Archive for the ‘High Blood Pressure Remedies’ Category
http://www.homeremediesfordarkcircles.com/ Some of the causes include fatigue and lack sleep. Age is another factor, because the skin under the eyes grows thinner as you get older. Once the skin under your eyes begins to thin, the veins appear to be near the surface. Stress is another factor that can cause the dark circles, and also a lack of sleep. It is advised for everyone, especially as you grow older, to get at least eight hours sleep each night. Doing so will reduce stress levels and give your body the time it needs each night to rebuild itself.
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http://www.restlesslegsyndromehomeremedies.com
Restless leg syndrome home remedies that doctors will never let you know. These remedies for restless leg syndrome are cheap and effective treatments that have been proven to cure RLS.
Duration : 1 min 15 sec
I. Introduction
Testosterone and testosterone deficiency
Testosterone is a male hormone. Besides promoting libido it has other important functions such as maintaining muscle mass and forming bone, regulating heart muscle and cholesterol. It also helps to improve the oxygen levels throughout the body as well as controlling blood glucose and strengthening the immune system. Starting at age 40, levels of testosterone start to diminish, the levels of the by-product prolactin of testosterone of men increases, stimulating the production of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase that causes the conversion of testosterone to gihydro-testosterones DHT thus triggering low levels of testosterone(source from testosterone deficiency and heart diseases).
Obesity
Obese men have high levels of both estrogen and estradiol, because of male hormones are being converted to estrogen when fat cells synthesize the aromatase enzyme. Study shows that fat tissues have been shown to aromatize testosterone resulting in increasing of estrogen.
II. Obesity caused by Testosterone Deficiency
Testosterone deficiency is caused by the production of aromataze enzyme in fat cells as well as in the intake of saturated fat.
1. Aging
Aging people have great difficulty in losing weight because starting at the age of 40 the levels of prolactin increases, stimulating the conversion of dihydro-testosterone resulting in increased levels of estrogen causing enlarged prostate and abdominal fat in some men.
2. Insulin resistance
Low levels of testosterone cause excess insulin in the bloodstream resulting in depletion of glucose and creating a cognition of reactive hypoglycemia that generates a constant craving for sugar. Too much insulin prevents the release of fat, in other words causing fat build up resulting in fat build up and obesity.
3. DHEA deficiency
DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is a substance made by the adrenal gland. It is the precursor of the sex steroids estrogen and testosterone. DHEA has some male hormone effects and deficiency of DHEA contributes to fatigue, poor concentration and diminished overall body functions and fat build up.
4. Aromatase Aromatase is an enzyme of the cytochrome P450 superfamily, whose function is to aromatize androgen and produce estrogen. As men age they produce greater amounts of aromatase enzymes that cause the conversion of testosterone into estrogen resulting in male hormone deficiency and obesity.
5. Vitamins and minerals deficiency
Vitamins and minerals are natural aromatase enzyme inhibitors helping to block the conversion of testosterone into excess estrogen. Vitamins and minerals deficiency levels block the pituitary gland from releasing lutein and follicle stimulation of hormone which stimulates the production of testosterone resulting in low levels of testosterone and insulin resistance as well as fat build up.
III. Symptoms of Obesity caused by Testosterone Deficiency
The obese men caused by testosterone deficiency have the: same symptom of the aging men as we mentioned in other articles, such as
1. Decreased sexual function
2. Loss of bone density
3. Graving for sugars
4. Loss of muscle mass
5. Overweight and abdominal fat
6. Memory loss
7. Poor concentration, etc.
IV. Prevention and treatment
Natural remedies used include foods, nutritional supplements, herbs and Chinese herbs that help to increase the levels of free testosterone and to lose weight.
1.Egg
Egg contains zinc, iron, vitamin A, antioxidants, protein and testosterone. The antioxidants and testosterone present in egg have an effect in testosterone-boosting ratio of saturated fat to polyunsaturated . The high amounts of vitamins B5 and B6 in egg also helps to balance the hormone levels in our body and fight stress. Overloading with eggs may increase levels of cholesterol but eating one egg a day is ideal for vitalizing and regenerative effects resulting in more production of testosterone.
2. Cold water fish
Besides plenty of omega 3 and 6, cold water fish is an excellent source of vitamin A and zinc that helps the binding of sex hormones, specifically testosterone and estradiol.
3.Yohimbe
Yohimbe contains the compound yohimbine that has been used as a major ingredient in several prescription drugs for impotence. Yohimbine helps impotence caused by poor circulation and emotional problems resulting in raising your testosterone levels and your libido and reducing appetite.
4. Saw palmetto
Saw palmetto helps to promote prostate health and increase sexual stimulation. It also helps estrogen and estrogen receptor activity resulting in a healthy hormone balance, thus increasing sexual desire in men.
5.Tongkat ali
Tongkat ali has been shown to raise testosterone by stimulating the leydig cells of the testicles to produce more testosterone. Tangkat ali also helps in supporting erectile function and ejaculatory function resulting in increased size of male penis and sexual desire.
