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Healthy News
Archive
MAY /
JUNE
2008
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The Healthy Newsletter from AnnA
Your Weekly Health Prescription - 29 May, 2008
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I am touching on some 'delicate' subjects this week which
I hope you will find interesting as well as perhaps a
little challenging. If you don't already own a juicer,
there are many health benefits associated with drinking
fresh fruit and vegetable juices, and this week I report
on another one as well as an intriguing new potential
use for natural progesterone.
Wishing you the very best of good health - AnnA
In this issue:
- ATTITUDE, ILLNESS AND DEATH
- A DELICATE TOPIC FOR A DELICATE AREA
- JUICE BENEFITS FOR ALZHEIMER'S
- PROGESTERONE FOR HEAD INJURIES?
ATTITUDE, ILLNESS AND DEATH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I know Christmas isn't here yet, but I want to give you
lots of notice of what I think will be a challenging and
fascinating series of talks in the Royal Institution
Christmas science lecture series by Dr Hugh Montgomery.
He is an intensive care doctor, genetics researcher and
Director of the Institute for Human Health and Performance
at University College London and I think a brief 'trailer'
is in order as I think what he has to say is so important
about a topic that is often avoided, certainly by many
doctors.
His lecture series will address what it is about certain
people that enables them to survive starvation, extreme cold,
extreme heat or lack of oxygen. He suggests that genes,
environment and luck all play a part but what he was not
able to tackle in the lectures is the question of the will
to live in medical situations because it is a controversial
topic. So I would like to flag it up here for your
consideration.
Personally, I have given three talks this week; on
procrastination, stress management and alternative health.
The common theme in all of them was how important your
attitude is to your success in life, your health and your
happiness. The British Medical Journal has previously
reported on the fact that a positive attitude prolongs
lifespan and that positive thinkers recover faster from
everyday illnesses and do not suffer from them as much
as do those who have a more negative orpessimistic outlook.
Belief is a powerful thing. Ask anyone working in an
intensive care ward or a hospice and they will tell you
about people who have survived terminal illnesses altogether,
or for longer than anyone could have predicted, and also have
let go and died when given seeming 'permission' from family or
their Doctor to do so. This is something that has long been
privately acknowledged, but not publicly discussed, in the
medical profession; that the 'will to live' or desire to die
can influence a patient's survival.
Dr Montgomery has raised the issue, based on his own experience.
"What I have found again and again is that dying patients hold
on for a loved one to arrive - say for a son to get the visa to
fly to London and see mother in hospital for one last time.
My father, who was unconscious in hospital for the last couple
of days of his life, died at the rare moment when we - my
mother, sisters and me - were in the room at the same time."
I have heard, and experienced myself, this phenomenon and been
told of many similar stories of people'waiting' to go for a
specificevent or person to be present - and sometimes, absent.
As I said, this is a privately acknowledged fact by many doctors
but it is also a controversial one. Dr Montgomery is not
suggesting
that some people who succumb to fatal illnesses may just lack
the
will to survive because it is important not to generalise. He is
also looking at this from a behavioural psychology rather than a
medical viewpoint. What he is saying is that one's mental
attitude
or emotional state can cause fatal illnesses or help one survive
and there is plenty of data to helpsupport that view.
Certainly, we know that stress, often emotionally related,
can cause coronary disease. St John Ambulance can confirm this
in terms of the number of people who have heart attacks at
football matches or majorsporting events. Dr Montgomery
acknowledges
that more work is needed on the notion of the will to live.
"But when you come across, as I often do,two patients who seem
to be in a similar condition and have the same strengths and
weaknesses, but one dies and one lives, I'm convinced there is
a will to live and that it's important in deciding who survives.
"As I am for ever pointing out to people, if you look at
life with a half-full glass attitude then your 'bonus gift'
is to have the potential to live an extra 7.5 years longer
than your half-empty glass neighbour.
Worth thinking about isn't it?
A DELICATE TOPIC FOR A DELICATE AREA
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Assuming that you are like the majority of us, you get into
the shower or bath and go to it with the soap or shower gel
over your entire body. What you may not know is that many
natural
practitioners advise against using soap in the genital area
because
it can cause you problems. Soap should not be used to clean
these
'no-go areas'; the vaginal opening, the tip of the penis, and
the
anal sphincter. Why not? Because regularly applying soap to
these
areas can cause the mucosal lining to become dry and unhealthy
and that in turn can lead to a number of uncomfortable health
conditions. The two most common ones are chronic inflammation
and a greater tendency to experience infections.
So please keep the soap away from those delicate openings and
use it sparingly on the rest of your body. Nature has already
rather cleverly designed your skin so that it is lined with
sebaceous glands that secrete an oily substance called sebum,
which is what keeps your skin waterproof and resistant to
infection by undesirable microorganisms. It's sebum that
prevents soap from drying out skin to a point where significant
health challenges can arise, but the mucosal linings of the
genital
and anal area don't secrete sebum so they don't offer the same
offer
the same protection against the drying effects of soap. So am I
suggesting you don't wash those areas at all? Certainly not, but
just stick to using warm or hot water - the continental use of a
bidet
has a lot to recommend it. You may never have experienced any
problems
with using soap, but if someone is particularly sensitive to
infection
or inflammation then it is advice worth passing on.
JUICE BENEFITS FOR ALZHEIMER'S
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A recently concluded study which investigated Alzheimer's
disease
in older Japanese populations living in Japan, Hawaii and
Seattle,
has found that
people who drank fruit and vegetable juices more than three
times
a week had a 76 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer's
disease
than those who drank juice less than once per week.
This ten-year study was based on the fact that there is a very
low
incidence rate of Alzheimer's disease in the Japanese population
in their native country, but when Japanese people in the USA
were
studied they were found to have almost the same incidence rates
as
Americans have. Obviously this indicates that environmental
factors
like diet and lifestyle are important contributors to disease
risk,
but that the benefit of drinking juice was most apparent in
those
people who carry the genetic marker linked to late-onset
Alzheimer's
disease -- the most common form of the disease, which typically
occurs
after the age of 65.
Further research is being done on exactly what types of juice
that would
bring most benefit but from a natural healing viewpoint the most
likely
would seem to be pomegranate, cherry, red grape juice, red wine
and fresh
juiced vegetables. The researchers say that their findings are
not yet
conclusive so cannot be guaranteed to prevent Alzheimer's but
common sense
would indicate that freshly juiced fruit and vegetables have all
their
essential minerals, vitamins and enzymes and would certainly
improve overall
health generally if not Alzheimer's specifically.
PROGESTERONE FOR HEAD INJURIES?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Staying in the Eastern Hemisphere but moving to Hangzhou in
China for
some interesting new research on the use of progesterone. I am
very
familiar with this natural hormone being used to treat
osteoporosis and
alleviate menopause symptoms, but Guomin Xiao, M.D., of Zhejiang
University, has been doing a trial on treating head injury
patients with
injections of progesterone.
What was found was that less-severely brain-injured patients had
almost a
50 per cent better chance of survival and better function after
six months
of treatment. Progesterone appeared to have little or no other
effect
during the acute phase but the main effect was seen during the
recovery
period after the patient had been discharged.
Although interesting, this was only a small study of 153
patients and
further research is needed. However, certainly one of the
benefits of
progesterone as I have seen it used is to help alleviate
depression, so
it makes sense to see it extended to other brain function
issues. Other
medical research has previously found that the hormone aids in
neuronal
development and protects brain function in animal experiments.
Please Note:
Natural progesterone is not available in the UK without a
prescription as
it is regulated as a natural medicine, although it is perfectly
legal to
buy it outside the UK and import it for your own use. Anyone
wanting
further information on how to obtain natural progesterone can
email me
directly and I will do my best to help you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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
website.
Best wishes for a healthier week - AnnA
www.catalystonline.co.uk or email anna@creativecatalyst.co.uk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Healthy Newsletter from AnnA
Your Weekly Health Prescription - 21 May, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A very 'natural' issue this week with help for high blood
pressure, a warning on fizzy drinks and a bizarre new use for
broccoli to tempt you.
Whatever you are doing this week, enjoy a healthy and happy bank
holiday and may I wish you the best of good health - AnnA
In this issue:
- BELLY LAUGHS AND BLOOD PRESSURE
- RIPE FRUIT = MORE ANTIOXIDANTS
- NATURALLY BETTER - NEW FOOD PRESERVATIVE FROM OZ
- BROCCOLI JUICE AS SUNSCREEN?
BELLY LAUGHS AND BLOOD PRESSURE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I was a child a day trip to Blackpool was a highlight of
the
summer holidays and my favourite thing was to go to the funfair
and
stand in front of an enormous machine called the Laughing
Policeman.
You put your penny in the slot (it was a long time ago), and the
large
animated figure would rock back and forth consumed by laughter.
