Natural sleep aids, or herbal sleep aids, are quickly becoming a popular choice for treating insomnia naturally. In more recent years, studies have shown that some herbs and certain combinations of natural herbs can act as natural sleep aids, and can eliminate the need for taking synthetic medication, which can often come with many bothersome side effects.
With herbal sleep aids, it is possible to achieved the same calming effects you would get with prescription drugs, however, without the possibility of the harmful side effects.
If you struggle with insomnia, it is important to view insomnia herbal remedies as part of a holistic approach to treating and managing your condition. Herbs to help you sleep are only a part of the overall treatment. The use of nutrition, herbal remedies, and finding and addressing the underlying cause of the condition with your health care practitioner, will lead to better health, both physically and mentally.
The Kava Kava Root
Kava kava is often used as a herbal insomnia remedy. This particular herb is extremely popular throughout the South Seas, and is quickly growing in popularity throughout the United States. When used as natural sleep aids, kava kava can impart a natural calm feeling, as it helps relax the body, as well as enhance dreaming. This herb for insomnia is also often recommended for chronic fatigue. Long term use should be avoided due to the possibility of liver damage.
http://www.herbal-supplement-resource.com/herbal-sleep-aids.html
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Being too clean can make you sick!
By Janet Fang Nov 30, 2010
Scientists show how there is such a thing as being too clean.
Young people who use certain antibacterial soaps too much may suffer more allergies. To make matters worse, the same study also found that the much-maligned BPA might impair the immune system.
“It is possible that a person can be too clean for their own good,” says University of Michigan epidemiologist Allison Aiello, principal investigator on the new study. http://ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=8152
Triclosan is a popular antibacterial agent and common ingredient in soaps, toothpaste, kitchenware, trashcan liners, and diaper bags. And bisphenol A (BPA) is a common chemical found in everyday plastics, and recently declared toxic by Canada and banned from baby bottles in the EU.
In this study, researchers compared concentrations of triclosan and BPA in urine with antibody levels and allergy diagnoses. They looked at people over the age of 6 using data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
People 18 and under who have higher levels of triclosan were more likely to be diagnosed with allergies or hay fever.
“The triclosan findings in the younger age groups may support the ‘hygiene hypothesis,’ which maintains living in very clean and hygienic environments may impact our exposure to micro-organisms that are beneficial for development of the immune system,” says Aiello. The overuse of antibiotics and antibacterial agents are widely blamed for creating superbugs – bacteria that have developed resistance.
Meanwhile, the study also shows that people over 18 with higher BPA exposure have troubled immune responses – indicated by their higher levels of cytomegalovirus antibodies. On the other hand, in the underage group, higher BPA levels corresponded with lower levels of the antibodies.
“This suggests the timing of the exposure to BPA and perhaps the quantity and length of time we are exposed to BPA may be affecting the immune system response,” says author Erin Rees Clayton.
Both triclosan and BPA have long been suspected of causing health problems as environmental toxicants that disrupt the functions of your hormones.
“We wanted to begin to address this gap in our understanding of how prevalent chemicals such as BPA and triclosan influence immune function, because our immune systems play a crucial role in determining our overall health status,” says Clayton.
In some consumer products, triclosan does provide benefits. In 1997, FDA’s review of triclosan in Colgate Total toothpaste showed evidence that it prevents gingivitis. But the agency has no evidence that triclosan in antibacterial soaps and body washes provides any benefit over washing with regular soap and water.
Their study is published today in Environmental Health Perspectives
http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action;jsessionid=7A3B187034D084853C09C834C1E90954?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.1002883
http://www.smartplanet.com/technology/blog/rethinking-healthcare/being-too-clean-can-make-you-sick/2223/?tag=content;col1
Scientists show how there is such a thing as being too clean.
Young people who use certain antibacterial soaps too much may suffer more allergies. To make matters worse, the same study also found that the much-maligned BPA might impair the immune system.
“It is possible that a person can be too clean for their own good,” says University of Michigan epidemiologist Allison Aiello, principal investigator on the new study. http://ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=8152
Triclosan is a popular antibacterial agent and common ingredient in soaps, toothpaste, kitchenware, trashcan liners, and diaper bags. And bisphenol A (BPA) is a common chemical found in everyday plastics, and recently declared toxic by Canada and banned from baby bottles in the EU.
In this study, researchers compared concentrations of triclosan and BPA in urine with antibody levels and allergy diagnoses. They looked at people over the age of 6 using data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
People 18 and under who have higher levels of triclosan were more likely to be diagnosed with allergies or hay fever.
“The triclosan findings in the younger age groups may support the ‘hygiene hypothesis,’ which maintains living in very clean and hygienic environments may impact our exposure to micro-organisms that are beneficial for development of the immune system,” says Aiello. The overuse of antibiotics and antibacterial agents are widely blamed for creating superbugs – bacteria that have developed resistance.
Meanwhile, the study also shows that people over 18 with higher BPA exposure have troubled immune responses – indicated by their higher levels of cytomegalovirus antibodies. On the other hand, in the underage group, higher BPA levels corresponded with lower levels of the antibodies.
“This suggests the timing of the exposure to BPA and perhaps the quantity and length of time we are exposed to BPA may be affecting the immune system response,” says author Erin Rees Clayton.
Both triclosan and BPA have long been suspected of causing health problems as environmental toxicants that disrupt the functions of your hormones.
“We wanted to begin to address this gap in our understanding of how prevalent chemicals such as BPA and triclosan influence immune function, because our immune systems play a crucial role in determining our overall health status,” says Clayton.
In some consumer products, triclosan does provide benefits. In 1997, FDA’s review of triclosan in Colgate Total toothpaste showed evidence that it prevents gingivitis. But the agency has no evidence that triclosan in antibacterial soaps and body washes provides any benefit over washing with regular soap and water.
Their study is published today in Environmental Health Perspectives
http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action;jsessionid=7A3B187034D084853C09C834C1E90954?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.1002883
http://www.smartplanet.com/technology/blog/rethinking-healthcare/being-too-clean-can-make-you-sick/2223/?tag=content;col1
Ford’s twist on hand-me-down clothes
By Heather Clancy Nov 30, 2010
Remember that bag of clothing you would love to get out of your closet before Christmas brings more? Those jeans that you haven’t fit in more than a year, even when you lie down and suck in your gut? Ford is proposing a new use for cotton clothing that is being donated or potentially recycled: as the carpet backing or sound-absorbing materials in its new 2012 Focus, due early next year in both Europe and North America.
The company says that it takes roughly two pairs of “average-sized” American blue jeans (whatever that means) for the uses described above. There are already other recycled and bio-based materials in Ford vehicles, according to the automaker. They include soy foam for seat cushions, recycled resin for auto underbodies, recycled yarns for seat covers and natural-fiber plastics for other interior components.
Says Carrie Majeske, Ford product sustainability manager, in the press release touting the initiative:
“The good news is that these jeans didn’t end up in a landfill, nor did we use the water, fertilizer and land to grow virgin cotton. It’s an alternative that our customers can appreciate, it’s cost-effective and it’s better for our planet. These are the kinds of sustainable solutions we are looking for in all our vehicles.”
Now mind you, Ford doesn’t disclose where it is getting these jeans, although it does make me wonder: Can non-profit organizations like Goodwill and others find a new fund-raising vehicle by selling what isn’t actually passed on to companies for uses like this? The cynical part of me also wonders: Will this new profit-focused use for jeans and other cotton clothing negatively effect clothing drives intended for charitable purposes? Either way, it’s a creative move on Ford’s part.
http://www.smartplanet.com/business/blog/business-brains/fords-twist-on-hand-me-down-clothes/11952/?tag=content;col1
Remember that bag of clothing you would love to get out of your closet before Christmas brings more? Those jeans that you haven’t fit in more than a year, even when you lie down and suck in your gut? Ford is proposing a new use for cotton clothing that is being donated or potentially recycled: as the carpet backing or sound-absorbing materials in its new 2012 Focus, due early next year in both Europe and North America.
The company says that it takes roughly two pairs of “average-sized” American blue jeans (whatever that means) for the uses described above. There are already other recycled and bio-based materials in Ford vehicles, according to the automaker. They include soy foam for seat cushions, recycled resin for auto underbodies, recycled yarns for seat covers and natural-fiber plastics for other interior components.
Says Carrie Majeske, Ford product sustainability manager, in the press release touting the initiative:
“The good news is that these jeans didn’t end up in a landfill, nor did we use the water, fertilizer and land to grow virgin cotton. It’s an alternative that our customers can appreciate, it’s cost-effective and it’s better for our planet. These are the kinds of sustainable solutions we are looking for in all our vehicles.”
Now mind you, Ford doesn’t disclose where it is getting these jeans, although it does make me wonder: Can non-profit organizations like Goodwill and others find a new fund-raising vehicle by selling what isn’t actually passed on to companies for uses like this? The cynical part of me also wonders: Will this new profit-focused use for jeans and other cotton clothing negatively effect clothing drives intended for charitable purposes? Either way, it’s a creative move on Ford’s part.
http://www.smartplanet.com/business/blog/business-brains/fords-twist-on-hand-me-down-clothes/11952/?tag=content;col1
Do you suffer headaches, fatigue, low energy?
I am so excited that I have to share this wth you.
Laura came to us 3 weeks ago and started our nutrition program, The Food Tree.
She had chronic migraines and was in a viscious cycle of rebound headaches from the medications she was having to take every day.
Today she came in and said to me: I dont have headaches, I have energy – what is in those protein supplements I am using? I am not supposed to tolerate chocolate and I am guzzling down the chocolate drink and getting more and more energy. She even brought her husband who said :” Something really has changed.” What has changed is that Ruth is learning to take care of herself. Health, energy and weight are all the result of how you treat your body. Try it yourself, I promise you it works.
Learn more about our program at www.FoodTreeMD.com
http://foodtreemd.com/blog/do-you-suffer-headaches-fatigue-low-energy/
Laura came to us 3 weeks ago and started our nutrition program, The Food Tree.
She had chronic migraines and was in a viscious cycle of rebound headaches from the medications she was having to take every day.
Today she came in and said to me: I dont have headaches, I have energy – what is in those protein supplements I am using? I am not supposed to tolerate chocolate and I am guzzling down the chocolate drink and getting more and more energy. She even brought her husband who said :” Something really has changed.” What has changed is that Ruth is learning to take care of herself. Health, energy and weight are all the result of how you treat your body. Try it yourself, I promise you it works.
Learn more about our program at www.FoodTreeMD.com
http://foodtreemd.com/blog/do-you-suffer-headaches-fatigue-low-energy/
Why is Diabetes so Dangerous?
The answer is blood sugar, blood sugar and blood sugar.
Diabetes type 1 and 2 are two different illnesses, but they are both associated with a mismatch between blood sugar and insulin, resulting in high blood sugar.
The most dangerous thing about diabetes is cardiovascular disease (CVD) and here is the real problem: Blood sugar level is directly related to CVD, and within ten to fifteen years all diabetics have some degree of heart or vessel disease, and this is the most common cause of disability or death.
Have you checked your blood sugar lately? Even within normal ranges and into pre-diabetes or Insulin Resistance, the statistics are very clear:
The risk for CVD increases linearly with long term blood sugar levels. So what about cholesterol ?
That is a complicated story, but the short of it is that cholesterol is made of sugar molecules. So when we take our cholesterol medication and think we are covered, we are missing the point. Statistics confirm that, too. So does clinical practice: Diabetes type 1 improves, diabetes type 2 reverses , and cholesterol goes down when we remove refined sugar from our nutrition. To learn more, visit www.foodtreeMD.com.
http://www.foodtreemd.com/index.php
Diabetes type 1 and 2 are two different illnesses, but they are both associated with a mismatch between blood sugar and insulin, resulting in high blood sugar.
The most dangerous thing about diabetes is cardiovascular disease (CVD) and here is the real problem: Blood sugar level is directly related to CVD, and within ten to fifteen years all diabetics have some degree of heart or vessel disease, and this is the most common cause of disability or death.
Have you checked your blood sugar lately? Even within normal ranges and into pre-diabetes or Insulin Resistance, the statistics are very clear:
The risk for CVD increases linearly with long term blood sugar levels. So what about cholesterol ?
That is a complicated story, but the short of it is that cholesterol is made of sugar molecules. So when we take our cholesterol medication and think we are covered, we are missing the point. Statistics confirm that, too. So does clinical practice: Diabetes type 1 improves, diabetes type 2 reverses , and cholesterol goes down when we remove refined sugar from our nutrition. To learn more, visit www.foodtreeMD.com.
http://www.foodtreemd.com/index.php
The Limitations of Anti-Obesity Drugs
October 6th, 2010
I could not have said it better myself. I have worked with anti-obesity drugs over the years. Weight loss drugs do not teach anyone anything, they articificially disconnect us from our weight problem, and when we “wake up” after stopping them, we have not changed what drives our weight gain. In the absence of insight and changed behavior, the weight comes back, and then some.
Considering the medical consequences of overweight, one could make a case for giving a patient such a drug (monotherapy) in lieu of numerous others to control the weight-associated chronic conditions. As always, drug safety is key.
Ranveig Elvebakk, MD
http://foodtreemd.com/blog/the-limitations-of-anti-obesity-drugs/
I could not have said it better myself. I have worked with anti-obesity drugs over the years. Weight loss drugs do not teach anyone anything, they articificially disconnect us from our weight problem, and when we “wake up” after stopping them, we have not changed what drives our weight gain. In the absence of insight and changed behavior, the weight comes back, and then some.
Considering the medical consequences of overweight, one could make a case for giving a patient such a drug (monotherapy) in lieu of numerous others to control the weight-associated chronic conditions. As always, drug safety is key.
Ranveig Elvebakk, MD
http://foodtreemd.com/blog/the-limitations-of-anti-obesity-drugs/
Five Mega-Trends That Will Shape the Next Decade
MEGA-TREND #1: The Great Stupidification
aka
“There’s an online sucker born every minute.”
When pundits originally started yammering about the Internet creating a “democratization of information”, they talked as if this were a good idea. They forgot the lesson of history, which is that true democracy (as opposed to a republic) quickly devolves into mob rule. While the Internet has its advantages, it’s having the unintended consequence of raising the credibility of thousands of goofball theories.
Most people are pretty gullible anyway. (For example, more people in the United States believe in ghosts than believe in evolution.) However, because the Internet makes screwball “authorities” seem as valid as real scientists, it’s spawning innumerable jackass theories, which are now held as gospel truth by a large segment of the population.
Since a large segment of the public can’t differentiate between reality and Reality TV, they glom onto whatever theory makes them feel comfortable, and then, due to confirmation bias, resist any attempt to extract them from their fantasy. With a increasing frequency, such theories (e.g. the “birthers”) penetrate into the mainstream, where media whores like Glenn Beck use them to goose up ratings.
This trend impacts business in several ways. Sales of books and videos about conspiracy theories is already a billion dollar business. The craziness can also drive B2B buying behavior. For example, the Internet-spawned Y2K disaster hoax resulted in companies purchasing hundreds of billions of dollars of unneeded computer upgrades.
Overall, the trend results in a public (including to a lesser extent, the professional class) who are LESS informed about what’s going on because there will be so much BS floating around and no way to differentiate between what’s real and what’s totally absurd. To paraphrase H.L. Mencken: “Nobody ever went broke underestimating the gullibility of the American public.”
http://www.bnet.com/blog/salesmachine/five-mega-trends-that-will-shape-the-next-decade/13129?pg=2
aka
“There’s an online sucker born every minute.”
When pundits originally started yammering about the Internet creating a “democratization of information”, they talked as if this were a good idea. They forgot the lesson of history, which is that true democracy (as opposed to a republic) quickly devolves into mob rule. While the Internet has its advantages, it’s having the unintended consequence of raising the credibility of thousands of goofball theories.