6.Reishi
Reishi is a supreme protector that helps to strengthen the immune system, anti-forgoing stress, improves blood, and qi circulation and memory. Reishi also helps to protect the liver from toxins and protect the lungs from pollutants as a resulting of eliminating the surplus of estrogen and sex hormone binding globulin and helping the release of human growth hormone (HGH).
7. Horny Goat Weed
Horny goat weed contains a variety of flavonoids such as icariin that helps to relax the blood vessels leading to the penis, which allows them to expand resulting in stronger and harder erection. It also helps to treat low levels of testosterone and increased sexual desire at the same time.
8. Garlic
Garlic is one of nature’s superfoods that helps lower levels of cholesterol, normalizes blood pressure and increases circulation of oxygen levels in bloodstream. Garlic is also a stimulant that helps to increase men’s libido by promoting the production of sex hormone in the pituitary gland. Please consult with your doctor if you have any bleeding problems before taking garlic supplements.
9. Zinc and iron
Deficiency of zinc and iron causes the depletion of oxygen levels and poor circulation of the bloodstream as indirectly resulting in erectile dysfunction. Since zinc also promotes healthy prostate glands that increases the release of prostate fluids that helps to stimulate the sexual desire by increasing the production of levels of free testosterone.
10. Choromium picolinate
Choromium not only helps to stabilize blood glucose levels and stop the craving for sweets, it also helps to increase lean body as well as reducing insulin resistance.
11. DHEA
DHEA allows our body to create other hormones such as testosterone. The deficiency of DHEA causes the deficiency of other sex hormones resulting in loss of bone density, increasing of body mass, hardening of blood vessels, low sex drive. It also help to boost the insulin growth factor resulting in weight loss.
12. L- carnitin
L-caritin helps to take the fatty acid inside the cells and burn them up.
13. Excersise
Walking 50 minutes a week will help to improve the circulation of oxygen levels in the bloodstream and increase the human growth hormone as well as helping to regulate the testosterone levels in the body.
14. Cut down intake of saturated fat and trans fat
Our brain needs fat to function better, but unhealthy diet that is high in saturated fat and trans fat causes not only the build up of the abdominal area but also increases the risk of hormone imbalance by stimulating the binding of sex hormone binding globulin which clogs up testosterone receptor sites resulting in low levels of free testosterone, sexual desire and overweight.
Finally
15. Stop smoking and reduce intake of acohol
Cigarette is a stimulant that not only increases heart beat but also causes the depletion of oxygen levels in the blood stream. It also increases binding of SHBG resulting in lowered levels of free testosterone and Excessive drinking impairs the function of liver resulting in hormone imbalance as well as increasing the levels of estrogen.
I hope this information will help. If you need more information of the above subject, please visit my home page at:
http://medicaladvisorjournals.blogspot.com
http://testosteronexii.blogspot.com/
All rights reserved. Any reproducing of this article must have all the links intact.
Kyle J. Norton
ADHD research is essential for responsible parents searching for the best treatments for their children. Prescription drugs? Natural remedies? You need to be informed before making a decision. So make sure you take the time to do your research first.
I am a natural health consultant with an ADHD son, and I’m convinced that natural remedies are your safest treatment. Treating your child with drugs not only has side effects, but it doesn’t even address the root of the problem.
Ritalin is the drug of choice for most psychiatrists but it only treats the symptoms of the problem and not the underlying cause. Studies have shown that when children are taken off the drug, symptoms of ADHD return. Also long term effects of prescription drugs, such as Ritalin, have not been determined and there is considerable controversy.
The following statements should convince you that natural remedies for ADHD should be considered first:
* ADHD facts state that common side effects for an ADHD drug such as Ritalin include sleep disturbances, insomnia, decreased appetite, depression, headaches, stomachaches, and high blood pressure. Do you want your child to experience these? That’s why I used natural ADHD remedies. It alleviates the symptoms without the side effects and without compromising your child’s health.
* According to ADHD research , prescription drugs for ADHD may stop some of symptoms of ADHD but did you know they also alter the way your child thinks? The drugs can suppress your child’s ideas, impulses, and creativity that are natural to your child.
John F. Kennedy, Jim Carey, and Nolan Ryan are just a few of famous people who coped with ADHD without prescription drugs. Natural remedies for ADHD will not take away the creativity of your child, but instead will restore balance to his overall health.
* Adhd facts also show that there is a much higher frequency of substance abuse for adults who took ADHD prescription drugs as kids. That is because some of the prescriptions are very addictive. No so with natural ADHD remedies, as they are not addictive and very safe to take with no side effects.
* ADHD research has revealed that billions of dollars are spent on ADHD prescription drugs. That can put a heavy burden on a family even if you do have good insurance. It’s also an indication that ADHD is being over-diagnosed. Natural remedies for ADHD are not only better health-wise, but much more cost efficient.
* ADHD facts have shown that the long-term effects of prescription drugs remain a mystery. Recent studies have shown higher incidents of depression and other psychological problems with people who took those drugs as children. Do you want to take that chance with your children? I didn’t, and my grown son is very well adjusted now. By using natural ADHD remedies when he was young, I’m not worried about any long term effects he may have developed later on in life.
