We’ve always been told fish is a nutritious choice, a good source of lean protein and healthy fats. But is it still a good choice today? Whether we choose cooked fish or sushi in a restaurant, we buy our fish at the market, or we hook a worm and catch our own, it may not be healthy or safe to eat. And if we bought it, we may be a victim of seafood fraud.

Fishy Bait and Switch Schemes

Seafood fraud is serious business. Oceana has found that, on average, 1 in 5 samples of seafood is mislabeled at every sector of the supply chain. In other words, there is a 1 in 5 chance that the fish you buy at a restaurant or market may not be what you thought you were buying. Chances are, it may not be what they thought they were buying, either.

Oceana reports, “Asian catfish, hake, and escolar were the three types of fish most commonly substituted. Specifically, farmed Asian catfish was sold as 18 different types of higher-value fish.”

This isn’t just a scam that affects your pocketbook; it may affect your health. “More than half (58 percent) of the samples substituted for other seafood posed a species-specific health risk to consumers, meaning that consumers could be eating fish that could make them sick.”

In April 2017, George Washington University published their findings from testing the fish from 6 popular Washington D.C. restaurants. They discovered 1 in 3 samples were not what they claimed to be.

Fish substitution is not only a racket to sell a lower priced fish at a higher price, it is also a means to sell illegally caught endangered fish.

Related: 5 Tons of GM Fish Sold for Human Consumption (And only the producer knows where they are)

Radioactive Fish

Yes, you can find articles claiming that we are being poisoned by radioactive fish, but the sources are… questionable. But then again, can we trust the FDA when they say we are not in danger? The following is a response to a direct inquiry.

“To date, FDA has no evidence that radionuclides are present in the U.S. food supply at levels that would pose a public health concern. This is true for both FDA-regulated food products imported from Japan and U.S. domestic food products, including seafood caught off the coast of the United States. Consequently, FDA is not advising consumers to alter their consumption of specific foods imported from Japan or domestically produced foods, including seafood. FDA continues to closely monitor the situation at and around the Fukushima Dai-ichi facility, as it has since the start of the incident and will coordinate with other Federal and state agencies as necessary, standing ready to take action if needed, to ensure the safety of food in the U.S. marketplace.”

So we are eating radioactive fish, but the contamination is at such a low level we don’t need to worry? Ah, okay…

Old McDonald Had a Farm…

Think of everything you’ve ever read or seen about the horrors of factory farming with pigs, chickens, and cows and imagine it’s worse for fish – much worse. Half of the fish consumed today are raised in aquafarms under horrific conditions of extreme overcrowding and filth. Some fish are genetically modified to accelerate growth. Hormones are injected to change reproduction. Antibiotics are added to the water in some countries. Fish that normally eat plants are fed fish and fish oils.

There is a high mortality rate among farm-raised fish. A high percentage of the fish are deaf or blind. Parasitic infestations are common. PETA reports, “Sea lice, for example, eat at the fish, causing their scales to fall off and creating large sores. In severely crowded conditions, these parasites often eat down to the bone on fish’s faces, resulting in what is sometimes called a “death crown.”

So, we are not only looking at genetic modification, disease, hormones, antibiotics, filth, starvation, genetically modified feed, and inhumane treatment, we also color fish. Salmon have artificial coloring added to their feed that changes the color of their flesh. Farm raised salmon are not naturally pink. They are gray. Chemicals are added to their feed to cause their flesh to turn pink. So we are also ingesting those chemicals when we eat farm-raised salmon. Bon appétit!

Related: Genetically Modified Salmon Is On Its Way To Your Store

The Mercurial Rise and More

The level of mercury in fish remains a serious health concern. We are warned to avoid certain fish. Scientific American lists the following as carrying “proportionately large mercury burden.”

• bluefin tuna
• walleye
• king mackerel
• marlin
• bluefish
• shark
• swordfish
• wild sturgeon
• opah
• bigeye tuna

Other fish that are “Also of concern, but to a slightly lesser extent” are:

• orange roughy
• Chilean sea bass
• blue crab
• lingcod
• Spanish mackerel
• spotted seatrout
• wahoo
• grouper
• snapper
• halibut
• tile fish
• rock fish
• sable fish
• blackfin, albacore, and yellowfin tuna.

Top level predators in the fish world accumulate mercury due to longevity and a constant diet of smaller, mercury laden fish. Concentrations in fish can be 1-10 million times higher than the mercury concentration in the water.

The Environmental Defense Fund tells us, “The problem of mercury-contaminated fish is widespread. According to the EPA’s National Listing of Fish Advisories:

• Mercury advisories increased 95% between 2003 and 2010 (from 2,362 to 4,598). This is largely due to greater monitoring, not necessarily greater pollution.
• All 50 states currently issue mercury advisories.
• As of 2010, almost 18 million lake acres and approximately 1.4 million river miles were covered by some type of consumption advisory.
• Currently, 28 states have statewide mercury advisories in freshwater lakes or rivers, and 19 states have statewide advisories for mercury in their coastal waters.”

Related: Top 5 Foods that Detox Heavy Metals and Toxins – With Protocol

The EPA says, “The 2011 total of 4,821 advisories covers 42% of the Nation’s total lake acreage and 36% of the nation’s total river miles.” But the EPA tells us mercury is not the only contaminant causing concern. “Ninety–four percent of all advisories in effect in 2011 involved five bioaccumulative chemical contaminants: mercury, PCBs, chlordane, dioxins, and DDT.” Remember these facts are 6 years old. How much worse is it now?

What Fish Should We Eat?

If you choose to eat fish, which fish should you choose? Clearly, this should be a simple question with an agreed upon list – but it isn’t. If you search through article after article on the Internet, zeroing in on trusted sources, you will still find widely varying lists. Although it is common knowledge that tuna is high in mercury, you will find tuna on many of these lists along with shellfish (the scavengers of the sea), and varieties of farm raised fish.

The most agreed upon healthy choices are:

• Alaskan salmon (wild caught)
• Cod
• Mackerel (though Spanish Mackerel is on the “also of concern” list)
• Sardines
• Herring

We advise taking the time to research. Fish is not the same from one store to another. Look into the sustainability and health issues with each source.

Also: Seafood & Mercury – What’s Safe To Eat & What’s Not

Pollution is the Key

We can hook that worm or cast the perfect fly to catch a fish from a crystal clear lake or flowing stream. But we’d better check the local advisories before we eat it. There’s a good chance we’ll be advised to limit how much we eat or to avoid feeding our catch to pregnant women, small children, or the elderly.

It’s a no brainer. If we continue to pollute the water, we continue to pollute the fish. Although you’d never know it based on our current behavior, our oceans are not a dumping ground. If we continue to burn fossil fuels, we will continue to pump mercury into the air. Mercury will fall to the ground to contaminate the earth and our water. If we continue to use toxic chemicals that run off into our waterways, they will come back to us full circle through our food chain.

We have choices to make. Let’s make the right ones. For now? Be careful of the fish you choose to eat.

Recommended Reading:

• Still, Have Candida? How Mercury Fillings Cause Candida Overgrowth
• Wild Caught? Maybe Not – Salmon Sold to You May Have Been Farm-Raised
• How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children

Sources:

• Deceptive Dishes: Seafood Swaps Found Worldwide – Oceana
• Why the Fish You Order Isn’t Always What You Get – Time
• The Lingering Effects of Fukushima on Fish – Time
• Aquafarming- PETA
• Here’s why your farmed salmon has color added to it – Quartz
• Mercury in seafood – Environmental Defense Fund
• National Listing of Fish Advisories General Fact Sheet 2011 – EPA

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is responsible for as much as 70 percent of infertility issues in women. In fact, this disorder affects one out of every ten women of childbearing age, and yet, few women are aware of PCOS and its symptoms.

Common Symptoms of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Before we explore why PCOS happens and how we can reverse it, we must first get familiar with it. Here are the most common symptoms of PCOS:

• irregular periods
• amenorrhea (the absence of menstruation)
• trouble conceiving a child
• infertility
• fatigue
• mood swings
• low sex drive
• weight gain
• trouble losing weight
• acne
• hirsutism (excessive hair growth on the face, abdomen, chest, and back)
• thinning hair

From fatigue to infertility to unsightly hair growth, these symptoms are a random assortment of things that no man or woman would ever want to experience. Could these all be a part of one disorder?

Unfortunately, the answer is yes. However, there is a silver lining — all of the PCOS symptoms point to the same underlying cause.

Related Reading: Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones

What Causes Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?

To understand how PCOS happens, we must understand the nature of this disease.

When we dig through the research the first evidence we come across is that women with PCOS have an increased risk for:

• hypertension
• dyslipidemia
• insulin resistance
• obesity
• glucose intolerance
• diabetes

These conditions are all a manifestation of poor lifestyle choices (overeating and inactivity), but we cannot draw the same conclusion about PCOS by looking only at its associated risks. Let’s look a bit deeper into the cells of a woman with PCOS (I know it sounds a bit creepy, but bear with me here.)

Must Read: The Top 10 Supplements You Can Use To Reverse Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

The common consensus among PCOS researchers is that most women with PCOS have higher levels of insulin and insulin resistance than normal women. This is an important clue that points us to the cause of PCOS.

How Insulin and Insulin Resistance Cause PCOS

You probably already know by now that insulin resistance has something to do with diabetes and obesity, but did you know that it can also cause infertility and other PCOS symptoms? Let’s find out how.

When cells are consistently resistant to insulin, insulin levels continue to rise. High insulin levels trigger the ovaries to produce more androgens, including testosterone. Insulin also decreases the production of sex-hormone binding globulin — a glycoprotein that prevents testosterone from freely entering cells.

Related: Diabetes, Endocrine Functions of the Pancreas, and Natural Healing

With more androgen production and less sex-hormone binding globulin, free testosterone freely floats through the blood and interacts with cells. This is not a good thing for a woman’s health, leading to mood swings, fatigue, low sex drive, acne, and other PCOS symptoms.

