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27/11/2008

Worm's superglue-for human joints

Worm 'superglue' may bind human joints

Russell Stewart said he sees the substance being used to glue together during the healing process.

by Staff Writers
Salt Lake City (UPI) Nov 26, 2008


Sandcastle worms using their natural glue as a binder for their homes are a model for University of Utah researchers creating a synthetic version for humans
University of Utah bioengineers said they hope the synthetic version of this "superglue" can be used within the next few years to repair shattered bones in joints or the face, the university said in a news release.

"You would glue some of the small pieces together," says Russell Stewart, associate professor of bioengineering and senior author of the study. "When you break the top of a bone in a joint, those fractures are difficult to repair because if they are not aligned precisely, you end up with arthritis and the joint won't work anyway."

In lab tests using cow bone pieces from grocery stores, a prototype of the synthetic sea-worm glue performed 37 percent as well as commercial superglue, he said.

Stewart said he expects the synthetic glue will be tested on animals within a year or two, and tested and used on humans in five to 10 years.

Stewart said he sees the substance being used to glue together during the healing process.

"If a doctor rebuilds a joint with pins and screws, generally weight is kept off that joint until it's healed," Stewart says. "So our goal isn't to rebuild a weight-bearing joint with glue. It is to hold the pieces together in proper alignment until they heal."

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26/11/2008

Mullein

Mullein

Wednesday, October 1, 2008
http://oakwellherb.blogspot.com/2008/10/mullein.html

In March I transplanted a second year Mullein into my yard. Mullein is a biennial plant. Last year I had 5 second-year plants in the front yard. These five to seven foot soft giants dominated my west berm where they allowed me to harvest their leaves. When mature the lower leaves are eighteen to twenty four inches long. They are soft and fuzzy, giving this plant the nick name of "camper's toilet paper." The leaves give way to flowers about three feet off the ground, leaving the top three to four feet looking like a pillar of tiny yellow flowers. The flowers tell us about their family as they belong to the snapdragon family (Scrophulariaceae). The first-year plant is a rosette of large, soft leaves, which is not to be confused with Lamb's ears that have a more upright, pointed leaf.

According to one herbal author, Mullein is a household herb that has been used a very long time. The leaf tea has been used for asthma, bronchitis and all kinds of lung afflictions. In the area of lungs, American Indians would smoke mullein to heal the lungs. They also used this tea as a throat gargle, for toothaches and for washing open sores. The flower tea can be used to relieve pain, induce sleep and (in large doses) as a laxative. Some writers even felt that the fresh crushed flowers would remove warts.

I have read where the leaves or flowers when made into a tea were helpful for kidneys. I have used the leaves as a poultice for skin sores but due to the leaf hairs it is best to make the poultice and have something next to the skin other than the leaf. The woolly leaves can be used as an emergency bandage while in the wilderness.

My very personal experience with Mullein started when I was told by one of my teachers, "If an organ is dead, it will decay and poison the body. Surgery will be need. If it isn't dead, heal it!"

I took that to heart. I had been taking Synthyroid for 15 years. I also had been told by the medical community that I would need to take this for the rest of my life. My thyroid wasn't dead, just not working. How was I going to heal it?

In one of Dr. John Christopher's lectures, he mentions that 3 parts of Mullein and one part of Lobelia heals glands. He was talking about the lymph system at the time. He created this formula for the purpose of healing glands. My thyroid is a gland; I just had to try this.

I decided to see what would happen if I took one Synthyroid tables and one Mullein and Lobelia capsule as day. I did this for forty days as it sounded like a good time period to start some healing. I wondered how these herbs would know which gland to help first. Maybe all my glands needed healing? Dr. Christopher did say that Lobelia, being a "thinking herb" would direct it to the place most needing help.

Being a person of faith, I set off on my adventure but in the back of my mind I worked out Plan B. (Always have a plan B.) How will I know if it has healed? I remembered the enlargements in the throat area and the headaches from my jaw to the top of my head before Synthroid. If these symptoms returned I would retreat back to my "Pills".

I must remind the reader that healing without feeding is futile. The thyroid needs iodine to function. Along with the chemical pills and herbal capsules, I was feeding the thyroid organic iodine. Mullein and Lobelia will not do this. Organic iodine is found in kelp and black walnut tincture. I chose to take one kelp capsule a day during this period.

In Hanna Kroeger's book, "God Helps Those That Help Themselves" I learned that Sodium Fluoride is detrimental to the thyroid. It was a good time to find a new toothpaste. I learned that the body need calcium fluoride to stay healthy not sodium fluoride.

All of this happened in the early 1990's and I have only had one problem since then. When I find myself getting tired more than usual, I know that it is a thyroid problem. Then it is time to work on that area of my body.

Last year I had an accident and bruised a knee. The Chiropractor told me that the end of the leg bone was saturated with blood like a sponge. That is why I had trouble walking on it. I knew that I was going to have to work on the lymph system to get this old, dried-up blood out so the leg could heal. It was back to this formula. Lobelia would know where I needed the Mullein the most.

Being able to help myself to good health is wonderful.

In truth, herbs do not heal but furnish the area with all the building blocks needed to heal. They also clean out toxins and unneeded properties allowing the cells to regenerate according to God's plan (DNA/RNA)

Learning about herbs is a lifelong study with 200,000 medicinal herbs and all of them can be used for so many things. It is nice to find a few friends that one can count on like Mullein

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Breast cancer and mammograms

Breast Cancer Rates Soar after Mammograms and Some Cancers may Heal Naturally

Monday, November 24, 2008
Sherry Baker, Health Sciences Editor
http://www.naturalnews.com/024901.html

(NaturalNews) A report just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association's Archives of Internal Medicine (Arch Intern Med. 2008;168[21]:2302-2303) reaches a startling conclusion. Breast cancer rates increased significantly in four Norwegian counties after women there began getting mammograms every two years. In fact, according to background information in the study, the start of screening mammography programs throughout Europe has been associated with increased incidence of breast cancer.

This raises some obvious and worrisome questions: Did the x-rays and/or the sometimes torturous compression of breasts during mammography actually spur cancer to develop? Or does this just look like an increase in the disease rate because mammography is simply identifying more cases of breast cancer?

The answer to the first question is that no one knows (and it isn't addressed in the Archives of Internal Medicine study). But the second question has an unexpected and – for those interested in the human body's innate ability to heal itself – potentially paradigm-shifting answer. The researchers say they can't blame the increased incidence of breast cancer on more cases being found because the rates among regularly screened women remained higher than rates among women of the same age who only received mammograms once after six years. Bottom line: the scientists conclude this indicates that some of the cancers detected by mammography would have spontaneously regressed if they had never been discovered on a mammogram and treated, usually with chemotherapy and radiation. Simply put, it appears that some invasive breast cancers simply go away on their own, healed by the body's own immune system.

Per-Henrik Zahl, M.D., Ph.D., of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, and his research team studied breast cancer rates among 119,472 women (age 50 to 64). These research subjects were asked to participate in three rounds of screening mammograms between 1996 and 2001, as part of the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program. The scientists then compared the number of breast cancers found in this group to the rate of malignancies among a control group of 109,784 women who were the same ages in 1992, and who would have been invited for breast screenings if the program had been in place that year. Cancers were tracked using a national registry. Then, after six years, all participants were invited to undergo a one-time screening to assess for the prevalence of breast cancer.

The researchers were surprised to find that the incidence of invasive breast cancer was 22 percent higher in the group regularly screened with mammography. In fact, screened women were more likely to have breast cancer at every age.

"Because the cumulative incidence among controls never reached that of the screened group, it appears that some breast cancers detected by repeated mammographic screening would not persist to be detectable by a single mammogram at the end of six years," the authors stated in their report. "This raises the possibility that the natural course of some screen-detected invasive breast cancers is to spontaneously regress."

The researchers also conclude that their findings "provide new insight on what is arguably the major harm associated with mammographic screening, namely, the detection and treatment of cancers that would otherwise regress."

This does not mean breast cancer should be ignored or not treated. After all, breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among American women. But the extraordinarily good and hopeful news is that it appears invasive breast cancer sometimes can be destroyed naturally -- at least in some people -- by the body's own innate defenses.

"Although many clinicians may be skeptical of the idea, the excess incidence associated with repeated mammography demands that spontaneous regression be considered carefully," the scientists wrote in their report. "Spontaneous regression of invasive breast cancer has been reported, with a recent literature review identifying 32 reported cases. This is a relatively small number given such a common disease. However, as some observers have pointed out, the fact that documented observations are rare does not mean that regression rarely occurs. It may instead reflect the fact that these cancers are rarely allowed to follow their natural course."

In an editorial in the Archives of Internal Medicine that accompanies the breast cancer study, Robert M. Kaplan, Ph.D., of the University of California, Los Angeles, and Franz Porzsolt, M.D., Ph.D., of Clincal Economics University of Ulm, Germany, wrote that the most important concern raised by the study is "how surprisingly little we know about what happens to untreated patients with breast cancer.

In addition to not knowing the natural history of breast cancer for younger women, we also know very little about the natural history for older women. We know from autopsy studies that a significant number of women die without knowing that they had breast cancer (including ductal carcinoma in situ). The observation of a historical trend toward improved survival does not necessarily support the benefit of treatment."

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25/11/2008

Meat linked to cancer

(NaturalNews) Diets high in red and processed meats have long been associated with cancer of the large intestine. Now, however, for the first time scientists have looked at whether eating meat and other animal fats is also linked to cancers of the small intestine. Their findings show yet again what natural health advocates have said for years: red meat and diets high in animal fats are a good way to promote cancer, not wellness.

The new study, just published in the Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, strongly suggests eating diets high in meat and other saturated fats is associated cancer of the small intestine -- a kind of cancer that has been steadily increasing since the l970s. If a person gets this type of cancer, they are at increased risk of also developing a second malignancy, an often deadly colorectal cancer.

"Identifying modifiable risk factors for cancer of the small intestine is important not only because the incidence of this cancer is on the rise, but it may enable us to further understand other gastrointestinal malignancies," Amanda Cross, Ph.D., a National Cancer Institute researcher and the study's lead author, said in a statement to the media.

