Olive oil's multiple healthy benefits

(NaturalNews) The olive, or zaitoon in Arabic, is a sign of friendship and peace and it is a cure for over 60 diseases. According to religious beliefs, after the flood of Noah, the first plant seen was the olive tree. The olives, the olive oil and especially the olive leaves are full of nutrients, vitamins and healing. They contain anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-viral properties and many vitamins and nutrients.

The olive leaf itself is known for the treatment and curing of many diseases, including the much feared influenza virus. Olive leaf is good for fighting yeast infections, flu and virus, treating those with cardiovascular problems and lowering cholesterol. Even the twigs of the olive tree are used to clean the teeth with. This twig is called miswak in Arabic and it has many health benefits also. Read this article which was posted earlier.

http://www.naturalnews.com/026950_o...

The olive tree is found in Asia, Palestine, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Italy, North Africa, Algeria, Tunisia, California, Mexico, Peru, and parts of Australia. The olives are pickled and not eaten fresh from the tree. After picking the olives, you must remove the seeds and split them open. Then you soak them in salt for several days. After they are cured to lose their sour taste,they are then pickled in a water solution with lemon and hot chilies. Olives are a delicacy in all Arab countries.

http://greekfood.about.com/od/greek...

The olive oil is used as a preservative on many foods such as tomato sauce, hot pepper sauces, fish, and many vegetables, such as stuffed eggplant. A favorite of many is the yogurt balls in olive oil. Olive oil is part of the Arab diet and used in many ways. Many Arabs have olive oil every morning for breakfast with humus, yogurt and dips. It is not only delicious, but extremely healthy.

Natural Health Remedies:

The olive oil will alleviate muscle pains. You can warm the olive oil slightly and rub it on the pain. It is also a treatment for hemorrhoids, leprosy, pleurisy, skin diseases, dandruff, eczema, psoriasis, alopecia and fungal infections including ringworm, and it increases sexual desire.

Olive oil is great for the complexion as it makes it glow. When it is mixed with salt, the mixture can be used as a remedy for gum and teeth problems. Olive oil provides protection from poisons, helps in the digestions process, expels worms and makes the hair shiny and beautiful. Olive oil is also great for anti-aging and longevity.

Olive oil is a good treatment on boils, rashes, itching, mouth ulcers, allergic dermatitis, scars, boils and small pox. The olives them self, are used to rid the body of constipation and the leaves are smashed to rid excess perspiration. Ear aliments are alleviated by using the juice of the leaves mixed with honey. Olive oil used in the eyes will relieve inflammation.

Some doctors also recommend olive oil for the treatment of epilepsy. Olive oil is a good diuretic and therefore very good for the ridding of kidney stones. Olive oil will heal sinus problems and if mixed with barley water will rid the body of constipation.

It is stated, but not proven, that olive oil rids the body of gall bladder stones. It is good for intestinal inflammations and distress. Olive oil is also good for excess acidity and gas. It has been noted that people who take regular amounts of olive oil do not suffer from colds and the flu as much.

Buying cold pressed olive oil is not a simple matter. There are numerous grades of olive oils. It can be as difficult as choosing a fine wine. Many companies sell many oils, but choosing the right one at the right price is the task. Always look for a deep rich green color and it must be cold pressed. To cook with olive oil, you need to have virgin olive oil not extra virgin olive oil.

Virgin olive oil is pressed twice, but still needs to be cold pressed. The grades of oils depend on the country and the type of tree. All oils should be kept in a dark cool place and kept out of the sunlight. Olive oil remains good for six months after opening the bottle or can.

http://greekfood.about.com/od/greek...
http://www.missionislam.com/health/...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_oil

Chelation needed for mercury and heavy metals detox

(NaturalNews) The modern environment is filled with many toxins. Thousands of new chemicals are invented and put into our environment and our bodies each year. A recent study showed that even newborn infants have over 200 chemicals in their blood and umbilical cord. It is impossible to avoid chemicals as they are present in the mattresses we sleep on, the carpets we walk on, the houses we live in, the waters we swim in, and even in the acid rain that washes over us when we are outside. Fortunately, there are numerous simple and inexpensive ways to clean out the body with natural chelation and detoxifying agents.

Because mercury is in our water supply, the fish we eat contain more mercury than they did in decades past. Because of the harm to fetuses, pregnant women have been advised to reduce the amount of fish they eat when pregnant. And with the newfound link between mercury poisoning and increased risk of autism, fish should be avoided, as well as vaccines containing mercury, especially the flu vaccines.

One of the ways the body cleans out toxins is via the kidneys. Heavy metals are detoxed in this way. The body also eliminates through the lungs, skin and the digestive system. Heavy metals and other chemical toxins are eliminated by being carried by the blood into the kidneys where they are filtered out of the blood and eliminated in the urine.

One of the best natural detoxification agents is a form of algae called chlorella. Chlorella is available in many natural food stores. Starting with a small dose- one capsule of 500 mg- is advised, as some people can experience nausea when starting out. This amount can be gradually increased, until a teaspoon a day is consumed.

Cilantro has also been shown to remove mercury from the blood stream. Fresh cilantro is available in many gourmet food stores and can easily be grown in a home garden or on a windowsill. Garlic can also be used as a chelating agent. This can be combined with coriander, which has been shown to eliminate mercury and lead, as well.

Cleaning toxins out of your body can improve the eyesight, mood, heart health and cardiac capacity. The lungs and blood will not have to work as hard when they are not filled with toxins. Also, immunity will be boosted. The body is built for cleansing itself naturally, and given a bit of help from plants and vegetables, it will do just that.

http://www.icnr.com/articles/pollut...
http://www.kitchendoctor.com/articl...
http://home.earthlink.net/~jedcline...

