Category: Natural Health

“Black” Tea, or what we think of here in the Southern part of the U.S. as “regular tea,” appears to help your heart! Tea can help reduce Blood Pressure, and lower overall heart rate. So, drinking tea (sweetened by Stevia, for me!) is a great way to improve your heart health! Stevia has the added benefit of of strengthening the heart muscle! Not to mention NOT using sugar, which can play havoc with your metabolism, or nasty artificial sweeteners!

Doctors Health Press reports on study: black tea good for the heart

“November 7, 2012 — Doctors Health Press, a division of Lombardi Publishing Corporation, and a publisher of various natural health newsletters, books, and reports, including the popular online Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin, is reporting on a recent study at the School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, which proved that regular ingestion of polyphenol-rich black tea can lower blood pressure, supporting vascular health.

As noted in Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin, black tea is now proving itself to be a heart-healthy food. Black tea has long been a staple drink for many people, and has also been a ‘kinder and gentler’ drink for those who want to avoid the extra jolt that comes with a cup of coffee.

As reported in the article ‘Fight High Blood Pressure with This Tea,’ the research team was able to prove, in fact, that regular ingestion of polyphenol-rich black tea over six months results in lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. However, what they hadn’t been able to show was how long or when these effects were most likely to occur. So, they set out to determine if the short-term effects of tea on blood pressure could contribute to longer-term benefits of regular tea consumption on blood pressure.

As Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin outlines, researchers recruited men and women for a randomized placebo-controlled trial. During a four-week lead-up, all participants consumed three cups of black tea per day. Participants then consumed three cups over one day of either powdered black tea solids, containing 429 milligrams of polyphenols (tea), or a control product matched in flavor and caffeine content, but containing no tea solids.

The researchers then measured blood pressure and heart rate over the 24-hour period. They found that the 24-hour daytime and night-time blood pressure rates were not significantly different between tea users and control subjects. However, heart rate was significantly lower for tea drinkers compared to control subjects during the nighttime and early morning periods, respectively.

As the article concludes, researchers noted that these results suggest that the longer-term benefits of black tea on blood pressure are unlikely to be due to short-term changes.”

There is a lot of “buzz” around Raspberry Ketones for Weight Loss. Here’s a good article explaining the “whys and wherefores” of this natural nutrient!

Raspberry Ketones Help Fat Cells Shrink

“We all have a fat-burning hormone in our body called adiponectin. When this hormone is working correctly, and we’re eating a healthy diet and healthy amount of food for our needs, we metabolize calories properly and don’t store them as fat reserves around our stomachs, hips and thighs. Adiponectin also enhances insulin sensitivity so we decrease blood sugar levels and use calories more completely. Adiponectin also helps to lower blood pressure, and prevent atherogenesis – hardening of arteries.

When we start overeating and not exercising enough, our adiponectin hormones become overwhelmed with the amount of calories to metabolize and become sluggish at burning them. That’s when the love handles and the belly fat and the cellulite start showing up – and that’s when my patients begin asking me how they can get rid of it fast!

Raspberry ketones are the primary ‘aroma’ compound of raspberries – it’s what gives raspberries their distinctive smell. Research has shown that high doses of these ketones in mice on high fat diets have resulted in preventing weight gain, both subcutaneously – beneath the skin, and viscerally – around organs. It also helped prevent fatty liver from developing. The ketones apparently stimulate adiponectin release, thereby increasing insulin release, decreasing blood sugar, boosting metabolism, increasing good, brown adipose tissue that turns metabolism heat up and burns the bad, stored white fat cells. In the same research, though, there was no effect on mouse body weight at 200 times the estimated amount of human intake. To date, there is no clinical evidence that raspberry ketones have the same effect on humans.

However, stories of people losing significant amounts of weight, some up to 5 lbs a week, while using daily raspberry ketones, has been noted, and endorsed, on popular television shows as well as the internet. As I tell my patients, since there are no reported side effects with raspberry ketones, they may help you get back on track with your weight loss efforts, or help you get off a weight loss plateau.