As androgen levels continue to increase, they stimulate 5-alpha reductase activity — an enzyme that converts testosterone to a more potent metabolite called DHT. (You may be familiar with DHT as one of the instigators of male pattern baldness and thinning hair.)

Although genetics play a role in PCOS as well, the disorder will not progress without the presence of high insulin levels and insulin resistance. To create a chronic state of insulin resistance and elevated insulin levels, it takes a combination of poor lifestyle habits that contribute to many common diseases.

The Seven Lifestyle Factors That Cause PCOS

If you want to prevent PCOS or reverse it (or improve your health rapidly), avoid these things:

• high sugar foods
• excess calorie consumption
• chronic stress
• inactivity
• too much exercise
• exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (e.g., Bisphenol A, Methylparaben, Nicotine, Sodium Fluoride, PBDEs/PCBs, etc. )
• having a high percentage of body fat (being overweight or obese)
• having a low percentage of body fat due to unhealthy calorie restriction

Each one contributes to PCOS in some way. High sugar foods, excess calorie consumption, and inactivity increase insulin levels and insulin resistance, making PCOS worse. Chronic stress, over-exercising, and having a low body fat percentage will increase cortisol levels, creating more insulin resistance.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals can also exacerbate PCOS symptoms. These chemicals can cause hormonal imbalances and cell damage, so it is important to avoid consuming them or putting them on your skin.

However, avoiding these PCOS contributors may not completely reverse the disorder. To get the best results, you need to follow a diet that addresses the underlying cause of PCOS — insulin resistance.

Is There a PCOS Diet?

The scientific literature on diets for PCOS is sparse. However, the researchers of a treatment review suggest that PCOS women will do best by eating complex carbohydrates and avoiding sugar. This suggestion was confirmed in one study on the effects of low-glycemic index diet in women with PCOS.

To find more convincing evidence for a PCOS diet, we must look at the diets that are most helpful for addressing the disorders underlying causes. After sifting through the research, the low-carbohydrate diet is the clear winner. It is more effective at reducing insulin levels and insulin resistance than every other diet it was put up against.

There is one important caveat. Carbohydrate restriction may cause stress and make PCOS worse for some women. This is why it is important for women with PCOS to follow the guidelines below.

Related: 80% Raw Food Diet

The New And Improved PCOS Diet

A low-carbohydrate diet can help many women reverse their PCOS. For some women, however, carbohydrate restriction may cause excess stress and keep them from getting results. This is why it is important to follow these guidelines to create the right PCOS diet for you:

1. Restrict Carbohydrate and Sugar Intake

Experts suggest that women should eat between 75 and 150 grams of carbohydrates to maintain fertility and improve insulin levels. It is important to avoid consuming refined sugar as well. The best way to do this is by sourcing your carbohydrates from whole plant foods like leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, root vegetables, and legumes.

Related: Are Low-Carbohydrate Diets Healthy for Women? How Do Carbs Affect Fertility and Pregnancy?

2. Eat High-Fiber Vegetables With Every Meal

High-fiber vegetables, like broccoli, kale, and spinach, can help combat insulin resistance and reduce inflammation. Have them with every meal for best results.

3. Eat Enough Calories to Achieve Your Ideal Weight

If you are overweight or unhealthily skinny, tracking your calories can help you reach a healthy weight. (I prefer to use MyFitnessPal to calculate calorie goals and increase my awareness of what I’m eating.) After about a month or so of tracking your calories, you’ll develop a greater intuitive sense of how to maintain a healthy weight.

By following these guidelines, you will be able to lower your insulin levels, balance your hormones, and reverse many of the PCOS symptoms. However, the wrong lifestyle can still get in the way of the right diet. This is why it is important to follow the lifestyle tips below to improve your health even further.

The Lifestyle That Helps Reverse PCOS

Combining a vegetable-rich sugar-free diet with exercise, sleep, and meditation is one of the most efficient ways to reverse PCOS.

1. Exercise

What kind of exercise should you do? It’s up to you. Many different types of exercise have been found to help women with PCOS including resistance training, aerobic exercise, and yoga.

Make sure you are getting at least 30 minutes of low to moderate intensity exercise, like yoga, cycling, or a brisk walk, every day. (Add in resistance training, three days a week, for even better results.)

It is also important to prioritize stress reduction as well. The more stressed you are, the more insulin resistant your cells will be. This will cause an increase in insulin levels and PCOS symptoms. The simplest way to reduce stress levels? Sleep and meditation.

2. Sleep

The most efficient way to reduce stress levels is with sleep. However, getting quality sleep may be more difficult for women with PCOS. In a review published in Human Reproduction, researchers found that “sleep disturbances were twice as common in women with PCOS,” and women with PCOS especially had difficulty falling asleep.

However, there is some good news for these women. Sleep disturbances will most likely be cleared up by the diet and lifestyle suggestions in this article so that they can finally get a restful sleep. For those that still struggle with sleep issues after following our suggestions, meditation will help tremendously.

3. Meditation

Studies have shown that meditation lowers cortisol levels and improves blood sugar levels, which creates a reduction in insulin resistance and insulin secretion. Meditating 30 minutes before you plan on going to sleep is a great way to improve sleep quality and reduce stress at the same time.

Putting it all Together — The Ideal Diet and Lifestyle for Women with PCOS

Here’s a simple breakdown of the diet and lifestyle that will help reverse PCOS:

• Limit sugar and carbohydrate intake
• Eat high-fiber, low-carbohydrate vegetables with each meal
• Eat enough calories to achieve your ideal weight (use MyFitnessPal to assist you with that)
• Exercise for at least 30 minutes every day
• Meditate every night before sleep
• Make sure you are getting 7-9 hours of sleep every night

and last but not least:

• If you need more help, consider using the natural supplements that you will find in this article to reverse PCOS. 

Editor’s Note:

Eliminate wheat, eliminate candida, and consider progesterone (I particularly like this Progesterone Plus with black cohosh and chasteberry) – but if the wheat and candida are eliminated you shouldn’t need progesterone (or any of the other aforementioned supplements).

Best Supplements To Kill Candida and Everything Else You Ever Wanted To Know About Fungal Infections

Recommended Reading:

• The Top 10 Supplements You Can Use To Reverse Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
• Are Low-Carbohydrate Diets Healthy for Women? How Do Carbs Affect Fertility and Pregnancy?
• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones
• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included

Sources:

• Insulin Resistance and the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Mechanism and Implications for Pathogenesis — Oxford Academic
• Polycystic ovary syndrome: etiology, pathogenesis and diagnosis — Nature
• Can My Diet Relieve Symptoms of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)? — Healthline
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) — Deep Dyve
  
• The effects of a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet on the polycystic ovary syndrome: A pilot study — BioMed Central
• Dietary Composition in the Treatment of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systematic Review to Inform Evidence-Based Guidelines — Science Direct
• No. 1 Cause of Infertility? Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome — Dr. Axe
• Cortisol-Induced Insulin Resistance in Man: Impaired Suppression of Glucose Production and Stimulation of Glucose Utilization due to a Postreceptor Defect of Insulin Action — Oxford Academic
• Abdominal fat and what to do about it — Harvard Health Publications
• State of the science of endocrine disrupting chemicals – 2012 — World Health Organization
• Effect of a low glycemic index compared with a conventional healthy diet on polycystic ovary syndrome — American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
• MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION IS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED GLYCEMIC CONTROL IN TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS: A PILOT STUDY — ProQuest
• Effect of buddhist meditation on serum cortisol and total protein levels, blood pressure, pulse rate, lung volume and reaction time — Science Direct
• The effect of flaxseed supplementation on body weight and body composition: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 45 randomized placebo-controlled trials — Wiley Online Library
• The Effect of Flaxseed Supplementation on Hormonal Levels Associated with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: A Case Study — NCBI
• Sleep Duration, Exercise, Shift Work and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome-Related Outcomes in a Healthy Population: A Cross-Sectional Study. — NCBI
• Sleep disturbances in a community-based sample of women with polycystic ovary syndrome. — NCBI
• Effect of a yoga program on glucose metabolism and blood lipid levels in adolescent girls with polycystic ovary syndrome. — NCBI
• Effects of a holistic yoga program on endocrine parameters in adolescents with polycystic ovarian syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. — NCBI
• Effects of supervised aerobic training on the levels of anti-Mullerian hormone and adiposity measures in women with normo-ovulatory and polycystic ovary syndrome. — NCBI
• Resistance Exercise Impacts Lean Muscle Mass in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. — NCBI
• Systematic review and meta-analysis of dietary carbohydrate restriction in patients with type 2 diabetes — BMJ

PCOS is a little-known disorder that has been plaguing 10% of women with infertility for decades. What does PCOS mean?

PCOS stands for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, and it causes many unpleasant symptoms for women. For example, women with PCOS will have one or more of the following symptoms:

• menstrual irregularity
• excess hair growth on the face, chest, and back
• thinning hair or hair loss from the scalp
• mood swings
• depression
• acne
• obesity
• loss of sex drive
• infertility

Luckily, each symptom is related to the same cause, which means that this disorder may be reversible.

Related Reading: Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones

What Causes PCOS?

PCOS is the result of insulin levels being too high for too long. In women, high insulin levels trigger the production of androgens like testosterone and increase free testosterone and DHT levels. This turns off fertility and causes most of the symptoms of PCOS.

Genetics also play a significant role in the development of PCOS. Most women who develop the disorder inherited genetic variants that increase the likelihood of developing insulin resistance. However, this does not mean that you are doomed to get PCOS if insulin resistance and infertility runs in the family.

Must Read: How To Reverse The Number One Cause of Infertility – PCOS

Diet, exercise, and stress play the most prominent role in determining whether you develop PCOS or not. If you are a woman who overfeeds on calories and sugar, spends most of your time sitting, and stresses yourself out about life, then you will probably develop PCOS. On the other hand, eating plenty whole plant foods, restricting sugar, exercising daily, and reducing stress (with meditation and quality sleep) will turn off PCOS and turn on fertility.

