Green spaces ‘improve health’

BBC News

Friday, October 16, 2009

Research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health says the impact is particularly noticeable in reducing rates of mental ill health.

The annual rates of 15 out of 24 major physical diseases were also significantly lower among those living closer to green spaces.

One environmental expert said the study confirmed that green spaces create ‘oases’ of improved health around them.

The researchers from the VU University Medical Centre in Amsterdam looked at the health records of 350,000 people registered with 195 family doctors across the Netherlands.

Only people who had been registered with their GP for longer than 12 months were included because the study assumed this was the minimum amount of time people would have to live in an environment before any effect of it would be noticeable.

Health impact

The percentages of green space within a one and three kilometre (0.62 and 1.86 miles) radius of their home were calculated using their postcode.

On average, green space accounted for 42% of the residential area within one kilometre (0.62 miles) radius and almost 61% within a three kilometre (1.86 miles) radius of people’s homes.

And the annual rates for 24 diseases in 7 different categories were calculated.

The health benefits for most of the diseases were only seen when the greenery was within a one kilometre ( 0.62 miles ) radius of the home.

The exceptions to this were anxiety disorders, infectious diseases of the digestive system and medically unexplained physical symptoms which were seen to benefit even when the green spaces were within three kilometres of the home.

The biggest impact was on anxiety disorders and depression.

Anxiety disorders

The annual prevalence of anxiety disorders for those living in a residential area containing 10% of green space within a one kilometre (0.62 miles) radius of their home was 26 per 1000 whereas for those living in an area containing 90% of green space it was 18 per 1000.

For depression the rates were 32 per 1000 for the people in the more built up areas and 24 per 1000 for those in the greener areas.

The researchers also showed that this relation was strongest for children younger than 12.

They were 21% less likely to suffer from depression in the greener areas.

Two unexpected findings were that the greener spaces did not show benefits for high blood pressure and that the relation appeared stronger for people aged 46 to 65 than for the elderly.

The researchers think the green spaces help recovery from stress and offer greater opportunities for social contacts.

They say the free physical exercise and better air quality could also contribute.

Dr Jolanda Maas of the VU University Medical Centre in Amsterdam, said: “It clearly shows that green spaces are not just a luxury but they relate directly to diseases and the way people feel in their living environments.”

“Most of the diseases which are related to green spaces are diseases which are highly prevalent and costly to treat so policy makers need to realise that this is something they may be able to diminish with green spaces.”

Professor Barbara Maher of the Lancaster Environment Centre said the study confirmed that green spaces create oases of improved health around them especially for children.

She said: “At least part of this ‘oasis’ effect probably reflects changes in air quality.

“Anything that reduces our exposure to the modern-day ‘cocktail’ of atmospheric pollutants has got to be a good thing.”

Farmers plant hemp on DEA’s front lawn

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Thursday, October 15, 2009

GM Soy Herbicide Linked to Birth Defects

Natural News
David Gutierrez
Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The active ingredient of the popular herbicide Roundup, widely used on lawns and genetically modified (GM) crops worldwide, causes birth defects of the brain, heart and intestines even in minuscule doses, Argentinean researchers have found.

“The observed deformations are consistent and systematic,” said lead researcher Andres Carrasco, director of the Laboratory of Molecular Embryology at the University of Buenos Aires.

Argentina is the world’s third largest exporter of soy, planting nearly 17 million hectares (42 million acres), or half of the country’s cropland. Much of this soy has been genetically modified by the Monsanto Corporation to be resistant to the company’s trademark herbicide, Roundup. As a consequence, massive quantities of Roundup are sprayed over soy fields across the country. In many cases, the herbicide is sprayed from the air and may drift over nearby communities or enter their water supplies.

Approximately 200 million liters (53 million gallons) of Roundup are used in Argentina each year.

The new study, conducted by the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), was ordered by the Argentinean Health Ministry in response to complaints filed before federal courts over the health effects of widespread herbicide spraying. For the past five years, a wide coalition of environmental and rights groups have pointed to significantly higher rates of birth defects, cancer, lupus, and diseases of the kidney, skin and respiratory systems in communities located near field of GM soy. Most recently, the nonprofit Rural Reflection Group (GRR) published a paper containing reports of health effects from rural doctors, residents and experts.

The group has called for a ban on the use of Roundup in accordance with the precautionary principle.

In the first phase of the CONICET study, researchers diluted Roundup’s active ingredient, glyphosate, to a strength 1,500 times less than that used on GM soy crops. Other than water, no ingredients were added. The researchers then submerged amphibian embryos into this glyphosate solution, finding that the embryos consistently developed into animals with deformed heads.

In the second phase, researchers injected embryos directly with the diluted glyphosate solution. In addition to head deformity, the researchers observed reduced head size, increased death of skull-forming cells, deformed cartilage and genetic changes to the animals’ central nervous system, on a much larger scale than in the first part of the study.

“One should be able to suppose, with certainty, that the same thing that happens to amphibian embryos can happen to humans,” Carrasco said, noting that the observed results were “completely comparable to what would happen in the development of a human embryo.”

“Pure glyphosate, in doses lower than those used in fumigation, causes defects … (and) could be interfering in some normal embryonic development mechanism having to do with the way in which cells divide and die,” he said. Because the researchers deliberately excluded any of the additives that are also found in Roundup, they concluded that the herbicide’s active ingredient was definitely to blame for the effects.

