|
200
Vegetables a day. Phew! [back to
top]
Article by Ivan (Mick) Hince
When I saw the above quote I
envisaged sitting down with plate after plate's full of beans and
cauliflower etc.
After reading the article,
and doing my homework I realised how wrong I was. I know that
by having a certain amount of fresh fruit and vegetables is good for
you, but this seemed to be verging on the silly side.
The article was about a man
who set up a business to produce Marine Phytoplankton (single cell
organisms or as we know it as algae) which when produced he fed to
his shellfish on his shellfish farm.
Over the years this man had
health problems with diabetes, and then later cancer. All
seemed lost, and he was told by his Doctor that he didn't have long
to live, and it got to the point he had even gone with his daughter
to pick out his graveyard plot.
What made him do what he did
next is a mystery, but he decided to start eating his Marine
Phytoplankton twice a day. His logic was that if it was good
for his shellfish just maybe it would be good for him.
A week later he began to feel
slightly better so he continued taking his
new medication twice
daily, and each day he grew stronger.
From that moment his
aggressive cancer disappeared. He lost weight, and also
controlled his diabetes to the point it didn't worry him.
I actually take this food
supplement as it replaces many other pills I was taking, and I can
honestly recommend it to anyone.
To read more about this
product click here.
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The use of complementary and
alternative medicine by cancer patients
Mariama Adams and Andrew Paul Jewell.
[back to top]
Abstract
The use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) among
cancer patients is widespread and appears to be increasing. However,
it is not clear whether patients use CAM as an 'alternative' to
standard oncology care or as an adjunct to the conventional
treatment they receive.
This study reviews the role of CAM therapies
in the management of cancer, from the view of both patients and
health professionals and it highlights issues relating to the
efficacy of CAM used by cancer patients. Most patients use CAM to
'complement' the conventional therapies of radiotherapy,
chemotherapy, hormone therapy and surgery.
Health professionals in
general have expressed positive views when CAM is used
'complementarily' and not as an 'Alternative'. Results so far
published have shown that CAM can contribute to improving the
quality of life of cancer patients and their general well-being.
Background
Many cancer patients have turned to Complementary and
Alternative Medicine (CAM) with the hope of finding a cure to their
illness as well as to make them feel better. Surveys on the use of
CAM by cancer patients have been reported as high as 64% and as low
as 7% As the use of CAM with cancer patients increases, the concern
for its efficacy and safety with cancer patients has also increased.
In spite of the mass use of CAM therapies, very little is known of
the efficacy and safety of many of the CAM therapies that cancer
patients use.
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is defined by the
Cochrane collaboration as:" a broad domain of healing resources that
encompasses all health system, modalities, and practices and their
accompanying theories and beliefs, other than intrinsic to the
politically dominant health systems of a particular society or
culture in a given historical period".
However, the National Centre
for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM 2006) in America
defines CAM as "a group of diverse medical and health care systems,
practices and products that are not presently considered to be part
of conventional medicine" The definition given by Cochrane
emphasises healing resources together with its beliefs and theories,
while NCCAM talks about systems, practices and products outside
conventional medicine. A more recent definition of CAM adapted by
the Cochrane School of Complementary medicine is: " diagnosis,
treatment and/or prevention which complements main stream medicine
by contributing to a common whole, by satisfying a demand not met by
orthodox methods or by diversifying the conceptual framework of
medicine".
Ernst and Cassileth favour this definition because it
sees CAM as "complementary" to conventional medicine [1]. The World
Health Organisation (WHO) defines CAM as: "A comprehensive term used
to refer to both traditional medical systems such as traditional
Chinese medicine, Indian ayurverda, Arabic unani medicine, and to
various forms of indigenous medicine"
The term Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is an umbrella
term covering both 'complementary therapies' and 'alternative
medicines'. Though the phrases are sometimes used synonymously,
differences exist between the two. The phrase 'complementary
therapy' is defined by cancerBacup as "treatments which are given
alongside the conventional cancer treatments".
This means it is
there to complement the main conventional therapies such as
radiotherapy, surgery, hormone treatment and chemotherapy in the
case of cancer patients. The phrase 'Alternative medicine' is
described as "practices used instead of standard medical treatment".
However, the definition of "Alternative medicine" outlined by World
Health Organisation (WHO) encompasses all forms of healthcare
provision, which usually lie outside the official health sector.
This definition makes no distinction between the terms "Alternative"
and "Complementary". Therefore, in the case of cancer management,
anything that falls outside radiotherapy, surgery, hormone therapy
and chemotherapy could be considered as Alternative medicine.
Because of the meaning attached to the phrase "Alternative therapy",
most people prefer to use the term "complementary" instead, although
the term is still used to differentiate natural medicine from modern
medicine Nonetheless, the term "Alternative medicine" is popular and
much preferred in the United States, as most people still believe
that it can sometimes replace conventional medicine in cases where
conventional medicine has not lived to expectations.
Defining what complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is, has
not been without difficulties. One such problem lies in the fact
that there is no clear-cut definition of CAM. What is considered as
complementary in the UK is in fact conventional in another country.
For instance, Lewith explains that herbal medicine and acupuncture
are practiced as Complementary therapy in UK and USA whereas they
are considered as part of the main conventional medicine in China.
According to CancerBacup, CAM can be divided into three different
categories. These are psychological and self-help therapies, which
help patients, deal with the emotional and psychological aspects of
their illness like stress, anxiety and depression. Among these
therapies are counselling, relaxation, healing, visualisation,
meditation and art therapy and hypnotherapy.
The second group of
complementary therapies are considered as physical therapies. These
therapies use the sense of touch as the main tool and among them are
aromatherapy, acupuncture, massage, reflexology and shiatsu. The
last group of complementary therapies are those classified as
unconventional medicine or drugs, and includes Homeopathy, Herbal
medicine, Essiac, and Bach flower remedies.
However, Montbriand in his study on the overview of complementary
therapies chosen by cancer patients had a different grouping for
complementary therapies, and described the three types of CAM as
psychological, physical and spiritual .
The psychological therapies
involve some kind of distraction strategies to take the mind of
patients off the illness with a positive attitude towards life and
finally cure. The physical therapies include herbal tea treatment,
injection of thyme enzyme for the enhancement of the immune system,
diet alteration and megavitamins. Spiritual therapies involve prayer
and healing, for example.
It has been argued that Complementary and Alternative Medicine
emphasises the healing of both body and mind. According to Herzberg
"While scientific medicine focuses on cures of diseases,
complementary medicine is concerned with helping us to heal
ourselves" Similarly Fulder, considers that complementary therapy
emphasises the restoration of health rather than the removal of
sickness Tschudin, points out that attitude is one of the
fundamental differences between complementary therapies and orthodox
medicine .
While orthodox or conventional medicine views symptoms as
hostile and treats them accordingly, Tschudin considers that
complementary therapies "use a symptom of illness which a person
presents merely as a tool, guide or instructor, to discover more
basic imbalances in the person's body, mind or spirit".
The prevalence of CAM use among cancer patients
There has been a steady increase in the use of complementary and
alternative medicine among cancer patients for the past decades
Among the early studies to ascertain the level of CAM use among
cancer patients, Downer et al, reported that 16% of cancer patients
surveyed in two hospitals in London admitted to using CAM.
This
figure is similar to an earlier report in which CAM use was reported
at 13% in the USA. However, a recent survey of 127 cancer patients
in the UK reported that 29% of their sampled population were using
some form of CAM. . In a systematic review of surveys on the use of
CAM among cancer patients in 13 countries, Ernst and Cassileth
reported a range of 7% to 64% of CAM use among the adult cancer
population and the average of 31.4% across all the studies .
Some of
the commonly used CAM included visualisation, herbs, dietary
treatment, meditation, relaxation, homeopathy, hypnotherapy and
other mega vitamins. The data collection method used in individual
studies was either by interviewing the patients or sending out
questionnaires or both. Nine out of the twenty-six surveys were
conducted by means of interviewing the patients, fifteen were
through questionnaire and two of them employed both methods.
The
prevalence rate among the nine surveys conducted through interview
ranged between 7% and 37% with only one recording a rate of 54% of
which spiritual healing was part of the treatment specified. The
fifteen other surveys conducted by means of questionnaire reported a
prevalence rate of between 16% and 64%.
A survey in 14 European
countries on the use of CAM among patients with haematological
cancers showed that 36% of cancer patients in Europe have used one
or more forms of CAM modalities. Similarly, a rate of 40% was
reported in the USA after a cross-sectional study of 1904 patients
who have previously been diagnosed with cancer.
A 2002 National
Health Interview survey was used in this study. The most popular CAM
therapies used were herbal medicine, deep breathing and meditation.
An earlier study conducted in the United States produced a similar
prevalence rate of 42% . A survey conducted in Canada reported a 43%
prevalence rate of CAM use among cancer patients . In New Zealand, a
rate of 49% among 200 cancer patients was reported .
The most
prominent of the therapies were Vitamins (68%) and Antioxidants
(54%).
A similar result was found in Japan, that found use among 44.6% of
3,100 cancer patients . However, 96.2% of the patients were using
products such as Chinese herbs, mushroom, shark cartilage and
vitamins, which would be considered as CAM products in the west.
This emphasises the problem with interpreting some of these data, as
the reported varying prevalence rate of CAM use among cancer
patients across different surveys has been attributed to the lack of
consistency in the definition of CAM and its specificity with regard
to what can be considered as a CAM modality .
For example, Mao et al
included prayer as a CAM modality , while others like Harris et al
and Scott et al did not. Mao et al reported that over 61% of
patients in his study relied on prayer as a form of CAM therapy for
their cancer . This is in contrast with a report which mentioned
meditation and relaxation as the most commonly used CAM modality .
However, the exclusion of prayer from the patients' questionnaire
could be a factor. In a study in the UK, aromatherapy and relaxation
techniques were among the most popular CAM therapies used by cancer
patients . This is clearly in contrast to a survey where herbal
medicines were reported to be the most commonly used therapy.
Despite these inconsistencies, the socio-demographic pattern of CAM
use reveals some consistencies across most of the studies conducted
on CAM use among cancer patients. The main recurring themes through
out most of the studies were that those who were most likely to use
CAM were female, married people, higher earners, better educated and
those who have used CAM before their diagnoses .
In a study to
assess the patterns of alternative medicine use by 319 cancer
patients in Australia discovered that most of the patients who
employed CAM as part of their cancer management were women (55.5%),
people who were married (67.2%) and those with private health
insurance (55.2%) .
This was consistent with the study carried out
in Japan, which had women as the highest single users of CAM
modalities in their study of 3100 cancer patients . In the study by
Downer et al, 52% of the sample population who have admitted using a
form of CAM were women, while 64% of the patients using
complementary therapy were married . The study conducted by Molassiotis et al on CAM use among patients with haematological
malignancies had 76% of the study sample as married, and over half
of sample was women as well .
These results may reflect the fact
that breast cancer patients are the most likely group to use CAM
therapies
.
Patients reasons for using CAM
As more cancer patients turned to CAM in their quest to find a cure
for their illness or to better their quality of life, the need to
understand their views or perceptions of CAM is of interest.
Ernst
explained that the reasons given by patients for their use of CAM
could be grouped into push factors (negative) which pushes patients
away from conventional medicine and pull factors (positive) which
relates to the positive aspects of CAM which makes it attractive to
patients .
Among the push factors are dissatisfaction with
conventional medicine, the perceived "poor relationship" with some
health care professionals, and desperation on the part of patients
to get cured .
Hope for a positive outcome of a treatment was
mentioned as among some of the positive factors in addition to
patients hope for a control over their treatment . Ernst also
mentions that good rapport between patients and therapist, as well
as the ease at which one can access a CAM modality is a determining
factor for patients' use of CAM.
These reasons reflect those given
by patients in various studies . Prominent among these were the urge
to take control of the treatment and to improve their general
condition. In a Norwegian study conducted to ascertain the reasons
behind cancer patients' use of non-proven complementary therapies,
36% of 104 patients who participated reported actual improvement in
their general condition.
The perceptions of patients regarding the use of CAM have been at
the centre of discussions whether it is used as an 'alternative' to
standard oncology treatments of radiotherapy, surgery and
chemotherapy or to 'complement' the conventional treatments .
Regardless of whether patients use CAM as an 'Alternative' or
'Complementary' to conventional medicine, they perceive it as a very
'natural therapy' and 'harmless'. In a study by Ponholzer et al on
the frequent use of complementary medicine by prostate cancer
patients, 90% of the patients were reported to have used CAM with
the aim to improve their quality of life .
This view is supported by
Roberts et al as well Kaasa . In a Norwegian survey, it was reported
that most patients were using CAM as it might give them strength to
go through the conventional therapies and help to relieve their
symptoms .
Molassiotis et al conducted a descriptive cross-sectional
survey on 127 colorectal cancer patients across seven European
countries . Over 47% of the patients reported using CAM with the
view of increasing the body's ability to fight off the disease while
just fewer than 45% of patients believed that CAM could help improve
their physical well-being. In a study by Begbie et al, the most
common reason for CAM use was a new hope for cure (49%) and
preference for 'natural therapy' was about 20%.
Psychological
distress was mentioned by Ernst and Fugh-Berman and Holland as among
the popular reasons for patients using CAM. In a study on CAM use by
cancer patients in Wales, patients cited pain relief as the main
reason for using CAM.