Solve the sleeping problem

(NaturalNews) When it comes to good health, sleep is a key element, ranking right up there with nutritious food, clean water and regular activity. If you're having trouble getting the sleep your body needs, read on -- help is at hand.

Like air, water and food, sleep is one of those things that humans cannot live without. During high-quality, restful sleep, our bodies recharge. But when sleep is disrupted, especially on a regular basis, we become vulnerable to a host of health problems, including emotional difficulties, cardiovascular problems, weight gain and even cancer.

Clearly, sleep is tremendously important to our health. Yet the statistics on sleep deprivation show that Americans are in the midst of an epidemic. Instead of getting the recommended seven to nine hours nightly, millions of individuals are living on far less - and paying the price. For proof, look no further than the National Sleep Foundation's last few surveys.

- In 2006, the poll revealed that lack of sleep on school nights affected some 45 percent of adolescents, resulting in mild depression, irritability, reliance on caffeine to get through the day, "drowsy driving" and nodding off in class, habits that tend to become more serious as children grow older;

- In 2007, sixty percent of women in this country said that getting a good night's sleep was the exception rather than the rule. And nearly 70 percent reported frequent sleep difficulties. Not surprisingly, 43 percent struggled with daily tasks because of sleep issues.

- Overworked Americans were the focus of the 2008 sleep deprivation study. Consequences of the extended, "5 to 9" workdays included drowsy driving (36 percent), sneaking snoozes at work (29 percent) and being too sleepy for sex (20%).

- Most recently, the nation's economic woes are causing sleep difficulties, with fully 30 percent of Americans reporting financial worries and the U.S. economic downturn causing them to lose sleep.

In response to the rampant, double-digit reports of sleeplessness, the pharmaceutical industry has developed a number of prescription drugs. But reports of serious side effects caused by these sleep aids are not encouraging, and keep too many people from getting the rest they need.

Now for the good news! There is hope for the chronically weary. If sleep is an issue for you, a family member or a friend, the first step to getting adequate rest involves having a thorough physical to determine if an underlying medical condition is disrupting your sleep. Depression, anxiety, aches and pains caused by arthritis or fibromyalgia, sleep apnea, low iron levels and restless leg syndrome are just a few of the common causes of sleep difficulties. Clearly, treating the medical issues that interfere with restful sleep can be a major help.

If, on the other hand, sleeplessness is not related to a health condition, there are plenty of other options to consider. Lifestyle changes, for example, could be easy fixes for what's keeping you up at night. Here are some possibilities:

- Aim for consistency and routine in scheduling sleep. Going to bed and waking up at the same times each day (including weekends), helps your body get into a sleep/wake cycle rhythm.

- The ideal bedtime for most people is before 11 p.m. The bulk of recharging and renewal that takes place in the body occurs from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., so missing out on this crucial event can be disruptive.

- Sleep in a completely dark room to encourage production of the hormone melatonin. Melatonin has been shown to protect us against a long list of serious ailments, including cancer. But the pituitary gland, where melatonin is manufactured, functions best in darkness.

- Avoid electronic devices, including TV and computer, for at least two hours before bedtime. Furthermore, It is recommended that you switch off your fuse box (there is a remote control device that does this) to eliminate the radiation from electrical fields coming from your home's wiring.

- Caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, large amounts of liquids and heavy meals before bedtime all interfere with sleep, as do day-time naps and exercising late in the day.

- To encourage relaxation, try a warm bath, shower or sauna before bedtime. Aromatherapy with essential oils known for their relaxing qualities (lavender or linden, for instance) are helpful, too.

- Turn your bedroom into a peaceful oasis. Focus on comfort (a good mattress and pillows), quiet (a white-noise machine can disguise annoying environmental sounds) and a soothing room temperature (between 60 and 70 degrees for most of us). If your feet tend to be cold at night, socks help make up for poor circulation in extremities.

- Sample some of the many non-prescription sleep aids that are now available. ***Many of these remedies -- including herbs like valerian and hops, and the hormone melatonin -- have been found helpful for relaxation and sleep disturbances. Furthermore, they're free from the troubling side effects found in pharmaceuticals.***

As individuals, we each have different sleep needs. Once yours are met, you'll find that waking up each day is a whole new experience. And your body will thank you for providing it with the rejuvenating rest it needs.

RESOURCES

National Sleep Foundation: http://www.sleepfoundation.org

Gooneratne NS. "Complementary and alternative medicine for sleep disturbances in older adults." Clinics in Geriatric Medicine 2008 Feb;24(1):121-38, viii.

Dimpfel W. Suter A. "Sleep improving effects of a single dose administration of a valerian/hops fluid extract - a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled sleep-EEG study in a parallel design using electrohypnograms." European Journal of Medical Research 2008 May 26;13(5):200-4.

Home chemicals dangerous for male fertility

(NaturalNews) Hormone-disrupting chemicals found in a variety of consumer products are destroying male reproductive health, according to a report released by the nonprofit CHEM Trust.

An increasing number of widely used chemicals are being exposed as endocrine disruptors, many of them ingredients in plastics, cosmetics, cleaning products and even food. Most of these simulate the action of the female sex hormone estrogen.

According to report author Richard Sharpe of the Medical Research Council, long-term exposure to a wide variety of these chemicals is probably to blame, at least in part, for rising incidence of a condition known as Testicular Dysgenisis Syndrome (TDS). Exposure to endocrine disruptors can "feminize" male children even in the womb, he said, by blocking the activity of the male sex hormone testosterone

TDS refers to a collection of observed disorders of the male reproductive system, including reduced sperm counts, malformed penis and testicular cancer.

