Those who eat the fruit are ‘less likely to use prescription medication’

Eating an apple a day does not actually keep the doctor away – but it might stop you going to your pharmacist.

Researchers looked at data on 8,399 US adults and initially found evidence to support the proverb.

They discovered that those who had one small apple a day had a nine per cent lower chance of visiting the doctor several times a year.

However when they adjusted their statistics for other factors, their conclusions changed. Continue reading →

For years, nutritionists have been urging us to eat nuts in place of high-carb and sugary snacks. Regulators allow purveyors of peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts and pecans to make claims that these nuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fats and cholesterol, may help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Seeds like pumpkin, sunflower, chia and sesame would be worthy candidates for a similar push, since they too are loaded with many of the same nutrients – protein and fiber, calcium and vitamin E, healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids. And oh, yes, they taste wonderful (at least sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds do – chia seeds are so small I can’t exactly tell what they taste like). Continue reading →

Shock! Certified organic strawberries aren’t so organic after all. Although organic strawberries sell for 50% to 100% more than conventional berries, organic strawberries are fumigated with toxic chemicals, including methyl bromide, at the beginning stages of their life-cycle.

Methyl bromide, is used to sterilize the soil before strawberries are planted. It’s not sprayed on the fruit. It’s a soil fumigant that kills just about everything it touches. Many hybridized seed varieties have been created that can only grow in sterile soil.

“The soil is, as a matter of fact, full of live organisms. It is essential to conceive of it as something pulsating with life, not as a dead or inert mass.” ~ Albert Howard, The Soil and Health, 1947
Continue reading →

An ingredient in extra virgin olive oil- oleocanthal- kills cancerous cells

An ingredient in extra virgin olive oil, oleocanthal, kills human cancer cells without harming healthy ones

Following a Mediterranean diet has long been regarded as the key to a long and healthy life.

And now scientists may have found one of the key reasons why.

An ingredient in extra virgin olive oil, oleocanthal, kills human cancer cells without harming healthy ones, researchers found. Continue reading →

A new study published October 22 (2014) reinforces once again that olive oil is one of the best oils for cooking compared to other seed oils. Researchers based their conclusion on a few different factors, including nutritional content and the oil’s ability to maintain quality under high temperatures.

Published in the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, scientists note that various oils have different physical, chemical and nutritional properties that can be degraded under high heat and repeated use.

Many cooking oils can become impaired while heating in the pan or frying, and the food that you’re cooking can actually also lose its nutritional content, making your choice of oil critical for producing a healthy dish. Continue reading →

A handful of almonds a day could be the key to a longer and shapelier life.

The nutrient-rich snack can get rid of your muffin top, give you slimmer legs and stave off heart disease by reducing cholesterol, scientists say.

And eating 42g (1.5 oz) of the superfood every day could reduce the likelihood of an early death. Continue reading →

Editor’s Note: We are no longer certain that the Swiss Water Method is safe, so please disregard our recommendation until we have an opportunity to do further research. For now, our recommendation is to avoid all decaffeinated tea and coffee.

Decaffeinated drinks have been touted as a healthy alternative for several decades at the behest of the chemical industry, but these drinks are often more dangerous than the unmodified versions.

Early decaffeination efforts were abruptly terminated because of the toxic solvents that were used in the process (benzene, chloroform, and trichloroethylene). Of course, the F.D.A. is okay with benzene being inside your soft drinks (Coke, Pepsi, etc.), where it can be found in remarkably high amounts, and inside all of your microwaved foods. Money from its industry partners makes all the difference. In the early days of decaffeination, the new industry was not lucrative enough to buy F.D.A. safety studies. Continue reading →

Unbeknownst to most, a Copernican revolution has already taken place in cancer theory. Today, the weight of evidence indicates that plants and not chemicals are the solution for reversing the global cancer epidemic.

