Traditional Naturopath

“Eating pomegranates or drinking pomegranate juice may help prevent and slow the growth of some types of breast cancer. A new study shows a group of phytochemicals called ellagitannins found in abundance in pomegranates inhibited the growth of estrogen-responsive breast cancer in laboratory tests. ‘Phytochemicals suppress estrogen production that prevents the proliferation of breast cancer cells and the growth of estrogen-responsive tumors,’ researcher Shiuan Chen, PhD, director of the Division of Tumor Cell Biology and co-leader of the Breast Cancer Research Program at City of Hope in Duarte, Calif., says in a news release. Researchers say the ellagitannins in pomegranates work by inhibiting aromatase, which is a key enzyme used by the body to make estrogen and plays a key role in breast cancer growth. ‘We were surprised by our findings,’ Chen says. ‘We previously found other fruits, such as grapes, to be capable of the inhibition of aromatase. But phytochemicals in pomegranates and in grapes are different.’ Researchers say pomegranates have recently been hailed for their potential anti-cancer and heart healthy benefits thanks to their high antioxidant content. But they say this is the first study to look at their effects on aromatase and breast cancer growth. In the study, published in Cancer Prevention Research, researchers examined the impact of 10 ellagitannin-derived compounds from pomegranates on aromatase activity and breast cancer cell growth in laboratory tests. The results showed that of those 10 compounds, urolithin B most significantly inhibited breast cancer cell growth.”

Pomegranates May Fight Breast Cancer

Don’t you love the fact that natural photochemicals in fruit are this effective and powerful? This is why I love natural research and finding the benefits of good, wholesome foods!

I earned an N* degree a few years back. But, pending legislation under consideration in North Carolina may make my degree illegal. If the bill under consideration passes, I will be unable to use the degree in Naturopathy, as it will be illegal to use the 14th letter and the 4th letter of the alphabet together, one after the other. Welcome to health freedom according to North Carolina! If you want to stop this craziness, please consider contacting your representative and ask them to vote AGAINST licensure for Naturopaths!

Find out more at this link: Classical Naturopathy!

Technorati Tags: North Carolina, Naturopathy

From the NC-CHF:

The Consumer Health Freedom Act, HB 842 will allow alternative health professionals the freedom to advertise and practice their occupation legally. It will give consumers the freedom to choose the alternative services and practitioners they prefer.

It is estimated that more than half of Americans use alternative products, many self-prescribed and often without guidance from skilled health professionals. This bill will open the door to alternative health care services provided by trained practitioners — services currently not offered by most medical doctors. Many experts believe broad access to alternative treatments will substantially reduce health care costs while improving the health of the population. Studies show that consumers pay for these services out of pocket.

Alternative treatments have been provided safely for centuries without substantial risk of harm to the public. Legalizing them formally will assure even safer and more professional provision of these services in our state. The bill requires that practitioners give consumers information about their education, professional training, and certification, and to refrain from certain acts and services, such as prescribing drugs or performing surgery, x-rays, etc.

North Carolinians seek out alternative products and services in increasing numbers. However currently very few alternative practitioners dare to practice openly in North Carolina because, under current law, they could be charged with “practicing medicine without a license” and risk criminal penalties. This is because the North Carolina medical licensing law has a very broad definition of what constitutes “the practice of medicine.”

The North Carolina medical practice act currently restricts to licensed physicians: “to prevent or diagnose, correct, prescribe for, administer to, or treat in any manner or by any means, methods, or devices any disease, illness, pain, wound, fracture, infirmity, defect, or abnormal physical or mental condition of any individual.” This excludes alternative professionals not licensed as medical doctors or other medical specialties.

It is easy to understand how existing law excludes alternative treatments in favor of conventional medicine. Most medical doctors do not offer homeopathy, naturopathy, herbal treatments, nutritional therapies or other natural, traditional and innovative therapies. The Consumer Health Freedom Act will make these services more widely available.

Eight other states already have health freedom laws — Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Rhode Island — and at least twenty-two other states have introduced similar bills. What can you do to help make North Carolina the ninth health freedom state?

Technorati Tags: The Consumer Health Freedom Act, HB 842, alternative health, homeopathy, naturopathy, herbal treatments, nutritional therapies

The most important thing right now is to get the word out to everyone that you know – your whole personal e-mail list – that the NC Health Freedom Bill, sponsored by the NC-Citizens for Healthcare Freedom, will be heard this Tuesday, April 21st!

For more info, check out this web site: NC HEALTH FREEDOM NOW!

You need to contact YOUR legislators and representatives and tell them that you support personal health freedom of choice… and the use and availability of natural health modalities.

Share personal stories with them by way of e-mail and phone calls of the successes that you have had with natural health modalities.

YOU are the key to making this happen! YOU have the power to reach others and convince representatives of the benefits of natural health practices and our personal freedom to use these modalities in our lives, and our family’s lives.

Don’t let the Medical Establishment deny us our right to choose what form of health practice we can use on our own bodies!

You can also sign CHF’s Electronic Petition and encourage others to do so, as well!

