Component of wine increases endurance, controls weight gain

There's yet another reason to drink wine or to take supplements made from a reservatrol, a natural component of wine: Increased endurance.

Following on the heels of a study suggesting reservatrol is very beneficial in weight loss, a new study shows that the substance can increase endurance and tone the heart.

"Resveratrol makes you look like a trained athlete without the training," Johan Auwerx at the Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology in Illkirch, France, recently said.

This most recent study aslo shows that reservatrol in large amounts can control weight gain even under high-calorie intake by significantly increasing the number of mitochondria in muscle cells.

Medicine | Health | Alternative Health News | Neil E. Levin | Ephedra | Nutritional Supplements | HerbBlurbs.com | AltHealthNews.com

Ten golden rules of health and healing

Ten Golden Rules of Health and Healing

1. Stop putting poisons into your body.


2. Support your body's healing efforts. It takes 5-7 times more nutrition to rebuild and repair than it does to maintain.


3. Be patient and persistent. Nothing heals in the human body in less than three months — then add one month for every year the condition has existed.


4. Have moderation in all things.


5. Make peace with Nature.


6. Live closer to God.


7. Accept responsibility for yourself and your health.


8. Make as much of your diet as possible be raw whole foods.


9. Exercise regularly for the rest of your life.


10. Practice and learn to understand completely Hering's Law of Cure. Hering states, “All cure starts from the inside out, from the head down, and in the reverse order of symptoms as they have been suppressed.”

Medicine | Health | Alternative Health News | Golden Rule | Healing | Nutritional Supplements | HerbBlurbs.com | AltHealthNews.com

Wrong Time: Time magazine's anti-supplement article 10/1/06 dead wrong on facts

Wrong TIME, by Neil E. Levin, CCN, DANLA

The Time article “State of Reliefs: HOW THE CONTROVERSIAL YET POPULAR SUPPLEMENT BUSINESS EMERGED IN UTAH” (10/1/06) mostly deals with MLMs (multi-level marketers) rather than other types of dietary supplement companies, but there are a few problems with the reporting.

Time relies on quotes from notorious anti-supplement partisans who do not often admit to the peer-reviewed science of supplements: the Mayo Clinic and Dan Hurley. It is not even possible that Mr. Hurley's claim could be true ("the vast majority of supplements taken by Americans have been proven to be unsafe, ineffective or both"). If so, the FDA and the majority of companies that really do care about consumers' health would have already voluntarily or forcibly pulled them off the market. The mainstream dietary supplement industry's primary motivation is to provide safe, effective natural products, not to hurt or scam people.

Most dietary supplement companies are science-driven and their labels and claims are scrutinized for accuracy and compliance with federal laws, such as the law (DSHEA) that the article falsely accuses of reducing FDA authority. Even the FDA itself denies this on their own website, as well as in the Congressional testimony of several FDA commissioners.

DSHEA disallows any dietary supplement claims related to disease, so companies only offer documented structure-function claims as to how the supplements may affect the individual. These claims are submitted to the FDA for scrutiny and the agency has the power to ask for changes to these claims.

The law also provides that any ingredient introduced to the market after October of 1994 must have a New Dietary Ingredient packet submitted to the FDA with evidence of safety, as well as allowing the FDA to set rules for good manufacturing practices, so the article's claim that DSHEA "released manufacturers from demonstrating that products were safe before being sold" is not quite accurate.

In my personal opinion, Ephedra was only banned because of the FDA's misrepresentation of this herb’s safety record and an arbitrary dismissal of all of its proven benefits to produce a slightly negative risk/benefit ratio.(1,2) Rand Corporation researchers actually reported that up to 155 reported deaths possibly linked to Ephedra were contradicted by its own review of published Ephedra studies that found no deaths, strokes or any serious side effects reported from using the herb, yet the Time report only reports the association of Ephedra to these deaths, despite a complete lack of evidence of cause and effect.(3)

The Rand report also stated that Ephedra, with or without caffeine, provided a statistically significant increase in short-term weight loss compared to placebo: about 2 pounds per month for up to 6 months, which contradicts the FDA's decision that Ephedra has only risks and no benefits.(3) Several other review studies have also concluded that Ephedra is safe when properly used.(4,5) And while the Time article implies that an appeals court rejected the safety record of Ephedra ("Utah company Neutraceutical Corp. [sic] is still arguing that lower doses are safe, but in August the firm was overruled by an appeals court"). But the court did not really rule on whether or not the herb is safe because it was narrowly focused on the FDA's authority to implement DSHEA.

To read the original Time article, click on this link:
http://www.time.com/time/insidebiz/article/0,9171,1541294-2,00.html

REFERENCES:

1. 21 C.F.R. Pt. 119, Final Rule Declaring Dietary Supplements Containing Ephedrine Alkaloids Adulterated Because They Present an Unreasonable Risk (Published February 11, 2004) (Effective April 12, 2004) available at http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/98fr/1995n-0304-nfr0001.pdf

2. Federal Register: February 11, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 28).

3. Shekelle PG, et al. Efficacy and safety of ephedra and ephedrine for weight loss and athletic performance: a meta-analysis. JAMA. 2003 Mar 26;289(12):1537-45. Epub 2003 Mar 10. PMID: 12672771

4. Morgenstern LB. Use of Ephedra-containing products and risk for hemorrhagic stroke. Neurology. 2003 Jan 4;60(1):132-5. Erratum in: Neurology. 2003 Mar 25;60(6):1055. PMID: 12525737

5. Soni MG, Carabin IG, Griffiths JC, Burdock GA. Safety of ephedra: lessons learned. Toxicol Lett. 2004 Apr 15;150(1):97-110. Review. PMID: 15068827

Medicine | Health | Alternative Health News | Neil E. Levin | Ephedra | Nutritional Supplements | HerbBlurbs.com | AltHealthNews.com

The green power of chlorophyll

Green Power by Charles Scott originally published in Energy Times, January 4, 2005

If you want to stave off infections, aging — even liver cancer — get your fill of chlorophyll, a vital nutrient in plants.

