large artichoke (about 162 grams) will up your fiber intake by about 9 grams. And with only 17 grams of carbs total, they’re a great low-carb option, whether they’re part of a salad, in a stew or paired with spinach for a dip. 

BERRIES

As far as fiber-rich fruits go, prunes are up there, with 12 grams of fiber per cup—but they also tend to be packed with sugar. For a lower-sugar, high-fiber fruit, opt for berries like blackberries and raspberries, which contain about 8 grams of fiber per cup and only 5-7 grams of sugar.

BLACK BEANS

Bring on the chili! Throw some ground beef in a slow cooker and make sure you add a few cups of beans. A cup of black beans (about 194 grams) will add 30 grabs of fiber. Lima beans add 13 grams of fiber per cup, and, if you’re watching your carb intake, black soy beans contain 7 grams of fiber and only 8 total grams of carbohydrates.

CHIA SEEDS

Chia seed pudding has been having a moment, but the mighty seeds are also great in baked goods, green smoothies, sprinkled on grilled veggies and in gravies and stir-fry sauces  . In addition to being rich in omega-3 fatty acids, just one ounce (or two tablespoons) of chia seeds will add 10 grams of fiber to your day (and only another 2 grams of non-fiber carbs, making them perfect for low-carb eaters).

CAULIFLOWER

Crunch on it raw for a midday snack, grill it up with dinner or cover it in cheese. However you eat it, one small head (about 4 inches in diameter, or 265 grams) will get you 5 grams of fiber. And with only 13 total grams of carbohydrates (including fiber) per small head, it makes a great grain-free, low-carb replacement for rice too—rice it in a food processor and use it in place of regular rice in any dish.

COCONUT FLOUR

You don’t usually see cake on a list of high-fiber foods, but you can get both a sweet fix and a fiber boost when you bake with coconut flour instead of all-purpose flour. Case in point? This gluten-free cinnamon cake with a coconut glaze, made with almond flour, coconut flour, coconut milk, eggs, grated apples and other healthy goodies. Use it in place of traditional breading for grain-free, low-carb fried chicken fingers, too—just two tablespoons contain about 5 grams of fiber.

FLAXSEED MEAL

Four tablespoons of flaxseed meal will add 8 grams of fiber to your day, along with benefits like stabilizing blood sugar, warding off infections and lowering cholesterol. Sprinkle them into a salad, use them in baking or mix with a morning yogurt or smoothie.

NUTS

Love to snack? Remove your hand from the bag of Cheetos and dip into a can of nuts instead. If you’re counting calories, count carefully—the calories in nuts add up fast when you’re mindlessly snacking. But they’re also a healthy fiber boost if you’re replacing a junk food snack with them. One ounce of almonds will give you 3.5 grams of fiber, while pecans and hazelnuts give you a little under 3.

PSYLLIUM HUSKS

With 5 grams of fiber per teaspoon, psyllium husks make for an easy, low-carb fiber boost—especially since it dissolves easily in water and comes in capsules. Making a snack out of it? Mix it in with a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter for a sweet but healthy nosh.

VEGGIE PUREES

Okay, so a big bowl of cauliflower, beans and avocados probably won’t make it into your dinner rotation. But whip out a blender and you can get creative with vegetable-based soups and sauces that easily work with your favorite entrees.

25 Vegan Sources for Calcium

When folks find out you don’t eat dairy, after they tell you they’d die without cheese they often will ask how you get enough calcium in your diet without milk products. The dairy industry has done a great job marketing milk as the best way to build healthy bones, but you can actually get calcium from all sorts of plant-based sources, and they’re often better for your bones than dairy products!

We need between 1000 and 1200 milligrams of calcium per day for healthy bones, and it’s not just vegans who need to plan carefully to get enough calcium each day. Over 75 percent of Americans are deficient in calcium, so plenty of omnivores aren’t getting enough, either. No matter what your diet, you just need to make sure to include two or three servings of calcium-rich foods and/or calcium-fortified foods in each meal, and you’ll be able to hit that target for bone health.

Unlike milk, plant-based calcium sources contain vitamins C and K and the minerals potassium and magnesium, which are all important for bone health. Next time someone asks you where you get your calcium, you can tell them it comes from some of the 25 vegan sources below!