While exposure to one endocrine disruptor might not have a great effect, Sharpe said, there are so many different chemicals out there that their cumulative results must be taken into account.

"Because it is the summation of effect of hormone-disrupting chemicals that is critical, and the number of such chemicals that humans are exposed to is considerable, this provides the strongest possible incentive to minimize human exposure to all relevant hormone disruptors, especially women planning pregnancy, as it is obvious that the higher the exposure the greater the risk," he said.

"Chemicals that have been shown to act together to affect male reproductive health should have their risks assessed together," said Elizabeth Salter Green of the CHEM Trust. "Currently that is not the case, and unfortunately chemicals are looked at on an individual basis. Therefore, government assurances that exposures are too low to have any effect just do not hold water because regulators do not take into account the additive actions of hormone disrupting chemicals."

"It is high time that public health policy is based on good science and that regulatory authorities have health protection, rather than industry protection, uppermost in mind," she said.

Sources for this story include: news.bbc.co.uk.

Mercury toxicity- increased in blood samples

(NaturalNews) It's no secret mercury is a dangerous toxin that accumulates in the human body and can produce disastrous health problems involving multiple organ systems. It's known to be a risk to unborn babies, too. Unfortunately, as NaturalNews has reported, mercury contamination of our environment and food sources is rampant. For example, scientists have found that fish(http://www.naturalnews.com/025935_m...) and high fructose corn syrup (http://www.naturalnews.com/026528_m...) are often loaded with the dangerous heavy metal. Now comes this worrisome news: deposits of mercury in the bodies of Americans are increasing at an alarming rate and the health repercussions could be staggering.

Mercury especially targets the liver, the immune system and the pituitary gland. Numerous studies have associated chronic mercury exposure with elevated risks for autism, mental impairment and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Previous research by U.S. Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) researchers estimated that chronic mercury exposure caused between 300,000 and 600,000 American children to be born with elevated risks of neurodevelopmental disorders between 1999 and 2000.

A new University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) study of government data on more than 6,000 women in the US found not only that mercury loads in bodies are increasing but it also identified significant associations between chronic mercury exposure and immune and endocrine system functions. The research specifically revealed that levels of the pituitary hormone, lutropin (also called luteinizing hormone) are significantly associated with chronic mercury exposure. This could explain a mechanism for how mercury causes or contributes to degenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases.

"My study found compelling evidence that inorganic mercury deposition within the human body is a cumulative process, increasing with age and overall in the population over time," study author Dan R. Laks, a neuroscience researcher at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, said in a statement to the media."My findings also suggest a rise in risks for disease associated with mercury over time."

For his research, which was recently published online in the international biology, biochemistry and medicine journal Biometals, Laks studied computer analyses of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). He investigated inorganic mercury levels in the blood of 6,168 women between the ages of 18 and 49 in NHANES data sets from 1999 to 2000, 2001 to 2002, 2003 to 2004 and 2005 to 2006. In all, between 1,455 and 1,622 women were in each two-year matched group.

Mercury has elemental, organic and inorganic forms, depending on the sources of exposure. Mercury in contaminated fish, for instance, is organic. However, studies in animals have shown that with chronic exposure to organic mercury, the metal changes to its inorganic form -- so inorganic mercury is usually considered the best measure of chronic mercury exposure. And when Laks looked for inorganic mercury in the blood of women studied in 2005-2006, he found it in 30 percent of the blood samples. That's an increase in mercury of two percent over women in the 1999 to 2000 study.

What's more, the overall population average of blood inorganic mercury concentration increased significantly between 1999 and 2006, as well. Neuroscientist Laks also conducted a separate statistical analysis of older women and discovered they had more inorganic mercury in their blood than younger women.

"These results suggest that chronic mercury exposure has reached a critical level where inorganic mercury deposition within the human body is accumulating over time. It is logical to assume that the risks of associated neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases will rise as well," Laks stated.

For more information:
http://www.newswise.com/articles/hu...
http://www.naturalnews.com/mercury.html
http://orf.od.nih.gov/Environmental...

Nutrition style for a healthy prostate

Only plant protein should be taken. Meat protein burdeons the entire system especially pancreas, liver and Kidneys. Work on the area with heated virgin castor oil packs. Utilise the mucus removal protocols and the Christopher formulas.

Eat your way to a healthy prostate

By Professor Margaret Rayman
Last updated at 11:48 PM on 08th August 2009
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-...y-prostate.html


There is growing scientific evidence that strongly suggests diets rich in certain foods can help prevent prostate cancer and its spread.

There is also evidence to indicate the harmful effect of other foods. Prostate cancer is often slow to develop and spread, so strategies that can influence its progression are worth considering.

For those with the condition, a controlled diet may provide the only means of active treatment. Here we untangle the science and show how, by following our tips and enjoying recipes by celebrity chefs from Raymond Blanc to Gordon Ramsay, you can improve the health of your prostate.

Each year there are 35,000 new diagnoses of prostate cancer. It is the most common cancer to affect men in the UK with about 80 per cent having evidence of prostate cancer at post-mortem examination, although it accounts for only 12 per cent of male cancer deaths.

Prostate cancer has become more common during the past two decades, though this is partly due to more widespread screening.

The numbers vary greatly between countries, with the highest rates reported in the U.S. and Sweden and the lowest in Japan, India and China.

This reported variation may also be partly due to differences in the availability of screening and detection techniques, but it is widely accepted that at least some of it is due to differences in diet.

WHAT EXACTLY DOES THE PROSTATE DO?

The prostate is part of the male reproductive system and its function is to secrete a fluid that forms a constituent of semen.

This fluid is alkaline and protects sperm from the acidity inside the female reproductive organs. The prostate also contains muscles that help to expel semen during ejaculation.

