TNS Health Food

04/11/2023

Feeling Exhausted from Cancer? Ginseng to the Rescue!

Cancer can deplete energy and leave you feeling fatigued. Ginseng is the king of energy. Could it be the answer to cancer-related fatigue?

Disease-related fatigue is exhaustion caused by a disease or the treatment of a disease. When you’re already struggling with the disease, the extra fatigue is the last thing you need. The most common disease-related fatigue is fatigue caused by cancer. Ginseng is a revered in East as the king of herbs, ginseng is remarkable for energy. It has been prized in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years for revitalizing your vital energy or life force.

A meta-analysis published in 2012 found that ginseng significantly improves disease-related fatigue. Medicine&(Baltimore). 2022 Jul 1101(26):e29767).

So, could ginseng be the answer for cancer-related fatigue? A just published systematic review and meta-analysis looked at seven controlled studies of ginseng and cancer-related fatigue. It found that ginseng significantly reduces cancer-related fatigue. It also found that ginseng significantly improves physical and emotional well being. This study suggests that ginseng can reduce fatigue and improve quality of life in people with cancer.
Cancer Nurse.&2023 Mar-Apr;46(2):120-127

04/08/2023

Have you checked out our new April In-Store Flyer?!

You can view it on our website!

We Always have our sale specials brightly marked all around the store, for your convenience!

Thank you for supporting your local, family owned business!!

TNS Health Food Whitby

04/06/2023

Don't forget to pop in and grab your last minute essentials!

TNS Health Food wishes you a happy and healthy Easter Holiday! 🐰

03/30/2023

Natural Help for Women with Thinning Hair

Women suffer from thinning hair too: especially after menopause. This safe, natural supplement can help.

Female pattern hair loss is the common, but little talked about, thinning of hair on the central scalp of women. The thinning hair increases with age. It is more common than you think: 23% of women in their forties already experience mild hair loss, and the numbers go up with age. Thinning hair is especially associated with menopause.

A new double-blind study has found that the natural supplement Pycnogenol can help. Pycnogenol is a standardized extract of pine bark. It is rich in proanthocyanidin flavonoids, which are very powerful antioxidants.

The study gave 76 menopausal women between the ages of 45 and 60 either a placebo or 50mg pine bark extract three times a day. It then measured their hair density.

The pine bark extract significantly increased hair density. At two months, hair density was 30% greater; at six months, it was 23% greater. There was no significant improvement in the placebo group.
The pine bark extract was safe: there were no adverse events.

This study shows that supplementing pine bark extract could reduce hair loss in menopausal women.

Health Sci Rep. 2023 Jan; 6(1): e1045

03/29/2023

Really Good News for People with Musculoskeletal Pain

Musculoskeletal pain is very common, especially when working in awkward position, exercising strenuously. Pharmaceutical pain killers are limited by their frequent side effects. Herbal alternatives have suffered from a reputation for being slow acting. Are they, though?

A new double-blind study entered a single dose of a herbal combination of curcumin and boswellia into a race against musculoskeletal pain. The people in the study were all suffering from exercise induced acute musculoskeletal pain. Musculoskeletal pain may be widespread or localized in the neck, back, shoulder, knee, joints or limbs. It could affect the muscles, ligaments or tendons. The supplement included turmeric and boswellia and provided 266 mg curcuminoids and 10 mg acetyl keto-boswellic acid.
The herbal combination significantly reduced pain. And, contrary to the herbal reputation, it relieved pain fast. 99% experienced pain relief at 68.5 minutes. 96% had meaningful pain relief in as fast as 191.6 minutes (Medicine (Baltimore). 2022 Sep 2; 101(35): e30144).

This study lasted one week. It gave turmeric extract and boswellia to 88 people with acute musculoskeletal pain and compared it to acetaminophen. The pain relief was comparable in both groups. After 6 hours, 66% of the herb group had pain relief versus 73% of the acetaminophen group. 73% of the herb group responded versus 80% of the drug group. Pain relief was felt at 1 hour in the herb group and 0.83 hours in the drug group. Total McGill Pain score showed that the pain relief in both groups was statistically equal. But an important finding was that reduction in the unpleasant and emotional aspects of acute pain was a significant 8.57 times better in the turmeric/Boswellia group (Medicine (Baltimore). 2020 Jul 10; 99(28): e20373).

Together these studies suggest that the herbal combination of curcumin and Boswellia is as effective as the side effect laden pharmaceutical pain killers and that, contrary to their reputation, they work very fast.