The green in plants possesses unique powers. Green landscapes soothe the soul. A verdant expanse of green vegetation offers comfort, peace and ecological consolation. What makes some plants, including vegetables, green: Chlorophyll, a substance that is also a crucial nutrient for better health.

Chlorophyll is a special chemical that consists of molecules which enable plants to collect sunlight. In a complex molecular process, vegetation then uses chlorophyll to harness the power from the sun's rays and build carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water. Those carbohydrates form the basic nutritional building blocks that we and other animals need to survive and thrive.

Besides enabling the creation of carbohydrates, research shows that chlorophyll itself can help lower our risk of diseases like cancer. A recent study in China demonstrates that daily supplements of a chemical derived from chlorophyll can protect DNA, the genetic material in cells. When DNA is damaged and malfunctions, cells may reproduce wildly and become cancerous tumors.

The latest experiments, performed by scientists affiliated with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Oregon State University (OSU), show that chlorophyll and its chemical relatives may insulate DNA from unhealthy changes linked to aflatoxin, a fungus that often contaminates corn, peanuts and soybeans. In China, liver cancer associated with aflatoxin is a widespread problem.

"In the area of China in which we did our study about one in 10 adults die from liver cancer, and it's the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide," says George Bailey, Ph.D., a professor of environmental and molecular toxicology at OSU. "The findings of this research could be enormously important to many areas of China, Southeast Asia and Africa, where aflatoxin-related liver cancer is a real concern. Many of these deaths might be preventable with supplements that cost pennies a day."

This research looked at about 180 people in Qidong, China. When people in the study were given supplements containing chlorophyll derivatives, they had less than half the DNA damage of people who didn't take supplements.

According to the scientists, chlorophyll and similar substances may act as interceptor molecules, blocking the absorption of carcinogens. As John Groopman, professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, observes, the supplements these people took "...can effectively reduce aflatoxin levels, which should reduce the risk of liver cancer."

Closer to home, other researchers point out that chlorophyll-rich vegetarian foods may help protect us from carcinogens in the typical American diet.

If you've ever enjoyed a hunk of grilled meat, you've consumed substances scientists call heterocyclic amines, which are contained in the charred part of meat cooked on a grill. Studies have shown that these tasty tidbits can increase your risk of breast and other types of cancer. (Your risk from charred meat greatly increases if you are also a smoker.) However, if you eat a food like spirulina, a blue-green algae high in antioxidants that also contains plenty of chlorophyll, its protective substances can bind with these carcinogens within your digestive tract and keep them from being absorbed.

Green Keeps You Younger

While we always hear that eating more fruits and vegetables enhances our health, new research shows that eating green foods adds extra power to an anti-aging program.

Two experiments at the University of South Florida Center for Aging and Brain Repair, published in the Journal of Neurobiology (7/15/02), show that spirulina and other greens can help shield the brain from the antioxidant damage that accumulates as one ages and may help reverse declines in learning and memory.

The first study found that a diet rich in spinach helped lab animals stay smart as they grew older. Spinach's benefits, according to the researchers, are due to its rich antioxidant content, which can counteract free radicals (caustic molecules) created in the body during normal metabolism and increased by exposure to environmental pollutants, sunlight and radiation.

When free radicals attack, cell walls and other cellular structures are compromised and DNA can malfunction. A lifetime of free-radical damage can slow your thinking and may be one of the causes of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, says Dr. Paula Bickford, lead author on the project.

The second study found that the protective effect of green plants may be linked to their ability to reverse age-related accumulations of potentially harmful inflammatory substances in the brain. In this research, spirulina improved neuron function, lowered inflammation in the brain and reduced levels of chemicals linked to oxidative damage. In fact, spirulina didn't just slow the deterioration of neurotransmitter interactions caused by aging, it actually improved their function.

"Not all foods are created equal," says Dr. Bickford. "Cucumbers taste good and have lots of fiber. But unlike spirulina and apples, they are not rich in phytochemicals that have antioxidant or anti-inflammatory effects in the brain."

Green Immunity

Aside from assisting brain function, spirulina also seems able to help pump up the immune system. Researchers at the University of California at Davis found that adding spirulina to cultured immune system cells significantly increases the production of infection-fighting cells called cytokines.

A number of previous laboratory studies have found that spirulina can balance immune response: While easing allergic reactions, this powerful green food also was found to enhance the ability of immune cells called macrophages to both destroy bacteria and eliminate cancerous cells.

"We found that nutrient-rich spirulina is a potent inducer of interferon-g (13.6-fold increase) and a moderate stimulator of both interleukin-4 and interleukin-1b (3.3-fold increase)," notes Eric Gershwin, professor at UC Davis. "Together, increases in these cytokines suggest that spirulina is a strong proponent for protecting against intracellular pathogens and parasites, and can potentially increase the expression of agents that stimulate inflammation, which also helps to protect the body against infectious and potentially harmful micro-organisms."

What this means for you: Spirulina holds the potential to help the body protect itself against battalions of infectious invaders.

"People have used foods like yogurt and spirulina throughout history," says Judy van de Water, Ph.D., associate professor at UC Davis. "Through research, we are learning exactly how these foods improve immune system function and how they are a beneficial addition to our diet."

Throughout the history of life on earth, the healthy development of animal and human life has depended on green plants. Today, as our environment deteriorates and our bodies are under attack from an increasingly polluted world, we need those health-boosting greens more than ever.

