Evidence Based Research | Patient Resources

Spanish conquerors of the Americas first learned of passion flower from pre-colonial (before 1492) people who traditionally used it as a sedative to treat insomnia and nervousness. They took passion flower to Europe where it became widely cultivated and was introduced to European folk medicine.  It became a popular traditional botanical medicine, as well as a homoeopathic remedy, for the relief of mild symptoms of mental stress, anxiety and mild sleep disorder. A number of species, incl...

Three recent fasting studies lend clarity to the timing of fasting for weight loss and benefits of fasting diets for breast cancer patients. STUDY ONE/ A study, in Cell Metabolism, compared the timing of two daily fasting diets, also known as time-restricted feeding diets, for weight loss. The study, published by researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago, compared a 4-hour time-restricted feeding diet and a 6-hour time-restricted feeding diet to a control group. Partic...

Our internal body clock, called a circadian clock, tells us when we are ready to sleep. There are actually several circadian clocks in the body, found in the brain and other organs. They are triggered by cues such as daylight (we feel alert) and darkness (we feel drowsy). These clocks can also be triggered by artificial bright light or stimulants like caffeine and alcohol that cause us to feel awake even if it is nighttime. There are several phases of sleep our body experiences. They are c...

Once again, strawberries and spinach, along with kale and collard and mustard greens, top this year's "Dirty Dozen" list, an annual and controversial ranking of non-organic fruits and vegetables based on the amount of pesticides found in samples of the foods. The yearly report comes from the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to improving human health and the environment, and also includes a "Clean 15" list of produce. The report gives pe...

Korean ginseng’s genus name, Panax, is derived from the Latin panacea meaning “cure all”. Traditional Chinese medicine textbooks describe near-mythical qualities for the human shaped root (the word ginseng is derived from the Chinese word for person) such as restoring balance to one’s life force and increasing longevity. In the East, where it is considered to be the most important of all medicinal herbs, wild mountain ginseng was a revered plant (it is now almost extin...