Because the levels of glyphosate used “were much lower than the levels used in the fumigations,” the risk in real life “is much more serious” than that seen in the lab, Carrasco said.

“The companies say that drinking a glass of glyphosate is healthier than drinking a glass of milk, but the fact is that they’ve used us as guinea pigs,” Carrasco said.

“It is clear that glyphosate is not innocuous and that it does not degrade or break down, but accumulates in cells.”

Carrasco called for immediate government action, pointing to the fate of communities such as Ituzaingo, where approximately 300 cases of pesticide-related cancer have been reported in the last eight years.

“In communities like Ituzaingo it’s already too late,” he said, “but we have to have a preventive system, to demand that the companies give us security frameworks and, above all, to have very strict regulations for fumigation, which nobody is adhering to out of ignorance or greed.”

Astragalus “super herb” protects, supports immune system function

Natural News
Mike Adams
Monday, October 12, 2009

Astragalus has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for literally thousands of years. Today, in the western world, it’s being rediscovered as a powerful adaptogenic herb with a remarkable ability to balance and boost immune function. With more and more people concerned about immune function today — especially with the swine flu pandemic on peoples’ minds — ancient herbs like astragalus are experiencing a resurgence in interest.

Here, we present a unique collection of supporting research quotes about astragalus and how it protects and enhances the immune system. Feel free to forward this information to friends, family members or coworkers who may benefit from it.

Astragalus and the immune system
One of the best known herbs used in Chinese medicine, astragalus strengthens the digestion and stimulates the immune system. It also aids adrenal gland function, acts as a diuretic and dilates blood vessels. Astragalus can be used to boost the immune system in people who frequently suffer from infections such as colds. It can also be used in convalescence and to aid in cancer treatment and recovery from chemotherapy. Astragalus should not be used in cases of acute infections or fevers.
- The New Encyclopedia of Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements and Herbs by Nicola Reavley

Astragalus is one of the best-researched immune system stimulants now available. It works like echinacea, in that both herbs increase the number and activity of immune cells. However, astragalus concentrates on building the immune system, and unlike echinacea, it can be taken on a daily basis. Echinacea boosts immune system activity and promotes fast recovery, especially when taken at the onset of symptoms. The most potent formulas have a peculiar tingling and numbing effect on the tongue.
- The Complete Encyclopedia of Natural Healing: A Comprehensive A-Z Listing of Common and Chronic Illnesses and Their Proven Natural Treatments by Gary Null, Ph.D.

Astragalus is another ancient Chinese herb that is frequently combined with ginseng to strengthen the body’s natural defenses, namely, the immune system. Astragalus has also shown some vasodilatory as well as anti-inflammatory action. Its anti-inflammatory effects occur, it seems, because it inhibits the release of histamines from mast cells. Quercetin, a polyphenol, works the same way. Consequently, astragalus could help relieve hay fever and other allergic conditions. I have personally used astragalus as a remedy for my seasonal hay fever.
- Optimum Health – A Cardiologist’s Prescription for Optimum Health by Stephen T., M.D. Sinatra

Examples of popular adaptogenic herbs include astragalus, panax ginseng, Siberian ginseng, lonicera, and glycyrrhiza, also known as licorice root. The herb astragalus has been researched thoroughly and is available from an abundance of sources. Studies have revealed that astragalus is quite effective in enhancing immune function and can be used to treat a wide variety of illnesses, ranging from the common cold to cancer. Instead of directly attacking infectious organisms, astragalus aids the body by fortifying the existing immune system.
- The Complete Encyclopedia of Natural Healing: A Comprehensive A-Z Listing of Common and Chronic Illnesses and Their Proven Natural Treatments by Gary Null, Ph.D.

The immune-building and adaptogenic effects of astragalus have been studied extensively. Modern research has isolated the constituents in astragalus that are believed to be responsible for its effectiveness. Two types of chemical compounds found in astragalus, polysaccharides and saponins, are credited with many of the herb’s benefits. But traditional herbalists believe there may be dozens of other active, synergistic, or supportive components. Astragalus heightens the efficiency of virtually every component of the immune system.
- Herbal Defense by Robyn Landis

Another traditional energy tonic, astragalus strengthens the immune system and is good for both digestion and lung function. Sometimes this root is available in bulk in health food stores – long and flat, it looks like a tongue depressor. These sticks can be added to soups, stews, rice, or any food that simmers for at least 30 minutes. When cooking is complete, remove the wilted stick and discard. The medicine has gone into your food! Astragalus has a neutral, somewhat pleasant taste.
- The Herbal Drugstore by Linda B. White, M.D.

