Cypy Healthy

WSIB - 的重要性，了解您的权利，如果您有与石棉有关的疾病

2008-08-05T18:10:00.000-07:00

是利率的石棉疾病的增加，在美国呢？答案是肯定的。

石棉有关的疾病正在增加在美国和其他一些国家，这是因为石棉工人暴露在这种矿物，这是主要的危险因素，发展中国家的疾病。工作场所安全及保险局（ wsib ）帮助您找出如果你是有权获得赔偿的，如果你的工作和暴露于石棉。

这一点很重要，因为当你生病你没有时间来想你的疾病的原因，因为你从来没有想过受到虐待与疼痛，甚至有这么多的危险，您的健康。

在安大略省，加拿大，存在着一个工作场所安全与保险局（ wsib ）监督贵国的工作场所的安全教育和培训制度，规定，伤残津贴，监测医疗服务质素，以及协助在早期和安全地返回工作。

最暴露了工人的风险，发展中国家石棉有关的疾病是电厂工人，石棉和滑石粉的矿工，船厂工人，汽车，打破力学，拆卸工人，管钳工，绝缘工人， boilermakers和工人谁作出的产品，其中含有石棉，如firebricks ，阻燃涂料和石棉水泥。

最常见的石棉相关疾病是石棉，间皮瘤，良性胸膜疾病，胸膜斑和肺癌。

治疗不存在，因为大部分的上述疾病，但有治疗如化疗或放射治疗，至于其他类型的癌症病状。也有一些不同的方法预防高风险吸入石棉纤维当你的工作与这种材料。

石棉真相

2008-08-05T18:09:00.000-07:00

石棉是一种asbetos有关的疾病，并可能被视为一种职业病太，因为大部分的病例发生在人谁与石棉或其家属。不过有案件的人谁开发它，而不必一直在接触这种矿物在任何一段时间内对他们的生活。

石棉可以被定义为慢性炎症的医疗条件，影响到实质组织的肺部。专家们认为，石棉作为一个不可逆转的肺疤痕，可以致命。它发生经过长期和沉重的暴露于石棉。

石棉6纤维和矿物，已被用于商业产品，如屋面产品，垫圈和摩擦产品，由于各种性能，使石棉具有较高的抗拉强度，化学和热稳定性，高灵活性和低的导电性。

这六个类型的石棉是温石棉，青石棉，铁石棉，直闪石石棉，透闪石石棉，石石棉。几乎所有的石棉生产全世界是温石棉。

当人吸入或吞下石棉纤维，他的身体会尽力删除他们所咳嗽，但肺部的疤痕会得到厚，是什么使得很难肺部呼吸运动的膨胀和收缩。因此，人与石棉遭受严重呼吸困难或呼吸急促，并有一个风险增加，发展不同类型的肺癌和间皮瘤。有没有治愈这个病理及要么一个很好的方法对待它。只有一件事，医生能做的就是减少一些最严重的症状。

Texas Mesothelioma Lawyers

2008-08-05T18:08:00.000-07:00

Texas mesothelioma lawyers are very compassionate and can understand the fear and confusion that a person will face that is diagnosed with mesothelioma or other forms of cancer. Texas mesothelioma lawyers can recognize what this cancer can bring into your family. The drain emotionally and financially on both you and your family is an unwanted process but Texas mesothelioma lawyers can work with you and your family to try and make something good come out of a horrible situation.

The Texas mesothelioma lawyers and law firms will work with you and your family to claim well deserved compensation from where a victim might have been exposed to asbestos. These lawsuits have been known to win millions of dollars for victims and their families. If you happen to be diagnosed with mesothelioma you have every right to file a lawsuit in court. With the rising cases of mesothelioma throughout the country lawyers have become very proficient at getting the maximum compensation out of companies that have exposed their employees to asbestos. Today there are millions of lawyers that specialize in mesothelioma & asbestos lawsuits, many of which are in Texas.

Finding a mesothelioma lawyer in Texas or anywhere for that matter can be a long drawn out process. You need to select a lawyer with whom you get a good vibe from. Make sure to meet with several before you decide on your Texas mesothelioma lawyer. You can start your search with law directories, yellow pages, or the internet.

One great thing about Texas mesothelioma lawyers is that Texas provides speedy trial for mesothelioma victims which ensure the chances that victims will live to enjoy their compensations.

Protecting yourself and your loved ones is the most important thing you can do in life. If your experiencing symptoms related to tragic cancer or if you know you have worked in an environment that might have contained asbestos it is absolutely critical to contact a mesothelioma lawyer today.

Asbestosis is an Asbestos Related Disease and May Be Considered As an Occupational Disease Too

2008-08-05T18:07:00.001-07:00

A benign pleural disease is an asbestos-related disease which still has something of mystery to experts, since they don't know why some asbestos workers get one of several benign diseases of the pleura while others are not affected by the terrible consequences of Asbestos.

The pleural cavity is the space between the lungs and the chest wall, which has an small amount of pleural fluid in the normal non-diseased state. The pleura is the epithelium that lines this cavity. Asbestos fibers can reach this part of the body.

The parietal pleura, which is connected to the chest wall, is highly sensitive to pain. Meanwhile, the visceral pleura, which is connected to the lung and other visceral tissues, is not sensitive to pain.

The function of pleura and pleural fluid is to reduce friction between the lungs and the inside of the chest wall during breathing. Asbestos fibers make difficult this. A benign pleural condition usually does not progress and is not fatal. These conditions include pleural plaques, diffuse pleural fibrosis and benign pleural effusion.

Pleural effusion occurs when fluid accumulates in the pleural space and compresses the lungs.

Pleural plaques is a discrete fibrous or partially calcified thickened area which can be seen on x-rays of individuals exposed to asbestos. Benign pleural diseases appear various years after the exposure to asbestos and according to some experts cause little or no trouble, since some people do not even show symptoms. However, having a benign pleural disease may be the sign of developing asbestoses or another asbestos-related disease later.

Asbestos Exposure and Lung Cancer

2008-08-05T18:05:00.000-07:00

In the UK, asbestos accounts for 2-3% of male lung cancer deaths. There is a complementary effect between tobacco smoking and asbestos in the formation of lung cancer. Asbestos can also cause cancer of the pleura, called mesothelioma (which is different from lung cancer).

People who work with asbestos have a higher risk of getting lung cancer. People exposed to industrial substances or building materials such as asbestos, nickel, chromium compounds, arsenic, polycyclic hydrocarbons and chloromethyl ether also have a higher risk of developing lung cancer. It is also important to try to avoid second-hand tobacco smoke, radon, and pollution, which can increase a person's risk of getting lung cancer.

People who have been exposed to asbestos will only diagnosed with lung cancer twenty to thirty years down the road. If you suspect that you may be exposed to the hazards listed above, look out for symptoms that are associated with lung cancer.

dyspnea (shortness of breath)
hemoptysis (coughing up blood)
chronic coughing or change in regular coughing pattern
wheezing
chest pain or pain in the abdomen
cachexia (weight loss)
fatigue and loss of appetite
sphonia (hoarse voice)
clubbing of the fingernails (uncommon)
dysphagia (difficulty swallowing).
repeated chest infections
asthma
fluid around the lung
swelling in the neck or face
lethargic

Some lung cancers do not cause any noticeable symptoms until they are quite advanced and have spread to other parts of the body. By the time people have symptoms, lung cancer is generally at stage four, having already spread to another major organ.

Additional symptoms that may also occur with lung cancer includes:

Swallowing difficulty
Nail problems
Joint pain
Facial paralysis
Eyelid drooping
Bone pain or tenderness.

Asbestos Related Mesothelioma Cancer - Blood Test

2008-08-05T18:02:00.000-07:00

The pleural mesothelioma is a rare disease of the lining of the lung and chest cavity that is usually cancerous. The cause is asbestos exposure and it could take 15 to 35 years to develop this disease, counting from the time of asbestos exposure.

However, the latest researches have pointed out a blood test that might help screening for pleural mesothelioma by checking the blood for high levels of a protein called osteopontin. This is important because blood osteopontin levels rise dramatically in the early stages of the disease. This kind of cancer is a deadly asbestos related illness.

This exposure can be direct with the substance or second-hand, with a family member whose clothing or skin carried the asbestos into the home. Obviously in the last case, the development of the disease could take more than 35 years.

Because of pleural mesothelioma it is difficult to detect it in its early, it has high mortality rates and a life expectancy of few months. However, with the new blood test mentioned above, it is expected a higher percentage of probabilities to detect it. Moreover, it can detect other kinds of asbestos related cancers. But in those cases, the findings need further studies, other kind of cancer that could be early detected through blood test is for instance "Ovarian Cancer".

So, the earlier pleural mesothelioma cancer is detected, the better chances that people affected have. If you want to know how to do it, a blood test might be very useful in these cases.

Best Natural Breast Enhancement For Your Body

2008-08-02T13:18:00.000-07:00

Why use the best natural breast enhancement strategies available? It is natural to want to look your best. Looking good helps you feel good. Many women want larger breasts but don't want to subject themselves to invasive surgical techniques. If you are sure that you want to enhance your breasts, there are natural ways to achieve this. Instead of fighting your body's nature, you can work with it to look your best.

If you opt to have breast surgery, there are several disadvantages. Yes, you will have a larger cup-size, but they often look unnatural. Sometimes the tissue surrounding the implant may become very hard and uncomfortable. Infection is always a risk with surgery, and you may need to have the implant removed. Also, the implant may leak and have to be removed. Further risks are incurred if you have to have radiotherapy after having an implant. This could cause the tissue to become even more hard and uncomfortable. The risks continue long after the surgery: medical insurance premiums may increase and the implants need to be replaced as they wear. It is a life-long commitment that is painful and expensive.

If you want to increase your breast size or change the shape, try the best natural breast enhancement techniques. This will work with your body instead of invading it and causing pain. The best natural breast enhancement tools include herbal supplements and creams. There are two questions you need to ask when deciding if enhancement is right for you: Is it safe? And does it work?

First, is this safe? The best natural breast enhancement products are safe to use. When considering natural breast enhancement, research the products you are interested in. Are they FDA-approved? Would you doctor approve? Not all products are created equal, so find the best available. Just because something is herbal doesn't mean it is safe or effective. When choosing your products, make sure the herbs have been tested for safety and effectiveness.

Talk to your doctor before you take an herbal supplement because some may interfere with other medication you are taking. For these products to work and for you to be healthy, you need to have all the information you can. The very best natural breast enhancement tools are safe and effective and will help you look and feel better.

Second, do these products work? The answer: no, some do not work. But the best natural breast enhancement products do produce larger, shapelier breasts. Pills and creams contain herbs which simulate the hormones that occur during puberty or pregnancy, when breasts grow. This can produce results from one cup size to three.

The best natural breast enhancement products can give you the look that you've always wanted. You can enlarge and improve the shape and size of your breasts - this isn't only about looking good. You'll feel good and walk with confidence knowing that you used natural products to enhance your bust line. If you are considering augmenting your breasts, try using the best natural breast enhancement products instead of painful surgery.

Is it Safe to Use Natural Breast Enlargement and Are They Effective?

2008-08-02T13:16:00.000-07:00

There are different kinds of enlargement pill that are advertised in women's magazines, television and internet. But their advertisement usually concentrates on women's insecurities like sagged breast after childbirth, or even removal of breast implants.

Most women search for a safe breast enlargement pills and other option for breast enlargement surgery. There are herbal pills for enlargement of breast that you can try. This natural enhancement pills are available in any website on the internet. And you can select from them.

This is the common question they usually ask, if the natural breast enlargement really work? Theoretically, this natural breast enlargement increase breast sizes. Because of the herb they use contain estrogen that makes the breast increase in size. It is true that these pills can increase in size but there is no medical proven that they are safe. Some women who use this breast enlargement herbal pill say it doesn't have any side effects.

According to expert "The use of this breast enlargement pill should be discouraged because of safety concern and lack of evidence in ability to produce the desire results" There are things you should know about this pill, it have estrogen to make the breast increase in size but this estrogen stimulates growth tissue in the uterus that can cause uterine cancer. But are no records if natural enhancement pill can really stimulate the growth of uterine tissue. Birth control pill has progesterone to counter the estrogen effect in the uterus. This natural breast enlargement doesn't have undesirable effect on menstruation, fertility, or the effectiveness of birth control pills.

They used herbs in natural breast enlargement pill. The most common ingredient they use in enhancement of breast is the blessed thistle - this herb was used by nursing women to increase the flow of milk and a treatment on loss of appetite.

There are no clinically proven if this blessed thistle is safe and effective. This herb can encourage stomach acid that can cause mild irritations in the digestive tract lining. Person with ulcer, with gastrointestinal reflux disease, ulcerative colitis should not use this. It is not advisable for pregnant women to use it. It can cause abortion or birth defects. Specially people with allergy, they must be very cautious on the pills they used.

Dong quai is a Chinese herb used to relieve menopausal symptom like irregular menstruation, reduce cramps and hot flashes, this herb is also use in the herbal pill. The risk they found from this herb is; it can stimulate the growth of breast cancer cell in the test they make. This herb can also increase the sensitivity of the skin. It is advisable you used sun block lotion. Pregnant women can not use this. Dong Quai herbal contain chemical can slow blood clotting and do not taken before and after surgery.

Fennel Seed another herbal use in the pill. This herb was use to increase flow of breast milk for nursing women, increase menstrual flow and even enhance libido. They made studies on rat after consuming fennel seeds for few days, the breast tissue of female rat increase including the uterine tissue. People with allergy should not take this.

For additional information regarding breast enlargement pill surf any websites. They can give you more knowledge about the good and side effect of breast enlargement pills. By Eliza Maledevic Ayon

Are Herbal Breast Enlargement Pills Safe To Use?

2008-08-02T13:14:00.000-07:00

This write-up does not, in any way, establish a scientific claim on the safety of the herbal breast enlargement pills. However the discussion in this article and the gathered facts therein, support the use of these herbal pills as the most viable alternative for breast enlargement.

Herbs for breast enlargement abound today. Women of different cultures all over the world have tried them and are still taking them. A number claimed that they are indeed effective and a greater number would like to try them out, if only they could establish its safety. Concerns about their possible side-effects stop these women. Among the chief complaints that they attribute to these herbal breast enlargement pills were hair loss, weight gain, mild allergies and a few other trivial cases.

It should be noted that these complaints were random in nature and were fewer in number than the testimonials continuously made by women who were happy with the said breast enlargement pills and suffer no ill side effects. As with all other medications, every case is different. Everyone reacts differently. Allergies to herbs are uncommon as compared to their chemically prepared counterparts. Herbal breast enlargement pills produce the result you want with the lesser risks. These herbal supplements have patrons that are using them for a relatively long period of time already.

Women Need Estrogen

These herbal pills mostly contain natural ingredients with estrogen-like effect on the body. It is called as phyto-oestrogen. This is very similar to the human hormone, estrogen, thus the estrogen-like effects.

Women, during puberty, start to have estrogen hormones in their bodies. Older women do not produce these hormones as much anymore and the medical world advises them to take supplements for balance. If estrogen is needed that badly and these herbal enlargement pills do nothing but produce this estrogen-like effect, how can it be bad for a woman's health? Birth control pills are also widely accepted and it is known that they produce the same side effect, i.e. fluid retention in breasts. Yet medical doctors prescribe them all over the world.

A number of herbal breast enlargement pills, whilst producing the estrogen-effect, simultaneously have the progesterone-effect that is a requirement for safety. Women undergoing hormone replacement therapy are advised by their doctors to take progesterone to offset the ill-effects of estrogen.

Herbs used in breast enlargement pills have an established history of treating different illnesses like menstrual cramps, loss of appetite, and indigestion. They are also regularly used to aid in increasing the flow of breast milk, menstrual flow, relieve premenstrual syndrome and help regulate menstrual cycles. These ingredients make us feel safer; after all they are but herbs and foods.

These herbal pills do the work by mere stimulation of your mammary glands to produce new breast tissues, a very natural process and no surgery required.

Even with the complaints attributed to herbal breast enlargement pills, there is no hard evidence that establishes the ill-effects (direct or indirect) that they could have.By Vanessa A. Doctor

Herbal Breast Enhancement - Non-Surgical Breast Enhancement Methods that Work

2008-08-02T13:11:00.000-07:00

Non-surgical breast enhancement and herbal breast enhancement products are fast becoming a real and effective breast enlargement alternative for women who either don’t want the artificial look and feel of breast implants, cannot afford the surgery, do not want to take the risk, or simply have never even considered having cosmetic surgery to correct or enhance any physical feature they are not satisfied with.

There are actually quite a few mediocre herbal breast enhancement products on the market today, mostly sold online or in herbal supplement shops, so a buyer must be prudent in shopping around for quality. Non-surgical breast enhancement alternatives can be in the form of a device (like Brava or other breast suction devices), which are worn kind of like a large bra and must be used several times a day or for several hours. Herbal breast enhancement products ( Examples of these products can be found here Breast Enhancement Pills Info,which generally use phytoestrogen or plant estrogen synthesis technology to stimulate the mammary glands and promote breast tissue growth), natural breast growth promotion supplements (non-phytoestrogen), and even hypnosis are other forms of non-surgical breast enhancement gaining popularity as alternatives to surgery.

Herbal breast enhancement products like Bloussant, Erdic and the like, use phytoestrogen technology to boost breast growth. The only problem with traditional herbal breast enhancement products like this is that sometimes the effects may not last, due to a sudden spike in the body’s estrogen, and the subsequent release of the estrogen gained during the usage of the product results in loss of some of or all of the breast tissue growth once the supplement is discontinued. There is actually a non-surgical breast enhancement product that does produce permanent breast growth and maintenance, due to the fact that it does not use traditional herbal phytoestrogen utilization, but rather induces permanent breast growth by stimulating the body’s own pituitary gland and continuing the breast growth cycle that was stunted.

Not only that, but if you do not adhere to a proper lifestyle and diet, some women can experience weight gain, increased cellulite, acne breakouts, and other hormonally induced problems on traditional herbal breast enhancement products, due to a high concentration of estrogenic compounds. The female body is not designed to handle such an influx of estrogen, even if it is plant derived. So please be mindful and ask questions of the manufacturer if you are considering a traditional phytoestrogenic herbal breast enhancement product - make sure it has just the right balance of estrogenic compounds, not an over-abundance of them.

Common complaints with the non-surgical breast enhancement “breast suction devices” like the Brava breast enhancer system, are that they may irritate skin, are bulky and hard to conceal, require too much time to gain any kind of results, and are high in cost and a burden to maintain due to the required physician supervision. The Brava system has proven to be effective in several cases though, but it does take a large time commitment, and patience with the process and work that goes along with it.

Other non-surgical breast enhancers like hypnosis are a little harder to pin down. I haven’t actually read of any success stories with hypnosis for breast enhancement and enlargement, but that certainly doesn’t mean there haven’t been some women who have achieved permanent breast tissue growth. I would approach this method of breast enhancing with extreme caution and suspicion. As with any other non-surgical breast enhancement product, do your research, be prepared for any possible side effects, and know the company’s success rate by researching complaints on the internet or through other resources.

Herbal breast enhancement and non-surgical breast enhancement is becoming the focus of a lot of attention, both positive and negative, and is also the subject of much contention and controversy amongst the medical community. The fact is, there are proven and highly successful alternatives to surgical breast enhancement and enlargement, you just need to know where to look! By Danna Schneider

Acne Herbal Remedies That Help Clear Acne

2008-08-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a magic pill that squelches the burden of acne altogether? Well, there isn’t any that I am aware of. However, there are a number of acne formulas. For example, what do you know about acne herbal remedies?

Have you ever given acne herbal remedies a shot? Maybe something different from that Clearasil in your medicine cabinet would do you good. After all, how well is that topical cream from the drugstore even working? Does it actually heal and get rid of a nasty pimple in no time at all? Or, does it merely mask the problem and eventually dry out your face? That is always a common dilemma with basic acne problems.

Unlike many of the acne herbal remedies, the drugstore creams, gels, and face washes can be harsh for your delicate face. They remove most of the dirt and oil from your face and leave it dry and tight. This can lead to more breakouts, if the pores close and still have bacteria, oil, and dirt deep down.

Acne herbal remedies are gentler on your skin and face.

Are you in the market for some quality acne herbal remedies? Maybe this is the route you should be choosing. Think about it for a moment. How many drugstore acne treatments that don’t work have you already gone through, and found little to no results, probably quite a few?

Finding an acne herbal remedy for your outbreaks of pimples isn’t that hard to do. The trick is getting one that works for your specific type of acne outbreaks and is natural. Don’t get discouraged about it, you can have clear and healthy skin, it will just take a little experimentation and patience.

There are several types of treatments for blemishes and using them isn’t all that hard. One treatment for blackheads is a wash of lime and milk. All you have to do is bring the milk to a gentle boil, and then add the juice from one lime. Then wash your face with this combination after it cools down enough so it does not burn your face.

Another acne herbal remedy is to use an astringent for a deep cleaning of your pores. At your local grocery store buy a leafy mango. Boil it in some water, and then rub it, after it cools, on your face. If your case of pimples isn’t too severe you can just leave the mango to soak overnight. It’s an acne natural cure that will clean your pores thoroughly.

Something that you probably eat everyday in some form is good for your skin as well. A raw potato is an ideal acne remedy, especially for whiteheads. The vitamin C gives your skin a healthy glow, and its alkaline gets rid of the bacteria on your face. The potato has an acid in it too that scrubs away dead or dying skin cells on your face, which works as an acne natural cure.

Finally, remember that acne herbal remedies might leave your skin a little parched for moisture at times during treatments. A good way to re-hydrate your skin after using an acne herbal remedy is to use Almond Oil or Jojoba oil.

If you’ve tried every over the counter medication for it and it’s just not working, than you might want to use an acne herbal remedy. You can find a treatment solution in an herbal remedy, but take your time, and find out what works for you.
By. Rudy Silva

Green Tea - An Effective Herbal Acne Treatment

2008-08-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

Studies have shown that green tea is a very effective herbal treatment for those suffering from acne. Green tea is quite unique as compared to other teas in that it is not fermented. This useful herbal tea is steamed very quickly after it is harvested in order to keep all of its active ingredients in tact.

Health care professionals have done many studies comparing the benefits of using green tea to treat acne as apposed to over the counter acne treatments. Those studies showed that green tea was just as effective in treating blemishes as its over the counter counterparts with the bonus of causing little irritation to the skin.

Green tea can reduce inflammation and aides in detoxification, which is extremely helpful to those suffering from acne issues of any kind. Overactive hormonal activity, which is a huge factor in acne breakouts, can also be limited by using green tea.

This very versatile supplement is ideal for many types of people suffering from blemish problems. You can drink it as a tea, there are facial creams that you can use that contain green tea and can also be consumed in pill form. So no matter what your lifestyle might be you can find a way to incorporate using green tea to combat your acne.

