Category: Natural Health

I have long said that there should not be a schism between Allopathic treatment and Naturopathic treatment. We do not have to be “at odds.” I have pointed out that Allopathic treatment tends to be “heroic” in nature. They tend to take a rather sudden, and drastic approach… but many amazing results can be shown via Allopathic treatment. I don’t believe that they are always the best treatments… but they can be powerful. Now, some Allopathic research into Diabetes has turned up some amazing results… even to the researchers themselves!

Diabetes breakthrough – Toronto scientists cure disease in mice

“In a discovery that has stunned even those behind it, scientists at a Toronto hospital say they have proof the body’s nervous system helps trigger diabetes, opening the door to a potential near-cure of the disease that affects millions of Canadians. Diabetic mice became healthy virtually overnight after researchers injected a substance to counteract the effect of malfunctioning pain neurons in the pancreas. ‘I couldn’t believe it,’ said Dr. Michael Salter, a pain expert at the Hospital for Sick Children and one of the scientists. ‘Mice with diabetes suddenly didn’t have diabetes any more.’ The researchers caution they have yet to confirm their findings in people, but say they expect results from human studies within a year or so. Any treatment that may emerge to help at least some patients would likely be years away from hitting the market. But the excitement of the team from Sick Kids, whose work is being published today in the journal Cell, is almost palpable. ‘I’ve never seen anything like it,’ said Dr. Hans Michael Dosch, an immunologist at the hospital and a leader of the studies. ‘In my career, this is unique.’ Their conclusions upset conventional wisdom that Type 1 diabetes, the most serious form of the illness that typically first appears in childhood, was solely caused by auto-immune responses — the body’s immune system turning on itself. They also conclude that there are far more similarities than previously thought between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and that nerves likely play a role in other chronic inflammatory conditions, such as asthma and Crohn’s disease. The ‘paradigm-changing’ study opens ‘a novel, exciting door to address one of the diseases with large societal impact,’ said Dr. Christian Stohler, a leading U.S. pain specialist and dean of dentistry at the University of Maryland, who has reviewed the work. ‘The treatment and diagnosis of neuropathic diseases is poised to take a dramatic leap forward because of the impressive research.'”

Now, this does not take into account many natural health professionals that claim to have “cured” diabetes with natural methods. I would not be surprised to find that these two approaches had common elements and could even be mutually beneficial. We need to work together, not against each other.

In the drive to develop expensive pharmaceutical drugs that can generate huge revenues for drug companies, the big drug firms are looking more and more at natural remedies that work well. Natural remedies are safer and, in many cases, more effective than artificial drugs. The questions is, when they “steal away” these natural substances by patenting the active element, will this cut into low cost, natural health practices?

Merck to “pirate” Traditional Chinese Medicine compounds to develop new drugs, warns consumer health advocate

“(NewsTarget) German pharmaceutical giant Merck announced last week that it would collaborate with a Chinese pharmaceutical company to develop new cancer drugs based on traditional Chinese herbs and botanical medicines. Hong Kong-based Chi-Med — a pharmaceutical firm that develops consumer health products from natural ingredients used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) — said it will team with Merck to find potential cancer drugs among roughly 10,000 herbal TCM compounds. However, critics say the partnership will only serve to allow Merck to generate more profits from ‘pirated’ natural plant chemicals sold as expensive pharmaceuticals. Consumer health advocate Mike Adams, author of ‘Take Back Your Health Power,’ said Merck’s partnership with Chi-Med would result in the company locating, copying and patenting chemicals found in Chinese herbs, then selling them as prescription drugs. ‘When Chinese firms steal intellectual property from the United States, we call it piracy, but when drug companies acquire medical know-how from Chinese medicine, it’s called research,’ Adams said. ‘But let’s be clear here — I don’t believe Merck is about to start promoting Chinese herbal cures for anything. Merck is most likely looking for molecules it can identify, modify and patent as pharmaceuticals,’ he said. ‘If it finds anything that works, the medicines will likely be sold as Western drugs, not Chinese medicine, and the FDA will continue its assault on herbal medicine even as it approves drugs based on herbal medicine.'”

You are always “experimenting” with your health if you try unnatural, artificial treatments. One that became very popular was HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy.) In recent years, that treatment has come under suspicion, and use of it has declined… with it, there has been a resulting drop in breast cancer. Amazing!