Astragalus was originally used in China for a variety of reasons including immune system support, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Dr. Mauligit of Texas University found it helped to restore immune function in cancer patients. Astragalus helps to invigorate vital energy, drain pus, reduce swelling and strengthen the spleen. It is helpful for lingering diarrhea. It has been shown to augment interferon response to viruses.
- Powerful and Unusual Herbs From the Amazon and China by World Preservation Society

Astragalus is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb used for viral infections. Research in animals has shown that it apparently works by stimulating several factors of the immune system, particularly in those whose immune system has been damaged by chemicals or radiation. In immunodepressed mice, Astragalus has been found to reverse the T cell abnormalities caused by cyclophosphamide (a cancer drug), radiation, and aging. It also increases T cell activity in normal mice.
- Total Wellness: Improve Your Health by Understanding and Cooperating with Your Body’s Natural Healing Systems by Joseph Nd Pizzorno

Astragalus (Huang chi root) in Chinese medicine, is known to strengthen the body’s natural defenses that involve the immune system. It is one of the main herbs used in fu-zheng therapy to enhance the immune system during chemo and radiation therapy. It seems to increase not only interferon levels but also natural killer-cell and T-cell activity. It also makes the T-cells more aggressive. Astragalus has been shown to have liver-protective activity against a number of toxic substances, including carbon tetrachloride.
- Herbal Medicine, Healing and Cancer: A Comprehensive Program for Prevention and Treatment by Donald R. Yance, j r.,C.N., M.H., A.H.G., with Arlene Valentine

Research in animals has shown that Astragalus apparently works by stimulating several factors of the immune system, including enhancing phagocytic activity of monocytes and macrophages, increasing interferon production and natural killer cell activity, enhancing T-cell activity, and potentiating other antiviral mechanisms. Astragalus appears particularly useful in cases where the immune system has been damaged by chemicals or radiation. In immunodepressed mice, astragalus has been found to reverse the T-cell abnormalities caused by cyclophosphamide, radiation, and aging.
- Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 1 by Michael T. Murray, ND

In the exotic language of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), astragalus boosts the immune system by “stabilizing the exterior” and strengthening the “chi.” The Chinese knew thousands of years ago that astragalus could strengthen our shield (”exterior”) against disease and increase overall vitality (chi), long before anyone knew about bacteria, white blood cells, or the immune system. You may already be accustomed to taking echinacea at the first sign of a cold or flu, or when people around you are getting sick. How is astragalus different?
- The Encyclopedia of Popular Herbs by Robert S. McCaleb, Evelyn Leigh, and Krista Morien

The effectiveness of astragalus and the fu-zheng treatment was put to the test in a study of cancer patients undertaken at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston in the early 1980s. After giving a specially prepared astragalus extract to 19 cancer patients and 15 healthy people, doctors found that the treatment restored immune system functioning in the majority of the patients. In some cases, it made the cancer patients’ immune systems resemble those of the healthy subjects. The researchers concluded that astragalus contains a potent immune stimulant.
- Nature’s Medicines : From Asthma to Weight Gain, from Colds to High Cholesterol — The Most Powerful All-Natural Cures by Gale Maleskey

They use astragalus to boost immune function during and after radiation or chemotherapy treatments. When cancer invades your body, your immune system naturally weakens. In the advanced stages of the disease or after rounds of chemotherapy or radiation – which are lifesaving but very toxic treatments – your immune system can be devastated.
- Nature’s Medicines : From Asthma to Weight Gain, from Colds to High Cholesterol — The Most Powerful All-Natural Cures by Gale Maleskey

Also known as huang qi, astragalus has been used for centuries by the Chinese to boost energy and vitality. Several studies of the herb have convinced me that it’s an immune system stimulant as well. In fact, it appears to be almost as effective as echinacea. Astragalus helps counteract TRF. And because the herb enhances immunity, it helps treat all manner of infections, which can deplete your energy. But the herb’s effects are subtle, very subtle, so don’t expect a coffee buzz.
- The Green Pharmacy Anti-Aging Prescriptions: Herbs, Foods, and Natural Formulas to Keep You Young by James A. Duke, Ph.D.

To fight infections without stimulating the components of the immune system that aggravate lupus, use astragalus or Scutellaria. Astragalus increases activity of natural killer (NK) cells, which fight infection. For people who are responding well to steroid drugs, taking astragalus reduces the risk of infection, especially when infections are “going around.” Take 500 to 1,000 milligrams of the freeze-dried herb in capsules three times daily. However, be sure to let the doctor know if you are taking astragalus, since it increases the body’s response to steroids.
- Prescription for Herbal Healing: An Easy-to-Use A-Z Reference to Hundreds of Common Disorders and Their Herbal Remedies by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC

Astragalus also is useful in the treatment of viral myocarditis, a flulike infection that affects the heart. Astragalus treats infections caused by Proteus, which can cause kidney stones. Astragalus increases the body’s production of the immune-system chemical interleukin-2 (IL-2). It also releases polysaccharides that act in the same way as important antibodies, complementing their production by the immune system. Chinese studies have found that astragalus increases the activity of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells, an immune-system component.
- Prescription for Herbal Healing: An Easy-to-Use A-Z Reference to Hundreds of Common Disorders and Their Herbal Remedies by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC

Astragalus is known as an immune stimulant. It works by stimulating the body’s production of interferon (antiviral compounds) and by restoring red blood cell formation in bone marrow. Because it stimulates the immune system, astragalus is being used to treat HIV viral infections, pneumonia, and cardiac arrhythmia.
- The Doctor’s Complete Guide to Vitamins and Minerals by Dr. Mary Dan Eades

As with most Chinese herbs, astragalus is generally used in a formula that’s made up of a blend of herbs, and it’s a perfectly good addition to soup or rice. In fact, in China, it’s not uncommon to use astragalus root as a standard ingredient in cooking. There is not a whole lot known about the exact constituents of astragalus that boost the immune system. Large, sugarlike molecules known as polysaccharides probably help to stimulate the “good” immune cells. Astragalus also contains substances called saponins, which have a similar immunity-enhancing effect.
- The Natural Physician’s Healing Therapies by Mark Stengler, N.D.