So where do you go from here? If you’ve done your ADHD research you now know there is controversy with prescription drugs. Do you want to just cover up their symptoms with possible side effects? Or do you want to go to the root of the problem with no side effects.
If you’re like me, a concerned Mom, you’ll choose natural ADHD remedies and feel good about it because you’ve made an informed decision. Find a good natural ADHD remedy for your child and know you’re doing the responsible thing. After all, it’s your child’s health!
Diana Ketchen
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/prescription-drugs-for-adhd-better-do-your-adhd-research-first-718526.html
Unhealthy lifestyle, obesity, improper diet and food intake are the major factors responsible for high cholesterol levels. There are mainly two types of cholesterol – LDL (bad cholesterol) and HDL (good cholesterol). When there is excess of LDL in a person’s blood, it will build up in the inner walls of his arteries which can end up causing the blocking of the arteries and thus causes atherosclerosis. Whereas, when there is a high amount of HDL present, it will actually aid in preventing heart attacks, though when the level of HDL is low, it can put the person at risk of experiencing a heart attack.
One of the major risks of having high total cholesterol is triglyceride, which is a type of fat that is obtained from the food that you eat and which is also produced in the body. When there is a high level of triglycerides, you are at a risk of having high total cholesterol in which you can get high LDL as well as low HDL.
According to health experts, diet plays an important role in lowering cholesterol level. When combined with a right medication, diet has a significant role in reducing cholesterol level.
Replace regular and full-fat dairy products to low fat or skimmed ones because these are not only good in lowering cholesterol level but also effective in managing your weight. Include plenty of vegetables and fruits because these are low in calories, cholesterol, and fat no matter how much you consume. Restrict saturated and trans fatty elements contained by hydrogenated vegetable oils because they increase blood cholesterol levels. Do not eat processed and junk foods. Take lean meats such as turkey and chicken meats in place of red meat because they are effective in decreasing cholesterol levels.
Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.
Copyright © Nick Mutt, All Rights Reserved. If you want to use this article on your website or in your ezine, make all the urls (links) active.
Read more information on How to lower cholesterol. Also read Home remedies for high blood pressure at Natural cures website – a health guide to make you and your family fit and healthy.
Nick Mutt
Now-a-days Alternative Medicines or Complementary Medicines and gaining popularity, because of its curing power with out any side effects.
Diabetes details: Diabetes means your blood glucose is too high. Diabetes is the inability of the body to ‘produce insulin – type 1 diabetes’ or ‘proper use of insulin – type 2 diabetes.
Allopathic medicine Diabetes: In allopathic treatment, they consider and treat everyone in a similar manner and drugs are used for treatments. These drugs are used to stop or block one particular function of an organ. It is not trying to correct the root cause and only gives temporary relief. Also they use only one force (compared to war utilizes land force only) that is the medication for diabetes.
Alternative medicines Diabetes: treatments they consider human as a whole and each human is treated differently for the same disease. They are not only considering the disease alone, but also its causes – physical and mental (psychological) reasons.
Homeopathic remedies diabetes:
For example homeopathic remedy is concern they find the correct remedy by looking for symptoms of:
- Main complication
- Physical symptoms
- Mental/emotional/psychological symptoms
- Modalities (when the disease is better and when it is worst)
- Causation (reason behind the disease – root cause)
Homeopathic remedies for diabetes, different peoples are treated with a different medicine with respect to their individual physical, mental, modalities and causation.
Ayurvedic herbal remedies for diabetes:
It is also called as herbal medicines, herbal therapy, herbal treatment, herbalism and botanical medicines.
The herbal medication is prepared from plants, use medicinal herbs to prevent and treat diseases and ailments or to promote health and healing. Either the dried plant as a whole or a specific part of it (root, leaves, fruit, flowers or seeds) is formulated into suitable preparation. Ayurvedic natural remedies are not only control blood sugar, but at the same time it will take care of kidney, liver, eye and hearts. These are the organs that may be affected by long term of diabetes. Also the carbohydrate metabolism is by liver, kidney, pancreas and small intestine. Thus the herbal medicines correct these organs for proper utilization and elimination of the glucose. That is, it corrects the root cause.
Yoga refers to be the traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. It has the ability to balance body, mind & spirit. This discipline has curative power for many chronic diseases that include diabetes, by activating glandular systems responsible for the illness. In the case of diabetes, yoga poses give mild and gentle massages to the internal organs such as pancreas, liver, intestine, etc. These organs are responsible for the diabetes cause.
Acupressure for diabetes:
Accupressure is also called as acupressure or healing touch. TCM relies on a number of basic principles which have been refined over thousands of years of medical practice. One of the major principles of this medical tradition is the idea that health is governed by the flow of life force, or qi, through the body. Interruptions in this flow can lead to medical complaints, as the body’s balance of energy is disrupted. TCM practitioners also believe that disruptions in the flow of qi affect specific organs, and that all symptoms can be linked with a particular organ.
In the case of diabetes many patients have found that has either cured or decreased the severity of their diabetes.
Reflexology for diabetes:
Reflexology massage or zone therapy is particularly a healing art by applying pressure (using the hand, fingers and especially the thumbs). This massage is specifically done to feet, hands and some times even to the ears. It activates the acupoints which are interrelated to the organs in the body.
