August 2022 – Culture For Good

August 29, 2022January 30, 2023

In Nutrition Tips, Vitaminsby Callie Gilman

5 Incredible Health Benefits Of Garlic

Garlic has been eaten as food for millennia. It’s frequently used in dishes from across the world, and it’s the main component in many of them. But garlic isn’t just tasty! Garlic is full of health advantages that you might not have known about before. In this article, we’ll be going over five ways garlic can improve your health.

Garlic may be added to any recipe to enhance its flavor. Did you know, however, that it has five verified health benefits? In this article, we will discuss how garlic aids digestion and prevents heart disease; next, we will discuss lowering blood pressure. Then, we will talk about how garlic fights infections and wrap up with preventing cancer. After finishing this article, you will know about the incredible ways garlic can benefit your health.

1It Aids Digestion

Garlic is a natural antibiotic that aids digestion by killing germs in the stomach. Garlic also aids digestion by stimulating gastric secretion. Garlic is particularly beneficial for people who deal with digestive issues, such as constipation or diarrhea.

Garlic is beneficial for people with digestive problems. Garlic is a natural antiseptic that aids in the eradication of stomach germs. It also promotes gastric secretion, which may help improve digestion. If you have constipation or diarrhea, garlic may be able to assist you.

2Prevents Heart Disease

Garlic is effective at preventing heart disease. It helps lower bad cholesterol levels and blood pressure, which reduces the risk of heart disease. Garlic also has anti-inflammatory effects, which can help protect the heart from damage.

Garlic is a great choice for those looking to protect their heart. In addition to reducing bad cholesterol and blood pressure, garlic can also help reduce inflammation. This can help prevent damage to the heart and may help improve heart health overall.

3Lowers Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a common problem that can lead to heart disease or stroke. Garlic is a member of the Allium family, which also includes onion and leek. Garlic belongs to the same genus as onions and leeks, the mustard family. Gallic acid has been shown to lower blood pressure in humans with hypertension.

Garlic is a great choice for those with hypertension. In addition to reducing blood pressure, it may also help improve cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. You can simply add garlic to your food or take garlic supplements to get these benefits.

4It Fights Infections

Garlic is a potent natural antibiotic that may aid with the treatment of infections. It fights a wide range of illnesses, including the common cold, flu, and even HIV. Garlic is also antiseptic.

Garlic is a great choice for those looking to boost the immune system. It is a natural antibiotic that can help fight off a variety of infections. Garlic is also antiseptic, meaning it can help prevent the spread of infection. If you are feeling under the weather, garlic may be able to help.

5It Prevents Cancer

Garlic is known to have anti-cancer effects. It kills cancer cells and inhibits the creation of new cancer cells, according to studies. Garlic’s benefits include stomach and colorectal cancer prevention.

Garlic has shown promise as a cancer therapy in several studies. In vitro, garlic’s active component was found to stop pancreatic cancer cell growth. Aged garlic extract was also found to inhibit breast cancer cell proliferation in one study. Garlic oil also showed potential against leukemia cells in another research. All of this research suggests that garlic is a viable cancer therapy and prevention agent.

Garlic has been consumed as food for thousands of years; it’s frequently used in cuisines from across the world, and it’s often the major ingredient. Garlic isn’t just delicious! Garlic contains several health benefits that you may not have known about previously; garlic, like other plants belonging to the genus Allium, has a long history of use in cooking. Garlic may be used to enhance the taste of any dish. Did you know, however, that garlic has five proven health benefits?

In this article, we looked at five health benefits of garlic. First, we discussed how garlic aids digestion and prevents heart disease. Next, we discussed lowering blood pressure. Then, we talked about how garlic fights infections and wrapped up with preventing cancer. Now that you’ve read this article, you know about the incredible ways garlic can benefit your health.