Preliminary research suggests that astragalus may also have powerful anticancer properties. In a study conducted at the University of Texas Medical Center in Houston, researchers found that a water extraction of astragalus restored or enhanced the function of T-cells (white blood cells that play specific roles in the immune system) taken from people with cancer. In some cases, astragalus stimulated the damaged cells to greater activity than found in normal cells taken from healthy individuals.
- The Encyclopedia of Popular Herbs by Robert S. McCaleb, Evelyn Leigh, and Krista Morien

Anderson Hospital in Houston found that astragalus was able to enhance the immune capacity using the cultured blood of cancer patients as well as augment the anti-tumor ability of Interferon-2. In a study of 176 patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancers of the gastro-intestinal tract, astragalus and ginseng were able to prevent the normal immune depression and weight loss that occurs. In a variety of human studies, astragalus has been shown to stimulate various parameters of the immune system, has anti-tumor activity, and inhibits the spreading (metastasis) of cancer.
- Beating Cancer with Nutrition by Patrick Quillin, PhD,RD,CNS

In addition to general immune strengthening, astragalus offers powerful help when immunity is severely challenged. Clinical studies show astragalus infusion highly effective at improving and restoring T-cell functioning, improving bone marrow activity, and augmenting interferon response. Chinese hospitals give astragalus to strengthen the immune systems of those with cancer, and to protect them from the detrimental effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
- Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way by Susun S. Weed

Vitamin D prevents breast cancer

Natural News
Mike Adams
Friday, Octovber 9, 2009

You’ve heard the good news about vitamin D for years: It’s a “miracle” medicine that reduces cancer rates by 77% according to previous research. It also happens to be a powerful anti-cancer medicine that can both prevent and help reverse breast cancer.

Yet, bewilderingly, the cancer industry still refuses to teach women about vitamin D. Ever wonder why?

Today, we bring you a compilation of expert quotations on vitamin D and breast cancer, cited from some of the most authoritative books and authors in the world. Feel free to share what you learn here with others who may also be suffering from breast cancer.

Vitamin D and breast cancer
Sunlight triggers the formation of vitamin D in the skin, which can be activated in the liver and kidneys into a hormone with great activity. This activated form of vitamin D causes “cellular differentiation” – essentially the opposite of cancer. The following evidence indicates that vitamin D might have a protective role against breast cancer: Synthetic vitamin D-like molecules have prevented the equivalent of breast cancer in animals.
- The Natural Pharmacy: Complete A-Z Reference to Natural Treatments for Common Health Conditions by Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.

Two equally effective sources of vitamin D in humans are derived from plant ergosterol, which is converted to ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) and cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) by the action of sunlight on the skin. The body uses vitamin D3 for normal immune system function, to control cellular growth, and to absorb calcium from the digestive tract. Vitamin D3 can inhibit the growth of malignant melanoma, breast cancer, leukemia, and mammary tumors in laboratory animals. Vitamin D3 can also inhibit angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels that permit the spread of cancer cells through the body.
- Permanent Remissions by Robert Hass, M.S.

There’s surprising new evidence that older women who skimp on foods rich in vitamin D are more likely to develop breast cancer, according to Frank Garland, Ph.D., of the Department of Community and Family Medicine at the University of California at San Diego. This may also help explain fish’s anticancer protection, because fatty fish is packed with vitamin D. Specifically, Dr. Garland finds that dietary vitamin D wards off postmenopausal breast cancer in women over fifty, but not in women who get cancer at younger ages.
- Food Your Miracle Medicine by Jean Carper

In animals fed a high fat diet, which normally would produce a higher incidence of colon cancer, supplements of calcium and vitamin D blocked this carcinogenic effect of the diet. Vitamin D inhibits the growth of breast cancer in culture, and also seems to subdue human breast cancer. Cells from human prostate cancer were put into a “…permanent nonproliferative state”, or shut down the cancer process, by the addition of vitamin D. Human cancer cells have been shown to have receptor sites, or stereo specific “parking spaces” for vitamin D.
- Beating Cancer with Nutrition by Patrick Quillin

Even though vitamin D is one of the most powerful healing chemicals in your body, your body makes it absolutely free. No prescription required. Diseases and conditions caused by vitamin D deficiency: Osteoporosis is commonly caused by a lack of vitamin D, which impairs calcium absorption. Sufficient vitamin D prevents prostate cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, depression, colon cancer, and schizophrenia. “Rickets” is the name of a bone-wasting disease caused by vitamin D deficiency.
- Natural Health Solutions by Mike Adams

George’s Hospital Medical School in London finds local production of vitamin D in breast tissue reduces the risk for breast cancer. For women with low breast tissue levels of vitamin D the risk for breast cancer rose by 354%! This study suggests women sunbathe with breast tissue exposed to the sun to enhance local vitamin D production. The provision of 400 IU of vitamin D per day has been found to reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer by 43%.
- You Don’t Have to be Afraid of Cancer Anymore by Bill Sardi

Taken together, these facts suggest that vitamin D and its derivatives may play a role in regulating the expression of genes and protein products that prevent and inhibit breast cancer. The cancer-stopping power of vitamin D has been documented in osteosarcoma (bone cancer), melanoma, colon cancer, and breast cancer. These cancer cells contain vitamin-D receptors that make them susceptible to the anticancer effects of this vitamin-hormone made by the skin when it is exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D-rich foods include salmon, tuna, fish oils, and vitamin D-fortified milk and breakfast cereals.
- Permanent Remissions by Robert Hass, M.S.

