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The global population is booming, cities are expanding at a rapid pace, and there is no end in sight to the trend of urbanization. One of the results of all this growth and development is air pollution, where chemicals and other pollutants build up in the air and pose a serious danger to human health. Lung diseases and impaired lung capacity can often result from exposure to this type of pollution. There are also large segments of the population who deal with other issues that impair their lung capacity, including chronic asthma, cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).…

If you’ve got high blood pressure, conventional wisdom says to watch your salt intake. This advice has many people reducing the salt they add to dishes while cooking and eating. However, a few sprinkles of salt at the table aren’t going to make much difference if the dish you’re eating is unfriendly to hypertension in the first place. Many processed foods are so full of additives and other toxic ingredients that they’re a recipe for a huge blood pressure spike. Here’s a look at five foods to avoid if you’ve got hypertension. Lunch meat Lunch meat is loaded with sodium.…

While it often gets overlooked in dietary talk, fiber is arguably just as critical as powerhouse foods like healing mushrooms, adaptogenic herbs, bone broth, collagen protein, and colostrum, all of which are known to contribute to a healthy gut and robust immune system. But what kinds of fiber are best to take, and is it possible to consume too much of it? According to Dr. Bindiya Gandhi, M.D., an American Board Family Medicine-certified physician, the best kind of fiber is what’s found naturally in food. Whether it’s the insoluble fiber found in things like bran and psyllium husk, or the…

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a popular ingredient that’s used for savory dishes or desserts like gingerbread cookies. It’s also widely used in medicine for its abundance of health benefits. Here are seven more reasons to add ginger to your daily diet. Ginger root: One-stop shop for your nutrition needs A cup of freshly chopped ginger root contains about 80 calories, less than 18 g of carbohydrates, and at least 2 g of fiber and protein. This superfood also offers vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, folate, iron, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, riboflavin, and zinc. Below are more incredible benefits that ginger can offer.…

If you’ve been trying to lose weight, you might be steering clear of all snacks. While that may seem like good advice on the surface – after all, most snacks are full of artificial ingredients and packed with simple carbohydrates, saturated fats and calories – the truth is that you could be setting yourself up to overeat later. The key is to choose healthy snacks that will keep you feeling full without adding too many calories. Here are some snacks that fit the bill. Hard-boiled eggs Eggs are a great source of protein, which means they can satisfy hunger quickly.…

If you’ve been trying to lose weight, you might be steering clear of all snacks. While that may seem like good advice on the surface – after all, most snacks are full of artificial ingredients and packed with simple carbohydrates, saturated fats and calories – the truth is that you could be setting yourself up to overeat later. The key is to choose healthy snacks that will keep you feeling full without adding too many calories. Here are some snacks that fit the bill. Hard-boiled eggs Eggs are a great source of protein, which means they can satisfy hunger quickly.…

Thanks to the rapid legalization of medical marijuana, its treasure trove of cannabinoids are drawing more interest from healthcare professionals. A new study in Washington, D.C. found that more dermatologists are inclined to prescribe cannabinoids for various skin diseases. For thousands of years, the cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa) has served as a source of herbal medicine for various health problems, including dermatological diseases. Its beneficial effects on human health came from cannabinoids, which are plant-based chemical compounds that activated the body’s vital endocannabinoid system. Initially, the resin of the cannabis plant provided the majority of cannabinoids for medicinal use. Eventually, researchers found ways to synthesize the phytochemicals…

A person on the ketogenic (keto) diet eats low-carb foods and high amounts of fat. This rules out a lot of fruit from the diet. But if you’re on this diet and you love fruits, there are a few low-carb fruits like avocados and berries that you can indulge in. What is the keto diet? The keto diet reduces your intake of carbs to send your body into a state called ketosis that burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates or sugars. To stay in ketosis, you should only consume five to 10 percent of your calories from carbohydrates, or…