How To Take Raspberry Ketones

Taking 200-250 mg of pure raspberry ketones (one, 100-125 mg tablet in the morning and one at night) in a formula without added ingredients like caffeine, etc, is what to look for when buying this product. Be sure that ‘raspberry ketone’ is listed first, or very near first, in the list of ingredients. You may find cheaper products, but a pure raspberry ketone product, without added ingredients may cost about $30.

Now, of course, you want to resume healthy eating habits along with using raspberry ketones and resume getting the proper amount of exercise. These supplements are not a magic bullet and you shouldn’t rely on them to counter poor eating habits. Continuing to take in more calories, sugar and fat than your body can use at meals can lead to other problems with cholesterol and insulin levels, perhaps, leading to the development of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.”

I have said before that have been consequences to the media’s “war on the sun” – trying to keep everyone out of the sun is leading to Vitamin D deficiency! Here’s another great reason to increase Vitamin D in your system! (I would argue that a natural source of lowering hypertension is BETTER than a drug… not “as good as” one!)

Vitamin D ‘as good as drugs’ at reducing high blood pressure

“The once a day tablets, available from chemists, produced reductions in high blood pressure ‘as powerful’ as medicines, a Danish study has found.

A group to 112 patients with high blood pressure were given the supplements for 20 weeks and showed significant improvements in their condition.

The findings were presented at the European Society of Hypertension conference in London.
High blood pressure affects 16m adults in Britain and accounts for 62,000 deaths mostly by causing strokes and heart attacks.

Vitamin D can be obtained from food but most is made in the skin from sunlight, however in Britain this can only happen in stronger light in the summer months.

They were treated at Holstebro Hospital in Denmark which is on a similar latitude to Glasgow and Moscow.

Of the 112 participants 92 were found to have low levels of vitamin D at the start of the study.

The researchers found that those patients taking the vitamin D supplement showed a significant reduction in central systolic blood pressure, measured at the aorta, near the heart, when compared to the placebo group.”

The herb thyme is shown to be a tremendous benefit in fighting bacteria caused acne!

Thyme may be a good treatment for acne

“Acne as defined by PubMed Health is a skin condition that causes pimples or ‘zits.’ This encompasses whiteheads, blackheads, and red, inflammed patches of skin such as cysts. Although acne is most common in teenagers, anyone can get acne. Many acne sufferers in Syracuse share a desire for natural treatments for this condition instead of drugs with their potential side effects. Thyme has surfaced as a natural remedy with promise for the treatment of acne.

A news release from the Society for General Microbiology states that ‘Thyme may be better for acne than prescription creams.’ According to new research herbal preparations of thyme could be more effective at treating skin acne than prescription creams. Researchers from Leeds Metropolitan University tested the effect of thyme, marigold and myrrh tinctures on Propionibacterium acnes, which is the bacterium that causes acne.

The researchers found that while all the preparations were able to kill the bacterium after five minutes exposure, thyme was the most effective of the three. They also discovered that thyme tincture had a greater antibacterial effect than standard concentrations of benzoyl peroxide, which is the active ingredient in most anti-acne creams or washes.

Dr Margarita Gomez-Escalada, the lead researcher, has said ‘While thyme, marigold and myrrh are common herbal alternatives to standard antibacterial skin washes, this is the first study to demonstrate the effect they have on the bacterium that causes the infection leading to acne.’ These initial findings open the way for more research into the use of tinctures as a treatment for acne.

Dr Gomez-Escalada has said ‘We now need to carry out further tests in conditions that mimic more closely the skin environment and work out at the molecular level how these tinctures are working. If thyme tincture is proven to be as clinically effective as our findings suggest, it may be a natural alternative to current treatments.’ An herbal treatment for acne would be great news for people suffering from acne, particularly those who have skin sensitivity to drug treatments.”

Statin Drugs are dangerous… and now there is a NEW warning to consider!

FDA Demands New Warning Label on Statins

“One in four Americans aged 45 and older take statin drugs to lower cholesterol and supposedly “prevent heart disease.”

