Greetings!
Here's the latest world - and UK news - on what's happening in Complementary Medicine and Natural HealthCare. Brought to you courtesy of The Complementary Medical Association (The CMA).
We get so many emails from our readers saying how much they enjoy this e-Newsletter. Of course, health and wellness is a fascinating field and we try to cover all aspects of Complementary Medicine and Natural Healthcare so do please let us know what you'd like to see more of.
Jayney
President, Complementary Medical Association
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Green Tea Is Also Good For Your Bones!
 New research from the Institute of Chinese Medicine, in Hong Kong, looked at three key compounds found in Green Tea and found that they - and one in particular (EGC) - had a role to play in slowing the breakdown of your bones - and in helping to stimulate new bone formation.
The study looked at three catechins found in Green Tea (catechins make up about 25% of the dry weight of fresh tea leaf[1]),): epigallocatechin (EGC), gallocatechin (GC), and gallocatechin gallate (GCG),
The researchers took a group of cultured bone-forming cells (osteoblasts) and exposed them to the three catechins over a number of days.
They found that the EGC boosted the activity of a key enzyme that promotes bone growth by up to 79 percent and boosted the levels of bone mineralization in the cells. Moreover, the EGC inhibited the formation of bone destroying osteoclast cellular differentiation (and thus growth - Ed.)
Click here for references
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Rosehip Powder Proven To Be More Effective Than The Most Common Glucosamine Products In Osteoarthritis
A recent study confirms that rose hip powder may relieve joint pain better
than glucosamine hydrochloride:
Scientists attending the World
Congress on Osteoarthritis in Montreal, Quebec, have announced the results
of a major review of evidence that shows rose-hip powder containing the galactolipid substance known as GOPO is a more effective treatment for
osteoarthritis (OA) than glucosamine hydrochloride.[1] This latest
research study involved a meta-analysis of placebo-controlled studies of the
two treatments in OA joint pain. The
conclusions add weight to the argument that rose-hip powder is a potent and
effective natural alternative to both glucosamine and anti-inflammatory
painkillers in OA.
Dr Rod Hughes,
a Consultant Rheumatologist at St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey, Surrey,
believes that the evidence-base for the use of supplements including
glucosamine in the treatment of OA is still in evolution and that healthcare
professionals should adhere to national guidelines for their use wherever
possible.
'We
know that many patients are attracted by the idea of using natural remedies for
painful conditions such as OA. This new
study suggests that glucosamine is not the only supplement that patients should
consider and that rose hip powder offers an effective alternative.
'The
evidence supporting the benefits of specialized rose-hip powder as a treatment
for OA appears to be consistent as further studies are produced. Patients who wish to try a natural remedy in
addition to their prescribed treatment, exercise and weight control programmes,
may, on the basis of this study, consider rose-hip supplements.' More (& References) . . .
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Extract From A Traditional Chinese Medical Plant - Kudzu - Can Help Alcoholics Recover
Practitioners
of Traditional Chinese Medicine have been using extracts from the Kudzu vine to
treat alcoholism for thousands of years. Kudzu is a fast growing 'vine' from
the pea family and is known as gé gēn in TCM - and is considered to be one of
the 50 fundamental herbs.
Scientists from Harvard Medical School have recently been researching Kudzu as
a treatment for alcoholism and are focusing on one of its key extracts -
daidzin. This is a known anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial agent and can
interfere with your body's production of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH-2).
Studies on rodents have shown that daidzin not only reduces the 'need' to
drink, it also controls relapses.
The researchers have designed a compound made from daidzin and tests have shown
that whilst it doesn't appear to affect moderate drinking, or have adverse side
effects, it does appear to prevent the usual increase in drinking (binge
drinking) that occurs after five days of abstinence, and also prevents cravings
for, and a relapse to, drinking alcohol.
Ting-Kai Li, a professor in the department of psychiatry at Duke University
Medical Center, says, "Recent research has found that several compounds of
the isoflavone family - puerarin, daidzin, daidzein - in the kudzu extract decrease
alcohol intake in experimental animals." Results will be published in the November issue of Alcoholism: Clinical &
Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View.
Click here for references
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'Magic' Mushrooms Help Prevent Breast Cancer
 Well, button mushrooms actually.