Breast cancer drop linked to HRT

“A drop in breast cancer cases may be due to women eschewing Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), experts say. University of Texas researchers recorded a 7% drop in new breast cancer cases in the US in 2003. The told a US cancer conference the fall could be linked to the fact that millions of women gave up HRT following reports questioning its safety. They recorded an even bigger fall – 12% – in cases of hormone-dependent breast cancer among women aged 50-69. UK researchers say they have also seen a drop in breast cancer cases in women in their early 50s. Women in their 50s and 60s are those most likely to use HRT. The researchers told the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium around 14,000 fewer US women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003, compared with the previous year. In 2002 a large study of women using HRT was halted after evidence emerged that the form of therapy being used apparently increased the risk of developing breast cancer. The researchers said the number of American women on HRT had halved by the end of 2002 in the wake of the scare.”

The short answer… yes!

Chicken Soup Inhibits Neutrophil Chemotaxis In Vitro

“Chicken soup has long been regarded as a remedy for symptomatic upper respiratory tract infections. As it is likely that the clinical similarity of the diverse infectious processes that can result in “colds” is due to a shared inflammatory response, an effect of chicken soup in mitigating inflammation could account for its attested benefits. To evaluate this, a traditional chicken soup was tested for its ability to inhibit neutrophil migration using the standard Boyden blindwell chemotaxis chamber assay with zymosan-activated serum and fMet-Leu-Phe as chemo-attractants. Chicken soup significantly inhibited neutrophil migration and did so in a concentration-dependent manner. The activity was present in a nonparticulate component of the chicken soup. All of the vegetables present in the soup and the chicken individually had inhibitory activity, although only the chicken lacked cytotoxic activity. Interestingly, the complete soup also lacked cytotoxic activity. Commercial soups varied greatly in their inhibitory activity. The present study, therefore, suggests that chicken soup may contain a number of substances with beneficial medicinal activity. A mild anti-inflammatory effect could be one mechanism by which the soup could result in the mitigation of symptomatic upper respiratory tract infections.”

I would suggest a home-made chicken soup with herbal benefits… here’s a handy recipe from Granny Earth, ND:

5 pound organic stewing chicken
4 cloves garlic
3 parsnips
10 large carrots
1 bunch parsley
1 teaspoon celery seed
3 large onions
1 large sweet potato
2 turnips
6 stalks of celery
Hot pepper flakes- a few

Clean the chicken, put it in a large pot, and cover with cold water- about 3 – 4 quarts. Bring to a boil. Add onions, garlic, celery, parsley, sweet potato, parsnips, turnips, and carrots. Boil about 1 1/2 hours. Add the parsley celery and hot pepper flakes. Cook about 45 min longer. Remove the chicken (not used further for the soup – only for the stock). Add Sea Salt or Crystal Salt and black pepper to taste.

Healing benefits of ingredients:

1. Onions -contain protein, calcium, sulfur, vitamin A, B complex, C and E. They contain sulfur compounds and have anti-inflammatory effects. Like garlic, onions have the antibiotic oil- allicin, which gives them their pungent flavor.
2. Garlic-has powerful antibiotic, antiviral and anti-fungal properties. Is being used for boosting the immune system, lowering blood pressure, assisting in treatment of heart disease, and cancer and lowering cholesterol.
3. Sweet potato- excellent source of vitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin C ,manganese, copper, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium and iron. Having significant antioxidant capacities, they stabilize blood sugar levels and lower insulin resistance.
4. Parsnips- a good source of the antioxidants vitamin C and vitamin E, which help to boost the immune system, plus they’re a good source of fiber, which protects against colon cancer and helps maintain healthy bowels. Parsnips are a good to reduce high blood pressure, because they have a high potassium content.
5. Turnips- are rich in beta-carotene and protect mucous membranes (especially in the lungs and intestinal tract) from cancer and free-radical damage. Also high in vitamin C, indoles, calcium and other minerals.
6. Carrots- Carrots, one of the routine vegetable ingredients found in chicken soup, are the best natural source of beta-carotene. The body takes that beta-carotene and converts it to vitamin A. Vitamin A helps prevent and fight off infections by enhancing the actions of white blood cells that destroy harmful bacteria and viruses.
7. Celery – carminative, diuretic, tonic, nervine. Used to promote restfulness and sleep, celery is also excellent for relieving rheumatism and gout. Its high magnesium and iron content is invaluable as a food for blood cells. Because of its antispasmodic properties, celery is good for all lung conditions, including asthma and bronchitis.
8. Parsley – contains two components that provide unique health benefits- 1. volatile oils-including myristicin, limonene, eugenol, and alpha-thujene. 2. flavonoids- including apiin, apigenin, crisoeriol, and luteolin. The activity of parsley’s volatile oils qualifies it as a “chemo-protective” food- a food that can neutralize particular types of carcinogens (like benzopyrenes from cigarette and charcoal grill smoke).
9. Sea Salt- natural balance of sodium, magnesium and potassium- helps to lower blood pressure and promote good health. Mineral salts create electrolytes, the sparks of life- carry electrical currents to cells throughout the body. Electrolytes are necessary for enzyme production. Enzymes are responsible for breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, muscle function, hormone production, etc. Electrolytes and enzymes are linked to healthy immune function, proper regulation of bodily fluids, and adrenal health.
10. Black pepper- contains volatile oils, alkaloids, proteins and minerals. It has the following healing actions: circulatory stimulant, diuretic, cerebral stimulant, reduces infection, diaphoretic (induces sweating), astringent (tightens mucous membranes) and stimulates sinuses to drain.

