An Oil Change for Arthritis

Here is a quick look at some nutritional approaches to rheumatoid arthritis, a severe type of inflammatory arthritis. There are several dietary patterns that can help with arthritis: The first is following an anti-inflammatory dietary pattern: eating food that is high in fiber (vegetables and whole grains) and high in omega 3 fats (fish, beans, walnuts) Read More »

Fish Oil and Cardio Health

Fish oil can help increase the chances of survival for people with heart disease, according to research published in the British Medical Journal. There have been numerous studies on the potential benefits of fish oil supplements for people who have coronary heart disease. Reviews of the published results indicate that taking fish oil supplements could help decrease the risk Read More »

Amino Acids Boost Immunity After Workouts

While exercise has many benefits, the physical strain of strenuous exercise tends to depress the immune system, which can be a problem for athletes. Recent research done in Japan indicates that the amino acids cysteine and theanine could help boost immunity and prevent infections for people engaging in intense physical activity. A study of endurance athletes at Juntendo Read More »

Supplement Your Knowledge of Omega Fats

Although the body readily makes most of the fat that it needs from dietary starch or sugar, humans lack the ability to make essential fatty acids (EFAs) and must get them from food or dietary supplements. Essential fatty acids come in two distinct families, based upon their chemical structure. The two EFA families are not interchangeable and, in Read More »

Hold the Salt

A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine projects big benefits to public health that could occur with a small reduction in daily salt intake. The authors of the study estimate that cutting back on just 3 grams of salt a day per person, could bring a dramatic decrease in serious illness from coronary heart disease (CHD). Read More »

Workout Recovery Supplement

Recent research looks at the potential benefits of the amino acid L-citrulline, known as citrulline, as a workout recovery supplement and to help boost immunity after exercise. Researchers at a University in Spain have found that citrulline can help preserve immune function after strenuous exercise. This is important because strenuous exercise causes a decline in immune function which starts Read More »

Artificial Sweeteners, Not So Sweet

It was heartening to see the editorial titled “Artificially Sweetened Beverages, Cause for Concern” in the December 8th issue of the usually conservative Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The editorial, by Dr. David Ludwig of Harvard Medical School and the Boston Children’s Hospital warns about a dietary trend that I’ve been concerned about for 30 Read More »

The Standard American Diet (SAD)

The standard American diet (SAD), with its excess of sugar, refined carbohydrates, saturated fat and trans fats, is the primary cause of obesity and diabetes. Although the American style of eating began here in the U.S., this eating pattern has spread around the world,  contributing to the rise of obesity and its related conditions worldwide. Being Read More »

Even Low Lead Exposure Harms the Kidneys

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have found an association between low level exposure to lead and reduced kidney function in healthy American teenagers. Although all of the teens had blood lead levels within a range generally accepted as safe, those with higher levels within that range had reduced kidney function when compared to those with Read More »

Leptin Fights Alzheimer’s Disease

A study in the December 16, 2009 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that higher levels of the hormone leptin protected people from developing Alzheimer’s disease. The analysis came from the famed Framingham heart study, which has been following the residents of Framingham, Massachusetts, for decades. When they grouped people according to their sex and level Read More »