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29/04/2009

Propolis stops tumor growth

(NaturalNews) Honeybees are some of the most amazing creatures ever created by nature. They play a vital role in much of the food supply through pollination, and they provide people with a healthy natural alternative to sugar. Some of the most interesting aspects of bees are the substances they make to use themselves. Propolis is a natural resin found in young tree buds. Bees collect it for use as a glue to seal their homes. Propolis is an exceedingly complex product that contains substances that prevent and treat diseases ranging from cancer to the common cold. Recent research has documented the ability of propolis to suppress the growth of human tumors from neurofibromatosis and cancer.

Compound from propolis halts tumor process in clinical trials

Neurofibromatosis is a genetic disorder that can produce coffee colored skin patches, but it is best known for producing tumors on nerve tissue including the nerves involved in hearing. Tumors from neurofibromatosis can grow anywhere else in the body including the brain and spinal cord, and if surgically removed, they can return. The condition of neurofibromatosis can be life threatening.

Neurofibromatosis affects one in every 3000 people. The body processes that form neurofibromatosis tumors are responsible for about 70% of human cancers.

Propolis halted neurofibromatosis tumor growth in a group of cancer patients taking part in a study by scientists at Universitaets Klinikum Eppendorf in Hamburg, Germany. Dysfunction of the NF1 or NF2 gene coding is the major cause of neurofibromatosis. Researchers had previously demonstrated that the human gene PAK1 is essential for the growth of both NF1 and NF2 tumors. Although several attempts have been made to develop anti-PAK1 drugs, none have been successful.

Since bee propolis contains anticancer ingredients caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) and artepillin C (ARC), both of which block the oncogenic PAK1 signaling pathways, its potential therapeutic effects on NF tumors were explored in vivo. It was demonstrated that a CAPE-rich extract of propolis mixed with water completely suppressed the growth of human NF1 and caused an almost complete regression of human NF2 (Schwannoma), that had been grafted in mice. The scientists stressed that although CAPE is not used clinically due to its poor bioavailability, it can be made soluble with the addition of lipids (fats). (Phytotherapy Resources, February)

In an earlier study, this German team identified CAPE's anti-cancer abilities. CAPE is a natural compound found in some foods, but is highly concentrated in bee propolis. Previously, propolis had been known only to have anti-cancer function through its profound ability to boost the immune system.

Clinical trials to test the compound on humans are ongoing. So far, cancer patients taking part have seen their tumor growth halted. The compound's effect on neurofibromatosis, melanoma and pancreatic cancer is being investigated. Although the trials are still in early stages, the majority of patients have shown no further growth of their tumors. Those in charge of the study believe that several other PAK-1 dependent diseases such as AIDS and Fragile X mental retardation syndrome can be impacted by the compound.

Propolis is effective against cancer of the larynx

Scientists in Brazil recently investigated the effects of propolis on human laryngeal epidermoid carcinoma. They incubated cells with different concentrations of bee propolis for different time periods. Then they analyzed morphology and number of viable cancerous cells. Their data showed that propolis exhibited the ability to kill cancerous cells in a dose and time dependent manner. (Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, October 22, 2007)

Propolis keeps tumors from setting up their own blood supplies

In other recent research, researchers examined the ability of propolis components to stop tumors from developing their own blood supplies. When blood supply to a tumor is cut off, it can no longer receive nutrients to fuel its growth. Acacetin, apigenin, artepillin C, CAPE, chrysin, p-coumaric acid, galangin, kaempherol, pinocembrin, and quercetin were studied for their antioxidant activity as well.

Two of the components, CAPE and quercetin, possessed strong inhibitory effects on tube formation and endothelial cell proliferation, and coincidentally showed strong antioxidant activity. Artepillin C, galangin, and kaempferol also possessed strong ability to block tumor blood supply. Each had strong antioxidant activity although not to the degree of CAPE and quercetin. In contrast, acacetin, apigenin, and pinocembrin possessed a considerable degree of effect against blood supply formation, although they demonstrated low antioxidant activity. The scientists noted the potential for these compounds to be developed into pharmaceutical drugs for the treatment of human tumors. (Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, December 8, 2008)

Bee propolis rejuvenates the immune system

The first double-blind study of propolis involved a team of five doctors led by Professor S. Scheller in Poland, who found that propolis had the power to prolong the prime of life by stimulating the immune system to release substances that protect against cellular deterioration. In addition, propolis boosted the destruction of potentially harmful foreign bacteria and stimulated the formation of antibodies to build immunity to many diseases. This strengthening of cellular defense helps build resistance to aging and illness.

Phagocytes are the white blood cells that serve as the primary defense against bacterial infections. Their activity was found to be increased by propolis.

As people reach their 30s and 40s, the immune system generally begins to weaken, increasing susceptibility to disease. Propolis offers wide spectrum activity though its broad range of flavonoids and other cell-building compounds, such as vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Flavonoids from propolis can block the release of histamine by stabilizing cell membrane lipids. Flavonoids guard against deposits of aging lypofuscins, which is fatty pigment in the heart, brain, nerves and liver.

Here are some comments from Dr. Scheller about his findings regarding propolis as quoted in Carlson Wade's article Can Bee Propolis Rejuvenate the Immune System:

"There was an increase in general physical performance, also sexual, and above all intellectual.

"In the gastro-enterological area, we found a favorable effect on infectious changes in the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines.

"There was an accelerated and intensified regeneration of injured tissue on traumatically or infectiously altered tissues.

"There were no unequivocally negative changes in the white blood picture or in the liver or kidney values. Among other things, this substantiates the absence of side effects of propolis as well as its non-toxicity.

"In our paper, we particularly studied the effect on the immune system and documented further positive effects of propolis on circulation, metabolism, physical well-being and infectious diseases.

"Simulate the immune system, and it is possible to control the aging process and enjoy a long and healthy life. Propolis holds the key to this form of inner rejuvenation."

Propolis is effective against a variety of bacteria and viruses

A bee hive is a busy place crammed full of bustling bodies. These conditions would make them very susceptible to bacterial and viral infections, which could destroy the hive the way the Bubonic Plague ravaged Europe in the 17th century. Yet bees are able to prevent infection by using sap from young trees that has antibiotic properties. They gather the sap, remetabolize it with their nectar secretions, and take it back to the hives. There they spread it all over the place so that every bee will brush against it and become immunized. The tree antibiotic becomes the bee antibiotic.

Studies have documented the ability of propolis against Staphylococcus aureus that causes deadly infections in hospitals. Researchers found that extracts of propolis inhibited the growth of the bacteria.

Another study documented that propolis inhibited the activity of streptococcal bacteria species that cause dental cavities. Japanese researchers reported that propolis fed laboratory rats had far fewer cavities than those given a regular diet.

Researchers in Brazil recently evaluated the antimicrobial activity of two experimental pastes containing propolis extract associated with calcium hydroxide against polymicrobial cultures collected from molars of children. The paste was effective in controlling dental infections. (Brazilian Dental Journal, 2008)

Propolis is equally effective against viral infection. Several journals have documented its ability to fight upper respiratory infections, such as those caused by the common cold and influenza viruses. It has been shown to prevent viruses from reproducing, but it must be used throughout the infection period.

For more information see:

http://www.thenutritionreporter.com...

http://thenaturalshopper.com/buy-be...

http://www.elearn-university.org/Me...

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28/04/2009

Fear no fear- Plato

SWINE FLU:
PIG IN A POKE



April 27, 2009. Everybody wants to jump on a bandwagon when “a new disease” comes along.

There are many possible bandwagons:

THIS COULD BE THE MOTHER ALL PANDEMICS.

THE MEDICAL AUTHORITIES KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY’RE DOING, AND WE MUST FOLLOW THEIR DIRECTIONS.

REMAIN CALM.

DON’T TRAVEL TO MEXICO.

IT’S A TERRORIST ATTACK.

IT’S THE PRELUDE TO A TERRORIST ATTACK.

A GERM ESCAPED FROM A BIO-WARFARE FACILITY.

QUARANTINE YOUR CHILDREN.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IS THE CAUSE OF IT ALL.

A PIG DID IT.

A BIRD DID IT.

“THEY” PUT THE SWINE FLU GERM INTO A VACCINE.

THIS IS GOD TAKING REVENGE FOR PEOPLE EATING PORK.

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LET PEOPLE TRAVEL ALL OVER THE WORLD. GROUND ALL PLANES.

THIS IS MOTHER NATURE STRIKING BACK AT TECHNOLOGY.

NOSTRADAMUS PREDICTED THIS.

I could go on.

As some of you know, I’ve been through these “pandemics” before. I’ve analyzed the medical reasoning from a number of different perspectives. I’ve pointed out the gaping holes in the official media-driven scenarios.

I no longer have the interest in unearthing every single mistake and stupidity and prejudice and lie. But I will cover the main issues one more time.

First of all, people die all the time all over the world. That some of them exhibit what could be called common flu symptoms DOES NOT mean we have a new disease. People dying in Mexico is something that happens every day of every year. On any given day, I could collect reports of sickness and death in Mexico (with flu symptoms) and bundle them up and claim they’re evidence of something new and sinister, and I would be wrong.

Second, you have to examine HOW the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are TESTING TO FIND THIS SWINE FLU ILLNESS. On what basis are they saying there IS a new human disease? On what basis are they saying people have this new disease?

Is the test any good?

You would think lots of reporters are looking into this, but you would be wrong.

If I say the sky is falling, people would ask me for evidence. I should be able to present that evidence. If I can’t, or if my evidence is flimsy and shoddy, then that’s the end of that.

