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Alternative Medicine in the News
January 2009 edition 6
published bi-weekly
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Greetings!
We at Abha Light wish you the best for 2009.
We hope you are enjoying this mini-ezine. You can help us improve this effort by taking the online-survey (see below).
You can also help by contributing once in a while an informative article or your experiences. Let's hear from you!
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Zinc & immune restoration
Deficiency & signs
Ray Collins from The Good Life Letter
http://www.goodlifeletter.co.uk
After the chaos of Christmas and New Year, you'd be forgiven
for having a few of the following problems...
Bad hair, spots, poor sleep, dodgy bowels, and loss of
appetite.
But if you have all of these, besides a host of other
seemingly small health niggles, then you may have a deficiency that needs
addressing.
Why your eyes, heart and immune system NEED this...
Zinc
Zinc is vital for general good health as you get older. It
keeps your eyes healthy and helps prevent age-related loss of vision. Zinc
helps prevent abnormal blood clots that can lead to heart attacks.
It also super-charges your immune system and has been linked
to pneumonia prevention. In short, it's important stuff.
But what many people don't know is that zinc deficiency is a
very common problem in people over the age of 55.
You'll see that a lot of the symptoms I'm about to list are
also common symptoms of old age. So don't
suddenly panic about this if you recognise a few of them. I'm well under 55 and
I've suffered some of these myself!
What I want you to think about is how many of these could be
preventable if you only had some extra zinc in your diet. It's definitely worth
thinking about in these winter months. That essential immune boost could be
just what you need.
How to spot a zinc deficiency
Signs include:
-
hair loss
- tight papery skin
- stretch marks
- psoriasis
- inflamed gums
- spots
- boils
- white marks on your fingernails
And there's more...
When you have low amounts of zinc, it takes longer to heal
from wounds and infections... you get reduced appetite... stomach aches......
your allergic reactions will be stronger than normal... and you may become
depressed or anaemic.
So why do people get this deficiency? and What foods are you missing out on?
Well, zinc is abundant in meat, poultry, dairy products,
whole grains and nuts. Like me, you probably eat plenty of these. Or at least
plenty of SOME of these types of food.
Problem solved right?
Unfortunately, it's not the food that's the problem. It's
your body's ability to extract the right levels of zinc from that food. We only
absorb around 30% of the zinc we consume. And when we absorb even less than
that.... usually because we're getting older and our bodies are less
efficient... those niggling health problems can begin.
3 ways to boost your zinc levels
First, if you're worried about this, please to talk to a
medical professional and check whether there's not a serious underlying medical
problem. Just to make sure.
Next, you can help your body absorb more zinc by taking
supplements of vitamins A, E and B6, and also magnesium, phosphorus and
calcium.
Or even better, to counteract your body's inability to
absorb enough zinc.... dramatically increase your intake of zinc-rich foods. The top zinc-booster is.... oysters, by a long shot.
These little bivalves (well, I suppose this depends
on your taste buds and predilection for salty, slimy seafood) are packed with
zinc. They boast an average of 100 mg per gram of oyster.
To put that into context, the recommended daily intake of
zinc is 45 mg.
Oysters are also packed with vitamins D, A, and B-12, as
well as EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids. All of which will further help get
your immune system up to speed.
Obviously, the fresher and less cooked the oysters, the
better they are for you. Ideally you want to eat them raw from the half shell.
However, if you're a land-locked vegetarian or seafood-hater,
then the next food to try would be cabbage.
There's nowhere near as much zinc in a cabbage, but if you
combine this with sensible portions of red meat, chicken, ginger, peas, fish,
beans, nuts and wholegrain bread in moderation.... you can gradually improve
your zinc levels.
Other ways to get more zinc
Here's a good little tip - pumpkin seeds make an especially
effective zinc-boosting snack. They're rich in the stuff. So a handful a day
will do you the world of good.
But if you're struggling with this, you could also try
zinc supplements.
But please beware, nutritionists advise that you don't go
overboard with zinc. This goes for all vitamin supplements, really. Too much of
anything is bad for you. But for men, this is especially important.
