Natural Health Advisory

It’s that time of the month and your cramps have landed you on the couch . . . again. Many women experience cramps during their menstrual cycle, but they can be so painful for some that they become debilitating. If you often find yourself out of commission due to severe menstrual cramps, try these natural, effective treatment options. One of the best dysmenorrhea remedies is to boost your intake of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help prevent cramps and pain during your cycle.

What is dysmenorrhea?

Natural Health Advisory

I often find myself opening up my phone to look something up, send a quick text, or use Facebook when I get in bed to fall asleep. And my phone spends the night on the bedside table right next to me. It’s a habit I have trouble breaking, even though I know it is a bad one. These days, it seems that everyone has a cell phone, iPod, tablet, or other handheld electronic, even young kids. You probably know of many kids who tuck into bed with their cell phone or iPod. But are cell phones dangerous to keep next to you as you sleep? Studies show that cell phone screens and other electronic devices in the bedroom may be interfering with sleep quality in children.

The importance of good quality sleep for kids

Kids need sleep. Many children do not get enough of it, especially during the transition to adolescence, when sleeping habits tend to change. But insufficient sleep can compromise children’s health in a variety of ways, and the effects can be long lasting. Sleep helps improve school performance, reduces risk-taking behaviors, and enhances immunity in kids. Inadequate sleep in childhood is considered a major risk factor for developing obesity in adulthood, and it might also be related to hypertension, heart disease, and stroke later on as well.[1]

Electronic media in children’s bedrooms

Natural Health Advisory

As winter drags on, more and more people around me are getting sick. I have been sure to have vitamin C, zinc, echinacea, and other immune-boosting supplements on hand and ready to use at the first signs of a cold or flu. A recent addition to my list is elderberry. Studies show elderberry benefits include activating the immune system, reducing inflammation, and binding to the influenza virus itself.

Why does elderberry help the flu?

Elderberries, the dark, purple berries from the elder tree, are rich in phenolic compounds, including flavanoids, catechins, and proanthocyanidins. These are all potent antioxidants, and they can help enhance the immune response by stimulating the production of immune cells.[1,2,3] They also fight inflammation, which may partly explain reduced flu symptoms of pain, aches, and fever seen in some studies using elderberry.[2]

Certain compounds in elderberry actually directly act on the influenza virus, preventing it from replicating and taking root in your body.[1] Extracts from elderberry can also have antiviral activity against viruses including the H1N1 flu, herpes simplex virus, and others as well.[2,4]

Does it work?

Natural Health Advisory

As attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication use spreads, so does the controversy surrounding it. The explosion of prescriptions for ADHD medications for kids may be due to several factors, such as enhanced marketing by pharmaceutical companies, the inclusion of milder cases in ADHD diagnoses, and the illegal purchasing of ADHD medications by consumers, like college students, who want stimulants to boost their focusing power in school.[1]

But are ADHD drugs actually needed as much as they are used and prescribed? And are they even helping? Research shows that stimulants like Ritalin or Adderall might not even do their job of helping children with ADHD in the first place.

Risks of ADHD medications for kids

Natural Health Advisory

I take zinc when I feel a cold coming on and find that it definitely helps to keep me from getting sick. Many people use zinc for this immune-boosting purpose, but zinc has far more benefits for your body than just that. The benefits of taking zinc include lowering your risk of heart disease , treating Parkinson’s disease, and even helping clear up acne .

As if that weren’t enough, yet another reason to love zinc is that it can be helpful for diabetes care. Zinc is highly concentrated in the islet cells of the pancreas, where insulin is produced.[1] Zinc promotes healthy insulin function, can provide natural blood sugar control, and might even help to prevent diabetes in the first place.

The zinc-insulin connection

Natural Health Advisory

Could your fatigue, headaches, digestive problems, depression, or aches and pains be gluten sensitivity symptoms, even if you don’t actually have celiac disease or a wheat allergy? More and more research is pointing to gluten sensitivity as a possible cause of a variety of symptoms. One of the largest studies to-date on non-celiac gluten sensitivity, involving almost 500 patients, identified all these symptoms and more as common in people with this form of gluten intolerance.[1]

What is non-celiac gluten sensitivity?

