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Eating chili regularly may make you live longer Darrell Miller 4/4/19
Could eating chili peppers actually help you live longer? Darrell Miller 2/17/19
Experts Weigh in on Safe Cannabis Consumption Darrell Miller 1/19/18
Magnesium found to treat DEPRESSION better than antidepressant drugs: New science Darrell Miller 8/2/17
Legal Pot States Expanding? Vermont House Approves Recreational Marijuana Bill Darrell Miller 5/9/17
The Colds & Flu Report Darrell Miller 6/18/05
Building the Burn Darrell Miller 6/14/05
Clearing the Air Darrell Miller 6/13/05



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Eating chili regularly may make you live longer
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Date: April 04, 2019 09:24 AM
Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Eating chili regularly may make you live longer





The health benefits of spices have long been of interest to scholars. Recently, scientists have discovered that consuming chili has a variety of health benefits, the most important being longevity. In a follow-up of a Chinese study, the University of Vermont discovered that those in their study who ate chili peppers lived longer than those who did not. The researchers attributed these significant results to a compound called capsaicin, which gives the chili pepper its notorious spice. Capsaicin is thought to reduce the risk of heart disease and improve blood flow. While these results are still under investigation, one should still consider adding more spice to their foods to reap their nutritional benefits.

Key Takeaways:

  • Peppers and spices are not only for eating, but are key to many traditional medicines.
  • Capsaicin, which determines the spiciness of a pepper, reduces cardiovascular disease and kills bad bacteria.
  • Antioxidants are a key component of peppers and spices, and play a big role in being helpful to our bodies.

"They made the same discovery as the Chinese research team from five years ago: People who ate chili peppers lived longer lives."

Read more: https://www.naturalnews.com/2019-02-05-eating-chili-regularly-may-make-you-live-longer.html

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Could eating chili peppers actually help you live longer?
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Date: February 17, 2019 02:42 PM
Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Could eating chili peppers actually help you live longer?





Do you enjoy your food spicy? Well, there is good news. The University of Vermont recently published a study of people who are chili peppers versus those who did not. They discovered that the chili eaters tended to live longer lives. In fact, a surprising 12% was the absolute risk reduction. Chili peppers have long been regarded as containing health benefits. They have been used to treat toothaches or other forms of pain. They are also loaded with antioxidants and vitamins A and C.

Key Takeaways:

  • In a study conducted by the University of Vermont involving 16,000 people over 23 years, people who said they eat hot chilli pepper were found to live longer.
  • Although the actual mechanisms by which hot chilli peppers can make one live longer are still unknown, the results obtained are very encouraging.
  • This study confirms previous studies that show that there is an inverse relationship between eating spicy foods and mortality.

"It may not always feel like you’re going to live longer after you’ve consumed a very spicy meal, but it seems that those hot peppers are doing quite a bit of good."

Read more: https://www.naturalnews.com/2018-12-10-could-eating-chili-peppers-help-you-live-longer.html

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Experts Weigh in on Safe Cannabis Consumption
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Date: January 19, 2018 07:59 AM
Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Experts Weigh in on Safe Cannabis Consumption





As cannabis legalization spreads across the US, the debate is in for what is safe consumption. While any drug should be done with limitations, those limitations, especially for amount and duration need to be developed, as well as how you should properly interact with the drug. While there is no worry about a "THC overdose" they still need to determine what the long term detrimental effects are of the drug as well as which is better for the body. Should you smoke it? Vaporize it? Ingest it? Is it better in its pure THC form or is there benefit from the plant. More studies will follow.

Key Takeaways:

  • The state of Vermont is trying to figure out what the best way it is for people to use.
  • They aren't moving to a complete retail model and will still control the supply of the drug
  • The debate still centers around the difference between edibles, smoking or vaping when it comes to consumption.

"For the thousands of Vermonters who choose to use recreationally, what will the equivalent of a "drink responsibly" campaign for cannabis look like?"