It was contagious: you couldn't stand there, or be within six
feet of it,
without joining in. Evidently that was my first experience of
knowing
just what was good for me, and the foundation of my later career
as a
health writer! Now it seems that the Laughing Policeman's
inventor was
a man who knew not just how to make people feel good, but was
also
unwittingly helping them lower their blood pressure too.
Now a wonderful piece of research from India has shown that when
200 workers at an IT call-centre in Mumbai, India, were given
20-minute
laugh-yoga sessions they had significant reductions in both
systolic
and diastolic blood pressure. I imagine that working in any call
centre must
be very stressful, and so this could be an ideal - and economic
- way to
increase the health of the workers. The study was reported by Dr
Madan
Kataria to the American Society of Hypertension and if you want
to
emulate it, then the laughter therapy involved breathing
exercises along
with laughter that starts as a gentle "hee, hee, hee" and builds
to a raucous
"ha, ha, ha." Apparently it's the full out belly laugh that
really makes the
difference. I can hear the voice of the Laughing Policeman
echoing across
the years in full agreement.
Of course you could always call in an expert, and I happen to
know one.
Anne McDonald actually follows the work of Dr Kataria and is
based a
little bit nearer to us in Dublin. She is a qualified 'laughologist'
if you need
one in your place of work and I can highly recommend her, though
you
may have a stitch in your side for several hours afterwards from
being
overcome by a strong case of hysterics. If you want to contact
her, visit
her website at http://www.mcdonaldcoaching.com/ for a wealth of
delights, including her own artwork.
RIPE FRUIT = MORE ANTIOXIDANTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As someone who has never been in favour of 'crunchy' fruit and
been
told often by nutritionists that too ripe fruit was bad for me
as it upped
my sugar levels too high, I am delighted to report that there is
an upside
to fruit that are fully ripened.
Apparently, as pears and apples ripen, the chlorophyll in the
peel is
replaced by an antioxidant known as nonfluorescing chlorophyll
catabolytes (NCCs), not a very catchy name, but according to a
new
study conducted by researchers from the University of Innsbruck,
Austria, it has the benefit of upping the antioxidant level of
the fruit.
Chlorophyll is the chemical that makes plants' leaves green and
enables
them to convert sunlight into energy. When a leaf dies, the
chlorophyll
begins to decay and the leaf loses its green color. This may
happen because
of age or injury, so I shudder to think what state the Jolly
Green Giant is
in as he got his name in 1925 when the US General Food Company
thought it would help kids eat more vegetables, by frightening
them into
it presumably, and has been around on their canned vegetable
labels ever
since.
The decay of chlorophyll in fruit appears to be linked not to
death,
but to ripening. In apples and pears, chlorophyll in and just
below the peel
breaks down into NCCs as the fruit ripens. NCCs are only the
most
recent antioxidant to be identified in fruit and according to
the
researchers, the presence of NCCs in ripe fruit have a definite
antioxidant effect, and this suggests that they may have an
important
nutritional effect in animals that regularly eat fruit. That
would be us
and the chimpanzees, so I can now have a good reason for
avoiding the
crunchy conference pears and heading straight for the luscious
Italian
dessert varieties.
NATURALLY BETTER - NEW FOOD PRESERVATIVE FROM OZ
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Concerns have been raised over the past few years about the
safety of
E211, known as sodium benzoate, a preservative used for decades
by the
carbonated drinks industry. Sodium benzoate derives from benzoic
acid
and occurs naturally in berries, but is used in large quantities
to
prevent mould in soft drinks, pickles and sauces. Sodium
benzoate has been
linked to cancer concerns because when mixed with the additive
vitamin
C in soft drinks, it causes benzene, a carcinogenic substance. A
Food S
tandards Agency survey of benzene in drinks last year found high
levels
in four brands which were removed from sale, but there was then
found
to be another problem.
Professor Peter Piper, a professor of molecular biology and
biotechnology
and expert in ageing at Sheffield University, has been working
on s
odium benzoate since publishing a research paper in 1999. He
tested
the impact of sodium benzoate on living yeast cells in his
laboratory and
found that the benzoate was damaging an important area of DNA in
the "power station" of cells known as the mitochondria. He told
The
Independent on Sunday in an interview that, "These chemicals
have the
ability to cause severe damage to DNA in the mitochondria to the
point
that they totally inactivate it: they knock it out altogether."
Professor Piper's main concern though is for adults, and
particularly
children, who consume large amounts of fizzy drinks. A review of
sodium
benzoate by the World Health Organisation in 2000 concluded that
it was
safe, but it noted that the available science supporting its
safety was
"limited". Professor Piper, whose work has been funded by a
government
research council, said tests conducted by the US Food and Drug
Administration were out of date. "By the criteria of modern
safety testing,
the safety tests were inadequate. Like all things, safety
testing moves
forward and you can conduct a much more rigorous safety test
than you
could 50 years ago." The makers of the major soft drink brands,
and
the British Soft Drinks Association, said they entrusted the
safety of
additives to the Government. So needless to say most sensible
people
have a right to feel worried.
Help may be at hand though from an Australian inventor who has
developed a blend of native Australian herbs that he says
functions as
an effective preservative for food and drink and that can be
used to
replace artificial preservatives such as sodium benzoate. Vic
Cherikoff's
product Herbal-Active is marketed as an inhibitor of bacteria
and
surface mould growth, and as a flavouring agent. He researched a
number
of native Australian herbs and developed a blend that is 30
times more
effective as a preservative than the sum of all the plants put
together.
Because he cannot afford to patent the blend, Cherikoff says, he
will
not reveal which herbs are being used, but that all of them are
native
culinary herbs and are either wild-harvested or grown on organic
plantations.
Because all the ingredients in Herbal-Active are already
culinary herbs,
the product can be listed as "herbal extracts" in ingredients
lists, and
products using it can bear a "preservative-free" label. It has
already
been bought and used by a university in South Wales, which runs
a small
dairy. The herbal preservative is used to keep their cheeses
from spoiling
due to exposure to the yeast from a nearby vineyard. Apparently
Herbal-Active
does not affect lactic acid bacteria, meaning that it can be
used as a
preservative in fermented meat and dairy products without
interfering
with those products' probiotic effects. He may be able to apply
for that
patent soon because it now seems that a major juice company is
testing
Herbal-Active for potential use.
BROCCOLI JUICE AS SUNSCREEN?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As my friends will testify, vegetables and I are not on very
intimate terms
and broccoli is something I avoid at all costs. But I may change
my mind
because of it's newly discovered potential as a sunscreen.
Apparently an
extract made from broccoli boosts the body's natural ability to
defend
against the sun's ultraviolet rays that cause skin cancer.
According to a
study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in
the USA,
an extract of broccoli sprouts contains high levels of
sulforaphane and
gives substantial protection. Co-leader of the study, Paul
Talalay, first
discovered in 1992 that broccoli is rich in a naturally
occurring plant
compound called sulforaphane. While all cruciferous vegetables
(such
as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, kale,
mustard, turnip,
radish and watercress) contain it to a certain degree, the
concentration
is highest in three-day-old sprouts of the broccoli plant.
Sulforaphane has the effect of activating cells' production of
what are
known as "phase 2 enzymes." One such enzyme, glutathione S-transferase,
has been shown to neutralize the DNA-damaging compounds produced
by the skin produces when struck by ultraviolet radiation. It
also appears
to reduce inflammation, which can cause precancerous growths to
transform into full-blown cancerous tumors. Only a very small (6
person)
trial has been done on this but they are enthusiastic about
developing a
new sunscreen product as many of the commercial products contain
chemicals
that are themselves potentially carcinogenic. However, unless
they can get broccoli juice to smell more pleasant (I may not
eat many
vegetables but I do juice them) it will be no competition to my
preferred
choice which is the all-natural organic sun range from Annemarie
Borlind
that I mentioned in the last newsletter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Healthy Newsletter from AnnA
Your Weekly Health Prescription - 14 May, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yet another study into chocolate reported on this week,
and a chance to participate if you qualify! Good news
on diet for diabetics, and for women interested in natural
cosmetics, I have arranged with a good friend of mine for
you to have a chance to try their amazing foundations and
lipsticks for free - anyone can apply, so cheapskate/caring
husbands can order it for their wivesand wrap it in nice
paper with a bow!
Wishing you the best of good health - AnnA
In this issue:
- A CHOCOLATE A DAY KEEPS WOMEN'S HEART ATTACKS AWAY?
- COULD DIABETICS AND OTHERS BENEFIT FROM GRAPE SKINS?
- FORMALDEHYDE - IS IT KILLING YOU?
- BEAUTY QEEN - NATURALLY, WITH FREE SAMPLES!