Most people are pretty gullible anyway. (For example, more people in the United States believe in ghosts than believe in evolution.) However, because the Internet makes screwball “authorities” seem as valid as real scientists, it’s spawning innumerable jackass theories, which are now held as gospel truth by a large segment of the population.
Since a large segment of the public can’t differentiate between reality and Reality TV, they glom onto whatever theory makes them feel comfortable, and then, due to confirmation bias, resist any attempt to extract them from their fantasy. With a increasing frequency, such theories (e.g. the “birthers”) penetrate into the mainstream, where media whores like Glenn Beck use them to goose up ratings.
This trend impacts business in several ways. Sales of books and videos about conspiracy theories is already a billion dollar business. The craziness can also drive B2B buying behavior. For example, the Internet-spawned Y2K disaster hoax resulted in companies purchasing hundreds of billions of dollars of unneeded computer upgrades.
Overall, the trend results in a public (including to a lesser extent, the professional class) who are LESS informed about what’s going on because there will be so much BS floating around and no way to differentiate between what’s real and what’s totally absurd. To paraphrase H.L. Mencken: “Nobody ever went broke underestimating the gullibility of the American public.”
http://www.bnet.com/blog/salesmachine/five-mega-trends-that-will-shape-the-next-decade/13129?pg=2
Herbs and Weeds #4
His formulations, which eventually included teas, herbal tablets, liquids (syrups, wines, and elixirs), liniments, massage oils, ointments, and other preparations, became a major force in Swiss health care that has persisted to this day. Many of the products were exported to other European countries and sometimes overseas. In 2004, this company won the Swiss Gold Marketing Award for its successful efforts to promote domestic use of the natural products. The company currently relies on about 80 herb cultivators who primarily employ organic farming methods. For the prior eight years, sales of the products were declining, as a reflection of overall trends in Europe, but the Künzle Company rebounded through its marketing in drug stores. Since 2000, some of these products, selected items in the form of herbal teas, became available in America (see Chapter 7). They are manufactured in Germany, with a new style of labeling suited to the U.S. FDA regulations.
The book Herbs and Weeds was intended as a quick reference for people interested in his work. According to Künzle, the writing of it came about because of the demand conveyed to him by persons who read his short herb essays that had been published in a magazine and/or from attendance at lectures he gave from time to time on household remedies. He was not, by profession or bent, a writer of technical works: the resulting book was popular, in part, because of its casual style.
The charge that a priest should stick to his own profession and not get involved in medicine was one that had been addressed to him. In his introduction to the book, he commented that there was historical precedence: priests in the Middle Ages were medicine men; monks and even bishops wrote tracts about herbs. Further, he noted that while some medical doctors would suggest to patients-who could not be properly treated by their available methods-to go ahead and use home remedies, the art of preparing and using those remedies was not usually known either by the doctor or the patient. So, there was evidently a need for this kind of information and hence, his lectures, magazines articles, and the small book.
It is a testimony to the deteriorating status of herbal medicine in Europe at the time that it was necessary for Künzle to present basic information about herbs for the lay public. Indeed, the last herbal guide in German that was widely accepted had been published four hundred years earlier. The rapid development of modern medicine during the 20th century-without much regard to herbal medicine and other healing techniques of earlier times-was made possible by this deterioration. Contrary to some popular views, modern medicine did not need to suppress a vigorous natural health care system; it filled what had become a virtual vacuum.
http://www.itmonline.org/kunzle/index.htm
The book Herbs and Weeds was intended as a quick reference for people interested in his work. According to Künzle, the writing of it came about because of the demand conveyed to him by persons who read his short herb essays that had been published in a magazine and/or from attendance at lectures he gave from time to time on household remedies. He was not, by profession or bent, a writer of technical works: the resulting book was popular, in part, because of its casual style.
The charge that a priest should stick to his own profession and not get involved in medicine was one that had been addressed to him. In his introduction to the book, he commented that there was historical precedence: priests in the Middle Ages were medicine men; monks and even bishops wrote tracts about herbs. Further, he noted that while some medical doctors would suggest to patients-who could not be properly treated by their available methods-to go ahead and use home remedies, the art of preparing and using those remedies was not usually known either by the doctor or the patient. So, there was evidently a need for this kind of information and hence, his lectures, magazines articles, and the small book.
It is a testimony to the deteriorating status of herbal medicine in Europe at the time that it was necessary for Künzle to present basic information about herbs for the lay public. Indeed, the last herbal guide in German that was widely accepted had been published four hundred years earlier. The rapid development of modern medicine during the 20th century-without much regard to herbal medicine and other healing techniques of earlier times-was made possible by this deterioration. Contrary to some popular views, modern medicine did not need to suppress a vigorous natural health care system; it filled what had become a virtual vacuum.
http://www.itmonline.org/kunzle/index.htm
Omega-3s
10 heavyweights for weight management #3
By Bill Sardi June 22, 2010
Omega-3s: Inflammation is associated with insulin sensitivity.11 European researchers report that omega-3 oils reduce inflammation in fatty tissue.
When researchers at the University of South Australia divided 68 overweight and obese people into groups and assigned them small daily doses of fish oil or sunflower oil, with half of each group also participating in an exercise programme, they found that the group taking fish oil lost an average of 4.5 pounds over a three-month period vs no weight loss with safflower oil.11
A low-fat, low-calorie diet with added omega-3 oils has been shown to reduce body mass index and waist circumference among obese adults.12
Depression is a common complication of type 2 diabetes. Antidepressant drugs often don't work in diabetics. The use of omega-3 oil is believed to indirectly decrease depression in type 2 adult-onset diabetes.13
References
11. Alemzadeh R, et al. Hypovitaminosis D in obese children and adolescents: relationship with adiposity, insulin sensitivity, ethnicity, and season. Metabolism 2008;57:183-91.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18191047
12. Todoric J, et al. Adipose tissue inflammation induced by high-fat diet in obese diabetic mice is prevented by n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Diabetologia 2006;49:2109-19.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16783472
13. Jenkins R. Fish oil boosts exercise benefit, trims pounds. Daily News Central, 2006, Jul 30.
By Bill Sardi June 22, 2010
Omega-3s: Inflammation is associated with insulin sensitivity.11 European researchers report that omega-3 oils reduce inflammation in fatty tissue.
When researchers at the University of South Australia divided 68 overweight and obese people into groups and assigned them small daily doses of fish oil or sunflower oil, with half of each group also participating in an exercise programme, they found that the group taking fish oil lost an average of 4.5 pounds over a three-month period vs no weight loss with safflower oil.11
A low-fat, low-calorie diet with added omega-3 oils has been shown to reduce body mass index and waist circumference among obese adults.12
Depression is a common complication of type 2 diabetes. Antidepressant drugs often don't work in diabetics. The use of omega-3 oil is believed to indirectly decrease depression in type 2 adult-onset diabetes.13
References
11. Alemzadeh R, et al. Hypovitaminosis D in obese children and adolescents: relationship with adiposity, insulin sensitivity, ethnicity, and season. Metabolism 2008;57:183-91.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18191047
12. Todoric J, et al. Adipose tissue inflammation induced by high-fat diet in obese diabetic mice is prevented by n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Diabetologia 2006;49:2109-19.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16783472
13. Jenkins R. Fish oil boosts exercise benefit, trims pounds. Daily News Central, 2006, Jul 30.
CHINESE HERB Treatment ALZHEIMERS #4
USING DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS
Despite the fact that brain disorders can be described generally by the theoretical framework of traditional Chinese medicine, many physicians working in China continue to rely on differentiating cases. The particular disorder, Alzheimer's disease, may occur either from a variety of different causes or from a basic cause in a variety of constitutional situations. The primary differential categories used by Chinese doctors to describe senile dementia are:
1. Spleen qi deficiency, with phlegm and stagnating blood obstructing the orifices to the brain.
2. Liver qi stagnation, with entanglement of qi, accumulation of phlegm, and stagnating blood.
3. Hot phlegm clogging the orifices.
4. Spleen and kidney yang deficiency, with phlegm and stagnating blood obstructing the orifices to the brain.
5. Deficiency of liver and kidney yin, with phlegm and stagnating blood obstructing the orifices and with generation of internal wind.
6. Qi and blood stagnation, obstructing the orifices to the brain.
According to the category that seems most appropriate, one may tonify qi, yin, and/or yang, disperse qi and blood, and resolve phlegm accumulation. The tonic herbs to be used are the same as those commonly found in traditional formulas to treat problems of aging: ginseng, astragalus, atractylodes, dioscorea, rehmannia, lycium fruit, cistanche, and morinda. For unclogging the orifices, acorus, polygala, arisaema, typhonium, and alum are used in various combinations. Acorus and polygala are said to restore proper communication between the kidney and heart;. Alum (an aluminum sulfate compound) and arisaema are considered remedies for "mental phlegm." Sedative herbs are sometimes included in prescriptions for dementia, including zizyphus, fu-shen, biota, dragon bone, and oyster shell.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, the depletion of kidney-which is the dominant cause of symptoms associated with aging-can be largely overcome by regular ingestion of either Rehmannia Six Formula (Liu Wei Di Huang Wan) or Rehmannia Eight Formula (Ba Wei Di Huang Wan). Stagnation of blood can be limited by daily ingestion of salvia wine, or some other salvia-based herbal preparation. The obstruction by phlegm can be largely overcome by reducing fat in the diet (a health-promoting strategy that is recommended by all physicians today) and by using herbal formulas that aid the digestive process, such as Six Major Herbs Combination (Liu Jun Zi Tang) or a formula that contains herbs such as crataegus and shen-chu. Saponins from ginseng (and from several traditional anti-aging tonic formulas) have been shown to improve memory function. Sleep disorders-which may respond to the use of herb therapies-are commonly reported among the elderly and may contribute to worsening mental function.
A report in the Shanghai Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine (1991) describes a study with 60 patients divided into a Chinese herb group and a control group (both used Western medications as needed). Six different herb formulas were used for the study, given according to the diagnosis of the patients' underlying conditions. Eighteen symptoms other than memory functions were monitored, including headache, dizziness, tinnitus, and head fullness; poor appetite and constipation; fatigue and leg weariness; fever and sweating; and so on. The Chinese medical treatment group showed improvements in all of the symptoms except tinnitus. There were also changes in the tongue (less redness) and tongue fur (less greasiness). When the symptom changes related to mental condition were compiled, 7 of 30 in the Chinese medical group showed marked improvement and 16 more showed some improvement. Thus, about 77% showed some degree of improvement, but there was no notable difference between these results for mental capabilities and those of the Western medical control group. The patients in this study were treated with herbs in capsules or tablets, in order to obtain good compliance, not higher-dosage decoctions as would have been preferred by the physicians. The dosage used began low and was increased gradually. Treatment time was six months, and the treatment then needed to be continued to maintain the benefits.
Based on a review of the literature on Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia, a general formula would be acorus, polygala, platycodon, ginseng, atractylodes, licorice, astragalus, citrus, pinellia, crataegus, shen-chu, curcuma, gastrodia, salvia, cnidium, red peony, zizyphus, rehmannia, lycium fruit, tang-kuei, cistanche, morinda, aconite, dioscorea, and hoelen (or fu-shen). Certain herbs could be deleted or added to focus the formulation on the exact needs of the patient.
Among the contributors to aging disorders are the cumulative impact of oxidation reactions (including the accumulation of lipofuscin) and the decline of hormones (it was recently shown that estrogen aids memory in women). Numerous antioxidants have been identified and are readily available in convenient tablet or capsule form (flavonoids, carotenes, Vitamins C and E, and certain minerals, such as selenium, and amino acids, such as glutathione). Several Chinese herbs have been shown to have antioxidant effects and reduce levels of lipofuscin; these include the tonic herbs ligustrum, lycium, cuscuta, psoralea, atractylodes, codonopsis, epimedium, ganoderma, polygonatum, and ho-shou-wu. Some of these herbs function by increasing levels of antioxidant systems, such as SOD (super oxide dysmutase). In addition to using Chinese kidney tonic herbs to enhance the body's production of hormones, exogenous sources of many hormones are now available, including growth hormone, DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), and melatonin, which could be administered along with the herbs initially to obtain more obvious early effects from the treatment.
Despite the fact that brain disorders can be described generally by the theoretical framework of traditional Chinese medicine, many physicians working in China continue to rely on differentiating cases. The particular disorder, Alzheimer's disease, may occur either from a variety of different causes or from a basic cause in a variety of constitutional situations. The primary differential categories used by Chinese doctors to describe senile dementia are:
1. Spleen qi deficiency, with phlegm and stagnating blood obstructing the orifices to the brain.
2. Liver qi stagnation, with entanglement of qi, accumulation of phlegm, and stagnating blood.
3. Hot phlegm clogging the orifices.
4. Spleen and kidney yang deficiency, with phlegm and stagnating blood obstructing the orifices to the brain.
5. Deficiency of liver and kidney yin, with phlegm and stagnating blood obstructing the orifices and with generation of internal wind.
6. Qi and blood stagnation, obstructing the orifices to the brain.
According to the category that seems most appropriate, one may tonify qi, yin, and/or yang, disperse qi and blood, and resolve phlegm accumulation. The tonic herbs to be used are the same as those commonly found in traditional formulas to treat problems of aging: ginseng, astragalus, atractylodes, dioscorea, rehmannia, lycium fruit, cistanche, and morinda. For unclogging the orifices, acorus, polygala, arisaema, typhonium, and alum are used in various combinations. Acorus and polygala are said to restore proper communication between the kidney and heart;. Alum (an aluminum sulfate compound) and arisaema are considered remedies for "mental phlegm." Sedative herbs are sometimes included in prescriptions for dementia, including zizyphus, fu-shen, biota, dragon bone, and oyster shell.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, the depletion of kidney-which is the dominant cause of symptoms associated with aging-can be largely overcome by regular ingestion of either Rehmannia Six Formula (Liu Wei Di Huang Wan) or Rehmannia Eight Formula (Ba Wei Di Huang Wan). Stagnation of blood can be limited by daily ingestion of salvia wine, or some other salvia-based herbal preparation. The obstruction by phlegm can be largely overcome by reducing fat in the diet (a health-promoting strategy that is recommended by all physicians today) and by using herbal formulas that aid the digestive process, such as Six Major Herbs Combination (Liu Jun Zi Tang) or a formula that contains herbs such as crataegus and shen-chu. Saponins from ginseng (and from several traditional anti-aging tonic formulas) have been shown to improve memory function. Sleep disorders-which may respond to the use of herb therapies-are commonly reported among the elderly and may contribute to worsening mental function.
A report in the Shanghai Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine (1991) describes a study with 60 patients divided into a Chinese herb group and a control group (both used Western medications as needed). Six different herb formulas were used for the study, given according to the diagnosis of the patients' underlying conditions. Eighteen symptoms other than memory functions were monitored, including headache, dizziness, tinnitus, and head fullness; poor appetite and constipation; fatigue and leg weariness; fever and sweating; and so on. The Chinese medical treatment group showed improvements in all of the symptoms except tinnitus. There were also changes in the tongue (less redness) and tongue fur (less greasiness). When the symptom changes related to mental condition were compiled, 7 of 30 in the Chinese medical group showed marked improvement and 16 more showed some improvement. Thus, about 77% showed some degree of improvement, but there was no notable difference between these results for mental capabilities and those of the Western medical control group. The patients in this study were treated with herbs in capsules or tablets, in order to obtain good compliance, not higher-dosage decoctions as would have been preferred by the physicians. The dosage used began low and was increased gradually. Treatment time was six months, and the treatment then needed to be continued to maintain the benefits.
