Motor neuron disease (#MND) describes a group of diseases affecting the nerves in the brain and spinal cord that gradually stop messages from reaching the muscles, leading them to weaken, stiffen and waste.  MND is life shortening and there is currently no cure. A new study from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel has shown that some species of bacteria may change the pace of the disease.

According to the World health Organization noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), otherwise known as chronic diseases, are responsible for 71% of deaths globally, this shift away from death as a result of infectious diseases has occurred in most industrialised nations over the last century. Most NCDs occur later in life and are the result of a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behaviour factors.

New research from the American Heart Association reveals a link between vitamin D deficiency at birth and throughout early childhood with elevated systolic blood pressure during later years. Those children with low vitamin D levels through early childhood were found to have double the risk of high blood pressure in adolescence.

Current #Parkinson’s disease treatments focus on temporarily replacing dopamine in the brain in combination with medications designed to slow the progression of symptoms. A new study performed at the Thomas Jefferson University found that #N-acetylcysteine (NAC) could provide an increase in #dopamine levels as well as improving patients mental and physical abilities.

With plants having long been used as traditional remedies by mankind, and the belief that natural remedies have fewer harmful effects as compared to synthetic medicines, there has been a resurgence of interest in the use of plants as a source of medicine. The #nigella #sativa seed is considered one of the most nutrient rich #herbs in history containing significant levels of iron, copper, zinc, phosphorus, calcium, thiamin, niacin, pyridoxine, and folic acid as well as various amino acids.

Stephen Levine, PhD, on How Vitamin C, Buffered with Magnesium and Calcium, Can Resolve Allergy, Cravings, and Addiction

As early as the 1980s, Allergy Research Group was looking at how the combination of antioxidant therapies and alkalisation support healing from a variety of conditions including allergies, addiction, and food cravings. This piece includes some of the original writing by Dr. Levine about his work with a buffered form of vitamin C, with excerpts taken from “Food Addiction, Food Allergy and Overweight,” originally published in Let’s Live magazine; “The Origins & Benefits of Buffered Vitamin C Powder,” found in the December 2001 issue of FOCUS; “Buffered Vitamin C to the Rescue,” found in the Fall 2000 issue of FOCUS; and “Efficacy of Buffered Ascorbate Compound (BAC) in the Detoxification and Aftercare of Clients Involved in Opiate and Stimulant Abuse,” published in 1983 by the Haight-Ashbury Free Medical Clinic.

Learn about the discovery of and research behind the natural fibrinolytic enzyme nattokinase and an array of clinical uses in these excerpts from “Potent Natural Anticoagulant Enzyme Derived From Traditional Japanese Food,” found in the January 2003 issue of FOCUS (Allergy Research Groups Journal), and “Nattokinase: A Potent and Safe Thrombolytic,” by Martin Milner, ND,

With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease on the Rise and No NHS-Approved Treatment, Nutrient and Botanical Therapies Are Poised as the Next-Best Solutions

As we move well into the 21^st century, diseases related to a sedentary lifestyle and an overabundance of food are increasingly common. The rate of type 2 diabetes (T2D), a condition that was estimated to affect 120 million people worldwide in 2000,[1] has quadrupled in global incidence over the last three decades.[2] Diabetes and obesity are often accompanied by nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition characterised by fat, in the form of triglycerides (TGs), accumulating in the liver.[3] Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a more severe form of NAFLD that also involves inflammation, was first described medically in 1952 and only identified as a disease in 1980.[4]^,[5] Nowadays, recent surveys have shown that about 30 to 40% of adults have NAFLD and 3 to 12% are affected by NASH.^[6],[7] The numbers are shockingly high in those who are obese or affected by diabetes: 30 to 90% of individuals who are obese and 60 to 75% of individuals with T2D have NAFLD.^[8],[9],[10]

An Apple a Day, Pomegranate, and Bergamot Citrus for a Cholesterol and Whole-Health Solution

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” is a phrase that many have heard since youth, likely spoken by a carer who was trying to get some fruit into a picky eater. Science has also proven the benefits of this wisdom.[i] Pomegranate has a similar reputation, particularly with respect to cardiovascular health. And a fast up-and-comer is the bergamot citrus, with cholesterol-lowering benefits at the top of its list of virtues. But does the data actually support the purported benefits of these fruits? A look at the clinical studies suggest it does, at least where cardiovascular health is concerned.

Linda Isaacs, MD, Discusses Her Work with Nicholas Gonzalez, MD, and Her Use of Glandular Therapies in Her Practice Learn the theories behind what makes glandular therapies successful, the importance of proper preparation, and some clinical uses for these substances from an expert in their use. Linda L. Isaacs, MD, received her Bachelor of Science