That is why reflexology massage is showing positive impact on promoting self-healing capabilities on diabetes.
Complementary Medicine:
All the above alternative medicine treatments are also called as complementary medicine. The name “complementary medicine” developed as the two or more systems began to be used alongside (to “complement”) each other.
So if we use all the above said alternative medicines together (used all the medicines at the same time) there is a amazing result because one complements the other;
- Homeopathy treats disease by physical, mental, modalities and causation symptoms – human as a whole.
- Herbal remedies correct the disease by correcting the organ responsible for the disease – this system corrects the function of the organ responsible.
- Yoga is a physical and mental discipline that gives massage to the internal organ and calms the mind for proper function of the organ.
- Acupressure is a healing touch which clears the blockage of qi (vital energy) and thus function of the particular organ is normalized.
- Reflexology is an art of massaging the nerve points connecting with the organ responsible for the disease. If the nerves are stimulated the organ start function normally.
If you use all the above said complementary medicines each works differently, then the chance of cure for the disease is very high.
For example purpose we used to define alternative medicine diabetes, it is not only for diabetes but also for cholesterol, high and low blood pressure, eye problems, etc. I named a few the list is endless.
thiruvelan
http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/complementary-alternative-medicine-treatments-for-diabetes-692345.html
Herbs and plants are very powerful and effective sources of medication, and it is a known fact that actually herbal medicine was the point of origin for the majority of modern medical approaches and treatments. In our daily life, we frequently use herbal remedies to treat the symptoms of common ailments and diseases, such as colds, insomnia and many others. Herbal products are available in our drugstores or health food stores in the forms of dietary supplements, herbal extracts, tinctures, lotions, liquid extracts, capsules and so on. Herbal remedies do really work for many health concerns. Besides, they can be appealing to a lot of people because usually we are convinced that everything natural can not cause any harm. That is why over the last decade, worldwide consumption of herbal remedies, and especially herbal supplements, has been firmly increasing.
Undoubtedly, herbal remedies and treatments hold a special place in modern medicine. For the last 50 years, the humanity have been seeing tremendous progress and remarkable advancements in modern health care industry, but this substantial development of medical technologies and approaches is associated with a certain rise of people’s expectations from today’s medicines. Modern pharmaceuticals are extremely helpful and effective in treating many common ailments and serious diseases, including the ones which were supposed to be incurable for many years. At the same time, along with increasing power and potency of contemporary pharmaceutical medicines, the number, frequency and severity of the side effects they cause is also increasing. Therefore, the effectiveness of such remedies as a relief to our health problems was jeopardized.
In constant search for more effective treatments and health solutions, we finally came back to our roots. Lately, a certain rediscovery of our traditions and practices of ancient folk medicine took place, and a great number of people learned again about the advantages and positive influences that herbal remedies can have on our health. Many of such remedies were never actually forgotten and have been used for treating various common diseases and ailments. Many natural materials and components were rediscovered and started being used again in our medical industry as effective and potent natural ingredients, which can not only provide relief, but also become powerful agents in getting the cure of the most serious diseases.
At the same time, a decision to use herbal remedies is a serious step, and everyone who wants to try this natural approach needs to remember that herbal remedies are also medicines, which can potentially be a serious risk to our health and cause unwanted side effects, such as allergies, problems with blood pressure, increased heart rate, stroke, seizure and others. Herbal remedies contain very strong chemical ingredients, and if taken in excessive dosages or in conjunction with some other conflicting medications, it will be hardly possible to avoid dangerous reactions of the body. That is why in order to minimize all the risks, it is essential to talk about the specific herbal remedy you are about to use with your doctor, and always use only high quality natural medicines, which are produced according to the highest quality standards.
Linda
It is always better to know and prevent a disease than to have it. This article discusses the complications of diabetes. One can avoid these complications by the yearly (or half-yearly) checkup of eyes, kidney, heart and feet by the qualified specialists so that these complications, if present, can be diagnosed at an early stage and effectively treated before it becomes too late.
Acute Complications of Diabetes
Hypoglycemia – Hypoglycemia is defined as a condition in which there is blood glucose concentration of less than 45 mg/dl. Sweating, trembling, hunger, confusion drowsiness, in-coordination and nausea are some of the symptoms of hypoglycemia.
The common causes are unpunctual or inadequate meals, unexpected or unusual exercise and ingestion of alcohol. Patients should be taught that if unusual exercise is anticipated the preceding dose of insulin should be reduced and extra carbohydrate ingested. All patients taking insulin should carry with them glucose tablets.
Ketoacidosis – Any form of stress, particularly an acute infection or neglect of treatment due to carelessness can lead to ketoacidosis. There is intense thirst and polyuria. Constipation, muscle cramps and altered vision are common. Hyperventilation with low blood pressure and acetone may be smelt in the breath and finally it may lead to coma. Glycosuria and ketonuria would be present. Blood glucose levels may be as high as 360-720 mg/dl and low plasma bicarbonate and blood pH.