A study amongst 2,000 women - with and without breast cancer - in Australia has discovered that given similar life-styles (smoking; exercise; nutrition; etc), those who ate mushrooms every day were over 60% less likely to develop breast cancer.
The research, undertaken at the University of Western Australia in Perth and published in the International Journal of Cancer, suggests that the linoleic acid found in button mushrooms inhibits the production of oestrogen, which may lessen the risk of the growth of breast cancer. Mushrooms are also known to boost the immune system and may help to stop the growth of tumours.
Those women who also drank Green Tea were 90% less at risk.
For a fascinating Q&A with Dr Schen Click here: Schian Chen, PhD, Beckman Research Institute:
Cunningham-Rundles S, Lin H, Cassileth B. Are Botanical Glucans Effective in Enhancing Tumoricidal Cell Activity? American Society for Nutrition. J. Nutr. 2005. 135: 2919S.
Kodama N, Komuta K, Nanba H. Can maitake MD-fraction aid cancer patients? Altern Med Rev. 2002; 7:451. |
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What Choices Do You Have When It Comes To Swine Flu?
Learn How to Protect Yourself The Natural Way
This
new book - "The Survivors Guide to Swine Flu: The Complementary Medical
Approach" - will give you all the information you need to make an
informed decision about which health options you should take against
Swine Flu. It covers both Conventional Medical options - including
drugs like Tamiflu and vaccination approaches - as well as spelling out
the Complementary Medical options you should consider - including
Homeopathy, Herbal Medicine, Aromatherapy and Nutritional approaches.
Be informed, know your options.
The author, Jayney Goddard, is a well-known writer and
broadcaster on all Complementary Medical issues and is the President of
The Complementary Medical Association.
The book is a thoroughly
researched and well thought through approach to Swine Flu prevention
and treatment and includes over 500 scientific references.
Available from The Complementary Medical Association or call us on 0845 129 8434 (Lo Call Rate) to place your order. Also available from all bookshops. |
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Capsaicin Cream Could Protect Your Heart During An Attack
 Research recently published in the journal 'Circulation', shows that rubbing Capsaicin cream into the skin of someone who is having a heart attack could help save their lives.
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati, have discovered that applying Capsaicin topically to mice - in specific sites - triggers messages that activate the cellular "pro-survival" pathways in the heart which serve to protect it. Researchers observed an 85 percent reduction in cardiac cell death when Capsaicin was used.
Most people know that Capsaicin is what makes chili peppers hot. It has been used medicinally for several years - in both Complementary and Conventional medicine (for pain relief; it is FDA approved). It is also a banned substance in horse jumping and other equestrian sports because of its hypersensitizing and pain relieving properties. At the Summer Olympics in 2008, 4 horses tested positive and were banned for using it..[1]
The lead researcher, Keith Jones says.
"If proven effective in humans, this therapy has the potential to reduce injury and/or death in the event of a coronary blockage, thereby reducing the extent and consequences of heart attack."
Co-author, Neal Weintraub added.
"We think that this technique is fooling the body into sending out protective signals.....and may be similar to the way certain acupuncture treatments work; there may be a neurological basis. In a broad sense, this work may provide a 'Rosetta stone' for translating alternative medicine techniques-like acupuncture-to Western medicine. Perhaps we can understand the biological mechanisms of how alternative treatments may be successful for patients." [2]
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Build Up Of Chronic Mercury Levels In Humans On The Increase
 Chronic mercury exposure over time is leading to an increase in the build up of mercury within our bodies according to a new analysis of US Government (CDC) data on 6,000 American women.
The neuroscientist behind this study, Dan R. Laks, from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, also found that this build up of chronic mercury exposure (which increases with age) has a significant association with the functioning of both our immune and our endocrine systems. He suggests that this may explain how chronic mercury build up leads to neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases. Over the years, high levels of mercury in blood has been associated with autism, Alzheimer's, mental impairment and many other diseases.
The study, which is published online in Biometals, discovered that levels of the pituitary hormone, lutropin (luteinizing hormone) are significantly associated with chronic mercury exposure. He found that around 2% of women had inorganic mercury in their blood in the 1999 - 2000 data and that this had risen to 30% of women by 2005 - 2006.
Laks said
"My study found compelling evidence that inorganic mercury deposition within the human body is a cumulative process, increasing with age and overall in the population over time. My findings also suggest a rise in risks for disease associated with mercury over time."