In the case of Swine Flu or any so-called new disease, the evidence IS THE TEST.

So let’s look at it. The test is done with a swab from the throat or nose. That material is then analyzed with very sophisticated methods. The centerpiece of the method is the PCR. It is a test in which VERY tiny bits of genetic substance are amplified, blown up tremendously, in order to be able to see what is there.

What IS there? Fragments of a pig virus? Fragments of a bird virus? Fragments of more common human flu viruses? That’s what the CDC and WHO are telling us. All of the above.

Does this mean all these blown-up fragments are part of a SINGLE VIRUS, A COMPLETE VIRUS? Does this mean these fragments are all locked together?

NO.

The test result is more like this: WE LOOKED THROUGH THE GARBAGE BIN AND WE CAME UP WITH ALL SORTS OF PIECES OF STUFF. AND WE BELIEVE WE CAN INFER WHAT THESE PIECES ONCE BELONGED TO. BUT EVEN IF WE CAN, WE CAN’T SAY THE PIECES WERE ONCE ALL PART OF A SINGLE THING.

TO SAY YOU HAVE A SINGLE THING, YOU MUST BE ABLE TO FIND THAT SINGLE THING.

In the case of what the CDC is calling Human Swine Flu, THEY MUST BE ABLE TO PRODUCE, FOR INSPECTION AND CONFIRMATION, the whole virus. The whole thing. The one thing. The Swine-Bird-Human combo virus, in pristine form, taken from the swab of a human patient.

Where is it?

Who has it?

How many independent labs have confirmed that’s what it is?

I see NO evidence.

And that’s just the beginning of the trouble.

Because, even if researchers could produce that pristine combo virus in complete structure and form, taken from the body of a human patient, they are not saying there are HUGE NUMBERS OF THESE VIRUSES in a given patient’s body. And guess what? In order to claim a person has a disease, you have to ID GIGANTIC NUMBERS OF A GIVEN GERM AT WORK IN THE BODY, DOING THEIR BUSINESS. Otherwise, you have NOTHING.

As in: NOTHING.

One or two copies of germs of a particular type aren’t going to affect the body.

In fact, whenever you hear about the PCR test being used in this way, it’s usually a giveaway, a major clue. They’re using this test, which blows up and amplifies tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny amounts of material, to the point where they can see something, BECAUSE THEY CAN’T ACTUALLY FIND WHOLE GERMS. THEY CAN’T.

Now, if you take what I’ve stated in this article, and do a little thinking of your own, you’ll form your own ideas of what is really happening and not happening in this new “horrible threat.”

And by the way, what happened to that other pandemic that was going to spread around the world and decimate populations a few years back. Remember? Planes grounded? Cities declared off bounds for tourists?

SARS?

Remember?

The sky fell and the world is still here.

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27/04/2009

Natural compound restores genes involved in cancer

(NaturalNews) A gene called p53 that is known to be important in controlling cell growth and death has the ability to suppress tumors. It works as a kind of checkpoint to keep abnormal cells from growing and dividing unheeded and causing malignancies. But something --an environmental toxin, chemicals, radiation, no one knows for sure -- can mutate the gene. The result? It no longer protects the body against pre-cancerous cells, allowing them to progress into cancer. In fact, researchers have learned mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene play a role in about half of all human tumors.

The p53 mutation was just in the news when researchers from the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) presented results of what is believed to be the largest p53 and breast cancer study in the US. At the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in Denver, Colorado, the scientists said they've found that almost 26 percent of women studied who have breast cancer were found to have mutations in this gene. What's more, the women with the gene mutation had poorer outcomes and significantly higher risk of dying from their cancer.

"The p53 gene is the guardian of the genome because it signals the cell to repair DNA damage when that occurs. If we can find genetic or environmental risk factors that lead to damage of p53 or stress on the gene, we may be able to help prevent development of breast cancer as well as other cancers," the study's lead investigator, Catalin Marian, MD, PhD, a research instructor of cancer genetics and epidemiology at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at GUMC, said in a media statement.

Meanwhile, another research team at Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at GUMC presented a remarkable discovery about how a mutant p53 gene might be "fixed". They've observed that a natural substance can restore the cancer-stopping function to p53 in a variety of human tumor cells.

Specifically, the scientists have demonstrated that phenethyl isothiocyante (PEITC), a natural compound found in cruciferous vegetables such as watercress, broccoli and cabbage, can selectively deplete mutant p53. And when this happens in human cancer cells, the researchers said there's a restoration of what they call the "wild type", i.e. normal, function of p53.

This research strongly suggests that PEITC restores the normal p53 checkpoint control pathways in mutant p53-expressing tumor cells. Bottom line: this novel finding could well mean PEITC and other natural compounds in the isothiocyante family could play important roles in both cancer prevention and the treatment of human cancers linked to mutant p53 genes.

For more information:
http://explore.georgetown.edu/news/...
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_relea...

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26/04/2009

Medical mushroom

The Cordyceps Sinensis Medicinal Mushroom

A True Superfood

Since the dawn of shamanic healing over 50,000 years ago, mankind
has searched for healing ingredients to concoct the ultimate
panacea—a cure-all. One of the most sought-after ingredients was
Cordyceps, a substance so revered that it was exclusively reserved for use by
royalty in ancient China. Chemical analyses have shown that its allegedly
remarkable properties are much more than superstition or mere folklore.
Cordyceps sinensis is a new generation of mushroom being used by the
pharmaceutical industry and also as a dietary supplement amongst more
informed consumers seeking alternatives to the more conventional
treatments for cancer and AIDS as well as a wide range of other health and
immune system issues.

Cordyceps is considered a "food" by the US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) and is classified as "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS). A growing
number of researchers now consider it to be a "superfood" that can be
included in almost every diet. So why are these rediscovered mushrooms
now regarded as superfoods?

What makes Cordyceps important for use with cancer is that it contains beta-glucans and polysaccharides. As the sugars break down, the numerous oxygen
molecules are released on a cellular level, the result being that cancerous materials present are immediately destroyed. Cordycepin, one of the target
compounds (nucleosides), inhibits the DNA repair mechanism and is probably responsible for its antiviral (HIV) effects.

Full-spectrum Chemistries There is a lot of confusion today in the field of
pharmaceutical mushrooms as to what form of mushroom product is
the best for use. There are various components of the mushroom which
have been used as separated compounds. Is it the fruit-body, the
mycelium or an extract standardised from some particular compound
which is responsible for the mushroom's properties? This question is not as straightforward as it seems.

Fruit body. This is the mushroom that you see above the ground. It is the spore- producing portion involved with reproduction. Basically, the fruit body is
equivalent to the flower of a plant. Fruit bodies only form in response to some stress from the environment. Mycelium. This is the growth form of the organism under the ground where all of the life processes occur: growth, feeding, competing for survival and some forms of reproduction.

Broth. In cultivated mushroom products, the mycelium can be grown either by fermentation, in a tank full of liquid "broth", or on a solid substrate of some material that is found in the natural growth condition. For the production of many mushroom-derived drugs and health supplements, the compounds are extracted
not from the mycelium but from the broth in which the mycelium is grown.
As an example, there are a number of pharmaceutical drugs produced from the Shiitake mushroom: lentinan from the fruit body; LEM from the mycelium; and KS-2 from the residual culture broth, an extracellular compound. To extract lentinan from Shiitake mushrooms is a pretty straightforward chemical process. But what
about another compound present in Shiitake, called eritadenine?

This compound is useful in the treatment of high cholesterol levels, while lentinan is used for the treatment of cancer. If you extract Shiitake compounds using hot water and then use alcohol to precipitate out the polysaccharide fraction, the lentinan is concentrated and the resultant product is effective for cancer treatment or immune system stimulation. However, with this process you lose the eritadenine, and the extract has no effect on blood cholesterol.

Consequently, even though a raw Shiitake product shows great effectiveness in treating high cholesterol, the "standardised extract" available today is useless for this purpose. So, what is the more valuable product: the raw, full-spectrum
Shiitake or the standardised extract? The answer is neither, or both. It really depends on what you are hoping to achieve with the supplement.

For general health-supplement usage, the best product is the one that has the greatest effectiveness over a broad range of conditions. In this example, it makes much more sense to use a full spectrum of products—the fruit body, mycelium and broth. German precision created the concept of standardised extracts. But now we are beginning to realise that mixed chemistries play a more important role in
the effectiveness of how unrelated chemistries might produce specific results. It is a complex form that is still not completely understood but produces clinical results not available with standardised extracts.

Most pharmaceutical mushrooms are utilised as extracts for their most potent and most successful products and formulas. But these are very specific and targeted extracts, made for the particular purpose of concentrating specific compounds. Additionally, it is because these chemical compounds are produced as extracts that the pharmaceutical medicine industry is allowed to hold patent rights to them. Natural foods cannot be patented.

