Natural Health Advisory

Extra-virgin olive oil is a very healthy option to use in your home cooking. It can provide you with numerous health benefits , and it is a major part of the Mediterranean diet. But you now know from part 1 of this series that many olive oil labels can be deceptive. To read more about the olive oil scam, go here .But what is the best way to avoid buying low quality, bad oils? In part 2, we give you practical tips for picking the best, purest extra-virgin olive oil available.

Tips for choosing the best olive oil

There is no guarantee that the olive oil you are buying off the shelf is genuinely extra-virgin; the International Olive Council standards are easy to pass, even if the brand waters down their olive oil with the cheaper, and far less healthy, canola oil. So avoiding fake olive oil labeling can be difficult. Fortunately, there are many steps you can take to decrease your chances of being cheated by an olive oil scam. When choosing your olive oil, keep these tips in mind:

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1. Be sure your olive oil is labeled “extra-virgin olive oil.” Although the research reviewed in part 1 taught us that this label is definitely no guarantee, other options such as “olive oil,” “light olive oil,” or “olive pomace oil” are far poorer quality. These olive oils have often been chemically altered or diluted with other kinds of cheaper oils.


2. Check the dates. Extra-virgin olive oil is perishable, and it is best fresh. Over time, it degrades, goes rancid, and loses many of its beneficial characteristics. One way to know if you are getting good, quality extra-virgin oil is to check the bottle for the date the oil was harvested. Harvest dates are not always easy to come by, but companies are starting more and more to include them on the bottle, as they are good indicators of quality. Your second best option is to look for a “best by” date. These are usually two years after bottling, so look for a “best by” date as close to two years away as possible.


3. Taste first if you can. Try to purchase your oil somewhere where you can taste a sample before buying. If you notice rancid, musty, or other strange flavors or aromas, this is likely a sign of low quality oil. The oil should taste fresh and have fruity notes. Bitterness or spiciness is good; these flavors indicate the amount of healthy antioxidants in the oil.[1] Keep in mind that color doesn’t matter – good oil can range from green to deep gold to yellow. Try visiting a specialty oil shop, where you can ask about where, how, and when the oil was made.


4. Look for these labels and seals. Oils with labels like PDO (protected designation of origin) and PGI (protected geographical indication) are more likely to meet the standards. Seals by olive oil associations such as the California Olive Oil Council (COOC), Australian Olive Association, or Association 3E are good indicators, as these associations have very high standards that are more likely to weed out bad oils.


5. Pay attention to packaging. Because olive oil is perishable, it will last longer in a well-sealed dark bottle, stored in a cool, dark place. Don’t choose clear bottles.


6. Don’t buy too much. Your olive oil is best when it is as fresh as possible, so don’t buy more than you can use in a few months. You might find a great deal for a large container, but if it will take you a year to get through it, it will go bad and won’t be worth the savings.


7. Be prepared to pay for high quality. Extra-virgin olive oil is not cheap. Genuine olive oil is definitely more expensive, but it is worth it if you are getting the real thing.

High quality options

Studies by the UC Davis Olive Center found that California Olive Ranch, Corto Olive, McEvoy Ranch Organic, Kirkland Organic (Costco brand), and Lucero (Ascolano) are all products that passed their tests and were determined to be genuine extra-virgin olive oils.[2] If you are a Costco member, the Kirkland Organic is a good deal and is easily to find. Search online for other affordable deals on these approved brands. California Olive Ranch, for example, can be found at an affordable price through Vitacost . Alternatively, if there is a local oil shop nearby, stop by for a visit and discuss your options – and don’t forget to taste test before you buy!

Share your experience

What are your favorite brands of extra-virgin olive oil, and where do you buy them? Do you have any tips for finding high quality olive oil? Share your experience in the comments section below.

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[1] UC Davis Olive Center. Best Practices. 2012.

[2] UC Davis Olive Center Report. Jul 2010.

