High blood pressure (also known as hypertension) is a serious problem in the US. Almost 1/3 of the population has hypertension, defined as a blood pressure reading of 140/90 (up from 5% of the population in 1900 and 10% in 1939), while it’s agreed that any reading over 119/79 is damaging to health. While hypertension has no symptoms, it causes half of all cardiovascular disease-related deaths, including heart attacks and strokes, and contributes to dementia, macular degeneration, and renal disease.Blood pressure medications have a notorious history of having dangerous serious side effects, however the newest class of blood pressure drugs, the angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), have been hailed as being almost side effect-free.  Well . . . not so fast there . . .One popular ARB, olmesartan, aka Benicar, has been found to cause gut inflammation with symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss and electrolyte abnormalities severe enough to hospitalize 14 of 22 patients…

We’ve been praising coconut oil for almost a decade now, and we searched the world to find the very finest coconut oil available, which we carry Beyond Health Coconut Oil. So, we were pleased to see an article online listing 20 benefits of this amazing stuff. Apparently coconut oil has “come into its own,” since the article begins, “You’ve no doubt noticed that coconut oil is on everyone’s lips . . . and in their frying pans, smoothies, hair, and in a little jar on their nightstand. What underlies coconut oil’s recent popularity is the sheer amount of benefits to mind, body and soul that it promises, and research shows that adding coconut oil to your diet and your person could be one of the easiest ways to improve your health, well-being, appearance, and even your sex life.”So without further ado, here are author Grant Stoddard’s 20 benefits of coconut oil: Capric acid in coconut oil increases energy and reduce food consumption. Lauric acid in coconut oil kills bacteria,…

. . . a modest reduction could reduce hypertension by up to 30%Dietary salt intake in the US is on the rise. According to a study on salt consumption done a couple of years ago at the University of California at San Francisco, this increase is primarily due to our growing consumption of processed foods, which currently supply 75-80% of the salt content in the American diet. These researchers calculated that lowering salt consumption by 3 grams a day would reduce the number of men with high blood pressure by 22-34%; reduce the number of women with high blood pressure by 16-24%; greatly diminish new cases of coronary heart disease, strokes, heart attacks and all-cause death; and save $10-24 billion yearly in health care costs.The US Department of Health and Human Services as well as the Department of Agriculture recommend limiting salt to less than 5.8 grams a day (that’s about one teaspoon of salt and 2,300 mg of sodium), and less than 3.7 grams a day (about ¾ teaspoon) for those over t…

. . . fish oils outperform statins and reduce the risk of a first-time heart attack by 35%The connection between fish oil and heart health has been studied for the past 40 years, and its many benefits for the cardiovascular system are well-documented. Our bodies need a whole host of nutrients every day to maintain health. If even one of these is absent or deficient long-term, disease is inevitable. For reasons discussed at length in The Roadmap to Choosing Supplements, both a very good diet AND high-quality supplements are necessary today to get all the nutrients we need. The reason fish oil has helped to correct heart disease is because it contains omega 3 fatty acids, and about 90% of our population is deficient in these essential fatty acids.The omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil protect our hearts in many different ways. First they are anti-arrhythmic. That means they counteract and prevent cardiac arrhythmias. Next they are antithrombotic, which means they “thin the blood” and keep i…

. . . or getting the most benefit from that vitamin D you're takingYou may have heard that vitamin D is important and checked your multi to make sure it includes vitamin D. If it’s our multi, and you’re taking 2 tablets a day, you’re getting 800 IU of the highest quality vitamin D3 available. Noting that this is more than the Recommended Daily Allowance for most people, you may assume you’re getting enough.Or maybe you spend a lot of time in the sun during the summer months soaking up those vitamin-D producing UV rays. Again, you may assume your vitamin D blood levels are more than adequate.In both cases you may be wrong.Vitamin D experts recommend that you maintain a blood level of vitamin D in the upper-normal range, which would be 50 ng/mL or more on the 25(OH)D test. But in a 2006 study, Bischoff-Ferrari and colleagues found that 700-1,000 IU of vitamin D taken for eight weeks resulted in less than half of average healthy adults achieving 30 ng/mL. This is the low edge of the norma…

. . . and are needed by every cell in your body for good healthA recent study in the Journal of Bone Mineral Research done on postmenopausal women found being low in omega 3 fatty acids, as well as having an imbalanced ratio of omega 3s to omega 6 fatty acids, were predictive of hip fractures.When we talk about essential fatty acids, we are talking about two kinds of fat that the body can’t make on its own, so they must be consumed. They are essential because it’s impossible to live without them. These are the omega 3 fatty acids (normally associated with fish and flax oils) and the omega 6 fatty acids (normally associated with nuts, seeds, vegetable oils and animal fats). For optimal health, we need to consume enough of both, in roughly equal amounts. Unfortunately most people don’t get enough omega 3s – in fact research indicates that 20% of the US population has so little omega-3s in their blood that it can’t even be measured by standard tests. Instead of a healthy ratio of 1:1, the…