(An earlier analysis of the same data by the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration estimated that, as a result of this chronic mercury exposure, between 300,000 and 600,000 American children were born with elevated risks of neurodevelopmental disorders between 1999 and 2000).
One of the many sources of mercury pollution in the environment - coal-burning power plants - (according to a consensus of international scientists (2006)), continue to increase their rates of mercury emissions every year. Other sources include contaminated fish, mercury dental fillings (pictured above) and the preservative thimerosal, used in vaccines (being used in several Swine Flu vaccines for Europe and rest of the world, but not in the US). |
How To Run Your Practice More Profitably - Even In A Recession: New Course In November
Why give in to the media hype and all the doom and gloom. Discover how to run your practice even more profitably - despite the 'recession'
Course Leader Jayney Goddard says:
"I receive a constant stream of emails from previous attendees telling me how they have implemented the 'real world' techniques we teach on this course and that they see a real and measurable improvement in their natural healthcare business."
You can read testimonials from practitioners just like you hereThe next "Developing YOUR Professional Practice: And Making Profit - Even in a Recession" is at the end of November. This event sells out really fast - so please book your place early by contacting us by email here or calling us on 0845 129 8434 (Lo Call rate). |
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We Don't Take In Enough Vitamin K - So We Are Ageing More Quickly Than We Need To
 So says an in-depth analysis of health data over the last
39 years, from the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute,
California. This is mainly because the recommended levels of Vitamin K
intake are set too low, says the lead author, Joyce McCann.Vitamin
K plays an important role in blood-clotting and is a fat-soluble
substance that is stored in the fat tissue of the human body and is
found in green vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, kale, broccoli,
brussel sprouts, swiss chard, parsley and spinach - as well as in kiwi fruit and
avocados (Vitamin K1). Vitamin K2 is found in dairy products,
eggs, meat and natto.
The recommended daily intake of Vitamin K in the US is 120
micrograms a day for a 25 year old man: 90 micrograms a day for an
adult woman; 10 - 20 micrograms a day for infants; 15-100 micrograms a
day for children and adolescents. In 2002 it was found that to get a
real benefit from Vitamin K, you might need to take 8 times this
amount. There are no known toxicity levels for natural Vitamin K ( K1
and K2) - although there are for the synthetic versions (K3, K4 and K5).
McCann and colleagues base their conclusions on 'triage
theory', which posits that when any of the 40, or so, essential
vitamins, fatty acids, amino acids and minerals that we need to live a
healthy life - including Vitamin K, is in short supply some of the
bodily functions they initiate have to be forgone - as the vitamin is
needed for urgent - short-term survival - functions. In the case of
Vitamin K, when it is in short supply - our bodies are far more
susceptible to diseases related to ageing.
For the 16 known Vitamin K-dependent (VKD) proteins, the
researchers evaluated 11 of them in mice. They found that - in a case
of shortage - the liver gets the priority for Vitamin K. This causes
problems in other parts of the body, particularly in the area of
fragile bones and hardening of the arteries.Click here for references
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Acupuncture May Bring Relief For Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Whilst Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is known to affect around 5% of all women, it affects 10% of women of reproductive age. It is the most common hormonal disorder among these women and is a leading cause of infertility.
It can also cause obesity and produce masculine features in women. However a new study from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden has shown that acupuncture may be able to help.
Women with the syndrome often have high activity in the 'sympathetic nervous system'. It was found that the use of acupuncture reduces activity in the sympathetic nervous system (as well as in those who took regular exercise). The effects of acupuncture went even further, as the leader of the research team, Elisabet Stener Victorin, explains.
"Those who received acupuncture found that their menstruation became more normal. We could also see that their levels of testosterone became significantly lower, and this is an important observation, since elevated testosterone levels are closely connected with the increased activity in the sympathetic nervous system of women."
Click here for references
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Don't Eat Late-Night Snacks
 A new study proves that eating at certain times, e.g. just before bed, does influence weight gain.
This new study, from Northwestern University, and recently published in the journal Obesity, found that mice that were fed a high-fat diet during normal sleeping hours gained significantly more weight over 6 weeks (48%), than mice eating the same high-fat diet and amount of food during naturally waking hours (20% increase).