There are two general categories of bio-active
compounds found in pharmaceutical mushrooms:
1. The polysaccharides, which comprise most of the
medicinal compounds, are soluble in hot water and
not in alcohol. The immuno-stimulant type of action
so well known in mushrooms is from this class of
compounds. If you are looking for immuno-modulation action, then don't use alcohol extracts as
they will not be effective.
2. The nucleosides, another class of compounds, are
soluble in non-polar solvents like alcohol and hexane.
These compounds are usually smaller in molecular size
and are more specific in their bio-activity compared
with polysaccharides. Nucleosides, deoxynucleosides
and most of our antibiotics and antimicrobials fall into
this category.
Health Benefits and Clinical Studies
The medicinal properties of Cordyceps are remarkable.
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the main use
of Cordyceps has been in the treatment of asthma and
other bronchial conditions. Modern research now
confirms the efficacy of these
ancient uses.
Much of what is known in the
western world about Cordyceps
sinensis is due to the work of Dr
Georges Halpern, a physician
and professor emeritus with
the University of Hong Kong
and the author of several
books about Cordyceps.
One of the highlights of
modern research has been the
discovery of new antibiotics in
this mushroom. One of these,
cordycepin, is very effective against all sorts of bacteria
that have developed, or are developing, resistance to
other, more common antibiotics (such as penicillin, a
fungus product!).
Cordyceps is especially effective against tuberculosis,
leprosy and human leukaemia, as shown in many trials
in China, Japan and elsewhere.
Some additional health benefits of Cordyceps are
outlined below.
• Enhances physical stamina
The best-known medicinal action of Cordyceps is in
the increase of physical stamina. In 1993, the Chinese
National Games brought this mushroom to the
attention of the world's sporting authorities. A group
of nine women athletes who had been taking Cordyceps
shattered nine world records.
There have been many reports of amazing
improvements in performance in various sports due to
the intake of Cordyceps.
There has even been talk of banning Cordyceps from
sporting events because it may give an unfair
advantage to those who can get it!
Most professional athletes who use it now are
unwilling to admit that they do, due to the possibility
that some sporting authority will outlaw its use. In the
other direction, the Canadian Olympic Committee has
taken an official stand on Cordyceps, ruling that it is
allowed in professional competition.

These medicinal mushrooms are extremely high in both beta-glucans,
which have been shown to be useful in cancer therapies, and
polysaccharides. Polysaccharides are long sugar chains with many oxygen
sections within them. As these sugars are broken down by the body, the
oxygen molecules are released and absorbed on a cellular level. We know
that all forms of cancer cannot exist in an oxygen-rich environment and
that without proper oxygen levels the body is left to fall into degenerative
states that encourage cancer, heart disease, immune disorders and
diabetes, and also allow many viral diseases such as hepatitis C, Lyme's
disease and many others to flourish.

The key is how to deliver oxygen to the body on a cellular level. This host
of pharmaceutical mushrooms includes such well-known products as
Reishi, Maitake and Agaricus which are rich in beta-glucans, known sources
for oxygen. This list continues to grow, with clinical studies now including
more than 70 different mushroom species. The most interesting one to
emerge is Cordyceps sinensis, which grows at about 16,000 feet (4,877 metres)
in Tibet.

Cordyceps sinensis increases ATP (adenosine triphosphate) levels in the
body by almost 28 per cent. ATP is the body's energy supply source—the
body's battery, so to speak—and is required for all enzyme processes. It is
also now believed that ATP is where cold-fusion ("Brown's gas") processes
occur in the body on a molecular level. Although the concept of
molecular-level cold fusion is not the subject of this article, I believe this is
the root of biological energy exchanges, which will be explored in future
writings. The impact on the energy state alone would make this mushroom
a true superfood, but there is much more to be shared.

Clinical research has shown that Cordyceps use
increased cellular bio-energy—ATP (adenosine
triphosphate)—by as much as 55 per cent. Increased
synthesis of ATP and faster energy recovery have been
reported. It would seem that Cordyceps improves the
internal balance mechanism, thus making the
utilisation of oxygen more efficient. These properties
may account for the overall physical enhancement, the
extra endurance and the anti-fatigue effects that are
seen in humans using Cordyceps.
• Improves respiratory function
Several scientific studies have demonstrated the
benefits of Cordyceps sinensis in alleviating the symptoms
of various respiratory illnesses including chronic
bronchitis and asthma.
• Increases oxygen
absorption
In a double-blind, placebocontrolled
study with 30 elderly
volunteers, Cordyceps was
shown to improve significantly
the maximum amount of
oxygen these people were able
to assimilate.
Chinese studies of
cardiovascular illnesses have
shown that ethanol extracts of
Cordyceps mycelia and Cordyceps
fermentation solutions caused
a change in the biological action that allowed for an
increase in cellular oxygen absorption by up to 40 per
cent. In addition, studies have shown the effect of
these compounds in relieving chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease.
• Improves heart function
Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits
of Cordyceps sinensis in treating heart rhythm
disturbances such as cardiac arrhythmia and chronic
heart failure.
• Helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels
Four studies have demonstrated that Cordyceps sinensis
helped to lower total cholesterol by 10–21 per cent and
triglycerides (neutral fats) by 9–26 per cent, and at the
same time helped to increase HDL ("good") cholesterol
by 27–30 per cent.
• Improves liver functions
Cordyceps sinensis has been shown to improve liver
functions as well as help with cirrhosis, sub-chronic
and chronic hepatitis and related liver diseases which
are more prevalent than most people think..
The liver is the living filter of the body, cleaning the
blood and all other fluids of impurities. There is no
way for you to survive, much less feel healthy, without
a functioning liver.
Clinical trials with Cordyceps supplement involving 33
patients with hepatitis B and eight patients with
cirrhosis of the liver showed a 71.9 per cent
improvement on the thymol turbidity test and a 78.6
per cent improvement on the SGPT test. These are
enzyme tests showing changes in liver functions.
• Improves kidney disease
A Chinese study has shown a 51 per cent
improvement in chronic kidney disease after only one
month of dietary
supplementation with
Cordyceps.
• Reduces tumour size
Several clinical studies with
cancer patients have been
conducted in China and Japan,
using a therapeutic dose of 6.0
grams of Cordyceps per day.
In one study with 50 lung
cancer patients who were
administered Cordyceps in
conjunction with
chemotherapy, tumours
reduced in size in 46 per cent
of patients. A study involving cancer patients with
various types of tumours found that Cordyceps sinensis
extract (6.0 grams/day for over two months) improved
subjective symptoms in the majority of patients.
White blood cell counts were maintained and tumour
size was significantly reduced in about half of the
patients.
Researchers in Japan reported that Cordyceps
enhances the general reactivity of the immune system
in individuals with cancer. To discover this, they
subcutaneously injected mice with cancerous
(lymphoma) cells and then orally administered
Cordyceps. This led to a reduction of tumour size and
prolonged life. Cordyceps also improved the antibody
responses in these studies.
• Enhances immunity and T-cell production
Cordyceps has been found to enhance "natural killer"
(NK) cell activity, thus increasing T-cell production
which results in expanded muscle mass. Muscle power
is improved with the building of young, healthy cells.
Cordyceps effectively recharges the protective army of
NK cells. The body's ability to fight infections and
tumours depends on the availability of NK cells. These
are essential as the first line of defence for maintenance of the body's protection mechanism,
commonly known as the immune system.
Several scientific studies of Cordyceps have especially
focused on NK cells and Cordyceps' effect on them as
they relate to cancer formation. One in vitro study
demonstrated that Cordyceps significantly enhances NK
cell activity in normal individuals as well as leukaemiastricken
people.
In a Chinese study, published in the Chinese Journal of
Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, natural
Cordyceps enhanced the NK cell activity of normal
patients by 74 per cent and increased the NK activity of
leukaemia patients by 400 per cent. Similar
improvements of NK cell activities were found in large
melanoma tumours.
• Assists symptoms of ageing
Clinical research in controlled studies has revealed
that elderly patients suffering from fatigue and senilityrelated
symptoms reported
relief in these areas after using
Cordyceps for 30 days. Their
fatigue was reduced by 92 per
cent, their feeling of cold by 89
per cent and their dizziness by
83 per cent. Patients with
respiratory/breathing problems
felt physically stronger and
some individuals were able to
jog up to 600 feet (183 metres).
• Protects against freeradical
damage
Several studies have shown
that Cordyceps sinensis gave
protection against the damage caused by free radicals
and had powerful anti-oxidant properties.
• Helps discomfort from tired legs
Various studies have shown that Cordyceps sinensis
improved the flow of blood in the body by relaxing the
smooth muscles of the blood vessels and allowing
them to expand, and also enhanced the functioning of
the heart and lungs.
Cordyceps therefore prevents or reduces the
contraction of blood vessels which interferes with
blood flow in the legs—the main cause of tired legs.
• Improves sexual function
Three separate Chinese double-blind, placebocontrolled
studies with over 200 men with "reduced
libido and other sexual problems" showed remarkably
similar results. On average, 64 per cent of the
Cordyceps-users reported significant improvement at the
conclusion of the experimental period compared with
24 per cent of the placebo group.
In another double-blind, placebo-controlled study
conducted with 21 elderly women with similar
complaints, 90 per cent reported improvements of
their condition following the use of Cordyceps,
compared with none in the control group.