If you drink green tea to clear up your acne make sure that you do not add any sugar or other types of sweeteners to your tea. Doing so will result in all the positive effects of the tea to be negated.

There are very few if any side effects to using green tea as an acne treatment With green tea being so easy to use and reasonably priced no matter what form you choose to take it in there is no real reason why you should not give it a try to get rid of your acne.
By Wong Darren

Herbal Cures For Acne - Use it and Lose Zit

2008-08-02T13:07:00.000-07:00

An unbelievable amount of people suffer from acne. Almost 80% of teenagers under 18 are battling it and 50% once you hit adulthood. There are over a dozen different types of acnes, with the most common being blackheads.
If you have ever had acne in your life then I'm sure you are well aware of all of the advice that can be given out such as watching what you eat, washing your face more often, and not to drink soda. Instead of trying to figure out which food causes or contributes to your acne, why not put some focus on herbal cures for acne because it is herbal medications that sit on top of the list of well known cures. Start with B5 vitamin supplements as B5 is thought of as one of the best acne cures and that is likely because B5 will reduce the amount of oil that your skin will produce and it also will reduce the size of your pores.
Some people that have suffered from acne have used a variety of other herbs to cure their skin condition. Some of the many herbs include burdock root, lavender, chamomile, juniper, and dandelion root. These herbs are proven to work by lowering toxicity levels and acting as an anti inflammatory at the same time. Others rely on Aloe Vera gel to relieve their acne related symptoms, the flaky skin, the swelling, and the redness.
Many soaps and gels are Aloe Vera based so they work well. Naturists treat acne in many different ways and use products such as diluted tea tree oil applied right to the area that is affected. Almond oil, raw potatoes, apple cider vinegar, ginger juice, and green tea bags are only some of the acne treatments that naturists will use. Actually, ginger juice and certain vegetable juices are known to have anti-inflammatory and healing properties. What makes these treatments so popular, besides the fact that they work, is they do not cause any side effects.
Herbal cures are among the most common and popular alternative treatments for acne. The difference between natural medicine and what a dermatologist may prescribe is that the natural treatments will nourish and replenish the skin and what the dermatologist gives you is likely to dry out the skin. It is very easy to make your own natural remedies or purchase pre-made remedies and these natural remedies are also less costly than prescription drugs. With herbal cures for acne being so effective as well as less expensive, it's easy to see why it would sit at the top of most people's list.
Shannon Pollock has been teaching people about natural health remedies for many years. She is a specialist with experience in herbal remedies for both people and animals. By Shannon Pollock

Enhance Your Breast with the Herbal!

2008-08-02T13:01:00.000-07:00

Herbal breast enhancement techniques are becoming widely popular with women who seek alternatives to surgery. Surgery is suspected to bring about anatomical disorders in the body. This fear has caused many herbal products to be introduced in the market. These herbal foods are claimed to act on the breasts either directly or after metabolism.
The most popular herbal ingredient is saw palmetto, which is also chiefly used to treat benign prostrate in men. Another is fennel seed, which bring up the estrogen count in women. Fenugreek and wild yam are also supposed to bring about breast enhancement. Other ingredients include soy, ginseng, dandelion, and blessed thistle.
Most herbal supplements are available in pill form so that they become easy to ingest. They are also available in other forms such as capsules, creams, lotions, soaps, and aromatic candles. At this time, none of these products are patented.
More and more women are succumbing to the promises made by herbal supplement manufacturers that they can increase bust-line by one to three bra cup sizes. This has led to competition in the market and the contamination of the enhancers with artificial hormones is not unusual. Some enhancers are contaminated with artificial estrogen, which is a known human carcinogen.
The medical fraternity is in opposition to herbal breast enhancement. According to them, breast size is genetically determined and it can be enhanced by exercises. But herbal supplements are a strictly advised against because they interfere with the metabolism of the body.
Also, each person’s body reacts differently to different ingredients and so there cannot be a unique formula for tissue stimulation. Experiments conducted on rats with herbal supplements showed different results for different amounts of doses.
The manufacturers themselves pitch their products in a very aggressive manner. They rely on real life experiences of people supposed to have used their product. None of them provide any medical evidence to justify their product. At the same time, they provide refunds if their products don’t show results within a stipulated period.

Does intake of herb Blue Vervain Herb really enlarge your breast?

2008-08-02T12:53:00.000-07:00

Breast enhancement pills usually contain herbs (like Blue Vervain Herb), with natural estrogenic properties from plant sources (phyto-estrogens) that work by regulating hormones and promote healthy tissue growth. Breast enhancement supplements enhances and stimulates estrogen-sensitive breast tissues and helps to enhance breast size naturally by introducing phyto-estrogen (naturally occuring plant estrogen) derived from plants directly into the estrogen receptor sites.One of most commonly used herb in breast enlargement pills is Blue Vervain Herb. Blue vervain is a bristly perennial grown at the northern U.S. and Canada and also to be found in England. The quadrangular stem can climb up a height of 2 to 5 feet and have leaves that are opposite, serrate, and lanceolate with short leaf stalks. The flBlue vervain has been used as an antiperiodic, diaphoretic, emetic, expectorant, tonic, vermifuge, and vulnerary.

HERBAL TEA CAN GIVE YOU A HEALTH BOOST AND HELP TREAT DOZENS OF CONDITIONS

2008-05-08T16:23:00.000-07:00

TEA is the perfect pick-me-up but also packed with goodness ...particularly if you opt for the herbal variety.
Medicinal herbs are easily taken as atea, either as an infusion where boiling water is poured over them, or after they've been simmered in a pan to soften them up.
Anna Hill is Glasgow's tea lady. The qualified herbalist is an expert in coming up with the perfect brew to help different ailments.
She's quick to stress herbal infusions aren't technically tea because the herbs haven't been fermented, but tea has become a term everyone uses.
Anna, 35, co-owner of Woodland Herbs, says some herbs are best taken hot and others cold. And it's best to check with an expert such as Anna if your having a particular problem.
Anna graduated in neuro-science but had been interested in herbal medicine from a young age after a remedy including marigold banished her teenage eczema.
Here she explains which herbs in tea help different health problems.
CAMOMILE (SLEEP AND DIGESTION)
Relaxing but also good for the digestion. Ideal if you are going to bed with an upset stomach.
PEPPERMINT (DIGESTION)
Particularly good for wind and bloating. After-dinner mints are a modern equivalent. Spearmint tea is a refreshing alternative.
LIMEFLOWER (RESTLESS CHILDREN)
Children's prams used to be left under a limeflower tree to aid a relaxing sleep. The tea is beneficial to both children and adults who need to relax.
ROSE PETALS (ANXIETY)
Rose tea has a pleasant aroma and can be very calming. As it has a very dry taste, it is often combined with other herbs. Rose, lavender, camomile and limeflower make a very tasty and relaxing tea.
SAGE (HOT FLUSHES)
Most herbs common in cooking are good for the digestion. Sage and onion stuffing aids the digestion of the heavy Christmas dinner. Sage tea is useful as a warm gargle for sore throats or, taken cold, for excessive sweating and hot flushes.
NETTLE (LOW ENERGY OR ALLERGIES)
Very nutritious, containing iron, vitamin C and B vitamins, it also has a natural anti-histamine action, making it useful for allergic conditions such as hayfever.
LEMON BALM (MEMORY)
A pleasant tasting and relaxing tea. In the Middle Ages, it was recommended to students at Oxford University to help with their studies. Current research has shown it does improve memory.
VALERIAN (OCCASIONAL INSOMNIA)
Traditionally used for sleep problems, its effects have been confirmed by recent research.
MEADOWSWEET (HEARTBURN)
Contains salicylic acid, which was used to develop aspirin. Its old name was spirea, from which aspirin got its name.
PAU DIARCO (FUNGAL INFECTIONS)
From a Brazilian tree prized as a cure-all, Pau DiArco has a reputation as an immune supporting and anti-fungal herb.
Woodland Herbs, 100 Woodlands Road, Glasgow, G3 6HB 0141564 3184 www.woodlandherbs.co.uk Before taking these herbal teas, seek professional advice if suffering from a medical condition, on medication or if you are pregnant.
IF YOUR TEA'S NOT QUITE RIGHT, TRY THESE TIPS
Not sweet enough?
Why not add some honey or liquorice (the herb, not a sweet) to your herbal tea?
Not cool enough?
Do not add milk to your herbal tea. Either let the tea stand for a few minutes, or add cold water.
Not strong enough?
Herbs should be allowed to infuse in the hot water for about 10 minutes to get the full benefits. If you like your tea to taste stronger or weaker, add more or less herb per cup.
Not tasty enough?
If you feel you should be taking one herb for its health benefits but do not like the taste, then consider mixing a few herbs together to make your own blend.
'Peppermint tea is good for wind. After-dinner mints are a modern equivalent'

Herbal Medicines Put Thousands in Danger, Say Experts

2008-05-08T16:22:00.001-07:00

HERBAL remedies are putting thousands of people at risk, experts warn today.
They say alternative medicines are often poorly labelled and taken without consulting a doctor. Some could prove fatal, scientists claim.
Today Professor Peter Houghton of King's College, London, called for urgent legislation. He said: "There is a risk with herbal medicines.
People are taking these to try and cure some pretty major diseases, and taking them in conjunction with traditional medicine. We simply don't know how the two interact or what the effects of these remedies actually are."
Professor Houghton added: "People know there is a risk with traditional medicine but they seem to ignore it when using a herbal remedy." He also claims the lack of legislation has led to many consumers not knowing what they are taking.
"Some of these drugs are very potent. People can also take the wrong dosage, as 90 per cent of the people taking these remedies don't consult a doctor. I would urge them to consult a health professional before starting any kind of treatment," he added.
Professor Houghton told the BA Festival of Science in Exeter that herbal medicine usage had "exploded" in recent years. "It is predominantly the better educated middleclass people using these remedies, people who don't mind paying a premium for them. It's become very fashionable," he said. One in five people are believed to take herbal remedies at least once a year.
One of the most popular, St John's Wort, has already caused several deaths in Britain, Professor Houghton claimed. "People are taking this as a treatment for AIDS, depression and transplant therapy, and it has caused dozens of deaths."
Dr Elizabeth Williamson of the University of London said: "People are fascinated by traditional Chinese medicines.
These things are very fashionable at the moment but I would definitely like to see some kind of legislation."
Dr Williamson will later this week begin drafting new laws as part of her role on the Medicines Commission. She said: "Any legislation needs to be pragmatic. There would be uproar if we just took people's medicines away.
"The first area we need to look at is the quality. Many of these medicines are being imported with no controls and can be bought in Chinatown or over the net. You have absolutely no idea what is in the jar. Often the labels are in Chinese. In the village where these things are collected, often herbs are substituted without anyone being told.
This needs to be regulated."
However, Dr Williamson refused to discount the value of Chinese medicine.
She said: "There are no clinical studies but a lot of these herbal remedies are working on the same principle as western medicine." MARK PRIGG

Herbal Remedies to Prescription Drug Problems

2008-05-08T16:21:00.000-07:00

Many people, in these stressful times, may seek a single "magic bullet" pill to help alleviate their health problems ( even scouring the internet for drugs.
Yet there is mounting concern over the amount of prescription drugs we take and their possible cumulative negative effects.
Almost 20 people a week die in the UK after an adverse reaction to prescription drugs, and the death toll has nearly doubled in the past five years, according to the Government.
Perhaps it's not surprising that a growing number of people are seeking alternatives to mainstream medicine.
In the UK it's estimated that people spend pounds 126m a year on herbal medicine.
Ned Reiter, president of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, says: "Herbal medicine can be remarkably effective in qualified hands and is extremely helpful in treating stress-based conditions."
But he urges expert guidance.
"Many people self-prescribe, but there are several limitations to do-it-yourself medicine and consulting a professional herbalist gives access to a safer, individually tailored and more effective application."
The use of herbs for medicinal purposes goes back to ancient times; Egyptians used herbal medicine around 1500BC.
Plants with a particular affinity for certain organs or systems of the body are used to "feed" and restore the health to those parts which have become weakened.
Hazel Courteney, author of 500 of the Most Important Health Tips You'll Ever Need, says that as people have realised the importance of a healthier diet, they have also become more aware of herbal remedies and supplements.
She says: "People are keen in today's polluted world to find natural alternatives to prescribed medicines, because they are realising that the body is perfectly capable of healing itself when it is given the right tools for the job.
"People want to take more responsibility for their own health, to generally improve it, reduce the toxins they take into their bodies and ensure that they have less need for orthodox drugs."
She also reminds people that herbs are powerful medicines, and that if you are taking prescription drugs, you should tell your doctor of any herbs or herbs you wish to take, in case of complications.
HAZEL'S TOP HERBS
Rhodiola: Improves concentration and memory and helps reduce the negative effect of stress hormones. Herb Tech Rhodiola, pounds 11.99 for 100 capsules from Holland & Barrett.
Gotu kola: Improves circulation, which can help conditions such as cold hands, leg ulcers, varicose veins and, in some cases, hair loss. Herbal Authority Gotu Kola, 30ml for pounds 4.49, from Holland & Barrett.
Astralagus: Also known as Chinese root, it has been proven in medical studies to boost immune function, as it increases white cell activity. Good 'n' Natural Astralagus, pounds 10.99 for 100 capsules, from Holland & Barrett.
Siberian ginseng: A tonic which also boosts the immune system and helps support adrenal function. Holland & Barrett's Siberian Ginseng, pounds 9.49 for 100 capsules.
HAZEL'S HEALTH GUIDE
Hayfever
Try garlic, ginger and horseradish tincture, all of which can ease congestion and reduce hayfever symptoms.
Histazyme contains calcium, Vitamin C, the amino acid lysine, zinc, Vitamin B6, silica, bromelain, Vitamin A and manganese, which help if you suffer seasonal disorder. Take one capsule twice daily.
Do not take if you are pregnant.
High blood pressure
Magnesium and calcium have been shown to lower blood pressure ( take 500mg of each daily.
Alternatively, try 900mg of garlic a day.
When used long term, garlic can help gently lower blood pressure and thin the blood.
If you are taking blood-pressure medication, advise your doctor before taking any supplements.
Pre-menstrual tension
Try a herbal menstrual formula containing blessed thistle, squaw vine and barberry, and cramp bark ( all of which help to cleanse the reproductive organs and balance hormones.
This should be taken throughout the month, not just during your period.

Herbal Remedies to Make You Well

2008-05-08T16:20:00.001-07:00

MORE and more people are choosing alternatives to conventional medicines to treat common conditions and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Now the Sunday Mercury has teamed up with Lanes - the herbal remedies expert - to offer you advice on how you can Help Your Way to Health.
Janet Lane, of Gloucester-based Lanes, answers your questions about alternative health and the world of herbal remedies.
QI FIND I am increasingly suffering with aches and pains caused by rheumatism. I have tried a number of treatments to ease the condition, but I have never considered herbal remedies.
Are there any herbal treatments I can try to help ease the pain?
Mrs L. Harrington, Pershore
AJANET says: "Indeed there are! Herbal treatments have long been used to relieve exactly this kind of pain. Celery is probably the best known treatment, but as with many herbal treatments, it is often a combination of different herbs that offer the maximum benefit.
"Personally, I would recommend a product such as Vegetex, which combines celery with buck bean and black cohosh. These tablets can be taken regularly and work by adjusting the natural acid balance in the body."
QEVERY month just before my period I find I put on weight and feel terribly bloated and uncomfortable. My sister tells me I am suffering from water retention.
Is she right, and if so, can you help?
Ms G. Marsh, Craven Arms, Shropshire.
AJANET says: "The problem you are suffering with is water retention and is surprisingly common among many women.
"The good news is that there are a number of herbs that can be helpful in relieving the condition. These herbs are known as diuretics and among the best known are uva-ursi and clivers.
These can be used alone or in combination and are available in tablet form.
If you would like to ask a question, please write to: Ask Janet, Information Service (IS), GR Lane Health Products Ltd, Freepost, Sisson Road, Gloucester, GL1 3QB. The senders of all published letters will receive a complimentary Olbas Bath, the foam bath with natural vapours of eucalyptus, peppermint and
other plant oils.

Living: Herbal Guide to Better Health

2008-05-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

MANY people, in these stressful times, may seek a single "magic bullet" pill to help alleviate their health problems - even sourcing the internet for drugs.
Yet there is mounting concern over the amount of prescription drugs that we take and their possible cumulative negative effects on our bodies.
Almost 20 people die every week after suffering an adverse reaction to prescription drugs and the death toll has nearly doubled in the past five years, according to the Government.
Perhaps it's hardly surprising that a growing number are instead seeking alternatives to mainstream medicine, from herbs to supplements.
The use of herbs for medicinal purposes goes back to ancient times - Egyptians used herbal medicine in around 1500BC and in the UK it's estimated we now spend pounds 126 million on herbal medicine.
Hazel Courteney, author of 500 Of The Most Important Health Tips You'll Ever Need, says people have realised the importance of a healthier diet and have also become more aware of herbal remedies and supplements.
"People are keen in today's polluted world to find natural alternatives to prescribed medicines because they are realising that the body is perfectly capable of healing itself when it is given the right tools for the job," she says.
"People want to take more responsibility for their own health, reduce the toxins they take into their bodies, and ensure they have less need for orthodox drugs."
She reminds people that herbs are powerful medicines, and that if you are taking prescription drugs, you should always advise your doctor of any supplements or herbs you wish to take in case of complications.
HAZEL'S HERB HEALTH GUIDE
HAYFEV R
Try garlic, ginger and horseradish tincture, as all of these herbs can ease congestion and reduce the symptoms of hayfever.
Histazyme contains calcium, Vitamin C, the amino acid lysine, zinc, Vitamin B6, silica, bromelain, Vitamin A and manganese, which help if you suffer seasonal disorder. Take one capsule twice daily. Do not take if you are pregnant.
MRSA
Bee propolis is a substance manufactured by bees to sterilise their hives, and has been shown in three studies to kill the MRSA bacteria, which is resistant to antibiotics.
You need to take three grams a day before any stay in hospital and continue for at least a month afterwards. Available from Bee Health, 01262 607 890/www.beehealth.co.uk
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Magnesium and calcium have been shown to lower blood pressure - take 500mg of each daily.
Alternatively, try 900mg of garlic a day. When used long-term garlic can help gently lower blood pressure and thin the blood. Kudos makes a high-strength 1,000mg capsule. 020 8392 6524/www.kudosvitamins.com
If you are taking blood-pressure medication advise your doctor before taking any supplements.
HAIR LOSS
If your hair is thinning because of the menopause, some herbs can help to balance hormones naturally to counteract this. These include dong quai, black cohosh, sage and soya isoflavones. Zinc is essential for hair and nail growth, take 30mg daily.
PRE-MENSTRUAL TENSION
Try a herbal menstrual formula containing blessed thistle, squaw vine and barberry, and cramp bark - which all help to cleanse the reproductive organs and balance hormones.
This should be taken throughout the month not just during your period.
FOR information on the nearest herbal medicine practitioners, visit the National Institute of Medicinal Herbalists www.nimh.org.uk or call the Herbal Health Advice Line on 01392 426 022, which can put you in touch with qualified medical herbalists for guidance on herbal health matters. BY GABRIELLE FAGAN

HERBAL TEAS: Health in a Teacup

2008-05-08T16:17:00.000-07:00

When your throat feels sore or indigestion threatens, then it's time for a medicinal tea.
"Herbal tea can ease symptoms if there is an indication that something is wrong or at the first sign a illness is getting worse," says Ursula Sellerberg, spokeswoman for an organisation in Berlin that represents the interests of Germany's pharmacists.
The body and soul is helped to regenerate itself by the tea's active ingredients and stimulated by the hot water.
"The classic areas where herbal tea is used are against colds, digestive problems and women's complaints," says herbal tea expert Monika Beutgen.
Medicinal teas are also commonly used to ease the symptoms of bladder and kidney complaints as well as sleeplessness.
Every herb contains a range of chemical ingredients the strongest of which determines the tea's main effect.
The bitter components of the herbs centaury, absinth wormwood or gentian improve the stomach's function and increase appetite as well as the feeling of being full.
The large-leafed linden induces sweating while fennel, anis, kummel and camomile ease cramps.
"People often combine four or six plants but no more than that," explains Peter Zizmann, president of the Bonn-based Professional Association of Alternative Medicine Practitioners.
A tea's effectiveness is increased by combining herbs. At the same time the chemical components are also boosted.
With a little knowledge on the subject it is possible to visit a pharmacist and have a tea custom-blended.
An alternative is the pre-blended herbal tea.
"Their drawback is they are designed to have a wide range of effectiveness and are not tailored to treat specific complaints," says Zizmann.
Staple blends and individual herbs are also available over the counter in packets from pharmacists and in many local shops.
"Not every herbal tea is a medicinal tea," says Laura Groche of the Berlin consumer affairs organisation Verbraucherinitiative.
"Medicinal teas must contain information on the packaging about their correct usage, their chemical components, dosage, a best-before-date and their licensing number."
When buying herbal tea make sure each tea bag is individually wrapped so that essential oils are not lost.
"Only then can a medicinal tea be used to its full effect," explains Beutgen.
Herbal tea is generally prepared by pouring boiling water over the leaves or tea bag. Do not leave the tea in the pot longer than it says on the instructions.
"On the one hand some chemical components are only available for a short time," says Groche. "And on the other it can happen that by leaving the tea in the pot too long, some components are diluted and lose their strength."
Leaving the tea too long can also have a negative affect on the tea's taste.
Groche also advises drinking medicinal teas for a limited period of time.
"They are not suitable for consumption over a sustained period," she says.
Medicinal tea should never be drunk for periods longer than six weeks without consulting a doctor first. EVA NEUMANN

Can Herbs Really Heal?

