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Search Term: " Lieraure "
Marijuana found to lower blood flow to the brain: Study authorssuggest this may increase risk of dementia, but this effect also makes itmedicinally useful for epileptics   
Date:
May 10, 2019 02:17 PM
Scientific literature on how marijuana works on the body is rapidly expanding. Right now, there are a plethora of studies on how marijuana works on the human brain. Some studies have shown that it can be effective in treating disorders of the brain like epilepsy. Recent tests show that marijuana can increase the risk of dementia because it restricts the flow of blood to the brain. These brain areas are essential for memory development. The area most affected is the hippocampus which can result in Alzheimer’s if prolonged. The researchers for the study used single photo emission computed tomography (SPECT) to measure blood flow to the brain after taking marijuana and they reported that there were very low and abnormal blood flow levels observed. This is when compared with persons who did not take marijuana. 982 patients were selected from a wide variety of data sources that was available to the researchers concerning persons who previously used or were still using marijuana. The results of the study showed that persons taking marijuana were at a risk of dementia due to the low blood flow to their hippocampus. Key Takeaways:
"Users were analyzed using a brain SPECT and by conducting mental concentration tests against a sample of 100 people who had not used marijuana to determine whether there were significant differences that arose between users and non-users of cannabis." Read more: https://www.naturalnews.com/2019-04-19-marijuana-lowers-blood-flow-to-the-brain-may-be-useful-for-epileptics.html
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=6304) The health benefits of eating pecans 
Date:
August 03, 2018 09:53 AM
Pecans originate from the Midwestern part of the US, and their health benefits are shown to be quite substantial. Pecans are high in vitamin E, which causes them to have large amounts of antioxidants properties. They can also help clean and regulate oxidation processes in order to help contribute to the prevention of various cancers. Studies have indicated that consumption of pecans may also have the ability to help those with liver damage, but it has not been proven in human subjects as of right now. Key Takeaways:
"Referred to as Carya illinoinensis in scientific literature, pecans are a member of the Juglandaceae family, which makes it a relative of the hickory and the walnut. Pecans are also considered native to North America; their existence has predated even the earliest human settlements." Read more: https://www.naturalnews.com/2018-06-11-the-health-benefits-of-eating-pecans.html
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=5689) Cannabinoid-Pharmaceutical Interactions: What You Need to Know
Date:
February 17, 2018 03:59 PM
With the regulatory environment shifting seemingly by the day across much of the U.S., many consumers are getting their first opportunities to consider the benefits of cannabinoids as a means of treating what ails them. However, like any medicines, there are interactions with other pharmaceuticals that need to be taken into consideration. Specifically, they can inhibit the reception and mechanisms of action of many common prescription drugs, including common opiate painkillers. In order to check side effects, it's best to keep a close eye on the literature and carefully research any possible interactions. Key Takeaways:
"Cannabis has demonstrated efficacy in treating pain, and some phytocannabinoids have been suggested for various metabolic conditions." Read more: https://www.projectcbd.org/about/cannabis-pharmacology/cannabinoid-pharmaceutical-interactions-what-you-need-know
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=5532) Are mangos the nutrient filled superfood we need for better health?
Date:
September 23, 2017 09:14 AM
A recent comprehensive review was published about all of the benefits of eating mangos. Review focused on the anti-inflammatory and health benefits of the pulp and flash of the mango. Recent research has shown that the mango enhances intestinal, grain in skin health. It also has shown to help prevent obesity as well as type 2 diabetes. Research into this low-calorie nutrient rich food needs to continue but it looks like the mango is a promising superfood. Key Takeaways:
"Mangos have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties according to a comprehensive review of all available science literature on the fruit." Read more: http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Are-mangos-the-nutrient-filled-superfood-we-need-for-better-health
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=5273) Is marijuana a secret weapon against the opioid epidemic?
Date:
July 13, 2017 09:14 AM
Addiction to opioids is a huge problem,. It often starts with pain meds. Doctors prescribe opioids for pain and then the patient becomes addicted and needs more and more. This can ruin families and lives. Some believe marijuana can help because that can be used for pain instead. It does help some with pain already. Medicinal marijuana is already allowed in some places and people are swearing by it for pain and other issues. Others say marijuana can be addictive as well, though, so that would create its own problems. Key Takeaways:
"The reality is that the literature right now suggests that if anyone is using an opioid — whether it be a prescription painkiller or something like heroin — a prescription painkiller is more likely [than marijuana] to lead to drug abuse, she says, because it’s more addictive and obviously can be more lethal." Read more: http://wunc.org/post/marijuana-secret-weapon-against-opioid-epidemic
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=4962) DEA Reiterates: Hemp CBD is Illegal
Date:
March 19, 2017 03:44 PM
The DEA has reiterated that Hemp CBD is illegal. It does not matter what the sellers of CBD oil tell you, it is illegal. The DEA believes it is illegal in all fifty states. The authority that the DEA has over drugs comes from the Controlled Substances Act. This issue is important to many people. Key Takeaways:
"The term ”marihuana” means all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L., whether growing or not." Reference:
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=4225) Turmeric contains anti-inflammatory properties
Date:
December 20, 2016 07:59 AM
Research has shown that Turmeric has many health benefits. Studies have shown that not only does it have a significant anti-inflammatory properties but it’s compound curcumin has been linked to reducing tumor size and killing cancer cells. Turmeric is also being linked to other health benefits, such as, helping with diabetes, lowering blood sugar and helping with arthritis pains. Key Takeaways:
"There are many herbs that draw attention in medical literature, one of the most frequently mentioned is turmeric." Reference:
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=3675) Holiday Survival Tips!
Date:
December 15, 2016 08:59 AM
Deprivation does not work. The key to healthy eating is an ample and ready supply of the right foods. The right foods contain nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, protein, and nutrients like essential fatty acids (EFAs), carotenoids, and bioflavonoids, which have gotten so much attention in the nutrition research literature. Key Takeaways:
"Appreciate the presence of YOU in your life – your breath, your health, your generosity." Reference:
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=3649) 8 Signs That You Have A Leaky Gut And How To Fix It
Date:
December 06, 2016 02:59 PM
Do you have a leaky gut? It is a potentially dangerous condition that could cause a whole host of problems that you'd never guess had anything to do with intestinal health, from chronic fatigue and headaches to skin problems and joint pain. A healthy, happy gut is a key part of your overall health, and you can take some simple steps to ensure it stays in top shape. Key Takeaways:
"Leaky gut syndrome is just as it sounds. It’s an abnormal increase in the permeability of your small intestine." Reference:
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=3584) The Health Benefits of Grape Seed Extract
Date:
November 14, 2016 10:20 PM
Grape seed extract is most commonly a waste product produced by the grape juice and winery industry. This is because grape seed extract doesn't go into finished drinks. Grape seed contains a wide variety of health-enhancing ingredients like protein, carbohydrates and lipids (healthy fats). Immune systemA study done on healthy volunteers found that grape seed considerably increased the levels of antioxidants in the blood. So, another one of the benefits of grape seed is it helps boosts the immune system to fight against harmful compounds which may reduce the risk of chronic diseases including breast, stomach, colon, prostate and lung cancer.
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Celery seed extract is obtained from the fruits of celery. Powdered celery seeds are historically noted as a natural analgesic, and have been in use as a pain reliever throughout the ages. Modern science has found out that celery seeds are a good source of vitamins and minerals as well as phytochemicals that display pharmacological activity. In addition, it exhibits diuretic and hepatoprotective properties. 
Increases Milk Production 
There was once a case of a young man who had felt sick for years. Although it was nothing intense, it was just enough to make him feel listless, tired, and depressed. His medical doctors prescribed him a list of medications, but nothing seemed to help. Eventually, he went to a chiropractor who was also trained in nutrition. After a few urine tests and an examination of his diet, the chiropractor was able to diagnose the man’s problem as auto-intoxication. This meant that his body was actually being poisoned by his intestinal tract. 
About 50% of all cases of inflammatory arthritis can be greatly helped by removing the toxins that are formed in the intestine. Similarly, about 25% of all cases of irregular heartbeats seem to respond well to the elimination of toxemia. Several hundred cases of ear, nose, and throat diseases were from auto-intoxications. A high protein diet that is combined with intestinal stagnation has been shown to cause toxemia of pregnancy. | STUDY DESIGN | BENEFITS | DOSAGE | REFERENCE | ||
| 1. Twelve-week, randomized, multicenter, double-blind clinical trial comparing the efficacy and tolerability of Remifemin® in the treatment of climacteric complaints compared with placebo. The primary efficacy measure was the change from baseline on the Menopause rating Scale 1. | · Remifemin® effectively relieved menopausal symptoms, particularly in women in the early stages of menopause* · Most significant reduction was in hot flash occurrence* · Other symptoms resulting in significant reduction include: psyche (irritability and memory), and atrophy (vaginal dryness)* · No significant adverse effects reported | 40mg qd | Osmers R, et al. Efficacy and safety of isopropanolic black cohosh extract for climacteric symptoms. Obstet Gynecol. 2005 May; 105(5):1074-83. | ||
| 2. A review of 29 randomized controlled trials of complementary and alternative therapies for menopausal symptoms. | · Black cohosh is one of the only herbal remedies shown to be effective for menopausal symptoms, especially hot flashes* | | Kronenberg. F. Fugh-Berman A. Complementary and alternative medicine for menopausal symptoms: a review of randomized, controlled trials. Ann Intern Med. 2002 Nov 19;137(10:805-13. | ||
| 3. Four-week, pilot study, open clinical trial of menopausal women with hot flashes, including women with a history of breast cancer. | · Remifemin® reduced mean daily hot flash frequency by 50% after 4 weeks* · Overall, participants reported less trouble with sleeping, less fatigue, and fewer night sweats* · No participants stopped therapy because of adverse effects | 40mg qd | Pockaj BA, et al. Pilot evaluation of black cohosh for the treatment of hot flashes in women. Cancer Invest. 2004;22(4):515-21 | ||
| 4. Double-blind study involving the use of Remifemin® in women ages 43 to 60 with menopausal complaints lasting 6 months. | · Majority of woman saw a 70% reduction of physical and emotional symptoms after 12 weeks, including hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and irritability* · Significant improvement was noted after 4 weeks use* · Remifemin® works safely and effectively to treat menopause symptoms without affecting hormone levels or vaginal cytology (pap smear)* | 40mg qd | Liske J, et al. Physiological investigation of a unique extract of black cohosh (Cimicifugae racemosae rhizome): a 6-month clinical study demonstrates no systemic estrogenic effect. J Womens Health Gend Based Med. 2002 Mar; 11(2): 163-74 | ||
| 5. Double-blind, 6 month study in hysterectomized women under 40 with at least one ovary. | · As effective as estriol, conjugated estrogens, or hormone combinations at decreasing physical menopausal symptoms at 4, 8, 12, and 24 weeks* | 4mg dry extract bid (equivalent to 2 tablets Remifemin® bid | Lehmann-Willebrock E, Riedel HH. Clinical and endocrinologic studies of the treatment of ovarian insufficiency manifestations following hysterectomy with intact adnexa. Zentralbl Gynakol. 1988; 110(10):611-8 | ||
| 6. Women aged 45 to 58 with menopausal complaints were studied in a double-blind, 12 week, placebo-controlled trial. | · Remifemin® decreased physical symptoms of menopause by approximately 60% (Kupperman menopausal indeed)* · Daily hot flashes decreased by 86% in the Remifemin® group(from 4.9 to 0.7 per day)* · Emotional complaints were also dramatically reduced* | 4mg dry extract bid (equivalent to 2 tablets Remifemin® bid | Stoll W. Phytopharmacon influences atrophic vaginal epithelium: Double Blind study – Cimicifuga vs. estrogenic substances. 1987. | ||
Safety
| STUDY DESIGN | BENEFITS | DOSAGE | REFERENCE |
| 7. in vitro, MCF-7 cell culture model to determine estrogen-agopnist and antagonist activity of commercially available herbal menopause preparations containing red clover, soy black cohosh, or a combination of herbs. | · Remifemin® had no effect on estrogen-sensitive cells in vitro. · Results suggest safety for women with a history of breast cancer who cannot take estrogen. | In Vitro(10^3-10^5 dilutions) | Bodinet C, Freudenstein J. Influence of marketed herbal menopause preparations on MCF-7 cell proliferation. Menopause. 2004 May-Jun;11(3):281-9. |
| 8. Six-week, in vivo investigation of Remifemin®’s ability to stimulate estrogen-receptor positive cells in an animal model | · No estrogen stimulating effects were found. · Prolactin, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone levels were unchanged. | 0.714m 7.14 or 71.4mg/kg/day | Freudenstein J, et al. Lack of promotion of estrogen-dependent mammary gland tumors in vivo by an isopropanolic Cimicifuga racemosa extract. Cancer Res. 2002 Jun 15;62(12):3448-52. |
| 9. Comprehensive review examining all published literature pertaining to pre-clinical and clinical safety of various forms of Cimicifuga racemosa, as well as FDA and World Health Organization (WHO) adverse event reporting systems, monographs, compendia, internal unpublished data from a major manufacturer, foreign literature, and historical, anecdotal report. | · Uncontrolled reports, postmarketing surveillance, and human clinical trials of more than 2,800 patients demonstrate a low incidence of adverse events (5.4%). · Of the reported adverse events, 97% were minor and did not result in discontinuation of symptoms, and the only severe events were not attributed to Cimicifuga treatemtn. · Confirms the safety of specific Cimicifuga extracts, particularly isopropanolic preparations (Remifemin®), for use in women experiencing menopausal symptoms and as a safe alternative for women in whom estrogen therapy is contraindicated *. | Various | Low Dog T, et al. Critical evaluation of the safety of Cimicifuga racemosa in menopause symptom relief. Menopause: Journal of the North American Menopause society. 2003;10(4):299-313. |
Relevant Reports and Guidelines
| ORGANIZATION | PUBLICATION | EXCERPT OF KEY CONTENT |
| American Botanical Council | The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs including a black cohosh monograph issues September 2002 | “Of 10 clinical studies, including a total of 1,371 participants, nine of these studies demonstrated positive effects for menopausal symptoms. Numerous clinical trials with varied methods and designs have been conducted on the standardized isopropanolic/ethanolic extract of black cohosh root, Remifemin®, from 1981 to the present.” |
| National | Questions and Answers About Black Cohosh and the Symptoms of Menopause issued October 2002 | “Other preparations of black cohosh have been less well studied than Remifemin® …black cohosh is used primarily for hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms. A number of studies using various designs have been conducted to determine whether black cohosh affects the menopausal symptoms… To provide more definitive evidence on the effects of black cohosh on menopausal symptoms, NCCAM is funding a 12-month, randomized placebo controlled study to determine whether treatment with black cohosh is effective in reducing the frequency and intensity of menopausal hot flashes.” |
| The North American Menopause Society | Alternatives to Hormone Replacement Therapy: Suggestions for the North American Menopause Siciety issued July 2002 | “Reseach suggests that mild hot flashes can be relieved by consuming a serving of soy foods daily or taking a supplement of black cohosh.” |
Responding to the need for alternative menopausal symptom relief*
Natural, Safe alternative to HRT for menopausal symptoms*
- Remifemin black cohosh was as effective as HRT for menopausal symptoms*
Superior Manufacturing Quality
- Prepared according to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMPs) which ensure delivery of a product with the highest quality and consistency
- Convenient dosing – one 20mg tablet twice a day (one in the MORNING, one in the EVENING)
- 100% RemiSure black cohosh – not a combination of herbs
VitaNet Recommends Remifemin
- Remifemin unique standardized isopropanolic extract is the most widely studied and clinically tested natural alternative treatment for relief of menopausal symptoms.
- Remifemin black cohosh proven effective in reducing menopause and peri-menopause symptoms, including hot flashes, right sweats, mood swings, and irritability without estrogenic effects.
- Used safely by millions of patients worldwide for over 40 years. Remifemin has been proven effective and is the most clinically studied natural intervention of menopause.
- Remifemin doesn’t have the side effects that are experienced with hormonal drugs prescribed for the relief of menopausal symptoms.
Lit source: Enzymatic therapy.
*this statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treate, cure, or prevent any disease.
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Oxy Boost – Oxygenate your Life!
Date:
July 06, 2006 02:43 PM
Author: 
Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Oxy Boost – Oxygenate your Life!
Oxygen is the basis of all life and is found in the air we breathe and the water we drink. Increasing oxygen levels can have very positive effects, including improved mental clarity, endurance, immunity, better digestion and increased energy.
Oxygen is the key to a healthy immune system as well as every metabolic function in our bodies. Trillion of cells use oxygen to create energy every second of every day of our lives. Atmospheric pollution and deforestation play an important role in terms of the quality of air we breathe.
Oxy boost is all natural. It contains distilled water, sodium chloride (from sea salt), bioavailable oxygen, and essential and trace minerals. Oxy boost is the world’s premier stabilized oxygen supplement, containing one of the highest concentrations of activated oxygen available today. It is pH balanced (approximately 7.4—a perfect pH for internal and external use). This is why Oxy Boost is so unique in the field of oxygen supplements.
Oxy boost has been proven in independent laboratory studies to be completely non-toxic in any concentration and at any amount. Oxy boost is safe to use both orally (sublingually or in water) and topically. Oxy boost does not depend on the digestive process to be absorbed.