25 Vegan Sources for Calcium

1. Kale (1 cup contains 180 mg)

2. Collard Greens (1 cup contains over 350 mg)

3. Blackstrap Molasses (2 tablespoons contains 400 mg)

4. Tempeh (1 cup contains 215 mg)

5. Turnip Greens (1 cup contains 250 mg) 

6. Fortified non-dairy milk (1 cup contains 200-300 mg)

7. Hemp milk (1 cup contains 460 mg)

8. Fortified orange juice (1 cup contains 300 mg)

9. Tahini (2 tablespoons contains 130 mg)

10. Almond butter (2 tablespoons contains 85 mg)

11. Great northern beans (1 cup contains 120 mg)

12. Soybeans (1 cup contains 175 mg)

13. Broccoli (1 cup contains 95 mg)

14. Raw fennel (1 medium bulb contains 115 mg)

15. Blackberries (1 cup contains 40 mg)

16. Black Currants (1 cup contains 62 mg)

17. Oranges (1 orange contains between 50 and 60 mg)

18. Dried apricots (1/2 cup contains 35 mg)

19. Figs (1/2 cup contains 120 mg)

20. Dates (1/2 cup contains 35 mg)

21. Artichoke (1 medium artichoke contains 55 mg)

22. Roasted sesame seeds (1 oz. contains 35 mg)

23. Adzuki beans (1 cup contains 65 mg)

24. Navy beans (1 cup contains 125 mg)

25. Amaranth (1 cup contains 275 mg)

15 of the Worst Fruits and Vegetables You Can Eat

Fruits and vegetables have plenty of health benefits. And when it comes to produce, there’s no doubt a wide variety of goods are delivered more often than not. That said, we also know few things in life can be 100% perfect, 100% of the time. Unfortunately, fruits and veggies are no exception.

While upping your intake of fresh, whole foods is certainly important, there are a few you may want to steer clear of, or at least not overindulge in too often. To be clear, we’re not recommending you cross these 15 fruits and veggies off your grocery list for good. However, it may benefit you to cut back just a bit.

1. Pineapple 

The relaxing sounds of Hawaiian music begin to lull in the back of your mind every time you take a bite of this sweet, succulent fruit. But all that sweetness can be chalked up to sugar content — 1 cup of solid chunks contain 16.2 grams of sugar.

Available year-round, pineapples can be tough to stay away from (pineapple pizza, anyone?). Thankfully, they’re only ripest during a few months a year. Phew. (After all, there’s a reason pineapple upside-down cake is a thing.)

2. Corn 

With summertime just around the corner, it’s likely you’ll be seeing lots of corn on the cob with each and every BBQ you attend. But corn isn’t just a seasonal staple alone. We eat the stuff in the form of popcorn, processed syrup, salsas, and breakfast cereals. Because of this, corn is often riddled with tons of GMOs.

Slice reports there’s no way of knowing how the genes added to corn will affect us in the future. Furthermore, corn is often fed to cows to fatten them up before they’re slaughtered for meat, so just imagine the negative effects such a product could have on our bodies.

3. Cherries 

Cherries might be the perfect accompaniment to your cocktail, but we recommend enjoying them in moderation.

While a bag of cherries definitely makes for a great midday snack, just keep in mind that their addicting nature exists for good reason. In just 1 cup of cherries with pits, you’re getting more than 17 grams of sugar.

4. Coconut 

There sure has been a lot of hype surrounding all things coconut. But don’t be fooled by claims that this healthy alternative — whether in the form of oil, sugar, or water — is better for you.

According to a 2015 NY Daily News article, “The trendy superfood — which is about to make the jump into the Mainstream American Diet thanks to Starbucks, Walmart, and Costco — is loaded with heart-damaging saturated fat, sugar and calories that hide behind its healthy, food co-op image.”

Tasty as it may be, there are some people who shouldn’t consume coconut at all. “I caution patients with high cholesterol or a history of heart disease,” Kate Patton, dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic’s Heart & Vascular Institute, told the publication. So, consider the state of your individual health before cracking a coconut.

5. Pomegranate 

Figuring out the best way to actually break into a pomegranate is hard enough, and once you’re in there, it’s likely you’ll want to fully enjoy the fruits of your labor (pun very much intended). But did you know a whole pomegranate has 39 grams of sugar?

That said, it’s often smarter to use them as a topping for your yogurt.