Despite the fact that more and more cancer patients are turning to
CAM modalities for a number of reasons, few patients disclose this
to their health care professionals . Studies so far conducted by
indicated that just about half of the cancer patients who use CAM
inform their doctors of such use .
Patients perceive a lack of
interest on the part of health care professionals or their total
disapproval of the therapies The lack of communication about CAM
between patients and health professionals limits the opportunity to
discuss the potential benefits and risk of the therapies.
Efficacy and safety
There has been very little in the way of scientific research into
Complementary and Alternative Medicine used by cancer patients in
spite of the apparent extensive use of CAM.
One of the criticisms
levelled against CAM is its' lack of "peer-reviewed scientifically
conducted research" as pointed out by the American Society of
Clinical Oncology. Several factors have been cited for this.
Vickers, including lack of funding and insufficient patient numbers
for a study. Hilsden and Verhoef explained that evidence pertaining
to the effectiveness of CAM is vital in the decision making of
government regarding whether it should be administered or not.
Clinical trials are needed to help evaluate and ascertain the
benefits of CAM. Randomised control trials (RCT) have been used as
the golden rule in evaluating the effectiveness of a medical
intervention and reliable evidence in the form of systematic reviews
and meta-analyses regarding safety and efficacy are also important.
Some Health care professionals in the UK are of the view that for
CAM to be accepted as part of the services rendered by the NHS, it
should be judged by the same yardstick as any conventional medicine
. However, there is the opinion that quality of life and feeling of
hope among patients should be included.
Most CAM modalities are
based on beliefs, practices and traditions of a culture and not on
scientific knowledge and their potential benefits and effectiveness
based on experiences or testimonials of patients. It has been
reported in various studies that patients have used multiple CAM
modalities in addition to a conventional treatment, and this has
made it difficult to determine the potency of each single modality.
In a systematic review of Randomised control trials on CAM use by
breast cancer patients, Ernst et al identified fifteen studies.
Fourteen of the studies used CAM as an adjunct to standard oncology
care and only one used the CAM as a sole therapy. Different
therapies were tested ranging from psychological and psychosocial
support, herbal remedies and massage.
It was evident in their review
that none of the modality proved effective as an alternative to
conventional treatment. It was however evident that some therapies
did help patients in terms of their adjustment to life, such as
massage and spiritual therapy. Smith et al conducted a study on the
outcomes of therapeutic massage for 41 hospitalised cancer patients
and they reported a positive outcome for the study.
They compared
the outcomes of therapeutic massage on a group of patients and that
of a nurse interaction on a control group. It was observed that
pain, distress, anxiety and sleep quality was worse in the control
group and concluded that therapeutic massage help to alleviate pain,
distress, as well as improving sleeping patterns. Out of 41, 38
(95%) were men, over 89% were Caucasians and were not in employment.
Cassileth and Vickers conducted a much larger study of massage for
cancer patients with a sample size of 1290 . Majority of the sample
were in-patients (74%), the setting was at the cancer centre for the
in-patients, and the outpatients were treated in their various
homes. Patients reported over 40% improvement in their pain and
fatigue and over 50% in their anxiety levels.
A study that looked
into how 58 cancer patients adjust to illness when treated with and
without CAM in addition to conventional treatments found that
patients treated by complementary therapy with conventional therapy
fared better psychologically as compared to those treated with only
conventional therapy.
This was supported by other studies which
concluded that aromatherapy to some extent helped improve
psychological distress among patients . Most of the studies on
aromatherapy so far conducted have proven the benefits to cancer
patients in terms of managing psychological distress and adjustment
to life.
However, in cases where CAM has been used solely as an 'alternative'
to standard care, the outcome has been very poor. In a recent study
on the outcomes of breast cancer patients who used alternative
therapies as primary treatment, it was discovered that the sole use
of CAM as primary treatment for breast cancer resulted in increased
recurrence and death of patients.
Some of the therapies that the
patients opted out for included herbal therapy, dietary therapy and
high-dose vitamins. A total of 33 breast cancer patients' medical
records were reviewed. These patients initially refused standard
oncology care or delayed their treatment. Some patients developed
disease progression; others had local recurrence while the rest died
of metastatic disease. In 2001 in Netherlands a patient died of
breast cancer after having CAM therapies instead of conventional
therapies
Perceptions of CAM by health professionals
A study on the knowledge and attitude of oncology professionals
towards CAM reported that oncology professionals expressed a
negative attitude towards alternative therapies as opposed to
complementary therapies.
This indicated that health professionals by
and large are less sceptical when CAM is solely used to complement
mainstream oncology treatments rather than it being used as an
alternative. However, the use of CAM as an alternative to
conventional medicine has resulted in a negative response from
health care professional. This reflects a Korean study to access the
knowledge base of both Western and Oriental medical doctors in which
more than 50% of Western medical doctors were of the view that
"scientifically unproven treatments should be discouraged legally".
However, only 11% of the Oriental medical doctors where in agreement
to this view. Most complementary therapies are unproven and people
need to be cautious of web sites claiming to have alternatives cure
for cancer.
In a study on physicians' attitude towards the use of
complementary therapy by cancer patients in Finland, well over 90%
of the physicians were of the opinion that CAM could not wholly cure
cancer and therefore must not be encouraged.
This was evident in a
report from the Netherlands when a patient died from breast cancer
after being treated exclusively with various types of CAM therapies,
which included acupuncture, faith healing, salt therapy and psychic
healing at the expense of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
The fear of
patients abandoning or delaying their conventional cancer treatments
that are proven in favour of unproven CAM is a major concern.
Robotin and Penman and Newell pointed out that the gaps in the
knowledge base of healthcare professionals on CAM played a role in
their decision-making regarding the use of complementary and
alternative medicine.
Most health care professionals have admitted
that they know very little about complementary and alternative
cancer therapies . One study confirmed that most physicians get
their information regarding CAM from patients.
However patients
rarely inform their physicians about their CAM use, which therefore
limit physicians' knowledge of CAM.. Insufficient or lack of
knowledge on the part of health professionals could be a factor for
the lack of approval for CAM use and the subsequent negative
attitudes and beliefs.
In a survey conducted to assess the familiarity of health
professionals with CAM, 67% of the 214 participants mentioned
hypnotherapy, acupuncture and imaging as the most familiar of the
modalities but would rather recommend support groups for their
patients for managing cancer pain, although studies conducted so
far have shown that health professionals know very little about
Complementary and Alternative medicine CAM they have shown interest
in CAM.
Various reasons have been cited for patients' use of CAM by
doctors and other health professionals. Some health professionals
perceive cancer patients' use of CAM as a way of life.
The idea that
'new innovations' have cropped up and most cancer patients use
complementary therapies as a way of living and therefore it is only
normal to access CAM rather than having thought through its benefits
and risks to the individual patients. The thought by some women in
some quarters that 'most women' are using essential oils to help
cope with their chemotherapy" had made some women turn to
aromatherapy to satisfy their curiosity.
Some health professionals believed that their patients did use CAM
therapy as a means of changing their way of life. On the issue of
the efficacy of CAM therapies, opinions expressed by health
professional have been relatively positive.
However, the reported
efficacies of CAM were related to the alleviation of side effects to
help adjust to illness rather than cancer cure (Gilbar et al 2001).
In a survey conducted by Ernst et al (1995) to assess the perception
of physicians on CAM effectiveness, 46% of the physicians perceive
CAM as moderately effective. It was however noted that younger
doctors were more likely to be in favour of CAM compared to the
older physician.
The possible explanation to this could be that
younger doctors are more likely to use CAM for themselves or even
recommend it to family members as compared to the older ones
(Cunningham et al 1998, Downer et al 1994 & Boon et al 2000).
A concern, which is generally shared by most health care
professionals, is the fact that some research carried out has
reported possible interactions between some commonly prescribed
drugs and CAM products (Izzo and Ernst 2001 & Miller 1998).
These
interactions if any could have serious effects on the treatment of
patients and their subsequent recovery. Lack of clear guidelines
with regard to referrals and ultimate responsibility for 'bad
outcomes' is one of the reasons why health professional distant
themselves from CAM therapies and this makes it difficult to
determine their stance with CAM.
Conclusion
Complementary and Alternative Medicine is an increasingly popular
option among cancer patients. However, lack of clear definitions
about what constitutes CAM makes it difficult to reach clear
conclusions about efficacy and safety. Even so, there is no evidence
to suggest that CAM can replace conventional treatment, and there is
a need for reliable and consistent information to be made available
to patients.
© 2007 Adams and Jewell; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0),
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in
any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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Magnets: How Do They Really Work?
by: Megan McGarry
[back to top]
Can magnets actually help us
feel better? When I first read about this theory I was somewhat
sceptical but curious. After looking into it further and trying out
a few magnetic products, I was pleasantly surprised. Let me tell you
a few things I found out.
Research has shown that when charged particles pass through a
magnetic field, they generate a current, which produces heat,
expands blood vessels, and increases blood flow.
This in turn can
stimulate the body to heal faster, as the movement of oxygen and
other nutrients to the cells increases and unwanted waste and toxins
are flushed from the system. Although the body will often heal in
its own time, we can expedite nature's clock by applying a magnetic
field. Through the use of magnets we can aid the cell's natural
ability to heal itself by providing the optimal environment for that
repair.
As described in Sherry Kahn's book, Healing Magnets, magnet therapy
relieves pain, speeds healing, and appears to restore balance when
our systems get out of whack.
While research is still somewhat
limited, a variety of studies have been done in which magnetic
therapy has been helpful for conditions such as back, neck, and
shoulder pain, bone fractures, carpal tunnel syndrome, dental
problems, depression, fatigue, female problems, fibromyalgia, foot
pain (diabetic neuropathy), headaches, high blood pressure,
insomnia, multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis, Parkinson's's disease,
postpolio syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, skin problems, soft-tissue
injuries, recovery from surgery, wound healing, etc.
One particular randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
was conducted by Dr. Michael Weintraub and published in the May 5,
2003 issue of the Archives of Physical Medicine (a leading
publication on rehabilitative medicine that is part of the American
Medical Association family of scholarly journals) confirms that the
constant wearing of static, permanent, magnetic insoles produces
statistically significant reduction of neuropathic pain.
Furthermore, Dr. Weintraub concludes that magnetic therapy is
comparable or superior to that observed with various conventional
drugs and has the advantage of being non invasive and is also less
expensive and has no side effects.
(http://www.magneticrevolution.com/clinical_studies.php)
A variety of products such as insoles, sleep systems, water systems,
wraps, massage balls, and pads that you can place on different parts
of your body contain magnets in them and can be used to help us feel
better. (http://www.magneticrevolution.com/magnetic_technologies.php)
Keep in mind that individuals with a pace maker or in their first
trimester of pregnancy should not use magnetic products.
Give magnets a try, you will likely be amazed by the difference they
make in your life!
Megan McGarry is the publisher of Magnetic Revolution's newsletter.
A monthly newsletter touching on everyday issues that effect our
health and well being. Visit her site for a additional articles or
for a free monthly newsletter at http://www.magneticrevolution.com
or
mailto:info@magneticrevolution.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More on Magnets.
[back to top]
by Ivan (Mick) Hince.
On finding this particular
website I spent ages looking through the various pages. Some
of the claims from people who have sent their testimonials are quite
fantastic. Again I do stress that everyone keeps an open mind
for we all know that testimonials can be false.
The particular item I spent
most time looking at, and I believe that this would be his best
seller is the Immortality device. This the brain child of a
gentleman by the name of Alex Chui.
This Immortality device even
carries a U.S. patent which to me seemed unusual that anything like
this would carry such a thing.
I'm not over convinced that
wearing a pair of magnetic rings would stop you aging, although I
can believe that the healing power according to his own usage.
Again whether you believe this he claims that wearing his devices
for one day is the equivalent of 30 days healing.
In a lot of cases like this I
would I recommend that the website is well worth visiting.
Click here to visit
Alex Chui's website.
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Magnetic Therapy Can Treat Many Symptoms
[back
to top]
By: Debbie
Fibromyalgia
is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal
pain, fatigue, and multiple tender points. "Tender points" refers to
tenderness that occurs in precise, localized areas, particularly in
the neck, spine, shoulders, and hips. People with this syndrome may
also experience sleep disturbances, morning stiffness, irritable
bowel syndrome, anxiety, and other symptoms.
Although the cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, researchers have
several theories about causes or triggers of the disorder. Some
scientists believe that the syndrome may be caused by an injury or
trauma. This injury may affect the central nervous system.
Fibromyalgia may be associated with changes in muscle metabolism,
such as decreased blood flow, causing fatigue and decreased
strength. Others believe the syndrome may be triggered by an
infectious agent such as a virus in susceptible people, but no such
agent has been identified.
Signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia can vary, depending on weather,
stress, physical activity or even just the time of day. Different
people experience different signs and symptoms, but common signs and
symptoms include:
• Widespread pain. Fibromyalgia is characterized by pain in specific
areas of your body when pressure is applied. These areas include the
back of your head, upper back and neck, upper chest, elbows, hips
and knees. The pain generally persists for months at a time and is
often accompanied by stiffness.
• Fatigue and sleep disturbances. People with fibromyalgia often
wake up tired and un-refreshed even though they seem to get plenty
of sleep. Some studies suggest that this problem is the result of a
sleep disorder called alpha wave interrupted sleep pattern, a
condition in which deep sleep is frequently interrupted by bursts of
brain activity similar to wakefulness. So people with fibromyalgia
miss the deep restorative stage of sleep (stage 4). Night time
muscle spasms in your legs and restless legs syndrome also may be
associated with fibromyalgia.