August 14, 2022January 30, 2023

In Detox, Heavy Metalsby Callie Gilman

8 Facts About Heavy Metals And How To Detox Your Body

When present in the human body, heavy metals serve no beneficial role. They almost always interfere with normal biological processes instead. They do this partly by binding to the proteins in the body that would otherwise be activated by normally occurring minerals like magnesium and zinc. This causes massive cellular interference, oxidative stress, and chronic inflammation. In this article, we will share with you information about exposure to heavy metals and how to detox your body and improve your overall health.

In this article, you will learn the definition of heavy metals and all about aluminum and the human body. Next, we will discuss epigenetic changes, what to look for if you’ve been exposed to heavy metals, and how to test for heavy metals. Then, we will cover mercury and acute versus chronic exposure and wrap up with information about cadmium. Once you have finished reading, you will know about heavy metal detoxification and how to use it to improve your overall health.

1What Heavy Metals Are

Heavy metal is a metal that has a density of at least five g/cm3. It is generally understood that heavy metals have adverse effects on living organisms and the environment when present in large amounts. When present in the human body, they serve no beneficial role.

They interfere with normal biological processes. They bind to the proteins in the body that would otherwise be activated by normally occurring minerals like magnesium and zinc. This causes chronic inflammation, massive cellular interference, and oxidative stress.

2Aluminum And The Human Body

Aluminum is the third most common element in the earth’s crust and was once the number two metal used in manufacturing across the globe (second to steel). Aluminum is leached from the soil with increases in acid rain, which makes it more toxic to the body. Aluminum has no biological role in the body and inhibits the normal distribution of calcium, phosphorus, and iron. The common sources of exposure are processed foods, some vaccinations, antiperspirant deodorant, canned foods and drinks, and municipal tap water.

Aluminum can find a home in almost any tissue of the body. Health effects include poor cognitive function, bone disorders, neurodegeneration (Alzheimer’s), breast cancer, and anemia. While all of these metals are concerning in themselves, it is also important to note that some studies have shown a concerting effect. This means that having combined toxicity of several heavy metals may be exponentially more harmful than any one metal alone.

3The Epigenetic Changes

While there are immediate ramifications of heavy metal exposure and accumulation, something that absolutely must be considered are the generational effects passed to the offspring. Research is now showing that heavy metals can change the expression of our genes in ways that are unfavorable to good health. Additionally, certain heavy metals can be passed directly from the mother to the fetus in utero.

This means that even if raised in a pristine environment (which is virtually impossible in today’s society), the ramifications of heavy metal toxicity can extend for several generations. This is especially true if not properly dealt with. This means that if you plan on raising healthy, vibrant children, you may want to consider testing and removing heavy metals from your system before conception.

4The Symptoms Of Heavy Metal Exposure

The symptoms of chronic heavy metal exposure can vary depending on an individual’s health, exposure level, and the types of metals that they are exposed to. Someone with a robust detoxification ability will have a higher tolerance to heavy metals. Some people could be extremely sensitive to even the smallest exposure.

Some of the most common symptoms include chronic fatigue, brain fog, mood swings, insomnia, anxiety, and depression. Chronic inflammation is also a symptom of heavy metal exposure. Several heavy metals have also been classified as cancer-causing agents.

5Testing For Heavy Metals

There are generally three types of heavy metal testing strategies: blood, urine, and hair. The common downfall that these methods succumb to is not accounting for the fact that heavy metals can become deeply embedded in the tissues. Generally, hair and urine tests can only measure the metals that an individual’s body can remove. Blood tests are typically only accurate after acute and recent exposure to heavy metals.

Generally, one of the best ways to get an idea of heavy metal levels in the body is to pull them from the tissues using a chelator (a substance that binds and detoxes heavy metals) and then measure what is excreted in the urine. This method is called a heavy metal challenge test. Typically, in a heavy metal challenge test, one will collect two separate urine samples: one before ingesting the chelator and one after. This gives an accurate picture of the toxic burden on the body.

6Mercury And Its Effects

Mercury is likely the most dangerous heavy metal in the environment. It is attracted to fatty substances, such as the brain, and may increase your chances of getting Alzheimer’s disease. It increases oxidative stress and inflammation, depletes antioxidants, and chronically overstimulates the brain, eventually leading to brain cell damage.