2008-05-08T16:14:00.000-07:00

Through most of The Clan of the Cave Bear, that runawaybest seller about the lives and loves of the cave man, the heroine, Ayla, is groomed to take over from the tribe's medicine lady. Ayla is not only taught what plants to use for what problems, but also what part of the plants (the stem, root or leaves) to use and how to process them (hang them upside down to dry, grind them in a bowl, etc.).
Over the course of nearly 500 pages, a lot of pains are easedand wounds mended through the herbal magic. And it's quite natural that in the thousands of years that the cave man and woman were on this earth they would have learned to use some of nature's offerings for medicinal purposes.
Their method of testing a product was to go directly to clinicaltrials--that is, they used the trial-and-error method. No doubt a lot of people got sick--or sicker--in the process, just as today a lot of laboratory mice and rats are made ill by modern man's testing.
But some of the cave dwellers had their pains eased, possiblyfrom the medicine and possibly from simply being told that they were going to be cured. Whatever the reason, medicine practiced by the cave man has been carried down through the years and into societies as modern as ours.
Such folk medicine leaves a lot of people believing that thereremain simple herbal cures for many health problems. But such is not the case. Much herbal medicine lore has since proved unfounded. And some of the herbs are dangerous--a point that author Jean M. Auel noted when Ayla was being instructed about the herb henbane: "Very useful to a medicine woman, but it should never be eaten; it can be dangerously poisonous if used as food.'
The healing value of herbs is ever controversial. David G.Spoerke Jr., a University of Utah pharmacy professor and author of Herbal Medications, acknowledged the controversy in the introduction to his book, published in 1980.
"There is a growing number of people who are turning to"natural' means of health care. . . . Some of these people say that herbal medicines are the only true means of obtaining "natural' health. They pit themselves against those who think that all herbal medication is quackery and the only safe, effective drugs are those produced by the pharmaceutical industry. The truth, of course, lies between these two extremes.'
Ah, but where between those two extremes does truth reside?There's the rub.
Matthew Suffness, Ph.D., head of the National Cancer Institute'sNatural Products Branch, which studies herbs for antitumor qualities, says that those herbal medications that work generally work only on minor diseases. Dr. Suffness is not surprised that some do work; after all, he says, "You're looking at thousands of years of clinical experience--not "controlled' clinical experience, of course--but the things that survived didn't make people sick and did do some good.' Despite all that "clinical' experience, he warns that "you want to be careful that you don't get into a megadose situation.'
Traditionally, herbal preparations contain only smallamounts of active ingredients. However, those small amounts might be toxic or poisonous.
Richard Ronk, deputy director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, also preaches caution. "Man does not graze indiscriminately in Nature's garden,' says Ronk.
The job of deciding where the truth lies often falls to theFood and Drug Administration. Charged with regulating drugs, cosmetics and most foods, FDA is looked to for guidance on herb usage. Botanical or "natural' products that are used in medicines have to be of proven safety and effectiveness. Herbs used in foods must also be nontoxic.
Foods quickly get classified as drugs when thereapeuticclaims are made for them. For example, if a manufacturer claims that his "Dermadough' bread contains "16 herbs that will help get rid of your pimples,' that is a therapeutic, or healing, claim, and therefore the bread can be considered--and regulated as--a drug. That means the manufacturer has to back the claim that those 16 herbs will do as touted, and do it without injuring the health of anyone who tries the acne cure by eating the bread.
Upon discovering that Dermadough has become a drug, themanufacturer may decide to take the claim off the label and simply sell the bread as a food. However, as a result of a recent court ruling, the manufacturer cannot merely issue a new label without the claim. The product has to be relabeled "in a manner sufficient to disassociate the reconditioned product from its history of use as a drug.'
This could require a change in the brand name as well as achange in the name of the manufacturer, packer or distributor.
Herbs used in food for flavoring and other purposes and forwhich no drug claims are made must also be safe for consumption. In looking at such herb-containing foods, FDA "must consider whether the substance has a history of use in food . . . and whether there have been any adverse effects associated with consumption of the substance, including long-term toxicity or carcinogenicity,' 1986 policy guidelines note. "Such history of use in food must include information that the substance has been used as a food ingredient and not as a drug, tonic, or folk remedy.'
For a number of years, FDA included in its policy guidelinesa list of 27 botanical products that were classified as unsafe on the basis of published scientific studies. The list was a reference tool for agency investigators, but it proved controversial and has been dropped from FDA's current Compliance Policy Guidelines (copies of which are available to the public and industry). The new guidelines state that the agency "will consider action against botanical products as food on a case-by-case basis under provisions' of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
Hundreds of plant extracts are used in cosmetics. Generally,the herbs are assumed to be safe and are put into cosmetic products without any prior FDA approval under the law. The agency may take action when a product or ingredient proves to be harmful.
One reason humans shouldn't munch about cavalierly in Nature'sgarden is that the gardener, Mother Nature, for all her simple appeal, is a complex person. As NCI's Dr. Suffness says of natural products: "You can isolate just about as many [chemical] compounds as you want, depending on the sensitivity of the instruments you're using.'
Nature is not only complex, but also capricious. Bloodroot isa case in point. In herbal medicine lore, bloodroot, which gives out a red juice when the root is damaged, is used for the treatment of warts, nasal polyps, and skin cancer. The American Indians also drank bloodroot tea for their rheumatism. Back in 1857, an English doctor by the name of Fell thought enough of it to develop a salve for treating breast tumors, according to Herbs That Heal by William A.R. Thompson, M.D. However, Dr. Thompson reports that a London hospital ran a trial on the salve with contradictory results. Thompson says other studies resulted in only "some scientific evidence for its folklore reputation. . . .'
Now along comes a U.S. toothpaste manufacturer claimingthat a bloodroot derivative fights plaque that builds up on teeth and causes all kinds of dental problems. (See "The Dental Plaque Battle Is Endless but Worth It' in the September 1984 FDA Consumer.) The extract of Sanguinaria canadensis contains an alkaloid (a nitrogen-based organic compound) that was the very same substance thought by Dr. Fell and others to fight cancer.
A November 1986 monograph in the Lawrence Review ofNatural Products said: "A large body of well-designed studies has found that toothpastes and oral rinses containing sanguinarine help reduce and limit the deposition of dental plaque in as little as 8 days.' Many of the studies cited in the monograph were done by scientists associated with the toothpaste manufacturer.
One such study told how the compound was linked with oralhygiene. "The chemical structure of sanguinarine is similar to [compounds found in a] species of plant, which is used in Africa as tooth-cleaning sticks and are reported to be beneficial to the oral hygiene of these native cultures,' according to a March 1984 article in the Journal of the American Dental Association.
But no New Drug Application for the product has been filedwith the Food and Drug Administration, and the agency has yet to decide on the claims being made for sanguinarine and other anti-plaque products that are intended for sale over the counter (without prescription).
However, the case of bloodroot and its sanguinarine derivativeprovide a good example why we should graze with care in Mother Nature's garden. The "clinical trials' of the American Indians using bloodroot for rheumatism have proved to be of little value. Man was deceived, but the compound still may (or may not) have some other medicinal value.
Still another example of the it-doesn't-work-for-this-but-it-may-work-for-that approach is periwinkle. As a folk medicine it was supposed to cure diabetes. But it didn't stand up to 20th century studies. However, it has been discovered that an alkaloid in it may be able to fight tumors. NCI's Natural Products Branch believes that the periwinkle plant from Madagascar has the best properties for the job. The anti-tumor value was discovered by scientists looking for the key to the supposed diabetes use.
Mother Nature, it seems, is a coy lady when it comes tosharing the secrets of her pharmacopoeia. by Jean M. Auel , Roger W. Miller

How to Find Your Way through the Herbal Medicine Jungle

2008-05-08T16:11:00.000-07:00

FIGURES published last week revealed that sales have risen by almost athird in the past five years, and we're predicted to spend [pounds sterling]191 million oncomplementary treatments this year alone. Many of these remedies can be boughtover the counterwhich has alarmed medical experts, concerned that some could be toxic and mayput lives at risk. ANGELA EPSTEIN guides you through the competing claims ofsceptics and supporters ...
IF THEY ARE NATURAL, WHY THE CONCERN? HERBAL medicines contain chemicals justlike conventional drugs. The fact they are natural does not mean they are nottoxic, and some are risky, says Edzard Ernst, of Exeter University, Britain'sfirst professor of complementary medicine.
Kava a plant-based remedy used for anxiety, was banned a few years ago after itwas connected with liver problems.
Others remedies may not be toxic but can interact with prescribed medicines.For example, St John's Wortused for depression interferes with at least 50 per cent of prescribed drugs.
Medical experts also fear that some people may put their lives at risk byrelying on complementary rather than sound medical treatment.
Some alternative medicine clinics sell homeopathic protection against malaria,despite clear Government advice that there is no evidence such treatments workAnother issue is the variable quality of complementary products. 'There ishardly any quality control of herbal remedies, and they are not nearly astightly regulated as conventional medicines,' says Professor Ernst. 'This meansthat some, particularly Asian mixtures, can be contaminated, for instance withheavy metals, or adulterated with prescription drugs.' Denis Gore, aManchester-based community pharmacist who has a special interest incomplementary medicine, suggests it is best to buy alternative products from apharmacy rather than a health food store. 'You will have access to a qualifiedpharmacist who can give you advice about possible interaction between yourchosen complementary medicine and standard medication or medical conditions.They are also likely to stock reputable brands whose contents can be trusted.'IS THERE ANY PROOF THAT
IS THERE ANY PROOF THAT HERBAL REMEDIES WORK? EVEN if a herbal remedy is safe,that doesn't mean it works. As Dr Cath White, a GP with a special interest inthis field explains: 'The problem with herbal medicines is that they may havepharmacological properties, and therefore be subject to the same problems asconventional medicines.
'However, a lack of rigorous trials means we cannot answer the same questionsabout them, such as what is the safe dosage and are all batches of the samepotency?' Pharmaceutical companies have little or no financial interest infunding trialsthe 'gold standard' is the double-blind placebo trial, where one group ofpeople is given the remedy while another is given a dummy preparation. Manyherbal remedies undergo less rigorous testing, and critics claim positiveresults reflect the so-called placebo effectthe patient 'feels better' rather than sound clinical proof.
A Swiss study published in The
Lancet in 2005 suggested that the benefits of homeopathy are all in the mind,with alternative remedies performing no better than dummy pills in clinicaltrials.
One reason for this could be that patients who see an alternative practitioneroften get a lengthy, detailed consultation rather than the rushed few minutesavailable with a GP. This could relieve stress and so make a patient feelbetter. According to Professor Ernst the beneficial effects of the majority ofherbals are totally unproven.
'For instance, research has shown there is no effective herbal remedy forcancer, diabetes, weight loss, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, asthma,hangover, hepatitis and many other conditions.' There will always be anecdotalevidence which confounds the results of a clinical trial. For example, theUniversity of Exeter and the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital carried out aclinical trial on arnicaa popular remedy derived from the Leopard's bane plant used for healing bumpsand bruises. Though tests found it neither reduced pain nor acceleratedhealing, many patients claim it works.
A further complication arises from the labelling of homeopathic medicines.
Manufacturers are allowed to claim their products help to relieve minorsymptoms, such as constipation, without having to prove these claimsprovided the product is proven to be safe.
The fear is that the ready availability of herbal remedies meanslifethreatening illnesses might go undiagnosed, or people discard prescribedtablets in favour of an unproven alternative, says Professor
Ernst. 'For example, constipation could be a sign of bowel cancer, and ifsomeone with treatable bowel cancer buys a homeopathic medicine forconstipation, they may be untreatable tomorrow. Taken to the extreme, thisregulation could cost lives. It cannot be disputed that, in a clinical sense,homeopathy seems to help patients. Yet, scientifically speaking, the remedieshave absolutely no potency.' Until now, there has been no national system toestablish quality and standards in herbal medicine, and the exact contents ofproducts are not always shown on labels.
A new registration scheme, introduced in 2005 regarding herbal products, meanscompanies have to meet quality standards and provide information about thesafety of their product in order to register. However, because there are somany products on the market, manufacturers have until 2011 to meet thelegislation.
SO WHICH REMEDIES WORK? EVEN though many alternative remedies have not been asthoroughly tested as conventional medicines, those that have been shown to workinclude ginkgoa plant extract derived from the Maidenhair Tree, which can help in cases ofdementiaand flowers and leaves from the hawthorn plant for treating heart failure.
Opinion remains divided on popular remedies used for more routine conditions.For example, products containing the echinacea flower have been championed as anatural way to prevent and beat the common cold.
A recent study by the School of Pharmacy at the University of Connecticut foundthat taking echinacea reduced the chances of catching a cold by 58 per cent.However, the results conflict with other studies that show no beneficialeffect.
IS THERE ANYONE WHO SHOULD AVOID HERBAL REMEDIES? PREGNANT women should avoidall alternative remedies, says Professor Ernst as there is no research to showthat any are risk-free and pose no threat to the unborn baby.
Those planning a pregnancy should also take a cautious approach. A recent studyof 818 fertility patients by the University of Copenhagen found that pregnancyrates were about 20 per cent lower among users of alternative medicine.
However, the research couldn't confirm whether complementary medicines have abiological effect or whether the findings reflected the fact that women who usealternative medicine tend to be more stressed by their infertility and may havebeen trying for longer to get pregnant.
There is also evidence that herbal remedies can interfere with theeffectiveness of conventional medicines.
Herbs such as St John's Wort, echinacea, and ginkgo biloba have been found toaffect the recovery of patients after surgery, interfere with prescribedanti-depressants and thin the blood. St John's Wort may also interfere with thecontraceptive pill.
Valerian has been linked to deepening the effect of conventional sedatives,while garlic has blood-thinning properties, so consult your GP if taking itbefore an operation.
Many parents give their children herbal remedies without seeking medicaladvice. A study of 200 children by Thames Valley University found more thanone-third of parents were administering complementary medicineyet 54 per cent did not tell their child's doctor.
However, young children should not be given herbal remedies without a GP'sadvice, says Charles Simenoff, a Manchester-based GP and member of the BritishMedical Association.
If a parent thinks a child has a condition which needs some form of medicalattention, it should be a doctor from whom they get their advice.
'Common sense also has to prevail with anyone, adult or child, who isexperiencing symptoms of any kind that last more than a week. A doctor shouldbe the first port of call in case it indicates a serious problem. Basically, ifsomeone has a health concern they need to see a doctor.' IS THERE A SAFE WAY TOUSE HERBAL REMEDIES? ASK your doctor or pharmacist before you decide to try aherbal supplement, and disclose any medication you are taking. Once you start atreatment, read the label carefully and follow the prescribed dosage. Never tryto self-medicate for serious conditions such as diabetes.
And stop taking any remedy immediately if you have any kind of reaction.
If you want to see an alternative practitioner, find one through theirgoverning body as these organisations exist to maintain high standards ofpractice and patient care. (ANGELA EPSTEIN)

Herbal Mania.

2008-05-08T16:08:00.001-07:00

It's your best friend's 40th birthday. Even though you have a big presentation at the office tomorrow, you can't let your buddy down, so you go out on the town and whoop it up with him. Better not forget your ginseng in the morning for an extra boost of energy.
It's been a rough month, and you're in a funk. Your girlfriend says she's found another woman, it's been raining for days, and the rent is past due. A friend suggests a regimen of Saint-John's-wort, an antidepressant, to bring you back up to the level.
Anyone who has walked into a health-food store recently knows of the growing interest in herbal remedies. From echinacea to Ginkgo biloba, the supplements are showing up on the shelves of supermarkets and drugstores everywhere. The herbs are especially popular among gay men and lesbians, who see in them the natural answer to the stress of life.
To some degree the craze for herbal supplements among gay men began after people with HIV started using the remedies. Given limited treatment options at the beginning of the epidemic, many people turned to alternative medicine to keep their illness under control and to counteract the side effects of other drugs. According to numerous studies, an estimated 40% to 70% of people with AIDS have used alternative treatments.
"When it became evident that the new disease would be slow to conquer the affected community--especially well-organized gay men in such epicenters of the epidemic as San Francisco and New York City--began to focus on self-preservation and treatment advocacy," says Donald Abrams, assistant directory of the University of California, San Francisco, AIDS Program at San Francisco General Hospital.
"When I first got into it, it was basically the granola crowd. We'd see a lot of tie-dye coming in," says John Armstrong, an herbalist at Elixir Tonics & Teas, an alternative-health store in West Hollywood, Calif. "Now it's really mainstream. We get everyone, from actors to models to people who work for a living who feel their energy is not where they would like it to be."
Some pharmacists tailor their herbal advice to gay men and lesbians. David deBoer, a 34-year-old Chicagoan, recalls a recent trip to the drugstore in search of a remedy for a sore throat. His boyfriend by his side, he asked the pharmacist at a Walgreens in Chicago's heavily gay Lakeview neighborhood what she recommended. "I think because she was speaking to two gay men, she said. `Echinacea would boost the immune system but only if you don't have a compromised immune system,'" deBoer says.
Echinacea aside, some herbs are believed to help boost crippled immune systems. Fred Bingham, a former landscape architect, had a T-cell count of just 30 when he began an alternative-medicine treatment for his HIV infection. After using a variety of alternative treatments, including licorice root, his T-cell count is now a healthier 900.
Medical experts warm, however, that herbal remedies--as powerful as their proponents say they are--aren't subject to the same approval process as federally approved drugs. Without regulation there is no way of knowing how potent any particular formulation may be. And just because a product claims to be natural does not make it safe.
RELATED ARTICLE: Out of the gay garden
Popular herbs among gays
Echinacea. Familiar to many gardeners as purple coneflower, echinacea is used to boost the immune system.
Goldenseal. Used primarily to treat congestion from colds. It is also taken to relieve digestive disorders.
Yohimbe. Derived from a tree grown in Africa, yohimbe is used primarily by men to increase sexual energy.
Saint-John's-wort. A wildflower that grows in the western United States, Saint-John's-wort is used primarily as an anti-depressant. Its immense popularity in the United States has earned it the nickname the "herbal Prozac" because it is known as a restorative tonic for the nervous system.
Ginkgo biloba. Commonly prescribed in Germany and France. Ginkgo biloba is used to improve memory.
Kava. A member of the pepper family grown in the South Pacific, kava is prized for its calming qualities.
Ephedra (or mahuang). Found around the world, this herb is used to treat colds. by John Gallagher

ANOTHER VIEW OF BREAST CANCER

2008-05-08T16:04:00.000-07:00

IN 1935, 26.2 out of every 100,000 women died of breast cancer. That was a long time ago, of course, when life expectancy for women was sixty-four years. Americans now live longer, which means that diseases of the elderly are more common. Although breast cancer affects many young women, it is still principally a disease of middle and old age--the median age at diagnosis is sixty-four. Statisticians must adjust raw data about incidence and mortality to compensate for underlying demographic shifts. In 1992, the latest year for which figures are available, the adjusted rate of mortality was 26.2 women per 100,000--the same as in 1935. (The death rate rose a bit from 1986 to 1989 and declined by about the same amount from 1989 to 1992.) Since 1935 medicine has seen improvements in surgical technique and anesthesia, and the introduction of mammography, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, along with an enormous jump in general medical knowledge. But all this progress has had no effect on the chances that an individual woman will die of breast cancer. To my way of thinking, the constancy of the death rate in the face of rising incidence and aggressive treatment is a strong hint that we need to approach the disease in another way. ( Davi Plotkin)

Alcohol and Cancer Risk

2008-05-08T15:59:00.000-07:00

Chronic alcohol consumption increases the risk for cancer of the organs and tissues of the respiratory tract and the upper digestive tract, liver, colon, rectum, and breast.
Epidemiologic studies of the last decades have unequivocally identified chronic alcohol consumption as an important risk factor for the development of various types of cancers, including cancers of the organs and tissues of the respiratory tract and the upper digestive tract , liver, colon or rectum , and breast.
For these types of cancer, the following associations with alcohol consumption have been found:
* The highest cancer risk associated with alcohol consumption is seen for the upper aerodigestive tract--that is, the oral cavity, throat , voice box, and esophagus. Heavy drinking (i.e., consumption of more than 80 g alcohol, or more than five to six drinks, per day (1)), especially combined with smoking, increases the risk of developing these cancers by a factor of 50 or more, depending on the population studied.
* Alcohol-related liver cancer primarily develops in people with liver cirrhosis resulting from chronic excessive alcohol use.
* The risk for alcohol-related colorectal and breast cancer is smaller than that for the upper aerodigestive tract cancer. However, because these types of cancer have a high prevalence in the Western world, alcohol likely is an important risk factor. One study calculated that 4 percent of all newly diagnosed breast cancer cases in the United States primarily result from alcohol consumption.

Does Vitamin D prevent Cancer?

2007-11-06T00:20:00.000-08:00

Question: from Brenda

In your Total-Balance product, does it contain enough naturally compounded vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) to prevent Cancer? If not, which brand should I get the Vitamin D3 to prevent Cancer? I learned recently that enough Vitamin D is the key to prevent cancers.

Answer: from Warren Matthews of Xtend-Life

Recently there has been quite a lot of publicity extolling high dose Vitamin D as a ‘Cancer prevention’ protocol. There is no doubt that Vitamin D is a factor in helping prevent Cancer, but it has to be put into perspective.

The sad fact is that a high proportion of the general population is deficient in Vitamin D and that is without doubt a factor in contributing to an increased risk of Cancer. In other words it is not a matter of taking mega doses of Vitamin D but rather ensuring that you don’t have a deficiency. Remember that most cancers are due to a nutrient deficiency!

Fall Herbal Medicine Chest

2007-11-06T00:19:00.000-08:00

With the change of seasons from Summer to Fall we need to change our supplies in our medicine cabinet. With cooler weather comes a different set of illnesses that can be nipped in the bud with the right medicinals.

Arnica (Arnica montana): This year round herb helps stop pain. Use this for arthritic aches, often set off by seasonal changes. Rub the tincture, cream, or gel on sore spots, Do not use on broken skin.

Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceous) : Take two capsules of this Antiviral herb twice a day to prevent or treat colds and flu. Look for Astragalus products standardized to 15-percent polysaccharides.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis) : Use Calendula tinctures, oil, lotions, or creams to soothe chapped skin and lips. Look for products with at least 10-percent extract of Calendula.

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita): This soothing herb works great as a dust-irritant reliever. Brew a cup of tea and let it cool. Place the room temperature tea soaked in cotton on your eyes. Drink a cup of Chamomile tea for upset stomachs, Heartburn, Indigestion, or to promote relaxation.

Herbs for Blood Purification

2007-11-06T00:17:00.000-08:00

Alfalfa alkalizes and detoxs the body. Can act as a diuretic, balances hormones, eases inflammation, may lower Cholesterol. Must be used in fresh raw form to provide Vitamins. Contains an antifungal agent. Its high protein and vitamin content make it a good nutritional source. Medicinal uses of alfalfa include treatment of stomach upset, Arthritis, bladder and kidney problems, boils, and irregular menstruation.

Cilantro is the great metal detoxer! Leaves of the Coriander plant (cilantro) can accelerate the excretion of mercury, lead, and aluminum from the body. Cilantro is considered the “poor man’s chelation treatment.” Simply add cilantro to your diet daily, for two or three weeks. Consider adding a handful of fresh cilantro to a salad, mix a couple of teaspoons of cilantro pesto with whole wheat pasta or have it with your favorite fish or soups.

Fibromyalgia and Herbal Remedies

2007-11-06T00:13:00.002-08:00

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and multiple tender points. “Tender points” refers to tenderness that occurs in precise, localized areas, particularly in the neck, spine, shoulders, and hips. People with this syndrome may also experience sleep disturbances, morning stiffness, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, anxiety, and other symptoms.

According to the American College of Rheumatology, it’s estimated that 3 million to 6 million Americans are living with this musculoskeletal disorder two thirds of them women, most of them white and most between 20 and 60 years old when first affected.

The Merck Manual defines Fibromyalgia as used to describe several related disorders. Various alternative terms for these disorders have been used, including generalized fibromyalgia, which is 7 times more common in women than in men, the pain and stiffness are widespread, occurring throughout the body.