The body’s first line of defense
A lack of sufficient oxygen in the blood stream reduces the body’s first line of defense. This has been clearly established in medical literature. Oxy boost safely increases the available oxygen levels in the bloodstream.
Works with other nutrients
Oxy boost can be taken with other nutritional supplements in fact; it may be safe to assume that oxy boost can even increase the efficacy of such supplements. Oxy boost works hand in hand with all other nutrients including amino acids, minerals and vitamins. These all require oxygen to be assimilated by the body and for utilization in the metabolic processes. The higher the oxygen saturation level in the blood and tissues, the more efficient and effective are the metabolic processes involving these nutrients.
We recommend that Oxy boost be taken on an empty stomach, preferably 30 min before eating or two hours after eating, to get the greatest physiological benefits from the product. Oxy boost is available in regular and therapeutic (2.5 times the concentration of regular Oxy boost) strengths.
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California Proposition 65 (Prop 65) and Progesterone Cream Warnings
Date:
February 17, 2006 06:29 PM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: California Proposition 65 (Prop 65) and Progesterone Cream Warnings
Scientific Safety Information on Progesterone
California Proposition 65 (Prop 65) and Progesterone Cream Warnings Amy Kosowski, M.S., LDN
Prop 65: What is it?
Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 , was enacted as a ballot initiative in the state of California in November of 1986. The Proposition was intended by its authors to protect California citizens and the State's drinking water sources from chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm, and to inform citizens about exposures to such chemicals 1.
Proposition 65 requires the Governor to publish, at least annually, a list of chemicals “known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity .” Progesterone, as well as other human hormones, appear on this list 1. Set forth below is the information that formed the bases for the addition of progesterone to the Prop 65 list by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (“OEHHA”).
Prop 65 and Progesterone - Perspective
In August of 2004, OEHHA published a document stating the rationale for the addition of Progesterone to the Prop 65 list 2. This document is a review of human, animal, and in vitro studies that used progesterone, synthetic progestins, and other progestagens (progesterone-like compounds). Experimental data from the use of all of these compounds were mixed together, along with data from studies using other steroid hormone derivatives (mainly synthetic estrogens) and many different methods of administration.
Although this review covered the existing scientific literature on progesterone and its many derivative compounds, there are many problems with the type of data analysis that was employed.
First, progesterone is endogenous to humans and necessary for bone and reproductive health while progestins and other synthetic progestagens are not. Progestins and progestagens are similar in molecular structure to progesterone, but when they bind to progesterone receptors, their effects are usually much stronger and more likely to cause abnormal physiologic responses 3, 4. Furthermore, the majority of the studies concerning the health effects of these progesterone derivatives involved combinations with synthetic estrogens 2-4.
There were very few studies mentioned in the 2004 document that used exclusively bio-identical progesterone (the kind found normally produced by humans as well as that used in progesterone creams), and those studies that did were at supra-physiologic doses (very high). The doses of progesterone ranged from 10-1000 times the dose usually recommended by manufacturers of progesterone creams 2, although in a few cases, the doses were closer to the recommended dosages.
The route of administration of progesterone is also at issue. All of the studies cited in the OEHHA document used either oral, injected, or suppository forms of hormones; none was conducted using transdermal creams. This is an important consideration because hormones absorbed through the skin are metabolized differently than hormones that are administered via other routes 5, 6.
Putting it Together
While the OEHHA Prop 65 reference document on progesterone 2 is a broad survey of the published scientific literature examining the potential effects of the pharmaceutical use of progesterone and its synthetic derivatives, it is not clear at all that these effects would be seen with the use of low-dose progesterone creams.
The OEHHA Prop 65 progesterone document evaluates a broad range of information regarding progesterone and synthetic materials that are not natural progesterone. The conclusion reached was not challenged, and it is on that basis that progesterone creams now carry the Prop 65 warning.
References:
1 California OEHHA Web Site: //www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/p65faq.html .
2 Reproductive and Cancer Hazard Assessment Section, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency (2004) Evidence on the developmental and Reproductive Toxicity of Progesterone.
3 Campagnoli C, Abba C, Ambroggio S, Peris C (2005) Pregnancy, progesterone and progestin in relation to breast cancer risk. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 97(5):441-450.
4 Campagnoli C , Clavel-Chapelon F , Kaaks R , Peris C , Berrino F (2005) Progestins and progesterone in hormone replacement therapy and the risk of breast cancer. Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2005 96(2):95-108.
5 de Lignieres B, Dennerstein L, Backstrom T (1995) Influence of route of administration on progesterone metabolism. Maturitas 21:251-257.
6 Gompel A, et al. (2000) Progestins were also proapoptotic in normal as well as in hormone-dependent breast cancer cells. Steroids 65(10-11):593-598.
7 Bu SZ ( 1997) Progesterone induces apoptosis and up-regulation of p53 expression in human ovarian carcinoma cell lines. Cancer 79(10):1944-50.
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Essential Oil FAQ's - What are essential oils?
Date:
January 13, 2006 05:13 PM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Essential Oil FAQ's - What are essential oils?
Essential Oil FAQ's
What are essential oils?Essential Oils are the naturally occurring volatile oils obtained by distillation or expression having the characteristic aroma of the plant part from which it was derived. These 100% pure oils are neat, meaning they have not been processed or manipulated in any way with solvents or other additives. Though a particular species of plant harvested and distilled for its essential oil during a particular growing season in a specific region may produce a fragrance that differs from the same species grown that season in a different region, many of the main chemical markers and physical specifications may be similar.
Do essential oils have a grading system to tell me which is better?
There are many companies selling Essential Oils today spinning many tall tales regarding the quality or grade of their products. To my knowledge there exists NO official grading system in any of the more respected sources of essential oil literature. Neither The Federal Register and Code of Regulations, FEMA nor AFNOR has to date adopted a system that grades these oils as an A, B or C grade. A product is either 100% pure essential oil or it’s not. All of our 100% pure essential Oils are labeled as such. We also sell oil blends that are formulated with essential oils or absolute extracts and pure grapeseed oil and are clearly labeled. Are NOW essential oils pure or do they have anything added to them?
Again all of our 100% pure essential Oils are labeled as such. We also sell oil blends that are formulated with essential oils or absolute extracts and pure grapeseed oil and are clearly labeled.
Natural Essential Oils by their very definition will vary from season to season. We are committed to allowing nature take its course without adding isolated compounds to the oil in an effort to improve on the naturally occurring nuance. We take both the organoleptic (sight, smell and taste) and chemical properties into account when evaluating our essential oils. What are NOW’s criteria for testing essential oils? Our Quality Assurance and Control departments adhere to specifications used by the Essential Oils and Flavor Industry and published in The Essential Oils by Guenther, as well as Fenaroli’s Handbook of Flavor Ingredients.
These texts, as well as other sources of scientific information, detail specific physical and chemical properties that compose a fingerprint defining the peculiarities of a particular oil. A partial list of the components that we analyze for would include Specific Gravity, Refractive Index, Optical Rotation, Flash Point, Infrared Absorption (as published in FCC), Solubility, Taste/Odor, Color/Appearance, Heavy Metals and Predominant Active Chemical Components. Our in-house laboratory employs state-of-the-art analytical equipment that allows us to perform highly specialized analyses, such as Gas Chromatography and Infrared Spectrometry. We use our own analysis results to confirm specification sheet results and certificates of analyses received from 3rd party outside laboratories and vendors. As always, when it comes to Essential Oils, individual practitioners and lay people will decide for themselves which variety of a flower or leaf produces the essential oil that best suits their particular need. The nose, eyes, ears, hands and heart of a man or woman, used with humility and wisdom, are still the best tools given us by God to discern what is necessary and good. NOW Foods is committed to offering the purest and most potent natural Essential Oils available. All of our 100% Pure Essential Oils are FCC or food grade and derived through natural distillation or cold pressing methods with no chemicals or solvents. NR 9/03
My family and I have been using Cassia essential oil topically on our feet. Is this OK since your bottle says “Not for Topical use”?
Skin irritation is possible with many oils, including the powerful Quassia or Cinnamon essential oils. Though many people do use our oils in a variety of ways, due to the powerful nature of steam distilled pure essential oils, we label these products with cautions and suggest that you consult an aromatherapist or health professional for proper use. These 100% pure oils are of the highest quality, undiluted and unadulterated. They are appropriate for any use where these concentrated oils are indicated, either as aromatherapy or with significant dilution.
Disclaimer: This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
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Is Fish Oil good for my heart?
Date:
October 25, 2005 02:59 PM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Is Fish Oil good for my heart?
I know that fish oil is good for my heart, but I was told I should also consume fish to protect my bones. Is there any truth to that?
Many people are familiar with the literature that omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. Animal studies, and now recent human studies, suggest a role in bone health as well, particularly in relation to omega-6 fatty acids. A long-term study in California tracked the ratio of dietary omega-6 fats to omega-3s in relation to bone-mineral density in middle- and older-age individuals. They tested BMD by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry—the gold standard for assessing bone loss—and found that the higher the ratio of linoleic acid (omega-6) to alpha-linolenic acid(omega-3), the lower the BMD. These results were independent of age, body mass index and various lifestyle factors.
The ratios creating problems were in the range of 7 to 1 and 8 to 1 of omega-6s to omega-3s. Foods high in omega-6 (or with a high omega-6 and omega-3 ratio) are corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean, and cottonseed oils. One of the best sources of omega-3 is fatty, cold-water fish such as salmon. The best vegetarian source is flax oil. In addition, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, canola oil (I recommend cold-pressed and unrefined), and some dark, leafy green vegetables such as kale, spinach, purslane, mustard greens and collards do have some omega-3s.
Also, available is a dry fish oil Vectomega by Europharma, if you do not want to take an oil softgel then give vectomega a try.
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vitamin D and Diabetes
Date:
October 25, 2005 02:40 PM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: vitamin D and Diabetes
I Herd vitamin D might help prevent diabetes. Is this true?
If you are referring to type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes, you probably heard correctly. Animal studies suggest that vitamin D supplementation significantly represses the development of insulitis and diabetes and, furthermore, a vitamin D deficiency increases the onset of type 1 diabetes. Human studies seem to support this as well. In Norway, a retrospective study showed that children who ingested cod liver oil—a rich source of Vitamin D—had a significantly lower risk of type 1 diabetes.
It is not clear how vitamin D works in modifying the onset of type 1 diabetes, but the vitamin is a potent modulator of the immune system and it may alter certain inflammatory- and immune-signaling agents associated with development of the disease. A recent review of the literature suggests that doses less than 400 IU daily may not reduce the risk for type 1 diabetes, but that does of 2,000 IU a day (the tolerable upper intake level) may have a strong, protective effect.
Because few foods naturally contain vitamin D, sunlight and supplementation supplies most of our vitamin D requirement. Vitamin D deficiency is also prevalent in infants who are solely breast-fed and do not receive vitamin D supplementation.
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Buy Discount Vitamins at Vitanet ®
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Committed to supporting independent health food retailers
Date:
October 21, 2005 08:10 AM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Committed to supporting independent health food retailers
Committed to supporting independent health food retailers
“How do we Justify taking on another line of products?”
Eliminating slow-moving items is a great way to make room for NOW’s line of affordable high-quality products. Your bottom line cant afford to have shelves full of products that do nothing but collect dust. Our commitment to providing products that people actually want at prices that they can afford will help you overcome this common hurdle.
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Its History and Developement
Date:
October 05, 2005 04:39 PM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Its History and Developement
Aloe Vera has been recognized since early biblical times by people as a medicinal plant which has been used successfully in treating a great variety of ailments. Today many cosmetics and first aid supplies contain Aloe Vera as an ingredient. Published literature confirms that many people consume Aloe Vera on a daily basis for a wide range of health problems.
Although the Aloe Vera plant has been used for centuries, it was originally only available in semitropical areas of the world. Its use was limited to individuals who grew their own plants and extracted the juice. The primary reason for this limited use was microbial spoilage and the necessity to refrigerate it immediately.
Commercial production of Aloe Vera Juice began in the mid 1950’s when it was discovered that certain standard food preservatives were effective in preventing spoilage thereby extending the shelf life.
Through years of animal and specific Aloe Plant studies, George Warren developed and proved a unique fractional distillation process that allows him to capture the therapeutic benefits of Aloe Vera without having to add the standard food preservatives which are much less desirable in today’s health conscious lifestyle.
As a result, George Warren has been supplying his 100% pure Aloe Vera Distillate to thousands of satisfied customers since 1979.
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Source Naturals - Scientific Formulation
Date:
August 20, 2005 11:42 AM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Source Naturals - Scientific Formulation
“Formulation is an art—based on science, traditional approaches, and a thorough understanding of an issue. My prime responsibility is to design and create formulas that are comprehensive and effective. I strongly believe in supporting the whole person and in empowering people to take control of their health through nutrition and self-education.” –Linda Meltzer, C.N., Research Specialist
Scientific Formulation
Formulation at Source Naturals begins with our highly trained research and product development staff. Our researchers conduct an exhaustive review of the scientific literature on each nutrient or botanical.
Their investigation covers traditional approaches, modern medical interventions, and current studies.
Dosage, delivery method, optimal ratios and combinations of ingredients, biochemical interactions of nutrients and herbs, the quality and form of raw materials—all are scrutinized in a quest for product efficacy. Members of our research, product development, quality control, regulatory affairs and manufacturing groups regularly attend quality circle meetings. At these meetings, team members contribute their particular expertise to resolve complex issues in the development of formulas, labels and literature.
Source Naturals researchers have all the scientific knowledge and tools of the supplement industry at their fingertips— but they also have something other companies may lack. Our expert formulators understand the need to address nutritional symptoms* at their root cause: body system imbalances. The ultimate expression of this quality-assured formulation method is our line of Bio-Aligned Formulas™. These products address nutritional symptoms* by supporting the multiple body systems involved.
Only by this holistic method of bringing alignment to your interdependent body systems can vibrant health be attained.
Source Naturals labels and literature explain the structure-function benefits of each product. Corroborated research backs these statements, from authoritative sources such as biochemistry texts, respected journals, herbal pharmacopoeia and homeopathic Materia Medica.
Our labeling and literature are reviewed by attorneys who specialize in FDA law. This ensures that claims are accurate and appropriate according to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA).
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Best Hyaluronic Acid w/Chondroitin Sulfate - Benefits of...
Date:
July 27, 2005 12:28 PM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Best Hyaluronic Acid w/Chondroitin Sulfate - Benefits of...
Benefits
• Supports Healthy Joint Structure and Function*
Components of BioCell Collagen II including collagen type II, chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid (HA) can enhance proteoglycans in the joint matrix, thereby providing support for healthy joint function and maintaining joint shock absorption and cushioning.
CHONDROITIN SULFATE
Chondroitin has been well studied for its effects on joint health. In a 1996 controlled, double-blind trial published in the Journal of Rheumatology, 146 volunteers consumed chondroitin sulfate daily for 6 months. Changes in joint function were measured according to several clinical parameters and carefully analyzed. After the first month, significant improvements were noted and maintained for three months after the subjects stopped taking the chondroitin sulfate.1 In an earlier double-blind study subjects taking chondroitin sulfate had improvements in joint function after three months of use, as determined by both objective and subjective measurements.2 In both studies, the benefits lasted for weeks after subjects stopped taking chondroitin sulfate.
In another controlled study, 192 subjects took chondroitin sulfate or a placebo daily for one year. At the end of the trial, chondroitin sulfate maintained healthy joint cartilage thickness, while those on placebo had decreased cartilage. Improvements in joint function also occurred. The researchers reported that chondroitin exerted a clear chondroprotective effect.3
COLLAGEN TYPE II
A number of studies have also been conducted on the administration of collagen type II to individuals that have various joint issues. Much of this research has been conducted on animal models of joint conditions while there are also studies showing the effectiveness of oral collagen type II preparations in humans for maintenance of healthy joints.
A randomized controlled trial conducted on 60 patients with joint health issues in 1993 found that oral administration of chicken collagen type II for 3 months led to a significant decrease in swollen and tender joints in this group, as compared to no measurable improvement in the placebo group. There were also no side effects seen with the treatment.4 A second multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 274 individuals with joint issues was published in 1998. The participants were given collagen type II orally for 24 weeks. Positive effects of the treatment were noted while no adverse effects were seen.5
A paper published in 2000 reviewed the literature to assess the role of hydrolyzed collagen in joint and bone health. It was found that hydrolyzed collagen when administered orally was able to support joint health in most of the trials reviewed while the author concluded that, “Its high level of safety makes it attractive as an agent for long-term use.”6
HYALURONIC ACID (HA)
Most of the literature on hyaluronic acid and joint health deals with its intra-articular use, or injections of HA directly into the joints. In this realm, there is good evidence for the effects of HA on joint function.
A study was conducted with injectable HA in individuals with TMJ (temporomandibular joint) conditions. Participants received two injections, each one week apart, or placebo injections with saline. In the HA group, the researchers found decreased clicking sounds and increased function of the joint at 1 month (90% of patients showed improvement) and 6 months (63%) of follow-up, compared to about 26% of the placebo group showing improvement at 6 months.7
A pair of researchers also conducted a literature review of the trials using HA for improving joint health that was published in 2005. Their findings indicate a positive role for HA in modifying the structure of the joint and slowing progressive deterioration of joint function and mobility.8 Hyaluronic acid seems to have a natural affinity for joint tissue, and is therefore able to help support healthy joint structure and function.
