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Healthy News
Archive
JANUARY
2008
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The Healthy Newsletter from AnnA
Your Weekly Alternative Health Prescription - January 2nd, 2008
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Welcome to the New Year, and I hope it is full of vitality,
robust good health and daily pleasure in the enjoyment of
a full, rich life. Did you make any resolutions about your
diet or exercise? If you didn't then don't worry, it's not the
resolution, but the action arising from it that are important.
I offer you some new ideas for a healthier new year, and my
resolution for 2008 is to keep being open, curious, and enjoying
life, that's the best way to stay healthy that I know.
Wishing you the best of good health - AnnA
In this issue:
- BLINKING FOR EYE HEALTH
- POST FESTIVE FASTING - COULD IT HELP YOUR HEART?
- DEPRESSION IN MEN COULD BE REDUCED BY 50%
BLINKING FOR EYE HEALTH
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You know the saying 'blink and you've missed it'; well if you
don't blink what you could be missing is your best chance to
take
care of your eyes and depriving them of nourishment and
cleansing.
If you want to take up a new habit this year, then practice
frequent and gentle blinking because it is essential to the
health
of your eyes and vision because it allows your eyelids to
regularly coat your eyes with three beneficial layers of tears
and this will
help prevent eye strain.
1. The first layer of tears lies right up against the whites of
your eyes, and provides an even coat of protein-rich moisture
for
the second layer to adhere to.
2. The middle watery layer helps to wash away foreign debris. It
also nourishes the cornea of your eyes with minerals, a variety
of proteins, and moisture.
3. The third outer layer of tears is a little oily so it helps
prevent the middle watery layer from evaporating quickly. This
gives you much-needed lubrication between your eyes and your
eyelids.
If your eyes are not regularly coated with the three layers
of tears described above, they will be deprived of 'essential
maintenance' in the form of nourishment and cleansing. The side
effect of this is that by not blinking enough you are
potentially subjecting your eyes to eye strain.
What can you do? Well for the best results, you need to blink
softly every two to four seconds. It will seem odd and
unnatural, but if you consciously make an effort to do this
then, over time, your body will turn your conscious efforts into
a subconscious habit.
Don't stare fixedly at the television, computer screen or when
reading. I am a speed-reader so my blink rate is very low and I
have been working to increase it by 'fluttering' my eyelashes at
the screen - happily only my cats are around to see it and I am
feeling the benefit. One other suggestion is to close your eyes
whenever you are thinking about something; it will also have the
benefit of improving your concentration. Try it when you are
stuck when in the middle of composing an e-mail message, close
your eyes while you think of your next sentence, or any other
time you can rest your vision.
By the way, if you wear contact lenses then it is very important
you either lubricate your eyes or make sure you blink
frequently. Contact lenses can discourage frequent blinking
because the back surface of your eyelids is not designed to rub
over an artificial surface and can result in dry eyes.
POST FESTIVE FASTING - COULD IT HELP YOUR HEART?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With all the food we eat over the festive period, and much of it
not too healthy, it may be time to try an ancient method of
health care - fasting. New research reported in the American
Heart Association™ Scientific Sessions in November 2007 seems
to indicate that people who skip meals once a month are 40%less
likely to have clogged arteries as those who do not fast on a
regular basis.
This data was collected as a result of work done in Utah, where
about 70 percent of the population are Mormons, who fast during
the first Sunday of each month as part of their religious
observance. The study was undertaken after researchers
discovered that only 61% of Mormons had heart disease compared
with 66% of non-Mormons. After surveying 515 people about
Mormon's typical religious practices, which included a weekly
day of rest, not drinking alcohol or smoking, donating time and
money to charity, avoiding tea and coffee, and monthly fasting,
only fasting made a significant difference in heart risk.
Only 59 percent of those who skipped meals regularly were
diagnosed with heart disease, compared with 67 percent of non-
fasters. The researchers suggested that periodic fasting forces
your body to burn fat and also gives it a break from making
insulin to metabolise sugar. Fasting for one day a month may
therefore help to re-sensitise insulin-producing cells and
make them work better.
