Bone & Joint Health

A team of international researchers has found a high-salt diet reduces the population of the beneficial gut bacteria Lactobacillus. This, in turn, impacts immune cells which can lead to the development of hypertension and autoimmune disease. Probiotics may help to curb these effects. Gut Flora and Salt-Sensitive Diseases A high-salt diet has long been identified as a contributing factor to...

Thanks to increased research attention in recent years, we are beginning to form a better understanding of how vitamin D — an essential nutrient long associated with bone health — impacts not only our musculoskeletal system but also other critical aspects of our health. Naturally produced by our skin when exposed to sunlight, vitamin D is also present in food sources...

Osteoporosis is a disease where the density of your bones falls to a critical point where they are so weak that even mild physical impact can fracture them. Some people do not experience any symptoms of osteoporosis until they break a bone in a situation that would not have harmed them when they were younger. Osteoporosis is considered an age-related...

A new study published in the journal PNAS has uncovered the biology behind age-related bone loss. Researchers from Zhejiang University in China and the University of Alabama in Birmingham found that a protein known as Cbf-beta is essential at controlling the rate at which new bone cells replace old, dying cells. Understanding Age-Related Bone Loss Age-related bone loss is a progressive and...

Recommendations for vitamin intake during pregnancy are constantly being modified to reflect new research. Most people are aware of the importance of taking in enough folic acid and other B vitamins during their child-bearing years. A new study on taking vitamin D during pregnancy suggests that this vitamin also may be crucial to developing children, especially in the areas of...

Today, the "Standard American Diet" has become, well, standard -- especially among men. This diet is based on processed foods that are often lacking in nutrients and vitamins. The result is that many men in the United States are deficient in vitamins. In addition, men have slightly different nutritional needs than women and require more of certain vitamins to produce...

In the Western world, we don't use turmeric heavily in our diet, although this is beginning to change. Many people are starting to enjoy spicy foods such as curries as part of their daily meals. Pungent spices are an integral part of Middle Eastern cuisine, Indian cuisine and even Latin American foods. In some cultures, turmeric is even made into...

Soy is one of the more controversial foods in the modern culinary world. People read conflicting headlines every day that imply soy is either very good or very bad for us. However, there is no conflict about the benefits of soy isoflavones. These unique phytoestrogens from soy protein are increasingly being found in research to have a variety of positive health...

New research on yogurt for bone health suggests that probiotic foods and other products may offer more benefits for building strong bones than calcium alone. Probiotics have been the subject of much modern scientific research. Studies indicate that they can help to maintain a healthy GI tract and contributing to better digestive, immune and even brain function. However, this is...

If you are like many modern people, you spend much of your life avoiding the sun. We all have heard about the links between ultraviolet light exposure and skin cancer. As a result, even sun worshipers now take precautions to protect their skin from these harmful rays. We wear sunscreen on a daily basis and cover ourselves with hats and...