Contact CHF for more ideas at:

Citizens for Healthcare Freedom
P.O. Box 12893
Raleigh, NC 27605

REMEMBER: IT’S ALL UP TO YOU! PLEASE HELP US REACH ANY, AND EVERYONE, THAT BELIEVES IN HEALTH FREEDOM IN NORTH CAROLINA!

“New Rochelle, NY, March 9, 2009 – Chemicals present in cranberries—and not the acidity of cranberry juice, as previously thought—prevent infection-causing bacteria from attaching to the cells that line the urinary tract, as documented in a report published in Journal of Medicinal Food, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (www.liebertpub.com).”

New Research Reveals How Cranberry Products Prevent Urinary Tract Infections

“Urinary tract infections (UTIs) burden the healthcare system with more than $2 billion in treatment costs each year and are a common problem in patients with a urinary catheter in place. Adhesion of E. coli bacteria to cells lining the urinary tract is the first step in the development of a UTI. Chemicals found in cranberry products called proanthocyanidins (PACs) prevent E. coli, which is the cause of about 85% of UTIs and 90% of cases of acute pyelonephritis, from adhering to these urinary tract epithelial cells by affecting the surface properties of the bacteria.

Paola Pinzón-Arango, Yatao Liu, and Terri Camesano, from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, in Massachusetts, exposed E. coli grown in culture to either light cranberry juice cocktail or cranberry PACs and measured the adhesion forces between the bacteria and a silicon surface using atomic force microscopy. They demonstrated that the longer the bacteria were exposed to either the cranberry juice or the PACS the greater the decrease in bacterial attachment. In the article entitled, ‘Role of Cranberry on Bacterial Adhesion Forces and Implications for Escherichia coli -Uroepithelial Cell Attachment,’ the authors also concluded that this effect was reversible, and that bacteria regrown in an environment without cranberry juice or PACS regained the ability to attach to the model surface.

‘Cranberries, one of only three species of fruits native to North America, has a long history of medicinal food use. Native Americans used the fruit for the treatment of bladder and kidney ailments hundreds of years ago. The article by Camesano and co-workers is a milestone in the understanding of its mechanism of action,’ says Sheldon S. Hendler, PhD, MD, Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal, and Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Diego.

Journal of Medicinal Food is an authoritative, peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary journal published bimonthly in print and online. This scientific journal for leaders of the nutraceutical and functional foods revolution publishes original scientific research on the bioactive substances of functional and medicinal foods, nutraceuticals, herbal substances, and other natural products. The Journal explores the chemistry and biochemistry of these substances, as well as the methods for their extraction and analysis, the use of biomarkers and other methods to assay their biological roles, and the development of bioactive substances for commercial use.”

Technorati Tags: cranberries, cranberry juice, Journal of Medicinal Food, Urinary tract infections, UTIs, Paola Pinzón-Arango, Yatao Liu, Terri Camesano, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Sheldon S. Hendler, PhD, MD, University of California, San Diego

Vitamin D has been found to be very important on many fronts… and, indeed, there is an almost universal deficiency of this vitamin because people have been told to stay out of the sun. Since exposure to sunlight causes the skin to produce Vitamin D, this has become a big health issue. Now, a study has shown yet another benefit from Vitamin D… mental health acuity!

Vitamin D ‘is mental health aid’

“Vitamin D, found in fish and produced by sun exposure, can help stave off the mental decline that can affect people in old age, a study has suggested. UK and US researchers looked at 2,000 people aged 65 and over. They found that compared to those with the highest vitamin D levels, those with the lowest were more than twice as likely to have impaired understanding. Alzheimer’s charities said the research was interesting, but more work was needed to understand vitamin D’s role. Vitamin D is important in maintaining bone health, in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, and in helping the immune system. The body makes vitamin D when it is exposed to the sun, or it can be obtained from foods such as oily fish, and those fortified with vitamin D, such as milk, cereals, and soya drinks. But older people’s skin is less able to absorb vitamin D from sunlight so they are more reliant on obtaining it from other sources.”

If you are considering supplementing Vitamin D, be sure that you get the form that your body can readily use, which is called “D3,” or cholecalciferol. A lot of synthetic Vitamin D supplements contain D2. Be careful to get the right kind!

Technorati Tags: Vitamin D, mental health, D3, cholecalciferol

Those with male pattern baldness may increase hair growth by taking a preparation containing saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) and beta-sitosterol (a compound found in many edible plants), according to a new study in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (2002;8:143–52).

Here’s a LINK to a good article on this research into Saw Palmetto.

Here are some beneficial herbs that are said to benefit hair growth:

Ginkyo biloba – this popular herb is thought to improve blood circulation to the brain and skin. Herbalists believe that the increased flow of blood to the brain area delivers more nutrients to the hair follicle thus promoting hair re-growth. The recommended dose is 120-160mg of dry extract each day spread over three doses.