Cross and her research team used food frequency questionnaires to document the food intake of a half million men and women enrolled in the NIH -AARP ( National Institutes of Health and American Association of Retired People) Diet and Health study over about eight years. Their findings strongly indicate the risk for a type of tumor called a carcinoid in the small intestine was associated with consuming saturated fats. Carcinoid tumors are a slow-growing type of cancer that can arise in several places throughout the body but are most often found in the gastrointestinal tract. They produce and release hormones into the body that cause symptoms such as diarrhea or skin flushing but these problems rarely show up until late in the disease.

"There is some evidence to suggest that cancers of the small and large bowel both arise from adenomatous polyp precursor lesions, suggesting the adenoma-carcinoma sequence is relevant to both sites. For unknown reasons, the large intestine is much more susceptible to malignant transformation. Identifying risk factors that are unique as well as those that are similar for the two sites may aid our understanding of the comparative resistance of the small intestine to carcinogenesis," Cross said in the press statement.She added that the associations found in the new study need to be studied further in other populations and with different types of saturated fat in order to understand the potential mechanisms involved.

More cancer and saturated fat news: a study by scientists at the Tuft School of Medicine recently published in the journal Nutrition and Cancer concludes a low-fat diet may play a significant role in preventing breast cancer. The bottom line? Evidence continues to mount that by eating a diet centered on fruits and vegetables instead of fat-laden animal products, you can help control your risk of developing cancer.

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Joyful music- an effective natural health remedy

(NaturalNews) Here's a totally natural, non-drug, side-effect-free way you can improve your heart health – listen to joyful music. That's not just some pie-in-the-sky platitude, it's the conclusion of a study just presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions meeting in New Orleans. Scientists have shown for the first time that emotions aroused by joyful music have a healthy effect on blood vessel function. Laughter and relaxation help too, but music appears to be the strongest "medicine".

The University of Maryland School of Medicine research team used music selected by study participants who said the tunes filled them with a sense of joy. Studies showed that when they listened to these songs, tissue in the inner lining of their blood vessels dilated, increasing blood flow. However, when research subjects listened to music they felt was stressful, their blood vessels narrowed. That produced a potentially unhealthy response because it restricted blood flow.

"We had previously demonstrated that positive emotions, such as laughter, were good for vascular health. So, a logical question was whether other emotions, such as those evoked by music, have a similar effect," says principal investigator Michael Miller, M.D., director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center and associate professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in a prepared statement for the press. "We knew that individual people would react differently to different types of music, so in this study, we enabled participants to select music based upon their likes and dislikes."

The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health ( NIH), the American Heart Association and the Veterans Administration , involved 10 healthy, non-smoking volunteers who participated in four phases of the randomized study. In one, volunteers listened to music they selected that filled them with a sense of joy – and most of these selections were country music songs. Another phase included listening to music that the study participants said made them feel stressed, primarily "heavy metal" selections. In a third part of the study, audio tapes to promote relaxation were played and in a fourth phase participants were shown videotapes designed to make them laugh.

Before each phase of the study, the research participants fasted overnight and were given a baseline test called flow-mediated dilation to determine how the lining of blood vessels in their bodies responded to a wide range of stimuli. Known as the endothelium, the lining of blood vessels has a powerful effect on health, especially the development of cardiovascular disease, because it regulates blood flow and adjusts blood thickening and coagulation. In addition, it releases substances in response to wounds, infections or irritation.

After the baseline test, each research subject was exposed to either a music selection or funny video for 30 minutes. Additional dilation measurements were taken throughout each phase to check for changes from baseline. The volunteers returned a minimum of one week later for the next phase and the process was repeated until all parts of the study were completed.

There results showed that compared to baseline, during the laughter phase of the study there was a 19 percent increase in blood vessel dilation and the relaxation phase increased dilation by 11 percent. But the music parts of the study were even more significant – there was a 26 percent increase in blood vessel dilation after the joyful music phase. On the other hand, listing to music that caused anxious feelings narrowed blood vessels by six percent.

"I was impressed with the highly significant differences both before and after listening to joyful music as well as between joyful and anxious music," Dr. Miller said in his media statement. "The active listening to music evokes such raw positive emotions likely in part due to the release of endorphins, part of that mind-heart connection that we yearn to learn so much more about. Needless to say, these results were music to my ears because they signal another preventive strategy that we may incorporate in our daily lives to promote heart health."

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Pesticides increase Parkinson's risk

(NaturalNews) A new study has provided one of the strongest links yet between pesticide use and Parkinson's disease.

A team of researchers from Duke University, Miami University and the Udall Parkinson's Disease Research Center of Excellence has found that people who were exposed to pesticides were substantially more likely to develop Parkinson's disease than closely related people who did not use so many pesticides, according to a study published in the journal BMC Neurology.

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative neurological condition resulting from the damage or death of the brain cells that regulate muscular movement. When cells become unable to produce the neurotransmitter dopamine, a wide variety of problems, such as slurred speech, stiffness, tremors, and problems with balance and movement, occur. Approximately one million people in the United States - one in 300 - suffer from the disease. In the United Kingdom, approximately one in 500 people, or 120,000 people, are affected.

The researchers surveyed 319 people with Parkinson's disease on their pesticide use, and compared that use to more than 200 healthy family members and other unaffected people. The purpose of comparing relatives was to control as much as possible for genetic and non-pesticide environmental factors by looking only at people with similar backgrounds.

"Previous studies have shown that individuals with Parkinson's disease are over twice as likely to report being exposed to pesticides as unaffected individuals," lead researcher Dana Hancock said, "but few studies have looked at this association in people from the same family or have assessed associations between specific classes of pesticides and Parkinson's disease."

People who had been exposed to pesticides had 1.6 times the Parkinson's risk of people who had not been exposed, while those exposed for more than 200 days in a year had more than two times the risk. The pesticides with the strongest connection to Parkinson's disease were insecticides and herbicides. Home and garden exposure were more strongly linked to increased risk than occupational use.

Broken down by sex, men who frequently used pesticides were 2.15 times more likely to develop the disease than men who did not use the chemicals, while women were 2.43 times more likely.

The researchers also compared rates of well-water drinking and living or working on a farm between people with and without the disease. They did not find a correlation between Parkinson's disease and any of these behaviors, which are commonly used as surrogate measures of pesticide exposure. Instead, the effect turned up only when they looked directly at chemical exposure.

Scientists have known for some time that the risk of Parkinson's disease is influenced by genetics, but the gene defects that have been linked to the disease account for only a small fraction of cases. Environmental factors have also been implicated, particularly in light of the fact that the disease was mostly unknown prior to the industrial revolution but has become a common ailment since then.

Prior studies have found links between pesticide exposure and Parkinson's risk, but they have not been thought conclusive. Kieran Breen, director of research at the Parkinson's Disease Society, cites a study of 10,000 Parkinson's patients that found only 1,000 had been exposed to pesticides over the long-term. The current study, Breen said, "strengthened the fact that pesticides play a key role" in risk of the disease.

"I think there is very strong evidence now linking [pesticide exposure and Parkinson's risk,]" Hancock said. The next step, Hancock said, is to discover the biological mechanisms by which pesticides increase the risk of the disease.

The findings of another study on the links between Parkinson's and pesticides, commissioned by the British Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, are expected this summer.
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Kiwifruits- one of the highest anti-oxidants

(NaturalNews) The antioxidants found in kiwifruit are absorbed by the body more effectively than those from other antioxidant-rich fruits, according to a study conducted by researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center in Little Rock, and published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

Researchers fed 300 grams per day of green Hayward kiwifruit to seven healthy women volunteers who had fasted overnight before the beginning of the study. The researchers took blood samples from the women before they ate, as well as 1.5, 3 and 4.5 hours afterward. They measured the antioxidant capacity of each blood sample, then exposed the blood cells to hydrogen peroxide and recorded the degree of oxidative damage suffered.

The researchers found that kiwifruit had an antioxidant intake score of 12.5, substantially higher than the known score of 4.2 for grapes and 1.7 for strawberries. This means that eating kiwifruit resulted in the highest absorption and metabolism of antioxidants.

The mechanisms behind the differences in antioxidant absorption from different fruits are still unknown, although the researchers speculated that kiwifruit's high vitamin C content might be partially responsible.

Antioxidants are believed to be important for their ability to remove free radicals from the body. Free radicals have been linked to various kinds of cell damage, including some that cause cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia and various symptoms of aging.

"We're learning that anti-oxidants should be consumed with every meal," lead researcher Ronald Prior said, "and if you routinely skip anti-oxidants in your diet, over time, the excess number of free radicals being produced may begin damaging cellular components, ultimately leading to atherosclerosis and cancer."

The researchers noted that while it can not be proven that eating kiwifruit will have any specific health effects until more studies are carried out, the antioxidants in the fruit are known to lower rates of heart disease and cancer.

Sources for this story include: www.upi.com.
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Mint effective against HIV

(NaturalNews) Herbs from the Lamiaceae family, also known as the mint family have been shown to drastically reduce the infectivity of HIV-1 virions, single infective viral particles. A research team from the University of Heidelberg has found that extracts of lemon balm, sage and peppermint work rapidly to produce their effects in amounts that display no toxicity. The extracts were seen to enhance the density of the virions prior to their surface engagement. They also displayed a strong activity against herpes simplex virus type 2.

The researchers examined water extracts from the leaves of lemon balm, sage and peppermint for their potency to inhibit infection by HIV-1. They found that the extracts exhibited a high and concentration-dependent activity against the infection of HIV-1 in T-cell lines, primary macrophages, and in ex vivo tonsil histocultures. This effect was produced at extract concentrations as low as 0.004% without affect to cell viability.

Exposing free virions to the extract potently and rapidly inhibited infection, while exposure of surface-bound virions or target cells alone had virtually no antiviral effect. In line with this observation, a virion fusion assay demonstrated that HIV-1 entry was drastically impaired following treatment of particles with Lamiaceae extracts, and the magnitude of this effect at the early stage of infection correlated with the inhibitory potency on HIV-1 replication.