Image: Alfalfa, a great source of chlorolphyll

Medicine | Health | Alternative Health News | Chlorophyll | Immune System | Safe Drinking Water | HerbBlurbs.com | AltHealthNews.com

Omega-3 fish oils slow Alzheimer's disease, studies show

Omega-3 fatty acids may slow cognitive decline in some patients with very mild Alzheimer's disease, recent studies reported in the October issue of Archives of Neurology indicate. Supplements showed no effect in more advanced cases.

Alzheimer's disease is a severely debilitating condition that affects thinking, learning and memory, beginning with declines in episodic memory (including memory about events in one's own life). Drugs that are used to treat symptoms do not affect the underlying cause and progression of the disease. Several studies have shown that eating fish, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids, may protect against Alzheimer's disease, leading researchers to question whether supplements could have similar effects.

Read more.

Medicine | Health | Alternative Health News | Omega-3 Fish Oils | Cancer | Alzheimer's Disease | HerbBlurbs.com | AltHealthNews.com

Fruit juice can help prevent Alzheimer's

A new study suggests that the risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease can be reduced by regularly drinking fruit juice.

The researchers, from Vanderbilt University, say that it is the antioxidants known as polyphenols which account for this effect. Polyphenols are found in the peels and skins of fruit and vegetables, which are often used when processing juice.

The study found that the incidence of Alzheimer's was 76% lower for those who drank juice three or more times a week than for those who drank juice less than once a week. The incidence was 16% lower for those drinking juice once or twice a week.

The research is published in the American Journal of Medicine.

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Without integrity, you're only hurting yourself

Without Integrity, You're Only Hurting Yourself by Dr. Gene Clerkin, D.C.

This morning, just as I sat down to write this article, a telemarketer called and asked, “May I speak to the person in charge of your printer supplies?” I politely replied, “Can you please take us off your list?” He told me if I didn't want to receive phone calls I should just disconnect my phone, and then he hung up without giving me a chance to reply. I had to laugh at his logic though.

I found the incident particularly funny since I was going to write about telemarketing calls for this month's newsletter. Last week, I got a telemarketing call from someone representing a copier company. Since I've received calls from this company before, I recognized the script. It reads something like this: “This is John, yeah, we're sending out the catalog. We just need to check the serial number on your copier, could you check?”

Of course, I don't have a copier, which is what I told them the first several times I got the call. I usually try to be as pleasant as possible, but my mischievous side takes over now and again and I'm likely to say, “Copier, what are you talking about? Who did you say this was? I don't know what you're talking about.” I suppose it wasn't really right for me to have fun at the expense of the person on the other end of the line trying to make a living, but nobody's perfect.

The fact is I really feel disappointment for that person, not because he is making his living telemarketing, but because the script he is required to read leaves him doing it in a dishonest fashion. I imagine that he doesn't realize the significance of being out of integrity, but I have no doubt he experiences its effects.

Integrity is an aspect of wellness we don't often hear about since it is not often discussed.

I recall my good friend and colleague Dr. Wayne Leyshon referring to this many years ago when he said, “Your life doesn't work when you're out of integrity.” It immediately made sense to me even if I didn't understand how it tied into wellness at the time.

People experiencing greater wellness initially feel a more peaceful state of mind, less depression and anxiety, and an increase in positive feelings about themselves. As they progress, they report quality of life changes such as confidence in dealing with adversity, more guidance by their inner voice and, of course, compassion for others. I think it's safe to say that compassion and deceit are incongruent.

But here's the catch — while wellness means ever expanding levels of awareness in your body, your life and the world around you, the more wellness you are experiencing, the more intolerant you will be of things that are incongruent with your body, mind and soul. This concept can be expanded to include all of humanity. When I was a kid, I remember seeing a bumper sticker that read, “As long as there is oppression, no one can truly be free.” While I was certainly not in support of oppression, I didn't realize at the time how it had any effect on me. From a spiritual sense, we begin to realize that we all come from the same Source, and to hurt another is congruent to hurting yourself.

I don't think it's possible for someone to feel true compassion for others and, at the same time, try and trick or deceive them. When you are aware of your body you immediately feel your own physiological reaction to all of your thoughts and actions, positive or negative. When you are living and acting without (or “out of”) integrity, you can't experience a state of inner peace and the physiology indicative of it. When we have a physiology of dis-ease and a relative disconnection from really feeling our body, eventually we will experience some kind of symptom as a way for our body to get our attention.

By sacrificing his integrity in order to boost sales, the telemarketer is unknowingly deteriorating the quality of his own life. I don't know him personally, but I would be willing to bet that it is showing up in some fashion, whether in physical symptoms or life situations. My hope for him and for all of us is that we recognize the symptoms as signals for self reflection and change.

— Dr. Gene Clerkin, D.C.

Image: "Integrity," by Kris Ralph. Used with her kind permission. See her amazing collection of paintings at http://www.makinwhoopee.com.au/pastels.html


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Garlic and lung cancer

This is a reprint of a guest article Dr. Duke gave me last year. It was posted previously on my blog WaveFunctionCollapse.com.

Garlic and Lung Cancer by Dr. Jim Duke, Ph.D.

