You can’t argue at this point in your life that you’re just “middle-aged” anymore…

You start getting mail offers from AARP to join up…

And your doctor starts bugging you about getting a colonoscopy.

Of course, the age of the dreaded procedure has dropped as the rates of colorectal cancer in younger people have started to climb. Now, experts advise that regular screening should begin at age 45.

But if your time has come, or maybe come and gone because you’ve put it off, you may be looking for some guidance before you jump up on that table and allow a camera on a flexible tube to pass up your rectum.

You’re not alone, especially after the controversial results of a significant study appear to indicate the screening procedure fails to lower colorectal cancer risks or prevent cancer deaths.

A worthless screening tool?

The results of the Northern-European Initiative on Colorectal Cancer trial (NordICC), an “intention-to-screen analysis,” were recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The study involved 84,585 healthy men and women (aged 55 to 64) drawn from population registries in Poland, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands between 2009 and 2014. The participants were randomly assigned in a 1:2 ratio to either receive an invitation to undergo a single screening colonoscopy (the invited group) or to receive no invitation or screening (the usual-care group). 

The participants were followed for 10 years while researchers measured two primary outcomes: the risks of colorectal cancer and related death, as well as death from any cause.

And the findings were not what they expected…

Offering the screening procedure did not significantly reduce cancer deaths over 10 years.

In fact, cancer cases were only reduced by 18% in the group invited to have a colonoscopy, compared to the group that wasn’t invited to get a screening.

According to Jason A. Dominitz, MD, of the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, and Douglas J. Robertson, MD, of the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire, who wrote an editorial that accompanied the research, “The relatively small reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer and the nonsignificant reduction in the risk of death are both surprising and disappointing.”

Bear in mind that the American Cancer Society estimates the number of new colorectal cases for 2022 at 151,030.

Why the less-than-stellar results?

The colonoscopy procedure has remained largely unchanged since its creation and introduction in 1969, when it was hailed as a life-saving resource that could one day make colorectal cancer extinct.

So why the disappointing findings from the large NordICC trial?

A “screening can only be effective if it is performed,” the writers of the editorial point out.

See, in the group that was invited to undergo colonoscopy screenings, less than half of the participants (42%) actually went through with the procedure.

Per an adjusted analysis, the researchers found that if every participant had a colonoscopy, the incidence of colorectal cancer would have been reduced by 31% and the risk of related cancer death by 50%.

But even though a 31% reduction in the adjusted analysis was “a clinically relevant benefit,” it was still lower than what is anticipated in clinical guidelines based on observational and modeling studies.

Previous research has put reduced incidence and death from colon cancer as high as 70%.

What is the difference between those studies and the NordICC? It may be a “real-world” statement on how useful colonoscopy actually is.

However, with increased levels of participation in screening and with high-quality examinations, higher reductions in the incidence of colorectal cancer and related death would be expected — even if the percentages may not be as high in reality as previously thought. 

If you’d like to know more about colonoscopy and choices that are less invasive, download our free report — Before you say ‘yes’ to a colonoscopy!

Sources:

Effect of Colonoscopy Screening on Risks of Colorectal Cancer and Related Death — The New England Journal of Medicine

If You Invite 455 People to Colonoscopy, You’ll Stop One Case of Cancer — MedPage Today

Key statistics for colorectal cancer — American Cancer Society

The colonoscopy: A historical timeline — Gastroenterology Health Partners

The post Why colonoscopies may be less effective than we thought appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

With its straightforward focus on a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean proteins, the Mediterranean diet helps lower inflammation that can drive diabetes and improves insulin sensitivity, making it a simple and effective choice for diabetes prevention.

Now, scientists have taken it a step further and discovered three simple tweaks, practiced along with the diet, can actually slash the risk of diabetes by a whopping 31%.

But first…

Peak Golden Oil^™

The golden-colored oil of the Nigella sativa plant contains compounds essential for a healthy immune system. That explains why it was documented in the oldest medical writings. But we don’t just rely on history to prove the therapeutic benefit of… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

How the Mediterranean promotes healthy blood sugar

Prediabetes is a stage people experience before they’re diagnosed with Type 2. During prediabetes, blood sugar can begin spiking, and inflammation can creep in.

Here’s why the Mediterranean diet can help:

Nutritional profile

On the Mediterranean diet, you’ll eat plenty of high-fiber veggies, legumes, whole grains, and nuts. Together, these foods work to slow your body’s glucose absorption and reduce post-meal blood sugar spikes.

Additionally, the low-glycemic carbs that are a hallmark of the Mediterranean diet, along with healthy fats from fatty fish, help balance blood sugar levels.

Polyphenols baby!

Traditional Mediterranean diet foods are vibrant in color, indicating their high polyphenol content. These polyphenols deliver antioxidant and anti-inflammatory powers to reduce the oxidative stress and inflammation that fuel insulin resistance.

Eating polyphenol-rich foods also populates your gut with bacteria that improve insulin sensitivity.

Some of the spices commonly found in the diet have been shown to decrease fasting glucose, improve A1C and reduce insulin resistance.

Appetite control

Thanks to its healthy fats and high fiber content, the Mediterranean diet is also naturally satisfying.

This means that you feel full for longer and are less likely to reach for high-sugar foods as snacks.

Peak Organic Superfruits^™

Blend of anthocyanin-rich, organic fermented fruits — including Aronia, Acia, Blueberry, Pomegranate and Plum — that can help clobber insulin resistance, and keep you healthy. MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

3 ways to get more from the Mediterranean Diet

Scientists from 23 universities in Spain and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health followed almost 5,000 participants from Europe’s largest nutrition trial ever, the PREDIMED-Plus study, for six years.

The researchers divided participants into an intervention group and a control group. Both groups followed the Mediterranean diet, but the intervention group added three “tweaks” to their routine, including:

1. Reducing their caloric intake by about 600 calories per day
2. Engaging in moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking and strength and balance exercises
3. And receiving professional support for weight loss control.

And it paid off…

Not only did they lower their risk of diabetes by 31%, but they lost an average of 7.28 pounds and reduced their waist circumference by 1.4 inches — compared to just 1.3 pounds and 0.1 inches in the control group.

“We’re facing a global epidemic of diabetes,” said co-author Frank Hu, Fredrick J. Stare Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology and chair of the Department of Nutrition. “With the highest-level evidence, our study shows that modest, sustained changes in diet and lifestyle could prevent millions of cases of this disease worldwide.”

So if you’re ready to slash your own diabetes risk to the bone, put the Mediterranean diet, plus these three simple tweaks, to work.

Sources:

Mediterranean diet & diabetes: Blood-sugar control backed by science — Mayo Clinic

Scientists found 3 simple tweaks that cut diabetes risk by 31% — ScienceDaily

The post 3 ‘add-ons’ that slash diabetes risk 31% appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But what if it’s really more akin to an infection?

That’s what researchers say advanced genetic sequencing science is revealing — along with potential treatments capable of targeting the protein behind senescence (the process of deterioration) to stop aging’s “spread.”

Peak Maximum Endurance^™

At middle age, you start feeling changes in your body you may chalk up to aging: energy levels hit rock bottom, weight soars, muscles become soft, skin becomes wrinkled and slack and desire tanks. You may feel past your prime — but science says that’s wrong! MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Aging’s dirty little secret

Past research has shown that aging isn’t limited to one area of the body. Instead, when it starts, it begins to diffuse throughout the body.

Sort of like an infection…

One day, usually after the age of 40, you may start feeling arthritis-like issues in, say, your knee. By the following year, not only is your knee aching and stiff, but your back, neck and other areas have joined in.

Before you know it, each year you’re suffering from another sign of aging in another part of your body. But your best friend seems to be doing just fine.

While researchers have been well aware of the spreading effects of aging throughout the body, the mechanisms of how exactly it happens haven’t been so easy to nail down.

Cue a team of researchers from Korea University College of Medicine…

They were able to prove that cellular aging (a process known as senescence) begins due to a protein known as HMGB1 — we’ll call it “aging’s dirty little secret” — that potentially accelerates the aging process as it spreads from one part of the body to another.

They also may have found a way to stop it…

Sending out the aging signal

Their research, published in the journal Metabolism, revealed that this protein acts as an “aging messenger” that carries signals from cell to cell, transforming otherwise healthy cells into aged and dysfunctional ones.

Here’s how it works…

When HMGB1 is in an oxygen-rich environment, it functions normally. However, when there is a lack of oxygen in the cellular environment that surrounds the protein, it becomes reduced — and that’s when things go bad.

HMGB1 then binds to cellular receptors, activating the JAK/STAT and NF-κB pathways in the cells, which are known to promote inflammation and cue the cells to age.

This triggers a molecular signaling cascade: Aging cells produce more HMGB1, which spreads to other cells, activating their senescence pathways as well — in effect causing aging to spread like a virus from cell to cell.

Peak Longevity Platinum^™

Promotes Cellular Energy, Supports Heart & Brain Functions!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Putting an aging ‘do not disturb’ sign on your cells

The good news in all of this is that when the scientists treated mice with antibodies that block HMGB1 from activating the JAK/STAT pathway, they were able to reduce age-related dysfunction.

What does that mean for us?

Well, they hope that in the future, a drug treatment can be developed using a class of medications, known as JAK2 inhibitors, to essentially keep HMGB1 from activating the pathways it used to spread its dirty work — otherwise known as aging.

I’m excited about that news — but even more excited about all the natural compounds already known to be JAK2 inhibitors. And many of them are already compounds associated with healthy aging.

I’m sure you’ll recognize a few of these, and may already be up to speed on their anti-aging reputations:

• Resveratrol –A potent antioxidant found in the skin of red grapes, and responsible for widespread interest in the field of anti-aging research, made popular by Dr. David Sinclair and colleagues in the early 2000s.
• Curcumin – The active component of turmeric that offers potential anti-aging effects due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may combat age-related disease and promote healthy aging.
• Bergamottin –  A natural antioxidant phenol found in the peel of the bergamot orange, grapefruit and lemon, with anti-senescence, anti-aging and immune-modulating effects.
• Garcinol –  Extracted from Garcinia indica fruit, peel and leaves, and is a powerful antioxidant.
• Quercetin – A flavonoid found in fruits and vegetables that shows promise for anti-aging due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and senolytic properties.

They won’t stop aging, but I have my doubts that any drug would ever be able to do that either. But they can certainly help you age more healthily.

Sources:

Aging Spreads Through The Body Like An Infection, And This Protein Could Be To Blame — Study Finds

Propagation of senescent phenotypes by extracellular HMGB1 is dependent on its redox state — Metabolism

The Role of Natural Products as Inhibitors of JAK/STAT Signaling Pathways in Glioblastoma Treatment — NIH

Quercetin as a JAK–STAT inhibitor: a potential role in solid tumors and neurodegenerative diseases — BMC

The post The protein that causes aging to spread like an infection appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Unfortunately, that means when our estrogen levels start to decline, we lose that protection.

Women have a much steeper heart disease risk once menopause strikes and estrogen levels plummet.

However, research has shown that even in the early stages of perimenopause (the phase before menopause), permanent changes are already happening that impact a woman’s heart health.

Some women go the route of hormone replacement therapy. But it’s generally only considered safest during the first few years post-menopause. After that, it carries a higher risk for cancer and stroke.

But finally, there’s a safe and all-natural answer to keeping your heart healthy — without any of those risks…

Peak Vitality^™

Your adrenal glands support essential functions from metabolism to stress response. But when they become fatigued, problems with sleep quality, unwanted weight gain, moodiness, energy levels and more can take your vitality for a dive. Nutrients called “adaptogens” help restore balance and improve… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

A beet a day could keep heart problems away

Estrogen is more than a female hormone. It affects factors that regulate vascular wall elasticity.

“After menopause, women no longer produce estrogen, which helps maintain nitric oxide in the body. This loss of nitric oxide production contributes to the substantial increase in heart disease risk for postmenopausal women,” says Dr. Jocelyn Delgado Spicuzza, who specializes in integrative and biomedical physiology.

But she and fellow researcher David Proctor, professor of kinesiology and physiology at Penn State, believe they have a solution that involves foods that are rich in nitrates — like beets — that could be put to use as natural, non-pharmaceutical ways to protect women’s hearts and blood vessels.

Dietary nitrates, found in a few special foods like beets, are converted in the body to nitric oxide (NO), a compound that helps blood vessels dilate so more oxygen-rich blood can flow through your body.

Decades ago, Nobel Prize-winning scientists discovered that NO, a signaling molecule, was found in the endothelial cells that lined artery walls — where its chief function was as a powerful vasodilator and an important regulator of the cardiovascular system.

Peak Urinary Tract^™

A natural daily cleanse to promote and maintain a healthy urinary tract, for men and women!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Spicuzza and Proctor led researchers who tested how nitrate-rich beetroot juice impacted blood vessel health in 24 postmenopausal women in their 50s and 60s. The women first had their vascular function tested and then consumed two 2.3-ounce bottles of beetroot juice as an initial dose, followed by one bottle every morning for a week. Each serving provided as much nitrate as three large beets. A few weeks later, the participants drank beetroot juice with the nitrate removed.

Neither the researchers nor the participants knew which juice was being consumed during the two testing phases. A day after their last dose, the women returned to have their vascular function tested. The researchers compared how well blood vessels expanded for each woman when they were and were not consuming the nitrate-rich beetroot juice.

An ultrasound sensor was used to monitor how blood flowed through the brachial artery — located in the upper arm — during a stress test. Blood flow was restricted in each participant’s forearm for five minutes. When the restriction was removed, researchers measured how blood flow changed in the brachial artery again. 

The results showed that drinking nitrate-rich beetroot juice each day improved blood flow compared to when the participants drank nitrate-free beetroot juice. The researchers said that this level of improved blood-vessel function — if it could be maintained over the postmenopausal years — could significantly reduce the risk of heart disease.

“Women may need to consume beetroot juice daily — or even more often — to experience all of the potential cardiovascular benefits,” Proctor said. “Still, this research shows that beetroot juice can be very useful in protecting blood vessel health of mid-life women during a period of accelerating heart disease risk.” 

Peak Organic Fermented Beets^™

Amazing “Can’t be Beet” Superfood Helps Keep Nitric Oxide Levels Up!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Never too late to see improvements

If you’re postmenopausal you might wonder if it’s too late for your heart to still benefit from increased nitric oxide production…

The study included women considered early postmenopausal, or one to six years post-menopause, and late postmenopausal, six or more years post-menopause. And the researchers confirmed that the late postmenopausal women saw the same benefits as the early postmenopausal group!

In addition, the research team was thrilled to see that blood vessel health even improved in women who’d gone through menopause years earlier.

“By providing a safe and effective way to improve blood vessel function, beets could help maintain cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women. When you consider that most women are postmenopausal for at least a third of their lives, you can begin to understand the potential significance of these results,” per Dr. Spicuzza.

But men should be just as excited…

She added, “Some clinicians are already recommending beetroot juice to men and women with high blood pressure.”

That means a beet a day or a glass of beetroot juice can do all of us a world of good.

Source:

Does a beet a day keep heart disease away? — Science Daily

The post The veggie that gives back the heart protection menopause steals appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

We can no longer ignore the dangerous levels we’re exposed to. These heavy metals, such as lead and mercury, can lead to serious health issues including neurological damage, cardiovascular problems and kidney dysfunction.  

Lead is among the most notorious, affecting heart health at a rate six times higher than previously feared. But mercury has more than demonstrated its clear and present danger to our health.

It’s why we’re warned about the amount of seafood we eat — especially tuna, a fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids that are important for heart, eye and brain health.  

I grew up eating my grandmother’s tuna salad. To me, it was the best in the world. I have her recipe and still enjoy it occasionally. I’m also a fan of sushi. You might be thinking right now, “Are you crazy?”

I still eat these foods because I know how to reduce the harm mercury (and other heavy metals) can do.

It’s a technique I practice in my own home, but also one that researchers from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden hope canned tuna manufacturers may use to make the product much safer for you when you buy it in the store…

Peak Chelation+ Resveratrol^™

Your body is exposed to an onslaught of chemicals and pollutants daily. Once inside, they travel a superhighway – your circulatory system – reaching every inch of your body and interfering with vital functions. Peak Chelation+ Resveratrol^™ is formulated with nutrients that help flush these harmful toxins out of your body! MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Manufacturing the mercury out

The amino acid cysteine is naturally occurring in the human body in small amounts. It’s also in protein-rich foods. And it’s important for a couple of reasons…

It’s the precursor for N-acetylcysteine (NAC). NAC helps the body maintain adequate glutathione (the body’s master antioxidant) levels, which may help prevent the routine metabolic decline associated with aging.

However, cysteine is also a chelator, meaning through the bonding of ions and their molecules to metal ions, it can change them and render them less harmful, ultimately causing them to be removed.

And that’s how researchers in Sweden intend to help make canned tuna safer for consumption…

They have devised a novel approach to packaging canned tuna infused in a water-based solution of amino acid cysteine. It was shown to remove up to 35 percent of the accumulated mercury in canned tuna, a significant step for reducing human exposure to mercury via food.

They started with a concept called active packaging. It involves the development of materials — in this case, a liquid inside a can — that interact with food during storage. It’s not an entirely new concept. Some materials are already added to the foods we eat to increase shelf life and bind to metal ions that cause discoloration and spoilage, like ethylenediaminetetracetic acid (EDTA), also an effective chelator.

The medical use of EDTA, approved by the FDA, was introduced as a lead chelating agent to treat lead poisoning in employees of battery factories and in those exposed to lead paint.

However, EDTA can also remove cadmium and mercury from the bloodstream — and that’s how I use it at home.

Peak PS^™

Support Stong Cognition with One of the Most Tested Nutrients for Brain Health and Memory!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Kick toxic threats out of your body

Chelation is not a new concept. I am grateful that researchers like those in Sweden are looking into ways to further its use to make our lives safer by working to eliminate threats like mercury contamination. This promising therapy offers hope in our battle against heavy metal exposure.

Let’s face it, these are threats that have been eating away at our health for a long time and may only get worse in the future. That’s why I want to share what I know about chelation and how I use it…

In the United States alone, more than 1,500 physicians recommend EDTA chelation through their practices. EDTA chelation has been given to more than 1 million patients in the U.S. and more than 3 million in Canada, Europe, Australia and South America.

The American College for the Advancement in Medicine (ACAM) is dedicated to training doctors in the use of EDTA chelation. When administered by a physician in the office, it is an IV therapy or treatment involving high-dose EDTA. In my experience, this is reserved for acute contamination or exposure to toxic metals.

At home, my chelation therapy is as simple as taking a supplement. EDTA’s molecular activities can help safely break down toxic metals. After these substances are rendered harmless, they are transported in the blood to the kidneys, where they enter the urine and are removed. This simplicity empowers me to take control of my health and manage heavy metal exposure.

Sources:

Mercury content in tuna can be reduced with new packaging solution — EuerkAlert!

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid — Mount Sinai.org

The post Cancelling the mercury threat in tuna appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

You can read about eight benefits you can only get from extra virgin-olive oil, right here — but there’s just one in the list I want to focus on right now…

According to a study published in the Journal Foods, Greek men and women over 70 who exclusively used olive oil in food prep and cooking had higher scores on a scale of successful aging attributes, including particularly good body mass index (BMI) scores.

In other words, less body fat and a healthier weight.

I feel this is important to talk about because I’m constantly reading about the wave of semaglutide weight loss drugs that people are clamoring for. I guess they’re not reading the same reports I’m seeing about the many adverse and dangerous side effects these drugs pose.

Could some people swap a dangerous drug for olive oil and enjoy the weight loss they’re looking for?

I believe the answer is yes….

Peak Longevity Platinum^™

Every cell in the body depends on mitochondria for energy. Together, cells and mitochondria are building blocks for life and health. But mitochondria wear out with age, which leaves cells unable to create the energy they need to function properly… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

5 reasons to choose olive oil over weight loss drugs

You hear many stories about the health of people living in the Mediterranean. Books have been written about the longevity of people living in this Blue Zone and others. There’s even a Blue Zone diet and a popular Netflix series based on the book, which chronicles the travels and experiences of author David Buettner.

I’ve never been to Greece, but I’m a fan of one of its most well-known daughters, Chef Maria Loi, who is considered the official Ambassador of Greek Gastronomy.

I read in an interview that she grew up in a family that took daily doses of olive oil, much like most people take vitamins. But what really interested me is what she shared about the one time in her life when she stopped the olive oil ritual: “When I stopped, I gained 40 pounds. But I went back to my roots, and the weight just fell off.”

So I began digging… just what are the super slimming secrets of olive oil? Actually, the more apt question may be: Where should I start?

1. A key compound of the Mediterranean diet. Not only is olive oil a staple of the Mediterranean diet — a diet linked to better health and weight loss — its role is well-established as one of the most essential components of the diet. It is the primary fat source and exceptionally rich in nutrients.
2. Boosts metabolism. Thermogenesis is the body’s process of generating heat, primarily through the burning of calories. Diet-induced thermogenesis happens when you eat certain foods that help your body burn more calories during digestion and throughout the day. A 2-month study found that daily consumption of extra-virgin olive oil reduces body weight and waist circumference in people with metabolic syndrome. Research by Brown University found that women on an olive oil-rich diet can actually consume hundreds more calories a day and still lose significantly more weight than their counterparts on a traditional low-fat diet.
3. Suppresses appetite. Both Wegovy and Ozempic are synthetic versions of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), a hormone made in the gut that influences the satiety centers in the brain. Well, the monounsaturated fats in olive oil regulate appetite through the natural release of GLP-1 and PYY to communicate to the brain that you’re full. The benefit without the drawbacks.
4. Supports insulin levels. European researchers found that two tablespoons of olive oil daily alters cell membranes in a way that can significantly improve blood sugar control. Better blood sugar control reduces fat storage, particularly in the belly. 
5. Slows the digestive process. Slowing the digestive process is one way semaglutide drugs work to help people feel fuller longer. But you may have read how they’ve led to pancreatitis, gastroparesis and bowel obstruction. Olive oil slows the digestive process and triggers the release of natural serotonin — a neurotransmitter associated with fullness — with none of those uncomfortable side effects. Nature’s way is always gentler and better.

Olive oil for a healthy weight and a healthy body

Dietary fat used to be the scapegoat for heart disease, obesity, diabetes, premature aging — you name it. All the bad things got blamed on fat.

But we were just eating the wrong fat. Eating the right fat is one of the best things you can do to stay fit and healthy, lose and maintain weight and avoid disease.