Read more: https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/experts-weigh-in-on-safe-cannabis-consumption/Content?oid=11969442

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Magnesium found to treat DEPRESSION better than antidepressant drugs: New science
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Date: August 02, 2017 12:14 PM
Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Magnesium found to treat DEPRESSION better than antidepressant drugs: New science





A natural health website has put out an article reporting on the benefits of magnesium. The article points out a recent study conducted by the University of Vermont's medical school. The study stated that magnesium alone could treat depression better than conventional drugs. The article contains a You Tube video with the writer, in which he claims taking only 248 milligrams of magnesium a day was effective. The writer claims politicians have ignored his calls to use natural substances instead of more expensive drugs to combat depression and other maladies.

Key Takeaways:

  • Magnesium may be the best choice for those with depression. It is found to treat depression better than antidepressants for patients.
  • Larner college conducted a breakthrough nutritional study recently. That focused on the effectiveness of magnesium for treating depression.
  • Patients can get by on just a quarter of a gram of Magnesium. That is a low cost alternative to many antidepressant drugs on the market.

"What’s really astonishing about all this is that while dangerous pharmaceuticals are bankrupting our nation and causing our health care system to collapse under the weight of out-of-control costs, magnesium can treat and prevent depression for mere pennies a day."

Read more: http://www.naturalnews.com/2017-07-20-magnesium-treats-depression-better-than-antidepressant-drugs-science.html

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Legal Pot States Expanding? Vermont House Approves Recreational Marijuana Bill
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Date: May 09, 2017 06:44 PM
Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Legal Pot States Expanding? Vermont House Approves Recreational Marijuana Bill





By a narrow margin, Vermont voted to allow recreational cannibas use in a vote on Tuesday. It will be legal for adults over 21 to possess one ounce of marijuana as well as allowing a limited amount of plants that can be grown at home. Vermont has been varied it it's attitude towards marijuana, expanding medical marijuana use as well as pardoning prisoners convicted of crimes related to marijuana. The governor believes it is something the state should consider, but not at this time.

Read more: Legal Pot States Expanding? Vermont House Approves Recreational Marijuana Bill

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The Colds & Flu Report
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Date: June 18, 2005 08:38 AM
Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: The Colds & Flu Report

The Colds & Flu Report by Sherrill Williams Energy Times, October 13, 2004

The nose knows the misery of a cold: stuffiness, watery eyes, sore throat and nagging cough. These annoyances are especially frustrating when there's not enough time in your busy schedule to be sick.

Traditional remedies help: Slurping a cup of Grandma's chicken soup. Sweating in a hot bath. Climbing under the covers until further notice.

While no one can guarantee you won't catch a cold this year, a few simple measures can limit your sick days and give you the best chance to dodge upper respiratory distress. The common cold is a frequent and expensive problem, causing about 15 million lost work days for Americans each year. Some people seem just about immune to the group of viruses that cause colds. But others may endure as many as 12 colds per year. For the lucky ones, a cold's irritations last a couple of days. For the unfortunate, a cold can drag on for a couple of weeks.

Influenza (commonly known as the flu) has many of the same discomforts as a cold, and both disorders originate in the upper respiratory tract. But while a cold usually stays on tract, the flu is often accompanied by fever, prominent headaches and severe aches and pains around the body. Fatigue from the flu can last as long as two to three weeks during recovery. All this distress demonstrates that your body is fighting off the invaders.

Earnest Echinacea

Traditional healers advocate the use of the herb echinacea at the first sign of getting sick. Echinacea, commonly known as purple coneflower, is native to North America and was listed in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia until the 1950s.

Rosemary Gladstar, a Vermont herbalist and author of Family Herbal (Storey Books), suggests taking echinacea (Echinacea ssp.) in frequent small amounts in tincture or tea form at the first sign of cold or flu.

" Most of the compounds in echinacea are water soluble, so it makes a fine tea," says Gladstar. She also encourages echinacea tea as a gargle or spray to relieve sore throats.

