If you're eating right now, maybe you should set your food aside for a moment. Today's topic, rope worms, isn't especially appetizing. While parasite biology is not for the squeamish, the importance of this subject cannot be understated. Rope worm, a newly-discovered intestinal invader, may be one of the most frightening and most overlooked parasites plaguing human health today. (more…)
Many news outlets, and indeed some pharmaceutical makers, lead us to believe that we are merely a product of our genes, but this isn’t true at all. In fact, studies on identical twins, who start out with identical genes, reveal that lifestyle is a much more powerful influence on health.[1] So while your genes do play a role in the initiation and development of some diseases, you day-to-day choices largely determine how (or if) these genes can affect your life and health. What Is the MTHFR Gene? Genes are stretches […]
Antioxidants have the ability to neutralize and reduce free radical damage. To deeply comprehend the power of antioxidants, you must first understand what free radicals are and how they react in the body. Free radicals are harmful compounds that have an unpaired electron, an aspect of their structure that makes them highly unstable. Their instability causes them to wreak havoc on cells, fatty acids, and other structures in your body. Free radicals also act as catalysts for diseases, many diseases. (more…)
The hydrangea plant is an herbaceous, perennial shrub recognized by its beautiful white, snowball-shaped blooms. A popular ornamental, botanical, and horticultural plant, there are over twenty varieties of hydrangea worldwide. The most popular variety, Macrophylla, is a bluish-bloomed flowering plant found in the United States and Asia and appreciated for its aesthetic and health-promoting qualities. (more…)
Gravel root is a powerful therapeutic plant that's popular in traditional medicine. Generally a mauve- or white-colored flowering perennial, gravel root can primarily be found along the East Coast of North America and Canada. Gravel root can sometimes be found as far south as Florida as it thrives in sunny and damp conditions. Often, the plant is found in wetlands, woodland areas, and meadows. (more…)