Cordyceps has been shown to improve libido and
quality of life in men and women, fight infertility and
increase sperm count and survival. Clinical studies
involving 189 male and female patients with decreased
libido and desire showed improvement of symptoms in
66 per cent of cases. A
double-blind study conducted by the Institute of
Materia Medica in Beijing showed an 86 per cent
improvement in female libido and desire. The most
dramatic physical proof came from a fertility study
involving 22 males which showed that, after eight
weeks of taking a Cordyceps supplement, their sperm
count increased by 33 per cent, their incidence of
sperm malformations decreased by
29 per cent and their sperm survival
rate increased by 79 per cent.
• Reverses HIV
In a study in 2004 in Ghana, 3,000
early-stage HIV patients were given a
formula with Cordyceps sinensis as a
primary ingredient. Beyond anyone's
wildest dreams, at the end of six
months all 3,000 patients showed "no
presence in their blood of HIV".
When an HIV–AIDS patient took the
Immune-Assist drug for cancer, their
clinical picture improved
dramatically in regard to the HIV
infection.
Immune Function, Anti-cancer
Response and DNA Repair
It has long been understood
that the beta-glucan compounds
found in many species of
mushroom significantly enhance
immune function. This class of
compounds is the most widely
prescribed class of anticancer
medications in the world. The
pharmaceutical drugs lentinan,
PSK and grifolan are examples of
these compounds.
There is evidence of another mechanism at play in
the Cordyceps anti-tumour response besides the wellknown
immune modulation triggered by the
polysaccharide compounds. It is related to the
structure of at least some of the altered nucleosides
found in Cordyceps, exemplified by the cordycepin
compound (3'-deoxyadenosine).
This is a molecule almost identical to normal
adenosine, with the exception that it is lacking an
oxygen atom on the ribose portion of the molecule at
the 3' position.
The same lack of this 3' oxygen can be seen in other
Cordyceps compounds such as dideoxyadenosine. The
lack of oxygen at this particular position is thought to be important in a very specific way. The structure of
DNA depends on this oxygen to create the bond
between adjacent nucleosides. This bond is between
the 3' and the 5' positions on the ribose portions of the
nucleosides, effectively forming the "ladder structure"
that holds the DNA together.
In the replication of any cell, the first step is the
separation of the DNA molecule down the middle, like
unzipping, between the pairs of complementary
nucleosides.
The next step is the insertion, one at a time, of newcomplement
nucleosides. These form hydrogen bonds
between the complement pairs and phosphate–sugar
bonds between the 3' and 5'
positions at the outside edge of the
molecule, which is the ribose
portion.
The synthesis of the new DNA
molecules proceeds with the
sequential insertion of newcomplement
nucleosides one at a
time into the newly forming DNA
molecule until the original strand of
DNA is replicated twice, each of
these strands being an exact copy of
the original and forming the genetic
code for a new generation of cells.
This synthesis continues to proceed
with the insertion of each new
nucleoside, unless a 3'-
deoxyadenosine (cordycepin)
molecule is pulled in.
When this happens, there is no
oxygen present at that vital
position to form the 3'–5' bond,
and the replication of the new
DNA molecule stops. Once the
DNA synthesis stops, the cell
cannot continue to divide and
no new cell is formed. (In
normal mammalian cells, this
insertion of the de-oxygenated
adenosine is of little importance,
as healthy cells have an inherent DNA repair
mechanism.)
When this sort of error occurs, the altered nucleoside
(the cordycepin) is removed from the string of
nucleosides and a new segment of adenosine is
inserted. However, by their very nature, cancer cells
have lost this DNA repair mechanism. (If they could
correct their DNA errors, they would not be cancer
cells.)
Most bacteria and all viruses (including the human
immunodeficiency virus, HIV) lack this DNA repair
mechanism.
When we look at the rate at which cancer cells
replicate, it is clear how this mechanism could exert a significant anti-tumour response. For example, a
normal healthy breast tissue cell has an average life
span of about 10 days, after which it reproduces and a
new cell is formed. But breast cancer cells multiply
much more quickly than healthy cells, reproducing on
average every 20 minutes. This means that breast
cancer cells replicate about 750 times more quickly
than the surrounding healthy tissue. If the cordycepin
were equally toxic to both types of cells, it would be
killing off the cancer cells 750 times faster than the
healthy cells. But because of that DNA repair
mechanism in the healthy cells, cordycepin appears
not to interfere with the healthy cell
replication, and the tumour-cell kill
rate is actually much higher than the
750:1 ratio.
The same sort of DNA interruption
mechanism is also responsible for the
anti-tumour effects of some other
chemotherapy agents. This same
mechanism of DNA synthesis
inhibition is probably the mechanism
responsible for the antiviral effects
seen with cordycepin.
Conclusion
The best-known medicinal action of
Cordyceps sinensis is the increase of
physical stamina. Cordycepin is
very effective against all sorts of
bacteria that have developed
resistance to other antibiotics.
Cordyceps has been shown to
improve the internal balance
mechanism, thus making the
utilisation of oxygen more
efficient.
Numerous studies have
demonstrated the benefits of
Cordyceps sinensis on heart rhythm
disturbances such as cardiac arrhythmias and chronic
heart failure.
Four excellent studies have demonstrated the
benefits of Cordyceps sinensis in helping to lower total
cholesterol and triglycerides and to increase HDL
("good") cholesterol.
Clinical studies involving male and female patients
with decreased libido have shown significant
improvements in symptoms. The most dramatic
physical proof has come from a male fertility study that
showed that a Cordyceps supplement greatly increased
sperm count, decreased sperm malformations and
improved sperm survival rate after eight weeks of use.
These properties and others may account for the
overall physical enhancement, the added endurance,
the libido-enhancing attributes and the anti-fatigue
effects seen in humans using Cordyceps sinensis.
Worldwide studies have shown that this unassuming
fungus delivers even more potentially life-enhancing
benefits than claimed. This is a superfood which is
just beginning to make itself known in the western
medical literature.
The reduction of this active fungal material to nanoparticle
size also has great promise, and further
research work is being conducted which may lead to
additional patented medicines.
More importantly, the full-spectrum of compounds
present in the fruit body, mycelium and broth of the
natural substance continues to prove once again that
ancient knowledge meets the
modern test of science. ∞
About the Author:
Richard Alan Miller is a physicist,
herbalist as well as an expert in
growing and marketing botanicals.
He set up his own production and
marketing company, Northwest
Botanicals (1212 SW 5th Street,
Grants Pass, Oregon 97526, USA).
He is the author of diverse papers
and books on metaphysics,
parapsychology and alternative
agriculture. His articles (with coauthor
Iona Miller) in NEXUS
include "The Schumann's
Resonances and Human
Psychobiology (10/03),
"HAARP's Threat to the 'Voice of
the Planet'" (10/04) and "From
Helix to Hologram" (10/05). He
was a speaker at the NEXUS
Conference in 2004 in Brisbane
and in 2005 in Amsterdam.
Mr Miller's article in this
edition is an extract from
chapter one of his book Power
Tools for the 21st Century, to be published later this year
by Earthpulse Press (http://www.earthpulse.com). This
is the second book from the series "The Non-Local
Mind in a Holographic Universe". The first book, ESP
Induction Through Forms of Self-Hypnosis, is due for
publication in July 2009.
Richard Alan Miller can be contacted by email at
rick@nwbotanicals.org and via his website
http://www.nwbotanicals.org.
Editor's Note:
Due to space constraints, we are unable to include
endnotes with this article. To view these, and for more
technical information and references, please go to
http://pharmaceuticalmushrooms.nwbotanicals.org/
and then http://www.pharmaceuticalmushrooms.
nwbotanicals.org/lexicon/cordyceps/indepth.htm.

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Cough treatment

Cough

According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), there are many possible causes of a cough, which is why it is one of the most difficult conditions to treat. An energy imbalance in each of the five major organ networks can lead to a cough—not only a problem with the Lung. From the TCM point of view, the best doctor does not try to stop or suppress a cough, but rather tries to find its root cause and how to release it from your body. Actually, a cough has two faces: on one hand it causes discomfort, and on the other, it has a positive aspect because it is the body's attempt to release something, such as toxins or an energy stagnation. Many Western treatments view a cough in a negative way and try to stop it immediately instead of helping it to be released from the body. Yet be aware of this important point: if a cough is suppressed or pushed deeper into the body, the illness or imbalance that caused it will also be pushed deeper into the body to remain hidden, and the body will then carry this illness or imbalance. Down the road, sooner or later, it will come out as a different condition, for example, as a skin condition such as eczema or a rash—any kind of skin condition. According to TCM understanding, many conditions can have their origin in an untreated cough: asthma, diabetes, and even cancer. So it is important to find the real cause and not take cough medicine to stop the discomfort of a cough right away.

Because TCM sees a cough as being potentially related to different organs, TCM doctors looks at the particular symptoms accompanying a cough in order to understand and diagnose it accurately. For example, the exact location of pain or a body action accompanying the symptom or an emotion experienced provide clues to which organ is vulnerable. In the case of a cough, sometimes a person feels nauseous when coughing. Sometimes a cough can cause rib pain or send you running to the bathroom to urinate. If your cough causes nausea, then it may be related to a Stomach problem; if your ribs are painful when coughing, then this can indicate a Liver imbalance; if you have to urinate when you cough, your Bladder most likely is out of balance.

If you seem to catch a cold every fall, the Lung is probably the vulnerable organ for you. In TCM theory the fall is related to the Lung organ network. If you are particularly vulnerable at this time you should take care to avoid stress and conditions that can lead to a cold. According to TCM the Lung and the Kidney, the organ related to the winter season, have a close relationship: the Kidney is the "child" of the Lung, meaning that the Lung nourishes and supports the energy (called "Qi" in Chinese) of the Kidney. If the Kidney has an energy deficiency, it can continuously pull energy from the Lung, its "mother," and this can prevent your body from healing a cough, and so it becomes a persistent condition, one that can even be carried over into the spring from the preceding fall.

TCM Tips for Healing
To treat a cough, once its root cause has been found, TCM doctors have used the following treatment modalities successfully over the millennia.