By the way, if you would like more information on Granny Earth, ND, and her book, “Do It Yourself Weed Medicine“, check out this link:

Do It Yourself Weed Medicine

This is priceless! It is so good… I am printing it in its entirety:

“Have you ever wondered why Coke comes with a smile? It’s because it gets you high. They took the cocaine out almost a hundred years ago. You know why? It was redundant.

* In The First 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. (100% of your recommended daily intake.) You don’t immediately vomit from the overwhelming sweetness because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor allowing you to keep it down.
* 20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get it’s hands on into fat. (There’s plenty of that at this particular moment)
* 40 minutes: Caffeine absorption is complete. Your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, as a response your liver dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in your brain are now blocked preventing drowsiness.
* 45 minutes: Your body ups your dopamine production stimulating the pleasure centers of your brain. This is physically the same way heroin works, by the way.
* >60 minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium and zinc in your lower intestine, providing a further boost in metabolism. This is compounded by high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners also increasing the urinary excretion of calcium.
* >60 Minutes: The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play. (It makes you have to urinate.) It is now assured that you’ll evacuate the bonded calcium, magnesium and zinc that was headed to your bones as well as sodium, electrolyte and water.
* >60 minutes: As the rave inside of you dies down you’ll start to have a sugar crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You’ve also now, literally, urinated away all the water that was in the Coke. But not before infusing it with valuable nutrients your body could have used for things like even having the ability to hydrate your system or build strong bones and teeth.

This will all be followed by a caffeine crash in the next few hours. (As little as two if you’re a smoker.) But, hey, have another Coke, it’ll make you feel better.

*FYI: The Coke itself is not the enemy, here. It’s the dynamic combo of massive sugar doses combined with caffeine and phosphoric acid. Things which are found in almost all soda.”

Wow. Think about this the next time you stand in front of that Coke machine.

What Happens To Your Body If You Drink A Coke Right Now?

“You can maintain weight and even lose it if you eat your food slowly, according to a new University of Rhode Island study. The theory that eating slowly means a lower food intake has been around for at least 30 years, but this study is the first to lend scientific proof to the idea. ‘It started in 1972 as a hypothesis that eating slowly would allow the body time for the development of satiety, and we would eat less,’ said University of Rhode Island assistant professor of nutrition and food science Kathleen Melanson. ‘Since then it has become common knowledge, but no studies had been conducted to prove it.’ Thirty college-aged women were split into two groups, the first of which was asked to eat pasta with tomato and vegetable sauce and Parmesan cheese without pausing between bites. This group averaged 646 calories in nine minutes. The second group was served the same meal, but asked to put their forks down and chew between bites, and averaged 579 calories in 29 minutes. The members of the second group reported still feeling full an hour after their meal.”

Eating slowly proven to reduce caloric intake by 70 percent in recent study

It is amazing that something so simple can have such a direct impact on overall calorie consumption!

In our last podcast, I talked about the Indian herb turmeric and how effective it has been in fighting my inflammation symptoms, so you KNOW I was intrigued to see this article!