If you’ve been eating the standard American diet, which is substantially higher in fat (and not the good ones), you might wonder if olive oil can help you drop the weight and the ill effects of a high-fat diet. Yes, it’s not too late.

A sluggish liver is the result of a high-fat diet. But incorporating olive oil can even turn that around. Hydroxytyrosol, a polyphenol found in extra-virgin olive oil, reversed the effects of poor eating, prevented insulin resistance, reduced the signs of fatty liver disease, as well as adverse effects seen in other organs, like the heart and brain.

If you’ve tried olive oil and didn’t like the taste, don’t be discouraged. I found most of them bitter until I made the switch to extra virgin olive oil. Below, there’s an editor’s note where you can learn about my favorite kinds and even receive a special offer to try a bottle.

It could be the beginning of positive changes you’ll see not only on the bathroom scale, but in the health of your entire body.

Editor’s Note: You’re invited to join a tiny handful of Americans who enjoy rare, fresh-pressed olive oil all year long. Please take my word for it, there’s a difference in taste, quality and benefit! Try it for $1! Click here to learn more…

Sources:

Olive Oil for Weight Loss: One Chef’s Happy Experience — Yahoo!life

Daily Use of Extra Virgin Olive Oil with High Oleocanthal Concentration Reduced Body Weight, Waist Circumference, Alanine Transaminase, Inflammatory Cytokines and Hepatic Steatosis in Subjects with the Metabolic Syndrome: A 2-Month Intervention Study — Journal Metabolites

The Effects of Diets Enriched in Monounsaturated Oleic Acid on the Management and Prevention of Obesity: a Systematic Review of Human Intervention Studies — Advances in Nutrition

The post The super slimming secrets of olive oil appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But should we be worried about this fungus among us? Could the future of humanity be in the hands of a zombifying fungus?

While cordyceps is quite adept at “infecting” specific bugs in a gruesome way — attaching spores that grow tendrils throughout a host’s body and hijacking it to travel and distribute more fungus spores — you should know what it does to humans…

Peak Golden Oil^™

Support for Inflammation and Optimal Immune Balance!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Cordyceps’ history with (hopefully not the last of) us

There are hundreds of medicinal mushroom species. There are around 600 species of cordyceps alone.

But cordyceps, though commonly referred to as a mushroom, is technically not one…

Because of that parasitic habit of growing on insects, they are considered entomopathogenic fungi. Don’t get hung up on the technicalities, though — cordyceps has a long history with humans as a healing, functional food.

Mushrooms are rich sources of unique health-promoting compounds and have been used in Chinese medicine and other traditional healing systems for thousands of years. Cordyceps is near the top.

One family of carbohydrates found in mushrooms is beta-glucans, which have a particular affinity for immune cells. They stimulate macrophages, lymphocytes, T-cells and Natural Killer cells. They are primarily focused on our innate immunity, the immune system’s first responders.

But mushrooms do more than boost your immunity; they “train” immune cells to respond appropriately to pathogens, toxins, cancerous cells and other dangers. Medicinal mushrooms are unique to this purpose, as they boost immunity and help calm an overactive autoimmune response. This can be pretty helpful when addressing autoimmune conditions.

Cordyceps are specifically reported to enrich the bone marrow. They also have demonstrated anti-tumor activity.

Like reishi, cordyceps support athletic performance, increasing cellular energy production and oxygen utilization. One study found that cordyceps improved endurance in older people.

In addition to boosting mitochondrial function and oxygen utilization, cordyceps help detoxify the body and support the adrenals.

They also promote healthy heart function by reducing LDL (bad cholesterol) and increasing HDL (the good variety).

Peak Maximum Endurance^™

At middle age, you start feeling changes in your body you may chalk up to aging: energy levels hit rock bottom, weight soars, muscles become soft, skin becomes wrinkled and slack and desire tanks. You may feel past your prime — but science says that’s wrong! MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Should you be worried about becoming cordyceps spawn?

In a recent Nature paper, Dr. Jim Kronstad, a professor and microbiologist at UBC’s Michael Smith Laboratories, and co-authors, highlight a warming climate as a potential contributor to the spread of harmful fungi like Coccidioides, which causes valley fever, and the current rise of Candida auris, which infects hospitalized patients and is resistant to available antifungal drugs.

The authors also noted the discovery of a new fungus last year, Rhodosporidiobolus fluvialis — in humans — previously found only in soil.

R. fluvialis was discovered in the blood of two unrelated patients with serious underlying health conditions. One patient was a 61-year-old who died in an ICU in Nanjing in 2013. The other patient was an 85-year-old who died in 2016 after being treated in an ICU in Tianjin. The report doesn’t note whether the fungal infection directly contributed to the patients’ deaths or if they just happened to be infected at the time.

These are undoubtedly isolated cases. And so far, cordyceps is keeping its distance from humans.

As Dr. Kronstad says, “Fungi are super important, it’s phenomenal what they’ve done for humans.”

Using Cordyceps

Cordyceps, since they grow like slim tendrils, are often used more efficiently as a powder, which is popularly used in supplements and teas.

You can take the tendrils, referred to as “fruited bodies,” and boil them in water to make cordyceps tea. But just knowing those tendrils fruited out of an insect body is enough to turn me off of that idea.

Sources:

The new season of The Last of Us has a spore-ting chance at realism — Science Daily

The Last of Us Season 2: A Q&A with Dr. Jim Kronstad about fungal infections and climate change — The University of British Columbia

Unusual ways to boost your energy — Easy Health Options

New fungal infection discovered in China — Live Science

The post Cordyceps: Superfood or Brain-hijacking ‘zombie’ fungus appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That’s why their nickname is the “powerhouses of our cells.”

And as mighty power generators, mitochondria are associated with longevity — as long as they’re functioning optimally.

But when they aren’t, cellular energy production wanes, oxidative stress runs rampant, mitochondria become prone to DNA mutations, and the cellular processes that normally regulate programmed cell death and stress response become dysfunctional.

All this eventually leads to cellular decline and ultimately what we know as the aging process.

But if mitochondria eventually fail, why are they linked with longevity?

Peak Longevity Platinum^™

Promotes Cellular Energy, Supports Heart & Brain Functions!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

The key to age reversal

Aging may be inevitable, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing we can do to slow it and enjoy more healthy years — especially now that we know mitochondria are the key.

In studies using C. elegans, a worm model often used in research, scientists saw that interventions could improve mitochondrial function — and extend lifespan.

In other words, our mitochondria could be revived — or motivated to keep churning out that good old ATP,  and that’s made it a prime target for longevity research.

In fact, scientists believe mitochondria are behind the life-lengthening effects of calorie restriction, which has been proven to slow the pace of aging in humans.

Thankfully, eating less isn’t our only option to support mitochondria’s healthy aging effects…  

Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) is a micronutrient found in some foods like natto, parsley and green tea, that helps mitochondria produce ATP. But it also increases the number of mitochondria, an important benefit since our bodies produce less as we age.

But longevity is just one part of aging research where mitochondria are breaking ground…

Peak Vitality^™

Your adrenal glands support essential functions from metabolism to stress response. But when they become fatigued, problems with sleep quality, unwanted weight gain, moodiness, energy levels and more can take your vitality for a dive. Nutrients called “adaptogens” help restore balance and improve… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Mitochondria and skin aging

Experts have begun to explore the mitochondria’s role in cellular rejuvenation and the direct impacts that can have on the visible signs of aging.

“Mitoscientist” Dr. Keshav K. Singh is a world leader in mitochondrial health and disease and founder of the Mitochondria Research and Medicine Society in the US and India.

His research at the University of Alabama in Birmingham includes how mitochondria can slow, potentially even reverse, the signs of skin aging, opening promising avenues for therapeutic development.

Currently, that involves developing strategies to prevent, slow and treat skin wrinkles and hair loss in mice — and translating those benefits to humans.

Similar to the research I mentioned earlier using a worm model, Dr. Singh’s research involves a mouse whose age can be manipulated at will — actually made older and then, younger again — providing an unprecedented opportunity to understand tissue-specific aging.

It may be years before Dr. Singh’s research translates to products or procedures that change how our skin ages, but a prescription for healthy mitochondria may already exist…

10 micronutrients that support your mitochondria

Experts in aesthetic medicine in France are already working on a prescription for healthy mitochondria to support healthier aging.

Their answer is micro nutrition, consisting of PQQ and nine other ingredients, that protects mitochondria from oxidative damage and stimulates the growth of new mitochondria.

Their suggestions include:

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which helps mitochondria make ATP, the fuel that powers most cellular functions. CoQ10 is also a powerful antioxidant that helps control oxidative stress.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a form of vitamin B3 very popular in regenerative medicine. It’s an essential coenzyme in regulating metabolism, longevity, DNA repair and producing energy.

Erythrothioneine is an amino acid present in high quantities in mushrooms and is called a “longevity vitamin” by some. It guards mitochondria from free radical damage. It can also be applied to the skin to reduce signs of aging and sun damage.

Alpha-lipoic acid is an antioxidant that increases cellular levels of NAD. It may also enhance the anti-aging activity of sirtuins, genes that are involved in the regulation of metabolism and longevity.

The B vitamins, known as “respiratory’ vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12) help balance magnesium in the body. Magnesium helps transport ATP.

Acetyl-L-Carnitine increases overall cellular respiration, and with D-ribose and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) optimizes respiratory chain activity — a process involved in generating power to synthesize ATP.

Lastly, omega-3 fatty acids, because they support the structure and function of mitochondrial membranes.

Sources:

The Mitochondrial Basis of Aging — Journal Molecular Cell

The Mitodesign Lab — keshavsingh.org

Exploring the role of mitochondria transfer/transplant and their long-non-coding RNAs in regenerative therapies for skin aging — Mitochondrion

The mitochondria at the very heart of the anti-aging medicine — Anti-Age

The post 10 micronutrients that turn the key on age reversal appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

The chatter is that drinking sparkling water, AKA fizzy water and, technically, carbonated water, can help level up a fat-burning metabolism

Sound too good to be true?

Could a bubbly beverage really possess weight loss powers? And if so, how?

A recent study published in the BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health journal has the answers…

Peak Organic Alkalizing Greens^™

At birth your body’s pH is balanced. But starting immediately acid waste builds up and starts to shift your pH level from healthy alkaline to unhealthy acid. If your body is too acidic it provides the right terrain for germs to thrive. To add insult to injury… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Four ways sparkling water impacts weight loss

Researchers set out to build on the results of previous studies on what happens when carbon dioxide (CO2) — the gas used to create the bubbly sensation in drinks like sparkling or carbonated water — is consumed and enters the blood.

Overall, the experts say that the effects of sparkling water could impact weight loss help in four distinct ways:

#1 – Improves feelings of satiety

The first impactful way sparkling water could help anyone on a weight loss journey is by simply promoting satiety. This doesn’t seem like rocket science at all. After all, when you sip a carbonated drink, and those fizzy bubbles reach your stomach, there’s a feeling of fullness. It’s easy to see how that would make you less hungry.

#2 – Supports gut motility

According to Dr. Tara Narula, those same bubbles that make us feel full might also “increase or change your gut motility or movement.” This is important since lack of gut motility (dysmotility) can lead to bloating and has been independently associated with weight gain.

#3 – Promotes healthier choices

Drinking sparkling water could be a great way to support healthy choices that reduce the amount of sugar and calories we consume each day.

Dr. Narula points out that “You may not be reaching for a sugary beverage or soda if you’re drinking carbonated water.”

Previous research saw people who swapped out one eight-ounce sugar-sweetened beverage for an eight-ounce glass of water per day could drop their daily calorie intake significantly.

#3 – Lowers blood sugar levels

And the final benefit of carbonated water is easily the most important…

When asked about how action could support weight loss, Dr. Narula explains, “When carbon dioxide gets into your bloodstream, your red blood cells, it changes the pH and makes the blood a little more alkaline  — and in that setting, the blood cells are able to absorb more sugar, or glucose, dropping your blood sugar level. In that respect, it might help your metabolism.”

Peak Vitality^™

Peak Vitality^™ helps support and strengthen adrenal gland function for improved energy, hormone balance, mood and focus!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

In other words, by alkalizing your body, carbonated water helps keep blood sugar on an even keel, so your metabolism works more effectively to burn fat between meals for energy.

Raise a glass of sparkling water to weight loss

Despite these benefits, the scientists say that the clinical results of the study were small.

However, if you’re like me, you’ve probably found that when it comes to weight loss, taking all of the help you can get is key— as long there are no side effects.

I don’t see any downsides to drinking sparkling water. The only thing you have to lose is those unwanted pounds.

And as an added benefit, by increasing your body’s alkalinity, you could also improve your overall health. Check out these four evidence-based benefits of an alkaline diet.

Sources:

Can carbonated water support weight loss? — BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health

What to know about sparkling water and weight loss, according to new study — ABC NEWS

What you should know about carbonated water and weight loss — CNN

Dysmotility Symptoms Are Independently Associated With Weight Change: A Population-based Study of Australian Adults — NIH

The post 4 ways sparkling water supports weight loss appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But just like on the football field, you have your MVPs — and you have those players that, if they spent the entirety of the game on the sidelines, the season would go on.

Your appendix might be a bench sitter. Even your spleen and gallbladder could sit the game out. And it’s even possible to continue without a stomach, a kidney or a colon. It’s certainly not optimal by any means, but it’s possible.

Your liver, though, is no bench-sitter.

It’s responsible for performing hundreds of functions… from breaking down fat for energy and metabolizing nutrients and medications so your body can use them — to creating and regulating several hormones… as well as enzymes and proteins necessary for digestion and even blood clotting.

But your liver is also your body’s main detoxifying organ. To say the least, that’s a lot of pressure.

Under a constant assault by chemicals, toxins and a diet heavy in processed foods — a tired, overworked liver can struggle to do it all.  It will switch to “life support mode” and put housekeeping on the back burner.

The toxins and fat begin to build, and your liver is no longer playing like an MVP. The result? Up to 100 million Americans with undiagnosed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, for starters.

Luckily, your liver has a teammate whose main goal is making sure it’s up to sacking those inescapable threats…

Peak Chelation+ Resveratrol^™

Your body is exposed to an onslaught of chemicals and pollutants daily. Once inside, they travel a superhighway – your circulatory system – reaching every inch of your body and interfering with vital functions. Peak Chelation+ Resveratrol^™ is formulated with nutrients that help flush these harmful toxins out of your body! MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Your liver’s best friend

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is derived from an amino acid in the body that is essential for producing antioxidants. Without NAC, you’d have difficulty refilling your stores of glutathione, the body’s master antioxidant.

NAC activates glutathione, which “primes” the function of T cells and natural killer cells, making them better able to deal with viruses and bacteria. A big deal, right? But that’s not all…

NAC is a powerful detoxifier. In fact, if you are ever rushed to the ER for an acetaminophen (Tylenol) overdose, doctors will immediately administer an I.V. dose of N-acetylcysteine.

Acute threats aside though, with NAC, your liver gains a powerful ally, capable of tackling multiple health threats, including those that come with age.

Previous research has shown that because NAC can help the body maintain adequate glutathione levels, it may help prevent the routine metabolic decline associated with aging.

According to the author of that study, “I’m optimistic there could be a role for this compound in preventing the increased toxicity we face with aging, as our abilities to deal with toxins decline. We might be able to improve the metabolic resilience that we’re naturally losing with age.”

Peak Longevity Platinum^™

Promotes Cellular Energy, Supports Heart & Brain Functions!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Getting NAC on your team

NAC is a free agent. In other words, providing your body with NAC is as simple as finding the right supplement.

That’s because NAC isn’t found in any food sources. However, eating high-protein foods provides your body with cysteine, which is a precursor to NAC.

For that reason, some health practitioners will tell you it’s not necessary to supplement NAC. However, the study I referenced above found that in mice experiencing toxic stress, the cells of older mice were depleted of glutathione, and they died twice as fast as younger mice.

NAC has also been around for a long time and has been used as a medication, so it’s considered quite safe. But always choose supplements from a reputable manufacturer and never take more than is recommended.

If you bleed easily, have cystinuria (a condition that causes kidney stones) or take nitroglycerine, don’t supplement NAC without talking to your doctor first.

The post NAC: The liver’s ally for healthy aging appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And that’s a big deal in today’s diet-crazed world, where, from one day to the next, this diet or that diet is being pushed by dieticians, fast-talking TV personalities and other so-called experts, onto desperate people looking for one answer to solve all their health and weight problems.

Of course, the diet industry is a huge money-maker. So, it’s easy to see why greedy wannabes are quick to weave together some pseudoscience to produce the next best-selling diet book — complete with a weekly eating plan (that’ll cost you extra) and an exercise component (that’s extra, too) — and rake in a cool million before the next fad topples them from the best-sellers list.

Peak Cardio Platinum^™

Research shows that by age 70, Nitric Oxide production declines by up to 75 percent! But supporting healthy N-O levels isn’t as easy as taking a nitric oxide pill. The body needs nutrients to produce N-O on its own — and that’s why… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Now, you might think this rant is odd because it comes from someone like me who is a self-professed fan of the Paleo diet — or, in all actuality, a Paleo-styled diet. Even though I feel the basic guidelines have many benefits, I fudge them just a little.

Because the thing about a paleo-style diet is, I consider it to be a little more well-rounded (those eating nothing but meat are doing it wrong!) than say Atkins (low carb)… or Keto (severely limited carbs)… and definitely more so than a strict vegan (no animal products), or slightly-less strict vegetarian diet (no meat, but dairy/eggs ok) or plant-based diet.

And it all has to do with the fact that pork fat has been given a much higher nutritional score than kale, broccoli or Coho salmon — but most of you are afraid to eat it.

Food groups come together for the best nutrition

You see, most all-natural foods provide a benefit to the human body… even pork fat.

That’s why any diet that advises severely limiting or quitting one food group entirely is going to have repercussions eventually. The same goes for diets where too much of one food is eaten. My friends who used the Paleo diet as an excuse to eat meat, meat and more meat, with scant fruits or veggies, are looking for trouble. And here’s why…

Researchers, as reported in PLOS ONE, have dug deep into quantifying the nutrient balance of foods, which is referred to as “nutritional fitness.”

It was these researchers who assigned a higher nutritional score to pork fat (8 on the list of 100 foods) and assigned kale 31, broccoli 94, and Coho salmon 54.

Peak Vision Support^™

Unique Dual Nutrient Formula Supports Healthy, Clear Vision and Protects Eyes from Blue Light!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Then they went further and looked at food combinations, seeing how eating, for instance, two foods together had a synergistic effect—meaning that even if two foods had little nutritional impact when eaten separately, eating them together was nutritionally valuable.

So what happens when there’s not enough diversity on your plate to make these nutritional combinations happen?

Most diets where one food group, like carbs, is severely limited, are fairly new. Who’s to say that 15 years down the road, we’ll see very negative health issues resulting in people who followed these kinds of diets to a T?

There has already been research reporting that eating too much and too few carbs can increase your risk of dying early — a strong indication that moderation and a well-balanced mix of whole foods are preferable.

Years ago, hordes of people gave up healthy fat for low-fat, drinking dairy alternatives and skipping cheese. Then we were told to give up meat to the point that if you eat it, you’re considered a caveman… and we wonder why we, as a country, are sick.

It’s becoming more apparent that a less diverse food plate is not the way to achieve health.

That said, there is one food to avoid no matter what: ultraprocessed food.

Peak Maximum Endurance^™

Supports Improved Oxygen Levels… Healthy Circulation… and Balanced Hormones for Better Overall Health!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Learning from past mistakes

The low-fat craze is probably why you may be surprised to learn that pork fat is not nearly so bad. Pork fat is more unsaturated and healthier than lamb or beef fat. It’s also a good source of B vitamins.

However, the perpetrators of the low-fat myth did a great job convincing generations that all fats are bad and should be avoided.

Fat helps the body absorb nutrients better. So, if you enjoyed a kale salad with your pork dinner, your body would benefit more from the phosphorus, iron, calcium, and vitamins A and C that the kale has to offer. Add a small sweet potato (ranked 100), rich in beta-carotene and a complex carb (avoid refined carbs), and you’d have a nutritionally balanced plate that wouldn’t set you up for diabetes and heart disease.

My aim here is not to endorse the pork industry, but to provide a view beyond the narrow scope of diet crazes.

It’s easier to just eat a variety of whole foods than constantly worrying about what you should and shouldn’t eat. Consider moderation and portion sizes if weight is your primary concern. Avoid processed foods at all costs.

Go ahead and view the complete list of foods and their nutrient fitness scores I referenced for this post. Unless you have an illness or allergy that merits avoiding a specific food group (I gave up grains due to gluten sensitivity), start mixing them up on your plate.

Sources:

Uncovering the Nutritional Landscape of Food — PLOS One

The post How pork fat contributes to your nutritional fitness appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Vitamin K is generally associated with coagulation, but over the last decade or so key differences have been revealed about the roles the subtypes play in our health.

In fact, vitamin K is considered an emerging group of vitamins required for human health.

At least that’s the conclusion of one group of researchers who say these vitamins, one in particular, may be useful for several chronic conditions featuring a common denominator afflicting North America’s aging population.

Mainly, K1 is important for helping blood clot to prevent hemorrhaging — but K2 has been found to have very important roles in bone, vascular, joint and cognitive health.

If you aren’t already supplementing K2, as researchers suggest, especially for bone and heart health, let me share more on the importance of this valuable nutrient and how K2 can impact what scientists now say is a key contributor to aging…

Peak Longevity Platinum^™

Promotes Cellular Energy, Supports Heart & Brain Functions!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Healthier aging

Many experts believe calcification should be viewed as a contributor to the pathological aging process. That’s because calcification decreases the function of various tissues or organs, leading to the functional decline of organs, the systems affected and ultimately health in general.

For example…

• The pineal gland copiously secretes melatonin in childhood to direct our circadian rhythm. But it begins to decline in function during puberty, already due to significant calcification.

• Pineal calcification is seen in nearly all adults leading to reduced melatonin secretion which has also been suggested to be associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

• Arterial blood vessels are lifelong active tissues, and arterial calcification has been observed in conditions with high atherogenic levels, such as diabetes, oxidative stress, and chronic kidney disease (CKD). It’s commonly seen in the aging population, with 96 percent of observed aortic and coronary artery calcification seen in people over the age of 70.

Emerging evidence from animal and clinical studies has associated low K2 levels with calcification and an elevated risk of heart problems.

