Plants, like animals, require anti-oxidants to protect themselves from free radical damage to their cells, and the protective substances they have evolved are known as phytochemicals.

So one of the major reasons for the common advice for everyone to eat a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables is that such diets will also of course be rich in these phytochemicals, the plant anti-oxidants that appear to have a tremendously positive effect on health. Numerous studies have reported the benefits of such a diet in fighting cardiovascular disease, cancer, cognitive degeneration and diabetes the characteristic diseases, in fact, of Western affluence. But the science remains in its infancy, so although thousands of phytochemicals are already known about, this is probably just the beginning.

For example, the class of phytochemicals known as carotenoids alone numbers more than 600. These are the highly coloured molecules formed naturally by plants, which lend them their characteristic yellow, orange or red pigments.

Only a few of these carotenoids have so far been the subject of serious research, but it's known that in plants the carotenoids function as anti-oxidants in neutralising the so-called "singlet oxygen" molecule, which forms during photosynthesis. It's less clear, however, whether this particular kind of reaction is significant for animal or human health.

What is clear, however, is that certain of the carotenoids notably alpha and beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin are significant as anti-oxidants because they are readily synthesised by the body into vitamin A. The most important of these "pro-vitamin A" carotenoids are beta and alpha-carotene.

Certain types of food such as pumpkins, raw, cooked or canned carrots and winter squash are rich in both alpha and beta-carotene (as well as the other carotenoids), so eat these and you will be getting both.

The principal differences are that beta-carotene is present in greater quantities and that the body converts about twice as much of the beta-carotene it absorbs into vitamin A when compared with alpha-carotene, the relevant figures being 40% and 20% respectively. A given quantity of any of these foods will typically contain only between a quarter and two-thirds as much alpha as beta-carotene. For these reasons only the figures for beta-carotene are given here.

So an 8 fl oz can of carrots will typically contain around 21,955 mcg of beta-carotene, canned pumpkin 17,000, a cup of cooked carrots around 13,000. Beta-carotene is also present in a wider variety of foods such as turnip green 10,593 mcg and kale 11, 470 mcg per cup respectively.

In both cases the anti-oxidant effects of the vitamin A produced are enhanced by the unconverted alpha and beta-carotene which continue to act as anti-oxidants in their own right, and being highly fat soluble are particularly valuable in protecting the delicate fatty structures of the body's cells such as the membranes.

Along with other fat soluble anti-oxidants, alpha and beta-carotene also appear to assist in preventing the oxidation of the low density blood lipids (LDL), the so-called "bad" cholesterol which is widely believed to be a major precursor of cardiovascular disease.

Perhaps surprisingly, the effective absorption of beta-carotene particularly depends on the presence of this "bad" cholesterol. But with the obvious exception of artificially introduced toxins, if a substance is found in the body it's there for a good reason. So in fact this is a very good example of the body's holistic and balanced functioning, because although you need LDL to absorb and carry beta-carotene around the body, that beta-carotene will itself help to raise levels of High Density Lipids (HDL), or so-called "good" cholesterol.

In addition to this role in combatting cardiovascular problems, many research studies, have highlighted the potential of beta-carotene as a weapon against cancer, probably because of its general anti-oxidant function, but also because of the part it plays in the biochemical communication between cells. This is vital if the immune system is to be able to kill off cancer cells in the early stages of their development and before the disease takes a hold.

Conventional medicine recognises the benefits of a diet rich in carotenoids, but tends to be sceptical that the very high supplementary doses advocated by many alternative practitioners will provide any significant advantage. As so often, it is a question of balancing the risks.

But where a substance appears to be almost entirely benign in any realistically conceivable quantity of intake, and may offer very substantial health benefits at little expense, the question must be: why wouldn't you take it?

Steve Smith is a freelance copywriter specialising in direct marketing and with a particular interest in health products. Find out more at http://www.sisyphuspublicationsonline.com/LiquidNutrition/Information.htm

The simplified definition of house flipping is the purchasing of a property with the intent to improve and quickly resell it for a profit, doing this very thing has become quite popular in past years. The properties involved with these flips can for the most part be split into two groups. The first group being houses that require mainly cosmetic improvements and upgrades such as cleaning, paint, new carpeting, appliances and fixture upgrades, etc.