Raymond Francis often says, “If you are deficient in only one nutrient, you will get sick, guaranteed.” Although many people still focus single-mindedly on calcium, bone-building is a team sport. While calcium may be the star player, it’s ineffective and even dangerous without its teammates. If even one member of the team goes AWOL, your bones will suffer. Bones are about half mineral and half protein. Minerals give bones their hardness—an important quality if you want to stand up straight. However a large part of bone consists of “bone matrix:” flexible tissue made of collagen and studded with hard minerals. Calcium accounts for about 64% of bone’s mineral content, but phosphorus and magnesium also contribute to bone hardness. Zinc, manganese, silica and copper are used as co-enzymes in constructing bone matrix. Vitamin C is needed to create collagen. Vitamins C, D and K and the minerals boron, chromium, germanium, selenium and vanadium play various roles in what’s called bone…

When Big Business Enters Organic Food: Why Labels Don’t Always Tell the Full Story The organic food movement began with a simple promise: cleaner food, fewer chemicals, and greater transparency. But as demand for organic products has surged, so has corporate interest—and that has complicated the picture for consumers. Today, some products marketed as “organic” may not reflect the values or practices people expect, especially when large corporations enter the space and distribution systems lag behind product changes. How Mislabeling Can Happen Investigations by The Cornucopia Institute, a nonprofit that advocates for organic integrity and small farmers, have highlighted how barcode and classification issues can lead to consumer confusion. In several cases, products that had lost organic certification were still placed on shelves alongside organic items because: The barcode was never updated Retailers reasonably assumed the products remained organic Shelf p…

Why Vitamin C Intake Is Often Not Enough — Even If You’re Supplementing Many people assume they’re getting enough vitamin C.In reality, most aren’t even close. From informal surveys of Beyond Health customers, a consistent pattern emerges: vitamin C intake is often far below what’s needed to support optimal cellular function, stress resilience, and long-term health. Vitamin C is foundational to the Beyond Health lifestyle—not because it prevents a single deficiency disease, but because it supports hundreds of essential biological processes throughout the body. Why Government Recommendations Miss the Mark Official vitamin C guidelines were designed to prevent scurvy, not to support: Immune resilience Tissue repair Detoxification Inflammatory balance Healthy aging These recommendations do not reflect the true physiological needs of humans, especially in today’s high-stress, high-toxin environment. Vitamin C: A Core Biological Requir…

Coconut Oil for Weight Loss? The Science, Metabolism & Truth About Healthy Fats Why eating the right fats may help regulate appetite, metabolism, and body composition What If Eating Fat Could Help You Lose Fat? For decades, the dominant nutrition message was simple:Eat less fat → lose more weight. Yet during the same period Americans dramatically reduced fat intake while obesity rates climbed. This paradox raises an important metabolic question: Is fat the problem or is it the wrong kind of fat combined with excess refined carbohydrates? Emerging research suggests the answer is the latter. The Real Weight-Gain Driver Most People Miss Modern metabolic science increasingly points to blood sugar instability as a central driver of fat storage. When diets are high in refined carbohydrates and low in satiating nutrients: Hunger hormones spike Energy crashes occur Cravings intensify Fat storage signals increase Healthy fats help counter this by: slowing digestion st…

The Hidden Sugar in Processed Foods — and Why High-Fructose Corn Syrup Raises Red Flags Sugar is everywhere in the modern diet—but not all sugars behave the same in the body. While table sugar (sucrose) is already problematic when consumed in excess, growing research suggests that high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) may pose additional metabolic concerns, especially when it becomes a staple of highly processed foods. HFCS is now found in a large percentage of packaged and ultra-processed products, making overconsumption easy—and often unintentional. Why High-Fructose Corn Syrup Is Different HFCS is a refined sweetener made by converting corn starch into glucose and then into fructose. Unlike glucose, which can be used by nearly every cell in the body, fructose is primarily metabolized by the liver. When intake is high and continuous, this metabolic bottleneck can stress liver function and disrupt normal energy regulation. HFCS and Weight Gain: What Research Suggests Ani…

Is There Almost Always a Safer, More Natural Alternative to Drugs? Modern medicine has saved lives—but it has also normalized a dangerous assumption:that symptoms require drugs, rather than restoration of health. When we step back and look at the data, an important question emerges: Why are substances foreign to the body considered “standard,” while nutrients the body depends on are treated as optional? Prescription Drugs and Risk: A Sobering Perspective Peer-reviewed analyses have repeatedly shown that adverse drug reactions are a major public-health concern in the United States. Properly prescribed medications—taken exactly as directed—are associated with a significant number of hospitalizations and deaths each year. These outcomes are not due to misuse or abuse, but to inherent risks of pharmacological intervention, including: Organ toxicity Nutrient depletion Drug–drug interactions Cumulative physiological stress This raises an impor…