Lamiaceae is a family of potent healers

Along with the plants used in the study, the Lamiaceae family includes such healing superstars as oregano and mint. The tannins and polyphenols in these plants have strong anti-viral and anti-bacterial effects. The plants are usually cultivated in mild temperature zones such as the Mediterranean where they find needed winter protection and sandy soil. They are all featured in Mediterranean cuisine, undoubtedly one reason why people who eat the Mediterranean diet live such long, health lives. Each member of the family also has a long list of characteristics unique to it.

Lemon balm calms and sooths

The antibacterial and antiviral effects of lemon balm have made it a popular choice for the treatment of strep throat, mumps and herpes. These properties come from caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid, compounds found in the plant. When treated with lemon balm, infections do not tend to spread. Lemon balm also offers topical relief from symptoms such as redness and itching. Another study found that a cream containing about 700 milligrams of lemon balm sped healing of herpes sores by several days, providing improvement comparable to the prescription drugs used to treat herpes, but without the side effects associated with the drugs such as nausea and vomiting.

In addition to wound healing healing compounds, lemon balm contains eugenol, a natural pain reliever. Lemon balm containing ointments are frequently used for treatment of cold sores, and genital herpes.

Lemon balm is fragrant plant with leaves that give off a strong lemon scent when rubbed. Studies have found that lemon balm has a sedative effect, and it’s frequently used for treatment of insomnia, nervousness and anxiety. It has a positive effect on the stomach and digestive system, and is used to relieve gas and bloating. It has been shown to relax spasms affecting the smooth muscles such as those in the uterus and intestines, making is an effective choice against menstrual cramps and other abdominal cramping. Increased dosages can induce sleep.

Lemon balm is used for stomach complaints, cramping, flatulence or bloating as a tea using 1.5 to 4.5 grams of the herb, several times a day. It is also available as a tincture to be used at the rate of 2 to 3 mL of tincture three times a day, or the equivalent in capsule form. For sores or herpes, steep 2 to 4 tsp of crushed leaf in a cup of boiling water.

Sage boosts brain function and memory

Also known as ‘garden meadow’, sage is a 2,000 year old healer and preservative as well as a culinary favorite. It has been used to treat everything from snakebite to mental illness. Modern research has shown that sage can help reduce excessive perspiration by as much as 50 percent. The German Commission E approves sage infusions for the treatment of excessive perspiration. Most health food stores sell sage-based deodorants.

The tannins in sage make it effective against the bacteria that cause gingivitis, and some natural mouthwashes contain sage. These can be used to fight canker sores, bleeding gums, sore throat, tonsillitis, and laryngitis. In addition to being extremely effective against viruses, sage is highly effective against bacteria.

Sage has been found to boost the brains supply of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that is critical to proper brain functioning and memory. There is no coincidence that people who possess the great wisdom of age are called ‘sages’. Research is underway to determine the effectiveness of sage against Alzheimer’s disease.

Sage contains a variety of volatile oils, flavonoids (including apigenin, diosmetin, and luteolin), and phenolic acids including rosmarinic acid. Rosmarinic acid is readily absorbed from the GI tract and acts to reduce inflammatory messaging molecules like leukotriene B4. The acid contains powerful antioxidant enzymes, including SOD and peroxidase. Like lemon balm, sage is a soother of disorders of the stomach and intestinal tract. It is effective against muscle spasms and indigestion.

Sage is available in liquid leaf extract form. The usual dose is 1 tsp three times per day. For sage tea, use 1 to 2 tsp of dried leaf to a cup of boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes. The tea is useful as a gargle for sore throat or as a mouthwash for gingivitis. Drink up to 3 cups a day to improve digestion and help regulate blood sugar or to reduce perspiration.

Peppermint oil can stop tumors in their tracks

Of all the species of mint, peppermint contains the highest levels of menthol, a phytochemical that promotes the calming of muscle spasms and improved digestion. It has been used since the Middle Ages as a cough suppressant and decongestant, and is a common ingredient in many natural anti-congestant medications as well as many traditional potions such as mentholatum chest rub. Peppermint is an FDA approved cold remedy.

One explanation for how peppermint oil helps irritable bowel suffers is that the oil blocks calcium channels, allowing the muscles to relax. It also relaxes the sphincter that keeps the contents of the stomach from backing up into the esophagus. That’s why peppermint oil is often sold in enteric-coated capsules designed to bypass the stomach and dissolve in the small intestine.

Peppermint contains perillyl alcohol as a phytonutrient called monoterpene. Animal studies have shown this monoterpene to be effective in stopping the growth of pancreatic, mammary and liver tumors. It has also been shown effective against cancer formation in the colon, skin and lungs.

The antimicrobial power of peppermint rivals that of its cousin, oregano. It is effective against helicobacter pylori, Salmonella, E. coli, and Staphylococcus, as well as many fungi. And like all the members of the mint family, peppermint contains a good amount of rosmarinic acid that has been shown to block the production of pro-inflammatory chemicals such as leukotrienes. This encourages the cells to produce prostacyclins that keep airways open for breathing.

In laboratory studies, peppermint oil was found to kill bacteria that cause urinary tract infections and the herpes simplex virus. It is effective against insect bites, rashes and headaches.

Peppermint is available as bulk oil, coated capsules, soft gels, and liquid extract. Many peppermint teas are on the market.

Growing your own supply of these powerful healers

The plants of the Lamiaceae family may prefer the glorious climate of the Mediterranean, but they can be grown almost anywhere. Many people remember a stand of these plants outside their grandmother’s kitchen door before pharmaceuticals gained such favor. The plants only need to be purchased once, as they are perennials and will return year after year even in zones where hard freeze is the norm for the winter. The leaves can withstand temperature down to about 29 or 30 degrees and will survive a few nippy nights, but they need to be harvested before a sustained period of freezing cold. Harvest the whole plant and hang it in the kitchen to dry.

Plants are readily available at nurseries in the spring, or they can be bought on line. Some of the health food stores, such as Whole Foods carry organic plants in springtime. There are few things on earth that make you feel more in control of your health destiny than to know your garden is full of healing plants and herbs, and that you are able to dry them and store them to see yourself safely through the winter.

Sources:

Geuenich, S. et al, “Aqueous extracts from peppermint, sage and lemon balm leaves display potent anti-HIV-1 activity by increasing the virion density”, Retrovirology, 2008.

“Lemon Balm”, “Sage”, “Peppermint”, Vitamin Stuff.

“Lemon Balm Herb, Tea and Oil Benefits”, Nutrasanus.

“Health Benefits of Sage Essential Oil”, Organic Facts.

“Health Benefits of Peppermint”, Harvard Medical School.

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21/11/2008

Nutrition efficient in Parkinson disease and arthritis

(NaturalNews) The national Neuroscience 2008 conference is underway in Washington, D.C., presenting cutting edge research on the whole spectrum of diseases impacting the brain and nervous system. Breaking news from Johns Hopkins scientists presented at the meeting suggests several natural substances could be effective in treating or preventing some of these ills. Specifically, curry spice may protect the brain from Parkinson's disease (PD) and plain table grapes appear to reduce arthritis pain and inflammation.

Researchers know inflammation and damage caused by oxidative stress are implicated in the death of brain cells associated with PD. And curcumin, derived from the curry spice turmeric, has long been known to be a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. So researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine put these facts together and came up with a laboratory model of Parkinson's disease in order to see what effect curcumin has on PD. The result? The spice provided brain cells with strong protection from injury and death.

The research team tested curcumin on nerve-like cells that make a mutant form of the protein alpha-synuclein, called A53T, which binds together inside of cells, causing harmful changes that eventually lead to cell death. A53T alpha-synuclein caused half of untreated cells to die. But when A53T cells were treated with curcumin, only 19% of the cells died. What's more, additional research showed that curcumin also reduced oxidative damage to the cells.

"These results suggest that curcumin is a potential candidate for inhibiting the oxidative damage that leads to Parkinson's disease," said Wanli Smith, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Hopkins, in a statement to the media. "This common curry spice could be a weapon to protect the brain."

The healing power of foods was also demonstrated by a study using table grapes, a fruit known to have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties due to a high amount of flavonoids. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine scientists say their study of powdered grapes showed the fruit reduced pain and inflammation in a rat model of arthritis. Rats were fed grape powder once a day after receiving arthritis-inducing chemical injections in their knees. A control group of animals got only sugar water. Over a period of four days after the chemical injections, the researchers tested the rats' inflammation levels by measuring knee swelling. The animals' pain responses were also measured by documenting their sensitivity to mechanical stimulation such as prodding of the rodents' paws.

The results showed the rats who were fed the grape powder could withstand stronger prodding than the sugar-fed rats. What's more, the scientists also compared the grape powder treatment with a commonly used anti-inflammatory drug, meloxicam, and found the drug alone – without the grapes – did not sufficiently reduce the animals' pain.

"I think there are two important messages here," Jasenka Borzan, Ph.D., a research associate in anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins, said in a press statement. "That consuming flavonoids through natural products like grapes can be beneficial to health in general and also specifically for reducing inflammatory pain; and that consuming natural products like grapes may also be beneficial in reducing the amount of medication necessary to reduce inflammation."

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19/11/2008

Regular exercise to prevent cancer

(NaturalNews) A growing body of research suggests that regular exercise can help prevent cancer, as well as slow its progress, improve recovery and prevent recurrence of the disease.

Researchers believe that regular exercise equivalent to a 30-minute walk five times per week can influence several cancer risk factors. For example, the sugar-regulating hormone insulin is known to lead to faster cell growth and division and to increase women's risk of breast cancer and breast cancer recurrence. Exercise, however, lowers levels of this hormone.

Exercise also lowers blood levels of the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone, both of which have been linked to cancers of the breast, prostate and uterine lining (endometrial cancer). Exercise also helps burn fat, which can store excess quantities of estrogen. By reducing obesity, exercise also reduces the risk of many cancers.

Studies have shown that exercise also improves the outlook for those who are already being treated for cancer. Women treated for breast cancer are less likely to suffer recurrence if they weigh less, for example, while prostate cancer patients who exercise vigorously for three hours per week are more likely to survive the disease.

Exercise is also known to help repair the immune system's T-cells, which can be damaged by chemotherapy. This helps speed recovery from a very taxing form of treatment.