The condition should be treated with the utmost urgency in hospital. Intravenous fluid replacement is required since, even when the patient is able to swallow, fluids given by mouth may be poorly absorbed. If 6 to 8 units of insulin per hour is given, blood glucose level comes down. 13-20 mMol of potassium per 0.51 infusion fluid should be started from the outset. Intracellular fluid is replaced once the blood glucose has fallen below 250 mg/dl by infusing glucose solution. Intensive medical care is needed and the blood glucose, pH, electrolytes and ketones have to be monitored, hourly at first.
I hope this article has covered some of the major complications of diabetes. Knowing these complications will help you to prevent them.
Control your blood sugar for having more control on life!
Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.
Copyright © Nick Mutt, All Rights Reserved. If you want to use this article on your website or in your ezine, make all the urls (links) active.
Are you looking for some Home remedies for cellulite? Know effective Home remedies for weight loss. Read useful Home remedies for erectile dysfunction for more intimate relationship.
Nick Mutt
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/major-complications-of-diabetes-670042.html
http://getconstipationremedies.org – learn about 3 completely natural constipation remedies that actually work!
Duration : 7 min 18 sec
Recent infomercials for various health food and supplement “miracles in a bottle” brings to mind the old fable of King Jack, the ruler of Anesthesia:
Content with the state of affairs throughout Anesthesia, but sensing the need to be more in touch with his constituents, King Jack appointed members of his staff to seek out the knowledge from the greatest minds in the kingdom. Upon their return they presented the king with several volumes worth of information. Delighted with the response, yet perplexed with the amount of data collected, King Jack responded with a request to condense the information into a single volume.
After an initial assessment of the condensed version, the king then petitioned to have the information expressed in a single phrase consisting of five words or less. The advisors to the king deliberated for several days and returned with their consensus on the single phrase which best represented the wisdom of the intellects throughout Anesthesia; “THERE AIN’T NO FREE LUNCH.”
It is a “free lunch mentality”, as proclaimed through various marketing channels, that offers physical and mental nirvana through indulgence in commercially available brews, nutriceuticals and medicinal concoctions without legitamite regard for the fundamental principle of pharmocology. Surely if these products have any viable active ingredients, there are certain to be potential complications associated with intoxication or contraindications. Intuitively, a red flag should go up in our heads every time we are confronted with a product that will most certainly have some known and unknown physiological effects. That which is construed as truly pure, or natural is certainly the antithesis of the movement that advocates the mass consumption of food extracts or concentrates held together with binders, suspended in questionable diluents, or encased in synthetically derived gel caps.
Public scepticism over contemporary therapeutic medicine has been a contributing factor to the evolution of a billion dollar health quakery industry. Proponents of the health food culture support what they refer to as a “natural” approach to health and vitality through the use various pills, powders, and potions. Among these products are everything from megadoses of vitamins and minerals to nostrums such as bee pollen, ginseng root, dired algae, and a range of homeopathic products.
These medicinal potions are promoted as having generalized curative or restorative powers for everything from the common cold, chronic fatigue, and sexual disfunction to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other assorted chronic diseases. Beyond the question of efficacy, the consumption of such products may indeed preclude the use of scientifically substantiated medical protocol. Promoted with the cooperation of newspapers, magazines, book publishers, multilevel marketing schemes and franchised retail outlets, these concoctions are unregulated and readily dispensed without provisions for gender, individual physiology, or guidance concerning contraindications or toxicity.
Product promotions are based on a distorted logic that attempts to extrapolate a correlation between an outside piece of scientific data, and a health food product. Independent third party testing of some supplements suggest an absence of a viable quality control program as witnessed through product inconsistencies, impurities, degradation, and bacterial contamination.
The Health Food Industry Free Ride
The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994 classifies herbs – and concentrates, extracts, and constituents of herbs – as “dietary supplements” and shelters such products from drug and food-additive regulations. The act transferred the burden of proof of safety from supplement manufacturers to the FDA. This act provides the loophole by which the marketers of dietary supplements can make exaggerated health claims for everything from Bermuda grass clippings to mountain lion urine, and it would be up to the FDA to prove the product unsafe.
Natural Food Better than Processed Food?
The term ‘natural’ has become a catch-word for numerous consumable products ranging from beer to cough remedies.
If you check the tobacco isle in your local grocery store, you will notice some brands of cigars and cigarettes labeled as using “All Natural Tobacco.” In general, a “natural” product is promoted as having an inherent goodness beyond that of its processed counterpart. Theoretically, food that incurs alteration as part of an established food processing protocol is diminished of its vital factors.
The proposition that natural foods are superior to their processed foods is short sighted and void of scientific objectivity. If we define “natural” as that produced solely by nature, not altered, treated, or disguised, then we must renounce years scientific developments in food processing technology that have provided an abundant and wholesome food supply.
* Microbiology as a science, has advanced the technology for the understanding of food-borne bacteria. Microbacterial diseases in unprocessed liquid food products such as milk and fruit juices, have been dramatically reduced, and in some cases eliminated through pasteurization. Due to numerous disease outbreaks, attributable to the consumption of unpasteurized fruit juices, the Food and Drug Administration has mandated the presence of the following warning statement for unpasteurized products:
WARNING: This product has not been pasteurized and, therefore, may contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness in children, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems.
