But what really piqued my interest in this relatively rare citrus fruit is compelling research on bergamot polyphenols. Polyphenols are natural compounds best known for their antioxidant effects. The benefits of red wine, tea, berries, soy, isoflavones, cocoa, and other “super foods” are due in large part to their high content of polyphenols, which protect against cardiovascular disease, cancer, bone loss, diabetes, and other degenerative disorders.

It turns out that bergamot juice (as opposed to the peel used in Earl Grey tea) contains exceptionally large amounts of several unique polyphenols. And when that juice is extracted, concentrated, and standardized in tablet form, it dramatically lowers triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, raises protective HDL, helps control blood sugar, and improves overall arterial function and cardiovascular health.

Lowers Lipids
Bergamot lowers LDL cholesterol almost as effectively as the wildly popular cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, but it also raises HDL—something statins cannot do. This is important because unlike LDL, which builds up in the plaque deposited in diseased arteries, HDL escorts cholesterol out of the arteries to the liver. Therefore, a low HDL level is an independent risk factor for heart disease.

In a placebo-controlled clinical trial, Italian researchers gave either 500 mg or 1,000 mg of bergamot extract daily to study volunteers with high cholesterol levels. After one month, the average LDL in the two groups fell by 37 and 39 percent, respectively, HDL increased by 38 and 43 percent, and triglycerides, another cardiovascular risk factor, declined by 38 and 42 percent. These are impressive results for any intervention, let alone a nutritional supplement.

To learn more about treating high cholesterol naturally or to order bergamot, call (800) 810-6655.

The post Help for High Cholesterol & Metabolic Syndrome appeared first on Whitaker Wellness Institute.

The most basic nasal irrigation involves a mixture of salt and lukewarm water (¼ teaspoon of salt per eight ounces of water), held in the cupped palm of your hand and “snorted” up into one nostril while blocking off the other.

Tip your head back slightly and allow the solution to flow through the nasal cavity, then out of the other nostril. This may also be done with a bulb syringe, squeeze bottle, or neti pot (a small, teapot-like device). Repeat a few times in both nostrils over the sink or in the shower, as it can get messy.

If you’d like to speak to someone about receiving treatment for allergies at the Whitaker Wellness Institute, call (800) 488-1500 or click here for more tips on relieving your allergies and congestion naturally.

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With an average of  70 calories and 6 g of protein each, eggs are certainly a healthy food, but moderation is key. Harvard scientists found that up to six whole eggs per week had no negative effects on cardiovascular health markers, but seven or more began to slightly increase risk. And though one recent study found a positive correlation between whole egg consumption and blood sugar control, the majority of research suggests that a high egg intake actually increases risk of complications in diabetics. If you have blood sugar issues, egg whites are probably your best bet.

Try one of my favorite egg recipes: Confetti Egg White Scramble

Dress up scrambled eggs with colorful, nutritious vegetables

Serves 2
•    1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
•    ½ cup onion, chopped
•    ½ cup zucchini, chopped
•    ½ cup red bell pepper, chopped
•    8 egg whites or 1 cup Egg Beaters or other egg-white product
•    1 tablespoon water
•    1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
•    ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Heat olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Add onions, zucchini, and bell pepper to skillet and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, until tender-crisp.

Meanwhile, lightly beat egg whites, water, Parmesan cheese, and pepper.

Pour eggs into skillet and continue to cook another 1-2 minutes, stirring often until eggs are set.

Per Serving: 128 calories; 3g fat; 16g protein; 8g carbohydrate; 2g dietary fiber; 2mg cholesterol; 269mg sodium

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If you suffer with arthritis, your doctor has probably offered you little beyond pain-relieving medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and aspirin. These drugs send more than 100,000 people to the hospital every year, primarily for gastrointestinal bleeding. COX-2 inhibitors are even worse. One drug in this class, Vioxx, was pulled off the market after it was linked to 160,000 heart attacks and strokes and 55,000 deaths. Another, Celebrex, is still being prescribed, but it’s also associated with serious cardiovascular side effects.