Bone health and calcium wrangling

Evidence supports K2 in the maintenance of bone health, including:

• increasing bone strength and density
• increasing bone mineral content
• inhibiting bone resorption
• decreasing fracture risk
• reducing urinary calcium loss
• lowering serum alkaline phosphatase levels

This would suggest that vitamin K2 reduces bone calcium mobilization (calcium loss from bones), increases bone calcium deposition, and strengthens bone construction.

At the same time, vitamin K2 limits the occurrence of calcification in other organs due to reduced bone calcium loss.

Per a review of vitamin K in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, the United States and Canada do not have recommendations for the use of vitamin K2 for osteoporosis. However, K2 is recommended as the standard of care in Japan where many studies on its effects on bone health as well as its efficiency in managing calcium in the body have taken place.

The Japanese diet is rich in the particularly powerful form of K2 known as MK-7, where it is found in fermented soy products and traditional dishes, like natto.

Vascular health

Ninety‐nine percent of bodily calcium is stored in bone, largely regulated by vitamin K2, with the remaining 1 percent circulating in the blood, muscle and other tissues.

But if vitamin K2 levels are low, it can disrupt the binding between calcium and osteocalcin (OC), a protein that helps with bone mineralization. This not only leads to the loss of calcium from bones, but it allows more rogue calcium to circulate to places where it can cause calcification.

Research has shown vitamin K2 can effectively stabilize mobile calcium, reduce artery calcium levels, inhibit calcium deposition in the blood vessel walls and more…

In a study of 4807 subjects free from myocardial infarction at baseline and followed for 7 years, those with the highest tertile intake of menaquinone (vitamin K2) compared to the lowest, resulted in a significant risk reduction in coronary heart disease.

Energy metabolism

Mitochondria are found in our cells and are considered mini power plants that regulate cellular energy metabolism. Vitamin K2 is an important player in the mitochondrial quality-control loop and repair of mitochondrial dysfunction.

Accumulating evidence suggests that vitamin K2 inhibits inflammatory responses and repairs mitochondrial damage induced by oxidative stress.

Peak Cardio Platinum^™

Clinically-Tested Nutrients Help Arteries and Cardiovascular Health!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Brain health

Because oxidative and neuroinflammatory mechanisms of cellular damage are associated with many neurological disorders, including neurodegenerative conditions, vitamin K2 can also afford some support here.

An increasing body of evidence suggests the possible role of K2 supplementation as a neuroprotective strategy in the maintenance of nerve integrity and normal brain function, including cognition.

It’s already well known in the scientific field that vitamin K2 is a necessary factor for the biosynthesis and metabolism of sphingolipids, an important class of lipids, which exist in high concentrations in brain cell membranes and function in brain cell events, including signaling between neurotransmitters.

Sources of vitamin K2

The vitamin K group has been associated with green leafy vegetables. But that’s where you will only find vitamin K1.

Vitamin K2 is found in butter, egg yolks, lard and animal products. The MK-7 subtype is found in fermented foods and some cheeses, like gouda and Jarlsberg. But any web search will reveal that natto is the highest source.

It’s important to know where to find it because current recommendations lump vitamin K into one group. Researchers, as recently as 2020, in the journal Nutrients, have called for a separate recommended daily intake for vitamin K2.

In their argument they state, “Almost 1000 years of northern Japanese cuisine has included ‘natto’, the world’s richest food source of VK2. A VK2-rich diet has existed for approximately 30 generations without any adverse side effects.”

But considering that the FDA tries to steer us towards pharmaceuticals and away from nutrition, it’s not all that surprising that they haven’t addressed that request.

Sources:

The biological responses of vitamin K2: A comprehensive review — Food Science & Nutrition

Vitamin K2 Modulates Mitochondrial Dysfunction Induced by 6-Hydroxydopamine in SH-SY5Y Cells via Mitochondrial Quality-Control Loop — Journal Nutrients

Vitamins K1 and K2: The Emerging Group of Vitamins Required for Human Health — Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism

Growing Evidence of a Proven Mechanism Shows Vitamin K2 Can Impact Health Conditions Beyond Bone and Cardiovascular — Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal

The post The vitamin that fights a common contributor of unhealthy aging appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

The most common bacteria that can cause pneumonia and is typically found in the mouth is Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus).

The longer you let the bad bacteria brew, the more likely they are to travel to other places in your body — especially your lungs…

Peak D3^™

When you step out into the sunlight, your body begins the process of making vitamin D. But getting the ideal amount can be difficult because some of us can’t effectively absorb it. That’s just one of many reasons the vitamin D deficiency is an epidemic… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

See your dentist to keep pneumonia away

Researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University found that regular dental visits can reduce your risk of developing the dangerous respiratory infection, pneumonia, by an astounding 86 percent.

These researchers examined the health and dental records of 26,000 people and concluded that those who never visit the dentist for check-ups are 86 percent more likely to develop pneumonia than people who visit the dentist twice a year.

Of course, if you’ve only missed one or two dental visits, your pneumonia risk isn’t quite that sky-high. But you’re heading down a dangerous road…

A 2014 study confirmed the perils of putting off your dental visits too. In this study, Brazilian researchers found that people in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) who received extensive dental care from a dentist were 56 percent less likely to develop a respiratory infection while in the hospital than those who just received run-of-the-mill dental care.

Clearly, there’s a connection between bad bacteria in your mouth and bad bacteria in your lungs… which makes perfect sense. If there are more bad bacteria lurking around anywhere in your body, there’s a greater risk of it going rogue and causing serious health problems.

And it’s not only your lungs that are affected. Bad mouth bacteria can make their way to your heart, blood and other organs too. It’s even been tied to an increased risk of cancer.

Peak Golden Oil^™

Support for Inflammation and Optimal Immune Balance!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Next-level oral hygiene

When life gets busy, it’s easy to let healthy practices fall to the wayside… including your biannual trip to the dentist.

But don’t put twice-yearly dental visits off too long. Because, if you do, it could set the stage for a serious infection. With the cold, flu and COVID viruses now circulating, we’ve got more to contend with. About a third of all pneumonia cases start as a respiratory illness.

Of course, it’s also critical to practice good oral hygiene in between dentist visits. That includes obvious habits like brushing and flossing daily, as well as less obvious habits like eating a healthy diet, supplementing for oral health and practicing the ancient art of oil pulling.

If you want to try it (my holistic dentist swears by it!) any edible oil will do, even though after using it to rid your mouth of nasty bacteria you should spit it out. Popular ones include coconut, sunflower or sesame seed oil. I am a fan of black seed oil because its known to promote a balanced immune system response and is effective against the inflammation that’s so closely tied to gum disease.

It comes in bottle or supplement form. I take a black seed oil supplement, so since I keep them on hand, I will break one open and mix it with a little coconut oil. Here’s a short primer on how to do it:

1. Put about 1 tbsp of oil in your mouth
2. Swish it around your mouth for about 15 minutes
3. Spit out the oil, then proceed with brushing your teeth

Sources:

1. “Regular dental visits may help prevent pneumonia, study shows.” ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com. Retrieved April 5, 2017.

2. “Proper dental care linked to reduced risk of respiratory infections in ICU patients.” ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com. Retrieved April 5, 2017.

3. T. Bellissimo-Rodrigues, et al. “Effectiveness of a Dental Care Intervention in the Prevention of Lower Respiratory Tract Nosocomial Infections among Intensive Care Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial.” Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 2014; 35 (11): 1342.

The post How to reduce pneumonia risk by 86% appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

On one hand, that first day of crisp fall air absolutely thrills me…

But on the other hand, almost simultaneously, I begin waking every morning with dark circles under my eyes and raging congestion, followed by a nose that runs like a faucet.

Is it allergies, sinusitis, a cold or what?

In years past, I’d swear off the idea of allergies because I wasn’t sneezing and I didn’t have watery eyes. But after 50 years of it, something finally clicked… everyone doesn’t have the exact same allergy symptoms. And as far as seasonal allergies can go, fall takes the ticket by throwing everything but the kitchen sink at you — including mold!

This year, I’m ready. I’m armed with a full understanding of what’s attacking me — and how to tame it without feeling drugged up…

What the heck is stirring up your fall allergies?

I chose to write about my allergy issues (and how I’ve finally been able to relieve them) because so many other people are in the same boat right now. More than 24 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies.

Sometimes the symptoms can be confusing because colds are usually making the rounds this time of year as well. However, colds are more apt to present with a runny nose, sore throat and possibly a fever.

If you experience a postnasal drip (which can lead to throat irritation), headache, watery or itchy eyes, ear congestion and mild fatigue, it’s a good bet you suffer from allergies.

But what’s causing it? Well, let me count the ways that fall socks it to us…

Allergic rhinitis: This is typically the culprit when people blame hay fever for their misery. But it’s more likely that your trigger is ragweed — not hay. This plant and its irritants start in mid-August and can wreak havoc until the first freeze.

Lingering warm weather: If unseasonably warm days stick around longer than usual, rhinitis symptoms can last longer, too. And when those warm days include high humidity, you can blame mold spores for that horrible headache. Even a dry, windy day can help circulate these irritants.

Leaves, leaves everywhere: Aren’t the colorful fall leaves just beautiful? Yes, until they fall. First, they can trap moisture… and that means mold. Then, when we start raking, we’re stirring up that mold and agitating pollen. Yikes!

These are just a few of the things causing seasonal allergies… now let’s talk about what you can do to feel better through them…

Peak Golden Oil^™

The golden-colored oil of the Nigella sativa plant contains compounds essential for a healthy immune system. That explains why it was documented in the oldest medical writings. But we don’t just rely on history to prove the therapeutic benefit of… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

My first fall free of allergy symptoms

I stopped reaching for prescription and over-the-counter antihistamines a couple of years ago. Once I learned that most of the active ingredients in them were anticholinergic drugs, I cleared out my medicine cabinet.

That’s because anticholinergics (like diphenhydramine, found in products like Benadryl and Nytol) block the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is critical to memory function. My colleague Joyce Holman has written about about how anticholinergics can put people at higher risk for developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and ultimately, Alzheimer’s disease.

My close family history of Alzheimer’s is too high for me to take that risk. Instead, as with most things health-related, I’ve chosen a natural route to get relief, starting with the golden oil of the Nigella sativa plant’s black seeds.

Black seed oil, as it’s more commonly known around the globe, was found to be an effective treatment for symptoms of allergic rhinitis when you want to avoid the effects of other allergy drugs. In a study of 66 patients, symptoms including nasal congestion, nasal itching, runny nose and sneezing were relieved during the first two weeks of taking it.

Last fall was my first year to try it. It was such a relief to wake every day without having to immediately grab a tissue and run for the medicine cabinet. Instead, before bed each night I took a supplement that contained the cold-pressed golden oil, then one with breakfast the next morning. I’ve never felt better, and it was probably the first fall I lived through without feeling like I was in a medicated fog.

Peak Golden Oil^™

Support for Inflammation and Optimal Immune Balance!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Other natural allergy symptom relievers

If the natural world can throw allergens at us, is it surprising that the answer to taming those allergens can be found in nature as well? If anyone understands the concept of balance, it’s Mother Nature.

Here are a few more remedies to help make fall your favorite allergy-free season of the year…

Bromelain is an enzyme found in pineapples that helps thin mucus and alleviate swelling in the nose and sinuses. Even though I eat some pineapple every day, to get enough to help with allergies you’d need to supplement. Avoid if you’re on antibiotics, and talk to your doctor about it if you’re on blood thinners.

Quercetin, found in apples, red grapes, onions and teas is a natural decongestant, antihistamine and antioxidant that can stop the release of histamines by your body’s immune system. Supplementing would provide enough to help with allergy symptoms.

Eucalyptus not only smells great but if used in a vaporizer it can really open your sinus passages. You can even add a few drops to a small pot of boiled water and breath in the warm steam, carefully.

Sources:

Allergy Facts — American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

Four Things You Might Not Know About Fall Allergies — American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

Herbal treatment of allergic rhinitis: the use of Nigella sativa — The American Journal of Otolaryngology

Natural Remedies for Grass and Ragweed Allergies — Midwest Allergy Relief

The post The golden ticket to a fall free of allergy symptoms appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Urinary incontinence affects more than half of middle-aged women and up to 80 percent of women by the time they reach their senior years.

Not only is it an embarrassing and socially isolating condition, but it can present unexpected dangers…

An overactive bladder is among the biggest risk factors for falls and fractures among senior women. A broken hip is the last thing anyone needs.

Of course, doctors can dole out anticholinergic drugs for bladder control. But unless you’re an avid reader of medical journals like me, you may be unaware that these drugs are associated with a high risk of cognitive decline.

Anticholinergics trick nerve impulses that signal muscles involved in actions like urination, coughing and sneezing by blocking the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. But acetylcholine is also critical for memory function — and there’s scientific speculation that tricking it has devastating effects on the brain and could lead to cognitive decline.

The good news is that prescription drugs aren’t the only way to regain control of your bladder.

You could do it just by picking up a healthy habit at home — and don’t worry, I’m not suggesting those confounding Kegel exercises that are so difficult to master…

Peak Bladder Support^™

For women, age, childbirth, menopause and hormone fluctuations take a toll on healthy urinary function. For men, an aging body may result in the need for bladder support. Whatever the cause, occasional urinary urgency can… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

An easier way to master your bladder

A Stanford study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine included women ages 45 to 90 who suffered from urinary incontinence issues an average of 3.4 times a day.

All the participants tried either a hatha yoga program, intended to strengthen the pelvic floor or a low-impact activity that included stretching and strengthening exercises that did not intentionally engage the pelvic floor.

All women exercised for 90 minutes, two times a week, along with an additional shorter, one-hour session. And the results were phenomenal…

Both groups — whether doing yoga for pelvic floor strengthening or simple low-impact exercises — experienced about 65 percent fewer incontinence episodes in just 12 weeks!

According to the researchers, these benefits are on par with the effects of those medications used to address incontinence — but with only good side effects, like stronger muscles and a healthier body.

Peak Thyroid Support^™

Specially Formulated with Essential Nutrients to Support Healthy Thyroid Function!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Safe support for a stronger bladder

Not only is low-impact yoga or exercise good for a stronger bladder, but numerous studies have shown a connection to a stronger, plump brain that scores better on cognitive tests. In my book, that makes it a better choice than questionable drugs.

Even better, you don’t have to be a yoga master to master your bladder…

Certain nutrients available in common foods can target your weak detrusor muscle — a collection of smooth muscle fibers in the walls of your bladder — and strengthen your ability to control urine elimination. They’ve been shown to work for both men and women!

I’m talking about pumpkin seed extract and soy germ isoflavones…

• Native Americans used pumpkin seeds as an age-old remedy for bladder, kidney and digestive problems. In fact, pumpkin seeds and their oil have been used in traditional medicine for centuries. They contain potassium, magnesium and zinc which help calm and relax bladder muscles, reducing that desperate urgency to urinate.
• Soy isoflavones are natural plant estrogens called phytoestrogens. They naturally support balanced hormones — an important key to healthy bladder function. Balanced testosterone and estrogen help sustain the strength of the bladder muscles and pelvic floor.

Avoid the adult diaper aisle at the drugstore. Just add a little exercise to your day and some delicious pumpkin seeds and other phytoestrogen-rich foods including berries, grapes, almonds, tofu, miso soup or broccoli.

You can also seek out a bladder formula that might fit the bill and help you cut that invisible leash that keeps you from getting too far from the nearest restroom.

Sources:

Anticholinergic drugs and incident dementia, mild cognitive impairment and cognitive decline: a meta-analysis – NIH

Low-impact yoga and exercise found to help older women manage urinary incontinence – Science Daily

Pumpkin Seed Oil Extracted From Cucurbita maxima Improves Urinary Disorder in Human Overactive Bladder — Journal of Traditional and Complimentary Medicine

Dietary soy isoflavone replacement improves detrusor overactivity of ovariectomized rats with altered connexin-43 expression in the urinary bladder — BJU International

The post The bladder exercise better than confounding Kegels appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In so many words, headlines claim that controversial research published in BMJ Medicine indicates that taking fish oil supplements increases the risk of stroke and heart disease in healthy people.

It certainly caught my attention because it goes against years of scientific literature I’ve read that seemed to show quite the opposite — including research in 2021 that was on the side of omega-3’s potential to open the door to more targeted stroke prevention…

Not to mention that the pooled data of 17 studies that showed people with high blood levels of omega-3s live longer than those with less.

And what about those “official” dietary recommendations…

It was just in 2018 when the American Heart Association issued a scientific statement advising the consumption of one to two seafood meals per week to reduce the risk of congestive heart failure, coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke and sudden cardiac death. 

Peak Blood Flow^™

Poor circulation can impact your eyesight, your ability to sleep and cause headaches, discomfort and swelling — among other more serious concerns. The tell-tale signs of a circulation problem are… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

But, of course, too few of us eat enough fish regularly, much less fatty fish, that even doctors have taken to prescribing fish oil supplements to their patients.

However, it’s not hard to see where the confusion over supplementing comes from. For example, in 2018, a review of research on the heart-health benefits of omega-3 supplements found that they didn’t provide much (if any) benefit. But two studies published in 2019 found the opposite…

One of those studies found fish oil supplements reduce the risk of heart attack and coronary heart disease by 8 percent. The other study also found that omega-3s provide cardiovascular benefits, but this time the benefits came with one condition — you have to get your omega-3 Index (blood level) to 8 percent or higher.

That’s not surprising — and more studies have confirmed the amount taken can make a difference… in a brain health study they also found omega-3 dosage mattered… and another study zeroed in on optimum dosage for lowering blood pressure.

And as we’ll see yet again, the devil is in the details — especially when it comes to drawing conclusions from scientific research…

Supplementing fish oil: friend or foe

A prospective cohort study is a type of observational study following a group of people who are alike in many ways, over a specified amount of time. In this instance, researchers in China followed almost 416,000 people, aged 40 to 69, who self-reported their use of fish oil supplements at the beginning of a study. The study lasted four years with an 11.9-year follow-up.

It’s important to mention a few things about the questionnaire and interview given to the participants at the beginning of the study…

• Only one question was asked of the participants about taking fish oil supplements — and it was a yes/no question.
• They did not identify the type, quality or dosage of the fish oil supplements — which as we’ve learned from other studies, dosage can especially make quite a difference.
• Nor was any information asked or gathered about whether participants changed anything about their supplementing habit — or stopped supplementing completely — during the course of study or at the end.

Peak Organic Fermented Beets^™

Amazing “Can’t be Beet” Superfood Helps Keep Nitric Oxide Levels Up!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

After all was said and done, the researchers concluded that regular use of fish oil supplements might increase, rather than lessen, the risk of first-time heart disease and stroke among those in good cardiovascular health — but may slow the progression of existing poor cardiovascular health and lower the risk of death.

Specifically, among those with no known cardiovascular disease at the start of the monitoring period, regular use of fish oil supplements was associated with a 13% heightened risk of developing atrial fibrillation and a 5% heightened risk of having a stroke.

But among those who had cardiovascular disease at the start of the monitoring period, regular use of fish oil supplements was associated with a 15% lower risk of progressing from atrial fibrillation to a heart attack and a 9% lower risk of progressing from heart failure to death.

These discoveries led the research team to conclude that “Regular use of fish oil supplements might have different roles in the progression of cardiovascular disease. Further studies are needed to determine the precise mechanisms for the development and prognosis of cardiovascular disease events with regular use of fish oil supplements.”

They also acknowledged that since their study was observational, no conclusion could be drawn about causal factors. In other words, their study could not confirm if supplementing fish oil contributed to the findings.

What do health experts say

Dr. Ronald Hoffman is a respected integrative medical expert and host of the Intelligent Medicine radio show and podcast. In an interview published at Integrative Practioner, he shared his thoughts.

“The magnitude of risk of Afib among the participants who took the fish oil was small — 13 percent, which is hardly enough to warrant the conclusion that regular use of fish oil supplements increases the risk of Afib and stroke. The risk of stroke was very slight and did not distinguish between thrombotic versus hemorrhagic strokes. While it’s plausible that fish oil’s blood-thinning effects might lead to more hemorrhagic strokes, it’s also possible that those strokes were a consequence of new-onset Afib in non-anti-coagulated individuals.”

Peak Krill Oil^™

Supports Heart Health, Immunity and Moods, Naturally!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

He also added “As with much nutritional epidemiology, it’s hard to tease out the impacts of uncontrolled variables on the outcomes.  For example, it’s possible that the participants in the fish oil group were taking it because of health issues. Also, the cohort of fish oil users were older and predominantly white females, which are potential confounders.”

Deeper analysis revealed that other variables or confounders, including age, sex, consumption of non-oily fish, high blood pressure and the use of blood pressure-lowering drugs and statins changed the associations observed.

Dr. Hoffman shared that this latest study will not influence how he prescribes fish oil to his patients — and I would imagine many other physicians feel the same way, considering the depth of positive research, safety and efficacy about the effects of omega-3s on heart health…

“For patients at high risk of stroke, it seems counterintuitive to recommend administering prescription blood thinners for prevention while withholding fish oil that also confers anti-thrombotic benefits,” said Dr. Hoffman. “For patients with Afib, this study demonstrated that fish oil supplementation provided a modest degree of protection from death, so those patients should certainly take a fish oil supplement.

“I’m encouraged by this study’s findings, which substantiate omega-3s benefits in people with known cardiovascular disease or those who have high-risk factors, which comprises a sizeable percentage of the adult American population,” concluded Dr. Hoffman. “For the average healthy person, the harm in taking fish oil supplements is minimal or non-existent, and the benefits are many.”

Sources:

Regular fish oil supplement use might boost first time heart disease and stroke risk — EurekAlert

Can Regular Use of Fish Oil Supplements Harm Heart Health? — Integrative Practitioner

Regular use of fish oil supplements and course of cardiovascular diseases: prospective cohort study — BMJ Journals

The post Friend or Foe: Casting doubt on fish oil’s heart health role appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Free radicals are produced by the body’s processes and by environmental elements that damage cells — prematurely aging us before our time.

The most damaging process that increases illness and accelerates aging is oxidation.

Think of oxidation like rust…

Ever notice a car in front of you at a traffic light with a rusted muffler? A muffler increases the performance and endurance of a car’s engine by filtering the exhaust system.

But that job exposes the muffler to constant condensation. If the muffler isn’t maintained properly — it rusts. And if the rust isn’t addressed, the problems only get worse…

That’s because what seems to be a “cosmetic” issue is actually an outward sign that the exhaust system has begun to deteriorate.

Peak Vision Support^™

Unique Dual Nutrient Formula Supports Healthy, Clear Vision and Protects Eyes from Blue Light!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

The most destructive source of oxidation

Chronological skin aging can’t be helped. However, photoaging, which accelerates the process can.

