Optimal Health Insider
Research broken down for ease of use
Five studies proving Echinacea is a potent immune building nutrient
Last week we presented a brief history on the use of Echinacea as a natural health builder. If you missed the article you can see it here. This week we'll provide a summary of five studies that show Echinacea's potent immune supporting properties. Flu fighter - Study...
Introduction to Echinacea — America’s favorite immune building herb
The herb that natural health advocates know as "Echinacea" is actually a genus---or a family of different species. The Echinacea genus includes ten species. They are herbaceous flowering plants which are themselves part of the bigger daisy family. Three of the ten...
Scientists pinpoint zinc’s mechanism for providing immune protection
Zinc deficiency is common. In fact, it's so common that experts estimate approximately two billion people worldwide are deficient. And research has repeatedly shown this "deficiency epidemic" is causing a serious global challenge. Namely, those that are deficient are...
Five studies showing Vitamin D is a powerful virus fighter
Viruses may be in the news a lot lately, but they are not new. In fact, different viruses are the primary cause of hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. Remember, influenza and your common cold are viruses. Pneumonia, AIDS, HPV, and viral hepatitis are also...
COVID-19 | The nutritional support facts you need to know
Fact: COVID-19 is a virus, and viruses are always more deadly to the elderly and people with compromised immune systems. So, is there anything we can do nutritionally to make our immune system stronger and reduce the damage a viral attack can cause? Proven research...
Vitamin C—just a vitamin in the US, but a treatment for coronaviruses in Asia
This article is intended to report on the use of Vitamin C as a medical treatment in other countries. It is not intended to suggest that Vitamin C can be used as a treatment in the US. Always consult with your health care provider for medical advice.In the United...
A brief history of licorice root—from King Tut to today’s nutritional supplements
Have you ever wondered why licorice root is an ingredient in many whole food supplements? Most people just think of licorice as a chewy black candy. Sadly, most "licorice" candy today doesn't even contain any real licorice. But licorice root is used for much more than...
L-Arginine Doesn’t Boost Growth Hormone or Increase Circulation–Unless…
L-arginine truly is a great nutrient for heart health but here’s the thing people overlook: it absolutely needs citrulline and L-ornithine to complete the urea cycle. The urea cycle means removing waste from your body. L-ornithine works closely with L-arginine...
Western diet linked to lower sperm quality in new study
When it comes to sperm quality, diet is a lot more important than most men realize. According to a recent meta-analysis that included review of 185 studies, total sperm count was shown to have declined by 50% to 60% between 1973 and 2011. In Western countries this...
America’s most widely used oil causes a host of health issues
New research from University of California Riverside (UCR) shows soybean oil not only leads to obesity and diabetes, but could also contribute to neurological conditions like autism, Alzheimer's disease, anxiety and depresion. A logical question might be, "If soybean...
Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy linked to higher ADHD risk for child
A new study is once again demonstrating how critical it is for pregnant women to maintain optimal Vitamin D levels---both for themselves and their baby. The study, which was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry,...
Iron level in brain linked to cognitive function in new study
Iron is an essential mineral that doesn't receive the attention that "big vitamins" do. This is unfortunate considering there is a virtual epidemic of iron deficiency around the world. Iron is essential for the proper functioning of the immune and nervous systems....