Based on a review of the literature on Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia, a general formula would be acorus, polygala, platycodon, ginseng, atractylodes, licorice, astragalus, citrus, pinellia, crataegus, shen-chu, curcuma, gastrodia, salvia, cnidium, red peony, zizyphus, rehmannia, lycium fruit, tang-kuei, cistanche, morinda, aconite, dioscorea, and hoelen (or fu-shen). Certain herbs could be deleted or added to focus the formulation on the exact needs of the patient.
Among the contributors to aging disorders are the cumulative impact of oxidation reactions (including the accumulation of lipofuscin) and the decline of hormones (it was recently shown that estrogen aids memory in women). Numerous antioxidants have been identified and are readily available in convenient tablet or capsule form (flavonoids, carotenes, Vitamins C and E, and certain minerals, such as selenium, and amino acids, such as glutathione). Several Chinese herbs have been shown to have antioxidant effects and reduce levels of lipofuscin; these include the tonic herbs ligustrum, lycium, cuscuta, psoralea, atractylodes, codonopsis, epimedium, ganoderma, polygonatum, and ho-shou-wu. Some of these herbs function by increasing levels of antioxidant systems, such as SOD (super oxide dysmutase). In addition to using Chinese kidney tonic herbs to enhance the body's production of hormones, exogenous sources of many hormones are now available, including growth hormone, DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), and melatonin, which could be administered along with the herbs initially to obtain more obvious early effects from the treatment.
Famous Chinese Physicians of the Past
Chu Tan-chi [Zhu Danxi, also known as Zhu Zhenheng; 1280-1358 A.D.] - Zhu believed that people suffered from chronic disease mainly due to overindulgence in pleasurable things and activities, resulting in debility of the yin essence. He therefore recommended temperence and use of tonic formulas, especially those that nourished the kidney and liver.
http://www.itmonline.org/docs/chutan.htm
Monday, November 29, 2010
Supplements boost health of mothers and their babies
By Richard Clarke May 11, 2010
Taking a multiple micronutrient supplement during pregnancy may improve the health of pregnant women and their babies, according to the results of a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled trial published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
The study by researchers at the Institute of Brain Chemistry & Human Nutrition at London Metropolitan University and the Homerton University Hospital involved more than 400 newly pregnant women from east London, 72 per cent of whom had low levels of vitamin D in their blood, 13 per cent of whom were anaemic and 12 per cent of whom were thiamin deficient. Nutrient status was measured at recruitment, 26 and 34 weeks gestation.
The results indicated that women taking Vitabiotics Pregnacare-branded supplements during the trial rather than a placebo benefited from an improvement in nutrient status, with markers of iron, folate, thiamin and vitamin D status all higher during the third trimester in the vitamin group, and a reduction in numbers of small-for-gestational-age infants (low birth weight for time of birth).
Louise Brough, the lead researcher, said: "This research highlights the concerning fact that a number of women, even in the developed world, are lacking in important nutrients during pregnancy. It also demonstrates the benefit of taking a multiple micronutrient supplement such as Pregnacare from early pregnancy. It is especially important to have good nutrient levels during early pregnancy as this is a critical time for development of the foetus. Nutrient deficiencies are correctable and they may influence birth outcomes."
The incidence of low birth weight babies in the UK is worse than any Western European country, even worse than Cuba and on a par with Romania, according to UNICEF figures. When data was gathered for the whole country in 1973 it was 6.6 per cent, while in 2005 it was 8 per cent.
Brough said: "A baby's health can be adversely affected if it is too small at birth, both in early and later life. Being small for gestational age implies intra-uterine growth restriction and a degree of poor foetal nutrition. This study shows that supplementing with a specific multivitamin supplement may help to reduce this. Although the numbers are small, the data is statistically significant and consistent with what is known about maternal-foetal nutrition and justifies a larger study."
http://www.functionalingredientsmag.com/article/Europe/supplements-boosts-mother-and-baby-health.aspx
Taking a multiple micronutrient supplement during pregnancy may improve the health of pregnant women and their babies, according to the results of a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled trial published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
The study by researchers at the Institute of Brain Chemistry & Human Nutrition at London Metropolitan University and the Homerton University Hospital involved more than 400 newly pregnant women from east London, 72 per cent of whom had low levels of vitamin D in their blood, 13 per cent of whom were anaemic and 12 per cent of whom were thiamin deficient. Nutrient status was measured at recruitment, 26 and 34 weeks gestation.
The results indicated that women taking Vitabiotics Pregnacare-branded supplements during the trial rather than a placebo benefited from an improvement in nutrient status, with markers of iron, folate, thiamin and vitamin D status all higher during the third trimester in the vitamin group, and a reduction in numbers of small-for-gestational-age infants (low birth weight for time of birth).
Louise Brough, the lead researcher, said: "This research highlights the concerning fact that a number of women, even in the developed world, are lacking in important nutrients during pregnancy. It also demonstrates the benefit of taking a multiple micronutrient supplement such as Pregnacare from early pregnancy. It is especially important to have good nutrient levels during early pregnancy as this is a critical time for development of the foetus. Nutrient deficiencies are correctable and they may influence birth outcomes."
The incidence of low birth weight babies in the UK is worse than any Western European country, even worse than Cuba and on a par with Romania, according to UNICEF figures. When data was gathered for the whole country in 1973 it was 6.6 per cent, while in 2005 it was 8 per cent.
Brough said: "A baby's health can be adversely affected if it is too small at birth, both in early and later life. Being small for gestational age implies intra-uterine growth restriction and a degree of poor foetal nutrition. This study shows that supplementing with a specific multivitamin supplement may help to reduce this. Although the numbers are small, the data is statistically significant and consistent with what is known about maternal-foetal nutrition and justifies a larger study."
http://www.functionalingredientsmag.com/article/Europe/supplements-boosts-mother-and-baby-health.aspx
Honey is naturally sweet, familiar and functional
By Keith Seiz May 11, 2010
Simple but complex. This dichotomy exemplifies the value honey brings to the food and beverage industry.
Honey is simple in its essence. It's produced by honey bees in a hive. The ingredient is natural, and when used in an assortment of food and beverage products, honey is simply listed as "honey." However, honey's flavour varieties, composition and functionalities give bakers countless product formulation opportunities, making the ingredient's complexity a significant asset.
Honey is a nutritive sweetener composed of numerous sugars, including fructose (38 per cent), glucose (31 per cent), maltose (7.2 per cent) and sucrose (1.5 per cent). The colour and flavour of honey differ depending on the bees' nectar source.
Honey is more calorie-dense than its closest competitor, cane sugar, which is 100 per cent sucrose. A tablespoon of honey has 64 calories, compared to 46 calories for sugar. But honey is almost twice as sweet as sugar, allowing a formulator to get by with less, and it provides a similarly smooth, rich mouthfeel. And honey has a somewhat healthier glycaemic index, with a 55 GI ranking compared to 61 for sugar.
There are more than 300 unique kinds of honey in the United States, originating from such diverse floral sources as clover, eucalyptus and orange blossoms. This complex set of variations on a single taste theme allows food manufacturers to launch complete product lines of honey-sweetened foods, all with slightly different flavour profiles. For example, a product with buckwheat honey offers a robust flavour, while a clover or alfalfa honey provides a simpler, lighter honey taste. In general, lighter coloured honeys are mild, while darker honeys are stronger in flavour.
Besides imparting positive flavour and functional attributes, honey also helps food manufacturers launch products that conform to dominant consumer trends. Today's consumers want products that are natural, familiar and have a clean label.
There is a certain trust that goes into products with ingredients to which consumers can relate. This especially holds true for sweeteners, which have recently been put under the microscope by consumers, the government and food manufacturers. Fortunately, honey's usage as a natural sweetener conforms to consumers' desires for a product that is both natural and has a familiar name with positive connotations.
Honey's familiarity also proves beneficial for food manufacturers trying to clean up and minimise their ingredient listings. Due to its ability to impart functional and flavour attributes, honey can be used as an important ingredient in a variety of clean-label products.
Applications aplenty
Honey usage in the food and beverage industry runs the gamut from whole grain bagels to hard candy. In the baking industry, honey has many uses, from serving as a natural sweetener to retaining moisture in cakes. The recent growth of breads and rolls with whole and ancient grains has caused bakers to look to honey's sweet flavour profile to mask the sometimes bitter flavour notes that whole grains impart. In these products, honey also serves as an exceptional marketing tool with many bakers using "honey" to enhance a product's name, such as "honey whole wheat bread."
In snack foods, especially salty snacks, honey is used to complement an assortment of flavours, from barbecue to chipotle. In savory snacks and food bars, honey is used as a natural sweetener in products positioned toward consumers looking to make all-natural product decisions.
Honey's usage in the food and beverage industry continues to grow as consumer trends run parallel to the ingredient's many benefits. For more information on honey and its many uses, visit www.honey.com
http://www.functionalingredientsmag.com/article/Features-Story/honey-is-functional.aspx
Simple but complex. This dichotomy exemplifies the value honey brings to the food and beverage industry.
Honey is simple in its essence. It's produced by honey bees in a hive. The ingredient is natural, and when used in an assortment of food and beverage products, honey is simply listed as "honey." However, honey's flavour varieties, composition and functionalities give bakers countless product formulation opportunities, making the ingredient's complexity a significant asset.
Honey is a nutritive sweetener composed of numerous sugars, including fructose (38 per cent), glucose (31 per cent), maltose (7.2 per cent) and sucrose (1.5 per cent). The colour and flavour of honey differ depending on the bees' nectar source.
Honey is more calorie-dense than its closest competitor, cane sugar, which is 100 per cent sucrose. A tablespoon of honey has 64 calories, compared to 46 calories for sugar. But honey is almost twice as sweet as sugar, allowing a formulator to get by with less, and it provides a similarly smooth, rich mouthfeel. And honey has a somewhat healthier glycaemic index, with a 55 GI ranking compared to 61 for sugar.
There are more than 300 unique kinds of honey in the United States, originating from such diverse floral sources as clover, eucalyptus and orange blossoms. This complex set of variations on a single taste theme allows food manufacturers to launch complete product lines of honey-sweetened foods, all with slightly different flavour profiles. For example, a product with buckwheat honey offers a robust flavour, while a clover or alfalfa honey provides a simpler, lighter honey taste. In general, lighter coloured honeys are mild, while darker honeys are stronger in flavour.
Besides imparting positive flavour and functional attributes, honey also helps food manufacturers launch products that conform to dominant consumer trends. Today's consumers want products that are natural, familiar and have a clean label.
There is a certain trust that goes into products with ingredients to which consumers can relate. This especially holds true for sweeteners, which have recently been put under the microscope by consumers, the government and food manufacturers. Fortunately, honey's usage as a natural sweetener conforms to consumers' desires for a product that is both natural and has a familiar name with positive connotations.
Honey's familiarity also proves beneficial for food manufacturers trying to clean up and minimise their ingredient listings. Due to its ability to impart functional and flavour attributes, honey can be used as an important ingredient in a variety of clean-label products.
Applications aplenty
Honey usage in the food and beverage industry runs the gamut from whole grain bagels to hard candy. In the baking industry, honey has many uses, from serving as a natural sweetener to retaining moisture in cakes. The recent growth of breads and rolls with whole and ancient grains has caused bakers to look to honey's sweet flavour profile to mask the sometimes bitter flavour notes that whole grains impart. In these products, honey also serves as an exceptional marketing tool with many bakers using "honey" to enhance a product's name, such as "honey whole wheat bread."
In snack foods, especially salty snacks, honey is used to complement an assortment of flavours, from barbecue to chipotle. In savory snacks and food bars, honey is used as a natural sweetener in products positioned toward consumers looking to make all-natural product decisions.
Honey's usage in the food and beverage industry continues to grow as consumer trends run parallel to the ingredient's many benefits. For more information on honey and its many uses, visit www.honey.com
http://www.functionalingredientsmag.com/article/Features-Story/honey-is-functional.aspx
10 heavyweights for weight management #2
By Bill Sardi June 22, 2010
Calcium/Vitamin D: A revolution in the understanding of the need for vitamin D, both from natural sunlight and dietary supplements, is now under way. Vitamin D has profound and broad influence over weight control and mood, which are intertwined. Consider these facts:
Overweight individuals are frequently depressed.5 It is not uncommon for overweight individuals to be placed on antidepressant drugs, which are generally known to increase weight gain.6
It is also widely observed that depression and carbohydrate craving risesin winter months, particularly in northern latitudes, when vitamin D levels are low. Increased appetite, carbohydrate craving and weight gain are more characteristic of winter than summertime depression.7
As the body mass of adults increases, their vitamin D levels are found to be lower. As vitamin D levels decline, waist size increases.8
Vitamin D also preferentially decreases abdominal fat.9 Obese individuals submitting themselves for weight-loss surgery are commonly vitamin D deficient.
Low vitamin D levels are even associated with obesity in children (74 per cent of obese children were found to be deficient in one study).10
References
5. Lykouras L. Psychological profile of obese patients. Digestive Dis 2008;26:36-9.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=18600013
6. Papakostas GI. Tolerability of modern antidepressants. J Clin Psychiatry 2008;69:Suppl E1:8-13. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18494538
7. Wehr TA, et al. Contrasts between symptoms of summer depression and winter depression. J Affect Disorder 1991;23:173-83. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1791262
8. Konradsen S, et al. Serum 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D is inversely associated with body mass index. Eur J Nutr 2008;47:87-91. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18320256
9. McGill AT, et al. Relationships of lower serum vitamin D3 with anthropometry and markers of the metabolic syndrome and diabetes in overweight and obesity. Nutr J 2008;7:4.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18226257
10. Morris KL, Zemel MB. 1,25-kihydroxyvitamin D3 modulation of adipocyte glucocoticoid function. Obes Res 2005;13:670-7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15897475
Calcium/Vitamin D: A revolution in the understanding of the need for vitamin D, both from natural sunlight and dietary supplements, is now under way. Vitamin D has profound and broad influence over weight control and mood, which are intertwined. Consider these facts:
Overweight individuals are frequently depressed.5 It is not uncommon for overweight individuals to be placed on antidepressant drugs, which are generally known to increase weight gain.6
It is also widely observed that depression and carbohydrate craving risesin winter months, particularly in northern latitudes, when vitamin D levels are low. Increased appetite, carbohydrate craving and weight gain are more characteristic of winter than summertime depression.7
As the body mass of adults increases, their vitamin D levels are found to be lower. As vitamin D levels decline, waist size increases.8
Vitamin D also preferentially decreases abdominal fat.9 Obese individuals submitting themselves for weight-loss surgery are commonly vitamin D deficient.
Low vitamin D levels are even associated with obesity in children (74 per cent of obese children were found to be deficient in one study).10
References
5. Lykouras L. Psychological profile of obese patients. Digestive Dis 2008;26:36-9.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=18600013
6. Papakostas GI. Tolerability of modern antidepressants. J Clin Psychiatry 2008;69:Suppl E1:8-13. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18494538
7. Wehr TA, et al. Contrasts between symptoms of summer depression and winter depression. J Affect Disorder 1991;23:173-83. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1791262
8. Konradsen S, et al. Serum 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D is inversely associated with body mass index. Eur J Nutr 2008;47:87-91. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18320256
9. McGill AT, et al. Relationships of lower serum vitamin D3 with anthropometry and markers of the metabolic syndrome and diabetes in overweight and obesity. Nutr J 2008;7:4.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18226257
10. Morris KL, Zemel MB. 1,25-kihydroxyvitamin D3 modulation of adipocyte glucocoticoid function. Obes Res 2005;13:670-7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15897475
CHINESE HERB Treatment ALZHEIMERS #3
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF IDEAS ABOUT SENILE DEMENTIA
According to the fundamental ideas of Chinese medicine, the brain is an outgrowth of and is nourished by the kidney. Therefore, brain defects and deterioration of the brain may be prevented, limited, or halted by the ingestion of kidney tonics. Rich nourishing agents such as placenta, rehmannia, and cistanche; kidney essence astringents, such as rose fruit and schizandra; and qi and blood tonics that ultimately help nourish the essence, such as astragalus, polygonatum, and tang-kuei, are frequently recommended to benefit the brain. The cognitive functions of the brain are said to be regulated by the heart: the kidney provides the substance, the heart the regulation of activity. Memory, cognition, and wisdom are believed to become disordered if the heart is agitated or if the influence of the orifices that connect the heart and brain are blocked by phlegm obstruction of the channels. The herbs zizyphus, biota, polygala, and acorus are considered important for treating heart disorders affecting memory and cognition. To benefit the function of the heart, qi tonic herbs are also used, as they enhance the energy or qi of the heart. Formulas based on the combination of heart-regulating herbs coupled with kidney and qi tonic herbs are sold in China as Bu Nao Wan (Brain Tonic Pills) or Jian Nao Wan (Healthy Brain Pills).
