Evidence Based Research | Patient Resources

  Chronic constipation is a condition that may present with a range of unpleasant abdominal symptoms for patients. One of the ways to achieve symptom relief is by using natural treatment options. A recent study compared the effectiveness of kiwifruit, psyllium and prunes in patients diagnosed with chronic constipation. What is chronic constipation? Chronic constipation can be broadly defined as ‘unsatisfactory defecation, characterised by infrequent stools, difficult stool passa...

Playing a video game requires mental agility and focus. You have to target bad guys, learn new skills to advance, and remember how to use your controller to jump over that bomb in the road or to avoid the assassin hiding in the corner. The action playing out on screen isn’t real life, but the learnings and effort involved may have real-world applications. For cancer patients who have trouble focusing on certain tasks or remembering what they were looking for in the kitchen, for example,...

The loss of a child may be the most significant grief any person can experience in life. It comes as no surprise that bereaved parents experience a decline in physical and mental health.They utilize healthcare services more, call in sick more often, miss more work, and report more sleep problems than non-bereaved parents. There is no doubt that grief is a major stress; it is hard on people and hard on their health. Past research has demonstrated an association between grief and dying of...

Pectin is a complex  aggregation of polysaccharides first isolated from plant matter in 1825 by French chemist and pharmacist Henri Bracconot. Pectin is the major constituent of all plant primary cell walls, contributing to the plant’s structural integrity and providing a barrier to the external environment. Consequently, pectin is a component of all omnivorous diets. Pectin is known to be a soluble, prebiotic fibre that bypasses human digestion in the small intestine, but is...

Cherries, along with many other berries, are a rich source of antioxidants, especially anthocyanins. They help prevent or repair the damage that is done to the body’s cells by free radicals. Queritrin–a flavonoid–is rich in tart cherries, and has been found by researchers to be one of the most potent anticancer agents. Cherries also contain ellagic acid, a naturally occurring plant phenolic known as an anti-carcinogenic/anti-mutagenic compound. Some researchers say that ella...