Acupuncture on specific meridians (energy pathways) related to the distressed organ (or organs) restores the flow of Qi and rebalances the affected organ or organs.
Herbs in the form of herbal formulas are also used to address the root cause. Bai He Gu Jin Wan is a classical formula frequently used for this condition.
Diet: Certain foods can help heal this condition. Pears cooked with bitter almonds (available at Asian food markets) and honey is very beneficial for a cough as well as white mushrooms, lily bulbs (both also available at Asian food markets) and persimmons.
Traditional Pear Compote
Try making the following traditional recipe.

The essence of pear is cold and it travels to the Lung and Large Intestine meridians, cooling them down. The following recipe is very good for autumn coughs. If the cough is deep and accompanied by phlegm, a handful of almonds can be added to the recipe. Particularly effective are bitter almonds, also available at Asian food markets.

Ingredients
6 pears (any variety), chopped
1/3 cup of rock sugar candy (available at Asian food markets)
1/4 cup of water
Directions
Place all ingredients in a 2-quart covered pot in a double boiler. (If you do not have a double boiler, place the covered pot containing the pears in another larger pot with several inches of water in it. The larger, outside pot is the one that comes into contact with the heat source.)

Double boil on low to medium heat for approximately 40 minutes until the pears are soft. Stir gently and serve warm in a bowl.

Makes about 4 servings.

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Ocean plasma-for living cells

Ocean Plasma

This substance represents one of the greatest medical innovations of the (20th) century. Harmless, simple and inexpensive, Quinton Plasma achieves today, as it did at the turn of the (last) century, therapeutic results that must be seen to be believed. And they can be seen on this website (refering to a past website--Ed.), thanks to the photos Quinton and his colleagues took in the hospitals where they worked.

Have you ever heard of Rene Quinton? Probably not. Yet this man saved several thousands of children's lives in France and in Egypt at the beginning of this century by using a serum which now bears his name.

Rene Quinton "was the first person to discern and to investigate the similarity between sea water and mammalian lymph and blood plasma systems. He endeavored to solve the mysteries of sea water and its compatibility with living organisms by proceeding to carry out several scientific experiments in hospitals. The results he obtained were dramatically unexpected, since several people who were dying regained their vigor. Rene Quinton worked in collaboration with Drs. Potocki, Mace and Jarricot, and for four years he labored at perfecting his techniques and adjusting dosages. In 1904, he released the results of his hospital experiments in a book entitled, 'L'eau de mer, milieu organique' (Sea Water: Organic Medium). The book was re-issued in 1995 because of the timeliness of its well- researched contents."

In 1921, Dr. Jarricot brought out "The Marine Dispensary" which contained the results of his therapeutic experiments in the treatment of childhood diseases using Quinton's formula.

Hospitals everywhere became aware of Rene Quinton's new therapy and were favorably disposed to its use. Twelve centers for the application of his methods were subsequently established in France, Belgium and Egypt. Unfortunately, the war in Europe put an end to his research and his theories were temporarily set aside. Exhausted by his work, Rene Quinton died in 1925. It was not until the 1980's that French doctors and therapists once again started to investigate his therapeutic approach.

This century-old approach is now widely used in France, Germany, Spain and Italy. A Study and Research Centre has also been established with the aim of making available earlier and current research carried out using Quinton products. Extensive studies are also being made, especially of injectable Quinton Plasma for use in the treatment of severe or advanced diseases, many of which are now on the rise.

METHOD OF PREPARATION

Sea water is extracted from a particular location which is situated between 10 meters from the bottom and 30 meters from the surface. This location is called the zone of solar penetration, and is known for its exceptional purity. Isothermic vehicles are used to transport the sea water to the laboratory for processing in less than 48 hours. The bottling in vials and packaging is completed in less than 24 hours under sterile conditions in the absence of any metallic contact or raised temperature in accordance with the original sampling techniques laid down by the physiologist and biologist Rene Quinton and in conformity with present day pharmacological standards as well as those of the G.M.P."

"Sea water tends to maintain its characteristic biodynamism and the molecular balance of a 'living medium'. The entirety of trace elements contained in sea water are to be found in the solution in their active states.

SOURCE AND AUTHENTICITY OF QUINTON PRODUCTS

After several years of research, Rene Quinton deduced and proved that sea water could not be extracted from random locations.

The composition of sea water varies as a ratio of its distance from the coastline, according to climate and presence or absence of specific marine vegetation.

He also proved satisfactorily that sea water, which is a colloidal solution, differed fundamentally in its therapeutic effects from the artificial saline solution (water plus salt) currently used.

In addition, he proved that the drying out or desiccation of sea water destroyed it permanently. He showed that it was experimentally impossible to reconstitute sea water out of its dried extract.

Another important factor which he brought to light was that the equilibrium of its pharmaco-dynamic action was totally destroyed in desalinized sea water, that desalinized sea water had no valid therapeutic action. The same goes for artificially isolated trace elements whether as single units, double units, or three at a time. Their action was noted to have minimal effect.

This part of the report relates to the first Quinton family seawater company. It was part of the original copyrighted article and so had to be left in the article.

RENE QUINTON'S PATENTED PROCESS

After several years of intensive research, Rene Quinton assembled his results and had them patented.

The patent designates the following: - The only area suitable for extracting the quality of sea water which is completely compatible with the mammalian organism.

- The methods and techniques for maintaining all the nutritive elements found in sea water in their active state without using chemical additives.

- Bottling and packaging methods.

Quinton International Laboratories SARL is the sole proprietor of this patented process. It is the only laboratory to obtain a permit from the French Ministry of Health for marketing sea water prepared according to Rene Quinton's formula. Only vials and bottles originating at these laboratories may bear the mark "QUINTON" on the glass containers.


QUINTON HYPERTONIC, QUINTON ISOTONIC

Quinton Hypertonic Solution is pure unadulterated sea water in its natural form with its oceanic components. It is extracted and stored under the strict conditions described earlier. Its mineral and trace-element concentration is thus superior to that of universal blood plasma, making it the most concentrated form of Quinton solutions, hence its name: Hypertonic Solution.

Quinton Hypertonic Solution may be taken orally with a little water.

Quinton Isotonic Solution, on the other hand, is produced from Quinton Hypertonic Solution. It contains exactly the same concentration of minerals and trace-elements as blood plasma but its sodium content matches that of blood, hence its alternative name: Quinton Plasma.

Quinton Hypertonic Solution is reduced to isotonicity with the addition of Aqua Fontana (Mont Roucous Spring Water) which has no mineral or medicinal content and is guaranteed to be naturally sterile and free of bacteria.

Quinton Isotonic Solution may be taken orally, injected or used in transfusion. Injections may be administered subcutaneously, intramuscularly or intravenously as required.

To recapitulate, Quinton Hypertonic Solution is the most concentrated form. Quinton Isotonic Solution or Quinton Plasma is equal to blood plasma in its mineral and trace-element concentration. Quinton Plasma can thus never be hypertonic.

PROPERTIES OF QUINTON HYPERTONIC SOLUTION

Quinton Hypertonic Solution promotes cellular nourishment to a noticeable degree. It is to be used as a regenerating and remineralizing factor, a life-giving essence when there is a need for a concentrated natural supply of all the minerals and trace-elements for the optimum functioning of any organism.

Quinton Hypertonic Solution is recommended for use in order to produce a therapeutic shock effect on the organism, and to induce an almost immediate reinvigoration of depleted organic systems. It is also recommended for use prior to an anticipated drain of energy whether physical, intellectual or emotional.

PROPERTIES OF QUINTON ISOTONIC SOLUTION

Research carried out by Rene Quinton and his successors has shown incontestably that, from a scientific and clinical standpoint, Quinton Plasma is identical with the indispensable fluid which sustains the development of life.

Rene Quinton's successors were: - Professor Alexis Carrel (Nobel Prize in Neurophysiology) - Professor A. Bogolometz (Cytotoxic Serum) - Doctor Jean Jarricot (Marine Method) - Doctor Alfred Pischinger (Basic Regulation System)

They all came to similar conclusions, that is to say, that sea water (as is contained in Quinton Plasma) is identical with the liquid inner environment of humans and mammals. This makes it possible, under certain optimum conditions, for isolated cells, tissue fragments and whole organs to survive in this medium.

Modern analytical techniques used by A. Pischinger in 1994 have confirmed what Rene Quinton could only intuit in 1904 in the absence of appropriate technology:

Quinton Plasma expedites the regeneration of the organism either by the speedy or by the gradual substitution of a depleted inner medium by replacing it with a natural and identical equivalent, thus promoting optimum cell development and activity. This Plasma is, par excellence, a physiological serum.

QUINTON PLASMA IN CASES OF CANCER, LEUKEMIA AND MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Quinton Plasma may be considered as a valuable adjunct in the medical treatment of these diseases.

4 to 6 vials must be taken regularly every day over a period of many months.

In certain cases, the Plasma should be administered by injection for maximum efficiency. Injections of 30 to 60cc (3 to 6 vials) may be given every second day throughout the first two months. Advanced stages of the disease may require higher doses. Subsequent treatment, when appropriate, may be tapered off from a single injection twice a week to once a week."

"HYDROTHERAPY OF THE COLON USING QUINTON PLASMA

Modern advances in Physiology and Molecular Biochemistry" ...have proven the similarity in mineral content of the mammalian inner environment and sea water.

"This similarity makes it possible for any organism to select or reject what it needs in a natural way.

The assimilation or elimination of marine ions is made possible through cellular receptors with a high degree of accuracy by the identifying polarity derived from biocenosis.

Cold-sterilized Isotonic sea water is usually eliminated through the kidneys. This eliminated sea water tends to be twice as concentrated and twice as voluminous as artificial physiological serum.