Non-celiac gluten sensitivity occurs when ingestion of wheat and other gluten-containing grains causes symptoms, but the patient does not have celiac disease or wheat allergy. Slightly more than 1% of the general population is now believed to have non-celiac gluten sensitivity, but estimates of its prevalence range from 0.6% up to 6%.[1] In comparison, 1% of the population has celiac disease.

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The study followed 486 patients from 38 Italian centers with expertise in gluten-related disorders. All patients were diagnosed with non-celiac gluten sensitivity.[1] All of the patients reported having intestinal and non-intestinal symptoms occurring after the ingestion of gluten, which improved or disappeared when gluten was withdrawn from the diet, and recurred when gluten was reintroduced into the diet. Furthermore, all the patients tested negative for celiac disease and wheat allergy. (They had negative celiac tests for anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies and anti-endomysial antibodies, and negative allergy tests for specific IgE antibodies to wheat.)

Common symptoms of gluten sensitivity

Non-celiac gluten sensitivity symptoms identified in the study include a combination of irritable bowel syndrome-like symptoms and body-wide symptoms. The time lapse between gluten ingestion and the appearance of symptoms varied from a few hours to a day in the large majority of patients. The most commonly reported symptoms of gluten sensitivity were:

• Abdominal pain


• Bloating


• Bowel habit abnormalities (either diarrhea or constipation)


• Nausea


• Epigastric (upper abdominal) pain


• Gastroesophageal reflux


• Tiredness


• Headache


• Fibromyalgia-like joint/muscle pain


• Leg or arm numbness


• ‘Foggy mind’


• Dermatitis or skin rash


• Depression


• Anxiety


• Canker sores


• Anemia (both iron and folate deficiency anemia)

Other health conditions associated with gluten sensitivity

Almost half (47%) of the patients in the study had also been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome, 35% had other food intolerances (such as lactose intolerance), and 22% had immediate-type (IgE) allergies to foods or environmental allergens. Autoimmune diseases were detected in 14% of patients.

No good lab tests available for identifying gluten sensitivity

The patients underwent blood testing to see if they had any positive biomarkers linked to gluten intolerance. The most frequent laboratory finding was the presence of IgG anti-gliadin antibodies in 25% of the patients. These antibodies against gluten are not found exclusively in people with non-celiac gluten sensitivity. They are also found in celiac disease, some autoimmune liver disorders and connective tissue diseases, some people with irritable bowel syndrome, and even in some healthy controls. However, their finding in patients with symptoms of gluten sensitivity can help support the diagnosis.

Some of the patients also tested positive for the genetic markers linked to celiac disease (HLA-DQ2/-DQ8), but the researchers found no correlation between testing positive for the genetic markers and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Some of the patients also had intestinal biopsies; for those that did, the biopsies were normal in 69% and 31% showed signs of mild injury to the intestinal lining.

Interestingly, more than 20% of patients showed signs of malabsorption with lab testing, with low levels of iron (ferritin), folic acid, or vitamin D. The researchers speculated that these deficiencies might be due to inflammation of the small intestine caused by the gluten sensitivity.

Gluten sensitivity symptoms in children

One of the only studies so far to document non-celiac gluten sensitivity symptoms in children was recently published in the Journal of Pediatrics .[2] Abdominal pain was the most frequently reported symptom after a gluten challenge, reported in 80% children, followed by diarrhea (73%), fatigue (33%), and bloating (26%). Limb pain, vomiting, constipation, headache, and failure to thrive were also reported.

One of the interesting findings in this study was the length of time it took for symptoms to occur after the children ingested gluten. The average time was 44 hours, with a range of 38 to 80 hours. This means that a child’s gluten-related symptoms are not likely to appear for two days after eating gluten and symptoms may not occur until four days have passed. In contrast, symptoms in most adults seem to appear within a day.

What to do if you suspect gluten sensitivity

If you think you might have a gluten sensitivity, most experts recommend you visit a healthcare provider with experience in diagnosing celiac disease and other gluten intolerances before you try a gluten elimination diet on your own. This is because it is important to rule out celiac disease, and some of the important tests for celiac disease will not work if you have already eliminated gluten from your diet. For suggestions on how to find a health care provider experienced in nutritional medicine, use the NHAI Doctor Search Directory and select nutrition from the “additional practice specialty” drop down box. A provider skilled in gluten intolerances will also be able to help guide you through a proper gluten elimination and challenge diet, helping make sure you completely eliminate all hidden sources of gluten .