However, fasting does not work for everyone, and in fact can be
counterproductive for some. If your diet consists of fast food,
junk food and other processed items that are high in sugar and
grains, then not eating those foods for a period will likely
cause improvements to your health. This is because this type of
diet is causing surges in your insulin and levels, and even
giving your body a break from this cycle temporarily will be
beneficial.
This is the principle that calorie restricted diets work on,
because reducing calories definitely helps to slow down aging,
reduce chronic diseases and even extend your lifespan. When you
restrict your calories, as you do during fasting, it reduces
your metabolic rate and oxidative stress, lowers your insulin
levels and improves insulin sensitivity.
BUT, if you are already eating healthy foods designed for your
nutritional type, then you will probably not experience
benefits,
and may even have some problems, such as hypoglycaemia (low
blood sugar). Fasting seems to work best for those who thrive on
a high-carbohydrate diet such as vegetarians and those who
nutritionally thrive best with a high-protein diet don't do
nearly as well on a fasting regime.
Is there a middle way? Well, yes there is now increasing
evidence
that you're actually better off on the 'little and often' diet
plan where you nibble and graze small amounts frequently
throughout the day. Eating small amounts of healthy foods at
regular, frequent, intervals has been found to lower
cholesterol, reduce appetite, and cause the least amount of
disturbance to
your body's natural balance.
DEPRESSION IN MEN COULD BE REDUCED BY 50%
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There have been several studies linking folic acid (folate)
intake specifically, and all the B vitamin group generally, to
improved mood. Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that occurs
naturally in food and studies done by scientists at the
University
of York and Hull York Medical School reported that low levels of
it in the body were linked to increased depression overall, but
now a new study has made a specific link to depression in men
Researchers from the International Medical Centre of Japan, and
the National Institute of Health and Nutrition, undertook a
study involving 500 Japanese subjects. Of these, 36% of the men
and 37% of the women were found to have symptoms of depression
on starting the study. What they found was that the men with the
highest average intake (235 micrograms per 100 kcal) of folate
were 50% less likely to have depressive symptoms than men with
the lowest average intake (119 micrograms per 100 kcal). They
also found that increased levels of folic acid did not mean
less depression in the women subjects, only in the men.
While it is clear that increased folate intake will help men,
either from a dietary supplement or food such as dark leafy
greens like spinach, citrus fruit and dried beans and peas, and
because of it's importance in pregnancy, you will find many
foods
such as breakfast cereals fortified with added folic acid, so
check the labels.
It is important for both men and women's health that there is a
good supply of the entire B-complex vitamins in the diet, not
just folic acid alone as they work together synergistically to
provide the best 'mood' protection. If your diet contains dairy,
whole grains, omega 3 and 6 oils and lean meats then you are
probably getting a good variety. If in doubt, take a good B
complex supplement from a reputable source.
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I hope you have found this information useful, and please feel
free to pass it on to others. Remember, I am not a doctor and
cannot give you medical advice, so please always take
appropriate action by consulting your own medical advisor if you
have
concerns about any aspect of your health.
Please feel free to pass on any of this information to your
friends, or suggest they sign up for the newsletter themselves
at the catalystonline website.
www.catalystonline.co.uk
www.writeyourlifestory.co.uk
www.procrastinationkiller.co.uk
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The Healthy Newsletter from AnnA
Your Weekly Alternative Health Prescription - January 9th, 2008
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Have you noticed the evenings getting lighter? Here on the south
coast it is fairly obvious, and something I really look forward to.