In the book Jingyue Quanshu (Collected Works of Zhang Jingyue; 1637 A.D.), a chapter on dementia (chidai) describes the problem as a combination of collapse of original qi (yuanqi) and the presence of impure qi in the meridians and heart orifices. Tonification therapy is the proposed solution, as the restoration of normal qi will help to dispel the pathological qi. A formula developed by Zhang for dementia is Qi Fu Yin, comprised of ginseng, cooked rehmannia, tang-kuei, atractylodes, zizyphus, baked licorice, and polygala. The latter herb helps to clear the phlegm obstruction of the orifices.
In the book Bianzheng Lu (Manual of Medical Differentiation; 1690), Chen Shiduo proposed that the first step in development of dementia is depression of liver qi, which is usually caused by emotional problems. This liver qi disorder might eventually lead to exhaustion of the stomach qi because the pathological qi from the liver is easily transmitted to the stomach, where it disrupts normal digestive functions. The resulting undigested food in the stomach can produce obstructive phlegm. He said that "treating phlegm is treating dementia." To accomplish the goal, he suggested that one would tonify the spleen and stomach, resolve phlegm, and clear the orifices of the heart. A formula that Chen developed is Su Xin Tang, comprised of ginseng, hoelen, pinellia, bupleurum, coptis, evodia, gardenia, aconite, tang-kuei, peony, and zizyphus. Bupleurum invigorates the flow of liver qi; coptis and gardenia purge the pathologic qi of the liver, while evodia disperses the liver qi that is damaging the stomach functions; pinellia and hoelen resolve phlegm. Chen devised some alternative formulas for dementia, including ingredients such as shen-chu to enhance the stomach's digestive activity, arisaema to cleanse the accumulated phlegm, and acorus to open the clogged orifices.
At the end of the 19th century, Wang Qingren, who is famous for developing the use of blood-vitalizing therapies, proposed that dementia was caused by an emptying of the material substance making up the marrow and brain, and by stagnant blood clogging the orifices. A formula he developed for this purpose is Tong Qiao Huo Xue Tang, comprised of red peony, cnidium, persica, carthamus, onion, musk, jujube; rice wine is added to the water when preparing the decoction. Onion and musk help to clear out the clogged orifices. The wine helps activate the blood-vitalizing properties of the formula.
The modern (post-1950) Chinese approach to Alzheimer's follows closely the ideas of Wang Qingren. Degenerative changes in tissues are usually treated by herbs that promote blood circulation-often relying on salvia in place of persica and carthamus used in Wang's time-plus tonics to treat the deficient organ. The brain is nourished with kidney tonics and qi tonics, such as rehmannia and ginseng. Many physicians still pursue the method of differential diagnosis, and the treatments may vary rather than follow a set pattern based on the disease description.
In China, a patent remedy, Nao Li Kang (Restore Brain Power Granules) has recently been developed. In the patent remedy application to the Sichuan Ministry of Health, it was reported that the formula was carefully tested in 31 patients with Alzheimer's disease and atherosclerotic dementia confirmed by CT scans. The formula ingredients include rehmannia, salvia, polygala, and polygonatum. Three months treatment with the formula resulted in improvements in 40% of the Alzheimer's patients and in 86% of the atherosclerotic patients. Although the improvement rate for Alzheimer's was relatively low, because this disease is so difficult to reverse, the result is still of interest.
The treatment of Alzheimer's should begin at its earliest signs, since any brain cells that have been destroyed cannot be regenerated and the fibrous and mineralized plaques that form in the brain are unlikely to be removed as a result of the ingestion of herbs. Chinese herbs can still prove useful in later stages, by preventing further degeneration or optimizing the function of the intact brain cells, but attempts to more fully resolve the disease could only meet with success in the early phases. During this earlier period, a definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer's is not always possible, but one can safely administer the Chinese tonic herbs and blood circulation agents.
http://www.itmonline.org/arts/alzheimers.htm
According to the fundamental ideas of Chinese medicine, the brain is an outgrowth of and is nourished by the kidney. Therefore, brain defects and deterioration of the brain may be prevented, limited, or halted by the ingestion of kidney tonics. Rich nourishing agents such as placenta, rehmannia, and cistanche; kidney essence astringents, such as rose fruit and schizandra; and qi and blood tonics that ultimately help nourish the essence, such as astragalus, polygonatum, and tang-kuei, are frequently recommended to benefit the brain. The cognitive functions of the brain are said to be regulated by the heart: the kidney provides the substance, the heart the regulation of activity. Memory, cognition, and wisdom are believed to become disordered if the heart is agitated or if the influence of the orifices that connect the heart and brain are blocked by phlegm obstruction of the channels. The herbs zizyphus, biota, polygala, and acorus are considered important for treating heart disorders affecting memory and cognition. To benefit the function of the heart, qi tonic herbs are also used, as they enhance the energy or qi of the heart. Formulas based on the combination of heart-regulating herbs coupled with kidney and qi tonic herbs are sold in China as Bu Nao Wan (Brain Tonic Pills) or Jian Nao Wan (Healthy Brain Pills).
In the book Jingyue Quanshu (Collected Works of Zhang Jingyue; 1637 A.D.), a chapter on dementia (chidai) describes the problem as a combination of collapse of original qi (yuanqi) and the presence of impure qi in the meridians and heart orifices. Tonification therapy is the proposed solution, as the restoration of normal qi will help to dispel the pathological qi. A formula developed by Zhang for dementia is Qi Fu Yin, comprised of ginseng, cooked rehmannia, tang-kuei, atractylodes, zizyphus, baked licorice, and polygala. The latter herb helps to clear the phlegm obstruction of the orifices.
In the book Bianzheng Lu (Manual of Medical Differentiation; 1690), Chen Shiduo proposed that the first step in development of dementia is depression of liver qi, which is usually caused by emotional problems. This liver qi disorder might eventually lead to exhaustion of the stomach qi because the pathological qi from the liver is easily transmitted to the stomach, where it disrupts normal digestive functions. The resulting undigested food in the stomach can produce obstructive phlegm. He said that "treating phlegm is treating dementia." To accomplish the goal, he suggested that one would tonify the spleen and stomach, resolve phlegm, and clear the orifices of the heart. A formula that Chen developed is Su Xin Tang, comprised of ginseng, hoelen, pinellia, bupleurum, coptis, evodia, gardenia, aconite, tang-kuei, peony, and zizyphus. Bupleurum invigorates the flow of liver qi; coptis and gardenia purge the pathologic qi of the liver, while evodia disperses the liver qi that is damaging the stomach functions; pinellia and hoelen resolve phlegm. Chen devised some alternative formulas for dementia, including ingredients such as shen-chu to enhance the stomach's digestive activity, arisaema to cleanse the accumulated phlegm, and acorus to open the clogged orifices.
At the end of the 19th century, Wang Qingren, who is famous for developing the use of blood-vitalizing therapies, proposed that dementia was caused by an emptying of the material substance making up the marrow and brain, and by stagnant blood clogging the orifices. A formula he developed for this purpose is Tong Qiao Huo Xue Tang, comprised of red peony, cnidium, persica, carthamus, onion, musk, jujube; rice wine is added to the water when preparing the decoction. Onion and musk help to clear out the clogged orifices. The wine helps activate the blood-vitalizing properties of the formula.
The modern (post-1950) Chinese approach to Alzheimer's follows closely the ideas of Wang Qingren. Degenerative changes in tissues are usually treated by herbs that promote blood circulation-often relying on salvia in place of persica and carthamus used in Wang's time-plus tonics to treat the deficient organ. The brain is nourished with kidney tonics and qi tonics, such as rehmannia and ginseng. Many physicians still pursue the method of differential diagnosis, and the treatments may vary rather than follow a set pattern based on the disease description.
In China, a patent remedy, Nao Li Kang (Restore Brain Power Granules) has recently been developed. In the patent remedy application to the Sichuan Ministry of Health, it was reported that the formula was carefully tested in 31 patients with Alzheimer's disease and atherosclerotic dementia confirmed by CT scans. The formula ingredients include rehmannia, salvia, polygala, and polygonatum. Three months treatment with the formula resulted in improvements in 40% of the Alzheimer's patients and in 86% of the atherosclerotic patients. Although the improvement rate for Alzheimer's was relatively low, because this disease is so difficult to reverse, the result is still of interest.
The treatment of Alzheimer's should begin at its earliest signs, since any brain cells that have been destroyed cannot be regenerated and the fibrous and mineralized plaques that form in the brain are unlikely to be removed as a result of the ingestion of herbs. Chinese herbs can still prove useful in later stages, by preventing further degeneration or optimizing the function of the intact brain cells, but attempts to more fully resolve the disease could only meet with success in the early phases. During this earlier period, a definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer's is not always possible, but one can safely administer the Chinese tonic herbs and blood circulation agents.
http://www.itmonline.org/arts/alzheimers.htm
Herbs and Weeds #3
Künzle pursued herbalism ……….
He described his experiences in the introduction to Chrut and Uchrut:
A spiritual adviser, I often had to visit sick fathers and mothers who according to the reports of the local physicians, were dying, leaving behind their little children. In such cases, I gathered up all my knowledge of herbs and was often able to get them back on their feet again. Among others, I was thus able to help a poor Protestant who had been lying in his bed for two years, painfully afflicted with gout and swollen limbs. 'You must get this man out of bed again,' I told myself, and accomplished it after four weeks. Now people said, 'The parson can almost work miracles. He helps disregarding even the difference of faith!' Every evening, groups of working men and women came to me and implored me to help them and I did what I could. When someone reported me to the bishop, who at first did not want to hear anything about my doctoring activity, I sent some of the cured to him to tell the story. This satisfied the bishop, who then gave me permission to continue with my therapy.
While the bishop may have been agreeable, the medical authorities and physicians in the region were aghast at his practice of medicine without a license. This earned him the reputation, among that group, as a quack practitioner, and it was only because of the strong support of the people that he was able to continue to offer his consultations, which included advice about diet, life style, and use of herbal remedies. He took care not to step over the bounds of natural health care and into the realm of modern medical practice, recognizing that the latter had its place for situations where simple home remedies failed, or where there was a need for surgery. Thus, for example, under the heading appendicitis in his book, he claimed that the disease is often cured by a tea made from holly or blackberry leaves, and immediately followed the claim by this caution: "but call a physician without fail at once." He was not averse to the modern medical profession, but, instead, wanted people to stay healthy by following simple rules of natural living. He recommended the use of herbs for specific circumstances: to prevent an ailment from progressing to a stage so serious that the new medical treatments were needed; to treat persons who were not able to get to a doctor due to their remote location; and to try, sometimes successfully, to treat people who failed to respond to the available modern medical therapies.
Still, recognizing the increasing pressures being exerted by the medical community as his reputation as healer grew, he decided to pursue advanced medical studies. He did this as a 65-year-old student, and passed the test of the physician's examining board in 1922, thus granting him some acceptance by the medical profession (but, he did not go on to become a licensed medical doctor). Nonetheless, then as now, many physicians were highly critical of people viewed as mystical healers, a designation that was thrust on Künzle by his supporters and not self-proclaimed. It was as much his attitude as his use of herbs that had built up his reputation. In a Swiss newspaper, this appraisal of him was published:
The priest Johann Künzle set an example of unaffected and direct naturalness for the whole church and the whole Swiss people which perhaps hasn't existed since Francis of Assisi. Caring for neither popularity nor offence, throughout his whole life he exhibited the direct frankness and honesty on which the Kingdom of Heaven could have been built and by which all stupidity and evil on this earth could have been vanquished. He always loved the people, the simplest and the most modest, and every mountain peasant meant as much to him as a cardinal. His egalitarian beliefs were carried out in actions as he was quite capable of saying what he thought in the presence of the Eminence. The Protestant was as near to him as his co-religionist. For him, faith and honesty were healing herbs for human society and he didn't care in which meadow they were found. All this was his nature, his high morality of character. And to that, I take my hat off!
Still, with his passing of a medical exam and his recognition as a kind hearted healer, he could only visit with so many people. The demand for the herbal materials that he recommended to those people he saw locally, as well as those who had heard about him at a distance, expanded to such an extent that a factory was set up to produce his standard formulas: Krauterpfarrer Künzle AG (Father Herbalist Künzle Company) in Minusio, Switzerland.
http://www.itmonline.org/kunzle/index.htm
He described his experiences in the introduction to Chrut and Uchrut:
A spiritual adviser, I often had to visit sick fathers and mothers who according to the reports of the local physicians, were dying, leaving behind their little children. In such cases, I gathered up all my knowledge of herbs and was often able to get them back on their feet again. Among others, I was thus able to help a poor Protestant who had been lying in his bed for two years, painfully afflicted with gout and swollen limbs. 'You must get this man out of bed again,' I told myself, and accomplished it after four weeks. Now people said, 'The parson can almost work miracles. He helps disregarding even the difference of faith!' Every evening, groups of working men and women came to me and implored me to help them and I did what I could. When someone reported me to the bishop, who at first did not want to hear anything about my doctoring activity, I sent some of the cured to him to tell the story. This satisfied the bishop, who then gave me permission to continue with my therapy.
While the bishop may have been agreeable, the medical authorities and physicians in the region were aghast at his practice of medicine without a license. This earned him the reputation, among that group, as a quack practitioner, and it was only because of the strong support of the people that he was able to continue to offer his consultations, which included advice about diet, life style, and use of herbal remedies. He took care not to step over the bounds of natural health care and into the realm of modern medical practice, recognizing that the latter had its place for situations where simple home remedies failed, or where there was a need for surgery. Thus, for example, under the heading appendicitis in his book, he claimed that the disease is often cured by a tea made from holly or blackberry leaves, and immediately followed the claim by this caution: "but call a physician without fail at once." He was not averse to the modern medical profession, but, instead, wanted people to stay healthy by following simple rules of natural living. He recommended the use of herbs for specific circumstances: to prevent an ailment from progressing to a stage so serious that the new medical treatments were needed; to treat persons who were not able to get to a doctor due to their remote location; and to try, sometimes successfully, to treat people who failed to respond to the available modern medical therapies.
Still, recognizing the increasing pressures being exerted by the medical community as his reputation as healer grew, he decided to pursue advanced medical studies. He did this as a 65-year-old student, and passed the test of the physician's examining board in 1922, thus granting him some acceptance by the medical profession (but, he did not go on to become a licensed medical doctor). Nonetheless, then as now, many physicians were highly critical of people viewed as mystical healers, a designation that was thrust on Künzle by his supporters and not self-proclaimed. It was as much his attitude as his use of herbs that had built up his reputation. In a Swiss newspaper, this appraisal of him was published:
The priest Johann Künzle set an example of unaffected and direct naturalness for the whole church and the whole Swiss people which perhaps hasn't existed since Francis of Assisi. Caring for neither popularity nor offence, throughout his whole life he exhibited the direct frankness and honesty on which the Kingdom of Heaven could have been built and by which all stupidity and evil on this earth could have been vanquished. He always loved the people, the simplest and the most modest, and every mountain peasant meant as much to him as a cardinal. His egalitarian beliefs were carried out in actions as he was quite capable of saying what he thought in the presence of the Eminence. The Protestant was as near to him as his co-religionist. For him, faith and honesty were healing herbs for human society and he didn't care in which meadow they were found. All this was his nature, his high morality of character. And to that, I take my hat off!
