Optimal Health Insider
Research broken down for ease of use
VITAL study shows major autoimmune benefit from Omega-3 and Vitamin D supplementation
A new study conducted at Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard University found that people who took Vitamin D and Omega-3 fatty acids had a significantly lower rate of autoimmune diseases. Vitamin D alone was also shown to reduce autoimmune disease when compared to...
Attacks on supplements continue as California bans sale of weight loss products to minors
The California state legislature has approved new legislation that appears to be more about pleasing the pharmaceutical industry than following actual science. The new bill, AB-1341, effectively bans the sale of dietary supplements either formulated or marketed for...
Magnesium helps relieve diabetes symptoms, Italian meta-analysis concludes
A new meta-analysis conducted in Italy has corroborated earlier research that the essential mineral magnesium dramatically reduces diabetes symptoms. The main outcome, according to researchers, was "a decline in insulin resistance with magnesium intake, especially in...
Vitamin K may be more important than Vitamin D in COVID battle, says new study
Vitamin K2 status may have a stronger association with COVID-19 related inflammation than Vitamin D deficiency, according to a new study from the Netherlands. The main take-away from the study, say researchers, is that Vitamin D supplementation should be complemented...
Probiotic supplements that improve gut microbiome could aid in Long COVID recovery, new study finds
A new study from Hong Kong has concluded that probiotic supplementation may be the key to fighting the long-term symptoms that many COVID patients suffer. These symptoms, which can last months or even years, have been termed simply as "Long Covid." In technical...
Green tea protects against influenza and other respiratory viruses, new meta-analysis confirms
Whether drinking, gargling or swallowing an extract in a capsule, green tea is effective at warding off influenza and other upper respiratory tract illnesses. These are the findings of a new meta-analysis that included a review of the effectiveness of tea gargling and...
Exposure Protection Pak: Over 50 nutrients, all backed by credible research
When it comes to building the immune system quickly and effectively, nothing provides more protection than the Exposure Protection Pak. Every Exposure Protection Pak box contains 30 individual packets, with seven capsules in each---a total of 210 capsules. And each of...
Kelp – the immune support gift to humans from the ocean
Kelp is a brown leafy edible seaweed that grows along colder coastlines. Though it is typically thought to be a plant, technically speaking it is not. It does not contain more than one clearly differentiated tissue---making it, instead, a heterokont. Kelp has been an...
Study finds zinc helps protect from, and shortens, respiratory tract infections
In a review of 28 zinc trials conducted in multiple countries, researchers found participants who used the essential mineral had significantly better outcomes when fighting respiratory tract infections (RTI). The trials were conducted on "non-specific respiratory...
If you have several health challenges the first nutrient you should reach for is Vitamin C
Vitamin C was one of the first vitamins discovered and named---over 100 years ago---and today it is the most supplemented vitamin in the world. There are good reasons for the popularity: 100 years of research has proven it is critical for all aspects of health. It is...
Heart and brain: New research highlights diverse health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids
Essential fatty acids are called "essential" for a reason: they are essential for human health. And two new studies---both conducted on omega-3 fatty acids---are highlighting just how diverse these health benefits are. One study, a review of dozens of earlier studies,...
Children who eat more fruit and veggies have better mental health, research shows
Children who eat a diet that includes regular fruit and vegetables have better mental well-being, a new UK study has found. The research, published in September in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, found eating more fruit and veggies was linked to improved...