Cutting 20 percent of sugar from packaged foods and 40 percent from beverages could prevent 2.48 million cardiovascular disease events (such as strokes, heart attacks, cardiac arrests), 490,000 cardiovascular deaths, and 750,000 diabetes cases in the U.S. over the lifetime of the adult population, according to a new study.

Therapies that target aging cells early pave the way to easing back pain.

Researchers have developed a nanoparticle-based disinfectant that can continuously kill viruses on a surface for up to seven days—a discovery that could be a powerful weapon against COVID-19 and other emerging pathogenic viruses.

There is a clear link between taking antibiotics and an increased risk of developing colon cancer within the next five to ten years. This has been confirmed after a study of 40,000 cancer cases. The impact of antibiotics on the intestinal microbiome is thought to lie behind the increased risk of cancer.

A research team investigated whether electrical therapy, coupled with exercise, would show promise in treating tendon disease or ruptures. They found that tendon cell function and repair can be controlled through electrical stimulation from an implantable device powered by body movement.

New research demonstrates the beneficial effect of breast milk consumption on cardiovascular health and early cardiovascular development in premature infants.

Eating a plant-centered diet during young adulthood is associated with a lower risk of heart disease in middle age, according to a long-term study with about 30 years of follow-up. A separate study with about 15 years of follow-up found that eating more plant-based foods that have been shown to lower cholesterol, called the ‘Portfolio Diet’, is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women.

Time-restricted eating (TRE), a dietary regimen that restricts eating to specific hours, has garnered increased attention in weight-loss circles. A new study further shows that TRE confers multiple health benefits besides weight loss. The study also shows that these benefits may depend on sex and age

Researchers find having someone to listen to you when you need to talk is associated with greater cognitive resilience. New study shows social interaction in adulthood can stave off cognitive decline despite brain aging.

A new study shows that people who walk or garden at least three to four hours per week, or bike at least two to three hours per week, or the equivalent after having a stroke may have a 54% lower risk of early death from any cause. The study found the most benefit for younger stroke survivors. When people under the age of 75 exercised at least that amount, their risk of early death was reduced by 80%.

Imagine if you could attach something to your skin without needing glue. A biosensor, a watch, a communications device, a fashion accessory—the possibilities are endless. Thanks to a discovery, that time could be closer than you think.

Findings from a new study add to growing evidence that resistance exercise has unique benefits for fat loss. Researchers found that resistance-like exercise regulates fat cell metabolism at a molecular level.

The research found that photobiomodulation—a form of low-dose light therapy—sped up recovery from burns and reduced inflammation in mice by activating a protein that controls cell growth and division.

The dual beneficial effect of physical activity in depression is confirmed by a new study. Physical activity not only reduces depressive symptoms, it also increases the brain’s ability to change.

How do we decide whether or not an activity which requires work is ‘worth the effort’? Researchers have shown that the willingness to work is not static, and depends upon the fluctuating rhythms of fatigue.

Swimming a few laps likely won’t turn your child into the next Katie Ledecky or Michael Phelps, but it just might help them become the next J.K. Rowling or Stephen King. A recent study suggests aerobic exercise, such as swimming, can boost kids’ vocabulary growth.

Researchers discovered that although the brain regulates feeding for pleasure and for hunger through serotonin-producing neurons in the midbrain, each type of feeding is wired by its own independent circuit that does not influence the other type of feeding.

Researchers have discovered that spontaneous impulses of dopamine, the neurological messenger known as the brain’s ‘feel good’ chemical, occur in the brain of mice. The study found that mice can willfully manipulate these random dopamine pulses for reward.

Scientists have successfully reversed age-related memory loss in mice and say their discovery could lead to the development of treatments to prevent memory loss in people as they age.

It’s a favourite first-order for the day, but while a quick coffee may perk us up, new research shows that too much could be dragging us down, especially when it comes to brain health.

Scientists map the part of the brain that ‘links’ similar objects, leading to new insights about how the brain processes information out of context.

A new study shows that during development, brain cells may find different ways to connect with each other based on sex.