Photoaging refers to sun exposure — and dermatologists estimate it’s responsible for about 80-90 percent of premature aging.

That’s because overexposure to UV radiation from the sun’s rays increases the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) — a specific type of free radical that damages the main proteins responsible for keeping your skin firm and smooth: collagen and elastin. 

The effect of oxidation on your skin is called photoaging. Signs of it include sagging skin, hyperpigmentation and wrinkles — all the things that can make you appear older than your years.

If sunscreen were the answer, you wouldn’t be reading this. But sunscreens contain chemicals with hormone-disrupting properties that seep through your skin into your bloodstream — wreaking their own kind of havoc.

But as Harvard experts say, even though there’s no escaping free radicals, antioxidants are the natural “off” switch to break their destructive chain reaction. Antioxidants scavenge the body, hunting down these free radicals and neutralizing them.

Better yet, antioxidants provide free radical protection from the inside out by minimizing the cell damage that results in those visible signs of premature aging.

And though it’s important to continue to practice sensible sun protection, animal and human studies have shown that when ingested, certain micronutrients are distributed to the skin where they may provide an additional layer of protection from UV damage.

If you’re looking to get an extra boost of defense against skin aging, start by adding these functional foods and powerful antioxidants to your daily diet…

Phenolics/polyphenol antioxidants

Polyphenols belong to a class of phytonutrients known as phenolics. Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants; in fact, their effect appears to be greater than that of another strong antioxidant, vitamin C.

High concentrations of polyphenols are found in colorful fruits and vegetables including berries, rich greens like broccoli and spinach, yellow onion, red pepper, carrot and cabbage. Large amounts of phenolics can also be found in cocoa, tea, red wine and grape seed extract — foods that have specifically demonstrated photo-protective properties that have caught the attention of researchers…

Grapes are rich in resveratrol, an antioxidant that spearheaded antiaging research, and has been shown to make old cells new again. But that’s not all the power they pack…

About 60 to 70 percent of the polyphenols in grapes are found in their seeds. Numerous studies have found that eating grapes and/or taking grape seed extract protects against UV skin damage, increases resistance to sunburn and reduces cellular markers of UV damage.

Peak Krill Oil^™

Supports Heart Health, Immunity and Moods, Naturally!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

This is likely due to the ability of an especially potent polyphenol compound to slow down the formation of destructive ROS free radicals that form in skin cells after UV exposure: Proanthocyanidins found in pine bark, grape seed, and other plant sources may increase the amount of ultraviolet rays necessary to cause sunburn.

Glutathione is the body’s master antioxidant — and when we consume grape seed extract the amount of glutathione in the body increases significantly. Glutathione is single-handedly the one thing ROS and free radicals don’t stand a chance against, but with age our bodies produce less and less of it naturally.

Cocoa is rich in phenolics known as flavonols. Researchers found a cocoa beverage was effective in reducing skin sensitivity to UV by 15 percent after six weeks and 25 percent after 12 weeks. The effect was found to be similar to that of carotenoid supplements.

Green tea is made from unfermented leaves. As such, it contains the highest concentration of polyphenols, known as catechins, out of all tea types.

Research has found that applying green tea extract topically to the skin protects against UVB rays and provides broad-spectrum protection against skin aging.

Peak Organic Superfruits^™

Blend of anthocyanin-rich, organic fermented fruits — including Aronia, Acia, Blueberry, Pomegranate and Plum — that can help clobber insulin resistance, and keep you healthy. MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Carotenoid antioxidants

Beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, is one of a group of red, orange and yellow pigments called carotenoids. Beta-carotene and other carotenoids are antioxidants that can be found in fruits, vegetables, salmon, eggs and whole grains and provide roughly half of the vitamin A needed in the American diet.

Supplementation with beta-carotene may preserve the skin’s structure. Doses ranging from 15 to 180 mg per day for 10 weeks or longer have been shown to offer moderate protection against UV.

Lutein and zeaxanthin are potent antioxidant carotenoids found in green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, spinach and cabbage. Lutein is structurally related to beta-carotene, but it is an even more powerful antioxidant.

When combined, lutein and zeaxanthin protect the skin against aging and damage. The duo works by inhibiting cell loss, membrane damage and elastin expression in UV-exposed fibroblasts, a type of cell that helps form connective tissue.

Lycopene is a red pigment abundant in tomatoes and their products, and has demonstrated sun protective activity in skin that’s been exposed to UV rays. Both oral and topical forms of lycopene used over long periods of time have been shown to protect against skin erythema — the scientific term for the skin’s response to excessive amount of UV radiation, better known as sunburn.

Astaxanthin appears to act as a sort of natural internal sunscreen by helping to protect your skin from damage by the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. The nutrient builds up in the top two layers of skin, helping to block UV penetration and reduce existing sun damage like wrinkles and lack of elasticity.

Astaxanthin is found mainly in the algae Haematococcus pluvialis and the yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous, both of which produce it naturally. The algae are a food source for a number of sea creatures, and astaxanthin is what turns their shells and flesh pink.

Because krill feed almost exclusively on these algae, they contain higher amounts of astaxanthin than other marine sources.

Thymoquinone

Thymoquinone, a strong antioxidant, is the key active ingredient in Nigella sativa (also known as black cumin seed) oil. It can support the body against UV-induced ROS.

One study found that consuming full-spectrum Nigella sativa oil helped reduce oxidative stress, inflammatory responses and mitochondrial dysfunction in keratinocytes, the main type of cell in the skin’s outer layers. These responses can all result from excessive UV exposure.

When applied topically, Nigella sativa oil has been found to have an SPF factor greater than 2, meaning it defends against UVB exposure.

A great second-line defense

Adding these nutrients to your daily diet can add a second layer of protection against the effects of photoaging.

But it’s important to note that while these foods and nutrients are important supplemental tools for protecting against UV effects, they provide an SPF that’s lower than that of topical sunscreens. Thus, they should be used to complement sensible sun protection methods — and most importantly to cut down on free radicals in your body.

One last note: be aware that photoaging isn’t just a summertime hazard…

Dermatologists say the lighting in our homes and workplaces is an almost constant source of low-level UVA exposure. And blue light from your smartphone, computer or tablet is almost as bad… One study found a week of holding screens close enough to your face to read was equivalent to a minute in the midday sun!

Sources:

What’s New in Natural Compounds for Photoprotection? — Cosmetic Dermatology

UV Radiation & Your Skin — Skin Cancer Foundation

Sunburn symptoms and causes — Mayo Clinic

Suppression of oxidative stress by grape seed supplementation in rats — Journal Nutrition Research and Practice

Fibroblast — National Human Genome Research Institute

Natural skin resilience with thymoquinone — Natural Products Insider

Photoaging: Reversal of the Oxidative Stress Through Dietary Changes and Plant-Based Products — Cureus.com

The post The best nutrients to fight the #1 source of premature aging appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

What if you were told that eating more of two specific foods would not only help you drop pounds, lose inches around your waist and significantly lower your body mass index — but would also make up for “shortfall nutrients” tied to some of the worst and most frequently diagnosed health problems we face today?

It sounds too good to be true, but these are the facts: A growing body of evidence demonstrates a multitude of benefits any of us can achieve when these two foods become part of a regular diet…

Peak DIM^™

If you’re having trouble maintaining a healthy weight, feeling sluggish, are unable to regulate your mood, or struggle with your sex drive, you could be experiencing a hormone problem called estrogen dominance. Both men and women experience… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Healthy food, healthy and slimmer body

Using data from the National Health and Examination Survey from years 2001 through 2018, researchers found that in addition to weight and BMI improvements, adults who consume beans and/or chickpeas daily have a higher diet quality score compared to those who don’t.

And that high score means they aren’t missing out on nutrients “of public health concern” that many of us under-consume. When you see what health problems happen in the absence of these nutrients, you’ll understand why it’s such a big deal…

The data showed that bean and/or chickpea eaters have higher intakes of fiber, calcium and potassium. Not getting enough of these nutrients has led to rampant health problems among Americans, specifically:

• Low potassium is linked to high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes and poor bone health.
• Low calcium intake is linked to cancer, cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome, and impacts bone health and weight management.
• Low intake of fiber is linked to poor gut health, higher cholesterol levels, poor blood sugar control, unhealthy weight and shorter lifespan.

Other important nutrients that bean and chickpea eaters get plenty of include choline, alpha-linoleic acid, folate, iron, magnesium and vitamin E.

And it only takes 1.7 to 2 servings a day to reap the benefits of better nutrition and healthy body composition.

“Most people are aware that beans and chickpeas are good for your heart, but our new research shows they are really good for so much more — like improving nutrient intake and healthier dietary patterns,” says study author Yanni Papanikolaou, of Nutrutional Strategies, Inc.

Peak Vision Support^™

Unique Dual Nutrient Formula Supports Healthy, Clear Vision and Protects Eyes from Blue Light!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

The palatable and protective power of pulses

This study was funded by the Coalition for the Advancement of Pulses and Cannedbeans.org.

But you may be interested to know that the valuable health contributions of beans and chickpeas have also been documented by the most recent collaboration between the National Cancer Institute and the United States Department of Agriculture to update the Healthy Eating Index diet.

Their findings are also consistent with existing peer-reviewed studies showing pulses (beans, chickpeas, peas and lentils) as part of a healthy diet are gut-protective, improve low-grade inflammation and may positively impact immune disease-related management.

There are plenty of tasty ways to add beans and chickpeas to your diet. My favorite way to eat beans is in a simple veggie burrito or a zesty three-bean salad.

Chickpeas are the main component in hummus, are great in curry dishes, soups and stews and make a great (and economical) crunchy snack when seasoned and tossed in the air fryer.

So if you were thinking of beans as a boring side, open a can and your eyes to some tasty and easy ways to enjoy these nutritional powerhouses every day.

Sources:

New study shows eating beans and chickpeas is linked to better diet quality and healthier body weights — Eureka Alert

Adult dietary patterns with increased bean consumption are associated with greater overall shortfall nutrient intakes, lower added sugar, improved weight-related outcomes and better diet quality — Nutrition Journal

The post 2 servings a day drops pounds, inches, BMI and disease risk appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

The connection between these two diseases has been demonstrated time and again…

What’s not as widely-known is the connection between diabetes and cancer. Even if you just have pre-diabetes, an elevated blood sugar condition that precedes type 2 diabetes, you’re 15 percent more likely to develop breast, lung, colorectal, uterine and prostate cancers.

The question is… why are these diseases so interconnected? Well, research shows it may all come down to insulin resistance…

Insulin resistance and your brain

If you’re one of the millions of Americans with prediabetes or diabetes, you’re probably well aware of how insulin resistance affects your blood sugar. It prevents your cells from getting the insulin they need to absorb excess glucose in your bloodstream, causing your blood sugar to spike. But there’s another repercussion of insulin resistance you may not be aware of…

Insulin is also critical to the parts of your brain responsible for learning and memory, which means a problem with insulin could lead to bigger problems with your brain health down the road.

When researchers at Tel Aviv University, for example, monitored the health of 500 people for over 20 years — they found that people with the highest levels of insulin resistance were more likely to develop cognitive impairment and more likely to see their cognitive abilities decline quickly.

And tests at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis explain why Alzheimer’s is becoming known as type 3 diabetes…

They demonstrated that when levels of glucose in the blood climb, it can accelerate the development of amyloid beta in the brain. Amyloid beta is the type of plaque that disrupts memory and drives the destructive processes of Alzheimer’s.

Dr. Isaac Eliaz, EHO medical contributor explains it this way… “Progressive insulin dysfunction and related metabolic and inflammatory problems in the brain have been observed in patients with various stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Essentially, insulin dysfunction in the brain starves neurons of energy — and fuels other features of dementia such as brain cell death, DNA damage, inflammation, harmful genetic signaling and the formation of plaques in the brain, characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease.”

Insulin resistance and cancer

A colleague I worked with just a couple of years ago, Carl Lowe, wrote about the diabetes-cancer connection, and he cited compelling evidence from a meta-analysis — a type of research where evidence is gathered from multiple studies on the same subject.

In total, 16 studies were incorporated into this particular analysis, and examined this blood sugar/cancer phenomenon around the world, including countries such as Asia, the United States, Europe and Africa.

And for all of these people, the findings were definitive… elevated blood sugar can lead to cancer.

The scientists pointed out that the increase in cancer in people with pre-diabetes may be caused by the fact that having continual high blood sugar leads to a state of what’s called “chronic oxidative stress” in the body.

That means that a harmful substance known as free radicals accumulates and causes damage to cells and cell membranes. In addition, elevated blood sugar can lead to an excess level of advanced glycated end products — these are toxic substances known to cause cancer (and premature aging).

But ultimately the scariest thing about this phenomenon is that in the U.S. alone, 98 million adults are believed to have prediabetes. In 2010 that number was closer to 79 million. Is it a coincidence that early-onset cancer rates have increased significantly?

How to keep from being one of them

If you’re diabetic, ask yourself if your doctor has ever had a conversation with you about your increased risks for Alzheimer’s and cancer. If you’re not diabetic, ask yourself if you doctor has ever spoken to you about insulin or insulin resistance… or at the very least, blood sugar spikes.

Odds are the answer to both of these questions is a resounding “no.” I know I use this term a lot, but the mainstream doctors — the ones who stick to the old ways — are missing the boat here. They only factor insulin into disease when it’s obvious — diabetes. But thanks to people who think outside of the box, and the research that’s coming to light, we now know the damage of insulin resistance goes much further.

In fact, many integrative physicians believe not only does insulin resistance lead to disease, but that getting a grip on this one health issue can keep your body disease-free.

Dr. Ron Rosedale, one such doctor, pioneered research into the insulin factor, disclosing some eye-opening information about centenarians in the early 80s. These studies were searching for the variable (or variables) that could be acknowledged as the key reason that some of these extreme seniors were not just living to 100 but had been able to maintain reasonably good health into their advanced age.

What was discovered was that these folks had very little in common with one another — but for one thing: the centenarians in the studies had insulin levels that were balanced and under control.

We go a step further in our book, The Insulin Factor, to say that conventional medicine’s narrow view of insulin is the biggest medical mistake ever — because pigeonholing this master hormone into one disease (diabetes) puts your overall health at greater risk and could shorten your life span.

Now, there are many steps you can take to drastically improve your insulin resistance so you can have balanced levels. The most obvious, for starters, is changing your diet. Merely cutting out high-glycemic foods, like grains, can slow or stop erratic spikes in blood sugar that prep you for full-blown insulin resistance.

The paleo diet, which I follow, eschews grains and starchy vegetables that can cause the blood sugar imbalances that lead to insulin resistance.

Sources: “Insulin resistance may lead to faster cognitive decline.” ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com. Retrieved March 24, 2017.

The post What do blood sugar, Alzheimer’s and cancer have in common? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Most of us only worry about air pollution if we live in big cities — and then, may give it little thought because we feel there isn’t much we can do about it.

The same goes for exposure to heavy metal compounds that have proven dangerous to our health, like lead. We hear a lot about lead exposure in certain parts of the country. But let’s face it, if it’s not in your neighborhood, you may not be concerned.

That is, unless you’ve read how lead can be a bigger threat to your heart than smoking or cholesterol, and that lead from water may be the least of our worries.

Researchers continue to look into how lead damages our heart health, and how reducing exposure can reduce those risks — particularly when it comes to high blood pressure…

Peak CoQSol10 CF^™

Coenzyme Q10 is essential for good health. Our cells use it to produce energy the body needs for basic functions, including cell growth and maintenance. The problem is, you can start seeing declines in your CoQ10 levels as early as your 20s plus… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Lead raises your blood pressure

The American Heart Association has taken on the huge task of informing Americans about the lead threat. They’ve actually blamed three heavy metals for elevating heart disease risk.

Unfortunately, exposure to lead, is almost inescapable (I’ll explain shortly), but one group of Americans have been hit hardest — and are able to demonstrate what happens when that exposure begins to come down…

Compared to the rest of the U.S. population, American Indian communities experienced a disproportionately higher level of exposure to lead and other heavy metals. Experts have explained this is due to their “built environment” which includes lead exposure through well water, local waterways, foods, including canned goods, some herbs and spices and paint and dust.

But over ten years they saw an improvement they’re hopeful about…

Researchers started gathering health data on 285 American Indian adults through an extension of the Strong Heart Study in 1997 through 1999. The study participants lived in one of four tribal communities in Arizona, Oklahoma, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Blood lead levels were measured twice, once in an initial visit when the study began, and again in a follow-up visit between 2006 and 2009. Blood pressure readings were monitored over time and medical exams were performed including echocardiographs to assess their heart structure and function.

The researchers found that even small declines in blood lead levels were associated with long-term cardiovascular health improvements, including lower blood pressure. Throughout the study, the average blood lead level fell by 0.67 µg/dL, or 33 percent. And the higher the reduction in blood lead levels, the more significant the reduction in blood pressure…

Participants with average blood lead levels of 3.21 µg/dL who experienced reductions of about 1.78 µg/dL, or 55 percent, were linked to a 7 mm Hg reduction in systolic blood pressure. That’s an amount similar to what can be achieved with blood pressure-lowering medication.

“The reductions in blood pressure are also comparable to improvements you would see with lifestyle changes, such as getting 30 minutes of daily exercise, reducing salt intake or losing weight,” said Mona Puggal, MPH, an epidemiologist in the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). 

And according to Dr. Anne E. Nigra, a professor at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, and senior author, “We saw that even small decreases in a person’s blood lead levels can have meaningful health outcomes.”

Peak Organic Alkalizing Greens^™

Give your Body the Optimal Alkalizing Nutrients you Need for Healthy pH Balance!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

How much lead is too much

The researchers say the ten-year reductions in blood lead levels observed in the study are similar to those seen in the general U.S. population as a result of policies and efforts within the last 50 years to reduce lead exposure. However, they agree that more needs to be done…

Global research has blamed 5.5 million adult deaths from heart disease in 2019 on lead exposure, mostly from low- and middle-income countries.

So how safe can the average American feel?

An almost 20-year study on low-level exposure in the U.S. found that blood lead levels higher than 1 μg/dL are responsible for around 412,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. Of these, around 256,000 are from cardiovascular disease.

In the U.S. lead exposure comes from multiple sources:

• Common spices like cumin and coriander
• Decorative plates and glassware (especially the ones we put out during the holidays)
• Dark chocolate
• Drinking water (due to a combination of lead in pipes plus a compound in a chemical used for water treatment)
• Juices and some plant-based milks have been found to contain both lead and arsenic
• Rice grown in the U.S. has been found to contain toxic metals, including lead.
• Air pollution

Sources:

1. Reduced blood lead levels linked to lower blood pressure — EurekAlert!

2. The Contribution of Declines in Blood Lead Levels to Reductions in Blood Pressure Levels: Longitudinal Evidence in the Strong Heart Family Study — Journal of the American Heart Association

3. A new study says the global toll of lead exposure is even worse than we thought — NPR

4. Over 400,000 U.S. deaths per year caused by lead exposure — Medical News Today

The post What you should know about lead levels and high blood pressure appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

However, making certain dietary changes may bring a measure of relief and offer protection against this widespread health issue.

Dr. Mark Hyman is the founder and director of The UltraWellness Center, the Head of Strategy and Innovation at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, an eleven-time New York Times best-selling author, and Board President for Clinical Affairs for the Institute for Functional Medicine

A few years ago he authored The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet, a book explaining that autoimmune diseases, which include celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, thyroid disease, psoriasis, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, can be maddeningly hard to deal with. For me, it’s sort of a bible…

Peak Digestion^™

Protects You From Unwanted Effects of Gluten Ingestion, Calms Stomach Upset and Supports Digestion!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Misbehavior leads to inflammation

Hyman notes that when your immune system misbehaves, even if the immune alteration doesn’t result in full-blown disease, it can still lead to “weird, hard-to-classify syndromes like inflammation, pain, swelling, and general misery.”

He promotes 10 tips for dealing with autoimmune issues that fit into a paleo way of living, which is of personal interest to me since I attribute the diet to helping me overcome many health issues.

He says these tips grew out of his philosophy of following functional medicine: “An approach (that) is a fundamentally different way of solving medical problems, one that allows us to decipher the origins of illness and identify the disturbances in biology that lead to symptoms.”

Lifestyle strategies to blast inflammation

The strategies Hyman advocates include to:

1. Eat real foods, not packaged, processed, nutrient-deprived products. Hyman recommends wild-caught fish, plenty of berries, leafy vegetables, nuts and sweet potatoes. He further recommends consuming herbs that fight inflammation like rosemary, ginger and turmeric. Avoid refined, processed cooking oils like soy, corn, cottonseed and safflower oil. Those oils lead to extra inflammation in the body.
2. Have your body examined, preferably by a functional medicine practitioner, for infection. Have tests for Lyme disease, viral disease, bacterial infections and yeast.
3. Be checked for food allergies. Hyman recommends having what’s called IgG food testing. Blood tests can detect your IgG antibody response to various foods.
4. Get tested for celiac disease, the autoimmune reaction to the gluten contained in wheat, barley and rye.
5. Get tested for heavy metals in your body. These metals, which include mercury, can lead to autoimmune difficulties.
6. Make sure your digestive tract is functioning properly. Hyman explains: “About 60 percent of your immune system lies right under the single-cell-layer lining of your gut. If this surface breaks down, your immune system will get activated and start reacting to foods, toxins, and bugs in your gut.” Keeping your gut healthy should include eating fermented foods rich in friendly, beneficial probiotic bacteria – items like yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi and pickles. You should also eat real, whole foods and avoid processed foods. The dietary fiber in fruits and vegetables helps feed the good bacteria in your intestines.
7. Take supplements that fight inflammation. Hyman recommends vitamins C and D, fish oil and probiotics. He also says you should consider nutrients like grape seed extract, rutin (a plant pigment) and quercetin (also a plant pigment).
8. Get frequent exercise. He explains that exercise reduces inflammation. You don’t have to go to a gym or use exercise equipment to stay in shape. Just make sure you don’t sit too long every day, go for plenty of walks and just generally stay active. Gardening is good exercise, as is general yard work. Find yourself a physical activity you enjoy — whatever it is — and keep doing it day after day.
9. Keep yourself relaxed by controlling stress. Hyman says that stress plays havoc with the immune system and can lead to uncontrolled inflammation. He advocates doing yoga, deep breathing exercises, massage and/or biofeedback.
10. Get eight hours of sleep every night. Missing out on sleep distorts your metabolism, throwing off your appetite and making you more prone to binge eating. When you overeat sugary processed foods (that also often contain damaged fats) your risk of immune problems escalates.