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[1] BMC Med. 2014 May 23;12:85.

[2] J Pediatr. 2014;164(3):463–467.

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Natural Health Advisory

It’s very hard to use willpower or talk yourself out of feeling stressed—the mind is really bad at telling itself what to do. But in the video above, Dr. Jane Tornatore, PhD, a psychotherapist in private practice, shows us a powerful tool that help you control how your mind and body react to stress.

Better Breathing

While we’ve all heard the advice, “Take a deep breath,” and noticed how our breath changes when we are angry or stressed, many of us have not learned how to use our breathing to change how we feel.

Breathing techniques decrease stress and regulate our bodies’ level of the stress hormone cortisol, lessen anxiety and depression, increase happiness and optimism, and strengthen our ability to regulate our emotions. The breath is linked to our autonomic nervous system and daily breathing exercises activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is associated with a more peaceful mind.

Before you do the quick breathing exercise, Dr. Tornatore recommends that you briefly close your eyes and notice how much stress you’re feeling, rating it on a scale of 1 to 10. Then put your palms together as she describes in the video and take ten breaths using forceful exhalations through your mouth, as she demonstrates. After that, close your eyes again and rate how stressed you’re still feeling. When I tried it with her, the effects were immediate.

Learn More

To learn two more of Dr. Tornatore’s stress-relieving techniques, visit the January issue of the NHA Letter. If you’re not yet a subscriber, go here to get started . You can find many more articles about stress management in the blog.

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Natural Health Advisory

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a debilitating disease characterized by persistent fatigue that is not relieved by rest. Many patients do not fully recover with conventional chronic fatigue syndrome treatment, which consists of antidepressants, cognitive behavioral therapy, and/or graded exercise therapy .

While yoga is one of the most commonly accepted natural therapies and has been shown in previous studies to treat unexplained fatigue, many kinds of yoga are impossible for patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome. A new study has found that a simple yoga program, consisting of isometric, seated yoga postures significantly decreases fatigue in patients who don’t get better with standard treatment alone.

Acknowledging that conventional chronic fatigue syndrome treatment leaves many patients with persistent fatigue and that yoga has been found to be an effective natural treatment for unexplained fatigue, a group of researchers from two Japanese universities hypothesized that yoga is effective in improving fatigue in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. First, however, they wanted to find the best type of yoga for alleviating fatigue rather than exacerbating it.

Is isometric yoga best for chronic fatigue?

They chose isometric yoga after doing research and interviewing trained yoga instructors. Isometric yoga differs from more traditional and popular forms of yoga in several ways.

• First, the poses consist mainly of isometric muscle contractions, meaning the muscles contract but don’t shorten. This allows the level of resistance to be changed, depending on the patient’s fatigue level, and therefore may help prevent exacerbation of fatigue.


• Second, isometric yoga doesn’t include strong stretching and requires less physical flexibility. This prevents over-stretching, which is detrimental and may increase pain.


• Third, an isometric yoga program can be designed to intentionally avoid standing postures. The researchers felt this was important because a considerable number of chronic fatigue syndrome patients suffer from dizziness, vertigo, and/or palpitations when standing up.

On the other hand, isometric yoga is similar to traditional yoga in the sense that the poses are conducted slowly in accordance with breathing and with awareness of inner sensations.

The 20-minute isometric seated yoga program

The researchers decided on a 20-minute, seated yoga program consisting of three parts:

1. First, patients are asked to be aware of their spontaneous breathing for one minute.


2. Next, they practice six poses that are very slow isometric exercises at 50% of the patient’s maximal physical strength, coordinated with the timing of breathing.


3. Last, the patients practice abdominal breathing for one minute.

To study the effects, the researchers randomly divided 30 chronic fatigue syndrome patients who did not have satisfactory improvement after receiving conventional therapy into two groups. The control group was treated with conventional drug therapy and the active treatment group was treated with both conventional drug therapy and isometric yoga consisting of 20-minute daily yoga sessions, twice a week, with a yoga instructor and the other days at home for approximately two months. Since the study was published in a peer-reviewed journal that is freely available online, you have free access to the study , which includes illustration of the six poses of the isometric yoga program .

