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The Methylcobalamin Effect
Vitamin B12 plays a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system (and the formation of blood). One of its analogs, methylcobalamin, which is considered an active form of vitamin B12, exerts neural protection by encouraging the regeneration of injured nerves and serving as an essential vitamin for promoting proper brain…
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Nutritional Genomics as It Relates to Detoxification
The study of nutrient-gene interactions is becoming a popular and developing area of science, and people now accept the diet-genome relationship affects our health. In other words, the belief there is an optimal individualized diet which, if compromised, could expose a person to greater health risks is gaining credibility. As the poet Lucretius stated long…
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The Power of Peas
For those celebrating Thanksgiving this week, definitely have your family or friends pass the peas, please. Peas have been a common part the human diet for ages. Produced by the Pisum sativum plant, peas actually belong to the family Fabaceae, which are a group of pod-producing leguminous plants. So, although commonly regarded as vegetables, peas…
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How to Build a Better Mood
The brain is comprised of billions upon billions of nerve cells (neurotransmitters) that relay information from one nerve cell to the next, allowing for efficient communication to occur. When everything is working properly, we feel our best. However, neurotransmitters often get compromised from the stressors of everyday life, which then affects our overall mood. One…
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Probiotics and the Brain
The mind-body connection garners a lot of attention these days, with explosive and ever-emerging research demonstrating the importance of seeing the body as a whole, rather than fractured systems. When talking about the brain, it’s hard to ignore the gut. The gut-brain axis is a good example of this; with the ability of the gut…
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What Can Brown Fat Do for You?
We often hear about fat in our foods — good fats, bad fats, fake fats. And the debate has been raging for decades over which fats are good for what and whether fat intake actually makes us fat. Everyone seems to know where the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Gary Taubes stand on the…
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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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Infertility on the Rise?
In the United States, approximately 10% of couples are infertile, and the number could be as high as 8-12% worldwide. With rising infertility rates, and the culpability pointing to factors such as environmental toxin exposure, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and water contamination, the data looks grim for the next generation. But that’s not the whole…
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5 Lesser-Known Benefits of Vitamin D
Vitamin D, commonly dubbed the “sunshine vitamin,” is an essential micronutrient produced by the body when exposed to sunlight. Generally speaking, most people require 10-30 minutes of decent exposure to sunlight, 3-4 times a week in order to naturally synthesize enough vitamin D. However, factors such as genetics and where we live also play a…
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For Better Sleep, Turn Off the Blue Light
Causes for sleep disorders are many, and may include issues such as chronic pain, stress, shift work, jet lag or nocturia. Not planning for sleep, drinking too much caffeine or alcohol, or eating too close to bedtime can also contribute to not getting enough sleep; so may something as seemingly harmless as returning a text…