Analysis of children’s and young people’s proximity to woodlands has shown links with better cognitive development and a lower risk of emotional and behavioural problems, in new research that could influence planning decisions in urban areas.

How neuronal circuits remodel themselves over time, especially during early development, is a major question in neurobiology. Using mice, researchers have uncovered a biomolecular mechanism behind the strengthening of connections from neurons called mitral cells. The team found that the protein BMPR-2 is a key regulator of selective stabilization of neuron branching and that strengthening of a branch happens only when neural signals are transmitted.

Adequate blood flow supplies the brain with oxygen and nutrients, but the oxygenation tends to fluctuate in a distinct, consistent manner. The root of this varied activity, though, is poorly understood. Now, researchers have identified one cause of the fluctuations: inherent randomness in the flow rate of red blood cells through tiny blood vessels called capillaries.

Researchers have found that a component derived from turmeric essential oil, ar-turmerone, and its derivatives act directly on dopaminergic neurons to exert a neuroprotective effect on tissue cultures of a Parkinson’s disease model. The effect appears to be due to the enhancement of cellular antioxidant potency through Nrf2 activation. The researchers believe that the ar-turmerone derivatives identified in this study can be utilized as new therapeutic agents for Parkinson’s disease.

Eating avocado as part of your daily diet can help improve gut health, a new study shows. Avocados are a healthy food that is high in dietary fiber and monounsaturated fat. However, it was not clear how avocados impact the microbes in the gastrointestinal system or “gut.”

Researchers discovered that most bacteria in the gut microbiome are heritable after looking at more than 16,000 gut microbiome profiles collected over 14 years from a long-studied population of baboons in Kenya’s Amboseli National Park. The team also found that several of the microbiome traits heritable in baboons are also heritable in humans.

In COVID-19 patients whose symptoms were mild, researchers found that they were more likely than sicker patients to have signs of prior infection by similar, less virulent coronaviruses.

To quickly express genes needed for learning and memory, brain cells snap both strands of DNA in many more places and cell types than previously realized.

Scientists say restoring a brain protein, not removing amyloid plaques, should be the target of Alzheimer’s dementia therapies.

Philosophers, artists and scientists—and probably all the rest of us—have long obsessed over the key to human immortality. We all, no matter our income, culture, or religion, are bound to die. Even if we escape mortal diseases or accidents, we all face a deadly biological deterioration. While the debate of human longevity has divided the scientific community for centuries, a new study finds fresh evidence for our inevitable death.

A new study offers quantitative evidence linking psychological stress to graying hair in people.

A new biocompatible polymer-based composite material could soon replace metal plates in treating difficult and unstable fractures. The newly developed material is as strong as dental composites, yet non-toxic.

Researchers have identified the brain regions involved in choosing whether to find out if a bad event is about to happen.

Researchers studying prions—misfolded proteins that cause lethal incurable diseases—have identified the surface features of human prions responsible for their replication in the brain.

In a discovery that challenges long-held dogma in biology, researchers show that mammalian cells can convert RNA sequences back into DNA, a feat more common in viruses than eukaryotic cells.

Scientists have identified how and why some Covid-19 patients can develop life-threatening clots, which could lead to targeted therapies that prevent this from happening.

A new therapy prompts immune defense cells to swallow misshapen proteins, amyloid beta plaques and tau tangles, whose buildup is known to kill nearby brain cells as part of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study shows.

New research has revealed that people with the ability to visualise vividly have a stronger connection between their visual network and the regions of the brain linked to decision-making. The study also sheds light on memory and personality differences between those with strong visual imagery and those who cannot hold a picture in their mind’s eye.

Scientists are understanding more about natural killer cells, which are your allies when it comes to fighting infections and cancer.

Why do some babies react to perceived danger more than others? According to new research, part of the answer may be found in a surprising place: an infant’s digestive system.

People who have had a mild case of COVID-19 are left with long-term antibody protection against future disease, according to a new study.

A team has developed a new brain stimulation technique using focused ultrasound that is able to turn specific types of neurons in the brain on and off and precisely control motor activity without surgical device implantation.

Intermittent Fasting is an effective means of improving long term memory retention and generating new adult hippocampal neurons in mice. Researchers hope that this has the potential to slow the advance of cognitive decline in older people.