Sexual dysfunction, fertility problems and incontinence are common problems experienced once the prostate has been removed, which is why this is not done unless absolutely necessary.

WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS?

The causes of prostate cancer are not fully understood, but there are several known risk factors, the greatest of which is age, with risk increasing rapidly from 50 onwards.

The existence of prostate or breast cancer in an immediate family member also increases risk.

Men of African-American descent appear to have an increased risk while men of Asian descent have a lower risk. These risk factors cannot be modified.

IS MY DIET PUTTING ME AT RISK?

The link between diet and prostate cancer is reflected in the low disease rates in Asian countries where diets are low in meat and saturated fats, and high in plant foods, fibre and fish.

This contrasts with the high rates in Western countries where diets are rich in meat and fat and low in plant foods. When people migrate from Asia to a Western country and adopt the diet and lifestyle of that country, their risk of prostate cancer increases - and the incidence of cancer in Asia is rising as it becomes increasingly Westernised.

ALLIUM VEGETABLES

These include garlic, onion, spring onions (scallions), shallots, leeks and chives.

Some research suggests that men who eat a diet rich in these foods have a lower risk of developing prostate cancer.

Allium vegetables contain compounds with anti-cancer properties

The taste and smell of allium vegetables comes from a group of organosulphur compounds. These are formed during the natural ageing process of the plant, or from the activity of an enzyme called alliinase that is released when the plant has been chopped or crushed.

These compounds are the ones with anti-cancer properties. Heat during their cooking, however, can destroy alliinase activity, preventing the formation of the active anti-cancer compounds.

A small Turkish study found a reduction in PSA (a protein produced by the prostate gland, a high level of which can indicate cancer) in nine patients with prostate cancer after they had taken a liquid garlic extract for one month.

The average PSA level of the men fell from 8.9ng/ml to 3.6ng/ml and the fall was accompanied by an improvement in symptoms.

A study in Shanghai investigated the effect of intake of allium vegetables, including garlic, spring onions, onions, chives and leeks, on the risk of prostate cancer in 238 men with confirmed prostate cancer and 471 healthy men for comparison.

The men who ate more than 10g of allium vegetables a day were 49 per cent less likely to develop prostate cancer than those who ate less than 2.2g a day.

When vegetables were considered individually, men who ate more than 2.1g of garlic or scallions a day reduced their risk of developing the disease by 53 per cent (garlic) and 70 per cent (spring onions) compared to those who did not eat any at all.

Allium vegetables are also often served with other foods, such as tomatoes, that have been identified as having anti-cancer properties so the effect may be from the combination rather than from one type of vegetable alone.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I EAT?

The current UK guideline for fruit and vegetable consumption is at least five 80g portions a day.

Although there are no specific guidelines for the consumption of allium vegetables, the World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests 2.5g (approximately one clove) of fresh garlic a day. Garlic should be left to stand for about ten minutes after crushing or chopping before cooking to allow the anticancer compounds time to form.

WHAT SHOULD I LIMIT?

When research is carried out into the links between diet and prostate cancer, some foods or food components show a positive relationship, such as dairy products, fat and meat. This means that eating them in large amounts may increase the risk of prostate cancer.

Dairy products

These include milk and all products made from milk, such as yogurt, cheese and fromage frais. The evidence for a close association between prostate cancer and dairy products comes from population studies.

Calcium

Dairy products provide our main source of calcium, but some studies have shown a relationship between a high intake of calcium and an increased risk of prostate cancer.

Dairy products provide our main source of calcium

One of the suggested reasons for this is the relationship between calcium and Vitamin D, a potential anti-cancer agent. Calcium requires the action of Vitamin D to aid absorption, therefore, when calcium intakes are high, the demand for Vitamin D increases and may lead to the suppression of Vitamin D in the blood.

The relationship between an increased risk of prostate cancer and calcium appears to be most apparent when calcium intake is very high (1,500mg to 2,000mg per day) and in cases where the disease is more advanced, although the evidence is not consistent.

Studies that have considered the risk of prostate cancer with non-dairy sources of calcium appear to show no association, although the effect of calcium supplementation is unclear.

Phytanic acid

This is a fatty acid found in dairy products and in animal meat such as beef and lamb.

A small study showed that the amount of phytanic acid in the blood of prostate cancer patients was higher than that in the blood of those without.

This same study also showed that the blood levels of phytanic acid in this group of people were related to the amount of dairy foods and red meat in their diets.

The effect of phytanic acid on prostate cancer risk has also been linked to the over-expression of a gene in prostate cancer cells that is responsible for the breakdown of phytanic acid. This has led to speculation that prostate cancer cells may use this fatty acid as an energy source which can help them to grow.

HOW MUCH DAIRY SHOULD I EAT?

Healthy eating guidelines recommend that dairy foods should make up about one sixth of the food eaten by adults each day.

This equates to 568ml (about one pint) of milk or the equivalent in a combination of dairy foods, such as 189ml to 244ml (one third of a pint to one cup) of milk, plus one cup (245ml) of yogurt, and 28ml to 42ml of cheese.

This intake would provide between 700 and 1,000mg of calcium a day, which meets the recommended calcium intake for adults.

Other good sources of calcium, include dark-green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale, oily fish with bones such as sardines, and dried apricots.

In countries where fat intake is relatively low, there appears to be a low risk of prostate cancer. Research has generally supported the association between high intakes of fat, particularly saturated or animal fats, and increased risk of prostate cancer.

Diets that are high in fat are also likely to be calorific, promoting obesity which is associated with more aggressive prostate cancer.

Encouragingly, some studies have suggested that low-fat diets may slow its progression.