Green tea (Camellia sinesis) – it is thought that catechins found in green tea may inhibit the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase that converts testosterone into hair-unfriendly DHT. It is therefore believed to be effective in preventing and treating male pattern type baldness. You should drink several cups of green tea each day or take it in capsule form as instructed by the manufacturer.

He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum) – also known as Fo-Ti, this Chinese herb has traditionally been used to reduce hair loss. It is found in many commercial preparations, or in tea and capsule form.

Pygeum (Pygeum africanum) – derived from the bark of an evergreen, it works in a similar way to green tea. It is widely used to treat prostate problems and male pattern baldness. Users should take 60-500mg per day in pill or capsule form.

Saw palmetto (Seranoa repens) – this is the current treatment of choice for many men due to its ability to protect the prostate, slow hair loss and encourage hair re-growth. It forms the core element of many commercially prepared hair loss treatments but can easily be obtained in its pure form. The recommended dose is a 160mg capsule twice each day, but make sure the ingredients are made from the berry extract not the dried berries themselves.

Stinging Nettle (Urtica diocia) – this has long been favored as a means of preventing hair loss due to its ability to block the conversion of testosterone into DHT. It can be taken in pill or capsule form with an optimum dose of 50-100mg per day. It is particularly effective when combined with pygeum and saw palmetto.

And, in his book, “The Green Pharmacy,” James A. Duke, Ph.D., a leading authority on healing herbs, lists several other herbs that might help prevent hair loss:

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), which also prevents conversion of testosterone to DHT. Dr. Duke suggests adding licorice to your shampoo.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), which may encourage hair growth by stimulating circulation when mixed with an oil and rubbed into the scalp. Dr. Duke noted that naturopaths often suggest nightly scalp massage with one part rosemary oil and two parts almond oil.

Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) and sage (Salvia officinalis), which Dr. Duke says have the reputation of preventing hair loss and retaining hair color. He suggests adding a few teaspoons of sage tincture to your shampoo.

Technorati Tags: male pattern baldness, hair growth, saw palmetto, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Ginkyo biloba, Green tea, He Shou Wu, Pygeum, Stinging Nettle, James A. Duke, Ph.D., Licorice, Rosemary, Danshen, sage

Again we see that the “unintended consequences” of drugs designed to fight one problem, can cause other problems! The drugs in question here lower the operation of the natural immune system (a bad idea on it’s face, it seems to me!) That leaves one open to various types of infections.

Arthritis Drugs Cause Fatal Fungal Infections

“The U.S. FDA has ordered stronger warnings on four medications widely used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, saying they can raise the risk of possibly fatal fungal infections. Enbrel, Remicade, Humira and Cimzia work by suppressing the immune system to keep it from attacking your body. For people with rheumatoid arthritis, the treatment provides relief from swollen and painful joints. But the drugs also lower your body’s defenses against various kinds of infections. The FDA became concerned after discovering that doctors seemed to be overlooking a particular kind of fungal infection called histoplasmosis. The infection is prevalent in much of the middle part of the country, and it can have grave consequences if it isn’t caught early and spreads beyond the respiratory system to other organs of your body. Of 240 cases reported to the FDA in which patients taking one of the four drugs developed this infection, a total of 45 (or about 20 percent) died.”

Again, I see the need for watching these types of medications closely, and looking for safe, natural alternatives!

Technorati Tags: drugs, immune system, infections, FDA, rheumatoid arthritis, fungal infections, Enbrel, Remicade, Humira, Cimzia, histoplasmosis, respiratory system, medications, natural alternatives

I love reports of research that confirms that natural supplements are as effective as drugs, with no side effects. Why? Because herbs are food! They are natural and gentle to the system.

Olive Leaf Extract Lowers Blood Pressure

“The leaves of the olive tree have been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times, and research has suggested that olive leaf extracts have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Now it also appears that a supplement containing olive leaf extract could help lower blood pressure and cholesterol. A study looked at 20 sets of identical twins with ‘borderline’ hypertension — blood pressure that is above the optimal level of 120/80, but below the cutoff of 140/90 used to diagnose high blood pressure. One member of each twin pair was given tablets containing olive leaf extract, while the other received no supplements but did get lifestyle advice on lowering blood pressure. After eight weeks, supplement users taking 1,000 mg of olive leaf extract per day showed a substantial dip in their blood pressure overall, and lowered levels of LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol. The twins who received no supplements showed no significant change in their blood pressure and a smaller improvement in cholesterol. The medicinal use of the leaves from the olive tree (Olea europaea) dates back thousands of years. In fact, it’s the first botanical healing herb cited in the Bible (Ezekiel 47:12): ‘The fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.’ There’s also recorded evidence that the ancient Egyptian and Mediterranean cultures used the leaves to treat a variety of health conditions.”

God Himself recommends the “leaf thereof for medicine!” I can’t think of a higher recommendation! Olive Leaf extract is also said to have anti-viral and anti-fungal properties and can be beneficial in stopping colds and flu from developing by taking Olive leaf when the first symptoms begin to appear.

Technorati Tags: natural supplements, drugs, side effects, herbs, olive leaf extract, hypertension