The Tradition of Chios Mastiha
The intangible cultural heritage of Chios mastiha (mastic) gum production Oftentimes, we take our nutritional supplements without so much as a thought to how they happen to come to the powder that fills the capsule. Others of us, who also probably are mesmerized by television shows like “How It’s Made,” the Discovery channel documentary…
Whole Herb vs. Standardized Extracts vs. Isolated Bioactive Constituents
When using botanical medicine, which is best? It often seems that dietary supplements come with endless array of options, particularly in an online world where one can find hundreds of choices with a seemingly simple search term such as “probiotics.” Similarly, with vitamins and minerals, we are offered so many forms – not only…
Taking a Month Off Alcohol: What Will a Month Booze-Free Do for You?
A trend growing in popularity takes center stage, with clinical studies backing its benefits Perhaps you’ve seen it proudly announced on social media, “I’m going a month booze-free,” by a friend or acquaintance. Or maybe it has infiltrated your sphere because of news stories on outlets such as NPR, the BBC, Fortune, or the…
You Are What You Eat
Delving into the nutritional differences of food sourcing On a daily basis, we are challenged to make decisions about the foods we eat. Not only are we challenged by the food choice itself (salmon burger or beef? fruit or vegetable?) but we also are continuously faced with countless options on the shelves of the…
Bile Acids: Their Role in Gut Health Beyond Fat Emulsification
Supplemental bile acids and their potential for dysbiosis, constipation, and inflammatory bowel disease Generally, when we think of bile, the role it plays in digestion is what we think of first. Produced by the liver and expelled into the digestive tract by the gallbladder (for those of us who have one), bile emulsifies and…
Mood and Performance Optimization with Rhodiola and Saffron
Rhodiola and/or saffron may be just what you need to enhance mood, energy, and sexual function As the summer dwindles and darkness approaches, many of us are looking for things to help sustain us through the darker days and cooler weather. Whether we struggle with energy, mood, or simply just a lack of outdoor…
Molecular Hydrogen: An Adjunctive Therapy for Conventional Cancer Care?
Evidence suggests this unconventional antioxidant can help mitigate radiation side effects We’ve delved into many of the basics pertaining to hydrogen (H2): what it is, its history of use, and various means of delivering it to the body. We also have discussed how it acts as a selective antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory, and as…
Molecular Hydrogen and Autoimmune Disease
Multiple clinical studies report improvements in autoimmune disease with hydrogen treatment Although hydrogen (H2) is well known as an alternative fuel, recognized as such in the Energy Policy Act of 1992, only in 2007 did it begin to really make the scene in medicine. Although used for the purpose of preventing decompression sickness in…
The Promise of NAC for Mental Health and Addiction
Numerous studies support the use of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) for mood disorders and substance use cessation N-acetylcysteine (NAC), well-known for its function as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory,[1],[2] is commonly used in the clinic as a mucolytic,[3],[4] the treatment of choice for acetaminophen overdose,[5] and to help prevent liver damage resulting from acetaminophen and other toxic…
Melatonin: Is It Really the Sedative We Think It Is?
Numerous clinical studies suggest otherwise, a look at their findings not related to sleep Since its discovery in 1958,[1] we have learned much about the diverse functions of melatonin in animals, where it serves not only as a circadian rhythm regulator, but also as an antioxidant, immunoregulatory and anti-inflammatory molecule, hormone, metal chelator, and…
Fatty Liver Disease: Thyroid Function and Gut Health as Disease Risk Factors
Factors beyond diabetes and obesity which may contribute to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease Perhaps you had a recent screening physical for work, or you hit that magic age of 50 when your doctor suddenly wanted to test “everything” to assess your overall health and disease risk factors. Either way, one of…
Don’t Forget to Water Your Kids!
Keeping hydration up in the dog-days of summer and first weeks of back-to-school Kids. Water. Fruits. Vegetables. In this series of words, which does not belong? Of course, we could evaluate them by various forms of reasoning (i.e. kids contain a high level of water) but in their natural form we probably don’t see…