Oops, did I go over that too quickly? No need to go over it again. Just read below for a quick overview of the ideal PCOS reversing diet and lifestyle.

An Overview of the Diet and Lifestyle that Helps Reverse PCOS

Here’s a simple breakdown of what you should do if you have PCOS:

• Limit sugar and carbohydrate intake
• Eat high-fiber, low-carbohydrate vegetables with each meal
• Eat enough calories to achieve your ideal weight (use MyFitnessPal to assist you with that)
• Exercise for at least 30 minutes every day
• Meditate every night before sleep
• Make sure you are getting 7-9 hours of sleep every night

This diet and lifestyle address PCOS from many different angles, but some of you may need some extra help. This is when supplements can save the day.

The Top Ten Natural Supplements That Help With PCOS

There are plenty of supplements that can help reverse PCOS is many different ways, from reducing testosterone levels to improving insulin resistance. So, without further ado, here are the ten best supplements that help with PCOS:

1. Flax Seeds

Flax seeds are known to increase sex-hormone binding globulin levels and reduce androgen and insulin levels, making it an ideal supplement for women with PCOS.

Here are some ways to add flaxseeds to your diet:

• Put them on top of a salad
• Blend them into your smoothie
• Make a seed and nut butter snack by grinding a couple of tablespoons of flax seeds and nuts into a powder and mixing in some melted coconut oil, stevia, and cinnamon.

Related: Nut Butter – The Bad, The Good, and How to Make it Better

2. Cinnamon

Many studies suggest that cinnamon helps reduce insulin resistance and restore ovarian function in women with PCOS. To get these benefits, ½ to 1 teaspoon per day is all you need.

Related: Cinnamon – Ceylon Vs Cassia, Health Benefits, and Other Interesting Facts

3. Vitamin B9

For women who want to get pregnant, vitamin b9 is essential. To improve fertility, researchers suggest that women who are at a healthy weight should take 400 micrograms of folic acid (one of the many forms of vitamin b9), and obese or overweight women should take 5 mg of folic acid.

However, it is best to supplement with a b-complex that contains all of the b vitamins. You may also feel better by supplementing with b complex that has a more natural form of Vitamin B9 (folic acid isn’t and may cause problems for some). L-methylfolate and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) are the most effective form of the vitamin.

4. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity in several studies, including a trial in women with PCOS. In this trial, seven women with PCOS took one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar per day. After 40 days, four of the women resumed ovulating, and six experienced a measurable reduction in insulin resistance.

For best results, consume 1-2 tablespoons per day. However, this doesn’t mean you have to take shots of pure vinegar. Use apple cider vinegar as the vinegar for your salad dressings instead.

Related: Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar & How to Make Your Own

Also, check out Mother Earth Organic Root Cider

5. Magnesium

Magnesium deficiencies are the second most common deficiency in developed countries. Magnesium is important for women with PCOS because it improves insulin sensitivity and decreases nerve excitability, leading to less stress, tension, and PCOS symptoms.

When it comes to magnesium supplements, magnesium citrate is most popular. It’s well absorbed but may have a mild laxative effect in some sensitive people. For the people who experience discomfort from taking magnesium citrate, magnesium bisglycinate is the best option.

Regardless of which supplement you choose, make sure you are getting around 310 mg of magnesium per day (if you are a woman).

Related: Homemade Calcium and Magnesium

6. Zinc

Zinc is essential for the functioning of enzymes, hormones, and the immune system. A deficiency in zinc can cause a hormonal imbalance and make PCOS worse, while zinc supplementation can reduce some of the symptoms of PCOS.

This was confirmed in one study that found that zinc was able to reverse facial and chest hair growth in women with PCOS. Aim for 50 mg of elemental zinc per day.

7. Inositol

One of the most well-studied PCOS supplements is inositol, a sugar alcohol chemical compound found in healthy foods like citrus fruits, cantaloupe, and leafy greens.

Multiple studies have shown that inositol supplementation may improve insulin resistance and decrease male hormones in the bloodstream. Inositol also promotes ovulation and fertility.

All it takes is a dose of 1,200-2,400 milligrams per day for inositol to significantly improve PCOS symptoms.

8. Chasteberry (commonly known as Vitex)

Chasteberry helps lower prolactin levels. Three randomized control trials have found that it can help women with oligo/amenorrhea and infertility. However, some women with PCOS may not benefit from taking chasteberry if their prolactin levels are within normal ranges.

9. Reishi Mushroom

Reishi mushroom can help reduce stress levels and inhibit 5-alpha reductase, an enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. There are no studies on the effects that reishi mushroom has on women with PCOS, but its ability to inhibit the production of DHT and reduce stress make it a promising supplement for PCOS.

10. Berberine

This compound is found in herbs like goldenseal, barberry, and Oregon grape root, and it may be the most effective of all the supplements in this list.

In one impressive study, berberine was found to reduce insulin resistance as effectively as metformin, a medication frequently prescribed for PCOS. Berberine also led to slightly more belly fat loss and lower levels of free testosterone than an equivalent dosage of metformin. Simply put, this natural compound is more effective than metformin — one of the most prescribed PCOS medications.

The recommended dose for berberine is 500 mg taken 2-3 times per day. Try taking it with milk thistle or coconut oil for best results because they may increase the absorption of berberine.

Editor’s Note:

Eliminate wheat, eliminate candida, and consider progesterone (I particularly like this Progesterone Plus with black cohosh and chasteberry) – but if the wheat and candida are eliminated you shouldn’t need progesterone (or any of the other aforementioned supplements).

Best Supplements To Kill Candida and Everything Else You Ever Wanted To Know About Fungal Infections

The Takeaway

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common disorder that causes symptoms like acne, male-pattern baldness, mood swings, weight gain, fatigue, and infertility. Fortunately, you can reverse PCOS with the right combination of a plant-based low-carbohydrate diet, exercise, sleep, and meditation.

If you are struggling with the new diet and lifestyle, you can take various supplements that will help. By supplementing with magnesium and Reishi mushroom, you can relieve stress that may be making PCOS symptoms worse. Inositol, zinc, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, flax seeds, and berberine are other natural dietary supplements that can help improve your health and PCOS symptoms more quickly as well.

Throughout the process of reversing PCOS, make sure you consult with your doctor and check your hormone levels to see how you are progressing.

Related Products:

• Vitamin B9
• Magnesium
• Inositol
• Chasteberry (commonly known as Vitex)
• Reishi Mushroom
• Berberine

Sources:

• Insulin Resistance and the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Mechanism and Implications for Pathogenesis — Oxford Academic
• Polycystic ovary syndrome: etiology, pathogenesis and diagnosis — Nature
• Can My Diet Relieve Symptoms of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)? — Healthline
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) — Deep Dyve

• Herbal medicine for the management of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and associated oligo/amenorrhoea and hyperandrogenism; a review of the laboratory evidence for effects with corroborative clinical findings. — NCBI
• Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus)–pharmacology and clinical indications. — NCBI
  
• Effects of Zinc Supplementation on Endocrine Outcomes in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. — NCBI
• Anti-androgenic activities of Ganoderma lucidum. — NCBI
• The Effect of Flaxseed Supplementation on Hormonal Levels Associated with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: A Case Study — NCBI
• Differential effects of walnuts vs almonds on improving metabolic and endocrine parameters in PCOS. — NCBI
• A clinical study on the short-term effect of berberine in comparison to metformin on the metabolic characteristics of women with polycystic ovary syndrome. — NCBI
• Berberine — Examine
• An Update on Plant Derived Anti-Androgens — NCBI
• The effect of cinnamon extract on insulin resistance parameters in polycystic ovary syndrome: a pilot study — Fertility and Sterility
• Preliminary evidence that cinnamon improves menstrual cyclicity in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized controlled trial — AJOG
• Sodium caprate augments the hypoglycemic effect of berberine via AMPK in inhibiting hepatic gluconeogenesis. — NCBI
• Magnesium — Examine
• Zinc — Examine

I have worked with many doctors, health coaches, nutrition consultants, and other various health professionals who are baffled with a client’s inability, or their own inability to get over certain health issues. Ninety-nine percent of the time, the problem is sugar. We eat so much sugar! But it’s not just sugar. If you’re struggling with your health, and you feel like you’ve learned so much about health but still are unable to reach homeostasis, take a look at these common mistakes people make with their diet.

Contents

• Juice

• Wheat

• Nuts, Seeds

• Beans, Legumes

• Soy

• Agave Nectar

• Honey

• Other Sugars

• Dried Fruit

• Yogurt

• Food Bars

• Smoothies

• Packaged Health Foods

Juice

The sugar within a whole apple will not feed pathogenic gut flora or spike most people’s blood sugar when eaten as an apple. Apple juice, on the other hand, is a refined sugar. Juicing removes fruit sugar from its natural state, which is inside the fruit, surrounded and bound with fiber. If the juice gets hot enough the enzymes are getting destroyed too.

Must Read: How To Heal Your Gut

How to Juice For Health

Use a slow juicer to preserve enzymes and other delicate nutrients. Drink immediately; don’t store it. Use vegetables and herbs. This will not be that refreshing burst of sweetness fruit juicers are accustomed to.  Spinach, lettuces and other lighter leafy greens make for a pretty easy transition. Kale, cabbage, and collards can be difficult to work with (or drink) depending on the juicer and their palate. Try adding them in slowly. Personally, I cannot make collard work to save my life, but I’ve grown accustomed to kale and spinach.

Related: How to Optimize Curcumin Absorption – With Golden Milk Tea Recipe

Cayenne, turmeric, garlic, ginger, and cinnamon are a healthy juicer’s best friend. The herbal antimicrobial properties and some other factors help balance out the effects of the sugars from juicing.