Traditional Herbal Blood Tonic

2007-11-06T00:13:00.001-08:00

Blood tonics today are used for Cancer prevention; Cancer treatment; liver health, viral and bacterial infections. In the days of old blood tonics were called Spring Tonics and farmers would religiously take them come Spring Time after a long sedentary winter to get their sluggish blood in shape for the upcoming season of farming. A custom that has been lost in today’s world. Why? And why aren’t blood tonics readily available for purchase from holistic healers or from health food stores? Could it be that pharmaceutical companies don’t want any competition from herbal and botanical medicines?

In Dr. Wright’s Newsletter dated September 17, 2007, he talked about Washington State’s war on holistic M.D.s. Sad but true. Holistic healers are still being attacked in the USA that spouts that we are a Free Nation…except when it comes to health care, of course. The onslaught on alternative healers is brought about by Big Pharma, Big Business, the American Cancer Society, the AMA and our elected politicians who are bribed by lobbyists. They don’t want you healthy! Instead, they want the path cleared of anyone who can heal you so they can keep pushing their legal high-profit drugs. In today’s world where the propaganda mantra is “There is no cure”, holistic healers are being harassed, arrested and charged with “moral turpitude”, and put out of business simply because they can cure what ails you.

Herbs for Insomnia

2007-11-06T00:10:00.001-08:00

Insomnia is a symptom, not a disease. Insomnia can have many causes, but the biggest cause is due to stress. Stress related to work, school, health or family concerns. Depression is the second biggest cause. The use of stimulants, including caffeine, alcohol, nicotine or other over-the-counter or prescription medications will also cause Insomnia.

Prescription drugs, including some Antidepressant, High Blood Pressure and steroid medications, can interfere with sleep. Many over-the-counter medications, including some brands of aspirin, decongestants and weight loss products, contain caffeine and other stimulants. Change in your environment or work schedule and even long-term use of sleep medications will actually interupt your sleep cycle. Medical problems, including fibromyalgia or complex diseases of the nerves and muscles can make it very difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Behavioral Insomnia, occurs when you worry excessively about not being able to sleep well and try too hard to fall asleep. Most people with this condition sleep better when they’re away from their usual sleep environment.

Herbs more helpful than Drugs for Period Pain

2007-11-06T00:08:00.000-08:00

This is the headline in a recent article in Reuters. According to a study involving nearly 3,500 women in several countries, various Chinese Herbs were considered to be more effective than drugs, acupuncture or heat compression.

No big surprise here!

Various herbal preparations have been used throughout time to relieve the discomfort that many women have before and during their menstrual periods. The key of course is using the correct Herbs in the correct proportions with the correct co-factors.

Best Herbs for Tea

2007-11-06T00:07:00.000-08:00

Once I began blending and testing herb Teas to sell under my “Mossie Rocks” country store label, I knew what I didn’t want. An herb tea should never be flat and flavorless. Whether it’s fruity or spicy, soothing or lively, simple or sophisticated, it needs taste and personality.

I found my homegrown Mint, Lemon Balm and Chamomile were more flavorful than the herbal ingredients I could buy. I also learned that many of the old-fashioned beverage flavorers, such as Rose petals and toasted Sunflower hulls, are still delightful additions. And for simple pleasures, few things equal the fragrance and flavor of a few fresh leaves of Lemon Verbena steeped in boiling water.

Favorites …..

Here are my picks for the most flavorful and widely adapted “tea” plants for home gardens, along with tips for harvesting and my favorite recipes. All of these plants grow well throughout the United States. They are hardy perennials (up to -20oF) that do well in sun or part shade, except where noted……

)

Fight Infections with Three Powerful Herbs

2007-11-06T00:04:00.000-08:00

Wise women through the centuries have kept themselves and their families safe from contagious diseases. If we are actively dealing with infection, especially lung infections, these three powerful roots stand ready to help us: Elecampane, Echinacea, and poke.

Elecampane (Inula helenium) is a beautiful Sunflower-like perennial found in wet pastures or easily cultivated in a sunny garden spot. The roots are dug in the fall after the plants are established (at least three years) and tinctured in 100 proof vodka for six weeks. Do not use Elecampane in capsules.

I find Elecampane root amazingly powerful in clearing all infections from the lungs. The usual dose is 10-15 drops several times a day, but I would increase the dose and take it as much as 6 times a day in an acute situation. I expect to see results from using Elecampane within a day or less.

I would only take Elecampane if I had an active infection. It has little protective value. To protect the lungs, use Mullein and Organic whole milk.

Echinacea (Echinacea augustifolia) is a well-known anti-infective. Like Elecampane, it is not considered safe to take Echinacea as a preventative. It is reserved for time when there is active infection.

Echinacea root tincture is a powerful ally to the white blood cells, helping them enormously in their efforts to counter bacterial infections. I have personally seen it clear infections that even triple antibiotic therapies had left untouched, including bacterial pneumonia, Bronchitis, sinus infections, Strep Throat, mastitis, and blood poisoning. I have had no occasion to work with someone with SARS, but I have no doubt but that Echinacea would be helpful. I have interfaced Echinacea with Antibacterial drugs and antibiotics with excellent results. Echinacea also works marvelously well in combination with Elecampane root or with poke root. I have never used the three of them together.

A dose of Echinacea root tincture is 1 drop for every 2 pounds of body weight. I take it as frequently as every hour or two in the acute phase of an infection, and increase the time between doses slowly until they are eight hours apart.

Because I use such a large dose of Echinacea root tincture, I get spectacular results. But to be able to use so much, you need to have a lot of the tincture on hand. It is expensive to buy, running $8-10 per ounce. Large bottles of 4-8 ounces bring the price down to $6-8 an ounce. But you can make your own for $1-2 dollars an ounce.

To make a quart of Echinacea root tincture:

Buy 4 ounces of dried Echinacea augustifolia root. Be sure to get this kind.
Put it in a quart jar and fill the jar to the top with 100 proof vodka. Be sure to get this proof even though it is more expensive than regular vodka.
Cap tightly and label.
Shake daily for the first week, then weekly for at least eight weeks. I like to let mine sit for a year before I use it, but you can use it after six weeks if necessary. Do not use Echinacea in capsules.

Poke (Phytolacca americana) is also a beautiful perennial. The root tincture is powerful to the point of being considered poisonous.

I always travel with a bottle of poke root tincture. I think of it as insurance - on the off chance that I may be exposed in my travels to some new and potentially deadly bug. Had I been in Beijing when SARS broke out, I would have taken it.

I would not take poke as a precaution; it is far too strong to be used that way. Only if I knew that I was likely to have been exposed to the pathogen would I use it (one drop twice a day; if I felt symptoms, I would increase to four times a day or more, as seemed reasonable at the time).

You may find it hard to buy poke root tincture. (Red Moon Herbs usually has it available.) It is rightly feared. But the plant is widespread and easy to recognize with its magenta stem and racemes of white flowers and dark purple berries, so you can make your own if you live where it grows.

I dig only one poke root every decade or so, for the dose I use is minuscule. I choose a root that is at least three years old (the standard for digging any perennial root), rinse the soil from it, chop it coarsely, and tincture it for a minimum of six weeks in 100 proof vodka. (No, 80 proof won’t work. And, yes, it must be a fresh root, as drying seems to remove the active properties.)

When I need poke root tincture to kick my Immune System into high gear, I take a dose of one drop - yes, only one drop - once or twice a day. Poke root tincture contains compounds that can harm the Kidneys if it is taken continuously. I reserve its use for emergencies and do not consider it especially helpful to the Immune System.

Isn’t it well named? It pokes the Immune System and speeds up pokey lymphatic drainage. I have known a single drop to reverse chronic infections that have simmered for years, getting more and more resistant to drugs. Of course, poke root tincture, is used by those with Cancer, sometimes with astonishing results. (See Breast Cancer? Breast Health! the Wise Woman Way for lots more information on using poke to counter Cancer.)

For severe infections, such as SARS, the dose of poke root tincture may be larger, but build up gradually over a period of days. In extreme situations, an individual may be able to use doses of 15 drops a day. I know of some instances where doses of 30 drops a day were used, but this usually creates unwelcome side effects.

Never use poke root in water and never take capsules of poke root. You could be poisoned.

I keep all three of these strong roots in my medicine cupboard. I feel safe and reassured knowing that I am ready to counter infection and boost my Immune System at a moment’s notice.

Herbs may seem insignificant in the face of the troubles in our nation and in the world, but using green allies to maintain and regain health is a big step toward healthy independence and - I believe - a step toward peace. Instead of making war on weeds like poke, I love them. Instead of making war on nature, I take her as a guide. Instead of making war on myself when I have an injury or illness, a problem or a pain, I nourish myself toward ever greater health, ever greater peace. by Susun S. Weed

Herbs For Arthritis

2007-11-06T00:03:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of helpful herbs for arthritis. A lot of people prefer to use natural solutions for their pain instead of pharmaceuticals. Different herbs for arthritis are available online or in health food stores.

Alfalfa is one of the folk remedy herbs for arthritis. People in southern Appalachia use Alfalfa tea because it is rich with nutritive minerals. It is recommended that you do not take alfalfa powder; but take the tea instead.

Alfalfa as herbs for arthritis contains an amino acid that can cause symptoms that are similar to systemic lupus. Systemic lupus is an autoimmune disease that can also cause joint pain. There have been some scientific studies that show that these symptoms can occur in both animals and humans as a result of eating alfalfa. There is not a significant amount of the amino acid in alfalfa tea.

To use alfalfa as herbs for arthritis, place 1 ounce of alfalfa in a pot and cover it with one quart of water. The alfalfa needs to boil for thirty minutes. After the alfalfa has boiled, strain it and drink the quart throughout the day. The alfalfa tea regimen should only be done for two to three weeks, and then you should take a break for seven to ten days before starting again.

Angelica is an herbs for arthritis that has been used in European folk medicine since antiquity. It can be used to treat arthritis. The Western variety of angelica has twelve anti-inflammatory constituents, ten muscle relaxant constituents, and five pain-relieving ones.

The Chinese sometimes use their native variety of the plant herbs for arthritis. The Chinese species is sold in North America under the names dang gui or dong quai. It has been gaining in popularity because it works.

To use angelica as herbs for arthritis, place one tablespoon of the cut roots of either species of angelica into a pint of water and bring it to a boil. Cover and boil for two minutes. Remove the herbs for arthritis from the heat and let stand, covered, until the water cools to room temperature. Strain and drink the tea in three doses during the day for two to three weeks at a time. Then, take a break for seven to ten days and start the treatment again if desired.

Black Cohosh is an American Indian treatment herbs for arthritis using the root of a black cohosh. There are five species worldwide that have been used to treat rheumatism. Black cohosh contains aspirin-like substances as well as other anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties.

Black Cohosh needs to simmer to be effective herbs for arthritis. Simmer one teaspoon of black cohosh root in one cup of boiling water for about twenty minutes. The root will need to be strained and the tea should be divided into two doses to take during the day. As with all herbs for arthritis, treatment can last for two to three weeks, then a break needs to be taken for seven to ten days before starting the treatment again.

Cranberries Fight Ovarian Cancer

2007-11-04T07:27:00.000-08:00

Compounds in cranberries may help improve the effectiveness of platinum drugs that are used in chemotherapy to fight ovarian cancer, researchers have found in a laboratory study.

The scientists demonstrated in cell culture studies that human ovarian cancer cells resistant to platinum drugs became up to 6 times more sensitized to the drugs after exposure to the cranberry compounds in comparison to cells that were not exposed to the compounds, which were obtained from juice extracts.
Although preliminary, the findings have the potential to save lives and reduce the harmful side effects associated with using high doses of platinum drugs for the treatment of ovarian cancer, the researchers say, adding that human studies are still needed. The new study adds to a growing number of potential health benefits linked to cranberries.
"For the first time, we have shown in our in vitro studies that cranberry extracts can sensitize resistant human ovarian cancer cell lines," say study co-presenters Ajay P. Singh, Ph.D., and Nicholi Vorsa, Ph.D., natural products chemists at Rutgers University. "This has opened up exciting possibilities for therapeutic intervention associated with platinum therapy," add Singh and Vorsa, who collaborated with colleagues Laurent Brard, M.D., Ph.D, Rakesh K. Singh, and K.S.Satyan, Ph.D., of Brown University.
But the researchers caution that the study is experimental and that patients with ovarian cancer should always consult with their physicians before trying any type of anti-cancer therapy. Ovarian cancer is the seventh most common cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Chemotherapy using platinum drugs, including cisplatin and paraplatin, is a mainstay treatment for ovarian cancer. However, cancer cells tend to develop resistance to platinum therapy and higher doses of the drugs can cause unwanted side-effects, including nerve damage and kidney failure.
The new study focused on cranberry juice because of past research suggesting that the juice has a wide range of potential health benefits, including the ability to fight urinary tract infections, stomach ulcers, and cancer. Singh and his associates obtained ovarian cancer cells that were relatively resistant to platinum. They treated the cells with various doses of a purified extract of commercially available cranberry drink (containing 27 percent pure juice), exposed the cells to the platinum drug paraplatin and compared them to cells that were not exposed to the extract.
Paraplatin killed 6 times more cancer cells that were pre-treated with juice extract compared to cells that were exposed to the cancer drug alone, the researchers say. The extract also slowed the growth and spread of some cancer cells. The maximum amount of juice extract given to the cells was the human equivalent of about a cup of cranberry juice, according to the researchers.
Singh and colleagues believe that the active compounds in the extract are powerful antioxidants called 'A-type' proanthocyanidins that are unique to cranberries and not found in other fruits. The researchers add that they do not understand exactly how the cranberry compounds work. However, based on research by other groups, these compounds appear to bind to and block certain tumor promoter proteins found in the ovarian cancer cells, they say. The result is that the cancer cells become more vulnerable to attack from the platinum drugs, the scientists say, noting that the cranberry compounds are not a cure for cancer.
The researchers hope to eventually identify the most active anti-cancer fractions of the cranberry extract and determine the optimal dose for effectiveness against ovarian cancer. Theoretically, a therapeutic compound made from cranberry extract could be used as part of an injectable chemotherapy regimen or as a beverage supplement to be consumed during chemotherapy, says Singh. Animal studies will begin soon and a new therapy could one day be available to consumers if further testing proves successful, he says.
For now, the researchers recommend that those with ovarian and other types of cancer seek their physician's advice for the most effective treatment options. The current study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.
This research was reported at the 234th national meeting of the American Chemical Society on August 21, 2007.

Preventing Enlarged Heart Decreases Risk Of Death

2007-11-04T07:22:00.000-08:00

Prostate cancer patients cut their risk of dying of the disease in half when they receive radiation seed implants (brachytherapy) to treat their cancer, compared to those who don't receive active treatment (watchful waiting/active surveillance), within six months from being diagnosed with localized prostate cancer, according to a new study.

The study may be used to improve the selection of appropriate treatments, since no single method of prostate cancer treatment has been shown to be clearly optimal for men diagnosed with localized disease.
Brachytherapy is a procedure where a radiation oncologist places small radioactive seeds into the prostate to kill the cancer cells while the man is sedated. This treatment is preferred by many men because brachytherapy is just as effective as external beam radiation therapy and surgery, but can be done in one visit, unlike external beam which is given over six to eight weeks, and has a much faster recovery over surgically removing the prostate, a major surgical procedure.
Watchful waiting/active surveillance, also called observation, is an option for prostate cancer patients where doctors monitor the cancer through frequent tests to see if the tumor causes symptoms or appears to be growing. Unlike many other cancers, most prostate cancers grow very slowly and sometimes watching the cancer -- instead of actively treating it -- is the preferred choice, especially among older men who wish to avoid the side effects of treatment, including problems with urination and sexual function.
"This is the first time that a population-based cohort study has compared brachytherapy to watchful waiting/active surveillance in the treatment of localized prostate cancer," said Ester H. Zhou, M.D., Ph.D., lead author of the study and an epidemiologist at the Case Western University School of Medicine in Cleveland. "We were pleasantly surprised to find that patients who had brachytherapy in conjunction with external beam radiation therapy and/or androgen deprivation therapy had much better survival than those patients who didn't receive active treatment, and that it was shown to be just as effective as radical prostatectomy in lengthening the lives of prostate cancer patients."
The study involved about 11,000 men who were 65 years old and older and newly diagnosed with localized prostate cancer in Ohio between 1999 and 2001. Researchers examined the group's survival rate after seven years to see if they could detect a benefit between different common treatments for localized prostate cancer.
The abstract, "Radiation Therapy in Prostate Cancer Patients and Survival - A Population-based Study," was presented October 31, 2007 at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 49th Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. (source sciencedaily.com)

Alternative Cures for abdominal bloating

2007-11-03T22:16:00.000-07:00

Abdominal bloating refers to a sensation of fullness or a sense of abdominal enlargement or tightness. Bloating may have several causes, the most common being accumulation of liquids and intestinal gas.

These treatment is not only for Bloating, but also may help who suffers with Gas and Burping.
1. Drink a lot of water! at least 8 glasses of water for each and everyday. Oh ya, don't drink carbonated drinks!!!
2. Eat slowly!! and chew your food thoroughly until it is as small as possible. Avoid gulping food or beverages. When you rush through meals or eat on the run, you are more likely to swallow air.
3. Avoid chewing gum or eating hard candy.
4. Do not smoke or use other tobacco products.
5. Gradually increase the amount of fibre-rich foods you eat such as fruits, vegetables, wholegrain cereals and bread, wholewheat pasta, brown rice and beans. These high-fibre foods also have the added benefit of preventing hunger from kicking in, which is important if you want to lose weight.
6. Avoid these food for a while, these are gas inducing foods: beans, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, sprouts, onions and garlic.
7. Simple things such as talking while eating, using a straw or sports bottle, chewing gum, eating when you’re on the move, drinking from a water fountain and eating when you’re upset should be avoided or controlled, this can cause swallow of air.

Herbs that can help for bloating.

Certain herbs can have extraordinary effects on the digestive process by improving absorption.
Amritdhara - ayurvedic herbal preparation that is very effective in relieving excess flatulence, stomach gas, stomach pains and abdominal bloating.
Chamomile - Drinking Chamomile Tea has been done for centuries as a gentle relaxant to calm the nervous system, sooth gastrointestinal disorders, and ease menstrual cramps. Often taken before bedtime for relaxation.
Peppermint - Drinking Peppermint Tea relaxes the muscles that allow the body to rid itself of painful digestive gas. It also helps to cure other illnesses such as Menstrual Cramps, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Kidney Stones, Tension Headache, Colds and Flu and Itching and Skin Irritations.

Alternative Cures for lowering Cholesterol level

2007-11-03T22:14:00.000-07:00

In blood, cholesterol is bound to certain proteins - lipoproteins which have an affinity for blood fats, known as lipids. There are two main types of lipoproteins : a low density one (LDL) and a high density one (HDL). The low density lipoprotein is the one which is considered harmful and is associated with cholesterol deposits in blood vessels.

The higher the ratio of LDL to the total cholesterol, the greater the risk of arterial damage and heart disease. The HDL on the other hand plays a salutary role by helping remove cholesterol from circulation and thereby reduce the risk of heart disease.Achieving lower cholesterol is one of the best ways to protect yourself from heart attack and stroke. A fat-like substance found in the blood, cholesterol can build up and form deposits in your arteries. These cholesterol deposits can clog or in some cases completely block the passage of blood and oxygen to the heart. The result, for hundreds of thousands of people every year, is chest pain, heart attack, or other cardiovascular problems.

A Vaccine For The Prevention Of Cervical Cancer?

2007-11-03T22:00:00.001-07:00

Prof. Kevin Ault, Gynaecologist, from the Emory University School of Medicine, University of Iowa, USA has present the results of the last Study’s conclusions are Incredible and it’s true; he told about a vaccine, that is 100 % effective in preventing the most common types of Cervical cancer linked to HPV (D3-to see).
The HPV infections are sexually transmitted diseases which prepare the way for cervical cancer. We can protect the women against the most Carcinogenic subtypes (6, 11, 16 and 18 of HPV) which are the cause of More than 70 % of cervical cancers.
With optimistic results of the Future II study, 20541 Women from Europe, America and Asia, between the ages of 16 and 26 years old, was involved in this extensive project. Of course, the methodological rules, as a blind Study compared the quadrivalent vaccine do a placebo. The Vaccine protected the young women completely against precancerous Lesions (medium - or high-grad) of the Cervix related to HPV 16 and 18. The protection result was 100 % of cases! The sid-effects comes with an extremely low number. If we see the large number of cases in this study, the results should be the same if vaccination is made Available to the public.
We should not forget - the Cervical Cancer is the second leading cancer in Young women and accounts for 11 % of Cancers in all women! When the Women has a common genital Infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) and its can result in the appearance of precancerous lesions of the Cervix Mucous membrane. For instance, we know that the connection between HPV infection and cervical cancer is much stronger than that between smoking and lung cancer.
How the researcher has got these results? With this new quadrivalent vaccine for cervical cancer, the most oncogenic subtypes of HPV can now be whipped out. One of the first steps is vaccinating adolescents (D3-”Chronical”) Before they come into contact with the virus; - Results - No virus, no Lesions - no cancer! Prevention - the essential part of the combating Cervical Cancer.
The most oncogenic subtypes of HPV can now be wiped out thanks to this new quadrivalent vaccine. The first step is vaccinating adolescents (D3 - “Chronical”) before they come into contact with the virus; this is a turning point in the fight against cancer. It is a major tool in the prevention of precancerous lesions in the cervix. No virus, no lesions - and if there are no lesions, that means no cancer. Prevention is an essential part of the equation when it comes to combating cervical cancer - that’s why oncologists are so excited about the new Vaccine.
A study conducted with more than 20,000 women has shown the absolute effectiveness of a vaccine in the prevention of cervical cancer due to the most common types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Oncologists are enthusiastic. It is a rare thing to hear physicians - and even more so, oncologists -get excited to the point of speaking of a “historical breakthrough” after hearing a presentation from a colleague.
Prof. Thomas Turz, Director of the Institute Gustave Roussy at the ECCO conference has say - It is a rare thing to hear physicians - and even more so, oncologists -get excited to the point of speaking of a “historical breakthrough” after hearing a presentation from a colleague. The Oncologists are enthusiastic.

