Think acne appears just on teenagers? Or eczema is common only on a baby’s bottom? Turns out , acne, eczema, psoriasis and other skin conditions can crop up regardless of age and have a host of culprits, including the environment, diet, hormones and chemicals in everyday products. “Toxic overload is the cause of all of these skin conditions,” says Laeh Benyamin, a lead practitioner at Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy in Boulder, Colorado. Luckily, managing—or even eliminating—symptoms is not impossible. The first step? Diet. “All people that have these issues need to go on an anti-inflammatory diet and avoid sugar, white refined […]
Lentil soup is a nutritional powerhouse! When combined with other vegetables and spices, lentils will leave you feeling full longer than other types of soups. Part of the legume (bean) family, lentils contain high levels of both soluble and insoluble fiber, making them a satiating and low calorie choice, helpful for weight management. Soluble fiber absorbs water and creates a gel consistency that is known for binding cholesterol-containing bile and escorting it out of the body, helping you detox. Insoluble fiber consists of plant-compounds that the body cannot digest, helping contribute to healthy bowels. Together, this high fiber content can […]
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 […]
What is a “superfood”? Most doctors and nutritionists will say that there is no scientific definition of “superfood,” that it is a marketing buzzword applied to foods that are good for you. Functional medicine specialist Dr. Marsha Nunley, founder of H.E.A.L. Medical, agrees but says: “While it is true that there is no legal or medical specification for a ‘superfood,’ it is without question that there are foods that are high in healthful nutrients and adding them to your diet may reduce your risk of chronic disease and improve your overall health and well-being.” Superfoods are packed with combinations of […]
The key to pumping up the immune system to prevent allergies could be as easy as eating a bowl of bran and dried apricots, researchers in Australia suggest after a recent study. Researchers at Monash University found in experiments with mice that increasing levels of dietary fiber and vitamin A may prevent or reduce allergies to things such as peanuts. The study suggests the immune system’s interaction with bacteria in the gut prevents allergic reactions, the researchers report, and that boosting gut bacteria using either prebiotics in the form of dietary changes or probiotics to encourage beneficial bacterial development could […]
By Joel Warner If you’re one of the nearly one in three American adults who suffers from hay fever, you know the miserable symptoms all too well: itchy eyes, runny nose, and serial sneezes. Over-the-counter and prescription medications can bring relief, but also side effects such as sleepiness and anxiety. This year, don’t wait until peak allergy season to fight back against that mountain of wadded tissues. Experts say allergies can work like a “drop in the bucket,” where repeated exposures to various allergens add up gradually until the immune system “overflows,” or rather overreacts, flooding the body with the […]
The term ginseng refers to a family of plants belonging to the group Panax, the roots of which have been used in traditional healing for millennia. While ginseng has been cultivated in East Asian countries, including China, Korea, Vietnam, and Bhutan, the ginseng that is arguably the most prized grows wild in North America, specifically in Wisconsin and Canada. Siberian ginseng is completely different from Asian and American ginseng. Nevertheless, this herb has benefits of its own. Ginseng is an Adaptogen Ginseng is known as an adaptogen, meaning that it helps the body adapt to a variety of conditions. The […]
An article reported on February 15, 2016 in Nature Chemical Biology reveals the discovery of Spencer Williams of the University of Melbourne and colleagues of an enzyme needed by beneficial bacteria in order to feed on a sugar known as sulfoquinovose (SQ), which is abundantly produced by leafy, green vegetables. “We discovered the enzyme YihQ, which is used by bacteria to absorb and metabolize these sulfur-containing sugars as food,” explained Dr Williams. “Sulfur is critical for building proteins, the essential components of all living organisms. Sulfoquinovose is the only sugar molecule which contains sulfur, and ‘digestion’ of the molecule by bacteria […]
From Hollywood to New York City, bone broth is the hottest new craze in the food world. But while people know it’s trendy
Probiotics, which are typically known for their effects on the digestive tract, are becoming a hot topic in the field of psychology. Previous research shows a potential role in alleviating anxiety. And now, a recent study suggests that probiotics may even help to alleviate depression. The results were published in the journal, Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. Probiotics Reduce Sad Thoughts Rumination, which is the repetition of negative thoughts, is a risk factor for depression. Scientists from the Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition wanted to investigate if probiotics could play a role in the treatment of the disease. For the […]