January and February can be 'dark' months in more ways than one
and part of winter is a natural inclination to hibernate and, for
some, it can be a time of darker moods too. There are some natural
ways to help, and I hope these might be of help to you, or someone
you know. A fairly unheralded factor in childhood obesity is also
something you might find useful to pass on, and although I usually
avoid writing about drug companies in order to keep my own blood
pressure on an even keel, I couldn't in all conscience ignore this
latest story. Wishing you the best of good health- AnnA
In this issue:
BEATING THE WINTER BLUES
THE HIDDEN FACTOR IN CHILDHOOD OBESITY
THE SHOCKING NEWS ABOUT DRUG COMPANY RESEARCH
BEATING THE WINTER BLUES
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If the dark days of winter make you feel gloomy, then take heart
because there are some very simple things you can do to make
yourself feel better. One that certainly attracted me came from
a new study that reveals fresh flowers can be a natural remedy
to winter affective disorder. The behavioural research study,
conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical
School, found that people feel more compassionate toward others,
have less worry and anxiety and feel less depressed when fresh-cut
flowers are present in the home. Say it with flowers in this case
is something I would heartily endorse! Here are some other tips
that can help:
*** Start your day with a high-protein breakfast and end it with
a whole grain-rich dinner. This combination will help balance
mood-regulating hormones.
*** Increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids by adding some
cold water fish like salmon, or flaxseeds to your diet.
*** Try light therapy. Research has shown that exposure to light
is an effective treatment for winter depression. Light therapy
is administered by a 10,000-lux light box which mimics outdoor
light and causes a biochemical change in the brain to lift
your mood.
*** Regular use of relaxation techniques such as meditation,
breathing exercises, and yoga can help promote emotional balance.
There are many available, and my own meditation CD 'Relax, Renew
and Revitalise' might help you. For more information on it visit
the website at http://www.catalystonline.co.uk/health.htm
Finally, one of the simplest, and cheapest, things you can do is to
be
outdoors in the fresh air and daylight as much as possible. Have a
thirty-minute walk and you will improve your health and boost your
serotonin levels, which in turn will help improve your mood.
THE HIDDEN FACTOR IN CHILDHOOD OBESITY
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Childhood, and adult, obesity is a topic of real concern and
although much of the emphasis is on diet and exercise there could
be a third, hidden, factor. A recent study done in Auckland,
New Zealand, has revealed that young children who sleep less than
nine hours a night have triple the risk of being overweight and
have about 3% more body fat than children who get nine hours or
more.
Although duration of sleep changes with the seasons, we sleep more
in winter than summer for instance, but the New Zealand findings
from a study of 519 seven-year-olds showed a definite link
year-round
between lack of sleep and obesity. On average, children in the study
slept just over 10 hours a night, and those who went to bed after 9
p.m.
were likely to sleep less. Again, on average, they had up to 40
minutes
less sleep per night than children who went to bed earlier.
These children's weight gain is not because they are up raiding
the refrigerator to pile on the pounds, but because the time the
body needs for important maintenance processes has been reduced.
The study also saw a link between lack of sleep and emotional
instability such as mood swings or surliness, and indeed it can
be seen in adults who don't get enough sleep too.
THE SHOCKING NEWS ABOUT DRUG COMPANY RESEARCH
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We hear frequently about how expensive it is to develop a new drug,
and that is certainly true, though not the whole picture. A Canadian
research project has found that US drug companies are spending
almost
twice as much on marketing and promoting their products than on
research and development.
Toronto's York University found that US drug companies spent $57.5
billion
on promotional activities in 2004 but only $31.5 billion in the same
year
on pharmaceutical research and development. The findings were
published this
week in the journal 'Public Library of Science Medicine' and appear
to confirm
the public image of a marketing-driven industry, say the study
authors.
However, Steve Morgan, Toronto's University's Centre for Health
Services and
Policy Research is not at all surprised. He is an expert on the
economics of
the pharmaceutical industry and says that it's been known for a long
time
that although the pharmaceutical industry has always promoted itself
as
innovative and research-driven they do indeed spend more money on
marketing
than they do on research and development. However, he admits even he
didn't
realize that the figure was as high as the researchers found it to
be.
