science

Before you click off this blog because the idea of skipping a meal or two is scary or not do-able, it may be much easier than you think. So why not stick around until the end before jumping to any conclusions. So let’s start with the basics. What defines a fast? It’s essentially when you completely, or almost completely, stop... Read More

"All disease starts in the gut" - Hippocrates Here’s a fun fact of the day: we have 100 trillion bacteria in our body. But before you stress, don’t worry they are supposed to be there and are a good thing. They make up your intestinal microbiome. Another fun fact: Our gut contains two thirds of our immune system, so it's... Read More

With over 70% of the UKs population having at least the first dose of the vaccine, we seem to breathe a sigh of relief. However, there may be another challenge that lies ahead this winter cold & flu season.  Whilst we were all isolating and keeping safe from C***d 19 (for censorship reasons we’re not allowed to say the C... Read More

First things first. we need to lay some ground rules. We can’t mention the C word. Big pharma has the monopoly on it so we aren’t even technically allowed to talk about it. But hey, we believe in the power of science and don’t think there is anything wrong with sharing the science… so that’s what we will do. We... Read More

Yeah yeah, we all know exercise is healthy. So what’s the point of telling me again how healthy it is for me. Well… the point is you probably don’t know the level of exercise you need to avoid being classed as sedentary. So, first what is a sedentary lifestyle? A sedentary lifestyle is one involving little or no physical activity.... Read More

Summer. For most, it's the season we spend all winter looking forward to. The joys of spending time outside, enjoying the sun and cracking open a cold one. But for up to 1 in 5 Brits it can also mark the beginning of dreaded hay fever season: a time of runny noses, itchy eyes, sneezes, and general discomfort. Hay fever... Read More

Inflammation is a word that is always thrown around in the health and wellness world. We see countless headlines saying “5 ways to reduce inflammation” or “7 anti-inflammatory foods”. Ring a bell? But a narrative that you rarely hear is that inflammation can actually be a good thing! Without it, there are any things we wouldn’t be able to heal... Read More

Vaccines are brilliant and life saving, They prevent over 4.5 million deaths per year! Incredible right. Immunization has become such an important part of disease prevention and especially now.  With everyone relying on the vaccine to put an end to the pandemic, we need to ask ourselves:  What is integral to vaccine effectiveness and how can we improve their performance?... Read More

"The most recent studies now even state that humans are made up of on average around 30 trillion human cells and 39 trillion bacteria"  Here at Tonic, we love the power of the natural world and the amazing things your body can achieve when you give it the right fuel. Take macrophages, for example, trained in the detection and destruction... Read More

As you might imagine, our team here at Tonic Health frequently hears various claims, counter-claims and counter-counter-claims, on the subject of what may or may not strengthen the immune system. Just one of those supposed ‘immune boosters’ to have come to particular prominence in recent years is cold therapy. So, it’s worth asking ourselves whether it does or doesn’t live... Read More

It’s one of the first things that we’re accustomed to doing, as soon as we begin to feel less than our best; we reach for that box of paracetamol or ibuprofen, seeking some relief for our symptoms. Indeed, so automatic is this habit, that we might not even consider exactly what these drugs do to our bodies, or even whether... Read More

Few of us can be in any doubt about the crucial role of vitamin D in our all-round health. This fat-soluble vitamin is naturally produced by the body in response to sunlight exposure – which helps explain why it is widely known as the “sunshine vitamin”. Furthermore, it is associated with various functions and positive outcomes for health, including regulating... Read More

Tonic’s new partnership with Thriva on the 8-week Immunity Challenge has got everyone pretty excited. So much so that some of the team at Tonic wanted to take part in it. To give you more detail into the challenge, you get an 8-week supply of Tonic High Dose Immunity Drink, 2 Thriva blood testing kits (one for before and after)... Read More

The role of the immune system is to protect the body from pathogens, toxins, and potential threats. The individual components of the immune system are spread throughout the body but work together to coordinate an effective immune response and to keep us safe. An immune response is triggered as soon as a foreign particle enters the body. The purpose of the innate,... Read More

A lot has been said down the years about how it’s a good thing to be a giving and generous person. Of course, giving to and helping others is good for its own sake, but there has also been a debate – including an increasingly scientific one – about the knock-on benefits it could have for the giver. Giving back... Read More

Glutathione – pronounced “gluta-thigh-own” – isn’t exactly a familiar part of the lexicon of even some of the most health-conscious people. Yet, it probably should be. There’s plenty of evidence, after all, pointing to this potent antioxidant’s very significant role in supporting all-round human health. And antioxidants – for those of you who don’t know – are integral to combating... Read More