Men shouldn't consume more than 100 mg of zinc per day. Fine
for the occasional oyster binge. But certainly not every day over long
stretches of time.
Some studies suggest this could increase the risk of
prostate cancer.
In summary then...
If you're feeling like your immune system is not as fit as
it could be this winter, please consider the zinc factor. Imagine
if this one little problem was causing all those niggling health problems. And
think of how good it would be to see the back of them.
Yours, as ever,
Ray Collins
The Good Life Letter
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Moderate Alcohol Consumption Shrinks Brain
Maryann Marshall (NaturalNews)
We have been told that moderate use of alcohol is good for the heart. However, reports from the Framingham Study show that moderate to heavy alcohol use is associated with damage to brain tissue. Such damage to the brain may lead to higher risk of stroke or dementia.
The Framingham Study began in 1948 to follow the residents of Framingham, Massachusetts and their offspring. The study is now following a third generation of participants. The goal of the study is to follow people over a long period of time, documenting their state of cardiovascular disease.
At the beginning of the study, subjects have no evidence of heart disease. The subjects are put through a series of tests every two years. Over time, medical records are analyzed to determine risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Much of the information published about risk factors for heart disease and stroke comes from this study.
The American Academy of Neurology presented evidence in 2007 from Wellesley College, Massachusetts. Carol Ann Paul M.S. and her associates reported that even moderate amounts of alcohol are associated with brain atrophy and possibly an increased risk of dementia or stroke.
Researchers performed MRI scans on 1,839 people aged 34 to 88 to compare the volume of brain tissue to their cranial size. Subjects were classified as non-drinkers, former drinkers, low drinkers (1 to 7 drinks per week), moderate drinkers (8 to 14 drinks per week), or high drinkers (more than 14 drinks per week). Brain shrinkage numbers increased by .25 percent as amount and frequency of drinking increased. People who consumed more than 14 drinks per week had brains which averaged 1.6 percent smaller than those who did not drink alcohol. For women, especially those in their 70's, the change was more dramatic than for men. Researchers speculated that the differences may be associated with the smaller body mass of women. In addition, those who had a longer history of heavy alcohol consumption also had more brain atrophy. The team noted that men were more likely to become heavy drinkers than women.
The same group reported again in 2008 in the Journal of the American Medical Association: "The public health effect of this study gives a clear message about the possible dangers of drinking alcohol," the authors write. "... This study suggests that, unlike the associations with cardiovascular disease, alcohol consumption does not have any protective effect on brain volume." They suggest further, longer term studies to determine the full impact of these findings.
In general, brain volume decreases with age at an estimated rate of 1.9 percent every ten years. At the same time white matter lesions replace grey matter. Lower brain mass and white lesions are associated with problems in movement, thinking, learning, and memory.
A 2006 study from the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam observed that people who developed dementia decreased in brain volume between 5 and 17 percent during the eight year study. Those who were diagnosed with Alzheimer's had a decrease up to 40 percent. People with atrophy in parts of the brain known as the amygdala and hippocampus had the highest risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease.
The accelerated loss of grey matter under the influence of alcohol is worth considering before you down that second (or third) serving of spirits.
Resources
JAMA and Archives Journals (2008, October 14). Drinking Alcohol Associated With Smaller Brain Volume. ScienceDaily.
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School Of Public Health (2003, December 5). Moderate Alcohol Consumption Linked To Brain Shrinkage. ScienceDaily.
American Academy of Neurology (2007, May 3). Drinking Heavy Amounts Of Alcohol Shrinks Your Brain. ScienceDaily.
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Osteoporosis Drugs Cause Dental Disaster: Loose Teeth and Exposed Jaw Bones
Mike Adams
Want to watch your teeth fall out and have your jaw bone exposed inside your mouth? Just take osteoporosis drugs! That's the conclusion of dentists who are seeing an alarming increase of patients experiencing severe dental problems following their use of prescription osteoporosis drugs called biphosphonates (such as Fosamax).