I’ve had a deep hacking cough in need of an expectorant this month, and garlic is breaking it up very nicely. I’ve never eaten garlic so many ways — cooked, in my soups and stews and bean dishes, a garlic hot-dog-be-gone (like a hotdog with all the trimmings, onion, garlic, mustard, ketchup, pickle relish, but no hot dog), garlic butter on my garlic toast, garlic/olive oil/chile/vinegrette on my salads, garlic-stuffed olives, cooked garlic seed (which look and taste just like miniature garlic cloves, but you don’t have to dig them. They are close to mouth high here in the Green Farmacy Garden. Almost too hot to eat raw, that heat will open the sinuses, if not threaten an incipient cancer. Seeds are quite pleasant after boiling, when I munch on them, 5-10 an hour. And dangerously, I peeled and swallowed a couple whole, medium-sized cloves, knowing that the herbalists always recommend a clove a day. They slipped down pretty easily. (But don’t you bloggers try this.) I have even strung myself a new garlic necklace, to keep the vampires away, if not anthrax and cancer. (I have evidence that it works against all three.)

With Peter Jennings expiring due to lung cancer this month and Dana Reeve coming out of the lung cancer closet, ex-smokers are seeking advice on how they might improve their odds against this quick and dirty killer, lung cancer. It dawned on me as I expired the heat of fresh garlic, that there was no herb better equipped to deliver medicinal power and punch to the lungs. Some garlic chemicals are expired within just a few minutes after ingestion. They can even be detected in the breath of nursing babies whose mothers ingested garlic. I have a 52-page printout of the hundreds of herbs that have folkloric anticancer reputations, and, like a Gatesian magician, my computer has moved the most important of these hundreds of herbs to the top of the 52 pages. And voila, what I would call a dynamic duo of superstar herbs, garlic and green tea. I’d take both if I were genetically or environmentally targetted for lung cancer. And to further improve my luck I’d enjoy three brazilnuts a day to get that chemopreventive 200 micrograms of selenium.

I’ll just talk about the Biblical garlic today, thinking that among those 95% of Americans who pray when ill, thousands may be ex-smokers wishing they had never smoked. But if they believe that the garlic can help them, as prayer can help them, then they have two things going for them. And in this battle you need as many helpers as you can enlist. There are many other reasons that I suggest garlic. Many of its active compounds are moved thru the bloodstream to the lungs, thus getting some anticancer activity to the lungs. Additionally garlic has over a dozen immune stimulant compounds. In a great book by Koch and Lawson [Garlic — The Science and Therapeutic Application of Allium sativum L. and Related Species. 2nd Ed. 1996], we read of clinical trials whereby those who ate raw garlic doubled the immune natural killer cell activity. Diallyl sulfide significantly improved the ability of the macrophages to fight tumor cells. Koch and Lawson also recite epidemiological studies indicating that those people who consume the most garlic and onion have the fewest cancers. And pre-echoing what my Nicobase said above, Koch and Lawson say "The consumption of black or green tea,, as well as of garlic, is known to be a culinary practice which inhibits tumorigenesis in the lung, forestomach and esophagus" (p. 176). At that time they reported only one clinical trial of garlic with cancer, and it was positive though basd on injections. I’m talking food pharmacy. Remember many of the chemicals in ingested garlic go to the lungs for excretion in the breath. I failed when I went to PubMed and searched for clinical trials on lung cancer and garlic.

But again I did find this quote in one of the two abstracts that surfaced. "Among the numerous other compounds and dietary substances purported to have chemopreventive effect, soybeans, garlic, and green tea stand out as having the greatest promise and can freely be recommended to patients." (Kamat and Lamm, 2002 PubMed 12109342). Urge your congressman to urge a mandated garlic arm in future clinical trials of pharmaceuticals for lung-cancer. Garlic is a cocktail of anticancer phytochemcials, dozens of them, some of which may have just the activities needed to turn incipient or developing cancers around.

Chang, HP et al (2005) suggest that garlic oil's anticarcinogenic activities may be due to (1)antioxidant activity; (2)induction of apoptosis; (3)inhibition of DNA-adduct formation; (4)modulation of immune function and/or (5)modulation of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzyme activities. There are dozens of other phytochemical reasons. For several other useful phytochemical activities in whole garlic, consult the multiple-activity-menu site at the USDA http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/dev/all.html . You’ll be overwhelmed by the 19-page printout you’ll get. I'll not include it in this blog, but I am willing to e-mail it to bloggers who’d like a copy. I’m convinced that this Biblical herb, so well remembered during the desparate desert ordeal, should be clinically tried in the desparate ordeal of lung cancer.

Response to Wall Street Journal's anti-natural op-ed piece 'No Alternative'

Alternative Med: Second Opinion

By Neil E. Levin, CCN, DANLA

The op-ed piece on August 7 titled “No Alternative” leaves me with no alternative but to critique the selective facts presented. That article does not accurately represent the facts involved in these studies.

The author begins by claiming that rigorous assessments of glucosamine and saw palmetto “failed to show clinical efficacy.” That statement is so over-generalized that it is demonstrably untrue.

In the case of glucosamine, long term studies have shown that it helps to prevent narrowing of the spaces between joint structures. This is an important clinical determination of whether or not a joint is disintegrating or maintaining its cushioning structures. I have been told by leading physicians at Northwestern University’s Medical Center that glucosamine is an important component of their arthritis protocol for this reason, and the scientific evidence is convincing to these professionals.

In the study cited in the article, the author was incorrect in saying that “there was no statistical benefit” for glucosamine. The actual study did note a statistically significant benefit, saying, “For patients with moderate-to-severe pain at baseline, the rate of response was significantly higher with combined therapy (glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate) than with placebo...” In other words, the supplements were effective for those with the worst arthritis pain! This was only a 24 week trial, and although longer term studies show that maintaining joint structure distances is not directly related to reducing joint pain, in this study glucosamine and chondroitin did help those suffering the most from arthritis pain. Other studies have shown the long term joint structure protection for patients given glucosamine.

