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A recent study found that people who use melatonin are more likely to diagnosed with heart problems. The media was all over the bad news, but they neglected to tell their readers about the limitations and design flaws of the study. The study, which was presented at the 2025 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, concluded that people who had used melatonin for more than a year were 90% more likely to be diagnosed with heart failure (4.6% versus 2.7%) over a 5 year pe

The fast paced, modern world has seen an increase in male sexual dysfunction. Testosterone plays a vital role in male libido. A new study shows that this herb can help both. Ashwagandha is well known in the Ayurvedic system of medicine of India as an aphrodisiac that improves overall reproductive health in men. This double-blind study gave either a placebo or ashwagandha to 50 men, between the ages of 21 and 45. They were all generally healthy except for having low sexual des

Peanuts get a lot of bad press. Here’s some really good press. Eating peanuts improves your memory, and now we might know why. A new single-blind, controlled study has shown that eating 60g a day of unsalted, roasted peanuts with the skin for 8 weeks significantly improved verbal memory in healthy adults whose average age was 67 years. And the improvement was significant: delayed recall improved by 5.8%. This is not the first time peanuts have been shown to improve memory. A

Though it gets a lot less attention than calcium or vitamin D, without vitamin K, your bones would be like chalk. This new study helps explain why. Your bones need calcium, but they also need a hormone called osteocalcin. Osteocalcin helps attract and bind calcium to your bones. And osteocalcin is produced by vitamin K. This new systematic review and meta-analysis of the role of vitamin K included 9 controlled studies of 2,570 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. The form

Chokeberry is a herb that has not yet attracted a lot of attention. But, as this new study adds to the rapidly accumulating evidence for its cardiovascular benefits, it may finally be time to pay attention. Chokeberry shrub, or aronia, is a member of the rose family. Its berries, like so many more famous berries, are loaded in antioxidant flavonoids: especially anthocyanins. Chokeberry first attracted notice in 2007 when a study found that it significantly improved blood pres

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the world. One of the tiniest supplements in nature could help the largest health problem in the world. Cardiovascular disease includes coronary artery disease, angina, stroke, heart attack and congestive heart failure. Important risk factors include high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, diabetes, unhealthy diet and lifestyle, smoking, excessive alcohol, inflammation, oxidative stress and obesity. Importantly, these

Premenstrual syndrome and painful periods are ridiculously common problems for women. A growing body of evidence is showing that the herb saffron can safely help both. The first systematic review and meta-analysis examined saffron for premenstrual syndrome (PMS). The meta-analysis, which included 3 controlled studies, showed that saffron was significantly better than controls for PMS. It concluded that 8-12 weeks of taking saffron was effective at reducing the symptoms of PMS

Chronic kidney disease is more common than you’d think. More than 1 in 7 American adults have chronic kidney disease, and it is a leading cause of death in the US. Could something as simple as vitamin C help? People with chronic kidney disease are at increased risk for vitamin C deficiency, and that lower vitamin C is associated with an increased risk of death. A just published study has found that the highest vitamin C levels are found in people free of chronic kidney diseas

Of all the many disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common, affecting as many as 11%-15% of all people. 35 million Americans suffer from IBS. The conventional approach focuses only on symptom relief. Nature can do better! Several supplements have proven their effectiveness for IBS in studies. A just published comprehensive review has examined the current research on natural remedies. The researchers note that, since many herbs m

Getting a good night’s sleep is not easy for a lot of people. But the solution might be a lot easier than you think. People have reported getting better sleep when they eat better quality diets, including eating more fruit and vegetables. But this new study is the first to use objective measures to test that observation. The results were spectacular both for the impact of diet on sleep and for the immediacy of the results. The 34 people in the study were younger American adul

Seniors with mild cognitive impairment have more trouble with memory and thinking than expected with aging, but the trouble is not serious enough to cause the more catastrophic problems of Alzheimer’s Disease. A remarkable 42% of seniors are affected by it. This 60 day double-blind study found that, compared with placebo, 250mg of ashwagandha extract significantly improved all of immediate, general and working memory, response and visuospatial processing. On a memory assessme

Recent research is proving this nutrient to be great for your heart. And nature provides a delicious abundance of it. A group of powerful flavonoids known as flavan-3-ols–sometimes known as catechins or flavanols–is proving to safely and powerfully reduce blood pressure. These nutrients are found in dark chocolate, green tea, apples, grapes and some berries. A new meta-analysis of 145 controlled studies, and 5205 people, has now shown just how powerful these flavonoids are. T

There are many important traditional herbs for calming and sleep. A new study has put the science behind the tradition for this sleep herb. Skullcap has an important history as a versatile and effective nervine. It has been used for stress, tension, anxiety and insomnia and is often taken throughout the day to prepare you to ease into a good night’s sleep. This new double-blind study gave 66 people with moderate insomnia either a placebo or 400mg of skullcap extract standardi

The conventional treatment for the all too common gastroesophageal reflux syndrome (GER) is antacids. But supressing acid has several...

Some herbs don’t get the attention they deserve despite an impressive body of research. One of them is olive leaf extract, a powerful...

You’ve heard lots of bad news about air pollution, and with good reason: air pollution is associated with reduced lung function. Now,...

Exercise is great for you. But acute exercise can cause musculoskeletal pain in the head and neck, arms and legs, back and trunk. 232...

You already know that cranberry is one of the best things out there for urinary tract infections. But here’s five new uses you may not...

Well know as a food, it is not at all well known as a medicinal herb. But recent research is showing that asparagus root extract can...

Epidemiological studies consistently show that people who eat plant based diets live longer (Maturitas. 2022 Nov:165:47-51). Research has...