The common Yarrow, a hardy and pretty plant found growing in fields and ditches, is a valuable herb in every kitchen cupboard. The medicinal applications of this plant are plentiful. The wild plant is great for treating flu and fevers. Yarrow has a healing and soothing effect on mucous membranes. When Yarrow Root is used at the beginning, a cold often breaks up within 24 hours. Since thousands of years yarrow has been used for a number of health conditions such menstrual ailments and bleeding hemorrhoids. In Chinese medicine yarrow is considered to ...

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has okayed the irradiation of lettuce and spinach. Food irradiation is the process of exposing food to ionizing radiation in order to destroy disease causing pathogens, like bacteria and viruses. However, you can make your voice heard by taking part following this link to the FDA's 30-day comment period. Irradiating food makes food more dangerous, not safer. Some major concerns with food irradiation include: -The formation of free radicals, which can set off chain reactions in the body that destroy antioxidants, tear apart cell membranes, ...

Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, recently issued a warning to his faculty and staff. He says to limit cell phone use because of the possible risk of cancer. Herberman explains that an international expert panel of pathologists, oncologists and public health specialists recently declared that electromagnetic fields emitted by cell phones should be considered a potential human health risk. To date, a number of countries including France, Germany and India have issued recommendations that exposure to electromagnetic fields should be limited. ...

Changing your diet and making good food choices can have a significant impact on lowering your cholesterol to a healthy level and help you stay off medications. Researchers have found that eating certain "functional foods" have proven to make a big impact on your cholesterol levels. Studies have shown that combining these "superfoods" may work as well as some cholesterol-lowering medicines to reduce your "bad" LDL cholesterol levels. The evidence is strong enough that even the FDA has given the certain foods the status of a "health claim" ...

St. Louis-based Monsanto announced recently that it is selling its posilac division that makes bovine growth hormone, also known as rBGH or rBST. The Organic Consumers Association triumphed over the sale reporting that after 5 years of declining sales and several legal setbacks, Monsanto has decided to dump rBGH. Monsanto insists that there's no problem with the product. But nationwide declining sales of rBGH injected milk and a growing number of consumers and dairy processors proof otherwise. Signs advertising "No artificial growth hormones used" can be found in dairy ...

The kids are heading back to school. So how about choosing more environmentally healthy products this year for your child’s and the environment’s sake? On of the most important considerations to make is the storage and transportation of lunch. Choose non-lead painted lunchboxes Avoid lunchboxes made with lead and PVC, which are, based on research, likely two unsafe lunchbox materials. Check for lead safe or even better, lead free labels. The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) found lead in the PVC (vinyl) lining of several lunch-box samples it tested. ...

Scientists say they have discovered that watermelons have a similar effect than the drug Viagra but without the negative side effects. Watermelons have an ingredient called citrulline which can cause the production of a compound that helps relax the body's blood vessels, similar to what happens when a man takes Viagra, said scientists based in Texas. Citrulline is found in the flesh and the rind of the fruit and turns into arginine when it reacts with enzymes of the body. Bhimu Patil, a researcher and director of Texas A&M's Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center, where the study took place, ...

From the cultures of the Amazon and Brazilian rainforests comes a small dark purple berry that’s been ranked as one of the new superfoods. Açai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) berries, also known as cabbage palm berries, grow on the Acai Palm Tree and are related to the saw palmetto berries, and are extremely rich in antioxidants. The acai berry is especially rich in the antioxidant properties by its concentration of anthocyanin, a colour purple antioxidant, also found in red wine that prevents oxidants from harming connective tissue while repairing damaged proteins in blood vessel ...

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin and plays an important role in blood clotting. Deficiency is Vitamin K can result in blood clotting and internal bleeding. Vitamin K helps the blood to coagulate or to become solid. Vitamin K, unlike other fat-soluble vitamins, is not stored in the body. Therefore it is important to get it from food. Vitamin K also activates certain proteins which help calcium to build strong bones. It also even may keep calcium out of arteries and in the bones. The two main forms of vitamin K are Vitamin K1 (phytonadione) and Vitamin K2 Vitamin K2 compounds (menaquinones). ...

Nuts are a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals. They are high in good fats such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which help prevent heart disease, lower the bad LDL cholesterol and protect the good HDL cholesterol. Nut-based beverages have become an increasingly popular alternative to dairy milk. Many people are lactose intolerant or allergic to the cows’ milk protein. Health-conscious consumer try to avoid the hormones and antibiotics found in the feed of cows, while others make ethical and environmental choices avoiding animal products all-together. Nut ...