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The constipation, diarrhoea,
abdominal pain and bloating associated with IBS are common in people
with fibromyalgia.
• Chronic headaches and facial pain. Many people who have
fibromyalgia also have recurrent tension-type headaches that may be
related to tenderness in the neck and shoulders. Facial pain is
common, and as many as one-third experience jaw pain —
temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction.
• Heightened sensitivity. It's common for people with fibromyalgia
to report being sensitive to odours, noises, bright lights, touch
and changes in weather.
• Depression. As many as one-third of people with fibromyalgia also
experience depression.
• Numbness or tingling sensations in the hands and feet.
• Difficulty concentrating and mood changes.
• Chest pain or pelvic pain.
• Irritable bladder.
• Dry eyes, skin and mouth.
• Painful menstrual periods.
• Dizziness.
• Sensation of swollen hands and feet.
Magnetic therapy treatments for fibromyalgia:
Fibromyalgia sufferers can experience any number of the symptoms
listed above, although it is not common to experience all of them at
once, it is common to suffer from several at one time, as well as
frequent flare ups of the remaining symptoms. This makes
fibromyalgia very difficult to treat. The majority of people with
fibromyalgia are prescribed medications to deal with all of their
different symptoms, this can lead a person taking a very large
amount of tablets each day. Many of the tablets will have unwanted,
or unhealthy side effects which have to be counteracted with even
more medication.
It’s no wonder that hundreds of fibromyalgia sufferers are turning
to magnetic therapy. Without using any drugs or any side effects
healing magnets are proving to be a very efficient way of managing
the multiple symptoms of the disease.
The most effective treatment for fibromyalgia would be a combination
of magnetic therapy products for natural pain relief:
1. Drinking magnetic water. By using a water wand or magnetic
coaster to magnetise drinking water, the symptoms of IBS,
depression, mood swings and chronic fatigue can be greatly reduced.
2. Wearing a super high strength magnetic bracelet (3,000 gauss/300
m tesla). The magnetic bracelet will also help to reduce depression,
mood swings and chronic fatigue as well as improving the circulation
and relieving hand pain. When used in-conjunction with drinking
magnetic water the results will be much quicker.
3. Sleeping on a magnetic mattress pad. This is probably the single
most beneficial treatment for fibromyalgia. The sheer strength of
the magnetic field will relieve the painful symptoms from all around
the body. Multiple pain points can all be eased with one device,
plus the magnetic mattress when used in-conjunction with a magnetic
pillow pad will also improve sleep, reduce migraine and tension
headaches, reduce nerve pain and tingling and stabilise hormone
levels.
Exposure to magnetic therapy products must be an ongoing treatment
for those with fibromyalgia. The severity of the disease process
does not allow for many periods of remission, as a result when the
magnets are discontinued symptoms quickly return. It is for this
reason that it is advocated that fibromyalgia sufferers sleep on a
magnetic mattress pad on a permanent basis.
Article Source: http://www.SubmitYourNewArticle.com
Debbie Shimadry is as an expert guest on magnetic therapy for BBC
Radios and is also the managing director of leading magnetic therapy
company worldofmagnets.co.uk. If you are interested in natural pain
relief treatments, visit the magnetic therapy pain relief blog where
you can get expert advice and information from qualified magnetic
therapists or visit the Magnetic Therapy Council to learn all about
magnetic healing.
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Fibromyalgia breakthrough.
[back to top]
By Ivan (Mick)
Hince.
New research has come
up with a method to help sufferers of Fibromyalgia. This
method has helped many people, and I would suggest that if you
suffer or know anyone that does, that you should go to the website below.
Please click
here for the Fibromyalgia website.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Herbal
Pathways
[back to top]
By Robert
Conrow, Ph.D.
If all the
herbalists from times past were to gather in one room, what a
festive party you would find. Genteel members of quilting societies
would no doubt sit side by side with hippies from the1960s, while
regal emperors and feisty warriors might play host to village
pharmacists and Native American healers.
I can envision the Swiss physician, Paracelsus, who predicted the
discovery of pharmacologically "active principles" in plants,
sparring playfully with his more naïve predecessors from ancient
Greece who, despite their limited resources, managed to write the
first herbals known to Western minds.
Certainly a hush would fall
over the room with the arrival of the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung,
famous for concocting some surprisingly powerful herbal preparations
almost three thousand years before Christ. And what excitement would
arise when those very first primitive peoples to walk the earth
would stumble in bearing leaves and seeds from their initial
forages.
But I can also imagine the mood turning somber when so many
of those present would describe the hardships and persecutions they
faced due to the prevailing beliefs of their times.
A primary theme of Herbal Pathways, an investigation into our
collective herbal history, will be to examine the contentious
backdrop of persecutions and legal prosecutions that have plagued
herbalists since the beginning. Laws that are truly beneficial for
humanity must, by necessity, go hand in hand with the progress of
the human mind but rarely do the two line up with equal weight. As
the nineteenth century preacher, Henry Ward Beecher, remarked with
unusual perspicacity, "It usually takes a hundred years to make a
law, and then after it has done its work, it usually takes a hundred
years to get rid of it."
Recently, we have seen herbal preparations appearing on the shelves
of Wal-Marts that a few years ago would have been relegated to
discretely marked jars in local food coops. This change in the way
herbs are marketed has largely occurred after passage of the Dietary
Supplement Health and Education Act in 1994, which allowed companies
to market herbal products without going through the FDA's costly
testing programs. In so doing, Congress acknowledged that millions
of consumers not only believed that herbs provided bonafide health
benefits but they wanted to be the ones who would decide what was
healthy for them and what was not.
For many Americans, such easy access to herbal medicines and the
concomitant responsibility for their health risks seemed to be an
entirely new phenomenon. But turn back the pages of history prior to
the twentieth century and you will find a country where it was not
uncommon to find herbs and herbal products in the homes of most
Americans.
Patent medicinesnot all of which were bad flourished
mightily in America until the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act
of 1906. Unfortunately, this act impacted not only the bogus but
also many highly legitimate enterprises such as those of the Shakers
and others whose products were both time-tested and reliable.
Herb
businesses that survived the Pure Food and Drug Act next had to
contend with the powerful rise of the pharmaceutical giants in the
1920s. At this point, virtually all of the remaining medicinal plant
products were replaced by the more easily regulated synthetic
alkaloids of the drug industry.
And herbs as such largely
disappeared from public view up until the freedom loving hippies
brought them back in the 1960s.
Today, with an estimated 15 million adults at risk for potential
herb-drug interactions, we have reentered a familiar battleground
with the new twist of a solidly entrenched pharmaceutical industry.
Understandably, many pubic health authorities are calling for
further regulation.
The question of the hour is not whether
intervention will come but from which quarter; will intervention
come this time from the government or will the herb industry be able
to successfully monitor itself by adopting uniform codes and
standardization practices?
In future editions of Herbal Pathways, we will look not only to
different times but also to different countries and explore some
unusual solutions to this continuing dilemma. With a 4 billion
dollar a year herbal supplements industry in the US and an
increasing interest in ancient herbal medicine practices worldwide,
it would be fair to say that the party–and its associated regulatory
and quality assurance issues–has just begun!
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Medicinal
Food in China
[back to top]
By Junshi
Chen, M.D
Introduction
One of the unique concepts in traditional Chinese medicine is that
food and medicine come from the same source, are based on the same
basic theories, and have the same uses.
Medicinal food (foods used
for medical purposes) uses traditional Chinese medicine (herbs,
animals) and common foods as raw materials that are cooked by
traditional methods. Medicinal food has the usual characteristics of
food (i.e. color, flavor, taste and appearance) and is applied alone
or with medicine to prevent and treat diseases, improve fitness,
and/or slow down the aging process.
The use of medicinal foods has a long history in China. The term
medicinal food appeared frequently in the literature of the East Han
dynasty (approximately 100 B.C.) and the term food therapy was used
almost at the same time. Today in China, individuals can even order
medicinal food in special medicinal food restaurants.
Principles of medicinal food in China
Three principles characterize the use of medicinal food for health
and healing: synergistic or complementary effects of food and
medicines when prepared together, careful differentiation of signs
and symptoms to prepare the correct medicinal food treatment, and
unique processing methods from traditional Chinese medicine.
Synergy of food and medicine
Chinese medicinal food is comprised of medicine, food and condiment.
It combines the pharmacological property of medicine and the taste
and flavor of food and condiment. However, it is not a simple
mathematical combination. The medicine and food supplement and
complement each other. The food is rendered with medicinal
properties, and the effects of medicine become stronger with the
combination with food.
The practice of differentiation of symptoms
and signs
The principle of differentiation of symptoms and signs is a common
practice for diagnosing and treating diseases in traditional Chinese
medicine. The same principle is also used in prescribing or
selecting medicinal food. Specific groupings of signs and symptoms
indicate specific treatment protocols.
For example, cases of low
spirits, weakness in limbs, dizziness and perspiration, loss of
appetite, mild stomach (abdominal) pain, white coating on the
tongue, and slow and weak pulse are diagnosed as weakness in the
"spleen" (part of digestive system) and Qi (vital energy).
Therefore, the medicinal foods that have the effects of
strengthening the "spleen" and Qi should be used.
The Chinese herbal medicines frequently used to strengthen the
"spleen" and Qi include ginseng, Radix Atractylodes, Dioscorea
(Chinese yam), Zizyphus jujube (Chinese jujube) and poria. The
medicinal foods often used for this purpose, then, are rice cooked
with ginseng and Chinese jujube, sticky rice dumpling with Chinese
yam, steamed wheat flour dumpling with poria, and rice and Chinese
jujube congee.
Unique processing methods
Herbal medicines used for medicinal food should be specially
processed according to the requirements of traditional Chinese
medicine. Common processing procedures include: selecting the raw
material, soaking in water, cutting into pieces and dry frying,
cooking with water, steaming or cooking with wine, vinegar and/or
honey.
The processed herbs are then cooked with appropriate foods
and condiments. For example, Astragalus steamed chicken is known for
its function of improving general weakness in the elderly or for
patients during disease recovery.
First, Astragalus slices are dry
fried in an iron pot for a few minutes and then equal parts of water
and honey are added to the pot. The water/honey mixture is
continually cooked until it becomes a thick honey Astragalus
concentrate. Lastly, this concentrate is steamed with a whole
chicken.
For Healthy Appetite and Digestion
Maintaining a healthy appetite and effective digestion are key
aspects to maintaining good health in any culture or medical
tradition. In traditional Chinese medicine, spleen is in charge of
digestion and the stomach determines appetite.
For the purpose of
nourishing the spleen and stomach, an appropriate combination of
grains, fruits, vegetables, and animal products should be used to
compose the daily diet. Examples of typical medicinal foods
administered to patients with weak spleens and stomachs include
mashed steamed yam and poria rice congee (with salt and pepper).
Another example is a baked biscuit made of Radix Atractylodes,
ginger, Chinese jujube, chicken gizzard mucosa, wheat flour, oil,
sugar and salt.
Because food and medicine come from the same source, everything you
choose to eat has an effect on your health. Maintaining healthy
eating practices and learning about the synergistic uses of food and
medicine from the tradition of Chinese medicine can help you
optimize your health and life quality.
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Herbal
Remedies on the Web
[back to top]
By Robert
Conrow, Ph.D
Up until the
early 1970s, when Mo Siegel and his friends started gathering herbs
in the Colorado Rockies and packaging them with catchy sounding
names such as "Sleepytime" and "Tummy Mint," few people in America
thought of using herbs for anything other than spices.
Mint was
simply something you sprinkled on the lamb roast to enhance the flavor of the meat. Who back then was even vaguely curious about the
carminative properties of mint or their soothing effects on one's
digestion?
An obvious exception was Mo Siegel but he also had the
good marketing sense to name his now famous company "Celestial
Seasonings." He only hinted at health benefits in his colorfully
boxed teas.
The pendulum has swung quite far since then. Many Americans today
are much more interested in herbal cures than herbal seasonings. To
get a feeling for the magnitude of this movement, log on to The Herb
Research Foundation's site at www.herbs.org.
Here you will find a
tremendous variety of informative reports giving the latest
political, business, scientific and international news from the
world of herbs. One of my favorite sections is "Herbal Greenpapers,"
providing detailed references on specific herbs along with their
medicinal uses.
The HRF is a research and educational organization
that offers for a fee (usually $15.00 each) more than 150,000
scientific articles from its library. Working hand-in-hand with HRF
is the American Botanical Council at
www.herbalgram.org.
Together
they publish Herbalgram, a quarterly magazine that has received
favorable acknowledgment for the accuracy of its reporting and the
scope of its subject matter.
Not to be left out of the loop of those taking a renewed interest in
the medicinal properties of herbs is the U.S. government. From his
offices in the Germplasm Resources Laboratory of the U.S. Department
of Agriculture, Dr. James A. Duke has become widely known as the
Federal government's "chief herb tester."
Fortunately, for anyone
interested in keeping tabs on this work, Dr. Duke's phytochemical
and ethnobotanical databases are available at
www.ars-grin.gov/duke.
You can search by plant, chemical, activity or even ethnobotany.
From here, you can also link to other databases, including the vast
resources available at the USDA's Food and Nutrition Information
Center or the database on plants and cancer treatments available at
the University of Indiana's "cyberbotanica."