A CHOCOLATE A DAY KEEPS WOMEN'S HEART ATTACKS AWAY?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The University of East Anglia is conducting a study on the
health benefits of chocolate, specifically relating to risk
of heart disease in women. In the first clinical trial of
its kind, the researchers at UEA will be asking postmenopausal
women with type 2 diabetes to eat a specially formulated
chocolate bar which has been developed with the help of a
Belgian chocolatier for this study. It will provide a higher
dose of the protective compounds in cocoa than found in
standard chocolate and to maximise the potential benefits,
soy has also been added. Soy is another great source of
flavonoids, which have been shown to benefit the heart-
health of women. This is particularly important for women
over 50, because the hormonal changes at that time means
that deaths due to heart disease increase rapidly after
the menopause, and having type 2 diabetes increases this
risk by a further three-and-a-half times.
According to Professor Aedin Cassidy, the lead researcher and
Professor of Diet and Health at UEA, "Despite postmenopausal
women being at a similar risk to men for developing
cardiovascular
disease, to date they are under-represented in clinical trials.
We hope to show that adding flavonoids to their diets will
provide additional protection from heart disease and give
women the opportunity to take more control over reducing
their risk of heart disease in the future." Funded by
Diabetes UK, I would have thought the health benefits of
chocolate had been thoroughly explored, certainly by me on
a regular basis, but if any of you are still in doubt: per
ounce, chocolate has more antioxidants than fruit, vegetables,
tea or wine, with dark chocolate having twice the antioxidants
of milk chocolate but you will get the most benefit, as usual,
from eating organic. Looks like sales of Green & Black's organic
chocolate bars is set to rise!
Interested in taking part? The researchers at UEA are recruiting
150 women under the age of 70 who have type 2 diabetes and have
not
had a period for at least one year (and are not taking HRT). If
you
fit the profile you will also need to have been prescribed
cholesterol lowering drugs (statins) for at least one year.
To find out more, or to volunteer, please telephone 01603 288570
and ask for Andrea Brown (study nurse) or Dr Peter Curtis (study
co-ordinator) or email FLAVO@uea.ac.uk.
COULD DIABETICS AND OTHERS BENEFIT FROM GRAPE SKINS?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As a follow-on from the previous item, this might also be of
interest to diabetics and their families. A recently published
paper in the science journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism
has reported on new research carried out by scientists at the
Peninsula Medical School in the South West of England, which
has found that resveratrol, a compound present naturally in
grape skin, can protect against the cellular damage to blood
vessels caused by high production of glucose in diabetes.
Patients with diabetes have elevated levels of glucose that
circulate in the blood and which cause both micro- and macro-
vascular complications by damaging the mitochondria. These are
the tiny power plants within cells responsible for generating
energy and when they are damaged they can leak electrons and
make highly damaging 'free radicals'. Serious complications can
arise when this happens, including kidney disease, heart disease
and retinopathy - which if left untreated can lead to blindness.
Resveratrol stops the damage by helping cells make protective
enzymes to prevent the leakage of electrons and the production
of
the toxic 'free radicals'. By including grapes in your diet, and
other sources such as seeds, peanuts and red wine you could be
helping prevent vascular damage caused by hyperglycemia in the
future.
OTHER HEALTH BENEFITS
You know how you take grapes to patients in hospitals? Well if
you
take them red grapes the resveratrol in the skin has also been
shown
to help with other health issues. For instance, if you have the
flu,
then resveratrol has been shown to prevent the continued
reproduction of the flu virus if taken within six hours of the
first
infection. It has been shown to be anticarcinogenic, and there
is
also growing evidence that it can also protect the heart. It
does
this in several ways: inhibits platelet aggregation, the
proliferation of smooth-muscle cells, and the oxidation of
LDL-cholesterol. So don't ask 'Beulah, peel me a grape', as
Mae West famously said, but insist she keeps the skins on!
FORMALDEHYDE - IS IT KILLING YOU?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Say formaldehyde and most people automatically think of the
embalming process, of which it is a primary ingredient, but
you would amazed at where else it turns up. Formaldehyde, is
a toxin and carcinogen and is also one of the most common
ingredients in many household items, from furniture to bedding.
These items can give off formaldehyde fumes that are harmful to
our health and lead to developing symptoms such as asthma, eye
and skin irritation, headaches, wheezing and coughing.
Formaldehyde is a tissue preservative, and it is the chemical's
very toxic nature that makes it so effective at that as it
quickly kills bacteria or fungi that might otherwise begin the
process of decomposition. Unfortunately, it is also an
ingredient
in a wide variety of resins used to make permanent adhesives for
plywood and carpeting, so you find it in present in furniture
and
building materials (particularly those made with pressed wood
products) and certain moulded plastics.
Like a crease-free existence? Well formaldehyde resins are used
to make textiles wrinkle-resistant and can be found in
everything
from curtains to sheets and clothing. Where else will you find
them?
** dishwashing liquids
** fabric softeners
** carpet cleaners
** glues
** cardboard and paper products
** wallpaper and certain latex paints.
** cosmetics including nail polish and nail hardener
If you like to leave your engine running in the garage or on the
drive near your home, then be aware that the exhaust from cars,
lawnmowers and other combustion engines contain not only the
formaldehyde, but other toxic chemicals as well.
Although formaldehyde gas is colourless, it has a sharp and
distinctive odour at high concentrations, but at much lower
concentrations is unlikely to be obviously noticeable. If it
worries you, this link takes you to a UK supplier of a home
testing kit -
www.hannainst.co.uk/acatalog/HI_3838_Formaldehyde_test_kit.html
AND ANOTHER REASON TO AVOID ASPARTAME!
Millions of people actually are absorbing formaldehyde in their
diet soft drinks. It's true: formaldehyde is one of the chemical
byproducts of aspartame breakdown in soft drinks if they are
stored at incorrect temperatures - this generally is over 95Fl
when the chemical sweetener aspartame begins to break down,
forming small amounts of formaldehyde right in the can, which
when swallowed becomes a potent neurotoxin. You may say you only
keep your diet drinks in the fridge, but you have no control
over
their storage before they get to you, or if they are taken out
as
part of a picnic and left in the sun.
Aspartame is currently responsible for 75% of all consumer
complaints to the FDA in the States and why I am so adamantly
against diet drinks. Not only do they not work, your body is not
'fooled' by the chemical sweetener and often sends you off
looking for real sugar to compensate, but aspartame has been
linked to seizures, blindness, fuzzy vision, headaches and other
neurological disorders. A healthy alternative is to use half
fruit juice and half water, preferably still but if not then go
for a less gassy alternative such as Badoit if you want that
sparkle and fizz.
BEAUTY QUEEN - NATURALLY, WITH FREE SAMPLES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I must declare an interest here, I have been using the natural
skincare range from German organic company Annemarie Borlind for
many years and have never found anything better. They are free
of
every single irritating ingredient, wholly natural and - best of
all - incredibly effective. I just got information from them
about
their new suncare range, which I highly recommend, particularly
for the dynamic duo of very effective sun protection and
incredible skin care no matter how sensitive your skin is.
However, that is not what I wanted to tell you about. They have
reformulated their cosmetic range and it is amazing, nothing
'worthy' about it, this is glamour all the way. In fact, it is
so good they are offering you the chance to try it free. You
will get a tester containing generous amounts of two shades of
their fluid foundation, two flattering lip colours and a lip
brush.
And the beauty queen bit? No I didn't make it up, but at the
2008 Miss Germany final professional makeup artists from the
famous Face Academy made up the 22 contestants with the new
Natural Caring colours from Annemarie Borlind. The eventual
winner, Kim Valerie Voight, looked radiant even when surrounded
by photographers, journalists, television and radio teams.
It showed that natural beauty cosmetics can cope with a high
pressure, glamorous event, as well as being the perfect everyday
makeup for the rest of us leading less exalted lives! All their
products have dermatologically confirmed skin compatibility, so
grab your chance to look at your best, for free.
Contact Jane Moore at Simply Nature, the importers of AnneMarie
Borlind in the UK, by emailing her at jane@simply-nature.co.uk
or
visit the website for more information www.simply-nature.co.uk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Healthy Newsletter from AnnA
Your Weekly Health Prescription - 7 May, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wasn't it wonderful to have a bank holiday full of sunshine?
Everyone's mood seemed lighter and all that vitamin D was doing
us so much good. I had a friend visiting and had a very English
'traditional' bank holiday Monday as we sat on the beach and ate
fish and chips - not an ideal everyday diet, but as a great and
occasional treat. It's one of my abiding health principles: eat
what you enjoy in moderation and don't get obsessed about any
particular diet or food. Balance is the key, and I hope your
Bank Holiday weekend brought you as much simple pleasure as
mine did.