Low levels of vitamin D may also increase the proliferation of white blood cells and may accelerate the arthritic process in rheumatoid arthritis. Vitamin D supplements are likely to be useful in retarding these adverse effects of alterations in metabolism. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to several cancers including those of the colon, prostate and breast. Laboratory experiments show that vitamin D can inhibit the growth of human prostate cancer and breast cancer cells. Lung cancer and pancreatic cancer cells may also be susceptible to the effects of vitamin D.
- The New Encyclopedia of Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements and Herbs by Nicola Reavley

Laboratory experiments show that vitamin D can inhibit the growth of human prostate cancer and breast cancer cells. Lung cancer and pancreatic cancer cells may also be susceptible to the effects of vitamin D. Sunlight also seems to be protective against several types of cancer including ovarian, breast and prostate cancers; and this effect may be mediated by vitamin D levels. Synthetic vitamin D-type compounds are being investigated for their potential as anticancer drugs.
- The New Encyclopedia of Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements and Herbs by Nicola Reavley

If mutations aren’t corrected or if a cell has already undergone malignant transformation, activated vitamin D can team up with other proteins to stimulate programmed death of abnormal cells. This evidence, along with animal studies, suggest that a girl who lacks adequate vitamin D during puberty years will have abnormal breast development. This, in turn, may increase a woman’s susceptibility to risk factors such as alcohol for breast cancer development. In other words, the window of greatest opportunity for vitamin D to reduce breast cancer risk may be during childhood and puberty.
- The Vitamin D Cure by James Dowd and Diane Stafford

A key development for vitamin D was the appearance of increasing evidence that experts had detected a strong relationship between vitamin D and breast cancer risk. The important Nurses Health Study found a 30 percent lower risk of breast cancer in pre-menopausal women when comparing the highest to the lowest intakes of vitamin D, calcium, and low-fat dairy, especially skim milk.
- The Vitamin D Cure by James Dowd and Diane Stafford

Out of every 100 women who might get breast cancer, 50 of them can avoid breast cancer by simply getting adequate levels of vitamin D in their body, and that’s available free of charge through sensible exposure to natural sunlight, which produces vitamin D. This vitamin, all by itself, reduces relative cancer risk by 50 percent, which is better than any prescription drug that has ever been invented by any drug company in the world. Combine that with green tea, and your prevention of breast cancer gets even stronger.
- Natural Health Solutions by Mike Adams

There’s so much more to vitamin D than enhancing calcium absorption; its anticancer benefit is just one other possibility. Most of 63 recently reviewed studies found a protective effect between vitamin D status and cancer risk. A study presented at the 2006 American Association for Cancer Research meeting suggested that an increase in vitamin D lowered the risk of developing breast cancer by up to 50 percent. How might vitamin D help?
- Food Synergy: Unleash Hundreds of Powerful Healing Food Combinations to Fight Disease and Live Well by Elaine Magee

Place sunshine or vitamin D pills on your list of preventive or therapeutic measures. A daily intake of 2,600 units of vitamin D (65 mcg) is recommended to attain blood concentrations that will optimally protect against disease. There is no way the diet can provide this much vitamin D. Sun-starved females are at great risk for breast cancer, particularly women living in northern latitudes where wintertime sun exposure produces little vitamin D because of a decline in UV radiation in solar light.
- You Don’t Have to be Afraid of Cancer Anymore by Bill Sardi

Sunlight produces vitamin D in humans. A deficiency of vitamin D is linked with breast cancer. Was the increase in male breast cancer caused by magnetic fields or by lack of vitamin D? These are the types of questions that make it difficult to ascertain if there is a link between EMF exposure and cancer. To make matters worse, a cell biologist doing work on EMFs for the Department of Energy, faked data linking cancer to electromagnetic fields in order to gain $3.3 million worth of grants for scientific research.
- You Don’t Have to be Afraid of Cancer Anymore by Bill Sardi

The dosage of vitamin D required to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer may be much higher than the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 400 international units per day. Since vitamin D can be toxic in doses that greatly exceed this value, researchers have developed synthetic analogues of vitamin D that retain the ability to inhibit cancer cell growth without the toxicity associated with high doses. These analogs have been successfully used in animal models of leukemia and breast cancer. Vitamin D may be related to other cancers.
- Permanent Remissions by Robert Hass, M.S.

Sunlight exposure, which leads to an increased level of vitamin D, correlates with a reduced risk of breast cancer. I usually recommend small amounts of vitamin D (400 to 1,000 IU) for those people without sunlight exposure, especially during the winter. I also occasionally recommend cod liver oil during the winter months as a source of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids. Vitamin D deficiency is very common in the elderly and in people who live in parts of the world with little sunlight; it is also one of the major contributing factors to osteoporosis.
- Herbal Medicine, Healing and Cancer: A Comprehensive Program for Prevention and Treatment by Donald R. Yance, j r.,C.N., M.H., A.H.G., with Arlene Valentine

But how does vitamin D actually work? For many years that was a mystery. The “revolution of information” on vitamin D began in 1968, when J.W. Blunt and colleagues discovered the form of vitamin D that actually circulates in the blood (25-OH-D3). This hormonal form of the vitamin, created in the kidneys, is ultimately responsible for the classical action of the vitamin. At the molecular level, some cancer cells appear to have receptors on their surfaces that are capable of receiving the vitamin D molecule. Scientists studied cancer cells from 136 patients with breast cancer.
- Cancer Therapy: The Independent Consumer’s Guide To Non-Toxic Treatment & Prevention by Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.

