Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is widely used as a spice throughout the world. It has been a component of herbal medicines for colds, constipation, insomnia, and relief from flatulence, etc. in traditional Thai medicine. In other traditions such as Indian and Chinese medicine, ginger has been used for several disorders such as nausea and arthritis[Read…]

Olive oil is a vegetable oil obtained from olives, the fruits of the olive tree (Oleaeuropaea L.; family Oleaceae). Olive oil is obtained by pressing and crushing whole olives and separating the oil by physical or chemical processes. If olive oil is obtained “solely by mechanical or other physical means under conditions, particularly thermal conditions,[Read…]

The role of vitamin D in Cod Liver Oil Cod liver oil is a traditional source of vitamin D in Iceland as it is in other Nordic countries. A follow-up study of 50–70 year old women from the Norwegian Nord-Trøndelag Health Study found that older women who had taken cod liver oil as children had[Read…]

Rice bran is the outer brown layer of the rice grain. A paddy grain’s basic components include fiber, lipids, amino acids as well as a variety of vitamins and minerals. This nutritionally rich bran is obtained as a by-product of the rice milling process. The oil extracted from this bran is called rice bran oil[Read…]

The herbal remedies referred to as “ginseng” are derived from the roots of several plants. Panax ginseng, usually known as Asian or Korean ginseng, is one of the most widely used and researched ginsengs. The main active components of Panax ginseng are ginsenosides, which have been demonstrated to provide a variety of beneficial effects, including[Read…]

FOOD SUPPLEMENTS FOR WEIGHT LOSS Overweight and obesity cause more deaths worldwide than underweight. The overweight and obesity states are more likely to develop hypertension, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, sleep apnea, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular diseases, various types of cancer, and premature death. Therefore, the importance of prevention and treatment of obesity is widely acknowledged [1]. There[Read…]

THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF ZINC SUPPLEMENTS Zinc is a trace element that is required for living organisms and their biological processes. Because the body cannot accumulate zinc, it is essential to take this element consistently in the diet [1].  In the human body, zinc is found in muscles (60%), bones (30%) and skin (5%). Zinc[Read…]

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF COENZYME Q10 Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an essential compound of the human body which is synthesized in the mitochondrial inner membrane. The molecule of CoQ10 has a highly lipophilic character and the base of its structure belongs to quinone chemical group. Because it has a “tail” of 10 isoprenoid units attached[Read…]

HEALTH BENEFITS OF VITAMIN B Vitamins are a group of organic compounds which are essential for normal physiological functioning but are not synthesized by the body and therefore be obtained from the diet in modest amounts. Humans require adequate 12 vitamins in total: four fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and eight water soluble[Read…]

HEALTH BENEFITS OF FISH OIL Fish oil is a rich source of long chain omega-3 fatty acids which are polyunsaturated fats that primarily include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Initially, these compounds were suggested as a daily omega-3 fatty acid supplement for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Consequently, fish oil supplements are[Read…]