Research at Mt. Holyoke College in Massachusetts validates what traditional healers such as Rosemary Gladstar have known: echinacea works best if taken at the onset of colds or flu. In an animal study, scientists found that echinacea triggered a humoral immune response, an immune reaction that spurs the production of special proteins that latch onto and destroy viruses (Immunopharmacology & Immunotoxicology 2003 Nov; 25(4):551-60).

In another study, researchers found that echinacea enhances immune actions called T cell subsets or helper cell activity (Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin 2004 Jul; 27(7):1004-9). Helper cells are lymphocytes that take part in the destruction of viruses. In the quest for the kind of immunity that makes you less vulnerable to infection by troublesome viruses, Gladstar says that "echinacea is safe for children, the elderly and everyone in between."

C Is for Colds-And So Is E

The reputation of vitamin C as the anti-cold nutrient has been batted back and forth in the media for decades. Your body can't store up much of this antioxidant water-soluble vitamin, so you have to consume it every day on a regular basis. And while vitamin C may not prevent the common cold, research does demonstrate that it can help reduce a cold's severity and make it go away faster (Journal of Manipulative & Physiological Therapeutics 1999 Oct; 22(8):530-3).

Adequate vitamin C is crucial for a healthy immune system. Even a marginal deficiency of this nutrient can leave you more vulnerable to the viruses that cause cold and flu. Plus, if you get a runny nose, researchers believe vitamin C can act as a mild antihistamine, slowing that runny nose to a walk.

In a University of Texas study reported at the 60th Anniversary meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in 2003, daily doses of vitamin C were shown to significantly aid immunity.

After two weeks of taking vitamin C, the people in this study had their blood examined. Researchers found increased numbers of NK (natural killer) cells, immune warriors that destroy infected cells. In addition, vitamin C activated T cells, a class of immune cells that also fight viruses.

And now a newsbreak: you can add vitamin E, vitamin C's antioxidant companion, to your cold prevention shopping list, at least if you're a senior citizen. According to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (2004; 292(7):828-36), nursing home residents aged 65 and older who took vitamin E enjoyed a 20% risk reduction when it came to developing upper respiratory infections.

Don't Be Sick, Stay Happy

" When you smile, the whole world smiles with you" is a melody that is music to immunity. Scientists at Carnegie Mellon University have found that folks who are relaxed, happy and maintain positive emotions are less likely to catch colds. In addition, people who are depressed, nervous or angry are more likely to complain of cold symptoms whether or not they actually have a cold (Psycho Med 2003 Jul; 65:652-7). According to Sheldon Cohen, PhD, "Study participants who had a positive emotional style weren't infected as often and experienced fewer symptoms compared to people with a negative emotional style."

So you don't have to be a passive cold victim this winter. When viruses threaten you, according to Mary L. Hardy, MD, you can also try:

  • • Tea made from elderflower, linden or yarrow to reduce fever.
  • • Thyme to ease breathing.
  • • Taking fenugreek or fennel to loosen mucus.
  • • Loosening sinuses by adding hot pepper, horseradish or ginger to your diet. If you have another medical condition beside your cold, are pregnant or breastfeeding, consult your health practitioner. Also, consult a practitioner before giving herbs to children.

    " The first caution I give people is to get a good diagnosis," says Dr. Hardy. "If your cold is not acting like a normal cold, or if it has lasted more than a short amount of time, make sure you don't have a more serious condition, such as pneumonia." In that case, seek professional help.

    But if you've contracted a run-of-the-mill winter cold, keep your spirits and immunity up! Even if you've been impulsively singing and dancing in the rain, the chill and wet won't result in a cold if you let a smile be your immune umbrella!



    --
    Vitanet ®

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    Building the Burn
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    Date: June 14, 2005 12:09 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Building the Burn

    Building the Burn by Marjorie Flakowitz Energy Times, June 11, 2004

    When was the last time you exercised? During the past decade, the number of obese Americans has jumped by 50%. A big factor in this increase: lack of physical activity.