Related: The Best Juicer

Wheat

The food pyramid is not our friend. Meat and grain industries have influenced dietary regulations for decades. How a food pyramid is done right depends on whether one is vegan, a raw foodist, or an omnivore, but the commonality is raw vegetables as the base for a balanced diet.

Related: How to Optimize Curcumin Absorption – With Golden Milk Tea Recipe

Grain has been consumed for thousands of years, but modern wheat is making people sick. There are a few likely reasons for this, including genetic engineering through hybridization (not to be confused with GMOs), glyphosates, unnatural harvesting practices, and the way we handle the modern processing that make the food products. Many who cannot consume wheat are able to eat spelt, Kamut, Einkorn, and some other ancient grains that contain gluten, but anyone with severe gluten issues would be wise to stay away from all wheat and gluten until the gut is balanced and healed.

A proper food pyramid would have raw herbs and vegetables as the most important items, with cooked vegetables and herbs being shown as the second most beneficial, with fruit following close behind. Meat and grains are not necessarily bad for you, but they don’t do nearly as much to heal the body (unless you’re severely deficient in nutrition). Cooked vegetables, meats, and grains have many benefits and can help sustain and build our body, but raw fresh produce and herbs produce the best ecosystem in our gut which equates to a healthy body.

Gluten-Free Grains and Grain Substitutions

• Amaranth is an ancient grain that is very easy to absorb and assimilate and is rich in protein, as well as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. It’s also the only grain that has been documented to contain vitamin C.
• Buckwheat is technically not a grain; this fruit seed is related to rhubarb and sorrel. It’s a good source of antioxidants, fiber, manganese, magnesium, and tryptophan.
• Corn can be problematic for those dealing with inflammation, but it’s a much better choice than wheat for anyone who’s not feeling their best. Corn is a good source of vitamins B1, B5 (pantothenic acid), and C; folate; and phosphorus.
• Millet, “with its many nutrients, has been shown to support the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and respiratory systems. It has the potential to protect against diabetes and cancer.” – Click to read more about millet here
• Montina is flour milled from Indian ricegrass (which is not to traditional rice). It’s rich in protein, carbohydrates, and fiber and is typically used as an additive to primary gluten-free flours.
• Quinoa is an ancient grain that’s very popular right now. It’s often is used in place of traditional starches, such as pasta, rice, couscous, and cereals. Quinoa is rich in amino acids, manganese, magnesium, iron, copper, and phosphorous.
• Rice. But not white rice. Brown rice contains the bran and germ portion of the kernel and is higher in fiber and other nutrients. Rice is rich in B vitamins, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, and zinc. Rice flour is commonly used for baking with gluten-free products.
• Sorghum is an ancient millet like cereal grain that’s used in baking.
• Teff is an ancient grain that is similar in size to poppy seeds. Teff has a nutty, molasses like flavor is somewhat mucilaginous. It’s can be eaten uncooked, as a cooked grain, or ground and added as part of the flour used in recipes. Teff is rich contains all eight indispensable amino acids, and it’s chock-full of thiamin and contains significant amounts of the minerals phosphorus, magnesium, aluminum, iron, copper, zinc, boron, and barium.
• Wild rice is an aquatic cereal grain that grows wild in isolated lakes and riverbeds in the cold regions of North America. It contains protein, phosphorous, potassium, and magnesium and the B vitamins thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and folic acid.

And of course, there are also beans and lentils for gluten free meals. Did I miss any? Comment!

Should I Be Soaking My Grains?

Phytic acid is an enzyme inhibitor of concern for many. Studies on phytic acid reveal that the phytic acid in whole grain can block calcium, zinc, magnesium, iron and copper absorption. It doesn’t happen with everyone; some seem immune to these adverse consequences because of a favorable ecosystem of gut flora. In addition, when animal fats that provide vitamins A and D accompany whole grains the effects of phytic acid are lessened.

Despite its potential drawbacks, phytic acid is similar in some ways to a vitamin, and metabolites of phytic acid may have secondary messenger roles in cells.” – All About Phytates Phytic Acid

For those with healthy gut flora, it’s probably not necessary to soak grains before cooking. For anyone suffering health issues, soaking grains and grain flours in an acid medium at very warm temperatures reduces or even eliminates phytic acid. I don’t generally soak grains or grain like products. I also tend to eat grains with raw herbs and vegetables, and I eat more vegetables in a day than I do grains. If you consume lots of grains you may do better with soaking them first.

I do soak legumes and I typically soak most nuts and seeds. I sprout them if I can.

Nuts

Nuts and seeds have enzyme inhibitors, including but not limited to just phytic acid. That’s why they last so long. Nuts and seeds will not break down into their simplest forms during digestion when their enzyme inhibitors are present.

Our pancreas produces our enzymes. Enzymes cause chemical reactions in the body. Enzymes break things down. Enzymes break down food, clots in the blood, they remove waste, break down fibrin, break down proteins and other food components to allow assimilation of nutrients, destroy foreign proteins, destroy viruses, and they are necessary for all bodily functions. Without enzymes we’re dead. Not having enough enzymes will equate to a stroke, heart attack, or some other catastrophic failure very soon.

Our pancreas only produces a finite amount or enzymes. Enzyme inhibitors are hard on the pancreas. Our modern diets are as a whole are very unfriendly to our pancreas. Chemicals that don’t breakdown, food that can’t be properly, fully digested for any reason, and to a lesser but still significant extent, any food that is void of enzymes put a burden on the pancreas. Think of the pancreas as the clock that our life is counting down from. If everything else is as healthy as it can be, the pancreas will still, eventually, stop producing enzymes no matter what else we do. We know that the quality of food can impact our DNA degradation, and enzymes are the other big piece of the longevity puzzle.

Related: Enzyme Supplementation For Disease

The more enzymes we get from our food, the longer our body will be able to produce our own enzymes, the longer we live.

Heat destroys enzymes. Pasteurized nuts are unlikely to sprout. The few that do still have some enzymes, but most do not.

Nuts, seeds, and legumes have natural enzyme inhibitors. Some are worse for us to consume than others, but all enzyme inhibitors inhibit certain enzymes from working. This is great for nuts and seeds so that they can be stored for years without breaking down, but these enzyme inhibitors disrupt our body’s functions.

How To Do Seeds Right

Pumpkin seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, hemp seeds, pecans, walnuts and a few of other nuts and seeds are chock full of enzymes while in their raw, natural forms. Provided they are raw, chewing them well enough can mix the enzymes with the inhibitors, effectively canceling each other out, but soaking and sprouting these nuts and seeds will remove the inhibitors, turning the nuts into enzyme rich, life-giving superfoods. Other nuts, and many legumes, really should be soaked and sprouted due to the nature of their enzyme inhibitors. There’s no need to sprout flax or chia seeds.

Enzyme supplements can also help to properly digest nuts and seeds, and eating them with raw vegetables can provide extra enzymes for digestion too.

Cooking can destroy many enzyme inhibitors but does not destroy all of them. Ideally, cooked nuts and seeds should be sprouted first.

Related: Homemade, Vegan Nut Milk Recipes and More

Soaking and Sprouting Nuts and Seeds

I use warm filtered water and a pinch of sea salt. The warm water will neutralize many of the enzyme inhibitors, but not all of them. I dump the water half way into it, refill, and then dump and rinse well before use. The salt also helps to activate some of the enzymes that deactivate the enzyme inhibitors.

I soak for 12-24 hours, depending on the nut or seed.

What You Need

• 2-3 cups of raw, organic nuts or seeds (I don’t mix them, one kind per container)
• 3-4 cups of warm water (cover nuts +15% for expansion)
• 1 tablespoon of salt

Instructions

1. Place the warm water in a medium bowl or jar that accommodates 2 liters or more
2. Add salt
3. Add the nuts or seeds
4. Leave uncovered overnight.
5. If you’re not sprouting, it’s time to dehydrate them. If I’m sprouting, at this point I soak them for one more round, another 8 hours or so, and then I lay them out on a towel and leave them overnight, damp. Wait until you see sprouting, and then you dehydrate the nuts or seeds.

Here is an article that goes into more depth on how to sprout using a mason jar.

There are preferred individual soaking times, but I just tend to go by size. Bigger nuts get a little more water time.

Sprouting goes a step further reducing the levels of enzyme inhibitors and unlocking other nutritional benefits, even more. But not all seeds sprout. Pine nuts, macadamias, pecans, and walnuts will not sprout, at least in my experience. Don’t even bother with soaking flax or sesame seeds. I like to sprout pumpkin, sunflower, almonds, broccoli, alfalfa, and clover. I can’t get brazil nuts to sprout, but I always treat them as if I could. Judging by the chia pet, it would seem you could soak and sprout chia seeds.

Beans, Legumes

Apparently, our ancestors understood this very well, because grains, beans, nuts, and seeds in their natural form were never consumed without being soaked or fermented first. It was a time-honored tradition of food preparation that kept agrarian cultures thriving. It wasn’t until food mechanization took the reigns and the processing of food became an industry, that soaking and fermenting became a dying tradition.” – Kim, Yogitrition

Do not buy canned beans. Do not trust companies to cook your legumes. Legumes can have intolerable quantities of enzyme inhibitors and dangerous types of lectins that need to be resolved with soaking (and cooking). Check out All About Lectins for more on lectins. Always soak your beans, legumes, and lentils before consuming.

Soak lentils and peas for about 5 hours, and I soak other legumes overnight.

Soy

Soy contains a few enzyme inhibitors including a trypsin inhibitor, that won’t allow nutrients to be properly digested. More than 90% of our soybean crop is genetically engineered. The GMO variety contains 27% more trypsin inhibitor. Soy should be consumed in a fermented form such as miso, tempeh, natto, and tamari sauce. Fermentation reduces soybean’s enzyme inhibitors. Sprouted soy and edamame (green soybeans) are easier to digest.

