Carrageenan is literally everywhere. It is virtually impossible to find a grocery store that doesn't sell products that include it as an additive. Even the natural food stores are full of it. You can find it in organic yogurt, tofu, coconut milk, baby formula — even in your nitrite-free turkey old cuts. Although it's so common in…
Hydrochloric acid (also called HCL, HCL acid or betaine hydrochloride in supplement form) is considered one of the most important fluids (or "juices") found in the human body. Hydrochloric acid is found inside the stomach and needed for many processes involved in digestive health. Unfortunately as we age, our production of hydrochloric acid decreases —…
What do Edgar Degas, Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso all have in common aside from their incredible painting abilities? These three artists all shared a love of absinthe, a botanical spirit made from wormwood, anise and fennel. You may have heard of wormwood because of its inclusion in this famous European beverage, but did…
You might recognize it as an ingredient in your favorite skin serums or perhaps noticed it in joint-supporting supplements, but what is collagen? What does collagen do, exactly, and how can you incorporate it into your life? Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies, especially type 1 collagen. It’s found in muscles, bones,…
I bet you didn’t know that women are actually more likely to get a canker sore than men. It's true. Canker sores can also run in families — possibly due to heredity or to a shared environmental factor like foods or allergens! Unfortunately, anyone at any age can develop a canker sore. Do you know…
Lactose intolerance is a prevalent and distressing condition that affects a surprisingly high percentage of adults. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services approximates that about 65 percent of the human population has a reduced ability to digest lactose after infancy. Lactose intolerance is not the same as a milk allergy. It's more of a discomfort than…
As more Americans are affected by poor diet choices, chronic stress, toxic overload and bacterial imbalance, it appears that the prevalence of leaky gut is potentially reaching epidemic proportions. The medical profession is just now agreeing this condition even exists, which is especially shocking considering that “intestinal permeability” (another name for leaky gut) has been…
To date, there are over 1,500 studies showing coconut oil to be one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Coconut oil uses and benefits go beyond what most people realize, as coconut oil — made from copra or fresh coconut flesh — is a true superfood. It's no wonder the coconut tree is considered the "tree…
Vitamin B1, which is also referred to as thiamine, is a coenzyme used by the body to metabolize food for energy and to maintain proper heart and nerve functions. Thiamine has the important role of helping us digest and extract energy from the foods we eat by turning nutrients into useable energy in the form of…
