Donnie Yance is an internationally known master herbalist and nutritionist. He is the author of the book, "Herbal Medicine, Healing and Cancer" and "Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism"
Reflections for Easter, Passover, and Spring
By Donnie Yance
Just before Christmas, I lost my youngest sister Gi Gi, to a sudden accident. She was in a coma for several weeks prior to her transition. As my sister hovered between life and death, I found myself in a deep state of grief and reflection. A reflection on birth, life, death, and the embracing of the great mystery. I choose to call the great mystery Love, or, better stated, Agape Love.
Continue reading “In Death and Grief We Find Love“
Herbs to treat Parkinson’s disease: Many important herbs are effective in supporting people with Parkinson’s disease. I will walk you through some of these herbs and other natural compounds that can help you or a loved one facing this disease.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common age-related neurodegenerative disease facing middle-aged and older adults.
In 1817, James Parkinson wrote the first description of PD. Also known as idiopathic paralysis agitans, Parkinson’s disease affects the central nervous system. About 1% of those over the age of 65 suffer from it. According to the Global Burden of Disease survey, in 2017, there were 1.02 million new cases of PD.[1] Globally, 6.1 million PD patients were recorded in 2016.[2]
Statins for Lowering Heart Disease: A Bogus Study Fuels False Claims
Do statins for lowering heart disease work? The headlines recently announced that low doses of statins reduce the risk of heart disease, while supplements do nothing.
For instance, a CNN headline from November 7 reads: “Don’t bother with dietary supplements for heart health, study says.”
ScienceBasedMedicine.org crows: “Study – For Lowering Cholesterol, Statins Work, Supplements Don’t.”
This blanket mainstream praise of statins for lowering heart disease comes from a new study: “Comparative Effects of Low-Dose Rosuvastatin, Placebo and Dietary Supplements on Lipids and Inflammatory Biomarkers.” The study was conducted by an impressive team of researchers from several esteemed institutions, including the Cleveland Clinic and the University of Pennsylvania.
Let’s take a closer look.
Continue reading “A Bogus Study Makes False Claims About Statins Versus Supplements“
The many health benefits of whole grains are why I often write about this subject.
The data continues to mount on the health benefits of these humble foods. This is because they are not only good for human health, but also for the health of our planet.
I recently watched the TV series “The Chosen.” When someone asked Jesus what his favorite food was, Jesus said, bread.
While it is fashionable now in some health circles to denigrate bread, bread is also my favorite food. Especially bread made from freshly milled whole grains. The health benefits of whole grains are so pronounced—and the taste so delicious—I’ll take a slice of hardy whole-grain bread over just about anything.
It’s important to reduce medication prescriptions for older adults (and everyone else). Why do we want to reduce medication prescriptions? Because prescription drugs are the third leading cause of death in the United States and Europe. Only heart disease and cancer cause more death.
In 2014 Peter Gøtzsche, a medical doctor and internationally known researcher and book author, wrote an article, called “Our prescription drugs kill us in large numbers.” In some ways his work is more relevant today than when he first wrote it. As Dr. Gøtzsche points out:
The COVID-19 pandemic has had deleterious effects on overall health in numerous ways, and not only for those who actually contracted the disease.[1] For many people, COVID-19 lockdowns negatively affected physical activity and diet, which are risk factors for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, including hypertension and obesity.[2],[3],[4]
Equally concerning is that the importance of health optimization has been largely ignored.
The entire premise for vaccinations is to utilize non-pathogenic material to mimic the immunological response of a natural infection, thereby conferring immunity in the event of pathogen exposure.[5]
Continue reading “The Role of Nutrition in Individual and Planetary Health”