Asian women have very low rates of menopausal complaints, heart disease, breast cancer and osteoporosis. The soy industry, with sketchy evidence to support their claims, attributes this to soy being a regular part of the Asian diet. These claims, which have become widely accepted due to massive media campaigns, disregard extensive research that shows otherwise. They also disregard other dietary and lifestyle factors at play in Asian cultures. For example, there are many Asian populations that don’t eat soy as a regular part of their diet, yet still enjoy low rates of the chronic diseases mentioned. Among those who do eat soy regularly, fermented soy products are what is consumed the most. Asians aren’t downing quarts of overly-sweetened, highly-processed soy milk or popping supplements containing concentrated soy isoflavones, which has become popular in the U.S. Soy. In addition, the traditional Asian diet consists of primarily whole, fresh, natural foods including sea vegetables, which are packed with vital nutrients and one of the richest sources of absorbable calcium. They also eat a lot of fish, small amounts of meat, and little to no dairy products or processed foods—in stark contrast to the Standard American Diet, which consists of mostly processed foods high in sugar, fat, sodium, and excessive amounts of meat and zero sea vegetables.” – Family Wellness First: Nutrition

Related: Sprouting to Remove Enzyme Inhibitors

Agave Nectar

The Glycemic Index measures how quickly sugar from food enters the bloodstream. Fructose does not raise blood sugar or insulin levels in the short-term. This is why high fructose sweeteners are often labeled as “healthy.” Agave nectar’s low GI is because the sugar in it is fructose. The harmful effects of agave have little to do with the glycemic index. Glucose is an incredibly important molecule, found in many healthy foods and our bodies produce it. We need it. Every living cell does. The liver metabolizes fructose. When the liver cannot process all of the fructose it turns the fructose into fat, which gets shipped out of the liver as VLDL particles, fatty triglycerides, which raise our triglyceride levels.  Eventually, much of the fat lodges inside the liver, which can cause fatty liver disease.

Related: How To Reverse Fatty Liver Disease (Diet Plan Included)

The sugar in agave also feeds pathogens. It doesn’t take much agave to overwhelm the liver. Agave is probably no healthier than white table sugar and could be worse.

Honey

A little bit of raw honey is good for you. While there’s no scientific determination as to how much is too much, I reckon a tablespoon a day is just the right amount for those who are healthy, and far too much for those without a healthy gut.

Related: Candida, Gut Flora, Allergies, and Disease

The biggest two problems with consuming honey are:

• It’s not always real honey, and it’s almost always pasteurized
• People tend to cook it even when they buy raw (like when you put it in that coffee or tea)

Cooked honey loses too many of its beneficial properties to still be healthy. Honey should only be consumed raw with the natural enzymes intact.

Other Sugars

Coconut sugar, evaporated cane juice, apple juice, and brown rice syrup are all refined and processed foods. The sugar in fruit juice will have different results than the sugar in whole fruit. You can’t sweeten foods by adding sugar without the consequences of added sugar.

There are also sugar alcohols like maltitol, sorbitol, erythritol, and the most well known, xylitol. Manufacturers of xylitol market the sweetener as derived from xylan, which is found in the fibers of many plants including berries, oats, beets, sugar cane and birch. Sugar alcohols are naturally occurring substances but manufactured xylitol is another matter entirely. Xylitol can be derived from the xylan of birch trees, but xylan is also found in corn. Thanks to our tax dollar subsidies, corn is cheap. Xylitol typically comes from GMO corn to make matters worse.

Sugar alcohols do not break down like food does through digestion. The fermentation of undigested xylitol in the gut disrupts our flora. Studies have shown health issues with mice.

It appears that xylitola may be ok as a sweetener in small amounts, especially for those addicted to sugar. But it’s not healthy. It’s not at all beneficial to our bodies. And in large amounts, sugar alcohols are clearly toxic. For those sweet-tooth’ed ones looking to replace their sugar, there is not substitute without consequences. Sugar, in nature, is hard to come by. We just weren’t meant to eat foods that are so sweet.

But there is one. The holy grail for health nuts: Stevia. But even this sweetener is not without its problems. True health does not come with a sweet tooth.

Dried Fruit

Speaking of sugar, dried cranberries almost always have plenty of it. Lots of dried fruit has this problem. Why do dried bananas need sugar? Double check those ingredients. Ideally, there should only be one. We suggest making your own.

Yogurt

First of all, the whole probiotic craze negates the fact that our stomach acid is designed to kill bacteria. Most yogurt is made with weak bacteria that would be killed within the stomach before reaching the gut. “Would be…” Most conventional yogurt does not have enough of this beneficial bacteria and what little bit it did have was killed off in the processing.

Food Bars

Sugar, cooked, processed, soy and other sticky ingredients make bars a no-no for anyone trying to heal. I’ve found a few bars that I like, but they aren’t healthy. They are a treat. A much better choice than conventional food, but when you’re not well, you shouldn’t trust a company to make your food. Another common problem with healthy food bars, besides soy and sugar, is they tend to add healthy fats that are highly susceptible to degradation, like chia and flax seeds.

Smoothies

Smoothies are typically too sweet, thanks to fruit juice and lots of fruit. But smoothies can be done right if they are made at home. Check out How to Make the Healthiest Smoothies.

Packaged Health Food

The health food section of any grocery store is where the fresh produce is. That conventional, pesticide laden, perfect looking, 4 month-old apples is going to do most people a lot more good than a box of organic, all natural, free range, grass-fed, non-GMO, small farm, locally grown box of cereal. Healthy people eat lots of fresh, raw produce, and cook food from scratch. Pretenders buy their junk food in the organic section. It’s better than the conventional aisles, but it’s not healthy. Get to know your farmer’s markets and the farmers there. Grow your own. Take things one step at a time. And listen to your body. Forget the health food section, and stick to the produce and bulk sections.

Conclusion

When I do eat foods that aren’t the healthiest choices, I take Abzorb with it. It’s an enzyme and a probiotic. It works well. I use it to help digest the food and keep the gut eco system in check. It’s also useful for beans that maybe didn’t soak long enough. Also, it’s very important to get a wide variety of foods. Try a new food every day. Check out my salad recipe here. I’ll bet you’ll find a few new ones in there. Those salads are better than any supplement on the market. Good, large, diverse salads are the foundation of a healthy and powerful immune system.

Recommended Reading:

• How to Detoxify and Heal the Lymphatic System
• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones
• Candida, Gut Flora, Allergies, and Disease
• Hypothyroidism – Natural Remedies, Causes, and How To Heal the Thyroid
• Total Nutrition – Make your own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula
• How to Cure Lyme Disease and Virtually Any Other Bacterial Infection, Naturally

Sources:

• Raw Nuts & Seeds High in Enzymes – SF Gate
• Nuts and Seeds: More Than They’re Cracked Up to Be – Huffington Post
• Living With Phytic Acid – Weston A. Price
• Soy—Oh, Boy! Things to Consider About This Not-Always-Healthy “Health” Food – Kelly Hayford, C.N.C.
• Inhibitors – FreeGrab
• Natural plant enzyme inhibitors. Isolation and characterisation of two α-amylase inhibitors from Colocasia antiquorum tubers – Wily Online Library
• Eliminating Anti-Nutritional Plant Food Proteins: The Case of Seed Protease Inhibitors in Pea – Plos One
• Nuts and Phytic Acid – Mark’s Daily Apple
• Another reason you shouldn’t go nuts on nuts – Chris Kresser
• Soaking Nuts and Seeds – Wellness Mama

I don’t know yet at what age this ceases to be true, but from what I have seen, at least up until the 70s, it seems that if the body is getting enough nutrition, the teeth and the gums are capable of regenerating. I was incarcerated (for a crime I did not commit) for a year and a half. The diet was really bad compared to our standards, as you can imagine. I came out with visible holes in my teeth. In jail, I was the guy trading most of my food for the canned veggies and bleached salad mix. But still, my gums had receded, and my mouth looked ten years older. Here is specifically what I did to regenerate my teeth and gums:

Homemade Toothpaste

I just add some coconut oil to some baking soda, a little water, a pinch of sea salt, and a little less of cinnamon. You don’t have to be exact, but we have oral care recipes here if you like. These days I just use Earthpaste and Doc’s Tooth & Gum.

Oil Pulling

Oil pulling is a traditional Ayurvedic method of oral care that involves swishing oil around in your mouth for 15-20 minutes. Some say that this practice can detoxify the whole body and heal all kinds of diseases, but these statements aren’t possible if the diet is not addressed. It does promote good oral health by reducing harmful bacteria and dental plaque while cleaning the areas of the mouth that brushing and flossing cannot get to. Oral health does increase the strength of the immune system, so oil pulling can lead to improved overall health.

Traditionally, sesame oil was used, but these days coconut oil is more often recommended, and it’s my preference as well. To increase the potency of this protocol, use essential oils, such as peppermint, cinnamon, or clove. Tea tree oil and oil of oregano are two good options, but they can get really intense. Start off with just a small amount.

Here are some suggestions with the essential oils for oil pulling. Add these to a tablespoon of coconut oil.

• For bad breath: 2 drops of cinnamon, spearmint, or peppermint essential oil
• Toothaches: 2 drops of clove or tea tree essential oil, or one of each
• Canker sores: 2 drops of holy basil essential oil.
• Gum disease: 2 drops of cinnamon, clove, or tea tree essential oil.
• Receding gums: Add 2 drops of Myrrh essential oil.
• Cavities: 2 drops of clove or tea tree essential oil, or one of each
• Any infection in the mouth: 2 drops of clove or tea tree essential oil, or one of each

How to Oil Pull

Swish the oil around in your mouth (like you would with mouthwash) and pull through the teeth, for 15 to 20 minutes. Don’t swish hard, or your cheeks will get sore very quickly.

The longer you do it, the more benefit you’ll get. 15 to 20 minutes is ideal, and I like to do it while I write articles, but even just doing it for a few minutes is very beneficial. You may need to take your time and build up your mouth strength. (I did.)

Spit it out! Do not swallow it. That oil gets nasty, and it’s better to dispose of it than swallow it. Follow with tooth brushing, or at least thoroughly rinsing the mouth. And don’t spit it out in the sink. The oil could stop it up.

