As the summer season rolls on, our thoughts turn to getting outdoors. Spending time in the sun can be fun and relaxing, and it can even lift you out of any depressed mood. Yet, there are some who will caution you to stay out of the sun, but don’t be so quick to stay cooped up indoors because you were actually designed to be out in the sun.The hidden health benefits of sunlight There are many subtle ways the sun supports our health. For example, plants use sunlight to create energy through a process called photosynthesis, which helps them grow. You benefit indirectly from their sun exposure by consuming a recommended minimum 7 servings (3-1/2 cups) of these nutrient-packed fruits and vegetables every day, which helps you achieve optimal health. The sun is also a natural source of heat, causing our bodies to maintain a higher core temperature, which promotes health by facilitating improved cell function leading to higher energy levels and providing a natural mechanism for detoxific…

The strongest and most hard-working muscle in your body, your heart is also associated with vulnerability . . . and for good reason.  Powerhouse though it may be, the heart is living tissue that requires proper nourishment. A nutrient called coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, is essential for keeping your heart strong and healthy. Yet it’s quite possible your CoQ10 levels are suboptimal, leading to a condition that underlies many heart problems called “energy-starved heart.” Every cell in your body contains hundreds of little energy factories called mitochondria. CoQ10 facilitates various chemical reactions in the mitochondria’s energy-producing process. Simply put, when you lack CoQ10, you lack energy. Your muscles, including your heart, may be ready, willing and able, but there’s just not enough fuel in the tank. Even minor deficiencies in CoQ10 can impair heart function and eventually damage the heart itself. CoQ10 plays yet another crucial role in cardiovascular health: Keeping…

Egyptian researchers have compared the supplement CoQ10 to diabetes drug glimepiride in treating rats that had been artificially given type 2 diabetes. CoQ10 had marked positive effects on 15 different factors that either cause or prevent/reverse diabetes, surpassing glimepiride in all but 5. Most importantly, CoQ10 has no negative side effects, while there are many problems with glimepiride. Glimepiride belongs to a class of diabetes drugs called sulfonylureas that force the pancreas to produce more insulin. Insulin is a hormone that ushers sugar from the blood into body cells, so it can be stored or burned as energy. Type 2 diabetes occurs when cells become resistant to insulin and sugar accumulates in the blood. While increasing insulin will get sugar into the cells, it creates new problems. High insulin levels are inflammatory, causing aging and all manner of disease including heart disease and obesity. (Sulfonylurea side effects include weight gain and increased risk of…

The holiday season brings a plethora of good things - spending time with family you haven’t seen in a while, seeing the utter happiness on your kids’ faces when they see the first snowfall or open a present, a chance to refocus your spiritual life, and so on. But, inevitably, this season does bring with it one negative thing - STRESS. Now, many of us handle stress well in our day-to-day lives, but as we all know, the holiday season is anything but day-to-day. Cooking huge meals, dealing with the hustle and bustle of busy stores and battling coldweather issues are just a few of the situations that throw us off our routine and create stress this time of year. Stress is harmful to our bodies and to our immune system - and we all know how important our immune system is! Stress can contribute to all six of the pathways that lead to sickness, so it is vital to counteract it. And it’s not something that you can just deal with - you must alleviate it before it has a chance to have neg…

When the American Medical Association (AMA) was founded in 1846, one might imagine it was to further the science of medicine. In fact, the real reasons had a lot more to do with economics. In 1844, the first medical association in the United States was founded; it was the American Institute of Homeopathy. At the time, homeopathy was extremely popular in both the US and Great Britain (still popular in England; the British royalty have been treated by homeopaths since 1830). When two years later the AMA was established, one of its stated goals was to curb the growth of homeopathy. Although its ostensible intent was to expose and eliminate “unscientific” health practices and thereby “protect the consumer,” it was well known to early members of the AMA that its real aim was to destroy competition from homeopaths, naturopaths, and herbalists who were successfully treating patients. With wealthy backers like Andrew Carnegie, the AMA accomplished its objective of marginalizing what came…

Question:  I have a stomach ulcer and have been diagnosed with an H. pylori infection. My doctor wants to put me on antibiotics. Is there an alternative treatment for H. pylori? B. D. – Patternson, NJ Answer: Yes. Any infection is an indication that immunity is weak, and has probably been weak for some time. An alternative approach would be to strengthen the immune system while eating a bland diet to avoid irritating the ulcer; taking herbs that heal mucous membranes, like licorice, aloe vera extract, slippery elm and/or marshmallow root extract; taking glutamine to rebuild the stomach lining; and using herbal antimicrobials like olive leaf or oregano oil and oregano capsules in place of antibiotics. For information on using oregano oil therapeutically, see Dr. Cass Ingram’s The Cure is in the Cupboard. Coconut oil is also very good for killing H. pylori. See Coconut Cures, by Bruce Fife, for how to use coconut oil therapeutically. Any of my books will describe the holistic li…