Peak Golden Oil^™

The golden-colored oil of the Nigella sativa plant contains compounds essential for a healthy immune system. That explains why it was documented in the oldest medical writings. But we don’t just rely on history to prove the therapeutic benefit of… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Big health changes

My health took a dramatic turn for the better when I went on the Paleo diet and ate foods similar to the ones Hyman recommends. The condition of my skin, which tended to frequently develop strange rashes, improved immensely. Even my tendency to suffer dramatic inflammation in reaction to insect bites calmed down significantly.

I believe the brunt of my problem was gluten intolerance. It’s important to note, that while Dr. Hyman suggests testing for celiac disease, a very serious condition, it’s widely accepted that you can have a negative reaction to gluten, even if you don’t have celiac disease. The Paleo diet is essentially a gluten-free diet, eschewing grains.

Eating the Paleo diet or, perhaps, the Pegan diet, which combines principles of the paleo and vegan diets, and following recommendations like Hyman’s 10 anti-inflammation tips can be very helpful for keeping your immune system on track. And that’s vital for staying healthy: A poorly functioning immune system not only makes you more vulnerable to infection, the system itself can become a problem when it begins to grow too prone to inflammation.

The post 10 best ways to blast inflammation from your body appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

We’ve set the clocks back… and that means fewer hours of sunlight for the coming months.

That’s not that big of a deal for everyone.  But if your mood takes a major hit and plummets at the first signs of fall or winter, then you know the winter blues are just around the corner.

Like other types of depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can be serious and debilitating for those who suffer from it.

Peak Vitality^™

Your adrenal glands support essential functions from metabolism to stress response. But when they become fatigued, problems with sleep quality, unwanted weight gain, moodiness, energy levels and more can take your vitality for a dive. Nutrients called “adaptogens” help restore balance and improve… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Not everyone is affected by SAD in the same way, but general symptoms include:

• Sad, anxious or “empty” feelings
• Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness or helplessness
• Irritability, restlessness
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy
• Fatigue and decreased energy
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering details and making decisions
• Difficulty sleeping or oversleeping
• Changes in weight
• Thoughts of death or suicide

I suffered from SAD for decades. I often joked with my friends that if I could just hibernate like the bears till spring, I would be so much better. For me, just being mindful of the disorder and understanding why I felt the way I did during the winter months helped me control those feelings of depression to a large extent.

Additionally, I learned to allow myself to just give in and get the extra sleep my body craves as winter creeps closer. An early 8 pm bedtime is not unusual for me… at least till I adjust.

I also learned to pamper myself in the winter — with warm baths, warm PJs and warm cocoa or fresh apple cider. But I have to admit… once I hit menopause the cold hasn’t bothered me half as much.

But I know for others the depression can go much deeper and their need for treatment can be more urgent. Aside from seeking antidepressant pharmaceuticals from your doctor, there are other ways — without side effects — to boost your mood and alleviate some SAD symptoms.

Light therapy for seasonal affective disorder

Peak D3^™

Gives You the Vitamin D3 You Can’t Get From Sunshine Alone!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Light therapy involves exposure to artificial light that mimics the natural outdoor light that is sorely lacking during the winter months.

The devices are called light boxes and are made by several manufacturers. They can range in price from around $40 on up. Some light boxes use white light, while others use blue light. There is more research supporting the use of bright white light than blue light to help with SAD symptoms.

If you decide to try light therapy, it’s important to look for a light box designed to filter out most UV light.

The effectiveness of light therapy depends on daily use. You’d want to situate your light box in an area where you can be within two feet of it for at least 30 minutes each day, preferably in the morning. If you have an office job, you could consider keeping it on your desk and using it for the first half hour you work. At home, maybe you’d prefer to put it on a coffee table or side table while you read a book or enjoy your morning cup of joe.

Get plenty of vitamin D

Did you know scientists believe there is a link between vitamin D — the sunshine vitamin — and depression? That makes perfect sense when you consider the amount of natural vitamin D you get from the sun, and how drastically that can change when we set the clocks back.

An Oregon study showed that young adult women with lower levels of vitamin D had greater incidences of depression throughout a five-week study.  The researchers concluded that some women could simply get more vitamin D and prevent depressive mood states.

The National Institutes of Health’s recommended dietary allowance for vitamin D is 600 IUs a day. But most alternative health practitioners will tell you that is woefully inadequate and that a therapeutic serving of 4,000 to 5,000 IUs will do you better.

Peak Golden Oil^™

Support for Inflammation and Optimal Immune Balance!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Eat mood-boosting foods

One 2013 study, published in the British Journal of Health Psychology, examined the relationship between diet and mood in 281 young adults. In this study, participants who ate more fruits and vegetables felt calmer, happier and more energetic.

Junk and processed food can have the opposite effect. They stimulate short-term reward centers in the central nervous system. But over time, they can lead to dependency and mood imbalances, along with all-too-common long-term health consequences.

For a list of mood-boosting foods from Dr. Isaac Eliaz, click here.

Consider mood-boosting supplements and exercise

• Exercise and yoga. Exercise can work wonders against depressive symptoms. A study at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, shows that exercise can drag people out of major depression.
• The evidence for vitamin D as a depression fighter has been stacking up for years. I take 3000 to 5000 IU daily.
• Ashwagandha is an adaptogen herb, meaning it helps you better adapt to changes that affect stress levels and mood.
• St. John’s wort has been shown just as effective at controlling depression as both tricyclic antidepressants and SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors).
• L-Tryptophan may help mood swings and other problems that may be linked to serotonin processing.
• Mental fatigue can creep in when lack of daylight makes you feel sluggish. L-theanine could be the solution you’re searching for. It’s an amino acid that can boost cognitive performance, especially when it’s combined with caffeine.

Talk about how seasonal affective disorder makes you feel

There’s absolutely no shame in letting your friends and family, even coworkers know how you feel. A strong support system is very important and an understanding ear can go a long way in helping you feel better. And remember — spring will return.

The post Does setting the clock back make you blue? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy (radiation therapy). Though these treatments, or a combination of them, may work at first, treatment-resistant cancers often return. And chemotherapy, a mixture of toxic drugs, can have detrimental effects on the body, particularly the heart.

According to cardiologist, Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, heart disease remains the number one killer of women, including those diagnosed with breast cancer.

She writes in her blog that “Many treatments designed to target breast cancer can also have toxic effects on the heart, and/or damage the heart muscle and blood vessels.”

That’s why breast cancer patients may develop cancer treatment-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) which may lead to heart failure. They may also develop high blood pressure, arrhythmia and progressive coronary artery disease.

Immunotherapy, the newest kid on the block, was considered quite promising at breaking the cycle of cancer returning. But we’ve learned that it only helps a small number of patients, particularly those with solid tumors. And patients who undergo this therapy may develop autoimmune disease as a result.

So when I came across research about the development of a potential new therapy — one that rewires cancer cells to self-destruct, it got my attention, but not for the reason you might think…

Cancer’s self-destruct switch

Normal cells undergo apoptosis or programmed cell death. This process prevents abnormalities in cells from multiplying. In cancer cells, genes that control apoptosis get turned off allowing tumors to continue growing and spreading.

But research led by Stanford Cancer Center has demonstrated that cancer cells can be prompted to activate cellular death — or self-destruct.

This study focused on diffuse large B cell lymphoma cancer cells where the transcription factor B cell lymphoma 6 (BCL6) is deregulated and prevents apoptosis genes from being expressed. Cancer cells continue to divide and multiply as a result. However, another transcription factor, BRD4, can negate deregulated BCL6 by activating the cell’s pro-apoptotic genes.

To produce an interaction between these transcription factors, the researchers created a potent molecule named TCIP1 by linking small intracellular molecules that bind BCL6 to BRD4. Putting TCIP1 close to both BCL6 and BRD4 induces an interaction that allows apoptosis to occur.

In other words, molecules have been developed that switch a transcription factor from being a repressor of gene expression to an activator — thereby killing cancer cells. 

According to one of the lead researchers, Nathanael Gray, PhD, “What’s amazing about this approach is that it only affects cancer cells. Healthy cells are left alone. It’s not only an improvement on chemotherapy, but we also found that it has the potential to kill cancer cells resistant to chemotherapy.”

The next step in cancer therapy

Killing cancer cells without hurting healthy cells is a desirable goal considering the damage current cancer therapies can do.

And it’s a trail that researchers at Stanford have been on since at least 2007 when they found the flip of a genetic switch caused cancer cells in mice to self-destruct.

But here we are, more than a decade (and two studies) later still dependent on surgery, chemo and radiation — or are we?

Multiple studies have found we could be putting a potent cancer cell destroyer to work every time we eat grapes…

In 2011, researchers at Colorado State University found that the combination of two grape compounds at once — resveratrol and grape seed extract — in the right ratio, turns on a gene that forces colon cancer cells to self-destruct.

Then, just a few years later, scientists at Penn State put these same grape compounds to the test against sulindac, an anti-inflammatory drug, which has been shown to significantly reduce the number of colon cancer tumors in humans.

The resveratrol and grape seed extract not only defeated colon cancer tumors 50 percent of the time — also killing the cancer stem cells — but proved just as effective at tumor suppression as the prescription drug.

And as recently as 2022, research results published in the journal Nature provided additional support for the health benefits of grape seed extract and reinforced its potential in disease prevention and therapy, especially when it comes to cancer.

You won’t see research proving the cancer-killing properties of a food or nutrient move to drug stages. There’s no money to be made there.

I enjoy a handful of black grapes a day, but I know that won’t provide enough grape seed extract or resveratrol to afford me as much cancer protection as I’d like. But both of these cancer fighters can be supplemented — and offer many other health benefits that can lead to a longer, healthier life.

Sources:

Rewiring Cancer Cells to Self-destruct — Stanford Cancer Institute

Whole grape – seed and skin – may be perfect colon cancer fighting food — Medical Express

Grape seed proanthocyanidin extract inhibits DNA and protein damage and labile iron, enzyme, and cancer cell activities — Journal Nature

The post Molecule ‘switch’ programs cancer cells to self-destruct appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

For starters, that makes you a vegan… like a popular social media influencer who built a huge following on Instagram and YouTube and came to a starling health realization…

Alyssa Parker stopped eating meat quite a few years ago and then eventually excluded all animal products including dairy — making her a practicing vegan.

But she began experiencing some health issues that led her to do something that may have ended her social media career, or at the least upset her devoted followers: She began eating meat again.

And she reports that she’s never felt better.

I’m not surprised in the least, and here’s why…

Peak Golden Oil^™

Support for Inflammation and Optimal Immune Balance!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

What can happen when you don’t eat meat

When people give up meat, specifically vegetarians and vegans, one thing they tend to do is fill that void with grains and beans. If you have a vegan friend you’ve probably heard them talk about combining beans and rice (or another grain) to make a complete protein. That way they try to combat the protein loss that results from eating less meat.

Here’s the problem: Grains and legumes (most beans) are phytates. Phytates are considered anti-nutrients, meaning they are basically the opposite of nutrients — the substances that promote health.

Phytates and other anti-nutrients increase inflammation in the body (the root cause of disease) and lead to fatigue (chronic fatigue, often), brain fog, and myriad other random and difficult-to-pin-down symptoms.

These foods are excluded from the paleo diet. This is exactly why the paleo diet (which includes lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds) is so helpful for suppressing inflammation and increasing the power of your immune system. And I believe it just may be the perfect anti-disease diet.

Dr. Terry Wahls was a self-professed vegetarian when she was diagnosed with MS in 2000. Her health deteriorated quickly, and she found herself wheelchair-bound. In 2002 she discovered the paleo diet, eventually creating her own diet protocol. Last I checked, she was riding a bicycle to work.

She credits her dramatic turn-around from a debilitating autoimmune disease — remember, MS is one — to an anti-disease diet, which includes meat and excludes phytonutrients, for providing her body with the correct building blocks required for the chemistry of life: vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and essential fats.

What can happen when you eat too much meat

Just a couple of years back a review of 800 scientific studies published by the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund found that every 1.8 ounces of processed meat you eat per day raises your risk of stomach cancer by 18 percent.

And another study published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association found that eating more meat leads to a shorter lifespan. Here’s the thing, the association between premature death and meat consumption was especially connected to eating a lot of processed and red meat.

But, let’s not forget when in 2019 The Annals of Medicine published new guidelines saying, in a nutshell, there’s no need to cut back on red and processed meat.

Confused? Don’t be…

Other studies (such as the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factor Study, published in The Lancet in 2020) that have warned against the “dangers” of meat are also coming into question… 

Dr Alice Stanton, of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, one of the authors reviewing the anti-meat claims, notes:

“The peer-reviewed evidence published reaffirms that [the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Risk Factors Report] which claimed that consumption of even tiny amounts of red meat harms health is fatally scientifically flawed… In fact, removing fresh meat and dairy from diets would harm human health. Women, children, the elderly and low income would be particularly negatively impacted.”

My colleague, Jenny Smiechowski put it perfectly:

“The fact of the matter is, you should always take nutritional advice with a grain of (unprocessed sea) salt. We don’t have concrete answers about how every aspect of your diet affects you. That’s why you hear so much conflicting advice. All you can do is look at the research that is available and, most importantly, go with your gut… What foods make you feel good? What eating habits give you energy? What habits make your skin and hair look good? All these are signs that you’re doing something right.”

Peak Organic Superfruits^™

Blend of anthocyanin-rich, organic fermented fruits — including Aronia, Acia, Blueberry, Pomegranate and Plum — that can help clobber insulin resistance, and keep you healthy. MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Consider the “Goldilocks Factor”

We’ve all heard the story of Goldilocks and the three bears. You probably never dreamed you’d give it much thought as an adult, right?

But in so many aspects of life, finding just the right amount of anything — that sweet spot, whether it’s sleep, exercise, social or downtime, or the amount of meat you eat — is key to making things work.

I’ve read and researched extensively on nutrition, and the best advice I see over and over again is to eat a balanced diet.

Right now, you might be asking, “Well, Margaret, then why do you follow a paleo diet?”

The idea that paleo is all the meats and nothing but the meats is a dangerous misconception. It’s also the biggest mistake that paleo newbies make.

Vegetables and fruits are part of the paleo diet. Most grains are not. For me that works, because I have a serious gluten intolerance.

But someone who doesn’t have a gluten intolerance might not want to give that up completely. Eating whole grains raises the levels of 5-amino valeric acid betaine, or 5-AVAB, which is shown to be heart-protective. 5-AVAB builds up in your heart tissue which delivers a protective effect for your heart.

That brings me back to what Jenny said above. Your diet needs to make you feel good. That means there will be some level of personalization in the way you create a balanced diet that works for you.

I find I feel best when I eat a lean cut of meat a couple of times a week. Another day, I’ll enjoy salmon. But every day I enjoy lots of plant-based foods and avoid processed foods (including processed meat) — a key point, no matter what diet you follow.

Sources:

1. Vegan influencer eats meat for 30 days, tells fans she’s healthier than she’s ‘felt in years’ — New York Post
2. Why women, especially, need this anti-disease diet — Easy Health Options®
3. How to beat meat’s bad rap — Easy Health Options®
4. Grains’ newly discovered heart-protective compound works like a drug — Easy Health Options®
5. Meat is crucial for human health, scientists warn — MSN

The post Why going meatless isn’t always a good idea appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

The CDC recommends anyone getting a flu vaccine should do it by the end of October.

But it’s important to know, as they state on their site, that the protection provided by a flu vaccine varies from season to season. Some of the variables include the age and health status of the person getting the vaccine and the similarity or “match” between the viruses in the vaccine and those in circulation.

In other words, it’s not going to make you 100 percent less likely to get the flu. They say it should fall between 40 to 60 percent, but for the last five years of available data, it didn’t breach 40 percent.

In fact, last year’s (2021-2022) was estimated to be 36 percent effective, with the highest effectiveness seen in individuals 6 months to 8 years of age (43%) and the lowest effectiveness observed in individuals aged 50 years or older (10%), per Pharmacy Times.

The good news is, they have higher hopes this year — estimating a 54 percent effective rate. But the last time we saw effectiveness rates near that level was in 2011.

Now don’t get me wrong — it’s not that I don’t place any value in a seasonal flu shot. I just want you to know that trying to stay well during flu season may be best approached from multiple angles.

What’s the old saying — never put all your eggs in one basket, right? So, I’d like to share with you additional precautions you can take to reduce your risk of infection this flu season…

Peak Golden Oil^™

Support for Inflammation and Optimal Immune Balance!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Immune-boosting vitamins and minerals

Vitamin and mineral nutrients are vital to a healthy body and for an effective immune system. I used to believe that the best sources of these nutrients were whole foods.

However, truly nutritious whole food can be troublesome to find these days. I could go on and on about the problems associated with genetically modified foods, pesticide-ridden produce, meat that increases your risk of antibiotic resistance and how over-farming has depleted soil to a point that there are fewer vitamins, minerals and micronutrients for plants to uptake as they grow… but I won’t today.

I will suggest that you do your best to eat a well-balanced diet, full of fruits and vegetables (preferably organic) and grass-fed beef and farm-raised chicken, if possible. Don’t forget fatty fish at least twice a week (your heart will thank you).

But I think it’s very important to supplement just get even basic nutrient levels. Just follow the manufacturer’s guidelines about recommended servings.

However, there are very few vitamins that most of us can get too much of, especially if eating the standard American diet.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Vitamin A deficiency is associated with impaired immunity and increased risk of infectious disease. Vitamin A supports and maintains your mucosal surfaces, like the lining in your sinuses, where pathogens can be trapped and attacked by your body’s “killer” T-cells — your body’s first line of defense. Food sources include mango, sweet potato, carrots, squash, tuna fish, cashews and peanuts.

Vitamin C has been the “go-to” nutrient to strengthen the immune system for as long as I can remember. Studies also support its immune-enhancing properties. During infection and stress on the body, vitamin C concentrations decline. But supplementation has been found to improve components of the immune system such as antimicrobial and natural killer cell activities.

Excess amounts of vitamin C leave the body through urine, so don’t be afraid of getting too much. If you get diarrhea and know it’s not because you’re sick, that’s a sign of too much vitamin C. Food sources of vitamin C include citrus fruit, green and red bell peppers, kale, broccoli, and strawberries. 

Vitamin D is extremely valuable to the immune system. In fact it’s considered “the lost cure.” But in the U.S. alone, 42% of adults are deficient. Studies have shown that vitamin D, which is produced when the skin is exposed to sunlight, signals an antimicrobial response.

Get as much as you can safely from the sun, but supplement, too. Food sources include salmon, fortified milk, fortified cereal, pork, eggs, and mushrooms. When supplementing choose vitamin D3, not D2, and here’s why…

Research at the University of Surrey concluded that both types of vitamin D do not have the same effect. They found evidence that vitamin D3 had a “modifying effect” on the immune system that could fortify the body against viral and bacterial diseases.

They stated, “We have shown that vitamin D3 appears to stimulate the type I interferon signaling system in the body — a key part of the immune system that provides a first line of defense against bacteria and viruses. Thus, a healthy vitamin D3 status may help prevent viruses and bacteria from gaining a foothold in the body.”

Zinc is an immune-booster on its own, but it is mighty in combination with vitamin C. Most Americans get enough zinc through their diet, but research has shown the value of a “zinc burst” to activate the immune system. Vitamin C and zinc can together reduce the risk, severity, and duration of infectious disease. Food sources include beef, cooked oysters, spinach, cashews, and wheat germ.

Quality matters when supplementing

Let me say a thing or two about the kind of supplements you might use, and I’m not referring to brand…

Most vitamins come in the form of rock-hard horse pills. These vitamins are very hard to digest. Most of it will probably exit your body barely digested. If you’ve been taking those kinds of vitamins, no wonder you might be skeptical about their benefits.

Luckily, vitamins come in different forms. I enjoy my little round B12 tablets, flavored like cherry, that melt in my mouth and enter my bloodstream quickly. You can also find time-release forms that stay with you longer, not just for B12 but for others as well.

Liposomal vitamin C is a form that is generally better absorbed and can raise blood levels of vitamin C more efficiently. A study in 2020 found it almost twice as bioavailable as other forms of the vitamin.

Vitamins A and D are fat soluble. That means with a little fat, as in your diet, they are better absorbed and used by your body. A higher-quality supplement will include a bit of fat in the formulation, often safflower oil. Compared to vitamin D2, D3 was shown to raise blood levels faster and maintain them better.

Quality matters for supplements. That doesn’t mean they have to cost an arm and a leg — but if you’re looking for cheap ones, you may get cheated of the results you’re expecting. Just take time and choose wisely.

For more dos and don’ts about supplementing, check out these tips.

Peak D3^™

Gives You the Vitamin D3 You Can’t Get From Sunshine Alone!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

The healing power of garlic

Your flu season survival plan is not incomplete without garlic.

Garlic contains a powerful compound known as allicin that is likely responsible for its long-standing reputation as a traditional cure-all. It’s even been reported to kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

In studies, allicin has demonstrated antiviral, antifungal and antibiotic effects. Odorless garlic capsules are available in stores, but I think you get more of garlic’s medicinal benefits when you cook with it. Most dishes could benefit from a couple of cloves of garlic without being overpowering.

Below is a recipe for garlic broth that could be made ahead of time to store in the fridge to sip on daily or use as a base in soups or other recipes. Mashed potatoes are especially good made with broth instead of milk.

Ingredients for Garlic Broth:

• 8 cups organic vegetable stock
• 1.5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 whole head of garlic, cloves peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• A pinch of dried sage
• Shitake mushrooms (see why below)
• Salt to taste

Bring to a boil then simmer for about half an hour.

Now, mushrooms have been part of the human diet and used medicinally for about 3,000 years. And many immune-boosting formulas of Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM) include mushrooms, particularly Maitake, Shitake, and Reishi.

The shitake mushroom is especially recommended by practitioners of TCM for enhancing immunity. It contains lentinan, an antiviral substance that possesses strong immune-stimulating activity. They also contain something called beta-glucans which has been extensively studied as an immune-booster. Shitake mushrooms can be added to recipes or you can consume shitake tea or soup. I would visit a good natural health food store for tea and dried soup mixes. You can also find mushroom powder online.

Good luck! I hope you make it through this flu season unscathed.

The post How to prep to survive flu season appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

The Ayurveda tradition, which began in India, from 3,000 to 5,000 years ago, may be the most familiar to most of us.