Cancer Diet - Include Natural Foods

2007-11-03T21:56:00.000-07:00

In any cancer diet, there are many factors to be considered. One is that it is ideal that we get our nutrients from our foods, and that those foods are in as near their natural state as possible. By that I mean foods that have minimum processing.
The reason for this is that no matter how clever our scientists are there is still much they have not discovered about the way vitamins and the body interact. Every day we hear they have found either a new nutrient or another factor in how our bodies assimilate nutrients. If we eat foods that are as close to the state nature produces them we are most likely to get the nutrients we need together with all the other factors our bodies need to use them. This is crucial to any cancer diet.
A shining example is iron. Our bodies need Vitamin C in order to assimilate iron. However, there are still iron supplements on the market that do not have Vitamin C included in their mix. Now, parsley is a very rich source of iron and, you guessed it, is also full of Vitamin C. To further complicate matters, Vitamin C is heat affected and water soluble, so cooking, particularly in liquids destroys it - hence my assertion that eating foods - in this case parsley - in their natural state is best. Of course this won’t work for all foods - potatoes for example - but it is a good strategy to keep in mind when trying to maximize nutrition.
The other reason for eating foods in as near natural state as possible, is that cooking destroys the natural enzymes. Enzymes not only play a crucial role in digestion, and therefore influence the quality of the nutrients we get from our food, but some enzymes, particularly pancreatic enzymes, play a direct role in the fight against cancer. So how do we include raw foods when designing a cancer diet? The obvious answer is salads. Using as wide a variety of salad vegetables and incorporating as many different coloured salad veggies, is an excellent way to increase your intake of live enzymes.
But even with hot meals, many raw veggies can be added as a garnish. Eg parsley chopped up over scrambled eggs. Herbs stirred in a casserole after the heat is turned off. A couple of rings of capsicum on top of cooked fish. Use fruits to dress up a steak or a roast. Let your imagination go! Look for colour and variety and you will easily find dozens of ways to include raw foods.
Snacks are another way of getting raw veggies into the diet. Cut up celery and carrots into one inch/2cm lengths. Even broccoli and cauliflower are nice and crunchy as a snack. If you must dip them in something try a little cottage cheese rather than a fat laden dip!
By keeping your mind open and imagination engaged, you will soon be getting many more raw foods into your daily diet, giving yourself and your loved ones an edge in the cancer fighting stakes.
Article Source: Health Guidance

Your Immune System - Your First Line of Defense Against Cancer

2007-11-03T21:52:00.000-07:00

To remain happy and healthy, you must have a strong immune system. The immune system protects us from getting infections and diseases such as cancer. It is the system that helps keep us healthy. The immune system is simply defined as a complex system responsible for identifying and protecting us from infections and foreign substances. The immune system seeks and kills anything invading the body. By having a strong and healthy immune system, you can prevent the onset of various forms of cancer.
Man used to be the hopeless victim of his circumstances. When Louis Pasteur discovered that bacteria caused diseases and that chemicals could kill bacteria, modern medicine was born. Since then, we have struggled to develop chemicals to enhance our health and fight bacteria-causing disease.
We live in an ocean of bacteria and viruses. Yet, these microorganisms do not cause diseases; we become infected by diseases when we have weakened and inefficient immune systems. We see the evidence of this truth constantly around us. One person in an office gets a very bad cold. The person sitting next to him doesn’t get a sniffle. Certainly both were exposed to the same microorganisms. What is the difference? It lies in their immune systems. That’s why we get a flu shot, to build up our immune system against the infection. The immune system destroys cells foreign to the body.
The alternative treatment of cancer has a popular expression that says: “All cancer is the result of an immune system that did not destroy the mutant cells.” Obviously, the cancer cells are foreign to the body. The immune system of a healthy person can destroy 10, 000 mutated (cancer) cells each day. When this defense mechanism fails, cancer cells can multiply and become a clinical case of cancer.
When a person has a strong, healthy immune system, they can either prevent cancer from occurring or slow down its rate of growth. Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet, taking vitamins and herbs, drinking plenty of water and exercising daily can boost the immune system, and in the long run, may prevent or slow down cancer. Nobel prize winner Dr. Linus Pauling noted in his recent book Vitamin C - The Common Cold and Flu, that autopsies performed on people who had never suffered from any form of cancer, revealed evidence that they had as many as three cases of different cancers during their life spans and never knew anything about it. He credited a strong, healthy immune system for automatically dealing with all of the diseases - an observation that underlines the importance of the immune system in eradicating cancer and other diseases.
In conclusion, there is a direct connection between having a strong, healthy immune system and preventing or controlling cancer. The immune system can be strengthened by daily exercise, eating healthy foods, and taking herbs and vitamins. Immunitril(tm) is the most complete immunity support formula available today. This revolutionary complex is a unique combination of herbs, extracts, minerals and anti-oxidant vitamins, providing maximum support for immune system function. This is just one more reason why every individual should strive to build up a strong immune system.

Causes of Prostate Cancer

2007-11-03T21:51:00.000-07:00

1.Age: Your risk of prostate cancer increases with age, particularly among men over 65 years old.
2.Family history: If a close relative (father, brother) had prostate cancer, it will increase your risk.
3.Diet: Men who eat a lot of processed meat, bad fats and refined grains have an increased risk of prostate cancer, particularly if they don’t eat a lot of fruits and vegetables.
4.Exercise: Exercise is generally known to reduce the risk of all types of cancer, however men over 65 who exercise vigorously have been found to have a lower risk of prostate cancer, specifically.
5.Ethnicity: African-American men have the highest rates of prostate cancer in the world, according to the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention.
6.Environmental chemicals: Researchers are focusing increasingly on the potential chemical causes of prostate cancer. Exposure to pesticides has been linked with an increased risk, as has in-utero exposure to the plastics chemical bisphenol A (BPA) and other hormone-mimicking environmental contaminants.
7.Cadmium: Exposure to excess levels of cadmium is also known to increase prostate cancer risk. Cadmium is found in foods (shellfish, liver and kidney meats have the highest levels), cigarette smoke, and contaminated air and water (particularly if you live near, or work in, a facility that manufactures batteries, pigments, metal coatings or plastics).
8.Too many vitamins: Men who take excessive levels of vitamins — more than seven multivitamins a week — may be increasing their risk of prostate cancer by 30 percent, according to researchers at the National Cancer Institute.
9.Too much, or too little, vitamin D. Men who had vitamin D deficiency, or excess vitamin D, both had an increased risk of prostate cancer, according to a study in the International Journal of Cancer.
10.Vasectomy: Several studies have suggested that men who have had a vasectomy have a slightly higher risk of prostate cancer.
(Source: SixWise)

Contraceptive Pill Reduce Cancer Risk

2007-11-03T21:43:00.000-07:00

A medical study shows taking the contraceptive pill does not increase a woman’s chance of developing cancer and could even reduce the risk of getting the killer disease by 12 percent, media reported Thursday.

Researchers in UK who studied the records of 46,000 women over a 36-year period found that taking the oral contraceptive for up to eight years did not lead to an increased risk of cancer over a woman’s lifetime.

Researchers found that there was no overall increased risk of cancer among pill users and that taking the pill could cut the risk by up to 12 percent in some cases.

“It is pretty small, but if you take that across 3 million women in Britain and 100 million women throughout the world actually a small risk translates into major benefits,”said Philip Hannaford of Aberdeen University in Britain.

“Many women, especially those who used the first generation of oral contraceptives many years ago, are likely to be reassured by our results,” the authors of the report said.

Evidence also suggested that women were protected from the risk of developing cancers for at least 15 years after stopping.

Since its introduction in the early 1960s, more than 300 million women are thought to have used oral contraception, often for prolonged periods.(Source: China View)

Fatty fish consumption slashes risk of prostate cancer

2007-11-03T21:42:00.001-07:00

Men who eat just one serving of salmon per week reduce their risk of developing prostate cancer by 43 percent, compared to men who do not consume fish, according to new research published in the online edition of the International Journal of Cancer.

Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm examined the dietary habits of nearly 1,500 men with prostate cancer and more than 1,100 men without the disease. They found that men who ate fatty fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, at least once a week reduced their risk of prostate cancer by 43 percent, whereas men who did not eat fish of any kind experienced no risk reduction.

The researchers — led by Maria Hedelin — also believe that a certain gene may play an important role in the development of prostate cancer, as well as how fish oils benefit the body. A specific Cox-2 gene that is present in 60 percent of the population can influence the effectiveness of omega-3 fatty acid consumption, the researchers reported.

Men who carry the gene have a 72 percent reduced risk of prostate cancer compared to those who do not carry it, but eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids can still benefit men who do not carry the gene, according to the researchers.

10 symptoms may signal trouble

2007-11-03T21:38:00.000-07:00

1. Unexplained weight loss
If you find you’re losing excessive weight without intending to do so, see your doctor. Unintentional excessive weight loss is considered to be a loss of more than:
5 percent of your weight within one month
10 percent of your weight within six to 12 months
An unexplained drop in weight could be caused by a number of conditions, such as an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), depression, liver disease, cancer or other noncancerous disorders, or disorders that interfere with how well your body absorbs nutrients (malabsorption disorders).
2. Persistent fever
If you have a normal immune system and you’re not undergoing treatment, such as chemotherapy for cancer, a persistent low-grade fever — over 100.4 F — should be checked if it lasts for a week or more. If you have a fever with shaking chills, or a high fever — greater than 103 F — or if you’re otherwise severely ill, see your doctor as soon as possible.
If you have an immune system problem or take immune-suppressing drugs, fever may not be a reliable warning sign and your primary doctor or oncologist can tell you what would signal a need for an evaluation.
Persistent fever can signal hidden infections, which could be anything from a urinary tract infection to tuberculosis. At other times, malignant conditions — such as lymphomas — cause prolonged or persistent fevers, as can some medications and conditions, and reactions to certain drugs.
Fever is common with treatable infections, such as urinary tract infections. But if a low-grade fever persists for more than two weeks, check with your doctor. Some underlying cancers can cause prolonged, persistent fever, as can tuberculosis and other disorders.
3. Shortness of breath
Feeling short of breath — beyond the typical stuffy nose or shortness of breath from exercise — could signal an underlying health problem. If you ever find that you’re unable to get your breath or that you’re gasping for air or wheezing, seek emergency medical care. Feeling breathless with or without exertion or when reclining also is a symptom that needs to be medically evaluated without delay.
Causes for breathlessness may include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchitis, asthma, heart problems, anxiety, panic attacks, pneumonia, a blood clot in the lung (pulmonary embolism), pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension.
4. Unexplained changes in bowel habits
See your doctor if you have any of the following:
Severe diarrhea lasting more than two days
Mild diarrhea lasting a week
Constipation that lasts for more than two weeks
Unexplained urges to have a bowel movement
Bloody diarrhea
Black or tarry-colored stools
Changes in bowel habits may signal a bacterial infection — such as campylobacter or salmonella — or a viral or parasitic infection. Among other possible causes are inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer.
5. Mental status changes
Immediate medical evaluation is warranted if any of the following occur:
Sudden or gradual confused thinking
Disorientation
Sudden aggressive behavior
Hallucinations in someone who has never had them
Changes in behavior or thinking may be due to infection, head injury, stroke, low blood sugar or even medications, especially ones you’ve recently started taking.
6. New or more severe headaches (especially if you’re over age 50)
Seek prompt medical attention if you experience:
A sudden and severe headache, often called a thunderclap headache, because it comes on suddenly like a clap of thunder.
A headache accompanied by a fever, stiff neck, rash, mental confusion, seizures, vision changes, weakness, numbness, speaking difficulties, scalp tenderness or pain with chewing.
A headache that begins or worsens after a head injury.
These headache symptoms may be caused by stroke, blood vessel inflammation (arteritis), meningitis, brain tumor, aneurysm or bleeding on the brain after head trauma.
7. Short-term loss of vision, speaking or movement control
If you have these signs and symptoms, minutes count. These are signs and symptoms of a possible stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Seek immediate emergency medical care if you have any of the following:
Sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg on one side of your body
Sudden dimness, blurring or loss of vision
Loss of speech, or trouble talking or understanding speech
A thunderclap headache
Sudden dizziness, unsteadiness or a fall
8. Flashes of light
The sudden sensation of flashing lights may signal the beginning of retinal detachment. Immediate medical care may be needed to save vision in the affected eye.
9. Feeling full after eating very little
Feeling full sooner than normal after eating and having persistent nausea and vomiting that last more than a week are warning signs that should be checked by your doctor. There are many possible causes, including pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer and ovarian cancer.
10. Hot, red or swollen joint
These warning signs may occur with a joint infection, which requires emergency care to save the joint and keep bacteria from spreading elsewhere. Other causes may include gout or certain types of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis.

FDA's Label Rule Criticized as youth Suicides Increase

2007-09-08T01:02:00.000-07:00

Health officials reported yesterday that the rate of suicide in Americans ages 10 to 24 increased 8 percent from 2003 to 2004, the largest jump in more than 15 years.

Some psychiatrists argue that the reason for the increase is the decline in prescriptions of antidepressant drugs like Prozac to young people since 2003, leaving more cases of serious depression untreated. Others say that it is impossible to know if the increase is linked to patterns of antidepressant prescriptions. The one-year spike in suicides could be a statistical fluctuation, they say, and not the start of a trend.

The increase was particularly sharp among adolescents, especially girls, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which released the figures yesterday. The timing of the increase coincided with a public debate in the United States and overseas over whether the antidepressants increased the risk of suicide in a small percentage of young people who took them. In late 2004, after public hearings, the Food and Drug Administration called for drug makers to put a prominent “blackbox” warning on the drugs’ labels, cautioning about the possibility of increased suicide risk in minors.

Since then, experts have been arguing over whether the controversy about the drugs and the drug agency’s warnings had saved lives or scared away patients who could have benefited from antidepressant treatment, leading to more suicides. In a study first presented at a scientific meeting last December and published Wednesday in The American Journal of Psychiatry, an international team of researchers found that a decrease in antidepressant prescriptions to minors of just a few percentage points coincided with a 14 percent spike in suicides in the United States; in the Netherlands, the suicide rate went up almost 50 percent in young people when prescription rates began to drop, the study found.

Ileana Arias, director of the C.D.C.’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, which produced the new report, said it was impossible to say what caused the increase.

“The issue is that there is a wide range of factors that may be accounting for the increase, and we’re not aware of anyone who has done an analysis to account for those,” Dr. Arias said.

In addition to changes in prescribing habits, she said, other changes might include increased rates of mental health disorders or increased rates of alcohol or drug use.

Dr. Thomas Laughren, director of the division of psychiatry products at the F.D.A., said in a conference call with reporters that the agency would need to see more data over time, linking declines in prescriptions to suicide risk before revisiting any of its decisions. In January, after a lengthy review of drug trial data, an F.D.A. panel voted to extend the “blackbox” warning to include adults up to age 24 — and also to include cautions on the labels that untreated depression was a risk factor for suicide.

West Nile Death

2007-09-08T00:59:00.000-07:00

West Nile Virus has claimed the life of a second Montanan this year. Wallace Clark, 77, of Fort Benton died of the virus Tuesday in a hospital in Great Falls.
Last month, a 93-year-old Great Falls woman died from encephalitis caused by West Nile Virus.
So far this year, there has been 57 human cases reported in the state, 22 resulting in hospitalization.

Representatives to Push New 9/11 Medical Bill

2007-09-08T00:51:00.000-07:00

Several members of New York’s Congressional delegation said they planned to introduce a bill on Tuesday, the sixth anniversary of the destruction of the World Trade Center, that would provide comprehensive medical coverage and financial compensation for anyone exposed to ground zero dust.......

source

Brooklyn woman first human case of West Nile virus

2007-09-08T00:46:00.000-07:00

First human case of West Nile virus (WNV) in a 41-year-old Brooklyn woman.

The city urges New Yorkers, especially those aged 50 or older, to take precautions against mosquito bite.The patient began feeling ill in mid-August with symptoms including fever, headache, fatigue, weakness and muscle pain.

She was hospitalized on Aug. 25, and is now home for recovering.Because she traveled outside of New York City during the two weeks preceding her illness, she may have been exposed to WNV either in New York City, or elsewhere, the Health Department warned.

So far this summer, the Health Department has identified WNV in139 mosquito pools citywide. The virus has been detected in all five boroughs.The agency is continuing mosquito surveillance, responding to standing water complaints, and conducting larviciding and spraying as needed.

Eden body works: line of products uses all natural solutions to help

2007-09-08T00:37:00.000-07:00

Sign up on the Eden BodyWorks site and they will send you free Eden hair product samples (unspecified as to exactly what they are sending). Enter you email in the field on the lower left of the page to begin.

http://www.edenbodyworks.com/...

Popcorn Lung; First Public Case

2007-09-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

Popcorn lung, or broncheolitis obliterans, is a deadly disease that ravages lung tissue and leaves its victims dependent upon an oxygen tank to survive. It turns out that popcorn lung is prevalent among popcorn factory workers and the buttered popcorn industry has known about the problem since 2002. This man’s particular story is the first time popcorn lung has gone public.

To be clear here, it’s not eating the butter flavoring that causes popcorn lung. It’s only inhaling the butter flavoring that is potentially dangerous. America’s favorite almost-butter contains the chemical diacetyl, which authorities remind us is totally safe for consumption.

Diacetyl in Popcorn Linked to Lung Condition

2007-09-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

ConAgra Foods Inc., says it will change the recipe for its Orville Redenbacher and Act II brands over the next year to remove a flavoring chemical linked to a lung ailment in popcorn plant workers.

The decision comes a day after a doctor at a leading lung research hospital said in a warning letter to federal regulators that consumers, not just factory workers, may be in danger from fumes from buttery flavoring in microwave popcorn.

Diacetyl has been linked to cases of a rare life-threatening disease often called popcorn lung.

ConAgra's announcement comes a week after another popcorn manufacturer, Weaver Popcorn of Indianapolis, said it would replace the butter flavoring ingredient because of consumer concern.

After measured levels of diacetyl in the man's home after he made popcorn and found levels of the chemical were similar to those in microwave popcorn plants Dr. Cecile Rose a pulmonary specialist at Denver's National Jewish Medical and Research Center, asked the man to stop eating microwave popcorn.

Metabolic Syndrome Therapy

2007-07-24T05:25:00.000-07:00

Metabolic syndrome is a combination of medical disorders that increase one's risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It affects a large number of people in a clustered fashion. In some studies, the prevalence in the USA is calculated as being up to 25% of the population.

The first line treatment is change of lifestyle (i.e., caloric restriction and physical activity). However, drug treatment is frequently required. Generally, the individual diseases that comprise the metabolic syndrome are treated separately (e.g. diuretics and ACE inhibitors for hypertension). Cholesterol drugs may be used to lower LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, if they are elevated. Use of drugs that decrease insulin resistance e.g., metformin and thiazolidinediones is controversial and not FDA approved.

Recent studies indicate that cardiovascular exercise is therapeutic in less than 31% of cases. The most probable benefit is to triglyceride levels, with 43% of sufferers showing improvement; conversely 91% of test subjects did not exhibit a decrease in fasting plasma glucose or insulin resistance.

Recipe For Healthy Living: tomato, cauliflower, tempeh salad

2007-07-19T07:09:00.000-07:00

Scientists have long believed that the carotenoids found in fruits and vegetables have a cancer preventive effect. In particular, epidemiological studies have found that as the consumption of tomato products increases, risk of certain types of cancer decreases.

Vicki's Tomato, Cauliflower, and Tempeh Salad.
1/2 head cauliflower
1 block tempeh crumbled and cooked crisp
2 medium tomatoes chopped
10 to 12 scallions sliced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper
Lettuce leaves for serving (optional)

Put the cauliflower through a food processor with the shredding disk or finely chop by hand. Put in boiling water, cover and reduce heat and let sit for 2 minutes then drain water and place cauliflower in large salad bowl.

Crumble the tempeh into a skillet on medium heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chili powder and garlic powder and sautee for 7 minutes getting the tempeh crunchy. Add to the cauliflower along with the chopped tomatoes and sliced scallions.

Combine the mayonnaise and lemon juice to make dressing and pour over salad and toss. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over a bed of lettuce leaves. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Syphilis and HIV

2007-07-19T07:07:00.000-07:00

Early symptoms of syphilis are an open area called a chancre which can be firm, round, small and painless. There are some indications that it may progress more quickly and severly in people with HIV. If untreated, syphilis can progress to late stages of the infection leading to organ damage. The treatment for syphilis consists of a course of antibiotic injections. These injections may involve higher doses for a longer period of time in HIV-positive individuals. It is important to take the entire course of this treatment. What questions do you have about this or any other sexually transmitted infection, and its treatments?

Sex difference in lung cancer treatment

2007-07-19T07:02:00.000-07:00

Women with advanced lung cancer have a better survival rate than men, but this is only true for women over the age of 60. For women under the age of 60, the survival rate is the same as men's.

"We don't know why, but the hypothesis is that age is acting as a surrogate for lower estrogen levels and those lower levels of estrogen may affect the metabolism of chemotherapy agents," said Regina Vidaver, Ph.D., executive director of the National Lung Cancer Partnership based in Madison, Wisc.

These findings were presented at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

At the meeting, researchers showed data that indicated that pre-menopausal estrogen levels were associated with a higher death rate among women receiving chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which makes up about 85 percent of all lung cancer cases.

In addition, women who have never smoked are more at risk for lung cancer than men who never smoked, with some research indicating that estrogen is again involved.

What is Uterine Cancer?

2007-07-19T06:59:00.000-07:00

Also called: Cancer of the uterus, cancer of the womb.

Cancer is a disease in which certain body cells becomes abnormal and divide itself very fast to produce too much tissue which forms a tumor. The uterus is the hollow, pear shaped organ in the lower abdomen where the baby grows if a women is pregnant.

Uterine cancer is the most common cancer of the female reproductive system. Other types of cancer of the female reporductive system are cervical cancer and ovarian cancer. There are two types of uterine cancers: endometrial cancer (which accounts for 90% of uterine cancer) and uterine sarcomas.

Endometrial cancer happens when cancer begins in the tissue lining the uterus (endometrium). Uterine sarcomas occur when cancer grows in the muscles or other supporting tissues in the uterus.

Endometrial cancer

Adenocarcinoma, which are more common during perimenopause (i.e., transitional years proceeding and following actual menopause) and usually are associated with an early onset of symptoms. It originates in surface cells of the endometrium, and accounts for 75%– 90% of all cases of endometrial cancer.

Other types of endometrial cancer include adenosquamous carcinoma, papillary serous carcinoma and clear cell carcinoma. These three types of endometrial cancer usually have poor prognosis (i.e. more likely to spread and recur).

Uterine sarcoma

Types of uterine sarcoma include carcinosarcoma (most common type), leiomyosarcoma (develop in the muscle layer of the uterus called the myometrium), and endometrial stromal sarcoma (develop in supporting connective tissue).

Ginseng and valerian: quality of life herbal therapies

2007-07-19T05:56:00.000-07:00

While many cancer patients use, or are interested in, herbal remedies to improve the quality of life during cancer treatments and beyond into cancer survivorship, research-based evidence in how and why herbs work is still largely ignored as scientific study. In my opinion, not nearly enough rigid investigation is going on in relation to herbal therapies even though, from a patient's perspective, there is much interest. I become very intrigued when I do read that a study will be done to further the knowledge into the validity -- or not -- of age-old herbal remedies. If it works, I want to know why.

Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia will be studying several herbs, ginseng and valerian, that might be of significant benefit to cancer patients undergoing cancer treatment to off-set some of the common troublesome symptoms like insomnia and fatigue. Ginseng is believed to fight fatigue and improve the immune system. Valerian is known to relax and calm, and act as a sleep aid. Perhaps while they are investigating these two herbs, they can figure out a novel way of toning down the smelly gym sock phenomenon associated with valerian. I still haven't found a way to use it without encountering its most unpleasant aroma.

Herbs for Acne

2007-07-18T15:25:00.000-07:00

Most of the time acne is caused by the sebaceous glands at the base of the hair follicles of the skin secreting too much sebum - an oily substance released from the pores to keep the skin lubricated and healthy.
When too much sebum is produced or it gets clogged it can form hard plugs that block the pores and produce pimples.

A localized bacterial infection can develop when these oil plugs rupture beneath the skin's surface.

What causes an overproduction of sebum?

Hormonal imbalances are a common cause of an overproduction of sebum. This is common in adolescence, especially in males.

In females, menstrual periods or pregnancy can also create hormonal disturbances that can lead to breakouts.

Other common triggers include emotional stress, irritation of the skin, and certain medications, particularly steroids, contraceptives, or any drugs that affect hormone levels.

There is some evidence that skin eruptions can be brought on or aggravated by certain foods or food allergies as well. There are many useful herbs for acne and we will outline some of them here.

Specific Herbs for Acne

ALOE GEL has astringent & antibacterial properties and is applied topically.

CALENDULA promotes healing of skin tissue. You can make a strong infusion of this herb and use as a facial was or steam. It is also available in creams.

LAVENDER compresses are used to relieve inflammation.

ROSEWATER is applied topically for pain & inflammation.

TEA TREE OIL is a powerful antiseptic but must be diluted before applying to skin.

WALNUT LEAF is a useful astringent skin wash.

WITCH HAZEL has antibacterial & astringent properties.

ECHINACEA tincture taken internally promotes healing, reduces inflammation.

GOLDENSEAL is an antimicrobial which stops oozing.

Another common cause of outbreaks is a sluggish liver. When the liver is not functioning optimally it cannot clear excess hormones. When trying to clear acne it is important to balance the hormones and cleanse the liver.

BURDOCK ROOT and DANDELION contain insulin which improves the skin by removing bacteria.

MILK THISTLE is the most commonly used herb for cleansing and strengthening the liver. It also helps remove excess hormones through the stool by stimulating bile production.

Traditionally this condition has responded well to a combination of herbs.

When treating acne it is important to take a two-fold approach:
Internally and Topically

Generally speaking, just treating the skin topically does not address the internal causes of acne and skin eruptions.

Internally, a good combination for cleansing the liver and blood would be a tincture of MILK THISTLE and DANDELION. The traditional dosage is 30 drops in a little water 3 times daily.

Topically, you can combine any number of herbs such as CALENDULA, LAVENDER, TEA TREE OIL, WITCH HAZEL and ROSEWATER, depending on the specific condition of your skin.
from: http://www.herbalremediesinfo.com

Curry spice found to fight cancer

2007-07-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

Turmeric, a spice that is a key ingredient in Indian curry dishes, contains a potent cancer-fighting agent, the New York Daily News reported Tuesday.

A study published in the upcoming issue of Cancer magazine related that curcumin, a chemical pigment in turmeric, helped stop the spread of breast cancer tumor cells to the lungs of mice.

Now doctors have launched clinical tests to see if it works on humans, said Bharat Aggarwal of the Department of Experimental Therapeutics at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, who led the study.

Earlier studies suggest that people who eat diets rich in turmeric have lower rates of breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer, Aggarwal said.

He noted that many cancers are 10 times rarer on the Indian subcontinent than in the West.

The breakthrough came as no surprise to the owner of an Indian restaurant in downtown Manhattan. Abu Syed told the Daily News: "We already knew that Indian food tastes good. But it is good to hear it can help with cancer, too. It is one more reason to eat plenty of it."
from: http://www.physorg.com

Endometriosis increases risk of some cancers

2007-07-18T15:06:00.000-07:00

Guardian Unlimited - A common medical condition caused by the lining of the womb growing elsewhere in the body raises the risk of women developing a range of different cancers, doctors reported on Monday.

Endometriosis affects up to 15% of women of reproductive age, and in severe cases, it can leave them infertile. The cells of the womb lining often grow on the outside of the uterus and form painful scar tissue, which can only be removed by surgery.

The condition has been associated with a raised risk of cancer before, but doctors believed this was due to fewer women with endometriosis having children. Hormonal changes triggered by childbirth are known to be protective against some cancers.

A team of doctors from Sweden have now found strong evidence to suggest endometriosis increases cancer risk regardless of whether women have given birth before.

The doctors studied medical records for 63,630 women who had been diagnosed with endometriosis between 1969 and 2002. A total of 3,822 went on to develop cancer. Whilst the scientists found no overall increase in the risk of cancer, they found the women faced a substantially higher risk of certain forms of the disease.

The risk of ovarian cancer was 37% greater than in the general population, with endocrine, kidney, thyroid and brain tumours more common by 38%, 36%, 33% and 27% respectively. Malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, was increased by 23% and breast cancer risk rose by 8%. Surprisingly, endometriosis also reduced the risk of cervical cancer by 29%.

There was no difference between the level of risk for women who had become mothers and those who had remained childless, the scientists announced at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Lyon.

Anna-Sofia Melin, from Karolinska University hospital in Stockholm, said the study "increases the possibility that it is the endometriosis disease in itself that causes the cancer and not the infertility issue. Various theories have been suggested. For ovarian cancer it might be the exposure of the ovaries to the hostile endometrium cells that 'invade' the ovary during the course of endometriosis disease. Or it could be defects in the immune system that allow the endometriosis to grow and also might allow cancer cells to grow in different parts of the body. "Maybe the treatment of endometriosis, hormonal or surgical, can influence cancer development. We do not know yet."

Dr Melin added that it was too early to use the results to offer guidance to doctors treating women for endometriosis. "Our hope is that doctors in general start to view the endometriosis disease as a serious disease that causes a lot of suffering to the patient and also may lead to cancer," she said.

THE TOP SELLING HERBAL PRODUCTS IN THE U.S.

2007-07-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

According to Karch (1999), the following are the 30 top selling medicinal plant species in the United States, in order of importance related to annual sales:

Echinacea
St. John’s Wort
Ginkgo biloba
Garlic
Saw Palmetto
Ginseng (Korean)
Goldenseal
Aloe
Eleuthero (“Siberian Ginseng”)
Valerian
Cranberry
Milk Thistle
Cat’s Claw (Uña de Gato, Uncaria tomentosa )
Grape seed extract
Bilberry
Cascara Sagrada
Cayenne pepper (Chile)
Dong Quai (“Chinese Angelica”)
Psyllium seed
Ma Huang (Chinese Ephedra)
Feverfew
Kava kava
Green tea
Ginger
Pine bark extract (pycnogenol)
Atragalus (“Chinese Tragacanth”)
Primrose
Yohimbine
Chamomile (“Roman” and “German”)
Pau D’ Arco

Paraguay Tea

2007-07-18T15:01:00.000-07:00

This large, white-flowered shrub grows wild near streams, but is largely cultivated in South America for the drink obtained by infusing the leaves. The leaves are alternate, large, oval or lanceolate and broadly toothed. The fruit is a red drupe the size of pepper grains. Its name of Yerba signifies the herb par excellence, and the consumption in South America is vast, as it is drunk at every meal and hour. 'Maté' is derived from the name of the vessel in which it is infused in the manner of tea, burnt sugar or lemon-juice being added. It is sucked through a tube, usually of silver, with a bulb strainer at the end, and the cup is passed round.

If the powder is dropped into water and stirred the mixture is called cha maté.

Large sums are paid to the Government for permission to gather the leaves, which are dried by heat and powdered. The season is from December to August. Paraguay exports 5 to 6 million pounds annually.

The tea is very sustaining, and sometimes it is the only refreshment carried for a journey of several days.

The odour is not very agreeable, but is soon unnoticed. The taste is rather bitter.

from:Botanical.com

Medicinal Action and Uses of Sweet Almonds

2007-07-18T14:59:00.000-07:00

Fresh Sweet Almonds possess demulcent and nutrient properties, but as the outer brown skin sometimes causes irritation of the alimentary canal, they are blanched by removal of this skin when used for food. Though pleasant to the taste, their nutritive value is diminished unless well masticated, as they are difficult of digestion, and may in some cases induce nettlerash and feverishness. They have a special dietetic value, for besides containing about 20 per cent of proteids, they contain practically no starch, and are therefore often made into flour for cakes and biscuits for patients suffering from diabetes.

Sweet Almonds are used medicinally, the official preparations of the British Pharmacopoeia being Mistura Amygdalae, Pulvis Amygdalae Compositus and Almond Oil.

On expression they yield nearly half their weight in a bland fixed oil, which is employed medicinally for allaying acrid juices, softening and relaxing solids, and in bronchial diseases, in tickling coughs, hoarseness, costiveness, nephritic pains, etc.

When Almonds are pounded in water, the oil unites with the fluid, forming a milky juice - Almond Milk - a cooling, pleasant drink, which is prescribed as a diluent in acute diseases, and as a substitute for animal milk: an ounce of Almonds is sufficient for a quart of water, to which gum arabic is in most cases a useful addition. The pure oil mixed with a thick mucilage of gum arabic, forms a more permanent emulsion; one part of gum with an equal quantity of water being enough for four parts of oil. Almond emulsions possess in a certain degree the emollient qualities of the oil, and have this advantage over the pure oil, that they may be given in acute or inflammatory disorders without danger of the ill effects which the oil might sometimes produce by turning rancid. Sweet Almonds alone are employed in making emulsions, as the Bitter Almond imparts its peculiar taste when treated in this way.

Blanched and beaten into an emulsion with barley-water, Sweet Almonds are of great use in the stone, gravel, strangury and other disorders of the kidneys, bladder and biliary ducts.

By their oily character, Sweet Almonds sometimes give immediate relief in heartburn. For this, it is recommended to peel and eat six or eight Almonds.

Almonds are also useful in medicine for uniting substances with water. Castor oil is rendered palatable when rubbed up with pounded Almonds and some aromatic distilled water.

The fixed Oil of Almonds is extracted from both Bitter and Sweet Almonds. If intended for external use, it must, however, be prepared only from Sweet Almonds.

The seeds are ground in a mill after removing the reddish-brown powder adhering to them and then subjected to hydraulic pressure, the expressed oil being afterwards filtered and bleached, preferably by exposure to light.

from:Botanical.com

Vibrating Massagers

2007-07-18T14:56:00.000-07:00

Vibrating massagers are handheld massage devices that can be used all over the body. They are personal massagers that are easy to use and reliable. Either battery powered or electrical, vibrating massagers provide gentle stimulation and deep relaxation.

Most of the vibrating massagers come in the form of vibrating massage wands. The massage wands are light weight and portable which makes it easy to target all the areas of the body needing the relaxation that only comes with massage therapy.

Vibrating massage wands deliver soothing vibrations with a number of massage speeds to choose from. You can have a slow, soothing massage, or a deep penetrating massage for muscle pain relief. The massage head of the vibrating massager is shaped like a tennis ball, and the extended wand is curved and slightly flexible so that it can be bent to reach tight areas of the body. The tennis-ball shape head takes the shape of the body which means that it is perfect for almost any sized individual. There is also an optional extra attachment wand to make the vibrating massager even longer to help reach difficult places such as your own back.

The calming vibrations of the vibrating massagers work wonders on your body. They can alleviate the pain of sore, stiff muscles, increase circulation, reduce recover time from injuries and strain, and reduce stress.

Many small appliance companies manufacture their own versions of personal vibrating massagers. Other styles of the personal massagers have a flat, massaging head that is on a pivotal connection with the massage handle. With this, the massaging head can be adjusted to a variety of different angles so that it reaches various areas of the body. The handheld massagers also come with a variety of different massaging heads so that you can choose between a light, relaxing massaging to a deep, hard massage. With some massagers, heat may also be an option. The massaging head will have a form of infrared heating which is good for deep relaxation of the muscles and reducing muscle tension. All of the control buttons for the massager are located directly on the massage handle which makes it quick and convenient for you to adjust the settings of your massage.

Vibrating massagers are great personal massage tools for people who need a massage anytime, anywhere. They are relatively inexpensive and a great alternative to the large cost of going to see a professional massage therapist. Vibrating massagers are easy to use on yourself or for spoiling a friend.

Massage Sandals

2007-07-18T14:28:00.000-07:00

Massage sandals are a real special treat as they massage your feet with every step you take. They’re quite unlike any other shoe you’ve ever worn since they have been designed by professional therapists to stimulate and massage your feet as you walk.

They tackle sore feet right at the source by preventing the pain from manifesting. They were created based on the principles of acupressure and reflexology of the feet. The idea is that through stimulation of the pressure points of the feet, you can eliminate built-up toxins, and encourage a healthy energy flow through the entire body. They are also good for relieving the pain that comes with plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, and calluses.

The foot bed of the sandals is composed of three different layers. The top layer is covered in hundreds of tiny, contoured, rubber nodules that provide a gentle massage to your feet as you walk. They are specially designed to stimulate the reflex and pressure points of your feet. The EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) middle layer of the foot bed is soft and flexible to provide some cushion and flexibility to your step. The final layer is the strong, slip-resistant bottom that provides good traction. The sandals are durable and completely waterproof.

The pattern of nodules on the sandal is specifically shaped to allow for the most air flow through the sandals. This helps to keep your feet dry and cool all day long.

The sandals are very light weight and flexible. They may feel somewhat uncomfortable when you first start wearing them, but overtime they begin to contour and form to the shape of your feet and become very comfy.

The comfortable, vinyl straps secure to the feet with Velcro and are fully adjustable so they can fit any foot size. The actual sandal itself is also available in a variety of sizes to fit different foot lengths. There are a couple color options for the massage sandals, but typically they are just available in black or beige.

They are great for the beach, the gym, or simply just wearing them around home. The massage sandals are like having a personal masseuse massaging your tootsies all day long.

Massage Tables

2007-07-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

Every massage therapist relies on a good table! Your first job will be to decide what type of table you will need.

For house calls or on-site treatments, portable tables are generally used because they are lightweight and compact.
If you are combining other therapies you may want a hydraulic or electrically adjustable table.
For sports massage, an extra strong top, lightweight foam and durable vinyl are a necessity.
For Reiki and Reflexology, tables come with special end panels for comfortable, effortless access to clients while seated.
For Shiatsu, look for a convertible table that simply and instantly folds flat to provide a firmly padded work surface for kneeling.
For Feldenkrais, choose the lowest height range and firmest foam for maximum stability and sensory feedback.
For Cranio-sacral treatments, you'll need a firm but comfortable table with leg room at the head and foot of the table for seated work.
For spa treatments, you may want a multi-adjustable table or a wet treatment table.
For on-site treatments a desktop unit or portable massage chairs are useful.

Generally speaking, here are some factors to look for when purchasing a massage table:

Strength
Stability
Density of the foam
Durability of the vinyl
Versatility
Warranty
Affordability

Massage Equipment

2007-07-18T14:17:00.000-07:00

If you've chosen massage therapy as your career - congratulations! A position as a massage therapist can be fast-paced and limitless for a person who enjoys helping others learn to slow down and improve their lives by introducing them to alternative medicine.

As of late, the public's demand for massage has been dramatically high. In fact, a study conducted by The American Massage Therapy Association estimates that consumers spend approximately $6-billion dollars annually on massage therapy.

A certified massage therapist can land rewarding work in various environments - including first and foremost a massage therapy clinic. However, employment opportunities also exist in chiropractic offices, with professional athletes or sports teams, in spas, nursing homes, hospitals, health clubs and if you want to travel - aboard cruise ships. The opportunities are really endless. If you plan to open your massage therapy business - either in an office, at home or on the road - you will need the following massage equipment to provide clients with the basics:

A massage stool
A massage table
A towel cabinet
A furnished reception-area - with at least a few chairs and a desk
A product display if you plan to sell retail products
Massage oils
Massage creams
Massage lotions or gels
Towels and spa garments
Candles, relaxation CDs and healing stones

Massage Lotion

2007-07-18T14:11:00.000-07:00

Massage lotion is a functional alternative to massage oil and an essential component of deep tissue, stimulating and non-slip techniques.

Lotions provide a non-greasy formula that is ideal for medium glide, maximum friction massage. They also allow the therapist to have complete control without excessive drag on the skin, providing optimum relief of tension and stress.

There are several different types of massage lotions available to choose from. Most lotions available are commonly a blend of oils (some blend sweet almond oil with sunflower oil) to develop a uniquely special texture.

Massage lotion conditions the skin throughout the massage and yet doesn't absorb quickly into the skin. Blends of lotions are perfectly balanced to provide glide with enough friction for deep tissue massage. In addition massage lotions can still be used for relaxation or lighter techniques. Lotions have a tendency to provide maximum glide, with superior workability, without feeling sticky. Massage lotions allow for a good grip for deep tissue, yet allows for skin lubrication and protection from friction to the skin.

Massage Cream

2007-07-18T14:05:00.000-07:00

Massage cream is suitable for therapists who want more glide than a lotion allows.

Cream provides the right balance between workable massage oil and an absorbable lotion. Massage creams glide easily over the skin creating a surface that is neither too slippery nor dry.

There a variety of different types of massage creams available, however, there are common characteristics that you will find with any massage cream. For instance, most massage creams are utilized more for deep tissue styles of massage. This allows for the proper amount of resistance, and as a result let's massage therapists penetrate the tissues deeply.

The amount of massage cream used is considerably less, compared to what you would use with massage oils. However, you are still able to use massage creams for lighter types of relaxation massage as well. Massage creams tend to provide maximum glide, with minimum friction. The multipurpose nature of massage creams allows them to be used for a variety of techniques. Most massage creams have a smooth glide and this allows for extended workability without a slippery, greasy feeling.

Massage gels offer another alternative to massage oils or lotions. Several varieties of massage gels are available nonetheless; they all have similar qualities. For example, one benefit of using massage gels is they offer the same workability as a high quality massage oil in a similar light formula that moisturizes the skin at the same time. A small amount of massage gel will cover a larger surface area, plus it doesn't absorb into the skin quickly allowing prolonged massage.

The unique formula that a massage gel provides nourishes the skin and refrains from leaving a greasy feeling post-treatment. Massage gels leave your skin feeling conditioned and smooth. Versatile massage gel lubrication is ideal for light to semi-deep work.

Massage Oil

2007-07-18T14:03:00.000-07:00

Oils are applied easily to the skin for a light, even glide and smooth workability. Pure cold-pressed oils are ideal for therapists looking for natural products. Here are some common choices:

Almond oil is an excellent emollient (softening and soothing to the skin) and also helps the skin to balance its loss and absorption of moisture. This oil is one of the most popular of the carrier oils used in aromatherapy and massage, since it is non-greasy, spreads easily and is also great for nourishing the skin. The aroma is light, slightly sweet and nutty.
Grapeseed oil is rich in linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid quite important for the skin and the cell membranes. It is purported to have regenerative and restructuring qualities and has great skin moisturizing properties. Grapeseed oil is a great non- greasy oil to use, but could be enriched by blending it with another carrier, such as almond or wheat germ. This is fine textured, oil with a very light, slightly sweet hint of a nutty aroma, and with a satiny finish. It contains vitamins, minerals, and protein, GLA, and a small amount of vitamin E.
Apricot oil has moisturizing, nourishing and revitalizing properties and is particularly helpful for dehydrated, delicate, mature and sensitive skin. It is also helpful to soothe inflammation. This finely textured oil spreads easily and is particularly rich in both oleic acid and linoleic acid.
Avocado oil is often used for clients with dry or mature skin, people suffering from eczema, psoriasis or similar skin complaints. It is also very useful when treating sun or climate damaged skin that is dehydrated and under nourished, as it is said to help with the regenerating of the skin and softening of the tissue. Although it can be used pure, it is in most cases mixed with another carrier, such as Almond, or Grapeseed. It is easily absorbed into the skin and deep tissue, and has wonderful emollient properties, making it excellent for use in all massage blends.
Jojoba oil closely resembles that of your own skin; it is an excellent moisturizer and is ideal for all skin types. It can in most cases be used on blemished skin without any problems, as it helps to control acne. Jojoba is also a favorite oil to use as a carrier oil for aromatherapy as it penetrates the skin easily and is suitable for all skin types. The aroma is light to medium, not as sweet as the nut oils.
Wheat germ oil has a high vitamin E content and essential fatty acids, thus it is used extensively in aromatherapy massage blends. It is said to promote a smoother, younger-looking skin, assisting in healing scar tissue as well as stretch marks. It is too sticky to use on its own, but is wonderful when blended with a lighter carriers, such as sweet almond. When it is applied topically on to the skin it is said to help promote the formation of new cells, improve circulation, and help repair sun damage. It is also used to help relieve the symptoms of dermatitis. This carrier is said to stimulate tissue regeneration and is often added to other blends because of its antioxidant properties.
Hazelnut oil is fine in texture, and has great moisturizing qualities. Hazelnut oil can help tone and tighten the skin while strengthening capillaries and assisting in cell regeneration.
Holy oil is known as an ideal carrier oil due to its molecular structure. It carries essential oils deep into the skin. An excellent glide, non-greasy, odourless, hypoallergenic oil.

Integrative Massage

2007-07-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

Integrative massage therapy is a treatment that involves the integration of therapy techniques from a number of different modalities including massage, somatic therapy and bodywork techniques. Some of the other therapy techniques that may be incorporated are touch therapy, psychotherapy, movement re-patterning, stress management, reflective listening, hypnotherapy, and energy work approaches. The specific combination of techniques will depend on the patient, as each session is specially design to meet the needs of the individual.

The patient takes an active role in the therapy, working closely with the therapist. Touch plays an important role as it allows for the therapist and the client to form a strong bond and connection throughout the sessions. This is vital for the release and flow of life energies between the bodies and for the healing process to occur. When the patient is comfortable with their therapist and feels safe in the treatment environment, they are more likely to open up to the experience and encourage the best results of the treatment.

The integrative massage technique is based on the idea that not just one massage is right for every person or can solve every problem. That is why through using a variety of techniques every individual problem of the body can be targeted and addressed with its own approach, producing optimal results.

A typical integrative massage session is very open in structure. As a team, you and the therapist will meet and discuss what you are looking for and what techniques will best suit your needs. During the first session, you will also discuss the goals for the treatment and how often or how many sessions will be needed. Usually an initial number of sessions are recommended (usually between four and six) to allow the therapist to gain information about the patient and to determine the best therapeutic techniques for treatment.

This technique has been used to benefit patients with lower back pain, migraines, chronic pain, unhealthy habits, phobias and skin diseases. Integrative massage has also been shown to help those with depression, eating disorders, sexual difficulties, distorted self-images, and traumatic events.

Integrative massage is beneficial for anyone who wants to enjoy life to the fullest, physically, mentally and spiritually. Integrative massage can help anyone transition towards a better life.