While the general message is to choose low-fat foods, especially those low in saturated or animal fats, there are some high-fat foods, such as oily fish, that are probably beneficial and should be included in a diet aimed at prostate health.

Choose lean cuts of meat, removing any excess fat, remove the skin from poultry, and choose oils and spreads that are higher in polyunsaturated fatty acids, and particularly omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids such as olive oil.

Replace butter with olive spread or an omega-3 spread and use rapeseed oil for frying and olive oil for salads.

BUT I LIKE TO EAT MEAT ...

Diets that are high in meat, particularly red and processed meats, may increase the risk of prostate cancer. Meat intake has also been associated with high fat intake which, may also have cancer-promoting effects.

Diets high in meat may also be low in protective fruits and vegetables. Ruminant meats, such as beef and lamb, are also a source of phytanic acid, which has been linked to an increase in the risk of prostate cancer in the case of dairy produce. Red meat is a major source of zinc which promotes testosterone synthesis.

A number of studies have compared the relationship between the degree of meat cooking and prostate cancer risk. Meat that is 'well done' and 'very well done' is more likely to increase the risk of prostate cancer.

CAN I STILL HAVE MY STEAK?

To help prevent and control cancers it is recommended you eat less than 500g (18oz) a week of red meat. However, meat is part of a valuable food group that provides protein to build and repair body tissues, as well as other essential vitamins and minerals, such as iron. There are some other sources of protein such as fish, eggs, soya and pulses, that can substitute for some meat.

• The Prostate Care Cookbook, in association with the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation, by Professor Margaret Rayman, Kay Dillon and Kay Gibbons, is published by Kyle Cathie Ltd, priced £12.99. To order your copy at the special price of £11.99, with free p&p, call the Review Bookshop on 0845 155 0713.

For more delicious celebrity chef recipes from Nigella's sunblush tomatoes to Gordon Ramsay's tiger prawns, go to www.mailonsunday.co.uk/prostate

How important is B12 vitamin deficiency diagosis

(NaturalNews) Usually, the presence of a condition called macrocytic anemia is what makes doctors suspect and begin to look for vitamin B12 Deficiency. But macrocytic anemia is the result of years of vitamin B12 deficiency. This means that until a doctor is willing to even LOOK FOR the easily correctable problem of vitamin B 12 deficiency, a patient will have suffered for years with symptoms. This would have been prevented if they had looked for the deficiency based simply on one of the most common physical complaints that patients have- fatigue.

Fatigue is a problem that affects most of the population at one time or another, but when it becomes chronic it can seriously affect quality of life to the extent that people become disabled. While fatigue can have MANY different causes, one underappreciated cause of fatigue is Vitamin B 12 deficiency.

When doctors suspect vitamin B12 deficiency, they will often do a routine blood test that checks for a condition called macrocytic anemia. Macrocytic anemia is characterized by particularly large red blood cells that are accompanied by a decreased Number of total cells. It is often a Consequence of vitamin B12 deficiency, but can have several other causes as well. Macrocytic anemia, however, is NOT vitamin B12 deficiency, and Vitamin B 12 deficiency can exist with or without the presence of macrocytic anemia. In fact, macrocytic anemia may not occur for up to 2 years after the Start of vitamin B12 deficiency, yet the 'standard of care' that doctors use has them look for vitamin B12 deficiency ONLY if macrocytic anemia is present!

"clinical features that are associated with
vitamin B12 deficiency may indeed precede
evidence of macrocytic anemia"
How B12 Deficiency Can Impact on the Individual...

If Vitamin B 12 deficiency were a rare problem that required expensive and invasive testing in order to find, this would be a reasonable way to look for this problem. But vitamin B12 deficiency is VERY common and testing is as easy as a simple blood test done right in the same lab that tests for macrocytic anemia! In addition, just like other medical problems that are evaluated on their OWN signs and symptoms, vitamin b12 deficiency ALSO has its OWN signs and symptoms that can be evaluated in the same way.

Vitamin B12 deficiency has a whole list of common presenting features that include:

Fatigue
Brain fog
Weakness
Depression

People who go to the doctor with conditions such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome often have these same symptoms, yet they are almost NEVER screened for this simple vitamin deficiency. Considering that there are over a million chronic fatigue sufferers in the US alone who are not getting help for their debilitating condition, there is no way of knowing how many people are suffering unnecessarily from a simple vitamin deficiency simply because doctors are not looking for it! One vitamin B12 researcher, Ralph Carmel, MD, a doctor who IS looking for it, believes that almost 800,000 elderly people in the United States have undiagnosed vitamin B12 deficiency- and that is just in ONE high risk group.

Besides Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, the somewhat vague symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency can mimic many other diseases as well. According to Doctors Norbert Goebels and Michael Soyka, "Vitamin B(12) deficiency has long been associated with a wide variety of hematological, neurological, and psychiatric disorders." Unfortunately, until doctors begin to look for Vitamin B12 deficiency and not macrocytic anemia, we are calling these problems things like:

Chronic Fatigue
Fibromyalgia
Dementia
Mental Illness
And Even Multiple Sclerosis

Many of these patients really should be diagnosed with simple vitamin B12 deficiency. Testing for vitamin B12 deficiency is the 'standard of care' for doctors ONLY in the case of macrocytic anemia EVEN when vitamin B12 deficiency is seemingly staring them right in the face. And because standard of care is a legal protection for doctors in court, most doctors are unlikely to go 'outside of the box' to try to find answers to patient problems.

Standards of care change slowly in the medical world; with clinical guidelines lagging scientific finding by years and even decades, things are not likely to change soon until people with illnesses become educated and DEMAND testing for these simple problems that can have DRAMATIC effects on their health and their quality of life. Since doctors are not likely to look for vitamin B12 deficiency, patients and their families need to.