6. Mango 

A common ingredient in smoothies, sushi rolls, and guacamole (and pretty much anything else you’d want to eat), this juicy fruit sure is tough to stay away from. Mangoes are full of sweet, sweet goodness, so it’s no surprise 1 cup of sliced mango has 23 grams of sugar, making them the perfect addition to most tasty things in life.

7. Potato 

You guessed it — potatoes are probably the most cautioned of all veggies. While they’re an absolute necessity (in any form) on Thanksgiving, the starchy vegetable isn’t exactly the most revered when it comes to your choice of a healthy side.

The main deterrent is the 36 grams of carbs that are packed into a single potato. So, eat these starchy veggies in moderation.

8. Bananas 

Bananas are often a main staple in many folks’ kitchens. And although they’re certainly better than opting for pancakes in the morning, bananas are best in small doses.

As Lauren Slayton, author of The Little Book of Thin, told The Daily Meal, if you’re trying to lose weight, it’s better to go for fruits that aren’t so starchy.

9. Winter squash 

Winter squash, which includes butternut, acorn, and spaghetti, comes with its fair share of health benefits, but it doesn’t top the charts in the grand scheme of the vegetable world. Averaging around 21 grams of carbs per cup of winter squash, according to Verywell, the entire veggie packs a seriously carb-heavy punch.

10. Figs 

Fig Newtons may have been a popular lunchbox snack years ago, but it’s not the way to go if you’re looking to cut back on sugar. According to AOL, “Fresh figs are filled with fiber and can help to lower blood pressure, but the fruit does contain a good amount of sugar too — 100 grams of raw figs (or roughly 1 cup) contains around 16 grams of sugar.”

11. Jicama 

A farmer’s market favorite, jicama is a pretty exciting, yet fairly unloved, root vegetable, The Kitchn says. But in the overall scheme of things, it’s also one that ranks high in the carbohydrate department: 1 cup of slices has 10.6 grams of carbs.

Its crunch is alluring, and its juicy consistency is similar to that of a savory apple. While it sure it tasty, it’s not the best veggie in the world, either.

12. Watermelon 

There’s nothing quite like a fresh slice of watermelon following a hard mountain bike ride or a half-day hike. But if you haven’t just done some level of physical activity, it’s best to limit your watermelon consumption.

According to Fat Loss Foodies, this high-sugar fruit has “plenty of wonderful qualities, but [it is] also very high in fructose, the natural sugar found in fruit.” So, try to limit it when possible.

13. Brussels sprouts 

OK, so we know what you’re thinking here. How could Brussels sprouts ever be bad? And we understand your reaction. But, let us explain.

According to Alissa Rumsey, registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Brussels sprouts are to be avoided, as least if you’re worried about bloating. As Rumsey told The Daily Meal, Brussels sprouts are one of the worst veggies for bloating and gas. And nobody wants that.

14. Eggplant 

Is eggplant a healthy alternative to meat? Sure, but still, it makes the list. According to Maggie Moon, author of The Elimination Diet Workbook, mushrooms are a better option.

“The down side of this is that they really do soak up everything,” Moon told The Daily Meal. “They’re like sponges for fat and seasoning, so it’s easy to pile calories and sodium onto eggplant.”

15. Onion 

With all their flavor, onions are an easy veggie to love. And it’s no surprise plenty of people consume more than enough onions in a given week. Consuming them on sandwiches, in pasta sauces, or the like, however, isn’t necessarily a good thing.

Much like everything else on this list, onions aren’t completely unhealthy. It’s just that they’re lacking in super food status. “Onions consist mostly of water, carbs and fiber,” Healthline says. “The main fibers in them, fructans, can feed the friendly bacteria in the gut, but they can also cause digestive problems in some people.”

And on that note, folks… eat your fruits and veggies! Just remember: All things in moderation.

10 Surprising Things That Can Lower Your Risk of Having a Heart Attack

No matter who you are, you’re probably at risk of dying from a cardiovascular-related issue. There are a lot of variables at play, but given enough time, most people are going to find their cardiovascular system stressed at some point. Heart attacks, for example, are pretty common emergencies despite the wealth of knowledge we have about how to avoid them.

Really, it’s pretty simple. Stick to a healthy diet, exercise, and take care of yourself. Of course, we’re all going to suffer some sort of cataclysmic health failure at some point. Even the healthiest among us will have heart attacks or be diagnosed with cancer. People who have never touched a cigarette end up with lung cancer and vegans can still have high cholesterol. But you can improve your odds, and live a longer life, by covering your bases.

