Vitamin D "Triggers and Arms" the Immune System

Vitamin D is crucial to the fending off of infections, claims new research.

The so-called sunshine vitamin, which can be obtained from food or manufactured by human skin exposed to the sun, plays a key role in boosting the immune system, researchers believe.

In particular it triggers and arms the body's T cells, the cells in the body that seek out and destroy any invading bacteria and viruses.

Scientists at the University of Copenhagen have discovered that Vitamin D is crucial to activating our immune defences and that without sufficient intake of the vitamin, the killer cells of the immune system – T cells – will not be able to react to and fight off serious infections in the body. Read more

Coconut Oil: The Tropical Magic Potion

Coconut oil has been used for centuries as a vital source of food for health and general well-being in traditional communities of tropical regions. Recent research verifies traditional beliefs that the coconut palm is “The Tropical Magic Potion." What are some of the health benefits of coconut oil?

The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength. These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc.

How is Lauric Acid Used by our body?
The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV. It helps in fighting harmful bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia. As a result of these various health benefits of coconut oil, though its exact mechanism of action was unknown, it has been extensively used in Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicinal system. Read more

Are Your Allergies Raging? Try This Ancient Cure

More Americans (20 to 30 percent) claim some form of allergy -- and a Chinese herbal treatment may offer hope.

... Dr. Xiu-Min Li, the director of Mount Sinai Hospital’s federally funded Center for Chinese Herbal Therapy for Allergy and Asthma in Manhattan, has had success treating asthma with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) -- using an herbal therapy of her own devising. About 10 years ago, Li began wondering whether TCM might also be applied to food allergies since allergic asthma and allergic reactions to food have similar immunological blueprints. While there’s no actual mention of food allergy in traditional Chinese medicine, a complete medical system in which the taste of an herb helps determine its therapeutic function, there is talk of symptoms like those experienced during an allergic reaction.

"I found information about one formula in particular," says Li. "It dealt with parasites and was used when people got stomach problems, vomited, and lost sensation after eating. It sounded like what we now call anaphylaxis." The formula, called Wu Mei Wan, dates back nearly 2,000 years and was recorded in the Shang Han Lun, one of the classic tomes of traditional Chinese medicine and a basis for all of its future pharmacology. Li and her team of chemists, biologists and researchers modified this original formula by adding to its preexisting mixture of 10 botanical ingredients, an 11th called Ling Zhi, or, "wooden mushroom," so-called for its ligneous appearance. Read more

80 Effective Exercises You Can Do at Your Desk

Can't find time to exercise? Physical Therapy Assistant Schools describes 80 effective exercises that you can do at your desk.

The U.S. surgeon general recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate activity five days a week for adults. Yet with a significant percentage of Americans at the overweight or obese point, it doesn’t seem as if we have the time. So we do what we can, when we can.

Because so many of us spend eight hours or more a day at our desks or cubicles, why not find 30 minutes there? We have gathered 80 effective exercises you can do at your desk to help. Take a look and have your co-workers envying you in no time.

Effective Aerobic Exercises You Can Do At Your Desk

Get your heart pumping and calories burning with the help of the below. Read more

How to Whiten Teeth With Home Remedies

Use natural ingredients to whiten teeth with information from a dental technician. Home remedies for whiter teeth include brushing with hydrogen peroxide, brushing with baking soda, or brushing with a lemon juice and salt mixture.

Natural Dental Products

Even people who prefer natural remedies often still use conventional toothpaste and mouthwash, but natural dental products are available.

I've been a fan of Tooth Soap for years. This is the product that replaces the usual toothpaste products with far more natural, gentle teeth-washing ingredients. That's why, along with Dental Miracle (www.DentalMiracle.com), it has remained among my top-recommended products for oral health. (Many other products are mentioned below...)

Because let's face it: You don't actually need to "scrub" your teeth with sand, chemical preservatives and sweeteners. Most toothpaste products are truly a joke -- they're loaded with synthetic chemicals that simply can't be considered safe for human consumption by any reasonable person. Cleaning your teeth only requires a type of soap, some water and some brushing action. You don't need dyes, sweeteners, sand and other nonsense ingredients. Read more

5 Natural Remedies for Neuropathy

Neuropathy is a painful degenerative nerve condition most commonly caused by diabetes, Margaret Durst says there are several interesting natural remedies that can bring relief from the pain, burning, numbness, and other miseries caused by nerve damage.

N is for neuropathy which is a painful degenerative nerve condition most commonly caused by diabetes. Symptoms may range from mild loss of sensation in the feet to constant pain in various parts of the body.

There are several interesting remedies for neuropathy – some of which have had clinical trials conducted with specific usage. Read more