To add insult to injury, NSAIDs block the body’s mechanism for healing the joints and regenerating cartilage. In other words, while you might get some short-term relief from NSAIDs, these drugs tend to make your arthritis worse in the long run. And if you rely on acetaminophen (Tylenol), you could end up with serious liver or kidney damage.

Why turn to dangerous drugs to alleviate arthritis pain when there are so many safe and effective nutritional supplements out there? At the Whitaker Wellness Institute, we offer unique natural treatments for arthritis that not only alleviate symptoms, but also help to repair the joints and rebuild cartilage.

Click here to read the full article on the nutritional supplements you can take that will help reverse arthritis effectively and naturally.

The post Reverse Your Arthritis Naturally appeared first on Whitaker Wellness Institute.

Recognize the Symptoms
If you suffer a stroke, your best hope for full recovery is to get to a hospital as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, while most people recognize the classic symptoms of a stroke—paralysis on one side of the body or the sudden loss of vision or speech—they are unfamiliar with more subtle signs.

The majority of stroke survivors report that their initial symptoms were less severe and came on gradually over the course of 15 minutes or so, rather than all at once. They did not connect these symptoms to stroke, nor did they seek immediate treatment.

Sidestepping a stroke is one thing you do not want to leave to chance. Get started on a dietary and supplement plan, exercise regularly, rule out sleep apnea—and just say no to stroke.

Click here to read the full article on things you need to know that will reduce your risk of stroke.

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Although cataracts can be managed with surgical interventions, macular degeneration and retinopathy are less responsive to conventional care. Some types of retinopathy and macular degeneration can be ameliorated by laser and other therapies, but most physicians consider these vision disorders to be unrelentingly progressive.

At the Whitaker Wellness Institute, we have been successfully treating macular degeneration, cataracts, and retinopathy with a variety of natural therapies for more than 30 years. Research shows that our eyes have a remarkable ability to heal—but only if they are given the proper conditions in which to do so. Here at the clinic, we offer an aggressive program of targeted intravenous and oral nutrients that not only help prevent further visual degeneration but in many cases actually improve vision. Click here to read the full article on taking preventive steps to preserve your eyesight and avoid further visual degeneration.

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Green Tea Extract. You no doubt know about green tea’s numerous benefits, including protection against cancer, inflammation, and other ills, but you may not know that it also increases thermogenesis, or fat burning. Most of the credit goes to epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), green tea’s most potent polyphenol. One particular extract, GreenSelect, has been shown to in clinical trials to simulate significant weight loss. The research is so impressive that I’ve include 300 mg of GreenSelect in Metabolic Essentials, along with other herbs vitamin D and magnesium.

5-HTP. If food cravings, particularly for bread, pasta, and other carbohydrates, are your hot button, 5-hydroxytryptophan 5-HTP may help. I’ve recommended this supplement in the past as a safe, natural therapy for depression because it boosts brain levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in the regulation of mood. Serotonin also affects appetite, and low levels may cause uncontrollable hunger and carbohydrate cravings. Serotonin deficiencies are at their worst during the winter. They are also more common in people with hormonal imbalances, and in those eating low-calorie diets, particularly low-protein diets, which may not provide enough of the amino acid precursors to serotonin. The suggested dose is 50-100 mg once or twice a day.

Starch Blockers. Extracted from white kidney beans and other sources, starch blockers inhibit the activity of an enzyme that breaks down starches, so these carbohydrates pass through the body unabsorbed. If carbs are your hot buttons, taking a starch blocker such as Phase 2 before meals may be helpful. The usual dose is 1,000 mg 5-10 minutes before starchy meals.