Yoga significantly reduced fatigue and pain

The results showed that fatigue decreased significantly in the yoga group, but not in the control group. In addition, patients in the yoga group who had fibromyalgia along with chronic fatigue syndrome experienced significant pain relief. Many subjects reported that their bodies became warmer and lighter after practicing isometric yoga. Although there were no serious adverse events in the yoga group, two patients complained of tiredness and one of dizziness after the first yoga session with the instructor.

A comprehensive natural approach to treating chronic fatigue is needed

While no single chronic fatigue syndrome treatment is a cure-all for this complex disease, a daily 20-minute session of seated isometric yoga is both feasible and effective for relieving the fatigue and pain of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Practitioners of integrative and natural medicine take a more comprehensive and holistic approach to treatment and recommend gentle forms of yoga as part of a therapeutic program. For more natural solutions you can implement yourself to address chronic fatigue, see our our comprehensive guide, Fatigue Causes and Relief: Natural Remedies for Excessive Tiredness and Chronic Fatigue .

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Reference

Biopsychosoc Med. 2014; 8(1): 27.

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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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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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Natural Health Advisory

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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Adults are told all the time to exercise more. But do your kids move enough? Physical education and recess times are constantly getting shortened or cut from the school day, despite the growing body of evidence showing that physical activity is important for cognitive function in children. The reasons why kids need recess are widespread; exercise benefits children both physically and mentally.[1] The more your child moves, the better they will learn.

Importance of exercise for children

Exercise in children improves physical fitness, bone mass, insulin functioning, and markers of inflammation. It also helps overall well-being, improving things like physical self-perceptions and self-esteem.[1] What might be most important, however, is that exercise can improve cognitive function in children. Exercise may be able to enhance intelligence, academic achievement, brain development, processing speed, and more.[1,2,3]

Physical activity can boost academic achievement

Research shows that physical activity and academic achievement are closely associated. A study in Sweden found that children who had two extra sessions of physical activity during the school week were significantly more likely to meet the academic achievement standards that those who did not have the extra activity time.[1]

In another study, students who participated in an afterschool program called FITKids, during which they spent 70 minutes per day being physically active, had better executive control than those who did not participate. Executive control measures things like ability to resist distractions, maintain focus, manipulate information, and multitask, all which are related to the ability to learn and perform in school.[4]

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Higher attendance to the FITKids program led to larger changes in attention, processing speed, and performance during the executive control tasks, suggesting that the more regularly kids get to move during the day, the better they will be able to perform in school.[4] More aerobically fit children generally perform better on standardized tests and receive higher grades, as well.[5]

Researchers know that exercise can affect cognitive function through a variety of mechanisms. Physical activity increases circulation of certain neurotransmitters, increases blood flow to the brain, and more.[3]

Benefits of exercise for children with ADHD

Being physically active is especially important for children with ADHD. Researchers believe that “physical activity may offer benefits over and above psychostimulate use.”[2] Children with ADHD generally do better after short bouts of exercise, and long-term interventions of moderate-vigorous exercise decrease ADHD-related behaviors and improve neuropsychological functioning.[2]

Children with ADHD show different brain activity compared to kids without the condition, suggesting that there are some cognitive deficits related to the ADHD. Researchers examined brain activity in children with ADHD who exercised and those who did not. Brain scans in the exercise group showed patterns similar to children without ADHD, suggesting that exercise can ameliorate some of the cognitive deficiencies related to ADHD.[3] For other natural strategies for treating ADHD, read more here .

Exercise is just one of the many ways to boost your child’s health naturally. Try out these healthy lunch ideas, or read more tips for keeping your kid healthy during school here .

Do you think that your kid sits too much at school? What ideas do you have for getting your kid to move throughout the day? Share your thoughts on why kids need recess in the comments section below.

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[1] J Sch Health. 2014 Aug;84(8):473-80.

[2] Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2014 Oct;23(4):899-936.

[3] J Atten Disord. 2014 Oct 30.

[4] Pediatrics. 2014 Oct;134(4):e1063-71.

[5] Brain Cogn. 2014 Jun;87:140-52.