Papers in leading psychology, economic and science journals that fail to replicate and therefore are less likely to be true are often the most cited papers in academic research, according to a new study.

Taking more steps per day, either all at once or in shorter spurts, may help you live longer. The benefits of more daily steps occurred with both uninterrupted bouts of steps (10 minutes or longer) and short spurts such as climbing stairs.

New research indicates that heart-focused anxiety is a statistically significant predictor for general depression and overall anxiety.

Only 1 in 10 people with diabetes in low- and middle-income countries is getting evidence-based, low-cost comprehensive care.

Researchers have found that although the vast majority of people with alcohol use disorder see their doctors regularly for a range of issues, fewer than one in 10 ever get treatment to help curb their drinking.

Marilyn and Steven are an interesting couple. They do almost everything together. They’re in their mid-40s, have raised three children, and they work together in a successful real-estate business. They soon will be celebrating their 25th anniversary. They were high school sweethearts who wed during college, and they got their business degrees at the same school while their first children were coming along.

New research indicates that heart-focused anxiety is a statistically significant predictor for general depression and overall anxiety.

Only 1 in 10 people with diabetes in low- and middle-income countries is getting evidence-based, low-cost comprehensive care.

Researchers have found that although the vast majority of people with alcohol use disorder see their doctors regularly for a range of issues, fewer than one in 10 ever get treatment to help curb their drinking.

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Marilyn and Steven are an interesting couple. They do almost everything together. They’re in their mid-40s, have raised three children, and they work together in a successful real-estate business. They soon will be celebrating their 25th anniversary. They were high school sweethearts who wed during college, and they got their business degrees at the same school while their first children were coming along.

They also have one more thing in common, something they just learned about this past year. They both have osteoporosis.

Marilyn learned that she had lost an inch in stature at her last check-up, so her physician ordered a bone density scan and confirmed significant bone loss. Shortly after that, Steven discovered his bone loss through dental X-rays. The family drinks lots of milk, so they each were very surprised when their bone loss was diagnosed.

Forget the Milk Moustache

A Harvard study has confirmed that women who drink three glasses of milk a day actually broke more bones than women who hardly ever had milk. And an Australian study showed the same surprising results in both sexes. The men and women who had the highest dairy consumption had twice the hip fractures of their low dairy counterparts!

As bones lose more of their strength, the risk of fractures rises. Each year an estimated 1.3 million older Americans suffer broken bones because of osteoporosis. Wrists, hips, and spinal vertebrae are the most susceptible areas.

After menopause, one out of three women show some degree of bone deterioration, so we could see an epidemic of hip, spine, and wrist fractures. And the hip fractures can be deadly since one-third of all elderly women who suffer a hip fracture die within six months. The toll this disease takes on our aging population will only get worse if everyone mistakenly believes that drinking more milk is the cure!

Steven was shocked to learn that he was losing bone. In the last few years, his major health concern has been prostate cancer, he lost a friend to the disease two years ago. But prostate cancer is not the only threat to men. Men must also learn about osteoporosis, because men over the age of 50 actually have a greater risk of developing osteoporosis than they do prostate cancer.

Most men are amazed to learn that the disease affects them, too. Osteoporosis is most often associated with women, since women have quadruple the rate of osteoporosis as men. But more than two million men in the United States have osteoporosis, and it’s estimated that another three million are at high risk.

Fortunately, osteoporosis is both preventable and reversible. There is an arsenal of supplemental therapies that make far more sense than the “drink milk and take Fosamax” approach endorsed by conventional doctors. Then with simple bone density tests, you can watch as your bone health improves.

Bones 101

Osteoporosis, which literally means porous bones, is a progressive condition. As people age, their bones gradually lose strength and density. Bone is living, growing tissue. It’s made mostly of collagen, a protein that provides structure, and calcium phosphate, a mineral that adds strength to the structure. This combination of collagen and calcium makes bone strong, yet flexible to withstand stress. All but 1% of the body’s calcium is contained in the bones and teeth. The rest is in the blood.