Wishing you the best of good health - AnnA
In this issue:
- MRSA - DON'T DEPEND ON YOUR DOCTOR
- ALWAYS TIRED? CHECK YOUR THYROID
- SIMPLE FASTING CAN REDUCE CHEMOTHERAPY EFFECT
- DIY ALTERNATIVES TO BUTTER
MRSA - DON'T DEPEND ON YOUR DOCTOR
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We tend to put a lot of faith in our doctors, we believe they
know
they more than we do and have access to greater information and
resources. All of which can be true, but I would like to return
you
to one of the basic principles of good health: you are your own
best first resource, certainly in terms of your everyday
well-being.
The better you take care of yourself, the better able you are to
monitor potential illnesses by being aware of the warning signs
and paying attention to good old fashioned virtues like getting
enough sleep, eating and drinking sensibly, taking regular
exercise
and finally, and most importantly,not ignoring basic rules of
hygiene.
MRSA is now a real problem for all of us, and I was horrified to
read that in a recent survey an amazing 1 in 5 GPs admitted
that they had poor knowledge of the MRSA superbug and how to
treat
it. This is not because they are too busy to read the
information
they are being given, because the other staggering statistic
that
emerged was that 62% of doctors had not received any information
on what to do if they suspected somebody had the bug. As a woman
with a long memory, I looked up an item I wrote about four years
ago where it was reported on 04 November 2004 that more than one
million NHS staff were to get MRSA prevention training,
presumably
they haven't got round to the poor old GP's yet.
As MRSA is usually passed on by human contact, often from our
hands, there is the most simple of preventive acts you can take.
Supermarket shelves now offer a number of different
anti-bacterial
and anti-microbial sprays and gels for you to carry with you -
and
they are a good second stage of protection, but the first is to
be
totally vigilant about washing your hands. Not just after using
the bathroom, but always before you have any contact with food
or
drink. One of most common ways to pick up a bug is from using a
handrail on a staircase in a public area such as the
underground,
on a bus or in a theatre - most people either hold on as they
walk
up and down, or just touch it lightly for extra balance and
security.
That is where bugs can be passed - not by direct contact with
someone else but the indirect contact from the skin of the
hands.
It's not rocket science, it's what we were taught as children,
but regularly and thoroughly washing your hands it could help
prevent
you being affected by a very unpleasant bug indeed.
ALWAYS TIRED? CHECK YOUR THYROID
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We all get tired from time to time, but if you feel your energy
levels are on a permanent low and you tend to nod off the minute
you are sitting quietly without doing anything then you might
have
a thyroid malfunction. Your head is a very sensitive indicator
of
thyroid hormone status so if it feels heavy or tired, especially
in the afternoon that might alert you to a potential problem
here.
Apart from the symptoms above, you may also notice
forgetfulness,
depression, constipation, changes in weight and appetite,
greater
sensitivity to cold, dry, rough or scaly skin, dry, tangled hair
and hair loss, particularly from the outer part of your
eyebrows,
and brittle nails.
The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped, gland that produces
the
hormones that influence virtually every organ, tissue and cell
in
your body. Your doctor can carry out a simple test to see if
your
thyroid isn't working properly, but they often prescribe the use
of synthetic thyroid hormone. If you think you might be at risk,
it could be worth trying some alternative methods first to see
if
they make a difference.
Natural Methods to Restore Your Thyroid:
As usual, it starts with a healthy diet, and you need to ensure
you have adequate amounts of iodine and selenium, which provide
the
raw materials for your thyroid gland to work better. Natural
food
sources of iodine include cod, tinned tuna in oil, milk, eggs,
baked potatoes (eat the skin) and turkey breast.
Selenium can be found in many of our foodstuffs including
garlic,
broccoli, onions, walnuts, brazil nuts, salmon, halibut, brown
rice, chicken breast meat, wholemeal bread, and milk.
The next key element is to include plenty of omega-3 fats not
least because the human brain is more than 60% structural fat,
just as your muscles are made of protein and your bones are made
of calcium. But it's not just any fat that our brains are made
of,
and unfortunately we tend to eat far more of the man-made trans-
fats and excessive amounts of saturated fats and vegetable oils
high in Omega-6 fatty acids, all of which interfere which our
body's attempt to utilize the tiny amount of Omega-3 fats that
it
gets. This is particularly important for children as if they do
not have sufficient Omega-3 essential fatty acids they are
significantly more likely to be hyperactive, have learning
disorders, and to display behavioural problems.
So what should you be eating to get good levels of omega-3?
Not dissimilar to some of the good iodine sources, you need flax
seed oil and walnuts, then organic meat, fish, olive oil, fruits
and green leafy vegetables.
Finally, get sufficient sleep, and in a completely dark bedroom,
and tackle any stress in your life. The vast majority of
people's
thyroid glands become impaired as a result of weak adrenal
glands,
due particularly to emotional stress, and the thyroid gland
tries
to compensate for this and eventually just gives up and stops
working.
SIMPLE FASTING CAN REDUCE CHEMOTHERAPY EFFECTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is one of the basic tenets of naturopathy that regular
fasting
will aid your body's own natural defence systems to be activated
as
it is cleansed of toxins. It usually involves eating no solid
food
and drinking only water for periods from a day to a week or
longer,
but only under supervision, though some fasts may involve eating
just fruit - usually grapes.
Researchers at the University of Southern California have just
discovered a new benefit of fasting that is of huge interest to
anyone undergoing chemotherapy. Whilst undertaking anti-ageing
research they discovered that certain stressors activate a
protective "shield mode" in healthy cells.
What stresses the body most? Certainly being starved is one of
the major ones and what the US researchers are suggesting is
that
if cancer patients fast for two days before chemotherapy that
may
set in motion a protective reaction in healthy cells, guarding
them from some of the more unpleasant and toxic side effects.
Cancer patients are often given drugs like Procrit to prevent
such
side effects so this more natural method would certainly be
worth trying.
Also, although it is not 'news' as such, it might be worth
reminding you that homeopathy also has a lot to offer here.
Radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments for cancer can have
significant side effects and homoeopathy has been shown to be
useful in terms of emotional support, reduction of anxiety and
depression and in the treatment of the side effects from
chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery.
Remedies for various treatments for cancer can be obtained from
a homoepathic practitioner or by mail order from Ainsworth's in
Wigmore Street in London or from Galen, a practice I use in
Dorchester, who make their own tablets and have a good free
advice service. If you want to contact them ring 01305 263996.
DIY ALTERNATIVES TO BUTTER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you are looking to have less dairy in your diet, but don't
want synthetic margarines and spreads with their additives, you
could always make up a healthy option yourself that will be full
of healthy fatty acids, good cholesterol, and vitamin A. You can
buy 'olive oil' spread in the supermarket, but this version is
much better for you =- and very easy to make.
Olive Butter Recipe
Whisk sea salt and extra-virgin olive oil together in a small
bowl. Pour mixture into a small container and freeze for 4
hours,
or until solid. Use like normal butter - but keep it in a jar in
the fridge and it will keep for several months if stored in the
freezer. You can of course add other flavours such as garlic or
herb for savoury use.
If you want something different, and think you might have a low
thyroid function then this recipe for coconut butter might be
just
the thing. Because of its potential ability to speed up
metabolism,
coconut oil is good for people with sluggish thyroid glands, as
well as for anyone who find it difficult to shed unwanted
weight.
Coconut Butter
Ingredients: 1/4 cup cocunut oil (solid form) and 1 tablespoon
light miso. Use a spoon or fork to thoroughly mix miso with
coconut oil, again store in the fridge and will stay fresh for
two months if kept in the freezer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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
|
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Healthy Newsletter from AnnA
Your Weekly Health Prescription - 26 June, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Consumer pressure really can have an effect, check
out the first story if you don't believe me, and
if you value your hair - and your health - then
discover what natural means when it is applied to a
shampoo. I spend half my life travelling and using
wireless internet so I was concerned when I came
across a report linking it to health problems and
not so good news about laptops which also caused me
some dismay - see if you agree. Finally some news
that may surprise you about the role of the hormone
progesterone fora healthy mind.
Wishing you the best of good health - AnnA
In this issue:
- COLA COMPANIES UNDER PRESSURE WORLDWIDE
- HOW NATURAL IS YOUR SHAMPOO?
- ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO WIRELESS INTERNET?
- PROGESTERONE'S ROLE IN MENTAL HEALTH
COLA COMPANIES UNDER PRESSURE WORLDWIDE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The UK has led the way for a group of consumer
organisations from 20 different countries to issue
a public call for soft drink giants Coca-Cola and
Pepsi to stop marketing directly to children. With
24% of the US population now defined as obese, this
is clearly a problem and sugared, carbonated drinks
add sweet fuel to the fire.
Letters pointing out the dangers of products containing
high amounts of sugar or caffeine to children under the
age of 16 have been sent out worldwide to the drinks
giants and their subsidiaries. The products being targeted
include not just colas but also sweetened juices, sports
drinks and teas and they want them also removed from
being offered or sold in schools.