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Natural Health Advisory

Have you ever been told that to eat healthy, you must cook with extra-virgin olive oil? Since olive oil became so popular, I began to use it for much of my cooking – and until recently I felt very good about this choice. This kind of oil has been touted as one of the healthiest oils available, with benefits ranging from preventing Alzheimer’s to lowering your risk of heart disease. Extra-virgin olive oil contains healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, and has a high polyphenol content, particularly oleocanthal . This compound is anti-inflammatory, can fight cancer, and prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

Using extra-virgin olive oil in your diet is no doubt an extremely healthy choice. And if you are already choosing extra-virgin olive oil for your home cooking, you know that it isn’t cheap. Regular olive oil, or “light” olive oil, is far less expensive, but it is also far less healthy. And in most cases, the healthier option should be worth ever penny, right? That’s what I thought, until I came across the alarming news that I might be using a fake. Unfortunately, there is a large chance that the extra-virgin olive oil you and I have in our kitchens is not actually extra-virgin, at all. In fact, research shows that fake olive oil is alarmingly common, and it is not unlikely that we have all have been cheated by this kind of olive oil scam.

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Study reveals many extra-virgin olive oils are not the real deal

Extra-virgin olive oil must meet high standards determined by the International Olive Council (IOC) to be labeled “extra-virgin.” A study from 2010 at the University of California Davis Olive Center tested various olive oil brands, all of which claimed to be producing extra-virgin olive oil. The study found that 69% of imported olive oil samples and 10% of those from California that were labeled as extra-virgin failed to meet the standards required for the label.[1] A year later, they did another study on olive oils sold on the shelf in California, and again found that many of the top-selling brands failed the tests of IOC standards. For example, out of 18 samples from the brand Pompeian, 94% failed the tests.[2]

These failed samples contained defects that indicated that the olive oil was of poor quality; had been oxidized due to light exposure, aging, or high temperatures; and/or had been watered down with cheaper kinds of oils, such as canola.[1]

Which olive oils passed the test?

Only a few brands tested in the UC Davis studies passed the test, confirming that they were, indeed, pure extra-virgin olive oil. Those that were determined to be the real deal included:

• California Olive Ranch


• Corto Olive


• McEvoy Ranch Organic


• Kirkland Organic (Costco brand)


• Lucero (Ascolano).[1]

So if you have access to these brands, they should be a good bet. But if you can’t find any of these choices, how can you avoid buying fake olive oil? Read on in part 2 of this series for tips on choosing a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil.

Share your experience

Have you ever experienced paying a high price for extra-virgin olive oil, only to find that it was poor quality? Share your thoughts on the olive oil scam in the comments section below.

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[1] UC Davis Olive Center Report. Jul 2010.

[2] UC Davis Olive Center Report. Apr 2011.

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The most dangerous and direct symptoms of severe potassium deficiency are painful muscle cramps and spasms, muscle weakness, and heartbeat irregularities.[1,2] These increases or decreases in heart rate can be especially damaging in cases where other heart problems also exist, and the muscle cramps can be debilitating when they occur during strenuous exercise. Fortunately, these potassium deficiency symptoms are easy to avoid and correct with a nutritious diet.

Potassium and muscles

Muscle cells and the neuron cells that cause them to flex (contract) are especially reliant on steady potassium levels. Potassium ensures that electrical signals are not sent to the muscles too rapidly.[3] Spasms and cramps can result from potassium deficiency because the muscles receive too many signals to contract and are not given enough time to relax. This can cause muscles to contract in a constant, painful, uncontrolled manner.

The heart is also a muscle

Cardiac muscle is also sensitive to potassium deficiency. Although muscle cells in the heart respond much more slowly to electrical signals and are not susceptible to spasms, they will still contract more easily than normal when potassium is deficient.[4] This can cause the heart to beat in an abnormal rhythm, a condition called arrhythmia.

