HEALTH HUB Latest Articles
Inflammation may raise your cancer risk
Inflammation may raise your cancer risk Everyone wants to do what they can to avoid cancer. Did you know that having too much inflammation in your body is a strong risk factor? Inflammation can cause wear and tear to all areas of your body. It can damage the genetic material in your cells and inside your mitochondria. This can interfere with proper cell function, potentially causing cancer. What is inflammation? Inflammation is the way our body responds to injury. We can usually tell a part of our body is inflamed when it is red, hot, swollen and we [...]
Inflammation is harming your arteries
Inflammation is harming your arteries By naturopath Margaret Jasinska What causes fatty plaques to develop in arteries? Many people attribute it to cholesterol. Did you know it’s actually inflammation that injures the lining of arteries and promotes hardening, narrowing and restricted blood flow? What is atherosclerosis? Atherosclerosis means thickening or hardening of the arteries. It is caused by a buildup of plaque in the inner lining of arteries. Plaque is made up of a number of substances. Many people think it’s solely cholesterol. Plaque is comprised of: Fibrin (clotting tissue) Fatty substances Cholesterol Immune cells (especially macrophages) Smooth [...]
Statins may not be safe for your kidneys
Statins may not be safe for your kidneys By naturopath Margaret Jasinska Some cholesterol lowering medications could be putting your kidneys at risk. The kidneys are delicate organs and do not have the ability to easily repair themselves. A number of different medications can impair kidney health. Rosuvastatin is a popular cholesterol lowering drug sold under the brand name Crestor. Recent research has demonstrated an increased risk of kidney failure compared with atorvastatin (Lipitor). This has led researchers to recommend starting with a low dose in patients with chronic kidney disease, or choosing a different cholesterol lowering drug. [...]
Got an under active thyroid? Blame your gut bugs
Got an under active thyroid? Blame your gut bugs By naturopath Margaret Jasinska Results of a new study have shown that people with an underactive thyroid caused by the autoimmune disease Hashimoto’s thyroiditis are much more likely to have gut health problems. They usually have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) as well as dysbiosis. Dysbiosis means too many bad and not enough good gut bugs. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth means too much bacteria in the wrong part of the intestine. They are supposed to be in the large intestine but people with SIBO have bacteria and yeast in [...]
Strengthen your immune system with minerals
Strengthen your immune system with minerals By naturopath Margaret Jasinska When they consider the immune system, most people think of vitamin C and vitamin D. It is true that those vitamins help to strengthen the immune system, but minerals are also important. Minerals are often lacking in the average person’s diet and this can predispose a person to developing an infection and make the infection harder to overcome. A lot of people, and especially children tend to have a diet based on carbohydrate. Iron deficiency is extremely common in menstruating women but we’re recently seeing a lot in [...]
Inflammation may raise your cancer risk
Inflammation may raise your cancer risk Everyone wants to do what they can to avoid cancer. Did you know that having too much inflammation in your body is a strong risk factor? Inflammation can cause wear and tear to all areas of your body. It can damage the genetic material in your cells and inside your mitochondria. This can interfere with proper cell function, potentially causing cancer. What is inflammation? Inflammation is the way our body responds to injury. We can usually tell a part of our body is inflamed when it is red, hot, swollen and we [...]
5 Simple Ways To Boost Your Metabolism
5 simple ways to boost your metabolism By Jessah Robinson, Adv Dip (Nut Med) When we say ‘metabolism’, we are referring to everyday chemical processes our body uses to produce energy. Our metabolic rate is the rate at which our body breaks down food to use as an energy source. Therefore, the more effective or fast your metabolism is the more energy you have and the better you will feel. Here are 5 easy ways to boost your metabolism: 1. Consume protein with every meal Protein is [...]
Fatty liver could be responsible for your arthritis
Fatty liver could be responsible for your arthritis By Margaret Jasinska Many people with a fatty liver have arthritis or stiff joints. You may not realise the two conditions are linked. Enzymes and inflammatory chemicals produced by a fatty liver, as well as the appetite hormone leptin can all promote the destruction of cartilage and subsequent arthritis. Improving the health of your liver may reduce overall pain, improve mobility and help you avoid joint replacements as you age. In a normal, healthy liver, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are responsible for regenerating and repairing liver cells that may have become [...]
Are you low in vitamin D?
Are you low in vitamin D? By naturopath Margaret Jasinska If so, here are 12 possible explanations. Vitamin D is a critical nutrient that benefits your health in numerous ways. Your body can obtain it through sunshine exposure, foods or supplements. Have you had a vitamin D blood test and discovered you are low despite sun exposure or supplements? This is common and there are several explanations. Reasons you may be low in vitamin D: Insufficient skin exposed to the sun. Just your hands and face are not enough. You need to expose enough of your skin in [...]
Is your high fibre diet making you zinc deficient?
Is your high fibre diet making you zinc deficient? By naturopath Margaret Jasinska The foods you’re eating in an attempt to improve your health may be making you zinc deficient and weakening your immune system. If you are trying to improve your health, there is a good chance you’re eating more fibre. Higher fibre diets are being promoted to improve gut health and overall health. The problem is that plant foods high in fibre can inhibit your body from being able to absorb zinc. Zinc deficiency can make you susceptible to frequent infections, or long lasting infections. Plant [...]