Another study was cited as proof that the herb Saw Palmetto “failed to show clinical efficacy”. That is not an accurate statement, as the herb was used only on those with more severe forms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), while it has historically only been used on milder forms. One study testing a dietary supplement on the sickest patients, when the herb has not even been previously thought to work on severe cases, is not in any way representative of the body of science that has found this herb to be successful in mild cases of BPH.

Yet another example given was of the herb St. John’s wort. Yes, it was not successful against major depression, a use which no one had ever claimed. The previous science successfully used the herb against mild depression. More telling, a prescription drug –tested and officially approved for use against depression – was equally ineffective against major depression, a fact that was curiously absent in the article, implying a pro-pharmaceutical bias combined with a bias against dietary supplements and other alternative modalities. The study went far beyond known uses of either of these therapies, and no one should use the results as “proof” that the herb (or the drug) is ineffective for typical uses. The journal American Family Physician reviewed the medical literature and reported, “St. John's wort has been found to be superior to placebo and equivalent to standard antidepressants for the treatment of mild to moderate depression.”

I find the unrepresentative samples of negative data used in the article to be extremely misleading, creating a false impression that natural products never work. It calls into question the objectivity of the author that there is no appropriate context to these few examples, and that large bodies of science are ignored in order to make his point. That is unscientific, not the tens of thousands of published studies on nutrition, dietary supplements and complementary medicine that were too unimportant to mention.

It would be unfortunate if people do not consider the well-documented uses of alternative medicine and instead believe that the magic of conventional medicine can cure all. The good doctors at Northwestern are enlightened enough to endorse a science-based complementary care model that seems to work. I urge the Journal’s readers to check the facts for themselves before accepting this prescription for ignorance. Get a second opinion.

www.honestnutrition.com

REFERENCES:

Clegg DO, et al. Glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and the two in combination for painful knee osteoarthritis. N Engl J Med. 2006 Feb 23;354(8):795-808. PMID: 16495392

Rovati LC, et al. Assessment of joint space narrowing with conventional standing antero-posterior radiographs: relief in mild-to-moderate pain is not a confounder in recent osteoarthritis structure-modifying drug trials. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2006;14 Suppl A:A14-8. Epub 2006 May 5. PMID: 16678450

Pavelka K, et al. Glucosamine sulfate use and delay of progression of knee osteoarthritis: a 3-year, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. Arch Intern Med. 2002 Oct 14;162(18):2113-23. PMID: 12374520

McAlindon TE, et al. Glucosamine and chondroitin for treatment of osteoarthritis: a systematic quality assessment and meta-analysis. JAMA. 2000 Mar 15;283(11):1469-75. Review. PMID: 10732937

Wilt T, et al. Serenoa repens for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2002;(3):CD001423. Review. PMID: 12137626

Bent S, et al. Saw palmetto for benign prostatic hyperplasia. N Engl J Med. 2006 Feb 9;354(6):557-66. PMID: 16467543

Fong YK, et al. Role of phytotherapy in men with lower urinary tract symptoms. Curr Opin Urol. 2005 Jan;15(1):45-8. Review. PMID: 15586030

Wilt TJ, et al. Phytotherapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Public Health Nutr. 2000 Dec;3(4A):459-72. PMID: 11276294

Wilt TJ, et al. Saw palmetto extracts for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a systematic review. JAMA. 1998 Nov 11;280(18):1604-9. Erratum in: JAMA 1999 Feb 10;281(6):515. PMID: 9820264

Szegedi A, et al. Acute treatment of moderate to severe depression with hypericum extract WS 5570 (St John's wort): randomised controlled double blind non-inferiority trial versus paroxetine. BMJ. 2005 Mar 5;330(7490):503. Epub 2005 Feb 11. Erratum in: BMJ. 2005 Apr 2;330(7494):759. dosage error in text. PMID: 15708844

Lecrubier Y, et al. Efficacy of St. John's wort extract WS 5570 in major depression: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Am J Psychiatry. 2002 Aug;159(8):1361-6. PMID: 12153829

Kasper S, et al. Superior efficacy of St Johns wort extract WS(R) 5570 compared to placebo in patients with major depression: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center trial [ISRCTN77277298]. BMC Med. 2006 Jun 23;4(1):14 [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 16796730

Schulz V. Safety of St. John's Wort extract compared to synthetic antidepressants. Phytomedicine. 2006 Feb;13(3):199-204. Epub 2005 Nov 2. Review. PMID: 16428030

Lawvere S, Mahoney MC. St. John's wort. Am Fam Physician. 2005 Dec 1;72(11):2249-54. Review. PMID: 16342849

Drinking coffee cuts alcohol's harmful effects

One cup of coffee a day cuts the risk of alcoholic cirrhosis by 20 percent, and four cups per day reduced the risk by 80 percent, a large-scale study just completed suggests.

The study of more than 125,000 does not offer any reasons why this is true. It is unclear if the benefits are from caffeine or from some other ingredients in the coffee.

Cirrhosis is an irreversible scarring of the liver that stops or slows the organ’s ability to filter toxins from the blood. Heavy use of alcohol, hepatitis C and some inherited diseases can also cause cirrhosis.

Thee study found coffee did not protect the liver against those other causes of scarring. And it found that drinking tea did not reduce the risk of cirrhosis, discounting the possibility that caffeine is the active chemical giving the benefit.

Pour yourself another cup of coffee and read the entire article.

Medicine | Health | Alternative Health | Herb | Coffee | Alcohol Abuse | Cirrhosis | lilver+damageHerbBlurbs.com | AltHealthNews.com | HerbShop.com

Microscope photograph of folic acid

Back in 2001, Michael W. Davidson and The Florida State University granted HerbShop.com permission to showcase their exquisite photos of vitamins and foodstuffs taken with a microscope.