Resources:
1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/...

2) http://www.ima.org.il/imaj/ar01sep-...

3) http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/co...

Flu treatment that worked in 1918

(NaturalNews) At least twenty million people died in the 1918 influenza epidemic and Eleanora McBean, Ph.D., N.D. tells us something pretty interesting about it. Drug-oriented medical doctors and hospitals, she tells us, "were losing 33% of their flu cases," while "non-medical hospitals such as Battle Creek, Kellogg and MacFadden's Health Restorium were getting almost 100% healings."

Most people reading this already know that drugs are almost never the answer to what ails the body. But, do you know how they were achieving an almost 100% recovery rate at Battle Creek, a facility run by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg?

A 1918 article titled "Spanish Influenza Treatment," edited by Dr. Kellogg, shares the recommended influenza protocols.

First, the patients were doing water enemas twice a day to clean their bowels. They'd use two or three pints of warm water and would cleanse their colon thoroughly, until all of the filth was removed. The enemas started at the beginning of the disease and continued until complete recovery.

Second, the patients were drinking three or four quarts of water or fruit juice each day to promote elimination through the kidneys and skin. A glass was taken each half hour, when awake. Fiber, such as bran, was mixed into foods including oatmeal and rice to promote bowel movements and the elimination of the problem.

Short hot baths and hot blanket packs were used to ease fevers and help with pain in the back and legs. A hot blanket pack entailed wrapping a person in a "hot as they could stand," wrung-out wet blanket for twelve to fifteen minutes. A wool blanket covered the outside of the wet blanket, and heads and faces were kept cool. If the pulse was rapid, an ice pack was held over the heart. For very high fevers, the hot blanket packs were used only for four or five minutes.

Cold compresses were used for headaches. For high fevers, a cold compress was used immediately after a short hot blanket pack to bring down the fever.

It wasn't said, because in 1918 it wasn't such a widespread problem, but obviously sugar, processed foods and junk foods should be avoided in the case of any flu or influenza. That's just common sense whenever your body is showing signs of problems. Patients were also kept in bed for several days after the fever was gone.

It was stated that these measures, applied intelligently, would bring the number of deaths from influenza, and the pneumonia that often followed, to a "negligible quantity." After the fact, we can see that statement was correct for those who applied them.

More:
http://biophile.co.za/children/supe...
http://www.whale.to/a/mcbean1.html
http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=...
http://www.answers.com/topic/battle...

Colon is where the health begins

(NaturalNews) There's been quite a bit of debate about colon cleansing in recent years. People who do it swear by it; they're often walking testimonials of the disease that can be swept from the body in this manner. But, people who've never done it can think colon cleansing sounds a bit strange, and really, who can blame them?

However, it's a fact that common 21st century diets are largely abnormal for the human species, and that's a large part of what makes colon cleansing so important in this day and age.

It may also surprise you that until about 30 years ago, colon cleansing, and even liver cleansing using coffee enemas, was standard protocols recommended in the Merck manual. But in the last thirty years, colon cleansing has been swept under the rug. Far more profitable drug and surgery methods have replaced simply removing a great deal of accumulated filth from the body.

But colon cleansing isn't just a 20th century invention. A mostly unknown book, called The Essene Gospel of Peace, claims to contain the unaltered teachings of Jesus Christ and inside, it discusses colon cleansing in-depth. It even talks about all of the diseases formed from an impure diet, which are said to be the works of Satan.

The Essene Gospel of Peace is said to have been translated from an ancient manuscript hidden in the secret archives of the Vatican. Here's an excerpt of what's inside.

"I tell you truly, the uncleanness within is greater by much than the uncleanness without. And he who cleanses himself without, but within remains unclean, is like a tomb that outwards are painted fair, but are within full of all manner of horrible uncleanness and abominations."

"Seek, therefore, a large trailing gourd, having a stalk the length of a man; take out its inwards and fill it with water from the river, which the sun has warmed. Hang it upon the branch of a tree, and kneel upon the ground before the angel of water, and suffer the end of the stalk of the trailing gourd to enter your hinder parts, that the water may flow through all your bowels. Afterwards rest kneeling on the ground before the angel of water that he will free your body from every uncleanness and disease. Then let the water run out from your body, that it may carry away from within all the unclean and evil-smelling things of Satan."

Those words are the first recorded directions on how to give yourself an enema.

Long after those words where spoken, colon cleansing has become a favorite technique of many successful healers and naturopaths around the world.

Legendary healer, Dr. Bernard Jensen even coined the phrase, "Death begins in the colon." Dr. Jensen lived to be 92 years old and had considerable success removing "incurable" diseases from many bodies, by cleaning the colon and practicing a hygienic diet.

These days, the statement that death begins in the colon is even more true that it was decades ago. And the operative word today is begins.

This is the case because diets are far worse than any previous time in history. They're more chemical-ridden, more sugared, more meat-oriented, and more processed; this is a recipe for disaster in the colon, and throughout the body.

According to studies by the Royal Society of Medicine U.K, "90% of all chronic diseases are due to infection of the gastrointestinal tract."

The thing about a chemical-oriented, processed, highly-sugared and heavy meat-eating diet is that our bodies aren't equipped to process all of those things. And if we can't process them, often times we can't eliminate them.

This means that old fecal matter gets stuck inside our bodies and becomes corroded on our colon walls. In a nutshell, this is why constipation is common and drugs companies sell 1.5 billion dollars worth of laxatives each year.

Inside our bodies, the non-eliminated filth begins to rot and putrefy.