Facial Massage

2007-07-18T13:43:00.000-07:00

Just like any other form of massage, facial massage relieves tension, promotes relaxation and restores energy to your face and body by increasing circulation. When you first wake up in the morning you may notice that your skin looks puffier and paler than it did the night before. This is because during sleep, circulation is decreased in the body - which means there is less blood flow to the face. Facial massage is a great way to get the blood flowing again and to achieve a healthy glow. Regular facial massages also work to tighten and lift the facial muscles, giving the skin a more youthful appearance. It’s no wonder it has been called an anti-aging treatment!

Massage therapy is an ancient form of healing. It has been suggested that regular facial massages can keep the skin looking young, smoother, firmer and more beautiful. Massage accomplishes this by releasing tension, minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, increasing circulation, tightening facial muscles, normalizing the moisture balance, reducing impurities and toxins, and increasing radiance.

Facial massages can be completed at home or are treatments offered at spas by massage therapists. To begin a facial massage, the first step is to cleans the face thoroughly and remove any makeup. A good cleansing and scrubbing will exfoliate the skin, removing any dead skin cells on the face. Usually the therapist will then apply a small amount of lotion, moisturizer, or oil to the face which will be absorbed into the skin during the massage. This is important because the oil provides a slippery surface for the massage so that the fingers do not pull or stretch the skin.

Generally, pure vegetable oil or nut oil is good for facial massages. Pure vegetable oils provide great moisture to the skin and have long-lasting effects because they are absorbed by the skin more slowly without clogging pores. Different skin types will require different types of oils. Skin that is very dry will benefit the most from vegetable oils that are rich in saturated fatty acids. These are thicker oils that are absorbed more slowly and maintain moisture longer. Oily skin types need oils that contain polyunsaturated fats which are thinner oils and are quickly absorbed by the skin. Sometimes oils may not be needed at all if a client has extremely oily skin.

A typical facial massage session doesn’t usually last longer than 20 minutes. Massage that lasts too long or too often may actually stretch or lengthen the facial muscles. Special care must be taken as well for people with sensitive skin. Sensitive skin is more easily damaged or irritated so the therapist must be careful not to exert too much pressure during the massage.

The therapist uses gentle touch to massage the face. Pressure should never be exerted, especially on the neck area. The therapist works to increase circulation and reduce tension in the face by softly working the different areas of the face. The forehead and nose are targeted to reduce the appearance of horizontal lines. The nostrils are massaged to unclog pores and prevent blemishes. The mouth and cheeks are rubbed to help prevent wrinkles and sagging of the facial muscles. The area around the eyes is massaged to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and heavy bags under the eyes. The chin and neck are targeted to promote muscle tone and prevent sagging skin. This is good for preventing the dreaded double chin. Finally, the ears are gently massaging and pulled because they have pressure points that stimulate other areas of the body. The movement of the fingers is always done in an upward motion, which when done regularly, facial massage will keep your skin looking tight and youthful.

Relaxation Massage

2007-07-18T13:40:00.000-07:00

Relaxation Massage

A relaxation massage is exactly what the name implies: a massage strictly for the purposes of rest and relaxation. This massage technique is not designed for therapeutic effects or for dealing with chronic pain or discomfort.

During a session, the patient will remove most of their clothing and lie on a massage table, usually with some sort of thin sheet draped over the body. Usually a relaxation massage can be modified and tailored to your specific desires. The massage takes place in a quiet, comforting environment, with your choice of any music or candlelight in the background.

The massage consists of the therapist applying gentle to medium pressure of the hands to the body, gently manipulating the tissue to promote relaxation. It is not a deep tissue massage. It is not designed for working the deeper muscles of the body, but just a gentle kneading and rubbing of the outer layers of the body tissue. It will cover a wide range of areas on the body including the back, legs, arms and neck.

Sometimes there is the option of adding some aromatherapy treatment to your massage therapy. High quality aromatherapy oils can heighten the holistic experience of the massage and allow for greater relaxation and restoration of one’s energy balance. Of course, unscented oil is also an option. The oil produces a more slippery surface for the therapist to work on, so there is no pulling of the skin. During the massage, the patient can remain quiet and simply explore their own personal thoughts in their head, or they can chat with the therapist if so desired. The session can be personalized to be exactly how you like it.

Many live their stressful lives day to day without taking any time off just for them. Everyone deserves a well needed moment of relaxation and this massage is just the right technique for that. It will relax your mind and body, giving you a break from the stresses of one’s life. The length of the massage will depend on how long you would like it to last. Typically the option is between half an hour and two hours in length. Massages are open to people of all ages, and some places even often couples massage, where the couple is massaged in the same room allowing them to share the experience together.

Relaxation massage is a smooth, gentle style of massage designed to improve circulation, range of movement, relief minor muscle pain, and promote overall relaxation. Most people don’t take enough time off for themselves anymore. It’s about time you’ve pampered yourself with a relaxation massage!

Nurse Massage Therapy

2007-07-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

Nurse massage therapy is completed by a licensed nurse who also has a massage license from completing an additional 500 hours of education in therapeutic massage and bodywork. Thus, they have specialized knowledge in massage and bodywork combined with their training as a registered nurse.

Nurse massage therapy uses a hands-on approach to the healing process. This new approach to patient recovery recognizes the important of balancing the advanced technologies and current trends in today’s technology based world, with the personal touch of a massage therapist’s hand. It is based on the belief that Nurse Massage Therapy greatly enhances the healing process and the overall wellbeing of the patient. That is why this therapy is usually used in combination with other medical treatments and practices.

Nurses who perform massage therapy have been trained in different massage techniques. Depending on the specific training, the techniques used may vary and will also depend on the individual needs of the patient. Usually they will have been trained in techniques such as trigger point therapy, myofascial release, neuromuscular re-education, manual lymph drainage, soft tissue mobilization, acupressure, and many others. Also, because of the specific training that comes with being a registered nurse, they can also offer you basic knowledge about caring for your body, as well as supply you with information on nutrition and diet. The main idea behind the treatment is to balance all the body systems and regions, especially the neuromuscular-skeletal system.

Nurse massage therapy is different from massages that are strictly focused on rest and relaxation, such as Swedish massage. Nurse massage is performed over the clothes and does not involve any massage oils. It focuses on muscle strengthening and rehabilitation. It is used to help patients recover more quickly from injury and illness, while also providing relief from any pain or discomfort they may be experiencing during the healing period.

Nurse massage therapists work in a number of settings. Some of which include public healthcare, private practice, joint practice with healthcare professionals, nursing homes, hospitals, community health, rehabilitation centers, and hospices. Currently nurse massage therapy only occupies a small percentage of the massage industry, but it seems like a practice that could be becoming more popular once the benefits are realized.

Russian Massage

2007-07-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

Russian massage integrates sports massage with the relaxing techniques of therapeutic massage. It offers a number of benefits because the style of the treatment depends on the physical makeup of an injury, rather than the person’s body as a whole.

The massage therapy can be received for those suffering from an injury, have an illness, or just want to promote general well-being. There are three main phases to a Russian massage and these apply to all patients. Only the specifics of each massage will be different depending on individual needs.

The first phase is the slow, gentle stage. The therapist applies gentle massage techniques to the body, preparing it for the deeper manipulation that is part of the next phase. Also, this phase is important for the muscles to rest and the body be placed in a great state of relaxation.

The second phase involves faster, deeper, and harder movements to the body by the massage therapist. This is the part of the massage that has the most therapeutic effects. It is also the most active phase as it involves intense manipulation of the body muscles to relieve tension and pain.

Finally, there is the third stage during which the therapist switches back to the gentler, slower techniques. The slow movements are used to complete the session and to promote relaxation once again.

All three stages are very important for the effectiveness of the massage. If the body is not warmed-up and relaxed before the deep manipulation of the muscle tissue, it will not produce healing results as well. Just the same, if the body is not relaxed after the massage has been performed, then it won’t accept the therapy as well and may become tense or sore.

The actual massage techniques used throughout the three stages include stretching, gliding, kneading, vibration, and friction. The amount of pressure applied during these techniques depends on the patient’s body state and comfort level. The application of techniques will differ from person to person and the depth of the pressure ranges from light, to medium, to deep.

There is no predetermined time for the massage as the actual length will depend on the reason for the massage, the patient’s response to the therapy, and many other factors. It can last anywhere between fifteen minutes to an hour. The therapy sessions usually stop once the patient has recovered from their injury or illness, but for people having the massage for strictly relaxation purposes then single sessions are sufficient.

The massage has many benefits including increased blood and lymphatic flow, healing of acute injuries, relaxation, therapeutic effects, mind healing, and treatment of chronic medical conditions. Russian massage is a great healing therapy, so why not give it a try!

Medical Massage

2007-07-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

Massage therapy isn’t just for relaxation, as we now have the development of medical massage. Because of its miraculous ability to reduce pain and heal injuries, massage therapy is now being used in the medical field. Medical massage is designed to address the discomforts of a client. The purpose of the massage is to deal with any dysfunctional areas or problems in the soft-tissues of the body. It differs from therapeutic massage as it does not focus on relieving tension or stress from the body. It is usually used for patients who are recovering from injuries or surgical procedures. The doctor will inform the client if he or she could benefit from massage therapy as it is often used to help speed healing and recovery.

After an injury has occurred the patient usually avoids using those muscles of the body until the injury has healed. During this time, with no use or movement of the affected area, these muscle groups become very stiff and out of shape. Medical massage therapy is used to slowly rehabilitate the unused muscles. It helps to promote healthy movement and functioning of the newly healed area of the body while also preventing further injuries from occurring.

During a session, the massage therapist will manually manipulate the soft tissues of the body using various hand techniques, soft tissue massage, active and passive stretching, range of motion techniques, and possibly the use of other therapeutic modalities in support such as hot or cold therapy. Medical massage is used to improve the general well being of the client. Each session typically lasts between 45 to 60 minutes.

Medical massage is not a treatment available to anyone. It is specifically designed for those individuals recovering from injury or surgery and need muscle rehabilitation. The massage should be carried out following the advice of a doctor to prevent any further injury to the healing area. Its goal is to use a series of manual therapy treatments to correct the affected areas of the muscle-skeletal system while reducing pain at the same time.

Some of the various techniques that may be used in combination with the Medical Massage are: lymphatic drainage, connective tissue massage, neuromuscular therapy, neuro-fascial massage, osteopathic manual therapies, oriental medicinal techniques, stretching and positional release techniques, reflex techniques, and trigger point therapies. The exact combination of therapies will depend on the specific client and their individual needs. The medical therapist would first do an assessment of the client and determine their specific needs and problem areas that need to be treated. Often, the patient will also be given a series of self-massage techniques that they can do on their own at home. Medical massage and home exercises will further enhance their recovery to good health and fitness.

Sports Massage

2007-07-18T13:29:00.000-07:00

Perhaps the greatest benefit of a sports massage is that it consists of specific components designed to cut down on sports-related injuries. It specifically alleviates muscle tension and inflammation post-event, and provides a warm-up to loosen muscles for amateur and professional athletes pre-event.

All athletes are looking to improve their sports performance and get a leg up on their competition be they Olympic athletes, professional athletes or weekend warriors. To do this, a rigorous training schedule is implemented in order to enhance their skills, strength, endurance and speed. Unfortunately, as the level of training is increased, so is the risk of injury.

As an athlete boosts their training schedule, they almost always overuse their muscles, causing strain, tears and imbalances in the soft muscle tissues. Additionally tragic is the fact that most athletes, in their quest to improve, ignore aches and pains until they turn into serious injuries. The more a sports injury is ignored; the more susceptible it becomes to further strain and injury.

One way to encourage muscle repair after training is with sports massage. Sports massage will help release any built up tension and lactic acid in the overworked muscles so that blood and oxygen can return to the muscle and effectively promote muscle repair. Sports massage, if received as part of a sports program, can help an athlete prevent injury due to overuse.

in addition to using regular sports massage sessions as part of your sports program, it can also benefit an athlete in the following ways:

Pre-Event Massage - can help athletes prepare for a competitive event. A pre-event massage is brief and invigorating, usually lasting 15-20 minutes. It is given within an hour before the sporting event, through the clothes to warm up the muscles.

Post-Event Massage should be calming and relaxing. Its goal is to ease muscle pain (by decreasing tension), muscle soreness (by dispersing lactic acid), and to reduce inflammation. A post-event massage should last no more than 15- to 20-minutes, and it should be administered through the athletes clothes. Post-event massages encourage the return of blood and oxygen to tense areas, and they flush out metabolic waste products that have built up during strenuous muscle use.

Yoni massage

2007-07-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

Yoni means vagina in Sanskrit and can be translated with “holy space” or “holy temple”. And that is exactly what the yoni is: Something sacred that should be treated with love and respect.
Yoni massage is a very intimate form of therapy. To many the first session will be pushing personal boundaries, so it is of great importance that the session takes place in a safe environment in full trust to the therapist. During the yoni massage laughter, tears, anger, moaning, break-through and deep pleasure can be experienced.
Most women have tensions and blockages in the lower body; quite a few without knowing it themselves. Many women are used to that something is expected in return when a man touches their yoni. Yoni massage is a chance to get beyond the pressure that many women feel when making love.
Experience the pleasure of being touched in a loving way without anything expected in return!

Causes for tensions/blockages in the lower body and yoni:
These tensions can result from situations where the woman has sex against her will: Abuse, rape or situations where she just did not feel like it, but could not get herself to say no to her lover.
Tensions can also result from frustration with lovemaking ended to quickly, from lacking the courage to express your own desire or from masturbating in an inexpedient manner.
Consistent lovemaking with a lingam that is considerably larger or smaller than the yoni can also lead to complications.
Finally blockages can arise after gynecological examination, abortion and childbirth.

Effects of the yoni massage:
Releases emotional tensions and stress
Reduces menstrual pain
Elimination of pain when having intercourse
Increases sensitivity in the yoni
Increased lubrication when sexually aroused
Opens up to new levels of ecstatic pleasure
More powerful orgasms and easier obtained
Elimination of psychic and emotional blockages in relation to sex
Cellulite on the buttocks is reduced

Mesothelioma Treatments

2007-07-17T05:37:00.002-07:00

Clinical research to treat malignant mesothelioma is very active and although no treatment has yet proved entirely successful, there exist a range of treatments available to individuals diagnosed with the disease. There are three types of standard treatments used to treat malignant mesothelioma which include: surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.
Surgery

Surgery for malignant mesothelioma is divided into a number of sub-classes, which are specially designed to limit the disease for individuals with particular strains of the disease.

Extrapleural pneumonectomy is a severe form of surgery in which the entire lung and a portion of the lining of the chest, the diaphragm, and some or the entire sac which surrounds the heart is removed.

Wide local excision is a form of surgery which targets and removes the cancer and a limited amount of the healthy tissue surrounding the cancerous region.

Pleurectomy and decortication removes part of the covering of the lungs, as well as the lining of the chest and portions of the outside covering of the lungs.

The surgical procedure pleurodesis is a distinct technique insofar as it employs a blend of chemicals and/or drugs to create an intentional scar between the layers of the pleura. Post surgery, the space created by the scar must be drained, using either a catheter or chest tube, and is then filled with a chemical which inhibits the accumulation of fluid in the pleura cavity.

Radiation

The second primary medical technique used to fight the development of malignant mesothelioma is radiation. Radiation therapy, as applied to malignant mesothelioma uses the same basic technology as other forms of medical radiation insofar as the technique employs high energy x-rays to kill cancer cells. The process is divided into two broad categories:

External radiation therapy is a technique in which a machine sends radiation in a targeted stream at a certain portion of the body, and in so doing it kills the cancerous cells in its purview.

Internal radiation therapy, by contrast, uses not an external machine, but rather needles, seeds and catheters to place radioactive substance directly on or near the cancer. While the precise method of implementation will of course depend upon the type and stage of the illness, what is constant within this category is that the goal is to get the radiation placed directly onto the cancerous area and in so doing provide a more concentrated and directed dosage.

Chemotherapy

The third standard malignant mesothelioma treatment is Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy uses drugs which target cancer cells and stop them from dividing and thus prevent their growth.

In systemic chemotherapy, the drug can be taken by mouth or injected, but either way the goal is to have it reach cancer cells by means of the body’s own blood circulation system. In regional chemotherapy, the drug is placed directly onto the target area. And finally, combination chemotherapy involves the use of two or more anticancer drugs which can be administered either orally or through injection.

Malignant mesothelioma is a difficult disease for anyone to bear, however, educating oneself as to the options available is an important step for making the process more manageable.

Ways Of Detecting The Early Stages Of Breast Cancer

2007-07-17T05:37:00.001-07:00

As many doctors will tell you where most diseases or health issues are concerned, the methods for fighting them is by prevention, being aware and early detection. Therefore if are aware that there is a history in your family of heart problems and cancer then you an advantage over others. Because you know of the risks involved concerning the family history of the disease or health issue involved you can educate yourself on having a healthier lifestyle and what factors in the environment could be contributing to you becoming a higher risk. Certainly with the issue regarding breast cancer this is no different, in fact awareness and knowledge are the strongest you will have in not only detecting the disease early but also beating it.

If you were able to detect breast cancer early enough, you will find that it can often be treated more effectively. In fact the five year survival rate for women who are treated for the early stages of breast cancer is an astounding 96%.

However in its early stage breast cancer does not usually cause the patient any pain and this is why it can be easy for us to recognize it. In fact when breast cancer is in the first developmental stages there are often no symptoms which make it easily identifiable, and it is only as the cancer grows that the changes will begin which should be watch for and be aware of.

So how do you go about detecting the signs and symptoms (changes):-

One of the first signs you may notice is a new or persistent lump or a thickening in or near the breast or possibly in the underarm area.

The size or shape of your breast may change over time.

You will discover that there is discharge from either of the nipples that had not occurred before.

There will be a change in colour or feel of your breast, areola or nipples, which may consist of dimpling, puckering or a scaliness of the skin.

By carrying out regular self breast examination you should be able to detect any one of this signs or symptoms and if you find something that you feel is abnormal then arrange an appointment to see your doctor. There is nothing wrong in being cautious where this disease is concerned. Just remember that most abnormalities that you find are not cancerous and are more likely to be cysts or a growth of fatty tissue and this can be quickly and painlessly dealt with. I’m sure that not only your doctor but you and your family will be pleased that you are erring on the side of caution, rather than ignoring something that can become more serious later on.

About The Author

Kerris Samson, who now lives in Spain and has become a work from home mum. Is now spending a large amount of her time researching breast cancer and other cancers and alternative treatment methods. For further information please visit http://www.cancerreport.info.

Breast Cancer- Top Ten Things Every Woman Should Know

2007-07-17T05:34:00.000-07:00

Breast cancer is a reality many women will have to deal with. Statistics show that one woman out of nine will develop breast cancer in her life. Whether it be a dear friend, a close family member or herself, every woman will be touched by breast cancer in one way or the other. Breast cancer accounts for about 30% of all cancers.

Every woman should be aware of the risk factors and change those she can to lower her risk of developing breast cancer in her life.

Women who are not active physically, smoke or consume a lot of alcohol are at higher risk to develop breast cancer.

Women who have their first child at a later age or have never given birth are at higher risk to develop breast cancer.

Women who had their first period at an earlier age (less than 12 years old) are at higher risk for breast cancer.

Woman who have close family members who had develop breast cancer are at higher risk for themselves.

Women who are older. The further a woman advances in life, the higher her probability of developing breast cancer.

Women who experience a late menopause (after 55 years old) have an increase risk of developing breast cancer.

There is hope however and certain measures have proven to help reduce the risk of developing breast cancer for a woman. It is recommended to exercise regularly, lose any excess weight, lower alcohol consumption and stop smoking. It is also proven that women who breastfeed their babies are at lower risks to develop breast cancer.

Certain measures, by finding breast cancer at an earlier stage can lower the complication rate and morbidity associated with this condition. The two most recommended measures are to do a mammogram exam every two years after the age of 50 (or earlier if a woman has risk factors) and doing a breast self-examination. It is also recommended for a woman to visit her doctor regularly. One has to know that about two thirds of breast tumours are found by the woman herself upon doing her self-examination.

Many organizations and industries have joined forces to push back breast cancer and one can only encourage them by donating time or money for this worthy cause. There are many researches on breast cancer conducted worldwide and it is expected that the near future will see the decline of this devastating affliction.

About The Author

Dr Nathalie Fiset is a family doctor and a certified hypnotherapist. For more information go to: http://www.bestmenopause.com http://www.drnathaliefiset.com or http://www.a-1hypnosis.com.

Smoothbeam Laser Treatment

2007-07-17T05:20:00.000-07:00

Smoothbeam is a laser procedure in which a beam of light at a specific wavelength is applied to the skin and is absorbed by the collagen in the skin and the sebaceous glands.

It is an effective acne treatment, especially for acne scarring on the face and back. The laser works by targeting and heating the collagen and sebaceous glands in the skin. The skin is protected and cooled, however, with a special cooling device.

This laser procedure may be used in teens and adults with all skin types. Patients might opt to include this laser treatment in addition to their acne treatment.

In general, most procedures have a low risk of side effects. More aggressive treatments might induce some temporary discoloration or reddening of the skin. Some patients might experience pigment changes in skin color. If this occurs, the skin will typically return to normal pigmentation over time.

Herbals for Acne Scars

2007-07-17T05:11:00.000-07:00

Herbals treatment has been in existence from very ancient times to cure any disease. There are many such herbs and methods to improve the skin metabolism and keep it healthy.

In addition to the chemical and surgical treatment of acne scars another therapy that is now becoming popular is the Herbal Treatment of acne scars. The acne scar remedial course can be carried out in two ways either by external topical treatment or internal body metabolism treatment or a combination of both.

The basic component of body is water and the skin is healthy when the water content is duly flowing along the layers in the skin system. Drinking lots of water helps out to reduce the toxins and maintain the skin health. The dead cells are flushed off and the new skin layer constantly grows in healthy and perfectly hydrated state.

The water content can also be taken indirectly through fruit juices, raw vegetables and other green vegetable that contain the Retin-A natural Vitamin-A. The spinach, carrots, wheat germ juice etc., are more helpful. Water as external washing agent also helps to remove the dirt from the skin pores and keeps it moisturized.

The Citrus (lemon, orange) juices are very important source of the Alpha Hydroxy Acids. The sugarcane juice is also very helpful as it is the source of the Natural Glycolic acid. These juices do ward off the dead cell accumulation under skin and maintain the proper hydration so that skin texture remains tightened and smooth.

A skin washing mixture of 50ml of citrus or sugarcane juice in 200 ml of water works well in cleaning the skin and maintaining its proper tone. The continued use can remove the scar to very significant level.

Essential Oils are some of the better herbal extracts with antiseptic and cell regeneration properties. Lavender Oil has properties of healing wounds and restructuring the skin cells. Due to this it is often used in various lotions and gels to remove the acne scars. This oil can be applied to the live acne and the scars to disappear further in some way.