    Today, technological society seems to make everyday life effortless: car windows retreat at the push of a button, remote controls keep couch potatoes from budging off the cushions and video games have replaced non-cyber ball playing. Americans don't move around and burn off the calories they eat. Instead, our sedentary ways are causing big stomach bulges and a big bulge in health problems linked to being overweight.

    Want to lose those pounds? Consuming the right nutrients and pounding the pavement are a great start.

    Number of Large Americans Grows Larger

    Fifty-five out of every 100 Americans are now overweight. And the numbers continue to surge. To take yourself out of these alarming statistics, plan a consistent exercise program. If the thought of sweating during strenuous workouts at the gym scares you, relax. You don't have to do that much. According to a long list of research, a few half-hour walks a week can put you on the road to weight loss.

    For instance, researchers at Duke found that walking a total of only 12 miles a week can help you control your weight even if you're not dieting (Archives of Internal Medicine 1/12/04). Of course dieting and taking the right supplements will help you lose weight a little faster, but walking burns off the pounds.

    In the study at Duke, scientists gathered about 180 overweight, sedentary people and assigned them to one of four groups. The first group had to jog about 20 miles a week. The second group jogged 12 miles a week. The third group walked 12 miles, and the last group didn't do a thing.

    " We found that the two low-exercise groups lost both weight and fat, while those in the more intensive group lost more of each in a 'dose-response' manner," says Cris Slentz, PhD, one of the researchers. " Simply put, the more you exercise, the more you benefit. Just as importantly, the control group of participants who performed no exercise gained weight over the period of the trial."

    Everybody who was exercising lost weight; their stomachs and hips shrank. The folks who did nothing didn't just stay at the same weight; their weight went up.

    Dr. Slentz adds, "From the perspective of prevention, it appears that the 30 minutes per day will keep most people from gaining the additional weight associated with inactivity. Given the increase in obesity in the US, it would seem likely that many in our society may have fallen below this minimal level of physical activity required to maintain body weight."

    Enzyme Help

    Of course, limiting the carbohydrates you consume and eating more protein at the same time as you exercise can help you lose weight more effectively. To help your body utilize protein more fully to fuel your exercise, many experts recommend taking enzyme supplements.

    One of the most valuable enzyme combinations in this process is Aminogen(r), an all-natural, patented plant enzyme that assists the digestive tract in liberating the amino acids that are the building blocks of dietary protein. By helping separate these amino acids, absorption is boosted through the walls of the small intestines and your metabolism is better able to take up proteins and use them.

    Add Chromium to Exercise

    The mineral chromium is another supplement found helpful in aiding weight loss. An eight-week study at the University of Texas, Austin, compared weight loss among obese women who exercised and took chromium with the number of pounds that were lost by women performing the same amount of exercise without taking supplements (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 1997; 29:992-8).

    The result: women taking chromium lost a significantly greater amount. How does chromium work? A study at the University of Vermont found that chromium may help muscles take blood sugar (glucose) out of the blood more effectively by improving what's called insulin sensitivity (18th International Diabetes Federation Congress, Paris, 8/03).

    Sensitizing Insulin

    Insulin is released by the pancreas to help cells take in glucose. By exercising and keeping your weight down, and becoming more insulin sensitive, you potentially reduce your chances of getting diabetes. The cells quickly respond to insulin and blood sugar stabilizes.

    On the other hand, when insulin sensitivity drops significantly, the body may suffer what's called insulin resistance, a pre-diabetic condition that complicates and slows the removal of sugar from the blood. The Vermont researchers found that chromium increases the activity of a protein called Akt phosphorylation. This is a natural substance made by the body that makes cells more sensitive to insulin and speeds the movement of blood sugar into cells, where it can be burned for energy. So, in combination with exercise, which also helps the body become more responsive to insulin, chromium may help keep blood sugar under control.

