Spring has traditionally been the season for detoxification and cleansing. Throughout the ages, humans and animals have emerged from their winter dormancy to find themselves malnourished. Having gone months without any vegetables they needed to seek remedies provided by nature, many of which blossom in spring. Certain plants and compounds greatly increase the productivity of the internal organs and thus help to restore optimal health. This article will summarize the top 10 products that assist the body`s natural healing processes.

The Top Ten
1) Milk Thistle (seed) - Silybum marianum (Compositae)
Milk Thistle is a thorny, purple flower that is commonly found growing by the roadside. Used as a liver tonic for centuries, milk thistle seeds contain the active ingredient Silymarin. By exerting a protective effect on the liver, silymarin prevents damage from compounds that are normally highly toxic such as Poison Death Cap Mushrooms. Milk thistle flowers can be boiled and eaten like artichokes. A mild laxative and natural antidepressant, milk thistle is used to treat cirrhosis and hepatitis. Milk thistle both increases breast milk production and stimulates bile production.

2) Cascara Sagrada (bark) - Rhamnus purshiana (Rhamnacea)
Cascara sagrada is one of the safest laxatives and normally induces peristaltic action within 8-12 hours. The "sacred bark" has been used for over 1000 years. During a fast, cascara sagrada is essential as it assists detoxification by helping the body to remove large amounts of impurities from the intestine and colon.

3) Psyllium (seed husks) - Plantago (Plantaginaceae)
Psyllium seed husks contain fiber and can absorb remarkable amounts of water. One Tablespoon of psyllium will make a cup of water become as thick as pudding within one minute. Psyllium acts as a bulk laxative and provides moisture to areas commonly chapped due to digestive acids. Psyllium has soothing properties and is used to treat stomach ulcers and hemorrhoids.

4) Bentonite (clay) - Aluminium Phyllosilicate (Montmorillonite)
Bentonite clay is available in two forms: sodium bentonite and calcium bentonite. Bentonite clay is a form of volcanic ash that has the ability to physically remove 25 times its weight in impurities from the body through a process called adsorbtion. Bentonite has laxative properties and contains high levels of iron, magnesium and silicon. Bentonite is used in cement, ceramics, acne medication, facial clay, cat litter and to clarify wine.

5) Burdock (root) - Arctium lappa (Compositae)
You are likely to have once found Burdock burrs stuck to your clothing after walking through a field. A potent blood purifier, burdock root removes heavy metals such as Mercury and Aluminum along with other toxins. Containing up to 45% inulin along with arctiopicrin, arctiin, tannins and volatile oil, burdock is used to treat skin conditions such as acne. Burdock helps to purify the liver and is used as a natural cancer treatment. Burdock has antibacterial, anti-fungal and anti-tumor properties.

6) Licorice (root) - Glycyrrhiza glabra (Leguminosae)
Licorice contains glycyrrhizic acid which is 50 times sweeter than sugar. Licorice is used to treat discomfort and arthritis. Licorice is an expectorant, demulcent, adrenal agent, and has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Note that some black licorice candy still contains real licorice extract.

7) Yellow Dock (root) - Rumex crispus (Polygonaceae)
A powerful cleansing herb and safe laxative, yellow dock is a bitter herb that contains anthraquinones. While the leaves of yellow dock contain oxalates (which can cause kidney stones in high doses), the oxalate level in the root is safe for consumption. Yellow dock is used to treat many conditions of toxicity including acne, eczema, constipation and arthritis. Yellow dock is a bile stimulant that has purgative effects on the colon.

8) Sarsparilla (root) - Similax (Liliaceae)
Sarsparilla contains 1-3% steroidal saponins, phytosterols, and starch. Sarsparilla has anti-inflammatory and cleansing properties. Sarsparilla is used to relieve skin problems such as eczema, psoriasis, rheumatism, and gout. An aphrodisiac, sarsparilla helps produce testosterone and increases muscle mass. Used to treat impotence as well as premenstrual problems and menopause, sarsparilla is a natural antidepressant and a key component of (real) Root Beer.