Symptoms of vitamin D toxicity include anorexia, disorientation, dehydration, fatigue, weight loss, weakness, and vomiting. New analogues of vitamin D3 allow cancer victims to take high doses of the vitamin without fear of elevating calcium in the blood to dangerous levels. These new forms of vitamin D have very high potency in controlling cell proliferation and differentiation. One of these, calci-potriol, can be used topically to treat psoriasis and inhibit the growth of metastatic breast cancer in patients with whose tumors have vitamin D receptors.
- Permanent Remissions by Robert Hass, M.S.

In an investigation into the relationship of breast density as measured by mammography to serum-vitamin D levels, it was found that there was a strong inverse correlation; the higher the density, the lower the vitamin D levels. Does the blood level of vitamin D at the time of diagnosis of breast cancer make a difference in a woman’s time of survival? Yes, it does.
- The Clinician’s Handbook of Natural Healing by Gary Null, Ph.D.

Although not part of the study, outdoor exercise where you are getting some (but not too much) sun exposure also raises vitamin D levels. Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with a greater risk of cancer. Relaxation techniques such as writing, meditation, yoga, or massage therapy can aid in battling breast cancer. There is a clear link between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of breast cancer. A study reported in The New England journal of Medicine has stated that consuming as few as three alcoholic drinks a week increases the potential for breast cancer by 50 percent.
- Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC

6 Reasons Food is Central to the Health Care Debate

Treehugger
David DeFranza
Thrusday, October 8, 2009

The debate over health care has, thus far, revolved around access and cost. While these are important issues, and will no doubt be the focus of any reform plan that emerges from Congress, they overshadow other more fundamental health concerns.

Food, what we eat and how we eat it, is central to the health care debate in America for six reasons.

1. America’s Epidemics

The CDC reports that preventable chronic diseases account for three quarters of America’s health expenses each year. This includes, as Michael Pollan points out, “$147 billion to treat obesity, $116 billion to treat diabetes, and hundreds of billions more to treat cardiovascular disease and the many types of cancer that have been linked to” our diets.

Indeed, America is suffering from several costly epidemics and nearly all of them are related to what we eat. Reducing the frequency of these diseases would significantly lower our annual health care expenditures, making a universal plan without deficits, rations, or extreme tax increases possible.

2. The Answer is Health, not Care

Instead of creating a system focused on solving expensive problems we create for ourselves, a universal health care system should be devoted to helping people get and stay healthy.

Writing about the health care debate in the Huffington Post, Dr. Andrew Weil explained that if we did so:

It would be a system that puts the health back into health care. And it would also happen to be far less expensive than what we have now.

The first step to a plan that encourages health, rather than manages disease, is to change what we eat.

3. You Are What You Eat

“You are what you eat,” a mother once scolded when her family chose chips over fruit. It turns out, that mother was right.

It’s becoming increasingly apparent to more and more people that fast food, corn syrup, processed snacks, and sodas are the root of our nation’s problems of obesity, heart disease, and Type 2 diabetes.

A health care system that gave doctors an incentive to teach healthy ways of eating and living would help fight these epidemics. A national food system that encouraged healthy, local eating would be even more powerful: it would remove the very source of the problem

4. Food is Part of the Environment

Fast food and soda are easy targets but out-of-season fruits, factory farms, and other elements of our industrial food system are also to blame. Understanding that food is part of the environment, that something grown locally and organically is better for you, for the producer, and for the planet, is an integral part of America’s transition to health.

Making the switch to local and organic food will lead to reductions in pollution, another serious health concern, fewer farm workers poisoned by pesticides, and leave the American public with simpler food choices based on what’s fresh and in season, rather than what has the most evocative marketing.

5. Food is a Gateway Choice

Eating good, fresh, healthy food is one choice that leads to many others. Once you start down the road of locally-sourced vegetables, sharing grass-raised meat or becoming a vegetarian is not far behind. If you spend an afternoon walking around the farmers’ market, it’s easier to make the choice to walk home or to work the next day. Over time, all that walking may lead to running and other forms of exercise.

Understanding that your food is a product of the environment encourages you to care for your surroundings. Conserving water is easy when you know the relationship it has to the food you eat and composting makes much more sense if you’ve seen the magic it can produce in a garden.

People’s habits won’t change overnight, but, through many small steps, the can change. Finding healthy food is just one of the first of those steps.

6. It’s All About Respect

Ultimately, a system based on health instead of health care will depend on respect. Insurance companies must respect the choices of doctors who say it’s better to prevent illness than treat it. Doctors must respect patients by teaching them healthy ways to avoid illness. Most importantly, however, patients, the American people, must respect their own bodies.

Eating food that was grown with dignity, near your neighborhood, without chemicals or engineering, is one way, an easy way, to respect your body.

If our diets in America changed, health care would be a much smaller issue. Indeed, people would have reformed the system themselves, using nothing more than their kitchens and their stomachs.