At every age, even in seniors, old bone is removed (resorption) and new bone is added to the skeleton (formation). The entire process is called remodeling. In children and teenagers, new bone is added faster than old bone is removed. So the bones grow and become larger, heavier, and denser. Bone formation continues at a pace faster than resorption until peak bone mass or maximum bone density and strength is reached around age 30.

Once the peak bone mass is reached, resorption slowly begins to exceed bone formation. Osteoporosis develops when bone resorption far outpaces bone development. Accelerated calcium loss is a characteristic of advancing osteoporosis, so putting the brakes on calcium loss and initiating bone formation allows us to reverse the condition.

Give Your Bones the Calcium They Need

The first step Steven and Marilyn did was to give their bones the calcium they need by eating foods that supply highly absorbable forms of the mineral. These foods are greens, beans, sardines, and fortified foods. The best calcium foods are leafy green vegetables and legumes. Broccoli, brussels sprouts, collards, kale, mustard greens, and Swiss Chard are also good choices. Spinach, which is high in calcium-binding oxalic acid, is not. Beans are loaded with calcium, too, and they provide magnesium, which your body uses together with calcium to build bones. Fortified orange juice provides 300 mg of calcium per serving and you can take bone-building formula supplements to provide the balance of what you need.

Exercise helps to get calcium to the bones. Active people tend to hold onto calcium while being sedentary speeds its excretion. The bottom line is this: Strong people have strong bones. Lifting weights and walking dramatically enhances the activity of bone-building osteoblasts (bone cells).

Vitamin D plays a role, too. Studies show that folks with osteoporosis have low levels of vitamin D, which controls your body’s use of calcium.

Keep the Calcium in Your Bones

Once you get the calcium into your bones, the next step is to keep it there. Certain factors are linked to the development of osteoporosis or contribute to an individual’s likelihood of developing the disease. Here are some important things to be aware of.

Sugar, alcohol, and smoking drive calcium out of your bones! The calcium in our bones can move into the bloodstream, then through the kidneys into the urine. This is called calcium excretion or urinary calcium loss.

If you still smoke, maintaining bone health is another great reason to kick the habit! Smokers have a 40% higher risk of bone fractures compared to non-smokers.

Some drugs also compromise your bones with the worst examples being corticosteroids for asthma or rheumatoid arthritis or excessive levels of thyroid hormone, either synthetic or natural.

Other Nutrients to Consider

Calcium supplements alone have little effect, however, when the other nutrients involved in calcium uptake are not at high enough levels. Better results are obtained when the calcium supplements are combined with vitamin K, magnesium, and vitamin D, which act as a hormone and help the body absorb calcium. Be sure you get at least 400 to as high as 1,000 mg magnesium, get 400 to 2,000 IU vitamin D, and get 65 to 80 mcg vitamin K.

Too much calcium may impair the absorption of another mineral, magnesium, which is also necessary for good bone structure. So it’s very important to take both minerals together.

A small amount of boron is needed to enhance the absorption of both calcium and magnesium, as well as control the urinary loss of these minerals. Three mg of boron is the best dose.

Vitamin C may help maintain greater bone density, researchers believe, and it also seems to enhance the production of the protein collagen, which is where the calcium is stored. I like to suggest three to four grams a day of vitamin C to be sure the collagen structure is sound.

Zinc and manganese encourage good mineral absorption and overall bone health. Zinc should be taken in combination with copper. Never take more than 100 mg of zinc per day — 50 to 75 mg is best — and take two mg of copper for balance.

Now that Steven and Marilyn are working together to build healthy bones, they’ve reversed their osteoporosis and are keeping more bone than they’re losing.

John recently passed a kidney stone. He said it was an excruciatingly painful experience. Since this happened, he frequently argues with his wife about which hurts worse, childbirth or passing a kidney stone. Women who have experienced both often say the kidney stones hurt the most. Suffice it to say, John does not want to repeat the pain.

No one really knows why some people get stones while others don’t, but kidney stones run in families, and are related to our diet, our state of hydration, and especially the mineral balance in the blood. The stone forms in the kidney, and its passage through the ureter, the tube from the kidney to the bladder, is what causes the terrible pain.

