January 17, 2017

The Health Benefits of Being Outdoors

Before the age of modern medicine, a healthy dose of sea air was considered enough to heal myriad ailments. And while science may have altered the vast majority of go-to therapies, there is still much to be said about the health benefits of being outdoors. A 2009 study from the Netherlands revealed that living within one kilometer of green space led to a lower incidence of 15 diseases. The relation was strongest for anxiety disorder and depression, the researchers found. Other conditions included diabetes, migraines and asthma. One of the key benefits of being outdoors is the production of vitamin […]
January 3, 2017

Is Alipotec a Safe Weight Loss Supplement?

Weight loss supplements and herbs abound in drugstores, health stores, and online. There are some plant extracts that may aid in weight reduction though most research suggests a very small added increase in weight loss when used in conjunction with reduced calorie intake and increased physical activity. Tejocote or its root form, Alipotec, is an herb showing up in supplements on shelves in the U.S. but is it safe or effective? A medicinal hawthorn plant, Crataegus Mexicana, is a species native to Mexico and commonly called Tejocote. It produces a fruit similar to a crabapple and is used in the […]
December 27, 2016

Boost Your Brain and Live the Warrior’s Way

When trying to live a healthy lifestyle, every day can feel like a battle. Forces are destroying our bodies and our minds. The standard American diet is making us sick; we are constantly bombarded by a fear-mongering news media; and we’re hypnotized by technical gadgets that keep us from our loved ones. Even our own genes can seem like they’re out to get us. But you can win the war. You can live your life to the fullest, be your best, and feel your greatest, and the key to victory rests between your ears. Your brain runs your life. When […]
December 27, 2016

Michelle Pfeiffer Joins EWG’s Board of Directors

WASHINGTON – Golden Globe Award winner and three-time Academy Award nominated actress Michelle Pfeiffer has joined the board of directors at EWG. She brings not only enormous influence, but also a longstanding commitment to environmental health to the group’s governing body. “Michelle is one of the most recognized and celebrated actresses in the world, but she’s also a dedicated mother and staunch advocate for children’s environmental health, and a longtime supporter and ally of EWG. Just this past May, Michelle brought her star power to EWG by headlining our annual Earth Dinner and awards program in San Francisco,” said EWG […]
December 13, 2016

The Benefits of Saw Palmetto

As men grow older, many experience declining prostate health that significantly affects their lifestyle and well-being. One of the most common conditions threatening the prostate gland is benign prostatic hypertrophy. This swelling of the prostate gland can lead to myriad symptoms such as increased urinary frequency, weak urinary stream, and difficulty initiating urination. For more than a century, saw palmetto (Sabal serrulata) has been recognized for its ability to relieve swelling of the prostate gland. In fact, saw palmetto is one of the most popular plant-derived remedies for benign prostatic hypertrophy. Doctors in Germany, Austria, and Italy use saw palmetto, […]
December 13, 2016

A Little Help From My Friends

Friends and faith help get me through all of the big and small stresses in my life.  I spend time every day meditating, praying and reflecting on all of the blessings I have in my life. Every day I think about how grateful I am to have so many loving friends in my life, and to have such joy in my work. Stress is a serious threat to our health whether it’s emotional or mental. Chronic, long-term stress can wreak havoc on the body’s systems, causing imbalance. So what can you do? One way to combat stress is to look […]
December 13, 2016

Carcinogens Lurking In Consumer Goods

WASHINGTON – Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency named the first 10 chemicals it will evaluate under the new Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, the first update since 1976 of the nation’s primary toxic substances law. The safety reviews could lead to bans or restrictions on a number of hazardous chemicals in consumer products and workplaces, including asbestos, paint strippers, flame retardants and solvents. The first 10 were selected from the Toxic Substances Control Act Work Plan, a list of 90 chemicals chosen based on their hazards and the public’s potential exposure, as well as […]
November 20, 2016

How To Eat To Avoid Acne

Acne is the bane of adolescence. It can make a self-conscious teenager feel even more insecure. For decades, dermatologists insisted that diet didn’t matter. Sometimes they cautioned against high-fat foods like milkshakes, but more often the dermatology dogma was that there was no relationship between what you ate and how your face looked (Clinical Dermatology, September-October 2004; Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery, June 2005). It turns out that they were wrong on both counts. Research now shows that diet does matter and also that low-fat dairy products are worse than full fat when it comes to complexion. Starting around […]
November 19, 2016

Latest Vitamin D Research Suggests Life Span Link

New understanding of vitamin D’s manifold benefits continues to expand. In an investigation published in the October 25, 2016 issue of Cell Reports, a team from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging found that the vitamin extended median lifespan by a third in the roundworm C. elegans and helped support protein homeostasis:  the ability of proteins to maintain shape and function. “Vitamin D3 reduced the age-dependent formation of insoluble proteins across a wide range of predicted functions and cellular compartments, supporting our hypothesis that decreasing protein insolubility can prolong lifespan,” reported research team leader Karla Mark, PhD. “Vitamin D […]
November 18, 2016

We Should All Be Longin’ For Longan

Longans are natives of Southeast Asia and related to lychees and rambutans. Growing up in the Philippines, we ate longans like candy (but longans are much better for you). Like lychees, the fruit is sweet and succulent, but they are a little smaller and the sweetness is a little drier. They’re eaten fresh and also used soups, snacks, desserts, and sweet-and-sour foods. They’re also easy to eat — just peel off the smooth skin to get to the fruit, then eat it like a cherry, removing the seed. It better to wait until just before serving to peel the fruit.  […]
November 18, 2016

EWG Announces Initiative For Children’s Health

WASHINGTON – With the generous support of the Jonas Family Fund, EWG is launching the Jonas Initiative for Children’s Environmental Health, redoubling EWG’s decades-long commitment to children’s environmental health with a bold new research and advocacy agenda for 2017 and beyond, both organizations announced today. “The mounting evidence connecting children’s exposures to environmental contaminants and serious, life-altering health problems continues to grow,” said Ken Cook, president and co-founder of EWG. “We know that toxic chemical exposures affect the well-being of our kids. This new partnership between EWG and the Jonas Family Fund will bolster the current body of children’s health […]
November 15, 2016

Focus On Omega-3s Rather Than Calories

To help manage the obesity pandemic, governments should focus on the restoration of an optimal balance of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids rather than on calories, according to an editorial appearing recently in the journal Open Heart. An imbalance in the amount of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids consumed is a relatively new phenomenon that was never a part of human evolution, note authors Artemis Simopoulos of the Center for Genetics, Nutrition, and Health in Washington DC, and James DiNicolantonio of Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri.  Historically, humans have consumed equal amounts of omega […]
November 14, 2016

Heart Can Be Boosted By Chocolate

One piece of dark chocolate a day could prevent heart disease and reduce insulin levels, scientists have discovered. Revealing further benefits of cocoa to the body, research found that chocolate increases “good” cholesterol when eaten in amounts of between 200 and 600 milligrams a day. The benefits depend on the amount of cocoa taken, making plain chocolate better than white or milk varieties. Experts who orchestrated the randomised controlled trials (RCTs) claim the study shows the “urgent need” for more research. Report author Dr Simin Liu, professor and director of the Centre for Global Cardiometabolic Health at Brown University, USA, […]