• SuSupports Healthy Joint Structure and Function*
Hyaluronic Acid and Collagen are both vital components of skin tissue. Both compounds are known to decline with aging. Collagen is a vital structural component of the skin. It is also one of the most important substances required for proper skin barrier function and health. Collagen, as a major component of the connective tissue, provides structural support, increasing elasticity and tone of the skin.
In 1994, researchers performed comparative measurements of hyaluronic acid levels in the skin of young and elderly individuals. The researchers had hypothesized that a major reason for the aged appearance of skin in the elderly is a reduction of hyaluronic acid levels. What they found using their methods is that there is a progressive reduction in the number of hyaluronic acid granules in human skin with age, until a complete absence of these granules was seen in individuals 60 years or older. These variations in HA levels with age could, according to the researchers, account for the decreased turgidity, wrinkled appearance and altered elasticity of skin tissue.9 Further research was needed to determine the effect of exogenously administered HA on the suppleness of human skin.
In a laboratory study conducted in 1998, researchers analyzed the effects of HA given to live human skin cells. Whereas the cells on their own had a low rate of renewal, hyaluronic acid added to the cells resulted in increased proliferation of skin cells in the collagen matrix. This showed that supplementing skin cells with HA caused a significant increase in the ability of cells to go through the cell cycle.10 One of the major benefits of this may be hyaluronic acid’s ability to continually renew skin tissue to help maintain a youthful appearance of the skin.
Safety
Suggested Adult Use: Take 2 capsules daily, or as directed by a health care practitioner. Take with 8-10 ounces of water, with or without food.
Scientific References
1. Morreale P, et al. Comparison of the antiinflammatory efficacy of chondroitin sulfate and diclofenac sodium in patients with knee osteoarthritis. J Rheumatol (1996) 23:1385-91.
2. Mazières B, et al. Chondroitin sulfate for the treatment of coxarthrosis and gonarthrosis. A prospective, multicenter, placebo-controlled, double blind trial with five months follow up. Rev. Rhum. Mal. Ostèoartic. 1992;59(7-8):466-472.
3. Pipitone V, et al. A multicenter, triple-blind study to evaluate galactosaminoglucuronoglycan sulfate versus placebo in patients with femorotibial gonarthritis. Current Therapeutic Research 1992 52(4):608-38.
4. Trentham DE, et al. Effects of oral administration of type II collagen on rheumatoid arthritis. Science. 1993 Sep 24; 261(5129) 1727-30.
5. Barnett ML, et al. Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with oral type II collagen. Results of a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Arthritis Rheum. 1998 Feb; 41(2): 290-7.
6. Moskowitz RW. Role of collagen hydrolysate in bone and joint disease. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2000 Oct;30(2):87-99.
7. Hepguler S, et al. The efficacy of intra-articular sodium hyaluronate in patients with reducing displaced disc of the temporomandibular joint. J Oral Rehab. 2002; 29: 80-86.
8. Goldberg VM, Buckwalter JA. Hyaluronans in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: evidence for disease-modifying activity. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2005 Mar;13(3):216-24.
9. Ghersetich I, et al. Hyaluronic acid in cutaneous intrinsic aging. Int J Dermatol. 1994 Feb; 33(2): 119-22.
10. Greco RM, et al. Hyaluronic acid stimulates human fibroblast proliferation within a collagen matrix. J Cell Physiol. 1998 Dec; 177(3): 465-73.
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THE FDA AND STEVIA
Date:
July 15, 2005 12:45 PM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: THE FDA AND STEVIA
THE FDA AND STEVIA
While stevia in no way qualifies as an “artificial sweetener,” it has been subject to rigorous inquiry and unprecedented restraints. In 1986, FDA officials began to investigate herb companies selling stevia and suddenly banned its sale, calling it “an unapproved food additive.” Then in 1991, the FDA unexpectedly announced that all importation of stevia leaves and products must cease, with the exception of certain liquid extracts which are designed for skin care only. They also issued formal warnings to companies and claimed that the herb was illegal. The FDA was unusually aggressive in its goal to eliminate stevia from American markets, utilizing search and seizure tactics, embargoes and import bans. Speculation as to why the FDA intervened in stevia commerce points to the politics of influential sugar marketers and the artificial-sweetener industry.
During the same year, the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) began their defense of the herb with the goal of convincing the FDA that stevia is completely safe. They gathered documented literature and research on both stevia and other non-caloric sweeteners. The overwhelming consensus was that stevia is indeed safe, and the AHPA petitioned the FDA to exempt stevia from food additive regulations.
Food Additive vs. Dietary Supplement
FDA regulations of stevia were based on its designation as a food additive. The claim was that scientific study on stevia as a food additive was inadequate. Ironically, extensive Japanese testing of stevia was disregarde—regardless of the fact that this body of documented evidence more than sufficiently supported its safe use. Many experts who have studied stevia and its FDA requirements have commented that the FDA wants far more proof that stevia is safe than they would demand from chemical additives like aspartame.
Stevia advocates point out that stevia not a food additive, but rather, a food. Apparently, foods that have traditionally been consumed do not require laborious and expensive testing for safety under FDA regulations. The fact that so many toxicology studies have been conducted in Japan, coupled with the herb’s long history of safe consumption, makes a strong case for stevia being accepted by the FDA as a safe dietary substance. Still, it was denied the official GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status and designated a food additive by the FDA.
The FDA Reverses Its Position
As a result of the Health Freedom Act passed in September of 1995, stevia leaves, stevia extract, and stevioside can be imported to the United States. However, ingredient labels of products that contain stevia must qualify as dietary supplements.
Stevia had been redesignated as a dietary supplement by the FDA and consequently can be legally sold in the United States solely as a supplement. Its addition to teas or other packaged foods is still banned. Moreover, stevia cannot, under any circumstances, be marketed as a sweetener or flavor enhancer.
SUGAR, SUGAR EVERYWHERE
Ralph Nader once said, “If God meant us to eat sugar, he wouldn’t have invented dentists.” The average American eats over 125 pounds of white sugar every year. It has been estimated that sugar makes up 25 percent of our daily caloric intake, with soda pop supplying the majority of our sugar ingestion. Desserts and sugar-laden snacks continually tempt us, resulting in an escalated taste for sweets.
The amount of sugar we consume has a profound effect on both our physical and mental well-being. Sugar is a powerful substance which can have drug-like effects and is considered addictive by some nutritional experts. William Duffy, the author of Sugar Blues, states,“The difference between sugar addiction and narcotic addition is largely one of degree.” In excess, sugar can be toxic. Sufficient amounts of B-vitamins are actually required to metabolize and detoxify sugar in our bodies. When the body experiences a sugar overload, the assimilation of nutrients from other foods can be inhibited. In other words, our bodies were not designed to cope with the enormous quantity of sugar we routinely ingest. Eating too much sugar can generate a type of nutrient malnutrition, not to mention its contribution to obesity, diabetes, hyperactivity, and other disorders. Sugar can also predispose the body to yeast infections, aggravate some types of arthritis and asthma, cause tooth decay, and may even elevate our blood lipid levels. Eating excess sugar can also contribute to amino acid depletion, which has been linked with depression and other mood disorders. To make matters worse, eating too much sugar can actually compromise our immune systems by lowering white blood cells counts. This makes us more susceptible to colds and other infections. Sugar consumption has also been linked to PMS, osteoporosis and coronary heart disease.
Why Do We Crave Sweets?
Considering the sobering effects of a high sugar diet, why do we eat so much of it? One reason is that sugar gives us a quick infusion of energy. It can also help to raise the level of certain brain neurotransmitters which may temporarily elevate our mood. Sugar cravings stem from a complex mix of physiological and psychological components. Even the most brilliant scientists fail to totally comprehend this intriguing chemical dependence which, for the most part, hurts our overall health.
What we do know is that when sugary foods are consumed, the pancreas must secrete insulin, a hormone which serves to bring blood glucose levels down. This allows sugar to enter our cells where it is either burned off or stored. The constant ups and downs of blood sugar levels can become exaggerated in some individuals and cause all kinds of health problems. Have you ever been around someone who is prone to sudden mood swings characterized by violent verbal attacks or irritability? This type of volatile behavior is typical of people who crave sugar, eat it and then experience sugar highs and lows. Erratic mood swings can be linked to dramatic drops in blood sugar levels.
Hypoglycemia: Sign of Hard Times?
It is rather disturbing to learn that statisticians estimate that almost 20 million Americans suffer from some type of faulty glucose tolerance. Hypoglycemia and diabetes are the two major forms of blood sugar disorders and can deservedly be called modern day plagues. Hypoglycemia is an actual disorder that can cause of number of seemingly unrelated symptoms. More and more studies are pointing to physiological as well as psychological disorders linked to disturbed glucose utilization in brain cells. One study, in particular, showed that depressed people have overall lower glucose metabolism (Slagle, 22). Hypoglycemia occurs when too much insulin is secreted in order to compensate for high blood sugar levels resulting from eating sugary or high carbohydrate foods. To deal with the excess insulin, glucagon, cortisol and adrenalin pour into the system to help raise the blood sugar back to acceptable levels. This can inadvertently result in the secretion of more insulin and the vicious cycle repeats itself.
A hypoglycemic reaction can cause mood swings, fatigue, drowsiness, tremors, headaches, dizziness, panic attacks, indigestion, cold sweats, and fainting. When blood sugar drops too low, an overwhelming craving for carbohydrates results. To satisfy the craving and compensate for feelings of weakness and abnormal hunger, sugary foods are once again consumed in excess.
Unfortunately, great numbers of people suffer from hypoglycemic symptoms. Ironically, a simple switch from a high sugar diet to one that emphasizes protein can help. In addition, because sugar cravings are so hard to control, a product like stevia can be of enormous value in preventing roller coaster blood sugar levels. One Colorado internist states: People who are chronically stressed and are on a roller coaster of blood sugar going up and down are especially prone to dips in energy at certain times of day. Their adrenals are not functioning optimally, and when they hit a real low point, they want sugar. It usually happens in mid-afternoon when the adrenal glands are at their lowest level of functioning. (Janiger, 71) Our craving for sweets in not intrinsically a bad thing; however, what we reach for to satisfy that craving can dramatically determine how we feel. Stevia can help to satisfy the urge to eat something sweet without changing blood sugar levels in a perfectly natural way and without any of the risks associated with other non-nutritive sweeteners.
Diabetes: Pancreas Overload?
Diabetes is a disease typical of western cultures and is evidence of the influence that diet has on the human body. Perhaps more than any other disease, diabetes shuts down the mechanisms which permit proper carbohydrate/sugar metabolism. When the pancreas no longer secretes adequate amounts of insulin to metabolize sugar, that sugar continues to circulate in the bloodstream causing all kinds of health problems. The type of diabetes that comes in later years is almost always related to obesity and involves the inability of sugar to enter cells, even when insulin is present. Diabetes can cause blindness, atherosclerosis, kidney disease, the loss of nerve function, recurring infections, and the inability to heal. Heredity plays a profound role in the incidence of diabetes, but a diet high in white sugar and empty carbohydrates unquestionably contributes to the onset of the disease. It is estimated that over five million Americans are currently undergoing medical treatment for diabetes and studies suggest that there are at least four million Americans with undetected forms of adult onset diabetes. Diabetes is the third cause of death in this country and reflects the devastating results of a diet low in fiber and high in simple carbohydrates. Most of us start our children on diets filled with candy, pop, chips, cookies, doughnuts, sugary juice, etc. Studies have found that diabetes is a disease which usually plagues societies that eat highly refined foods. Because we live in a culture that worships sweets, the availability of a safe sweetener like stevia, which does not cause stress on the pancreas is extremely valuable. If sugar consumption was cut in half by using stevia to
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HISTORY
Date:
July 12, 2005 09:52 AM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: HISTORY
HISTORY or Milk Thistle
Natural substances which afford us protection from toxins and potential carcinogens have recently come to the fore front of scientific attention. Compounds known as antioxidants, which can help minimize the damaging effects of chemical stru c t u res called free radicals, are extensively used today. One of these protectant substances is not as familiar to most people as vitamin C or beta-carotene. It is an herb called Milk Thistle and it has some extraordinary protective properties. Milk Thistle, also known as Silymarin has enjoyed a long history of use in European folk medicine. Centuries ago, Romans recognized the value of this herb for liver impairments. They routinely used the seeds and roots of the plant to restore and rejuvenate a diseased liver. Pliny the Elder, an ancient Roman, re c o rded how the juice of Milk Thistle, when mixed with honey was used for carrying off bile. Dioscorides extolled the virtues of Milk Thistle as an effective protectant against snake bites. The genus silybum is a member of the thistle tribe of the daisy family. Two species of the plant exist and both are native to southern Europe and Eurasia. Plants which grow in the Southern United States actually have more potent seeds than their European and Asian counterparts. Milk Thistle is a stout and sturdy looking plant, which can grow up to 12 feet tall. The flower heads can expand to six inches in diameter and are a vivid purple color. They usually bloom from June to August. Very sharp spines cover the heads. The leaves are comprised of hairless, milky bands, and when young, are quite tender. Historically, the seed of Milk Thistle was used as a cholagogue which stimulated the flow of bile. The seed was also used to treat jaundice, dyspepsia, lack of appetite and other stomach disorders. Homeopathic uses included:
peritonitis, coughs, varicose veins and uterine congestion. While tonics were sometimes made from the leaves of Milk Thistle, the most valuable part of the plant was contained in its seeds.
Milk Thistle is also known as Marian Thistle, Wild Artichoke, Variegated Thistle or St. Mary’s Thistle. Reference to Milk Thistle as “Vi rgin Mary” stems from its white milky veins. Legends explained that these veins were created when Mary’s milk fell on the thistle. Subsequently, a connection between the herb and lactation arose, which has no scientific basis for its claims. Milk Thistle is frequently confused with Blessed Thistle, which does act to stimulate the production of mother’s milk. Gerarde, a practicing herbalist in 1597, said that Milk Thistle was one of the best remedies for melancholy (liver related) diseases. In 1650, Culpeper wrote of its ability to remove obstructions in the liver and spleen. In 1755, Von Haller recorded that he used Milk Thistle for a variety of liver disorders. Subsequently, Milk Thistle became a staple agent for the treatment of any kind of liver aliment. European physicians included it in their written materia medica. Unfortunately, for an extended period during the 18th century, the herb was not stressed, however in 1848, Johannes Gottfried Rademacher rediscovered its medicinal merits. He recorded in great detail how Milk Thistle treated a number of liver ailments and spleen disorders. His research was later confirmed in medical literature. In the early 20th century, Milk Thistle was recommended for female problems, colon disorders, liver complaints and gallstones. Almost every significant European pharmaceutical establishment listed Milk Thistle as a valuable treatment. In recent decades, Milk Thistle has been primarily used as a liver tonic and digestive aid. Nursing women who wanted to stimulate the production of their milk used Milk thistle as a traditional tonic. As mentioned earlier, modern day medical science now refutes this particular action of Milk Thistle, however, its benefit to the liver has been confirmed.
German herbalists have routinely used Milk Thistle for treating jaundice, mushroom poisoning and other liver disorders. This therapeutic tradition contributed to modern German research into Milk Thistle, resulting in its use as a widely prescribed phytomedicine for liver disease. Silymarin or Thisilyn, as it is also known, is a relatively new nutrient in the United States. Since 1954, scientists have known the Milk Thistle contained flavonoids, however, it wasn’t until the 1960’s that they discovered the just how unique silymarin is. Silymarin was considered an entirely new class of chemical compound, and its therapeutic properties continue to impress the scientific community.
