Diet and Nutrition

Get information on dietary practices such as fasting, juicing, and vegetarianism, as well as the latest findings on foods such as soy products and broccoli.

Acidophilus

Acidophilus is a type of germ or bacterium commonly found in the normal digestive tract of mammals, mainly in the small intestine.

Broccoli

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable that belongs to the cabbage family. It is identified by its dense clusters of green flower buds.

Cassava

The cassava plant is a staple crop in Africa, Asia, and South America.

Coriolus Versicolor

Coriolus versicolor is a mushroom used in traditional Asian herbal remedies (see Chinese Herbal Medicine).

Ellagic Acid

Ellagic acid is a phytochemical, or plant chemical, found in raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, walnuts, pecans, pomegranates, and other plant foods.

Fasting

Fasting involves eating no food and drinking only water or juice for a period of one to five days or longer.

Garlic

Garlic is a member of the lily family and is closely related to onions, leeks, and chives. Extracts and oils made from garlic are sometimes used as herbal remedies.

Gerson therapy is a form of alternative cancer treatment involving coffee enemas, supplements, and a special diet that is claimed to cleanse the body, boost the immune system, and stimulate metabolism.

Grapes

Grapes grow wild on vines or are cultivated. The seeds, skin, leaves, stems, and grape itself are used in herbal remedies.

Inositol Hexaphosphate

Inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) is a chemical found in beans, brown rice, corn, sesame seeds, wheat bran, and other high-fiber foods.

Juicing

Juicing involves extracting juices from fresh fruit and uncooked vegetables as the main part of the diet.

Kombucha Tea

Kombucha tea is made by fermenting sweetened black tea with a flat, pancake-like culture of yeasts and bacteria known as the Kombucha mushroom.

Lycopene

Lycopene is an antioxidant compound that gives tomatoes and certain other fruits and vegetables their color.

Macrobiotic Diet

A macrobiotic diet is generally vegetarian and consists largely of whole grains, cereals, and cooked vegetables.

Maitake Mushrooms

Maitake is an edible mushroom from the species Grifola frondosa. Maitake D-fraction® is an extract of this large mushroom native to the mountains of northeastern Japan.

Metabolic Therapy

Metabolic therapy uses a combination of special diets, enzymes, nutritional supplements, and other measures in an attempt to remove "toxins" from the body and strengthen the body's defenses against disease.

Modified Citrus Pectin

Modified citrus pectin (MCP) is a form of pectin that has been altered so that it can be more easily absorbed by the digestive tract. Pectin is a carbohydrate that is made of hundreds or thousands of sugar molecules chemically linked together.

Noni Plant

The noni or morinda plant is a tropical evergreen tree that grows to about 10 feet tall in Tahiti and other Pacific Islands, as well as in parts of Asia, Australia, South America and the Caribbean.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are important nutrients that are involved in many bodily processes. The body cannot make these fatty acids and must obtain them from food sources or from supplements.

Quercetin

Quercetin is a type of plant-based chemical, or phytochemical, known as a flavonoid (see also Phytochemicals).

Sea Vegetables

Seaweed is a type of algae that grows in or near the sea.

Shiitake Mushroom

A shiitake mushroom is an edible fungus native to Asia and grown in forests. Shiitake mushrooms are the second most commonly cultivated edible mushrooms in the world.

Soybean

The soybean plant is native to southeast Asia. It has oblong pods that contain 2 to 4 seeds or beans.

Vegetarianism

Vegetarianism is the practice of eating a diet consisting mainly or entirely of food that comes from plant sources such as fruits and vegetables.

Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass is a member of the family Poaceae, which includes a wide variety of wheat-like grasses. Wheatgrass is commonly found in temperate regions of Europe and the United States.

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