October 11, 2016

Lives of the Reishi and Famous (Mushrooms)

Mushrooms are a major FoodTrient food! Both edible and medicinal mushrooms contain properties including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant , immune boosting , and disease prevention effects. Two mushrooms backed by significant research that contain potent health benefits include Reishi (immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and good for cardiovascular health) and Turkey Tail (immune-boosting, anti-viral, anti-fungal) mushrooms. Our FoodTrients nutritionist Ginger Hultin did some digging into the benefits of both. You can learn more about the amazing health benefits of Reishi mushrooms here. Find out more about the incredible benefits of Turkey Tail mushrooms here. Reishi mushrooms aren’t something you will find fresh in your local […]
October 10, 2016

How The Sugar Industry Shifted Blame To Fat

An article appearing on September 12, 2016 in JAMA Internal Medicine brings to light new information on an old topic—the role of diet in coronary heart disease (CHD). By investigating archival documents at the University of Illinois, researchers at the University of California San Francisco discovered that a review published in 1967 in the New England Journal of Medicine that pointed a finger at fat and cholesterol was funded by the Sugar Research Foundation, although this fact was not disclosed. (Full disclosure of all conflicts of interest concerning an article has been required by the New England Journal of Medicine […]
October 9, 2016

‘Brockovich’ Carcinogen Found In Tap Water

The notorious “Erin Brockovich” carcinogen contaminates the tap water of two-thirds of Americans at levels above what scientists say is safe, according to a new EWG analysis of federal water testing data. Under an Environmental Protection Agency program, from 2013 to 2015, local water utilities took more than 60,000 water samples and found chromium-6 in more than 75 percent of samples. The EPA’s tests were spurred by a 2010 EWG investigation that found elevated levels of chromium-6 in the tap water of 31 of 35 cities sampled. EWG’s analysis of the EPA data estimates that water supplies serving 218 million […]
October 4, 2016

FDA Bans Toxic Chemical From Soaps

WASHINGTON – The federal Food and Drug Administration announced today that triclosan, a toxic chemical ingredient associated with hormone disruption in people, will no longer be allowed in antibacterial hand soaps, which EWG noted as a significant success. “This decision by the FDA is a huge victory on behalf of human health and the environment,” said Ken Cook, co-founder and president of EWG. “EWG has been conducting research and advocating for this exact federal government action for nearly a decade, and our work, as well as that of other public interest groups and many of our supporters, has finally paid […]
October 3, 2016

Reduce Heart Attacks By Eating Dinner Earlier

Q: Our family tends to eat dinner later in the evening, but a friend who knows our habits told me she heard this increases the chances for a heart attack. Is she right or did she misunderstand something? Theresa Schulte, of O’Fallon A: Eating a major meal within two hours of bedtime could indeed have far worse consequences than a midnight run for the Rolaids, according to a new study recently released at the world’s largest heart conference. Blood pressure usually drops by at least 10 percent when a person goes to sleep, allowing the body to rest. But this […]
September 22, 2016

Don’t Stress! Ashwagandha Is Here

Ashwagandha, a traditional Ayurvedic herb that is used for conditions ranging from arthritis and anxiety to liver disease and sleep issues, is trending strongly in the natural products market these days. I saw several foods and drinks with ashwagandha along with lots of new supplements at the Natural Products Expo in Anaheim. Rebbl has a delicious Ashwagandha Chai drink that I love! The drinks are available at Whole Foods here in Southern California, but Rebbl has a Where To Buy map on their website. FoodTrients contributing writer and nutritionist Ginger Hultin interviewed one of the leading scientist who researched the […]
September 20, 2016

More Omega-3s in Organic Milk and Meat

Organic milk and meat pack about 50 percent more omega-3s than conventional milk and meat, according to a new study published in British Journal of Nutrition. In the biggest study of its kind, researchers from the U.K.’s Newcastle University systematically analyzed an international collection of 196 papers about milk and 67 papers about meat and found big differences in terms of nutritional components, especially in the fatty acid department. Why the difference? Researchers linked them to the cows’ outdoor grazing and low concentrate feeding, the diet prescribed by organic standards. Chris Seal, Professor of Food and Human Nutrition at Newcastle […]
September 19, 2016

The Vaccine That Will Let Celiacs Eat Wheat

A new vaccine that can protect celiac sufferers against gluten exposure could be closer than you think. NexVax2, a vaccine that stops the body from reacting to gluten, could allow celiac patients to eat a normal diet. As we know too well, the only successful treatment for celiac disease is to adhere to a strict diet, free from even the smallest traces of gluten. To treat celiac disease and make a gluten-free diet unnecessary, Boston based scientists at ImmusanT have developed an injectable vaccine that can cause cells to become unreactive to gluten. This means that ImmusanT’s vaccine would allow for […]
September 11, 2016

Nanobots Could Be Used For Attacks On Cancer

While chemotherapy can be effective against some cancers, the highly toxic drugs cause damage to healthy tissue and can be the source of significant, occasionally life-threatening side effects in patients — but researchers in Canadamay have a solution to both problems. Nanorobots containing anti-cancer drugs are capable of taking a direct route through the bloodstream to attack tumors at their most vulnerable points, researchers at Polytechnique Montreal, the University of Montreal and McGill University report in a study published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. “This innovative use of nanotransporters will have an impact not only on creating more advanced engineering […]