I did it at least once a day, and the more you oil pull, the better.

Calcium & Magnesium

I eat lots of raw vegetables, but to speed things up, I wanted to make sure I had enough calcium. One should not take lots of calcium indefinitely without magnesium, and the nonfood sources don’t provide calcium that absorbs into our body well. Plus, I was coming out of jail, so I was too broke for supplements anyway, and that Tooth & Gum ain’t cheap!

Lemon Egg Recipe – the best organic calcium supplementation

1. Carefully place whole, clean, uncooked, uncracked, organic eggs in a clean wide-mouth jar or glass container. How many eggs is up to you, but the lemon juice needs to cover the eggs.
2. Cover the eggs with freshly squeezed organic lemon juice (concentrated lemon juice is pasteurized and should never be used as a substitute).
3. Cover the jar loosely and place it in the refrigerator. A few times during the day, gently – very gently – agitate the liquid in the jar. As the Calcium from the shells is leached out by the lemon juice, bubbles will appear around the eggs.
4. Approximately 44 to 48 hours later, when the bubbling has stopped, carefully remove the eggs from the jar, being sure not to break the egg membranes. Replace the lid tightly on the jar containing the liquid and shake the mixture. You now have “Lemon Egg”.

Drink it straight or mix 2oz in smoothies. It can also be used in recipes calling for lemon juice as well, but the juice will not be acidic and it will taste a bit different. If there is no more than twice as much lemon juice per egg volume I take a tablespoon to two of the lemon mixture and up to six if I don’t eat enough vegetables. Personally, I just took a spoonful every day and chewed it for a while. I don’t know if the teeth absorb any calcium that way, but I suspect it’s possible. I would do this after my brush and floss routine.

One whole medium sized eggshell yields about 750 – 800 mg of elemental calcium plus other microelements, including but not limited to magnesium, boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, sulfur, silicon, zinc,  (27 elements in total). The composition of an eggshell is very similar to that of our bones and teeth.

Chewing on Garlic

I chewed on garlic three or more times a day for as long as I could stand it. The technique is as follows:

• Peel a small clove of garlic and put it in your mouth
• Start a timer
• Chew with your mouth open
• Breath through your mouth as you chew
• When it starts to hurt, close your mouth, and start swishing the juices through your gums
• Spit it out when it becomes intolerable

At first, I could only do this for about 15 seconds at a time, but I built up to a minute. This is a hugely beneficial technique for anyone with mercury amalgam fillings. Garlic will pull out (chelate) the least attached particles from the fillings before they were about to release.

Doc Shillington’s Tooth and Gum Formula

This is the most popular product sold at Green Lifestyle Market. I think this is in large part because you can so easily tell how well it works. I contend that with the right diet and oral care most people can regenerate their mouth without this formula, but it will speed up the process. If you’re not happy with you can get a refund.

For anyone who smoked, smokes, vapes, or works in conditions where they inhale carcinogens, I highly recommend the Tooth and Gum Formula.

For anyone who has toxic fillings in the mouth, or metal, or has otherwise had lots of oral work done, I also highly recommend the Tooth and Gum Formula.

I put some toothpaste on my brush, set that aside, then I squirt one squeeze of this tooth and gum stuff directly into my mouth, and then I brush. That’s how I do it. You can also just brush with the tooth and gum, or do oil pulling with it, or use it with water as a mouthwash, or use it without water as a mouthwash. It’s kind of hard to screw it up, but for maximum effect, do brush it into your gums, and do leave it in the mouth for at least a minute. You can buy it here or click here for the recipe ( the third one). I brushed and flossed twice a day with this routine, three times a day if I smoked marijuana that day.

Healthy Diet

Diet is key. Supplements can do some amazing things, but they simply prolong the inevitable when the diet isn’t first consideration. I ate large salads and lots of raw fruit every day. I occasionally do smoothies, and I generally have a wheat-free grain in a bowl with lots of cooked and fresh veggies and herbs on top. Check out the further reading below for more on my diet. If you really want to know how well this protocol works for you, I suggest pictures. Take pictures of your mouth daily or weekly, and you the judge. But chances are, you’ll feel it and know it’s working. It’s still fun to compare the picture though.

Lastly, your mouth won’t be much healthier than your gut. If you suffer from other health ailments, I suggest a gut protocol like this along with your new oral health regimen.

Recommended Reading:

• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• How to Make the Healthiest Smoothies – 4 Recipes
• Total Nutrition – Make your own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula
• Mercury Fillings, Root Canals, Cavitations – What You Need to Know

The combination of too much fat, too much sugar, and too little exercise is the best way become obese — in the liver. Fat buildup in the liver that is not due to alcohol consumption, also known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, affects 20-30% of adult populations in developed countries.

At first, this disease looks like another major issue to worry about, but it is simple and easy to reverse. In fact, it is intimately linked with other reversible conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hyperlipidemia, metabolic syndrome, and obesity because they all share a similar cause.

Related: How To Heal Your Gut

The Vicious Cycle of Fatty Liver Disease

Think of fatty liver disease like obesity and diabetes of the liver. When we eat an excess of calories and sugar, insulin is released from the pancreas to let our cells that we have plenty of energy. Our cells take what they need from the fat and sugar that is circulating in the blood.

Problems arise when we eat too many calories and too much sugar. The cells already have enough energy, so they stop listening to insulin — a biological process called insulin resistance. As a result, fat and sugar build up in the blood, contributing to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hyperlipidemia, metabolic syndrome, and obesity.

The liver cells are also negatively influenced by the influx of calories and sugar. They become insulin resistant and start making fat from the excess sugar (fructose causes the most liver fat gain). Eventually, fat builds up in the liver to the point that it becomes toxic and creates inflammation.

The combination of obesity in the body and the liver causes inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species to accumulate. This leads to more inflammation and oxidative stress that damages the liver.

Meanwhile, in the gut, a lifestyle that promotes fatty liver disease changes the microbiome and increases candida growth. This increases inflammation, oxidative stress, and endotoxin absorption, which causes more liver damage.

Recommended Reading: Lower Cholesterol and Prevent Heart Disease Without Drugs

Don’t worry — there is a silver lining to this vicious cycle. It is possible to reverse nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and liver damage naturally.

How To Reverse Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

The key to disrupting the vicious cycle of fatty liver disease before it damages the liver is exercise and diet.

That’s right — Treating obesity of the liver is similar to treating obesity of the body. In fact, many scientific papers agree that the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease should be focused on controlling diabetes, obesity, insulin resistance, and hyperlipidemia.

This means that the best way to reverse nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and prevent liver damage is with the same lifestyle that has been proven to control diabetes, obesity, insulin resistance, and hyperlipidemia.

The Fatty Liver Disease Lifestyle Cure

In a review of studies on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease treatments, the researchers found that weight loss leads to a substantial improvement in this condition. Weight loss of 3-5 % reduces liver fat, but a weight loss of 10% may be needed to reverse liver damage. To accomplish this, researchers used the most well-known ways to promote weight loss: caloric restriction and exercise.

Let’s start with exercise. Physical activity alone improves insulin sensitivity and reduces fat in the liver. In fact, one study kept the body weight of their subjects constant while they implemented an exercise training program. They found that exercise alone leads to a substantial decrease in liver fat.

Related: If You Drink Soda, It’s Probably The Worst Thing You Do To Yourself (even worse than smoking!)

In studies that combine caloric restriction with exercise, the results are even more promising. For example, one study took twenty-five obese patients with fatty liver and put fifteen of them on a calorie restricted diet and exercise program for 3 months. The calorie restricted diet was based on a daily calorie intake of the patient’s ideal weight in kilograms multiplied by 25 calories, and the exercise program is described as “walking or jogging”.

The researchers found that the treatment group’s “weight, blood biochemical data such as aminotransferase, albumin, cholinesterase, total cholesterol and fasting blood glucose values, and steatosis (fatty liver) were significantly decreased after the trial. In the control group, there were no significant differences in the clinical and histological findings before and after the trial.”

It’s that simple. Eat less and move more, and you can reverse fatty liver disease. Many other review articles on the treatments for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease also agree on this simple principle.

The jury is still out, however, on the best diet for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. We know for certain that restricting your calories helps, but there is an even better way to reverse disease and improve liver health.

The Best Fatty Liver Diet

Restricting calories works, but the studies tend to ignore the importance of food quality. For example, diets that consist of mainly refined and processed food have been found to promote the growth an obesity-causing microbiome. On the other hand, eating a high-fiber plant-based diet favors a microbiome that reducing inflammation and improves health. This is one of the reasons why it is best to stop counting calories and count on these guidelines instead:

1. Limit Your Added Sugar Intake

By doing this, you will greatly reduce the likelihood of fat build up in the body and the liver. You will also reduce insulin resistance, blood sugar, inflammation, and gut health issues as well.

Related:  Signs You Have Too Much Candida

2. Eat High-Fiber Foods With Every Meal

The healthiest way to get more fiber is by consuming plenty of low-carbohydrate vegetables. They will improve gut health, reduce the absorption of harmful lipopolysaccharides, and improve the health of the cells throughout your body.

Try the salad recipe in this article for the best results: Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included

3. Eat Liver Healing Foods

You can also add these four scientifically-proven liver healing foods to your diet to help reverse fatty liver disease:

Oily Fish

Two or more servings of oily fish per week can have a beneficial effect on blood lipids and may reduce liver fat. Wild-caught salmon is one of the healthiest oily fish.

Nuts

A handful of nuts per day improves liver function tests. Walnuts, in particular, have been found to be one of the healthiest nuts for your liver.

Avocado

Avocado consumption is associated with weight loss and improved liver tests. This is mainly because avocados have a substantial amount of monounsaturated fat, fiber, and antioxidants.

Olive Oil

This popular oil improves liver function tests and helps with weight loss because it is loaded with antioxidants and oleic acid.

