Soups and stews are one of my favorite parts of colder weather. There's something about a pot of simmering goodness that makes the cold weather feel extra cozy and comforting. But the problem with most soup recipes is that they require quite a bit of time cooking to allow the flavors to meld together. And…
Black salve is the name for a group of topical pastes and plasters known as escharotics that are considered very controversial cancer treatments in mainstream medicine. Although one black salve ingredient called bloodroot is sometimes used by certain dermatologists in the treatment of skin cancer (part of a practice called Mohrs surgery), the effectiveness and…
Vitamin B12 deficiency is believed to be one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in the world, especially among people taking stomach acid-altering medications and antibiotics frequently, along with the elderly and sometimes vegetarians/vegans. (1) For this reason, B12 injections are sometimes used to offset the many symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, such as fatigue and…
Because of kale's emergence in the past several years as a superfood and must-have ingredient in cafes throughout the country, the leafy green has become something of a punchline. But trendy or not, the health benefits of kale can't be overstated. It has a whopping 684 percent of your daily recommended value of vitamin K…
Never heard of homocysteine before and wondering what causes someone to have elevated homocysteine levels? Homocysteine is a specific type of amino acid that's created in the body during metabolic processes, as opposed to consumed in food. It's produced in the body as a byproduct of methylation, the process of producing an essential protein called…
Herpes is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), prompting many to wonder how to get rid of herpes naturally. The herpes virus can live dormant inside a person’s immune system for a lifetime, periodically causing blisters that burst and turn into open cold sores or ulcers before healing. When left alone, herpes…
Is your skin overly sensitive to sunlight? Don't worry, you aren't a vampire. However, you may have "vampire disease," a nickname given to a form of porphyria. Porphyria is the term for a group of disorders caused from an abnormal accumulation of porphyrins in the blood, which are chemicals that normally help hemoglobin bring oxygen throughout the…
It's estimated that restless leg syndrome (RLS) affects more than one in 10 American adults every year (around 12 million people). (1) RLS is a condition characterized by uncomfortable feelings in your legs, giving you a strong urge to move them in order to find relief. Because symptoms tend to get worse overnight, RLS is…
Cataracts currently affect over 22 million Americans who are 40 or older, and as the population ages, more than 30 million Americans are expected to exhibit cataract symptoms by the year 2020. (1) By current standards, pretty much everyone who lives into the golden years of their 80s or 90s will have to deal with cataract…
According to the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), genital herpes is a very common, very contagious virus that's the No. 1 cause of genital ulcers worldwide. (1) In the U.S., approximately 25 percent of all adult women (about one in four, although some studies have found the rate to be much higher) and…