A new warning about biphosphonates has been published in the Journal of the American Dental Association. It was authored by Dr. Parish Sedghizadeh, an assistant professor of clinical dentistry at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry in Los Angeles. He reports that he's seeing up to four new cases of degraded dental health each week from patients who are taking biphosphonates.
But if osteoporosis drugs are supposed to be GOOD for your bones, how do they destroy your teeth and jaw bone? It's because osteoporosis drugs are a fraud to begin with, in my view. They've already been linked to abnormal bone fractures, heart conditions and a suppression of the ability of bones to heal (http://www.naturalnews.com/fosamax.html).
It's no coincidence that the drug is made by Merck, one of the most evil corporations operating on the planet today, in my opinion. It's on par with the criminally-inspired corporations like Monsanto and DuPont which, in my view, continue to commit crimes against humanity on a daily basis.
Healthy bones are easy to achieve with simple, natural remedies: Vitamin D, magnesium, vitamin K, trace minerals like strontium, and regular exercise combined with a more alkaline diet. There is absolutely no medical need for prescription drugs to treat osteoporosis. The condition has simple causes (drinking phosphoric acid in sodas and caffeine in coffee, for example) and simple cures.
But I suppose if you're getting ready to play the role of a zombie in a horror flick, and you need to be missing a few teeth, have your gum line recede and have your jaw bone exposed inside your mouth, biphosphonate drugs can help you achieve that visually shocking result without the need for any special effects at all!
Take your bone drugs, folks, and watch your teeth fall out like [rain].
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Use Hydrogen Peroxide to Heal and Stay Healthy
Jo Hartley Natural News
Hydrogen peroxide has helped many people fight off flu
and colds and when drops are placed in the ear it seems to be effective
four out of five times used. This is especially true if this is done
promptly upon onset of symptoms.
The belief is that colds and
flu viruses typically enter the body through the ear canal. This is
contrary to popular belief that viruses are usually caught through the
eyes, mouth, or nose. One way to greatly reduce the chance of becoming
ill with colds and flu is to keep fingers out of ears. Even when we are
mindful of this, these microscopic airborne germs often land in the
ears anyway. Once the germs enter the inner ear, they breed and then
have access to the entire body and can travel and make one sick.
But,
when Hydrogen Peroxide is placed in the ears as early as possible when
symptoms appear, within 12-24 hours healing results will usually become
apparent. The Hydrogen Peroxide starts working almost immediately to
kill the viruses. Bubbling will be noticed and there may even be some
mild stinging as well. It should not be described as painful, though.
After the bubbling subsides within a few minutes, drain one side and
repeat with the other side.
This is also safe to administer to
infants and children; however they may not like the bubbling and mild
stinging. Be careful not to get Hydrogen Peroxide in the eyes and if
this happens, flush immediately with water.
Hydrogen Peroxide
also can help loosen impacted wax from ears. Soak the impacted ears
with olive oil for several minutes first and then place the Hydrogen
Peroxide in the ear(s).
Other Uses For Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen
Peroxide has many other beneficial uses as well. Make a clean, safe
kitchen without exposing family members to harmful toxins by using a
simple disinfecting spray. This will create an effective spray that
will successfully kill bacteria and is also very cost effective.
Place
3% Hydrogen Peroxide (in the brown bottle) in a clean spray bottle and
place either plain white vinegar or apple cider vinegar in another
clean spray bottle.
These two sprays can be used to clean
residues off of fruits and vegetables. Either spray first with the
Hydrogen Peroxide and then the vinegar or the other way around. It does
not matter which is first and neither is more or less beneficial. There
will not be any lingering taste of either product and neither is toxic.
These
sprays of Hydrogen Peroxide and vinegar also clean and sanitize
counters very effectively. Any food preparation surface - including
wooden cutting boards - will be sanitized by using these sprays.
By
using these two products in sprays it is possible to virtually
eliminate all Salmonella, E. Coli bacteria, and Shigella on even
heavily contaminated foods and surfaces. This means that these sprays
when used together are more effective at neutralizing these harmful
bacteria than commercial cleaners and even chlorine bleach.