Irvingia gabonensis. This botanical, derived from a West African fruit tree, inhibits enzymes involved in glucose absorption and fat conversion. In addition, it modulates adiponectin and leptin, hormones involved in insulin sensitivity, appetite, and energy expenditure. Studies have demonstrated significant improvements in weight, body fat, blood sugar, and cholesterol. The recommended dose is 150 mg twice a day.

Exercise Your Common Sense
These are by no means the only supplements that may help with weight loss. As you set your weight-loss goals and strategies, keep one thing in mind: There is no such thing as a magic pill. Effective weight loss requires regular exercise, caloric restriction, social support, and determination. Targeted supplements, however, may give you the boost you need to get started on the path to fitness.

The post Weight Loss Supplements: What Works appeared first on Whitaker Wellness Institute.

High cholesterol is not a disease per se. It’s simply one of many risk factors for heart disease. That’s why, when patients taking statins come to the Whitaker Wellness Institute, we get them off these medications and start them on a multipronged program that not only lowers cholesterol levels but improves multiple aspects of health.

Click here to read the full article on how to control your cholesterol safely and naturally, starting with the foods you eat.

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Oh, really? Despite the hard sell, several review studies involving hundreds of clinical trials and several hundred thousand people have concluded that, for most children and adults, there is little scientific support for annual influenza vaccinations. Even if they prevent the flu—a big “if”—80 percent of all flu-like illnesses are caused by viruses and bacteria not targeted by the vaccine. So getting a shot is no guarantee you won’t still get sick.

Furthermore, many flu vaccines contain thimerosal, which is 50 percent ethyl mercury, the most toxic biologic poison on earth. Ethyl mercury is so toxic the EPA requires full protective gear and self-contained air for workers cleaning up wastewater containing 200 parts per billion (ppb). A flu shot contains close to 25,000 ppb!

I’m not your doctor, so I can’t tell you what to do, but I can tell you that I’ve never had a flu shot, nor do I recommend them to my patients. Instead, I tell them to seek broader protection during the winter by taking 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 (aim for blood levels in the 50–80 ng/mL range), 1–3 g of vitamin C, probiotics, and additional immune boosters such as EpiCor, echinacea, and colostrum.

For more health tips on steering clear of the flu and cold season click here.

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Angioplasty
According to findings from the COURAGE trial (the definitive study on elective angioplasty) eight of 10 patients who undergo this procedure are inappropriate candidates who would be better served by more conservative therapy.

Heart Surgery
Harvard cardiologist Thomas Graboys, MD, estimated that 90 percent of coronary artery bypass surgeries—the bread and butter of invasive cardiology—are unnecessary. For the overwhelming majority of patients, this risky procedure has not been proven to prevent heart attacks or death from cardiovascular events.

Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Researchers at the VA Medical Center in Houston found that for patients with arthritis, which accounts for the bulk of the 650,000 arthroscopies of the knee done every year, placebo or sham surgery (the knee was cut and stitched up but no cartilage was removed) yielded results just as good as the real operation.

Back Surgery
A Dartmouth Medical School team found that lumbar diskectomy, often done on patients with sciatica, is no more effective in relieving pain than noninvasive treatment. Complex spinal fusions provide little advantage over simple decompression—but cost more than three times as much ($81,000) and have increased 15-fold over the past five years.

Hysterectomy and Cesarean Section
Studies suggest that about three-quarters of the 600,000 annual hysterectomies in this country are recommended prematurely and inappropriately. About one in three American women now give birth by C-section, more than double the ideal rate.

Prostate Surgery
Many of the invasive procedures for both prostate cancer and benign, age-related enlargement of the prostate (BPH) are rife with complications and questionable in terms of necessity and long-term success.

If you are told you need to have any invasive procedure, get a second opinion, preferably from a doctor outside your physician’s network, and thoroughly research all your options. Safe, effective, noninvasive alternatives exist for nearly all surgical procedures.

The post Avoid These Unnecessary Surgeries appeared first on Whitaker Wellness Institute.