The term “autoimmune disease” is an umbrella term for various conditions where the immune system starts mistakenly attacking the body’s own tissues. There are many different types of autoimmune disease – with especially well-known examples including psoriasis, multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes. However, the main contributing factors behind the onset of autoimmune disease remain largely shrouded in mystery. While... Read More

The pandemic has renewed attention to the link between an individual’s general health and their susceptibility to serious health complications from contracting respiratory illness – with the factor of obesity particularly coming into the frame.   Obesity’s adverse effect on an array of diseases – including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer – is now well-established. However, obesity’s impact on the... Read More

How much do you know about your spleen? If you’re anything like a lot of people, your answer to that question may well be, not very much. A lot of us aren’t even aware of what the spleen’s broader purpose is, or where it is in the body, let alone what it might do to strengthen the immune system. So,... Read More

We can understand if, when someone mentions selenium to you, the only thing that comes to mind is a vague memory of it having been in the periodic table you were taught at school. It turns out, however, that this essential mineral is by no means only distantly relevant to our health. Selenium is a trace mineral, which means you... Read More

Such has been the pervading impact of the COVID-19 crisis on almost every aspect of our lives, that it has been almost impossible for most of us not to learn a few new medical concepts and terms along the way. After all, how much were you thinking about ‘herd immunity’ or ‘asymptomatic transmission’ back in 2019? More recently, a major... Read More

Garlic is hardly new to our diets in the 2020s – indeed, it has been noted for its health and medicinal properties since ancient times. One form of garlic in particular, however, seems to have attracted a lot of notice in recent years – and it’s another example of how sometimes in life, the best things really do come to... Read More

Any fungus that enjoys nicknames like “the king of the mushrooms” or even “the mushroom of immortality” has to be worth investigation for potential health benefits, right? Well, this is precisely the case for the fan-shaped, orange-to-reddish-brown superfood known as reishi mushrooms. The “king” nickname for these mushrooms – which are often referred to by scientists as the slightly less... Read More

When it comes to vitamins, C, D and Zinc are some of the best known. But why exactly does the body like them so much and what role do they play in keeping us healthy? We’ll look through some of the latest clinical studies to understand the benefits of vitamin C, vitamin D and Zinc for today’s world.  Vitamin C and Skin... Read More

It’s well-known that the skin is the body’s biggest organ – and of course, it’s also the most visible. Unsurprisingly, then, the skin is one of the first places where signs are often seen of what may be more serious underlying health problems – or even just the need to alter one’s lifestyle. Whether it’s the cosmetic effects of certain... Read More

‘Blue Monday’ is used to refer to what is apparently the ‘most depressing day of the year.’ This day usually falls on the third Monday in January, which means today will apparently be the most depressing day of 2021! While on the one hand this might seem like good news, in that at least we’ll soon have the worst of... Read More

You’ve probably been told to or have heard the saying in some form or another to wrap up warm when you’re going out in the cold because you don’t want to end up sick. Whilst colder temperatures itself doesn’t make you sick there are factors, that are linked to cold weather, that may contribute to a higher risk of contracting the cold or flu virus.   The life of a virus. ... Read More

When stepping outside on a cold winter morning or on a snowy day, the air often has a particular smell that is difficult to put into words. What most people don’t realise is that there are a few factors that play a part in the ‘smell of winter’ that range from physical factors and psychological factors.     It’s not that there are less smells in winter, the odour particles move less.  In... Read More

When many of us hear the word “allergy”, we immediately think of those sneezes and sniffles that some of us experience in response to particular foods or other substances. But by better understanding what allergies are beyond their symptoms, we stand a better chance of preventing them being an issue in our lives – for example, by seeking suitable treatment.... Read More

As a supplement, GABA has long been the subject of a lot of confusion. That’s probably partly due to it being not only a supplement capable of ingestion, but also a chemical produced within the body. And while those two things are also true of melatonin, GABA is nothing like as well-known. GABA is important to the body in terms... Read More

Lichenized fungus, or Lichen for short, is a composite organism meaning it is two organisms acting as one, most commonly a symbiotic relationship including alga and fungus. Although they appear to look a lot like moss, they are neither a type of moss or a plant at all for that matter! They do not have roots to absorb water like... Read More

Short answer D3. And there is 1200 IU (30 ug) of it in every Tonic Sachet! Why are there two types of vitamin D? D3 is the active form, known as called calciferol. We can get this through dietary sources like mushrooms and oily fish, and the body produces this in response to sunshine. D2, sometimes called ergocalciferol is not... Read More

If you’ve heard anything before about collagen, it’s probably its status as the body’s most abundant protein, or its claimed benefits for the skin and hair. What you might not have known so much about, is collagen’s potential relevance to supporting your immune health. A key “glue” for the body Let’s start from the very beginning, by explaining what collagen... Read More