Tea tree oil has antibacterial and anti fungal properties, which makes it suitable for acne cure to reduce and prevent scars from developing further. Bulbinella is an herb that heals the cuts, rashes, burns and the skin defects very effectively. The paste or extract of this herb is used to cure the skin defects.

Aleovera is another herb that can be taken in juice form or applied topically in gel form to reduce the acne scars. This herb heals the skin maladies of burns, cuts and skin rashes etc. The extracts of this herb is also available commercially branded products.

Herbal home made face packs are better solutions to improvement in scar removal. A face pack of rose water with sandal wood powder can be applied overnight and to be washed off next day. Similarly the lemon juice with rose water can be used to wash the skin blemishes.

Lemon juice with basil leaves when made as a paste and applied to the pigment scar then it effectively reduces them also stops the acne to reappear. Lemon juice with Fuller’s earth (Multani Mitti) is also a very effective face pack in removing the acne scars.

Acne Medications Not for Use During Pregnancy

2007-07-17T05:07:00.000-07:00

Some potent acne medications must not be used by women who are pregnant or who may become pregnant because of the potential harm to a fetus. These medications include:

Hormonal therapy – estrogen, flutamide, spironolactone
Isotretinoin
Oral tetracylines – doxycycline, minocycline, tetracycline
Topical retinoids – adapalene, tazarotene, tretinoin

Women in their child-bearing years need to avoid pregnancy while using these medications.

Here’s the lowdown on why these medications should not be used during pregnancy:

Hormone therapy. The “female” hormone, estrogen, and the anti-androgens, flutamide and spironolactone, are sometimes used to treat acne in women. None should be taken while a woman is pregnant. Flutamide and spironolactone can cause birth defects. It is not known if these medications can be passed along when a woman is breast feeding so the medications must also not be used if a woman chooses to breast feed.

Isotretinoin. Isotretinoin must not be used by a woman who is pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breast feeding.

This potent acne medication has revolutionized acne therapy due to its effectiveness in treating severe and therapy-resistant acne. However, isotretinoin also has the potential to cause some serious side effects. The most serious is the potential to cause severe birth defects in a developing fetus. For this reason, it is imperative that women taking isotretinoin follow the pregnancy-prevention program. This requires using 2 forms of birth control continuously beginning 1 month before therapy starts and not ending until 1 month after isotretinoin therapy is complete. A women taking isotretinoin must also be carefully monitored by her dermatologist during therapy. If pregnancy occurs, isotretinoin must be stopped immediately. Women planning a pregnancy should discontinue taking isotretinoin and maintain birth-control methods for at least 1 month before trying to become pregnant.

Oral tetracyclines. Tetracycline as well as doxycycline and minocycline—which are synthetically derived from tetracycline—must not be used by women who are pregnant or breast feeding because of potential side effects. These broad-spectrum oral antibiotics can inhibit bone growth and discolor permanent teeth in both a fetus and a child being breast fed.

Topical retinoids. The topical (applied to the skin) retinoids adapalene, tazarotene and tretinoin carry warnings stating that it is not known if these medications can adversely affect a developing fetus or child that is being breast fed. from: AcneNet

The Social Impact of Acne

2007-07-17T05:05:00.001-07:00

How acne affects people's lives
"There is no single disease which causes more psychic trauma, more maladjustment between parents and children, more general insecurity and feelings of inferiority and greater sums of psychic suffering than does acne vulgaris." --Sulzberger & Zaldems, 1948

While known for quite some time, the psychosocial effects of acne have not been fully appreciated until recently. The reasons for this are many. After all, everyone gets acne to one degree or another. In most cases, it goes away on its own. While it's running its course, it is not a serious threat to anyone's overall physical health. In addition, until the last couple of decades, there was very little anyone could do to treat it.

Acne, nonetheless, has a significant impact on a person's outlook on life. Recent studies have detected the following as common among people with acne:

Social withdrawal
Decreased self-esteem
Reduced self-confidence
Poor body image
Embarrassment
Feelings of depression
Anger
Preoccupation
Frustration
Higher rate of unemployment

The effects listed above are often interrelated, with one effect leading to another and another, only to make the first effect worse. These negative psychosocial effects can have a crippling impact, discouraging patients from pursuing life's opportunities--socially, on the job, or at school. from: AcneNet

Acne Myths

2007-07-17T05:02:00.000-07:00

Myth #1: Acne is caused by poor hygiene. If you believe this myth, and wash your skin hard and frequently, you can actually make your acne worse. Acne is not caused by dirt or surface skin oils. Although excess oils, dead skin and a day's accumulation of dust on the skin looks unsightly, they should not be removed by hand scrubbing. Vigorous washing and scrubbing will actually irritate the skin and make acne worse. The best approach to hygiene and acne: Gently wash your face twice a day with a mild soap, pat dry--and use an appropriate acne treatment for the acne.

Myth #2: Acne is caused by diet. Extensive scientific studies have not found a connection between diet and acne. In other words, food does not cause acne. Not chocolate. Not french fries. Not pizza. Nonetheless, some people insist that certain foods affect their acne. In that case, avoid those foods. Besides, eating a balanced diet always makes sense. However, according to the scientific evidence, if acne is being treated properly, there's no need to worry about food affecting the acne.

Myth #3: Acne is caused by stress. The ordinary stress of day-to-day living is not an important factor in acne. Severe stress that needs medical attention is sometimes treated with drugs that can cause acne as a side effect. If you think you may have acne related to a drug prescribed for stress or depression, you should consult your physician.

Myth #4: Acne is just a cosmetic disease. Yes, acne does affect the way people look and is not otherwise a serious threat to a person’s physical health. However, acne can result in permanent physical scars--plus, acne itself as well as its scars can affect the way people feel about themselves to the point of affecting their lives.

Myth #5: You just have to let acne run its course. The truth is, acne can be cleared up. If the acne products you have tried haven’t worked, consider seeing a dermatologist. With the products available today, there is no reason why someone has to endure acne or get acne scars.

Psychiatric and psychological implications of Acne

2007-07-17T04:59:00.001-07:00

Psychiatric disorders can develop secondary to acne vulgaris. Clinical depression, social phobia, and certain anxiety disorders have been associated with acne. Acne patients report greater levels of anxiety and depression than other medical populations, including cancer patients and other dermatology patients. The prevalence of depression and suicidal ideation was measured in 480 patients with potentially disfiguring dermatological conditions. Clinical depression and suicidal ideation occurred at a significantly greater incidence in the group with acne than in groups with alopecia areata, atopic dermatitis, and mild-to-moderate psoriasis. The only group, that surpassed acne with incidence of clinical depression and suicidal ideation were inpatients with severe psoriasis (with a mean total affected body surface of 52 +/- 23.4%). This study used a group of patients with mild-to-moderate acne. Patients with severe acne may in fact be at similar or greater risk of developing such complications. These findings illustrate the importance of recognizing psychiatric comorbidity in patients with acne.

Suicide is rare in dermatological patients. A study reported sixteen cases of suicide in patients with dermatological conditions. Acne without primary psychiatric illness was the presenting diagnosis in seven of sixteen cases of suicide. All these patients had acne scarring and six of seven had poor response to treatment. Although these observations are clinically relevant, the population size was too small to be statistically significant. The remaining five of sixteen patients had primary psychiatric illness, two of sixteen had chronic and debilitating skin disease and two of sixteen had extenuating social circumstances. This breakdown clearly illustrates that acne can have serious psychiatric sequellae. The authors suggest that a simple psychological screening inventory can help identify patients with severe depressive features. This paper also illustrates the distinction between reactive or secondary depression and primary psychiatric illness, which can present with a complaint that is focused on acne. Such primary psychiatric disorders include obsessive-compulsive disorder and psychosis.

Acne negatively affects psychological health and psychosocial functioning. These characteristics are more subjective than psychiatric conditions, and they lack specific clinical definitions. Studies have found significant impairment in self-image and self-esteem, impairment in psychological well-being, dissatisfaction with appearance, and inhibition of social interactions in acne patients. Finally, acne is a psychophysiologic condition as its physical pathology can probably be exacerbated by psychological stress.

Acne Symptoms

2007-07-17T04:53:00.000-07:00

The most common form of acne is known as "acne vulgaris", meaning "common acne." Many teenagers get this type of acne. Excessive secretion of oils from the sebaceous glands accompanies the plugging of the pores with naturally occurring dead skin cells (corneocytes) blocking hair follicles. The accumulation of these corneocytes in the duct appears to be due to a failure of the normal keratinization process in the skin which usually leads to shedding of skin cells lining the pores. Oil secretions are said to build up beneath the blocked pore, providing a perfect environment for the skin bacteria Propionibacterium acnes and the lipophilic (oil/lipid-loving) yeast Malassezia to multiply uncontrollably. Under the microscope, however, there is no evidence of pooled trapped sebum.[original research?] Indeed the oil percolates through the plugged duct onto the surface. In response to the bacterial and yeast populations, the skin inflames, producing the visible lesion. The face, chest, back, shoulders and upper arms are especially affected. The typical acne lesions are: comedones, papules, pustules, nodules and inflammatory cysts known as cystic acne, one of the more severe forms. These are more inflamed and pus-filled or reddish bumps, that can easily lead to scarring or serious infections. Non-inflamed 'sebaceous cysts', more properly called epidermoid cysts, occur either in association with acne or alone but are not a constant feature. After resolution of acne lesions, prominent unsightly scars may remain. Aside from scarring, its main effects are psychological, such as reduced self-esteem and, according to at least one study, depression or suicide. Acne usually appears during adolescence, when people already tend to be most socially insecure. Early and aggressive treatment is therefore advocated to lessen the overall impact to individuals.

Acne scars

2007-07-17T04:40:00.000-07:00

Severe acne often leaves small scars where the skin gets a "volcanic" shape. Acne scars are difficult and expensive to treat, and it is unusual for the scars to be successfully removed completely.

Physical acne scars are often referred to as "Icepick" scars. This is because the scars tend to cause an indentation in the skin's surface.

Acne scars are unsightly, and it is for this reason they can be psychologically and emotionally distressing. However, there is a range of treatments available. If acne scars are causing severe psychological distress, social withdrawal and/or emotional ill-health, a physician should be contacted.

Those who suffered from acne before, and have developed scars are generally relieved that the acne has gone, and emotional effects of acne scars tend to be less distressing

Herbal Medicine: Herbal Drugs Fail to Cure Aids

2007-07-17T04:35:00.000-07:00

Lusaka - Zambia's government announced on Friday that widely publicized herbal drugs held to cure Aids have been proved ineffective after clinical trials conducted on dozens of HIV patients.

Health minister Angela Cifire said the six-month trial conducted on 26 HIV-positive volunteers showed that the traditional herbs could prolong the lives of sufferers, but fell short of a much-anticipated cure.

"The herbal medicines that were under study do not cure HIV infection," said Cifire.

She said herbalists had claimed that the drugs could cure Aids within a period of three months but experts decided to give it a longer period, which still failed to yield positive results.

Out of 79 herbs presented for research by traditional health practitioners, only three qualified to undergo a thorough clinical trial, said Cifire.

"None of the 26 participants died and no side effects were observed during herbal treatment," she said.

But herbalists have insisted that they can cure Aids and have asked for the trials to be continued with a bigger sample of patients.

"The sample was too small and the period was also not long enough for effective monitoring of patients," said Rodwell Vongo, chairperson of the Traditional Health Practitioners of Zambia.

The government spent 1.4 billion kwacha ($340 000) on the trial.

Zambia, which has a population of about 11 million, has a HIV prevalence rate of 16%. The government is providing free anti-retroviral drugs to 75 000 people.

Vitamins may put you at risk for cancer

2007-07-17T04:32:00.000-07:00

Millions of Americans take multivitamins as part of their daily regimen and assume that they are getting some health benefits. But a recent study by the National Cancer Institute found that men who consume too many multivitamins might be upping their risk of a particularly aggressive form of prostate cancer, especially men with a family history of the disease. NEWSWEEK's Alexandra Gekas spoke with Dr. Michael Leitzmann, senior author of the study.

Pangea Organics for bodycare

2007-07-16T21:35:00.000-07:00

Pangea Organics is a plant-based product line offering a wide selection including a skin care line, as well as soaps, lotions and oils. Not only are the ingredients of Pangea good for you their product boxes are made using a Zero Waste process with 100% post-consumer paper and organic seeds.

Black currant leaf ; Forgotten herbs

2007-07-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

Black currant leaf (Ribes nigrum) is local, tasty, found in every garden over here (and along quite a few lake shores), and the use of black currant leaf for allergies is all but forgotten. I find the scent to be -- mmmm -- a nice mood lifter, as well.

You can make the dried (or fresh) leaf into a tea, or you can make a tincture.

Or use gemmotherapy, which is something almost homeopathic from France: pick the leaf bud or the very young leaf, tincture it in alcohol (or glycerine) at 1:20, and use a few drops as needed.

Black currant is the host for one or the other crop disease, so selling the real thing has been prohibited in the US. Dunno how things are now, but most of the "black currants" sold in garden centers over there are actually golden currants ... if the leaf has no scent, and if the berry has no zing, you don't have the real stuff.

Another nice herb is Bidens -- and you can use all bidenses interchangeably, for urinary tract infections and to soothe mucous membranes from urethra to anus. And thereabouts.

I learned the use of Bidens at the SWSBM, and as far as I know, nobody else uses it. Dunno if it's even available in the UK herb houses ... we have three species, and they are all abundant weeds.

They're underground until, oh, July or so, after which they grow and flower, but are very hard to see. As in, you've found a bunch and picked'em all, and you go back to check the same spot every day for the next two weeks, you'll come home with your basket full every single day. It's that good at hiding.

Or perhaps it's just a fast grower.

I use the aboveground parts of bidens as a mild tea for urinary tract infections, and for the itch that sometimes comes with BPHP (benign prostatic hyperplasy). Lovely herbs, are the bidenses.

10 Reasons to Give Your Baby a Massage

2007-07-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

Babies respond well to gentle massages and receive many benefits from the loving touch of a parent or caregiver. If bonding and showing your baby is not enough reason to give your infant a massage, there are ten other reasons you should consider.

A baby experiences colic, congestion, teething pain, and emotional stress. Giving your baby a gentle massage relieves many discomforts from which a small baby can suffer. There are many ways of giving your infant relief for various ailments. Using a gentle tapping method which helps break up the mucous in the chest can relieve congestion. It allows the infant to eliminate any excess mucous. Sinus congestion can be broken up by gently massaging that area. It makes the process of eliminating excess mucous from the sinus passages easier on the baby. Using small rhythmic strokes across the distended abdomen can also relieve colic. Gentle infant massage can also help relieve any stress or tension the infant may be feeling and some infants will cry during their massage time. It is believed this crying is an emotional release and is healthy for the baby.

Massaging the skin will improve communication between the body and the brain and improve the nervous system.

A gentle massage stroke can release any tension in the baby's body and allow them to relax for a maximum learning environment. A massage will encourage relaxation, increase their circulation, increase the air they feel on their skin and give them a reassurance the parent is near. The parent's voice, touch, and the odor of their parent give them a sense of security. The balance a massage gives them an increased capacity for learning.

If an infant is having problems sleeping, a gentle massage will help the baby relax enough to sleep easily and have longer periods of deep sleep.

Infant massage also stimulates the digestive system and helps in digestion. It also helps with breathing; a recent study shows a gentle 20-minute massage also helps children with asthma breathe better.

Massage can teach an infant the art of expression. Watch your baby's expression as you stroke their back and tummy. You can see which strokes the baby enjoys the most and change your massage routine to fit your baby.

Massage helps your infant's muscle tone and helps them grow.

Massage enhances the bonding between infant and parent.

It helps the baby become more aware of its surroundings. You can talk to your baby while giving the massage and even name the parts of the body during your stroking

Massaging your infant gives him a sense of comfort, safety and love. These are important parts to the emotional and physical growth of your child.

Massage also benefits parents and caregivers. It gives a quiet time of the day that can relax both your infant and gives your body a chance to relax. Knowing you are giving your baby pleasure and strengthening their growth will give you peace and serenity too.

Why Get a Spa Massage?

2007-07-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

In this day and age when there is so much more potential stress in our lives we need to find more ways to relax. That does not mean that all of us are living with an overly stressful job or relationship. But it does mean we need to make sure that with all the things that we must do in our lives we do not forget the opportunity to do something special for ourselves to help us relax. There are many options on how to do this. One is to get a spa massage. This method of relaxation can make you feel stripped of your troubles, relaxed and free of tension.

The spa massage actually accomplishes more that simply easing the tension in tired muscles; though it certainly does accomplish that as well. It will improve the circulation of your blood and diminish any muscle aches you may be suffering from. This in turn will help you sleep better and a better night’s sleep means a better day ahead. Depending on the spa you choose for your massage they may use essential oils to help relax you. Essential oils, the basis of aromatherapy, help to further relax a person as well as help to diminish aches and pains. Or they might have relaxing music playing in the background during your massage. All this is designed to improve the way you feel and alleviate the tension.

When you go to the spa for a massage you will be surprised that it will not be necessarily just a back rub that you will receive. The masseur will work hard to iron out your tension by rubbing deep into the tissue to get rid of aches, pains, and stress. This means massaging the feet, back, and face as well. The spa massage is becoming ever increasingly popular for those who need to have a place to go to get rid of their stress. This means that when they do go home they are relaxed and reenergized; ready to deal with their partner and children with a renewed sense of wellbeing and patience.

Many persons can benefit from having a spa massage. Many spas offer discount programs and gift certificates that you can give to friends and loved ones, allowing them the chance to enjoy a nice relaxing hour. In fact, you may find that this sort of a gift will be appreciated more than something that may end up in the back of the closet. While you are at it, don’t forget to schedule a massage for yourself.

Beware! Activities that cause Cancer

2007-07-16T10:46:00.000-07:00

1. Use a CELL (mobile) PHONE, use it long and often, the high level of radiation being delivered to your head will provide you with a good chance of brain cancer.

2. Use a CORDLESS PHONE, another good source of radiation to cause brain cancer.

3. Get a DECT CORDLESS PHONE, this baby will not only radiate you when you are talking on it but will radiate your whole house twenty-four hours a day. This is a great way to get your entire family radiated. If you leave it next to your head while you are sleeping, it will be more effective. If you live in an apartment, you can radiate the people in the next unit. This is a real cheap way to do serious harm, no sign up fees, no monthly charges, and no charge for usage, just leave this in the charger; it will do the rest.

4. Attach a WiFi (wireless) system to your computer, it will radiate anyone using the computers in your home and may spread the radiation throughout the entire house. Just leave it turned on and forget about it, ill health should follow.

5. Cook with a MICROWAVE, you do not even have to stand close to the unit, it will cover the entire kitchen and a few other nearby rooms with radiation. You get the added bonus of destroying food nutrition at the same time, another help to cancer.

6. Drive a nice MODERN CAR with lots of gadgets and computerized equipment; drive it long distances for long periods of time. This will ensure that you are well covered in electro magnetic fields, another form of radiation that will harm your body. To make the car even more unhealthy, get a GPS system. If you then use a cell phone in the car, the radiation will bounce all around the interior and radiate you and the other occupants from all different directions. The cell phone will also power up to high power, in order to get transmission out of this ‘metal box’.

7. When you sleep, have a CLOCK RADIO, BEDSIDE LIGHTS, TELEPHONE and EXTENSION CORDS near to the bed. This will ensure that you will be receiving a large amount of Electro Magnetic Radiation from the wiring and the appliances. This is a really good way of getting cancer because your body will not be able to recover and rejuvenate itself, as it should during sleep.

8. Use an ELECTRIC BLANKET, keep it turned on and plugged in. This radiates a very high source of Electro Magnetic Radiation through your entire body and should eventually cause some real damage.

9. Visit your MD, your doctor will probably advise you that there is no danger from these devices. You will probably be told that Health Canada and the World Health Organization think these devices are safe and there is more evidence that shows that they are safe than there is evidence, which shows those are causing cancer and very serious harm to health? This will give you a great false sense of security and you can get cancer without even worrying about it.

10. Get WIRELESS GAMES for the kids. This should keep them happy and radiated for many hours. They may even develop A.D.D. and you get the residue radiation.

11. Have a WIRELESS SECURITY SYSTEM. Radiate any burglars and your family.

12. Use a WIRELESS THERMOMETER and all kinds of other wireless devices.

13. Live near a LARGE TRANSMITTING ANTENNA. You will be well received.

14. If you have lots of property, invite cell phone companies to install a CELL PHONE MAST and antennas on your land, you get the house radiated, all your property and the neighbors too! Cancer and you get paid for it. Does it get any better?

15. Live near to HIGH POWER ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION LINES, they should give you quite a great buzz.

16. Live near to a TRANSFORMER or an ELECTRICAL SUB-STATION, you can be the ‘live-wire’ of the area.

17. Work in an OFFICE ENVIRONMENT with WiFi, computers, electronic equipment wireless telephones and electrical wiring close to your body.

18. Work with POWER TOOLS such as power saws and electrical welding equipment. They cause very high electro magnetic fields. A new way of getting a ‘buzz cut’.

19. Sleep near to a FUSE PANEL, DISTRIBUTION BOX. This is another great source of very high levels of EMFs. You will be empowered!

20. Spend lots of time at your KITCHEN SINK, you will probable get GROUND CURRENT ELECTRICITY. This may enter your house from the power utilities electrical distribution system and come in through the water pipes. It may pass through your body and deliver lots of dangerous high frequency radiation.

21 Get lots of X-RAYS and CT SCANS, this is the real heavy-duty radiation, known to cause serious damage in just seconds. Don’t wait for your doctor to suggest x-rays.

There are lots more sources of Electro Magnetic Radiation that can help you to develop cancer. The best way is to combine several of these sources together. It is very easy to do because most modern homes have all or most of these serious pollutants easily available. Remember! - The more radiation the merrier and more chance of cancer!

You can also add to your chances of getting cancer by the old stand-byes, smoking, and air pollution and chemical pollution. Mixed with the radiation they should work great!

Of course the opposite is also true! If you want to protect yourself from these dangers, start taking action to avoid exposure and tell others what they should avoid!”

FDA Says Lycopene Not Cancer-Protective

2007-07-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

FDA rejected a supplement manufacturer's petition to be able to tout lycopene as a cancer-preventer. In the JNCI article, the FDA team published the review of the literature they conducted two years ago that led to their decision to deny the marketer's request.

The review's conclusion: there's not enough evidence to make any claims about tomatoes in general, and lycopene in particular.

This position echoes AICR's long-standing conviction that overall diet, not "superfoods" or supplements, is the key to lowering cancer risk.

"It's long been clear that loading up on any one food, or food supplement, is not supported by the research," said AICR Nutrition Advisor Karen Collins, RD. "The strongest evidence shows that diets high in a variety of different vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans are associated with lower risk of developing cancer."