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Have you ever been on your way home from work and gotten stuck in the worst traffic imaginable? Does your kitchen sink seem to continuously find new ways to leak, no matter how many times you try to fix it? These sorts of daily, common problems affect all of us, and they are hard (if not impossible) to avoid. Just yesterday, I got completely agitated when I could not, for the life of me, find the rosemary in the spice cabinet. But how does stress affect the body, and what can we do about it?

Chronic stress vs. daily hassles

Stress can come in many forms. Stressful life events include things like divorce, death of a loved one, or losing your job. Chronic stress involves ongoing problems such as living in poverty, a troubled marriage, or working a difficult job. Daily hassles are minor in comparison, and consist of things like family arguments, lost keys, or household repairs.[1]

Numerous studies have examined the effect of chronic stress on health; not surprisingly, chronic stress is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, chronic health issues, and mortality.[2] But do daily stressors, which seem so minor in comparison, have the same effects?

Don’t sweat the small stuff

Although daily stressors are, indeed, less severe than chronic stressors or stressful life events, they are still associated with the same negative effects on physical health. In fact, people report fewer physical symptoms and higher levels of overall health on stressor-free days compared to days in which daily hassles are experienced. Daily stressors also exacerbate symptoms of chronic health conditions, such as joint pain, psoriasis, and chronic tension headaches.[2]

Daily hassles also have long-term effects. They can affect cardiovascular, immune, and neuroendocrine functioning. As one researcher puts it, “ongoing physiological changes such as these lead to biological wear-and-tear, which, in turn, may increase one’s susceptibility to illness later in life.”[2] A study in the journal Experimental Gerontology, following 1,293 men over many years, found that both stressful life events and daily hassles increased the risk for mortality, independently of each other.[1]

Another study found that it wasn’t necessarily the amount of daily stressors people experience that increase their risk of long-term health problems; instead, it was the way people negatively reacted to daily stressors that was strongly associated with chronic health conditions later in life.[2] The results suggest that it isn’t how much we are exposed to daily hassles and problems that puts us at risk, but more how we react and deal with them.

Managing daily hassles

Luckily, there are many ways to reduce stress and improve your ability to cope with daily problems. Meditation , yoga, or other mindfulness-based techniques are great ways to keep your mind calm. Even taking a short walk when you feel overwhelmed by the day’s events can help you cope better. Research also suggests that biofeedback training can be extremely effective in reducing daily stress levels and physiological markers of stress like cortisol levels.[3] One of my favorite ways to manage daily stress is to breathe slowly and deeply; just five short minutes of deep-paced breathing leaves me feeling calm, refreshed, and ready to take another stab at the spice cabinet. (In case you were wondering, the rosemary was hiding behind the sage.)

Share your experience

Do you find yourself getting worked up over minor issues during the day? What do you do to deal with daily hassles better? Share your tips in the comments section below.

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[1] Exp Gerontol. 2014 Nov;59:74-80.

[2] Ann Behav Med. 2013 Feb;45(1):110-20.

[3] Brain Behav. 2014 Jul;4(4):566-79.

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Are you so constantly tired that the thought of gathering up enough energy to exercise seems ludicrous, if not downright impossible? A growing amount of research is showing how physical activity in the form of yoga can be an effective chronic fatigue treatment and a great way to reduce tiredness symptoms. Although it can be extremely difficult for many chronically fatigued individuals to get motivated, being physically active is a fundamental necessity for feeling energized and overcoming fatigue. And an increasing number of studies indicate that exercise in the form of yoga is an especially successful chronic fatigue treatment and way to combat persistent tiredness symptoms.

Yoga for energy

Whether you need an effective chronic fatigue treatment or are generally healthy but could use more energy, studies show yoga can help. If you are relatively healthy but have tiredness symptoms, just one yoga class a week can improve your fatigue and boost your energy. A study of 135 generally healthy men and women aged 65–85 years were randomly assigned to six months of Hatha yoga class, walking exercise class, or a wait-list control group.[1] Beginning Iyengar yoga poses were taught to study participants in a gentle, once weekly yoga class for 90 minutes by a certified instructor. The one-hour weekly walking exercise class consisted of walking on an outdoor 400-meter track using heart rate target of 70% of maximum or perceived exertion at a level of 6-7. Both the yoga group and the walking group participants were encouraged to practice at home. Compared to the walking group and the controls, the yoga group members experienced significant improvements in vitality/energy and fatigue.

