
Why Does Forest Bathing Boost Natural Killer Cell Function?
Can the aroma of wood essential oils replicate the immune-boosting effects of walking in a forest?
Topic summary contributed by volunteer(s): Randy
Too much physical or emotional stress can be harmful to our health. For example, athletes who overtrain may actually put excessive stress on their bodies that may increase their risk of infection.
Stress may reduce our antioxidant levels, but stress management may be helpful in reducing cardiovascular disease risk. Dr. Dean Ornish has conducted studies showing that a combination of a low-fat, whole-foods, plant-based diet; moderate exercise; and stress management can reverse heart disease. Stress management may help protect telomeres, which in turn may help slow biological aging.
A range of factors can help us lower our stress. Regular exercise can help reduce stress. Indian gooseberries, also known as amla, and Rooibos tea may also help reduce stress. The scent of the spice saffron may bring down stress hormone levels. The purported role arachidonic acid, which is in animal products, may play brain inflammation could explain why eliminating chicken, fish, and eggs may improve mood disturbance, depression, anxiety and stress symptoms within two weeks. Overall, vegetarians appear be less stressed than omnivores.
Can the aroma of wood essential oils replicate the immune-boosting effects of walking in a forest?
Visiting a forest can induce a significant increase in both the number and activity of natural killer cells, one of the ways our body fights off cancer.
The diving reflex shows that it’s possible to have selective adrenal hormone effects.
Plant-based diets are put to the test for treating migraine headaches.
Who has the healthiest thoughts, attitudes, and habits regarding food?
Does excluding dairy products, food additives, and gluten-containing grains from one’s diet help those with recurring canker sores (aphthous ulcers)?
Odds are most women will get at least one false-positive mammogram, but, thankfully, most women who are called back for further testing of a suspicious mammogram finding do not end up having cancer after all.
How might we improve immune function in children and adults under physical or psychological stress?
What happens when metastatic prostate cancer patients were taught to increase intake of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans, and to decrease consumption of meat, dairy, and junk?
Dr. Dean Ornish showed that a plant-based diet and lifestyle program could apparently reverse the progression of prostate cancer, but that was for early stage, localized, watch-and-wait cancer. What about for more advanced stage life-threatening disease?
Whole plant sources of sugar and fat can ameliorate some of the postprandial (after-meal) inflammation caused by the consumption of refined carbohydrates and meat.
Within hours of eating an unhealthy meal, we can get a spike in inflammation, crippling our artery function, thickening our blood, and causing a fight-or-flight nerve response. Thankfully, there are foods we can eat at every meal to counter this reaction.