Related: Best Cooking Oils Health Benefits Smoke Point Which to Use and Avoid

4. Use Liver Healing Supplements

When you search the internet for liver supplements, you are inundated by supplements that seem promising, yet have no shred of evidence that backs of their claims. To save you some time and experimentation, here are three supplements that have been found to improve liver health:

Spirulina

Spirulina is a natural algae powder that is incredibly high in protein and a good source of antioxidants, B-vitamins, and other nutrients. A dose of 4.5 grams (about a teaspoon) per day of spirulina has been shown to help reverse fatty liver disease.

Betaine

Betaine is a compound that is naturally found in beets and spinach. It is essential for the normal function of the blood, bones, eyes, heart, nerves, and the brain, and it reduces build up of fat in the liver.

The best way to supplement with betaine is by eating raw beets or taking a TMG supplement. TMG stands for Trimethylglycine, and it is the form of betaine that is found in beets.

Milk Thistle

Milk thistle contains a compound called silybin. Silybin can reduce fat build up in the liver, and it may even reverse liver damage.

Probiotics

In a meta-analysis on the effects of probiotics on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, the researchers found that probiotic therapy can help reverse insulin resistance, improve liver function, and reduce inflammation. However, not just any probiotic will do.

Product Recommendation: Syntol AMD – Arthur Andrew Medical

Bifidobacterium longum, for example, was found to be the most effective probiotic strain at reducing liver fat, inflammation, and endotoxin levels. The best way to add this strain to your diet is by taking a stomach-acid resistant probiotic that contains it. FloraMend by Thorne Research is one of the best probiotics in this regard.

Recommended Reading: Probiotics, Bacteria, and Our Health

5. Limit Alcohol Consumption

Although no alcohol consumption is best for reversing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, some alcohol consumption may be beneficial as well. In fact, one nonalcoholic fatty liver disease treatment review found that limiting alcohol consumption to less than one drink per day may actually have a beneficial effect on liver health.

6. Exercise Everyday

The kind of exercise that is best for reversing fatty liver disease is not yet known, but almost any type of exercise will help. It is probably best to go for brisk walks throughout the day and do resistance training at least 3 times a week.

But don’t get caught up in finding the perfect workout plan. Any exercise is better than no exercise for all aspects of health. Start by doing what you enjoy doing.

What About Using Drugs for Fatty Liver Disease?

For a typical nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patient, pharmaceutical drugs are not usually recommended. However, when the disease progresses to liver-damaging nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), drug therapy may be necessary.

Related: The Gallbladder, Bile, and Gallstones

A drug called thiazolidinedione has been shown to be effective for improving diabetes, liver function, and fibrosis of the liver. However,  there is one problem — patients relapse when they aren’t on it.

In a study that tested thiazolidinedione in the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, researchers found that diet and exercise were essential in maintaining the results achieved by drug therapy. When patients in the study followed up after 37 months, the patients who had sustained exercise programs and reduced their body mass index, also had normal liver enzyme levels, fibrosis improvement, and were free from diabetes. Conversely, patients who made no lifestyle changes had gotten worse after discontinuing the drug.

What are we suppose to take away from this study? That, even in the worst case scenario, pharmaceutical drugs cannot replace diet and exercise.

Putting It All Together

You can reverse fatty liver disease by following these six simple steps:

1. Limit sugar intake
2. Eat low-carbohydrate vegetables with every meal
3. Exercise every day
4. Take scientifically-proven liver healing supplements like spirulina, betaine, milk thistle, and probiotics
5. Include liver healing foods in your diet like avocado, nuts, oily fish, and olive oil
6. Limit alcohol intake

Related: Sugar Leads to Depression – World’s First Trial Proves Gut and Brain are Linked (Protocol Included)

Sources:

• The diagnosis and management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Practice Guideline by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, American College of Gastroenterology, and the American Gastroenterological Association — Wiley Online Library
• Treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease — BMJ Journals
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: an overview of prevalence, diagnosis, pathogenesis and treatment considerations — Clincial Science
• New-found link between microbiota and obesity — NCBI
• Association between composition of the human gastrointestinal microbiome and development of fatty liver with choline deficiency. — NCBI
• Eubiosis and dysbiosis: the two sides of the microbiota. — NCBI
• A meta-analysis of randomized trials for the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. — NCBI
• Effects of exercise training on intrahepatic lipid content in humans — Springer Link
• The effects of low carbohydrate diets on liver function tests in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials — NCBI
• Therapeutic effects of restricted diet and exercise in obese patients with fatty liver — Science Direct
• A Low-Carbohydrate as Compared with a Low-Fat Diet in Severe Obesity — The New England Journal of Medicine
• Effect of Vitamin E or Metformin for Treatment of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Children and Adolescents: The TONIC Randomized Controlled Trial — The JAMA Network
• A Randomized Controlled Trial of Metformin versus Vitamin E or Prescriptive Diet in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease — ProQuest
• Insoluble Dietary Fiber from Pear Pomace Can Prevent High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity in Rats Mainly by Improving the Structure of the Gut Microbiota — JMB
• Hepatoprotective effects of Spirulina maxima in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a case series — BioMed Central
• Spirulina improves non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, visceral fat macrophage aggregation, and serum leptin in a mouse model of metabolic syndrome — Science Direct
• Spirulina — Examine
• Sitting for just a couple hours has measurable (and negative) health impact — PLOS
• Oily fish, coffee and walnuts: Dietary treatment for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease — NCBI
• Avocados Contain Potent Liver Protectants — Science Daily
• Non alcoholic fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome — NCBI
• Metabolic Endotoxemia Initiates Obesity and Insulin Resistance — Diabetes Journals
• Physical activity as a treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review — NCBI
• Prebiotic fiber modulation of the gut microbiota improves risk factors for obesity and the metabolic syndrome — NCBI
• Milk Thistle — Examine
• Thiazolidinediones for the treatment in NASH: sustained benefit after drug discontinuation? — NCBI
• Effects of probiotics on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A meta-analysis — NCBI

Nature has given a wonderful gift to mankind in medicinal plants to promote healthy, happy and disease-free life. These plants play a vital role in natural healing. If I were allowed to choose the most amazing medicinal plant to treat medical conditions, it would be Indian gooseberry (amla). This plant has some exceptional benefits to health and our overall well-being.

Amla or Phyllanthus Emblica belongs to family Euphorbiaceae.  It is a small to medium sized deciduous tree found throughout India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, China, and Malaysia. According to the national institute of health, Phyllanthus Emblica is highly nutritious and could be an important source of vitamin c, amino acids, and minerals. It can be used as a medicine and as a tonic to improve vitality and resistance power.  Research shows that a unique complex within Indian gooseberry is super nutritious.  It has more antioxidant activity than blueberries; it has 20 times more vitamin c than lemon juice. It has 30 times more polyphenols than red wine and has more gallic acid (a potent antioxidant) than any other fruit.

What are the uses of amla in traditional Indian medicine? What are the benefits of this wonderful superfood? How can we use it easily at home with simple DIY recipes? Read on to know more.

Related: The Brain Boosting Benefits of Gingko Biloba

Use of Amla in Traditional Indian Medicine

Amla has been used in Ayurveda and Unani system of medicine for the therapeutic purpose for long years. The fruits, seed, leaves, root, bark, and flowers are parts of the plant that used in traditional Indian medicine. According to Ayurveda, amla balances all three doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha). It contains 5 out of 6 tastes recognized by Ayurveda.

Amla is particularly helpful in reducing pitta because of its cooling energy. It also balances both pitta and vata by virtue of its sweet taste. The Kapha is balanced primarily due to its drying action. It may be used as a Rasayana (rejuvenative) to promote longevity. It also helps in:

• Enhancing digestion (dipanapachana)
• Treat constipation (Anuloma)
• Reduce fever (jvaraghna)
• Purify the blood (Raktaprasadana)
• Reduce coughs (Kasahara)
• Alleviate asthma (svasahara)
• Enliven the body (jivaniya)
• Enhance intellect (Medhya)
• Strengthen the heart (hrdaya)
• Benefit the eyes (chakshushya)
• Stimulate the hair growth (romasanjana)

Nutritional Value of Amla

Amla is reputed for its high ascorbic acid content and antioxidant rich activity. In a 100 gram serving, gooseberries provide 44 calories. Gooseberries are 88% water, 10% carbohydrate and less than 1% each of protein and fat. It is abundant in vitamins and minerals. Apart from being the richest source of vitamin c (27.7%), it also contains other vitamins too, that includes Vitamin A (2%),  thiamine(b1) 3%, riboflavin (b2) 3%, Niacin (B3) 2%, Pantothenic acid (B5)6%, Vitamin B6 6%, Folate (Bg) 2% and vitamin E 2%.

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Minerals: it contain calcium 3%, copper 4%, iron 2%, Magnesium 7%, phosphorus 4%, potassium 4%, sodium 0%, zinc, copper 1%.

Scientific research on Amla (Indian gooseberry)

According to a study published in British journal of nutrition, Morden scientists have studied the amla fruit for more than 25 years and determined that amla’s unique blend may have a positive influence on everything from metabolic syndrome to anti-aging process. Japanese researcher put Sun Amla (a proprietary amla extract) to the test by evaluating its effect on human endothelial cells and in a rat model. In both cases, the amla fruit extract inhibited the biological responses that can lead to inflammation and blood clots. It also works to combat the free radicals and contribute to overall health.

According to center for pharmaceutical science institute of science and technology, a review report shows that several types of research confirmed that various extract and herbal preparation of amla showed potential therapeutic benefits against various diseases and result were similar to standard drugs. Though more scientific research will be needed to confirm this.

Benefits of Amla

Amla is a Great Antioxidant Food

Amla is one of the most antioxidant rich foods on earth. According to some scientific research, it has turned out to be the number one among the antioxidant rich food. Antioxidants protect the body from damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals. This damage is an important factor in the development of different disease conditions such as blood vessels disease, cancer etc.