Another study also demonstrates how even one yoga class a week can lessen tiredness symptoms and make a positive difference in energy levels. In a group of university employees, taking a lunchtime yoga class once a week for six weeks resulted in marked improvements in feelings of energy.[2] In comparison to the wait-list control group at baseline and the end of the program, the yoga group also reported significantly improved mood and well-being. They also felt more clear-minded, composed, and confident, and reported increased life purpose and satisfaction.

The beneficial effects of yoga on fatigue seem stick over time. A study of individuals who had been taking an average of 2-3 yoga classes per week for at least two years found that compared to people not taking yoga, they had significantly less fatigue and tiredness symptoms as well as less anxiety and anger.[3]

Yoga effectively treats fatigue related to anxiety and depression

Taking a yoga class typically results in significant improvements in energy levels and mood and for individuals needing chronic fatigue treatment for tiredness symptoms related to depression and anxiety. In one study, women who reported feeling “emotionally distressed” showed significant improvements in their fatigue and on other measures of stress after participating in three months of twice weekly 90-minute Iyengar yoga classes.[4] Compared to the control group (women on the yoga waiting list), women who participated in the yoga-training demonstrated pronounced and significant improvements in perceived fatigue and energy. They also showed significantly improvements in stress, anxiety, well-being, and depression, as well as marked pain relief from headaches and back pain. Even their cortisol levels, as measured via saliva, decreased significantly after participation in the yoga class.

In another study on yoga’s effectiveness as a depression and chronic fatigue treatment, participants with major depression reported feeling less tiredness symptoms and more energetic after taking a one hour Iyengar yoga class.[5] Of the 17 participants who completed the study, taking three yoga classes per week for a total of 20 classes, 11 experienced a complete remission of their depression and significant improvements in insomnia, in addition to the improvements in energy levels.

(Read about yoga and pregnancy anxiety here .)

Yoga significantly lessens fibromyalgia-related fatigue

Yoga has been found to be an effective chronic fatigue treatment for fibromyalgia-related chronic fatigue in many studies, leading to significant improvements in tiredness symptoms as well as pain, depression, and general quality of life.[6] An 8-week yoga program, called Yoga of Awareness, significantly improved fatigue and other symptoms of fibromyalgia, including pain and mood. The yoga program consisted of gentle poses, meditation, breathing exercises, yoga-based coping instructions, and group discussions.[7] Another study found similar results: fibromyalgia patients who took eight weekly sessions of stretching, breathing, and relaxing yoga had significantly less fatigue and pain than patients in the control group.[8]

The studies summarized above are just a sampling of the published research on yoga’s effectiveness as a chronic fatigue treatment and natural cure for persistent tiredness symptoms. Whether your fatigue is chronic or just occasional, whether it’s related to an illness or not, yoga can help. If you have never done yoga before, it is recommended that you sign up for an introductory course at a yoga studio. Avoid hot yoga and “power” yoga, making sure your class is a gentle form of yoga specifically geared toward beginners and taught by a certified instructor. Make a commitment to at least one class a week for eight weeks and see how yoga can free you from chronic fatigue.

For other ideas on how to treat fatigue using safe and natural, evidence-based therapies, see our entire section of fatigue articles . Also, read more here about how yoga can even boost your immune system .

Share your experience

Have you tried yoga for fatigue or another condition? What other strategies have you found helpful to boost your energy?

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[1] Altern Ther Health Med. 2006 Jan-Feb;12(1):40-7.

[2] Scand J Work Environ Health. 2011 Jan;37(1):70-6.

[3] Biopsychosoc Med. 2011 Jun 3;5(1):6 .

[4] Med Sci Monit. 2005 Dec;11(12):CR555-561.

[5] Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2007 Dec;4(4):493-502.

[6] Rheumatol Int. 2012 Feb 15. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 22350253.

[7] J Pain Res. 2011;4:189-201.

[8] J Altern Complement Med. 2007 Dec;13(10):1107-13.

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I love taking long walks in the park near my house. Walking is peaceful to me, and I love the chance to be outside and get my legs moving. And while I also enjoy running and would love to run more, it is definitely more of a challenge for me; it takes a lot of work and training to make running enjoyable.