The design of the HerbShop.com website is being updated, and there may not be a proper area to highlight these wonderful photographs. Therefore, from time to time we'll be posting a photo or two here at HerbBlurbs.com.

Pictured is folic acid.

Folic Acid (folacin)

• U.S. RDA: 0.2 mg., 0.4 mg., 0.8 mg.
  
• Solubility: Water
  
• Food Sources: Root vegetables, tuna, milk and milk products, organ meats, oysters, salmon, leafy green vegetables, brewer's yeast, whole grains
  
• Deficiency Symptoms: Gastrointestinal disorders, B-12 deficiency, anemia, retarded growth, graying hair
  
• Importance: Necessary for growth and division of cells; formation of red blood cells; reproduction and growth; good for glands and liver
  
• Inhibits Absorption: Stress, alcohol, coffee, tobacco
  
• Enhances Absorption: Pantothenic acid, C, B-12, B-complex, biotin

Order Folic Acid from HerbShop.com.

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Grapefruit scent makes women seem younger to men

This story was first published nearly a year ago, so you may already be looking 12 months older....

Grapefruit May Make Women Seem Younger

By Associated Press
posted: 20 June, 2005
12:15pm ET

In June, 2005, the AP published a story saying that recent research had shown that the scent of grapefruit on women make them seem younger to men — about six years younger. However, a grapefruit fragrance on men does nothing for them.

The Smell and Taste Institute in Chicago conducted the study to determine what makes a women smell young — but not too young, like pink bubble gum.

Several middle-aged woman with broccoli, banana, spearmint leaves, and lavender but none of those scents made a difference to the men.

The scent of grapefruit, however, remarkably changed men's perceptions. When male volunteers were asked to write down how old the woman with grapefruit odor was, the age was considerably less than the women's actual ages.

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High-quality, natural grapefruit essential oil is available from HerbShop.com at a great low price.

Medicine | Health | Alternative Health | Grapefruit | Scent | Research | Ageing | HerbBlurbs.com | AltHealthNews.com | HerbShop.com

Uses and Efficacy of Milk Thistle

The following is an email I received from my friend Elwood Richard, founder of NOW Foods, which in turn is an article by American Botanical Council's Mark Blumenthal.

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This article is lengthy, but does answer questions raised about the safety and efficacy of milk thistle.

El Richard

"ABC Clarifies Recent Meta-analysis of Milk Thistle Clinical Trials" by Mark Blumenthal

In early January the American Botanical Council received numerous requests from members for a response to a recently-published meta-analysis of milk thistle clinical trials. This popular herbal dietary supplement, the study concluded, is ineffective for various disorders of the liver. ABC issued a Media Alert to select Sponsor Members, the contents of which are contained in this article. (1)

A review and meta-analysis of 13 clinical trials (11 published and two conference abstracts) on the concentrated and standardized extract of milk thistle seed (Silybum marianum) was published December 2005 in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. (2)

Milk thistle extract (MTE) is a popular herbal dietary supplement in the U.S., used primarily for its reputed beneficial effect on the liver. In 2004 MTE was the 10th largest-selling herbal dietary supplement in mainstream retail markets. (3)

ABC and some of its scientific colleagues and medical advisors reviewed the paper and found anomalies in its contents. ABC also noted that there are discrepancies in the published analysis and the publicity from the journal's publisher.

First, ABC emphasized that the published meta-analysis concluded that MTE is safe and was well tolerated in the clinical trials of various durations. Second, the ABC review determined that the conclusion questioning MTE's efficacy is based primarily on the results of only one of the 13 trials reviewed by the paper's authors. At least two or the four authors have previously conducted systematic reviews of the literature on MTE; thus they appear quite familiar with the clinical and pharmacological literature on MTE.

Safety Obfuscated

A press release from Blackwell Publishing (4), publisher of the American Journal of Gastroenterology, resulted in a short Reuters news report (5) and other brief articles on various websites, although to date (January 26) this article does not appear to have been reported in other major media.

Despite numerous positive statements made by the authors in the original paper about the safety and efficacy of MTE, the press release from Blackwell Publishers focuses primarily on the negative. The press release quotes Dr. Christian Gluud of the Copenhagen Trial Unit, Center for Clinical Intervention Research at the Copenhagen University Hospital, one of the study's authors, as saying, "The ironic fact is that even though milk thistle and milk thistle extracts have been widely examined, we are still not in a situation where we can exclude a potential beneficial or harmful effect."

Dr. Gluud's equivocation about the safety of MTE in the press release is directly at odds with the results of the paper itself where several statements regarding the lack of adverse effects of MTE are made. For example, the authors write, "...among the randomized clinical trials reporting adverse drug events, MT appeared safe and well tolerated." (2)

Commenting on the meta-analysis, ABC Advisory Board member Mary Hardy, MD, the former associate director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, stated, "This meta-analysis did not show that MTE had significant adverse events, nor did it increase all-cause mortality in the majority of trials." [Hardy M. Personal communication to M. Blumenthal (e-mail), Jan. 6, 2006.]

Using authoritative reviewers, ABC previously published an extensive Safety Assessment Report on MT. (6) This report found what most other authoritative reviewers have concluded: the safety of MTE is well established in extensive animal testing and human clinical trials, as well as a significant level of use in Germany and other parts of Europe where adverse events, if they occur, would have been reported to health authorities as part of the normal practice of pharmacovigilance for nonprescription medications. (ABC Sponsor Members and others are invited to contact ABC for information about licensing the MT Safety Assessment Report for labeling or use as educational content on websites.)