In a comparative study of Amalaki, the Sanskrit name of the Indian Gooseberry), with spirulina and wheat grass, the vitamin c content of crude amla powder was found to be 5.38 mg. It was also found to be the rich source of phenolic compounds. Because of these constitutes, amla works great as an antioxidant agent and helps in keeping our body disease free. Amla contains various antioxidants that include ellagic and gallic acid, emblicanin a and b, punigluconin, and much more. A detailed scientific analysis of amla shows that this antioxidant provides powerful protection against various diseases and slows down the aging process.

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Amla is a Potent Hypolipidemic Agent

Amla has a great hypolipidemic agent; in simple words, it can produce a significant reduction in total cholesterol, LDL, triglyceride, and VLDL.  To evaluate the efficacy of amla as a hypolipidemic agent, a clinical trial has been conducted on 600 patients. Out of total 600 patients, 40 were treated with the Amla Capsule (500 mg (daily for 42 days and 20 patients were given Simvastatin capsule (20mg) daily for 42 days. After analyzing various biochemical parameters, and the value of total cholesterol, LDL (Low-density lipoprotein), HDL (High-density lipoprotein), and VLDL (Very low-density lipoprotein), it has been observed that amla produces a significant reduction in total cholesterol, LDL, triglyceride, and VLDL and a significant increase in HDL level. It is concluded with this study that amla produces significant hypolipidemic effect along with a reduction in Blood pressure. With this effect, it can play a vital role in the prevention of development of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.

Amla has Great Hepatoprotective Properties

Scientific studies have shown that amla is effective in preventing the toxic effects of hepatotoxic agents like paracetamol, heavy metals, antitubercular drugs, and ethanol. Amla is also reported to impart beneficial effects on liver function and to mitigate hyperlipidemia and metabolic syndrome.

Amla has a Good Anti-Diabetic Effect

Amla has anti-diabetic properties. Scientific studies have shown that amla or some of its important constituents (including Gallic acid, gallotannins, ellagic acid and corilagin) possess antidiabetic effect through their antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties. It also helps in preventing hyperglycemia and diabetic neuropathy. More scientific evidence is needed to confirm this study.

Related: Top 10 blood sugar lowering foods

Amla is Good for Hair

As it contains a lot of vitamin c, minerals, and antioxidants, amla helps in promoting hair growth and work as a tonic for hair health. It reduces hair loss, strengthens hair roots, and enhances the natural color of your hair. It also works as a natural conditioner for hair and helps in preventing premature graying of hair. This amazing health benefits for hair could be obtain

• Either by eating gooseberry fruit
• Applying amla paste on hair roots
• Using amla hair oil for nourishing hair

According to a recent survey on the use of hair oils for hairdressing by the Indian population revealed that amla oil is extremely popular for hair and used equally by men and women. It is the most effective oil in controlling hair parasites. It has been proven to be the most toxic for hair parasites and most effective at keeping hair parasites free.

Related: Reverse gray hair naturally

Amla Helps in Treating Bone Disorders Including Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoporosis

Osteoclasts are involved in rheumatoid arthritis and in several pathologies associated with bone loss. According to a scientific study, extracts of Emblica Officinalis were able to induce programmed cell death of mature osteoclasts, thus potentially limiting the damage they can do to our bones and joints. Accordingly, the study suggests Amla extracts could be an alternative tool for therapy applied to bone disease.

Amla Helps in Treatment and Prevention of Cancer

Amla is wonderful in the treatment and prevention of cancer. The fruit is used either alone or in combination with other plants to treat many elements. It has great anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, cardio protective, anti-anemic, antipyretic, and many more awesome healing properties. Experimental studies have shown that amla and some of its constituents (like pyrogallol, gallic acid, and ellagic acid) possess anti-neoplastic properties. Especially pyrogallol (an active component of Emblica Officinalis extracts) has an antiproliferative effect on some human cancer cell lines.

Apart from all these wonderful benefits, amla

• Helps in slow down the aging process
• It improves digestion and prevents constipation
• Improve eye sights and helps in treating eye disorders
• Boosts immunity and protects our body against infection through its antibacterial properties.
• Increases diuretic activity and helps in elimination of toxic products from the body.
• Great for skin, it gives you radiant skin and also keeps it hydrated.
• It is also a good blood purifier. Regular consumption of amla powder helps in increasing hemoglobin naturally.

Related: How to use turmeric to kill cancer

Different Ways Amla Can Be Used as a Remedy

Of course, eating the fresh fruit is the best option to get the nutritional benefit of this super fruit, but it tastes quite sour and so many people might struggle to eat this as a fruit. Second, not all of us able to get the access to fresh fruit all the time. Here are some super easy ways to use amla at home easily.

Before making any recipe with Indian gooseberry it is very important to select a good quality of fruit. Here are few tips to select the good quality fruit.

It should be properly ripe, fresh, hard, well skinned, bright yellowish green in color and medium in size. Avoid buying bruised, raw, too green, wrinkled, spotted, infected, or bad smelling fruit.

Amla Juice

Amla juice is easiest option to add amla to your diet. The regular consumption of gooseberry juice prevents many diseases and empowers the strength.  And personally, I prefer to use it.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 amla
• Grinder, juicer or mortar and pestle
• Salt (optional and according to test)
• Grated ginger, raw honey (1 teaspoon, optional)

Instruction:

• First, select a good quality of amla
• Soak amla in salted water for a while to remove any unwanted residue before using
• Wash the amla
• Dry them with a cloth
• Grate or cut the amla in finer pieces
• Now, you can use either grinder, juicer or a mortar and pestle. Grind the amla with the help of little water, strain the mixture through a strainer. Strain and squeeze the pulp to get the juice. For adding extra taste and flavor you add a pinch of salt. If you are hypertensive, it is best to avoid salt. If you are diabetic, avoid honey.
• Otherwise, 1 Tsp ginger and raw honey can be added if you like.

Benefits:

• Help in weight loss (especially when you drink it with honey)
• Improve metabolism and digestion
• I usually had better hair health after using it.
• Skin texture will improve.
• Increase immunity and reduction in routine infections

Amla Powder

The second way to use amla at home is also very easy; you just need to dry the amla in shade for few days and then grind it in a grinder. After grinding, you may use a sifter for getting a more powdered form.

Of course, amla powder is great for our health, but for getting better result you can take Triphala churna (powder). My grandma used to take this powder for long years as a routine for her digestion. It is easily available at the local store (in India) and you can order it online too. Triphala is a staple of Ayurveda medicine in India. It is considered one of the greatest herbal preparations that provide excellent results.

Triphala churna or powder is made from three fruits: amla, haritaki or Harda, and bibhitaki. Apart from getting some common benefits such as good digestion, weight loss, this churna helps in balancing the doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) of our body.

• Amla helps in balancing the pitta dosha
• Haritaki helps in calming the Vata dosha
• Bibhataki benefits to the Kapha dosha

It is usually taken empty stomach with lukewarm water. You may also make a tea by adding the 1 teaspoon powder in boiling water. Capsules, tonic, and tablets are also available. As a general rule, when you start consuming a new product you should go slow and observe any changes if you had. But if you had any existing medical condition and if you are taking any medication it is always advisable to take medical advice.

Dried Amla

This is the third easiest way to include amla as a part of your regular diet. This easily prepared and crunchy amla tastes so good and provides excellent nutritional benefits to your body.

Ingredients:

• 10-20 amla
• Salt and turmeric (according to taste)
• Lemon juice (2-3 Tsp)

Instruction:

• Wash the amla properly and wipe them with a clean kitchen towel.
• Cut them in thinner slices and discard the seeds (you may grate them if you like a finer texture)
• Toss the sliced amla with salt, lemon juice, and turmeric
• Spread them on a large plate and cover with a thin cloth.
• Let them sun dry for few days (7-8 days are good enough) or until there is no moisture left in the amla. Once, they become crispy, store them in a clean and air tight container.
• Eat after every meal.

Benefits:

• It is great for digestion and tastes so good. Even kids would love it.
• It could be used as a healthy snack especially during winter.
• It is hassle free and could be prepared in large quantity.

Side Effects of Amla

Like any other herbal or Ayurveda preparation, amla may interfere with the action of the certain medication. It may cause some side effects. Such as:

• It may cause hyperacidity in the sensitive individual.
• It may increase the risk of bleeding if you are taking any blood thinning medication or suffering from any kind of blood disorders, you need to take extra precaution while consuming it.
• If you are diabetic and taking anti-diabetic medication, it is best to consult your physician before consuming it. It may cause a sudden drop in blood sugar level.
• There is not enough safety data available to use it during pregnancy and breastfeeding. It is best to avoid its use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
• As it may increase the risk of bleeding, it is advisable to discontinue its use 2 weeks prior to scheduled surgery.

Why It Matters

No doubt, amla is a super nutritious and had amazing healing properties, but at this time there is not enough scientific evidence to support the efficacy and safety of it, it is best to consult with your doctor before consuming it. Did you have observed any amazing healing property of this super fruit? What was your experience? Please share with us.

Recommended Reading:

• Mental Health, Physical Health & B Vitamins – Nature’s Valium
• How to Detoxify and Heal the Lymphatic System
• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones

Sources:

• Phyllanthus Emblica-Wikipedia
• Evaluation of antioxidant profile and activity of Amalaki – NCBI
• Hepatoprotective properties of Indian gooseberry – NCBI
• Anti-diabetic effect of Indian indigenous fruit Emblica Officinalis – NCBI
• Amla, a wonder berry in treatment and prevention of cancer – NCBI
• Induction of apoptosis of human primary osteoclasts treated with the extract from the Emblica Officinalis – NCBI
• New research may explain some of the amla fruit’s legendary health benefits – Taiyo International
• Current trends in the research of Amla – Global Reseach Online
• Superfood that may slow down the aging process – Dr. Axe
• Indian gooseberry- An overview – Web MD