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What Really Causes Diverticulitis?

Diverticulitis is incredibly common, yet the most common dietary advice given to patients may be incorrect. Diverticula are small pouches that bulge outward through the large intestine (colon). If you have these pouches, you have diverticulosis. Diverticulosis becomes increasingly common as people age. It is estimated that half of all people over age 60 have it. Most people with diverticulosis don't have any symptoms. Occasionally they may experience mild cramps, bloating or constipation. Diverticulosis is often discovered while a person is undergoing tests for something else. Many people first discover they have diverticula pockets in their bowel while they are undergoing a colonoscopy screening for colon cancer. If the pouches become inflamed or infected, this is referred to as diverticulitis. Abdominal pain is the most common symptom, and it’s usually on the left size. Depending on the severity, some people also experience fever, nausea, vomiting and constipation. In very severe cases, diverticulitis can cause tears in the bowel that bleed, or blockages in the bowel. Conventional treatment usually consists of antibiotics, pain relievers, and a temporary liquid diet. Occasionally surgery is deemed necessary. What causes diverticulitis? What foods should be avoided?

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Have you ever wondered what gluten actually looks like?

You’ve surely heard of gluten free foods, gluten free diets and celiac disease, but what actually is gluten? The word gluten derives from the Latin word glue, and once you see this video you’ll understand why. Gluten provides elasticity to dough and helps bread to rise. These structural properties also make it extremely difficult to digest.

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Experts predict the antibiotic crisis will be a bigger problem than AIDS!

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), in coming years people will be dying from common infections because antibiotics are losing their effectiveness. According to a report by Dr Keiji Fukuda, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Health Security, "A post-antibiotic era — in which common infections and minor injuries can kill — far from being an apocalyptic fantasy, is instead a very real possibility for the 21st century." He went on to say "Unless we take significant actions to improve efforts to prevent infections and also change how we produce, prescribe and use antibiotics, the world will lose more and more of these global public health goods and the implications will be devastating.”

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An extraordinary herb!

The herb St Mary’s thistle can help to prevent scar tissue forming in the liver. This is referred to as anti-fibrotic activity. This is quite a remarkable ability of this extraordinary herb. It is a very valuable function because scarring in the liver is what causes most damage in several different liver conditions. The ability of St Mary’s thistle to inhibit scarring in the liver was first demonstrated in clinical trials on rats whose bile ducts were blocked for research purposes. This condition would normally lead to a build up of pressure within the liver and eventual scarring. Rats given St Mary’s thistle experienced far less scarring.

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General Health

Omega 3 essential fatty acids can help reduce the pain of rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that can cause significant joint pain and stiffness. If severe or prolonged, it may even cause joint deformities. Rheumatoid arthritis is not a disease of old age; it can affect young people and is even occasionally seen in children.

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Articles Liver & Gallbladder Health General Health

Do you struggle with addictive, impulsive or compulsive behavior?

Do you struggle with addictive, impulsive or compulsive behavior? New research has shown that the natural substance NAC (n-acetyl cysteine) can help. Research has shown it may help individuals with addiction to nicotine, cocaine and even gambling! NAC is a type of protein and the body uses it as a building block to produce the powerful detoxifier called glutathione. Glutathione is considered to be the most powerful antioxidant in the body and helps to reduce the damaging effects of oxidative stress.

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Spring clean detox

Do you feel as well as you could? Perhaps you need a spring clean detox? Those of you living in...

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Articles General Health Hormone & Thyroid Health

Gluten can cause elevated levels of the hormone prolactin

Prolactin is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland in the brain and it enables women to produce breast milk...

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Articles Liver & Gallbladder Health General Health

Caffeine and acetaminophen are a risky combination - beware!

New research has shown that consuming caffeine at the same time or close to taking acetaminophen (Tylenol, Panadol) greatly increases the risk of liver damage, particularly in people with hepatitis. It has long been known that combining alcohol with acetaminophen can cause liver harm, or even death. More recently it has been discovered that caffeine is also a problem.

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Cats can develop diabetes!

Just like humans, cats can also develop diabetes from eating too much carbohydrate. There has recently been a sharp increase in the number of pet cats suffering with diabetes, and modern diets are to blame. You have probably noticed that more and more cats are becoming overweight and obese. Along with the excess weight, their blood sugar level is also rising.

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