While interest in the medicinal properties of herbs may seem to be a
relatively new phenomenon in this country, we must not forget that
plants and plant products have provided the mainstay of humankind's
medications throughout history.
Even as medical practices have
changed, as they inevitably must, the main source of our medications
has remained constant. Ephedra, for example, has been an effective
Chinese remedy for about 5,000 years, but only in relatively recent
years has its active ingredient been synthesized into the popular
decongestant, ephedrine.
To discover more about the fascinating
world of traditional Chinese medicine, with its reliance on whole
plant forms rather than synthesized derivations, you will not want
to miss New Century Nutrition's sister site at
www.china-med.net.
Here you can search not only for single herb entries in the Chinese Materia Medica but you can also locate more than 300 Chinese patent
formulas and simple preparations, including their herbal
ingredients, actions and doses. For the serious investigator,
China-Med will even go so far as to dispatch its team of medical
researchers in Beijing to research specific health conditions and
provide information on the most commonly used, clinically researched
herbal treatments.
While all of the sites listed here depend on expert advice from
their scientific advisory boards, many sites do not take such
precautions. Always pay close attention to where the herbal
information is coming from.
As Anatole France so wisely put it long
before the Internet,"Even if fifty million people say a foolish
thing, it is still a foolish thing." In fact, even herbs with a
proven track record for others, may be risky for you as an
individual.
To be on the safe side, its always best to have your
health care practitioner examine you for possible contraindications.
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Fighting
the Common Cold with Traditional Chinese Medicine
By Dr.
Yangfang Wang
[back to top]
As winter
descends upon us, the cold and flu season will soon start. Everyone
knows that awful feeling of having a cold with a running and stuffy
nose, sneezing, sore throat and coughing.
Well, what is the common cold? The common cold is an infection of
the upper respiratory system caused by one of about 200 different
viruses. The virus causes inflammation of the mucous membranes that
line the upper respiratory system. It can affect the nose, throat,
ears, sinuses, voice box, and windpipe - all the places where the
symptoms appear.
Although each of us gets a viral infection quite
often, most of those infections produce no disease at all. Only very
few viruses really cause colds with severe symptoms, such as
Rhinoviruses (nose viruses), which account for approximately 30-40%
of adult colds. Factors that can depress the immune response, such
as stress and fatigue, will increase the susceptibility to
infection.
When asking a health practitioner for a treatment, we are always
told that if the symptoms of infection do not bother you then there
is no need for any treatment. The truth is that the infection can
only be cured by our own immune system producing specific antibodies
against the virus. There is nothing else in modern medicine that can
effectively kill viruses. All available cold medicines from pharmacy
provide only relief from those severe symptoms.
However, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) used by people in China
and some parts of Asia for more than 2,000 years has been shown to
prevent and treat the infection and to shorten the duration of
symptoms by strengthening the immune system against the viruses.
Since there are many kinds of herbal medicines for treating the
common cold, knowing which one to use based on the symptoms is
crucial. Without the right type of medicine, the results may be
adverse.
Traditional Chinese medicine views diseases mainly as a result of
functional disorders caused by internal or external reasons. This
allows the treatment to be targeted at the cause rather than the
outcome.
According to the theory of TCM, common colds are divided
into two major types, cold-wind and hot-wind. The symptoms of
cold-wind type are chilliness without perspiration, fever (or no
fever), headache, stuffy nose, runny nose, body aches and pains,
white coating tongue, mildly quick pulse.
Selection of medicine for
this type should emphasis on acrid taste and warm nature. On the
other hand, a hot-wind type common cold presents different symptoms,
such as high fever without chilliness, slight sweating, dry red
eyes, sore throat, headache, slightly yellow coating tongue,
coughing with yellow color and sticky phlegm, and rapid pulse.
Medicines with acrid taste and a cool nature should be used to treat
this type of common cold.
The effectiveness of treatment is highly dependent on the correct
classification of cold type and selecting the correct herb formula
or remedies. A wrong match can even aggravate the symptoms. As
introduced in the previous article about medicinal foods, many
herbal remedies for common colds are also in the form of food
preparations. For the cold-wind type of cold a decoction of ginger
with sugar is recommended. Whereas, a chrysanthemum, peppermint and
mulberry leaf drink is excellent for fighting a hot-wind type of
cold.
If you would like to fight your cold with traditional medicinal
foods from China, check out the recipes in the Healing Foods Section
of New Century Nutrition's Virtual Kitchen.
Of course, the above easy and simple remedies may not work for those
whose cold symptoms are severe and prolonged.
If you experience
severe symptoms, there are patented formulas available to help.
These formulas generally can be purchased from an herbal product
store or from a TCM doctor's office. Here are some examples of the
patented medicine for common cold.
For cold-wind type, there are the Jiuwei Qianhuo Wan (pill of Nine-Ingredient containing Notopterygii),
Tongxuan Lifei Wan and fenhanganmao granules. For hot-wind type,
there are Sonjui Ganmou Tablet (Pill of Moris alba and Chrysanthemum
extract), Yinqiao Jiedu Wan, Yinhuang Oral Liquid, banlangeng and
Ganmao Qingre Granules.
It is also important to mention that, diet plays an important role
in the recovery from a cold. Patients with colds should choose foods
that are light, high in vitamins and minerals and easily digested,
such as vegetables and fruits.
Rice and corn meal porridge and
noodle soups are very good alternatives to substitute for their
usual main dishes. Resting and drinking a lot of water are also very
helpful.
As a last note, the best cure is prevention. Exercise, eating
properly and getting enough sleep can improve the body's immune
system and its ability to ward off colds.
Dr. Yanfang Wang received her M.D. from Beijing Medical College in
China and her Ph.D. in Nutrition from Cornell University.
Reference
Jingfeng Cai, Eating your way to health: Diet-therapy in traditional
Chinese Medicine. Foreign Languages Press, Beijing, China, 1988.
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Cancer and
Your Immune System
[back to top]
Neal D.
Barnard, M.D.
When I was
in medical school in the late l970s, I was not taught that food had
the power to prevent cancer or improve cancer survival. Much of what
we know today about cancer was, at that time, totally unknown. We
were not told that tobacco was carcinogenic. We had some inklings
about fiber.
But aside from that, we kept our scalpels sharp, our
chemotherapy and radiation ready, and we waited.
No more. Eighty percent of cancers are due to factors that have been
identified and can be controlled, if we choose to do so. Eighty
percent is not my statistic. It is from the National Cancer
Institute, and some estimates are even higher. Not only can we
potentially prevent most cancers, we can also improve the survival
of people who have cancer. Foods are extraordinary allies in our
personal war on cancer.
How Cancer Starts
Cancer starts when one cell goes haywire. It could be one of the
cells that make up your skin, or your lungs, or your digestive
tract, or just about anywhere else in your body. In the center of
the cell, in the nucleus, the DNA that directs its function becomes
damaged.
The saboteur may be a toxic chemical, radiation, or other
cause. This kind of cell damage occurs commonly enough that our
bodies have specialized white blood cells that patrol the
bloodstream and body tissues, looking for damaged cells and removing
them.
If one damaged cell is left to its own devices, it can begin
to multiply. One cell splits into two. Two become four. Four become
eight. And eventually this lump of cells is big enough to show up on
a mammogram or a chest X-ray.
This is cancer. It would not be so bad
if this mass of cells would stay put. But it invades healthy
tissues, and releases some of its cells to travel to other parts of
the body, where new tumors form, eventually causing death.
What can we do about it? A lot. Thirty percent of cancers are caused
by tobacco, according to the National Cancer Institute. Lung cancer
is the most obvious example, but by no means the only one.
Cancers
of the mouth and throat are also caused by tobacco. Carcinogens in
tobacco smoke are excreted in the urine, so along the way they cause
cancer of the kidney and bladder. If you smoke, you would do well to
stop. But it will take a while for your cancer risk to diminish, so
you will want to pay close attention to the cancer-protection
factors described below.
Foods are indicted in even more cancer cases than tobacco. The
National Cancer Institute estimates that at least 35% of cancers are
linked to foods, and some estimates are as high as 70% or more.
Foods may increase the amount of certain hormones in the
bodyhormones that can increase the risk of cancer.
For example,
several of the most common forms of cancer are linked to sex
hormones. This is true of cancer of the breast, uterus, ovary,
prostate, and perhaps other sites. The amount of hormones in our
bodies and their actions are determined, in large part, by the foods
we eat. Foods can help calm our hormonal storms and can also shore
up our immunity.
Some foods also contain carcinogens, and others can increase the
production of free radicals. On the other hand, some foods are
protective. They help the body neutralize free radicals and
eliminate carcinogens, as well as help the immune system knock out
cancer cells.
Other factors, including radiation, pollution, genetics, and
viruses, also play a role in certain forms of cancer. Sometimes
factors work together to cause cancer. For example, tobacco and
asbestos exposure can both contribute to lung cancer risk.
Fat: The Hormone Booster
When the link between fat and cancer was found, researchers did not
have to look far to explain it. There are many ways that fatty foods
affect the body. For example, high-fat diets increase the level of
estrogen, the female sex hormones, in the blood. It is known that
many breast tumors are fueled by estrogen.
Estrogens are normal and
essential hormones for both women and men. The more estrogen there
is, the greater the driving force behind some kinds of breast
cancer. On high-fat diets, estrogen levels increase; on low-fat
diets, they decrease.
A similar pattern can be found with prostate
cancer in men. Men who consume diets based on animal products tend
to have more testosterone and more estrogen, compared to men who eat
healthier diets.
This increase may be due to overproduction in the
body, or to the fact that, because fiber in the diet is essential
for the normal excretion of sex hormones, they are less able to get
rid of them.
Animal fats are apparently a bigger problem than vegetable oils.
Paulo Toniolo, of the New York University Center, compared the diets
of 250 women with breast cancer to 499 women without cancer from the
same province in northwestern Italy.
The two groups ate about the
same amount of olive oil and carbohydrates. But what made the cancer
patients different was that they had habitually eaten more meat,
cheese, butter, and milk. The women who consumed more animal
products had as much as three times the cancer risk of other women.
Vegetarian diets based on grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes
are the most powerful diets for health, but their power erodes if
milk and cheese and other dairy products are added. Some studies of
lacto-ovo-vegetarians have found that their cancer risk is almost as
high as that of meat-eaters.
These vegetarians were avoiding meat
but eating considerable amounts of dairy products that, like meat,
contain animal fat and not a speck of fiber.
Even though cross-cultural comparisons have pointed a finger at
animal fat as the principal problem, vegetable oil is also under
some suspicion. Vegetable oils can probably affect estrogen levels
and also increase the production of cancer-causing free radicals. So
it won't help just to replace fried chicken with fried onion rings.
The best diet not only eliminates animal products but keeps
vegetable oils to a minimum as well.
How Much Fat Is too Much?
Will the 30%-fat diet of lean meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables,
long recommended by the National Cancer Institute, prevent cancer in
the American population? I strongly doubt it. It is just too weak.
In the l950s, when Japan's cancer rates were very low, fat intake
was about 7% of calories. In rural China, average fat intake is now
about l9% of calories.
The China Project looked at provinces with
fat intakes ranging from 6 to 24% of calories, and found that breast
cancer was more common in those provinces at the higher part of this
range. Thirty percent is too high to be of any significant benefit.
A study at Harvard University suggested the same thing. Walter
Willett and his colleagues followed a large group of nurses for an
eight-year period, tracking their diets and their cancer rates.
The
nurses ate standard American diets; and those who had a bit less
fat, about 27% of calories from fat, were not any better off against
cancer than those consuming more fat.
Some have interpreted this to
mean that diet has nothing to do with breast cancer. A more
reasonable conclusion is that the diets these women followed were
still high-risk diets. No groups with low fat intakes were tested in
the study.
A diet including regular consumption of animal products
and drawing nearly 30% of calories from fat is much higher in fat
than the Asian diets associated with low cancer risk. Just as
reducing cigarette smoking from two packs a day to one pack a day
will not lower your cancer risk much, minor changes in diet cannot
be expected to, either.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that the National Cancer Institute's guideline
that fat be no more than 30% of caloriesis far too high. Fat intake
should probably be approximately l0% of calories.
But here is a key point: As important as it is to get the fat off
your plate, that is only the beginning. Fat is not all there is to
it.
Other parts of the diet play important roles in your risk of
cancer. Vegetables, fruits, grains, and beans are not just low in
fat. They also provide fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Fiber, of
course, is only found in plants and, as noted above, fiber is vital
for helping the body to reduce excess estrogen. And the vitamin C
and beta-carotene in vegetables and fruits are also linked to lower
cancer risk.
Numerous researchers have found that the more high-fiber,
vitamin-packed foods we consume, the lower our risk of cancer.
Factors that Cause Cancer
Dietary Factors 35-70%
Tobacco 30%
Alcohol 3%
Radiation 3%
Medications 2%
Air and Water Pollution 1-5%
Neal D. Barnard, M.D., is president of the Physicians Committee for
Responsible Medicine, and Associate Director for Behavioral Studies
at the Institute for Disease Prevention at George Washington
University School of Medicine.
References
Benno Y., Endo K., Mizutani T., Namba Y., Komori T., and Mitsuoka T.
Comparison of Fecal Microflora of Elderly Persons in Rural and Urban
Areas of Japan. Applied and Environmental Microbiology
1989:1100Ö1105.
