Minister of Health Anne McLellan recently announced the adoption of the Natural Health Products. Previously, natural health products (NHPs) have been sold as either drugs or foods under the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations, since there is no other category in which...
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The Kefir Connection: Fermented milk products aid lactose intolerance
For lactose intolerant adults, drinking a fermented milk called kefir either eliminated or drastically reduced symptoms related to lactose intolerance. Researchers think that microbes in this ancient fermented milk product possess the enzyme that is necessary to...
Smokers Lose Important Vitamin; Second-hand exposure also robs folic acid
Exposure to cigarette smoke may rob people of folate (also known as folic acid), an important vitamin that helps protect against a variety of diseases, including a number of birth defects, a large nationwide study concludes. Both active smokers and those exposed to...
High cholesterol? Go nuts!
Researchers at the Lorna Linda University in California report that people who replaced 20% of their energy intake with almonds had a markedly improved cholesterol reading. The study compared the effects of a popular cholesterol control diet (Step 1), which restricts...
Folic Acid Findings: B-vitamin may have role in depression
People with depression may spend a lifetime working through their illness but what they may not know is that because they have depression, they’ll need to maintain their nutritional health as well. The latest news from Tufts University researchers shows that folate, a...
Natural Anti-inflammatory: Devil’s claw equally effective as drugs
The herb devil’s claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) is a traditional south African anti-inflammatory remedy for pain and has been used in Europe to relieve pain from osteoarthritis over the past 50 years. In a recent study, researchers from the University of Freiburg,...
Cholesterol Success: Tea extracts found to lower cholesterol
A clinical trial testing green tea extract is the first human study to find that a tea product lowers cholesterol. The double-blind, randomized, controlled study included 240 men and women with high cholesterol levels in China. During the 12-week trial, participants,...
Calcium for Weight Loss? Research shows high intake ups fat burning
Researchers at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center report that calcium may help control body weight, confirming findings from other studies. The report is the first study in humans to demonstrate a link between calcium intake and body weight. Edward...
Avoiding Pregnancy Blues: Experts advise more omega-3
A woman’s risk for depression is higher during pregnancy, but this risk may be lowered by ensuring an adequate intake of omega-3 essential fatty acids, report researchers. Omega-3s are found in cold water fish, such as salmon and mackerel, as well as flax seeds....
Antioxidants for Arteries: Vitamins C and E slow heart disease progression
Three years ago, a team of Finnish researchers reported that combined supplements of natural vitamin E and time-release vitamin C, taken over a three-year period, slowed the progression of atherosclerosis in men. Using ultrasound to document blood-vessel changes, the...