You may not know a lot of specifics about it, but chances are you’ve heard of it, especially if you’re of the mindset that you’d rather avoid getting sick in the first place than have to work harder at treating or reversing a condition… a difficult thing to do (though, not impossible) once disease has a hold on the body.

That last part is something our modern health system has never quite embraced. We go to the doctor when we’re sick — not when we’re well, except for maybe that yearly checkup which provides the perfect opportunity for your doctor to increase whatever current medicines you may take.

But Ayurvedic practices advocated the maintenance of good health through oral traditions which included a vast knowledge of healing plants. Finally, doubters can put their money where their mouth on at least one of those ancient remedies..

Peak D3^™

Gives You the Vitamin D3 You Can’t Get From Sunshine Alone!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

The history of Nigella sativa

The Nigella sativa plant — also called black cumin, black sesame and black caraway — is native to Africa, Asia and the Mediterranean. And much of the earliest information we have about it was written by “the most influential philosopher of the pre-modern era.” His name was Avicenna and he put those oral traditions down in writing in two books: The Book of Healing and The Canon of Medicine. These books were created around the years 1020 and 1025 and remained the standard of medicine through the mid-17^th century.

Though Avicenna may have provided the most thorough ancient information on Nigella sativa, Hippocrates and Dioscorides also mentioned it in their texts. And the Bible describes it as the “curative black cumin” (Isaiah 28:25, 27 NKJV).

The seeds were used in foods and poultices. They were also ground to powder. But the golden oil of the black seeds was also extracted and consumed.

Apparently, it was so widely used for a vast array of conditions that it was referred to as “the remedy for all disease.” But modern research has been focusing on one area where its scientific credibility is stacking up…

The mounting research on Nigella sativa and blood sugar

Type 2 diabetes is considered preventable. That doesn’t mean it’s easy to do so. Many conditions can contribute to it and make it harder to reverse, including obesity, hypertension and metabolic syndrome.

But there is quite a bit of published research that indicates Nigella sativa could help. Here are few with impressive findings:

• The Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism found that, in mice, black seed oil, “causes gradual partial regeneration of pancreatic beta-cells (the ones in your body that make insulin), increases the lowered serum insulin concentrations, and decreases the elevated serum glucose.”
• A study in human participants found that at a dose of 2 grams per day, black seed oil was able to lower fasting blood sugar, decrease insulin resistance, improve pancreatic beta-cell function and lower HBA1c (average blood sugar level over a two to three-month timeframe).
• A published review in the Journal of Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders from 2013 found black seed oil could be effective against obesity.

Some of these studies were small, some on animals, but also some on humans. But before I get behind something, there’s one scientific method I prefer to see… a systematic review of the evidence.

Peak Golden Oil^™

The golden-colored oil of the Nigella sativa plant contains compounds essential for a healthy immune system. That explains why it was documented in the oldest medical writings. But we don’t just rely on history to prove the therapeutic benefit of… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

The evidence stacks up

Systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials provide the clearest evidence for the benefits of a healthcare intervention. Recently, a (published in May 2020) comprehensive systematic review was performed that looked at the published results about Nigella sativa.

And here is what the researchers determined:

• Nigella sativa has a key role in herbal medicine as an adjuvant remedy for the treatment and management of patients with Diabetes Mellitus and its complications.
• The beneficial effects of Nigella sativa preparations depend on dosage forms, prescribed active ingredients and duration of the intervention.
• The best dosage to improve glycemic indices and lipid and lipoprotein profiles is 2 g daily powdered Nigella sativa for at least 12 weeks.

According to the review, dietary supplementation with Nigella sativa preparations can improve various secondary complications of diabetic patients because it possesses anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive and anti-obesity effects. Additionally, it was shown to help:

• Restore the antioxidant defense systems
• Decrease inflammatory biomarkers
• Improve endothelial dysfunction, and hepatic, kidney, heart and immune system functions

Before type 2 diabetes digs its claws in, blood sugar spikes slowly decrease insulin sensitivity and lead to pre-diabetes. Along with a healthy diet and exercise, it appears this simple seed’s golden oil could be the prevention, not prescription, we should reach for.

If you suspect you could have pre-diabetes, watch out for these 12 signs.

Sources:

1. Avicenna — Wikipedia

The post Black cumin seed and diabetes appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

St. Augustine, Florida, is home to the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park. The city is said to be the 1513 landing spot of Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon on his quest to find the legendary Fountain.

But the reality is, there is no evidence to support the story — and all modern historians say it’s a myth…

I’ve spent a lot of time in St. Augustine, and this tale is likely not the only yarn that’s been spun in its pubs.

If you’re looking for a fun vacation, St. Augustine is a great choice.

If you’re looking for your own fountain of youth, there are certainly much better alternatives than the one Ponce purportedly sought…

In fact, there’s one, in particular, that’s backed by loads of evidence that modern scientists call fact…

CoQ10: The ‘fountain of youth nutrient’

Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, is backed by thousands of major medical studies… yet it’s one of the most overlooked nutrients.

Without it, your cells can’t make energy and your heart and brain can’t function… your heart literally starves to death… yet there is no daily recommended intake for it!

Unfortunately, by the time you hit 60, 70 and 80 years old, you have less than 50 percent of the CoQ10 younger folks do.

And if you take cholesterol-lowering drugs such as Lipitor^®, Pravachol^®, Zocor^® or Crestor^®… or any other highly prescribed drugs like Metformin for blood sugar control… beta-blockers like Lopressor and Tenormin^®… or antidepressants like Lexapro^®, Zoloft^® and Paxil^®, they are depleting your body’s supply of CoQ10 even more.

In general, when your cells can’t make enough energy, you not only lose muscle strength and stamina… you can develop debilitating problems like fatigue, premature aging, joint stiffness, lightheadedness and even brain fog.

Peak CoQSol10 CF^™

Gives Your Cells the Energy They Need for Optimal Function!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Without enough CoQ10, you’re like a car with a dead battery

Depletion of Coenzyme Q10 is so dangerous because it’s critical in helping produce the metabolic energy known as ATP that your whole body runs on, and, without this energy, none of your cells can function correctly. That leaves you open to a whole host of problems. Yet with a good store of CoQ10 in your body, you can expect…

Heart health support — According to the Cleveland Heart Lab, not only could CoQ10 have “significant cardiovascular protective effects,” but supporting heart health may ward off heart disease down the road.

Relief from headaches — A 2004 study reported at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting found migraine patients who took 100mg of CoQ10 three times a day had fewer attacks in three months than those who took a placebo.

Healthier skin — Applying CoQ10 directly to the skin can reduce the damage from internal and external agents by increasing energy production in the cells and promoting antioxidant protection. It was shown to reduce damage caused by UV rays and even decreased the depth of wrinkles.

More energy — Tons of research shows CoQ10 helps keep mitochondria (the cell’s power plant) functioning optimally… that’s because more than 90 percent of each cell’s energy production relies on an adequate supply of CoQ10.

Are you starting to see why CoQ10 is closer to a real-life “fountain of youth”?

The cellular energy you get from CoQ10 helps energize and repair every cell, muscle, tissue and organ in your entire body. When it’s present, your immune system works to its full capacity to help replace and repair damaged cells and to protect you from known pathogens, viruses and bacteria.

CoQ10 is present in small amounts in animal organs such as the heart, liver and kidneys, as well as beef, soy oil, sardines, mackerel and peanuts. Unfortunately, due to poor absorption, the necessary level of Coenzyme Q10 is nearly impossible to obtain from diet alone, especially if you’re on any of the medications I mentioned above.

That makes supplementing with Coenzyme Q10 a no-brainer!

Peak Golden Oil^™

Support for Inflammation and Optimal Immune Balance!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Tips on getting the most from CoQ10

Many conventional CoQ10 supplements are capsules with raw CoQ10 material containing dry powder crystals your body can’t absorb. Further crystallization also takes place due to temperature fluctuations during the production process making it even less bioavailable. That’s why it’s imperative you get a formula that is crystal-free.

The form it comes in is also important, and many formulas are made with ubiquinone — a substance that must be converted into ubiquinol in order to be used by your body. But it gets increasingly harder for your body to turn ubiquinone into ubiquinol as you age.

That makes 90 percent of the CoQ10 on the market today practically worthless… the body can’t convert or absorb the vast majority of them.

For this reason, when you set out to find your own fountain of youth, you need to choose one that’s 100% crystal-free ubiquinol.

Daily supplementation is important too. That’s because CoQ10 takes a few days to buildup in your system. When it does, you should notice a difference in your energy levels. But if you skip a day or two, you will notice that energy boost drop.

Sources:

Coenzyme Q₁₀ Supplementation in Aging and Disease — Frontiers.org

The post CoQ10: Your personal fountain of youth appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

To stay in good health, your body must constantly manage the delicate balance that keeps pH levels where they should be. The trouble is that some of our vital functions throw that balance off.

And summertime is when they can get really out of whack. In fact, 46 percent of Americans report suffering from heartburn symptoms most in the summertime and that it significantly impacts their ability to enjoy what most of us consider to be the most enjoyable season of the year.

If this sounds like you, here’s some insight into why and how to turn the summer of acid into the summer of fun…

Dehydration and pH imbalance

During the summer it’s not at all uncommon to experience some degree of dehydration.

Have you come inside after spending just a half hour or less watering your shrubs to find you’re a little dizzy or lightheaded?

Maybe several minutes later you begin to experience a mild headache, and then realize you’re feeling fatigued. Those are all signs of mild dehydration.

Your body is signaling that you need to replenish important electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium.

But replenishing those electrolytes does more than help your body use the water you drink to rehydrate. They balance your body’s acid/base (pH) level. Dehydration causes electrolyte imbalances that result in a more acidic blood pH, the last thing you need. 

Hydration and pH are powerful allies against aging and acidity. Water helps maintain pH levels, which in turn aids all bodily functions — including how your body deals with temporary bouts of excess acid when you experience GERD, acid reflux, acid indigestion — but so much more. I’ll explain more about that below…

Peak Organic Alkalizing Greens^™

At birth your body’s pH is balanced. But starting immediately acid waste builds up and starts to shift your pH level from healthy alkaline to unhealthy acid. If your body is too acidic it provides the right terrain for germs to thrive. To add insult to injury… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Acidic summer foods

Summer is when some of our favorite — and, unfortunately, acidic — foods are plentiful.

Take tomatoes for example. I eat more than my fair share of fresh tomatoes in salads (along with acidic onions) — and, of course, my ultimate guilty favorite, tomato sandwiches slathered in mayo.

But we’re also eating hot dogs and barbecued meats (with acidic and sugary sauces and condiments) more often — and downing them a crisp cold brew or one of those citrusy alcoholic drinks, complete with a tiny umbrella.

Aside from the acidity of the meat and sauces, alcohol has detrimental effects on the acidity in your stomach and your body. But so does another summer favorite: soft drinks.

Every time you eat or drink anything other than water (which has a neutral pH), the pH level in your mouth drops (becomes more acidic). This causes minerals in your tooth enamel to seep out as your body tries to re-establish a balanced pH — and soft drinks are the worst. But with body-wide acidity, the same thing can occur — except then it is the bones that are losing precious minerals.

All of this adds up to more acid in the digestive tract that’s just waiting to splash back up to the esophagus with every bite or sip triggering acid reflux.

Acid indigestion, GERD and reflux are immediate signs of acid overload. But there are times your body doesn’t give you any obvious outward signs. That’s when your health faces even bigger threats…

Peak Digestion^™

Protects You From Unwanted Effects of Gluten Ingestion, Calms Stomach Upset and Supports Digestion!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Unseen signs and miscellaneous effects of acid overload

About 75 percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated. Many of us drink acidic, sugary soft drinks, sugary flavored waters and imitation juice drinks, that’ don’t provide the hydration we need.

These acidic drinks and the acidic animal protein-heavy American diet, and even medication (particularly antihistamines), compound this dehydration.

Lack of water — dehydration — creates thirst, fatigue, weakness, pain and loss of appetite and leads to a buildup of toxic acidity.

And that acidity sets off a slow process of decline. So let me explain how that impacts your pH levels…

Your pH (potential of hydrogen) is a reflection of your body’s balance between its alkaline and acidic state. That pH is measured on a logarithmic scale in which 7.0 is neutral. The lower the reading on the scale the more acidic the body is — and the higher the reading, above 7, the more alkaline the body.

When the body maintains a high pH you feel vibrant, at ease and well. However, when the environment of the body is acidic, with a low pH reading, inflammation, pain, disease, and other unhealthful issues arise.

For example, pH can affect the viscosity of blood and that impacts circulation. An acidic body can even lead to depression and obesity because of how the body is hampered in its ability to process nutrients, expel heavy metals and metabolize wastes.

The main point here is that we want our bodies to be in an alkaline state most of the time.

If the summer heat, foods and activities are causing the most obvious symptoms of acid overload to flare up — acid indigestion, reflux and GERD. Take heed. The effects on your body are likely to go much deeper.

You can work at turning things around by eating a diet composed mostly of alkaline-forming foods and by avoiding acid-forming foods as much as possible. Most green vegetables and fruits are alkaline — and most processed foods, packaged and fried foods, and those taken from their natural state are more acidic.

Sources:

Regulating your body temperature during summer heat — Michigan State University

Can the Heat Make Heartburn Worse? — Houston Heartburn & Reflux Center

Effect of electrolyzed high-pH alkaline water on blood viscosity in healthy adults. — Jefferson Digital Commons

The post Why GERD, acid reflux and indigestion increase in summer appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Major metro areas, such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., are experiencing very unhealthy air quality advisories — while some of the smoke has drifted as far south as Georgia, but only affecting the Metro Atlanta Air Quality to a “moderate” degree.

Depending on where you live, you may be wondering how the poor air quality may affect you.

First of all, it’s important to understand the risks from air pollution, especially exposure to what’s known as fine particulate air matter, which includes pollution carried on the wind and can include dust and soil, both capable of containing various types of toxins.

However, it’s even more concerning when it relates to smoke from wildfires. The reason?

It’s been found to be among the most toxic to people compared to fine particle air matter exposure from other sources.

Peak Organic Fermented Beets^™

Amazing “Can’t be Beet” Superfood Helps Keep Nitric Oxide Levels Up!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Fine particulate air matter affects the cardiovascular system

There are different types of air pollution and they are categorized often by size. They are made up of particulates — atmospheric aerosol particles or particulate matter.

Sources of these particulates can be natural or man-made chemicals (in cases of fires, you often get a little of both). PM2.5 is so fine you never even know you’re inhaling it.

In previous research on non-smoking healthy individuals, researchers exposed them to concentrated ambient particulate matter for two hours. The result was a decrease in heart rate variability, along with increased lymphocyte and white blood cell levels.

Increases in white blood cell and lymphocyte levels are signs of increased inflammation in the body, which means the immune system is rapidly activated to fight the incoming stimulus. Decreased heart rate variability is a sign of autonomic nervous system dysfunction — the part of the nervous system that controls the cardiovascular system.

Quite surprisingly, these inhaled particles have acute effects on the cardiovascular system that could lead to a pollution-triggered heart attack.

According to a Journal of the American Heart Association Report, researchers examined cardiac arrests during 14 wildfire-affected counties in California between 2015 and 2017. They found that out-of-hospital cardiac arrests:

• increased on days rated as heavy smoke density and for several days afterward, with the highest risk (70% higher than on days with no smoke) on the second day after smoke exposure;
• increased among both men and women and in people aged 35 and older exposed to heavy smoke; and
• increased in communities with lower socioeconomic status (20% or more people living below the poverty line) with both medium and heavy smoke exposure.

According to Ana G. Rappold, Ph.D., a research scientist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment in the Office of Research and Development, “Particulate matter from smoke that is inhaled can penetrate deeply into the lungs, and very small particles may cross into the bloodstream. These particles can create an inflammatory reaction in the lungs and throughout the body. The body’s defense system may react to activate the fight-or-flight system, increasing heart rate, constricting blood vessels and increasing blood pressure. These changes can lead to disturbances in the heart’s normal rhythm, blockages in blood vessels and other effects creating conditions that could lead to cardiac arrest.”

Protection from particulate air matter

In areas hardest hit by the air pollution from the Canadian wildfires, public health officials are warning older people and those with heart or breathing problems to stay inside — or at the least wear a mask if they must venture out. N95 masks are the most effective.

Even if you live in areas, not as heavily affected and have heart or issues like asthma or COPD, it would be wise to stay inside till of this literally blows over.

But you should know, wildfires or none, living near low levels of air pollution for a handful of years makes serious structural changes to your heart… even if you’re relatively young and healthy.

If you have access to an air purifier or can have someone deliver one to you, strongly consider it as an option. It’s also a good idea to install an indoor HEPA air filter in your HVAC return to minimize the particulates in the air of your home — or add houseplants that can improve your indoor air.

Now would also be a good time to consider supplementing B vitamins…

Research by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, individuals who were exposed to the same amount of pollution but were given B vitamin supplements for four weeks afterward, were able to almost completely reverse the pollution damage caused to their immune and cardiovascular systems.

In fact, B vitamin supplementation appeared to show incredible opposition…

• A 150 percent reduction in the particulate matter’s effects on heart rate
• A 139 percent reduced effect on white blood cell count
• And a 106 percent reduced effect on lymphocyte count

The post What are your health risks from the Canadian wildfires? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

On the island of Okinawa, most men reach age 84. Okinawan women routinely reach age 90 and are three times more likely to reach 100 than their North American counterparts.

A Japanese diet includes plenty of fish and vegetables, but they also consume about 100 grams of meat a day. That’s not that far off from what most Americans consume — between 100 and 150 grams a day.

They also enjoy tasty condiments, like soy sauce — which contains close to 40 percent of the RDA of sodium. Salt is the main thing your doctor will harp about when your blood pressure starts creeping up.

So why do they live longer — and why do Japanese men who regularly eat a certain traditional dish that includes soy sauce, PLUS almost another full teaspoon of salt, have lower blood pressure?

Peak Digestion^™

Protects You From Unwanted Effects of Gluten Ingestion, Calms Stomach Upset and Supports Digestion!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

A blood pressure-lowering condiment

Certain traditional dishes evolved a lot of folklore around their health benefits. Take natto for example…

The ancient samurai credited natto as one of the foods that gave them exceptional endurance and high energy levels. Of course, back then they didn’t know this fermented bean dish contained an enzyme that over 17 scientific studies, including human trials, have found works like plasmin to promote healthy circulation and lower the risk for blood clots.

Recently another traditional dish has stepped up to the plate for its uncanny ability to promote healthy blood pressure…

It’s called sunomono and you may have enjoyed at your favorite Japanese steakhouse.

Sunomono typically includes thinly slice cucumber (or wakame, an edible seaweed) marinated in a tangy sweet dressing made from rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame seeds, sugar and additional salt.

It’s popular among older generations in Japan and is even available in prepacked individual portions in supermarkets. This makes it a common source of large helpings of dietary vinegar — something you don’t hear much about in the states.

And a study at Osaka Metropolitan University in Osaka, Japan found that men over the age of 40 who ate sunomono at least monthly had lower than average blood pressure — even when adjusted for age, BMI, smoking history, intake of sodium, potassium, and alcohol, amongst other factors.

They say this indicates that eating sunomono could already be having a positive impact on health.

“Men who did not habitually eat sunomono had significantly higher blood pressure, even though their weight and BMI were the same,” according to lead study author Professor Kanouchi.

The secret’s in the vinegar

Now, how does eating a salad with salt and sugar lower blood pressure?

The researchers don’t say exactly — except that, in Japan at least, the benefits of vinegar are well known. In fact, previous studies have shown that drinking 30 mL of vinegar daily lowered blood pressure.

Of course, some of us in the states, are fans of apple cider vinegar. I drink a little every day, mixed into a small glass of cold water.

And I believe it’s one of the reasons I was able to conquer years of high blood pressure, even though my doctor looked at me cross-eyed when I told him that.

But here’s the thing…

Acetic acid is what gives vinegar its sour taste and smell. And studies do back up its benefits — and those of its synthetic cousin, ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA).

In fact, if we talk about EDTA’s background and what the research shows, you might get a clearer picture of how vinegar could help lower blood pressure…

Peak Chelation+ Resveratrol^™

Helps flush harmful toxins from your body that interfere with vital functions!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Promoting healthy arteries

First, let’s talk about the acetic acid levels of vinegar.

Rice vinegar, the kind used to make the tasty dressing in sunomono has the same amount of acetic acid as apple cider vinegar.

White household vinegar has double the amount, and it is most similar in composition to EDTA.

EDTA is known in the scientific world as a chelator. That’s why it’s used in cases of lead poisoning, to chelate — or remove — lead and other heavy metals from the bloodstream. But that’s not all…

Calcium is one of the main contributors to the narrowing of arteries. It binds with sticky cholesterol and before you know it, blood flow becomes restricted and blood pressure goes up. EDTA chelation therapy helps break down that calcium so it’s excreted from the body.

The Japanese researchers don’t specify the mechanism by which eating sunomono regularly lowered blood pressure. They say it appears to improve the gut microbiome — which certainly could produce body-wide benefits.

But my bet is the chelating effects of vinegar. What do you think?

It’s easy to incorporate more vinegar into your diet. I do it the easy way by adding some to my water once a day. But you can also ditch store-bought salad dressings and just mix equal parts vinegar and olive oil, seasoned with Italian spices.

Whenever I eat cooked greens, I drizzle them with a vinegar-based pepper sauce that consists of mild peppers steeped in vinegar. You can find it at most grocery stores, and it will keep in your refrigerator for months.

The vinegar brine from pickles is likely too salty to be as beneficial but you could consider pickling your own and going lighter on the salt.

It’s also easy to incorporate EDTA. Below is a link to a book to learn more about it.

Sources:

Men over 40 who regularly eat sunomono more likely to be in lower blood pressure category — EurekAlert

5 Japanese secrets for a long, disease-free life — Easy Health Options

The post The secret to lower blood pressure in your pickle jar appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It isn’t your fault. The modern American diet has made you the victim of a tragic nutrient deficiency.

Oh, sure, you’ve probably heard all your life how important it is to eat your fruits and veggies. But you’ve also heard that you should avoid fat — thanks to the wrong-headed advice of American nutritionists.

And that lack of dietary fat is a big fat problem for more than 90 percent of Americans who are missing out on the incredible health — and weight loss — benefits of omega-3 essential fatty acids.

Peak Krill Oil^™

Supports Heart Health, Immunity and Moods, Naturally!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Healthy fats help you lose fat

Guess what? If you struggle with stubborn weight around your midsection, there’s a good chance you’re falling short in the essential fatty acids department.