Gibson G.R., Roberfroid M.B. Dietary Modulation of a Human Colonic
Microbiota: Introducing the Concept of Prebiotics. J. Nutrition
1995; 125:1401Ö1412.
Mitsuoka T. Intestinal Flora and Aging. Nutrition Reviews 1992:50;
438-446.
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B12
Breakthrough
[back to top]
T. Colin
Campbell, Ph.D.
Of all the
nutritional concerns that can plague vegetarians - and especially
complete vegetarians or vegans - I doubt any is more daunting than
the specter of vitamin B12 deficiency. This is especially so because
conventional wisdom has it that this essential vitamin is virtually
unavailable from plant foods.
Because I have often wondered how valid this thinking is, I've asked
myself why, if the health benefits of a plant-based diet are as
comprehensive as contemporary research suggests - meaning that
Nature did the packaging for us during our evolution and that a
plant-based diet is our natural diet - then why did she leave out
this one very important piece of the puzzle?
Having paid attention
to the research literature and having questioned clinicians who
treat vegan patients, I've reached the following somewhat unorthodox
conclusions and observations:
1. Contrary to the most recent U.S. Dietary Guidelines, B12 can be
found in plants.
2. Organically grown plants contain higher levels of B12 than plants
grown non-organically with chemical fertilizers.
3. Plant roots are able to absorb certain vitamins produced by soil
microorganisms, thus suggesting that plants grown in healthy soil,
full of microflora and microfauna, are more nutritious.
4. Vegans - and anyone else - should be able to obtain B12 by
consuming organically grown produce.
5. Evidence that plants obtain vitamins from the soil has been
available for several decades.
To understand what has brought me to these conclusions, let's ask
three essential questions: (1) Are vegans really at greater risk of
B12 deficiency? (2) Does a vegan diet provide all the B12 that we
need? (3) Assuming that there is at least a good chance that we
evolved on this type of diet, how did we get our B12?
Are vegans really at greater risk of B12 deficiency? Some evidence
says yes; some invites skepticism. Clearly, vegans do generally have
lower blood concentrations of B12. A number of studies have shown
this.
But these low concentrations mean little unless there is a
higher incidence of the accompanying blood (megaloblastic anemia)
and nerve (parathesia) disorders, for which there seems to be little
or no evidence. What should be acknowledged is that the
concentrations of other blood factors, such as cholesterol, also are
very different among vegans, and for very good health reasons at
that. Why should we expect the lower B12 levels to be an exception?
A look at the B12 Biases
I must say that I feel some of the confusion surrounding this issue
is due to the biases of the early B12 researchers who, over the
years, made their beliefs very clear that vegetarianism and any
other alternative approach to good ol' Western nutrition and
medicine bordered on health fraud. Yet one of the more renowned of
these investigators, Victor Herbert, reported that "inadequate
absorption [in the digestive tract] accounts for more than 95% of
the vitamin B12 deficiency cases seen in the United States."
The
strong implication here is that the real problem in these cases is
not due to an insufficient intake of B12 brought on by a vegan diet
but that something is wrong with the so-called "intrinsic factor"
which is secreted in the stomach and which is required for B12
absorption.
Acknowledging this possibility, let's move on to our second
question: Does a vegan diet provide all the B12 that we need? To
consider this question, we must keep in mind the prevailing view
that B12 is only found in animal-based foods.
It's worth noting this
point has been so prominent that the latest USDA dietary guidelines,
while allowing for the possibility that vegetarian diets may be
reasonably healthful, nonetheless admonish vegans to "supplement
their diets with a source of this vitamin." According to the Victor
Herbert position, "There is no active vitamin B12 in anything that
grows out of the ground; storage is found only in animal products
where it is ubiquitous and where it is ultimately derived from
bacteria."
He also states that vegans thus can get adequate B12
from their food only if it is fertilized with human waste, or if
they "ingest some of their own feces" or fail to observe hygienic
practices.3 What a prospect Herbert and the USDA folks have given to
the poor vegans!
I have naturally found this view to be highly constrained and,
indeed, illogical, especially if one assumes the strong possibility
that humans survived on a plant-based diet in our evolutionary past.
I do believe there is overwhelming evidence that this is so even
though it has not yet been scientifically proven.
Please understand
that I say this approach is not better or worse than that of Herbert
and the USDA, I'm simply saying it's worth serious consideration.
The B12 Breakthrough
So, on to my third question, based on the assumption that we did
evolve on a plant-based diet, and then asking, how did we get our
B12? To begin, let's examine an exciting new research paper from
Switzerland that was recently brought to my attention by my
colleague, Dr. Jeffrey Gates.4 (Please see related story). Dr.
Mozafar, the investigator, wanted to know if plants fertilized with
organic matter (cow dung in this case) rather than those grown in
control soils might acquire higher levels of B12.
He was relying on
a considerable amount of older research going back to 1926. Plants
grown in soil fertilized with organic matter contained more of some
B vitamins than plants grown in chemically fertilized soil, thus
yielding plant products better able to sustain growth in
experimental animals. Mozafar hypothesized that B12 produced by soil
microorganisms might be absorbed through the roots into the plant
itself.
He investigated the question in a couple of ways. First, he showed
for soybeans, barley and spinach - his three test plants - that
those grown on soil fertilized with cow dung showed substantially
higher levels of B12 than those grown without cow dung, the
increases for barley and spinach being statistically significant.
Then he examined the B12 content of soils that had been routinely
fertilized over the previous 16 years either with inorganic or with
a mixture of organic plus inorganic fertilizers, and found that
those receiving organic fertilizer had significantly higher levels
of B12.
Putting the Nail in the Coffin
These results not only confirm earlier results concerning other B
vitamins, but they seem to put the nail in the coffin of the
Herbert-USDA hypothesis, namely that plants do not contain B12. They
certainly do contain B12, and they contain even more of it when they
are grown organically.
Having said all this, I am still left with
two questions: (1) Would other chemicals capable of killing soil microflora (pesticides, herbicides) have an effect similar to
chemical fertilizers? and (2) How long will it take for our society
to acknowledge the overall health value of plant-based diets, thus
altering the cultural bias that leads Herbert and the USDA to
"discover" problems such as that of B12 deficiency? I can say with
some confidence that time will tell quite a different story than the
one we've been hearing.
References
1 Herbert, V. Recommended dietary intakes (RDI) of vitamin B12 in
humans. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 45:671º678, 1987.
2 United States Department of Agriculture, and United States
Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for
Americans, Fourth Edition, p. 43. Washington, D.C.:1995.
3 Herbert, V. Vitamin B12 : plant sources, requirements, and assay.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 48:852º858, 1988.
4 Mozafar, A. Enrichment of some B-vitamins in plants with
application of organic fertilizers. Plant and Soil, 167:305º311,
1994
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Our Attribution Policy
http://www.nutritionadvocate.com/story/b12breakthrough.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Getting
Melatonin Naturally
[back to top]
By Dr.
Jeffrey Gates, D.H.Sc
Melatonin,
as you've probably heard by now, is a substance that is mostly
manufactured in an organ called the pineal (which means "pine cone")
gland. Although revered for centuries in the East as a center of
consciousness, this odd little blob of an organ nestled inside the
brain was once thought to be useless as far as Western medicine was
concerned.
However, over the past couple of decades, hundreds of
experiments have demonstrated that the pineal gland is acutely
sensitive to daylight and our environmental temperature in a way
that dramatically affects our immune system, reproductive organs,
psychological health, and the aging process itself.
Several substances are produced and secreted by the pineal gland.
Among them, a protein called epithalamin has a long list of
beneficial effects on the body ranging from increasing one's
learning capacity to slowing down the aging rate. Serotonin is
widely recognized to have a strong influence on sleep, pain, and
simply "feeling good."
Another pineal product, arginine vasotocin,
is a potent protein capable of rapidly putting you into deep sleep.
There are several other pineal gland products involved in
maintaining health, but the most recently celebrated pineal hormone
is, of course, melatoninthe "fix and rejuvenate" night-time hormone.
Foods High in Melatonin
(picograms/gram)
Oats 1,796
Sweet corn 1,366
Rice 1,006
Ginger 583
Tomatoes 500
Banana 460
Barley 378
In recent years, science has determined that the pineal gland
functions primarily as the "drummer" for the body's symphony of
chemical events. This symphony is composed of two parts. The
night-time chemical melody is restorative and repair-oriented; the
daylight melody supports all the mental and physical work that must
be accomplished.
Interest in melatonin supplementation, however, is due to the fact
that melatonin blood levels take a rather dramatic drop as aging
progresses. The plunge takes us from a night-time high of 120 pg/ml
in the blood of children, to around 60 pg/ml in the twenties and
thirties, and then to 20 pg/ml in the forties. By the sixties and
seventies, the protective effects of melatonin dwindle to
practically nothing.
Youth in a Bottle
Recently, when word spread of the downward spiral of one's natural
melatonin, the temptation to buy youth for $5.95 a bottle became too
irresistible for manyeven if caution was screaming all the way to
the health-food store.
Common sense might tell you that switching a
bowling ball for a tennis ball is not the best way to make the
complex chemical juggling act of the pineal gland any easier. In
assessing the risk, both England and Canada have banned the sale of melatonin in health stores. It is considered a drug and must be
obtained via a physician for a specific medical condition. In this
country, the FDA has not yet attempted to remove melatonin from
health food stores, but such a step may be prove to be necessary.
Fortunately, research has provided us with several insights into
natural alternatives to keep melatonin at optimal levels for our
respective ages. Sleeping with the chickens would be a good start.
Stressing our body with reading or watching TV until late at night
is common to most Americans.
We don't need an expensive scientific
study to tell us that such habits are not particularly healthful,
but several recent studies have been done along these lines of
inquiry and demonstrate that even modest exposure to light at night
can significantly squelch melatonin production.
Couple this with
stress (which also reduces melatonin) and it becomes painfully clear
that we are accelerating aging and debilitating our immune and
nervous systems. As the sun sets, the pineal gland shifts gears and
slowly "spits and sputters" out melatonin in greater and greater
quantities until it hits a peak production around two or three in
the morning.
Thereafter it falls fairly rapidly until dawn when that
other hormone, serotonin, steps in. The balance of these two
hormones appears to play a key role in preserving optimum health and
a cheerful mood.
Melatonin Depletion
What we eat can either promote plasma melatonin and protect the
pineal gland's health or deplete and destroy melatonin production.
A
recent report in the journal Sleep Research (1995) found that
caffeine as found in coffee, black tea, several types of soda drinks
and chocolate cut melatonin production to half the usual amount for
up to 6 hours.
This resulted in insomnia or disturbed sleep for most
of the study subjects. A couple of glasses of wine at 7:00 p.m. may
put you "out" at night but the cost will be an important reduction
in melatonin and its ability to give the quality of sleep that
restores and rejuvenates the body.
Regular daytime use of either of
these drinks will likely jeopardize melatonin's natural anti-oxidant
and immune-system maintenance effects which are vital to cell
protection during the
waking hours.
On the other hand, several different foods are now known to possess
natural melatonin (see table). In fact, some plants possess
remarkably high amounts of melatonin but they are not particularly
great to serve for lunch, such as banana peels or a type of
livestock grazing grass called tall fescue.
Dr. Russell J. Reiter, a
renowned authority on melatonin, found in experiments with rats that
when they were fed a meal rich in natural melatonin, they had
significantly higher levels of the hormone for hours afterward.
In an odd twist of human physiology, research has also demonstrated
that moderate food restriction can increase the number of melatonin
receptors in the body thus preserving the pineal gland from
over-exertion. In other words, if we consider melatonin as the
body's chemical voice, then the pineal gland will no longer have to
strain its vocal chords because fasting causes the body's cells to
turn up their "hearing aids" (e.g., cell receptors).
In a study done in rats deliberately given a tumor-promoting toxin (dimethylbenzathracene),
those rats that were given melatonin and were underfed had a highly
protective effect against tumor production when compared with either
underfeeding (which has a pretty powerful wallop against tumors
itself) or melatonin alone. Interestingly, short-term fasting in
menopausal women was shown to significantly elevate daytime plasma
melatonin levels to values normally found only at nighttime.
Additional research found that the gastrointestinal tract was
capable of manufacturing melatonin too, thus preserving the pineal
gland's production machinery for the nighttime. To the individual
interested in natural health, all this information suggests that the
quality of fruits and vegetables is likely to be even more powerful
against disease when consumed in moderate quantities.
References
Agnieszka et al. "Food Restriction Enhances Melatonin Effect on the
Pituitary-Gonadal Axis in Female Rats." Journal of Pineal Research
1992:13:1Ö5.
Reiter R.J., Robinson J., Your Body's Natural Wonder Drug:
Melatonin. Bantam Books,1995. $22.95
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Our Attribution Policy
http://www.nutritionadvocate.com/story/melatonin.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Snoring and sleepless nights.
[back to top]
By Ivan (Mick) Hince.
Are you a
snorer?
Do you just hate the thought of going to bed with your partner
because he or she will keep you awake due to their snoring? How
many times do you have to nudge them to stop sounding like an old
steam train? Yes it's one of those things in life that happen, and
it’s a fact of life that women snore just as much as men.
The effects of snoring can drive your partner round the bend to the
point you could end up in separate beds, or in separate rooms. You
could end up with one person at one end of the house, and one at the
other end. If you’re newly married or have a budding new
relationship it can drive a nail right through this promising
beginning…oh dear.
