When people ask their doctors about lupus causes, their answer can sometimes sound frustratingly vague. While they know that genetics plays a role, as do hormones and the environment, specific triggers have largely remained elusive. A new study from Stanford University now pushes one suspect, Epstein-Barr virus, to the center of the stage. Younis and...
Chronic Illness & Alternatives
Take a holistic look at chronic health conditions — from autoimmune strategies to natural pain relief — through the lens of integrative healing.
Have you ever heard of The Holy Fruit of the Himalayas? How about the Siberian Pineapple? Though it may come with a variety of interesting names, they all refer to the same fruit: Hippophae rhamnoides, or the sea buckthorn berry. This vibrant orange-yellow berry is not just used because it tastes good, either – it...
Illness and disease don’t exist in silos: often, one can trigger or exacerbate another. Emerging evidence is painting a clearer, more urgent picture: the global epidemic of diabetes may be one of the strongest, yet most controllable risk factors for developing dementia. Far from being two separate conditions, researchers are increasingly recognizing them as a...
When 23 year old actress Isabelle Tate passed away on October 19, her cause of death shocked fans everywhere. Reports confirmed she died from a rare form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a condition that affects the nerves and muscles in the body. Her story feels both heartbreaking and inspiring, showing how rare disorders can shape lives...
As Mary Poppins once said, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. But what about a spoonful of plastic and chemicals? That’s what many people are unknowingly swallowing with their softgel medications and supplements. Most of us associate vitamins with health, safety, and self-care. Yet new research is revealing that the glossy coating...
Experiencing persistent itching on or around your breasts can be annoying, uncomfortable, and, for many, a source of anxiety. While it is understandable to worry about serious health issues like breast cancer, it is important to know that in the vast majority of cases, an itchy breast or nipple is due to a completely benign...
The landscape of treating Huntington’s disease, a cruel and relentless neurological disorder, may be on the verge of a revolutionary shift. For a disease that has long defied efforts to slow its progression, new data from a pivotal gene therapy study has delivered a powerful and unprecedented message of hope. The research suggests that actively...
A 34-year-old Canadian man regained vision after a rare “tooth-in-eye” surgery. He joins fellow Canadian citizens, a 75-year-old British Columbia woman, Gail Lane, and 2 others who were the first successful recipients of the surgery. After experiencing a rare allergic reaction, Brent Chapman lost his vision at 13 years old. Now, thanks to a rare...
Until now, Multiple Sclerosis has been a disease that has baffled scientists and doctors. New research, however, is pointing to a surprising potential cause of Multiple Sclerosis (MS): two specific types of gut bacteria. A study published in the journal Science suggests that these microbes may be a key environmental trigger for this devastating autoimmune...
Back in the late 1800s, medicine didn’t have all the answers. People died from infections that today we might cure with pills. And then there was Niels Ryberg Finsen, a doctor from Denmark, who thought sunlight itself could heal. He wasn’t wrong either. Known as the doctor who healed with sunlight, he proved light could...
In 2014, a series of strange-looking knee X-rays made their rounds on social media. The x-rays, which revealed hundreds of tiny lines around the knees, have recently reappeared online. The x-rays belonged to a South Korean woman who was 65 years of age at the time. She had previously been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, a condition...
Imagine waking up with hands so dry and cracked that even turning a doorknob feels painful. For many people, this is not just an occasional annoyance but a daily reality. Hand Dermatitis, also known as eczema on hands, is more than just dry skin. It is a persistent condition that can make simple tasks, such...