Many doctors are now recommending exercise as a part of cancer therapy.

"Evidence strongly suggests that exercise is not only safe and feasible during cancer treatment, but that it can also improve physical functioning and some aspects of quality of life," the American Cancer Society says.

Some researchers say that as the medical establishment becomes more aware of the benefits of exercise to cancer patients, its use as a treatment will grow.

"We're where cardiac rehab was 20 years ago," said Melinda Irwin of Yale University School of Medicine. Within a few years, Irwin said, exercise will be a "targeted therapy, similar to chemotherapy or hormonal therapy."

Sources for this story include: www.washingtonpost.com.

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Magnesium,the lamp of life

(NaturalNews) Inside chlorophyll is the lamp of life and that lamp is magnesium. The capture of light energy from the sun is magnesium dependent. Magnesium is bound as the central atom of the porphyrin ring of the green plant pigment chlorophyll. Magnesium is the element that causes plants to be able to convert light into energy and chlorophyll is identical to hemoglobin except the magnesium atom at the center has been taken out and iron put in. The whole basis of life and the food chain is seen in the sunlight-chlorophyll-magnesium chain. Since animals and humans obtain their food supply by eating plants, magnesium can be said to be the source of life for it is at the heart of chlorophyll and the process of photosynthesis.

A huge step forward for early life was the development of chlorophyll, a molecule that captures light energy from the sun in a process called photosynthesis. Chlorophyll systems convert energy from visible light into small energy-rich molecules easy for cells to use. The harnessing of the energy of visible light led to a vast expansion of early life-forms. Fossilized layers, three and half billion years old, have been found with evidence of blue-green algae that lived on top of tidal rocks.

Magnesium is needed by plants to form chlorophyll which is the substance that makes plants green. Without magnesium sitting inside the heart of chlorophyll, plants would not be able to take nutrition from the sun because the process of photosynthesis would not go on. When magnesium is deficient things begin to die. In reality one cannot take a breath, move a muscle, or think a thought without enough magnesium in our cells. Because magnesium is contained in chlorophyll it is considered an essential plant mineral salt.

Without chlorophyll, plants are unable
to convert sunlight and carbon dioxide.
There is no life without magnesium.

Magnesium is a necessary element for all living organisms both animal and plant. Chlorophyll is structured around a magnesium atom, while in animals, magnesium is a key component of cells, bones, tissues and just about every physiological process you can think of. Magnesium is primarily an intracellular cation; roughly 1% of whole-body magnesium is found extracellularly, and the free intracellular fraction is the portion regulating enzyme pathways inside the cells. Life packs the magnesium jealously into the cells, every drop of it is precious.

Insulin and Magnesium

Magnesium is necessary for both the action
of insulin and the manufacture of insulin.

Magnesium is a basic building block to life and is present in ionic form throughout the full landscape of human physiology. Without insulin though, magnesium doesn't get transported from our blood into our cells where it is most needed. When Dr. Jerry Nadler of the Gonda Diabetes Center at the City of Hope Medical Center in Duarte, California, and his colleagues placed 16 healthy people on magnesium-deficient diets, their insulin became less effective at getting sugar from their blood into their cells, where it's burned or stored as fuel. In other words, they became less insulin sensitive or what is called insulin resistant. And that's the first step on the road to both diabetes and heart disease.

Insulin is a common denominator, a central figure in life as is magnesium. The task of insulin is to store excess nutritional resources.
This system is an evolutionary development used to save energy and other nutritional necessities in times (or hours) of abundance in order to survive in times of hunger. Little do we appreciate that insulin is not just responsible for regulating sugar entry into the cells but also magnesium, one of the most important substances for life. It is interesting to note here that the kidneys are working at the opposite end physiologically dumping from the blood excess nutrients that the body does not need or cannot process in the moment.

Controlling the level of blood sugars is only one of the many functions of insulin. Insulin plays a central role in storing magnesium but if our cells become resistant to insulin, or if we do not produce enough insulin, then we have a difficult time storing magnesium in the cells where it belongs. When insulin processing becomes problematic magnesium gets excreted through our urine instead and this is the basis of what is called magnesium wasting disease.

There is a strong relationship between magnesium and insulin action. Magnesium is important for the effectiveness of insulin. A reduction
of magnesium in the cells strengthens insulin resistance.

Low serum and intracellular magnesium concentrations are associated with insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, and decreased insulin secretion. Magnesium improves insulin sensitivity thus lowering insulin resistance. Magnesium and insulin need each other. Without magnesium, our pancreas won't secrete enough insulin--or the insulin it secretes won't be efficient enough--to control our blood sugar.

Magnesium in our cells helps the muscles to relax but if we can't store magnesium because the cells are resistant then we lose magnesium which makes the blood vessels constrict, affects our energy levels, and causes an increase in blood pressure. We begin to understand the intimate connection between diabetes and heart disease when we look at the closed loop between declining magnesium levels and declining insulin efficiency.

Though it would be a long stretch of the longest giraffe's neck to compare insulin with chlorophyll we are walking a trail at the very nuclear core of life. It's the magnesium trail and we find to our surprise that it takes us into intimate contact with the very structure and foundation of life. The dedication of this chapter is to the beauty of magnesium, to its meaning in life, in health and in medicine.

We were talking about chlorophyll and now insulin and putting magnesium in-between. Walking further along is the DHEA magnesium story and the DNA magnesium story. And then there is the cholesterol magnesium story. Every part of life is in love with magnesium except allopathic medicine which just cannot accept it in all its light, flame and beauty. Thousands of years ago the Chinese named it the beautiful metal and they were seeing something pharmaceutical medicine does not want to see for there is little money to be made from something so common.

Magnesium and DNA

Magnesium ions play critical roles in many aspects of cellular metabolism. Magnesium stabilizes structures of proteins, nucleic acids, and cell membranes by binding to the macromolecule's surface and promote specific structural or catalytic activities of proteins, enzymes, or ribozymes. Magnesium has a critical role in cell division. It has been suggested that magnesium is necessary for the maintenance of an adequate supply of nucleotides for the synthesis of RNA and DNA.

Magnesium plays a critical role in vital DNA repair proteins.
Magnesium ions synergetic effects on the active site
geometry may affect the polymerase closing/opening trends.
Single-stranded RNA are stabilized by magnesium ions.

Distinct structural features of DNA, such as the curvature of dA tracts, are important in the recognition, packaging, and regulation of DNA are magnesium dependent. Physiologically relevant concentrations of magnesium have been found to enhance the curvature of dA tract DNAs. The chemistry of water activated by a magnesium ion is central to the function of the DNA repair proteins, apurinic/apyrimidic endonuclease 1 (Ape1) and polymerase A (Pol A). These proteins are key constituents of the base excision repair (BER) pathway, a process that plays a critical role in preventing the cytotoxic and mutagenic effects of most spontaneous, alkylation, and oxidative DNA damage.

Magnesium ions help guide polymerase selection for the
correct nucleotide extends descriptions of polymerase pathways.

Dr. Paul Ellis informs us that, "Magnesium ions are central to the function of the DNA repair proteins, apurinic/apyrimidic endonuclease 1 (Ape1) and polymerase A (Pol A). These proteins are key constituents of the base excision repair (BER) pathway, a process that plays a critical role in preventing the cytotoxic and mutagenic effects of most spontaneous, alkylation, and oxidative DNA damage." DNA polymerase is considered to be a holoenzyme since it requires a magnesium ion as a co-factor to function properly. DNA-Polymerase initiates DNA replication by binding to a piece of single-stranded DNA. This process corrects mistakes in newly-synthesized DNA.

DHEA – Magnesium - Cholesterol

Low levels of DHEA are associated with loss of "pathology
preventing" signaling between immune system cells.

Dr. James Michael Howard says, "Cancer and infections are both increasing and one of the basic reasons is reduced availability of DHEA, which stems from magnesium deficiency." Also known as "mother of all steroid hormones" DHEA is converted in the body into several different hormones, including estrogen and testosterone. DHEA appears to restore immune balance and stimulate monocyte production (the cells that attack tumors), B-cell activity (the cells that fight disease-causing organisms), T-cell mobilization (infection fighting T-cells have DHEA binding sites), and protection of the thymus gland (which produces T-cells). The data suggest that DHEA has a role in the neuro-endocrine regulation of the antibacterial immune resistance.

All steroid hormones are created from cholesterol in a hormonal cascade. Cholesterol, that most maligned compound, is actually crucial for health and is the mother of hormones from the adrenal cortex, including cortisone, hydrocortisone, aldosterone, and DHEA. Cholesterol cannot be synthesized without magnesium and cholesterol is a vital component of many hormones. These hormones are interrelated, each performing a unique biological function with them all depending on magnesium for their function. Aldosterone interestingly needs magnesium to be produced and it also regulates magnesium's balance.

Dr. Mildred S. Seelig wrote, "Mg2+-ATP is the controlling factor for the rate-limiting enzyme in the cholesterol biosynthesis sequence that is targeted by the statin pharmaceutical drugs, comparison of the effects of Mg2+ on lipoproteins with those of the statin drugs is warranted. Formation of cholesterol in blood, as well as of cholesterol required in hormone synthesis, and membrane maintenance, is achieved in a series of enzymatic reactions that convert HMG-CoA to cholesterol. The rate-limiting reaction of this pathway is the enzymatic conversion of HMG CoA to mevalonate via HMG CoA. The statins and Mg inhibit that enzyme. Mg has effects that parallel those of statins. For example, the enzyme that deactivates HMG-CoA Reductase requires Mg, making Mg a Reductase controller rather than inhibitor. Mg is also necessary for the activity of lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase (LCAT), which lowers LDL-C and triglyceride levels and raises HDL-C levels."

Desaturase is another Mg-dependent enzyme involved in
lipid metabolism which statins do not directly affect.

