Monthly Archives: August 2021

Grape Extract for Anxiety?

Posted on August 17, 2021 by Robert Barrington

Grapes are known to be a healthy food that provide significant health benefits when regularly consumed. Grapes, particularly their skins and their seeds are rich in antioxidants, including a group of flavonoids called anthocyanins (in the skins) and proanthocyanidins (in … Continue reading →

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Salvia verticillata: Mood Elevating Herb?

Posted on August 16, 2021 by Robert Barrington

Salvia plants are commonly known as sage plants. Salvia verticillata is commonly called the lilac sage or whorled sage. The plant is native to Europe, Asia and North America. Evidence suggests that like many sage plants, Salvia verticillata has significant … Continue reading →

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The Phytochemicals in Cucurbitaceae Family Vegetables

Posted on August 13, 2021 by Robert Barrington

The Cucurbitaceae family vegetables include the common cucumber that most people are familiar with from supermarkets. However, melons are also part of this family. Both cucumbers and melons are medicinal in nature, and this relates to the phytochemicals they contain. … Continue reading →

Posted in Cardiac Glycosides, Carotenoids, Cucurbitaceae (Cucumber and Melon), Saponins, Sterols and Stanols, Terpenes, Vicine | Comments Off on The Phytochemicals in Cucurbitaceae Family Vegetables

Drink More Water to Improve Mood?

Posted on August 12, 2021 by Robert Barrington

A high quality diet containing all the essential nutrients has been shown to be particularly beneficial to mental health. In addition, the avoidance of stress, the avoidance of toxins and pollutants and the avoidance of poor quality foods are also … Continue reading →

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Borage officianalis (Starflower)

Posted on August 11, 2021 by Robert Barrington

Borage officianalis is a flowering plant belonging to the Boraginaceae family of plants. The plant is characterised by star shaped blue flowers which give it its alternative name of the starflower plant. However, white and pink flowered alternatives also exist. … Continue reading →

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Cocoa as a Mood Enhancing Drink

Posted on August 10, 2021 by Robert Barrington

Cocoa is a drink that has been extensively researched for its health effects. Cocoa is thought to be healthy because of the phytochemicals it contains. In particular, cocoa contains a group of flavonoid polymers called proanthocyanidins that may act as … Continue reading →

Posted in Anxiety, Cocoa (Theobroma cacao), Depression, Flavonoids, Mood | Comments Off on Cocoa as a Mood Enhancing Drink

L-Theanine, Melissa officianalis and Magnolia officinalis for mood

Posted on August 9, 2021 by Robert Barrington

Combination therapy is the use of multiple compounds to treat a particular condition. Combination therapy using plant compounds is particularly useful in the treatment of mood disorders because plant compounds tend to have different but overlapping effects on various aspects … Continue reading →

Posted in Anxiety, Depression, L-theanine, Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), Magnolia, Mood | Comments Off on L-Theanine, Melissa officianalis and Magnolia officinalis for mood

Resistance Training: Not Just For The Young

Posted on August 6, 2021 by Robert Barrington

Resistance training has a number of health benefits. These include a general improvement in physical fitness, as well as specific adaptations that include increased muscle mass, improvements in cardiovascular fitness and reductions in stress levels. Studies have investigated the effects … Continue reading →

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Exercise to Reduce Stress Levels

Posted on August 5, 2021 by Robert Barrington

There is an old saying that the best thing for stress is a little strain. What this really means is that exercise (strain) is a good way of managing stress. Exercise is itself a form of stress, and over exercising, … Continue reading →

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Metabolic Syndrome and Depression

Posted on August 4, 2021 by Robert Barrington

Depression in humans and animals is associated with significant metabolic changes including increased oxidative stress, inflammation and the release of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. Such metabolic changes are commonly found together in sufferers of metabolic syndrome, a … Continue reading →

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