03/28/2023

Restoring Youth & Vitality in Men

As men age, their testosterone goes down, affecting their s*x life and their quality of life. This exotic herb can help.
The drop in testosterone in men as they age is sometimes called ADAM, which stands for androgen deficiency of aging males. It can bring with it feelings of weakness and fatigue, reduced muscle and bone mass and increased body fat. It can also cause low s***m count, loss of libido and erectile dysfunction. Psychologically, it can manifest as depression, anxiety, irritability, insomnia and memory and cognition problems.
Tongkat ali (Eurycoma longifolia) is a Southeast Asian herb that has been traditionally used in Malaysia as an adaptogen for general well-being. But, as one of its popular names, longjack root, suggests, it is best known as a powerful aphrodisiac.
And it’s not just a tradition. Science has strongly supported the traditional use. A 2017 systematic review of tongkat ali’s s*xual and reproductive powers found that the herb improved erectile function, libido and s*xual activity, satisfaction and well-being. It also significantly improved s***m quality.
Tongkat ali boosts testosterone. 400mg a day of tongkat ali can increase testosterone by 15.1% and free testosterone by 61.1% (Phytother Res 2014;28:544-50). In men who are moderately stressed, half that dose boosted testosterone by a whopping 37% (J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2013;10:28).
In a more recent study, young men with an average age of 24.4 experienced 15% higher levels of testosterone and 34% higher levels of free testosterone than the men in the placebo group when they were given 600mg a day of tongkat ali (Andrologia 2021 May;53(4):e14001).
The powerful herb can also help when there is an abnormal decrease in testosterone production. Men with late-onset hypogonadism had their testosterone levels return to normal when they took 200mg a day of tongkat ali extract. When the study started, only 35.5% of the men had normal testosterone levels. After a month on tongkat ali, 90.8% of theme did (Andrologia 2012;s1:226-30).
A new study wanted to see what would happen when men who were between the ages of 50 and 70 and who had low testosterone were given tongkat ali extract. The 12 week, double-blind study gave 105 men either a placebo, 100mg of tongkat ali or 200mg of tongkat ali.
What happened was that total testosterone went up significantly in both tongkat ali groups compared to placebo. The higher dose produced greater and faster results. Free testosterone went up significantly in both tongkat ali groups but the difference was not significantly better than placebo.
And what effect did that have on their quality of life? The Ageing Male Symptom score improved significantly in both tongkat ali groups compared to placebo. The Fatigue Severity Scale also improved in both tongkat ali groups compared to placebo.
That means it worked! Tongkat ali reduced the symptoms of ageing and fatigue. And it was safe (Food Nutr Res. 2021;65:10.29219/fnr.v65.5647).
Another new study found that tongkat ali increases testosterone and improves erectile dysfunction in men with ADAM. The 6 month, double-blind study found that 200mg of tongkat ali works and that it works even better when combined with exercise (Maturitas. 2021 Mar;145:78-85).

03/27/2023

Eat Fiber; Live Longer!

You’ve always been told that getting your fiber is good for you. How good? Now we can tell you exactly how good.

Not getting enough fiber in your diet is associated with a higher risk of several kinds of cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. So, it is not surprising that several recent studies have found an association between fiber and both all-cause mortality and death from specific conditions.

This new study was big: it included 86,642 people. Their average age was 62, and the study followed them for an average of 17.1 years.

What it discovered is that compared to the people who got the least fiber in their diet, those who got the most had a significant 29% reduced risk of death from any cause during the study. They also had a significant 27% reduced risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and a significant 23% reduce risk of death from cancer.
Several meta-analyses have shown that fiber reduces the risk of all-cause mortality as well as death from cardiovascular disease and cancer. The added discovery of this new study is that the beneficial results were similar for soluble and insoluble fiber.
And the actual benefits of fiber could be even better for you because the average daily intake of fiber by people in this study was only about half the recommended level.

J Transl Med. 2022;20:344

03/24/2023

Important Study for Men with Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men. So, this is a diet study that every man should know about!

This study let men with prostate cancer eat whatever they wanted and followed them for 7.4 years.

It found that the men who ate the most plant-based foods had a significant 52% reduced risk of their prostate cancer progressing and a significant 53% reduced risk of it recurring compared to men who ate the least.
Results from this new study are to be presented at the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.