    As Sandra Woodruff points out in her book Secrets of Good Carb, Low Carb Living (Avery/Penguin), "[P]hysical activity boosts the body's ability to process carbohydrate and helps reduce insulin resistance....Exercise acts much like an insulin-sensitizing drug to make the body's cells more responsive to insulin, which enables them to remove sugar from the blood more efficiently." The results of exercise and getting sufficient chromium can help support weight loss and healthy blood sugar levels. The Vermont research team found that the exercising chromium takers boosted their insulin sensitivity by almost 9%.

    Building a Lean Body

    A prime benefit of exercising while you lose weight is that physical activity builds muscle tissue. Muscle tissue, even at rest, burns more calories than fat cells, so having extra muscle means you can eat more and still maintain or lose weight. An aid in this process is Coleus forskohlii root, Benth., a plant that originated in India. Research shows that forskohlii furthers molecular energy processes within cells that support the development of lean body tissue (muscle) and the enzymatic reactions that break down fat.

    In a study of about two dozen women who took forskohlii extract, researchers found that taking this supplement was associated with feeling more energetic and less hungry (Experimental Biology meeting, 2002). According to Vladimir Badmaev, PhD, who has studied forskohlii, this herb's help in supporting lean body tissue is crucial to maintaining a healthy weight.

    " In highly overweight individuals, fat tissue can constitute up to 70% of body weight. The remaining proportion of body composition corresponds to the lean body mass. Lean body mass is composed of muscle, vital organs, bone, connective and other non-fatty tissues in the body," says Dr. Badmaev.

    " The body's metabolic rate is in direct proportion to the amount of lean body mass. Therefore, safely maintaining or increasing lean body mass is an important consideration for any weight-loss strategy."

    The Skinny on Calcium

    Calcium, long known for its ability to strengthen bones, is now turning out to play a key role in weight maintenance as well. In one study, obese mice who were put on calorie-restricted diets lost body fat when fed extra calcium (Experimental Biology meeting 2000). Both supplemental calcium and low-fat dairy proved effective. What's more, low-fat dairy's ability to burn fat and provoke fat loss have been confirmed in additional research (Obesity Research 4/04; 12:582-90).

    Fat cells contain calcium, and scientists believe that the more of this mineral a fat cell contains, the more fat will be burned off. This action is especially important when you cut back on calories, since that often gives your body the idea that it's starving, leading your metabolism to slow and making weight loss extremely difficult.

    A Complete Program

    To lose weight efficiently, stay in top shape and retain your feelings of energy, you also have to make sure you get enough of the vitamins and minerals necessary for good health.

    For those eating a high-protein diet who are limiting their fruits and vegetables, taking a supplement that incorporates nutrients from fruits and vegetables can help restore your feelings of well-being and help maintain your motivation for dieting and losing weight. (Supplements are available that deliver these nutrients without carbohydrates.)

    In addition, supplements of what are called ketogenic amino acids-the natural substances that form protein's building blocks-can also help fuel your weight-loss program. These special nutrients can be efficiently used for the body's energy needs, a process that helps you lose weight.

    And don't forget to keep moving! Soon you may have the kind of results researchers produced at the University of Pittsburgh when they studied women who exercised 40 minutes, five times a week (Journal of the American Medical Association 9/10/03). Those women lost 25 pounds in six months.

    Your results may be just as good or better!



    --
    Vitanet ®

    Solaray - Ultimate Nutrition - Actipet Pet supplements - Action Labs - Sunny Greens - Thompson nutritional - Natural Sport - Veg Life Vegan Line - Premier One - NaturalMax - Kal

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    Clearing the Air
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    Date: June 13, 2005 10:34 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Clearing the Air

    Clearing the Air by Robert Gluck Energy Times, August 1, 1999

    One crisp winter morning in Vermont, Alan hoisted his skis over his shoulder and tracked through the dazzling snowpack to the lift about a quarter-mile away. He had trekked this gently uphill route many times and valued it as an invigorating warmup for a day on the ski trails. The path seemed to grow steeper, however, and the winter sun more blazing as Alan struggled for breath, sweat dampening his woolen cap. Weak and wheezing, he paused for what seemed like an eternity and finally turned back, plodding arduously through the ice.