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REFERENCES
Date:
June 25, 2005 08:13 PM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: REFERENCES
REFERENCES
1 a. The Surgeon General’s “Nutrition and Health Report.” b. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES III)” c. The National Academy of Science’s. Diet and Health Report: Health Promotion and Disease Objectives (DHHS Publication No. (PHS) 91-50213, Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1990). e. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 2 Rolls BJ. Carbohydrates, fats, and satiety. Am J Clin Nutr 1995; 61(4 Suppl):960S-967S. 3 McDowell MA, Briefel RR, Alaimo K, et al. Energy and macronutrient intakes of persons ages 2 months and over in the United States: Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Phase 1:1988-91. Advance data from vital and health statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; No. 255. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics; 1994. 4 Center for Science in the Public Interest and McDonald’s Nutrition and You—A guide to Healthy Eating at McDonald’s: McDonald’s Corp,1991. 5 Bray GA. Appetite Control in Adults. In: Fernstrom JD, Miller GD eds. Appetite and Body Weight Regulation. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 1994:1-92. 6 Michnovicz JJ. How to Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer. New York: Warner Book Inc. 1994:54. 7 Carcinogens and Anticarcinogens in the Human Diet. National Research Council Report, National Academy of Sciences, 15 Feb. 1996. 8 Van Tallie TB. Obesity: adverse effects on health and longevity. Am J Clin Nutr 1979:32: 2723-33. 9 Somer E, M.A. R.D. Nutrition for Women. New York: Henry Hold and Company, 1993:273. 10 Swaneck GE, Fishman J. Covalent binding of the endogenous estrogen 16A-hydroxyestrone to estradiol in human breast concer cells: characterization and intranuclear localization. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1988:85;7831-5. 11 Colditz GA. Epidemiology of breast cancer. Findings from the nurses’ health study. Cancer1993;714:1480-9. 12 Hennen WJ. Breast Cancer Risk Reduction. The effects of supplementation with dietary indoles. Unpublished report 1992. 13 Deslypere BJ. Obesity and cancer. Metabolism 1995;44(93):24-7. 14 Somer E, M.A. R.D. Nutrition for Women. New York: Henry Hold and Company, 1993:281. 15 Whittemore AS, Kolonel LN, John M. Prostate cancer in relation to diet, physical activity, and body size in blacks, whites, and Asians in the United States and Canada. J Natl Cancer Inst 1995;87(9):629-31. 16 Key T. Risk factors for prostate cancer. Cancer Survivor 1995;23:63- 77. 17 Kondo Y, Homma Y, Aso Y, Kakizoe T. Promotional effects of twogeneration exposure to a high-fat diet on prostate carcinogenisis in ACI/Seg mice. Cancer Res 1994;54(23):6129-32. 18 Wang Y, Corr JG, Taler HT, Tao Y, Fair WR, Heston WD. Decreased growth of established human prostate LNCaP tumors in nude mice fed a low-fat diet. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1995;87(19):1456-62. 19 Nixon DW. Cancer prevention clinical trials. In-Vivo 1994;8(5):713-6. 20 Key T. Micronutrients and cancer aetiology: the epidmiological evidence. Proceed Nutr Soc 1994;53(3):605-14. 21 Gorbach SL, Goldin BR. The intestinal microflora and the colon cancer connection. Reviews of Infectious Diseases 1990;12(Suppl 2):S252-61. 22 Shrapnel WS, Calvert GD, Nestel PJ, Truswell AS. Diet and coronary heart disease. The National Heart Foundation of Australia. Med J Australia. 1995;156(Suppl):S9-S16. 23 Ellis JL, Campos-Outcalt D. Cardiovascular disease risk factors in native Americans: a literature review. Am. J. Preventive Med 1994;10(5):295-307. 24 DiBianco R. The changing syndrome of heart failure: an annotated review as we approach the 21st century. J. Hypertension 1994; 12(4 Suppl):S73- S87. 25 Van Itallie TB. Obesity: adverse effects on health and longevity. Am J Clin Nutr 1979;32(suppl):2723-33. 26 Kestin M, Moss R, Clifton PM, Nestel PJ. Comparative effects of three cereal brans on plasma lipids, blood pressure and glucose metabolism in mildly hyper-cholesterolemic men. Am J Clin Nutr 1990;52(4):661-6. 27 Story JA. Dietary fiber and lipid metabolism. In: Spiller GA, Kay RM. eds. Medical Aspects of Dietary Fiber. Penun Medical; New York, 1980, p.138. 28 Stein PP, Black HR. The role of diet in the genesis and treatment of hypertension. Med. Clin. North America. 1993;77(4):831-47. 29 Olin JW. Antihypertensive treatment in patients with peripheral vascular disease. Cleve. Clin. J. Medicine. 1994;61(5):337-44. 30 Tinker LF. Diabetes Mellitus—a priority health care issue for women. J. Am. Dietetic Association. 1994;94(9):976-85. 31 Gaspard UJ, Gottal JM, van den Brule FA. Postmenopausal changes of lipid and glucose metabolism: a review of their main aspects. Maturitas. 1995;21(3):71-8. 32 Coordt MC, Ruhe RC, McDonald RB. Aging and insulin secretion. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biology and Medicine. 1995;209(3):213-22. 33 Felber JP. From Obesity to Diabetes. Pathophysiological Considerations. Int. Journal of Obesity 1992;16:937-952. 34 Gillum RF. The association of body fat distribution with hypertension, hypertensive heart disease, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cardiovascular risk factors in men and women age 18-79. J Chronic Diseases 1987;40:421-8. 35 Haffner SM, Stern MP, Hazuda HP, et al. Role of obesity and fat distribution in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellits in Mexican Americans and non- Hispanic whites. Diabetes Care 1986;9:153-61. 36 Bonadonna RC, deFronzo RA. Glucose metabolism in obesity and type 2 diabetes. Diabetes and Metabolism. 1991;17(1 Pt. 2):12-35. 37 Shoemaker JK, Bonen A. Vascular actions of insulin in health and disease. Canadian J. of Applied Physiology. 1995;20(2):127-54. 38 Resnick LM. Ionic Basis of Hypertension, Insulin Resistaince, Vascular Disease, and Related Disorders. The Mechanism of ‘Syndrome X’. Am. J. Hypertension. 1993;6(suppl):123S-134S. 39 Trautwein EA. Dietetic influences on the formation and prevention of cholesterol gallstones. Z. Ernahrugswiss. 1994;33(1):2-15. 40 Cicuttini FM, Spector TD. Osteoarthritis in the aged. Epidemiological issues and optimal management. Drugs and Aging. 1995;6(5):409-20. 41 Melnyk MG, Wienstein E. Preventing obesity in black women by targeting adolescents: a literature review. J Am. Diet. Association. 1994;94(4):536-40. 42 Robinson BE, Gjerdingen Dk, Houge DR. Obesity: a move from traditional to more patient-oriented management. J. Am. Board of Family Practice. 1995;8(2):99-108. 43 Dulloo AG, Miller DS. Reversal of Obesity in the Genetically Obese fa/fa Zucker Rat with an Ehpedrine/Methylxanthines Thermogenic Mixture. J. Nutrition. 1987;117:383-9. 44 Dulloo AG, Miller DS. The thermogenic properties of ephedrin/methylxanthine mixtures: animal studies. Am J Clinical Nutr. 1986;43:388-394. 45 Richelsen B. Health risks of obesity. Significance of the regional distri-bution of adipose tissue. Ugeskr. 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Digestive Diseases. 1969;14(6) 60 Nauss JL , Thompson JL and Nagyvary J. The binding of micellar lipids to Chitosan. Lipids. 1983;18(10):714-19. 61 Braconnot H, Sue la natrue ces champignons. Ann Chim Phys 1811;79:265. 62 Odier A. Memoire sur la composition chemique des parties cornees des insectes. Mem Soc Hist Nat Paris 1823;1:29. 63 Johnson EL, Peniston QP. Utilization of shellfish waste for chitin and Chitosan production. Chp 19 In: Chemistry and Biochemistry of Marine Food Products. Martin RE, Flick GJ, Hebard CE and Ward DR (eds.) 1982. p.415-. AVI Publishing Co., Westport, CT. 64 Shahram H. Seafood waste: the potential for industrial use. Kem Kemi 1992;19(3),256-8. 65 Rouget C. Des substances amylacees dans le tissue des animux, specialement les Articules (Chitine). Compt Rend 1859;48:792. Commission on Natural Health Products. 1995 67 Peniston QP and Johnson EL. Method for Treating an Aqueous Medium with Chitosan and Derivatives of Chitin to Remove an Impurity. 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Academic Press, Inc. 1984. 76 Abelin J and Lassus A. Fat binder as a weight reducer in patients with moderate obesity. ARS Medicina, Helsinki, Aug- October, 1994. 77 Kanauchi O, Deuchi K, Imasato Y, Shizukuishi M, Kobayashi E. Increasing effect of a Chitosan and ascorbic acid mixture on fecal dietary fat excretion. Biosci Biotech Biochem 1994;58(9):1617-20. 78 Maezaki Y, Tsuji K, Nakagawa Y, et al. Hypocholesterolemic effect of Chitosan in adult males. Biosci Biotchnol Biochem1993;57(9):1439-44. 79 Kobayashi T, Otsuka S, Yugari Y. Effect of Chitosan on serum and liver cholesterol levels in cholesterol-fed rats. Nutritional Rep. Int., 1979;19(3):327-34. 80 Sugano M, Fujikawa T, Hiratsuji Y, Hasegawa Y. Hypocholesterolemic effects of Chitosan in cholesterol-fed rats. Nutr Rep. Int. 1978;18(5):531-7. 81 Vahouny G, Satchanandam S, Cassidy M, Lightfoot F, Furda I. Comparative effects of Chitosan and cholestryramine on lymphatic absorption of lipids in the rat. Am J Clin Nutr, 1983;38(2):278-84 82 Suzuki S, Suzuki M, Katayama H. Chitin and Chitosan oligomers as hypolipemics and formulations containing them. Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho JP 63 41,422 [88,422] 22 Feb1988. 83 Ikeda I, Tomari Y, Sugano M. Interrelated effects of dietary fiber on lymphatic cholesterol and triglyceride absorption in rats. J Nutr 1989;119(10):1383- 7. 84 LeHoux JG and Grondin F. Some effects of Chitosan on liver function in the rat. Endocrinology. 1993;132(3):1078-84. 85 Fradet G, Brister S, Mulder D, Lough J, Averbach BL. “Evaluation of Chitosan as a New Hemostatic Agent: In Vitro and In Vivo Experiments In Chitin in Nature and Technology. Eds: R Muzzarelli, C Jeuniaux, GW Gooday. Plenum Press, New York. 1986. 86 Malette W, Quigley H, Gaines R, Johnson N, Rainer WG. Chitosan A New Hemostatic. Annals of Thorasic Surgery. 1983;36:55. 87 Malette W, Quigley H, Adickes ED. Chitosan effect in Vascular Surgery, Tissue Culture and Tissue Regeneration. In R Muzzarelli, C Jeuniaux, GW Gooday, Eds: Chitin in Nature and Technology. Plenum Press, New York. 1986. 88 Okamoto Y, Tomita T, Minami S, et al. Effects of Chitosan on experimental abscess with Staphylococcus aureus in dogs. J. Vet. Med., 1995;57(4):765-7. 89 Klokkevold PR, Lew DS, Ellis DG, Bertolami CN. Effect of Chitosan on lingual hemostasis in rabbits. Journal of Oral-Maxillofac-Surg, 1991;Aug. 49(8):858-63. 89 Surgery, Tissue Culture and Tissue Regeneration. In Chitin in Nature and Technology. Eds: R Muzzarelli, C Jeuniaux, GW Gooday. Plenum Press, New York. 1986. 90 Hiroshi S, Makoto K, Shoji A, Yoshikazu S. Antibacterial fiber blended with Chitosan. Sixth International Conference on Chitin and Chitosan. Sea Fisheries Institute, Gdynia, Poland. August 1994;16-19. 91 Shimai Y, Tsukuda K, Seino H. Antiacne preparations containing chitin, Chitosan or their partial degradation products. Jpn. Kikai Tokkyo Koho JP 04,288,017 [92,288,017] 13 Oct 1992. 92 Suzuki K, Okawa Y, Suzuki S, Suzuki M. Candidacidal effect of peritoneal exudate cells in mice administered with chitin or Chitosan: the role of serine protease in the mechanism of oxygen-independent candidacidal effect. Microbiol Immunol. 1987;31(4):375-9. 93 Sawada G, Akaha Y, Naito H, Fujita M. Synergistic food preservatives containing organic acids, Chitosan and citrus seed extracts. Jpn, Kokai Kokkyo Koho JP 04 27,373 [92 27,373] 30 Jan 1992. 94 Min H-K, Hatai K, Bai S. Some inhibitory effects of Chitosan on fishpathogenic oomycete, Saprolegnia parasitic. Gyobyo Kenkyu, 1994;29(2):73-4. 95 Nelson JL, Alexander JW, Gianotti L, Chalk CL, Pyles T. The influence of dietary fiber on microbial growth in vitro and bacterial translocation after burn injury in mice. Nutr 1994;10(1):32-6. 96 Ochiai Y, Kanazawa Y. Chitosan as virucide. Jpn Kokai Tokkyo Koho 79 41,326. 97 Hillyard IW, Doczi J, Kiernan. Antacid and antiulcer properties of the polysaccharide Chitosan in the rat. Proc Soc Expl Biol Med 1964; 115:1108-1112. 98 Shibasaki K, Sano H, MatsukuboT, Takaesu Y. pH response of human dental plaque to chewing gum supplemented with low molecular Chitosan. Bull- Tokyo-Dent-Coll, 1994:35(2): 61-6. 99 Kato H, Okuda H. Chitosan as antihypertensive. Jpn. Kikoi Tokyo Koho JP 06 56,674 [94 56,674] 100 Kato H, Taguchi T. Mechanism of the rise in blood pressure by sodium chloride and decrease effect of Chitosan on blood pressure. Baiosaiensu to Indasutori 1993;51(12):987-8. 101 Muzzarelli R, Biagini G, Pugnaoni A, Filippini O, Baldassarre V, Castaldini C, and Rizzoli C. Reconstruction of Periodontal Tissue with Chitosan. Biomaterials. 1989;10:598-603. 102 Sapelli P, Baldassarre V, Muzzarelli R, Emanuelli M. Chitosan in Dentistry. In Chitin in Nature and Technology. Eds: R Muzzarelli, C Jeuniaux, GW Gooday. Plenum Press, New York. 1986. 103 Borah G, Scott G, Wortham K. Bone induction by Chitosan in endochrondral bones of the extremities. In Advances in Chitin and Chitosan. Eds: CJ Brine, PA Sandford, JP Zikakis. Elsevier Applied Science. London. 1992. 104 Ito F. Role of Chitosan as a supplementary food for osteoporosis. Gekkan Fudo Kemikaru, 1995;11(2):39-44. 105 Nakamura S, Yoshioka T, hamada S, Kimura I. Chitosan for enhancement of bioavailability of calcium. Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho JP 07 194,316 [95 194,316] 01 Aug 1995. 106 Maekawa A, Wada M. Food Containing chitin or its derivatives for reduction of blood and urine uric acid. Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho JP 03 280,852 [91 280,852], 11 Dec 1991. 107 Weisberg M, Gubner R. Compositions for oral administration comprising Chitosan and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Antacid preparations for alleviating gastric hyperacidity. U.S. patent 3257275 108 Kanauchi O, Deuchi K, Imasato Y, Shizukuishi M, Kobayashi E. Mechanism for the inhibition of fat digestion by Chitosan and for the synergistic effect of ascorbate. Biosci Biotech Biochem1995;59(5):786-90. 109 McCausland CW. Fat Binding Properties of Chitosan as Compared to Other Dietary Fibers. Private communication. 24 Jan1995. 110 Deuchi K, Kanauchi O, Imasato Y, Kobayashi E. Biosci Biotech Biochem. 1994:58,1613-6. 111 Ebihara K, Schneeman BO. Interaction of bile acids, phospholipids, cholesterol and triglyceride with dietary fibers in the small intestine of rats. J Nutr 1989;119(8):1100-6. 112 Weil A, M.D. Natural Health Natural Medicine: Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1990:182. 113 Chen Y-H, Riby Y, Srivastava P, Bartholomew J, Denison M, Bjeldanes L. Regualtion of CYP1A1 by indolo[3,2-b]carbazole in murine hepatoma cells. J Biol Chem 1995;270(38):22548-55. 114 Intestinal Absorption of metal ions and chelates. Ashmead HD, Graff DJ, Ashmead HH. Charles C Thomas, Springfield, IL 1985. 115 Nutrient Interactions. Bodwell CE, Erdman JW Jr. Marcel Dekker New York 1988. 116 Heleniak EP, Aston B. Prostaglandins, Brown Fat and Weight Loss. Medical Hypotheses 1989;28:13-33. 117 Connor WE, DeFrancesco CA, Connor SL. N-3 fatty acids from fish oil. Effects on plasma lipoproteins and hypertriglyceridemic patients. Ann NY Acad Sci 1993;683:16-34. 118 Conte AA. A non-prescription alternative in weight reduction therapy. The Bariatrician Summer 1993:17-19. 119 McCarty MF. Inhibition of citrate lyase may aid aerobic endurance. Unpublished manuscript. 120 Bray GA. Weight homeostasis. Annual Rev Med 1991;42:205-216. 121 Dulloo AG, Miller DS. The thermogenic properties of Ephedrin/Methylxanthine mixtures: Human studies. Intl J Obesity 986;10:467-481. 122 Arai K, Kinumaki T, Fujita, T. Bulletin Tokai Regional Fisheries Res Lab. 1968;No. 56. 123 Bough WA. Private communication. 124 Freidrich EJ, Gehan, EA, Rall DP, Schmidt LH, Skipper HE. Cancer Chemotherapy Reports 1966;50(4):219-244. 125 A Drovanti, AA Bignamini, AL Rovati. Therapeutic activity of oral glucosamine sulfate in osteoarthritis: A placebo-controlled double-blind investigation. Clinical Therapeutics 1980;3(4):260-272. 126 K Deuchi, O Kanauchi, M Shizukuishi, E Kobayashi. Continuous and massive intake of Chitosan affects mineral and fat-soluble vitamin status in rats fed on a high-fat diet. Biosci. Biotech. Biochemistry. 1995;59(7):1211-6. 127 . BesChitin W in Chitin Wound Healing (video), Unitika Corporation, April 1992.
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How Much CLA is the Right
Date:
June 22, 2005 09:53 PM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: How Much CLA is the Right
How Much CLA is the Right Amount?
That is one question for researchers to answer with detailed human studies, but if you extrapolate from university studies on animals, it could be between two and six grams a day. (Some animal studies were actually at higher levels, to one half of one percent in weight of a day’s calories.)
Some other things to consider:
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The important role the liver plays in maintaining health
Date:
June 21, 2005 04:56 PM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: The important role the liver plays in maintaining health
Most practitioners who practice various forms of natural medicine know the important role the liver plays in maintaining health in general. The liver is involved in thousands of biochemical mechanisms making it second only to the brain in importance and complexity. Natural health practitioners are also acutely aware of the detrimental effects on the liver of modern living, with its chemicals, excessive fat intake, pesticides, hormones, and stress. This suggests that we as a culture are in need of liver support. History suggests, and modern research is supporting, that botanicals have an important role to play in supporting a healthy liver.