That amounts to 32 million Americans or, as Peter Wehrwein pointed out in the Harvard Health Letter, the equivalent of the entire populations of Florida and Illinois combined.i

If you’re one of these millions, or if you’re considering starting a statin prescription anytime soon, you should know that there are serious risks involved with taking these drugs, a fact that even the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now acknowledging.

Evidence includes diaries, court records, medical books and literature, in which these two sleep cycles are referred to in such a way as to make it clear that it was common knowledge at the time.

Following an internal meeting between the FDA’s Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology and Office of New Drugs, the Agency announced it would be requiring additional warning labels for statin drugs.

Among them are warnings that statins may increase the risk of:

• Liver damage
• Memory loss and confusion
• Type 2 diabetes
• Muscle weakness (for certain statins)

According to Dr. Amy Egan, the FDA’s deputy director of safety in the division of metabolism drug products, the new warnings, particularly the one for memory loss, came as the result of anecdotal reports compiled over the past year. In short, with well over 30 million Americans now taking statin drugs, we’re witnessing a massive ongoing ‘live’ experiment, and many are putting their health on the line for drugs that offer little in the way of heart protection. In fact, they may actually make your heart health worse.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is requiring additional warning labels for the cholesterol-lowering drug class known as statins, warning that the drugs may increase your risk of liver damage, memory loss and confusion, type 2 diabetes and muscle weakness.

The FDA has removed a long-standing warning advising routine monitoring of liver enzymes in people taking statins, even though the drugs are linked to serious liver damage.

One in four Americans aged 45 and older take statin drugs to lower cholesterol, and many are unaware of the serious risks associated with the drugs.

The majority of people taking statin drugs do not need them, and in fact are risking their health unnecessarily by doing so.

Over 60,000 people EVERY year in the US will develop diabetes solely as a result of taking statin drugs.”

Tumeric is a great anti-inflammatory that I have used in the past to help myself with inflammation in my leg. It was very useful, and a powerful natural aid in that area. Now, both Tumeric and Curcumin have been shown to be useful in cancer treatments!

Tumeric and Curcumin Offer Powerful Anti-Cancer Health Benefits Naturally

“Commonly used in many Eastern countries, turmeric has been found to suppress cancer growth and reduce brain tumors by an astounding 81% without evidence of toxicity. While the benefits of turmeric are just coming to light within the mainstream and alternative media, it has been known for quite some time that this inexpensive spice can profoundly improve biological function.

Curcumin, a natural phenol and derivative of turmeric, may be responsible for many of these effects — particularly the anti-cancer benefits. Used by ancient Chinese and Indian systems of medicine, curcumin has been shown to reduce brain tumor size by 81% in 9 out of 11 studies. With the research published in the July edition of the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, scientists found that curcumin dramatically decreased the size of brain tumors by 81% in 9 out of 11 studies without evidence of toxicity.

Additional research has found that turmeric and curcumin also inhibit the spread of cancer by actually blocking a key enzyme responsible for its growth. Given chewable curcumin supplements containing 1,000 milligrams of curcumin each, 21 study participants with head and neck cancer experienced a halt in cancer spread after intake. Conducted by the UCLA, the results were examined by an independent lab in Maryland which confirmed that curcumin supplements ultimately stopped the spread of malignant cancer cells.

Curcumin gives turmeric its unique color, and each 100 grams of turmeric contains 3 to 5 grams of the compound. Some health experts believe that turmeric will soon reach the popularity level of vitamin D, which is now almost universally recognized as a fantastic health-promoting substance.

“Turmeric and curcumin are both extremely cheap methods of boosting your health, and are readily available almost worldwide. The ubiquitous nature of turmeric both in the form of supplementation and spice sets up turmeric to be the next vitamin D over the next few years. As more medical professionals begin to recognize the benefits of turmeric and curcumin, a major media blitz will follow as it did regarding the multiple known effects of vitamin D,” said Mike Barrett, Co-Founder of alternative health organization Natural Society.

Both turmeric and curcumin can be purchased as a spice, or in the form of supplementation.”

Did you know different areas of your body retain, and hold, fat differently than other parts? Adipose tissue (or, fat) is the bain of many people’s lives… but it can be dealt with if approached correctly!

