The Mediterranean diet may also help improve psoriasis, a new study suggests. “Psoriasis is a chronic
The Caribbean is blessed in so many ways. There is the famous weather, which is warm and sunny during the winter when most of North America is shivering, and the gorgeous turquoise water and sugary white (or sometimes pink!) sands with Calypso music wafting. What I love about the Caribbean is the blend of cultures, which gives richness to the language, traditions and especially the food. There are influences from every civilization, East and West, that ever set foot on these island gems — from the indigenous Amerindian people, who were followed by British, Spanish, French and Dutch explorers, to […]
Japanese researchers on Monday announced the first human trial using a kind of stem cell to treat Parkinson’s disease, building on earlier animal trials. The research team at Kyoto University plans to inject five million induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells — which have the potential to develop into any cell in the body — into patient brains, the university said in a press release. The iPS cells from healthy donors will be developed into dopamine-producing brain cells, which are no longer present in people with Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, degenerative neurological disorder that affects the body’s motor system, often […]
Tap water supplies for more than 14 million Americans are contaminated with a cancer-causing industrial solvent made notorious by the book and film “A Civil Action,” according to an Environmental Working Group investigation released today. The chemical is trichloroethylene, or TCE. Under the Trump administration, the Environmental Protection Agency is retreating from an earlier proposal to ban key uses of the chemical, and it is excluding water, air and soil pollution from a safety assessment under the nation’s overhauled toxic chemicals law. Drinking TCE-contaminated water has been linked to liver and kidney damage, and to cancers like leukemia. It has also been […]
Women, take note! Eating a healthy diet could help promote healthy cellular aging, finds a study. According
Eating white button mushrooms may improve the regulation of glucose in the liver, according to a study which could pave the way for new diabetes treatments and prevention strategies. Feeding white button mushrooms to mice changed the composition of gut microbes – microbiota – to produce more short chain fatty acids, specifically propionate from succinate, according to Margherita T Cantorna, a professor at Pennsylvania State University in the US. Previous research has shown that succinate and propionate can change the expression of genes needed to manage glucose production, she said. “Managing glucose better has implications for diabetes, as well as other metabolic […]
When we think of the Southwest, what do we picture? Beautiful red rock landscapes. A saguaro cactus silhouetted against a perfect sunset. A bright blue sky with fluffy clouds. A pitcher of Margaritas? Super healthy, age-defying foods probably don’t come to mind. Most of us think of what’s come to be known as Tex-Mex cuisine — lots of cheesy, spicey, tomato-y dishes wrapped in tortillas. Delicious, yes, but good for you? Not so much. But if you dig a little deeper and explore what indigenous people grew and ate in the Southwest, you’ll find there are plenty of foods that […]
An article appearing on August 8, 2018 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology:
Mood is one of those human experiences that’s difficult to quantify, tricky to change. You know when you’re in a good mood and when things are sour. But what’s at work physiologically in determining your mood? Can transitory events, like a baby shower, cause mood swings? Can you change your mood with a simple shift in outlook? Can supplements help? When it comes to shaping your mood, it might help to think of it like building a house; you start by fortifying the foundation with more bricks and mortar. For the brain—your body’s cornerstone—that means fat. The brain is composed […]
Pineapples are a part of the bromeliad family. You’ve probably seen their decorative cousins in peoples’ homes and gardens. Some time ago, a friend of mine told me about white pineapple. She described it as having creamy, white flesh and an especially sweet, floral taste. It’s not as tart as regular pineapple and less woody and fibrous. This really intrigued me—I HAD to try it! It took almost a year of asking around and searching specialty markets, but I finally found a grower in Hawaii who ships them. Called Kauai Sugarloaf Pineapple or Kona Sugarloaf Pineapple, this variety is in […]