Still, with his passing of a medical exam and his recognition as a kind hearted healer, he could only visit with so many people. The demand for the herbal materials that he recommended to those people he saw locally, as well as those who had heard about him at a distance, expanded to such an extent that a factory was set up to produce his standard formulas: Krauterpfarrer Künzle AG (Father Herbalist Künzle Company) in Minusio, Switzerland.
http://www.itmonline.org/kunzle/index.htm
Famous Chinese of Past
Li Tung-yun [Li Dongyuan, also known as Li Gao; 1180-1252 A.D.] - Li is best known for his thesis that most diseases were due to injury to the stomach/spleen system, which occured as the result of intemperance in eating and drinking, overwork, and the seven emotions. His well-known book Pi Wei Lun (Treatise on the Stomach and Spleen) presented one of the most widely used traditional formulas: Ginseng and Astragalus Combination (Buzhong Yiqi Tang).
http://www.itmonline.org/docs/litung.htm
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Link between vitamin K and diabetes prevention
Scientists undercover link between vitamin K and diabetes prevention
By Richard Clarke June 22, 2010
Consuming high levels of vitamin K could protect against the development of type 2 diabetes, according to a study from the Netherlands.
Scientists monitored the diets of 38,000 Dutch adults for ten years and discovered that those who got the most vitamin K in their diets were around 20% less likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes during the study period.
The researchers, based at the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands, said the findings did not show conclusively that the vitamin was the reason for the lower risk. However, the connection was strong enough to warrant further research into whether a lack of vitamin K can play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes.
Vitamin K exists in two natural forms: vitamin K1, or phylloquinone, which is found mainly in green leafy vegetables; and vitamin K2, or menaquinone, which is found in meat, cheese and eggs. In the study, both kinds were found to be related to a lower diabetes risk, though the relationship was strongest with vitamin K2.
The findings, reported in the journal Diabetes Care, were drawn from answers to dietary questionnaires completed by 38,094 men and women aged between 20 and 70. Over the 10 year study period, 918 participants were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
In general, the researchers found that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes fell for every 10mcg increase in vitamin K2 intake. Overall, the 25% of participants with the highest vitamin K intake were 20% less likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than the 25% with the lowest intake.
It's not known exactly vitamin K might protect against diabetes. The researchers said there was some evidence it reduced systemic inflammation, which could enhance the body's use of insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. But more research was needed, they added.
References
1. Dietary phylloquinone and menaquinones intake and risk of type 2 diabetes, Joline WJ Beulens, Daphne L van der A, Diederick E. Grobbee, Ivonne Sluijs, Annemieke MW Spijkerman, Yvonne T van der Schouw, Diabetes Care, doi: 10.2337/dc09-2302
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/early/2010/04/23/dc09-2302.abstract?sid=069e131e-1884-40c2-a9ae-99be9067b607%3C/p%3E
http://www.functionalingredientsmag.com/article/Europe/scientists-link-diabetes-and-vitamin-k.aspx
By Richard Clarke June 22, 2010
Consuming high levels of vitamin K could protect against the development of type 2 diabetes, according to a study from the Netherlands.
Scientists monitored the diets of 38,000 Dutch adults for ten years and discovered that those who got the most vitamin K in their diets were around 20% less likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes during the study period.
The researchers, based at the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands, said the findings did not show conclusively that the vitamin was the reason for the lower risk. However, the connection was strong enough to warrant further research into whether a lack of vitamin K can play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes.
Vitamin K exists in two natural forms: vitamin K1, or phylloquinone, which is found mainly in green leafy vegetables; and vitamin K2, or menaquinone, which is found in meat, cheese and eggs. In the study, both kinds were found to be related to a lower diabetes risk, though the relationship was strongest with vitamin K2.
The findings, reported in the journal Diabetes Care, were drawn from answers to dietary questionnaires completed by 38,094 men and women aged between 20 and 70. Over the 10 year study period, 918 participants were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
In general, the researchers found that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes fell for every 10mcg increase in vitamin K2 intake. Overall, the 25% of participants with the highest vitamin K intake were 20% less likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than the 25% with the lowest intake.
It's not known exactly vitamin K might protect against diabetes. The researchers said there was some evidence it reduced systemic inflammation, which could enhance the body's use of insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. But more research was needed, they added.
References
1. Dietary phylloquinone and menaquinones intake and risk of type 2 diabetes, Joline WJ Beulens, Daphne L van der A, Diederick E. Grobbee, Ivonne Sluijs, Annemieke MW Spijkerman, Yvonne T van der Schouw, Diabetes Care, doi: 10.2337/dc09-2302
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/early/2010/04/23/dc09-2302.abstract?sid=069e131e-1884-40c2-a9ae-99be9067b607%3C/p%3E
http://www.functionalingredientsmag.com/article/Europe/scientists-link-diabetes-and-vitamin-k.aspx
Mainstream food: the good, the bad, the ugly
Todd Runestad July 27, 2010
Product development cycles in the food world typically last about 18 to 20 months from ideation to store shelves. So it's taking a while to see the signs of an underlying change: the mainstream food world is shifting its focus away from cheap carbohydrates and toward nutrition.
Watch The Editor's RoundTable, available this Thursday morning at www.functionalingredientsmag.com. http://www.functionalingredientsmag.com/ New Hope Natural Media's editors will discuss the changing mainstream food world in a quick and lively discussion. A preview:
More of the good: Fiber became a food world and consumer cause célèbre after the USDA's revised 2005 Food Guidelines recommended higher intake levels. (Not to mention the MyPyramid — will its existence continue when the new guidelines are released later this year?)
Water-soluble fiber from the likes of ADM's Fibersol-2 make fiber easily integrated into beverages. Fiber sources with a bonus gut-health kick of prebiotics from the likes of Beneo's Orafti brand inulin also complement probiotics. Patented processing technology from Z Trim makes fiber easily dispersible, stable across wide pH and temperature ranges, and hence suitable across a range of product applications. North Americans get only about half of their daily recommended intake, which is 14 grams per 1,000 calories of food — roughly 30 grams per day.
Less of the bad: The National Salt Reduction Initiative has set a five-year deadline to cut sodium consumption by 20 percent for Americans (who current swallow about double recommendations — baby steps). As some 70 percent of sodium comes from processed foods, you-know-who is in the crosshairs. Suppliers are stepping up and working with the Krafts of the world on solutions that maintain salt's manifest functional attributes — texture, taste, mouthfeel — while helping the larger battle against high blood pressure. For its effort, Kraft is planning on reducing sodium by 10 percent in its food products in a two-year time frame, and seems poised to meet it.
The ugly get prettier: Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) began with the sell that they could feed the world with better nutrition. Trouble was, the reality had nothing to do with either, and was merely a way of helping primarily biotech seed companies and, arguably, farmers. That is beginning to finally change as companies roll out bio-engineered crops that actually do improve nutritional profiles. Arcadia Biosciences has introduced a GMO safflower oil rich in gamma linolenic acid, which is an omega-6 oil that acts like a healthier omega-3. DuPont has recently launched a GMO omega-3 EPA-rich oil. Other healthier soy oils are also coming out onto the market.
http://www.functionalingredientsmag.com/content/print.aspx?topic=fi-editors-discuss-product-development-in-world-food-cycles
Product development cycles in the food world typically last about 18 to 20 months from ideation to store shelves. So it's taking a while to see the signs of an underlying change: the mainstream food world is shifting its focus away from cheap carbohydrates and toward nutrition.
Watch The Editor's RoundTable, available this Thursday morning at www.functionalingredientsmag.com. http://www.functionalingredientsmag.com/ New Hope Natural Media's editors will discuss the changing mainstream food world in a quick and lively discussion. A preview:
More of the good: Fiber became a food world and consumer cause célèbre after the USDA's revised 2005 Food Guidelines recommended higher intake levels. (Not to mention the MyPyramid — will its existence continue when the new guidelines are released later this year?)
Water-soluble fiber from the likes of ADM's Fibersol-2 make fiber easily integrated into beverages. Fiber sources with a bonus gut-health kick of prebiotics from the likes of Beneo's Orafti brand inulin also complement probiotics. Patented processing technology from Z Trim makes fiber easily dispersible, stable across wide pH and temperature ranges, and hence suitable across a range of product applications. North Americans get only about half of their daily recommended intake, which is 14 grams per 1,000 calories of food — roughly 30 grams per day.
Less of the bad: The National Salt Reduction Initiative has set a five-year deadline to cut sodium consumption by 20 percent for Americans (who current swallow about double recommendations — baby steps). As some 70 percent of sodium comes from processed foods, you-know-who is in the crosshairs. Suppliers are stepping up and working with the Krafts of the world on solutions that maintain salt's manifest functional attributes — texture, taste, mouthfeel — while helping the larger battle against high blood pressure. For its effort, Kraft is planning on reducing sodium by 10 percent in its food products in a two-year time frame, and seems poised to meet it.
The ugly get prettier: Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) began with the sell that they could feed the world with better nutrition. Trouble was, the reality had nothing to do with either, and was merely a way of helping primarily biotech seed companies and, arguably, farmers. That is beginning to finally change as companies roll out bio-engineered crops that actually do improve nutritional profiles. Arcadia Biosciences has introduced a GMO safflower oil rich in gamma linolenic acid, which is an omega-6 oil that acts like a healthier omega-3. DuPont has recently launched a GMO omega-3 EPA-rich oil. Other healthier soy oils are also coming out onto the market.
http://www.functionalingredientsmag.com/content/print.aspx?topic=fi-editors-discuss-product-development-in-world-food-cycles
Memory concerns No. 1 among older consumers
Todd Runestad August 10, 2010
According to consumer research conducted by IRI as well as Liz Sloane, the health conditions of greatest concern for the over-50 set are:
mental
cardio
cancer
bone
maintaining normal activity
vision
arthritis
"Memory is now the No. 1 concern of the older groups," said Sloane. "It's growing the fastest."
She said that while older people are more likely to gravitate to pills than functional foods, you could make inroads with them with foods regarding cholesterol, immunity, digestive health, blood pressure and body-weight maintenance.
"The best-selling products for them say 'clinical strength' or 'expanded effectiveness' or 'doctor recommended,'" said Sloane.
The biggest opportunities? Real energy for real people. "No one has come up with vitality and energy for older people. It's a hole in the market. Energy drinks are really for 18- to 24-year-olds. Older people are just as weary but are not buying energy drinks. What do they like? Supplements. There's a big, big opportunity for a vitality/energy supplement."
For more on condition-specific ingredients, formulations and marketing, see the September issue of Functional Ingredients.
http://www.functionalingredientsmag.com/article/NorthSouth-America/memory-tops-aging-consumers-health-concerns.aspx
According to consumer research conducted by IRI as well as Liz Sloane, the health conditions of greatest concern for the over-50 set are:
mental
cardio
cancer
bone
maintaining normal activity
vision
arthritis
"Memory is now the No. 1 concern of the older groups," said Sloane. "It's growing the fastest."
She said that while older people are more likely to gravitate to pills than functional foods, you could make inroads with them with foods regarding cholesterol, immunity, digestive health, blood pressure and body-weight maintenance.
"The best-selling products for them say 'clinical strength' or 'expanded effectiveness' or 'doctor recommended,'" said Sloane.
The biggest opportunities? Real energy for real people. "No one has come up with vitality and energy for older people. It's a hole in the market. Energy drinks are really for 18- to 24-year-olds. Older people are just as weary but are not buying energy drinks. What do they like? Supplements. There's a big, big opportunity for a vitality/energy supplement."
For more on condition-specific ingredients, formulations and marketing, see the September issue of Functional Ingredients.
http://www.functionalingredientsmag.com/article/NorthSouth-America/memory-tops-aging-consumers-health-concerns.aspx
10 heavyweights for weight management-Part 1
By Bill Sardi June 22, 2010
Weight management remains one of the leading reasons consumers turn to supplements. Bill Sardi investigates ingredients that should find their way into your next product launch — be it a supplement, beverage or food
Dietary supplements are frequently utilized by adults seeking to control their weight. A survey of 3,500 people trying to lose weight found 70 per cent attempt to lose weight on their own without a doctor's assistance and weight-conscious adults prefer to use supplements rather than drugs to control weight. One third of those surveyed used supplements only and just 15 per cent used prescription drugs for weight-loss management.
Some supplements users are rightly concerned about the safety of weight-loss drugs, while doctors appear to be more concerned about the safety of supplements. The withdrawal of the herbal stimulant ephedra from the marketplace gave a bad name to all supplements used for weight management or blood-sugar control.
There are more than 100 supplements that are suggested for weight loss, including natural diuretics, such as uva ursi, juniper berries and dandelion root, or other remedies that work in a variety of ways, such as chitosan, guar gum, ginseng, green tea, chromium, conjugated linoleic acid, hydroxycitric acid, psyllium, fiber and many others.
In general, dietary supplements are not highly regarded, but neither are weight-loss drugs. In fact, the short list of approved weight-loss drugs, all of which are fraught with undesirable side effects, prompts many people to search for safer alternatives.
Chromium: Chromium is a trace mineral involved in the production of glucose tolerance factor. There is considerable interest in chromium as a weight-loss remedy, but chromium supplements have often produced disappointing results in published studies.1
Most weight-loss studies last no more than a year, and after a dietary or supplement regimen is completed, patients often go back to their old habits and regain weight. But a study recently published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine investigated the slong-term use of 14 dietary supplements marketed as weight-loss aids. The results of this study are noteworthy.2
Among overweight or obese men and women, long-term use of chromium and vitamins B6 and B12 was associated with modulating effects on weight. For example, weight gain over a 10-year period for obese men was 11.7 pounds among chromium nonusers whereas chromium users (150mcg or more per day) lost 3.1 pounds. Among obese women, chromium produced a 3.2-pound weight gain vs 14.1 pounds for the non-users.
In another recent study among overweight depressed patients, 600mcg/day chromium picolinate reduced carbohydrate craving and overall appetite increase.3
Among five obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome, 1,000mcg/day chromium picolinate given without change in diet or activity levels caused a 38 per cent improvement in the glucose disposal rate, which measures insulin sensitivity.4
References
1. Pittler MH, et al. Chromium picolinate for reducing body weight: meta-analysis of randomized trials. Int J Obes Rel Metabol Disord 2003;27:522-9.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12664086
2. Nachtigal MC, et al. Dietary supplements and weight control in a middle-age population. J Alt Compl Med 2005;11:909-15.
3. Docherty JP, et al. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, exploratory trial of chromium picolinate in atypical depression: effect on carbohydrate craving. J Psychiatric Prac 2005;11:302-14. http://www.functionalingredientsmag.com/content/print.aspx?topic=10-weight-management-supplements
4. Lydic ML, et al. Chromium picolinate improves insulin sensitivity in obese subjects with polycystic ovary syndrome. Fertility Sterility 2006;86:243-6.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=16730719
http://www.functionalingredientsmag.com/content/print.aspx?topic=10-weight-management-supplements
Weight management remains one of the leading reasons consumers turn to supplements. Bill Sardi investigates ingredients that should find their way into your next product launch — be it a supplement, beverage or food
Dietary supplements are frequently utilized by adults seeking to control their weight. A survey of 3,500 people trying to lose weight found 70 per cent attempt to lose weight on their own without a doctor's assistance and weight-conscious adults prefer to use supplements rather than drugs to control weight. One third of those surveyed used supplements only and just 15 per cent used prescription drugs for weight-loss management.