NATURAL HEALTH: Getting to where the fat is at!

“NIAGARA FALLS — Fat, aka adipose tissue, is found in several places in your body — probably more places than you would like. Besides the fat underneath your skin (subcutaneous fat) there is fat on top of the kidneys, some in the liver and a small amount in the muscle tissue.

Fat cells are formed in the third trimester of pregnancy and later at the onset of puberty when sex hormones kick in. Where the fat is distributed depends on the sex of the individuals as hormones come into play. Estrogen dominance in women and men tends to result in abdominal fat.

An interesting fact that most are unaware of: Fat cells do not multiply after puberty. A diet that contributes to obesity does not cause fat cells to multiply — they just get bigger (and bigger and bigger). The only exception would be if the individual gained a significant amount of weight or if they had liposuction.

As tempting as liposuction may be, one of the most common pitfalls is that once you remove the fat cells from one area, they will become larger in other areas if the diet does not change. So you may have a smaller backside — but added fat to your knees or chin area may not be attractive and actually awkward.

So how do we lose fat? We are bombarded with exercise machines, supplements and foods touting a reduction in belly fat. I am so sorry to say that there is no food, no exercise and no pill that will cause your body to lose fat in one area verses another.

If we want to lose fat you need to consume fewer calories than you burn. In time, your body will begin to convert fat into usable energy and the fat deposits throughout your body will start to vanish. Personally, I am not a calorie counter but I do know the majority of vegetables and proteins I consume are energy producing and lower in calories.

For men, abdominal fat is the last fat that will leave the body as face and extremities are usually first so a whole body approach needs to be initiated. For women, the last place to lose weight is typically the hips and buttocks. Those stubborn last ten pounds are often the most difficult to lose — believe me I have had this battle on and off for years.

Exercise is important not so much for shrinking a specific area — but muscle dictates metabolism and the more muscle mass you have, the better your metabolism and therefore you burn calories more efficiently.

Empty calorie foods such as soda, juice, fried chicken fingers, chips, fries, candy, beer, wine, crackers, cookies and bread preserve and grow your fat cells. Empty calorie foods are any food that lacks in nutritional value for the body but contains an abundance of calories. A huge mistake many make is consuming protein, fiber and energy bars or shakes that are loaded with useless calories and sugar, this only make the fat harder to lose.

And while we are on the topic of fat, I’d like to mention ‘false fat.’ Dr. Elson Haas coined the term and has even written a book on the subject. False fat refers to that bloated feeling and extra 3 inches you get when you eat foods you should be avoiding. For example, I don’t eat bread or pasta on a regular basis but when I do, I’d be sure to wear clothing that will conveniently hide the two extra inches that will almost instantly appear around my midsection. Chronic congestion is also a form of false fat on the nasal passages mostly due to the ingestion of dairy or wheat products. The seven most common foods that contribute to the false fat and food sensitivities are: Dairy, wheat, sugar, corn, soy and peanuts.

False fat is much easier to prevent and lose. It can be done in just a matter of days by avoiding our inflammatory foods. The Blood Type Diet is one of the easiest ways to initiate this process.

If anything comes up that truly accelerates the loss of body fat that is safe and not likely to rebound — I promise I will share. Real fat shrinkage will occur with a dedicated desire to eat clean and exercise. It may seem like a long process but look how fast this past year went by — you can do it!”

– The author, Catherine Stack, is a doctor of naturopathy and a certified nurse midwife.

Melatonin can be supplemented, but it is also produced naturally by your body, if you sleep in a very dark room. Doing that will help you sleep, and help you produce naturally occuring melatonin!

Melatonin may prevent Alzheimer’s disease – sleep your way to brain health

“(NaturalNews) Ongoing research is being performed to investigate the cause of Alzheimer’s disease. A form of dementia, Alzheimer’s robs its victims slowly of their cognitive powers, intelligence, memories and eventually, their lives. Scientists don’t know for sure how Alzheimer’s develops; however, emerging evidence points to genetics, lifestyle factors and environmental toxins. Early onset Alzheimer’s disease is often thought to be influenced by genetics, giving the individual little control over causative factors. However, in the case of the more common form of Alzheimer’s disease, it may be possible for individuals to have some control over its prevention.