Question:  For years the Food and Drug Administration has maintained that the antibacterial triclosan is safe. Now they’re backtracking and asking manufacturers that include triclosan in their products to prove it is safe and effective. What is your opinion of triclosan? – Internet Answer: Triclosan is a chlorinated aromatic compound that kills bacteria by breaking open their cell walls. Evidence from animal and test-tube studies has established that triclosan interferes with normal biochemistry and is not safe for human use. It inhibits fatty acid synthesis. It has been shown to be an endocrine disrupter that impairs thyroid function and alters estrogen levels. A series of experiments reported last year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences tracked the effects of triclosan on mice, fish, minnows and human cardiac and skeletal muscle. These experiments found triclosan hindered muscle contractions at the cellular level by impairing the flow of calcium into and out…

A Special Offer on 3 Books That Put You Back in Charge of Your Health At some point, many people realize a hard truth:shots and medications can’t compensate for poor health foundations. They may offer short-term symptom management, but they rarely build long-term resilience. And in many cases, they introduce new challenges over time. The good news?This isn’t a message of fear—it’s a message of empowerment. The Real Problem Isn’t Lack of Options—It’s Loss of Control Most people today don’t suffer from a lack of information.They suffer from a sense of powerlessness about their health. We’ve been conditioned to believe: Health happens to us Aging is inevitable decline Chronic illness is unavoidable Experts hold all the answers But that narrative simply isn’t true. Health is not luck.Health is a series of informed choices—made consistently. And those choices begin with understanding how the body actually works. W…

. . . and best ways you can get more in your diet to improve brain function Fish oil has been creating a lot of buzz in the news lately. This time, it’s not another rigged scientific study, or ruthless attack by the news media. Instead, it’s one more real-life success story documenting the significant health benefits of fish oil. This latest “miracle” comes out of Palm Desert, California. Sixteen-year-old Grant Virgin suffered significant injuries following a hit-and-run accident. Including a torn aorta, skull fractures, traumatic brain injury (TBI), compound bone fractures, and spinal fractures. Doctors offered little hope as young Grant fell into a coma. In fact, they told parents John and JJ Virgin that Grant would likely die from his injuries. While doctors resigned themselves to losing Grant—and advised the Virgins to do the same—John and JJ instead chose to fight for their son’s life. Eventually Grant’s body would stabilize as he spent the first several weeks on a…

When people get sick, their first concern is generally getting well so they can “get back to their lives.” But sometimes a serious illness catapults you into a whole new life you never could have imagined. Such was the case with our company founder and president, Raymond Francis. Three decades ago, Raymond had parlayed his MIT-education in engineering and chemistry into a career many would envy. As a corporate turnaround consultant and an expert in industrial quality and productivity, who was called in to make failing businesses profitable again, Raymond had established an impressive record of international success. He had even been called in to advise the governments of China and Fiji. However, a life-threatening illness changed all that. When doctors not only failed to help him, but only made things worse, he saw that getting well was going to be his greatest challenge yet. It would require digging deep into his reservoirs of strength and hope and working simultaneously on eve…

REPRINTED FROM BEYOND HEALTH® News by Raymond Francis ObamaCare has been passed and signed into law. While healthcare reform is desperately needed, is this the reform we need? The existing drugs-and-surgery approach to healthcare is a failure; it keeps people sick and costs high. ObamaCare traps us into this failed system and makes change even more difficult. This is not the reform we need, and it comes at a huge cost not only in dollars but in more government intrusion into our lives, loss of freedom and serious constitutional questions. ObamaCare is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, hoping it will keep us from sinking! Disease-care costs are out of control. Rapidly increasing and economically unsustainable, these costs threaten to bankrupt our governments and businesses. The unfunded liability for Medicare and Social Security alone is well over $100 trillion. There is no way this money can be paid without crippling taxation and confiscation of wealth (a…

. . . which is better? As you may know, we carry Kyolic AGE, so we’re often asked this question. The answer is that both forms of garlic are fantastic sources of health-promoting compounds; both are high in organosulfur compounds that do wonderful things in your body. Although the compounds are somewhat different in each, both AGE and raw garlic have abundant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and help your body to detoxify and to prevent and possibly reverse the same wide range of health problems. In addition to the cardiovascular and neurological benefits described above, garlic, whether raw or aged, has immune boosting and antibiotic abilities and is active against worms, fungi (including candida albicans), bacteria (including helicobacter pylori), viruses, allergies and cancer. It helps build energy, endurance and the ability to withstand stress. Because it is anti-inflammatory, and because all chronic disease has an inflammatory component, it is useful in all chron…

