 Better for people. Better for the planet. Better with the Butterfly. Non-GMO month is a time to celebrate transparency in our food system, support biodiversity, and protect our genetic inheritance for future generations. The Non-GMO Project believes that everyone has a right to know how their food was grown. As a nonprofit organization, their mission is to provide rigorous product verification and trustworthy education that empowers people to care for themselves, the planet and future generations. What are GMOs? A GMO, or genetically modified organism, is a plant, animal, or microorganism that has been subjected to biotechnology. Bitotechnology includes techniques such as using synthetic genetic sequences to change the organism's genetic material (i.e., DNA or RNA), or forcing the combination of very unrelated organisms that would not normally reproduce in nature. GMO developers use biotechnology to alter an organism's fundamental characteristics. Why back the Butterfly? Non-GMO Project Verified products are all working towards the common goal – GMO avoidance. But the reasons to support a non-GMO food supply are varied. Here are some of the ways our collective efforts are making a difference:
So, stop on by here at The Whole Wheatery and check out the wide variety of non-GMO products we have to offer and speak with one of our associates and we would love to show you, our faves!
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 Fatigue and brain fog are two of the most challenging symptoms of long COVID.
This study gave a combination of astragalus and Salvia miltiorrhiza, also known as Chinese sage or danshen, to 49 people with long COVID who were experiencing severe fatigue or brain fog. Chinese sage is a close relative of the western herb sage. After 4 weeks, there was a significant improvement of about 50% in both physical and mental fatigue. People rated their fatigue as improved by 54% and their brain fog by 52%. They also reported that their quality of life improved by 47%. The researchers called these improvements “significant” and “radical.” Front Pharmacol. 2024;15:1394810.  Recent research is discovering an unexpected relationship between exercise and gut health. If you are an athlete, or you workout, taking probiotics may improve your athletic performance and your health.
Exercise is good for you. So, it is no surprise that it is good for your gut microbiota, the microorganisms, friendly and unfriendly, in your gut. But high intensity and endurance exercise can have a negative effect on the intestinal microbiota that can lead to GI symptoms, psychological symptoms and poorer athletic performance. Probiotics improve your gut microbiota and have been shown to correct negative changes in the gut caused by exercise and to improve endurance performance in athletes. This just published double-blind study gave 19 marathon runners either a placebo or a probiotic supplement containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium longum for 5 weeks. They all ran the 12-minute Cooper Running/Walking test before and after. The test measures aerobic endurance and cardiovascular and physical fitness. It is a good predictor of long-term health. After 5 weeks, the runners who took the probiotics had significant increases in total distance in the 12-minute Cooper test. There was no improvement in the placebo group. The athletes on probiotics also had significant improvement on the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale and on Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index scale. This intriguing study shows that taking probiotics can significantly improve exercise endurance performance and gastrointestinal health and its related quality of life. J Exerc Sci Fit. 2024 Oct; 22(4): 297–304.  Most women are affected by PMS, and many of them are put on drugs. That means that many women are regularly prescribed hormones or antidepressants. But maybe they don’t need to be!
Sixty women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) were given either pomegranate extract or nothing for two cycles. The women who were given the pomegranate extract had a significantly greater improvement in PMS symptom scores. The study also looked at how the pomegranate extract impacted quality of life. It found that social quality of live improved significantly more in the pomegranate group. This study shows that pomegranate extract improves symptoms of PMS and does it well enough to significantly improve your quality of life. J Affect Disord. 2024 Sep 14 ;368:266-273.  As the seasons are changing, the air starts to become brisk and chill. But that's not that's all in the air: harmful germs are also lurking, poised and ready to strike. Luckily there are plenty of simple ways to support immunity and keep us feeling strong in the face of illness season. Illnesses to beware of this fall and winter.
Who's the most vulnerable? Children are the most susceptible to catching viruses because of their underdeveloped immune systems, as are people over the age of 65, pregnant women, people who smoke, and anyone with a weakened immune system due to chronic illness. What to Eat for Immune HealthAntioxidants Try to eat a "rainbow" of foods, says Sivasankaran, meaning brightly colored fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants, which offer antiaging and anti-inflammatory benefits that play an important role in preventing many chronic diseases. These include berries, leafy green vegetables, carrots, and squash. Healthy Fats In addition to wholesome fruits and vegetables, include healthy fats such as good quality extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, and nuts as these can help with inflammation and cellular responses. Fermented Foods Foods with live bacteria culture like kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and yogurt are full of probiotics which provide support to the immune system by promoting healthy bacteria in the gut. Herbal Teas and Soups Along with antioxidant rich raw honey, soups, and bone broth, herbal teas can be very nourishing and soothing this time of year, says Duffy. When making soups, try adding plenty of garlic and warming spice like ginger, cinnamon, and turmeric for their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Healthy Fats In addition to wholesome fruits and vegetables, include healthy fats such as good quality extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, and nuts as these can help with inflammation and cellular responses. Unwind and Get a Good Night's SleepThose who consistently get less than seven hours of sleep a day are up to three times more likely to catch a common cold than those who generally sleep eight or more hours. This is because during sleep, our bodies build up defenses; when we don't sleep enough, we lack the antibodies needed to fight infection. If you're having trouble sleeping, try creating a sleep ritual, like journaling or taking a warm bath, avoiding screens and large meals before bedtime, or cutting out caffeine. Stress stimulates a fight or flight response in the body; when this happens., our white blood cells are weakened, and we become more vulnerable to infection. Incorporate self-care rituals into you daily life like daily yoga or having quiet time with a cup of tea. Supplements for Immune System
Feeling a Sore Throat Coming Around? Here's Help.We all know the feeling of a dreaded sore throat. It can either go away, or lead to something worse. Thats why we think it's important to know what to do as soon as you feel discomfort in your throat. Here is a list of natural remedies to try and foods you may want to avoid:
Some people do avoid dairy as it may thicken mucus production. Beware of drinks that are overly hot, which can lead to further irritation.
