What are the benefits of taking probiotics? Bacteria have a reputation for causing disease, so the idea of tossing down a few billion a day for your health might seem hard to swallow. A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that you can treat and even prevent some illnesses with foods and supplements containing certain kinds of live bacteria. Some digestive disease specialists are recommending probiotic supplements for disorders that frustrate conventional medicine, such as irritable bowel syndrome. Since the mid-1990’s, clinical studies suggest that probiotic therapy can help that several gastrointestinal ills, delay the development of allergies in children, […] Read more »

If you are trying to reduce sugar in your diet, you may be tempted to turn to artificial sweeteners, which please the taste buds but promise zero calories. But are they safe? Artificial sweeteners and other sugar substitutes are found in a variety of food and beverages marketed as “sugar-free” or “diet”, including soft drinks and baked goods. Just what are all these sweeteners? And what’s their role in your diet? Artificial sweeteners are synthetic sugar substitutes. They may be derived from naturally occurring substances, such as herbs or sugar itself. Artificial sweeteners are also known as intense sweeteners because […] Read more »