DHEA is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal gland and ovaries and converted to testosterone and estrogen. After being secreted by the adrenal glands, it circulates in the bloodstream as DHEA-sulfate (DHEAS) and is converted as needed into other hormones. Magnesium chloride, when applied transdermally, is reported by Dr. Norman Shealy to increase DHEA. Dr. Shealy has determined that when the body is presented with adequate levels of magnesium at the cellular level, the body will begin to naturally produce DHEA and also DHEA-S.
Transdermal is the ultimate way to replenish cellular magnesium
levels. Every cell in the body bathes and feeds in it and even DHEA
levels are increased naturally, according to Dr. Norman Shealy
This effect is not seen in oral or intravenous magnesium administration and Dr. Shealy has a patent pending in this area. It is thought that transdermal application interacts in some way with the fatty tissues of the skin to create the affect. Studies link low levels of DHEA to chronic inflammation, immune dysfunction, depression, rheumatoid arthritis, Type-II diabetic complications, greater risk for certain cancers, heart disease and osteoporosis.

Magnesium and Glutathione

Without sufficient magnesium, the body accumulates toxins
and acid residues, degenerates rapidly, and ages prematurely.

According to Dr. Russell Blaylock, low magnesium is associated with dramatic increases in free radical generation as well as glutathione depletion and this is vital since glutathione is one of the few antioxidant molecules known to neutralize mercury. Glutathione requires magnesium for its synthesis. Glutathione synthetase requires γ-glutamyl cysteine, glycine, ATP, and magnesium ions to form glutathione.

In magnesium deficiency, the enzyme y-glutamyl transpeptidase is lowered. Data demonstrates a direct action of glutathione both in vivo and in vitro to enhance intracellular magnesium and a clinical linkage between cellular magnesium, GSH/GSSG ratios, and tissue glucose metabolism. Magnesium deficiency causes glutathione loss, which is not affordable because glutathione helps to defend the body against damage from cigarette smoking, exposure to radiation, cancer chemotherapy, and toxins such as alcohol and just about everything else.

Scientific Miracles in Medicine

The 21st century is seeing the plagues of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and neurological diseases explode with the entire western medical establishment confused about even the most basic health issues. The three trillion dollar medical machine in the United States is impotent against chronic diseases and is responsible itself for much of the horror that is happening.

Medical basics, we have to get back to them returning to the understanding of the simplest things like water. What do you give a person coming out of a week long walk in the desert without water? A coke? Do we have to do a thousand double blind studies to realize there is only one answer? Are we that dumb that medicine cannot see the forest from the trees?

When someone is in cardiac arrest or are having a stroke, having panic attacks with heart palpitations what is the first thing, the very first thing we would reach for like one would reach for a six shooter? Our biological engine is seizing up what do we do? For the next million years there is going to be only one answer and that answer is magnesium preferably in the chloride form. It will never change either for that person coming out of the desert; water will always be the answer to the need. We are talking so close to the source of life when talking about water or magnesium. But unfortunately there will always be those who think giving a coke to a very thirsty person is just fine and doctors who think they can forget about nature and try to substitute something to stand in magnesium's place.

The bedrock of medical truth sits upon the metal magnesium for it is at the exact center of biological life like air and water is. All of life collapses around its loss, but with only the smallest amount of caring and intelligence we can replete what has been lost inside of a person's cells. The realization that magnesium is at the center of life in chlorophyll should help us place magnesium in the temple it deserves. It is the ultimate love drug when used as a medicine. It's the first thing you give a person if you want to give something necessary and helpful.

It will take this entire book to present all the reasons that magnesium qualifies as a love drug; there are reasons that take us out of the physical body and into emotional, mental and spiritual bodies. Psychologists and psychiatrists also have to discover magnesium for it offers them a tool they have not found anywhere else. Magnesium is the Lamp of Life; it operates at the core of physiology offering us what can only be called scientific miracles in medicine. Though other substances like Vitamin C or even iodine are powerful competitors they cannot compare in sheer healing horsepower to magnesium.

.

Magnesium Medicine

It is no exaggeration for me to say that magnesium saved my life.
But is ironic that I am the one saying it, because during my
diverse medical career in general medicine, my greatest expertise
has always been prescription drugs, not natural supplements.
Dr. Jay S. Cohen

The Magnesium Solution for High Blood Pressure

Magnesium serves hundreds of important functions in the body and for that reason it has virtually no side effects. Researchers all over the world have confirmed its vital role yet, despite the intensive scientific brainpower that has been directed toward magnesium most doctors know hardly anything about it and never consider magnesium for treating patients. Magnesium comes to us with scientific evidence that dwarfs the evidence presented by pharmaceutical companies for any of their prescription drugs but its use is still contained. (See chapter on why doctors do not use more magnesium)

Magnesium chloride treatments address systemic nutritional deficiencies, act to improve the function of our cells and immune system, and help protect cells from oxidative damage. Its a systemic medicine as well as a local one bringing new life and energy to the cells wherever it is applied topically. When used with oral administration, transdermal magnesium therapy offers us the opportunity to get dosages up to the powerful therapeutic range without compromising intestinal comfort through oral use alone.

What we have found is that magnesium chloride, applied
transdermally, is the ideal magnesium delivery system -
with health benefits unequalled in the entire world of medicine.

Magnesium chloride solutions offer a medical miracle to humanity, one that many have sought but have not found. In fact Dr. Carolyn Dean, titled her book The Magnesium Miracle and she could not have been more correct. Nothing short of a miracle is to be expected with increases in the cellular levels of magnesium if those levels have been depleted.

There is no wonder drug that can claim, in the clear, what magnesium chloride can do. Most people will show dramatic improvements in the state of their health when they replete their magnesium levels and the very best way to do that is with magnesium chloride applied transdermally (baths and body spraying), orally, vaporized into the lungs, diluted for use with ones eyes, intravenously, and even in douches and enemas.

Constant magnesium massages are what kings and queens should be dreaming of.
With such "brine solutions" the concentrate can simply be applied to the skin or poured into bath water, and in an instant we have a medical treatment without equal in the world of medicine. Intensive transdermal and oral magnesium therapy can be safely applied every day for constantly strengthened health.

Hidden in each cubic mile of ocean water is enough healing
power to put the pharmaceutical companies out of business.

And there are medical reasons why we love the beach and ocean. Intensive magnesium baths, aerosolized iodine, vitamin D natural style and grounding to the earth through the sand. Medical science and the pharmaceutical companies will eventually have to deal with the fact that the most powerful and universal medicine on earth is a basic nutrient from the sea and can be purchased by anyone at low cost.

Magnesium is nothing short of a miracle to a person deficient in this mineral. So clear and observable are the effects that there is no mistake, no mysticism, no false claim made.
Emergency room personnel know of this and use either magnesium sulfate or chloride to save peoples lives during heart attacks or to diminish the damage from strokes. And new research suggests that MgSO4 infusions may have a role in cerebral vasospasm prophylaxis if therapy is initiated within 48 hours of aneurysm rupture.

Medicine today is more and more frequently described in terms of science. With the origin and development of drugs and surgical techniques, modern medicine has thought itself to be evermore exact and evermore resembling the hard sciences of chemistry and physics. In the case of magnesium, medicine has fallen from the grace of the pure sciences, which insists that they are ignoring the best medicine available anywhere. Magnesium is clearly evidence-based medicine but the quality of the evidence used pharmaceutical medicine is highly suspect. There is no such cloud of doubt hanging over the scientific evidence that makes it clear why magnesium would be both potent and safe.

When it comes to cardiac disease we create our primary protocol around magnesium, selenium and iodine. These three core minerals, when backed up with a strong naturopathic protocol, which includes natural mercury detoxification of the heart tissues, will transform cardiology into a field of medicine that does not have its patients dying like flies.

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17/11/2008

Pepper -a natural treatment

(NaturalNews) Putting black pepper on your food may be one of the easiest, most economical ways to boost your overall health status. Piperine, the main alkaloid from black pepper has been shown to substantially increase the bioavailability of the nutrients in foods and supplements. As the quality of food declines and the costs of food and supplements continue to skyrocket, it is increasingly important to your health that the nutrients you consume are able to be used to maximum efficiency by your body.

What is piperine?

Piperine is a pungent compound found in the fruit of the plants in the Piperaceae family, the most famous member of which is Piper nigrum, black pepper. It has a long history of use in Ayurvedic medicine as a restorative and treatment.

Piperine is able to increase bioavilability of many substances through a number of mechanisms. It inhibits several enzymes responsible for metabolizing nutritional substances, stimulates amino-acid transporters in the intestinal lining, inhibits removal of substances from cells so they continue to be available for use, and decreases the intestinal activity allowing more of the substances to enter the body in active form. The results of these actions are that substances reach, enter and remain within their target cells for longer periods of time than would normally be the case.

Piperine can turn a marginally effective therapeutic substance into a highly effective one by increasing its bioavailability and intracellular residency time. As an example, piperine can increase the bioavailability of the cancer, inflammation and infection fighter, curcumin, by twenty-fold.

Piperine favorably simulates the digestive enzymes of the pancreas, enhances digestive capacity and significantly reduces gastrointestinal food transit time. Black pepper or piperine treatment has also been evidenced to lower lipid peroxidation in vivo and beneficially influence the cellular status of organic sulfur compounds, antioxidant molecules, and antioxidant enzymes in a number of experimental situations of oxidative stress.

In addition to its effects on bioavilability, piperine has many other actions in the body that include increasing beta-endorphins in the brain, acting as an anti-depressant, increasing serotonin production, boosting brain functioning, stimulating adrenal production, relieving pain and asthma symptoms, stimulating melanin production, decreasing ulcerations of the stomach, reducing stomach acid production, and coordinating digestive tract contractions. It is highly effective against colon cancer.

New research is documenting the many health benefits of piperine

The journal Biometals reports a study involving cadmium, a well known environmental carcinogen and immuno-toxicant that is characterized by marked atrophy of the thymus and spleen enlargement. Cadmium induces death in lymphocytes and alters immune functions. Researchers tested the ameliorative effects to cadmium damage using piperine, picroliv-glycosides, and curcumin polyphenols. They found that of the three herbals, piperine displayed maximum efficacy. All the examined doses of piperine increased cell viability in a dose dependent manner. Restoration of cell damage such as cytotoxicity, oxidative stress and phosphatidylserine externalization was potentiated with piperine. T and B cell phenotypes and cytokine release were also mitigated best with piperine, rendering piperine the compound of choice under immuno-compromised conditions.

