HealthFermented Foods: From Tradition to Trend
Where delicious meets nutritious. Long before fermented foods became a wellness trend, they were simply part of life in my family’s kitchen. When I was a teenager in the Philippines, my mother and I made atchara together—a sweet-and-sour relish traditionally made with green, unripe papaya and colorful vegetables. We would grate the papaya into long, thin strips, add carrots and other vegetables for color and crunch, and prepare a tangy mixture with vinegar, ginger, garlic, and a little sweetness. I can still remember working beside her in the kitchen. We made sweet and salty pickled cucumbers, too. And because German […]READ MORE
May 19, 2015
Published by Life Extension
Scientists have isolated the unique molecule that provides olive oil with its multitude of health and life-extending benefits. Known as oleuropein, it is the polyphenol that can help lower bad cholesterol and blood pressure, prevent cancer, protect against oxidative damage, and help guard against cognitive decline. Oleuropein provides the distinctive tangy, pungent, almost bitter flavor found in high quality extra virgin olive oils. It’s also responsible for most of olive oil’s antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and disease-fighting characteristics. In fact, when oleuropein was given to animals with tumors, the tumors completely regressed and disappeared in 9 to 12 days! The olive tree (Olea europaea) produces oleuropein abundantly […]
May 19, 2015
Published by Ginger Hultin, MS RDN CSO
By Ginger Hultin, MS, RDN, LDN Garcinia Plus Meratrim® Gold™ by NutriGold® is a combination of Super Citrimax® Garcinia Cambogia extract at 1500mg (60% Hydroxycitric Acid or HCA) in two caps combined with a proprietary blend of Meratrim® 400mg Sphaeranthus indicus extract and garcinia mangostana extract aiming to help with weight reduction and promote a healthy body weight. A low dose of calcium (100mg) and potassium (210mg) accompany the ingredients. Based on research surrounding these compounds, the product could potentially aid in weight loss for some individuals when combined with a healthy diet and physical activity but consumers should also […]
May 13, 2015
Published by Ginger Hultin, MS RDN CSO
By Ginger Hultin, MS, RDN, LDN White Kidney Bean Carb Intercept® by Natrol® is a product that claims to work by controlling fat storage related to the ingestion of too many carbohydrates. It works by interfering with specific digestive enzymes and may be appropriate for a client looking for a supplement that is not a stimulant like so many products in the weight loss category. By combining 1000mg white kidney bean extract and 40mcg Foodbound® Chromium, this product claims to neutralize carbohydrates in a non-stimulating way, supporting weight loss. Chromium has been studied for general blood sugar control and in […]
May 12, 2015
Published by Dr. Mark Rosenberg
Many of my patients are age 60 and over and as such they have specific health issues. One of their concerns is the healthcare of their eyes and preserving their vision. Recently, I became aware of a study published in Ophthalmology Magazine that warned of people over 60 developing a vision-affecting disease called wet-type macular degeneration. The study found that people who regularly take aspirin for certain health issues had a doubled risk of developing blindness from wet-type ARMD (age-related macular degeneration). I’d like to share this warning with you as I have my own patients to hopefully prevent anyone from damaging their vision […]
May 12, 2015
Published by Life Extension
The results of a large cohort study and updated meta-analyses, published on May 6, 2015 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, add evidence to a protective effect for magnesium and potassium against the risk of stroke in women. For the prospective cohort study, Harvard researchers evaluated data from 86,149 women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study I (NHS I) and 94,715 participants in the NHS II. Dietary questionnaires completed by NHS I participants in 1980, 1984, 1986 and every four years thereafter, and in 1991 and every four years thereafter in the NHS II were analyzed for the intake of calcium, magnesium […]
May 6, 2015
Published by Ginger Hultin, MS RDN CSO
By Ginger Hultin, MS, RDN, LDN The Super Citrimax® product by NOW supplement brand aims to improve blood sugars while also promoting a healthy body weight. A low dose of calcium (100mg), iodine from kelp (300mcg) and naturally occurring sodium (15mg) accompany the ingredients that will likely be more active in accomplishing said benefits: ChromeMate® provides 200mcg chromium and the Super CitriMax is a Garcinia cambogia extract containing active ingredient Hydroxycitric Acid or HCA at 1.5grams. Garcinia cambogia is often used as a tool for weight loss. This product also contains 200mg of Panax Ginseng Root Extract which is commonly […]