TOTAL OSMOSIS OCCURS BETWEEN THE PLASMA AND THE INNER FLUID ENVIRONMENT

The advantages of Quinton Isotonic Solution in colonic hydrotherapy:

- Physiological irrigation and cleansing of the intestinal membranes. - Anti-anaphylactic action of sea water. - Reabsorption of micro-nutrients and minerals through the portal vein. - Physiological stabilization in case of insufficient potassium. - Anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic action as required in adjustable doses. - In cases of infection: optimum absorption results - Strengthens the immune system."

"Here is what two highly respected European researchers write about the Quinton Plasma:

From an 1991 article by
Dr. Andre Passebecq, M.D., Ph.D., N.D.
Dr. Jean-Marc Soulier, Ph. D., pharmacist

To maintain a healthy body, homeostasis must be kept constant. Thus a dynamic equilibrium is continuously reconstructed in the face of modifications due to the surrounding metabolism. A healthy organic terrain is the basis of health and conversely diseases develop on a depleted or congested terrain. Upstream of most diseases there is an unbalanced terrain."

"Mineral salts
The four most abundant cations in the body are sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium from which phosphorus cannot be disassociated.
Sodium is the monovalent cation characteristic of extracellular fluid (ECF) and, conversely, potassium is that of intracellular fluid (ICF).
The composition of salts present in the ICF greatly differs from that of ECF but directly depends on the composition of the latter. Their relations are ensured by the ion pumps of the cell membrane.

Interaction and balance of mineral salts

Magnesium can only be used if a balanced calcium-phosphorus ratio exists. Magnesium acts as a regulator of the calcium fixation and serves as a phosphorus carrier. It is therefore an integral part of the calcium-phosphorus complex.

Any calcium-phosphorus imbalance reduces the resistance to illness and therefore enhances susceptibility to diseases, increases fatigue, weakens intellectual faculties and leads to premature ageing.

In addition, an abnormal potassium rate produces a magnesium and sodium imbalance. No salt is independent of the others as they all interact directly or indirectly with the other electrolytes.

Much more than an isolated salt, it is the general equilibrium of the saline matrix of the internal environment which will ensure proper functioning of the organism.

For example, the influence of the different salts on cardiac automaticity evidences their separate involvement: sodium through volemia and its relation to calcium, potassium regulating cardiac automaticity, calcium and magnesium governing muscular contraction, etc.

Seawater

Seawater is an extraordinarily rich and complex matrix that still possesses numerous unexplained features.

Note first that the structure of seawater remains incompletely known. Indeed, to this day, no model encompasses all its physico-chemical properties. In addition, the elements that compose the marine saline matrix also exhibit specific properties: for example the coefficient of dissociation of salts present in the seawater is higher than that observed in salts dissolved in distilled water, in spite of the simultaneous presence of other salts in seawater. A 33% solution of sea salts, redissolved in distilled water does not exhibit all the properties of natural seawater of the same salinity.

Additionally. most of the constituents dissolved in seawater (except for CaCO3) are far from saturated, irrespective of the importance of the external inputs or the availability of these elements in submerged rocks.

Dittmar's laws show that whatever the total saline concentration, the relative concentrations of the different ions present in the ocean waters with respect to that of chlorine can be regarded as constant. The complex mechanisms governing these concentrations have not been fully explained yet.

Also the issue of artificial seawater reconstitution remains highly complex: chemists have to introduce certain dosage modifications associated with the stability of the elements present at a very low concentration.

The wealth and diversity of mineral salts and trace elements present in seawater are exceptional. Gregory and Overberger have shown that the marine saline matrix contains the 92 trace elements of Mendelev's periodic table.

It includes all vital nutrient salts and trace elements at concentrations ranging from 1 mg/L and 10 mg/L.

It exhibits an important buffering capability, with a pH comprised between 7.9 and 8.3 and a mean saline concentration of 33/%.

Note in particular that all the minerals contained in seawater are at a concentration close to that at which they are usually found in man's internal environment.

The joint study of seawater and internal environment highlights the similarity between the mineral compositions of human plasma and seawater. In addition, the results of treatments involving correctly elaborated water preparations demonstrate the amazing therapeutic efficacy of seawater. How can this be explained ? What are the links between seawater and the vital internal environment ? As a result what is the influence of seawater on the ionic and mineral balance of the organism ?"

Rene Quinton addressed these questions with certain theories about the relationship between seawater and the internal environment of mammals, including man. He concluded that the human organism maintained this rich, life-giving internal environment so closely related to isotonic seawater for the full development of cells.

"He postulated that from the mineral point of view, human and marine plasmas are environments of the same nature. In other words, there is physical and physiological identity between seawater and the internal environment of the organism. Not only do they exhibit very similar mineral compositions, but the particular form, organization and synergy of trace elements and mineral salts that make up the saline matrix of seawater closely resemble those of the internal environment constituents."

After a documented body of scientific observations, Quinton surveyed the possible medical applications of his findings.

"Together with a medical team, Quinton developed for more than 25 years the so-called "marine method" based on "Quinton's Plasma," a marine plasma in the form of an injectable isotonic solution.

The works of physicians Jarricot, Robert Simon, Lacheze, Mace and Quinton rely on the principle of regeneration of the depleted internal environment, on which cells live, by means of purified seawater preparations exhibiting a balanced and complete composition, so as to allow the patient to globally reconstruct his terrain and the cells to find once again the elements they need.

Given the particular period in which these works were published, they mainly cover various types of cutaneous disorders, neurovegetative asthenias, anorexias, acute cachexias, infant diarrheas, deep dehydrations, gastroenteritis, pulmonary tuberculosis, cholera, typhus."

(Of course, in the early 1900's no AIDS existed, cancer was a rarity, auto-immune diseases were 50 years from discovery, and many other "modern day" maladies were unknown .--Ed.)

"Exceptional results were obtained and the findings of these precursors should now be supplemented by numerous other investigations. Their writings and the listed clinical cases demonstrate the great therapeutic attractiveness of Quinton's assumptions and the efficacy of his method.

Marine plasma is a living medium. It is worth pointing out that, basically, living matter differs from mineral matter in its organization and not in the nature of the atoms that compose it. A living cell is much more than the sum of its elements. The mere dosage of components does not suffice in itself to account for the therapeutic effect of marine plasma.

A good illustration of this can be found in the therapeutic mineral waters; except for the elements that are abundant in them, many waters develop their curative power essentially when drawn from the mineral water spring. Due to the preservation methods and conditions used, these waters lose their properties although the constitutive elements remain present.

Hence is there a specific state of these waters when they are drawn? Numerous theories could be devised, starting from the "homeopathic dynamization" whose most probable substratum would be a particular state of the solvent, in this case water.

As a result, how can we envisage the specific therapeutic gain that could result from the use of the trace elements present in marine plasma? The assumption of physiologic identity between human plasma and marine plasma supposes a form of availability particularly well-suited to the needs of the organism.

Resulting from the mineral balance, pH should be restored by marine plasma. German physician Ropffer thoroughly investigated the evolution of body pH in patients to whom he had prescribed hydromarine treatments. He concluded the following:

'For normal and alkaline organisms, an increase in acid values has unequivocally been established. Similarly for hyperacid organisms, a dramatic decrease in acid values has been recorded. No case has remained the same.

It can therefore be stated that in case a global inconstant acidity, a cure of drinkable seawater causes the normal acidity to be recovered. In particular for gastritis due to dietary errors or alcohol and nicotine abuse remarkable results have been obtained.'

Dr. Jarricot wrote:

'Marine plasma is not a serum against such and such illness, but it is designed for the living cell.'

In other words, it is a product which by its very nature primarily contributes to the restoration of health and the suppression of disease and its symptoms.' "
...........

The above text, aside from a small amount of summarized or edited material, came from an earlier seawater website. See oceanplasma.org for more current information.

The above information is presented, with kind permission, by Océan Plasma Inc. of Montreal, QC, Canada.

Inquiries pertaining to the use and supply of Océan Plasma products may be directed to:

Océan Plasma Inc.
Peter Margo
phoenix@vif.com

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24/04/2009

Teeth whiteners damage the enamel

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Teeth bleaching products for home use may minimally reduce the surface hardness of tooth enamel and enamel's ability to "bounce back" from normal wear and tear, a laboratory study suggests.

Still, "the public should not be alarmed of the bleaching process," said Dr. Shereen S. Azer, at The Ohio State University College of Dentistry in Columbus.

"In reality -- or clinically speaking -- these effects may not be detectable," Azer told Reuters Health.

Moreover, Azer said, "human enamel has been shown to heal itself and 'remineralize' over time, meaning it has the ability to restore back the levels of surface calcium that has been lost due to bleaching." This is particularly evident with subsequent fluoride treatments and use of fluoride toothpastes.

Azer and colleagues used a nanometer scale - the equivalent of one over a billionth of a meter - to measure the hardness and elasticity of tooth enamel both before and after laboratory exposures to over-the-counter teeth bleaching solutions.

The researchers exposed 50 human tooth samples to 2 types of whitening strip and 3 types of nightguard home bleaching systems,

Ten tooth samples each underwent bleaching regimens according to either the 3-week or 10-day manufacturer recommended treatment protocol. The 5 remaining tooth samples served as unbleached "controls."

Compared with before bleaching and versus unbleached controls, the bleached enamel showed significant decreases in hardness on the nanometer scale, the investigators report in the Journal of Dentistry.

The researchers also observed a significant decrease in enamel elasticity in most bleached tooth samples compared with unbleached controls.