In addition, they want the companies to prominently
label the front of all such products with the number
of calories per serving, and to limit their sponsorship
of sports and health programmes.
New regulations in the UK have banned the advertising
of junk food on television to children under the age of
16, and there is agreement on a voluntary pledge by
major food companies to stop advertising those foods to
children under the age of 12. Ten companies have signed
up to this so far,including Coke and Pepsi,in an effort
to avoid being faced with potentially stricter compulsory
regulations.
The groups involved in issuing the new set of demands
say that Coke and Pepsi's marketing efforts contribute
to increasing obesity levels, especially in children.
The Mexican group, El Poder del Consumidor, are
particularly concerned that many of the drink company
ads are misleading. For instance, in Mexico a campaign
was run for a Coca Cola-sponsored nutrition campaign
that promoted drinking Coca-Cola as a good way to
rehydrate after exercise.
HOW NATURAL IS YOUR SHAMPOO?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Over the last few years shampoos have strived to
impress us with the naturalness of their ingredients.
If you believe the ads they are all hand-harvested in
the Amazonian rainforests and you are getting an amazing
variety of herbs, flowers and probably a pounding waterfall
or at least a fast flowing river to go along with it. What
they don't tell you is that you are also getting in there
an amazing cocktail of chemicals - the word 'natural' is
one of the most misleading in advertising.
It is estimated by the consumer watchdog group Proof
that around 93 per cent of all shampoos currently on
the market contain chemicals that are linked to cancer
or other health problems. So just becasue your favourite
brand contains herbs or is organic doesn't necessarily
mean it is innocent of chemicals. As ever, read the label
and try to avoid the following ingredients:
- lauryl sulphates: are the most potentially carcinogenic
compounds found in many personal care products
- PEG (polyethylene glycol): this is what gives you
that nice foam that makes you think your shampoo is
doing a good job. These 'foaming agents' often contain
the carcinogens dioxane and ethylene oxide, which have
been linked to leukaemia, and brain, uterine and breast
cancers
- Propylene glycol: you find this chemical in your
anti-freeze and in a shampoo it rapidly penetrates the
skin. It's been associated with liver and kidney damage,
and central nervous system problems.
It is especially important to be vigilant when buying
products for babies and children as a high concentration
of lauryl sulphates has been found in a shampoo that's
specially marketed to children, and labelled as being
'extra gentle'.
Simply Nature have a good PEG-free shampoo you can find
on their website at http://www.simply-nature.co.uk or get your
reading glasses out for that very small print on the
bottles in the supermarket or your local chemist!
ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO WIRELESS INTERNET?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today wi-fi is everywhere with many cafes and pubs
offering a free connection service so it has never
been easier to access the internet while on the move.
However, it may not be without its health hazards.
Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Syndrome (EHS) is a
condition in which people are highly sensitive to
electromagnetic fields and in an area such as a wireless
hotspot, they experience pain or other symptoms.
Symptoms can include headache, fatigue, nausea,
burning and itchy skin, and muscle aches and because
there is such a variety of symptoms - and how widely
their effects vary from one person to another -
experts are divided about the validity of such claims.
There have been more than 30 studies to determine what
link the condition has to exposure to electromagnetic
fields from sources such as radar dishes, mobile phone
signals and Wi-Fi hotspots but claims that there is
such a thing as EHS is still viewed with scepticism by
most scientists and medical professionals.
Sweden is among those countries that do take it seriously,
and they even have an official association for the
electronically sensitive that produces and distributes
educational literature to raise awareness about the
phenomenon around the world. In the UK, Mast Action is
doing similar work and there are signs that acceptance
is spreading, especially in Europe. Just last week, the
French magazine Connexion reported that four libraries
in Paris have turned off the WiFi connections they
installed at the end of 2007 after staff claimed they
were causing health problems.
Why is WiFi Potentially Worse than Other Radiation?
Electomagnetic fields are all around us from power
lines, televisions, household electrical wiring,
appliances and microwaves. Then you have the information
-carrying radio waves of cell phones, cell phone towers
and wireless internet connections. WiFi is a kind of
radio wave that operates at either 2.4 or 5 gigahertz -
slightly higher than your cell phone. Since they're
designed to allow for transmission of very large amounts
of data, WiFi radio waves also emit greater amounts
electromagnetic radiation.
Who is most at risk?
If you are highly sensitive to chemicals, have chronic
fatigue syndrome, and have experienced mercury toxicity
from dental amalgams then you are more at risk. Logically,
this makes sense as your nervous system is a primary site
impacted by both chemicals and electromagnetic fields.
And if your nervous system has been damaged from toxic
exposures you may also be more susceptible to EHS as well.
Common symptoms of EHS include:
1. skin itch/rash/flushing/burning, and/or tingling
2. confusion/poor concentration, and/or memory loss
3. fatigue and weakness
4. headache
5. chest pain and heart problems
6. Less commonly reported symptoms include:
nausea
panic attacks
insomnia
seizures
ear pain/ringing in the ears
feeling a vibration
paralysis
dizziness
Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt is convinced that there
is a real problem here as he believes that it's
possible that some 50 percent of chronic infections
are caused, and/or aggravated, by electromagnetic
field exposure, leading to syndromes like chronic
fatigue, fibromyalgia and other chronic pain syndromes.
Why Your Laptop May be More Harmful than Your PC
If you have ever worked on a laptop for some time,
you will know that one of their drawbacks is that
they get pretty hot, apparently due to the size of the
casing and fans that are built into them - the new
Apple Air notebook is so thin you can't imagine how
there is room in there for the hard drive, let along
fan - but that's another story. Apparently, as your
laptop heats up, the circuitry board out-gasses metals
such as beryllium, and as the plastic warms it out-gasses
flame retardants like PBDE, all of which adds to your
toxic load.
The suggestion is that you only use your laptop
short-term, such as when travelling, which is no
help to me as that is what I do more of than anything
else. However, one practical idea is that you position
a desk fan near your laptop and adjust it so that is
blowing air away from where you sit. The exact opposite
in fact to what we normally do. Let's hope the summer
doesn't get too hot!
What can you do?
Well apart from investing in a fan if you have a laptop,
it's important to have as uncontaminated a diet as possible
to reduce your toxic load. Try having a day a week when you
allow your system to detox by drinking only water and eating
only fruit, if that's not possible then aim for once a month
or as often as you can manage. Two other factors that play
a vital role here are: sleeping well and getting plenty of
sensible sun exposure.
Why? Because sleep and sunlight have a direct impact on
your melatonin levels, and melatonin is actually one of
the most potent detox agents that eliminate metals from
your brain naturally.
Increasing your melatonin production can be done in three ways:
1.Sleeping in absolute darkness
2.Getting at least an hour of safe exposure to bright
daylight each day
3. Reducing the electro-pollution in your bedroom by
removing as many electrical devices as you can. This
would include your television, electric alarm clock,
cordless and wireless phones.
Don't believe me? Well a 1997 Australian Senate Discussion
Paper found that even low level (12 milliGauss) exposure to
50-60 hertz electromagnetic fields can significantly reduce
your melatonin production.
PROGESTERONE'S ROLE IN MENTAL HEALTH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last week I talked about testosterone and this week there
is more news on the hormone front - but this time about
progesterone. This is one of the key reproductive hormones
in women, but it also has a host of other functions; one of
the most important being it's effect on brain chemistry and
function. Dr. John Lee, the American pioneer of natural
progesterone usage for osteoporosis, once was quoted as
saying famously said that if anyone in his family had a
brain injury, he would slather them with progesterone cream.
He said that over ten years ago, and as ever he was ahead
of his time, as new research has vindicated what must have
seemed a completely lunatic idea.
Sadly Dr Lee was not given the respect of his peers, but
I was privileged to host several seminars for him in London
and he was certainly one of the most generous and compassionate
of men, as the many thousands of women who benefited from his
research have proved. He has been vindicated on the brain
chemistry front by a fellow doctor working in an ER department
and who saw a lot of saw a lot of head injuries. He was curious
about why brain injuries were worse in men than in women,
and got approval to do a study in which brain injury patients
were given injections of progesterone when they arrived in the
ER. His research showed that those who received the progesterone
did significantly better than those who didn't and later studies
have also shown the same result.
Around the same time, researchers discovered that progesterone
was a key component of the myelin sheath that protects or
insulates the nerves-so important in fact that progesterone
is made in the myelin sheath. Other research showed that
progesterone stimulates the brain's GABA receptors, those
feel-good, calming neurotransmitters. Now we know, according
to this review paper, that "...progesterone has multiple non-
reproductive functions in the central nervous system to
regulate cognition, mood, inflammation, mitochondrial function,
neurogenesis and regeneration, myelination and recovery from
traumatic brain injury." Furthermore, progesterone is everywhere
in the brain: "Remarkably, PRs [progesterone receptors] are
broadly
expressed throughout the brain and can be detected in every
neural
cell type."
