VR Columns
Hibiscus for Hypertension & Blood Lipids
In addition to its popularity as a tropical flower found in landscapes, hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) also has a history of use as a medicinal herb. In Egypt it has been used to treat cardiac and nerve diseases and as a diuretic,1 and in North Africa it has been used to treat cough, sore throat and ...
Combating Queasiness
Natural strategies to treat morning sickness during pregnancy. More than any other time during life, pregnancy is a time when the mother-to-be should be adhering to sound nutritional principles and eating a healthy diet, both to nourish herself and her unborn child. Unfortunately, morning sickness can often make it difficult to eat and to keep ...
Thyroid Health: Largely Overlooked, Critical for Normal Body Function
The thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland in the neck, can have a dramatic impact on a wide range of bodily functions. It is made up of two halves, called lobes that lie along the windpipe (trachea) and are joined together by a narrow band of thyroid tissue, known as the isthmus. Thyroid hormones help all the ...
Zinc Carnosine for Ulcers & Gastrointestinal Discomfort
The stomach and intestines have a mucous membrane lining that provides protection against hydrochloric acid and other digestive juices normally used to break down food in our digestive system. If there is even a small loss of that mucous membrane, there is likely to be significant discomfort. Unfortunately, one in 10 Americans will develop this ...
Say Yes to NO—Nitric Oxide
Research on nitric oxide used to be in the realm of obscure scientists. All that changed in 1998 when the Nobel prize for physiology and medicine was awarded to three men who explained how production of this powerful natural compound—a gas called nitric oxide—is used by the body to fight off infection, reduce blood pressure, ...
A Comparison of Benzodiazepine Drugs and the Amino Acid L-theanine
Stress and anxiety are commonplace for many Americans—and there is a class of medications known as benzodiazepines that are widely prescribed for anxiety. In fact, hundreds of millions of prescriptions for benzodiazepines are written every year.1 L-theanine (gamma-ethyl-amino-L-glutamic acid) is a neurologically active amino acid, which is also used for stress and anxiety.2 While benzodiazepines ...
Energy for the Weary
“Graded” exercise and proven supplement workhorses provide hope for chronic fatigue. Chronic fatigue syndrome is a debilitating and complex disorder characterized by profound fatigue that does not improve with bed rest. Between one and four million people in the United States—approximately 2.5 percent of the population—have chronic fatigue symptoms. Chronic fatigue syndrome is characterized by ...
Specific Antioxidants for Specific Benefits
The term antioxidant has become a mainstay in the lexicon of the natural products industry. Furthermore, as I pointed out in an article last year from this same issue of Vitamin Retailer magazine, over the past few decades the choices for nutraceutical antioxidants have increased exponentially, as have the number of articles written about those ...
Natural Answers to Depressive Mood
The prevailing myth is that our intellect is in the driver’s seat, and, with strength of will, we can overcome mood. In fact, the opposite is true. Mood colors our perceptions and strongly influences our reactions. While it is true that, with effort, people can learn to better manage their moods and develop coping mechanisms, ...
Sugar Alternatives: The Benefits of Stevia
Last year, in my article on sugar alternatives for Vitamin Retailer magazine, I included information on several natural sugar alternatives, including stevia. Since not much has changed since then with regard to any new natural sugar alternative entering the market, I decided to make stevia the focus of this year’s sugar alternatives article with an ...
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