Diabetes insipidus, is a debilitating and rare disease, with a prevalence of 1 out of 25,000 people. Often referred to as "water diabetes," it is a condition characterized by frequent and heavy urination, excessive thirst and an overall feeling of weakness. It's caused by a defect in the pituitary gland or in the kidneys. (1) The…
Between 20-44 percent of the total population of those living in Western, industrialized nations suffers from GERD. Many experts believe that the alarmingly high prevalence of GERD is a direct result of eating a modern, highly-processed diet. Up to 40 percent of Americans experience GERD-related symptoms at least monthly. Around 10-20 percent experience GERD symptoms…
Swallowing is a very complex process. Some people lose their ability to swallow. Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is fairly common among aging adults. It can lead to malnutrition, dehydration, aspiration pneumonia and even death. In the United States, dysphagia affects 300,000 to 600,000 people yearly. Age-related changes in swallowing physiology, as well as age-related diseases, are factors…
A fever blister is pretty common, as it easily spreads from person to person through direct contact. Also called cold sores, fever blisters can be uncomfortable and unattractive. They begin as red and swollen blisters that eventually develop scabs. Fever blisters are caused by the herpes simplex virus, an infection that may cause only a single…
You might consider yourself a true “coffee lover”, one who knows all the latest research about coffee nutrition facts and benefits, but would you be willing to try an unconventional way of using coffee to improve your health? While drinking coffee has its well-documented benefits, that’s not the only way to reap the rewards of this antioxidant-packed beverage. It…
It's easy to make jokes about different types of beans and the effects they have on flatulence, but the focus should be on just how nutritious things like pinto beans can be for our health. For instance, did you know that many types of beans, such as anasazi beans and pinto beans, are some of…
A popular food additive used in everything from dill pickles to ice cream is now linked to colon cancer, thanks to the way it impacts the gut. Emulsifiers are added to most processed foods to improve food texture and extend shelf life. But it also throws off healthy levels of intestinal bacteria, triggering chronic, low-level inflammation…
The vast majority (93 percent) of American women age 18 and older report having had at least one pap smear in their lifetimes. And according to a study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, 20 percent of women in the United States report having had at least one abnormal pap smear, which may…
It's perfectly normal for a man's prostate to grow throughout his adult life. For some men, this doesn't bring about any serious symptoms, but for others, an enlarged prostate can lead to issues that affect not just prostate health, but their quality of life. An enlarged prostate affects one in five men between the ages…
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…