Mechanistic Overview
The liver has an almost miraculous ability to biochemically transform, break down, store, eliminate, and build up the plethora of chemicals to which it is exposed. Many botanicals have a very specific effect of modifying these biochemical processes. Some botanicals can enhance the liver?s phase I (cytochrome P450) and phase II (glutathione conjugation) detoxification processes, promote the flow and production of bile (one means of eliminating toxins), inhibit the attachment of viruses or chemical antagonists to hepatocytes, strongly enhance the liver?s powerful antioxidant systems, or promote the regeneration of liver tissue-the liver being the only organ in the body except the skin able to regenerate itself. Many botanicals have been used historically for promoting liver health. Today, modern research is confirming these benefits while shedding light on their mechanisms of action. Following is an overview of a number of these botanicals.
Milk Thistle Silybum marianum
The extract of the seeds of milk thistle is perhaps the most well researched of all the liver supportive botanicals. Part of its benefit has been in its ability to scavenge free radicals and to stimulate the regeneration of hepatocytes. In Germany, it is the botanical extract of choice for use in supporting a healthy liver. Typically, an extract yielding a minimum of 70% silymarin (a specific class of flavonoids) is used clinically at a dose of approximately 420 mg of the extract daily (Morazzoni and Bombardelli 1995).
Schizandra Schisandra chinensis
Schizandra, known as bei wu wei zi in China, is one of the most widely used tonics of Chinese herbalism. Its original use was to support the health of the heart, kidneys and lungs and as a longevity tonic. Modern research has focused attention on its role as an adaptogen and for supporting a healthy liver. Adaptogens are substances that positively affect overall health by reducing stress mechanisms which can contribute to a number of biochemical reactions that can be detrimental to health. While the mechanism of action of adaptogens has not been definitively determined, the existing literature suggests they work endocrinologically through the pituitary and adrenals and substantially reduce the negative effects that stress has on the system (Wagner et al. 1994). In China and Japan, the modern use of schizandra has focused on its benefit in those in need of liver support. In one review of its pharmacological activity, stabilization of liver enzymes was reported in more than 5,000 people. The benefits were experienced within 20 days of administration of schizandra with 75% of patients returning to normal values (Chang and But 1986). A limited number of controlled studies similarly reported on the beneficial effects of the equivalent of 1.5 grams of schizandra for reducing elevated liver enzymes (Liu 1991). There are three primary mechanisms of action of schizandra reported with regards to its ability to support a healthy liver: 1) its ability to reduce lipid peroxidation induced by a number of different antagonists (antioxidant activity); 2) induction of hepatomicrosomal cytochrome P-450; 3) stimulation of protein biosynthesis and liver glycogen (Liu 1991). Such mechanisms make schizandra ideal as a liver-supportive botanical that is underutilized in the West.
Bupleurum Bupleurum chinense, B. falcatum
Bupleurum, also known as chai hu in China, is perhaps the most important of liver-supportive botanicals in China and Japan, and, like schizandra, is far underutilized in the United States, except by traditional Chinese herbalists. Traditionally, it has been regarded as an herb that helps to normalize the function of the liver from a traditional Chinese perspective. Modern research has identified a group of compounds known as saikosaponins that strongly support liver health (in humans and rats). Mechanisms of action specifically regarding liver health identified for bupleurum include anti-inflammatory activity, as well as its ability to stimulate the production and release of bile, thus facilitating the detoxification process (Wagner et al. 1996).
Sho-Saiko-To Minor Bupleurum
In Chinese herbalism, herbs are seldom prescribed singularly. Rather they are combined according to very sophisticated principles of formulation based on the differential diagnosis of the patient. One of the most widely used and researched botanical formulas for the health of the liver used in China and Japan is Sho-Saiko-To, known in China as Xiao Chai Hu Tang (Minor Bupleurum). This classic formula consists of the following botanicals: ginger, scutellaria, jujube, ginseng, licorice, pinellia and bupleurum. It is widely used throughout Asia for supporting liver health and currently is the subject of phase II clinical trials at Sloan Kettering. The formula with its main ingredient, bupleurum, was first introduced in Japan by Chinese Buddhist priests between the 6th and 8th centuries. Modern research suggests that Sho-Saiko-To modulates the immune response, specifically in addition to other mechanisms, by increasing levels of interleukin and interferon (Huang et al. 2001).
Holistic Context
To the same extent that herbs are seldom used singularly in Chinese herbalism, they are similarly used within a broader context that incorporates dietary and other lifestyle changes to support the botanicals. In my clinic, I routinely recommend that patients eliminate alcohol, coffee, sugar, and refined foods from their diet and eat whole grain foods, fish, and several servings of green vegetables daily along with their herbal program. For these individuals this is a simple program to follow, and many are able to live a normal productive life with a greater level of liver health. Such a liver-supportive program must be maintained as a way of life to lessen the burden that modern society and exogenous factors put on our livers.
Conclusion
The herbal world offers a potential natural health care approach that focuses on protecting and restoring the health and functioning of the liver. Both traditional experience and modern investigation suggest that botanicals can play a role in world health, specifically in promoting liver health.
Caution
The use of botanicals should be used under the guidance of a qualified health care professional. The combined use of conventional and natural therapies may not be appropriate. Before attempting to combine such therapies, discuss your therapeutic options with your primary health care provider.
References
Chang HM, But PH. 1986. Pharmacology and applications of Chinese materia medica. World Science. Singapore. Huang et al. Semi-quantitative analysis of cytokine mRNA expression induced by the herbal medicine sho-saiko-to (TJ-9) using a gel doc system. J Clin Lab Anal 15: 199-209. Liu GT. 1991. Pharmacological actions and clinical uses of Fructus schizandrae in recent advances in Chinese herbal drugs-actions and uses. Scientific Press Beijing. Morazzoni P, Bombardelli E. 1995. Silybum marianum (Carduus marianus). Fitoterapia LXVI (1):3-42. Wagner H, Noerr N. Winterhoff K. 1994. Plant adaptogens. Phytomedicine 1: 63-76. Wagner H, Bauer R, Peigen X, Jianming C, Offermann F. 1996. Chinese Drug monographs and analysis: Radix Bupleuri (chaihu). Verlag fuer Ganzheitliche Medizin Koetzting/Bayer. Wald, Germany.
Michael Tierra, L. Ac., O.M.D., is a clinician and world-renowned author of the best-selling Way of Herbs and Planetary Herbology. As product formulator for Planetary Formulas, he draws on 30 years of clinical experience to create formulas renowned for their dependability and effectiveness.
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Menopause: Disease or Condition?
Date:
June 13, 2005 03:44 PM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Menopause: Disease or Condition?
Menopause: Disease or Condition?
by Mary Ann Mayo & Joseph L. Mayo, MD Energy Times, September 4, 1999
It's front-page news. It's politically correct and socially acceptable. Talking about menopause is in. Suddenly it's cool to have hot flashes. Millions of women turning 50 in the next few years have catapulted the subject of menopause into high-definition prominence.
It's about time. Rarely discussed openly by women (what did your mother ever advise you?), meno-pause until recently was dismissed as "a shutting down experience characterized by hot flashes and the end of periods." Disparaging and depressing words like shrivel, atrophy, mood swings and melancholia peppered the scant scientific menopausal literature.
What a difference a few years and a very vocal, informed and assertive group of Baby Boomers make. Staggered by the burgeoning numbers of newly confrontational women who will not accept a scribbled prescription and a pat on the head as adequate treatment, health practitioners and researchers have been challenged to unravel, explain and deal with the challenges of menopause.
Not An Overnight Sensation
Menopause, researchers have discovered, is no simple, clear cut event in a woman's life. The "change of life" does not occur overnight. A woman's body may begin the transition toward menopause in her early 40s, even though her last period typically occurs around age 51. This evolutionary time before the final egg is released is called the perimenopause. Erratic monthly hormone levels produce unexpected and sometimes annoying sensations.
Even as their bodies adjust to lower levels of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, some women don't experience typical signs of menopause until after the final period. A fortunate one-third have few or no discomforts.
Hormonal Events
According to What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause (Warner Books) by John R. Lee, MD, Jesse Hanley, MD, and Virginia Hopkins, "The steroid hormones are intimately related to each other, each one being made from another or turned back into another depending on the needs of the body...But the hormones themselves are just part of the picture. It takes very specific combinations of vitamins, minerals and enzymes to cause the transformation of one hormone into another and then help the cell carry out the hormone's message. If you are deficient in one of the important hormone-transforming substances such as vitamin B6 or magnesium, for example, that too can throw your hormones out of balance. Thyroid and insulin problems, toxins, bad food and environmental factors, medication and liver function affect nutrient and hormone balance."
The most important reproductive hormones include:
Estrogen: the female hormone produced by the ovaries from puberty through menopause to regulate the menstrual cycle and prepare the uterus for pregnancy. Manufacture drops significantly during menopause. Estradiol is a chemically active and efficient form of estrogen that binds to many tissues including the uterus, breasts, ovaries, brain and heart through specific estrogen receptors that allow it to enter those cells, stimulating many chemical reactions. Estriol and estrone are additional forms of estrogen.
Progesterone: also produced by the ovaries, it causes tissues to grow and thicken, particularly during pregnancy, when it protects and nurtures the fetus. Secretion ceases during menopause.
Testosterone: Women produce about one-twentieth of what men do, but require it to support sex drive. About half of all women quit secreting testosterone during menopause.
Estrogen's Wide Reach
Since estrogen alone influences more than 400 actions on the body, chiefly stimulating cell growth, the effects of its fluctuations can be far-reaching and extremely varied: hot (and cold) flashes, erratic periods, dry skin (including the vaginal area), unpredictable moods, fuzzy thinking, forgetfulness, fatigue, low libido, insomnia and joint and muscle pain.
Young women may experience premature menopause, which can occur gradually, as a matter of course, or abruptly with hysterectomy (even when the ovaries remain) or as a result of chemotherapy. Under such conditions symptoms can be severe.
In the 1940s doctors reasoned that if most discomforts were caused by diminishing estrogen (its interactive role with progesterone and testosterone were underestimated), replacing it would provide relief. When unchecked estrogen use resulted in high rates of uterine cancer, physicians quickly began adding progesterone to their estrogen regimens and the problem appeared solved.
For the average woman, however, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) became suspect and controversial, especially when a link appeared between extended use of HRT (from five to 10 years) and an increase in breast and endometrial cancers (Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 37, 1997). The result: Women have drawn a line in the sand between themselves and their doctors.
Resolving The Impasse
Since hormone replacement reduces the risk of major maladies like heart disease, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's, colon cancer and diabetes that would otherwise significantly rise as reproductive hormone levels decrease, most doctors recommend hormone replacement shortly before or as soon as periods stop. Hormone replacement also alleviates the discomforts of menopause.
But only half of all women fill their HRT prescriptions and, of those who do, half quit within a year. Some are simply indifferent to their heightened medical risks. Some are indeed aware but remain unconvinced of the safety of HRT. Others complain of side effects such as bloating, headaches or drowsiness.
Women's resistance to wholesale HRT has challenged researchers to provide more secure protection from the diseases to which they become vulnerable during menopause, as well as its discomforts. If the conventional medical practitioners do not hear exactly what modern women want, the complementary medicine community does. Turning to centuries-old botanicals, they have validated and compounded them with new technology. Their effectiveness depends on various factors including the synergistic interaction of several herbs, specific preparation, the correct plant part and dosage, harvesting and manufacturing techniques.
Research demonstrates that plant hormones (phytoestrogens) protect against stronger potentially carcinogenic forms of estrogen while safely providing a hormone effect. Other herbs act more like tonics, zipping up the body's overall function.
Help From Herbs
Clinical trials and scientific processing techniques have resulted in plant-based supplements like soy and other botanicals that replicate the form and function of a woman's own estrogen.
The complementary community also can take credit for pushing the conventional medical community to look beyond estrogen to progesterone in postmenopausal health.
Natural soy or Mexican yam derived progesterone is formulated by pharmacologists in creams or gels that prevent estrogen-induced overgrowth of the uterine lining (a factor in uterine cancer), protect against heart disease and osteoporosis and reduce hot flashes (Fertility and Sterility 69, 1998: 96-101).
A quarter of the women who take the popularly prescribed synthetic progesterone report increased tension, fatigue and anxiety; natural versions have fewer side effects.
These "quasi-medicines," as Tori Hudson, a leading naturopathic doctor and professor at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine, Portland, Oregon, calls them, are considered "stronger than a botanical but weaker than a medicine." (Hudson is author of Gynecology and Naturopathic Medicine: A Treatment Manual.)
According to Hudson, the amount of estrogen and progesterone in these supplements is much less than medical hormone replacement but equally efficacious in relieving menopausal problems and protecting the heart and bones.
According to a study led by Harry K. Genant, PhD, of the University of California, San Francisco, "low-dose" plant estrogen derived from soy and yam, supplemented with calcium, prevents bone loss without such side effects as increased vaginal bleeding and endometrial hypoplasia, abnormal uterine cell growth that could be a precursor to endometrial cancer (Archives of Internal Medicine 157, 1997: 2609-2615).
These herbal products, including natural progesterone and estrogen in the form of the weaker estriol or estrone, may block the effect of the stronger and potentially DNA-damaging estradiol.
Soy in its myriad dietary and supplemental forms provides a rich source of isoflavones and phytosterols, both known to supply a mild estrogenic effect that can stimulate repair of the vaginal walls (Journal of the National Cancer Institute 83, 1991: 541-46).
To enhance vaginal moisture, try the herb cimicifuga racemosa, the extract of black cohosh that, in capsule form, builds up vaginal mucosa (Therapeuticum 1, 1987: 23-31). Traditional Chinese herbal formulas containing roots of rehmannia and dong quai have long been reputed to promote vaginal moisture.
Clinical research in Germany also confirms the usefulness of black cohosh in preventing hot flashes and sweating, as well as relieving nervousness, achiness and depressed moods caused by suppressed hormone levels. It works on the hypothalamus (the body's thermostat, appetite and blood pressure monitor), pituitary gland and estrogen receptors. Green tea is steeped with polyphenols, mainly flavonoids, that exert a massive antioxidant influence against allergens, viruses and carcinogens. The risks of estrogen-related cancers such as breast cancer are particularly lowered by these flavonoids, as these substances head directly to the breast's estrogen receptors. About three cups a day exert an impressive anti-inflammatory, antiallergenic, antiviral and anticarcinogenic effect.
Other phytoestrogen-rich botanicals, according to Susun Weed's Menopausal Years: The Wise Woman Way (Ash Tree Publishing), include motherwort and lactobacillus acidophilus to combat vaginal dryness; hops and nettles for sleep disturbances; witch hazel and shepherd's purse for heavy bleeding; motherwort and chasteberry for mood swings; dandelion and red clover for hot flashes.
Our Need For Supplements
Adding micronutrients at midlife to correct and counter a lifetime of poor diet and other habits is a step toward preventing the further development of the degenerative diseases to which we become vulnerable. At the very minimum, you should take:
a multivitamin/mineral supplement vitamin E calcium
Your multivitamin/mineral should contain vitamins A, B complex, C, D, E, calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper and zinc. Look for a wide variety of antioxidants that safeguard you from free radical damage, believed to promote heart disease and cancer, as well as contribute to the aging process.
Also on the list: mixed carotenoids such as lycopene, alpha carotene and vitamin C; and folic acid to help regulate cell division and support the health of gums, red blood cells, the gastrointestinal tract and the immune system.
Studies indicate a deficiency of folic acid (folate) in 30% of coronary heart disease, blood vessel disease and strokes; lack of folate is thought to be a serious risk factor for heart disease (OB.GYN News, July 15, 1997, page 28).
Extra vitamin E is believed to protect against breast cancer and bolster immune strength in people 65 and older (Journal of the American Medical Association 277, 1997: 1380-86). It helps relieve vaginal dryness, breast cysts and thyroid problems and, more recently, hit the headlines as an aid in reducing the effects of Alzheimer's and heart disease. It is suspected to reduce the thickening of the carotid arterial walls and may prevent the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol, which contributes to the formation of plaque in arteries.
Selenium also has been identified as an assistant in halting cancer (JAMA 276, 1996: 1957-63).
The Omegas To The Rescue
Essential fatty acids found in cold water fish, flaxseed, primrose and borage oils and many nuts and seeds are essential for the body's production of prostaglandin, biochemicals which regulate hormone synthesis, and numerous physiological responses including muscle contraction, vascular dilation and the shedding of the uterine lining. They influence hormonal balance, reduce dryness and relieve hot flashes.
In addition, the lignans in whole flaxseed behave like estrogen and act aggressively against breast cancer, according to rat and human studies at the University of Toronto (Nutr Cancer 26, 1996: 159-65).
Research has demonstrated that these omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids can reverse the cancer-causing effects of radiation and other carcinogens (Journal of the National Cancer Institute 74, 1985: 1145-50). Deficiencies may cause swelling, increased blood clotting, breast pain, hot flashes, uterine and menstrual cramps and constipation. Fatigue, lack of endurance dry skin and hair and frequent colds may signal EFA shortage. Plus, fatty fish oils, along with vitamin D and lactose, help absorption of calcium, so vital for maintaining bone mass.