Efficacy Questions

"The methodology employed in this meta-analysis is sound," noted Dr. Hardy, "but, like all meta-analyses, it is limited by the material in the review. The medical conditions examined are widely varied — everything from alcoholic liver disease (primarily what appears to be end-stage cirrhosis) to steatosis (accumulation of fatty tissue in an organ) to viral disease (both Hepatitis B and C).These diseases have different etiologies [sources] and lots of confounding variables, such as whether or not patients stop drinking alcohol."

The primary outcome measured was all-cause mortality — a difficult variable to test in trials as short as 6 months (the average length of treatment for the pooled studies) and which generally requires studies with a large number of subjects to show a difference.

There were only enough trials to make a comment in alcoholic liver disease (e.g., "Liver-related mortality was significantly reduced [emphasis added] by MT in ALL trials."). Dr. Hardy notes that "almost all of the deaths occur in only two studies. We don't have adequate details about the patients in these trials to comment about why so many deaths were reported here (were the patients more severely ill, still drinking, etc.?)."

Dr. Hardy added, "The more specific outcome, death related to liver disease, reportedly shows that MTE is protective if all trials are taken into account. The conclusion that this meta-analysis arrives at 'based on high quality trials, MT does not seem to significantly influence the course of patients with Alcoholic and/or Hepatitis B or C liver disease.' is therefore based on ONE article. Many of these patients also had Hepatitis C antibodies and may have been sicker."

Dr. Hardy also noted that the methodological quality of the trials reviewed were fair, especially since many of these were relatively older trials. She summarized her thoughts on this meta-analysis as follows: "The meta-analysis employs a good methodology, but the primary outcome variable would be difficult to assess with this set of trials, and, in fact, the main negative conclusion ends up resting on the results of one trial. A second trial, which is smaller, older and of somewhat less quality, shows a benefit for MTE. Further, including all trials again shows a benefit for the more specific outcome, mortality related to liver disease. Also, the average duration of treatment is short for a mortality trial. Therefore, the authors' conclusion about the efficacy of MTE needs to be viewed with qualifications." It should be noted that the quality of some of the studies is relatively poor and additional studies, especially in the area of viral hepatitis, may be warranted.

Other Considerations about Milk Thistle

MT has a long history of safe use in traditional folk medicine as an herbal remedy for the liver. There are an impressive number of experimental and animal pharmacology research studies, plus the body of clinical trial data, that suggest a positive benefit of MTE on liver function. The totality of all this evidence suggests the efficacy of MTE for various applications related to liver function. For example, the ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs reviews 21 clinical trials, most of which show some positive results for liver-related disorders. (7) In addition, the German government's Commission E reviewed the available literature on MT and concluded that it is safe and effective for "toxic liver damage and for supportive [i.e., adjunct, not primary] treatment in chronic inflammatory liver disease and hepatic cirrhosis." (8)

Additional therapeutic monographs have been published by the World Health Organization (9), recognizing the therapeutic value of MTE. The bulk of scientific evidence shows that MTE concentrated extract is safely tolerated in both animals and humans; MTE extract has demonstrated strong antioxidant effects; MTE extract increases RNA synthesis in helping to create new hepatocytes, i.e., helping to rebuild the liver tissue. (7,8) In fact, the authors of the meta-analysis write, "...we found that MT significantly improved two liver biochemical variables, s-bilirubin and GGT." (2) Further, several recent clinical trials have attempted to determine whether MTE produces any adverse drug interactions; the clinical literature to date has shown that no interactions are known, (10, 11) and in one trial, MTE actually had a beneficial effect on a hepatotoxic psychopharmaceutical drug. (12)

In summary, in view of the preponderance of scientific and medical evidence it is the view of ABC and its advisors that some of the conclusions of the meta-analysis are flawed and have been misinterpreted and misreported in subsequent media reports.

References

1. Blumenthal M. ABC Clarifies Recent Meta-analysis of Milk Thistle Clinical Trials. Media Alert. American Botanical Council, Jan. 11, 2006.
2. Rambaldi A, Jacobs BP, Iaquinto G, Gluud C. Milk Thistle for alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C diseases - A systematic Cochrane hepato-biliary group review with meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials. Am J Gastroenterol. 2005;100:2583-2591.
3. Blumenthal M. Herb sales down 7.4 percent in mainstream market: garlic is top-selling herb; herb combinations see increase. HerbalGram. 2005; 66:63.
4. Anon. Common Alternative Treatment for Liver Disease is Found to be Ineffective [press release]. Blackwell Publishing, Dec. 14, 2005.
5. Harding A. Milk thistle ineffective for liver disease. Reuters, Dec. 26, 2005.
6. Milk Thistle Safety Assessment Report. Austin, TX: American Botanical Council; 2004.
7. Blumenthal M, Hall T, Goldberg A, Kunz T, Dinda K, Brinckmann J, et al, eds. The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs. Austin, TX: American Botanical Council; 2003.
8. Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckmann J, eds. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Austin, TX: American Botanical Council; Newton, MA: Integrative Medicine Communications; 2000.
9. Fructus Silybi Mariae. World Health Organization Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants. Volume 2. Geneva: WHO; 2002.
10. Mills E, Wilson K, Clarke M, et al. Milk thistle and indinavir: a randomized controlled pharmacokinetics study and meta-analysis. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2005;61:1-7
11. DiCenzo R, Shelton M, Jordan K, et al. Co-administration of milk thistle and indinavir in healthy subjects. Pharmacother. 2003;23(7):866-870.
12. Palasciano G, Portinacasa P, Palmieri V, et al. The effect of silymarin on plasma levelsof malondialdehyde in patients receiving long-term treatment with psychotropic drugs. Curr Therapeut Res. 1994; 55(5):537-545.