Our understanding of what causes cancer has undergone something akin to a Copernican revolution in the past decade. Biological fatalism has been the predominant force in medicine over the past half century, where most conditions including cancer were believed predestined ‘in the genes,’ and therefore impossible to reverse. Instead of looking for root cause resolution of disease (RCRD), we resigned ourselves to ‘finding it early’ and in the case of cancer, when doing so (even when it was benign), we waged war against it, quite literally using weapons grade materials (mustard gas- and nuclear materials-derived agents). Now, however, in this post-Genomic era, factors above (epi-) the control of the genes – epigenetic factors – are taking center stage; these include environmental exposures, stress, nutritional factors, and various lifestyle-based variables that are within the ambit of our control and volition, and which are often reversible. Continue reading →

A glass of red wine, a handful of peanuts or a nibble of chocolate could protect against osteoporosis.

Resveratrol, a natural compound found in red wine and grapes, mulberries, cocao powder and peanuts has anti-inflammatory properties which protect against bone loss in mice and rats.

Now Danish researchers have shown the plant compound, a type of natural phenol, increased spinal bone density in men with metabolic syndrome which has been linked to low-grade inflammation that can cause bone loss.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors, such as obesity or high blood pressure, that raise the risk of developing heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Continue reading →

Emil Oprisa describes himself as someone who once was the “embodiment of laziness,” not doing much more than eating junk food and taking a taxi just to go to the grocery store down the street (1). Eventually, his six-foot frame was carrying around an unhealthy 328 pounds.

He knew that his health was in jeopardy, but it wasn’t until 2012 when he enrolled in a masters school program in the Alps that the lure of hiking trails became his wake up call. Barely able to make steps that other people could with ease, Oprisa challenged himself and was soon able to tackle various inclines. Along the way, he lost an incredible 125 pounds and is now an avid hiker, runner and cyclist who weighs about 203 pounds (his goal is 185 pounds). However, he also says that adopting a healthier diet also played a significant role in his weight loss. Continue reading →

New cancer-prevention research says that consuming broccoli sprouts makes people excrete benzene in their urine, mitigating effects of breathing polluted air.

What are you doing with the benzene you inhale? Just absorbing it, stocking up on sleepiness, dizziness, anemia, possibly leukemia? Or are you taking control and expunging it in your urine? Continue reading →

• Antioxidant-rich fruit relaxes lining inside blood vessels

• Could eating strawberries lower blood pressure?

In a trial at Florida State University, 60 post-menopausal women with mild to moderately high blood pressure will have a handful of freeze-dried strawberries or a placebo once a day for eight weeks.

Their blood pressure before and after the trial will be compared.

The women in the study have blood pressure greater than 130/85, but less than 160. Higher blood pressure is common after the menopause, possibly because of hormonal changes and weight gain. Continue reading →

Miracle fruit contains a protein called miraculin that tastes sweet enough to replicate the effect of sugar. Why isn’t it widely used as a healthy sweetener?

Of all our senses, taste is the one that people associate most strongly with expectations of pleasure. But indulgence comes at a cost. Almost 45 percent of the American population will be clinically obese by 2030, according to current predictions. That will increase the total toll on the healthcare system from related illnesses, like diabetes and heart disease, to a staggering $60 billion. Continue reading →

High protein diets may protect against stroke, especially if they contain a lot of fish.

Just one 20g serving of protein a day can slash the risk of a stroke by 20 per cent – and fish is particularly beneficial, say scientists

Chinese scientists have found that eating as little as one chicken breast or salmon fillet every day – each around 20g – can reduce the risk of stroke by 20 per cent.

And for every extra 20g of protein eaten per day, stroke risk reduced by around 26 per cent. Continue reading →

One Of The Healthiest Foods In The World Is A Tiny Black Seed From South America

Chia seeds can be mixed with water and turned into a gel.

Chia seeds are among the healthiest foods on the planet.

They are loaded with nutrients that can have important benefits for your body and brain.

Here are 11 health benefits of chia seeds that are supported by human studies.

1. Chia Seeds Deliver A Massive Amount Of Nutrients With Very Few Calories
Chia seeds are tiny black seeds from the plant Salvia Hispanica, which is related to the mint. This plant grows natively in South America. Continue reading →