Food allergy is a serious condition where the body’s immune system reacts to a certain component, usually a protein. The reactions can range from a mild discomfort to a more serious and life-threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis. The process of food oil refining removes the protein which would trigger such reaction, thereby eliminating the inherent dangers of touted natural or cold pressed oils.
Patulin is a toxic and potentially carcinogenic (cancer causing agent) mycotoxin found in apples at varying levels of concentration. In a study designed to compare organic and conventional apple juice, samples of each were purchased and analyzed to determine the concentrations of patulin. The conventional apple juice had patulin ranging from 250 micrograms per liter up to 4,000 micrograms per liter. The organic apple juice had patulin at rates up to 45,000 micrograms per liter. This study suggests that apple processing and concentration of patulin are inversely correlated.
In the final analysis, the accepted definition of what constitutes a natural food may lie somewhere between two opposing extremes of the conservative “mulch munching” devotee foraging for wild edibles, and the more liberal “ballpark frank, junk food junky.”
Toxic By Nature
The natural foods industry has grown largely because of the erroneous notion that naturally occurring substances makes them safer as drugs or medicines than their processed counterparts. A quantitative analytical scrutiny of that which nature has provided reveals the presence of numerous natural toxins:
Ricin, an extremely toxic lectin found in legumes and fatal to humans, was used as an insecticide at one time. Fortunately, heat destroys the toxicity of lectins.
Chick peas and vetch contain lathyrogens which can potentially cause a crippling paralysis of the lower limbs and may result in death.
Protease inhibitors are widely distributed throughout the plant kingdom, particularly in the Leguminosae and, to a lesser extent, in cereal grains and tubers.
Potatoes contain numerous natural poisons, including solanine, a narcotic-like substance. Solanine is known to cause neurologic and/or gastrointestinal problems. Solanine can build up to toxic levels when potatoes are exposed to sunlight during storage.
Cassava, lima beans, and the seeds of some fruits–apricots and peaches for example, are members of a group called cyanogens, precursors to the deadly poison cyanide. As a point of interest, laetrile is a cyanogen that was mistakenly represented as a cancer cure. While laetrile was effective in killing the cancer cells, it did so only at a concentration lethal to patient.
Broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, mustard greens, radishes, and turnips all contain small amounts of goitrogens (glucosinolates), that can enlarge the thryroid gland and aggravate thyroid problems. Goitrogens are estimated to contribute approximately 4% to the worldwide incidence of goiters in humans.
The most potent natural toxins responsible for human health risks are the mycotoxins. These are toxic metabolites produced by fungi infesting foodstuffs, especially cereals and nuts. Mycotoxins are known to have caused ergotism “St. Anthony’s Fire,”
To avoid poisoning, eat all foods in moderation, choose a variety of foods, and avoid fad diets that advocate single food consumption concept.
Toxicity Through Concentration
Any substance in food may have a degree of toxicity whether naturally occurring or deliberately added. The problem with eating a food concentrate is that it maximizes the amount of a particular hazardous substance. Once again we are faced with the “more is better” mentality. Can an extract from food be more healthful than the food itself? Let us consider fruit juice. A glass of orange juice contains about one tenth as much fiber as an orange and twice the calories. The effects of the juice on the human body are as straight forward as physiology 101.
Fruit juices drive blood sugar levels too high. The rise in sugar calls out extra insulin, which in turns stimulates the appetite. This mechanism is especially bad news for diabetics and for people trying to lose weight. Juice is good food, but it isn’t medicine, and certainly is not better than the whole fruit. Ounce for ounce, orange juice has about as much vitamin C as an orange. The fruit itself contains more of some nutrients, and especially more fiber and photochemical.
The Omega-3 Craze
Derived from eating fish, omega-3s may reduce blood clotting, reduce triglycerides, and make the heart less susceptible rhythm abnormalities. In addition, research has demonstrated that fish oil may help relieve inflammatory symptoms of auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis.
Fish oil capsules however, come with potential adverse effects, including an excessive reduction in the ability of blood to clot, increasing the risk of hemorrhagic stroke. The capsule form may also raise cholesterol levels in some individuals. Further more, as pesticide resides concentrate in animal’s fat, fish oil capsules serve as a potential source of concentrated pesticides.
Vitamin Toxicity
Vitamins are categorized as fat-soluble and water soluble. The fat soluble vitamins—A, D, E, and K—generally occur together in the fats and oils of foods. These vitamins are stored in the liver and fatty tissues until the body needs them. It is the capacity to be stored that allows for a potential toxic buildup of fat-soluble vitamins. 25,000 IU daily of vitamin A may cause liver damage or lead to anemia and gout – a form arthritis. The best way to ensure a safe vitamin A intake is to steer clear of supplements and instead to eat foods to obtain it.
Vitamin D is the most potentially toxic of all vitamins. People who take supplements containing vitamin D may easily overdose, not aware that their tissues are building up stockpiles of the vitamin. Overdose of D leads t loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and serious disorders involving the calcium content of the blood and the distribution of the calcium ion throughout the body.