But take heart. There is a natural method that will cure you
forever, and will give you and your partner a perfect night’s sleep
each and every night.
So what causes
snoring?
Snoring is normally due to blocked nasal passages or a weakness in
the throat, which causes the throat to close. This in turn will
cause a vibration at the back of the throat so when you breathe the
snoring sound comes out.
What is this natural cure I hear you ask? Do I have to drink a vile
type of herbal tea before I retire or do I have to sew a tennis ball
into the back of my pajamas, so that I don’t sleep on my back? No.
No. No. Nothing so gross. It’s a simple form of breathing exercise
that train your throat and jaw so that when you sleep the snoring
stops.
This method has been
successfully been tried by thousands of people who now get a good
nights sleep. No more bruised ribs, or pillows over your face. Just
a perfect nights sleep.
Click here to find
out more information on snoring.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your Mother’s Menopause
[back to top]
By Wyeth-Ayerst Global Pharmaceuticals
You may have heard about
menopause, but never really thought about how it can impact your
life. After all, you are nowhere near “that age.” However, it is
possible that your mother may be approaching menopause (or may even
be post-menopausal). This brochure is designed to help you
understand what menopause means to her now, and what it might mean
to you in the future. Read this brochure and share the information
with your family and friends. Encourage your mother to see her
physician and learn about ways to enjoy good health in her
postmenopausal years.
What happens At menopause?
As women get older, their ovaries produce less and less estrogen. As
a result, they may begin to experience changes in their menstrual
cycle, such as irregular menses or increased or decreased menstrual
flow. This stage of life represents the change from the reproductive
to the post-reproductive years. Eventually, a woman will have her
last menstrual period; this is called menopause. For most women,
menopause occurs around the age of 50. Because life expectancy for
women is about 80 years, this means women spend nearly one third of
their lives beyond menopause.
Menopause means a woman no longer has to worry about her period or
getting pregnant. However, the estrogen deficiency associated with
menopause can lead to many changes in the body. Some women may not
feel comfortable discussing these changes, and some of them might
not even know that the symptoms they are experiencing are a result
of menopause. You can help your mother by discussing the effects of
the estrogen deficiency that occurs at menopause (review below),
letting her know she is not alone or “crazy” because she experiences
these symptoms. Encourage her to see her physician so she can take
steps to avoid some of the effects of estrogen deficiency.
Short- Term Symptoms
Of Estrogen Deficiency
Hot Flushes & Night Sweats
The hot flush – a sudden sensation of heat that spreads over the
body, particularly on the head, face, and chest – is the hallmark
symptom of menopause. It is often accompanied by flushing (red face)
and sweating, and may be followed by a chill. Hot flushes can
interfere with normal daily functioning, and if they occur at night
(called night sweats), they can disrupts sleep.
Vaginal Dryness
The fall of estrogen levels at menopause can cause vaginal atrophy
(thinning and loss of elasticity). This often leads to vaginal
dryness, which can make sexual intercourse painful or uncomfortable.
In addition, vaginal burning, itching, discharge, and occasional
bleeding may occur.
Urinary Problems
As with the vaginal lining, the urethra (the canal through which
urine is discharged from the bladder) and bladder rely on estrogen
to function properly. The estrogen deficiency associated with
menopause may cause the urethra and bladder to atrophy. As a result,
urinary problems, such as an increased need to urinate, pain or
burning on urination, leaking of urine during coughing or laughing
(stress incontinence), or bladder infections, may occur.
Psychological Effects
For many women, estrogen deficiency is also associated with
psychological effects, such as anxiety or mood swings. Other
symptoms may include irritability, loss of concentration, headaches,
crying spells, tiredness, loss of libido, and depression.
If you’ve noticed any of these changes in your mother, it may
indicate that she is estrogen deficient. Encourage her to speak with
her physician to find out.
Long-Term Health risks
Associated with Estrogen Deficiency
Increased Risk for Cardiovascular Disease
Before menopause, estrogen in the body helps protect against
cardiovascular disease. Thus, premenopausal women have a lower risk
of cardiovascular disease than men. However, after menopause, when
estrogen levels fall, this protection is lost. In fact,
cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among
post-menopausal women. The estrogen deficiency associated with
menopause may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Changes in Cholesterol Levels
The loss of estrogen at menopause is associated with changes in
cholesterol levels. Estrogen deficiency causes levels of
high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol – the “good” cholesterol
– to decrease and levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
cholesterol – the “bad” cholesterol – to increase. In addition,
total cholesterol levels frequently increase. These changes can lead
to atheroselerosis (blocking of the arteries), heart attack, and
stroke.
Increased Risk for Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is characterized by decreased bone mass and by an
increased likelihood of experiencing a fracture. The estrogen
deficiency associated with menopause contributes greatly to the
development of this disease. Without the protective effects of
estrogen, bone masse decreases rapidly after menopause.
As a result, bones may become thin and brittle and fracture easily.
The most common places for fractures to occur are in the hip, spine,
and wrist. If osteoporosis occurs in the haw, it may result in tooth
loss.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease that attacks the brain
and results in impaired memory, thinking, and behavior. It is the
most common form of dementia – a loss of intellectual function, such
as thinking, remembering, and reasoning, so severe that it
interferes with daily living and eventually results in death.
Evidence suggest that the estrogen loss associated with menopause
may contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
What can you do?
If you think your mother is menopausal, talk to her about any
short-term symptoms she may be experiencing and help her understand
her long-term health risks. Most important, encourage her to see her
physician. Treatment options are available that can help eliminate
the short-terms symptoms of menopause and reduce the long-term
health risks associated with estrogen deficiency.
Estrogen replacement can prevent or reduce
The symptoms associated with estrogen deficiency
The best way for your mother to alleviate the symptoms associated
with estrogen deficiency is to replace the missing estrogen in her
body. Estrogen replacement cans relieve many of the short-term
symptoms and reduce the long-term health risks associated with
estrogen deficiency.
Estrogen replacement and short-term
Symptoms of menopause
Estrogen replacement can do all the following:
Eliminate or lessen hot flushes and night sweats
Improve the quality of sleep
Increase vaginal lubrication, thus helping prevent painful
intercourse
Relieve vaginal symptoms such as irritation and painful sexual
intercourse, and prevent urinary tract infections.
Estrogen replacement and long-term health
Risks of menopause
Estrogen replacement can reduce the incidence of cardiovascular
disease
Studies have shown that women who use estrogen replacement have at
least one half the risk of cardiovascular disease as women who do
not use estrogen replacement. Thus, by replacing the estrogen that
is lost at menopause, a woman can help protect herself against
cardiovascular disease.
Estrogen replacement can improve cholesterol levels
Estrogen replacement has been shown to decrease levels of LDL
cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol) and to increase levels of HDL
cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol). This is one of the mechanisms
for the protective effects of estrogen on the heart.
Estrogen replacement can protect against osteoporosis
Estrogen replacement is the best way to prevent postmenopausal bone
loss. It has been shown to reduce bone loss at the hip, spine, and
wrist, where most osteoporotic fractures occur and to reduce the
risk of hip fractures by about 50%. In order to maintain the benefit
of estrogen replacement therapy on bone, therapy must be continued.
Once therapy is stopped, bone loss accelerates. Estrogen replacement
can also protect against tooth loss. Therefore, many women choose to
take estrogen replacement from menopause onward to obtain the most
protection against osteoporosis.
Estrogen replacement may protect against Alzheimer’s disease
There is growing evidence that estrogen may protect against
Alzheimer’s disease. One study showed that women who used estrogen
had about half the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease as
nonusers.
Another study showed that women who had used estrogen
replacement had a 35% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease than women
who had never used estrogen. In addition, the age of onset of
Alzheimer’s disease has been shown to be later in women who have
used estrogen replacement than in women who have not. Although
findings are not yet conclusive, the use of estrogen by
postmenopausal women may decrease the risk of delay the onset of
Alzheimer’s disease.
Estrogen replacement may have other beneficial effects
As science advances, so does our ability to determine the effects of
estrogen on the body. Two other areas of focus in estrogen research
are colon cancer and age-related macular degeneration.
Colon cancer:
Approximately 15% of all cancers occur in the colon and the rectum.
Preliminary studies have shown that estrogen replacement may reduce
the risk of colon cancer. In one study, women who were recent users
of estrogen replacement had half the risk of developing colon cancer
as women who did not use estrogen replacement.
The study also showed
that women who had ever used estrogen replacement had about a 30%
decreased risk of fatal colon cancer compared to nonusers, and women
who were currently using estrogen replacement had a nearly 50%
decrease in risk compared to nonusers. Another study showed a
decrease in risk of colon cancer with increased years of estrogen
use.
Age-related macular degeneration:
Macular degeneration is an eye disorder that can lead to blindness.
Studies have shown that women have a greater risk for age-related
macular degeneration and that this risk may be related to decreased
estrogen levels.
Preliminary evidence indicates that the use of estrogen replacement in postmenopausal women is associated with a
decreased risk of age-related macular degeneration.
Although early results are promising, additional studies are needed
in these and other areas to evaluate the protective effects of
estrogen replacement.
Estrogen replacement and risk for _Breast cancer and endometrial
cancer
For women with a uterus, a progestin in added to estrogen
replacement to reduce the risk of endometrial cancer.
Data regarding estrogen replacement and risk for breast cancer are
inconclusive.
It is important to weigh the benefits of estrogens replacement
therapy against the risks.
Encourage your mother to discuss the risks and benefits of estrogen
replacement therapy with her physician.
Types of estrogen replacement available
Oral tablets
Vaginal creams
Vaginal inserts
Transdermal patches
Topical creams and gels
Injectables
Let your mother know that her physician can tailor a program to suit
her needs. Her medical history, health status, lifestyle, response
to therapy, and preferences will play a role in determining the
appropriate form of therapy for her. Encourage her to ask her
physician about the options available. The more she knows, the more
she can take control of her health.
Is estrogen replacement after menopause for everyone?
Although most women can replace the estrogen lost after menopause
with estrogen replacement therapy, this treatment should not be used
in women with any of the following:
(1) known or suspected breast cancer,
(2) known or suspected estrogen-dependent neoplasia,
(3) know or suspected pregnancy,
(4) undiagnosed abnormal genital bleeding,
(5) active thrombophlebitis or thromboembolic disorders, or
(6) hypersensitivity to any of the ingredients used in estrogen
replacement therapy. Encourage your mother to discuss the risks and
benefits of estrogen replacement therapy with her physician.
Making therapy work
You have just read about some of the effects of estrogen deficiency
and how estrogen replacement can be used to reduce or eliminate many
of the short-term symptoms and long-term health risks of menopause.
Many women use estrogen replacement therapy solely to relieve
short-term symptoms, such as hot flushes. However, long-term therapy
is essential if they wish to reduce the chances of developing heart
disease and osteoporosis.
www.cafra.org/article460
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How to beat the
Menopause.
[back to top]
By Ivan (Mick) Hince.
To a certain extent you may
find it funny that an article about Menopause is being written by a
man. But the side affects of living with a woman who is going
through this delicate time of life is immense.
The mood swings, the
hot flushes, the lack of sleep, the weight gain, and general
depression etc. Even being a mere man I understand what a difficult
time it is for you girls, and I'm sure in some cases it's worse than
others.
Compiling this web page I have come across several references to
Menopause, and one that caught my eye was a website by a Lady called
Cathy Taylor.
She went on to say how she did a lot of research and how she can
offer help and encouragement to any suffering from all the Menopause
symptoms. She also tells of her frustration with the lack of
adequate answers to the point she felt scared, discouraged, and
unhappy with her life.
The more she researched the more frustrated
she became as she quotes that most of the information available was
years out of date.
Also she talks about HRT and the many side affects which is probably
better if you refer to her website yourself.
To learn more about Cathy Taylor and her battle with the Menopause
simply go to the website below. I think you will find that coming
from a woman you will understand a lot more about what she is
saying.
Click here to
visit Cathy Taylor's site.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All about Asthma.
[back to top]
Reviewer Info: Frederic F.
Little, M.D., Department of Allergy and Pulmonary/Critical Care
Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA. ; ADAM
Health Illustrated Encyclopaedia, 10/27/2004
Definition
Asthma is an inflammatory disorder of the airways, characterized by
periodic attacks of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness,
and coughing.
Alternative
Names
Bronchial asthma; Exercise induced asthma - bronchial
Causes,
incidence, and risk factors
Asthma is a disease in which inflammation of the airways causes
airflow into and out of the lungs to be restricted. When an asthma
attack occurs, the muscles of the bronchial tree become tight and
the lining of the air passages swells, reducing airflow and
producing the characteristic wheezing sound. Mucus production is
increased.
Most people with asthma have periodic wheezing attacks separated by
symptom-free periods. Some asthmatics have chronic shortness of
breath with episodes of increased shortness of breath. Other
asthmatics may have cough as their predominant symptom. Asthma
attacks can last minutes to days, and can become dangerous if the
airflow becomes severely restricted.
In sensitive individuals, asthma symptoms can be triggered by
inhaled allergens (allergy triggers), such as pet dander, dust
mites, cockroach allergens, molds, or pollens. Asthma symptoms can
also be triggered by respiratory infections, exercise, cold air,
tobacco smoke and other pollutants, stress, food, or drug allergies.
Aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications
(NSAIDS) provoke asthma in some patients.
Asthma is found in 3-5% of adults and 7-10% of children.
