Optimal Health Insider
Research broken down for ease of use
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....
Researchers say Vitamin C level so low in some they have scurvy
Anyone who has worked in the nutrition industry for any length of time has heard a comment that goes something like this: "I don't need a Vitamin C supplement, because everyone knows that diseases like scurvy are ancient history." Well, it turns out the history of...
Branch Chain Amino Acid supplements improve performance in cycling study
A new nine week study on cycling subjects has demonstrated that branch chain amino acids (BCAA) can have a dramatic effect on performance. The placebo-controlled trial was conducted by researchers associated with several academic institutions in Italy. The study...
Probiotic supplements key to solving world-wide malnutrition, says billionaire philanthropist
Being a billionaire doesn't make you a health and nutrition expert. It does get you all kinds of attention from the media, though. So, when a billionaire points out that probiotics are able to heal the gut and combat malnutrition, it makes headlines all over the...
Antacids cause cancer?
Unbeknownst to most consumers, retailers quietly removed many antacid products from stores in 2019. Why? It turns out research shows that ingredients in popular antacids and acid-blockers can cause kidney damage and other issues---and even lead to cancer. In this...
Another reason to include raw food: A fatty meal interrupts gut’s communication with body
A high-fat meal can silence communication between the intestine and the rest of the body, according to a new study on zebrafish conducted by researchers at Duke University. The goal of the Duke researchers was to examine the enteroendocrine cells that normally tell...
The MEGA-reason you should be taking a vegetarian EFA instead of a fish oil EFA
Everyone today agrees essential fatty acids (EFAs) are essential for good health. And most agree adding an EFA supplement to one's diet to compliment the small amount of EFA we get from food is a good idea too. But at that point there's a divergence in opinion. Some...
Study links longer work hours to higher blood pressure
If you're an offfice working putting in 49 hours or more each week, you might want to consider taking heart support supplements to offset the damage you're causing to your blood pressure. New research from Canada found Office workers who logged 49-plus hours on the...
Vitamin C and probiotic combination reduces kids’ school absence by 30%
A small Welsh study has demonstrated just how beneficial the right combination of supplements can be for children. In a trial of 57 children, supplementing with a combination of two probiotic strains plus vitamin C accomplished what every parent dreams of: a 30%...
The natural, abundant, free ingredient that works better than antacids for heartburn
If you take an antacid with a glass of water, it just may be that the water actually "cures" your acid problem better than the medicine does. And if you take an antacid without water, it might be more effective to simply drink a glass of water and skip the antacid. So...
FDA approves expanded health claims for omega-3 fatty acids
For those who rely on government edicts to know when a nutrient is beneficial, 2019 is the year you can finally be assured the government officially recognizes the heart health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. The caveat is that the approval is somewhat tacit, and the...
Plastic chemical exposure 44 times greater than first thought—what you can do
According to new research from Washington State University, humans are being exposed to far greater amounts of dangerous plastic chemicals than originally thought. The reason for the disparity lies in the methodology of testing. Astoundingly, researchers determined...