When a person has venous insufficiency, his body is unable to circulate blood properly to the legs and back around to the heart. Venous insufficiency is sometimes referred to as CVI--the C stands for chronic--and can lead to conditions such as...
Hawthorn is a small flowering shrub in the rose family which grows in most parts of the world. This thorny little bush produces small red berries; however, it is the flowers and leaves that are used for a number of natural remedies. Hawthorn...
An ulcer is a lesion that may appear on your skin or mucus membrane. The mucus membrane is the tissue that lines some of the organs and cavities in your body, including the lungs, mouth, nose and digestive tract. According to the National...
Peptic ulcers are open sores inside the stomach, esophagus or intestine which may bleed and cause health complications. Your physician may adjust your diet as part of your treatment for a bleeding ulcer in addition to medication use. Spicy foods,...
It used to be a dirty, little secret that you'd buy a stash of candy at the grocery store and savor it when nobody was looking. But now, chocolate is touted as a health food, full of antioxidants that provide actual health benefits. With all the...
Onions and garlic are versatile bulb-shaped vegetables that posses multiple health properties. You can buy garlic in whole cloves and in powdered or extract forms. Onions are available in several sizes and colors including yellow, white and red....
Chickweed is a green plant with small white flowers, originally found only in Europe, but also grown in North America. Chickweed is an annual that primarily blooms in the warm weather. The flowers, plants and stems of the plant, scientific name...
Since the 1930s, when the grapefruit diet first became popular, there have been various theories for why it might work. The grapefruit diet came back with a bang in the 1970s and 80s. Women looking to drop pounds were told to eat half a grapefruit...
There are some foods that contain the properties found in the antihistamine medication you might be familiar with from chemists and pharmacists. These natural antihistamines work towards naturally reducing the secretion of histamine--the...
Grave's disease is a debilitating condition where your thyroid gland (located in your neck) starts producing large amounts of thyroxine (a chemical in your body responsible for regulating your metabolic rate). According to the Mayo Clinic, this...
Different varieties of hot chocolate may help to soothe an upset stomach, depending on the cause of the condition. Some naturopaths recommend dark chocolate for certain types of stomachaches. Hot beverages made with milk can also be soothing. If...
Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland fails to produce enough hormones for the body to function properly. Symptoms of hypothyroidism include chronic tiredness, lethargy, weight gain, depression, forgetfulness and increased sensitivity to...
A member of the rose family, the apple is a fruit with many health benefits. Apples are rich in polyphenols, a type of phytochemical. Phytochemicals are not vitamins, but rather plant-derived nutrients useful to the body in ways that are not...
Onions are a staple in any well-stocked kitchen. Served raw, they add a crisp bite to salads and burgers, and when cooked they add a pungent, lightly spicy flavor that complements almost any savory dish--they can even be caramelized to sweetness!...
Naturally occurring chemicals in plants, known as phyto-chemicals, include sterols, stanols and flavanoids. Harvard Health Publications reports that eating about two grams of sterols daily can lower LDL cholesterol by about 10 percent. You can...
It's been said countless times that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." Based on a slew of scientific research there may be more truth to that old adage than you think. From reducing cancer risk to helping you shed extra pounds, fitting an...
Alcohol has some proven health benefits, but if you don't currently drink beer, wine or liquor, it's not a good idea to start, says the American Heart Association. The benefits you can get from alcohol can also be gained by a healthy diet and...
Besides satisfying your sweet tooth and tasting delicious, chocolate has some surprising health benefits. This is mainly thanks to the cacao bean, a chief ingredient in chocolate, which contains over 400 chemicals, many of which are good for you.
Just as the bones and muscles in your torso and limbs need proper nutrition to stay healthy and strong, so do your eyes. You can help avoid an array of vision problems by eating the right foods. However, diet may only be part of the solution for...
The medical term "heart disease" refers to several different types of heart conditions, including coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure and cardiovascular disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The most...
Sesame seeds come from the Sesamu indicum plant whose origins go back thousands of years. The plant was used by the Chinese, Arabic and Egyptian cultures as well as other African and Asian cultures. The seeds and the oil are the part used for...
Smoothies are a quick way to include the benefits of fruits and even vegetables in your diet -- as a morning breakfast or a healthy snack throughout your day. Most any blendable fruit can be used in a smoothie, including grapes, which can pack an...
Maintaining adequate nutrition can be a challenge if you have celiac disease, or gluten intolerance. Because eating gluten prompts an immune response in your digestive system, you must avoid all foods that contain wheat, rye or barley. This can be...
Calendula is a flower with bright yellow, gold and orange blooms. Calendula is known for its beauty and medicinal qualities, but the colorful blossoms can be used to treat a variety of ailments. Calendula blossoms are edible and give rice,...
Elderberries are small, tart berries that grow on trees native to North America, Western Asia, North Africa and Europe. Used for centuries for their medicinal properties, elderberries are rich in antioxidants, flavanoids, amino acids and several...
Hawthorn berry tea, derived from a common prickly shrub in the rose family, contains a multitude of substances that support heart health. Antioxidant flavanoids may aid the dilation of blood vessels, increase blood flow and protect the vessels...
The olive tree is a shrub native to Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean. They are popular for their fruit, which is a drupe with the flesh surrounding the pit. They are harvested for their meat and oil, which are used for culinary purposes. The...
The adrenal glands help our bodies to adapt to stress and respond to crises. They produce stress hormones and epinephrine in order to accomplish this function. To support the function of the adrenals, supplements that help the body moderate stress...
Grapeseed is an supplement obtained by grinding the seeds of red grapes. It often comes in the form of an extract, liquid concentrate, oil, capsule, tablet or cream and people use it for a variety of health promoting purposes. No side effects have...