Normally, a heart cell must receive a certain amount of electricity in order to contract. This threshold is reduced in a state of potassium deficiency, making the cell able to contract earlier than it normally would.[5] The cell will also relax more slowly, making its next contraction later than it would normally be. For this reason, a symptom of arrhythmia can be either an increase or a decrease in heart rate. According to one study, this complication is rare in otherwise healthy individuals but becomes common and serious when combined with other heart conditions such as bradycardia or cellular desynchronisation.[6]

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Easy steps to correct potassium deficiency symptoms

Supplementing potassium is an effective way to solve potassium deficiency.[6] There is little risk in taking frequent or high doses, as it takes an extremely high blood potassium level to cause health problems.[7] Other than supplements that can be found at nutrition stores, several foods contain high quantities of potassium. Just two servings of bananas can increase blood potassium by 4.4% after one hour.[8] Other high potassium foods include:

• Spinach


• Kale


• Apricots


• Squash


• Avocados

Many common health conditions may be the result of nutritional deficiencies. Learn more about serotonin deficiency , GABA deficiency , magnesium deficiency , and deficiencies that cause fatigue .

Share your experience

Have you experienced low potassium symptoms? Have certain foods helped you to eliminate muscle cramps and spasms? Share your experience in the comments section below.

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[1] A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia.

[2] Acta Med Scand Suppl. 1981;647:61-6.

[3] Biochemistry. 5th edition.

[4] Magnesium. 1984;3(4-6):289-300.

[5] Europace. 2008 Oct;10(10):1

[6] Arch Mal Coeur Vaiss. 1984 Apr;77 Spec No:17-22.

[7] Angiology. 1978 Mar;29(3):194-205.

[8] J Athl Train. 2012 Nov-Dec; 47(6): 648–654.

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I love music; I listen to it while driving, working, doing chores, relaxing, and even when I am exercising. And while not everyone likes the same kind, most people would agree that listening to music is a pleasant and oftentimes mood-boosting experience. In fact, music can have such a profound impact on our bodies and our brains that it is now widely used in medical settings as an intervention for a variety of conditions, such as anxiety, depression, and heart disease, in what is known as music therapy.

What is music therapy?

Music therapy is an effective complimentary treatment for many conditions, especially anxiety and depression. Certified music therapists are trained to use music to help clients with all aspects of health, including psychological and physical wellbeing. Activities often include listening to, performing, improvising, or composing music, either alone, in a group, or alongside the therapist. Music can also be combined with other modalities such as movement, art, or imagery.[1]

Music is also often used by medical professionals to help ease discomfort or anxiety during procedures such as surgery, chemotherapy treatments, and mammograms or blood tests. [1] Studies show that music can effectively reduce pain and anxiety in children undergoing common pediatric medical procedures like blood draws or immunizations.[2]

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How does music therapy work?

One of the major reasons music therapy is so effective is that music can shift your focus away from a stressful or uncomfortable event to something pleasant and soothing. In that way, it serves as a distraction. But music therapy does more than just that; music can help to reduce stress and anxiety through multiple pathways. It affects physiological factors like heart rate and hormone levels, modulates the nervous system, and has psychological effects, as well.[1]

Music therapy can suppress the sympathetic nervous system,[1] which is involved with the “flight-or-flight” stress response of the body. Music also triggers the brain to release endorphins, increase dopamine levels, and block pain pathways, all which can help to enhance a sense of wellbeing.[1,2,3] It even can modulate the immune system, as research shows music therapy can increase the production of immune cells produced.[3]

Who can benefit from music therapy?

Research shows that people with a variety of conditions can benefit from music therapy. Some common uses of music therapy include:

1. Anxiety. One of the most effective uses of music therapy is in finding natural anxiety relief. Research shows that music can positively influence regions of the brain that manage anxiety and stress,[4] with music therapy able to significantly lower anxiety levels.[5]


2. Depression. A large body of research has found that music therapy benefits depression as well.[3,5,6] One review on the subject concluded that in all studies reviewed, listening or making music reduced depression.[3] As mentioned before, listening to music can boost dopamine, which helps treat depression. This therapy may also be useful in treating symptoms of seasonal affective disorder.[4]


3. Chronic pain. As music therapy can distract from discomfort and block pain pathways in the brain, it is also useful in managing chronic pain. In one study, listening to music as part of a music therapy intervention each day for 60 days led to significant reduction in pain scores in patients with chronic pain. The intervention also led to lower levels of anxiety and depression in these patients, as well as a reduction in the use of anti-anxiety medications.[7] For more techniques to relieve chronic pain like fibromyalgia, read more here .