This study is the latest, but not the first, to highlight the importance of vegetarian diets for men with prostate cancer. A 1993 Harvard study of 48,000 men found that those who ate the most animal fat had a greater risk of developing a more advanced form of prostate cancer (J Natl Cancer Inst 1993;85(19):11571-79).
A Canadian study found that men who eat the most saturated fat have more than triple the risk of dying of prostate cancer than men who eat the least (Eur Urol 1999;35:388-91).

Another new study found that eating more plant-based food significantly lowers the risk of dying from prostate cancer. For men under 65, it also lowered the risk of advanced and metastatic prostate cancer (Am J Clin Nutr March 2022;115(3):662-70).
So, this new study convincingly adds to the evidence that when men with prostate cancer eat more plant-based foods, they reduce their risk of progression, recurrence and death from prostate cancer.

That’s an easy change to make, and it has lots of other health benefits.

03/23/2023

🌞 Vitamin D & Living Longer 🌞

Want to live longer? Try vitamin D!
A massive study followed 307,601 people for 14 years. Risk of death during the study “decreased steeply” with increasing levels of vitamin D. As levels of vitamin D went up, risk of death from cancer, cardiovascular disease and respiratory disease all went significantly down. The researchers conclude that vitamin D lowers the risk of premature death.

(Annals of Internal Medicine 25 Oct 2022;doi.org/10.7326/M21-3324).

03/22/2023

Flaxseed Fights Your Diabetes

When your diabetic and your blood sugar skyrockets after eating, that’s bad news. But guess what flaxseeds can do!

Blood sugar elevations after eating are associated with diabetes and its complications. Simply adding flaxseed to your meal may help solve the problem.
19 men with type 2 diabetes who were on diabetes medication ate a control breakfast or the same control breakfast after taking 15g or ground, raw flaxseed.
Taking the flaxseed resulted in a significant 17.25% reduction in the peak rise of glucose. Two hours later, flaxseed had decreased blood glucose by a significant 23.99%.
The researchers concluded that eating 15g of flaxseed before breakfast is “a simple and affordable dietary strategy to be adopted by individuals with [type 2 diabetes] to improve glycemic control.”

Nutrients. 2022 Sep;14(18):3736

03/21/2023

Depressed? Try Saffron & a Workout!

Exercise can help depression. And, though not yet much talked about, several studies have shown that saffron is a powerful herb for depression. So, what happens if you add them together?

28 young males either did resistance training alone or did resistance training while supplementing saffron for 6 weeks. The study says it used saffron leaf--which is odd because normally the stigma or petal is used--providing 19.7mg of crocin and 0.25mg of safranal.

Serotonin went up in both group but significantly more in the saffron group. Reported happiness went up in both groups but also improved significantly more in the saffron group.
Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that combats depression: it is the target of most antidepressant drugs. So, this study shows that saffron and exercise can fight depression and make you happy!
Physiol Behav. 2021;233:113352

03/20/2023

Berberine is Very Good for Your Heart

Berberine is the active ingredient in a number of herbs, most famously, the powerful herb goldenseal. This new study shows that it is as good as the most powerful drugs for cholesterol and cardiovascular disease.

The new study is a meta-analysis that included 44 controlled studies and 4606 people. It compared berberine to statins or routine treatment. What it found is important, especially given the side effects of statins.
The study found that berberine is as effective as statins or routine treatment for total, LDL and HDL cholesterol as well as triglycerides. Berberine significantly improved National Institute of Health Stroke Scale scores and intima-media thickness significantly and better than routine treatment. Greater intima-media thickness means a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Berberine is also better than routine treatment for reducing a number of inflammatory markers.
When berberine is added to statins, total and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, stroke scores and initma-media thickness improve more than on routine treatment or statins alone.
The researchers conclude that berberine is a promising alternative to statins for cardiovascular disease and that it has no serious side effects. That is an important advantage, since statins interfere with the manufacture of CoQ10, and important heart nutrient; cause muscle tissue break down and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
The diabetes connection is also important because berberine is great for diabetes: it lowers blood glucose and improves HbA1c, which is the best measure of long term blood sugar and diabetes control (JCEM 2008;93:2559-65). In fact, it’s as good as metformin (Metabolism 2008;57:712-17). A meta-analysis found that it is as effective as drugs for diabetes. That same meta-analysis showed that berberine is as good as drugs for lowering the heart damaging LDL cholesterol and better for lowering triglycerides and raising the heart helpful HDL cholesterol (J Ethnopharmacol 2015;161:69-81). So berberine is a great natural treatment for cholesterol if you also struggle with diabetes.

Phytomed. April 2023;112:154716