Health News & Info

The cancer research agency of the World Health Organization, or WHO, recently released a report categorizing the artificial sweetener aspartame used in diet sodas and other food products as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” But is it essential to give up your diet drink habit?  Not necessarily, according to many experts, including two Florida State University nutritional experts.  The news about aspartame is not something most people need to worry about, say Lisa Trone, director of the Dietetics Internship Program and Michael J. Ormsbee, a professor director of the institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine at the University. Being on the WHO’s list...

New research has found irregular sleep patterns are associated with harmful bacteria in your gut. The study, published recently in the The European Journal of Nutrition, by researchers from King’s College London and ZOE, the personalised nutrition company, is the first to find multiple associations between social jet lag – the shift in your internal body clock when your sleeping patterns change between workdays and free days - and diet quality, diet habits, inflammation and gut microbiome composition in a single cohort. Irregular sleep patterns plague the elderly and shift workers. Previous research has shown that working shifts disrupts the body...

Overview Red yeast rice is the product of rice fermented with a type of yeast called Monascus purpureus. It contains Monacolin K, which is identical to a statin drug. Red yeast rice contains ten different chemicals known as monacolins. These chemicals affect cholesterol levels. Monacolin K is the most abundant in red yeast rice. Because of this, it has many of the same effects and precautions as the statin drug. People most commonly use red yeast rice for high levels of cholesterol and other fats in the blood. It is also used for heart attack, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and many other...

Beta Carotene is a natural pigment, belonging to a group called carotenoids. It is also known as a provitamin A carotenoid, which means that it is converted to vitamin A in our body. Beta carotene is also rich in antioxidants which have many benefits in preventing oxidative stress in our bodies. Many fruits and vegetables naturally contain beta carotene including: Dark leafy greens Sweet potatoes Carrots Butternut squash Apricots Red and yellow peppers While these foods do contain beta carotene, the level and bioavailability of beta carotene in each food is highly variable. Supplementing with beta carotene can be beneficial...