We all know that exercise is good for us; exercise benefits digestive health , osteoporosis, depression, fatigue, and more. While any exercise is definitely better than none, there are advantages to certain forms of physical activity. Research shows that there is a difference between walking vs. running. Running allows you to lose more weight, protects against mortality, and helps you to stay energy efficient as you age, too.

Walking vs. running: which is better?

Previously, researchers thought that all forms of exercise were equal as long as the total energy output at the end of the workout was the same.[1] This means that walking, which is less intense, could offer the same benefits as high-intensity running if you walked for long enough. And while this notion might hold some truth, it isn’t the whole story; certain forms of exercise do offer advantages over others.

A study from 2013 followed men and women who either ran or walked regularly over six years. They found that runners had greater reductions in body mass index (BMI) than walkers over the trial period. The results showed that runners were protected against age-related weight gain while walkers were not.[2]

Another study in women diagnosed with breast cancer found that those who ran post-diagnosis were more likely to survive than post-diagnosis walkers. Women who were the most active runners were 95% more likely to survive than the least active runners. The study also found that the runners maintained better weight control.[3]

The importance of staying active as you age

As we age, our walking tends to deteriorate. And this is not a good thing; impaired walking performance is a predictor of morbidity in older adults. One of the reasons for impaired walking performance is the increase in metabolic cost for walking that occurs as we age.[4] Older people spend more energy on walking than young adults do, but luckily there is a way to prevent this kind of age-related change.

Running keeps us energy efficient

A recent study looked at the energy efficiency of walkers vs. runners, all older than 65 years old. They studied the amount of energy it took for both regular walkers and regular runners to walk at different speeds. They found that older runners used 7% to 10% less metabolic energy to walk compared to older walkers. The runners only had to increase their power output by 86% when walking at the highest speed, while walkers had to increase their output by 95%. These results showed that runners spend less of an energetic cost to walk than regular walkers do.[4]

Although the authors don’t exactly know why this happens, there are many factors that come into play, such as better muscle efficiency and stronger muscles in runners.[4] Another study suggests that runners have more effective walking mechanics in the ankle joint than walkers, which they might be able to use for more efficient walking.[5]

If your health allows it, running regularly might have some profound impacts on your health. But keep in mind that this research does not discourage walking – walking can be extremely powerful as well in keeping your health in top shape. In fact, one study found that walking might be better than running for lowering cholesterol. Just make sure that you are moving as much as you can, as often as you can.

If you are not a regular runner, the key is to start small. Try adding short bouts of running to your regular walk. Warm up by walking, and then start running for only a few minutes at a time, taking long walk breaks in between your bouts of running. Slowly but surely, you will be able to shorten your walking time and increase your running time, so that you only take short (if any) walking breaks. Another strategy is to start by running only about 5-10 seconds out of each minute of your walk, and slowly build that up over time.

Setting yourself a long-term goal, such as training for a local 5K race, might help you to get motivated. For other ideas on how to get motivated to exercise, read more here .

Share your experience

Are you a walker or a runner? In your opinion, what are the advantages of walking vs. running? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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[1] PLoS One. 2012;7(7):e36360.

[2] Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2013 Apr;45(4):706-13.

[3] Int J Cancer. 2014 Sep 1;135(5):1195-202.

[4] PLoS One. 2014 Nov 20;9(11):e113471.

[5] Gait Posture. 2007 Apr;25(4):590-6.

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It’s time for conventional medical providers to get over their denial about the role of mercury and other toxic heavy metals in causing cardiovascular disease (CVD), says a group of researchers from Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York University School of Medicine, and Columbia University.[1] Furthermore, they conclude, mainstream medicine should consider treating atherosclerosis and CVD by using EDTA chelation therapy to remove toxic metals from the body.

In a new article published in the American Heart Journal, the researchers identify and review the top four heavy metals involved in clogging the arteries, leading to heart attacks, strokes, and other CVD events: lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic.[1]

Lead

Increased death from CVD is strongly associated with bone lead levels. People with the highest bone lead levels are nearly 10 times more likely to die of ischemic heart disease than those with the lowest. Lead levels are directly associated with higher blood pressure, cholesterol abnormalities, and atherosclerosis (plaques clogging the arteries of the heart).