In a study reported in the September edition of the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology the effect of various doses of piperine was determined. Results showed that piperine at all dosage ranges used in the study possessed anti-depression like activity and cognitive enhancing effects at all treatment durations. Researchers determined that piperine is a functional food that improves brain functioning.

The medicinal properties of various compounds such as curcumin cannot be well utilized because of poor bioavailability due to its rapid metabolism in the liver and intestinal wall. In an older study reported in Planta Medica, the effect of combining piperine, a known inhibitor of hepatic and intestinal glucuronidation, was evaluated to determine the bioavailability of curcumin in rats and healthy human volunteers. When curcumin was given alone to the rats, moderate serum concentrations were achieved over a period of 4 hours. When piperine was added with the curcumin, the serum concentration of curcumin increased for a 1-2 hour period. Time to maximum concentration was significantly increased while elimination half life and clearance significantly decreased. The bioavailability was increased by 154%. When curcumin was given alone to humans, serum levels were either undetectable or very low. Addition of piperine produced much higher concentrations from 0.25 to 1 hour following administration. The bioavailability of curcumin when taken with piperine increased 2000%.

A study reported in the September issue of Phychopharmacology was designed to investigate the involvement of monoaminergic systems in the antidepressant activity of curcumin and the effect of piperine as a bioenhancer to the biological effects of curcumin. The researchers found that the enhanced curcumin dose dependently inhibited the immobility period, increased serotonin, and inhibited the monoamine oxidase enzymes. The compound also enhanced the anti-immobility effect of sub-threshold doses of various antidepressant drugs like fluoxetine, venlafaxine, or bupropion. The combination of sub-threshold dose of enhanced curcumin and various antidepressant drugs resulted in synergistic increase in serotonin levels. The co-administration of piperine with curcumin resulted in potentiation of pharmacological, biochemical, and neurochemical activities. They concluded that the curcumin, piperine combination proved to be a useful and potent natural antidepressant.

The summer issue of Clinical Laboratory Science reports a study to determine if resveratrol from red grapes, cinnamaldehyde from cinnamon, and piperine from black pepper have anti-proliferative effects on colon cancer. Quantitative effects of each phytochemical on concentration responses and time courses of proliferation of cultured human colon cancer cells were assessed. The results showed the phytochemicals each displayed anti-proliferative effects. Piperine displayed a trend toward anti-proliferation at 24 hours and statistically significant inhibition at 48 and 72 hours. Researchers concluded that all three compounds offer significant anti-proliferative effects on human colon cancer cells and provide protective effects against colon cancer.

Using piperine

Piperine is generally consumed as a component of black pepper. Adding black pepper to cooked foods, raw foods, and fresh juices is a good way to increase nutrient absorption. Black pepper spices up almost all foods, even snacks like popcorn. It can be added to the Budwig protocol used as a preventative and cure for cancer. It is natural that the foods and the compound that makes their nutrients so highly available go so well together.

For those with an aversion to black pepper, piperine can be bought as a supplement called Bioperine. Source Naturals Bioperine is available at Lucky Vitamin. Swanson Vitamin sells a house brand of Bioperine. There are multi-vitamins on the market that contain Bioperine as well as Curcumin supplements with Bioperine added. Supplemental piperine should be taken along with meals and supplements for maximum benefit.

Additional sources:

"Piperine Report", Cochran Foundation of Medical Research.

Russell Mills, "Piperine Multiplies the Strength of Many Supplements and Drugs", The Delano Report.

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15/11/2008

Protocol for liver detoxification

Dr. Richard Schulze

Liver
Five-day
Cleansing and Detoxification Program


Liver Five-day Cleansing and Detoxification Program 2 Days of a Purifying Raw-Food Program and a 3-Day Juice Fast


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IMPORTANT NOTICE: You must complete the 2-week bowel detoxification and rebuilding program using Intestinal Corrective Formulae #1 and #2, and CONTINUE taking #1 & #2, while completing this program. Then you may either do this 5-day Liver Cleanse, or the 5-day Kidney Cleanse. Or you may do both! The liver usually is detoxified before the kidneys, but you may reverse this if desired.

Day 1: Upon arising drink 8 ounces of distilled water

Breakfast: This is a great way to start your day. The water rinses and flushes your digestive tract of any leftover food and digestive juices. Within 1 hour prepare for the following Morning Drink: Morning Drink (Liver & Gallbladder Flush ) (Mix in a Blender) (in Spring and Summer ) 8 ounces of fresh orange juice or a citrus juice combination (1 lemon or 1 lime and enough orange, grapefruit or tangerine to make 8 ounces) or (in Fall and Winter ) 8 ounces of fresh apple and/or grape juice

8 ounces of Distilled Water
1-5 clove(s) of garlic (start with one and increase daily)
1-5 tablespoon(s) of organic virgin cold-pressed olive oil (start with one and increase daily )
1 small piece of fresh Ginger Root (about 1 inch long)

15 minutes after this drink, consume 2 cups of Detoxification Tea. Consume 2 dropperfuls of Liver/Gallbladder - Anti-Parasite tonic 4 times daily during this cleanse. Take in a few ounces of water. It should be quite bitter.

Day #1 Breakfast
Live, FRESH fruit or vegetable juice is the best way to get your Vitamins, Minerals and other Essential Nutrients. They are also very important for cleansing and detoxification. If you are hungry before lunch time you may have fruit, diluted fruit juices, and fruit smoothies. Stop all fruit or fruit juices at least 1 hour before lunch. It is best while on this program not to mix fruit and vegetables together.

Day #1 Lunch
For lunch you can have diluted fresh raw vegetable juices, raw vegetables alone or in salads, sprouts, potassium broth, and herb teas. You may make dressings for the salad if you like using Olive oil, Avocado, Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, Lemon Juice, Garlic, Onions and any Herbs and Spices.
Afternoon Snacks: Raw vegetables, raw vegetable salads, diluted vegetable juices, sprouts, potassium broth and herb teas. All vegetable food must be stopped by 6 p.m.

Day #1 Dinner
Diluted fruit juices, fruits, fruit smoothies, fruit salads and herb teas.

Day #2, #3 and #4 Now we begin the 3 day fast. Start with your water, morning flush drink and herbal tea. Diluted fruit juices and herb tea until noon, diluted vegetable juices, Potassium Broth and herb tea mid-day and afternoon and diluted fruit juices and herb tea again in the evening. Consume at least 1 gallon (128 ounces) of liquid. That is 8 ounces every hour! If you get hungry, DRINK MORE!!!

Potassium Broth Recipe
This is a great-tasting addition to your cleansing program. It will flush your system of toxins, poisons and unwanted salts and acids while giving you a concentrated amount of vitamins and minerals.
Fill a large pot with 25% potato peelings, 25% carrot peelings and whole chopped beets, 25% chopped on-ions including 50 cloves of garlic , 25% celery and dark greens. Add hot peppers to taste. Add enough distilled water to cover vegetables and simmer on very low temperature for 1-2 hours. Strain, or just dip your mug in, and drink only the broth. Put the vegetables in your compost. Make enough for two days, refrigerating the leftover broth. It is important to use Organic vegetables. We do not want to consume any toxic insecticides, pesticides or inorganic chemical fertilizers while we are on a cleansing and detoxification program.


Day #5:
Today is the day to break your fast. Make this day the same as day #1. Continuation of the fast with your morning drink and then you can have some fresh fruit. Chew it very slowly and mix each mouthful with plenty of saliva. Remember, breaking your fast is a very important part of this program. Chew your food well and eat until satisfied, not full. You can always eat more later if you are still hungry.

After 1:00 PM you may have a small vegetable salad, and fruit again in the evening, chewing everything to a liquid pulp. Remember, this program restricts the types of food you will be eating, not the amount. If you are hungry at any point during this detoxification program, drink and/or eat more. The more you eat and drink, the more you will flush the toxins out of your body. Also remember to have a fun time. Your positive, healing attitude is most important to achieve maximum benefits out of this program; be loving to yourself. Take it easy when returning to a new healthy food program. Choose lighter foods for a few days and be careful not to overeat. Chew your food well. Eating smaller meals more often is better than one or two large meals. Enjoy your new set of values on food choices and amounts. For the best health, become a vegetarian. Repeat this program until you are well but do it at least once every 3 months.

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Artificial food additives affect children behaviour

Artificial food additives affect children’s behavior

Published on 14-11-2008 Email To Friend Print Version
http://www.patriotledger.com/lifestyle/x17...dren-s-behavior


Years of research finally supports what many parents already knew: Junk foods – loaded with artificial food dyes and preservatives – cause behavioral problems in children.

Research from a study of 297 children published in The Lancet found a significant number of children became more inattentive, impulsive and hyperactive when given a test drink with artificial additives (The subjects were from the general population, not diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.) In England, where the study was conducted, people are calling for the additives to be banned from the food supply because the effects can lead to reading and other problems in school.

In the U.S., doctors are advising parents to check and possibly change their child’s diet before considering ADHD drugs.

In the February edition of The American Academy of Pediatrics Grand Rounds, two medical experts praised the e current research and advised pediatricians to recommend ``a trial of preservative-free, food coloring-free diet'' when a child is hyperactive.

The connection between food additives and behavior was noted more than 30 years ago by an allergist, Ben Feingold. He also hypothesized certain children were sensitive to foods with salicylates, compounds similar to aspirin. He recommended trying an elimination diet and documented hundreds of case studies in which behavior improved.

Although rigorous research on the Feingold program is lacking, current research is substantiating many aspects of it. Fervent believers in Feingold’s methods support and manage the nonprofit Feingold Association. (www.feingold.org). In addition to salicylates, The Feingold Program recommends eliminating from the diet: all artificial (synthetic) colors, listed on the label as ``food coloring'', ``color added'' or by its FDA number, like FD&C Yellow #5 or FD&C Red #40 (both used in the Lancet study); artificial flavors listed as ``flavoring'' or ``artificial flavoring'' or artificial vanilla (vanillin); aspartame (an artificial sweetener); and three preservatives, BHA, BHT, and TBHQ – already removed from most food for children in the U.K.

