Staying Strong, Lifelong
The importance of amino acids Do you have strong muscles? If the answer is yes, then you have a greater than average chance of living a healthy and happy life. Being physically strong helps us feel and look healthy, and carry out our everyday activities with ease. Muscle strength also helps reduce the chance…
Astaxanthin for Brain and Eye Health
The role of astaxanthin in brain and eye health Algae may be pond scum (literally), but that doesn’t mean they’re useless. On the contrary, algae produce a substance with major benefits for human and animal health: astaxanthin.[1] In nature, astaxanthin serves to protect the algal cysts from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays,[2] so perhaps…
Craving Sweets? You Might Be Stressed!
When stress talks louder than the stomach Most people crave sweet or salty foods like cookies, chocolates, or potato chips when under stress, and research offers us an understanding of why.[1] Scientists have discovered receptor sites on taste buds that respond to the hormones cortisol, cortisone and corticosterone, altering our taste perception when we’re…
Vitamin C for Allergies
Relief from itchy eyes and wheezy lungs Picture a latex balloon filled not only with helium gas, but also confetti. What would happen if somebody took a pin to the balloon? An exhilarating POP! would accompany the explosion of confetti, creating not only a racket, but also a mess. Histamine “confetti” A certain type…
Pregnenolone for Memory, Mood, and Brain Health
The anti-inflammatory neurotransmitter-hormone that both stimulates and relaxes the brain My great aunt Mila loves sewing almost as much ash she loves animal prints. She once gave me a leopard print headband and matching purse, made of the same cloth from which she’d fashioned for herself a blouse, an apron, and dinner napkins. From…
Finding Heart Health in Fruit Extracts
Apples, pomegranates, and Bergamot citrus for cardiovascular health “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” my nephew sings before biting into the honey crisp he’s holding. “But…” he thinks as he chews and then clarifies to me, his doctor-auntie, “I don’t want you to go away.” Where did he learn the saying about…
B Vitamins for Brain Health
Simple-yet-powerful nutrients to fight depression, dementia, and more B vitamins are required for just about every major function in the body, from red blood cell production, to metabolism, to brain health. There are eight different B vitamins – B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), B9 (folate) and…
Eat Your Antioxidants, My Dear
The healthy person’s guide to fruits and vegetables If you ask the typical American how many servings of vegetables they eat per day, they’ll likely answer, “Not enough.” And they’re right; most of us aren’t getting enough of our plant-based foods or the nutrients they contain. In their 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, theUnited States…
From Kitty Litter to Mind Control
The science behind “Crazy Cat Ladies,” and why kitties are taking over YouTube Are you a cat or dog person? This question is more than just a conversational icebreaker, as the answer may determine in part whether or not you’re more likely to have mental illness, get in a car accident, hoard things, and/or…
Is Fish Oil Just Snake Oil?
The research on essential fatty acids Some major news channels have reported that fish oil’s importance in heart health has been debunked and that essential fatty acid (EFA) supplements are useless. These types of sensationalist headlines are unhelpful for many reasons, mainly because, well, they’re wrong. It’s been known for many decades just how…
The Fat-Soluble Vitamins: A, D, E and K
Nutrients for strong bones and a healthy heart Vitamins are classified into two groups: fat-soluble (vitamins A, D, E, and K) and water-soluble (B-complex vitamins and vitamin C). Fat-soluble vitamins are absorbed best when consumed with higher-fat foods.[1] Fatty fish, vegetable oils, green vegetables, and nuts and seeds are good sources of vitamins A,…
The Power of CoQ10
CoQ10’s effects on fatigue, fertility, and the heart Do you ever feel as if you don’t have enough energy? You’re not alone! Energy is not just a function of mood, positive thinking, or lack of sleep, although all those things play a role. Energy is, literally, the power to do work. Within the body,…
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