Those who have experienced the mental fog of hormone imbalances
- otherwise known as the 'what did I come into this room for
'syndrome - can now point to their brain and say, "It's not me
that's confused, it's my brain!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope you have found this information useful, but do 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 my website.
Best wishes for a healthier week - AnnA
www.catalystonline.co.uk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Healthy Newsletter from AnnA
Your Weekly Health Prescription - 18 June, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A bit of a rant again I am afraid this week - just read
the first three items if you think your nerves can stand
it, but if you care about how information on natural medicines
gets into the mainstream press then it will make interesting,
if heated, reading!
Wishing you the best of good health - AnnA
In this issue:
- LESS CHIPS, MORE MASH TO REDUCE WOMENS' CANCER RISK
- 8 WAYS TO PREVENT HEARTBURN
- TESTOSTERONE - YES OR NO?
- ST JOHN'S WORT - DOES IT WORK?
OVARIAN CANCER RISK FROM FOOD
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is news this month of a surprising finding from the
results of an eleven year study on diet and cancer occurrence
in the Netherlands. This was a long-term study of nearly
63,000 women who faithfully filled in dietary questionnaires
for the whole of that period and what researchers found was
a link between a greatly increased risk of ovarian and
endometrial cancers with certain dietary habits.
The 'guilty party' is Acrylamide, which is a chemical produced
when starchy foods like potatoes are baked, fried or roasted,
but does not occur with boiling. It was first detected in food
in 2002; prior to that, acrylamide was believed to be a solely
industrial chemical and a number of previous studies have
implicated it as a carcinogen.
Unusually, the problem is compounded if the women had never
smoked as statistically the non-smokers from the women in the
study were even more susceptible. They had a 99 percent higher
risk of endometrial cancer and a 122 percent higher risk of
ovarian cancer among those with the highest acrylamide intake.
By contrast, the smokers had a 29 percent higher risk of
endometrial cancer and a 78 percent higher risk of ovarian
cancer, though why this should be the case the research hasn't
yet thrown up.
While some scientists have hypothesized that the human body may
detoxify acrylamide when it is ingested in food, or that human
intake is too low to pose health risks, the current study
suggests
that even at dietary doses, acrylamide is a human carcinogen.
What can you do? As ever, balance is the answer. If it is
frying,
baking and roasting are the culprits then reduce the amount of
times you have potatoes, or other starchy foods, done in this
way.
Enjoy your new potatoes steamed or boiled with some herb butter
and keep the roasties and chips to an occasional treat.
8 WAYS TO PREVENT HEARTBURN
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Heartburn can be mildly unpleasant to really distressing, and
although most people experience it occasionally it is when it is
more frequent that you need to take action. If you are always
carrying a packet of Rennies in your pocket, or some other over-
the-counter medicine, then it is time start tackling the
probable
cause. Symptoms of heartburn include: Chest pain, especially
while
lying down at night
- Sour taste in the mouth
- Coughing, wheezing, hoarseness,
- Aggravation of asthma
- Sore throat
- Regurgitation of food or liquid
If you suffer from it frequently - twice a week or more - then
first visit your doctor to rule out any other issues, such as
angina, which has similar symptoms. What you may be suffering
from is gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. This condition
occurs in people whose lower oesophageal sphincter doesn't close
properly, and that means that the acid from your stomach is able
to flow back into the oesophagus, which can irritate its
delicate
lining, and that is what causes the pain.
The condition can also be triggered, or made worse, by a number
of
factors, perhaps something in your diet, stress, smoking, some
medications and pregnancy can all trigger or worsen symptoms.
An alternative approach is to take some responsibility for the
condition yourself and try the following approaches:
1 Keep a food and beverage journal. It can help you track and
avoid triggers.
2 Eat small, frequent meals, not one huge one
3 Wear loose clothing and maintain a healthy weight to prevent
stomach constriction and help reduce GERD
4 Avoiding lying down after eating, a gentle stroll or doing
the washing up is a much better idea
5 Practice relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises
or meditation
6 Sip chamomile tea as it can help soothe inflamed tissue in
the oesophagus - adding some honey could improve the taste
and give you extra immune support
7 If you usually sleep on your back, or on your right, try
switching to sleeping on your left side. This may help move
acid away from the entrance of the oesophagus and be enough
to prevent it backing up
8 Experiment with DGL (deglycyrrhizinated liquorice), this is
a supplement proven to be effective against GERD - but not
if you have high blood pressure as liquorice can raise it
TESTOSTERONE - YES OR NO?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just as oestrogen production declines in women as they reach
menopause, so does testosterone production slows down in men as
they too approach middle age. Women have physical symptoms to
show them that their oestrogen levels are declining, but men
generally do not have such markers.
The idea of a 'male menopause' is a popular one - the clinical
term is "andropause - but there's little evidence to back it up.
However, the makers of popular 'libido' supplements have not let
that get in the way of a potential market and there are a number
of herbal products on sale that are aimed at men. It is true
that
some men do report sexual dysfunction or lack of desire, fatigue
and weakness as they age, but most of these physical complaints
are more often the influence of lifestyle factors such as diet,
stress and inactivity.
The next step up from the freely available herbal supplements is
to take additional testosterone which may promise more energy,
strength and virility - but rarely deliver. In fact, it can
positively be dangerous. Although most healthy middle-aged men
taking this hormone may experience a placebo effect at best,
they do run an increased risk of prostate problems at worst.
Taking additional testosterone should only be undertaken if you
have thoroughly discussed it with your doctor and they feel it
would be appropriate for you.
By the way - it's not just men who take testosterone, women also
produce it in smaller amounts in their bodies and at menopause
some
women take it to increase libido and energy. However, my friend
and
colleague, Dr Bond and I used to run menopause seminars together
and while we were watching the women seating themselves, we
would
look round the room and could easily identify the women who were
on
testosterone. They did not look 'sexier', but were instantly
recognizable to those who knew what the signs were and it was
not
a particularly attractive look. Women too should only take it on
their Doctor's recommendation and always at the stated dose.
ST JOHN'S WORT - DOES IT WORK?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Get ready - this is the rant! As someone who has been writing
about health for 20 years, I thought I had become anaesthetised
to the 'false information' syndrome that seems to accompany most
natural medicines. Linus Pauling is a fine example. He was one
of the first scientists to work in the fields of quantum
chemistry,
molecular biology and orthomolecular medicine, was awarded two
Nobel Prizes in different fields which you would have thought
was
enough qualification for anyone. However, his research into the
benefits of vitamin C on health were systematically rubbished
for
years, and now a natural supplement that has been proven to help
thousands cope with depression is getting similarly clobbered.
In the best Parliamentary tradition, I have to declare an
'interest'
in the subject as I have been subject to depression since
childhood
and have tried virtually every form of treatment, both chemical
and
natural, over the years. St John's Wort works for many people -
but
not for everyone, so I am never surprised to read research that
shows
it hasn't been effective within certain parameters.
What I am surprised, and horrified, to discover is that the
latest
round of 'St John' bashing has come from a group of medical men
who
concluded "that the St.John's Wort herb is useless in treating
ADHD
in children".
That it is true I don't doubt, because what they didn't disclose
at the time was that all the children used in the study were
given
inactive forms of the herb, where the active ingredients had
been
oxidized and rendered useless. Even the Journal of American
Medicine
admitted that:
"The product used in this trial was tested for hypericin and
hyperforin
content at the end of the trial and contained only 0.13%
hypericin and
0.14% hyperforin."
That constitutes a sub-clinical dose, barely containing any
usable
St. John's Wort at all. It is in fact barely one-tenth of one
percent
of the active chemical constituents in the herb, and any decent
supplement typically contain up to five percent hyperforin, or
thirty-five times the amount of active ingredient used in this
trial.
JAMA felt obliged to point out:
"Hyperforin is a very unstable constituent that quickly oxidizes
and
then becomes inactive, which is likely what happened to the
product
used in this clinical trial."
In other words, they admitted that it was an inactive,
ineffective,
form that had been used.
Even more worrying is the fact that there were only 54 children
used in the results of the trial, with 27 receiving a placebo
and
27 receiving St. John's Wort. This is a very small sample size
to
justify any declaration that it doesn't work, especially given
the
fact that it has been safely and effectively used by tens of
millions of people around the world in just the last decade or
so.
Incredibly, more than 40 percent of the children used in the
study
had previously also used psychiatric medications, and we already
know that such drugs actually cause behavioural disorders, shown
by the fact that so many children commit violent acts against
themselves and others after taking psychiatric medications.
This trial was set up to fail on so many levels; for example,
six
children who displayed a large response to the placebo were
supposed
to have been dropped from the study to isolate the herb's
effects
from placebo effects. However, they were 'accidentally'
randomized
and their results put into the final conclusion, which had the
effect
of distorting the final results in favour of placebo responders,
and
reducing the numbers who responded positively to the St
John'sWort.