How Soy Reduces Diabetes Risk

Science Daily

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Nutrition scientists led by Young-Cheul Kim at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have identified the molecular pathway that allows foods rich in soy bioactive compounds called isoflavones to lower diabetes and heart disease risk. Eating soy foods has been shown to lower cholesterol, decrease blood glucose levels and improve glucose tolerance in people with diabetes.

According to Kim, the study shows that “what we eat can have tremendous impact on health outcomes by interacting with certain genes. Recent research also suggests that diet can even change the copy number of a certain gene, leading to biological changes.”

Soy is the most common source of isoflavones in food. In experiments with mouse cells, Kim, a molecular nutrition researcher who studies how fat cells develop in the body, and colleagues, focused on daidzein, one of the two main isoflavones found in soy. Many epidemiological observations and human clinical studies have shown that adding soy to one’s diet is associated with lower diabetes risk and improved insulin sensitivity, as well as lower cardiovascular disease risk, Kim notes. However, until now the direct target tissue and molecular pathways by which soy exerts its anti-diabetic effects was not clearly understood.

Kim and colleagues at Southern Illinois University, with others at the universities of Tennessee and Florida, had earlier found that dietary isoflavones reduced the severity of diabetes in an animal model of the disease by increasing the activity of certain transcription regulators in the fat tissue. For the current study, they hypothesized that daidzein and its metabolite, equol, are part of this activation process.

They found that daidzein and equol enhanced adipocyte differentiation, or the formation of fat cells, through activation of a key transcription regulator, the same receptor that mediates the insulin-sensitizing effects of anti-diabetes drugs. Thus, daidzein and equol daidzein and equol seem to work in a similar manner as anti-diabetic drugs currently in the market. Their findings are reported in a September online version of the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.

“Our results suggest that soy isoflavones exert anti-diabetic effects by targeting fat cell-specific transcription factors and the downstream signaling molecules that are important for glucose uptake and thus insulin sensitivity,” Kim notes. “The new findings help us to understand the cellular mechanisms.” That is, how these biologically active compounds in soy interact to regulate and initiate metabolic and biological functions.

Results demonstrate that daidzein and equol enhance adipocyte differentiation by activating a specific receptor. The downstream responses include increased expression of three proteins, resulting in enhanced glucose uptake and insulin sensitivity.

“Although some details remain to be worked out, our data provide an additional molecular basis for the mechanism of insulin-sensitizing action by soy isoflavones,” says Kim. “These new findings help fill a critical gap between epidemiological observations and clinical studies on the anti-diabetic benefits of dietary soy.”

Future studies will extend the work to primary cultures of human cells through collaboration with researchers at Pioneer Valley Life Science Institute and Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. If replicated, studies can move on to further work in whole body systems. Full article here…

Can aloe vera prevent and cure cancer?

Natural News
Mike Adams
Thursday, October 01, 2009

If you’re looking to prevent cancer, you need to know about aloe vera. More resarch on aloe vera is taking place all around the world as word spreads about its natural healing potential. You’ll learn a wealth of information about this in this article.

Here, we present a collection of quotes and observations about aloe vera and cancer, documented in some of the best health books ever written. Read and remember these quotes, and feel free to share what you learn here with others who may also need this information.

Some clinics have used aloe vera to increase the effectiveness of cancer treatment with the chemotherapy agents cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan, Neosar) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Several studies indicate that aloe vera gel can protect both the immune system and the skin from the effects of radiation treatment. In addition, at least one study suggests that taking aloe internally can reduce the likelihood of lung cancer in smokers.
- Prescription for Herbal Healing: An Easy-to-Use A-Z Reference to Hundreds of Common Disorders and Their Herbal Remedies by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC

Radiation burns cause skin ulcerations that had been nearly incurable until physicians began trying the old folk remedy of the aloe vera leaf. Today, aloe vera has gained such great popularity that it is being used in many cosmetics and health products. Aloe vera juice that is taken internally has been found to be effective in almost every illness, including cancer, heart disease and AIDS. In fact, there is hardly any disease or health problem for which aloe vera has not been proven successful.
- Timeless Secrets of Health & Rejuvenation: Unleash The Natural Healing Power That Lies Dormant Within You by Andreas Moritz

Added to the juice, we should take aloe vera. Aloe vera is the single most healing of all the herbs. It’s anti-cancer, anti-parasitic, and it repairs DNA. It protects us from viruses and bacteria. Every time I take juice, I take aloe, and it makes a big difference.
- Gary Nulls Ultimate Anti Aging Program by Gary Null, Ph.D.

Hyland commented that normal cells appeared protected and abnormal cells appeared more sensitive to treatment, when Aloe vera was a part of an integrated approach. Various cancer patients have experienced remarkable reversals in health status after adding aloe to their protocol. It was, in fact, triumphant accounts of Aloe vera enhancing the efficacy of previously failed treatments that spurred the glyconutrient movement.
- Disease Prevention and Treatment by The Life Extension Editorial Staff

Ivan Danhoff of the North Texas Research Laboratory in Grand Prairie, Texas, discovered large 9,000-molecule Aloe Vera polysaccharides, he freeze-dries to inactivate enzymes, called “Albarin” used in I.V. treatment of terminal cancers. He was in application and raided by the FDA. in October 2001 at the Medical Centers for Preventive & Nutritional Medicine in Florida, after having put 94 of the first 100 cancers studied into remission in terminal patients given 2-3 months to live, with 80% of remaining patients in remission.
- Anti-Aging Manual: The Encyclopedia of Natural Health by Joseph E. Mario