Nor sadly is this something new as in the late 1950s,
then-Democratic
US Senator Estes Kefauver launched a public review of the business
dealings of the prescription drug industry through the U.S. Senate's
anti-trust and monopoly subcommittee. He accused the industry of
predatory
pricing, extravagant cost increases brought on by excessive
marketing and
selling new products that were no more effective than drugs already
widely established on the market. The issue didn't go away and was
studied in depth again in the 1960s and 80s, but nothing since then
until this report.
Unlike in the UK, in the United States, direct-to-consumer marketing
of prescription drugs is allowed, and drug companies buy television,
radio and print ads to promote products directly to the public. The
US also
sees drug companies spending more on advertising to doctors, so they
aren't
caught off guard by patients demanding a certain type of
prescription after
having seen the drugs on television or elsewhere.
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I hope you have found this information useful, and please feel
free to pass it on to others. Remember, I am not a doctor and
cannot give you medical advice, so please always take appropriate
action by consulting your own medical advisor if you have concerns
about any aspect of your health.
Please feel free to pass on any of this information to your friends,
or suggest they sign up for the newsletter themselves at the
catalystonline website. Best wishes for a healthier week - AnnA
www.catalystonline.co.uk
www.writeyourlifestory.co.uk
www.procrastinationkiller.co.uk
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The Healthy Newsletter from AnnA
Your Weekly Health Prescription - January 16th, 2008
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Although battered by fierce gales and horizontally driving rain,
I went out and about on the Internet to find you some helpful
news stories and as walking is recommended everywhere for weight
loss, mood improvement and much else I will devise myself a
'walking route' through my flat - it was time to move that box
of papers for the accountant anyway!
Wishing you the best of good health- AnnA
In this issue:
VITAMIN D REDUCES FALL RISK IN OLDER WOMEN
HEART ATTACK RISK LINKED TO BODY'S FAT DISTRIBUTION
THE 'SWEET' TRUTH ABOUT YOUR FOOD
GIVING LEG CRAMPS THE BOOT
VITAMIN D REDUCES FALL RISK IN OLDER WOMEN
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Australia is a country with no shortage of sunshine, but even
there in the winter months there may not be enough to keep the
body adequately supplied so you can imagine that the situation
is
even more pronounced in more northern climes. Sunshine is the
main source of vitamin D, and one very specific element of that
- Vitamin D2 - appeared to reduce the risk of falls, especially
during the winter months. This is important news for women at
high-risk, such as those with osteoporosis, and the simplest
advice is to get as much natural sunlight as you possibly can,
and make sure you have adequate amounts of calcium in your diet
as that helps vitamin D to be best utilized by the body.
Approximately one-third of women over 65 fall each year, and if
a
woman has a vitamin D deficiency then she is at greater risk of
fracture. Those women given a vitamin D2 and calcium supplement
in
a trial at the University of Western Australia had a 19% lower
risk
of falls compared with patients given calcium alone. The trial
studied 300 women over the age of 70 living in Perth, Australia
who had a history of falling in the previous year.
Older people who fall frequently do tend to have more risk
factors
for falling, including greater degrees of disability and poorer
levels of physical function, so supplementing with D2 is only
one factor to be considered. Taking any one vitamin in isolation
can
cause problems so before you decide to supplement please talk
first to a qualified nutritionist, or treat yourself to a couple
of weeks in the sun during the darkest days of winter. If you
can't get away, then take advantage if every ray of sunshine you
can find and get outdoors as often as possible.
HEART ATTACK RISK LINKED TO BODY'S FAT DISTRIBUTION
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The link between heart attack risk and being overweight is
well-established, but now it seems that it is not so much how
much
extra weight you are carrying, but where it is on the body that
increases the risk factor. Two studies, one in the US at the
Medical College of Wisconsin and another at Tel-Aviv University
in Israel indicate if extra weight is all carried on the stomach
and abdomen then you need to take action. In the two separate
studies 20,000 subjects had their body mass index (BMI) compared
to their waist measurement in relation to cardiovascular disease
risk factors. The bigger the waist, the risk of high blood
pressure, high cholesterol and high glucose levels were found to
be
significantly stronger than the link between those same factors
and BMI.