Another example of the study's bias is that young boys are far
more
susceptible to the kinds of behaviours that are labelled as
"ADHD,"
compared to young girls, and yet in this study, the placebo
group
consisted of only about 50% boys while the herb treatment group
consisted of nearly 75% boys. In other words, the placebo group
was
predisposed to a positive outcome simply due to its composition
of
girls vs. boys, while the herb treatment group was predisposed
to
a less-than-favourable response.
To say nothing of the sheer cynicism of this research, and
trying
not to boil over at them using young children to test something
for a serious condition that they absolutely had guaranteed in
advance would not work, they then sent numerous press releases
out that warned parents not to use the herb. Some of the
headlines
included:
St. John's Wort Doesn't Work for ADHD
Washington Post
St. John's wort no better than placebo for ADHD, Bastyr study
finds
Seattle Times
St. John's wort doesn't help ADHD, study finds
Reuters
That would certainly put most parents off, but it is not really
so
surprising when you know that one of the study's authors, Dr.
Joseph
Biederman, secretly took $1.6 million from drug companies while
conducting psychotropic drug experiments on children, and is
currently
on the payroll of several drug pharmacies selling ADHD
medications
- a fact he did not disclose when publishing the study in the
Journal
of the American Medical Association. So he was not likely to
want to
find that St John's Wort, or any other natural alternatives, had
any
effect on treating a condition cheaply and without recourse to
drugs.
The whole point of the study of course was to make natural
medicines look
bad. I had thought after Linus Pauling's hard battle to get his
views
accredited that it might have got a bit easier - but clearly the
agenda
is still a commercial, rather than a medical one.
In case you were wondering, St. John's Wort has been clinically
proven
to be even more effective than antidepressant drugs for treating
mild
to moderate depression. That is a much better track record than
all
the SSRI drugs ever invented, whether it works for ADHD I don't
know,
but I would want to see much better research before it is so
cavalierly
dismissed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope you have found this information useful, but do 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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Healthy Newsletter from AnnA
Your Weekly Health Prescription - 11 June, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here comes summer - at least for a few days this week
- so I have included some healthy tips for dealing with
those pesky insects and as the weather hots up so do our
feet, so here's a little help if you are suffering from
athlete's foot! This is men's health week, in case you
hadn't noticed - so an item that is strictly for my male
readers, and those who are concerned about them. Enjoy
the sunshine - check out the last item for an essential
ingredient!
Wishing you the best of good health - AnnA
In this issue:
- NATURAL INSECT REPELLANTS
- HOME HELP FOR ATHLETE'S FOOT
- SALAD DAYS
- 7 TIPS FOR PROSTATE HELP
- MAKE YOUR OWN SUMMER SUNSHINE
NATURAL INSECT REPELLANTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you are trying to live a more natural lifestyle then
it makes sense to try and avoid the chemical insect
repellents that are on the market. The most common of
these are based on DEET (diethyl-meta-toluamide) which
is a very effective insect repellent developed in America
some years ago but which can cause irritation to eyes,
lips and other sensitive areas. Formulas usually have an
oily feel and can cause skin reaction with some users and
DEET damages certain plastics and fabrics. It is also less
effective in low concentrations, but there is an increased
reaction risk in high concentrations and it has a strong
'chemical' smell.
Natural insect repellents are usually based on the essential
oils of Citronella, specific varieties of Eucalyptus, geranium,
lemon grass, cedar or soy. One analysis of various plant
essential
oils found catnip oil to be promising for mosquitoes - or rather
for avoiding their bites. Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus is often
included
in natural formulations and the active compound in the plant,
extracted from the leaves and twigs, is thought to be
p-menthane-3,
8-diol which can be chemically synthesized. The oil is thought
to
repel mosquitoes, biting flies and gnats and, according to
Consumer
Reports in the US, a lemon eucalyptus product called Repel
received
a higher overall score than the 7% DEET insect repellents
tested.
Some natural repellents also make use of pyrethrins, which are
naturally-occurring compounds with insecticidal and repellent
properties. They are found in pyrethrum extract from certain
chrysanthemum flowers and are safer to use on children, pets and
plants. Pyrethrins are biodegradable and safe in normal use
because
of their low toxicity to mammals and the fact they don't
accumulate
in the body. Although generally harmless to clothing and
plastics,
caution must be used if applied before going in the water as
they
are harmful to fish and amphibians.
Modern formulations have improved the effectiveness and reduced
the need for frequent re-application and the use of
micro-encapsulation
technology has resulted in some almost odourless repellents.
Their
advantage is that they are not sticky; are environmentally
friendly;
safer on sensitive skins and most can be used on children. There
is
much less potential for skin irritation and they are much less
harmful
to plastics and fabrics.
There are a couple of websites I suggest you go to look for
natural
insect repellents who are based in the UK. The first is the
Deetfree
Natural Insect Repellent which is based on natural oils
including
Rosemary, Sage, Artemesia, Chrysanthemum Parthenium, Tea tree
Oil,
Lemon Eucalyptus Oil), Calendula, Lavender, Wild Mint and Thyme.
www.naturalcollection.com
Another effective natural alternative is based on an old Indian
herbal recipe used for generations to stop insects biting both
humans and animals. It is made without using any chemicals
(including no DEET, Citronella, or CFC's) and instead has
ingredients
that include Neem oil (a vegetable oil pressed from the fruits
and
seeds of an evergreen tree - Neem Azadirachta indica) plus
Bergamot,
Rosemary, and Eucalyptus. This one also comes as a handy pocket
size spray, details on their website at www.neemco.co.uk
Finally, would you believe an Avon product has many supporters
as
being a great mosquito repellent? Apparently the Avon Skin So
Soft
Dry Oil Spray contains citronella so you can ward off the
mosquitoes
and condition your skin at the same time! It is being used by
some
customers on their pets, dogs, cats, and horses to keep the
flies
away - and presumably to keep them smelling sweet.
HOME HELP FOR ATHLETE'S FOOT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This common fungal infection thrives in warm, damp environments,
such as the locker rooms, health clubs, public showers, and
indoor
swimming pools. If you have any of the following symptoms, it is
important to check with your doctor first because your symptoms
may be caused by another condition and you want to rule out that
possibility before treating the condition yourself:
** Itching, burning, or stinging between the toes or on soles
of the feet.
** Scales, cracks, cuts, peeling skin or blisters between the
toes or on soles of the feet.
** Skin dryness on the sides or bottom of the foot
If the infection spreads to under the toenails, causing thick,
crumbly, discoloured, or separated toenails, it is called
onchomycosis and it can be very difficult to treat.
The best home help for Athlete's Foot is Tea Tree Oil, not
least because it is the most commonly used home remedy because
of its antiseptic qualities and ability to kill many bacteria
and fungi. Tea tree oil has a long history of traditional use
in Australia - where it originates from - as a remedy for
skin infections and it was also used by the British Army
to help deal with Trench Foot in the First World War.
Prevention
Once you have treated the condition, here's how to avoid
repeat infection:
- Keep your feet thoroughly dry, especially between your toes
- Wear only cotton socks and change them daily
- Moisture and heat cause the athlete's foot fungus
to thrive, so where you can, avoid tight, closed-toe
shoes and wear loose fitting shoes or sandals
- Never go barefoot in public places like showers at
the gym or theswimming pool, wear flip-flops or jelly sandals
- Use a foot powder to keep feet dry
- Wash socks in the hot water setting of the washing machine to
kill off any bacteria.
SALAD DAYS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One good thing about hot weather is that it encourages us to
eat more healthily. Even if you are not a fan of what my father
persistently referred to as 'rabbit food', once the temperature
rises it is an option that many people look on more favourably.
If it's not one of your personal favourites, could you learn to
at least look on it with kindliness as eating just one salad a
day really is amazingly good for you.
A study conducted by the UCLA School of Public Health and
Louisiana
State University Health Sciences Center has just revealed that
those
who eat salads and raw vegetables have considerably higher
levels of
vitamins C, E, B6, and folic acid -- key nutrients in promoting
a
healthy immune system and reducing the risk of obesity, heart
disease
and other chronic illnesses.
Just one salad a day goes a long way to meeting the Government's
recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals - and that
RDA
is well below what any nutritionist would recommend so maybe two
salads
a day? In the USA, less than 50% of the population meets the
daily
recommendation for vegetables, and I suspect the Brits are not
too far
behind them. What is particularly deficient in the average diet
are
the vital water-soluble vitamins C and B complex which need to
be
ingested daily as the body does not store them. The raw
vegetables
in salads provide a good source of these vitamins, plus you get
fibre
for better digestion and antioxidants for boosting immunity.
