Month: March 2006

According to Dr. Mercola’s recent blog entry, diabetics need more Vitamin D. With Spring coming soon… get some fresh air and sunshine! Sunlight is the best natural source of Vitamin D.

Diabetics Need Vitamin D

“Italian researchers compared blood samples from more than 450 patients with type 2 diabetes against a similar number of healthy folks. Nearly a third more diabetics were found to be lacking in the right amount of vitamin D versus the controls. Type 2 diabetes was more prevalent among women who were taking insulin and useless statin drugs and controlled their condition poorly.”

Capsaicin, the compound that gives red pepper its heat, could stop the spread of prostate cancer, claims a new study.

Red Pepper and Prostate Cancer

“Red chilli pepper has previously been linked to inhibiting the growth of pancreatic cancer cells, and has been suggested to cut fat and energy intake when added to the diet. ‘We show that capsaicin has a profound inhibiting effect on the growth of prostate cancer cells in vitro and in vivo , inducing apoptosis [programmed cell death] of prostate cancer cell lines,’ wrote lead author Akio Mori from the University of California, Los Angeles. The new study, published in the journal of Cancer Research (Vol. 66, pp. 3222-3229), showed that the protein NF-kappaB, shown to be active in hormone-independent prostate cancer cells in vitro, was significantly inhibited by the capsaicin.”

I love it when natural, herbal treatments are shown to be so effective in fighting such conditions!

Studies in mice suggest the popular herbal remedy Gingko biloba might help fight human brain and breast tumors. Mice treated with an extract of Gingko biloba leaves both before and after being implanted with human breast or brain tumors had decreased expression of a cell receptor — peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) — associated with invasive cancer, say researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center, in Washington, D.C.

Gingko Biloba May Help Fight Cancer

“It is very encouraging that Gingko biloba appeared to reduce the aggressiveness of these cancers, because it suggests that the leaves could be useful in some early-stage diseases to prevent them from becoming invasive, or spreading,” study senior author Vassilios Papadopoulos, director of the Biomedical Graduate Research Organization and associate vice president of Georgetown University Medical Center, said in a prepared statement.

Natural Health advocates having been saying for years that depletion of nutrients in the soil is leading to fruits and vegetables that have less nutritional value. Now, this is coming out in the general press:

Fruits & Veggies Losing Their Nutritional Value

Organic and natural farming techniques can restore the nutritional value to our foods, but it is more expensive. However, our health is worth it!