Many children’s cereals contain BHT and artificial colors but Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Kashi, Barbara’s, and Trader Joe’s brands do not. Yogurts, like Stonyfield or Trader Joe’s do not have artificial colors. Plain tortilla or potato chips trump artificially colored Doritos, barbeque potato chips or orange cheese curls. Choose clear Gatorade, Capri Sun Sport, or dilute natural juice (in half) with water for young athletes. Dye-free Motrin or Benadryl are also available now.

Joan Endyke is a registered dietitian with a master's degree in nutrition and food science, and also a certified personal trainer. She is the nutrition director at Fitness Unlimited.

Readers may send questions about nutrition to Endyke at Fitness Unlimited, 364 Granite Ave., Milton, MA 02186 or by e-mail to jendyke@fitnessunlimited.com.

The information in this column is not intended to diagnose individual conditions. Readers should see their doctors about specific problems.

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Baths for detoxification

Detox Baths for Purification

General Information:

You may experience flu-like symptoms during the detoxification because your body is ridding itself of poisons. You can get some relief from these symptoms by taking baths using epsom salts (1 to 2 cups) and baking soda (1 cup) in a tub of water and soaking for 20 minutes (soaking for more than 20 minutes may cause you to get too exhausted). On off days, you can put 1 cup of apple cider vinegar in the tub and soak.

Skin brushing can be very beneficial, because the skin is a primary avenue for detoxification - along with the lungs, kidneys, liver, and colon. Use a vegetable brush. You can purchase this at a health food store. You need to brush all parts of the body toward the heart. Then follow with a sesame oil massage. Massaging with sesame oil brings relief. This oil can be purchased from the health food store. Massage the whole body for 5 minutes before bathing or showering.

Detox Baths

(NOTE: Baths should be taken on a daily basis during detox and rotated, switching to a different type of bath each day. After detoxing, use whichever bath seems appropriate to meet your current needs.)

EPSOM SALTS AND GINGER:

This bath opens pores and eliminates toxins and also helps to eliminate pain. Stir one cup of epsom salts and 2 tablespoons of ginger in a cup of water first, then add to the bath. Do not remain in the tub for more than 30 minutes.

SALT AND SODA:

This bath counteracts the effects of radiation, whether from X-rays, cancer treatment radiation, fallout from the atmosphere, or television radiation. 1 cup of baking soda and 1 to 2 cups of ordinary coarse salt (or epsom salts or sea salt) to a tub of water. You can soak for 20 minutes.

EPSOM SALTS, SEA SALT, AND SESAME OIL:

This bath helps with dry skin and stress. Take 1 cup of Epsom salt, 1 cup of sea salt (from the health food store), and 1 cup of sesame oil and put into a warm to hot tub of water and soak for 20 minutes. Pat yourself dry.

VINEGAR BATH:

This is used when the body is too acidic. This is a quick way of restoring the acid-alkaline balance. 1 cup to 2 quarts of 100% apple cider vinegar to a bathtub of warm water. Soak 40 to 45 minutes. This is excellent for excess uric acid in the body and especially for the joints, arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, and gout.

BENTONITE BATH:

A fast detoxification method. Soak 2 to 4 pounds of bentonite clay in a flat container overnight to dissolve it. Then add this to a tub of water. With 2 pounds of bentonite you would soak one hour; with 4 pounds you would soak only about 30 minutes. The more bentonite used, the faster the detoxification. (NOTE: While bentonite is a great adsorber, it is widely used to seal well-casings and ponds. It would very likely seal many septic systems too, costing thousands to repair. Use sparingly or with caution!)

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14/11/2008

Obese kids have arteries like 45 yrs.old

Study finds obese kids have arteries like 45-year-olds'

Many overweight children and teenagers could have severe cardiovascular disease in their 20s and 30s, causing a healthcare crisis. Early identification of the problem is a key.

By Thomas H. Maugh II
November 12, 2008
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/na...2C5880043.story


The arteries of many obese children and teenagers are as thick and stiff as those of 45-year-olds, a sign that such children could have severe cardiovascular disease at a much younger age than their parents unless their condition is reversed, researchers said Tuesday.

"It's possible that they will have heart disease in their 20s and 30s," said Dr. Geetha Raghuveer of the University of Missouri at Kansas City, who led the study presented at a New Orleans meeting of the American Heart Assn.

"There's a saying that 'you're as old as your arteries,' meaning that the state of your arteries is more important than your actual age in the evolution of heart disease and stroke," she said. "We found that the state of the arteries of these children is more typical of a 45-year-old than of someone their own age."

Experts did not find the results surprising, but they did view it as "alarming."

"We're facing an epidemic of childhood obesity," said Dr. Michael Schloss, co-director of the lipid treatment program at the New York University School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study. "We are raising a generation of children that are going to have a significant increase in vascular disease as they get older."


A May study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 16.3% of U.S. children and teenagers are obese and an additional 15.6% are overweight.

Raghuveer runs a preventive cardiology clinic for children who have high cholesterol levels, obesity and a family history of cardiac deaths. She and her colleagues used ultrasound imaging to measure the thickness of the inner walls of the carotid arteries on 70 children considered at risk.

The carotid arteries supply blood to the brain, and the thickness of their inner walls is routinely used as a surrogate for the condition of the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart.

The children all had abnormalities in one or more types of cholesterol, and 40 of them had a body mass index, or BMI -- a calculation of weight and height routinely used as a measure of obesity -- in the 95th percentile.

Because the researchers did not have access to healthy children for comparison, they compared the measured values to readily available data for 45-year-olds, using an arbitrary cutoff value of the 25th percentile, Raghuveer said. They found that three-quarters of the children had artery thickness above this level.

The artery thickening was most advanced in patients who were the most obese and had the highest levels of a type of cholesterol known as triglycerides, so that combination "should be a red flag to the doctor that a child is at high risk of heart disease," she said. Their long-term prospects "are not good" unless they can reverse the condition.

The findings suggest the potential for "a major public health problem" down the road, said Dr. Albert Bove of the Temple University School of Medicine, president-elect of the American College of Cardiology, who was not involved in the study.

"If we begin to see people disabled in their 30s and 40s because of heart disease, we could lose a significant fraction of the workforce," Bove said.

But there is some hope.

"If we can identify the condition early and start modifying triglycerides, we can probably prevent progression and perhaps even promote regression," said Dr. John P. Kennedy, director of prevention cardiology at Marina del Rey Hospital.

Maugh is a Times staff writer.

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13/11/2008

The link between cancer and antibiotic use

(NaturalNews) How ironic that the very thing we were taught would save us may actually be increasing our chances of death from a fatal disease. Recent research has established the link between antibiotic use and cancer.

The International Journal of Cancer, August 14th issue reports a nationwide cohort study to determine whether antibiotic use predicts the development of various cancers. The research included 3,112,624 individuals, aged 30-79 years, with no history of cancer. Information on their antibiotic use between 1995 and 1997 was obtained from the Drug Prescription Registry in Finland. During the period from 1998-2004, 134,070 cancer cases were documented from the Finnish Cancer Registry. Regression analysis was used to estimate the relative risks.

Antibiotic use was associated with increased risk of cancer as follows: in the reference group having 0-1 antibiotic prescriptions, the risk of cancer was not increased (1.0). In the group having 2-5 prescriptions, the risk of cancer was 1.27, an increase in relative risk of 27%. In the greater than 6 prescriptions group, the risk of cancer was 1.37, and increase in relative risk of 37%.

Relative risks for the most common primary sites of the cancer were 1.39 for prostate, 1.14 for breast, 1.79 for lung, 1.15 for colon, and 2.60 for endocrine gland.

The hypothesis that use of antibiotics may increase risk of cancer was first proposed several decades ago. However, biological and epidemiological studies of the association were limited until the year 2000 when another cohort study in Finland looked at breast cancer patients. After researchers investigated 10,000 women, they found that those younger than 50 who reported taking antibiotics for urinary tract infections had elevated rates of breast cancer compared with women who didn't use antibiotics.

Then in 2004, scientists from the University of Washington, the National Cancer Institute, the Group Health Cooperative and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle sought to examine the association between the use of antibiotics and risk of breast cancer. For their case-controlled study, they examined the health records of 2,266 women over the age of 19, with primary invasive breast cancer. They also randomly selected 7,953 females as controls.

They found that increasing cumulative days of antibiotic use were associated with increased risk of incidence of breast cancer as follows: for categories of increasing use (0, 1-50, 51-100, 100-500, 501-1000, and greater than 1001 cumulative days), the odds for breast cancer development were 1.00 [reference group], 1.45, 1.53, 1.68, 2.14, and 2.07. These finding show that the risk of breast cancer doubled in those who had used antibiotics for more than 500 cumulative days. The reported antibiotic use included not only the class of fluoroquinolones, known to be carcinogenic, but also such antibiotics as tetracycline, erythromycin, penicillin VK and cephalexin.

Antibiotics were shown to be an even greater risk factor than synthetic hormone replacement therapy (HRT), according to the lead researcher. Synthetic HRT has been shown to pose a 30-40 percent increased risk to women for getting breast cancer. This study found that women who used the most antibiotics had up to twice the risk as women who did not use antibiotics.

The researchers place their results in the context that antibiotics may be associated with the risk of breast cancer through their effects on immune function, inflammation, and metabolism of estrogen and phytochemicals. Additional associations may include the long-term toxic effects of drugs on body function, and the overburdening of liver function in response to this toxic load. The undermining of immune function may include a surge in the growth of intestinal pathogens in response to the antibiotic suppression of the friendly bacteria. Since 80% of the immune response depends on proper bacterial balance in the intestinal tract, the overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria may indirectly interfere with immune functioning.

At this point, the contextual speculations are only that. These studies are able to establish correlation. No cause-effect relationship between antibiotics and cancer has yet been established.

Undoubtedly it is best to handle suspected infections without the use of antibiotics. Proper food sanitation, a diet that provides maximum nutrition, regular exercise and stress reduction go a long way toward keeping you healthy. Eliminating products that contain artificial ingredients that must be detoxified by your liver is another good strategy. You can keep your intestinal tract well populated with friendly bacteria by using a good probiotic, or by consuming fermented foods and cultured foods containing live bacteria such as yogurt or kefir.

