Published September 24, 2010

This overlooked chemical in blueberries can protect your brain

You’ve probably heard that blueberries are great for your eyes. It’s a known fact that blueberries do indeed protect your eyes. But new research suggests they also can protect your brain function.

This makes complete sense to me. Blueberries, my favorite berry, are very effective at protecting your retinal cells. But did you know that retinal cells are really brain cells? It’s true. Now if blueberries can protect your retina, they should also protect your brain, right? This new study says “yes.”

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Published September 23, 2010

How to maximize the benefits of flaxseed without irritating your stomach

By now, you’re probably well aware of the many health-related benefits of flaxseed. They are the best overall source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. And they also are loaded with the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA is the anti-inflammatory oil that we need to offset the unusually high intake of the pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats that most of us get. But how you take flaxseed makes a huge impact on how beneficial it is. In fact, if you take it the wrong way, you won’t see much benefit at all — and it can cause severe stomach irritation.

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Published September 22, 2010

Increase your ability to fight colon cancer by 56%

If you are at risk of colon cancer, or have polyps, researchers are telling us that a two-nutrient combination can rid your colon of cancer cells. But if you look at the research, it shows one of these nutrients isn’t necessary. Taking the right nutrient, though, can increase your ability to fight cancer by 56%.

In a new study on 92 men and women, researchers divided the participants into groups to take either a placebo, calcium (2.0 grams daily), vitamin D3 (800 IU daily), or a combination of calcium and vitamin D.

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