52 results found for: Kidneys

Juniper: Jury Is Still Out on Medicinal Safety

You’ve likely heard of Juniper as a trendy additive in foods, often used as a culinary condiment or a flavor component in gin and bitter cocktail preparations. You will also find it as an extract and oil used as a flavoring agent in a variety of foods and beverages. Aside from these culinary uses, juniper is also used medicinally, especially as a diuretic and anti-diabetic agent and there are some really important considerations to know about when considering juniper used for these conditions. Juniper, officially Juniperus communis, is used therapeutically in oral form in capsules, tinctures or oils for a variety […]

Some “Healthy” Foods May Make Us Fat and Sick

Most of us have heard of gluten—a protein found in wheat that causes widespread inflammation in the body. Americans spend billions of dollars on gluten-free diets in an effort to protect their health. But what if we’ve been missing the root of the problem? In The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in “Healthy” Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain,  renowned cardiologist Dr. Steven R. Gundry reveals that gluten is just one variety of a common, and highly toxic, plant-based protein called lectin. Lectins are found not only in grains like wheat but also in the “gluten-free” foods most of […]

The Top 50 Foods To Help Fight Diabetes

Need help fighting diabetes? The good news is that diet plays a major role in positively affecting health outcomes with this disease. Think beyond the blood sugars when assessing dietary management of diabetes – fat, fiber, and nutrients play a role in diabetes, cardiovascular and kidney health. Here is the ultimate Foodtrients® list of the top 50 foods for diabetes with a holistic view of the many factors related to this common disease. 1. Almonds Nuts go beyond being a fantastic snack; they provide a balanced source of protein, fiber and unsaturated fat for people with diabetes. This disease puts […]

3 Key Detox Facts from Nutrition Experts

By Lisa Truesdale To prepare for her role in the movie Dreamgirls (2006), Beyoncé turned to the Master Cleanse method to flush out her system and slim down; she reportedly dropped 20 pounds by forgoing solid foods and consuming only a lemonade- like drink (with maple syrup and cayenne) for 10 days. Other musicians, movie stars and professional athletes also offer explicit details about detox methods they insist they can’t live without—some that sound inconvenient at best, painful at worst or just downright kooky. But despite the number of celebrities touting detox diets—and the sheer numbers of people willing to […]

Potassium Helps Lower Your Blood Pressure

Most people you talk to about high blood pressure say, “I know, I know. I need to cut back on salt.” That’s correct. Few, however, are aware that potassium also plays a key role in the fight against high blood pressure. Who cares? We should, says the American Heart Association (AHA). High blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke — sometimes called a heart attack in the brain — that can lead to serious disabilities or death. We could prevent 80 percent of strokes, says the AHA, primarily by keeping our blood pressure in check. A normal blood pressure (now […]

Got Milk Thistle? It Does the Body (and Liver) Good

Milk thistle, a liver cleansing herb, was so important to early American settlers that colonists brought it over from Europe as part of their traditional medicine supply. Milk thistle grows throughout the world – in Africa, Australia, Asia, the U.S. and South America. The mature plant boasts identifiable bright purple flowers. Milk thistle is also commonly called silymarin because of the health-promoting antioxidants, particularly silybin.  It really is a tonic for the liver and is used to treat toxic liver damage caused by alcohol, chemicals and even chemotherapy. It has been used in ancient medicine and among herbalists to treat […]

Zinc Deficiency Linked to Hypertension

An article appearing on January 16, 2019 in the American Journal of Physiology–Renal Physiology  reported that deficient zinc levels may contribute to high blood pressure by promoting sodium re-absorption by the kidneys. Zinc deficiency is common in many chronic diseases and can worsen hypertension. However, it had not been known whether zinc deficiency alone could impact blood pressure. In the current study, the researchers fed 20 mice diets that contained adequate amounts of zinc for two weeks, after which 15 animals were given zinc deficient diets for five to six weeks. Five of these deficient animals were subsequently returned to diets that provided […]

David Getoff Speaks About Detoxification

David Getoff, a certified Clinical Nutritionist and the Vice President of the Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation, spoke at the 47th annual Cancer Convention at the Glendale Hilton. He took the audience through the proper steps of detoxification. Most of us need to remove or reduce poisons that have built up in our bodies over time from exposure to new carpeting, chlorinated water, fluoride in toothpaste, and aluminum salts in anti-perspirant, not to mention from eating foods treated with pesticides, meat from animals given antibiotics, fish with high mercury levels, corn that’s been genetically modified, and drinking diet drinks with aspartame or […]

Insulin Resistance: Why We Get Sick?

  We are sick. Around the world, we struggle with diseases that were once considered rare. Cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes affect millions each year; many people are also struggling with hypertension, weight gain, fatty liver, dementia, low testosterone, menstrual irregularities and infertility, and more. We treat the symptoms, not realizing that all of these diseases and disorders have something in common. Each of them is caused or made worse by a condition known as insulin resistance. And you might have it. Odds are you do—over half of all adults in the United States are insulin resistant, with […]

Top 10 Medicinal Herbs Growing in your Garden

Summer is a great time for gardening and boosting anti-inflammatory foods that you grow on your own. Get strategic about which plants you want in your garden this year by including some beautiful aromatic culinary herbs. The top 10 medicinal herbs below can help you add more flavor to your cooking and also offer many health benefits. Some of the top health benefits you can gain by using more herbs include: reduce salt in your cooking while still including lots of flavor blood pressure control benefits (herbs are often high in potassium) boost potent antioxidants that can help calm inflammation […]