 A 12-week, double-blind study has shown that vitamin B6 can reduce depression in college women taking oral contraceptives. While depression worsened by 11% on the Beck Depression Inventory in the placebo group, it improved by 20% on B6.
J Diet Suppl. 2023;20(4):550-562.  This new double-blind study explored whether the herb licorice could shorten stays in the ICU for critically ill COVID patients.
Better known as a candy, licorice is actually a powerful and versatile herb. It is anti-inflammatory and antiviral, which makes it an interesting candidate for COVID. Licorice modulates the release of inflammatory cytokines and prevents the virus that causes COVID from entering your cells (Phytomed Plus. 2021 Aug;1(3):100043). Previous studies have shown that licorice can improve cure rates in COVID (Chin J Virol. 2020; 1:160–4). This new double-blind study is intriguing because it included people in intensive care units who were critically ill with COVID. All of them received standard care, while half were also given a placebo, and half were also given 380mg of licorice root extract standardized to 3% glycyrrhizin twice a day for 5 days. There was no improvement in secondary outcomes, including oxygen saturation, duration of ventilation or mortality rate. But what the researchers really wanted to find out, the primary outcome, was whether licorice could reduce the length of stay in the ICU. And it did. The people given licorice had significantly shorter stays in the ICU. While the standard treatment plus placebo group averaged 25 days in ICU, the standard care plus licorice group averaged only 13.1 days. They also had shorter hospital stays (23.7 days versus 35.1), though that trend did not quite reach statistical significance. J Res Pharm Pract. 2023 Oct-Dec;12(4):141–147.  High blood pressure is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease. Eating more vegetables is recommended to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. A new study suggests that eating more cruciferous vegetables may be especially effective.
Cruciferous foods are a family of vegetables that includes cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, arugula, Bok choy, collards, radish, turnip, watercress and others. This controlled study compared a soup made of cruciferous vegetables to a soup made of root and squash vegetables. The cruciferous soup contained 40% broccoli, 25% cauliflower, 25% cabbage, and 10% kale, and the control soup contained 40% potato, 30% pumpkin, 20% carrot, and 10% sweet potato. None of the 18 participants–all of whom had mildly elevated blood pressure–knew which soup they were eating. At the end of the 2-week study, blood pressure was reduced by a significantly greater 2.5 mmHg in the cruciferous group. That reduction could translate into a 5% reduced risk of major cardiovascular events. That result may be especially impressive because the control group was far from a placebo. The vegetables in the control soup might also lower blood pressure. Though the cruciferous soup lowered triglycerides better than the control soup, both significantly improved total, LDL and HDL cholesterol as well as glucose levels, and both significantly lowered weight, body mass index and body fat mass. This study suggests that eating cruciferous vegetables may be especially effective for lowering blood pressure in people with elevated blood pressure. BMC Med 2024;22,353.  This little talked about herb is building an impressive resume for diabetes.
Several studies have now shown the fruit, leaf, and twigs of mulberry to help people with diabetes. Now, yet another study has added to the accumulating evidence. Improving glycemic control is a key to managing diabetes. Slowing the digestion of carbohydrates helps manage glycemic control. Mulberry contains components that slow the final step in the digestion of carbohydrates and reduce the rate of glucose uptake. This new study used mulberry fruit extract. 24 unmedicated type 2 diabetics were given either nothing or .27 mg of mulberry fruit extract added to carbohydrates. Compared to the control group, the mulberry group reduced blood sugar 2 hours after eating 22.4%. it reduced insulin after eating by 17.5% This small study adds to the evidence that supplementing mulberry safely help-s manage glucose and can help diabetics. Nutrients. 2024 Jul;16(14):2177  This systematic review and meta-analysis of 29 controlled studies included many forms of garlic, including powder, aged garlic extract, enteric coated garlic, garlic oil and raw garlic.
It found that garlic significantly improves fasting blood glucose and HbA1c, the most important marker of long-term blood sugar and diabetes control. Garlic also significantly lowered the bad LDL cholesterol, significantly raised the good HDL cholesterol, and significantly improved total cholesterol. This new meta-analysis adds to the ever-growing body of evidence that garlic benefits blood sugar and cholesterol. Nutrients. 2024;16(11):1692 |
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