If you’re into bling, here’s something to consider before you buy your next piece of jewelry. A recent study from the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) in California found significant levels of the toxic metal cadmium in jewelry items sold at major national retailers including Ross, Nordstrom Rack, Walgreens, and Papaya. According to the CEH-commissioned report, which first appeared in the Associated Press, some jewelry sold with women’s dresses and shirts contained anywhere from 40 to 100 percent cadmium. Prolonged exposure to cadmium can cause reproductive damage and even cancer. In its Report on Carcinogens, the U.S. Department of Health…

Drinking herbal teas is one way to enhance your health and prevent diseases. In a study published in the journal Nutrients, researchers found that drinking hibiscus tea can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. Researchers from the U.K. and Nigeria looked at the effects of hibiscus on blood pressure, vascular function, and other cardiometabolic risk markers. They recruited 25 men with a cardiovascular disease risk between one percent and 10 percent, which was measured using a QRISK2 calculator. Then, the participants were randomly assigned to consume either 250 milliliters (mL) of a special hibiscus drink or plain water. The special hibiscus…

Women suffer from migraines more often than men, but scientists didn’t know why. Until recently, a 30-year-long study in the Journal of Neuroscience revealed that women are more likely to have migraines than men because of the activity of a protein called calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas carried out a preclinical study on rats and mice. They started by injecting CGRP into the meninges of male and female rats. Meninges is the protective layer of three tissues that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. They administered small doses of CGRP into the dura…

Inflammation is a normal occurrence in your body. It is your immune system’s response to threats. However, there are cases in which the immune system impartially attacks healthy tissues and organs, thereby leading to autoimmune diseases. About 700 million people around the world suffer from an autoimmune disease, and up to 23.5 million people in the U.S., becoming one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the country. The exact cause of autoimmune diseases is unknown, but scientists believe infections, genetics, and environmental factors, such as diet, toxins and gut bacteria balance play a role. The good news is…

An online pharmacy company known as Valisure, which is currently licensed to operate in 37 states, has issued an urgent warning to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about a cancer-causing chemical found in valsartan, a popular blood pressure pharmaceutical manufactured by Novartis and several other drug companies. As it turns out, valsartan contains high levels of dimethylformamide, or DMF, which the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies as a “probable human carcinogen” – just like glyphosate, the primary active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide. For the safety of patients, Valisure is calling on the FDA to immediately recall valsartan…

Korean researchers investigated the anti-inflammatory potential of Xanthium strumarium, a plant extensively used in traditional Chinese medicine. Their findings were published in The American Journal of Chinese Medicine. Rough cocklebur (X. strumarium) has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for many years to treat arthritis, bronchitis, and rhinitis. The researchers investigated the mechanism by which it ameliorates inflammatory diseases. To evaluate the therapeutic properties of methanol extracts of X. strumarium (Xs-ME), the researchers used lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine macrophage-like RAW264.7 cells and human monocyte-like U937 cells. They also used a LPS/D-galactosamine (GalN)-induced acute hepatitis mouse model. To find the target inflammatory pathway, the researchers used holistic immunoblotting analysis, reporter…

Home gardening is a satisfying hobby. However, it comes with some minor annoyances, like garden pests that can damage your carefully cultivated crops. Thankfully, you can get rid of garden pests without using harmful pesticides that can cause negative side effects by growing plants that keep bugs away, like basil and peppermint. (h/t to AskAPrepper.com) Most of the plants in the list below are aromatic, which helps deter pesky bugs and insects that can damage your crops. Alliums Alliums include other plants that belong to the same family as onions, such as chives, garlic, leeks, onions, scallions, and shallots. Alliums are edible,…

Research carried out by The University of Western Australia into the management of Aboriginal heart patients has found that while treatment is improving, more work is needed to ensure that rural patients are getting treatments that match those that are recommended. Researchers completed two audits that effectively serve as a report card on how one regional WA hospital managed treatment of heart attack and unstable angina (collectively referred to as acute coronary syndrome or ACS).  The study examined medical records from the hospital’s emergency department to analyse the differences in treatment and health outcomes and it also explicitly examined the…