Lead from food, water, air, gasoline additives, food-can soldering, lead-based paints, ceramic glazes, drinking-water pipe systems, and contaminated supplements gets inhaled or ingested and then absorbed into the bloodstream. While some gets excreted from the body via urine, sweat, hair, and nails, absorbed lead is also stored in the body for decades, continually released from bone and other tissues back into the blood. Many older houses have high lead levels in dust, and lead particles suspended in the atmosphere represent sources of continual exposure.

Blood lead levels represent only recent short-term exposures and account for approximately 1% to 5% of total body lead burden; the rest is stored in bone and other tissues. A technique called noninvasive x-ray fluorescence of bone is the most accurate way to assess body lead burden, but this test is rarely performed.

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Mercury

A high level of mercury exposure is directly associated with heart attack risk and death from CVD; men in the highest third of hair mercury content when compared to the lowest third have a 69% higher risk of heart attack and a 109% higher risk of death from CVD death.

Mercury from contaminated fish, dental amalgams, cosmetics, latex paint, thimerosal-containing vaccines, and environmental sources gets inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream. While some is excreted from the body via urine and bile, some absorbed mercury is distributed to all organs and tissues including the brain. Mercury exposure can be measured in the hair or urine.

Cadmium

Cadmium, considered one of the most toxic environmental pollutants, is also directly associated with death from CVD. Blood cadmium level is indicative of recent exposure while urine cadmium reflects mainly total body burden. Every two-fold increase urine cadmium levels is directly associated with a 21% increase in risk of death from cardiovascular disease in men. Risk of high blood pressure, stroke, coronary artery disease, and peripheral arterial disease is directly associated with cadmium levels.

Cadmium exposure occurs through inhalation or ingestion of contaminated food, drinking water, inhalation of polluted air, occupational exposure, and tobacco smoke. Smokers have cadmium levels that are at least twice as high as those of nonsmokers. Once absorbed, cadmium gets processed through the liver and then stored for decades in bones, kidneys, and other organs.

Arsenic

Long-term exposure to even low levels of arsenic is directly associated with risk of CVD and CVD mortality, including deaths from coronary artery disease and strokes.

Arsenic exposure comes mostly from food, contaminated fish, tobacco smoke, arsenic-treated wood, and drinking water. Arsenic gets inhaled or ingested and then absorbed into the bloodstream. Measurement of blood arsenic can only be used to assess a very recent exposure; urine is considered to be the most reliable body sample to detect arsenic exposure.

Through a detoxification process in the liver called methylation, some arsenic gets transformed into water-soluble compounds that get excreted in the urine. However, many people have impaired methylation and for those in whom arsenic methylation is impaired, the risk of CVD is significantly higher.

Research on chelation therapy for heart disease

The researchers also reviewed the recent Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT), a clinical trial of heavy metal EDTA chelation therapy for reducing cardiovascular events in people with previous cardiovascular disease.[2] Chelation therapy has been used to treat CVD since the 1950s. TACT tested the results of 40 EDTA chelation therapy sessions versus placebo in thousands of patients who had suffered a prior heart attack. Intravenous EDTA chelation therapy significantly reduced CVD by 18% in all subjects and by 41% in those with diabetes.

According to the researchers who reviewed the trial, TACT provides strong support for the conclusion that toxic heavy metals are a treatable cause of heart disease.[1] Chelation therapy is especially warranted for patients who have both diabetes and coronary artery disease, they concluded. Furthermore, there should be more research to fully assess the public’s exposure to toxic heavy metals and increased public health measures to minimize exposures.

Could EDTA chelation therapy be helpful for you?

If you want to know if testing and treatment, such as EDTA chelation therapy, for heavy metal toxicity might be appropriate for you, you’ll want to start by finding a physician well-trained and experienced in intravenous chelation therapy. You can search our Directory Listings for a doctor who uses chelation by clicking “Chelation Therapy” as a Practice Specialty or use the “Physician+link” feature on ACAM’s website.

Share your experience

Have you tried EDTA chelation therapy? How did it work for you?

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[1] Am Heart J. 2014 Dec;168(6):812-822.

[2] Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2014 Jan;7(1):15-24.

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