Most of us know the many benefits of including oranges in our diets. Oranges are loaded with Vitamin C, which is an important treatment for cancers and is required for many important bodily functions. Oranges provide fiber and are helpful in controlling blood sugar and insulin. Oranges should be included as a part of every diet. But, did you know that the orange peel that most of us toss in the trash also contains health benefits.

Orange peel, or more specifically, orange zest (the shavings of the orange portion of the peel), contain a unique flavonoid called hesperidin. Hesperidin helps to lower LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff), lower triglycerides (fats found in the blood) and reduces the risk of heart disease. An added benefit is in normalizing blood pressure. Studies also show that hesperidin is helpful in reducing bone loss, acts as an anti-inflammatory and is good for fighting some types of cancer, especially breast cancer. (more…)

In today’s world, almost everything is free. not that everything has no price. It just seems that we have reached the era where we become more aware of our health conditions. Thus, it seems to be the era of everything that is -free. Try scanning every available product in your local grocery and you will see what I mean.

Your bread is bromate-free; your yoghurt is fat-free; your cooking oil is cholesterol-free; your canned soup is preservative-free; and the list goes on and on. Now you are beginning to wonder about the next -free commodity that you would encounter.

This is not exactly bad. In fact, health experts encourage us to be more sensitive about the foods we eat and the nutrients that we get from them. However, not everything that is –free is healthy. Our bodies need certain substances to be able to function well. (more…)

The FDA has begun an investigation into ezetimibe and simvastatin, the two compounds found in Vytorin which are designed to lower cholesterol levels.

A 5-year trial was conducted to see if the combined ingredients could “reduce cardiovascular events in patients with a diagnosis of aortic stenosis.” The trial found that no, there were no benefits. However, a larger percentage of those treated with Vytorin (as opposed to the placebo group) were diagnosed with and died from various forms of cancer. Whether that was cause and effect is not known yet.

Two other ongoing trials will end in 2010 and 2012. I have to wonder about those patients taking part in the trials. Why would anyone take that kind of chance with their health?

Meanwhile, the drug Baycol was removed from the market after numerous deaths were attributed to its use.

Cases such as this are a good reason not to take any drugs that haven’t been around for a good long while – unless, of course, your condition is terminal and they offer some relief.

If you’re taking Vytorin, you might want to go back to your doctor and ask for something safer. Or, since all pharmaceuticals carry risk, and since cholesterol drugs seem to carry side effects that lead to death, it seems like it might be a good idea to see what you can do without drugs.

According to the Mayo Clinic site, the first thing to do is reduce the amount of saturated and trans fats in your diet. Unfortunately, that means staying away from store-bought cookies, crackers, and cakes. (unless you read the ingredients and find there are no trans fats)

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