Cases of vitamin E toxicity are rare, and high doses taken over a short period seem to have no adverse effects. People that take anticoagulant medication risk uncontrollable bleeding when they take large doses of vitamin E.
Vitamin K toxicity can result when supplements of a synthetic version of vitamin K are given, especially to infants or pregnant women. Toxicity induces breakage of the red blood cells and release of their pigment which colors the skin yellow. Vitamin K toxicity also causes brain damage. Because the vitamin K contained in supplements can easily reach toxic levels, it is available as a single vitamin only by prescription.
The water-soluble vitamins–B vitamins and vitamin C– are easily absorbed by the body and just as easily excreted in the urine. Foods never deliver toxic doses of the water-soluble vitamins, but the large doses concentrated in some vitamin supplements can reach toxic levels. Women who exceeded 2 grams of vitamin B6 daily (a touted cure for the symptoms of PMS), were reported to have experienced numb feet, accompanied by lost sensation in their hands, and an inability to work.
Since the first report of vitamin B6 toxicity, researchers have seen toxicity symptoms in more than 100 women who took vitamin B6 for more than five years. The potential toxicity of vitamin B6 is yet another reason why people should not self diagnose and self-prescribe vitamins for their own illnesses.
Among his contributions to science, Linus Pauling, is credited for research on the beneficial effects of vitamin C. Since Dr. Pauling first published his book claiming that large doses of vitamin C will prevent or cure colds, many studies have been conducted that have refuted this claim. Currently there is no objective scientific study that supports the notion that a cold can be prevented or cured by taking this vitamin. Large doses taken during a cold however may ease some of the symptoms because vitamin C serves as a mild antihistamine.
Toxic levels of vitamin C can produce diarrhea, cause nutritional imbalances, deprive tissues of oxygen, interfere with the action of vitamin E, and may produce kidney stones. Vitamin C supplementation at any dosage is dangerous for people with an overload of iron in the blood. Vitamin C increases iron absorption from the intestine and releases iron from storage.
Medicinal Herbs
At least 25% of the medicines prescribed by physicians in this country today are based on active ingredients in plants. It is the recognition of the life giving properties of botanicals that has had such a strong influence on the environmental initiative for rain forest preservation. To reiterate an earlier statement, a herbal or botanical product that contains useful constituents is likely to have some harmful ones as well. A few of the more noteworthy for their toxicity are as follows:
Belladonna
Any part of the deadly nightshade plant; a fatal poison.
Chaparral
This herbal product is made from ground leaves of the creosol bush. It has been found to cause acute toxic hepatitis.
Comfrey
Contains cancer-causing chemicals
Echinacea
Has not been proven effective in preventing disease and is not recommended for long-term use, since the practice may actually depress the immune system.
Ginkgo biloba
An extract of a tree of the same name, claimed to enhance mental alertness, but not proved to be effective or safe.
Ginseng
A plant containing chemicals that have stimulant drug effects. Ginseng abuse syndrome is a group of symptoms associated with the overuse of ginseng, including high blood pressure, insomnia, nervousness, confusion, and depression.
Hemlock
Any part of the hemlock plant, which causes severe pain, convulsions, and death within 15 minutes.
Horse chestnut leaf
Has been associated once with hepatitis.
Kombucha
Proclaimed as a treatment for everything from AIDS to cancer but lacking scientific evidence and FDA approval. Also known as Manchurian tea, mushroom tea, or Kargasok tea.
Sassafras
Root bark from the sassafras tree, once used in beverages but now banned as an ingredient in foods or beverages because it contains cancer-causing chemicals.
Sweet clover
Source of coumarin.
Blue-Green Algae
Spirulina, a blue-green algae is said to be a rich source of protein and vitamins, effective at treating such conditions as obesity, alcoholism, herpes, diabetes, arthritis and cancer. While the plant does contain 65 to 70% protein, white fish is a less expensive alternative at 97% protein. Chicken and beef come in at 75 to 80% protein.
Numerous investigations into the nutrient value of spirulina show that the high vitamin B12 content is attributed to contamination with insect or animal fecal matter. These results are not unexpected as spirulina is extracted from open lakes and ponds with little washing prior to being dried. In addition, some strains of spirulina have toxins that can cause nausea, diarrhea and throat infections.
Cancer Fraud
Unsound products for prevention and cure of cancer comprise a large segment of today’s medical fraud. When people hear of exciting research reports that hint at cancer prevention, they want to apply the findings right away. One very popular supplement marketing ploy involves the claim that the medical establishment has suppressed information on their particular medicinal concoction. The strong desire for control over cancer makes consumers vulnerable to those who would victimize them for profit. Just a few of the more blatantly fraudulently promoted products include beta-carotene, phytochemcials, kombucha, laetrile and vitamin megadose.
* Beta-carotene. While research has established a correlation between between diets rich in beta-carotene and a reduced cancer risk, an exact mechanism by which beta-carotene might prevent cancer has not been established. Though there is no conclusive evidence that beta-carotene has any effect on cancer, the supplements are still being sold as anticancer agents.
* Phytochemicals. As a relatively new isolate, phytochemical interactions with body systems are not fully understood. Some appear to act as weak carcinogens. Others mimic steroid hormones.