John woke up late one night with a sudden, sharp colicky pain that moved from his back toward his groin. He went to the emergency room and was treated with fluids and pain remedies. Once the stone passed, he decided to follow these excellent prevention guidelines. It’s very likely John will never suffer a repeat episode.

Kidney stones are a common and terribly painful disorder of the urinary tract. They form when minerals and crystallized salts in the urine concentrate and form solid stones.

Most stones are made of calcium in combination with oxalate or phosphate. Others are made up of either uric acid or a mix of magnesium, ammonium, and phosphate. Contrary to what many people believe, kidney stones are not related as much to excess calcium as they are to insufficient calcium, so getting enough calcium in your diet is important.

One in 10 of us will be afflicted by kidney stones and they usually hit folks over the age of 30. Men have them most often and they are worse during the summer months. When it’s hot, we lose more fluid though perspiration, so the urine is more concentrated. Lucky folks experience a single episode that never is repeated. But for at least half of all victims, the truth is pretty miserable: They suffer kidney stone attacks at the rate of one every two or three years.

The type of stone you have dictates prevention of recurrences. There are several types of kidney stones, but the amazing thing is the right nutritional supplements can reverse this tendency to form stones in any case!

1. Calcium phosphate stones are common and easily dissolve in urine made more acidic by vitamin C. If you have these, take a gram of ascorbic acid several times each day. You may also start your day with a glass of warm water and the juice of one lemon.
2. Calcium oxalate stones are also very common, but they will not dissolve in acidic urine. If you have these, you need to supplement with magnesium and potassium and use a buffered vitamin C.
3. Uric acid stones may form in a person with gout. In this case, you may use cherry fruit extract and drink cherry juice to reduce uric acid levels and you must avoid purines.

Does Vitamin C Cause Kidney Stones?

Did a doctor ever tell you that vitamin C causes kidney stones? Quite the opposite, it actually prevents them!

The very common calcium phosphate stone can only exist in a urinary tract that is alkaline. Ascorbic acid acidifies the urine, which dissolves phosphate stones and prevents their formation.

Some types of stones are completely preventable with daily consumption of a few grams of ascorbic acid. The referenced dietary intake for adults for vitamin C is 60 mg. Suffice it to say, I think 60 mg is absurdly low.

The most prevalent calcium oxalate stone will form even if you do take vitamin C.  But they can be prevented by taking vitamin B-6 and magnesium. The magnesium keeps the stone from forming. Any common B-complex plus and about 400 mg of magnesium should do the trick.

The controversy regarding vitamin C and kidney stones probably arises from this. Ascorbate does increase the body’s production of oxalate. But the vitamin C does not increase oxalate stone formation. The vitamin prevents the binding of calcium and oxalate, reducing the possibility of stones.

Anyone can avoid excessive oxalates by not eating rhubarb, spinach, or chocolate. If a doctor thinks that a person is especially prone to forming oxalate stones, they may take their vitamin C in a buffered form. Instead of ascorbic acid, they might use vitamin C ascorbate.

Herbs and Minerals Can Relieve the Pain

In an acute attack, you can get pain relief from herbs. If you’re passing a kidney stone, drinking a tea made from warm water and liquid extract of wild yam relieves muscular spasms of the ureter, allowing the stone to pass more easily. You can put a half-
teaspoon of wild yam in a small glass of warm water and drink this mixture every hour for eight hours during the day. Continue till the stone passes.

Try adding flaxseeds to your salads, cereals, or to a fruit smoothie. Grind them fresh each day. Flaxseed reduces calcium in the urine.

Zinc supplements can slow the crystallization of minerals in the urine. Taking 30 to 75 mg of zinc is best combined with two mg of copper. Always combine copper with supplemental zinc.

Cranberry juice or capsules acidifies urine and reduces the amount of calcium in the urine, which may prevent both oxalate and uric acid stones from forming. You can also accomplish the same effect by drinking the juice of one lemon (diluted in water) each morning.

In the old days, doctors used to recommend restricting calcium intake for anyone who formed stones composed of calcium. That advice was dead wrong. Now we know that increasing calcium by taking calcium citrate reduces stone formation by binding oxalate in the intestine so that it’s not absorbed into the urine.

