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Vitamin A & Endocrine Health
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble micronutrient that influences countless biological processes including vision, immune function, skin health, tissue remodeling, and cellular development. A lesser-known function of vitamin A, however, is its role in hormone health. Adequate vitamin A is crucial for healthy thyroid function, sex hormone balance, as well as the absorption of other essential…
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L-Glutamine – Old Dog, New Tricks
L-glutamine – not the new shiny supplement to wow the nutrition world, but a tried-and-true amino acid that continues to impress us with its relevance and potency as a healing ingredient.
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Pregnenolone & Men’s Health
Pregnenolone is an endogenous steroid hormone produced primarily in the adrenal glands and brain. It is considered the “mother of all hormones” because it is directly derived from cholesterol and is the precursor to all steroid hormones including DHEA, testosterone, and progesterone. Adequate pregnenolone is necessary for a proper hormonal response, stress management, cognitive health,…
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6 Phytoprotective Foods Plus a Recipe
Research underscores the crucial role of dietary habits in our skin’s response to sun exposure. Our outermost layer of skin, the epidermis, works tirelessly to shield our bodies from external influences such as UV radiation and environmental pollutants. Consuming foods rich in skin-protective nutrients, particularly in their raw state, can aid in defending against and…
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A Salty Topic: Sodium in Electrolyte Formulas
Electrolytes are minerals that carry an electric charge and are found in our body’s cells and blood. They include sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, chloride, and bicarbonate and play vital roles in maintaining homeostasis. Electrolytes are vital for maintaining cellular hydration, especially during physical activities.
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Ashwagandha Update
Used for centuries in traditional medicine, the multiple mechanisms of action and clinical relevance of Ashwagandha were summarized in a recent review published in Pharmaceutics. Both the in vitro and preclinical trials (which help to elucidate mechanisms), as well as controlled clinical trials, offer support for some of the traditional uses, including its primary role…
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Robust Red Peppers
Certain foods, when consumed in season, offer flavor and intensity that are missing when they’re eaten at other times of year. Tomatoes spring immediately to mind – a tomato in July is a completely different food compared to one in January. But another welcome bright red fruit at farmers’ markets and supermarkets in summer is…
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Tiny Seed, Big Health Benefits
Flaxseed, known as a vegetarian source of omega-3 fatty acids, may also have the added benefit of promoting hormonal health. Although phytoestrogens are similar to estrogen, their role is not completely understood as having a positive or negative influence on women’s hormonal health, particularly those with a history of hormone-linked cancers. However, for women with…
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Radishes – An Often Overlooked Vegetable
Move over, tacos. Radishes can liven up so many other meals while providing very few calories and carbohydrates, yet bringing important micronutrients to the table. Let’s showcase this underrated and often overlooked vegetable.
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Microbiota & Seasonal Allergies
First introduced in 1989, the “hygiene hypothesis” proposed that exposure to specific microbes, perhaps during crucial windows of development, educates the immune system in a way that modifies the risk for allergic, inflammatory, and autoimmune diseases. Initially, this was proposed in response to the observation that the position of a child in a family (their…