It's also a good idea to keep some immune boosters on hand. If you take them at the very first sign of a bacterial or viral problem, you can usually head if off before the bugs get out of control. An immune system booster that is particularly effective is the organic Insure Immune Support made by Zand, available at (www.LuckyVitamin.com) . Be sure to order the organic version (they also make one that is not organic). If cost is not an issue for you, another good product is Immunify available at (www.baselinenutritionals.com) .

Since your goal is an immune system that is functioning optimally, it's a good idea to use an immune system modulator along with a booster, to make sure the system remains balanced. Garlic and the herb Astragalus are good choices for immune system normalizers.

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Causes of chronic fatigue syndrome exposed

(NaturalNews) The cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is not yet clear. It is a complex disorder which does not have one absolute cause behind it. Rather, there are multiple underlying causes that feed off of each other and together manifest as Chronic Fatigue. Further, the group of factors that may cause one person's illness may be different from another's with similar symptoms.

The following health imbalances have all been identified as possible factors that can lead to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Viral Infection

The Epstein Barr Virus (EBV), which causes mononucleosis (also called glandular fever), has been continually linked with Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia (FM). Many people with these conditions initially had EBV and never recovered. Recent studies continue to associate the two together. Other viruses are also commonly found in the blood of many people with CFS and FM.

People with these conditions, regularly test positive for elevated levels of RNase L, which is an enzyme found in the cells of the body. It is activated when the body is under attack from viruses. However it appears that the RNase L system of those with CFS is compromised, and is therefore unable to effectively fight the viruses.

Immune Dysfunction

There is an abundance of scientific evidence to suggest that people who have CFS have immune dysfunction. A high percentage of sufferers have elevated circulating cytokines, altered T lymphocyte numbers, and low natural killer cell cytotoxicity.

In basic terms, these people have immune systems that are under functioning.

This explains why people with CFS tend to frequently pick up coughs and colds. They also have trouble fighting off what they pick up. They are more susceptible to and affected by invaders such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, Candida, and toxins. People with CFS also have a higher occurrence of allergies than the healthy population.

Endocrine Dysfunction

The endocrine systems of people with CFS seem to be out of balance.

* Cortisol and DHEA-S are hormones released by the adrenal glands, and are invariably low in people with CFS. They work together to control how the body responds to stress. Low levels of these hormones can cause fatigue, hypoglycemia, poor brain function, allergic reactions, anxiety, and many other problems associated with this condition.

* Melatonin is a hormone released by the pineal gland. Its primary function is to control sleep patterns. During the day the pineal gland is stimulated by light and communicates to produce chemicals such as serotonin to wake the body up. When light levels fall the pineal gland signals the production of melatonin, preparing the body for sleep. Melatonin production appears to be disturbed in CFS, causing a lack of deep, restful sleep.

* Thyroxin is a hormone excreted by the thyroid gland. Studies consistently reveal an under-active thyroid in many people with CFS.

Food Intolerances

A significant proportion of people with CFS have food intolerances. There is often an improvement in their health when certain foods are eliminated.

Blood Pressure Drop When Physically Active

CFS sufferers regularly report a feeling of dizziness, weakness and a light headed feeling when they stand up. In fact some people experience this all the time, even when lying down. Studies have confirmed that a majority of these people have low blood pressure, especially when they exert themselves, because there is not significant blood flow to the brain.

Cognitive Dysfunction

People with CFS can sometimes suffer from cognitive difficulties. They often feel overwhelmed by sensory information, such as sounds and smells, especially in busy public places. Their skin is often sensitive to the touch as well. Experts believe this could be explained by neurological (brain) dysfunction, which processes information as vitally important when it is not, making these people feel overwhelmed. This suggests a deficiency in certain vital chemicals in the brain.

Environmental Toxins

A high percentage of people with CFS and FM are affected by everyday chemicals. This is known as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Perhaps the brain is more sensitive to chemicals, and causes the person to have a strong physical response. There also seems to be a consistently low level of the body's most powerful antioxidants, which impair its ability to fight off toxins and free radicals.

Genetic Factors

There is evidence that suggests a genetic link, or at least a genetic predisposition to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Candida albicans

People with Candida, or yeast overgrowth show many of the same symptoms as people with CFS. Studies reveal that the flora of the intestine can be disturbed by factors such as antibiotics, and allow Candida, which is always present in the body in a harmless form, to proliferate and cause ill health.

Research has shown that an elevated level of Candida overgrowth is associated with allergies, irritable bowel, fatigue, memory impairment, foggy brain, and muscle pain. In diagnostic labs where it is possible to test for yeast overgrowth, physicians consistently report a correlation between Candida antibodies and CFS. Many people who have these conditions have reported dramatic health improvements through anti-fungal agents and anti-fungal protocol.

Leaky Gut Syndrome

Leaky gut is when spaces develop in the gut wall, and toxins, bacteria, fungi, and undigested food can leak through. This can cause a deal of health problems, and is associated with CFS.

Heavy Metal Sensitivity

Many studies indicate that heavy metals play a role in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. There is evidence to suggest that aluminum, nickel, lead, and mercury (from mercury amalgam dental fillings) may be involved in causing CFS.

Nutritional Deficiencies

Deficiencies in multiple vitamins and minerals are generally present in people with CFS.

Emotional Stress/Trauma

A significantly high percentage of people with this condition appear to be highly driven and put a lot of pressure on themselves. They are often perfectionists. This may reveal, and further research is needed, that stress may be a root cause of CFS. There is no doubt that people with CFS have an impaired stress response, and there is also much evidence to suggest that stress impairs the immune system.

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12/11/2008

The benefits of chocolate

(NaturalNews) Kit Kats, Snickers, Cadbury. We all know that chocolate is bad for us right? Wrong!
Chocolate is actually one of the healthiest foods on the earth! Research is continually proving that chocolate is actually a super food. The problem is that most chocolate has been highly processed and heated, stealing all the nutrients.

Further, Many ingredients are added to chocolate which have a negative impact on our health. Sugar, for example, destroys the immune system, and causes diabetes, premature aging and other serious health complaints. Studies show that adding milk to chocolate cancels out all of the goodness. In addition, researchers have found that commercial chocolate can be contaminated with extremely high quantities of the toxic metal lead.

You may be asking yourself what is left if you can't have milk chocolate, dark chocolate or any sort of processed chocolate. Fear not, the absolutely delicious raw chocolate is taking the world by storm. You don't need to avoid chocolate this holiday season because you can have raw chocolate.
Raw chocolate is chocolate that has not gone through any sort of heating or processing, so all of the nutrients are still in tact.

So What are the Nutrients?

Chocolate contains more magnesium than any other food. Magnesium is the number one mineral deficiency in the west. It is the most powerful stress relieving mineral. It also relaxes the muscles and builds strong bones and teeth.

Chocolate is also power packed with antioxidants, which protect us from aging and disease. The following is a list of the foods with the highest ORAC values (the number given to foods based on their antioxidant activity):

•Unprocessed Raw Cacao - ORAC 28,000
•Acai Berries - ORAC 18,500
•Dark Chocolate - ORAC 13,120
•Prunes - 5,770
•Goji Berries - 3,472
•Pomegranates - 3,307
•Raisins - 2,830
•Blueberries - 2,400

Amazing! You can see that even heated dark chocolate has a high antioxidant level. Unfortunately, most dark chocolate has sugar added to it.

Chocolate is actually higher in the antioxidant resveratrol than red wine. The media have been giving red wine a lot of attention over the last few years because it is rich in this antioxidant, which is know for protecting cells from free radical damage and inhibiting the spread of cancer. It is also know to your lower blood pressure and normalize your anti-inflammatory response.

Chocolate is also rich in sulphur, which is the beauty mineral. Sulphur is essential for gorgeous skin, lustrous hair and strong nails.

Chocolate is one of the only sources of PEA, which is a compound that increases the serotonin levels in the brain, which increases joy. No wonder people are so attracted to chocolate!

More Benefits of Chocolate

Chocolate may help prevent cardiovascular disease in diabetics because of their high levels of flavanol. Research has shown that people with diabetes that drank flavanol rich cocoa for one month showed dramatic improvements in their blood vessel function. In fact, the improvements they noticed were as high as those found in taking drugs. Chocolate is an amazing super food for keeping your heart healthy and for improving elasticity in your blood vessels.

Chocolate helps people to feel amazing. Besides PEA, the rich creaminess of chocolate has been known to boost sex drive and make us feel alive. And the good news is that it doesn't have to contain milk, sugar, aluminium, or any other ingredients that may have a negative impact on our health. Raw chocolate can be combined with other super foods so that we can indulge our sweet tooth and improve our health at the same time.

Even the biggest sweet tooth junk food eaters enjoy raw chocolate.

How to Get Raw Chocolate

Some health food shops are beginning to sell raw chocolate, and you can also order it online.

Better yet, you can make your own vegan raw chocolate at home. There are so many different recipes out there that combine different super foods. Here is one of the most basic for you to try out:

Raw Cacao butter
Raw Cacao powder
Mesquite
Agave Nectar (yes…only four ingredients, but you won't believe how it tastes!)

Put boiling water in a bowl. Put the cacao butter (how ever much chocolate you intend to make) in another bowl, then set that in the bowl with the boiling water. This will ensure that the cacao is not heated above 116 degrees f, which is the point at which the molecular structure begins to change. Thus, if it is heated to a temperature under 116, it is still considered raw.

Make sure that you break the cacao butter down into tiny bits; otherwise it will take ages to melt.
Once the butter is melted, pour in half the amount of chocolate powder. So if you melted 2 grams of butter, put in 1 gram powder.

Now put in that same amount of mesquite. Mesquite meal is a traditional Native American food that has been used as a staple food for centuries by desert dwellers. This high protein meal contains good quantities of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc, and is rich in the amino acid lysine as well. It has a sweet taste that will give your chocolate a kick.

Add as much agave nectar as you want. Agave nectar is an incredibly delicious natural sweetener that will NOT make your blood sugar levels spin out of control. It is actually the same plant that tequila comes from.

Now take a rubber ice cup tray (you can use a plastic one, but it can be difficult to get the chocolate out of) and load it up with chocolate. Put it in the freezer, it should be ready to eat in about 30 minutes.

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