In addition, studies show that the natural substance Coenzyme A may help menopausal women reduce cholesterol and increase fat utilization (Med Hyp 1995; 44, 403, 405). Some researchers belive Coenzyme A plays a major role in helping women deal with stress while strengthening immunity.
Still Suffering?
Can't shake those menopausal woes? Menopause imposters may be imposing on you: The risk of thyroid disease, unrelenting stress, PMS, adrenal burnout, poor gastrointestinal health and hypoglycemia all increase at midlife. Menopause is a handy hook on which to hang every misery, ache and pain but it may only mimic the distress of other ailments. For this reason every midlife woman should have a good medical exam with appropriate tests to determine her baseline state of health. Only with proper analysis can you and your health practitioner hit on an accurate diagnosis and satisfying course of therapy.
And if menopause is truly the issue, you have plenty of company. No woman escapes it. No woman dies from it. It is not a disease but a reminder that one-third of life remains to be lived. Menopausal Baby Boomers can anticipate tapping into creative energy apart from procreation. If not new careers, new interests await. An altered internal balance empowers a menopausal woman to direct, perhaps for the first time, her experience of life. She has come of age-yet again. Gone is the confusion, uncertainty, or dictates of a hormone driven life: This time wisdom and experience direct her. There is no need to yearn for youth or cower at the conventional covenant of old age. Menopause is the clarion call to reframe, reevaluate and reclaim.
Mary Ann Mayo and Joseph L. Mayo, MD, are authors of The Menopause Manager (Revell) and executive editors of Health Opportunities for Women (HOW). Telephone number 877-547-5499 for more information.
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Fighting Arthritis Naturally
Date:
June 10, 2005 02:16 PM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Fighting Arthritis Naturally
Fighting Arthritis Naturally
by Donna Lee Nardo Energy Times, January 8, 2002
The annoying pain of arthritis grows ever more annoying: one of every six Americans, 43 million people, suffer arthritis, the leading cause of disability in the US. No pharmaceutical can reliably cure arthritis or slow its progression without possibly causing side effects. But you can help heal your hurting joints with nutrients and other natural substances.
Every move you make hinges on healthy joints. The hinge joints in your fingers, knees and elbows swing back and forth. Ball and socket joints in our hips and shoulders twist and turn our arms and legs. But when arthritis attacks, joint function narrows, causing pain, stiffness, swelling and inflammation. While scientists search for the root cause of arthritis, they recognize that aging, injuries, allergies, a genetic tendency toward arthritis and being overweight all contribute to your risk. Researcher have identified more than 100 types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), gout, lupus, scleroderma, vasculitis, myositis, infectious arthritis, degenerative joint disease and spondylitis. OA and RA represent two of the most common arthritis forms. OA generally attacks the finger joints and larger joints like the hips and knees. Cartilage lining the joint deteriorates, often as a by-product of aging, but this deterioration can happen at any age. Sprains, fractures and repetitive injuries can increase your chances of osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when joints become inflamed and your immune system apparently releases antibodies in response to allergens. This type of arthritis can destroy and immobilize joints. Traditionally, doctors have treated arthritis with acetaminophen, aspirin and other drugs called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). However, NSAIDs often offer only short-term relief. They can cause bleeding problems and ulcers. And while they may slow inflammation and pain, they also do nothing to repair damaged joints. A 1995 Journal of Rheumatology article also warned that prolonged NSAID use actually furthers deterioration of the joints (Oct/95; 22 (10):1941-6).
Glucosamine at Work
Scientists believe that injuries and aging deplete the body's supply of glucosamine, a natural substance that forms, maintains and repairs joint cartilage. Glucosamine supplements are thought to replenish the supply and are prescribed for arthritis therapy in many countries. Several studies indicate that glucosamine tackles pain and inflammation as effectively as NSAIDs without the side effects. It also helps rebuild arthritic joints. Research supporting glucosamine's benefits abounds in Europe and Asia. One study suggests that glucosamine sulfate supplements relieve pain as well as the NSAID ibuprofen (Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 1994; 2 (1):61-9). A recent Belgian study testing the effectiveness of glucosamine on patients with OA of the knee captured the attention of the American medical profession. Results suggest that glucosamine promotes physical changes in joints that halt the progression of OA (Lancet 2001, Jan 27; 357 (9252):251-56). After analyzing data from scores of clinical trials, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) saw enough promise in glucosamine to launch its own multi-year study.
Healing Spice
Scientists have been testing the orange-yellow herb turmeric and have found that it may ease arthritis discomfort. Long a staple in the medical practices of Asia, turmeric has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that reduce swelling and pain associated with arthritis. Researchers think this spice, used in such Indian cuisine as curry, may work more effectively than cortisone and other drugs that reduce inflammation. Ellen Kamhi, PhD, RN, and co-author of Arthritis: An Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide, considers turmeric an important therapy for arthritis. "Turmeric is quite effective, and it's much safer than conventional drug anti-inflammatories, with far fewer possible adverse effects," says Dr. Kamhi, clinical instructor at the State University of New York-Stony Brook Medical School. One study on people with RA demonstrated that the natural benefits of turmeric equaled those provided by a popular prescription drug known to cause side effects (Indian J Med Res 1980; 71:632-4). Another trial, published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, found that turmeric possesses unique anti-inflammatory properties (1993; 38:113-119). A trial published in 1994 also found that turmeric acts as an antioxidant to help protect joints (J Pharm Pharmacol; 46:1013-16).
Aging Joints
As we age, our bodies require more antioxidants to fight off damage caused by destructive molecules known as free radicals. Researchers believe that antioxidant nutrients can afford arthritis protection. A 10-year study evaluating the effect of vitamins C and E on the joints concluded that both nutrients protect against cartilage deterioration (Arthritis & Rheumatism 1996, April; 39 (4):648-56). According to Dr. Kamhi, "Arthritis is a lifestyle disease (and) no one remedy, either natural or pharmaceutical, will heal or reverse the arthritic process. Organic foods, exercise, stress reduction, and supplements can lead to a marked decrease in all arthritis symptoms with minimal side effects and enhanced overall health and wellness." While arthritis often makes sufferers limit their activity, experts agree that a sedentary lifestyle only exacerbates problem joints and that exercise maintains your range of motion. The type of activity recommended for each particular form of arthritis differs: for osteoarthritis, specific exercises like stretching and moving arthritic joints can help if more strenuous exercise forms are not possible. Rheumatoid sufferers need to use extra caution to prevent inflammatory flare-ups by balancing gentle exercise with rest. In any case, keep moving: performing household chores or spending time on your hobbies will profit painful joints.
Weight Control
In many cases of arthritis, maintaining an appropriate weight is critical. Surplus weight places extra stress on joints and accelerates cartilage deterioration. And don't be discouraged if your mainstream doctor pooh-poohs complementary arthritis control. "Any practitioner who categorically dismisses the use of all-natural therapies," advises Dr. Kamhi, "is not keeping up with reading current medical literature."
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Prosta Response - Supports Prostate Function and Healthy Urine Flow
Date:
June 04, 2005 01:56 PM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Prosta Response - Supports Prostate Function and Healthy Urine Flow
Bookstores are filled with it, news magazines are reporting on it. From the revelations of politicians to disturbing statistical reports, prostate health issues that formerly received little notice are now in the headlines. The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located under the bladder and surrounding the urinary tract in men. Many factors affect prostate wellness, including aging and individual genetic history, but today’s chemicalized environment poses unprecedented challenges to the health of the prostate gland. Source Naturals is helping to meet this challenge with PROSTA-RESPONSE, a Bio-Aligned Formula™ designed to support multiple, interdependent body systems. It is the only prostate formula that addresses six body systems involved with healthy prostate function.
More than Symptoms*, Systems PROSTA-RESPONSE is a unique formula that combines clinically tested potencies of saw palmetto extract and beta sitosterol with standardized Swedish flower pollen extract, quercetin, lyopene, soy and additional herbs and nutrients. PROSTA-RESPONSE goes beyond formulas that simply address nutritional symptoms and instead deals with underlying causes. PROSTARESPONSE supports healthy prostate function and urine flow by addressing the following body systems:
1. Hormone regulation: Hormones have a direct role in prostate functioning and have been closely linked to prostate health. PROSTA-RESPONSE contains specific plant extracts and nutrients shown in research to inhibit the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and the subsequent binding to receptors within the prostate.
2. Prostate cell regeneration: Swedish flower pollen extract, used extensively in Europe and Asia for more than 40 years, has demonstrated significant effects in maintaining proper prostate cell regeneration.
3. Soothing mechanisms: Certain plant compounds, such as flavonoids from soy and sterols from pollen extract, inhibit the metabolism of arachidonic acid. This in turn influences prostaglandin synthesis, which may be associated with comfort levels.
4. Bladder and urinary tract health: A healthy environment within the bladder and urinary tract is vital for prostate health and normal urine flow. PROSTARESPONSE contains botanicals that support the bladder and urinary tract health.
5. Prostate health: Studies show that dietary factors influence the overall health of the prostate. The body naturally concentrates certain compounds in higher amounts in the prostate. These include zinc, vitamin E and soy isoflavones.
6. Antioxidant defense: Antioxidants play an important role in maintaining prostate function and cell membrane integrity. Oxidative stress, or the action of free radicals, is confirmed as a significant factor that can trigger a host of destructive processes.
Developing a Prostate-Friendly Lifestyle
Supplementation is only one part of an individual’s Strategy for WellnessSM. That’s why Source Naturals® is committed to providing public education about the many aspects of a prostate-healthy lifestyle.
Less Fat, More Fiber, Lots of Veggies
Studies suggest a direct relationship between dietary fat and prostate health, with men whose diets consist of 30%-40% or more fat at highest risk. Saturated fats, especially from animal sources, are most problematic. Some research has attributed this relationship to the effect animal fats have on excess levels of circulating sex hormones. Prostate health is also associated with high fiber intake. This may be because dietary fiber binds testosterone, estradiol and other sex steroids and helps eliminate excess hormones, Five to nine servings of high-fiber fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains (35 g) are recommended daily for prostate health. Tomato-based foods are rich in the carotenoid, lycopene, which is a potent antioxidant, helping to protect our cells and fatty tissues from free radical damage. A long-term study at Harvard School of Medicine found beneficial effects from 10 servings of tomato products weekly, while recent clinical research points to an intake of 15 mg of lycopene twice per day. Also helpful are green and yellow-orange vegetables, which contain compounds that are converted to vitamin A; citrus fruits that contain vitamin C; nuts and seeds that contain vitamin E; zinc-containing seafood, legumes and eggs; and selenium-rich whole grains, seafood and organ meats. Studies show a correlation between prostate health and diets that contain large amounts of soy. Soybeans contain prostate-healthy phytoestrogens, including the isoflavone, genistein. Some experts suggest eating seven servings of soy protein per week (providing 10 g of soy protein and 20 mg of isoflavones daily) for general good health, and three times that amount for more targeted protection.
Drink Healthy
Dehydration stresses the prostate gland. It is important to consume plenty of water—about eight glasses per day. Plain water is best, but you can also drink highly diluted fruit juice, herbal tea or lightly flavored sparkling water. Green tea is beneficial for prostate health, due to certain antioxidant compounds called polyphenols. You can reduce the frequency of nighttime trips to the bathroom by eliminating fluids a few hours before you go to sleep. You may find it more comfortable to spread out your intake, taking small sips of fluids over the course of the day.
Exercise
Good circulation is important for prostate health. Regular walking is excellent in this regard. “Kegel” exercises— a series of contractions of the muscles around the prostate—are helpful for improving circulation and tonicity of the genital area.
Supplementation
Supplementation tailored to prostate wellness would focus on the vitamins and minerals described above—in addition to nourishing our body systems, many are also antioxidants, helping to counter the free radical damage that is rampant in our chemicalized environment. The program would also include specific herbs found to support prostate function, especially saw palmetto, pygeum, and pumpkin seeds.
First Bio-Aligned Formula for the Prostate Gland!
PROSTA-RESPONSE is the first prostate support formula designed to work holistically, by addressing the multiple systems that affect prostate higher amounts in the prostate. health. Try Source Naturals PROSTA-RESPONSE, available in bottles of 45 and 90 tablets.
PROSTA-RESPONSE™: A Bio-Aligned Formula™ Multi-System Support for the Prostate Gland
Hormonal Regulation: Nettle, Pygeum, Red Clover, Saw Palmetto, Soy, Swedish Flower Pollen Extract, Zinc, Vitamin D-3
Prostate Cellular Regeneration: Lycopene, Nettle, Quercetin, Red Clover, Swedish Flower Pollen Extract, Vitamin D-3
Soothing Mechanisms: Prostaglandin Synthesis Beta Sitosterol, Pygeum, Quercetin, Red Clover Saw Palmetto, Soy, Swedish Flower Pollen Extract
Bladder & Urinary Tract Health: Alanine, Glutamic Acid, Glycine, Goldenseal, Gravel Root, Marshmallow Root, Pumpkin Seed, Pygeum, Swedish Flower Pollen Extract, Uva Ursi
Prostate Health: Red Clover, Soy, Zinc, Vitamin E
Antioxidant Defense: Ginkgo Biloba, Grape Seed, Green Tea, Lycopene, Pygeum, Quercetin, Red Clover, Soy, Swedish Flower Pollen Extract, Selenium, Zinc, Vitamin E
References
Buck, A.C. 1996. Phytotherapy for the prostate. Brit J Urol 78:325-336. Morton, M.S. et al. Lignans and isoflavonoids in plasma and prostatic fluid in men: samples from Portugal, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom. Prostate 32:122-128. Morton, M.S. et al. 1996. The preventative role of diet in prostatic…Brit J Urol 77:481-493. Wilt, T.J. et al. 1998. Saw palmetto extracts…a systematic review. JAMA 280:1604-1609 Yasumoto, M.D. et al. Jan-Feb 1995. Clinical evaluation of long-term treatment using …pollen extract…Clin Ther 17(1):82-87.
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CALCIUM D-GLUCARATE - Estrogen Detoxification
Date:
June 01, 2005 09:25 AM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: CALCIUM D-GLUCARATE - Estrogen Detoxification
From the womb to the tomb, we are subject to the effects of estrogen, the potent female hormone that shapes our lives. Variations in estrogen levels can have a dramatic effect on our cellular development. Source Naturals is proud to introduce a nutrient that may help the body remove excess estrogen, thereby giving relief to estrogen-sensitive tissues. Calcium D-glucarate is currently the subject of numerous clinical studies. It is proving to have great potential for addressing health concerns closest to our heart.
One of life’s most delicate balancing acts is found in the ebb and flow of hormones that is constantly taking place in the human body. These messenger chemicals are fundamental to the process of life. Produced by endocrine glands, hormones travel throughout the body, communicating with each other as they direct cellular activity. For example, the hypothalamus gland monitors hormone levels in the body. It signals the pituitary gland, advising it to send messages to the ovaries to either produce or stop producing estrogen.
Estrogen is an extremely powerful hormone whose activity can be measured in parts per trillion. Therefore, it doesn’t take much to create an imbalance. Like all hormones, estrogen communicates with a cell by docking to a particular receptor site on that cell’s membrane. If there is an excess of these estrogen-sensitive receptors, or an excess of circulating estrogen in the bloodstream, normal cellular metabolism can be altered. Another problem is that estrogen receptors are not very particular; they will accept many chemicals – both natural and synthetic – other than estrogen.
How the body removes excess estrogen
One of the processes by which estrogen and estrogenic compounds are metabolized and broken down is through glucuronidation. In the liver, they’re bound to glucuronic acid and then excreted in the urine or feces. This process can be disrupted by an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase, which is found in the gastro- intestinal tract. It frees the bound-up estrogen or estrogenic compound, releasing it to be reabsorbed back into the bloodstream – to again affect cells. Obviously estrogen is needed by the body; however, too much can lead to cellular disruption. Since it can be very difficult to avoid the estrogenic chemicals rampant in our environment, another strategy is needed, and that is to reduce their negative effects by supporting the body’s natural ability to remove excess estrogen and other hormones and toxins.
Calcium D-glucarate and hormone metabolism
The removal of excess estrogen can be increased by a natural substance called Calcium D-glucarate (CDG), because it inhibits beta-glucuronidase activity in the body. This means that estrogen bound for excretion stays bound, and the total estrogen load on the body is reduced. In clinical trials, tissues that are sensitive to excess hormones – such as breast, liver, and lung – have been shown to respond favorably to CDG. In addition to estrogen and estrogenic compounds, CDG helps promote excretion of other hormone metabolites as well as cellular toxins and steroids.
CDG is made naturally in small quantities in the body; it is also found in a variety of fruits and vegetables: oranges, broccoli, carrots, spinach, and apples. Vitamin A has been shown to have a synergistic effect with CDG. One 500 mg tablet of Source Naturals CALCIUM D-GLUCARATE is equivalent to the phytonutrient activity found in 82 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables. The suggested use for preventative health maintenance is 3 to 4.5 grams per day. No toxicity has been found with its usage.