May 5, 2015
Published by Life Extension
The fluoridation of the American water supply started in 1951. The rationale was that fluoride would help to prevent cavities. Today, it’s estimated that about 62% percent of the U.S. population receives fluoridated water. Many have questioned the safety of this practice, fearing that fluoride may do more harm than good. And in some countries, the fluoridation of water has been banned. A recent study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health shows fluoridation may be linked to low thyroid function. Low thyroid function, in turn, was linked to depression. Fluoridated Water May Double the Risk of Hypothyroidism Previous studies associate fluoride […]
May 5, 2015
Published by Life Extension
Even when faced with life-threatening diseases related to their corpulence, most overweight people simply cannot manage to eat less. One overlooked reason for today’s obesity epidemic is a stress-induced disorder known as “emotional eating.” Consuming certain foods, especially high-glycemic carbohydrates, bolsters “feel-good” brain neurotransmitters such as serotonin that are depleted by stress. While increasing brain serotonin levels through high-carbohydrate meals can help elevate mood in the short term, ingesting ever-greater amounts of dietary carbohydrates often leads to weight gain and a cascade of ill health effects throughout the body. To stand any chance of success, programs designed to help people […]
April 29, 2015
Published by Ginger Hultin, MS RDN CSO
By Ginger Hultin, MS, RDN, LDN The active component in Nature’s Way Bitter Orange product has been studied with interest for its role in weight loss, and despite much caution with regards to side effects, has proven relatively safe in some animal and human research. The product has shown some efficacy for modest weight loss and has made its way onto the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) list when consumed as a food (peel, flower or leaf). However, when taking the extract which acts like a stimulant to the sympathetic nervous system, or the body’s fight-or-flight system, there are some […]
April 29, 2015
Published by Grace O
Cancer is responsible for 1 out of every 4 deaths in the U.S.A. One of the best cancer-prevention tools for health is eating the right foods, but finding the motivation to eat right sometimes alludes us until we, or someone we love, is faced with a deadly disease. Garlic, produces sulfur compounds and allicin. Sulfur compounds detoxify the body and help prevent cancer. Allicin thins the blood and reduces your risk of heart attack, stroke, and cancer. It’s best to eat garlic after it has been crushed so that these cancer-fighting compounds can form. Dried garlic or roasted garlic doesn’t […]
April 28, 2015
Published by Life Extension
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of an analysis of a trial which found that supplementation with folic acid and vitamin B12 improved immediate and delayed memory in older men and women. The study analyzed data from a trial of 900 participants with elevated psychological distress who received 400 micrograms of folic acid plus 100 micrograms vitamin B12, or a placebo for two years. Cognitive function was assessed at the beginning of the study and at 12 and 24 months. While orientation, attention, verbal memory and processing speed remained unchanged, greater improvements from baseline in immediate and delayed recall […]
April 28, 2015
Published by FoodTrients
The people have spoken. Diet Pepsi recently announced that they are dropping aspartame from its list of ingredients and replacing it with sucralose—but is this a good thing? With sales down 5% and a public more wary of aspartame, PepsiCo is making the change. An exhaustive number of studies have been done over the last 20-plus years that weigh in on both sides of the aspartame safety issue. Apparently, the public does not believe that aspartame is safe. Dr. Joseph Mercola has been blasting aspartame for the past 17 years, sounding the alarm about its harmful effecs. In fact, he […]
April 28, 2015
Published by Life Extension
In the last year alone, scientists from three different laboratories have published studies that demonstrate how polyphenol molecules derived from apples extend life span in various species by as much as 12%. These researchers are unraveling the various mechanisms of action that give apple polyphenols such promise as anti-aging nutrients. Initial findings show that apple polyphenols modulate multiple signaling molecules to delay the onset of age-related disorders. They may also mimic the actions of calorie restriction, a known antiaging technique. One polyphenol, phloridzin, which is heavily concentrated in the skin of the apple, also potently suppresses several processes leading to glycation, […]