The formation of amyloid plaques in the brain is a feature of Alzheimer’s disease. The plaques consist of a peptide, or string of amino acids, whose normal activity protects against oxidative stress, which contributes to the presence of cell-damaging free radicals. Additionally, they regulate cholesterol transport and have an anti-microbial action on the inflammatory agents in the plaques. Research suggests that a soluble form of amyloid beta, the main component of the plaques, may be a causative agent for Alzheimer’s disease.

Prevention

Several forms of treatment are indicated as possible interventions against the development of plaques, including strengthening the individual’s immune system to trigger antibodies to prevent or clear plaques from the brain. An important discovery was made indicating that the sleep hormone melatonin inhibits the formation of plaques and may be effective in the prevention of Alzheimer’s; however, melatonin, cannot reverse the formation of existing plaques, so is not useful in the treatment of the disease. Experiments in mice suggest that when adequate amounts of melatonin are available earlier in life, it may act to prevent Alzheimer’s from developing.

Melatonin is a naturally produced hormone, which regulates sleep and the circadian rhythm of amyloid beta. People need enough melatonin to produce proper sleep, and excessive wakefulness reduces the amount of the hormone, leading the way to possible plaque development. Animal experiments also indicate the ability of melatonin to correct slight elevations in cholesterol, another risk factor for plaque development.

Excessive periods of sleep deprivation for any reason can affect the circadian rhythm of amyloid beta by reducing the amount of melatonin produced in the brain, hypothetically causing the buildup of amyloid beta plaque formation. Recent findings have shown that chronic loss of sleep is connected to early onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Producing melatonin

It is possible to supply melatonin through supplementation; however, it is also possible to create additional quantities of melatonin without drugs or supplements. The pineal gland produces melatonin, whose quantities are stimulated by the presence of darkness and inhibited in the light. Sleeping in a very dark room with no ambient light can stimulate melatonin production. Creating the conditions of twilight for several hours before going to bed will also set the stage for melatonin production and assist in falling asleep. Keep lights dim and remove all sources of light from the bedroom.”

I happen to really like carrots and celery. Now, I have even more reason to love what they do for me! Check out this excellent information on the benefits derived from these excellent foods!

Chomping on carrots and celery ‘could ward off colon cancer’

“Celery is known for its dietary properties, and carrots apparently help you to see in the dark… but they could also both hold the key to slowing the growth of colon cancer, researchers say.

They have found that luteolin – a flavanoid, or antioxidant, found in fruit and vegetables – can block cell signal pathways vital for the cancer’s growth.

Luteolin can also be found in olive oil, green peppers, thyme, chamomile tea, peppermint and rosemary.

However, more research is needed to find how the compound could be developed into an effective anti-cancer agent.

Previous lab tests have revealed luteolin’s antioxidant and anti-cancer properties, although further tests were less certain.

But new research, published in BMC Gastroenterology, shows that the compound inhibits cell signalling pathways IGF and PI3K – both ‘important for the growth of cancer in colon cancer cells’.

Colon cancer is the second most frequent cause of cancer-related death in the West, and colon cancer cells are known to have elevated levels of IGF-II compared to normal colon tissues.

Researchers believe that this is part of the mechanism that allows uncontrolled cell division – and therefore rapid cancer growth. Luteolin was shown to be able to block the secretion of IGF-II by colon cancer cells.

Prof Jung Han Yoon Park, of Korea’s Hallym university, explained, ‘Luteolin reduced IGF-I-dependent activation of the cell signaling pathways PI3K, Akt, and ERK1/2 and CDC25c.

‘Blocking these pathways stops cancer cells from dividing and leads to cell death.

‘Our study, showing that luteolin interferes with cell signaling in colon cancer cells, is a step forward in understanding how this flavonoid works.

‘A fuller understanding of the in vivo results is essential to determine how it might be developed into an effective chemopreventive agent.'”