Half of the people with asthma
develop it before age 10, and most develop it before age 30. Asthma
symptoms can decrease over time, especially in children.
Many people with asthma have an individual and/or family history of
allergies, such as hay fever (allergic rhinitis) or eczema. Others
have no history of allergies or evidence of allergic problems.
Symptoms
wheezing
usually begins suddenly
is episodic
may be worse at night or in early morning
aggravated by exposure to cold air
aggravated by exercise
aggravated by heartburn (reflux)
resolves spontaneously
relieved by bronchodilators (drugs that open the airways)
cough with or without sputum (phlegm) production
shortness of breath that is aggravated by exercise
breathing that requires increased work
intercostal retractions (pulling of the skin between the ribs when
breathing)
Emergency symptoms:
extreme difficulty breathing
bluish colour to the lips and face
severe anxiety due to shortness of breath
rapid pulse
sweating
decreased level of consciousness (severe drowsiness or confusion)
during an asthma attack
Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:
nasal flaring
chest pain
tightness in the chest
abnormal breathing pattern, in which exhalation (breathing out)
takes more than twice as long as inspiration (breathing in)
breathing which temporarily stops
Signs and tests
Your doctor will listen to the chest during an episode, to listen
for wheezing sounds. However, lung sounds are usually normal between
asthma episodes.
Tests may include:
Lung function tests
Peak flow measurements
Chest x-ray
Allergy skin or blood tests
Arterial blood gas
Eosinophil count (a type of white blood cell)
Treatment
Treatment is aimed at avoiding known allergens and respiratory
irritants and controlling symptoms and airway inflammation through
medication. Allergens can sometimes be identified by noting which
substances cause an allergic reaction.
Allergy testing may also be helpful in identifying allergens in
patients with persistent asthma. Common allergens include: pet
dander, dust mites, cockroach allergens, molds, and pollens. Common
respiratory irritants include: tobacco smoke, pollution, and fumes
from burning wood or gas.
There are two basic kinds of medication for the treatment of asthma:
Long-term control medications -- used on a regular basis to prevent
attacks, not for treatment during an attack.
inhaled steroids (Azmacort, Vanceril, AeroBid, Flovent) prevent
inflammation
leukotriene inhibitors (Singulair, Accolate)
long-acting bronchodilators (Foradil, Serevent) help open airways
cromolyn sodium (Intal) or nedocromil sodium
aminophylline or theophylline (not used as frequently as in the
past)
combination of anti-inflammatory and bronchodilator, using either
separate inhalers or a single inhaler (Advair Diskus)
anti-IgE therapy (Xolair), a new injection treatment used in
patients with more severe asthma
Quick relief (rescue) medications -- used to relieve symptoms during
an attack.
short-acting bronchodilators (Proventil, Ventolin, Xopenex, and
others)
oral or intravenous corticosteroids (prednisone, methylprednisolone)
stabilize severe episodes
People with mild asthma (infrequent attacks) may use relief
medication as needed. Those with persistent asthma should take
control medications on a regular basis to prevent symptoms from
occurring. A severe asthma attack requires a medical evaluation and
may require hospitalisation, oxygen, and intravenous medications.
A peak flow meter, a simple device to measure lung volume, can be
used at home to help you "see an attack coming" and take the
appropriate action, sometimes even before any symptoms appear. If
you are not monitoring asthma on a regular basis, an attack can take
you by surprise.
Peak flow measurements can help show when medication is needed, or
other action needs to be taken. Peak flow values of 50-80% of an
individual’s personal best indicate a moderate asthma attack, while
values below 50% indicate a severe attack.
Support Groups
The stress caused by illness can often be helped by joining a
support group, where members share common experiences and problems.
See asthma and allergy - support group.
Expectations (prognosis)
There is no cure for asthma, though symptoms sometimes decrease over
time. With proper self management and medical treatment, most people
with asthma can lead normal lives.
Complications
respiratory fatigue
pneumothorax
death
side effects of the medication used
Calling your health care provider
Call for an appointment with your health care provider if you or
your child experience mild asthma symptoms (to discuss treatment
options).
Call your health care provider (or go to the emergency room) for
moderate shortness of breath (shortness of breath with talking, peak
flow 50-80% of personal best), if symptoms worsen or do not improve
with treatment, or an attack requires more medication than
recommended in the prescription.
Go to the emergency room for severe shortness of breath (shortness
of breath at rest, peak flow less than 50% of personal best), if
drowsiness or confusion develops, or for severe chest pain.
Prevention
Asthma symptoms can be substantially reduced by avoiding known
allergens and respiratory irritants. If someone with asthma is
sensitive to dust mites, exposure can be reduced by encasing
mattresses and pillows in allergen-impermeable covers, removing
carpets from bedrooms, and by vacuuming regularly. Exposure to dust
mites and mold can be reduced by lowering indoor humidity.
If a person is allergic to an animal that cannot be removed from the
home, the animal should be kept out of the patient's bedroom.
Filtering material can be placed over the heating outlets to trap
animal dander. Exposure to cigarette smoke, air pollution,
industrial dusts, and irritating fumes should also be avoided.
Allergy desensitization may be helpful in reducing asthma symptoms
and medication use, but the size of the benefit compared with other
treatments is not known.
http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/asthma
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How to beat and
control Asthma.
[back to top]
By Ivan (Mick) Hince
After having my own
Son who was a chronic Asthma suffer when he was younger, and having
the knowledge just how bad this condition can be I understand what a
constant battle to breathe it can be. It's almost as thou you want
to breathe for them. In my Son's case the more he struggled to
breathe, the more his temperature went up, which again caused other
problems.
Often we would have to rush him to Hospital to be given life saving
treatment, so when I began to look into this subject it bought back
many frightening memories. The hours my Wife and myself have spent
waiting in Hospitals listening to every breath he took, and
thankfully there was always great Doctor's and Hospital staff to
help, and understand what you and our Son was going through.
It was quite an eye opener as we tried different things to combat
different allergies, as along with the Asthma came Eczema as well.
We already new about Dust Mites from our local Doctor, and the
vacuum cleaner was always out day and night. Many things were tried
like Goat's Milk, and it almost seemed so frustrating as the more
things you tried the worse things seemed to get.
To a certain extent we were lucky that our local Doctor was a Chest
Specialist, and he was always sympathetic to our Son's condition. We
learnt a lot in those days, and I guess were still learning now
although my Son is now an adult, and rarely suffers.
Having an interest in Alternative Medicine I came across a website
that kept me enthralled for quite some time. Now I have to say at
this point that some Medical articles, or some Medical website's can
be quite boring, but this one was a breath of fresh air. (No pun
intended) It was written by a Lady by the name of Karen Beattie who
like my own son had serious Asthma problems. She tells how with the
aid of clinical trials she has learnt to overcome the effects of
Asthma without the aid of drugs. Also she explains how the same
report can help sufferers of Sinus and Allergies.
All this helps her to lead a normal life, and also enables her to
sleep better, and she claims that this will work with anyone who
uses the report. I don't at this stage want to make this sound like
an advert as Asthma is a serious thing, and should be treated with
respect.
Over the years you learn all sorts of information like that of my
Father who also was a sufferer. We lived out in the country with a
lot of land, and at a certain time of year a weed would grow which
caused to severe attacks. Our job then as a family was to pull out
or cut down this weed, and then burn as much as we could to
alleviate his problems.
For those who don't know anything about Asthma I'll give a brief
description, although I have to say I'm no medical expert. In Asthma
attacks the airways in the lungs are constricted which causes the
sufferer to gasp for breath as most of the lungs are closed off for
a normal air flow. Not having oxygen in the lungs tends to want to
shut the body down. The attacks can be caused by all forms of
allergies, and the most common is Dust Mites, or animals such as
Cats or Dogs.
From my own point of
view it's nice to know that there are alternatives as I shudder to
think about the amounts of drugs my Son has had to take.
Click here to
go to Karen Beatties site.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eliminate Bad Breath.
[back to top]
By Ivan (Mick) Hince.
You may have come across this
situation where someone talks to you close by your face, and
immediately you feel like reeling back because the person has bad
breath.
It
may be a smell of garlic or any other strong smelling food, or
simple bad breath, and I trust you'll agree with me that it's not
very nice.
I found this website by
accident, and was fascinated by it's content. It only took ten
minutes to read through, and would recommend it to anyone who has
bad breath, or suffers with tooth decay, or has gum disorders.
Click here to go
to Tommy Kavanagh's website.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Take A Closer Look
At Natural Cures For Cancer.
[back to top]
By: Natalie Williams
The primary cause of cancer according to natural cancer treatment
doctors is an unsound diet and lifestyle. Their approach to treat
cancer is to eliminate the cause and not the side effects of the
disease. A typical person's diet is made up of food like dairy
products, meat and processed food, which is considered toxic by
these doctors. This contaminates and weakens the immune system and
causes diseases. By keeping the immune system up, our bodies can
heal itself and annihilate the cancer cells naturally from within.
If It's So Great, Why Aren't The Medical Authorities Endorsing
Natural Cures For Cancer?
A lot of natural cancer treatment doctors were "normal" doctors
before they got disillusioned with the standard practice of sending
patients for traditional cancer treatments. Most of them are
advocating natural cancer treatments from their private practices
today because they were not allowed to give you advice deemed as
alternative by their medical board. Frustrated with the limitations
imposed on them by the medical authorities, they left the
institution and started their research into alternative cancer
cures, which often led to the creation of their own books, videos
and treatment centers. Natural cancer treatments do not comprise any
form of surgery or consumption of drugs therefore they cost only a
fraction of the cost of traditional cancer treatments. It makes
sense for the multi-billion dollar cancer treatment industry to mock
and suppress natural treatments even though it is scientifically
proven in many cases to be very effective because they can't make
much money if people accept them as mainstream.
Selecting A Natural Cancer Treatment Method
There are a lot of natural cures for cancer being promoted lately
and it may seem daunting to choose a method that suits you. Natural
cancer treatments usually involve a gigantic overhaul of your
current diet and lifestyle to support the building up of your body's
immune system to cure cancer naturally from within. A general
treatment usually involves getting fresh air, daily exercise,
sufficient rest, sunshine and faith in God in some treatment centers.
The dietary changes include the elimination of junk food, sugar, fat
laden food and processed food. Healthy replacements such as organic
fruits, nuts, vegetables, grains, juices, pure water or animal
products (extremely rare). The right treatment method for you will
depend on your willingness to change your lifestyle, religious
beliefs, budget and location. The treatments are generally very
cheap compared to the costs of chemotherapy and other traditional
treatments. One chemotherapy treatment alone could provide you half
a year's supply of organic food. Therefore, do not get put off by
the expensive costs of organic food and other health supplements you
need.
Natalie Williams is
the owner of CancerArchive.com. Please visit her web site for a
review of Natural Cancer Treatments That Work to discover the right
cancer treatment for you among a few hundred methods that have been
proven to work.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeast Infection Common Causes
[back to top]
By: Arturo
Ronzon
There are many reasons you may contract a yeast infection. One yeast infection cause can be from clothing. Yeast flourishes in environments that are warm and moist and clothing can trap those things if women wear tight or non cotton underwear. Women should wear cotton underwear under clothes that can breathe easily. It is recommended that women change their underpants at least once a day or go to bed in the evening without them. Some doctors advise that underwear you have worn while you are suffering a yeast infection should not only be washed thoroughly but either ironed or zapped in the microwave for at least five minutes to ensure that you kill all the bacteria completely.
Another yeast infection cause can be chemicals that lurk in dyes, inks and perfumes. You may have an allergic reaction to some things that are in your clothes or hygiene products and this can cause the environment in your vagina to change thus cause a yeast infection. You can also have problems with dyed or perfumed toilet paper. If you have a tendency to contract yeast infections, be sure that you use natural products that
don't contain harmful chemicals.
Condoms can be another yeast infection cause. You can contract an infection in one of two ways. Many condoms have an added lubricant that has nonoxynol-9 which is a spermicide that may or may not kill the AIDs virus. This can be a major yeast infection cause for many women. You can ask your partner to purchase condoms without this type of lubricant. If you are allergic to latex, this can be cause yeast infection too. You can find condoms that are available made from other materials if this is the case.
Your diet can cause yeast infection as well. This
doesn't mean you shouldn't eat foods that contain yeast, because the two are completely different entities. Sugar is the yeast infection cause when it comes to your diet. If your sugar levels are often elevated by the kinds of food you eat and you suffer from frequent yeast infections, you may need to
re-evaluate your lifestyle and make some changes that can eradicate frequent yeast infections. Not only will this help you in that area, but eating healthier can reap benefits to your overall health and well being.
When you educate yourself on yeast infection cause, you can change any
behaviour that may be causing you to suffer. Sometimes changing a simple thing can bring about the greatest benefits.
For more information about Yeast Infection Causes, feel free to visit us at: Yeast Infection
Health and Fitness Related Articles
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 Hour cure for Yeast
Infection.
[back to top]
By Ivan (Mick) Hince.
After reading the above article I
searched the web to see if there was a safe, and recommended cure
for Yeast Infection. What I didn't know is that Men, and
Children can suffer as well.
Reviewing several articles and
website's I finally found this website which seemed to put
everything in perspective. The Lady in question (Sarah Summer)
who owns this website tells of her own suffering, and what she did
to alleviate the problems.
She went on to say that very few
Natural cures are safe, and she also quote's that there are hundreds
of dangerous drugs, and Internet remedies.