For
best results, use one spray immediately followed by the other. This
method is much more effective than using either spray alone and is also
more effective than when the two products are combined together in one
spray bottle.
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NF3 in Microchips May be the Missing Greenhouse Gas
David Gutierrez (NaturalNews)
A chemical widely used to manufacture microchips and
flat-screen monitors and televisions has 17,000 times the greenhouse
effect of carbon dioxide, but remains unregulated under domestic laws
or international treaties, a team of atmospheric chemists from the
University of California-Irvine has warned, in a paper published in the
journal Geophysical Research Letters.
The chemical in
question is known as nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), and researchers
Michael J. Prather and Juno Hsu have called it the "missing greenhouse
gas." Formerly used only in small quantities to make microchips,
NF3 has become a major product due to its use in the liquid crystal
displays of flat-screen televisions and computer monitors. Global
production is expected to reach 8,000 tons per year by 2010, which
could have a global warming effect equivalent to 130 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.
"With the surge in flat-panel displays, the market for NF3 has exploded," the researchers wrote.
NF3 was actually originally introduced into microchips in part to fight global warming. In 1997, when the international Kyoto Protocol
global warming treaty was drafted, microchips were still manufactured
using perfluorocarbons (PFCs). The Kyoto Protocol required reductions
in the six major greenhouse gases at the time: carbon dioxide, methane,
PFCs, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride.
Because NF3 was used in such small quantities, it was not deemed
necessary to include it in the treaty.
Semiconductor
manufacturers decided that NF3 would make a good substitute for PFCs,
even though NF3 has a much larger greenhouse effect. The rationale was
that while two-thirds of PFCs escape into the atmosphere during
manufacturing, studies showed that only 2 percent of NF3s escape during
the same process.
Prather has challenged these numbers, noting
that NF3 is "a slippery gas," capable of escaping not only during
manufacturing but also during transport, application or disposal.
"We
don't know if 1 percent is getting out or 20 percent is getting out,"
he said. "But once you let the genie out of the bottle, you can't get
it back in."
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New Berry-Based Natural Sweetener "Brazzein" to Hit the Market in 2009
Mike Adams (NaturalNews)
We've all heard about stevia, agave nectar, brown rice syrup and other natural sweeteners, but now a new sweetener derived from a West African berry has been successfully synthesized in a form compatible with mass production, and the company Natur Research Ingredients expects to make it commercially available between late 2008 and mid-2009.
The sweetener brazzein, to be marketed under the brand name Cweet, is a protein derived from the berry of the west African plant oubli (Pentadiplandra brazzeana Baillon). It has long been used as a food source by both humans and animals (particularly apes) in the region, and was first synthesized into a sugar alternative in 1994 by researchers from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
Because brazzein is anywhere from 500 to 2,000 times as sweet as sugar by weight, the small amounts needed to sweeten food do not add any significant caloric content (stevia, by comparison, is approximately 300 times as sweet as sugar). Unlike many sugar alternatives, brazzein is said to have no aftertaste, and can even reduce the aftertaste of other non-sugar sweeteners such as aspartame or stevia when mixed with them. Brazzein's sweet flavor also sets in slower and lasts longer than other sweeteners.
Brazzein is also soluble in water and stable at high temperatures and a wide range of acidities. For example, it can persist at 98 degrees Celsius (208 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to two hours. According to Natur, this makes the products suitable for all forms of cooking, including baking, and as a beverage sweetener. Because brazzein is a protein and not a carbohydrate, it does not affect blood sugar and is safe for diabetics.
Natur acquired the sole rights to manufacture and distribute brazzein from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, which holds a number of patents on the sweetener and the processes used to manufacture it. Although the university has sought ways to commercialize the sweetener since the 1990s, all such prior attempts have failed. According to Natur, a researcher from the university recently discovered an entirely new process that is suitable for mass production.
"Cweet represents a whole new breakthrough with the ingredient," said Loren Miles, Natur's chief executive officer.