The leader of the Israeli study, Dr David Tanne, pointed out
that excessive abdominal fat also raises the risk of other
factors associated with metabolic syndrome, such as type 2
diabetes.
Their research also found that during a 23-year follow up period
that those subjects with excessive abdominal fat were one and a
half times more likely to suffer a stroke compared to subjects
with the lowest abdominal fat.
What can you do?
Whether you can't see your feet when looking down, or are just a
little soft around the waist, it pays to take preventive action.
Heart disease and stroke risk are not to be taken lightly and
although regular exercise is certainly essential there is
another factor that might help.
Canadian researchers reported in a study published last year in
the Journal of Nutrition that having a higher intake of protein
might
help. Like the other researchers they were also measuring their
subjects to assess waist-hip ratio (WHR). The result was that
those with the highest waist-hip ratio, indicating excessive
abdominal fat, were found to have the lowest intake of protein.
Why would protein have this effect? A fatty acid called
conjugated
linoleic acid (CLA) might provide the answer. CLA is most
abundant
in protein-rich dietary sources such as meat and dairy products.
It's also available in supplement form, and studies have shown
that
CLA supplements may help reduce body fat mass, but as always
take
the simplest route first and look at your diet before taking
supplements, and then only on the advice of your doctor.
THE 'SWEET' TRUTH ABOUT YOUR FOOD
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As a health-conscious consumer you naturally eat the best,
unadulterated diet that you can - with the occasional treats!
However, unless you are a compulsive label-checker, and I am
afraid that I am, then you may not be aware of the additives
that
get into your food and can carry serious health risks.
There are several chemicals, known as excitotoxins, which are
added by some food companies to their products in order to
stimulate hunger and disrupt normal appetite control. These
taste-enhancing chemicals - of which the main ones are MSG and
aspartame - are linked to cancer, obesity, neurodegenerative
diseases, metabolic disorders, obesity, infertility, migraines
and cancer.
What you need to look out for are the following on the labels
of any packaged food that you buy:
** monosodium glutamate (MSG)
** aspartame
If you see these on the label, then be aware they are forms of
MSG and appear as:
** yeast extract
** hydrolysed vegetable protein
** autolyzed proteins
** autolyzed yeast
** sodium caseinate
** hydrolyzed yeast
Check your food labels now
Of course the occasional food with these chemicals in is not
going
to cause a problem, but if you habitually consume the following
items on a frequent basis, then please read the label and see
what
they contain:
· Diet soda
· "Sugar-free" anything
· Canned soups
· Frozen pizza
· Vegetarian foods
· Potato crisps
· Diabetic foods
· Salad dressing
· Frozen foods
· Baby foods
· Dips and sauces
· Gravy mixes and dip mixes
· Stock cubes and sauce packets
Many of these chemicals are linked to migraine and headache
symptoms
so these should never be ignored. 'Diet' products are extremely
popular, but be aware that consuming them in high quantity may
put
your health at risk.
My advice for a good diet? Eat less fat, more protein, less
sugar,
more water and eat anything you want in moderation.
GIVING LEG CRAMPS THE BOOT
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Ever wake in the night with your calf muscles knotted and your
toes curled in the agony of cramp? Did you know that they are
often a symptom of magnesium deficiency? If you are a sufferer
then it can
be a reasonably simple matter to rectify with a couple of
dietary changes.
If you are low in magnesium, and it is depleted by both stress
and alcohol, then these will help:
** Cocoa and chocolate
** Whole grains, whole grain rice, whole grain bread
** Nuts
** Shellfish
** Dried legumes such as peas, beans and lentils
If you have been on a diet since the New Year, then you may also
be lacking in sugar if you are using products with sweeteners.
As
well as the warning in the previous item about the health
hazards
of replacing sugar with aspartame, you may also be contributing
to
your cramps so make sure you have enough of the natural sugars
in
your diet from fruit and vegetables.