Acemannan, extracted from the aloe vera plant, appears to be one of its most active ingredients. It is used both orally and intravenously, and has uses from antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial to helping with symptoms from AIDS and cancer.
- Smart Medicine for Healthier Living : Practical A-Z Reference to Natural and Conventional Treatments for Adults by Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreed, MD, CNC, James B. LaValle, RPh, ND

Reports of Aloe vera being life-saving to cancer patients are not scarce. Dr. Julian Whitaker reported that a 10-year-old boy diagnosed with a rare brain tumor (a meningioma) went into total remission after drinking 8 oz of whole-leaf Aloe vera concentrate a day for 3 months. Because surgeons were unable to remove the entire tumor, its continued growth rendered an uncertain prognosis. At the time of the Whitaker report, the child was living a normal life and participating in sports but drinking Aloe vera juice every day (Whitaket 1995a).
- Disease Prevention and Treatment by The Life Extension Editorial Staff

Taken internally, 98 or 99 percent pure aloe vera juice is known to aid in the healing of stomach disorders, ulcers, constipation, hemorrhoids, rectal itching, colitis, and all colon problems. Aloe vera can also be helpful against infections, varicose veins, skin cancer, and arthritis, and is used in the treatment of AIDS. We have had excellent results using colon cleansers containing psyllium husks in combination with aloe vera juice. We have found this combination to be good for food allergy and colon disorder sufferers.
- Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC

One tablespoon of aloe vera juice, diluted with a little water, before meals or at least once in the morning before breakfast, helps to break down old deposits of waste and bring basic nutrients to cells and tissues. Those who feel their liver is still releasing many toxins several days after a liver flush may greatly benefit from drinking aloe vera juice. Aloe vera has been found to be effective in almost every illness, including cancer, heart disease, and AIDS.
- The Amazing Liver & Gallbladder Flush: A Powerful Do-It-Yourself Tool To Optimize your Health and Wellbeing by Andreas Moritz

Film blames drug firm for death of honey bee colonies

New Zealand Herald
Michael McCarthy
Wednesday, September 30, 2009

It’s a problem that has baffled agriculture and science – the mysterious deaths of honey bees all over the world in the last five years. But a new film thinks it has the answer.

Vanishing of the Bees claims a new generation of pesticides weakens the bees and makes them more susceptible to other diseases.

The film tells the story of how colony collapse disorder first appeared in America in the winter of 2004 – when many beekeepers across the country found their bees had vanished and left behind empty hives – and of how scientists have since failed to find a single cause for it.

It goes on to suggest neonicotinoid pesticides, some of them made by Bayer, one of the world’s biggest chemical companies, may be behind the disappearances.

They include the widely used imidacloprid (marketed under the trade name Gaucho), which has been banned in France following pressure from beekeepers. It is still in use in Britain and the US and has already been the subject of protests from beekeepers in New Zealand.

Neonicotinoids are applied to seeds rather than sprayed on to growing plants, and affect the pests that consume them. In theory, this means non-pest insects should not be affected.

But Vanishing of the Bees suggests long-term, low-level exposure may be having a weakening effect on honey bees, which have also been hit in recent years by diseases ranging from the devastating varroa mite to the nosema fungus and other viruses.

The pesticides, it suggests, may be the final straw for a weakened population. In particular, the film targets Bayer, which has rejected the allegations.

“Everybody knows this is about the varroa mite, the nosema pest and a number of fungal and viral diseases,” said Dr Julian Little, a spokesman for Bayer CropScience.

“The healthiest bees in the world are in Australia, where they have lots of neonicotinoids but they don’t have varroa.”

Pesticides Cause Childhood Brain Cancers

Natural News
David Gutierrez
Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Children living with parents who use pesticides around the home are significantly more likely to develop brain cancer than children who are not exposed to such chemicals, according to a study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Researchers matched each of 400 fathers and 250 mothers who reported having been exposed to pesticide products — including insecticide, herbicide and fungicide — with a non-exposed person of the same sex, age and status. All participants lived in residential areas of Florida, New Jersey, New York or Pennsylvania. None of them lived in New York City. All were parents of children who had participated in the Atlantic Coast childhood brain cancer study.

The scientists further evaluated each participant’s level of exposure over the two years prior to the birth of their child by means of a phone interview featuring more detailed questions about home or work use of pesticides. Most “exposed” participants were exposed to pesticides through home use — such as garden or lawn care — rather than professionally.

The researchers found that children whose parents had been exposed to pesticides were significantly more likely to develop brain cancers, including astrocytomas and primitive neuroectodermal tumors. The risk of astrocytoma was especially increased by the use of herbicides.

Among “exposed” fathers, those who wore protective clothing or who washed immediately after pesticide use were significantly less likely to have children who developed brain cancer.

Prior studies have linked prenatal pesticide exposure to brain cancer, and the chemicals have also been linked to cancer in a number of animal studies. Researchers do not know exactly how the chemicals lead to cancer, but many pesticides are known to exhibit mutagenic, hormone mimicking or immune-hampering effects. The developing bodies of fetuses and children are especially susceptible to these effects.

Brain cancer is the second most common childhood cancer, after leukemia. Full article here…

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