4. Coronary heart disease. Music therapy helps to reduce anxiety and stress levels in heart disease patients, which is important for keeping healthy with heart problems. What’s more, music therapy can reduce heart rate and blood pressure, too. One review found that music therapy reduces systolic blood pressure by 5.5 mmHg in coronary heart disease patients.[1]


5. Pregnancy. Many women experience stress, anxiety, and depression during pregnancy, which can all be helped with music therapy. Listening to a prerecorded music therapy CD for 30 minutes a day for two weeks led to a significant reduction in stress, anxiety, and depression in a group of pregnant women.[8]

Try music therapy for yourself

Whether you want to manage stress better, enhance your mood, or lower your blood pressure, music therapy might be worth a try. Search our natural practitioner directory to find a certified music therapist near you. And the next time you are doing something that you find stressful or painful, pop in some headphones and see if your favorite song can ease your discomfort.

Share your experience

Have you ever tried music therapy? Do you find listening to or making music helps relieve stress or anxiety? What other tips do you have for natural anxiety relief? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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[1] Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Dec 28;12:CD006577.

[2] Pediatr Rev. 2013 Nov;34(11):e42-6.

[3] Med Princ Pract. 2014;23(5):403-12.

[4] J Tradit Chin Med. 2014 Apr;34(2):159-61.

[5] Brain Topogr. 2013 Apr;26(2):338-54.

[6] Technol Health Care. 2014;22(3):453-8.

[7] Clin J Pain. 2012 May;28(4):329-37.

[8] J Clin Nurs. 2008 Oct;17(19):2580-7.

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Are you a chocolate lover, like me? I often find I can’t get through the day without at least a small bite of chocolate, whether it is a few chocolate-covered almonds or a square of 70% dark chocolate.

While milk chocolate can be packed with sugar and calories, dark chocolate can actually be quite healthy. And fortunately for those of us who love dark chocolate, research keeps finding new reasons to eat more of it. From lowering blood pressure to helping preserve memory, dark chocolate has numerous health benefits. Recent studies are beginning to discover why chocolate is so good for you, and the answer might lie in the bacteria in your gut.

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Health benefits of dark chocolate

Chocolate comes from seeds of the tree Theobroma cacao. Dark chocolate contains high amounts of ground cacao (the higher percentage of cacao, the better). Ground cacao contains many healthy compounds, including polyphenols. These compounds help to prevent and treat diseases, especially of the brain and cardiovascular system. There is an abundance of research showing that cacao can improve memory , boost mood , lower blood pressure , improve insulin resistance , and more.

Chocolate and gut microbiota

Recent research has elucidated one of the major reasons why chocolate might be so beneficial to your health. Cacao can act like a prebiotic or probiotic in your digestive system, modulating the amounts of different types of bacteria in the gut.[1]

Findings from a new study on chocolate and gut bacteria were presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in March of 2014. There are both good, beneficial bacteria in our gut, and bad, harmful bacteria in the gut, such as E. coli. John Findley and his team of researchers found that when you eat chocolate, the good bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium, and lactic acid bacteria, like to feast on the chocolate.[2]

The polyphenols, antioxidants, and fiber found in chocolate are not easily digestible. However, when the bacteria feast on the chocolate, they ferment the fiber and release easily absorbable, smaller, anti-inflammatory compounds in the process. Findley says, “When these compounds are absorbed by the body, they lessen the inflammation of cardiovascular tissue, reducing the long-term risk of stroke.”[2] Anti-inflammatory compounds can help with a variety of other health conditions, as well.

Findley also says that consuming chocolate along with prebiotics, as well as antioxidant-rich fruits like pomegranates or acai, can make chocolate even more beneficial for your health.[2]

Share your experience

Do you love chocolate? What are your favorite types of high-quality, healthy dark chocolate? Share your love of chocolate in the comments section below.

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[1] Front Pharmacol. 2013 Feb 7;4:11.

[2] American Chemical Society News Release. 2014 Mar 18.

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