Cholesterol Cholesterol is a waxy, fatlike substance that occurs naturally in your body and is made by your liver. Your body uses cholesterol for various functions, including protecting nerves, making tissues, and producing hormones....
Chiropractic is an alternative form of medicine based on the theory that adjustments to the spine can treat health problems and improve general well-being. Studies have shown chiropractic to be effective in easing lower-back...
Protein is an essential nutrient for building and maintaining the bones, muscles, and skin. We get protein in our diets from meat, dairy products, nuts, grains, and beans. The protein you obtain from meat...
Without white blood cells (WBCs), or leukocytes, we would be defenseless against sickness and disease. These cells play a critical role in the immune system, fighting off the viruses, bacteria, toxins, and other foreign...
Amino acids are the basic units that combine to form proteins. When you eat foods that contain protein, the digestive juices in your stomach and intestines break down the protein into amino acids. Then...
These days, sugar is public enemy number one, blamed for the epidemics of obesity, type 2 diabetes and more. But does sugar deserve its unfavorable reputation? And even if it does, who wants to...
Diabetes is becoming an epidemic in the United States – the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases reports that 23.6 million American (nearly 8 percent of the population) had diabetes in...
What do Worcestershire sauce, mustard and Middle Eastern cuisine have in common? All feature turmeric, the yellow, peppery spice commonly associated with Indian curries. And new research suggests that turmeric may be good for...
Pomegranates have been grown in the Middle East since ancient times. They have also been cultivated in the Mediterranean region, Europe, Asia, Africa and India. The pomegranate tree was introduced to California in the...
Everyone should eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Scientific evidence reveals that fruits and vegetables, which are rich sources of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other phytonutrients, can help prevent disease and boost...
An estimated 44 percent to 87 percent of Americans don’t get enough calcium, including children, who are falling severely short on this mineral critical for proper growth and development. Unfortunately, there are not usually...
Given the general state of our dietary habits, whereby processed foods take center stage in the lives of millions. A plausible argument to explain why many Americans fail to meet their calcium needs is...
Calcium is required for skeletal and cardiac muscle contraction, blood-vessel expansion and contraction, secretion of hormones and enzymes, and transmission of impulses through the nervous system. The body strives to maintain constant concentrations of...
High blood pressure. High blood sugar. Unhealthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Excess abdominal (belly) fat. If you were to look into a crowd of Americans, say, at a football game or large concert, and...
Cancer of the colon and its neighboring area, known sometimes as colorectal cancer, affects both men and women. Like breast cancer and prostate cancer, colorectal cancer is seen much more frequently than skin cancers...
Only heart attacks and lung cancer kill more men than cancer of the prostate, which every year claims more than fifty thousand lives in the United States alone. Prostate cancer kills one in four...
Here’s a staggering statistic: Women who are deficient in vitamin D at the time they are diagnosed with breast cancer are nearly 75 percent more likely to die from the disease than women with...
Ulcers Most gastric ulcers are caused by Heliobacter pylori bacteria, which adhere to the lining of the stomach wall. Results from a 2002 in vitro study published in the journal Critical Reviews in Food...
Cranberries are delicious, whether dried and sweetened or served in cranberry sauce, cranberry juice cocktail or cranberry muffins. But there are other reasons to love cranberries. Current scientific research reveals that the tart red...
The anticancer properties of green tea are largely the result of the ability of polyphenols to black the formation of carcinogenic compounds in the body. In addition, polyphenols trap and detoxify enzymes that produce...
For thousands of years, green tea has been popular throughout Asia for its pleasant, soothing taste and time-honored health benefits. Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine have recommended green tea since 3000 BC, and green...
Fish – especially fatty fish – is an excellent source of EPA and DHA, and the American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings weekly. However, some fish, especially larger, predatory species, may...
Cardiovascular Health Research shows that omega-3 fats can lower blood pressure, decrease LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, increase HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and other vascular disorders. When...
Fat has a bad reputation – many people associate dietary fat with obesity, heart disease and other chronic conditions. But not all fat is bad fat. Some fats, known as omega-3 fatty acids, can...
Soy contains phytoestrogens called isoflavones. Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring plant compounds that mimic natural estrogens. Because of their isoflavone content, soy products can play an important role in women’s health, providing relief from the...
Soy is one of the world’s largest and most important food crops. Because of their complete amino acid profile, soybeans can provide as much protein as meat, milk and other animal foods. Ounce for...
Many high-quality probiotic supplements are available today, but there’s one overarching consideration when selecting a supplement: probiotics are living organisms, and if they are to have any therapeutic value, they must be alive when...
Antibiotics are not the only threat to beneficial bacteria. Other factors that can deplete beneficial bacteria levels include poor diet, stress, disease, food allergies and sensitivities, high levels of toxins, too much sugar or...
The word bacteria may invoke images of something harmful or unsanitary – spoiled food, perhaps, or a dirty bathroom. However, many bacteria are beneficial to our health. Our bodies are teeming with trillions of...
Scientists around the world have discovered many ways that resveratrol may benefit heart health. In 1995, Canadian researchers reported that resveratrol could protect against heart disease by reducing platelet aggregation, an early step in...