The common sources of mercury exposure are larger seafood (tuna, shark, swordfish, etc.), dental amalgams (silver tooth fillings), and some vaccinations (containing thimerosal). Mercury is stored in the brain, nervous system (myelin), liver, and kidneys. The health effects of mercury exposure are brain damage, brain fog, chronic fatigue, depression, headaches, poor memory, liver and kidney damage, increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis).

7Acute Versus Chronic Exposure

Something important to understand is that we are not referring to acute exposure to metals so much as we are to chronic exposure. Of course, there is an issue when someone is suddenly exposed to a large dose of a toxic metal that causes immediate toxicity. And there are ways of mitigating those damages in an emergency scenario.

What we need to understand, though, is that even low-level exposure to heavy metals over time can also have a detrimental impact on the body. This is why it is important to understand some of the common sources and ways you can help your body eliminate them. Your body needs to do this daily if you want to maintain a vibrant level of health.

8Cadmium And Its Sources

Cadmium is a water-soluble heavy metal. What that means is that once exposed, your body will absorb it somewhat easily. The mechanism by which cadmium harms the body is not fully known; however, it is helpful to understand its areas of storage and common health effects.

The common sources of exposure are tobacco, contaminated foods, and occupation (soldering, metalworking, battery manufacture). Cadmium is stored in the kidneys. The health effects are kidney damage and poor calcium metabolism (kidney stones and osteoporosis).

Heavy metals serve no beneficial role when present in the human body. In most cases, heavy metals almost always interfere with normal biological processes instead. Proteins in the body that would otherwise be activated by normally occurring minerals like magnesium and zinc are what these heavy metals partly bind to. In this article, we shared with you information about exposure to heavy metals and how to detox your body and improve your overall health.

In this article, you learned the definition of heavy metals and all about aluminum and the human body. Next, we discussed epigenetic changes, what to look for if you’ve been exposed to heavy metals, and how to test for heavy metals. Then, we covered mercury and acute versus chronic exposure and wrapped up with information about cadmium. Now that you have finished reading, you know about heavy metal detoxification and how to use it to improve your overall health.

August 8, 2022January 30, 2023

In Nutrition Tips, Tryptophanby Callie Gilman

5 Ways L-Tryptophan Can Benefit Your Health

Do you often feel run-down and stressed? Are you having trouble sleeping at night? If so, you may be low in L-tryptophan. L-tryptophan is an essential amino acid that plays a key role in mood regulation, sleep quality, and stress levels. In this article, we will discuss five surprising health benefits of L-tryptophan.

If you are looking for an all-natural way to improve your health, L-tryptophan may be a good supplement for you to consider. It has been shown to provide benefits, such as improved sleep quality and insomnia, decreased PMS symptoms, reduced dementia risk, smoking cessation success, and relief from depression symptoms. As with any new supplement, if you decide to add it to your diet, it is always best to speak with a healthcare professional first to make sure that it is the right choice for you.

First, we will start with how L-tryptophan can help with dementia and PMS. Next, we will discuss depression. Finally, we will take a look at how it helps improve sleep quality and insomnia and wrap up with how it helps with smoking cessation. Once you have finished reading, you will be able to start benefiting from all that this natural amino acid has to offer.

1Slows The Progression Of Dementia

L-tryptophan may also be beneficial for people with dementia. One study found that supplementing with L-tryptophan improved mental function. It also slowed the progression of dementia.

The study found that L-tryptophan was able to improve mental function. It does this by helping protect the cells in the brain from damage. It also helped slow down the progression of dementia by reducing inflammation in the brain.

2Reduces The Symptoms Of PMS

Tryptophan is an amino acid that’s used in the production of serotonin. L-tryptophan can help reduce the symptoms of PMS. One study found that L-tryptophan supplementation was able to decrease feelings of anxiety, irritability, and depression in women with PMS.

Women with the premenstrual syndrome were found to have improved moods after L-tryptophan supplementation. The women felt less anxious and irritable. This demonstrated that the placebo effect can be powerful indeed!

