Black pepper is one of the most widely used spices on the planet. It's valued not only as a flavoring agent in our meals, but also for a variety of other purposes, such as medicinal uses, as a preservative and in perfumery. In recent decades, scientific research has explored the many possible benefits of black…
When most people think of tonsillitis, they envision a child with swollen glands who has to get his or her tonsils removed. From there, it's all visions of ice cream and jello and a reason to miss school while eating dessert for a meal. The fact is that tonsillitis affects more than just children — and surgery…
Too often, a meal isn't considered a "real meal" unless it has meat in it. But if you're a vegetarian or just trying to cut back on your meat intake, it can sometimes be tough to find easy vegetarian recipes that are delicious and haven't been relegated to side dish status. These easy vegetarian recipes,…
Inflammatory bowel disease is chronic inflammation (swelling and irritation) of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The two main diseases that fall in this category are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Both of these conditions are caused by an abnormal response from your body’s immune system, where your system attacks your own tissue. Inflammatory bowel disease shares…
Millions of Americans suffer from gastrointestinal symptoms and distress each year. Diagnoses of leaky gut syndrome, Crohn’s and celiac disease, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) continue to grow, and researchers still can't quite put their fingers on why our digestive systems are under attack. Recently, researchers have started to acknowledge there's another digestive disorder lurking: small intestinal bacterial…
Arthritis is something that affects a lot of people. In fact, it's believed that approximately 350 million people worldwide have arthritis, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) estimates that more than 54 million in the U.S. alone suffer from arthritis symptoms. (1, 2) Rheumatoid arthritis is really autoimmune in nature and actually starts…
According to the 2017 National Diabetes Statistics Report, over 30 million people living in the United States have diabetes. That's almost 10 percent of the U.S. population. And diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, causing, at least in part, over 250,000 deaths in 2015. That's why it's so important…
Bug zappers may seem like a tempting solution if you find yourself Googling home remedies for mosquito bites during peak skeeter season. But there are a number of compelling reasons to avoid going the bug electrocution route. Now, to be clear, avoiding Zika virus and ailments like West Nile Virus should be on your radar. I'm just here to…
Coconut oil might just be the most versatile health food on the planet, so much so that I consider it a top superfood. Not only is it my favorite cooking oil, but coconut oil uses are numerous and can extend to being a form of natural medicine, be used for natural beauty treatments and so…
Autism is a developmental disorder that initially occurs in early childhood. It generally affects a child’s language, behavior and social skills in development. The exact cause of autism is unknown, but some reasons may include medications (specifically valproic acid and thalidomide) taken during pregnancy, exposure to toxins, infections, inflammation, leaky gut, nutrient deficiencies, food allergies and…