. . . how peaches, plums and nectarines can keep us healthy Fresh, juicy, sweet and colorful . . . the “stone fruits”: peaches, plums and nectarines are one of my favorite things about summer. And scientists at Texas A&M have found that these delicious fruits possess certain compounds that work in different and synergistic ways to thwart heart disease, obesity and diabetes – together known as “metabolic syndrome.” A study presented at the American Chemical Society’s annual meeting last summer showed that four groups of phenolic compounds found in stone fruits – anthocyanins, chlorogenic acids, quercetin derivatives and catechins – have anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic properties and may also reduce the oxidation of LDL (the “bad” cholesterol). (Cholesterol alone isn’t harmful; but when it is oxidized it leads to atherosclerosis and heart disease.) Each of the fruits has similar healthful compounds, but in differing proportions. The researchers recommended…

REPRINTED FROM BEYOND HEALTH® News By Raymond Francis Vitamin C is one of the most important molecules you can put into your body. Unfortunately, modern living has increased our need for vitamin C so that most of us are deficient and need to supplement. Tragically, most people are taking the wrong vitamin C. A number of manufacturers produce vitamin C with varying degrees of purity, and as you will see, purity is critical. Most of the vitamin C on the market is not what you should be taking. Most of us don’t think about the fact that supplement manufacturers can purchase vitamins in a range of different chemical forms and degrees of purity. The correct chemical forms, the forms that the body actually uses, coupled with the highest purity will give you the best results. Vitamins that are less pure and/or in incorrect forms may give you few or no results at all. Some vitamins are even known to have negative effects. The correct chemical forms cost more to manufacture and numerou…

by Raymond Francis Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) save energy and money. An Energy Star qualified CFL uses at least 2/3 less energy than a regular light bulb (called an incandescent) and lasts up to 10 times longer. It will save you about $30 in energy costs over its lifetime. And CFLs offer significant benefits for the environment. If every American home replaced just one incandescent with an Energy Star CFL, it would reduce greenhouse gases as much as taking nearly 800,000 cars off the road. It all sounds wonderful. You can benefit the environment and your own pocketbook at the same time, and what could be simpler than screwing in a light bulb! But using CFLs responsibly isn’t always so simple, and consumers aren’t getting the message that learning how to properly use and dispose of CFLs is crucial. Inside every CFL, there is an average of 4 mg of the deadly neurotoxin mercury. If the bulb is broken, either in your home, on its way to the garbage dump, or at the d…

. . . freshly squeezed morning orange juice? It’s so passe´! A new study from Harvard has confirmed what Raymond Francis has been saying for years – moderate consumption of whole fruit is good; fruit juice, on the other hand, floods your bloodstream with too much sugar, which has damaging effects. The Harvard researchers analyzed diet data from three mammoth studies that followed more than 180,000 nurses and other health professionals for about twenty years to look for correlations between fruit consumption and type 2 diabetes risk. It probably won’t surprise Newsclips readers to hear they found fruit consumption significantly associated with a lowered risk for developing type 2 diabetes, and fruit juice consumption associated with a higher risk. Interestingly, they found certain fruits a lot more beneficial than others in reducing diabetes risk, independent of their glycemic index. Of the ten fruits included in the study, blueberries were far and away the top performers, low…

Vitamin E: An Overlooked Ally in Bone Health If you’ve followed Beyond Health for any length of time, you know that strong bones require more than calcium alone. Bone health depends on a coordinated team of nutrients working together to support proper mineralization and structural integrity. That’s why our Bone Mineral Support Formula includes multiple cofactors—not just calcium. But when concerns about bone density or age-related bone loss arise, there is another often-overlooked nutrient worth understanding: Vitamin E. Bone Remodeling: A Constant Balancing Act Your bones are living tissue, continuously undergoing two opposing processes: Bone resorption – the breakdown (demineralization) of old bone Bone formation – the rebuilding (mineralization) of new bone In healthy balance, these processes maintain strong, resilient bones.With aging, however, several factors—particularly oxidative stress from excess free radicals—can tip the balanc…

Are “Signs of Aging” Sometimes Side Effects of Medications? Loss of appetite. Muscle weakness. Fatigue. Memory problems. Dizziness. Confusion. Increased risk of falls. These symptoms are often accepted as a normal part of aging—but growing evidence suggests that many are instead related to medication burden, especially in older adults. As people age, they tend to accumulate prescriptions. Each medication may be individually justified, yet together they can create a cascade of side effects that mimic or accelerate what we label as “aging.” When Medication Effects Are Mistaken for Aging A widely read guest essay on Scientific American by journalist Laura Newman highlighted this issue through a deeply personal lens. Newman’s article was prompted by the death of her 92-year-old mother, who had been prescribed a high-dose cholesterol-lowering medication despite her small body size. When she developed severe muscle weakness, it was initially dismissed as…