We would like to thank you all for taking time to visit our booth at the IHS (Institute of Health Siences) Conference in Dublin on 21st June!

By Theresa Nicassio, PhD, Psychologist, Canada

School is out and summer is in! This is the time of lazy days, family fun, and of course—travel.

Whether you love to camp, visit family, go on road trips, or perhaps even fly or cruise to new lands around the world, if you are like me or have any loved ones who live with food allergies, celiac disease, or any other food sensitivity, you know that these simple pleasures are anything but simple.

By Angeli Chitale, BSc, ND, Canada

What is Stress? Stress is a threat to the internal balance (homeostasis) of the body. Stress related conditions including anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, indigestion, reflux, and peptic ulcer disease can be interpreted as consequences of body’s inability to maintain internal balance in response to internal or external demands. Stress impairs digestion, decreases immune function and alters mood (anxiety and depression). We will focus on digestion since health and illness begin in the gut!

By Dr. Laura Pipher, ND

History of Sugar

Historically, human beings had access to fructose in the form of fruits, honey, and certain vegetables, and the consumption of these high sugar foods increased the chances for survival during periods of food scarcity, due to the ample calories sugar provides.^[1] Sugar has the ability to lay down fat; however, the forms widely available in nature also contain fibre which slows and limits its absorption, allowing blood sugar levels to stay stable while consuming these calories.^[1] Human pleasure and reward centers in the brain enabled the drive for sugar-seeking behaviour when blood sugar levels were too low; however, even with the 24/7 availability of sugar, human reward centers have not evolved to match this, leading to the problem of overconsumption.^[1]

We would like to thank you all for taking time to visit our booth at the BANT AGM & Conference in London on 23rd March 2019!

By Dr. Heidi Fritz, Canada

Origanum vulgare (the scientific name of oregano) has been studied in depth due to a number of interesting and exciting potential clinical uses. There is also an ongoing interest in a number of industries to replace synthetic chemicals with natural products that have similar properties. Many bioactive compounds can be found in aromatic plants, and there are a number of different ways they can be extracted. In one study, the major components of oregano essential oils were found to be carvacrol, beta-fenchyl alcohol, thymol, and gamma-terpinene.^[1] A hot-water extraction was found to be the best method of extracting antioxidant properties and provided the highest phenolic content. This study also tested the oregano extracts against seven bacterial cultures, but they were ineffective. However, the essential oil itself was able to inhibit the growth of all bacteria, causing greater reductions on both Listeria strains that were tested.

By Dr. Odette Bulaong, Canada

You may have felt it already: the runny nose, the sore throat, that embarrassing cough. Or perhaps you’ve taken the day off work because you’ve spiked a fever, felt achy all over, and are so tired you don’t want to get out of bed. Cold and flu season is in full swing. While your local drugstore is full of conventional and natural treatment options aimed at reducing the symptoms of colds and flu, this article summarizes research that supports going back to basics in terms of nutrition and proper hygiene to help:

by Nicole Henry, ND, Toronto, Canada

It seems that everyone is talking about mindfulness these days. Health columnists are writing about it. Teachers are introducing it in their classrooms. Even in the business world, many companies offer wellness workshops that talk about its merits. Mindfulness, some claim, can improve your mood, boost your sports and work performance, decrease your pain, and more.

But what are the actual benefits of mindfulness? And what do you need to do to realize the benefits?

by Philip Rouchotas, MSc, ND, Canada

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), commonly known as “enlarged prostate,” is a noncancerous growth of the prostate gland that affects a large proportion of men over the age of 50. By the age of 80, the vast majority of men are affected by this condition, which includes symptoms of urinary urgency, frequency, and reduced urine flow.^[1, 2] This article reviews some of the data on natural agents as well as dietary factors in managing BPH.

by Dr. Evan McCarvill, ND, Upper Beach Health & Wellness, Melfort, Canada

A fairly common but often underrecognized condition I encounter as a naturopathic doctor is “chronic yeast infection”; something you may have heard of. It is also sometimes called Candida overgrowth syndrome (COS). This condition can manifest through a variety of mild, systemic, nonspecific symptoms, which may go unexplained and untreated for months or even years at a time for many patients.