After years or decades of accumulation, this putrefied mess can absolutely lead to disease. It can lead to disease in the colon, or anywhere in the body. The colon walls are porous and what is trapped inside the colon will eventually leak into the blood where it can be transported to accumulate anywhere in the body. Where it accumulates will often be the deciding factor as to the symptoms, or disease, your body develops.

Today, matters are made even worse, because most of the population also lives with a common fungal condition called candida overgrowth.

Although we're actually supposed to have small amounts of candida in our colon, candida overgrowth becomes a problem when the healthy bacteria in our colons are killed. This is commonly done with chemicals in our diets, chlorine in our water, antibiotics doled out like candy, steroid medications and birth control pills.

When we no longer have our healthy bacteria to keep the candida in small proportions, the candida yeast grows to large proportions. Eventually, it morphs into a fungus.

After it's overgrown in your colon, the candida then eat small holes in your colon walls, and can escape to live in your bloodstream, or anywhere in your body. This causes numerous problems, but the main point is: these days many people also have small holes in their colon walls which allow filth from the colon to enter the blood very easily. This leads to pollution in the body, not just in the colon, but throughout the entire body and it's a primary cause of disease.

Have you seen images of what comes out of the feet with ionic foot baths? http://www.atlantachiropractic.org/... Most people don't realize that they have considerable amounts of such filth all throughout their bodies.

Cleaning your colon is one step to getting it all out. When you combine colon cleansing with other body cleansing processes, like liver cleansing and other advanced protocols, it's possible to reach even deeper levels of toxicity in the body, which can remove even more difficult to eliminate disease.

More:
Cleanse and Purify Thyself, Dr. Richard Anderson, N.D., N.M.D

http://www.essene.com/GospelOfPeace/
http://www.healthbanquet.com/enema-...
http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=...
http://www.todayschiropractic.com/i...
http://www.omx2u.com/articles/colon.asp
http://www.healthymuse.com/colonhyd...
http://www.healthnews.com/blogs/mel...
http://www.atlantachiropractic.org/...

9 hidden toxins in food to be avoided

9 Hidden Toxins Lurking in Your Food ++ Other Info

http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message872163/pg1

Your grocery store is plentifully stocked with wolves in sheep’s clothing. Here are some tips to help you steer clear of hidden toxins that masquerade as safe products.

1. Stay away from processed meats like bacon, hot dogs, and sausage. Sodium nitrate can also cause the formation of nitrosamines in your system, which can lead to cancer.

2. Reduce the amount of canned food you consume. Cans are commonly lined with bisphenol-A, an organic compound that may be associated with diabetes and heart disease.

3. Skip the diet soda and artificial sweeteners. Prolonged exposure to aspartame, a neurotoxic chemical additive in these products, can lead to nerve cell damage, dizziness, and headaches.

4. Opt for organic chicken. The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy discovered traces of arsenic in non-organic chickens. Exposure to this dangerous chemical can lead to cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Another study also found numerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria in conventional poultry.

5. Avoid manufactured snacks. Hydrogenated oils are used to lengthen the shelf life of products like crackers and cookies, but they are also associated with diabetes and heart disease. Snack foods are also generally loaded with salt, corn syrup and other unhealthy ingredients.

6. Stay away from artificially-colored foods like candy, maraschino cherries, and gelatin. Mice and rats exposed to blue 1 and 2, red 3 and yellow 6 suffered from brain, adrenal gland, thyroid, and kidney tumors.

7. Always buy organic produce. Lingering pesticides can lead to nervous and reproductive system damage, not to mention cancer.

8. Avoid Teflon cookware. The Teflon used to create nonstick surfaces can release noxious gases when exposed to high temperatures, which puts you at risk for a large variety of diseases, many of which are not even well documented at this time.

9. Never microwave food in plastic bowls, containers, or dishes. Exposure to heat causes the bisphenol-A found in plastics to break down and potentially contaminate your food.
[link to www.alternet.org]

Every day my team and I go through more than 1,000 articles to find the best to insert into the newsletter for you. I can’t tell you how many lists like this I have previously seen that were written by conventional medical authors who were beyond clueless as to what the real risks were. This is one of the first ones I have seen that was really enlightened.

Unfortunately, it’s becoming more and more difficult to avoid toxins. They’re in everything from personal care products to furniture and building materials. Babies are actually born toxic nowadays due to the toxic load of their mothers. One study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that blood samples from newborns contained an average of 287 toxins, including mercury, fire retardants, pesticides, and Teflon chemicals!

But there’s still plenty you can do, and one of the ways to significantly reduce your toxic load is to pay careful attention to what you eat. And, as an added bonus, when you eat right, you’re also optimizing your body’s natural detoxification system, which can help eliminate toxins your body encounters from other sources.

Keep in mind, organically-grown, biodynamic whole foods are really the key to success here, as pesticide residues have been detected in 50 percent to 95 percent of all commercially-grown U.S. foods.

Surprisingly, one of the worst offenders for pesticide contamination is commercially-raised beef. A major risk factor of pesticides is cancer, but they also block the absorption of nutrients, which adds to all the other damage a poor diet can create.

How greens may protect the heart

How greens may protect the heart

Sulforapane is found in broccoli and brussel sprouts

Friday, 4 September 2009 17:06 UKE-mail this to a friend Printable version
http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8237530.stm


Researchers have discovered a possible reason why green vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower are good for the heart.

Their work suggests a chemical found in the vegetables can boost a natural defence mechanism to protect arteries from disease.

The Imperial College London team hope their work could lead to new dietary treatments to prevent heart problems.

Details appear in Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.

BRASSICAS
Broccoli
Cabbage
Kale
Brussels sprouts
Cauliflower
Bok choy
Rocket

Much heart disease is caused by the build up of fatty plaques in the arteries known as atherosclerosis.