Your immune system is meant to safeguard your body against the risk of disease and infection, and to this end, can normally tell the difference between the body’s own cells and any foreign cells from external sources. When, however, your immune system fails to distinguish between your own cells and unwelcome foreign invaders, it can end up mistakenly attacking your... Read More

With a fever reported to be the most common symptom of COVID-19, the above is a very pertinent question. Yes, you’ll be aware already that the term ‘fever’ refers to an elevated body temperature – but what temperature actually constitutes a fever, and how concerned should you be by it? Assessing whether you do, or don’t, have a fever First... Read More

As the world waits with bated breath for confirmation of the successful development of a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, you may understandably wonder about the vitamin and nutrient supplements that you might already be taking to support your health. What have the findings of previous research indicated about the relationship between supplements and vaccines, and the implications for wellness... Read More

The reason why stress affects us so much is that our body really hasn’t changed much in 60,000 years. Cortisol is a stress hormone produced in the adrenal glands (little glands that sit on top of the kidneys) which are hard wired to the body’s ‘fight or flight’ survival response. 60,000 years ago this would’ve been essential to either fight... Read More

There’s no shortage of slightly eyebrow-raising foods that have been cited as effective for relieving the symptoms of cold and flu down the years, and you may have given some of them a go yourself when feeling under the weather. But has it ever crossed your mind in such circumstances to reach for a few slices of pineapple? According to... Read More

Myths, a widely held but false belief or idea. They are something we all hear in our daily lives, but where do they come from and why do they often need busting in accordance with the truth? Well, myths are kind of like stereotypes, a major way in which we simplify our social world; since they reduce the amount of... Read More

Ask almost any pet owner, and they’ll tell you that owning and looking after their beloved dog, cat or other furry or feathered friend has definitely been good for their health. However, a lot of the discussion about how beneficial our pets are for our health has long revolved around how their affectionateness after a long and difficult day supports... Read More

The central importance of the immune system for protecting you from all manner of maladies can so often be forgotten about, right up until the moment something obviously goes wrong. The good news, though, is that with a bit of knowledge, you can better spot the telltale signs of below-par immune health, so that you can swiftly take the steps... Read More

It’s very much the responsible thing to take the time to actually read the labels of the vitamin supplements you’re comparing in a high-street health store, or for that matter, to scrutinise the specifications you might see listed for such products online. However, it can be an altogether different task to actually properly understand what you read on the label of... Read More

While it is the winter months that people usually most associate with such maladies as cold and flu, the warmer and sunnier time of year brings a new threat: that of seasonal allergies, such as hay fever. When one adds to this the ongoing and unpredictable COVID-19 threat, it’s clear that even during the spring and summer, there can be... Read More

It’s an enticing idea for many of us; the idea that we can somehow trigger our immune systems into action via some kind of immediate ‘shock’ or trauma. Indeed, one of those potential means of providing such a ‘shock’ – a cold shower or bath – has been the subject of a few fair traditions and ‘old wives’ tales’ down... Read More

You’ve probably heard a fair amount about the importance of zinc, especially if you have so much as a casual interest in bodybuilding. While zinc is a trace mineral – which means you only need small amounts of it to be healthy – of the key trace minerals, only iron is present in a greater concentration in the body. This... Read More

The crucial role that vitamin C – also known as ascorbic acid – has in a range of bodily functions should not be understated. This essential water-soluble vitamin helps to safeguard the health of your body’s cells. It’s a big factor in keeping your skin, blood vessels, cartilage and bones in the best possible shape, and is also instrumental in... Read More

They’ve got a menacing enough name – but what are they, and what is their role in human health? Natural killer cells are also sometimes referred to as NK cells, killer cells, or just K cells. They’re a type of white blood cell, or lymphocyte, and form part of the innate immune system. Wait – what do we mean by... Read More

None of us want to find ourselves struggling to get to sleep, but of course, it can happen for all kinds of reasons, and often at times when we feel we can least afford it. Thankfully, however, as the Sleep Council has observed, there are also lots of ways to help to ensure a restful night’s sleep - here are 24... Read More

The appendix, the small, never thought of organ that most misconceive of as redundant. The appendix is a small, finger like projection which comes out of the large intestine on the right sight of the abdomen. Historically it has been thought of nothing more than an evolutionary hangover that provides no modern-day function and can be a real pain in... Read More

We’re one of the few mammals (aside from guinea pigs, primates and fruit bats) that can’t make our own vitamin C. And when we eat it in our food, the body finds it difficult to store it. That’s because it’s a water-soluble vitamin, which is less stable versus the fat-soluble vitamins A, E, D and K that are stored for... Read More