Can Age-Related Hair Loss Be Prevented? Science-Backed Strategies to Strengthen Hair From the Cellular Level The Hook: Hair Loss Isn’t Just Cosmetic — It’s Cellular Hair thinning with age is often dismissed as “genetics.” But biology tells a more nuanced story: genes may load the gun, yet environment, nutrition, hormones, and oxidative stress pull the trigger. Roughly ⅔ of men and ~40% of women experience noticeable hair loss as they age. Men tend to develop patterned baldness, while women usually see diffuse thinning and finer strands. The key question isn’t whether genes matter — it’s whether we can influence how they behave. Modern research says: yes, to a degree. What Actually Happens Inside the Hair Follicle Hair follicles are among the most metabolically active tissues in the body. That means they are highly sensitive to: Nutrient availability Hormonal balance Oxidative stress Toxic exposure Circulation When follicles…

? What Research Says About Green Tea & Immune Health Interest in “natural immune support for kids” and “foods that help prevent flu” has surged online. One reason: studies exploring plant compounds that support immune function. A large observational study of schoolchildren in Japan found: Children who drank ≥1 cup of green tea at least 6 days per week had lower reported rates of influenza infection Those drinking 3–5 cups daily showed the greatest reduction Researchers believe this effect may be linked to green tea’s natural compounds, including: Catechins Polyphenols Flavonoids These plant molecules are widely studied for their roles in supporting normal immune response and cellular protection. ? Why Green Tea May Support Immunity Green tea contains bioactive compounds studied for their ability to: Support antioxidant defenses Promote healthy inflammatory balance Help maintain normal immune signaling These actions don&r…

What If One Simple Ritual Could Help You Recharge Your Body Naturally? Low energy. Brain fog. Poor sleep. Muscle tension.These are some of the most searched health concerns online today and they all share one thing in common: they’re signs your body needs recovery support. One increasingly searched solution is infrared sauna therapy a modern wellness tool gaining attention for its ability to support relaxation, circulation, and whole-body restoration. Let’s break down what it is, how it works, and how to use it effectively. ? What Is an Infrared Sauna? (And Why People Are Searching for It) An infrared sauna is a type of heat therapy that uses infrared light to warm the body directly rather than heating the surrounding air like a traditional sauna. Because of this difference, users often report that infrared sessions feel: More comfortable Easier to tolerate Less draining More relaxing These advantages are why search interest for terms like infrared sauna ben…

As flu season approaches, many people start asking the same important question: What’s the smartest way to protect my health? The truth is, strong immunity is never built from a single intervention it’s built from daily habits that support your body at the cellular level. Here’s what science consistently shows about flu prevention: • Influenza vaccines are designed each year to match circulating strains and can reduce risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and complications—especially in older adults, children, and those with chronic conditions.• Their effectiveness varies season to season because flu viruses mutate rapidly.• No preventive strategy is 100% protective, which is why layered immune support matters. Why Foundational Health Still Matters Most Your immune system functions best when your cells are properly nourished and not burdened by deficiencies. Research consistently links immune resilience with: ✔ Adequate sleep✔ Balanced nutriti…

Vaccines, Children, and Modern Medicine What Parents Should Know to Make Informed Health Decisions The Big Picture Childhood vaccination is one of the most widely discussed topics in modern healthcare. Parents today are more informed, more proactive, and more invested than ever in understanding what goes into their children’s bodies. With rising access to information—and misinformation—it’s essential to separate emotion, marketing, and headlines from scientific evidence. Industry Growth vs. Public Health Purpose Yes, vaccines are a large global industry. Like pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and supplements, vaccines are part of a multi-billion-dollar healthcare economy. But market size alone does not determine medical value. Many life-saving interventions—from insulin to antibiotics—are also major industries. Key distinction:Profitability ≠ effectiveness or ineffectiveness.Medical value must always be evaluated by clinical evidence, not revenue…

FLUORIDE EXPOSURE: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE YOU DRINK Environmental exposure is no longer optional it’s cumulative.Today’s world presents us with chemicals through air, water, food, and personal care products. One substance receiving increasing scrutiny is fluoride, commonly added to public drinking water and found in multiple consumer products. Understanding where exposure comes from — and how much is too much — is essential for anyone seeking true cellular wellness. THE CORE CONCERN The primary issue is total exposure load, not just a single source. Fluoride can enter the body through: Drinking water Toothpaste ingestion (especially children) Processed foods and beverages Prescription medications Agricultural irrigation residues Even when each source is individually considered “safe,” cumulative exposure may exceed optimal biological tolerance levels for some individuals. WHY TOTAL EXPOSURE MATTERS Biology operates on thresholds. Eve…