1. Flossing 

How could flossing possibly be good for your heart? Though the evidence is still circumstantial, doctors are exploring an apparent link between gum disease and heart disease. Either way, you should be flossing.

2. Move west 

Culture makes a difference. So does your environment. Look at a map of the United States, and you’ll see certain areas are rife with heart disease and heart attacks. Others? Not nearly as much. The areas with lower incidences of heart issues tend to be out west. Take a look at the list of America’s healthiest cities for further proof.

3. Go to sleep 

The importance of sleep can’t be understated. Yet, many of us ignore it. We stay up late playing video games, frolicking at bars, or surfing social media. Setting a strict sleep schedule will do wonders for your health, though. It’ll also help ward off heart disease, according to Harvard researchers.

4. Have the salmon 

Most Americans eat meat. Meats — red, processed meats, in particular — are filled with fats and cholesterol, and when consumed in abundance, can contribute to heart disease. Fish, on the other hand, contains heart-healthy fats. If you don’t already eat seafood, try getting some more fish into your diet. Substitute salmon one day per week for your typical burger.

5. Go on vacation 

You know what leads to heart attacks and strokes? Stress. What’s a great way to relieve that stress, or at least get away from it for a bit? Go on vacation. We’re overworked and overstressed. If you have the means to take a vacation (or just get away from your hectic daily life), do it.

6. Crank up the Mozart 

Music can impact your mood and stress levels. If you’re listening to Slayer and pounding Red Bull all day? You’re probably going to be ready to snap. Interestingly enough, studies show listening to classical music can help your heart. It reduces blood pressure, calms you down, and can prevent heart disease.

7. Get a roommate 

Live alone? It may actually be contributing to heart issues, as odd as it may seem. Studies have shown people who live alone have an increased risk of heart disease and heart attacks. There are a lot of factors that play into it, but just know that if you’re flying solo, it may not be great for your heart health.

8. Give up soda 

You’re probably tired of hearing you should give up soft drinks, but tough. They’re filled with sugar (and often caffeine) and are part of the increasing obesity rate. That means they’re a part of the heart disease equation as well. If you can give soda up, you can lower your risks of heart attack considerably.

9. Get a dog 

Get a dog? Get a dog! Having a dog around will help you become more active (that Dalmatian isn’t going to walk itself), and they can be great stress relievers. The numbers don’t lie — dogs can actually lower your risk of heart attack.

10. Don’t have (too many) kids 

Having kids is stressful. They also eat up a lot of your time, meaning you don’t have the bandwidth for exercise, and end up eating unhealthy foods. Scientists have linked kids, at least having more than four, to an increased risk of heart attack.

The health benefits of this fruits are amazing

Carrot is one of the most popular vegetables in the world, and this is because there is no continent where its sweetness is not appreciated.

However, the usefulness of carrot goes beyond its taste…it has a whole lot of amazing health benefits. And some of them include vitamin A, cancer prevention, anti-aging and skin beauty.

Many studies have shown that beta carotene, which is one of the antioxidants of carrot, is crucial for improving immunity in the body, protecting skin and eye health, and fighting free radical damage that can cause various forms of chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease.

And when it is blended to juice, a concentrated dose of its healing power is what you’ll get.

It is therefore, important to note that the healing power of carrot juice has what it takes to balance blood sugar, improve blood health, relieves congestion, fights inflammation and also to cleanse the kidneys.

In addition, it improves the quality of vision, brain function, as well as fighting Leukemia.

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Here are some of the amazing health benefits of carrot

1. It prevents heart diseases

It has been medically proven that high cholesterol is one of the major factors that cause heart diseases. And since regular consumption of carrots reduces cholesterol levels, it becomes easy to realize that consuming a healthy dose of carrots can actually prevent heart-related problems.

As a matter of fact, s study conducted at the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research in Italy found that those who ate more carrots had a 1/3rd risk of heart attack as compared with those who ate fewer carrots.

2. It lowers blood pressure

Studies have shown that carrots are rich sources of potassium. And potassium, which is a vasodilator and can relax the tension in your blood vessels and arteries.

When this happens, blood flow and circulation increases, which leads to the boosting of organ function throughout the body, as well as reducing the stress on the cardiovascular system.

