All posts by cytoffice

The charitable activity of Cytoplan in 2023

Charity sits right at the heart of Cytoplan. Since conception in 1990, the philosophy of the company has been built on the foundations of helping others and improving people’s health and wellbeing.

Since 2006 our company has been owned by a charitable foundation. From 2006 to November 2023, we were owned by The AIM Foundation (AIM), with a share of our profits given to AIM in order to fund its Nutrition for Health & Wellbeing charitable donations.

This is now set to continue under the Nutritional Wellbeing Foundation (NWF), which was founded in July 2023 and is now the sole owner of Cytoplan. The NWF has taken on AIM’s nutritional grant commitments and Cytoplan profits will continue to fund NWF’s grants in the future.

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Minimalist flatlay of a brown glass tincture bottle on a cream background.

What is a tincture? A look at their benefits and uses

Tinctures are concentrated liquid herbal extracts. The plant part that is used can vary from plant to plant (e.g. some will be bark, some root, some seed, some leaf, some fruit or just flower). Some tinctures use a combination of plant parts.

Tinctures have long been revered for their health benefits. We recently launched our own range and so to celebrate, this week’s blog looks at the uses and benefits of each one.

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Stress and anxiety

Natural supplements for stress and anxiety

Stress is a major factor that can impact the health of many people and is often a significant concern for those experiencing it. In today’s world, perceptions of stress and anxiety are increasing with worries about finances, geopolitical instability, the environment, as well as individual health issues, particularly following the pandemic.

Stress isn’t just an uncomfortable emotion; it is a physiological response to a stimulus and can have wide- reaching effects in the body. Ongoing stress is associated with the development of chronic disease.

A 2023 YouGov study states that one in 14 UK adults (7%) feel stressed every single day and 74% of people feel so stressed they have been overwhelmed or unable to cope.​1​ With statistics like these, it is essential to moderate the stress response and support resilience in order to protect and optimise health.  

With the festive period approaching, some may feel increased pressure due to finances, social events and family relationships and therefore it is a perfect time to consider how we can support health and ameliorate the effects of stress. In this blog, we will look at what stress is and how it affects the body, and we will look at some natural products that can help to support a healthy stress response and reduce anxiety.  

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Mature man resting after jogging. In a systemic review exercising was shown to favourably influence prostate health, particularly symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Prostate health: nutrition and lifestyle interventions

Almost all men will develop some prostate enlargement as they age therefore prostate health is an increasingly important concern. Benign prostate enlargement (BPE), also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an enlargement of the prostate1 which may develop gradually over a number of years. It is the most common urological condition among men.

While surgery and medication are treatment options for BPH, there are also nutritional and lifestyle changes that can be made to help promote better prostate health in general and manage symptoms of BPH. Other conditions that can affect the prostate include cancer and prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate gland) although BPH will be the focus of this blog.

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Women's hands holding a bowl of coloutful healthy food. Eating a blanced diet rich in fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, fish and healthy fats is associated with a reduced risk of Parkinson's Disease and slower disease progression.

Navigating Parkinson’s Disease – a conversation about a more natural approach

This week’s blog comes from guest writer Max Tomlinson N.D, naturopath and functional naturopathic nutritionist and Parkinson’s Disease expert.

My personal clinical journey with Parkinson’s disease started seven years ago when my sister was diagnosed with young onset Parkinson’s disease (YOPD). Such a devastating diagnosis for a 51-year-old woman in her prime – she was senior vice-president of a major global music company and enjoying her life to the full.

I am an Australian trained naturopath, with 38 years of clinical experience. I immediately turned my practice around, initially with the sole focus of stabilising my sister and then optimising her neurological function so that she could return to living with passion and joy.

I specialised in Parkinson’s, creating a very successful Parkinson’s Clinic for patients across the globe. The journey has been intense, but we have won, and my sister is thriving.

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Group of diverse body positive beautiful women on beige background, showing they have great skin health

Nourishing skin from within

We are all familiar with the saying ‘beauty comes from within’ and when it comes to our skin this couldn’t be more true. Healthy skin starts with optimal nutrition and with the skin being the largest organ, it has a great need for nourishment.

It is also the organ where signs of ageing, stress, and poor nutrition are perhaps most noticeable. A range of nutrients are needed for skin health which collectively nourish, feed, repair, provide structure and enrich the skin from the inside out and in this week’s blog we take a look at some of these important nutrients. We will also explore some of the factors that can negatively impact on our skin and some key principles to be mindful of.

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