Most kidney stones are formed from excreted calcium salts, not from excess calcium. Americans are usually calcium deficient. Never make the mistake of trying to avoid calcium intake. Instead, reduce excess dietary phosphorous (which causes calcium excretion) by avoiding carbonated soft drinks, especially colas. Soft drinks contain excessive quantities of phosphorous as phosphoric acid. Meats are high in phosphorus, too. Most Americans get only about 40 percent of their required dietary calcium daily. Anyone who is suggesting calcium reduction for the prevention of stones is out of date and in error!

Extra vitamin A (50,000 IU daily) may be used after the passage of a stone to help heal the mucous membrane lining of the ureter. Returning to a maintenance level after healing helps discourage stone formation. To keep vitamin A levels up, enjoy carotenoid-rich foods including apricots, cantaloupe, carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash.

You Must Drink Lots of Water

Dehydration is the number one factor that leads to stone formation. To help prevent recurrences, drink at least three quarts of quality water per day and have even more in hot, humid weather. If your urine is not clear, you’re not drinking enough water. You can also drink fruit and vegetable juices. Orange, grape, and carrot juices are high in citrates that inhibit uric acid and also stop calcium salts from forming.

Control your intake of oxalate. Go easy on asparagus, beets, beet greens, spinach, nuts, rhubarb, chocolate, and cola beverages.

If you are a heavy meat eater, try to reduce your overall intake of animal protein. Four ounces, three times a day is plenty. Many people, especially men, eat three to four times that much every day! Too much meat prompts the excretion of calcium, phosphorus, and uric acid from the kidneys. Actually, the perfect diet to prevent kidney stones is basically a vegetarian one, high in a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, that excludes meat and processed foods, with plenty of quality water, juices, and herbal teas.

Get your potassium levels up with bananas, orange juice, fresh fruit, and vegetables. Low blood levels of potassium raise levels of calcium in the urine. Potassium stops calcium stone formation. Likewise, load up on magnesium. Most green vegetables, whole grains, and fruits contain magnesium, including almonds, brown rice,
avocado, papaya, and prunes.

If your kidney stone was one of the uric-acid type, avoid organ meats, sardines, anchovies, and brewer’s yeast. All of these are high in purines, which can elevate the uric acid in your blood and contribute to this type of stone formation.

John, remembering the pain, is sold on the idea of prevention, and if kidney stones run in your family, hopefully, you will be as well!

We’ve all seen them, frail old people with the characteristic gnarled twisted joints that typify advanced rheumatoid arthritis. My young friend Scott Blair had seen them, too. His grandparents on his mom’s side both have the disease and they have suffered serious deformities as a result.

Initially, Scott had been feeling weak and very tired and he had lost his appetite. He complained of joint stiffness, usually first thing in the morning, and he had had been troubled for several weeks by joint pain and inflammation.

When Scott was diagnosed with RA, he felt despair. To treat RA, doctors use NSAIDS like aspirin or ibuprofen or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In more serious cases, doctors prescribe prednisone or drugs like methotrexate. Unfortun- ately, these drugs are relatively toxic and there’s only limited evidence that they even work to improve the long-term health of the patients who use them. Some folks are offered the Cox-2 inhibitors, but these can be toxic, too.

RA causes inflammation and at worst destruction of the cartilage and other tissues both inside and surrounding the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that engages your immune system, which is supposed to defend your body, to attack it instead.

When RA first strikes, the synovial membrane, which lines and lubricates the joints, swells, causing pain and stiffness. Sometimes seemingly unrelated symptoms such as fatigue, fever, and loss of appetite appear before any sign of joint pain. These are caused by inflammation that occurs everywhere in the body as a result of this autoimmune reaction. And herein lies the key to early intervention.

If the disease progresses unchecked, the cartilage that lines the joints, along with other connective tissue including the bones tendons, and ligaments, will erode. This causes vast amounts of scar tissue, which constricts joints and limits range of motion.