A truly natural sweetener
Because the University of Wisconsin used an artificial process to extract the brazzein sweetener from oubli berries, it was able to obtain patents over the sweetener itself. No credit was given or payment made to the indigenous Africans who had used the sweetener for centuries, drawing accusations that the university had engaged in "biopiracy," stealing ancestral knowledge for private profit. The university retains several patents over the ingredient brazzein.
In a reversal of the university's claim that brazzein is an invented ingredient, Natur says that its sweetener is natural. It has not yet disclosed information regarding the process used to extract the sweetener or any synthetic ingredients that might be used.
"We are using the fruit as a source material for this ingredient," Miles said. "Within three to six months we should be ready to publicly announce further details, but we can disclose this information now to interested parties through a confidentiality agreement."
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Treat hernia without an operation
contributed by Julian Clegg (Taiwan)
A naturopathic cure for inguinal (groin) hernia
My inguinal (groin) hernia disappeared after three weeks, thanks to my DIY treatment invoving fasting, change of diet and yoga. I have just returned from Beijing armed with three months' supply of herbal medicine for hernia and a hernia belt containing herbal medicine (supposed to be absorbed through the skin.) I have found out a lot about non-surgical approaches to hernia. Since the information available is dispersed here and there and much of it is in Chinese, I have set up this web site on the subject and maybe even write a book about it.
To start with, I did a five-day fast, during which I washed out my intestines once using the yoga nauli kriya (cleansing technique). Since then I have followed a more strictly vegetarian diet than previously, and tried to eat more fibre, e.g. All-Bran cereal, etc.
 
Diirghapranam (1/2 tortoise)
I used the following yoga asanas: headstand (not to be done if you have high blood pressure), shoulderstand (not to be done if you have high blood pressure), bridge, and the following breathing and cleansing techniques: uddiyana bandha, nauli. Some asanas, on the other hand, are not recommended if you have a hernia, e.g. the cobra.
Agnisara mudra
Sarvangasana (shoulderstand)
[Additional note from Didi Ruchira: other asanas recommended are: Morning -Utksepa Mudra, YogaMudra, DiirghaPranama, Padahastasana Evening -Agnisara Mudra, Karmasana and Sarvaungasana (shoulderstand)]  
Presumably the benefits that accrue from doing head- and shoulderstands could also be derived from other kinds of inversion - with the same caveat about high blood pressure.
Padahastasana (hand-to-foot)
Cakrasana (bridge)
   
Karmasana Uddayana mudra Yoga mudra Utskepta mudra
There is a made-up traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula available in America that has similar constituents to other formulae I have seen. It is called Hawthornia, manufactured by Magi-Herbs/PCK Technologies, Inc. of Texas. The made-up medicine I got in Beijing is called "fennel and citrus seed pills" (huixiang juhe wan). It is made by the famous Tong Ren Tang company of Beijing, which has some branch shops in Hong Kong. I also have a boil-it-yourself formula (in Chinese) that I will post on this web site eventually.
Here are two Indonesian herbal formulae for hernia. They have some ingredients in common with Chinese medicine, and the method of preparation is similar:
- Boil 10 peppercorns, 6 grams of anise, 10 grams of dried orange seeds, 1 dry mango seed, 5 cardamom seeds and 5 grams of ginger in 1 liter of water till only 1/2 liter remains. Drink the liquid.
- Boil 10 peppercorns, 2 kiatna oranges (fortunella hindsii (Champ.) - Chinese name shanju, also called Hong Kong kumquat), 1 purple onion and 10 grams of dried sweet orange seeds in 1 liter of water until only 1/2 liter remains. When the water comes to the boil add 30 grams of palm sugar. Drink the liquid twice a day until it is finished.
Source: The Uses of Pepper in Traditional Indonesian Medicine by: Prof. H.M. Hembing Wijayakusuma Alternative source: Good Health with Pepper, also by Prof. Wijayakusma
For good measure, I also bought in Beijing a herbal hernia belt similar to the one advertised on coloo.com
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Disclaimer:
The information contained within does not take the place of medical diagnosis or
prescription. See your health care provider in case of sickness.
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