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I hope you have found this information useful, and please feel
free to pass it on to others. Remember, I am not a doctor and
cannot give you medical advice, so please always take
appropriate
action by consulting your own medical advisor if you have
concerns
about any aspect of your health.
Please feel free to pass on any of this information to your
friends,
or suggest they sign up for the newsletter themselves at the
catalystonline website. Best wishes for a healthier week - AnnA
www.catalystonline.co.uk
www.writeyourlifestory.co.uk
www.procrastinationkiller.co.uk
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The Healthy Newsletter from AnnA
Your Weekly Health Prescription - January 23rd, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This week I am bringing you a longer than usual report and
it is about one the well-established alternative treatments
that raises a lot of eyebrows. Magnet therapy actually has
been in use since Egyptian times if you believe the history
books, and it is one of the most popular for those seeking
pain relief for themselves, and their pets. Much of the
evidence for it has been anecdotal, but I am bringing you a
report that appears to offer proof of how magnets work and
why they can be effective. Do pass it on if you feel it
would be helpful to someone you know.
Wishing you the best of good health- AnnA
In this issue:
CAFFEINE RISK IN PREGNANCY
PROTEIN DIETS, HORMONES AND WEIGHT LOSS
MAGNETIC POWERS?
CAFFEINE RISK IN PREGNANCY
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Caffeine is a stimulant and too much of it can jangle your
nerves and keep you awake, however for pregnant women it can
have a far more serious impact. Caffeine, whether from coffee,
chocolate or sot drinks like colas, has been linked to a higher
risk of miscarriage reported this week by the American Journal
of Obstetrics & Gynaecology.
Even a small amount of caffeine can increase the risk, but if
the daily intake is the equivalent of at least two cups of
coffee or five cans of a soft drink with caffeine, then women
in the study were twice as likely to miscarry as women who
never, or rarely, had any caffeine in their diet. Women who
suffer a lot of nausea in pregnancy, and had a high caffeine
intake, had an even higher risk of miscarriage.
The study was based on 1,063 pregnant women living in the San
Francisco area and confirmed previous studies about the
increased risk of caffeine intake and miscarriage. These
studies found that caffeine crosses the placenta but is
poorly metabolised by the foetus and may influence cell
development and decrease placental blood flow.
To put it into perspective, the risk factor is substantially
elevated if you have over 200mg a day from all sources and a
large mug of 150 mill of coffee contains 100 mg of caffeine.
However, as I have previously mentioned in this newsletter,
caffeine-free doesn't quite mean what it says. It depends on
a number of factors such as what process of decaffeinating
is used and what different manufacturers product requirements
and standards are.
Remember that there is approximately 2mg caffeine in decaf
coffee and hot chocolate and if tea drinkers are not immune
either as there is approximately 39 mg of caffeine in the
average mug of tea.
PROTEIN DIETS, HORMONES AND WEIGHT LOSS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Despite much of the adverse publicity the Atkins Diet has
received over the last year, for many people the proof is
in the pudding - or in this case lack of it. One thing about
Atkins that people consistently say is that they definitely
lose weight and now there may be some scientific proof of
why that is the case.
Atkins is based on a high-protein and low-carbohydrate diet and
now a study at the University of Washington, reported in the
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, explains why
protein is so effective for weight loss.
It seems that proteins are better at suppressing the
appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin than carbohydrates and
lipids,
and this means you feel more satisfied with less food. Ghrelin
is thought to influence hunger around mealtime, the
researchers said, because levels increase before meals and
are suppressed once you start eating. The study also showed
that although carbohydrate intake also initially suppressed
ghrelin levels, it did not last and ghrelin levels quickly
returned to above their baseline values.
This bears out what many Atkins fans claim, that they get
hungrier quicker if they switch to more carbohydrate than
protein in their diets. However, whatever diet you follow
please ensure it contains all the essential nutrients and if
in doubt check with your doctor or a qualified nutritionist.