Some supplements users are rightly concerned about the safety of weight-loss drugs, while doctors appear to be more concerned about the safety of supplements. The withdrawal of the herbal stimulant ephedra from the marketplace gave a bad name to all supplements used for weight management or blood-sugar control.
There are more than 100 supplements that are suggested for weight loss, including natural diuretics, such as uva ursi, juniper berries and dandelion root, or other remedies that work in a variety of ways, such as chitosan, guar gum, ginseng, green tea, chromium, conjugated linoleic acid, hydroxycitric acid, psyllium, fiber and many others.
In general, dietary supplements are not highly regarded, but neither are weight-loss drugs. In fact, the short list of approved weight-loss drugs, all of which are fraught with undesirable side effects, prompts many people to search for safer alternatives.
Chromium: Chromium is a trace mineral involved in the production of glucose tolerance factor. There is considerable interest in chromium as a weight-loss remedy, but chromium supplements have often produced disappointing results in published studies.1
Most weight-loss studies last no more than a year, and after a dietary or supplement regimen is completed, patients often go back to their old habits and regain weight. But a study recently published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine investigated the slong-term use of 14 dietary supplements marketed as weight-loss aids. The results of this study are noteworthy.2
Among overweight or obese men and women, long-term use of chromium and vitamins B6 and B12 was associated with modulating effects on weight. For example, weight gain over a 10-year period for obese men was 11.7 pounds among chromium nonusers whereas chromium users (150mcg or more per day) lost 3.1 pounds. Among obese women, chromium produced a 3.2-pound weight gain vs 14.1 pounds for the non-users.
In another recent study among overweight depressed patients, 600mcg/day chromium picolinate reduced carbohydrate craving and overall appetite increase.3
Among five obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome, 1,000mcg/day chromium picolinate given without change in diet or activity levels caused a 38 per cent improvement in the glucose disposal rate, which measures insulin sensitivity.4
References
1. Pittler MH, et al. Chromium picolinate for reducing body weight: meta-analysis of randomized trials. Int J Obes Rel Metabol Disord 2003;27:522-9.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12664086
2. Nachtigal MC, et al. Dietary supplements and weight control in a middle-age population. J Alt Compl Med 2005;11:909-15.
3. Docherty JP, et al. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, exploratory trial of chromium picolinate in atypical depression: effect on carbohydrate craving. J Psychiatric Prac 2005;11:302-14. http://www.functionalingredientsmag.com/content/print.aspx?topic=10-weight-management-supplements
4. Lydic ML, et al. Chromium picolinate improves insulin sensitivity in obese subjects with polycystic ovary syndrome. Fertility Sterility 2006;86:243-6.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=16730719
http://www.functionalingredientsmag.com/content/print.aspx?topic=10-weight-management-supplements
Sugar helps the blood-glucose go up
By Joysa Winter August 20, 2010
The National Institutes of Health estimates more than 6 million Americans have type II diabetes — and many don't even know it. The International Diabetes Federation says the incidence of diabetes has already increased by one-third during the 1990s, due to the prevalence of obesity and an aging population.
With numbers like these, it's little wonder so many food developers are trying to crack the diabetes epidemic.
America's favorite complementary medicine guru, Dr Andrew Weil, advocates four primary nutrients for diabetics. "I am unaware of evidence that any commercially available combination of supplements provides effective control of blood sugar," Weil explains on his website.
"However, I do recommend several individual supplements." These include:
• GTF chromium: a trace element that helps transport glucose into cells. (1,000mcg daily)
• Alpha-lipoic acid: An antioxidant that can enhance glucose uptake, inhibit glycosylation (the abnormal attachment of sugar to protein), and help maintain eye and nerve health. (100mg daily)
• Magnesium: To help promote healthy insulin production. (400mg daily)
• Co-Q10: Diabetics are at an increased risk of heart disease, and co-Q10 helps maintain a healthy cardiac function. (60-100mg/day)
• Weil also recommends a few botanicals in standardized extract form: Asian bitter melon (Momordica charantia); ayurvedic gurmar (Gymnema sylvestre); blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus); and prickly-pear cactus (Opuntia genus).
New theories on antioxidants
While the importance of sugars and fibers in the diabetic diet are well understood, new research is shedding light on the importance of other nutrients.
A Greek study published in February provides support for the importance of antioxidants. Researchers assessed the diets of 551 men and 467 women; the higher total dietary antioxidant intake was correlated with lower levels of glycemic indices in healthy individuals, as well as in pre-diabetic and diabetic ones.
One theory to explain this correlation is that pancreatic cells are particularly vulnerable to free radicals. "Thus, by damaging mitochondria, oxidative stress could induce apoptosis of pancreatic beta cells, blunt insulin secretion and dysregulate glucose levels," the researchers said.
Swedish company BioReal (a subsidiary of Fuji Chemical Industry of Japan) is a long-time producer of natural astaxanthin, a highly effective antioxidant. The company cultivates the alga Haematococcus pluvialis indoors to produce a highly pure form of natural astaxanthin, which has been sold since 1995 as a bulk ingredient under the AstaREAL name, and in retail products as Astaxin and Astavita.
"Studies show that astaxanthin is a very powerful antioxidant," says Yasuko Kuroda, vice president of Fuji Health Science.
In particular, one study in a type 2 diabetic mouse model found that astaxanthin reduced the disease progression by retarding glucose toxicity and kidney damage.
http://www.functionalingredientsmag.com/article/Diabetes/ingredients-for-diabetes-management.aspx
The National Institutes of Health estimates more than 6 million Americans have type II diabetes — and many don't even know it. The International Diabetes Federation says the incidence of diabetes has already increased by one-third during the 1990s, due to the prevalence of obesity and an aging population.
With numbers like these, it's little wonder so many food developers are trying to crack the diabetes epidemic.
America's favorite complementary medicine guru, Dr Andrew Weil, advocates four primary nutrients for diabetics. "I am unaware of evidence that any commercially available combination of supplements provides effective control of blood sugar," Weil explains on his website.
"However, I do recommend several individual supplements." These include:
• GTF chromium: a trace element that helps transport glucose into cells. (1,000mcg daily)
• Alpha-lipoic acid: An antioxidant that can enhance glucose uptake, inhibit glycosylation (the abnormal attachment of sugar to protein), and help maintain eye and nerve health. (100mg daily)
• Magnesium: To help promote healthy insulin production. (400mg daily)
• Co-Q10: Diabetics are at an increased risk of heart disease, and co-Q10 helps maintain a healthy cardiac function. (60-100mg/day)
• Weil also recommends a few botanicals in standardized extract form: Asian bitter melon (Momordica charantia); ayurvedic gurmar (Gymnema sylvestre); blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus); and prickly-pear cactus (Opuntia genus).
New theories on antioxidants
While the importance of sugars and fibers in the diabetic diet are well understood, new research is shedding light on the importance of other nutrients.
A Greek study published in February provides support for the importance of antioxidants. Researchers assessed the diets of 551 men and 467 women; the higher total dietary antioxidant intake was correlated with lower levels of glycemic indices in healthy individuals, as well as in pre-diabetic and diabetic ones.
One theory to explain this correlation is that pancreatic cells are particularly vulnerable to free radicals. "Thus, by damaging mitochondria, oxidative stress could induce apoptosis of pancreatic beta cells, blunt insulin secretion and dysregulate glucose levels," the researchers said.
Swedish company BioReal (a subsidiary of Fuji Chemical Industry of Japan) is a long-time producer of natural astaxanthin, a highly effective antioxidant. The company cultivates the alga Haematococcus pluvialis indoors to produce a highly pure form of natural astaxanthin, which has been sold since 1995 as a bulk ingredient under the AstaREAL name, and in retail products as Astaxin and Astavita.
"Studies show that astaxanthin is a very powerful antioxidant," says Yasuko Kuroda, vice president of Fuji Health Science.
In particular, one study in a type 2 diabetic mouse model found that astaxanthin reduced the disease progression by retarding glucose toxicity and kidney damage.
http://www.functionalingredientsmag.com/article/Diabetes/ingredients-for-diabetes-management.aspx
Nationwide health information network
Inside the open source, nationwide health information network
Christina Hernandez Nov 23, 2010
To promote electronic medical records, the federal government enlisted Harris Corporation — specifically its health care division — to develop a nationwide health information network. Since the Social Security Administration went live with CONNECT in 2009, the open source network has been implemented in federal agencies, health systems and commercial enterprises across the country.
I spoke recently with Jim Traficant, vice president and general manager of Harris Healthcare Solutions, about the history of CONNECT – and about what this network means for Americans’ medical data.
First, here’s how Traficant explains his, and his company’s, path into health care:
My career is hallmarked by health episodes. I had my first liver transplant where my neighbor saved my life [through donation]. Subsequently, I had an episode of septic shock. That led to a second transplant [about] five years ago. My experience as a technologist and a business executive and, primarily, as a patient gave me great insight into the challenges inside health care. For example, in my first transplant, the doctors described what my neighbor and I would go through. They said the surgery would be science, but the medication afterward would be art. They were going to try to suppress my immune system so I would not reject the transplant, but not too much so I would get an infection.
After the surgery I went into rejection. They said, ‘We’re going to give you a shot. We don’t know if it will cure you or kill you. But it’s our only way to stop the rejection.’ I was in the hospital for a month. Then, it happened again and I was rushed back to the hospital. [Johns Hopkins] created the drug I needed to take the second time. I was in the hospital again for a month. When I got out of the hospital, I began to study my blood work and medications and came up with an algorithm that would predict when rejection with occur. I developed the symptoms a third time, showed the data to my physicians and we changed how I would be medicated based on that information. It worked.
It was my first clue that health care had tons of data — what it lacked was information. If you could get the information where it was needed, for the right person, on the right device at the right time, you could save lives, improve the quality of care and make a difference. I sent a note to the CEO coming out of the second transplant and asked for the opportunity to take Harris into health care.
Here’s more of our conversation:
What’s the history of CONNECT?
The federal government had been trying to create the idea of a health information exchange by working with small communities and regional health information organizations. You had to keep providing grant money to sustain these small, individual entities. The thinking was: if we’re going to create a tipping point in health information exchange, we’ve got to get the federal agencies involved. When they decided to do that, they turned to Harris to make it happen.
How does CONNECT work?
I’ll give you an example. With wounded warriors, we have to get their data from Iraq and Afghanistan back stateside. We have to be able to share it with the [U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs] as they transition from active duty to veteran status. [The Department of Defense], the VA and Indian Affairs would be the largest creators of health information in the federal sector. You want to tie that information to the largest consumers of health information at the federal level, like Social Security, the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], National Cancer Institute. [Many agencies are] trying to find health records, so they can determine benefits for deserving Americans. For our wounded warriors coming back it was, on average, taking 83 days to find the health information so they could determine benefits. It was taking months to get benefits. The other factor is that over half of all care delivered for retired duty or active service members comes out of the private sector. In order to get that full continuity of care picture, we had to be able to move the information to their local hospital or physician.
Social Security was the first to go operational with CONNECT. They went from 83 days on average to find that health information to 24 seconds. CONNECT enabled a standard way to share information in a trusted framework over the Internet. We made it open source. You can put it into your enterprise if you’re a hospital, you can use it within the context of your federal agency, you can embed it in your product if you’re a health IT vendor. We’ve had over 2,000 entities download the software. We’re creating an ecosystem for health information to be shared. And we can do it with security and privacy and the goal is to have patients in charge of how their information is shared.
Will the data be used for medical research or studies or will it only be accessed on a patient level?
It’s one of the benefits of having a connected framework. The National Cancer Institute, for example, is participating. The goal is to accelerate research, potential treatment protocols and even cures by leveraging information. If you talk to most major academic centers, the federal agencies and the large-scale delivery systems, they will say the transformation in health care will come from applying information science and integrating it with medical science. A lot of medical research is done in isolation. If you can get a connected framework for it, you don’t have to replicate all the data that’s out there. You could get it from where it resides and deliver it to where it’s needed in a secure fashion.
http://www.smartplanet.com/people/blog/pure-genius/inside-the-open-source-nationwide-health-information-network/4986/?tag=content;col1
Christina Hernandez Nov 23, 2010
To promote electronic medical records, the federal government enlisted Harris Corporation — specifically its health care division — to develop a nationwide health information network. Since the Social Security Administration went live with CONNECT in 2009, the open source network has been implemented in federal agencies, health systems and commercial enterprises across the country.
I spoke recently with Jim Traficant, vice president and general manager of Harris Healthcare Solutions, about the history of CONNECT – and about what this network means for Americans’ medical data.
First, here’s how Traficant explains his, and his company’s, path into health care:
My career is hallmarked by health episodes. I had my first liver transplant where my neighbor saved my life [through donation]. Subsequently, I had an episode of septic shock. That led to a second transplant [about] five years ago. My experience as a technologist and a business executive and, primarily, as a patient gave me great insight into the challenges inside health care. For example, in my first transplant, the doctors described what my neighbor and I would go through. They said the surgery would be science, but the medication afterward would be art. They were going to try to suppress my immune system so I would not reject the transplant, but not too much so I would get an infection.
After the surgery I went into rejection. They said, ‘We’re going to give you a shot. We don’t know if it will cure you or kill you. But it’s our only way to stop the rejection.’ I was in the hospital for a month. Then, it happened again and I was rushed back to the hospital. [Johns Hopkins] created the drug I needed to take the second time. I was in the hospital again for a month. When I got out of the hospital, I began to study my blood work and medications and came up with an algorithm that would predict when rejection with occur. I developed the symptoms a third time, showed the data to my physicians and we changed how I would be medicated based on that information. It worked.
It was my first clue that health care had tons of data — what it lacked was information. If you could get the information where it was needed, for the right person, on the right device at the right time, you could save lives, improve the quality of care and make a difference. I sent a note to the CEO coming out of the second transplant and asked for the opportunity to take Harris into health care.
Here’s more of our conversation:
What’s the history of CONNECT?
The federal government had been trying to create the idea of a health information exchange by working with small communities and regional health information organizations. You had to keep providing grant money to sustain these small, individual entities. The thinking was: if we’re going to create a tipping point in health information exchange, we’ve got to get the federal agencies involved. When they decided to do that, they turned to Harris to make it happen.
How does CONNECT work?
I’ll give you an example. With wounded warriors, we have to get their data from Iraq and Afghanistan back stateside. We have to be able to share it with the [U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs] as they transition from active duty to veteran status. [The Department of Defense], the VA and Indian Affairs would be the largest creators of health information in the federal sector. You want to tie that information to the largest consumers of health information at the federal level, like Social Security, the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], National Cancer Institute. [Many agencies are] trying to find health records, so they can determine benefits for deserving Americans. For our wounded warriors coming back it was, on average, taking 83 days to find the health information so they could determine benefits. It was taking months to get benefits. The other factor is that over half of all care delivered for retired duty or active service members comes out of the private sector. In order to get that full continuity of care picture, we had to be able to move the information to their local hospital or physician.
Social Security was the first to go operational with CONNECT. They went from 83 days on average to find that health information to 24 seconds. CONNECT enabled a standard way to share information in a trusted framework over the Internet. We made it open source. You can put it into your enterprise if you’re a hospital, you can use it within the context of your federal agency, you can embed it in your product if you’re a health IT vendor. We’ve had over 2,000 entities download the software. We’re creating an ecosystem for health information to be shared. And we can do it with security and privacy and the goal is to have patients in charge of how their information is shared.