More study into the long term effects of bleaching agents and remineralization of tooth enamel would be worthwhile, the researchers conclude.

SOURCE: Journal of Dentistry, March 2009.



© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved


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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Teeth bleaching products for home use may minimally reduce the surface hardness of tooth enamel and enamel's ability to "bounce back" from normal wear and tear, a laboratory study suggests.

Still, "the public should not be alarmed of the bleaching process," said Dr. Shereen S. Azer, at The Ohio State University College of Dentistry in Columbus.

"In reality -- or clinically speaking -- these effects may not be detectable," Azer told Reuters Health.

Moreover, Azer said, "human enamel has been shown to heal itself and 'remineralize' over time, meaning it has the ability to restore back the levels of surface calcium that has been lost due to bleaching." This is particularly evident with subsequent fluoride treatments and use of fluoride toothpastes.

Azer and colleagues used a nanometer scale - the equivalent of one over a billionth of a meter - to measure the hardness and elasticity of tooth enamel both before and after laboratory exposures to over-the-counter teeth bleaching solutions.

The researchers exposed 50 human tooth samples to 2 types of whitening strip and 3 types of nightguard home bleaching systems,

Ten tooth samples each underwent bleaching regimens according to either the 3-week or 10-day manufacturer recommended treatment protocol. The 5 remaining tooth samples served as unbleached "controls."

Compared with before bleaching and versus unbleached controls, the bleached enamel showed significant decreases in hardness on the nanometer scale, the investigators report in the Journal of Dentistry.

The researchers also observed a significant decrease in enamel elasticity in most bleached tooth samples compared with unbleached controls.

More study into the long term effects of bleaching agents and remineralization of tooth enamel would be worthwhile, the researchers conclude.

SOURCE: Journal of Dentistry, March 2009.



© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

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Radiation increased 6 times in USA because of medical scanning

(NaturalNews) The growing popularity of medical diagnostic scans has contributed to the sevenfold increase in average yearly radiation dosage experienced by U.S. residents since 1980, according to a report published by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement (NCRP).

While the NCRP report looked at radiation exposure from all sources, it found that the greatest increase in exposure came from medical sources, such as CT scans. These scans accounted for a full 49 percent of medical radiation exposure and 24 percent of total radiation exposure for the U.S. population.

Researchers worry that the rise in medical radiation exposure may translate into significantly more cancer cases. Studies conducted on the survivors of the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki found that radiation levels equivalent to those from a mere two to three CT scans were enough to significantly increase a survivor's cancer risk.

"Radiation exposure from these scans is not inconsequential and can lead to later cancers," said Len Lichtenfeld of the American Cancer Society. "This doesn't mean people shouldn't get CT scans, but it does mean we need to be very careful in how we use these technologies in the future."

CT scans comprise approximately 17 percent of all medical procedures, but their popularity has been growing in recent years, with 72 million performed in 2006.

"It's almost routine to the point where my colleague in an emergency room tells me when a patient comes in complaining of something, instead of doing the standard physical to diagnose them they immediately send them for a CT scan," Lichtenfeld said.

Among the reasons cited for this practice are physicians wanting to order every possible test to protect themselves from litigation; patients demanding specific tests from their doctors; the lack of standardized guidelines for use of the scans; and a financial motive for doctors who perform the scans in-house.

Between 1998 and 2005, the number of CT scans ordered by doctors with a financial stake in the tests grew at three times the rate of the number ordered by doctors without a financial interest.

Sources for this story include: abcnews.go.com.

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Happiness and health

(NaturalNews) A large study conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and presented at the American Psychosomatic Society's annual meeting in Chicago has found that optimistic post-menopausal women were healthier and lived longer than their less upbeat counterparts.

Details and Findings of Study

The study team, which was led by Hilary Tindle, an assistant professor of medicine at the University, had looked at data from almost 100,000 women who were part of the Women's Health Initiative, a study which follows women aged 50 and above and has been ongoing since 1994. On average, the women's health status was tracked for a period of about 8 years.

The researchers defined "optimism" as the expectation that good things, as opposed to bad things, will take place. It was found that such women had 14% lower risk of dying from any cause and 30% lower risk of dying from heart disease during the study's follow-up period, as compared to their pessimistic counterparts. In addition, the optimists were less likely to have hypertension and diabetes, as well as to smoke cigarettes.

The study team also looked at another trait - the tendency to be "cynically hostile" towards other people. Women with this trait were more likely to agree with statements like "I've often had to take orders from someone who didn't know as much as I did" and "It's safest to trust nobody." Generally speaking, such a tendency indicates an overall mistrust of people.

Women in this group also suffered poorer health, having 16% higher risk of dying from any cause and 23% higher risk of dying from cancer during the follow-up period, as compared to women who were the least cynically hostile.

Significantly, even after the researchers accounted for influencing factors such as health status, lifestyle, income, education, physical activity, alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking, the same trends remained, with optimists enjoying better longevity than pessimists. The researchers are unclear if negative attitudes do indeed directly cause poor health, although their findings do imply an association of some sort.

Being Optimistic and Positive

And it's not just about health. Optimists, it seems, are better achievers in life, are better able to cope with stress, and can take on life challenges more resiliently; these traits had been revealed in previous research.

For the skeptics, consider the following point. In his book "Being Happy!", author Andrew Matthews points out scientific experiments showing the incredibly powerful and toxic effects of negative emotions. When blood samples from people who were experiencing serious anger of fear were injected into guinea pigs, the animals dropped dead within a mere two minutes.

Now imagine what the toxins created by negative emotions such as anger, fear, frustration and stress are doing to our own bodies on a daily basis. It is arguable, but these toxins could even be more potent health-destroyers and killers than the external poisons we ingest, inhale, and absorb every minute of every day.

For people who are somewhat naturally upbeat and positive, the findings of the Pittsburgh study will come as good news. But those who tend to be a little more negative and easily discouraged should not fret, because, according to some experts, optimism is a trait that can be picked up and applied.

Some useful suggestions for becoming more optimistic include staying away from negative environments, staying in the company of persons with brighter outlooks, and focusing and celebrating one's strong points instead of concentrating on the weak ones.

Stay cheerful!

References

Optimism May Have Life-Extending Benefits (http://www.healthnews.com/family-he...)

Optimists live longer and healthier lives: study (http://www.reuters.com/article/heal...)

"Being Happy!" by Andrew Matthews

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Effects of using fluoride

(NaturalNews) Fluoride has been used for over sixty years to help prevent tooth decay. Over 60% of people in the U.S. receive fluoride in their drinking water; some water supplies have naturally occurring fluoride in it and some have fluoride added at a water treatment facility. Since the onset of fluoridation of the water supply there has been a drastic reduction in the amount of tooth decay. In fact, the CDC has recognized fluoridation of water as one of the biggest public health breakthroughs of the 20th century. Why, then, is there a controversy over the use of fluoride in drinking water and as a dental supplement? Critics say that the safety and effectiveness of fluoride has never been fully proven, and that it can actually be dangerous to consume with resulting health consequences such as neurotoxicity, cancer, and fluorosis among others.

Studies done on mice have shown varying levels of neurotoxicity when these mice were exposed to fluoride. The first major study that showed fluoride caused neurotoxicity was done in 1995 by Dr. Phyllis Mullenix on mice. All the previous theories about fluoride that the researchers were working from were proved incorrect as the research went on. The mice who were drinking fluoridated water were expected to perform tasks similarly to the control mice and they did not. The fluoride was not expected to cross the blood-brain barrier and it was proven that it did.

Eighteen subsequent studies on fluoride and the brain have shown lower I.Q. levels in children with elevated fluoride levels, even after controlling for other factors that could cause the lower I.Q. such as parental education levels, lead levels, iodine exposure, and family income.

For all the studies that state that there is no association between fluoride and cancer there are just as many noting an association. Research has shown elevated cancer rates in cities with fluoridated water, cancerous changes in liver cells, and unscheduled DNA synthesis.

Fluorosis is a result of over consumption of fluoride. Drinking water is the most significant source of fluoride with fluoride in food, air, and toothpaste also contributing. Dental fluorosis results in staining and pitting of the teeth with some enamel damage possible at advanced levels. Skeletal fluorosis is a more advanced and serious case of fluorosis and results in pain and impairment of joints, muscles, and tissue.

The consequences of fluoride seem to outweigh the benefits, although dentists and other health professionals often disagree. Personal education about the risks and benefits of fluoride is necessary for each individual to make the best choice for themselves.

Sources:

Fluoride and Water, (http://kidshealth.org/parent/genera...)

Fluoride Action Network, Health Effects, (http://www.fluoridealert.org/health...)

Fluoridation/Flouride, Toxic Chemicals In Your Water, (http://www.holisticmed.com/fluoride/)

Worth Health Organization, Water Related Diseases, (http://www.who.int/water_sanitation...)

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Aging and hormone replacement therapy

(NaturalNews) Proactive is a great way to describe Lori Steiner. When other women were lining up to get hormone substitution drugs in the late 1990s, Lori realized their dangers and began researching aging and bioidentical hormones. Having worked all her life as a teacher and administrator in the Los Angeles public schools, educating herself came naturally, and she ended up creating her own anti-aging program. Because bioidentical hormones are exact copies of the hormones made naturally in the body, they cannot be patented by the drug companies, and there is no media hype to sell women and doctors on how great they are. Much of what is known about them comes from the actual experiences of pioneering women like Lori, who has used bioidenticals for the past ten years. She has agreed to share her journey and conclusions about aging and bioidentical hormones with NaturalNews readers.