MAGNETIC POWERS?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many people do believe in the power of magnets and wear
jewellery containing them, or drink magnetised water and
swear by the health benefits. This has always been one of
those areas where those who benefit believe absolutely that
magnets help their condition and many in themedical
establishment thinks it's all in their mind.
Magnets are used to treat joint pains, sports injuries,
backache, muscle soreness and period pain. Magnets have also
been popular with pet owners to help reduce pain in arthritic
joints and Cherie Blair is one of many celebrities who extol
their virtues. Indeed the NHS accountants were so impressed
by the cost-effectiveness of a "magnetic leg wrap" with the
catchy name of '4UlcerCare' that they recommended that
doctors be allowed to prescribe it to patients.
However, cost is not the real issue, it is effectiveness,
and sceptics may now have to eat their words as a new study
has found that magnets can reduce swelling when applied
immediately after an inflammatory injury. As many people
use magnets to treat arthritis, which is certainly an
inflammatory condition, then they can wave the following
study at their Doctor.
Scientist magazine reported this month on work done at the
University of Virginia. In their initial study, researchers
set out to investigate the effect of magnetic therapy on
microcirculation,
which is blood flow through tiny blood
vessels. They placed magnets of 70 milliTesla (mT) field
strength, which is about 10 times the strength of the
common refrigerator magnet, near blood vessels and found
that they dilated constricted blood vessels, and constricted
vessels that were dilated. The results suggested that the
magnetic field could relax blood vessels and increase blood
flow. In a second, more recent, study they used magnets on
simulated tissue injury and found that the magnets
significantly reduced swelling by up to 50 percent when
applied immediately after the injury.
Muscle bruising and joint sprains are the most common
injuries we suffer from, and since injuries that don't swell
heal faster, then magnet therapy could have widespread
applications. It could mean an end to ice packs and
compression to treat injuries because it is the dilation
of blood vessels that is the major cause of swelling, and
research confirms that magnets work by limiting blood flow.
MAGNETS FOR PAIN RELIEF
However, most of the commercial 'costume jewellery' type of
magnets on sale commercially do not have the strength to impact
conditions such as arthritis and you may need to do some
research for yourself to find out what works for you.
This information may help you make a start:
Magnet therapy uses "static" magnets, which are called static
because the resulting magnetic field is unchanging.
DO NOT confuse these with electromagnets, which produce
magnetic fields when an electric current is applied and
SHOULD NOT be used without consultation with a qualified
therapist.
To use static magnets for pain relief, you must find a magnet
of sufficient strength to provide a benefit. In the USA a
natural medicine specialist, Dr Mercola, suggests you can test
this out yourself by placing the magnet next to a piece of
clothing or sock, then placing a paper clip on the other side.
If the magnet is not strong enough to hold the paper clip
through your sock, then it will not penetrate your body either.
Alternatively, you should check out the strength of the magnet
before you buy it. They are typically measured in units called
gauss (G). Simple refrigerator magnets range from 35 to 200 G,
but the magnets that may treat your pain range from 300 to
5,000 G. Some practitioners start with a lower gauss and
gradually move up to a more intense level as necessary.
One of the oldest established family companies dealing in
magnets
is Magnopulse who designed the original magnetic dog collar and
besides pets and horses they have a range of products for humans
too. If you want to contact them they have a freephone number at
0800 977 50 70 or via their website http://www.magno-pulse.com/
where there is a wealth of information for you to download - or
if
you have a holistically minded Doctor then ask them if they
prescribe magnets on the NHS.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope you have found this information useful, and please feel
free to pass it on to others. Remember, I am not a doctor and
cannot give you medical advice, so please always take
appropriate
action by consulting your own medical advisor if you have
concerns about any aspect of your health.
Please feel free to pass on any of this information to your
friends,
or suggest they sign up for the newsletter themselves at the
catalystonline website. Best wishes for a healthier week - AnnA
www.catalystonline.co.uk
www.writeyourlifestory.co.uk
www.procrastinationkiller.co.uk
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