Phytonutrients also help reduce estrogen exposure
Another strategy to reduce the effects of excess estrogen is to increase the intake of plant estrogens. This helps for two reasons. First, by occupying estrogen receptor sites, these natural estrogenic compounds block synthetic estrogens from attaching to these sites. Second, phytoestrogens only mildly activate receptors. One of the best phytoestrogens is genistein, the isoflavone in soybeans responsible for soy’s beneficial influence on the human body. Increased intake of genistein and/or soy is being recommended by many health professionals, especially for post-menopausal women. Please see Source Naturals product literature on GENISTEIN as well as MENOBALANCE, our nutritional menopause formula with genistein and black cohosh. Both are part of our advanced line of nutritional support for women As new research sheds light on the importance of proper hormone balance to our health, it’s vital to protect ourselves from the increased burden of estrogen that we are encountering today. Source Naturals CALCIUM D-GLUCARATE is a timely nutrient that can make a real difference in our lives.
References
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Go Deep to the Underlying Cause of Symptoms*
Date:
May 31, 2005 05:37 PM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Go Deep to the Underlying Cause of Symptoms*
Go Deep to the Underlying Cause of Symptoms*
Bio-Aligned Formulas Balance Your Body Systems
Source Naturals comprehensive Bio-Aligned Formulas go deep to address the root causes of nutritional symptoms*. Our expert formulators exhaustively review the latest scientific research on nutrition and health. Then they design scientifically based formulas that help bring alignment to your multiple, interdependent body systems. Only this in-depth formulation approach can bring you the most effective formulas possible.
Cardiovascular Symptoms*
Your heart function and circulation can be disrupted by factors including diet, stress, and free radicals. Bio-Aligned Formulas supply nutrients to meet the heart’s energy requirements, nutrients necessary for the maintenance of blood vessels, antioxidants to help control cholesterol oxidation, minerals to support normal electrical rhythms, vitamins for regulation of homocysteine levels, and fibers to help with the exertion of cholesterol. The following formulas help align these systems: CHOLES RESPONSE™, CHOLESTREX ®, HEART SCIENCE ™, and POLICOSANOL CHOLESTEROL COMPLEX ™.
Cognitive & Mood Symptoms*
Brain health can be affected by nutrition, lifestyle and environmental factors, leaving you susceptible to problems in memory, concentration, and perception. Bio-Aligned Formulas provide ingredients such as neurotransmitters for brain cell communication, phospholipids that are components of nerve cell membranes, nutrients to fuel the brain’s energy demands, and herbs for stress response. The following formulas help balance these underlying systems: ATTENTIVE CHILD™, CALM THOUGHTS ™ KAVA, HIGHER MIND ™, MEGAMIND ™, MENTAL EDGE®, NIGHT REST ™, POSITIVE THOUGHTS™, and VISUAL EYES™.
Digestive, Eliminative & Metabolic Symptoms* Without adequate nutrition, your liver can’t perform its critical functions: detoxification, metabolism, and conversion of vitamins into usable forms. Bio-Aligned Formulas provide antioxidants, herbs that detoxify and promote bile flow, ingredients for the liver’s energy needs, nutrients that support glucose metabolism and pancreatic activity, and digestive enzymes. The following formulas bring these systems into alignment: ESSENTIAL ENZYMES™, GLUCO-SCIENCE™, HERBAL RE:STORE™, and LIVER GUARD™.
General Symptomatic Conditions*
Daily well-being requires nutrition for your major body systems. While typical multiples supply just enough ingredients to meet minimum requirements, Bio-Aligned Formulas provide nutrients to support energy and liver function, heart-friendly botanicals, herbs that promote circulation to the brain, immune-supporting vitamins, minerals for your skeletal system, and antioxidants for general protection. These multiples bio-align your body systems: ÉLAN VITÀL™ MULTIPLE, and LIFE FORCE™ MULTIPLE.
Immune Symptoms*
Appropriate immune response is critical for seasonal health and wellness all year around—but it can be compromised by stress, lack of sleep, and poor diet. Bio-Aligned Formulas supply botanicals that modify histamine release, nutrients for the adrenals, clearing herbs, and antioxidants to defend white blood cells. The following formulas help bring these systems into balance: ALLERCETIN™, ALLER-RESPONSE™, CAT’S CLAW DEFENSE COMPLEX™, WELLNESS COLD & FLU™, WELLNESS COUGH SYRUP™, WELLNESS EARACHE™, WELLNESS FORMULA®, and WELLNESS MULTIPLE™.
Joint, Bone, and Muscular Symptoms*
Healthy joints, bones, and muscles require continuous nutrition. Bio-Aligned Formulas provide components of joint and connective tissue, bone-building minerals, soothing herbs, and nutrients that support muscular energy. The following formulas help align these systems: FIBRO RESPONSE™, GLUCOSAMEND™, MUSCLE MASS™, ULTRA-CAL NIGHT™, and ULTRA JOINT RESPONSE™.
Men’s & Women’s Symptoms*
The health of men and women can be impacted by diet, stress, and aging. Bio-Aligned Formulas provide phytoestrogens for hormonal balance, calming neurotransmitters, ingredients for metabolic support, and nutritional support for skin, hair, and nails. The following formulas help harmonize these systems: LUSTRE™, MALE RESPONSE™, MENOPAUSE MULTIPLE™, MONTHLY COMFORT™, MOOD BALANCE™, PROSTA RESPONSE™, SKIN ETERNAL PLUS™ and ULTRA BONE BALANCE™.
Choose Your Bio-Aligned Formula
In a world of dizzying consumer choices, shopping for the right supplement can leave you confused and frustrated. And since few companies disclose the rationale behind their formulas, it’s hard to make an informed choice. The best place to start is at your local health food store. The natural foods industry is unique in its dedication to holistic health, self-care and consumer education. And the Source Naturals Bio-Aligned Formulas Chart Book—now available at participating health food stores as well as online—is an invaluable tool. The Chart Book helps you pick the formula that is appropriate for your nutritional symptoms* by explaining how each formula supports specific, interdependent body systems. Source Naturals Bio-Aligned Formulas are expertly designed using groundbreaking nutrients, clinically substantiated potency levels, cofactors that facilitate the action of key ingredients, bioavailable forms, and effective delivery systems. Together, these ingredients can help bring you the power of Bio-Alignment.
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Feeling symptom* free
Date:
May 31, 2005 05:24 PM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Feeling symptom* free
Feeling symptom* free
means your mood is positive, your mind is clear, you’ve got energy in your step. If you could look inside, you’d see all your body systems working together as an orchestrated whole. And there is nothing more important for bringing harmony and alignment to your body systems than a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition. After all, the nutrients you take in are incorporated into your cells and tissues—they become the very substance of your being. Inadequate nutrition can throw you off-balance and lead to a range of symptoms*. Because that’s what nutritional symptoms* are: manifestations of body systems out of alignment. Source Naturals offers this brochure so you can learn the way interrelated body systems affect your health—and how Bio-Aligned Formulas™ can help you feel symptom free*.
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Prosta Response - 45ct, 90ct, and 180ct --
Date:
May 20, 2005 07:36 PM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Prosta Response - 45ct, 90ct, and 180ct --
ookstores are filled with it, news magazines are reporting on it. From the revelations of politicians to disturbing statistical reports, prostate health issues that formerly received little notice are now in the headlines. The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located under the bladder and surrounding the urinary tract in men. Many factors affect prostate wellness, including aging and individual genetic history, but today’s chemicalized environment poses unprecedented challenges to the health of the prostate gland. Source Naturals is helping to meet this challenge with PRO STA RESPONSE, a Bio-Aligned Formula™ designed to support multiple, interdependent body systems. It is the only prostate formula that addresses six body systems involved with healthy prostate function.
More than Symptoms*, Systems PRO STA-RE SPONSE is a unique formula that combines clinically tested potencies of saw palmetto extract and beta sitosterol with standardized Swedish flower pollen extract, quercetin, lyopene, soy and additional herbs and nutrients. PRO-STA- RESPONSE goes beyond formulas that simply address nutritional symptoms and instead deals with underlying causes. PROSTARESPONSE supports healthy prostate function and urine flow by addressing the following body systems: 1. Hormone regulation: Hormones have a direct role in prostate functioning and have been closely linked to prostate health. PRO STA RESP ONSE contains specific plant extracts and nutrients shown in research to inhibit the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and the subsequent binding to receptors within the prostate. 2. Prostate cell regeneration: Swedish flower pollen extract, used extensively in Europe and Asia for more than 40 years, has demonstrated significant effects in maintaining proper prostate cell regeneration. 3. Soothing mechanisms: Certain plant compounds, such as flavonoids from soy and sterols from pollen extract, inhibit the metabolism of arachidonic acid. This in turn influences prostaglandin synthesis, which may be associated with comfort levels. 4. Bladder and urinary tract health: A healthy environment within the bladder and urinary tract is vital for prostate health and normal urine flow. PROSTARESPONSE contains botanicals that support the bladder and urinary tract health. 5. Prostate health: Studies show that dietary factors influence the overall health of the prostate. The body naturally concentrates certain compounds in higher amounts in the prostate. These include zinc, vitamin E and soy isoflavones. 6. Antioxidant defense: Antioxidants play an important role in maintaining prostate function and cell membrane integrity. Oxidative stress, or the action of free radicals, is confirmed as a significant factor that can trigger a host of destructive processes. Developing a Prostate-Friendly Lifestyle Supplementation is only one part of an individual’s Strategy for WellnessSM. That’s why Source Naturals® is committed to providing public education about the many aspects of a prostate-healthy lifestyle. Less Fat, More Fiber, Lots of Veggies Studies suggest a direct relationship between dietary fat and prostate health, with men whose diets consist of 30%-40% or more fat at highest risk. Saturated fats, especially from animal sources, are most problematic. Some research has attributed this relationship to the effect animal fats have on excess levels of circulating sex hormones. Prostate health is also associated with high fiber intake. This may be because dietary fiber binds testosterone, estradiol and other sex steroids and helps eliminate excess hormones,
Five to nine servings of high-fiber fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains (35 g) are recommended daily for prostate health. Tomato-based foods are rich in the carotenoid, lycopene, which is a potent antioxidant, helping to protect our cells and fatty tissues from free radical damage. A long-term study at Harvard School of Medicine found beneficial effects from 10 servings of tomato products weekly, while recent clinical research points to an intake of 15 mg of lycopene twice per day. Also helpful are green and yellow-orange vegetables, which contain compounds that are converted to vitamin A; citrus fruits that contain vitamin C; nuts and seeds that contain vitamin E; zinc-containing seafood, legumes and eggs; and selenium-rich whole grains, seafood and organ meats. Studies show a correlation between prostate health and diets that contain large amounts of soy. Soybeans contain prostate-healthy phytoestrogens, including the isoflavone, genistein. Some experts suggest eating seven servings of soy protein per week (providing 10 g of soy protein and 20 mg of isoflavones daily) for general good health, and three times that amount for more targeted protection. Drink Healthy Dehydration stresses the prostate gland. It is important to consume plenty of water—about eight glasses per day. Plain water is best, but you can also drink highly diluted fruit juice, herbal tea or lightly flavored sparkling water. Green tea is beneficial for prostate health, due to certain antioxidant compounds called polyphenols.
You can reduce the frequency of nighttime trips to the bathroom by eliminating fluids a few hours before you go to sleep. You may find it more comfortable to spread out your intake, taking small sips of fluids over the course of the day. Exercise Good circulation is important for prostate health. Regular walking is excellent in this regard. “Kegel” exercises— a series of contractions of the muscles around the prostate—are helpful for improving circulation and tonicity of the genital area. Supplementation Supplementation tailored to prostate wellness would focus on the vitamins and minerals described above—in addition to nourishing our body systems, many are also antioxidants, helping to counter the free radical damage that is rampant in our chemicalized environment. The program would also include specific herbs found to support prostate function, especially saw palmetto, pygeum, and pumpkin seeds. First Bio-Aligned Formula for the Prostate Gland! PROSTA-RESPONSE is the first prostate support formula designed to work holistically, by addressing the multiple systems that affect prostate higher amounts in the prostate. health.
Try Source Naturals PRO STA-RE SPONSE, available in bottles of 45 and 90 tablets.
Hormonal Regulation Freeze Dried stinging Nettle, Pygeum, Red Clover, Saw Palmetto, Soy, Swedish Flower Pollen Extract, Zinc, Vitamin D-3 Prostate Cellular Regeneration Lycopene, Nettle, Quercetin, Red Clover, Swedish Flower Pollen Extract, Vitamin D-3 Soothing Mechanisms: Prostaglandin Synthesis Beta Sitosterol, Pygeum, Quercetin, Red Clover Saw Palmetto, Soy, Swedish Flower Pollen Extract Bladder & Urinary Tract Health Alanine, Glutamic Acid, Glycine, Goldenseal, Gravel Root, Marshmallow Root, Pumpkin Seed, Pygeum, Swedish Flower Pollen Extract, Uva Ursi Prostate Health Red Clover, Soy, Zinc, Vitamin E Antioxidant Defense Ginkgo Biloba, Grape Seed, Green Tea, Lycopene, Pygeum, Quercetin, Red Clover, Soy, Swedish Flower Pollen Extract, Selenium, Zinc, Vitamin E PROSTA-RESPONSE™: A Bio-Aligned Formula™ Multi-System Support for the Prostate Gland References Buck, A.C. 1996. Phytotherapy for the prostate. Brit J Urol 78:325-336. Morton, M.S. et al. Lignans and isoflavonoids in plasma and prostatic fluid in men: samples from Portugal, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom. Prostate 32:122-128. Morton, M.S. et al. 1996. The preventative role of diet in prostatic…Brit J Urol 77:481-493. Wilt, T.J. et al. 1998. Saw palmetto extracts…a systematic review. JAMA 280:1604-1609 Yasumoto, M.D. et al. Jan-Feb 1995. Clinical evaluation of long-term treatment using …pollen extract…Clin Ther 17(1):82-87. *The term symptom as used in this literature refers to the effects of nutrient imbalances and shortages, and is not related to the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease.
Prosta Response 45ct
Prosta Response 90ct
Prosta Response 180ct
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KudZu, Treatment of alcohol dependence or alcohol abuse
Date:
May 19, 2005 09:29 AM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: KudZu, Treatment of alcohol dependence or alcohol abuse
For millennia, folk medicines have been used to treat ‘‘alcohol addiction’’ in China. A thorough literature search of the ancient Chinese pharmacopoeias revealed a long list of traditional remedies, including the 16 ‘‘stop-drinking’’ formulae of Sun Simiao (ca. 600 AD) and the ‘‘anti-alcohol addiction’’ formula of Li Dongyuan (ca. 1200 AD), 2 of the most reputed ‘‘medical doctors’’ in the history of Traditional Chinese Medicine. However, like those discovered by the ancient Romans,11 most of the ancient Chinese remedies for ‘‘alcohol addiction’’ were based on psychological aversion: to deter patients from further drinking by associating alcohol drinking with an unpleasant experience. Interestingly, as time went by, treatments based solely on psychological aversion were gradually eliminated from the ancient Chinese pharmacopoeias, presumably because of their ineffectiveness and/or undesirable side effects. The only remedies that have survived this historical trial-anderror scrutiny are those consisting the root (Radix puerariae, RP) or flower (Flos puerariae, FP) of Pueraria lobata (a medicinal plant known to the West as kudzu). It was on the basis of this historical backdrop, we initiated the search of safe and efficacious anti-dipsotropic (alcohol intake suppressive) agents from RP. This approach has led to the discovery of daidzin,12 an isoflavone that has since been shown to reduce alcohol drinking in all alcohol preferring animal models tested to date.
Alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence (i.e., alcoholism) are serious public health problems of modern society. In the United States alone, an estimated 13 million adults exhibit symptoms of alcohol dependence due to excessive alcohol intake, and an additional 7 million abuse alcohol without showing symptoms of dependence according to U.S. Government projections from studies conducted in the mid-1980s. Alcohol dependence and abuse are very expensive: in economic and medical terms, it will cost the U.S. well over $200 billion in 1991 with no prospect of falling or leveling off. The social and psychological damages inflicted on individuals as a consequence of alcohol abuse, e.g., children born with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and victims of alcohol-related accidental death, homicide, suicide, etc., are immense.
While it is generally accepted that alcoholism and alcohol abuse are afflictions with staggering international economic, social, medical, and psychological repercussions, success in preventing or otherwise ameliorating the consequences of these problems has been an elusive goal. Only very recently the public view that alcoholism and alcohol abuse are remediable solely by moral imperatives has been changed to include an awareness of alcoholism and alcohol abuse as physiological aberrations whose etiology may be understood and for which therapy may be found through scientific pursuits. Both alcohol abuse and dependence arise as a result of different, complex, and as yet incompletely understood processes. At present, alcohol research is in the mainstream of scientific efforts.