American Botanical Council, 6200 Manor Rd, Austin, TX 78723
Phone: 512-926-4900 | Fax: 512-926-2345
Website: www.herbalgram.org | Email: abc@herbalgram.org

The information on this site is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified healthcare professional. The American Botanical Council does not endorse or test products, nor does it verify the content or claims made, either implicit or explicit. ABC does not accept responsibility for the consequences of the use of this information or its most up-to-date accuracy. ABC is a nonprofit, tax-exempt research and education organization under IRS section 501(c)(3). All text, images and content Copyright (c) 2005 American Botanical Council, unless otherwise noted.

American Botanical Council, 6200 Manor Rd, Austin, TX 78723
Phone: (512) 926-4900 | Fax: (512) 926-2345 | Email: abc@herbalgram.org

Medicine | Health | Alternative Health | Milk Thistle | Herb | Herbs | Liver | HerbBlurbs.com | AltHealthNews.com | HerbShop.com

Can the natural hormone progesterone help prevent lung cancer?

Lung cancer affects women with almost as much frequency as it does men, and it seems more non-smoker women may end up with lung cancer than non-smoker men.

Nearly 72,000 American women will die of lung cancer this year. That's more than are killed by breast, ovarian, uterine and cervical cancers combined.

Men's lung cancer rates have been steadily falling since 1991. Women's rates have stayed the same.

Why?

Dr. Kathy Albain, a lung cancer specialist at Loyola University Health System, and University of Pittsburgh pharmacologist Jill Siegfried, a pioneer in the field, think they know the answer.

Estrogen.

These researchers believe estrogen may act as a fuel for lung tumors just like it does for many breast tumors, and that blocking estrogen with the same drugs that breast cancer patients use might also work in the lungs.

An alternative to drugs to reduce unchecked estrogens in a woman's body may be as simple as rubbing a cream containing progesterone onto her skin. Progesterone is the "other" sex hormone, the one that men and women both share.

Research has shown that many estrogen-caused diseases in women may be slowed or eliminated with a progesterone regimen.

I've personally seen dozens of women find benefit in using a progesterone cream to stop insomnia, night sweats, moodiness and other PMS and menopause symptoms, as well as to balance blood sugar irregularities.

Progesterone cream should be purchased in a tube, not a jar, as excess air and light may cause the naturally-occuring hormone to break down prematurely. Progesterone cream is available over-the-counter without a prescription.

Medicine | Health | Alternative Health | Lung Cancer | Sex Hormones | Estrogen | Progesterone | HerbBlurbs.com | AltHealthNews.com

Prevent breast and ovarian cancer with soy, fruits, and green tea, say new studies

Soybeans, fruits and green tea contain powerful antioxidants that help reduce a woman's risk for breast and ovarian cancer, according to studies presented at this week's annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Also it's now "official": Vitamin D lowers risks for these cancers.

As expected, because it's SO typical, cancer doctors tried to downplay the results of the studies: "None of the four studies warrant a public health change," Dr. Rowan Chlebowski, a medial oncologist at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, Calif.

Read more....

Medicine | Health | Alternative Health | Fruits | Soy | Green Tea | Nutrition | Vitamin D | HerbBlurbs.com | AltHealthNews.com

Chili peppers kill prostate cancer

A recent article in the U.S. medical journal Cancer Research reports that capsaicin, the ingredient in hot chili peppers — habanero and jalapeno — that makes them hot, kills up to 80% of prostate cancer cells, and that tumors treated with capsaicin were smaller than those not so treated, the BBC reports.

Said Dr. Soren Lehmann, who led the study: "Capsaicin had a profound anti-proliferative effect on human prostate cancer cells in culture. It also dramatically slowed the development of prostate tumours."

Yet, believe it or not, the "Prostate Cancer Charity" in the UK responded to the news by saying, "...we caution men with prostate cancer in the UK against upping their weekly intake of the hottest known chilis."

Chris Hiley, head of policy and research at The Prostate Cancer Charity, added: "...For now, if men with prostate cancer want to improve their diet they should avoid fatty foods, eat less red and processed meat, increase their fish intake and enjoy a wide and plentiful range of fruit and vegetables every day."

Why? Because there is no "approved drug" made from capsaicin. It's just more proof that the medical profession doesn't want you well. They want you just sick enough that you have to take their overpriced and often dangerous medicines.

Think I'm exaggerating? Here's more from Hiley: ""This is interesting laboratory-based work on cells but we don't yet know how, if at all, it might help men with prostate cancer. Eventually, it may be possible to extract the capsaicin and make it available as a drug treatment. But for now... [insert quote from two paragraphs up].

The industry doesn't want you visiting your local herb shop for a $10 bottle of capsicum / capsaicin / pepper pills, or growing your own hot peppers in your garden. They want you hooked on $200 a month pharmaceuticals.

Prostate Cancer | Hot Pepper | Jalapeno | Habanero | Capsaicin | Capsicum | HerbBlurbs.com | AltHealthNews.com

Demonization of kava kava continues

Do-gooders are now blaming unemployment and "lazyness" among aboriginal Australians on the use of the relaxing herb kava kava.

Though tribal leaders say alcohol and hard drugs are much more serious problems among the aborigines, reformers are using buzzwords such as "dangerous" and "dreadful problem" in discussing kava kava.

"The impact of kava on some communities is similar to alcohol and drugs," a government health adviser says. "People feel dispossessed, are unemployed, have a lack of education and look to substances to occupy themselves. It affects our young people mentally and physically."

Is he saying kava is the problem, or that the rampant depression over unemployment and lack of education lead people to use kava as a means of temporary escape? I guess they'd rather people face up to their horrible poverty with a clear mind.

Australia | Aborigines | Herbalism | Societal Problems | Kava | Alcohol Abuse | HerbBlurbs.com | AltHealthNews.com