In mild cases, rheumatoid arthritis produces only mild stiffness, which worsens during flare-ups that come and go. After the first flare-up, half to three fourths of those with RA experience a remission. Some folks have a permanent remission after a couple of episodes. But in serious cases like Scott’s grandparents, RA causes extremely damaged, painful, deformed joints. And in very severe cases, this immune disorder can also cause inflammation of the lungs, muscles, skin, and heart. In other words, it can be deadly. In fact, a recent study showed that RA is associated with an increased rate of death from all causes. Probably because inflammation plays a role in heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and even cancer.

Even though rheumatoid arthritis can’t be prevented, if the disease doesn’t go into permanent remission on its own, an aggressive natural approach can ease pain and inflammation, halt and reverse joint damage, and make your daily activities easier to bear.

So start by cleaning up your diet. Scott’s was loaded with junk foods. Your body’s inflammation is promoted by a diet full of junky fats like trans fats, most common vegetable oils (although olive oil is an exception), processed and grain-fed meats, cheese, and processed foods. I weaned him from soft drinks and had him start eating several servings a week of cold-water fish (salmon, etc.) to beef up his levels of omega-3 fats. These are fats that really work to control inflammation in the body. Scott also started eating several servings every day of fresh vegetables. Compounds in fresh veggies stop inflammation and help to provide nutrients such as vitamin C that speed the healing of damaged joints.

On a hunch, Scott’s doctor had him completely eliminate wheat and he said he felt more energetic in only three days! His doctor suspected he had an allergy to either wheat or gluten and since food allergies are a big component of RA, the doctor was not surprised that he noticed he was less fatigued right away.

When faced with rheumatoid arthritis, your goal is to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, allow the joints to function normally, and prevent joint deformities from developing. Of course, the mainstream therapy for many patients is powerful medications, but the right diet and the right supplements should reduce the quantity of medications you need to take.

Physical therapy and occupational therapy play an important role in overcoming the challenge of RA. Physical therapists offer pain-relieving techniques, such as hot paraffin baths to soothe pain in the joints, and the physical therapist can teach you safe ways to exercise. Occupational therapists find ways to help people with affected joints perform daily tasks more easily. You might also wear splints, which can relieve pain by immobilizing joints during severe flare-ups.

Many nutritional and herbal supplements help to relieve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. They can be taken alone or together, and are safe to be used in combination with conventional medicines.

Scott began with white willow bark for pain relief. The active ingredient in white willow is salicin, which metabolizes into salicylic acid. The salicylic acid in white willow bark lowers the levels of prostaglandins (hormone-like compounds that can cause aches, pain, and even inflammation). White willow bark takes longer to begin acting than aspirin, but its effect may last longer. And, unlike aspirin, it doesn’t cause stomach bleeding, ringing in the ears, or other known adverse effects.

Along with white willow bark, Scott uses a topical cayenne cream. Cayenne cream applied directly to arthritic joints can be a powerful pain reliever. Its active ingredient, capsaicin, works to ease pain by lowering levels of substance P, a compound the body uses to signal the brain that an area of the body is injured.

Scott’s supplement regimen also includes natural vitamin E at a rather high dose of 1,800 IUs daily. One study found that this dose helped reduce joint pain and swelling in RA patients. Due to its antioxidant activity, vitamin E can protect joint cells from free-radical damage.

Fish oils contain omega-3s, polyunsaturated fatty acids that act as powerful anti-inflammatory agents for joint problems. Studies show that fish oils provide relief from stiffness and joint pain. So I suggested six grams of fish oil daily. I had Scott be certain that his fish oils were tested to be free of mercury and lead and pesticide residues.

And Scott also takes gamma linolenic acid, or GLA, an omega-6 fatty acid shown to keep inflammation in check. GLA has anti-inflammatory and other healing properties. Scott takes 150 mg of GLA from evening primrose oil three times a day.

Zinc, an antioxidant mineral, is often low in people with RA. Scott uses a zinc supplement at 30 mg daily to help reduce arthritis symptoms. He takes two mg of copper with his zinc to offset any imbalances between the two that may occur with supplementation.

By following his improved diet and taking these supplements, Scott is now enjoying a complete remission of his RA symptoms and he likely will never suffer the debilitation that his grandparents did.