* Kombucha. Promoted as a cancer preventer, arthritis reliever, and baldness cure, this tea is derived from yeast and bacteria. A report in a recent medical journal told of two women who drank an extra strong brew and had to be rushed to the emergency room with a life threatening acid condition of the blood. One woman died, the other woman was resuscitated following cardiac arrest. The Center for Disease Control has asked physicians to be on the lookout for serious side effects in their patients who make and drink kombucha.
* Laetile. Laetrile is registered with the U.S. Patent Office for the treatment of “disorders of intestinal fermentation.” This compound is chemically related to amygdalin, a substance found naturally in the pits of apricots and various other fruits. Since fruit seeds are natural sources of cyanogens, good number of patients treated with laetrile developed signs of cyanide toxicity. The Laetrile following started with a pharmacist-physician who developed one concoction after another for the treatment of serious diseases, especially cancer. It continued with his son, a self-imagined scientist, who spent many years in college but failed to earn any graduate degree. A man who earned his fortune from gun-running and a catholic newspaper columnist promoted it as a persecuted drug that cured cancer. After it was dubbed “vitamin B-17,” an army of health food devotees promoted Laetril, along with vitamins and diet, as nature’s answer to cancer.
* Vitamins. There is not a single responsible study demonstrating that large doses of any vitamin or mineral have ever prevented cancer in a human. The American Cancer Society recommends that the diet include in its variety some foods rich in Vitamins A and C, but it specifically does not advocate supplements, let alone megadoses.
As long as there remain crippling and fatal diseases, there will undoubtedly be individuals eager to offer “alternatives” to scientific treatment and large numbers of desperate individuals willing to purchase them.
How To Tell The Facts From The Myths
You know your being scammed when you see…
1) Anecdotes and testimonials to support claims. Assuming the testimonial has any authenticity, how can anyone tell if a cure or remission is specifically due to cause and effect, or if it is due the placebo effect, coincidence, or spontaneous improvement.
2) Illegitimate credentials and degrees, or credentials outside their professed area of expertise. The late Carlton Fredericsk had a Ph.D. and was referred to as Dr. Fredericks in his radio nutrition shows. His Ph.D. however was not in a health science but in the field of radio communications.
3) Natural vitamins are preferable to synthetic ones. The human body does not distinguish between the so-called natural vitamins and the their synthetic counterpart. In either case the chemical composition is the same. To reiterate an opening statement, and without going into laborious data, the synthetic vitamin is more likely to be manufactured under stricter quality control, and hence offers a more consistent product.
4)The persecution complex. A great many supplement and/or methodology promotion will incorporate a statement about a greedy, closed medical establishment that shuns his or her products from fear of competition.
5) The false contention that most diseases and symptoms are due to a faulty diet and can be treated with proper nutrition. No amount of any kind of nutritional supplementation can change a genetic predisposition to develop disease. No amount of supplementation can reverse the role of excessive intense, intermittent sun exposure resulting in melanoma. Aside from deficiency diseases such as ricketts, beri beri, or scurvy, there is little legitimate evidence that most diseases and symptoms have any significant relation to diet.
6) Food processing or storage is claimed to destroy foods’ nutritional quality. It is erroneous to make such an all encompassing statement concerning processed foods. Milk is processed to the extent that it is pasteurized. Foods processed with vitamins C and E preserve food quality by preventing oxidation.
7) Fructose is preferable to other forms of sugar. The delusion that fructose is an acceptable form of sugar is quite prevalent in many nutritional circles. Nearly all simple sugars are metabolized quickly and disrupt insulin levels which contributes to most chronic illness. Do not be mislead. Avoid fructose just like you would table sugar as they both cause similar problems. Do not be fooled by products that claim to contain “all natural” sweeteners. Added ingredients like brown sugar, raw sugar, fruit sugar, honey or maple syrup are treated no differently from table sugar once they enter the bloodstream.
Practitioners who use computerized questionnaires to diagnose nutritional deficiencies. Nutritional deficiencies are diagnosed by appropriate medical tests and examination, not by computers. Any computer used for this purpose is likely to be programmed to recommend supplements for virtually everyone.
9) Outrageous claims are couched in pseuscientific terms or jargon. Some examples from actual magazine ads:
- Subjects who used _________experienced an extraordinary 3860% greater total fat loss than subject who used a placebo.
- ______ is better than any ephedrine based fat burner with its precise combination of pharmaceutical pure 1R,2S Norephedrine HCI, Yohimbine HCI, and Caffeine. The incredibly potent 1F, 2S Norephedrine HCI has been shown in vertebrate studies to be the most thermogenic ephedrine type alkaloid. In one study, only amphetamine itself was more potent!
- A new breakthrough scientific discovery has uncovered the unique substrate activity that controls the key “genetic-marker” shown to regulate muscle growth and fat loss. Now think of the possibilities in new muscle growth. Imagine being able to supply your body with the very substrates that trigger muscle growth, fat loss, and even immune system enhancement. Pseudoscience provides easy answers, dodges skeptical scrutiny making us victims of credulity. Practitioners of pseudoscience purport to use scientific methodology, while in fact they are faithless to its nature.
Tze Khit