Will the data be used for medical research or studies or will it only be accessed on a patient level?
It’s one of the benefits of having a connected framework. The National Cancer Institute, for example, is participating. The goal is to accelerate research, potential treatment protocols and even cures by leveraging information. If you talk to most major academic centers, the federal agencies and the large-scale delivery systems, they will say the transformation in health care will come from applying information science and integrating it with medical science. A lot of medical research is done in isolation. If you can get a connected framework for it, you don’t have to replicate all the data that’s out there. You could get it from where it resides and deliver it to where it’s needed in a secure fashion.
http://www.smartplanet.com/people/blog/pure-genius/inside-the-open-source-nationwide-health-information-network/4986/?tag=content;col1
Famous Chinese Physicians of the Past--1156-1228 A.D
Chang Tzu-ho [Zhang Zihe; 1156-1228 A.D.] - Zhang is known as the developer of the "attacking school" of Chinese medicine, emphasizing the use of diaphoretics, emetics, and purgatives to attack the pathogen and drive it out of the body. This was actually a revival of the early Han Dynasty technqiues that were based on driving out demons.
http://www.itmonline.org/docs/famous.htm
Herbs and Weeds #2
Künzle was influenced by his father who had a fascination with plants, but he had been first exposed to the medicinal properties of herbs during his high school years by a professor who was a Catholic priest. Catholics, particularly orders that were devoted to worldly deeds like the Jesuits, had pushed forward the development of universities, libraries, hospitals, and the study of medicine. A significant part of the Western world's repository of medical information was to be found in Catholic institutions. During the 19th century, herbs were already being given a secondary place in medicine, though modern drugs as we known them were not yet firmly established. For example, Rudolf Buchheim (1820-1879) at Leipzig, Germany, produced the German language text Elements of Materia Medica and Therapeutics, eliminating many of the previously used herbs, and reporting on several drugs, including inorganic salts, gaseous anesthetics, and a few isolated chemicals. Aspirin, which was to become the most widely used drug (after alcohol), first appeared more than 20 years after Buchheim's death, in 1899.
Soon after Künzle's early introduction to herbs, he attended the University of Lowen where he studied theology and philosophy, and entered the seminary at St. Gall, Switzerland. He was ordained a priest in 1881. He served the church at numerous locations in Switzerland during the following years. His learning of herbs took place in the context of Catholic theology and in a setting where natural health care was separated from modern medicine.
Künzle pursued herbalism as a practical matter in response to his experience of being a spiritual advisor to parents who were dying and about to leave behind young children. Utilizing the knowledge of herbs he had attained earlier, and studying further through books, and by thoughtful examination of his own experiences, he would sometimes restore the health of his wards by administering or recommending teas, herbal baths, and other preparations. This somewhat limited activity (because of the remote area where he lived) soon led to a reputation for a healing ability (a charism, as described in Catholic terminology; a special gift, a talent, conferred by the Holy Spirit), and people began seeking him out for assistance from an ever expanding region, as word of mouth passed on praise of him as the "Father Herbalist." Eventually, his work as herbalist took over his daily life and he devoted himself almost solely to this task, though never leaving behind his devotion to the Catholic faith.
http://www.itmonline.org/kunzle/index.htm
Soon after Künzle's early introduction to herbs, he attended the University of Lowen where he studied theology and philosophy, and entered the seminary at St. Gall, Switzerland. He was ordained a priest in 1881. He served the church at numerous locations in Switzerland during the following years. His learning of herbs took place in the context of Catholic theology and in a setting where natural health care was separated from modern medicine.
Künzle pursued herbalism as a practical matter in response to his experience of being a spiritual advisor to parents who were dying and about to leave behind young children. Utilizing the knowledge of herbs he had attained earlier, and studying further through books, and by thoughtful examination of his own experiences, he would sometimes restore the health of his wards by administering or recommending teas, herbal baths, and other preparations. This somewhat limited activity (because of the remote area where he lived) soon led to a reputation for a healing ability (a charism, as described in Catholic terminology; a special gift, a talent, conferred by the Holy Spirit), and people began seeking him out for assistance from an ever expanding region, as word of mouth passed on praise of him as the "Father Herbalist." Eventually, his work as herbalist took over his daily life and he devoted himself almost solely to this task, though never leaving behind his devotion to the Catholic faith.
http://www.itmonline.org/kunzle/index.htm
CHINESE HERB Treatment ALZHEIMERS #2
THE CHINESE MEDICAL APPROACH
Currently, there are two treatment approaches to Alzheimer's disease in China: use of complex herbal formulas based on the traditional methods of Chinese medicine, or administration of an alkaloid drug, called huperzine A, derived from the herb huperzia. This drug inhibits the breakdown of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, allowing more of it available for brain functions, including memory. Huperzine A has passed Phase I trials in the U.S. and it may become available as a prescription drug at the end of this decade. It is not possible to get sufficient quantities of huperzine A by simply consuming the whole herb from which it is derived, nor its crude extract in reasonable dosage. There are, however, numerous Chinese herbal formulas that may significantly increase levels of acetylcholine.
In analyzing the Chinese medical therapies for Alzheimer's, it is important to recognize the difficulty in distinguishing this condition from other cases of senile dementia, mainly atherosclerotic dementia. A firm diagnosis of Alzheimer's is made by extensive procedures that might include a CT scan, MRI, and EEG. In most cases, such procedures are not routinely done in China; therefore, the symptom pattern is used as the diagnostic criteria. Some reversible diseases produce dementia and even severe depression may produce dementia, so the treatments that are reported to be successful for dementia might not succeed in actual cases of Alzheimer's disease.
http://www.itmonline.org/arts/alzheimers.htm
Currently, there are two treatment approaches to Alzheimer's disease in China: use of complex herbal formulas based on the traditional methods of Chinese medicine, or administration of an alkaloid drug, called huperzine A, derived from the herb huperzia. This drug inhibits the breakdown of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, allowing more of it available for brain functions, including memory. Huperzine A has passed Phase I trials in the U.S. and it may become available as a prescription drug at the end of this decade. It is not possible to get sufficient quantities of huperzine A by simply consuming the whole herb from which it is derived, nor its crude extract in reasonable dosage. There are, however, numerous Chinese herbal formulas that may significantly increase levels of acetylcholine.
In analyzing the Chinese medical therapies for Alzheimer's, it is important to recognize the difficulty in distinguishing this condition from other cases of senile dementia, mainly atherosclerotic dementia. A firm diagnosis of Alzheimer's is made by extensive procedures that might include a CT scan, MRI, and EEG. In most cases, such procedures are not routinely done in China; therefore, the symptom pattern is used as the diagnostic criteria. Some reversible diseases produce dementia and even severe depression may produce dementia, so the treatments that are reported to be successful for dementia might not succeed in actual cases of Alzheimer's disease.
http://www.itmonline.org/arts/alzheimers.htm
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Herbs and Weeds
Inspiration from an herbalist-priest
This booklet derives its inspiration from the work of Johann Künzle, born in 1857 in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. His youth and much of his adult life was during a time of relative quiet and stability in this somewhat isolated alpine region of Europe, though there were the beginnings of tremendous change: rapid industrialization, contentious politics, and changing economies. Nearly all aspects of human endeavors were amidst massive transition that seeped slowly into the remote villages. His busy and fruitful life lasted until 1945, just as the civilization on the European continent was crashing down in the final throes of all out war. This was the second major war to wrack the heart of Europe in a generation (though Switzerland was largely immune to both of them due to its isolation and neutrality). Each of the wars greatly accelerated the transition from life as it had been lived for centuries to that of the modern world. When Künzle's life ended at the ripe age of 87, what was left of the old ways of European culture were about to finally give way to the new. The European medical practices were not immune to these sweeping changes, yielding rapidly to modern technologies that were accelerated by wartime necessity and the expansion during post-war recovery.
Künzle wrote a small book, Chrut und Uchrut (Herbs and Weeds), no bigger than this one, that was published in 1911. It captured the essence of the culture of natural living and natural healing that was still alive, but struggling, before these great wars began. His motto was "Back to Nature," and this shows that even a century ago the world was deviating from what was deemed natural towards an industrialized, more technological society, less concerned with nature. To a large extent, Künzle's book became an important mirror of the old world that one could view from the new world. Eventually, more than a million copies of the book were printed in the German language, distributed mainly in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria, and followed up with translations that were distributed to several other countries in Europe. The last edition of the work was published in 1975, at which point its original content was still considered up to date, though brief information about 30 additional herbs had to be inserted to give some background for the Künzle formulas that had become famous. The current work, Major European Herbs, is intended as an updated and revised rendition of Künzle's basic approach to natural health care and herbal medicine, taking into account the considerable changes that have occurred both in our surroundings and in the field of natural cures since that time.
http://www.itmonline.org/kunzle/index.htm
This booklet derives its inspiration from the work of Johann Künzle, born in 1857 in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. His youth and much of his adult life was during a time of relative quiet and stability in this somewhat isolated alpine region of Europe, though there were the beginnings of tremendous change: rapid industrialization, contentious politics, and changing economies. Nearly all aspects of human endeavors were amidst massive transition that seeped slowly into the remote villages. His busy and fruitful life lasted until 1945, just as the civilization on the European continent was crashing down in the final throes of all out war. This was the second major war to wrack the heart of Europe in a generation (though Switzerland was largely immune to both of them due to its isolation and neutrality). Each of the wars greatly accelerated the transition from life as it had been lived for centuries to that of the modern world. When Künzle's life ended at the ripe age of 87, what was left of the old ways of European culture were about to finally give way to the new. The European medical practices were not immune to these sweeping changes, yielding rapidly to modern technologies that were accelerated by wartime necessity and the expansion during post-war recovery.
Künzle wrote a small book, Chrut und Uchrut (Herbs and Weeds), no bigger than this one, that was published in 1911. It captured the essence of the culture of natural living and natural healing that was still alive, but struggling, before these great wars began. His motto was "Back to Nature," and this shows that even a century ago the world was deviating from what was deemed natural towards an industrialized, more technological society, less concerned with nature. To a large extent, Künzle's book became an important mirror of the old world that one could view from the new world. Eventually, more than a million copies of the book were printed in the German language, distributed mainly in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria, and followed up with translations that were distributed to several other countries in Europe. The last edition of the work was published in 1975, at which point its original content was still considered up to date, though brief information about 30 additional herbs had to be inserted to give some background for the Künzle formulas that had become famous. The current work, Major European Herbs, is intended as an updated and revised rendition of Künzle's basic approach to natural health care and herbal medicine, taking into account the considerable changes that have occurred both in our surroundings and in the field of natural cures since that time.
http://www.itmonline.org/kunzle/index.htm
German Herb History #4
A trademark image for remedies designed by Father Kneipp and manufactured by Oberhausser & Landauer of Wurzburg, Germany.
http://www.itmonline.org/kunzle/index.htm
German Herb History #3
Father Sebastian Kneipp (1821-1897), a German Catholic priest who greatly influenced the development of naturopathic medicine. He is probably best known for his recommendations for "water cures" (applying water of different temperatures and in different ways), which are still utilized today. However, he was also a strong advocate for using herbal remedies who influenced Johann Künzle.
http://www.itmonline.org/kunzle/index.htm
German Herb History #2
Statue of Konrad von Gessner (1516-1565), a physician in Zurich who specialized in nature studies, cataloging numerous species, who is considered one of the founders of modern zoology. He liked alpine research and collected numerous mountain plants, with a focus on medicinal species.
http://www.itmonline.org/kunzle/index.htm
German Herb History
Austrian Hermann-Josef Weidinger... better known as Herbal Priest Weidinger, who died on Sunday, March 21, 2004, at the age of 86.
He had studied European herbalism in his youth and traveled to China as a missionary in 1938, where he learned also of their herbal system; he returned from China in 1953.
He continued his work as an herbalist and proponent of healthy lifestyle, writing some 40 books on natural health care. Until recently, he and 37 assistants prepared and prescribed herbal remedies in Karlstein, Austria, at the Paracelsus House Nature Cure Center.
http://www.itmonline.org/kunzle/index.htm
CHINESE HERB Treatment ALZHEIMERS #1
BACKGROUND
Alzheimer's disease is currently thought to contribute to about 75% of all cases of senile dementia that occur in the U.S. The disorder is marked by reduced levels of acetylcholine, development of amyloid plaques, and degeneration of brain tissue. It produces cognitive and coordinative dysfunctions with notable loss of memory. From the modern medical viewpoint, the cause of Alzheimer's disease is not yet established. There is a genetic component, since the frequency of the disease is higher in an identical twin or a child of a person with Alzheimer's disease, and the disease occurs with higher frequency in persons with the genetic disorder producing Down's Syndrome. But other factors, as yet unidentified, seem to be at least as important as genetics, based on the distribution of the disease. No infectious agent that might cause the disease has been identified, and there is no current evidence suggesting that an infection is involved.
Except for one of the rare genetic forms of the disease that causes early dementia, Alzheimer's usually does not occur in clinically obvious form before age 60. The incidence of the disorder increases with age, such that up to 30% of those over age 80 are believed to suffer from some degree of Alzheimer's disease. A recent study has suggested that early subtle signs-such as limited linguistic complexity-reveal the tendency to develop Alzheimer's disease. Such indicators may be detected before age 30. This would support the idea that the disorder has a genetic basis which yields an evident mental disease under the influence of the aging processes. It is possible, though not proven, that chemical pollutants, high fat diet, and sedentary life style may lead to the severe form of the disease.
Current orthodox medical treatment involves use of hydergine, dexedrine, and a variety of antidepressant drugs, all of which can produce modest improvements, especially in early stages of the disease. There are several experimental drugs in various stages of clinical trials that may improve the outcomes. Because of the advanced age of most sufferers, it is unlikely that even the most effective treatments would be able to produce complete remission.
In Europe, one of the main therapies for Alzheimer's disease is Ginkgo biloba leaf extract, which is a widely-used plant drug sold in pharmacies. This flavonoid-rich extract promotes blood circulation to the brain as well as to other parts of the body. Because a large investment in research dollars has been made in testing ginkgo extract, many people do not realize that the same or similar effects may be attained by using other herbs that are a source of circulation-promoting flavonoids.
by Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon
http://www.itmonline.org/arts/alzheimers.htm
Alzheimer's disease is currently thought to contribute to about 75% of all cases of senile dementia that occur in the U.S. The disorder is marked by reduced levels of acetylcholine, development of amyloid plaques, and degeneration of brain tissue. It produces cognitive and coordinative dysfunctions with notable loss of memory. From the modern medical viewpoint, the cause of Alzheimer's disease is not yet established. There is a genetic component, since the frequency of the disease is higher in an identical twin or a child of a person with Alzheimer's disease, and the disease occurs with higher frequency in persons with the genetic disorder producing Down's Syndrome. But other factors, as yet unidentified, seem to be at least as important as genetics, based on the distribution of the disease. No infectious agent that might cause the disease has been identified, and there is no current evidence suggesting that an infection is involved.
Except for one of the rare genetic forms of the disease that causes early dementia, Alzheimer's usually does not occur in clinically obvious form before age 60. The incidence of the disorder increases with age, such that up to 30% of those over age 80 are believed to suffer from some degree of Alzheimer's disease. A recent study has suggested that early subtle signs-such as limited linguistic complexity-reveal the tendency to develop Alzheimer's disease. Such indicators may be detected before age 30. This would support the idea that the disorder has a genetic basis which yields an evident mental disease under the influence of the aging processes. It is possible, though not proven, that chemical pollutants, high fat diet, and sedentary life style may lead to the severe form of the disease.
Current orthodox medical treatment involves use of hydergine, dexedrine, and a variety of antidepressant drugs, all of which can produce modest improvements, especially in early stages of the disease. There are several experimental drugs in various stages of clinical trials that may improve the outcomes. Because of the advanced age of most sufferers, it is unlikely that even the most effective treatments would be able to produce complete remission.