That’s because without the helpful long-chain fatty acids found in omega-3s — eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) — the cells in your body become sluggish. When that happens, your metabolism plummets.

With the addition of EPA and DHA, however, activity within cells increases. That’s because these building blocks of omega-3s give the cells in your body what they need to operate most efficiently.

Researchers have proven that increasing omega-3 intake in obese people reduces belly fat by actually shrinking the size of individual fat cells. And here’s how it works…

Just as people who are more active tend to be leaner, the omega-3s have the amazing ability to increase metabolic activity within fat cells — so the more active cells stay in leaner shape than sluggish ones.

The benefit of kicking cellular activity into high gear is huge when it comes to sustainable weight loss. That’s because the smaller and more active fat cells that remain as you begin to shed pounds respond far better to diet and exercise.

This means that by adding more omega-3s to your diet, you actually can lose weight and keep it off without unsustainable fad diets and unrealistic exercise regimens.

Optimizing your diet with omega-3s…

A big reason so many Americans are deficient in omega-3s is that our diets are low in healthy, oily fish like salmon and mackerel. But adding more omega-3s to your diet doesn’t mean you must start buying and preparing expensive seafood dinners several times each week.

Fish oil supplements are an option, but my preference is krill oil. Krill are small, shrimp-like crustaceans packed with EPA and DHA. Because they are at the bottom of the food chain and found in the cleanest oceans on the planet, it’s a source of omega-3s virtually free of toxins that are commonly found in larger ocean fish.

Beyond its clean composition, what makes krill oil such a better ‘delivery method’ for omega-3s than fish and fish oil are the phospholipids that bind its fatty acids.

Peak Colon Support^™

Promotes Healthy Digestion and Elimination, Naturally!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Because your body naturally produces phospholipids, EPA and DHA delivered through krill oil’s phospholipid structure makes it easy for your body’s cells to get the most nutritional benefit from the oil. In fact, compared to fish oil — which delivers EPA and DHA in triglyceride form — krill oil is absorbed 10 to 15 times better.

That means your cells get packed with plenty of EPA and DHA needed for the peak metabolic function that promotes healthy weight loss.

While krill oil is an excellent weight loss aid, you’ll benefit in many other ways by making it part of your daily routine. That’s because krill oil also contains astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant that’s not found in fish oil. Its antioxidant potency — in terms of ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) values — is 48 times more potent than fish oil.

That means along with quick and sustainable weight loss results, krill oil can also provide:

• Better skin, hair and nail health
• Mood enhancement and improved cognitive function
• Heart benefits
• Improved joint health and relief from arthritis

To get the most out of krill oil for weight loss and overall good health, a dose of around 1000mg per day of a quality supplement should do the trick.

The post Energize your cells to shrink fat—literally appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In all my years of natural health research, I can only come to two conclusions as to why: First, to them, health hinges on medicine alone. Secondly, they are stuck on the idea that you get all the nutrition you need from food.

I’ve written before about how inadequate our food supply is at providing proper levels of the nutrients the body needs, so I won’t bore you with all of the details — but it’s partly due to depleted soil and the business of food processing, which strips out everything healthful only to replace it with synthetic versions of vitamins your body doesn’t absorb as well.

Well, thank goodness for scientists like Dr. Bruce Ames, who, after more than a decade of research would argue that shortages of vitamins and minerals are not only very real and widespread but that by skimping by with inadequate amounts, we’re cheating ourselves of valuable “longevity vitamins” critical to long-term maintenance.

Peak Longevity Platinum^™

Every cell in the body depends on mitochondria for energy. Together, cells and mitochondria are building blocks for life and health. But mitochondria wear out with age, which leaves cells unable to create the energy they need to function properly… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

The triage theory

Research into aging is at an all-time fever pitch. But if Dr. Ames is correct, some of the best longevity agents have been under our noses the whole time, but we’ve barely given them half a chance.

Dr. Ames has presented a novel idea about vitamins and minerals and how the body uses them, known as the triage theory. And it could revolutionize the longevity game.

In a nutshell, Dr. Ames’s theory explains why deficiencies — even ones without overt symptoms — could contribute to the aging process, shortening longevity.

According to Dr. Ames, nutrition science ignores the fact that most vitamins and minerals are not only needed to maintain our day-to-day health — but that they are also required by hundreds of enzymes within our cells that perform processes that impact long-term health, in other words — our longevity.

Peak Blood Flow^™

Supports Healthy Circulation to your Heart, Brain, Lungs, Eyes and Extremities!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

When those vitamins and enzymes work together, they’ve got bigger goals in mind than just tomorrow. Vitamins like vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids and magnesium are critical to helping different kinds of enzymes repair DNA damage and prevent oxidative damage — actions that prepare the body for the long haul.

So when the body is not getting enough of a vitamin (or other compounds I’ll detail shortly), it’s rationed. And you can probably guess where the largest share goes… to the processes that ensure immediate survival. That means any processes the enzymes and vitamins work together on that could impact longevity, get the short end of the stick. And so do you.

9+ Longevity “vitamins”

In his work, he has identified survival vitamins and longevity vitamins, and there is crossover as well: some vitamins may fulfill both functions, which makes sense. You can’t live later if you’re not functioning well now.

At least 70 percent of Americans are deficient in the vitamins, minerals and compounds that Dr. Ames says should be recognized as “longevity vitamins.”

Shortages can be problematic, but some deficiencies don’t make their damage known for years. Others may have a quicker impact…

For instance, Dr. Ames’s research team has seen that when low-level deficiencies of vitamin K and selenium occur, the body produces fewer enzymes needed to keep arteries clear, sacrificing more vitamin K for blood clotting.

Before I list Dr. Ames’ “longevity vitamins,” I need to mention that every nutrient on this list is not a vitamin in the traditional sense. And I’ll include a few notes from Dr. Ames’s paper in the list.

Those marked with an asterisk are both survival and longevity vitamins, of which vitamin K is also one (per the example above), and in his paper, Dr. Ames cites references that associate deficiencies of these three, and many of the others as well, with serious illnesses that affect healthy aging…

1. Vitamin D*. About 2,700 binding sites have been found in the human genome interacting with the vitamin D receptor protein. Extensive evidence shows that vitamin D deficiency causes, or has been associated with, a large number of illnesses that affect healthy aging. It is estimated that vitamin D levels in 70 percent of the U.S. population are inadequate. Dr. Ames states that fear of toxicity is to blame for discouraging supplementation and that newer evidence on the effect of vitamin D on all-cause mortality supersedes these toxicity studies, concluding that there was no increased risk even when blood levels of 25(OH)D were as high as 100 ng/mL.
2. Omega-3 fatty acids* (DHA and EPA). Dr. Ames cites research that intake of these compounds is inadequate in most of the U.S. population, and studies that conclude: low blood levels of DHA/EPA were shown in a 5-year study to be associated with a faster rate of telomere shortening, a marker of cell aging; Supplemental fish oil (2.5 g/d) slowed telomere shortening and lowered biomarkers of oxidation in older adults; Daily supplemental DHA (2 g/d) increased the rate of clearance of amyloid plaques in people with mild cognitive impairment; DHA/EPA are important for vitamin D steroid hormone effectiveness.
3. Magnesium*. About 45 percent of the American population is deficient in magnesium, which is associated with poor DNA repair capacity, telomere shortening, as well as illness.
4. Choline. Only 11 percent of women achieve the recommended intake and the average intake for the population are half to two-thirds of this recommendation; severe choline deficiency results in DNA strand breaks in rodents, alterations to epigenetic markers and histones, and affects brain development. Good sources of choline include chicken, fish, lean pork, eggs, beef, shrimp, beans, low-fat milk, broccoli, and green peas.
5. Taurine is important in preventing numerous health problems and it is particularly important in the mitochondria. Because of taurine’s extensive involvement in health problems that lead to long-term damage, Dr. Ames proposed that it is also a longevity vitamin. Most taurine is acquired from the diet, mainly from fish and other seafood, seaweed, eggs, and dark-meat poultry.
6. Ergothioneine (ESH), according to Dr. Ames, has many characteristics that suggest an involvement in healthy aging. ESH is present in almost all human cell and tissue types, often at millimolar levels in the brain, bone marrow, lens and cornea of the eye, and erythrocytes, where it appears to play a significant role as an antioxidant. It is present in the human diet, mostly synthesized by most mushrooms. A detailed analysis suggests that mushrooms are a major ESH source in Europe. Oyster and king boletus mushrooms contain about >100 mg/kg wet weight. Foods known to have moderate levels of ESH (1 mg/kg wet weight) include beef, pork, lamb and chicken. Oat bran, black turtle bean and red kidney bean contain >3 mg/kg.
7. Pyrroloquinoline Quinone (PQQ). PQQ is an important plant growth factor imported from rhizobacteria. It is a powerful antioxidant and is much more stable than ascorbic acid. PQQ supplementation improved antioxidant potential and decreased the levels of mitochondrial-related intermediates and metabolites in urine, providing support for previous studies that demonstrated that PQQ improved mitochondrial efficiency.
8. Queuine has a complex role in the conversion of phenylalanine to tyrosine, of tryptophan to serotonin, of tyrosine to DOPA (which gets converted into epinephrine and norepinephrine), of arginine to NO, and for the oxidation of alkyl glycerol lipids — therefore relevance to numerous neurological conditions. Queuine is an evolutionarily ancient compound, and detectable amounts of queuine have been identified in tomatoes, wheat, coconut water, and milk from humans, cows, and goats. Humans and mice recover queuine from either ingested food or the gut flora.
9. Carotenoids: This group includes lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene, α- and β-carotene, and β-cryptoxanthin and the powerful marine carotenoid astaxanthin. These first six are plant carotenoids that account for 95 percent of the carotenoids found in American blood and brain. Astaxanthin is sourced from algae, yeast, salmon, trout, krill, shrimp and crayfish.

Peak Longevity Platinum^™

Promotes Cellular Energy, Supports Heart & Brain Functions!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Dr. Ames is a Senior Scientist at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI), director of their Nutrition & Metabolism Center, and a Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of California, Berkeley. His scientific career has spanned seven decades.

Says Dr. Ames, “The prevention of the degenerative diseases of aging is a different science than curing disease: it will involve expertise in metabolism, nutrition, biochemistry and genetic regulatory elements and polymorphisms.”

Sources:

Prolonging healthy aging: Longevity vitamins and proteins — Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States

Adequate Consumption of ‘Longevity’ Vitamins Could Prolong Healthy Aging, Nutrition Science Says — University of California San Francisco

The post The unseen damage of vitamin deficiencies: Sacrificing longevity appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

For good reason. The bite of some species of ticks carries the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, responsible for what might be considered a silent plague…

Based on data from 2010 and 2018, the CDC estimates more than 475,000 new cases of Lyme disease are reported each year in the U.S. And other than long-term antibiotic therapy — which the medical community admits is not always effective — there isn’t much else available that your doctor can offer.

That leaves a lot of Lyme disease victims suffering from debilitating fatigue, joint pains, memory problems, facial paralysis, aches, stiffness in the neck, heart palpitations, and severe headaches — for life.

But there may be light at the end of the tunnel…

That’s because the treatment of Lyme disease is at least one area where the medical community may be forced to realize the benefit of alternative treatments.

Peak Organic Fermented Beets^™

Amazing “Can’t be Beet” Superfood Helps Keep Nitric Oxide Levels Up!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Natural extracts that fight Lyme disease

The antibiotics doxycycline and cefuroxime are currently the go-to antibiotics used against the bacterial species behind Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi (B. burgdorferi)

However, antibiotics are not effective in eradicating all traces of B. burgdorferi from the system, which means that the disease can persist.

The impressive likes of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, with colleagues at the California Center for Functional Medicine and Focus Health, surveyed the power of 14 plant-based extracts to kill the bacteria, compared to antibiotic treatment.

What they found was downright impressive…

The researchers show that plant extracts from black walnut, cat’s claw, sweet wormwood, Mediterranean rockrose and Chinese skullcap had strong activity against B. burgdorferi, outperforming both tested antibiotics.

But by far the strongest performers were Ghanaian quinine (Cryptolepis sanguinolenta; also known as yellow-dye root, nibima, or kadze) and Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum).

Ghanaian quinine is a shrub from West Africa containing the antimicrobial alkaloid cryptolepine and is used in ethnomedicine to treat malaria, hepatitis, septicemia and tuberculosis.

Japanese knotweed is a traditional medicine in India and China that contains the polyphenol antioxidant resveratrol. In other preclinical studies, it has been found to have anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory effects and protect the nervous system and heart.

Extracts from both plants were found to kill microcolonies of Borrelia burgdorferi and inhibit the division of the planktonic form, even at low concentrations (0.03-0.5 percent). In fact, just a single 7-day treatment with 1 percent Ghanaian quinine could completely eradicate the bacterium. Amazingly, it did not regrow, even under optimal conditions.

Peak Golden Oil^™

Support for Inflammation and Optimal Immune Balance!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Resveratrol: The power behind Japanese knotweed.

So if someone like me wants to feel like I’m doing something “extra” that could lessen my risk of contracting Lyme (in addition to wearing lightweight clothing to my ankles and wrists), would choosing a resveratrol supplement make sense?

I’m going to take resveratrol anyway, so why the heck not?

Most supplements containing resveratrol source this powerful antioxidant from the Japanese knotweed. You would see it listed as Polygonum cuspitadum.

According to the information I read at examine.com — an independent educational organization that analyzes nutrition and supplement research — most of the benefits attributed to Japanese knotweed are likely because of its resveratrol content.

More good news is that a forgotten antibiotic, hygromycin A, first discovered in the 1950s is also proving helpful against Lyme disease in mice studies. It was also less disruptive to the mice’s gut microbiomes than conventional broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Above all this summer, be cautious in wooded areas or even in your yard, especially if you let the grass get a little high. Do self-checks to make sure if a tick did hitch a ride, or worse, bite you, you make the discovery as soon as possible. Early diagnosis is imperative when it comes to antibiotic therapy and Lyme disease.

To safely remove a tick, follow these instructions from the CDC.

Stay safe this summer!

Source:

1. Ethnobotanical medicine is effective against the bacterium causing Lyme disease — EurekAlert

The post Could a resveratrol supplement fight Lyme disease? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And right now, the only solution your doctor can offer you is antibiotics. But there’s a big problem with antibiotics you’ve probably heard about…

People are becoming resistant to them. Especially the antibiotics used to treat bladder infections because they’ve been prescribed so frequently for so long.

In fact, it’s been determined that one of the antibiotics most commonly used to treat UTIs already has a 50 percent resistance rate. That means this antibiotic doesn’t do anything for half the people who need it.

Peak Golden Oil^™

Support for Inflammation and Optimal Immune Balance!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

A powerful option when antibiotics let us down

With antibiotic resistance on the rise, more and more people are turning to natural remedies to prevent and get rid of urinary tract infections. And there are a lot of natural remedies to choose from — cranberry products, D-mannose, probiotics, vitamin C and goldenseal.

But if honey is not on your list of infection-fighting natural remedies — it should be. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Pathology found that Manuka honey can help treat chronic and recurring UTIs.

In their study, researchers found that Manuka honey, which is produced by bees that pollinate the Manuka tree, native to New Zealand, can stop the growth of urinary tract-causing bacteria and prevent them from forming biofilms. Biofilms are thin layers of bacteria that adhere to your bladder and cause chronic or reoccurring bladder infections. Antibiotics typically can’t touch these biofilms because the bacteria in them are notoriously antibiotic-resistant.

I’ve put Manuka honey to the test myself plenty of times.

Last year I fell and ended up with a nasty cut on my forehead — and I promptly slathered it with Manuka honey — the best antibacterial treatment you can keep at home, I believe.

Manuka honey is renowned for its potent antibacterial properties. It’s also antiviral and antifungal. That’s because its low pH level and high sugar content create a unique effect that obstructs the growth of microbes. Manuka honey is also well-known for its effectiveness against deadly infections like MRSA that are resistant to antibiotics.

Not only did I heal quickly but I have no scar — despite my husband’s insistence that I probably would.

Peak Bladder Support^™

Unique Formula Helps Reduce Urgency or the Immediate Urge to “Go” and Decreases Nighttime Bathroom Visits for More Restful Sleep!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Manuka Honey for bladder health

If you want to see firsthand how honey can improve your bladder health, here’s one way to try it…

Combine one to two tablespoons of Manuka honey with two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, a dash of lemon juice and warm water. You’ll end up with a tart and tasty tonic that can attack your bladder problems from three angles… because not only does Manuka honey have antibacterial abilities, but apple cider vinegar and lemon do too.

Even if you’re not prone to urinary or bladder infections, it’s not a bad idea to partake of this sweet tonic to ward off infection and boost your body’s natural healing potential.

Sources:

1. Emineke, et al. “Diluted honey inhibits biofilm formation: potential application in urinary catheter management?” — Journal of Clinical Pathology, 2016.
2. M. Soto. “Importance of Biofilms in Urinary Tract Infections: New Therapeutic Approaches.” — Advances in Biology, 2014.
3. D. Mandal, S. Mandal. “Honey: its medicinal property and antibacterial activity.” — Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, 2011 Apr; 1(2): 154–160.

The post Manuka honey for chronic bladder infections appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

So when the wonder drug Ozempic was approved in 2017 for people with type 2 diabetes — it stirred quite a bit of excitement.

Diabetics who manage their weight greatly reduce the risks of serious complications including stroke. And suddenly, people with diabetes who’d struggled with weight maintenance were losing it with ease thanks to a weekly injection of Ozempic — or, specifically, its active ingredient semaglutide.

But something else happened…

It wasn’t long before Ozempic was prescribed “off-label” to people without diabetes solely for weight loss. If you could pay the price, there were doctors more than glad to help. You may have heard about Hollywood’s obsession with the drug.

But just so everyone could get on board, and insurance companies would pay the outrageous cost, semaglutide was dressed up and reintroduced as a new product: Wegovy.

Marketed and approved by the FDA for “chronic weight management,” the only difference is dosage: Wegovy gets you 2.4 mg of semaglutide to Ozempic’s 1 mg.

So, it seemed that the “magic weight loss pill” so many have hoped for had finally arrived. But not without a cost… and I don’t just mean the $1,400 monthly price tag…

Peak Golden Oil^™

Support for Inflammation and Optimal Immune Balance!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Be careful what you wish for

It’s really no wonder that we’d be willing to try almost anything to lose weight. There are so many kinds of diets, choosing the right one could take a doctorate. But even doctors, in recent years, have admitted they receive less than a handful of instructional hours in medical school about diet to improve health.

That’s why a personal friend of mine, was ready to jump on the Wegovy bandwagon — and it’s a cautionary tale that’s echoed by many others…

“It was awful,” she said. “I would wake up in the middle of the night with extreme acid reflux and feeling like I was going to throw up. And then it caused fatigue so bad I could barely do anything. And because it’s an injection you have to ride it out for a week before the side effects subside.”

I’ve come across several personal stories like this online. Wegovy users have lamented they miss enjoying food or going out to eat. One stated, “If I take too many bites, I have to run to the bathroom.”

Some have gone so far as to say they now hate food. It’s no wonder when you hear why…

“It started off making me nauseous and after eating or drinking a very small amount, I felt full. If I tried to eat a few more bites it felt like everything was backing up in my esophagus.”

These complaints fall right in with semaglutide’s most common so-called side effects — nausea and vomiting — that some experts say may not beside effects at all, but the mechanism by which it works so well. If you can’t keep the food down, it won’t pack on the pounds.

Is Wegovy worth the risk?

Semaglutide is a synthetic form of the natural hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) which is released when we eat to stimulate insulin and prevent the release of another hormone called glucagon. These actions regulate blood sugar levels and slow the passage of food from the stomach to suppress appetite.

Dr. Robert Kushner of Northwestern University, who also serves on a medical advisory board for Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Wegovy, explained, “What the pharmaceutical companies have done is taken this hormone that is naturally occurring and restructured it into a drug.”

And like quite a few drugs, semaglutide comes with a warning…

A black box warning — or boxed warning, as the FDA prefers to call them — is the most serious type of warning mandated by the FDA. Such a warning, usually prominently featured on a drug’s label, warns of serious adverse reactions or special problems associated with a drug.

And both Wegovy and Ozempic have their very own — for thyroid cancer.

While clinical trials have not demonstrated if Wegovy increases thyroid cancer risk in people, in rodents, “semaglutide causes dose-dependent and treatment-duration-dependent thyroid C-cell tumors at clinically relevant exposures.” If a patient has a family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or the genetic condition MEN2, they are warned not to take the drug.

But other concerning issues with Wegovy did show up in clinical trials with humans…

Some patients experienced acute pancreatitis and acute gallbladder disease. Symptoms for both are similar, including abdominal pain, jaundice, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite and dark urine in the case of gallbladder disease.

What happens if you stop the drug? Rebound weight gain

Additional problems have plagued people who have somehow found a way to stick with it, at first…

One is sticker shock… then gaining the weight back quickly.

Yolanda Hamilton, a nurse from South Holland, Illinois, told NRP that, at first, using Wegovy gave her more energy. Her sugar cravings subsided, and she felt satisfied with smaller meals. She dropped 60 pounds, and her blood sugar and blood pressure both came down.

But then Yolanda changed jobs, and her new health insurance plan didn’t cover the cost of Wegovy. When she could no longer afford to use the drug at a sticker price of about $1,400 a month, the weight started coming back surprisingly fast.

In a matter of months, she has gained back 20 pounds. “I’m very frustrated about the weight coming back on in so little time,” she says.

Based on how the drug works, the “rebound” weight gain is no surprise. And it may be even harder to reign in according to what a study in the New England Journal of Medicine found over a decade ago…

Peak Golden Oil^™

Support for Inflammation and Optimal Immune Balance!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Altered hunger-related hormones

That research found that hunger-related hormones disrupted by dieting and weight loss can remain at altered levels for at least a year, fueling a heartier-than-normal appetite.

That’s one reason that severely restricting calories isn’t the best way to lose weight. But can you imagine how difficult it might be for our hunger hormones to recover following drug-induced disruption?

Fruits and vegetables give the body the nutrients it needs to restore balance to our hunger hormones to do their jobs naturally — without being starved or manipulated by a drug.

Take berries. In studies snacking on berries create a sense of fullness that other snacks don’t. And, because of their anthocyanin content, they help make the body more sensitive to insulin — the hormone that takes glucose out of the blood and into cells to be used for energy.