Both groups of mice were allowed to eat as much as they wanted during their daily 12-hour feeding phase. Since mice are nocturnal, the 12-hour feeding phase was during the day for those fed during normal sleeping hours and during the night for those fed during naturally waking hours. Food was not provided during the other 12 hours of their day.
The researchers hypothesize that because our circadian clock, or biological timing system, governs our daily cycles of feeding, activity, energy use and sleep, with respect to external dark and light cycles any disruption to the 'natural' times for feeding can have knock-on effects.
Fred Turek, lead author states:
"How or why a person gains weight is very complicated, but it clearly is not just calories in and calories out.....we think some factors are under circadian control. Better timing of meals, which would require a change in behaviour, could be a critical element in slowing the ever-increasing incidence of obesity."
References:
1. Deanna M. Arble, Joseph Bass, Aaron D. Laposky, Martha H. Vitaterna and Fred W. Turek. Circadian Timing of Food Intake Contributes to Weight Gain. Obesity, 2009; DOI: 10.1038/oby.2009.264
Adapted from materials provided by Northwestern University.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903110800.htm
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To help you we have prepared a handy set of guidelines that you should read before sending anything through to us.
Click here to read our submission guidelines. |
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FURTHER READING AND REFERENCES:
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Rosehip Extract More Effective Than Common Glucosamine Products - Continued
Harnessing the power of meta-analysis
The research team from Frederiksberg Hospital in
Copenhagen, Denmark - led by Associate Professor of Statistics in Medicine, Dr Robin
Christensen - used a meta-analysis technique to compare the effect sizes
reported in all placebo-controlled studies of glucosamine hydrochloride or a specialized
preparation of rose-hip powder containing the
galactolipid substance, GOPO,in patients with painful OA of the joints. The
three studies included in the glucosamine analysis (involving 933 patients)
consistently showed no clinical effect, whereas the three studies using a specialized
rose-hip powder (involving 287 patients) showed a consistent and significant
clinical improvement compared to placebo. When the estimated difference in
efficacy of glucosamine hydrochloride and rose-hip powder was analysed using
the recommended Bucher approach, a highly statistically significant (P=0.008) difference was found in favour
of the specialized rose-hip product.
Glucosamine controversy
The use
of glucosaminein the treatment of
OA remains controversial. Many placebo-controlled studies have produced
negative results, and previous meta-analyses have led experts to conclude that glucosamine
hydrochloride is ineffective in OA at the widely-used dose of 500 mg three
times a day.2 However, despite the fact that the National Institute for Health and Clinical
Excellence (NICE) does not recommend glucosamine as a treatment for OA,
many patients are still paying around £10 per month to buy glucosamine over the
counter, and many PCTs continue to fund glucosamine prescriptions, despite a
lack of clear evidence for its benefits. In one Strategic Health Authority in
the UK, for example, over £200,000 of glucosamine was prescribed between 2007
and 2008 - representing a doubling of spend on glucosamine over the previous 3
years.
Efficacy of rose-hip powder in OA
Rose-hip powder
preparations have attracted growing interest from rheumatology communities around
the world. As reported in Montreal,
studies assessing rose-hip powder containing GOPO have consistently
demonstrated its ability to reduce OA joint pain and the use of rescue
analgesia.3 The clinical benefits of rose-hip powder in OA are
thought to arise from the anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties of
GOPO, which is present in just one product available in UK
pharmacies (LitoZin® Joint Health).
References
1.
Christensen R, Bartels EM, Bliddal H. Efficacy of glucosamine
hydrochloride or specialized rosehip powder in osteoarthritis patients: an
indirect comparison meta-analysis. Poster presentation
at the World Congress on Osteoarthritis
(OARSI), Montreal,
10-13 September 2009.
2.
Vlad
SC,
LaValley MP, McAlindon TE et al.
Glucosamine for pain in osteoarthritis. Why do trial results differ? Arth Rheum 2007; 56: 2267-2277.
3.
Christensen R, Bartels EM, Altman RD et
al. Does
the hip powder of Rosa canina (rosehip) reduce pain in
osteoarthritis patients? - a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2008; 16: 965-972.
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Acupuncture May Bring relief to Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - References
References:
1.
Solomon CG (1999). "The epidemiology of polycystic ovary syndrome.