9) Dandelion (leaves and root) - Taraxacum officinale (Compositae)
A bitter herb with diuretic properties, dandelion contains sequiterpene, lacotones, coumarins, taraxacoside, potassium and calcium. Dandelion is used to alleviate fasting symptoms such as headaches, and to treat hangovers, high blood pressure, coughing, constipation, and gallbladder problems. Most consider it to be a weed, but dandelion greens can be added to salad and are best picked before they flower.

10) Blue Green Algae (cyanobacteria) - Anabaena sphaerica (Cyanophata)
Blue green algae contain chlorophyll, a deep green antioxidant. "Bad" bacteria such as Fecal Coli cannot coexist with chlorophyll, which helps keep fresh water clear. Algae not only contain nearly every required vitamin and mineral, but also have the effect of increasing oxygen while reducing nitrogen and carbon.

Summary
While these natural products have powerful effects they rarely cause unpleasant side effects. Some are available in seed form, and many can be found growing in the wild. Most are recommended to relieve the symptoms of (or provide an alternative to) chemotherapy. Herbal supplements are highly concentrated, have a long shelf life, and most will provide several months worth of doses in one container.

The Cornucopia Institute (www.cornucopia.org) has just released a new report about organic soy products that's sending shockwaves through the soy industry. By compiling information on the sourcing of soybeans, the use of toxic chemicals for soy protein extraction, and the use or avoidance of genetically modified soybeans, the Cornucopia Institute has created an Organic Soy Scorecard that reveals which soy product companies are truly trustworthy vs. those that are not.

(NaturalNews contributed funding to this investigative reporting, specifically on the subject of the laboratory testing for hexane residues in soy products. Thank you to all NaturalNews readers and customers who allow us to earn the funds needed to support these important public safety research initiatives.)

The scorecard (http://www.cornucopia.org/2009/05/s...) takes into account:

· Where the soybeans are sourced from (many companies use "organic" soybeans sourced from China!)
· How the soybeans are processed (some companies bathe soybeans in toxic chemicals, then put the resulting extracts into infant formula!)
· How forthright the companies are in providing information to investigators.
· Whether the company tests for and avoids genetically modified soybeans.

... and other details.

You can read the full report on www.Cornucopia.org

A new study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute adds more evidence to the increasingly prevalent belief that regular prostate screenings may lead to more harm than good for older men.

Under current recommendations, most men over the age of 50 are advised to regularly undergo a screening for elevated levels of the prostate specific antigen (PSA), a protein that spikes either in the presence of a prostate tumor or in response to non-cancerous inflammation. Men with PSA levels above a certain threshold are usually referred for biopsies to determine if cancer is present or not.

But researchers are increasingly raising concern over the assumption that early diagnosis is always a good thing. Because prostate cancers are slow growing, many older men might never experience any symptoms of the disease before dying of other causes. Yet prostate cancer treatments can carry severe side effects, including impotence or incontinence.

"If we diagnose this disease, are we making your life better?" asked Len Lichtenfeld of the American Cancer Society. According to Lichtenfeld, scientists simply don't know.

In the current study, researchers from Erasmus University Medical Center estimated the rates of overdiagnosis among men who received prostate cancer diagnoses between the years of 1985 and 2000. Depending on which measure they used to estimate the progression of cancer symptoms, the researchers concluded that between 23 and 45 percent of cancers diagnosed within those years would otherwise never have had a noticeable effect on the patient's life.

Since the study's conclusion in 2000, doctors have begun ordering biopsies at even lower PSA levels, suggesting that rates of overdiagnosis have likely increased since then.

The study "reinforces the message that we are overdiagnosing prostate cancer," Lichtenfeld said.

U.S. national guidelines no longer recommend regular PSA screening for men over the age of 75. Younger men are advised to make informed decisions after consulting with a doctor.