What Oprah says goes, and when it comes to the Acai Berry Diet that she recently touted on her hit show, the berry is now gone. Not to be alarmed, I mean gone in a positive way. It has gone out to just about every person in America who saw the show or heard about the show. You google it on line and the only thing you read about is what Oprah had to say.Lets want to make sure that the facts she laid out there are clear. (more…)
Author: F Fleming B.Sc.Pharm, M.H
Have you noticed lately when you read a health website that there is some recently discovered exotic food being solicited as the “New Super Food”? We are often being deluged with new information and declarations. From all kinds of non-native berries to unheard of beverages how do we know what items have some good medicinal qualities? (more…)
There are very few foods in the world that can claim to be superfoods. Superfoods must have many more benefits besides just providing enough calories and some nutrition. However, there are some foods that are able to be elevated to superfood status because of the incredible benefits they can deliver. (more…)
Herbs have been used for a long time as foods to heal disease in our human society. It can be estimated that herbs have been used by humans for at least 15,000 years, with animals using the herbs as medicine for much longer. They, fortunately, had the instinct to search and find the herb they need when it is needed, while our animals of today are limited by fences. Many veterinarians claim that horses will go out and look for a plant that will be helpful to get them to get rid of a parasite when they have it. This plant is called Wormwood. A lot of the first herb uses were actually learned from observing and ill animal and watching it go out and get a plant. Man then followed and ate the plant himself. (more…)
When you eat a meal, you may be more concerned with taste than with whether it has the right nutritional value for you body. A poor diet can have a negative impact on your health. Deficiencies, life threatening conditions like metabolic syndrome, obesity and weight gain, and chronic systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and osteoporosis are all affected by what you feed your body. There are seven vital nutrients essential for human life. They are minerals, vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, water and fiber. Let’s take a closer look at the nutritional information available. (more…)
You’ve heard of antioxidants and how they neutralize harmful chemicals called free radicals in the body. You may not be aware of an antioxidant that occurs naturally inside every cell of the body and is found in some green vegetables, organ meats, rice bran and Brewer’s yeast. Lipoic acid or alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is produced in small amounts by our bodies. Used in nutritional supplement form, it treats such ailments as diabetic neuropathy, coronary heart disease and other serious illnesses. (more…)
A lot of new evidence suggests that consuming more plant polyphenols is a powerful way to protect aging arteries. These polyphenol compounds help improve endothelial function, a critical factor in preventing atherosclerosis; inhibit abnormal platelet aggregation which causes most sudden heart attacks and strokes; fight inflammation; and support healthy blood lipids. Polyphenols that are of particular interest are those derived from green tea, cocoa, apples, and black chokeberry, which all complement each other in helping to build the body’s defenses against various ailments. (more…)
Ginseng is the most widely used herbal supplements on the market today, compared to all the other herbal supplements. In ancient times it is also known as “man root” since it takes the shape of a man. (more…)
CoQ10 is well known for its benefits in antioxidant protection against free radicals, which often cause oxidative damage at a cellular level when the molecule that is with an unpaired electron tries to balance its structure by gaining or losing one. CoQ10 has the unique ability to accept or donate an electron without becoming a free radical itself. Therefore, it neutralizes free radicals and the oxidative damage that results. Additionally, CoQ10 can inhibit certain enzymes that are involved in the formation of these harmful free radicals. (more…)
The non-essential amino acid glycine is needed to generate muscle tissue and also for the conversion of blood glucose into energy. It is referred to as being ‘non-essential’ because the body can manufacture its own glycine, and is therefore not an essential component of your diet. Other uses to which glycine is put by the body includes the maintenance of a healthy nervous system, and is necessary for the proper functioning of the digestive system. (more…)