    Fit and athletic, the 42-year-old Alan heard the alarming news from his health care practitioner: asthma. The therapy: inhaled steroids.

    Breathing Uneasy

    The incidence of asthma-a chronic condition characterized by narrowing of the bronchial tubes, swelling of the bronchial tube lining and mucus secretion that can block the airway, making breathing difficult-has ballooned to alarming rates.

    In the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control, the number of people reported to suffer from asthma increased from 10.4 million in 1990 to 15 million in 1995. In 1998, the epidemic cost about $11.3 billion.

    Worldwide, experts estimate that the prevalence of asthma increased approximately 50% over the last 10 to 15 years. Nations with the highest rates are the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia; lowest are Indonesia, Albania, Romania and Georgia.

    Deaths from asthma have doubled in the last decade and, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, asthma is the seventh most common chronic health condition in the United States. Children constitute the most disturbingly burgeoning segment of the asthma explosion, its sufferers numbering five to six million. The rate of asthma among children five to 14 years old increased 74% between 1980 and 1994; the rate for preschool kids skyrocketed 160%. Asthma is the number one chronic childhood illness and the third leading cause of hospitalization for children under age 15. More than 5000 Americans die from asthma annually; the fatality rate among children five to 14 years old more than doubled from 1979 to 1995, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation.

    Waging War on the Wheeze

    Asthma is indeed chronic, but it can be prevented and controlled and its effects reversed. Mainstream MDs command an arsenal of pharmaceuticals, some of which are essential for severe or urgent conditions. Consult your health care practitioner about any breathing difficulties.

    Because of its complexity, however, asthma requires a balanced therapeutic approach: careful attention to diet, exercise and stress reduction while taking supplemental nutrients and botanicals can help ease asthma's discomforts. Antioxidant nutrients like vitamins C and E, fruits and vegetables rich in phytochemicals plus herbs like echinacea and garlic, all possess the potential for helping the body fight asthma.

    Induced by an array of inherent physiological vulnerabilities, some of which may not manifest until adulthood, as well as environmental factors, asthma benefits from extra sleuthing into its causes and planning for relief.

    Triggers and Therapies

    Asthma is derived from the Greek word meaning panting or breathing hard, which pretty much sums up the malady: Wheezing and shortness of breath typify the attack.

    In bronchial asthma, the commonest variety, the passages that carry air from the throat to the lungs narrow as a result of muscle contraction, local inflammation or production of excess mucus. Breathing becomes difficult and wheezy as air is expelled.

    "Asthma symptoms are triggered by various factors such as allergens, irritants, infections, pollutants, medications, and emotions," says Anthony Rooklin, author of Living with Asthma: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding and Controlling Asthma While Enjoying Your Life (Penguin). "Triggers are substances or situations that would be quite harmless to people with ordinary airways, but that bring on asthma symptoms in susceptible individuals."

    According to Ellen W. Cutler, nutritionist, enzyme therapist, chiropractor and author of Winning the War Against Asthma & Allergies: A Drug-Free Cure For Asthma and Allergy Sufferers" (Delmar), asthma is an allergic disease that is always triggered by allergens. "These allergens include not only foods, pollens and environmental factors such as perfume, animal dander and chemicals but also bacteria, climactic conditions and emotions," says Cutler.

    "When these allergies are active from birth, asthma can be diagnosed early in life, even in infancy," she adds.

    Cutler believes every individual with asthma should be able to lead a normal, drug-free life.

    "Most asthmatics have been told that asthma is a chronic problem they will have to contend with for the rest of their lives. Asthma can be cured, not miraculously and instantaneously, but inevitably and permanently, once the allergies that cause it have been eliminated," she adds.

    Dilating on Nutrients

    Although it is vitally important for folks with asthma to develop a treatment plan with a trusted health care provider, that plan, according to experts, may lend itself to a rich variety of complementary options, especially nutrients, phytochemicals, minerals and enzymes.