3Helps With Depression

L-tryptophan is also effective in treating depression. One study found that L-tryptophan was just as effective as prescription antidepressants at reducing symptoms of depression. Depression is a common mood disorder that affects millions of people worldwide.

It is characterized by feelings of sadness, despair, and hopelessness. L-tryptophan is an amino acid that is just as effective as prescription antidepressants at relieving the symptoms of depression! In addition, it does not produce the same side effects as traditional medications.

4Improves Sleep Quality

L-tryptophan is a natural sleep aid. It helps promote relaxation and sleepiness by increasing the levels of serotonin. One study found that L-tryptophan was just as effective as prescription sleeping pills at improving sleep quality and insomnia.

L-tryptophan is an essential amino acid that can be found in many foods, including cheese and chicken. It has been shown to help people fall asleep faster by boosting their production of serotonin, a chemical released during sleep cycles! In addition, it also enhances the release of at least two other hormones associated with restfulness: melatonin (which is responsible for regulating your circadian rhythm or body clock) and oxytocin (which helps regulate labor contractions among pregnant women).

5Aids Smoking Cessation

L-tryptophan may also help people quit smoking. One study found that supplementing with L-tryptophan reduced cravings for cigarettes. It also helped smokers abstain from smoking for longer periods. Smokers who supplemented with L-tryptophan experienced a significant decrease in their desire to smoke cigarettes, especially during times of stress. In addition, they were also able to abstain from smoking for longer periods.

Do you feel tired and stressed all the time or have difficulty sleeping at night? You may be low in L-tryptophan if you answered yes to either of these questions. L-tryptophan is an important amino acid that aids in mood balance, sleep quality, and stress management. In this article, we discussed five surprising health benefits of L-tryptophan.

L-tryptophan might be a good supplement for you to try if you are searching for an all-natural way to enhance your health. It has been proven to help with sleep quality and insomnia, PMS symptom reduction, lower dementia risk, smoking cessation success, and depression symptom alleviation. You must always talk to your doctor before starting any new supplement, but L-tryptophan is generally considered safe and well-tolerated. Give it a try!

First, we started with how L-tryptophan can help with dementia and PMS. Next, we discussed depression. Finally, we took a look at how it helps improve sleep quality and insomnia and wrapped up how it helps with smoking cessation. Now that you have finished reading, you can start benefiting from all that this natural amino acid has to offer.

August 5, 2022January 30, 2023

In Skincareby Callie Gilman

5 Mistakes You May Be Making If You Have Sensitive Skin

You merely glance at your face in the mirror, and you see something wrong – your skin erupts in redness, stinging, burning, or itching. That’s how daily life can feel at least when you have sensitive skin. Genetics plays a role in your risk of sensitive skin, too. No matter where you land on the sensitive skin scale — diagnosed skin condition or not — you’re going to want to re-evaluate your skincare routine. Today, we will give you common mistakes to avoid if you have sensitive skin.

First, we will take a look at relying on “clean” products and using skincare products that are too harsh. Next, we will discuss using too many skincare products. Then, we will discuss relying on retinol, and we’ll wrap things up with the wrong type of sunscreen. Once you have finished reading, you will be able to avoid these common mistakes people with sensitive skin make.

1You’re Relying On “Clean” Beauty

If you’ve seen the call to practice so-called “clean” or natural beauty, you might be tempted to toss your existing products in favor of organic options, which many people think are the best for sensitive skin. But that’s not true. These are ingredients that you can have allergic or irritant reactions to, just as you can for any other ingredient.

What’s more, clean or natural are marketing terms that are not regulated, so they don’t guarantee anything about the ingredients inside. One big offender in these products: essential oils. People run into problems with tea tree oil or lavender oil. The solution is to stick to tried-and-true brands for sensitive skin, like Dove, Eucerin, Vaseline, First Aid Beauty, and Skinfix. These brands focus on creating non-irritating products that are often fragrance- and dye-free and hypoallergenic.