Our studies on alcohol (ethanol or ethyl alcohol) have been based on the hypothesis that its abuse can ultimately be understood and dealt with at the molecular level. Such a molecular understanding, if achieved, would provide a basis for the identification and development of appropriate therapeutic agents. Our view hypothesizes that the clinical manifestations of alcoholism and alcohol abuse are the consequence of aberrations or defects within one or more metabolic pathways, affected by the presence of ethyl alcohol. In order to test this hypothesis, our initial studies focused on physical, chemical, and enzymatic properties of human alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), the enzyme that catalyzes alcohol oxidation according to the following reaction formula:
CH.sub.3 CH.sub.2 OH+NAD.sup.+ .fwdarw.CH.sub.3 CHO+NADH
In addition, our studies more recently have focused on the aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDH) which catalyze the subsequent step in the major pathway of ethanol metabolism according to the following reaction formula:
CH.sub.3 CHO+NAD.sup.+ .fwdarw.CH.sub.3 COOH+NADH
Prior to our research (for example, see Blair and Vallee, 1966, Biochemistry 5:2026-2034), ADH in man was thought to exist in but one or two forms, primarily in the liver, where it was considered the exclusive enzyme for the metabolism of ethanol. Currently, four different classes of ADH encompassing over twenty ADH isozymes have been identified and isolated from human tissues. There is no reason to believe that all of these ADH isozymes are necessary to catalyze the metabolism of a single molecule, ethanol, even though all of them can interact with it. We have proposed that the normal function of these isozymes is to metabolize other types of alcohols that participate in critical, physiologically important processes, and that ethanol interferes with their function (Vallee, 1966, Therapeutic Notes 14:71-74). Further, we predicted that individual differences in alcohol tolerance might well be based on both qualitative and quantitative differences in isozyme endowment (Vallee, 1966, supra).
Our research has established the structures, properties, tissue distribution, and developmental changes for most of the ADH isozymes, which while structurally quite similar, and presumed to have evolved from a common precursor, are functionally remarkably varied. Of the more than 120 publications from our laboratory that relate to the above subjects, the following, arranged in six categories, are especially useful for instruction in the prior art.
Kudzu Recovery 60ct
Kudzu Recovery 120ct
Kudzu Root Extract 50caps
Kudzu Root Extract from Solaray 60ct
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Garlic for Treating Hypercholesterolemia - A Meta-Analysis ...
Date:
May 12, 2005 12:44 PM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Garlic for Treating Hypercholesterolemia - A Meta-Analysis ...
Garlic for Treating Hypercholesterolemia - A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials
Author:
Stevinson C, Pittler MH, Ernst E
Source:
Ann Intern Med. 2000;133:420-429.
Abstract:
PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of garlic on total cholesterol level in persons with elevated levels by conducting a meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.
DATA SOURCES: Systematic literature searches were conducted on the MEDLINE, EMBASE, BIOSIS, Cochrane Library, AMED, and CISCOM databases. Manufacturers of commercial garlic preparations and experts in the field were asked about published or unpublished trials.
STUDY SELECTION: Selected trials were required to state that they were randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled; use garlic monopreparations; include persons with mean total cholesterol levels of at least 5.17 mmol/L (200 mg/dL); and report total cholesterol level as an end point. There were no language restrictions.
DATA EXTRACTION: Two reviewers, blinded to key identifiers of each paper, independently extracted data in a standardized manner and assessed methodologic quality by using the Jadad scale. Discrepancies were settled through discussion.
DATA SYNTHESIS: In the 13 trials included in the meta-analysis, garlic reduced total cholesterol level from baseline significantly more than placebo (P < 0.01); the weighted mean difference was -0.41 mmol/L (95% CI, -0.66 to -0.15 mmol/L) (-15.7 mg/dL [CI, -25.6 to -5.7 mg/dL]). Six diet-controlled trials with the highest scores for methodologic quality revealed a nonsignificant difference between garlic and placebo groups; the weighted mean difference was -0.11 mmol/L (CI, -0.30 to 0.08 mmol/L) (-4.3 mg/dL [CI, -11.7 to 3.1 mg/dL]).
CONCLUSIONS: The available data suggest that garlic is superior to placebo in reducing total cholesterol levels. However, the size of the effect is modest and the robustness of the effect is debatable. The use of garlic for hypercholesterolemia is therefore of questionable value.
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Garlic Consumption and Cancer Prevention...
Date:
May 12, 2005 12:34 PM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Garlic Consumption and Cancer Prevention...
Garlic Consumption and Cancer Prevention: Meta-Analyses of Colorectal and Stomach Cancers
Author:
Fleischauer AT, Poole C, Arab L
Source:
Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;72:1047-1052.
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Animal and in vitro studies have provided evidence of an anticarcinogenic effect of active ingredients in garlic.
OBJECTIVE: The objective was to conduct meta-analyses of the epidemiologic literature on the association between garlic consumption and risk of stomach, colon, head and neck, lung, breast, and prostate cancers.
DESIGN: Meta-analyses were conducted for all cancers mutually and separately for colorectal and stomach cancers in relation to consumption of exclusively raw garlic, cooked garlic, or both (RC garlic). Eighteen studies reported a relative risk estimate for RC garlic consumption and cancer risk.
RESULTS: In the meta-analyses of colorectal and stomach cancer, the reference categories ranged from no consumption to consumption of 3.5 g/wk, whereas the highest categories ranged from any consumption to >28.8 g/wk. The average difference between the highest and lowest categories was 16 g/wk. The random-effects relative risk (RR) estimate of colorectal cancer and RC garlic consumption, excluding garlic supplements, was 0.69 (95% CI: 0.55, 0.89). For stomach cancer, the random effects RR estimate was 0.53 (95% CI: 0.31, 0.92). The heterogeneity among studies for the latter outcome (P = 0.0002) indicates the questionableness of the generalizability of this summary estimate. An indication of publication bias for all cancers combined is evident from a funnel plot of RC garlic consumption and cancer risk and from the results of the Begg and Mazumdar test (P = 0.049).
CONCLUSIONS: High intake of RC garlic may be associated with a protective effect against stomach and colorectal cancers. Heterogeneity of effect estimates, differences in dose estimation, publication bias, and possible alternative hypotheses (eg, confounding by total vegetable consumption) preclude sole reliance on summary effect estimates.
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Garlic and Cancer. A Critical Review of the Epidemiologic...
Date:
May 12, 2005 12:18 PM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Garlic and Cancer. A Critical Review of the Epidemiologic...
Garlic and Cancer. A Critical Review of the Epidemiologic Literature
Author:
Fleischauer AT, Arab L
Source:
J Nutr. 2001;131:1032S-1040S.
Abstract:
Animal and in vitro studies provide evidence of an anticarcinogenic effect of active ingredients in garlic. This review of the epidemiologic literature on garlic consumption addresses cancers of the stomach, colon, head and neck, lung, breast and prostate. Nineteen studies reported relative risk estimates for garlic consumption and cancer incidence. Site-specific case-control studies of stomach and colorectal cancer, in which multiple reports were available, suggest a protective effect of high intake of raw and/or cooked garlic. Cohort studies confirm this inverse association for colorectal cancer. Few cohort and case-control studies for other sites of cancer exist. Garlic supplements, as analyzed in four cohort studies and one case-control report, from two distinct populations, do not appear to be related to risk. Low study power, lack of variability in garlic consumption categorization within studies and poor adjustment for potential cofounders may limit the reliability of any conclusions regarding garlic supplements. However, an indication of publication bias was also found by visual inspection of a funnel plot and in a log-rank test (P = 0.004). Evidence from available studies nevertheless suggests a preventive effect of garlic consumption in stomach and colorectal cancers. The study limitations indicate the need for more definitive research and improved nutritional epidemiologic analyses of dietary data.
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Guggul – New Benefits for Heart Health
Date:
May 11, 2005 09:00 PM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Guggul – New Benefits for Heart Health
Gum Guggul–New Benefits for Heart Health from an Age-Old Herb
by Richard Conant, L.Ac., C.N.The 1990's have seen a growing interest in herbs from India's ancient Ayurvedic tradition. One Ayurvedic herb in particular, "gum guggul," stands at the forefront, thanks to its rather remarkable benefits for the heart and cardiovascular health. A relative of myrrh and frankincense, gum guggul is a resin tapped from India's Commiphora mukul tree. Known more commonly in the Far East as simply "guggul," the herb has proven to be one of the most effective natural cholesterol-lowering agents ever discovered. Cholesterol reductions with guggul can be twenty percent or higher, and the herb also raises HDL, the more beneficial form of cholesterol. Studies also show guggul may help prevent atherosclerosis, by retarding the formation of fatty, cholesterol-laden deposits in blood vessel tissues.
Recent research on guggul has revealed that guggul also blocks the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, by acting as an antioxidant. LDL, which carries cholesterol from the liver to the rest of the body, is generally regarded as a key element in the development of atherosclerosis. But only when it is oxidized by free radicals does LDL accumulate in arteries. It its unoxidized or "native" state, LDL is more or less benign. Checking LDL oxidation is vital to keeping blood vessels free of plaque.1 (This is one of the major reasons why antioxidants are so important.) Guggul, by both lowering blood cholesterol and acting against LDL oxidation, now stands out as one of the world's most valuable herbs for heart health.
Guggul first caught the attention of the scientific world in1966, thanks to an Indian medical researcher who submitted a doctoral thesis on gum guggul.2 Her interest had been kindled by references to the herb in a centuries-old Ayurvedic text. Apparently, poor cardiovascular health and atherosclerosis were a problem back then just as they are today. Translated from Sanskrit, this text describes, in elegant detail, a condition called "coating and obstruction of channels." The cause, according to the ancient writers? Faulty metabolism due to overeating of fatty foods and lack of exercise. Death was said to be the end result of leaving this condition uncorrected. The recommended treatment plan emphasized diet and herbs, chiefly gum guggul.3
References to guggul in ancient literature actually go back even farther. The herb is mentioned in the Vedas, the holy scriptures of India believed to be anywhere from 3,000 to 10,000 years old. One stanza is translated as follows: "Disease (consumption) does not afflict and the curse never affects whom the delicious odor of the healing Guggul penetrates (spreads). The diseases also flee away in all directions from him like horses and deer, O Gugulu! Either born from Sindhu or from the sea. I chant your name for the removal of diseases."3
Struck by the obvious similarity between "coating and obstruction of channels" and atherosclerosis, the Indian researcher decided to study gum guggul's effect on blood fats in rabbits. Over a two-year period, the animals were fed hydrogenated vegetable oil to artificially raise their cholesterol levels. Guggul was administered to one group of rabbits, while the rest served as controls. At the end of the study the rabbits given guggul had normal cholesterol and blood lipid levels. Their arteries showed no fatty streaks or plague deposits. This caught the attention of the Indian scientific community, and numerous clinical trials ensued, both on animals and humans. In study after study, guggul consistently produced substantial reductions in cholesterol and triglyceride levels, while raising HDL.
The active ingredients in guggul are a group of natural plant sterols. Among these, substances called "guggulsterones" are the most important ingredients for the cholesterol and blood fat lowering properties of guggul, with the other sterols acting as a synergistic supporting cast.4 A number of mechanisms are suggested, although not definitely proven, for how the herb works; these include reducing the synthesis of cholesterol in the liver, enhancing cholesterol removal from the gut, stimulating thyroid function and increasing the number of receptors in the liver for uptake of LDL.3,5
Guggul extracts are now standardized for guggulsterone content. The herb naturally contains about 2 percent guggulsterones. Quality extracts contain a minimum of 2.5 percent, which assures the user is getting a product potent enough to produce results. Since the late 1980's clinical trials have used the standardized extract.6,7,8 The product is readily available in the U.S.
The ability of guggulsterones to prevent oxidation of LDL was discovered in a 1997 study done by scientists at the Central Drug Research Institute in Lucknow, India.9 This study sheds light on how guggul works against "coating and obstruction of channels." Remember that oxidized LDL forms the plaque that coats and eventually obstructs blood vessels. The researchers mixed LDL from human blood with a free radical promoting agent, either alone or in combination with guggulsterones. Samples were then analyzed for the presence LDL oxidation byproducts. The results showed that guggulsterones strongly protect LDL from being oxidized. Guggulsterones block the formation of hydroxyl radicals, a potent type of free-radical that attacks cell membranes.
Guggulsterones may also help keep the heart muscle itself healthy. When the heart muscle is deprived of oxygen, a condition known as "myocardial ischemia," it can be severely damaged by free radicals. The body tries to counter this with SOD, a key enzyme present in cells that neutralizes free radicals. SOD levels are significantly reduced in damaged heart tissues. Guggulsterones have been found to reverse this decrease by more than two-fold.10
Like the writer of that age-old verse found in the Vedas, contemporary herbalists hold gum guggul in the highest regard. Backed as it is by scientific research linked to centuries of traditional use, gum guggul has a bright future as a natural resource for maintaining normal cholesterol and blood fats, and for protecting heart health.
References
1. Heinecke, J.W. Free radical modification of low density lipoprotein: mechanisms and biological consequences. Free Radical Biology & Medicine 1987;3:65-73.
2. Satyavati, G.V. Effect of an indigenous drug on disorders of lipid metabolism with special reference to atherosclerosis and obesity (Medoroga) M.D. thesis (Doctor of Ayurvedic Medicine). Banaras Hindu University, varanasi, 1966.
3. Satyavati, G. Gugulipid: a promising hypolipidaemic agent from gum guggul (Commiphora wightii). Economic and Medicinal Plant Research 1991;5:47-82.
4. Dev, S. A modern look at an age-old Ayurvedic drug-guggulu. Science Age July 1987:13-18.
5. Singh, V. et. al. Stimulation of low density lipoprotein receptor activity in liver membrane of guggulsterone treated rats. Pharmacological Research 1990;22(1):37-44.
6. Nityanand, S., Srivastava, J.S., Asthana, O.P. Clinical trials with gugulipid. J. Ass. Physicians of India 1989;37(5):323-28.
7. Agarwal, R.C. et. al. Clinical trial of gugulipid-a new hypolipidemic agent of plant origin in primary hyperlipidemia. Indian J Med Res 1986;84:626-34.
8. 'Gugulipid' Drugs of the Future 1988;13(7):618-619.
9. Singh, K., Chandler, R. Kapoor, N.K. Guggulsterone, a potent hypolipidaemic, prevents oxidation of low density lipoprotein. Phytotherapy Research 1997;11:291-94.
10. Kaul, S. Kapoor, N.K. Reversal of chnages of lipid peroxide, xanthine oxidase and superoxide dismutase by cardio-protective drugs in isoproterenol induced myocardial necrosis in rats. Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 1989;27:625-627.
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Study Says Supplements Could Save Billions in Health Care Costs
Date:
May 09, 2005 05:52 PM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Study Says Supplements Could Save Billions in Health Care Costs
Study Says Supplements Could Save Billions in Health Care Costs
A study released at a House subcommittee hearing in late September on the cost savings and health benefits of selected dietary supplements projected a $15 billion reduction in health care costs over a five-year period from calcium and folic acid.
The study, commissioned by the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance (DSEA) and conducted by the Lewin Group, found that the five selected supplements—omega-3 fatty acids, glucosamine, and saw palmetto along with calcium and folic acid—could make a significant impact on health care costs while positively affecting consumers’ health status. DSEA asked the Lewin Group to put a dollar figure on the benefits of calcium and folic acid because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows health claims on products containing these nutrients.
Since the study began, FDA also authorized qualified health claims on omega-3s, and the National Institutes of Health has implemented large-scale studies of saw palmetto and glucosamine.
“Many industry experts have long believed that dietary supplements provide consumers with long-term health benefits by reducing the incidence of debilitating health problems, and this study proves it,” said Elliott Balbert, president and CEO of Natrol, Inc. (Chatsworth, CA) and president of DSEA. “The findings provide evidence to support both the cost savings and quality-of-life benefits of these particular supplements.”
DSEA commissioned the Lewin Group to critically review the research literature on the five supplements for consistency, validity, and impact (i.e., size of the effect; to develop estimates of the potential health care expenditure savings that could result from daily use of two of the supplements; and to suggest areas of future research for supplements where there is emerging evidence. The Lewin Group arrived at the $15 billion figure by focusing on two specific health issues: hip fractures (including hospital and nursing facility expenses) in the case of calcium along with vitamin D, and neural tube defects in the case of folic acid. Joan DaVonzo, vice president of the Lewin Group, said at a news teleconference following the Sept. 22 hearing that the savings in health care costs from supplementing calcium intake might be even larger than the projected $13.9 billion if other types of fractures were included.
Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg, professor of nutrition at Tufts University and one of the witnesses who testified before the House Subcommittee on Human Rights & Wellness chaired by Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN), told reporters the health benefits—and potential cost savings—of folic acid supplementation went far beyond the $1.1 billion estimate for neural tube defects. He said folic acid has been shown to help prevent other types of birth defects as well as reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer. “It’s not a one nutrient/one disease relationship,” Blumberg said.
“Research shows that the typical American diet does not always provide a sufficient level of nutrients. This study just reveals the tip of the iceberg in the ability of supplements to contribute to a healthier America,” said Elwood Richard, president and founder of supplement manufacturer NOW Foods (Bloomingdale, IL), in response to the study.
DaVonzo acknowledged that the potential for the five supplements studied went beyond the dollar figures projected in the study. For instance, in the case of saw palmetto and its reported prostate health benefits, “The impact could be huge,” she said.
“It’s no surprise to anyone in the industry that dietary supplements are safe, affordable, and effective, and this study not only confirms that statement, but will, more importantly, reach an audience well beyond industry,” said David Seckman, executive director and CEO of the National Nutritional Foods Association. “An even more critical finding is the fact that dietary supplements can dramatically cut health care costs if used regularly—a point that won’t be lost on any American consumer, the media, and lawmakers aware of the staggering—and rising—cost of health care in this country.”
To help spread the message beyond the halls of Congress, DSEA prepared an audio news release and was organizing a satellite media tour. DSEA vice chairman Jon Benninger said the hope was to commission followup studies on other nutrients “as funding allows.” Vitamin Retailer Magazine, Inc., 431 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick, NJ 08816 //www.oprmagazine.com/
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