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Note

It is important to note that high blood pressure is directly linked to atherosclerosis, strokes, and heart attacks; so if blood pressure can be controlled with carrot, then it goes to say that the above illnesses can be prevented with it as well.

3. It controls diabetes

As earlier mention, carotenoids are among the antioxidants found in carrot and they are very effective when it comes to blood sugar regulation.

They are known to inversely affect insulin resistance and thus lower blood sugar; thereby helping diabetics live a normal, healthy life.

4. It helps to prevent cancer

Apart from the fact that carotenoids are effective in blood sugar regulation, studies have also shown that consuming high levels of carotenoids from fruits and vegetables can help prevent cancer.

Evidence has also suggested that antioxidants in carrots may be able to fight leukemia cells and may play a role in reducing your risk of some of the most widespread types of cancers, including ovarian and breast cancer. 

5. It helps in protecting brain health

The importance of carrot and carrot juice cannot be overemphasized when it comes brain health.

Because they are known to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease, improving memory, as well as defending against other types of cognitive decline.

This is due to carrot’s ability to lower oxidative stress in the brain that can weaken nerve signaling capacity.

Technology isn’t just changing society — it’s changing what it means to be human

Is there something unusual about the pace and nature of technological change today? Should we be more worried about the world we’re creating?

Michael Bess is a historian of science at Vanderbilt University and the author of Our Grandchildren Redesigned: Life in a Bioengineered Society. His book offers a sweeping look at our genetically modified future, a future as terrifying as it is promising. But he’s also someone who thinks a lot about the broader relationship between technology and society.

The role that technology plays in human life is becoming an increasingly urgent question. Big tech companies like Facebook and Twitter are under fire for their role in spreading fake news and misinformation during the 2016 presidential election. But the impact of social media will likely pale in comparison to potential revolutions in artificial intelligence or gene editing technologies.

I reached out to Bess to talk about our technological future and why he thinks we’re not asking the sorts of questions we should be asking about where we’re headed and what it will mean for humanity.

A lightly edited transcript of our conversation follows.

Sean Illing

Since the invention of the printing press, people have always panicked about the implications of new technologies. Is there something uniquely worrisome about the nature of technological change today?

Michael Bess

Well, it depends which technologies we’re talking about. Smartphones, computers, and the internet are revolutionary technologies, but they seem to me [to be] comparable in their impact to other big revolutions in communications and transportation that we’ve experienced over the past thousand years.

But what we’re on the verge of doing with bioengineering technologies like CRISPR is going to be so qualitatively different and more powerful that I think it’s going to force us to reassess who we are and what it means to be human. Bioelectric implants, genetic modification packages, the ability to tamper with our very biology — this stuff goes far beyond previous advances, and I’m not sure we’ve even begun to understand the implications.

Sean Illing

But it’s not just the nature of technological change today; it’s also the pace. How different is this compared to previous eras?

Michael Bess

The pace is, I think, significantly different. We went from having no World Wide Web to a full-blown World Wide Web in 20 or 25 years — that’s astonishing when you consider how much the internet has changed human life. In the case of, say, telephones, that took many decades to fully spread and become as ubiquitous as it is today.

So what we’ve seen with the internet is blisteringly fast compared to the past. For most of human history, the world didn’t change all that much in a single lifetime. That’s obviously not the case anymore, and technology is the reason why. 

Sean Illing

And what about that worries you?

Michael Bess

I worry that we don’t have enough time to adjust. What is all this doing to our habits, to our cultural sense of who we are? When these things happened slower in previous eras, we had more time to assess the impacts and adjust. That is simply not true anymore. We should be far more worried about this than we are.

Sean Illing

That’s the thing that worries me the most. Our technology is developing so much faster than our culture and our institutions, and the gap between these things can only grow so far before society becomes dangerously unstable.

Michael Bess

We need to be asking specific questions about what we’re gaining and what we’re losing. We’re faced with these new, rapidly shifting means of communication and interaction. What are the pros and cons? I think you can make the case that there are significant benefits and equally significant harms, but it’s hard to really know what those are because so many of these changes are unforeseen or unpredictable.

Sean Illing

Do you think we’re equipped, as a society, to step back and ask those questions?

Michael Bess

I think overall as a society, we’re insufficiently equipped, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of voices out there speaking sanity. What’s interesting is that you can use these new technologies to get in touch with those voices and connect with other people who are questioning these technologies. The ability to connect in that way offers a lot of promise if it’s used wisely. 