2Your Skincare Products Are Too Harsh

When cleansing your skin, aim for gentle, gentle, gentle. Using an exfoliating cleanser is going to be too much for sensitive skin, even if it feels like you need these. Examples of ingredients found in a cleanser that exfoliates are alpha hydroxy acids, like glycolic acid, and physical exfoliators, like a facial scrub made with granules.

When it comes to getting rid of wrinkles or acne, we sometimes feel like scrubbing is the best solution, but over-exfoliation will disrupt the skin’s barrier and make the symptoms worse. To that point, washing with a soap-based cleanser will also disrupt the skin’s barrier and irritate sensitive skin. The solution is to stick to a fragrance-free non-soap cleanser. Look for any of the following on the label: pH-neutral, non-soap, hypoallergenic, gentle, or sensitive skin. Using a washcloth only will provide a light touch of exfoliating friction to slough off dead cells.

3You’re Using Too Many Skincare Products

It can be tough when you see the latest and greatest product on social media (or even an at-home DIY skin mask) and try it only to see it has exacerbated skin redness. The issue is twofold. One, the greater number of products you use, the greater number of ingredients there are, so the bigger the chance that something will cause a reaction in a sensitive complexion. Two, many people use creams that they think are moisturizers but have actives in them, like retinol or alpha hydroxy acids.

Look for words like retinol, retinaldehyde, glycolic, lactic, or mandelic acids; they can be hidden in everything these days. Therefore, you may be using two creams packed with anti-aging ingredients, and the double layer can irritate you. Make sure that you’re using a plain or basic lightweight moisturizer, which means that there are no active ingredients that are designed to treat acne or have an anti-aging purpose. If you use products that contain these actives, you can apply this moisturizer on top, and if needed, you can also smooth on a moisturizer before using these products for extra sensitive skin.

4You’re Avoiding Retinoids

Retinoids are vitamin A derivatives, and you’ve likely heard about these so-called gold-standard skincare ingredients. When applied to the skin, retinoids increase the turnover of skin cells and stimulate collagen production, revealing brighter skin underneath and reducing the appearance of wrinkles. Their downside is that they’re known for their side effects, namely redness and peeling, which often happen initially due to the increased turnover when the skin hasn’t become accustomed to the treatment. Therefore, you might think that having sensitive skin disqualifies you from a retinoid, but it doesn’t.

The solution is retinaldehyde, which is a precursor to a retinoid. Because skin enzymes need to first convert it into retinoic acid (a type of retinoid), it is not as strong, thus a more gentle wrinkle smoother. As long as you use a small pea-sized amount of it, work it up gradually, and moisturize after, you can still use a vitamin A product on your skin.

5You’re Using The Wrong Type Of Sunscreen

The across-the-board rule is to use sunscreen with SPF 30 every day, rain or shine, as this will help protect you from sunburn, skin cancer, and premature aging. And if you’re following that diligently, look at the ingredients in your sunscreen. Ideally, for sensitive skin, they include zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.

Compared with chemical sunscreens, mineral ingredients tend to be less irritating and less reactive for sensitive skin types. Chemical sunscreens contain active ingredients, such as oxybenzone and avobenzone. In the past, people bristled at these formulas because they were known for leaving a white cast across the skin because of the minerals within. But they’ve come a long way. The particle size of these molecules has been formulated so much smaller now, and they can easily be rubbed in.

You merely glance at your face in the mirror, and you see something wrong – your skin erupts in redness, stinging, burning, or itching. When you have sensitive skin, that’s how daily life can feel. Diagnosed skin condition or not, no matter where you land on the sensitive skin scale, you’re going to want to re-evaluate your skincare routine. Today, we gave you common mistakes to avoid if you have sensitive skin.

First, we took a look at relying on “clean” products and using skincare products that are too harsh. Next, we discussed using too many skincare products. Then, we discussed relying on retinol and wrapped things up with using the wrong type of sunscreen. Now that you have finished reading, you can avoid these common mistakes people with sensitive skin make.