However, arteries do not get clogged up with these plaques in a uniform way.

Bends and branches of blood vessels - where blood flow is disrupted and can be sluggish - are much more prone to the build-up.

The latest study has shown that a protein that usually protects against plaque build up called Nrf2 is inactive in areas of arteries that are prone to disease.

However, it also found that treatment with a chemical found in green "brassica" vegetables such as broccoli can activate Nrf2 in these disease-prone regions.

Lead researcher Dr Paul Evans said: "We found that the innermost layer of cells at branches and bends of arteries lack the active form of Nrf2, which may explain why they are prone to inflammation and disease.

"Treatment with the natural compound sulforaphane reduced inflammation at the high-risk areas by 'switching on' Nrf2.

"Sulforaphane is found naturally in broccoli, so our next steps include testing whether simply eating broccoli, or other vegetables in their 'family', has the same protective effect.

"We also need to see if the compound can reduce the progression of disease in affected arteries."

Targeted approaches

Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director of the British Heart Foundation, which funded the research, said: "These fascinating findings provide a possible mechanism by which eating vegetables protects against heart disease.

"As well as adding evidence to support the importance of eating 'five-a-day', the biochemistry revealed in this research could lead to more targeted dietary or medical approaches to prevent or lessen disease that leads to heart attacks and strokes."

Using normal mice, and mice engineered to lack the Nrf2 protein, the research found that in straight sections of arteries Nrf2 was present in the endothelial 'lining' cells.

Through its action on other proteins, it prevented the cells from becoming inflamed, an early stage in the development of atherosclerosis.

In the lining cells of disease-prone sites - such as bending or branched arteries - Nrf2 was attached to a protein that made it inactive. This stifled its protective properties.

But the addition of sulforaphane re-activated Nrf2 in the disease-prone regions of the artery, restoring the cells' ability to protect themselves from becoming inflamed.

The researchers believe that this will enable these artery regions to remain healthy for longer, or even reduce the progression of existing disease.

H.Pylori, the cause of food allergies?!

(NaturalNews) Most doctors don't test for or treat the H pylori bacteria except in cases of unrelenting heartburn or in active ulcers and consider it an 'asymptomatic' pathogen that lives with most of us without hurting us. However, research shows that simply having the H pylori bacteria could be a risk factor in the development of the recent epidemic of both immediate and delayed reaction food allergies that so many people are reporting.

The Helicobacter Pylori bacteria, most commonly known as H pylori, are ancient bacteria that have been infecting humans for as long as we have been on the earth. They are present in up to half of the world's population according to some studies, and have been found in nearly every bodily fluid and every organ in humans and even in some animals as well. They have become most famous in recent decades with the findings that most ulcers are caused by an H pylori infection. While the information about H pylori and ulcers earned the discoverers of this phenomenon the Nobel Prize in 2005 for their 1982 discovery, doctors pretty much ignore this bacteria UNLESS a person has active ulcers or has persistent unrelenting heartburn.

But are doctors missing an important connection with the recent rise in food allergies? The incidence of SEVERE food allergies has risen to epidemic proportions in recent decades, with even airplanes and elementary schools declaring themselves 'Peanut Free Zones' in order to help protect people with these serious allergies. Food allergies have become a serious PUBLIC health issue as well as a serious PERSONAL health issue for growing numbers of people.

These obvious food allergies get a lot of attention because of their severity, but less obvious 'delayed sensitivity reactions' are a serious problem for the hundreds of thousands who become exhausted, get joint pains, have 'brain fog' and have other debilitating symptoms after a meal that contains an offending food. Interestingly, research is showing that these two seemingly unrelated phenomena of H pylori and food allergies are actually connected in a cause and effect fashion. Doctors only consider H pylori to be 'symptomatic' when the infected person has heartburn, ulcers or persistent stomach pains. But whether H pylori causes these problems or not, it is an INFECTION, and infections always without exception cause an immune reaction and inflammation. Inflammation in the stomach causes the stomach cells, which are usually as tightly fitted as puzzle pieces, to become damaged and pulled apart leaving gaps and spaces in between. While some tolerate this inflammation well and have no symptoms, people with food allergies and H pylori infection may have food particles actually 'leaking' between the stomach cells into the bloodstream- causing an immune system reaction to these food particles.

"...this increased permeability to antigens could be responsible
for an allergic sensitization to bystander food antigens occurring
in some patients who test positive for H. pylori."

'Food Allergy and Helicobacter Pylori'

Unfortunately, these H pylori carriers often don't have the 'classic' symptoms of heartburn or stomach pains that doctors are taught to recognize as H pylori infection. And even when they do they are often simply given an 'acid blocker' to relieve their heartburn, leaving the H pylori infection to continue causing inflammatory damage that could lead to ulcers and even stomach cancer down the road. In addition, many doctors don't recognize delayed food allergies in their patients either, and they certainly don't recognize that H pylori infection could be the culprit in these food allergies. Sadly, this leaves many to suffer with vague debilitating symptoms of chronic illness, sometimes for decades, that are really just the inflammatory and immune response set off by H pylori along with the debilitating effects of unrecognized food allergies.

For those who suspect that their symptoms may be due to H pylori, both blood testing and stool testing are accurate and inexpensive ways to be tested for this common bacterium. In addition to standard medical treatments of antibiotics for 'eradication' of this infection, there are also effective natural remedies that can control and even eliminate this bacteria altogether, thus eliminating the underlying CAUSE of the food allergies, inflammation and immune reaction that can masquerade as so many other chronic health problems.

References
1)http://journals.lww.com/jpgn/pages/...

2)http://content.karger.com/ProdukteD...

3)http://www.easy-immune-health.com/h...