Prevalence and associated disease risks". Endocrinol. Metab. Clin.
North Am. 28 (2): 247-63. PMID 10352918.
2.
Goldenberg N, Glueck C (2008). "Medical therapy in women with
polycystic ovarian syndrome before and during pregnancy and lactation".
Minerva Ginecol 60 (1): 63-75. PMID 18277353.
3.
Boomsma CM, Fauser BC, Macklon NS (2008). "Pregnancy complications in
women with polycystic ovary syndrome". Semin. Reprod. Med. 26 (1):
72-84. doi:10.1055/s-2007-992927. PMID 18181085.
4.
Elisabet Stener-Victorin, Elizabeth Jedel, Per Olof Jansson and Yrsa
Bergmann Sverrisdottir. Low-frequency electroacupuncture and physical
exercise decrease high muscle sympathetic nerve activity in polycystic
ovary syndrome. American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory,
Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 2009; DOI:
10.1152/ajpregu.00197.2009
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820124044.htm
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Green Tea - Also Good For Bones - References
References:
1. Ko
et al. Effects of Tea Catechins, Epigallocatechin, Gallocatechin, and
Gallocatechin Gallate, on Bone Metabolism. Journal of Agricultural and
Food Chemistry, 2009; 57 (16)
2.Balentine
DA, Harbowy ME, Graham HN (1998). "Tea: the Plant and its Manufacture;
Chemistry and Consumption of the Beverage". in Spiller GA. Caffeine.
Boca Raton: CRC Press. ISBN 0-8493-2647-8.
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Vitamin K - Are We Ageing More Quickly Than We Need To? - References
Vitamin K, an example of triage theory: Is micronutrient inadequacy linked to diseases of aging? - Source:
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Oct 2009: by Joyce C McCann,
Bruce N Ames
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Oct 2009.
McCann JC, Ames BN. Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute,
Oakland, California, USA.
1. Dam, H (1935). "The Antihaemorrhagic Vitamin Of The Chick" (pdf). Biochemical Journal XXIX (82): 1273-1285.
2. Bowen, R. "Large Intestine". Colostate. . Retrieved 2009-06-01.
3. "Vitamin K".
4. McGee, W (2007-02-01). "Vitamin K".
5. Furie B, Bouchard BA, Furie BC (15 Mar 1999). "Vitamin K-dependent biosynthesis of gamma-carboxyglutamic acid". Blood 93 (6): 1798-808. PMID 10068650.
6. Mann KG (1999). "Biochemistry and physiology of blood coagulation". Thromb. Haemost. 82 (2): 165-74. PMID 10605701.
7. Price PA (1988). "Role of vitamin-K-dependent proteins in bone
metabolism". Annu. Rev. Nutr. 8: 565-83.
doi:10.1146/annurev.nu.08.070188.003025. PMID 3060178.
8. Berkner KL, Runge KW (2004). "The physiology of vitamin K nutriture and vitamin K-dependent protein function in atherosclerosis". J. Thromb. Haemost. 2 (12): 2118-32. doi:10.1111/j.1538-7836.2004.00968.x. PMID 15613016.
9. Higdon (February 2008). "Vitamin K". Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University.
10."On the Trail of the Elusive X-Factor: Vitamin K2 Revealed".
11.
Allison, A.C. The possible role of vitamin K deficiency in the
pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and in augmenting brain damage
associated with cardiovascular disease. Medical Hypotheses, 2001; 57:
151-155
12. [No Author]. Vitamin K Found to Protect Against Liver Cancer. Available online
13. Saxena SP, Israels ED, Israels LG (2001). "Novel vitamin
K-dependent pathways regulating cell survival.". Apoptosis 6 (1-2):
57-68. doi:10.1023/A:1009624111275. PMID 11321042.
14. Nimptsch K, Rohrmann S, Linseisen J (April 2008). "Dietary intake of vitamin K and risk of prostate cancer in the Heidelberg cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. (EPIC-Heidelberg)". Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 87 (4): 985-92. PMID 18400723.
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Kudzu - May Help Cure Alocholism - References
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What is The CMA?
As you probably know, The Complementary Medical Association is one of the world's largest Professional Membership bodies for highly qualified Complementary Medical Practitioners, CAM Students and Training Colleges. However, there is so much more to us than that - More . . . | |