Soluble fiber stabilizes blood sugar, slowing down the time it takes food to empty from the stomach and sugars to break down. This is good news for diabetics, hypoglycemics and anyone looking to lose weight naturally. Aiming to eat 30 grams of fiber each day can help with weight loss, lower blood pressure, and improve the body’s response to insulin just as effectively as a more complicated diet.

A diet high in protein has been shown to help suppress ghrelin, the hormone that signals hunger. It’s especially helpful to start your day with a protein-rich breakfast. Protein also has a positive impact on leptin (the hormone that signifies satiety).

Black seed oil from the plant Nigella sativa has numerous studies that indicate its positive effects on blood sugar and weight. It’s found in supplement form or bottled, like olive oil.

Side effects? It’s possible it could take a little longer to lose weight by eating better than with Wegovy and may require some exercise. But using the right food to achieve your goals will leave you with habits you’ll benefit from for the rest of your life — and won’t leave you nauseous or running for the bathroom, require an injection or empty your savings account.

Sources:

New Medication has Implications to avoid Would-be Chronic Disease — Pharmdive.com

Wegovy works. But here’s what happens if you can’t afford to keep taking the drug — NPR (Maine Public)

The dark side of A-list weight drugs — Evening Standard

I miss eating: the truth behind the weight loss drug that makes food repulsive —The Guardian

After dieting, hormone changes may fuel weight regain — CNN Health

The post Wegovy: From rebound weight to that black box warning appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That’s why eating them several times a week is directly tied to developing type 2 diabetes.

Each time I bring up the potato’s less-than-stellar qualities, it upsets some folks. I know you love your potatoes. I did too. But the science says that eating too much of this vegetable is just not good. In the standard American diet, potato-based dishes are far too common…

Peak Digestion^™

Gas, stomach upset, loose bowels, stomach cramps, headache and fatigue. These are all symptoms of a problem more common than you may think: Gluten intolerance. It’s often linked to autoimmune issues. Instead of the body digesting the protein, it treats gluten as an… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Just think about that for a moment… how many servings of potatoes might you have consumed this week in the form of tots, fries, chips, mashed or creamed potatoes, baked potatoes, hash browns or potato cakes?

Well if you still feel devoted to the one veggie you really should drop from your table, let me bring out the big guns — and this is something even most nutritionists don’t know…

The potato plant comes with its own protection system made up of something called saponins. When mixed with water, saponins form soapy foam.

Have you ever noticed that frothy, thick white foam that accumulates on top of the water when you boil a pot of potatoes? I have. It’s sticky and sometimes hard to clean off the pot, but that’s not the worst of it…

Chemically, saponins are glycoalkaloids. They evolved to protect the potato plant’s root (the part you eat) from attack by microbes and insects — and they are toxic.

When animals, including humans, eat glycoalkaloid-containing tubers such as potatoes, these substances frequently create holes in the gut lining, thereby increasing intestinal permeability. If glycoalkaloids enter your bloodstream in sufficient concentrations, they cause cell membrane destruction of your red blood cells.

Potatoes contain two glycoalkaloid saponins that can wreak havoc on your gut: α-chaconine and α-solanine. In addition to causing leaky gut, they can aggravate inflammatory bowel diseases, like ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and irritable bowel syndrome.

Peak Digestion^™

Protects You From Unwanted Effects of Gluten Ingestion, Calms Stomach Upset and Supports Digestion!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

At least 12 separate cases of human poisoning from potato consumption and 30 fatalities have been recorded in medical literature, and are fortunately rare occurrences. But the effects on the gut are likely not so rare.

The recommended safe limit for total glycoalkaloids in potato foods is 200 mg/kg, a level proposed more than 70 years ago. But more recent evidence suggests this level should be lowered to 60 – 70 mg/kg.

I no longer eat white potatoes at all, and my gut issues have all but disappeared — in part, as well, to giving up grains. But if you are not quite ready to totally drop the hot potato from your table, at least try to eat them prepared in ways that expose you to the least toxins.

From the list below, try to avoid any of these potato preparations with a combined glycoalkaloid concentration higher than 70:

Source: Are potatoes paleo–The Paleo Diet

The post Potato soup or toxic soap? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And I was taking exactly zero medication.

I periodically measure my blood pressure at home. She’s right. It’s vanished.

She didn’t know why, but I did. I had given up grains. And a few years later, I began following a paleo diet devoid of grains.

No wheat. No barley. No rye. No corn. No oats. No quinoa. A tiny bit of rice occasionally… particularly black rice since it’s a gluten-free gain and is reported to fight cancer.

Peak Golden Oil^™

The golden-colored oil of the Nigella sativa plant contains compounds essential for a healthy immune system. That explains why it was documented in the oldest medical writings. But we don’t just rely on history to prove the therapeutic benefit of… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

More dangerous than sugar

Sugar has a terrible reputation. It contributes to obesity, diabetes, coronary disease, and more. Still, I’m pretty sure there’s no food group more dangerous than grains. They endanger your waistline while threatening your heart and pancreas more than almost any other item you can eat.

Think about this: I didn’t give up grains and go on the paleo diet for my heart health. I did it to improve my memory and deal with digestive issues. But it resulted in heart benefits I didn’t expect.

As I was losing weight, enjoying clearer skin, experiencing less arthritis in my hands and losing about 20 pounds over the course of two years, my high blood pressure went away.

Blood pressure just wouldn’t go down

I’m sure the weight loss helped my blood pressure. But years ago, when I was at about the same weight I am at now, my blood pressure had remained stubbornly elevated.

I now blame my long-standing blood pressure problem on grains. I don’t know how else to explain why it is now gone.

About 20 years ago, when I was in my 30s, I was an addicted runner. I ran about 50 miles a week. I took part in marathons, triathlons and other road races. My weight seemed to be about as low as it could get and still be at a healthy level. (I weigh about 3 pounds less now.)

But my blood pressure was stuck at hypertension — no matter how much I exercised or tried to eat what I considered a healthy diet.

My doctor’s non-explanation explanation for my hypertension was that it was due to genetics. In his view, there was nothing that could be done for it except to take medication, which I did: ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, beta blockers.

The anti-grain movement

I’m not alone in my desertion of grains. An aversion to grains has gained traction among various experts and proponents of the paleo diet.

According to Mark Sisson, who writes the blog marksdailyapple.com, “Apart from maintaining social conventions in certain situations and obtaining cheap sugar calories, there is absolutely no reason to eat grains.”

As David Perlmutter, M.D., notes: “It may seem draconian,” he says, “but the best recommendation I can make is to completely avoid grains.”

Perlmutter, whose book Grain Brain warns about the negative effects grains produce on your memory and learning abilities, says: “Most grain foods, whether we’re talking about quinoa, amaranth, the very popular grains of the day, the reality is they still are associated with a carbohydrate surge. They have a fairly high glycemic index, meaning that after 90 to 120 minutes, your blood sugar is going to go up, and that is detrimental to the brain.”

Peak Golden Oil^™

Support for Inflammation and Optimal Immune Balance!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Your belly or your life

Cardiologist William Davis, author of the New York Times best-selling Wheat Belly Books, has focused most of his anti-grain writings on pointing out the problems with wheat in our diets.

He has observed that, “Over 80% of the people I meet today are pre-diabetic or diabetic. In an effort to reduce blood sugar, I asked patients to remove all wheat products from their diet based on the simple fact that, with few exceptions, foods made of wheat flour raise blood sugar higher than nearly all other foods.”

He also points out that whole grains cause just as many health problems as refined grains: “Yes… even whole grains (increase your blood sugar). More than table sugar, more than a Snickers bar. Organic, multigrain, sprouted–it makes no difference.”

There are a lot of reasons to give up grains. For me, the drop in my blood pressure offers constant reassurance that after a lifetime of searching for the right diet, I’m finally on the right track.

The post I gave up ONE food and my high BP vanished appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Chemopreventive agents can be synthetic (like pharmaceutical drugs) or naturally-occurring compounds, like those found in foods — and they can help fight cancer.

In fact, chemopreventive agents are proven to either suppress or reverse the molecular pathways leading to cancer development and metastasis.

The thing that appeals to some cancer researchers about natural occurring chemopreventive agents is their low level of toxicity compared to cancer drugs.

Toxicity and other ill-side effects of cancer treatments, including heart damage, are a couple of reasons that some forward-thinking researchers started paying attention to the association between foodborne preventative compounds and carcinogenesis.

For instance, it’s been widely noted that lower incidence of breast, prostate, and gastrointestinal tract cancer were always observed for Asian populations. But migration and adoption of different, less healthy diets changed the cancer odds for Asian populations living, especially, in the U.S.

Thankfully there has been a lot of research into these specific chemopreventive food compounds that put a big kink in cancer’s molecular pathway. And I don’t just mean in a petri dish or in animal studies, as you’ll read below. These compounds when eaten in high enough quantities — and regularly — impair cancer’s stronghold in the human body.

A 2012 research paper printed in Contemporary Oncology, listed the most promising. I’d like to share those with you, and why they’re important — now more than ever…

6 decades of failed treatments

In March of 2018, some brave researchers published a controversial analysis of repeated failures in cancer therapy.

In it, they state that a review of over six decades of approaches to cancer chemotherapies — including the recently touted immunotherapy for solid tumors — produced outcome failure rates of 90 percent.

Surprised? Probably not too much. We’ve all lost loved ones to cancer. We’ve seen others fight long, brave battles. We’ve also seen amazing success stories. But the bottom line is still this: there is no cure.

There are ways to fight it, but we seldom hear the truth from those within the inner sanctums of conventional medicine about the ineffectiveness of the only treatments they can offer.

Instead, they’re quick to tell us what we shouldn’t do when it comes to living a cancer-prevention lifestyle or using natural therapies in tandem with conventional treatments (known as complementary medicine)…

A good example is this article I read with this big scary headline: How Complementary Cancer Therapies Can Increase Risk of Early Death.

The gist of that article was that people using complementary therapies had twice the risk of dying during a nine-year study compared to people who only chose conventional treatment. They also added that the patients who opted to add complementary medicine were likely to refuse surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and hormone therapy.

But if the patients refused conventional treatments, we’re looking at an entirely different can of worms, aren’t we? Because, by definition, complementary medicine is “any of a range of medical therapies that fall beyond the scope of scientific medicine but may be used alongside it in the treatment of disease and ill health.”

So, that article is just part of a giant smear campaign to protect pharmaceutical interests and bank accounts by convincing a desperate public that we shouldn’t look elsewhere to protect ourselves against cancer… One they’ll keep ratcheting up when word spreads about their six-decade 90-percent failure rate.

By the way, I never saw the Times or any major news source run a big scary headline that read: Six decades of cancer research end in 90% failure rates! Did you?

Profits from misery

One of the most promising (and most highly researched) chemopreventive agents is green tea polyphenols.

Per the research: Green tea contains proteins (including enzymes), amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins (B, C, E) and minerals (i.e. Ca, Mg, Cr, Fe, Zn, F, K). Green tea has been found to exert a beneficial effect on the human organism and, although results are mixed, a number of studies have revealed a correlation with a reduction of chronic disease risk, including cancer (e.g. breast, esophageal, lung, colorectal, stomach, bladder, kidney, prostate, skin, pancreatic, ovarian).

About green tea and the other natural chemopreventive agents listed in the Contemporary Oncology report, the researchers concluded that “consideration of them as potential therapeutics is quite intelligible.” In other words, the research was obvious that these compounds could help in the fight against cancer.

They went on to say, “Some of these may be already found as extracts or pure substances available for daily supplementation and are becoming a common dietary habit. However, providing a well-balanced diet containing an abundance of biologically active compounds should become a daily habit.”

And that’s where the cancer industry starts to squirm…

They can’t make money on good nutrition, and you already know it’s a primary objective of theirs to malign the vitamin and supplement industry. That’s because their money train is developing targeted therapies and designer drugs. Big projects, that include funded studies and trials, that they get paid for whether the final product works or not — the costs of which have increased 340 times in the last 10 years. Per the researchers that analyzed the 90 percent failure rates, “This horrendous view for making profit out of misery of patients can no longer be sustained or tolerated.”

Prescription-free chemopreventive agents

I’m going to list here, along with brief points, the most promising natural chemopreventive agents. If you like to read a little more detail, you can access my source in the journal Contemporary Oncology, where I’m pulling this information from…

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)
PUFAs and their derivatives may influence several molecular signaling pathways involved in basic processes including cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis or metastasis.

PUFAs include the fatty acids DHA, EPA, ALA, and GLA, which you may recognize as omega-3s and omega-6s. A healthy ratio of 3s to 6s matters and should be 4-5. Food sources are cold-water fatty fish, fish oil or krill oil.

Glucosinolates/isothiocyanates
Think cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, parsnip, Brussels sprouts, radish, horseradish, turnip, and kale.

Data suggest an inverse association between cruciferous vegetable intake and risk of many cancers, e.g. lung, breast, stomach, pancreas, prostate, bladder, thyroid, skin and colon cancer.

“Despite the variety of bioactive compounds present in crucifers, i.e. polyphenols, minerals and vitamins, a superior role in cancer prevention is ascribed to glucosinolates and their decomposition products, isothiocyanates.”

And DIM must be mentioned when discussing cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, for its positive role in regard to research into prostate cancer.

Carotenoids
Among other phytochemicals present in food, carotenoids constitute a wide group of approximately 600 compounds found in almost all colored vegetables, while around 40 of them are present in daily diet. However, only 21 carotenoids are found in human serum/plasma due to differences in their bioavailability and absorption in the gut.

The most commonly studied are lycopene (watermelon, tomatoes – well absorbed from tomato juice and sauce, red grapefruit, briar), β-carotene (carrots, leafy greens), lutein (dihydroxy form of α-carotene, present in kale, spinach, mango, and oranges) and zeaxanthin (dihydroxy form of β-carotene, present in corn).

Carotenoids act as anticarcinogens. They exert growth inhibitory activity in a wide group of cancer cells, including colon, prostate, breast, and lung tumor cells.

Vitamin D3
Vitamin D3 is a fat-soluble prohormone naturally occurring in very small amounts in food but is produced in the skin after exposure to UV-B light.

Vitamin D3 action has been attributed to the regulation of multiple genes (more than 60) engaged in cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis (cell death) and angiogenesis.

Folate
Folic acid (also known as vitamin B₉) is a constituent found in large amounts in green leafy vegetables and fresh fruits.

A number of epidemiological studies revealed a 25–35 percent reduction in colon cancer incidence when comparing the groups with the highest and lowest folate intake. Decreased risk of colorectal cancer by approximately 75 percent was noted in women taking high-folate multivitamins for more than 15 years.

Selenium
It is suggested that selenium may inhibit the initiation and promotion phases of carcinogenesis. It blocks the formation of carcinogens and their binding to DNA. Selenium may also reduce cancer progression by improving the immune response.

Calcium
Calcium constitutes an essential macroelement for human health. Dairy products (milk, yogurts, and cheese), dark green vegetables, legumes, and nuts constitute a good source of this micronutrient. Although some results are inconsistent, a number of epidemiological studies have attributed calcium intake with decreased colon adenoma and cancer.

I believe the philosophy that it’s easier to avoid disease than it is to cure it. I hope that these natural chemopreventive agents can one day be developed in a way that they can help eradicate cancer from the planet. Till then they seem perfectly suited tools to include in a preventative cancer program as well as a complimentary dietary “treatment” when going through cancer treatments. Either way, we have to eat, and that’s the beautiful simplicity of these powerful foods and nutrients.

Sources:

1. Dietary derived compounds in cancer chemoprevention — Contemporary Oncology
2. Analyses of repeated failures in cancer therapy for solid tumors: poor tumor-selective drug delivery, low therapeutic efficacy and unsustainable costs — Clinical and Translational Medicine
3. How Complementary Cancer Therapies Can Increase Risk of Early Death — TIime

The post 8 Chemopreventive foods: The future of cancer therapy appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Number one — you want to live longer. Number two — you want to live disease-free. And number three — you want to age well.

But if your doctor is anything like mine was, he’s more interested in just keeping you chugging along between visits.

If you’ve set your sites further down the road, like me, there’s a certain nutrient that can help you do all of these things — including dodging diseases ranging from asthma to Alzheimer’s.

The nutrient is nothing new… I’ve written about it before. Its benefits are probably some of the most researched.

So what’s the compelling reason I’m coming to you with it again today?

I know most of my readers are women… and some recent information I stumbled across shows it may be the single most important, death-defying nutrient everyone — but especially women — should be taking.

The life-saving nutrient I’m referring to is omega-3 essential fatty acids.

And if you don’t get yours from a supplement — and you don’t eat fatty fish on a regular basis — chances are you’re among the dangerously deprived who face a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia, macular degeneration and even cancer.

You’re also accepting the fact you may lead a much shorter life…

Peak Krill Oil^™

Supports Heart Health, Immunity and Moods, Naturally!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Having peak omega-3 levels means longer life

The latest study published in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology found that low levels of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids can increase your risk of dying from all causes by a whopping 20 percent.

The study used health data from more than 6,500 women who participated in the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study. These women, who were between the ages of 65 and 80, were divided into four groups based on the amount of omega-3 fatty acids detected in their blood.

The women with the highest omega-3 levels were 20 percent less likely to die from any cause than the women with the lowest omega-3 levels, which demonstrates once again how “essential” these essential fatty acids are for peak health…

“This is the largest, but far from the only, study to confirm that blood levels of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids, in this case, the omega-3 index, are independent predictors of risk for death,” said Dr. William Harris, lead author of the study and founder of OmegaQuant Analytics. “These findings support the view that higher EPA and DHA omega-3 levels are associated with better overall health.”

Peak Krill Oil^™

You probably already know how important omega-3s are to support heart and brain health. But there are five reasons you may be getting yours from a less than adequate source, starting with a powerful antioxidant that delivers DHA into your brain cells… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Why your omega-3 levels are dangerously low

Now, according to researchers, 80 percent of Americans have omega-3 levels that are lower than the women in the study with the highest omega-3 levels — you know… the women who were able to decrease their risk of premature death by 20 percent.

You could get your omega-3 levels tested. Your doctor or another trusted healthcare professional can perform this testing for you, or you can order an at-home test.

But personally, just knowing that so many of us are deficient, I would skip straight to pumping your levels up with the addition of a quality supplement and a weekly salmon dinner or two (click here for other food sources).

To reach peak levels, like the women in the study who were placed in the highest category, you’d need to get at least 1 gram of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA per day. You can get that by eating about two and a half to three salmon fillets per week, taking 1-3 fish oil soft gels per day or taking one teaspoon of a liquid omega-3 supplement daily.

If you aren’t sure how to shop for omega-3 supplements, it can be confusing…  After years of trying different fish oils, I’ve settled on krill oil for several reasons… no fishy taste or fish burps, it’s considered more sustainable for the environment, and — this is my favorite reason — it contains a very powerful antioxidant called astaxanthin.  Read my post on why it keeps you in the pink.

Whichever type you choose, the sooner you get started, the sooner you can start looking forward to a longer life and many other great health benefits including a sharper brain, a lower cancer risk, healthier joints, a more youthful body and a happier heart.

The post One pill per day helps women live longer appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In fact, a study that came out last year showed that these drugs attack your mitochondria (the powerhouses of your cells) and prevent them from giving your body the energy it needs to keep your heart pumping.

But you may not realize just how quickly these drugs can take a toll on your ticker…

You don’t have to take these drugs for years and years to experience an elevated heart attack risk. Taking them for just one week will do the trick.  And your heart attack risk is highest the first month you take NSAIDs.

Talk about a steep learning curve…

If you make the seemingly harmless decision to try one of these drugs to see if it helps with your arthritis, migraines, sprained knee, gout or any other painful condition, you could be putting your heart in grave and immediate danger.

Peak Cardio Platinum^™

Clinically-Tested Nutrients Help Arteries and Cardiovascular Health!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

NSAIDs put your heart in harm’s way

Recently, a group of international researchers reviewed studies from an assortment of healthcare databases (including databases from Canada, Finland, and the United Kingdom) to see how NSAID use impacted heart attack risk.

They looked at the health data of 446,763 people (61,460 of whom had a heart attack) and concluded with a high degree of probability (90 percent) that taking NSAIDs was very much associated with heart attack risk. In fact, based on their calculations, using NSAIDs increased heart attack risk by an astonishing 20 to 50 percent.

Even scarier, the increased risk of heart attack started within the first week of taking NSAIDs, and the risk remained the highest for the first month of NSAID use. Researchers don’t believe the risk continues to increase the longer you use NSAIDs. But, the fact of the matter is, they don’t know for sure. Unsurprisingly, they also determined that taking higher doses of NSAIDs puts you at a higher heart attack risk.

Researchers examined a variety of NSAIDs in their review, including ibuprofen (a.k.a. Midol, Advil, and Motrin), Naproxen (a.k.a. Midol and Aleve), Diclofenac (a.k.a. Voltaren, Cambia, and Solaraze), Celecoxib (a.k.a. Celebrex) and Rofecoxib (a.k.a. Vioxx), which has now been withdrawn from the market due to safety concerns.

Peak Golden Oil^™

Support for Inflammation and Optimal Immune Balance!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

All of these NSAIDs were associated with an increased risk of heart attack. Rofecoxib increased the risk the most. While the three traditional NSAIDs — diclofenac, ibuprofen, and naproxen — were associated with the lowest level of risk.

Of course, in my book, taking these drugs is just not worth any level of risk… especially when you’re dealing with something as serious as a heart attack. Not to mention, when there are safer alternatives out there…

Finding heart-friendly pain relief

There are so many natural anti-inflammatories and pain-relievers out there, at times, it can be hard to choose. The best choice for you will largely depend on what type of inflammation or pain you’re dealing with. But here are a few effective options you may want to consider:

• DMSO. Dr. Mark Wiley says it’s one of the safest and most effective topical analgesics and anti-inflammatory products around.
• Acupuncture. It’s been shown time and time again to improve serious pain conditions like chronic lower back pain and osteoarthritis.
• A high-dose turmeric supplement can knock out joint pain, headache pain and more. Peak Triple Relief is my choice because it also includes ginger, black cumin seed and vitamin D. All are well-researched, powerful anti-inflammatory natural pain relievers, in my book.
• Previous research has shown that vitamin D affects the body’s inflammation response in a way that lowers the sensation of pain.

Sources:

1. Heightened risk of heart attacks found with common painkillers in routine use — MedicalXpress. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
2. Bally, et al. “Risk of acute myocardial infarction with NSAIDs in real-world use: bayesian meta-analysis of individual patient data.” — BMJ, 2017.

The post What a week of pain relievers does to your heart appeared first on Easy Health Options®.