Sandy said she never really appreciated silence, until it was too late. Now for her it never really is completely quiet because she has a whistling noise in her right ear.

Sandy is a flight attendant and she has been flying for 15 years. She first noticed the noise one night after she returned from a flight. She has always had trouble with her ears; the changing pressure and loud noise of the jet engines causes her constant discomfort when she works. But she’s married to a pilot and they love to travel, so she puts up with the popping ears. Sandy belongs to a group of 50 million Americans who suffer with tinnitus.

Tinnitus is not especially dangerous. Sometimes it’s reversible and, for some, integrative treatments may work. Even if they don’t, once this condition begins, your brain actually begins to suppress the noise, and in time, it will bother you less.

Tinnitus most often traces back to frequent exposure to loud noises, such as loud music, machinery, jet engines, gunshots, or explosives. Loud noises damage the fragile nerves and delicate hairs in the inner ear. The same effect can be caused by earwax, infections, poor circulation, heavy alcohol use, and may even be a side effect of medications such as aspirin and some antibiotics.

To prevent tinnitus, you have to protect your ears from repeated exposure to loud sounds. Once you have tinnitus, cutting down on caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and aspirin can prevent the noise from getting worse. Exercise can improve circulation and may help to keep symptoms at bay as well. Unfortunately, there are no drugs or surgical procedures that treat tinnitus.

If your ears are ringing, have your hearing checked by a certified audiologist. Sometimes an audiologist can design special hearing aids that can cause the tinnitus to disappear.

Some folks say that acupuncture with a licensed acupuncturist worked to rid them of the unwanted sounds. Yoga and biofeedback may help because stress reduction can be very helpful for relieving your symptoms.

Nutritional supplements work well for tinnitus. Sandy felt that after three months, her whistling was drastically reduced. Now she says she hears it only when she’s very tired. Here’s what she took:

Ginkgo biloba works by improving circulation to those parts of the brain and inner ear that are the source of the ringing. It’s the first thing you should try for tinnitus, but cannot be taken with the drug Coumadin. Remember gingko needs a trial of several weeks to get maximum benefit. Use 180 to 240 mg a day of a 24 percent standardized extract.

The B vitamin inositol hexaniacinate, also called no-flush or flush-free niacin, may help by dilating blood vessels in the brain. Take 400 mg twice daily. Vitamin B₁₂ is essential for the nerves and allows them to function normally. Since older people often have trouble absorbing vitamin B₁₂, supplements may be especially beneficial to them.

Low levels of B₁₂ are often found in people who take medications for seizures, heartburn, or gout; and in people with ulcers, Crohn’s disease, and other gastrointestinal diseases. Since they support one another, it’s always a good idea to look for vitamin B₁₂ combined with folic acid to prevent deficient levels of either one. I like the sublingual (under the tongue) form of B₁₂ once a day because of its reliable absorption. There are 10 and 11 mg doses (10,000 mcg or 11,000 mcg) available in natural food stores everywhere. These higher doses are best for tinnitus.

Magnesium also supports good hearing. If you don’t get enough magnesium, the blood vessels constrict, which reduces blood circulation in the brain. Magnesium is best taken with food. Take 400 to 800 mg of a chelated form daily, but reduce the dose if you develop diarrhea. I prefer magnesium glycinate, which helps to guard against digestive reactions.

Zinc concentrates in the inner ear. Even a mild deficit can impair hearing and your senses of taste and smell. In one study, people with tinnitus who were zinc deficient saw a reduction of symptoms with zinc supplementation. Take copper together with zinc because zinc interferes with copper absorption. Take 50 mg of zinc and two mg of copper daily.

Everyone should wear earplugs when they might be exposed to loud noise. The earplugs will prevent additional damage to delicate ears.

Alternative sound sources can help you erase the annoying sounds of tinnitus. Try using a clock radio with an automatic shut-off switch to help you sleep. Or keep a small fountain in your bedroom and sleep to the sounds of trickling water. “Sleep machines” produce a variety of sounds that might successfully override your tinnitus. Noise cancellation headphones are available to make flights less troubling for those with sensitive ears.

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