Barbara: Lori, I am thrilled that you have agreed to this interview. Tell us about the time period in your life when you made the decision to attend to your health in a big way. What were the motivating factors?

Lori: My interest was initially motivated when I watched helplessly as my own parents eroded from the ravages of diabetes and Alzheimer's. Their reliance on allopathic medicine and their lack of knowledge in the areas of natural healing and nutrition were contributing factors to their suffering. I was determined to carve out a totally different path for myself and my family. It was a gradual transformation. The cumulative effect is that I have developed a life long commitment to safeguard my health and the health of my family. I began voraciously researching all the available data on vitamins, nutrition, bioidentical hormones, and supplementation. My philosophy is that mind, zest for life, spirituality, health, and lifestyle are all so inextricably intertwined that one aspect cannot function independently of the others. All areas must be addressed, and all components must be ready for acceptance before a person is able to begin the journey.

In this journey I have found that the first line of defense against aging and disease is nutrition, wholesome food, and the elimination of harmful substances that are lurking in so much of the food consumed on a daily basis by an unsuspecting public. My parents suffered so much from health issues brought on by a lack of knowledge about the impact of nutrition on well being. My father died at the age of 62 from complications of diabetes. He became blind from the disease. My mother survived on coffee and something sweet to accompany it. Her focus was never food, and that was a negative. She had colon cancer before developing Alzheimer's, and Western medicine did not have the answers to help either of them. I started to distrust doctors as I lived through the trauma with my family.

Gradually I began learning about the impact vitamins and minerals, from food primarily but also from supplements, have on health. As I began to raise my own family, nutrition became a major consideration. I believe, however, that it was when I began the transition to menopause that I escalated by efforts to protect my health in order to avoid ending up like all the horror stories I was hearing and reading about. I researched everything I could get my hands on. The message resounding loud and clear with me was "Let food be thy medicine." I watched my weight, ate balanced meals, and prayed I wouldn't suffer through menopause. Yet I knew I was changing in some strange way. I felt nervous and anxious every so often. It was then that I began to research the impact of declining hormones on emotional and physical well-being. I was also very concerned about the aging process, both the obvious outward manifestations as well as its effect on health and wellness. Being an educator and avid reader, I began to read all I could about the pros and cons of hormone replacement. At that point, I was on my way to taking full charge of my health, an action which ultimately has affected my appearance, the way I perceive myself, and the way others perceive me.

Barbara: At the time you decided on hormone replacement, hormone substitution drugs were extremely popular, and their detrimental effect on women was not yet known. What made you turn your back on this traditional form of hormone replacement and seek out someone who would prescribe bioidentical hormones?

Lori: My research convinced me, beyond a shadow of doubt, that bioidentical hormones were the way to ease the transition and that progesterone in particular helped maintain and build bone mass. I read the books of Dr. John Lee, then Harvard Medical School professor. His convincing arguments against synthetic hormones and in support of bioidenticals made tremendous sense to me. Yet with all my research, my gynecologist was of the conventional mind-set that upheld the drugs Premarin and Provera as the ultimate solution to the woes of menopause. This was ten years ago when mainstream medicine refused to recognize the efficacy of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (bHRT). I was scolded for my thinking, and chastised that I was being foolish and irrational to refuse hormone drugs. I was warned that my heart, bones, and brain would suffer the consequences of my ill-conceived ideas.

Just as I was finding it difficult to counter the wisdom of traditional medicine, I had the opportunity to hear the wife of television celebrity Judge Wopner speak. She had suffered a coronary while on synthetic hormones, and attributed this near-death experience to the very hormones her doctor had told her would protect her heart. She warned the audience, over a decade ago, not to take synthetic hormones. This was the impetus I needed to stand my ground. I felt empowered once again and certain I had made the correct decision despite the opposition of many medical professionals. This was three years before the 2002 Women's Health Initiative that rocked traditional wisdom with evidence supporting the possibility that synthetic hormones increased the risk of breast cancer, heart disease, blood clots, and stroke in menopausal women.

Barbara: You are one of the true pioneers that have so much information to offer women who are contemplating these decisions today. What have you learned about bHRT along the way?

Lori: I have learned that bHRT must never be equated with hormone drug replacement (HRT), the first being a natural alternative, and the latter being a foreign element that the body rejects. If a doctor lumps these two vastly different approaches into the same category, it is time to fine a different doctor. I believe that declining hormones make a person more susceptible to the ravages of the aging process across the board, from skin elasticity to disease resistance. If hormones are replaced utilizing bioidenticals so that they approach youthful, pre-menopausal levels, the results can only assist in the journey to remain as vibrant as possible through the latter stages of life. Bioidenticals coupled with a healthy attitude toward nutrition, exercise, and sleep, will make each passing year something to look forward to. With each passing year I feel mature, but I am keeping aging at bay. Aging is not something I fear and dread. A sense of control is empowering in and of itself. Confidence in one's well-researched conclusions and knowing that what feels right is right makes all the difference.

Barbara: What have you learned about the medical profession?

Lori: I have lost confidence in the vast majority of medical practitioners because their philosophy doesn't match my own. It is unfortunate that we as Americans have medical insurance coverage that that benefits us only when we see doctors who promote pharmaceuticals. The pharmaceutical industry is propelled by greed and deception. Being that I hold firm to my beliefs in the powers of nature to prevent and cure disease, I approach any appointment with a doctor of Western or allopathic medicine in a way different from the average person. I am armed with knowledge and no longer intimidated if my belief is in opposition to the doctor's. I have been able to utilize conventional physicians to get the blood tests that I want, and I keep my own records. Knowledge is so very powerful. I refuse to blindly accept the decisions of the medical community as the ultimate truth. The proponents of conventional medicine are dragging their feet when it comes to prevention of disease. My metamorphosis, though, did not happen overnight. It is a process that proves that experience is the best teacher. I hope to empower others to take responsibility so their later years can be as rewarding and fulfilling as they should be.

Barbara: How would you describe your current health status, including your looks and weight?

Lori: I am above all an extremely spiritual individual. Balance is the key to wellness, and this balance involves a synergy that radiates from a healthy mind, body, and spirit. I am in excellent health at the age of 61. My weight is optimal, and I look several years younger than my age. I'm not on an ago trip, but just stating a fact for which I am very grateful. My family is all important to me. If I forsake my health, I will not be able to reap the benefit of what my husband and I have created. I plan to enjoy life as long as I can. I believe it is imperative to pursue everything in as positive a light as possible. If you enjoy whatever you do, you will never work a day in your life. That is my philosophy. I love everything I do.

Barbara: Tell us about your health regimen

Lori: My health regimen is focused on prevention, so I live to protect and preserve by life and the lives of my family members. Because my first line of defense is nutrition, I focus on that. Raw, fresh, organic produce, free-range poultry, wild fish, and whole grains are the foods I purchase. I drink water as my primary beverage, and believe in a balanced diet. I eat super foods high in anti-oxidants, like blueberries and kale, and foods high in fiber, like kidney and black beans. I remember to include the good fats like olive oil, avocado, and nuts, while excluding hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated products. I read labels and can identify ingredients that may be detrimental but have been renamed to appear innocuous. No artificial sweeteners. Safeguards include supplements which I research regularly. Exercise, adequate sleep, social interaction. I have periodic blood tests for monitoring purposes. And of course, my bioidentical hormones. I believe the merits of bHRT should be explored by both men and women who want to remain youthful in mind, body, and spirit. As of now, I believe bioidenticals will remain a lifelong commitment for me, and I will continue to be an advocate for bHRT.

Barbara: Sleep and sex seem to be the areas of greatest interest for women contemplating bioidenticals. When hormones are declining or out of balance, sleep becomes almost impossible. Sex becomes impossible too because of lack of interest and lack of physical response.

Lori: Yes, I can attest to the fact that hormones that are out of balance can make trying to sleep a nightmare. However, this was an issue for me only once in my life after the birth of my second child, when my hormones could not handle additional stress in my life. At that time, I was not aware that bioidenticals could help remedy such a situation, so I resorted to medicines that me doctor prescribed. In retrospect, how much quicker and easier a process this would have been had I known what I know today. Being that I have kept my hormones at pre-menopausal levels through menopause, I have not experienced any sleep issues since that time some 29 years ago.

As to sex, I remember when I was younger feeling bloated and sexually irritable one week out of every month. Therefore, I was not as cavalier in experimenting with hormones for the sake of reviving a rip-roaring sexual upheaval. I am pleased that I still have an interest in being sexy, looking attractive, and maintaining an interest in sex. I attribute this to not allowing testosterone to wane to the point where none of this mattered anymore. The wonderful part of bioidenticals is that they are natural and match as nearly as possible the hormones I once naturally produced. Symptomatically, one can tell if one's hormones are too low. It shows up in mood, temperament, and appearance. Although bioidenticals may not be a panacea, they most assuredly should be a part of the equation for the woman looking to age slowly and gracefully, and to hold on to feelings of peace and tranquility while still maintaining a sexual side.

Barbara What advice can you give to women thinking about bHRT?

Lori My advice to any woman contemplating bioidenticals would be to find a knowledgeable anti-aging specialist and go for it, because there is everything to gain and nothing to lose. Ignore the rantings of traditional doctors who, like a broken record, repeat that they cannot condone bioidentical hormones for lack of adequate studies to prove they are safe. There should be no fear. If we wait for more research, it may very well be too late. The time to take charge of your future is now.

For more information see:

http://www.naturalnews.com/025340.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/025485.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/025301.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/025399.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/025407.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/025293.html

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