Of all the cures on the Internet
this is the number one best seller.
To visit Sarah
Summer's site click here.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Self Care Tips For People
With Parkinson’s Disease.
[back to top]
By: Jeremy
Parker
Parkinson’s disease can be overwhelming for many people who have it. Not only must patients face their physical changes in your body, but they must also deal with feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. But there is hope and there are many things patients can do to help stay active and healthy longer. The experts at Mayo Clinic recommend the following strategies:
Healthy Diet
A healthy and balanced diet that is includes fruits, vegetables and grains can help protect the body against damages from free radicals. Both fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants which are often more effective than nutritional supplements. A healthy, high-fibre diet can help prevent constipation, which is a known and common side effect to some of the medications used to treat Parkinson’s disease.
For many patients, a
fibre supplement, such as Citrucel or Metamucil is the answer to preventing constipation. Patients deciding on using these products should begin using them slowly, according to the Mayo Clinic. To do otherwise may cause loose stool formation.
It is also advised that patients drink plenty of fluids as part of a healthy diet. Water and fruit juices will reduce the risk of constipation.
Physical Activity
As important as diet is regular exercise. This will help the patient stay physically active longer by helping the body maintain its strength and flexibility. Physicians often recommend physical therapy for patients, but any regular physical activity is considered beneficial. Even such activities as gardening, walking, swimming and jogging are great ways to keep the body fit.
There are several excellent exercise programs available for patients with limited mobility. Many patients enjoy and benefits from chair aerobics, a form of seated aerobics that allows for exercise to the patients body. These programs can be found in most areas.
Patients should schedule exercise time when their medication is working at its peak. It is important that all patients stretch and warm up before beginning their routine.
Walking
Problems with walking are some of the main symptoms of
Parkinson's disease. This is because of the loss of balance which leads to an awkward gait. Learning to walk properly can help in preventing falls. The Mayo Clinic physical therapy department offers these suggestions:
Buy a good pair of walking shoes. Proper support can help the patient walk more easily and help prevent falling into bad habits. Running shoes should be avoided as they do not assist with balance problems.
A slow pace is often a good idea if a patient feels the onset of the “shuffle”. Patients should be reminded to use good posture practices when walking. Patients should try to keep their shoulders directly above their hips while walking. It may feel awkward at first, but with practice, it will become more natural.
When you walking, patients should take as long a step as is safely possible. They should be encouraged to lift their feet extra high, and swing their arms to help with balance. Keep in mind that one of the things that Parkinson’s takes from the patient is his natural, involuntary movements, like swinging his arms while walking. Patients should make a conscious attempt to restore those movements.
One of the most frustrating effects of Parkinson’s is what is often called ‘freezing’. This is a feeling that the patient is stuck in place and that he cannot continue forward. This often occurs in doorways or thresholds. Should this happen the patient should rock gently from side to side and then try again. Another tip is to pretend that he is stepping over something on the floor.
Falling
As Parkinson’s disease progresses, patients may fall more often than they did in the past. Parkinson’s affects the balance and coordination
centres in the brain and when these are out of sync falls can occur. Patients should be encouraged to improve and maintain their balance skills.
Asking about exercises that help improve balance is a good first step. Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese martial art that emphasizes slow, graceful movements to relax the muscles and joints, is an excellent choice for many patients.
Install handrails throughout the home, especially on stairways.
Keep the floor free of obstructions. Remove area rugs that can cause trips or slide beneath the feet, and keep phone and electrical cords along the edges of the walls and out of the way.
Install grab bars in the bathroom to help with getting in and out of the tub and off of the toilet.
Ensure the phone is within easy reach of the bed or
favourite chair. A cordless phone is also a very good idea.
For more information and resources on
Parkinson's Disease, causes, treatment solutions, surgery and
symptoms of Parkinson's disease, visit Jeremy
Parker's comprehensive reference guide on
Parkinson's Disease
Health and Fitness Related Articles
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Parkinson’s symptoms, and how to reverse it. [back to top]
By Ivan
(Mick) Hince.
For years now
Parkinson’s disease has been a terrible thing, and if you have ever
known anyone who has suffered with this you have my sympathy.
But not all
news is bad news as a new breakthrough is already here. Your own
Doctor would probably not heard of it yet, and the Drug companies
will scowl knowing that their pockets will be lighter by several
millions.
To explain
what Parkinson’s Disease is, and what it does to the body, I have
compiled a short list of the symptoms. Feeling tired and wiped out
all the time. Low quality of life. No joy, passion or energy.
Short-term memory loss. Forgetfulness. Aphasia, disorientation and
disinhibition. Behavioural changes, such as outbursts of violence
or excessive passivity. Deterioration of musculature and mobility,
leading to bed fastness. Inability to feed oneself, and
incontinence. Impaired Memory. Impaired Concentration. Reduced
coordination. The fear of this disease rendering you unable to
perform even the simplest of tasks on your own, like eating and
walking, and needing constant supervision. Your partner having to
put up with years of anger, depression, ill health, lack of
spontaneity. Hearing doctor after doctor tell you they haven’t got
a clue as to what triggered the disease, or how to CURE it? Feeling
like there’s no hope, no cure, and that you are condemned to live
with Parkinson's for the rest of your life?
So what is the
cure I hear you ask, and why have I not heard of it before?
To answer that
let me explain what I’m talking about. Firstly a group of scientist
began to look for the root cause that starts everything off. Their
findings have led to tests, which proved remarkable if not,
miraculous. These tests were just limited to Parkinson’s, as there
are many other modern diseases similar like Alzheimer’s.
Breaking
things down man has lived for thousands of years, and over the last
100 years our diets have changed incredibly. We use fast foods,
sweet foods, sugars, chocolate, and so many others it would take
another full page to write about them.
This reversal
process is still relatively new, although already it has helped
thousands get back to some form of normality. Whether it will cure
to point of 100% were not sure, but it will make a tremendous
difference to any sufferers.
To lean more
simply click this link.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diabetes - What You Should Know About Diabetes
Medications
[back to top]
By:
Terry
Edwards
For people with type 2 diabetes your doctor will usually prescribe an oral medication to help in controlling your blood glucose level. Of course, along with any diabetes medications you will most likely be making changes in your diet, getting exercise, etc., but this article will focus on the types of diabetic medications that are available. Keep in mind that there are two reasons for anyone to have type 2 diabetes.
1. Their pancreas simply does not produce enough insulin anymore.
2. The cells have become insulin resistant.
Different diabetes medications are used for one of these two categories based on simple blood tests that tell the doctor which category you belong to.
Sulfonylureas
Oral medications such as Amaryl, DiaBeta, Glucotrol, Glynase, Micronase and others are all drugs that help lower blood glucose levels by causing the pancreas to produce and release more insulin.
Biguanides
These types of diabetic medications aid the insulin in moving glucose into different cells. This type of medicine is not for everyone though. If you have kidney problems or a history of heart problems you could be at risk of serious medical issues. Glucophage, Fortament, Glumetza and Riomet are all examples of Biguanides.
Thiazolidnediones
Drugs in this class such as Actos and Avandia work in making your body's insulin more effective. They block the liver from releasing too much insulin, while making it more effective in muscle and fat.
Although Thiazolidinediones are excellent in type 2 diabetics, your doctor will do periodic blood tests to be sure they are not damaging your liver.
Alpha - Glucosidase Inhibitors
These diabetes medications slow down the increase in blood glucose levels by blocking out enzymes that aid in digesting starches.
A major side effect from these drugs such as Precose and Glyset are gas and diarrhea.
Meglitinides
Meglitinides, including Prandin and Starlix, work by helping the pancreas release additional insulin. This in turn will reduce blood glucose levels.
There are also several different combinations of these medications available that combine two different types into one pill.
This is only a brief overview and only your doctor can help determine the course of treatment that is right for you.
All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active and do not edit the article in any way.
By the way, you can find out more about Diabetes Medications as well as much more information on all types of diabetes issues at http://www.Diabetes.InfoFromA-z.com
Other Stuff Related Articles
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diabetes
Breakthrough.
[back to top]
By Ivan (Mick) Hince.
This article tells you about
another great website from Mark Anastasi. He obviously has
done his homework, and you'll find that the site is full of useful
information.
Like his website on Parkinson's
disease you find answers to a lot of questions. I think at this
stage it would be silly of me to go further, and I think that it
would be wise for you to go to the site itself.
Click here
to go to Mark Anastasi's site on Diabetes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Astral Projections.
[back to top]
By Ivan (Mick) Hince.
This following site is
one I wasn't to sure of yet when I asked around some people told
that a lot of people are into this sort of thing. After all it
is to do with the mind, and the mind can do wonderful healing.
The following words
are from the website itself.
Astral Projection
the easy way.
Scientific evidence is now suggesting
that we are much more than our physical body, and that Astral
Projection is easy as riding a bike.
Using brainwave technology it was
found that a certain combination of alpha and theta harmonics caused
immediate astral projection away from our physical body.
Everyone trying these frequencies has
agreed that the effect is amazing. Many users have reported
astral projections on their first try.
How does it work?
Accurately calibrated sine wave
frequency generators were used to generate different frequencies in
each ear. Experimenting through the whole range of alpha and
theta waves from 5 to 12Hz it was found that a combination of
frequencies caused a complete shift in consciousness.
This feeling was likened to all of
your bodily awareness, suddenly being pulled into your pineal area
(third eye).
You can now recreate the astral
projection effect for yourself by downloading the frequencies
directly from the Internet, and listening to the on your head
phones. The program lasts 20 minutes, and works every time.
As well as Astral Projections there
are many others subjects on the same site. The list is below.
Remote viewing-Tantra-Telepathy-Lucid
dreaming-Stress manager-Chakra tuning-Speed learning-Sleep
reducer-Instant meditation-Chi generator-Out of
body-Precognition-Energizer-OM Harmonics-Epsilon
wave-Autogenies-Delta wave-Shaman-Psychic-Endorphin
release-Increased IQ-Past life regression-Power
nap-Clairvoyance-Improved memory-Meditation course-HGH
Stimulation-Magic spells-Manifest your desire.
To
go to the website please click here.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cleansing and
Detoxing with Weight loss.
[back to top]
By Ivan (Mike) Hince.
Over the years I seen, and tried many
diets, and yet as soon as I looked at this I new it would work.
Now if we are all truthful we have to
admit that diets can be hard work. We all like the things that
are bad for us. All I can say that this diet is different to
any other I've seen, and it's well worth five minutes to go to the
website.
Please click here
for the website.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
How Big A Problem
Is Secondary High Blood Pressure or Hypertension?
[back to top]
By Donald Saunders.
High blood pressure is the most diagnosed condition in the Unites
States today and it is now estimated that it affects about 72
million Americans, including one out of every three adults. But,
while we talk about high blood pressure, or hypertension, did you
know that there are actually two different types of high blood
pressure?
The vast majority of people suffer from what is officially termed
essential or primary high blood pressure which frequently has few,
if any, symptoms and often develops slowly over a number of years. A
smaller, but nonetheless very significant, number of people suffer
from secondary high blood pressure which arises out of an underlying
medical condition and can sometimes present with a very rapid onset.
The medical conditions which can give rise to secondary high blood
pressure are many and varied but here are some of the more common
causes:
Obesity. Increasing weight is frequently accompanied by an increase
in your heart rate, as your heart is put under pressure to pump an
increasing volume of blood around the body, and increased pressure
the walls of your arteries.
Sleep Apnea. The frequent interruption to your breathing caused by
sleep apnea leads to oxygen deprivation which, in turn, damages the
lining of your blood vessels and affects the elasticity needed in
these vessels to control blood pressure.
Kidney Problems. The kidneys contain millions of tiny blood vessels
and other structures which are designed to filter waste products
from the blood. When this filtering process is upset, such as in the
case of polycystic kidney disease or hydronephrosis, one of the
results is secondary high blood pressure.
Thyroid Problems. Excess or insufficient hormone production within
the thyroid gland, seen in conditions such as hypothyroidism and
hyperthyroidism, can, either directly or indirectly, result in a
rise in blood pressure.
Dietary Supplements. A number of commonly available dietary
supplements, such as ginseng and St John's wort, can produce high
blood pressure.
This list is not of course exhaustive and could also have included
such items as prescription and over-the-counter medication,
preeclampsia, Cushing's syndrome, diabetes and more.
High blood pressure, whether primary or secondary, is a serious
medical condition which can lead to the development of other
life-threatening conditions such as cardiovascular disease, heart
disease and kidney failure.
TheBloodPressureCenter.com provides information on a variety of topics including the cause of high blood pressure, the importance of blood pressure monitoring and finding the best home blood pressure monitor
Health and Fitness Related Articles
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alternative
cure for high blood pressure.
[back to top]
By Ivan (Mick) Hince.
The person who's website I'm
writing about calls this the
Silent Killer!
Many millions suffer with high
blood pressure, and it's one of the largest life takers in the
world. If you have read the article above you will know what I
mean. Year after year more and more people are being fed drugs
by their Doctors, and if you have ever had side affects from
different blood pressure pills you will know what I mean.
This website I'm about to show you
is quite an eye opener, and for anyone that suffers it's a breath of
fresh air.
Please click
here to go the website.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Link.SelfGrowth.com- - SelfGrowth.com is the most complete guide to information about Self Improvement, Personal Growth and Self Help on the Internet. It is designed to be an organized directory, with articles and references to thousands of other Web Sites on the World Wide Web.
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