Sean Illing

Technologies are tools that can be put to good or bad use. But my sense is that devices like smartphones are rapidly pushing us away from the world. We’re losing our ability to be in the world in a way that isn’t mediated by some electronic appendage.

Michael Bess

That’s the big concern. My students are aware of this, even though everybody seems to be walking around campus mindlessly staring at their phones. But when you sit down and talk to young people today, it’s clear that they understand what’s happening and why it’s problematic.

The more you live through screens, the more you’re living in a narrow bandwidth, an abstract world that’s increasingly artificial. And that virtual world is safe and controllable, but it’s not rich and unpredictable in the way the real world is. I’m worried what will happen if we lose our connection to reality altogether.

Sean Illing

What technological developments do you think have the potential to do the greatest harm to our species and to our way of life?

Michael Bess

It really depends which technologies we’re talking about. I’m writing a book now called Controlling the Technologies of Apocalypse. It’s about the emergence of synthetic biology, which is basically human beings redesigning their biological structure. It’s about us modifying our very genetic code — that’s extremely dangerous if it’s not controlled and safeguarded.

I also worry about nuclear weapons. Nukes remain an ever-present threat, but people have become complacent about them just because they’ve been reduced by two-thirds from the peak numbers of the Cold War. But they’re still there, and they’re still being modernized, and they’re still pointed at each of us.

Artificial intelligence is another technology with potentially apocalyptic implications, and that’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. 

Sean Illing

What worries you about AI?

Michael Bess

Intelligence is what made humans the dominant species on the planet. Intelligence is the most powerful instrument around. If you’re embodying that kind of intelligence in increasingly sophisticated machines and are coming to depend on them more and more over time, what worries me is that we’re headed in the direction of building AI technologies that are at the human level and, eventually, far beyond that.

We’re not talking about the narrow forms of AI like the one that drives the Google car or helps the doctor make diagnoses or helps people on Wall Street make investment decisions — those are all very specialized forms of AI and, as far as I can tell, are mostly harmless.

I’m worried about advanced forms of AI becoming so intelligent that they can perform an infinite variety of tasks across domains of activity. We’ll continue to make them smarter and more capable and more powerful until we reach a point at which they start to learn on their own and start to modify themselves. Once that happens, they’ll be fully unpredictable — and then who the hell knows what happens next.

Sean Illing

You said earlier that these technologies, especially bioengineering, might fundamentally alter what it means to be human. Can you say a bit more about that?

Michael Bess

What’s most striking about us as humans is that we are unpredictable in very basic ways. We’re more complex than we can fathom, and there’s something about us that is the opposite of artificial. It’s the opposite of something made.

What the genetic engineering stuff promises to bring down the line is human beings who are tailored to particular purposes, either by themselves over time or by other human beings. So I’m worried that we’ll become products or commodities, and products or commodities are subordinated to particular functions or purposes.

All of this genetic modification technology has the potential to take us into very worrisome territory where all the things we hold dear in our current world, all the values that give our lives meaning, are at risk. Either our survival is at risk or we become semi-machines who are like the marionettes of our own moment-to-moment experience. What becomes of autonomy? What becomes of free will? All these questions are on the table. 

Sean Illing

Let me push back a little here because I know a lot of people will read this and say you’re overreacting. They’ll say people have always made these sorts of noises about new technologies and that humans, in any case, are always evolving and changing.

Michael Bess

I’m not saying that in the year 2500, people need to be exactly like they are now. I’m not trying to put some sort of artificial constraints on what humans can make of themselves over time. We’ve changed a lot. We’ll continue to change. But you don’t want to change habits so dramatically, deeply, and swiftly that it breaks the bonds that hold our society together. And you don’t want to shatter our sense of identity so quickly that it creates a kind of existential chaos.

Sean Illing

What are the questions we should be asking ourselves now about technology and human nature and the future?

Michael Bess

I think each of us needs to ask, “What does it mean for a human being to flourish?” These technologies are forcing us to be more deliberate about asking that question. We need to sit down with ourselves and say, “As I look at my daily life, as I look at the past year, as I look at the past five years, what are the aspects of my life that have been the most rewarding and enriching? When have I been happiest? What are the things that have made me flourish?”

If we ask these questions in a thoughtful, explicit way, then we can say more definitely what these technologies are adding to the human experience and, more importantly, what they’re subtracting from the human experience.