The second group of houses is the ones in need of major refurbishing; this group can involve such things as moving walls, new drywall, windows, doors, kitchen cabinets, new roof, landscaping upgrades and so on. This type of project should not be attempted as a first time flip without good working knowledge of what is involved. The desired end result with either group should be a job done right with a profit, when done correctly and with the right choices the profits can be very good.

Flipping guidelines

1. Financing

You should know in advance where you plan to get funding so that you can move quickly when you find the right property. Your credit is an important factor here with helping to get the best loans and rates but it is not the only factor, so dont let it hold you back, just work to improve it. There are many financing possibilities so explore the options, search for potential lenders and get pre-qualified from up to three lenders. Another option to consider is to begin with the house you currently have as your first flip.

2. Know your market

Familiarize yourself with your local housing market, what are people looking for in a house, what kinds of features, what size, how many bedrooms and bathrooms, are these types of houses in short supply, what are houses such as this selling for, do these houses sell quickly? It is essential to know and understand the answers to these questions.

3. House selection

Knowing and understanding your local market makes selecting houses much easier because you know what to look for and can recognize the bargains when you see them. If the house is in the right area, making a selection basically comes down to four questions; what can you purchase the house for? What are your estimates for repairs? What can you sell the house for when completed? Does this leave a profit?

4. Location

People are looking for nice homes in safe, good neighborhoods, when looking for houses you should be looking for the reasons people would be attracted to the neighborhood. The house should be located in an area that has been and will continue to appreciate. If this is a home you envision for a young family, where are the schools located? Will your completed project be improving the neighborhoods value?

5. Inspection

After finding what looks to be a promising flip, a thorough inspection of the house must be performed, depending on your experience and comfort level with doing this type of thing it may be a good idea to have a home inspection performed by a professional. Hiring an inspector will cost a few hundred dollars but can save you big money in avoiding unexpected costly repairs such as a bad roof, structural issues and the termite damage.

6. Material costs and Ideas

It is important to know and understand what improvement costs can run when looking at properties so that you can make fast and fairly accurate estimates. To help you with this, I would recommend walking through home improvement stores often and looking at everything from building materials to paint, fixtures, appliances, tile, carpeting, lighting and so on. These walkthroughs can also help with filling your head with ideas.

7. Choosing the improvements

Getting the most bang for the buck is important so that you can achieve the best return, something that can help you with this is to examine houses that sell quickly and note what these houses had that made them attractive to prompt a quick sell. What kinds of features did these houses have, such as flooring, paint colors, appliances, lighting, fixtures, and curb appeal? What was the selling price in relation to similar houses sold recently in the same area? Observing these points will help you to recognize the values of various features that attract people and help you to make wise choices.

8. Planning/budget

It is very important with every flip to develop a thorough plan, the initial begins as rough numbers that includes purchase costs and fees, an estimate of the improvement costs and a projected selling cost. The actual working plan then takes in to account a detailed list of what you are planning to do and cost figures for each of the items, the plan also should include a timeline from start to finish, be sure to include a little extra time and money for the unexpected, Time is money! Finally the plan should have a projected selling price.

9. The work/labor costs

It is best to know how to perform the majority of your planned work or at least a good portion of the work to begin with and then expand upon your skills from there. If you will be unable to perform some of the required work, you will need to search out competent and reliable help with this. I would caution you here to be very careful in your choices, be sure you know the person you select well or if otherwise check references carefully. You do not want a person who starts the work and then disappears for a week or more.

10. The Sale

From day one of your flip you should consider your flip for sale because it is possible that in could walk an interested person, so you need to have a good idea of your expected selling price. Within a couple weeks of your project completion you should be thinking about the sell, there are several options at this stage to consider but keep in mind that a typical realtor will charge 6 percent of the selling price. To save a ton of money I would recommend searching for a flat fee realtor, this will give you the benefits of having a realtor and get your house listed in your local MLS multiple listing service.

Flipping and fixing houses can be a lot of fun, exciting and quite profitable for those that enjoy this type of work and the challenge it offers. The above guidelines are meant to be of assistance, keep in mind they are highlights and are far from being all-inclusive of what is involved.

In addition I would like to comment that the real estate market just like everything cycles up and down. Currently the housing market when looked at nationally has been in a slowdown, an over abundance of new housing in certain areas this panics some people but it does not mean there is no money to be made in flipping, the opportunities still abound and they always will. A slower market just requires more caution, good research, thorough planning and onward you go! The housing market in many parts of the country is still very active and growing at a good clip, keep in mind that its all about supply and demand, guideline number two.

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