Interestingly, clinical trials have shown that adding salad
dressing
increases the absorption of certain nutrients which require oil
to
be fully metabolised - these include A, D, E and K. Choose olive
oil or omega 3 and 6 oils from flax seed or a similar source for
the most benefit.
TIPS FOR PROSTATE HEALTH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
June 9-16 is Men's Health Week, and you may never think about
your
prostate until it forces itself on your attention by frequent
trips
to the loo. Being a great believer in prevention, pass on these
tips
to help yourself, and others. There are 7 in total, one for
every day
of Men's Health Week.
The condition known as BPH (Benign prostatic hyperplasia) is a
non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland, common in men
in
the Western world aged 50 and over. While the actual cause is
not
completely understood, experts believe it is closely linked to
hormone
levels and they of course are influenced by diet and lifestyle.
To
reduce the risk of BPH, try these:
1 Eat a diet low in saturated and trans-fats, focusing instead
on the much healthier monounsaturated and omega-3 fats
2 Japanese women suffer few menopause symptoms, believed to
be due to their diet being high in soy products. Now it seems
that Asian men have a lower risk of BPH which some researchers
believe is related to their high intake of soy foods - so add
in some soy milk or yoghurt to your diet
3 Avoid symptom triggers such as caffeine and alcohol,
because they increase your need to urinate and can also
irritate the bladder.
4 The pressure from constipation may make the symptoms of BPH
worse so avoid constipation by increasing the amount of
fibre in your diet.
5 Have regular health and prostate check-ups from your late
forties onwards
6 Try saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) or male supplements for
prostate which contain it. Often recommended for men who
have prostate problems, saw palmetto does not shrink the size
of the prostate, but it often helps promote healthy function
and decreases symptoms. The best form to use is an extract
standardized to 85-95% total fatty acids. Use 160 mg twice daily
7 Make herbs and nutrients such as green tea extract, stinging
nettle root, ginger, rosemary, zinc, lycopene, and selenium
part of your regular diet as they have all have been shown to
help maintain and promote normal prostate health
MAKE YOUR OWN SUMMER SUNSHINE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lazy summer days call for a long, cool drink and home made
lemonade
really sums up the essence of summer. Full of vitamin C, it will
top
up your immune system, and with the addition of some organic
honey and
stimulating ginger you will get a good dose of B vitamins too so
make
up a jugful and head for the garden.
Honey Ginger Lemonade - Ingredients
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup peeled fresh ginger slices
2 sprigs fresh mint
2 cups still water
4 cups ice cubes
Instructions:
Put the juice, honey, ginger, and chopped sprigs of the mint in
a
large jug and stir, pressing the mint and ginger down to break
them
up and release lots of their flavour. Add the water, stir until
the
honey dissolves, then add the ice, strain into long glasses, add
a
sprig of mint for decoration, sit back and relax.
By the way, if you suffer from hayfever then use a locally
produced
honey to help build up your resistance - it really will make a
difference.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope you have found this information useful, but do 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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Healthy Newsletter from AnnA
Your Weekly Health Prescription - 4 June, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't know about where you live, but I have seen more grey
skies
this week than usual so let's see what we can do to help your
outlook with some healthy ideas that and a warning to pass on to
parents of babies.
May I wish you the best of good health - AnnA
In this issue:
- KEEP THE GRAPES FOR YOURSELF
- A ROSY OUTLOOK FOR ARTHRITIS PAIN
- RISK OF BABY BOTTLES - FDA KEEPS QUIET
- YET MORE BENEFITS OF GREEN TEA
- OH REALLY?
KEEP THE GRAPES FOR YOURSELF
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ever wondered why most of us take grapes to people in hospital
and
end up eating them ourselves at the bedside? My personal idea is
that all hospital visiting is stressful and so we unconsciously
try to reduce that stress by distracting ourselves. Stress can
impact heart disease, so imagine my surprise to find I have
scientific backing for this idea - perhaps not the exact
circumstances,but the latest research findings from Spain
show that antioxidant-rich red grapes are high in fibre and
may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease more effectively
than other fibre sources such as oat or psyllium.
It has to be red grapes however, not any other colour as a trial
conducted by researchers in Madrid reported that cholesterol
levels
fell by nine per cent, LDL ("bad") cholesterol by a similar
amount
and blood pressure was reduced by about 5 per cent. The
researchers
said: "Grape antioxidant dietary fibre contains relatively large
amounts of proanthocyanidins (condensed tannins), which are
partially
bioavailable in the small intestine, but a major part reach the
colon,
where they may provide a high antioxidant status." This was only
a
small trial of 34 subjects, but might be worth you keeping that
fruit
bowl filled up with a large bunch if you have any concerns about
family bloodpressure.
A ROSY OUTLOOK FOR ARTHRITIS PAIN
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As a child I used to go off into the hedgerows gathering
rosehips
every autumn, and taking them to school as part of a massive
country
wide drive. We used to be paid the vast sum of a penny a bag and
they were turned into rosehip syrup which after the war was a
vital
source of vitamin C. Rosehips are having a bit of a revival and
a
study review has concluded that they could be more effective
than
painkillers at easing the pain of arthritis sufferers.
Apparently
when made into a powder, the wild variety of rosehip, Rosa
canina,
was almost three times more effective than standard paracetamol
at
reducing pain in patients than paracetamol. It was also almost
40 per cent more effective than another common therapy, the drug
glucosamine.
You should find it in supplement form in good health stores or
there is an organic form available online at
http://www.little-green-nursery.co.uk
RISK OF BABY BOTTLES - FDA KEEPS QUIET
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Information from the USA claims that plastics used in baby
bottle
feeders which contain the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) may cancer
and diabetes. This is obviously a major concern but what is even
more worrying is that America's health regulator - The Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) - has been suspected of sitting on the
data and may be subpoenaed to release records about the safety
of
the bottles and infant formula liners.
The FDA has claimed the products are safe, but critics claim
this
is based on just two studies, which were both funded by the
American
Plastics Council - and you may be forgiven for thinking they
would
say that wouldn't they? Only one of the studies was ever
published
and peer reviewed and many independent studies into BPA have
linked
the chemical to cancer, diabetes and obesity. Bart Stupak, a
member
of the Committee on Energy and Commerce that is considering the
subpoena, said: "While many scientists have raised concerns
about
the safety of bisphenol A, the FDA seems to have relied only
upon
science paid for by the plastics industry's lobbying group."
YET MORE BENEFITS OF GREEN TEA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I have now trailed so many benefits of this 'wonder' tea,
I am amazed the supermarket shelves haven't been stripped bare,
and yet here is another one.
You know that it is packed with powerful antioxidants with lots
of great health bonuses, but recently scientists discovered that
green tea increased the effectiveness of certain antibiotics by
as much as 99.99%...even when pitted against
antibiotic-resistant
strains of bacteria.
This was a 12-month study at Alexandria University in Egypt and
the results show that green tea boosted the performance of
several
antibiotics used in the treatment of 28 different
disease-causing
bacteria -- including several strains of Staphylococcus. For
example,
20 percent of previously drug-resistant bacteria were killed
when
green tea was combined with cephalosporin. This is good news
because
Cephalosporin is a widely used antibiotic - however many strains
of
bacteria have developed immunity against it.
Green tea was also shown to effectively support the antibiotics
tetracycline, cefuroxime and it helped prevent the production of
beta-lactamases-substances produced by bacteria allowing them to
develop resistance to antibiotics.
So if you combine drinking green tea when on antibiotics you
will
help them be more effective and if you are drinking it regularly
anyway then hopefully you won't need the antibiotics at all, or
in such quantity.
OH REALLY?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I know many doctors are sceptical of alternative medicine and
its benefits, but according to one story from the States it is
really only safe to try it when the patient is dead. A Chinese
woman of 19 underwent cranial surgery at an American hospital,
but she died two weeks later. She was declared dead, but was
kept on a ventilator to allow her parents to get to the hospital
and see her. On arrival, the father asked that she be given a
Traditional Chinese Medicine concoction, which he said was
routinely used in his society for patients in a coma.
The doctors had several conversations with the father, but
couldn't see how the herb could help a patient who was, to
all intents and purposes, dead. Perplexed, they called in
the hospital's ethics committee to ask whether they could
administer the substance while the patient remained on a
ventilator.
After much deliberation, the committee sanctioned the use
of the herb as it offered "psychological benefits to the
family and the absence of risk to the patient (since
she was dead)." As a life-long believer in combining the
best of medical knowledge with the vast experience of
treatment from the many traditional (ie alternative)
systems of medicine, I can only hope this was not typical
of most medical staff's beliefs. I know doctors and nurses
in the UK who allow homoeopathy, aromatherapy and even
acupuncture for pain relief in childbirth in some hospitals
- let's hope that attitude spreads.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope you have found this information useful, but do
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
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