    According to Ruth Winter, author of A Consumer's Guide to Medicines in Food: Nutraceuticals That Help Prevent and Treat Physical and Emotional Illnesses (Crown), researchers in Nottingham, England, linked magnesium and lung function.

    "Magnesium is involved in a wide range of biological activities, including some that may protect against the development of asthma and chronic airflow obstruction," Winter says. "Dr. John Britton and his colleagues at Nottingham University measured the magnesium in the diets of 2,633 adults aged 18 to 70 and they found that low magnesium was associated with reduced lung function and wheezing" (The Lancet 344, 1994: 357-62).

    Magnesium actually boasts a long history as a bronchial relaxant, first demonstrated in 1912 on cows. Its potential was eclipsed, however, by pharmaceutical antihistamines and bronchodilators until its recent rediscovery.

    Defending the Lungs

    Antioxidants, with their ability to bolster the lungs' defense mechanisms by battling oxidizing free radicals that constrict bronchial tissue, wield tremendous force in the anti-asthma offensive. Michael T. Murray, ND, and Joseph E. Pizzorno, ND, in their Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine (Prima), connect the steady decrease in dietary intake of antioxidants to the burgeoning incidence of asthma.

    Among the top asthma-busting antioxidants:

    Vitamin C. Murray and Pizzorno note that C is the major antioxidant present in the lining of the airway and cite generous evidence that when vitamin C is low, asthma incidence is high (Annals Allergy 73, 1994: 89-96). Vitamin C, taken over time, effectively suppresses histamine secretion by white blood cells.

    Flavonoids. Also credited with reducing histamine production, flavonoids, notably quercetin and the extracts from grape seed, pine bark and ginkgo biloba, are key asthma-fighting antioxidants (J Allergy Clin Immunol 73, 1984; 769-74).

    Carotenes. They limit production of allergy-related compounds (called leukotrienes) and bolster the lining of the respiratory tract (Biochem Biophys Acta 575, 1979: 439-45).

    Vitamin E and selenium. Both reduce secretion of leukotrienes (Clinical Exp Allergy 26, 1996: 838-47).

    Vitamin B12. Murray and Pizzorno cite the work of Jonathan Wright, MD, whose clinical trials with supplemental vitamin B12 proved strongly effective, especially for children with asthma.

    A Bundle of Botanicals

    Herbal remedies for asthma date back more than 5000 years to the Chinese emperor Shen-nung. The ancient Egyptians treated respiratory ailments with herbs as well; the Greeks favored mint, garlic, cloves and myrrh for pulmonary problems.

    Today, the power of plants has been validated by clinical research and standardized for predictability. (Always consult a health care practitioner when seeking complementary therapies, and read the package labels carefully for dosages and cautions.)

    In their book, Asthma: An Alternative Approach (Keats), Ron Roberts and Judy Sammut provide a concise guide to asthma-easing botanicals: Garlic: acts as antiviral, antibacterial and antihistamine; enhances immune response; contains the antioxidant selenium. Garlic also is an expectorant.

    Echinacea: a traditional treatment for immune disorders and infections of the upper respiratory tract, known to shorten the duration of colds, coughs and flus.

    Ginkgo biloba: inhibits the chemical responses that induce asthma discomfort (Br J Clin Pharmacol 29, 1990: 85-91).

    Ginseng: stimulates immunity and the production of steroid-like hormones; helps chronic coughs.

    Licorice: an expectorant, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic that also inhibits leukotriene production (Acta Med Okayama 37, 1983: 385-91).

    Tylophora asthmatica: an Ayurvedic treatment that many respected experts believe can act both as an antihistamine and antispasmodic (Planta Med 57, 1991: 409-13).



    --
    Vitanet ®

    Solaray - Ultimate Nutrition - Actipet Pet supplements - Action Labs - Sunny Greens - Thompson nutritional - Natural Sport - Veg Life Vegan Line - Premier One - NaturalMax - Kal

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