Digestion

Wine lovers: Here’s another reason to rejoice! It turns out that having a little merlot or pinot noir once in a while may do your tummy good. It’s not as crazy as it sounds. Let me explain… It’s widely known that red wine has properties that protect your heart. This is courtesy of compounds called […]

When it comes to maintaining good oral and dental health, everyone knows the basics—brush twice a day, floss every night, and visit the dentist regularly for cleanings and checkups. But perhaps we need to add another important item to this list: Taking probiotics. It’s well known that having a diverse variety of beneficial bacteria (probiotics) […]

If you’re a fan of Indian food, you’re probably quite familiar with turmeric. A member of the ginger family, this brilliant yellow-orange spice is used frequently to make curry—a staple in Indian and other Asian cuisines. But turmeric is far more than a culinary staple; it’s a centuries-old medicine too. One of its most active […]

We tend to hear about the possible side effects of drugs through ads, doctors, and word of mouth. Usually, these adverse reactions are caused by the active ingredients—the components that cause the medication to have a therapeutic impact on your health. But, we rarely hear about bad reactions to the inactive ingredients. While they’re far more rare, they do happen…and in some cases they can be life threatening. Learn how to identify potential allergens and what you can do to help prevent side-effects.

Kombucha is a popular beverage made by fermenting green or black tea. While it has only just recently become everyone’s favorite “trendy” health drink, kombucha has been around for millennia. Kombucha originated in the Far East, with the first recorded use coming from China in 221 BC. Back then, it was called the Tea of […]

Nearly 20 million Americans are prescribed esomeprazole (better known as Nexium, Prilosec, Aciphex, and Protonix) to treat heartburn, GERD, and acid reflux. And they spend $6.2 billion annually for it. These drugs are called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) because they neutralize stomach acid as a way to stop reflux and the heartburn that follows it. […]

When you think of digestive issues, the well-known ones probably come to mind: Irritable bowel syndrome, heartburn, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis. But there’s another digestive condition that many people have never heard of—which is surprising considering an estimated 4 million in the US alone are affected. It’s called […]

Whenever someone presents with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), the first thing I want to know about isn’t what’s coming out, but rather, what they are putting into their bodies. Your diet is a critical factor in how all of your body systems operate, especially your digestive system. And one group of very common […]

Now that the spring sun has finally decided to stick around for a while, I have a special message to readers who want to alleviate the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): Get some sun! Yes, I’m being serious. New research has shown that Vitamin D can help alleviate IBS, and exposure to the sun […]

The gallbladder is one of the most underappreciated organs in the human body. In fairness though, it’s hard to really understand the importance of the gallbladder because its job is so “under the radar.” The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ located just below your liver. Your liver produces a fluid called bile, and the […]