L-Methionine (L-Met), a.k.a Methionine is an amino acid needed to form protein in the body. It also has, as I have discovered, many other valuable claims attributed to it. What are some of those claims? These are some of those that I’ve come across, and will be tackling: assists with drug withdrawal symptoms, lessons tremors… Continue reading
Clary sage (Salvia sclarea L. Lamiaceae) is an aromatic plant which is cultivated in Europe and North America (1). The list of anecdotal benefits of clary sage is extremely long and includes being used as an antidepressant, anti-convulsive, anti-septic, anti-spasmodic, astringent, antibacterial, uterine tonic nervine and for sore throat, muscular pain, low estrogen, PMS, menstrual… Continue reading
Ginseng is an herbaceous plant that belongs to genus Panax, of the family Araliaceae; panax means ‘all-healing’ or ‘panacea’ (1). The name ginseng comes from the Chinese words “Jen Sheng,” meaning “man-herb,” due to the humanoid shape of the rhizome (root) of the plant (2). The root is the most is the important medicinal part… Continue reading
Introduction to Glucosamine Glucosamine is a supplement that most of us have heard of. A recent report from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics found that Americans spend around $13 billion per year on natural product supplements (1). Of these, glucosamine is one of the most popular dietary supplements. So why the huge interest in… Continue reading
What Is Spikenard? Spikenard, also known as card, nardin and muskroot, is an essential oil derived from the rhizome (root) of Nardostachys jatamansi (N. jatamansi). N. jatamansi is a plant of the Valerian family and grows from the northern alpine to the sub alpine area of the Himalayan region, at high altitudes of 3,000 to… Continue reading
Pine bark extract must be the secret ingredient in the mythical elixir of life considering the fact that it is touted as an anti-infective, anti-cancer, anti-ageing, anti-hypertensive, anticoagulant, anti-diabetes, anti-erectile dysfunction, anti-allergy, anti-PMT, anti-endometriosis, anti-diabetic foot ulcer, pro-circulation, pro-analgesic, pro-stamina, and AHDH remedy (to name just a few). It supposedly brings us all the benefits… Continue reading
What is Hyperlipidemia? Hyperlipidemia is a key preventable risk factor for the number one cause of death and disability in the developed world – heart disease. Hyperlipidemia refers to high levels of lipids in the blood. Hyperlipidemia (also called dyslipidemia) can be asymptomatic (until you get really sick or it kills you) but can be diagnosed… Continue reading
It can smell sickly (as in, um, vomit), or sweet, even added to perfumes. It can be found in certain foods, produced by our bodies or taken as a supplement. A quick Google search reveals the main claims of benefit for Butyric Acid (BTA), also known as Butanoic Acid, relate to gut health and improving… Continue reading
Palo santo is recommended for a wide range of health issues including immune boosting, muscle and joint aches, allergies, headaches and as a bug repellant. And the list goes on (that is if you indiscriminately believe what you read on the internet). I hate to be difficult but palo santo is a tree so which… Continue reading
The use of shea butter as a beauty aid may date back as far as Cleopatra’s reign in ancient Egypt. Shea butter is also used for cooking, lighting, soap and craft making. It is sometimes used as a cocoa butter substitute in the chocolate industry (1). Prior to the 1980s, shea butter was positioned as… Continue reading
There is great interest in the health benefits of kombu which is an edible form of Japanese brown seaweed kelp (Laminaria japonica). The long list of proported health benefits of kombu includes improved digestion, cancer prevention, improved thyroid function, higher iron stores and hemoglobin levels. And the list goes on. This all sounds very good… Continue reading
Carnosine is a small dipeptide molecule that occurs naturally in the bodies of a wide variety of animals, plays important roles in energy metabolism, anti-oxidation, gene expression, protein integrity and phosphorylation, among others, but scientific research, up to this day, hasn’t come up with an explanation about what, exactly is its biological function. (8) Let’s… Continue reading
Living in today’s fast-paced society can mean our bowel motions slow down to a halt. Literally. We all know the effects of travel, stress and poor eating habits…. Constipation! Constipation, infrequent bowel movements or difficulty in passing stools, is a common and uncomfortable complaint. It is suspected to affect upwards of 15% of all Americans… Continue reading
Sorting through the many air purifying options can be tough. There are so many options and many purifiers seem exactly the same, or wildly different. If you have done any looking at all then you have likely come across the Winix 5500-2. Winix is a popular air purifier company and the 5500-2 is a staple… Continue reading
Coway is an innovative company from South Korea that makes products to help purify the home. They make a number of water and air purifiers. And in cities like Seoul and Hong Kong air purifiers a necessity. The Coway AP-1512HH uses four filtering stages to clean the air which is more than the standard two… Continue reading
Buying an air purifier can be a difficult task. There are literally hundreds of air purifiers on the market and each one is different in subtle ways from the next. You may want a purifier that cleans large spaces, or one that can clean smaller spaces really fast. You might be searching for an air… Continue reading
There are many reasons for wanting to buy an air purifier; maybe you have allergies, maybe you want to get rid of cigarette smoke, maybe your life has been taken over by pet dander. Breathing clean and clear air in your own home is something that everyone can find value in. Luckily Honeywell makes a… Continue reading
The flightless emu bird (Dromaius novaehallandiae), native to Australia, is probably best known for being on Australia’s coat-of-arms, opposite the kangaroo. Emu oil is a well-known, commercially available product, notably in countries such as Australia and the United States, and believed to have many therapeutic and medicinal properties. Being from Australia myself, I often come… Continue reading
If you have been shopping around for air purifiers online then you have no doubt stumbled across the GermGuardian ac4825 and you likely have lots of questions. Can it get rid of cigarette smoke? How many square feet can it clean? What is that blinking red light on the top? I will answer all these… Continue reading
Why the interest in Sarsaparilla? Remember Sarsaparilla, the fizzy soft drink in a bottle? It may be what first comes to mind when I mention the word. Although now sometimes made with artificial ingredients, the beverage was originally made with the sarsaparilla (SAR) plant. Nowadays, SAR is becoming more widely available in health food stores,… Continue reading