Little-known perungalli herb from India shows powerful anti-inflammatory effects in latest clinical trials

“A new Indian study has found that the herb Plumeria acuminate — commonly known as perungalli and widely used in Ayurvedic medicine — may be a potent treatment for both acute and chronic inflammation. Researchers from Jadavpur University in Kolkata and ASN Pharmacy College tested the effectiveness of a methanol extract of Plumeria acuminate (MEPA) on both acute and chronic inflammation in laboratory rats. In separate experiments to test the effects of MEPA on chronic and acute inflammation, the researchers split 24 rats into four groups of six, and induced acute inflammation into the hind paws of two groups, while using one group as a control and another group as a standard. The first group of rats with acute inflammation were treated with 250 mgkg-1 of MEPA, while the second inflammation group was given 500 mgkg-1 of MEPA. The same model was used for rats induced with chronic inflammation. The researchers found that the rats with acute inflammation that were treated with 500 mgkg-1 of MEPA experienced an average 36 percent reduction of inflammation. The rats with chronic inflammation that were treated with 500 mgkg-1 of MEPA experienced a reduction in the formation of granuloma tissue — firm nodules or masses that form as a result of chronic inflammation — of 45 percent. The researchers concluded: “…the methanol extract of Plumeria acuminate possess potent anti-inflammatory activity in both acute and chronic models.” They also found that the effectiveness of the herbal extract was comparable to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.”

Wow! This is an exciting development… you can bet I will be looking for this extract!

“Another sign conventional medicine acknowledges and appreciates all the benefits alternative treatments provide: An Italian study that acknowledged ginkgo biloba, as shown many times before, works just as well as Aricept (donepezil) in treating mild or moderate Alzheimer’s related dementia. For the study, 76 mild-to-moderate dementia patients received either a placebo, ginkgo or Aricept for six months, followed by a four-week course of a placebo to exclude those reactions. During the study period, more ginkgo patients dropped out of the test, but not for the same reasons as the four Aricept dropouts who left due to adverse drug reactions. Based on test scores to determine the severity of dementia afterward, scientists agreed both ginkgo biloba and Aricept work just as effectively to slow down the damage. I wonder, however, if the effect of Aricept on study patients was a fluke, considering cholinesterase inhibitors like Aricept, Reminyl and Exelon have been found to be beneficial for only 20 percent of Alzheimer’s patients.” (Emphasis mine.)

More Evidence Ginkgo Biloba Works Just as Well as Dementia Drugs

We have known about Ginkgo Biloba for years as a natural treatment that may result in antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. It also reduces inflammation by increasing permeability of blood vessels. It has long been regarded to enhance mental focus. In short, a very useful and effective natural remedy! And, as noted in the quote above “as effective” as synthetic drugs! Again, demonstrating that herbs should be regarded as the “real” and not the “alternative” treatment!

Natural health nutrition and supplementation has been shown to be beneficial with regard to treating depression!

Fish oils, vitamins, herbs helpful for depression

“NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Diet and nutrition may play a key role in helping people fight depression, Australian researchers report. A number of nutrients, including polyunsaturated fatty acids, St. John’s Wort and several B vitamins, have the potential to influence mood by increasing the absorption of chemical messengers in the brain, Dr. Dianne Volker of the University of Sydney in Chippendale and Jade Ng of Goodman Fielder Commercian in North Ryde, New South Wales note in the journal Nutrition and Dietetics. There is a wealth of epidemiological, experimental and circumstantial evidence to suggest that fish and the oils they contain, in particular omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, are protective against depression, Volker and Ng write. They point out that the balance between omega-3 and omega-6 may also be important, given that the latter can prevent the body from absorbing the former. Another candidate for dietary prevention of depression is the amino acid tryptophan, which is found in foods, including turkey, and is responsible for the drowsiness people feel after eating a hearty Thanksgiving dinner. The body converts tryptophan to the neurotransmitter serotonin, suggesting the amino acid may have modest effects on mood.”

OUCH! The Journal of the American Medical Association (no less) says that a researcher at the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health has done a study that demonstrates that the U.S. health care system may contribute to poor health.

“ALL THESE ARE DEATHS PER YEAR:

12,000 — unnecessary surgery

7,000 — medication errors in hospitals

20,000 — other errors in hospitals

80,000 — infections in hospitals

106,000 — non-error, negative effects of drugs

These total to 225,000 deaths per year from iatrogenic causes!!

What does the word iatrogenic mean? This term is defined as induced in a patient by a physician’s activity, manner, or therapy. Used especially of a complication of treatment.”

THIS is the reason that I always say, “YOU are the person most responsible for YOUR personal health!” You need to personally supervise your own health plan and treatment and educate yourself on anything that your personal health care provider recommends… and remember, do NOT take it as an “order!” A doctor should be willing to work WITH you to help plan your health care and/or treatment!