In Europe, one of the main therapies for Alzheimer's disease is Ginkgo biloba leaf extract, which is a widely-used plant drug sold in pharmacies. This flavonoid-rich extract promotes blood circulation to the brain as well as to other parts of the body. Because a large investment in research dollars has been made in testing ginkgo extract, many people do not realize that the same or similar effects may be attained by using other herbs that are a source of circulation-promoting flavonoids.
by Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon
http://www.itmonline.org/arts/alzheimers.htm
Famous Chinese Physicians of the Past 1120 A.D.
Liu Wan-su [Liu Wansu] observed the high frequency of fever and inflammation in serious diseases and promoted the idea of using herbs of cooling nature to treat these conditions. This was a step in the opposite direction of many of his predecessors, who focused on using warming herbs. This work had much influence on the later concept of "wen bing" or epidemic febrile diseases, which corresponded to (and preceeded) the Western concept of contageous disease. He also undertook a detailed study of the Nei Ching Su Wen [Nei Jing Su Wen], describing the etiology of disease in relation to the teachings of that famous text.
Liu Wansu; 1120-1200 A.D
http://www.itmonline.org/docs/famous.htm
Laser light finds cancer cells quickly
By Boonsri Dickinson Nov 26, 2010
Using a laser to find cancer cells could change the way cancer is detected. It would be much faster than waiting for biopsy results.
Plus, there’s no getting around the fact that looks can be deceiving: the technique used today depends on how cells appear. It’s purely subjective - it’s up to the pathologist to see if anything looks unusual.
That’s why researchers are interested in the molecular structure of cancer cells. It’s so much more revealing.
The technique is called nonlinear interferometric vibrational imaging (NIVI).
The researchers at the University of Illinois http://news.illinois.edu/news/10/1124_imaging_technique_boppart.html tested the laser light on rat breast-cancer cells and tissues. The tissue was color coded: red for cancer and blue for normal cells.
The laser light was accurate and it just took five minutes. The technique doesn’t look at the cells and structure of the tissue, but instead it looks at the cells’ molecular composition. Cancerous cells tend to produce more protein, according to the researchers. The normal cells have more lipids.
“The analogy is like pushing someone on a swing. If you push at the right time point, the person on the swing will go higher and higher. If you don’t push at the right point in the swing, the person stops,” Illinois Stephen Boppart said in a statement. “If we use the right optical frequencies to excite these vibrational states, we can enhance the resonance and the signal.”
The laser light was also good at defining the boundaries of the tumor.
The researchers want to expand the delivery system so it could be used in needles and probes to test tissues without being invasive.
“Once you get to that point, we think it will have many different applications for cancer diagnostics, for optical biopsies and other types of diagnostics,” Boppart added.
http://www.smartplanet.com/technology/blog/science-scope/laser-light-finds-cancer-cells-quickly/5473/?tag=content;col1
Using a laser to find cancer cells could change the way cancer is detected. It would be much faster than waiting for biopsy results.
Plus, there’s no getting around the fact that looks can be deceiving: the technique used today depends on how cells appear. It’s purely subjective - it’s up to the pathologist to see if anything looks unusual.
That’s why researchers are interested in the molecular structure of cancer cells. It’s so much more revealing.
The technique is called nonlinear interferometric vibrational imaging (NIVI).
The researchers at the University of Illinois http://news.illinois.edu/news/10/1124_imaging_technique_boppart.html tested the laser light on rat breast-cancer cells and tissues. The tissue was color coded: red for cancer and blue for normal cells.
The laser light was accurate and it just took five minutes. The technique doesn’t look at the cells and structure of the tissue, but instead it looks at the cells’ molecular composition. Cancerous cells tend to produce more protein, according to the researchers. The normal cells have more lipids.
“The analogy is like pushing someone on a swing. If you push at the right time point, the person on the swing will go higher and higher. If you don’t push at the right point in the swing, the person stops,” Illinois Stephen Boppart said in a statement. “If we use the right optical frequencies to excite these vibrational states, we can enhance the resonance and the signal.”
The laser light was also good at defining the boundaries of the tumor.
The researchers want to expand the delivery system so it could be used in needles and probes to test tissues without being invasive.
“Once you get to that point, we think it will have many different applications for cancer diagnostics, for optical biopsies and other types of diagnostics,” Boppart added.
http://www.smartplanet.com/technology/blog/science-scope/laser-light-finds-cancer-cells-quickly/5473/?tag=content;col1
SICKO, America’s healthcare system found ‘critically ill’
by Russell Jaffe MD PhD, July 4, 2007
As we celebrate our 231st anniversary of freedom in America, let us remind ourselves that this means freedom from "taxation without representation", and freedom from odious oppression of opaque external authority.
SICKO, the Michael Moore documentary on America’s healthcare system, calls attention to the health insurance industry, which represents an opaque taxing authority which succeeds in collecting our dollars as monthly premiums, yet fails in the delivery of caring, competent, and compassionate healthcare to all of our citizens.
Transparency Is Our Ally
Opacity interferes with making wise, informed choices about our health. Further, if we applied what we already know about promoting health as a proactive priority, substantial saving of lives and resources can be quantified. Similar conclusions have been reached by a variety of experts. Indeed, almost every major study of America’s healthcare system has concluded that we could hardly do worse in terms of how much well-being is yielded for the resources currently expended.
America’s health report card: 2006-2026
America ranks 15th to 37th out of 153 nations studied in all measures of health. We spend two to three times more per citizen than other developed countries. This year, over $2 trillion dollars, one in six dollars of our whole economy, are allocated to healthcare, over 90 cents of each dollar on disease treatment. The remaining nine cents of each healthcare dollar are devoted to research and development of tomorrow’s remedies.
Mechanistic Viewpoint is NOT Prevention
Our national remain priorities remain focused on a mechanistic rather than functional or integrative assumptions about the human body. These research priorities were established a generation ago. We are again in need of a fundamental evaluation of the relation between our health care needs, regulatory priorities, and resources allocated. The convergence between these three could be better.
We preach prevention and yet we devote only one percent, about a penny of each healthcare dollar, to actual prevention programs.
Prevention Saves Dollars and Reduces Cost of Health Care
Many proven preventive programs save $3-4 by the fourth year for each $1 spent in the first year. This is a healthy return on investment (ROI). America has increased our share of national wealth devoted to sick care from 4.6% in 1960 to almost 17% in 2008 and 20% in 2020 (projected) if current trends continue. For example, in Japan, healthcare costs per worker contribute about $100 to the cost of the vehicle. Healthcare is a right of all citizens in Japan. In the US, typical cost per vehicle for healthcare is over $1500. Healthcare remains a privilege in America.
Medical Information Doubles every Four Years
While information doubles in medicine in less than four years, our healthcare institutions evolve and change with decade or longer time frames. This means the gap between knowledge and practice widens daily. Information technologies exist to help bridge this widening gap. It is time to make such information technologies national priorities for our healthcare system.
Herioc Medical Interventions in Last Six Months of Life
We expend half of a typical Medicare beneficiaries lifetime healthcare resources during the last six months of the individual’s life, often at great cost to quality of that life. When physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects are included many people prefer to end their life in comfort, at home, with loved ones around them even if this means sacrifice of a short time that could be added by heroic medical interventions. We deserve to be birthed with reverence and die with dignity.
Healthcare Technology Enabling or Disabling?
We are awash in technology throughout healthcare that can enable better care. Examples include electronic medical records, electronic prescribing, informed dispensing of medications including simple instructions.
Technology may be harmful when it intrudes upon the therapeutic relationship between healthcare professionals and people in need. Technology can enable or disable the human healing responses.
Adverse Effects of Drugs and Procedures
Adverse effects of properly administered conventional medical therapies cost 100,000 – 250,000 lives and $200-$400 Bn annually. Don Berwick and colleagues champion a ‘Save 100,000 lives’ campaign which can save lives and resources. However, these programs to reduce medical errors have low priority. The issue is not enough of a "hot button" for political constituencies to take action.
Diabetes and Obesity
Diabetes and obesity are increasing rapidly, currently estimated to be 6% of the population, and projected to reach 10% in a few years. How do we reverse this trend? By being more active physically and mentally, and by eating more nutritious whole foods, by eating in harmony with our nature, we can reverse this alarming trend towards increasing diabetes and obesity in our population.
Incentives for Bad Health or Incentives Good Health ?
The problem is, we give our people incentives for bad habits of ill health. From foods, to attitudes, to activity, our priorities have been appearance and convenience, rather than healthfulness. We know quite well how to give people incentives for the habits of good health. When we offer these incentives, enough people will choose good health to serve as examples to others. We can do better with health incentives and preventive medicine. The only question is when?
Russell Jaffe, MD PhD, Biography
Dr. Jaffe received his MD degree from the Boston University School of Medicine in 1972. He completed his residency training in Clinical Pathology at the National Institutes of Health, where he was on the permanent staff as a practicing molecular biologist and molecular pathologist. In addition, he has studied extensively in the area of nutrition. He was asked by Norm Shealey to be the founding chairman of the Scientific Committee of the American Holistic Medical Association. He was the first Course Director of "Oriental Medical Strategies in Western Medical Practice." This was the first program recognized by N Y State for licensure certification based on being a diplomate of this training program. Most graduates of this program are now instructors in Oriental Medicine and Acupuncture training programs throughout the world. In 1984, Dr. Jaffe developed the lymphocyte response assays (LRA) by ELISA/ACT tests. These tests enable physicians to examine the responses of patients' immune systems to challenges. Delayed allergy for up to 436 common substances can be ruled in or ruled out in terms of delayed hypersensitivity by functional LRA by ELISA/ACT or MELISA tests.
Russell Jaffe MD PHD
Nutrition for Optimal Health Association
P.O. Box 380 Winnetka, IL 60093
http://www.nutrition4health.org/
Phone: 847-60HEALTH
(847-604-3258)
http://scienceblogmd.com/blog/index.php?blog=3
As we celebrate our 231st anniversary of freedom in America, let us remind ourselves that this means freedom from "taxation without representation", and freedom from odious oppression of opaque external authority.
SICKO, the Michael Moore documentary on America’s healthcare system, calls attention to the health insurance industry, which represents an opaque taxing authority which succeeds in collecting our dollars as monthly premiums, yet fails in the delivery of caring, competent, and compassionate healthcare to all of our citizens.
Transparency Is Our Ally
Opacity interferes with making wise, informed choices about our health. Further, if we applied what we already know about promoting health as a proactive priority, substantial saving of lives and resources can be quantified. Similar conclusions have been reached by a variety of experts. Indeed, almost every major study of America’s healthcare system has concluded that we could hardly do worse in terms of how much well-being is yielded for the resources currently expended.
America’s health report card: 2006-2026
America ranks 15th to 37th out of 153 nations studied in all measures of health. We spend two to three times more per citizen than other developed countries. This year, over $2 trillion dollars, one in six dollars of our whole economy, are allocated to healthcare, over 90 cents of each dollar on disease treatment. The remaining nine cents of each healthcare dollar are devoted to research and development of tomorrow’s remedies.
Mechanistic Viewpoint is NOT Prevention
Our national remain priorities remain focused on a mechanistic rather than functional or integrative assumptions about the human body. These research priorities were established a generation ago. We are again in need of a fundamental evaluation of the relation between our health care needs, regulatory priorities, and resources allocated. The convergence between these three could be better.
We preach prevention and yet we devote only one percent, about a penny of each healthcare dollar, to actual prevention programs.
Prevention Saves Dollars and Reduces Cost of Health Care
Many proven preventive programs save $3-4 by the fourth year for each $1 spent in the first year. This is a healthy return on investment (ROI). America has increased our share of national wealth devoted to sick care from 4.6% in 1960 to almost 17% in 2008 and 20% in 2020 (projected) if current trends continue. For example, in Japan, healthcare costs per worker contribute about $100 to the cost of the vehicle. Healthcare is a right of all citizens in Japan. In the US, typical cost per vehicle for healthcare is over $1500. Healthcare remains a privilege in America.
Medical Information Doubles every Four Years
While information doubles in medicine in less than four years, our healthcare institutions evolve and change with decade or longer time frames. This means the gap between knowledge and practice widens daily. Information technologies exist to help bridge this widening gap. It is time to make such information technologies national priorities for our healthcare system.
Herioc Medical Interventions in Last Six Months of Life
We expend half of a typical Medicare beneficiaries lifetime healthcare resources during the last six months of the individual’s life, often at great cost to quality of that life. When physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects are included many people prefer to end their life in comfort, at home, with loved ones around them even if this means sacrifice of a short time that could be added by heroic medical interventions. We deserve to be birthed with reverence and die with dignity.
Healthcare Technology Enabling or Disabling?
We are awash in technology throughout healthcare that can enable better care. Examples include electronic medical records, electronic prescribing, informed dispensing of medications including simple instructions.
Technology may be harmful when it intrudes upon the therapeutic relationship between healthcare professionals and people in need. Technology can enable or disable the human healing responses.
Adverse Effects of Drugs and Procedures
Adverse effects of properly administered conventional medical therapies cost 100,000 – 250,000 lives and $200-$400 Bn annually. Don Berwick and colleagues champion a ‘Save 100,000 lives’ campaign which can save lives and resources. However, these programs to reduce medical errors have low priority. The issue is not enough of a "hot button" for political constituencies to take action.
Diabetes and Obesity
Diabetes and obesity are increasing rapidly, currently estimated to be 6% of the population, and projected to reach 10% in a few years. How do we reverse this trend? By being more active physically and mentally, and by eating more nutritious whole foods, by eating in harmony with our nature, we can reverse this alarming trend towards increasing diabetes and obesity in our population.
Incentives for Bad Health or Incentives Good Health ?
The problem is, we give our people incentives for bad habits of ill health. From foods, to attitudes, to activity, our priorities have been appearance and convenience, rather than healthfulness. We know quite well how to give people incentives for the habits of good health. When we offer these incentives, enough people will choose good health to serve as examples to others. We can do better with health incentives and preventive medicine. The only question is when?
Russell Jaffe, MD PhD, Biography
Dr. Jaffe received his MD degree from the Boston University School of Medicine in 1972. He completed his residency training in Clinical Pathology at the National Institutes of Health, where he was on the permanent staff as a practicing molecular biologist and molecular pathologist. In addition, he has studied extensively in the area of nutrition. He was asked by Norm Shealey to be the founding chairman of the Scientific Committee of the American Holistic Medical Association. He was the first Course Director of "Oriental Medical Strategies in Western Medical Practice." This was the first program recognized by N Y State for licensure certification based on being a diplomate of this training program. Most graduates of this program are now instructors in Oriental Medicine and Acupuncture training programs throughout the world. In 1984, Dr. Jaffe developed the lymphocyte response assays (LRA) by ELISA/ACT tests. These tests enable physicians to examine the responses of patients' immune systems to challenges. Delayed allergy for up to 436 common substances can be ruled in or ruled out in terms of delayed hypersensitivity by functional LRA by ELISA/ACT or MELISA tests.
Russell Jaffe MD PHD
Nutrition for Optimal Health Association
P.O. Box 380 Winnetka, IL 60093
http://www.nutrition4health.org/
Phone: 847-60HEALTH
(847-604-3258)
http://scienceblogmd.com/blog/index.php?blog=3
Did You Know?
At least 92% of diabetes cases can be attributed to lifestyle choices, with 8% attributable to genetics.
Russell Jaffe, MD, PhD
For a copy of Dr. Jaffe’s study, visit the Clinical Tools section of the Natural Medicine Journal (www.naturalmedicinejournal.com) and click on Clinical Insights.
References
1 Jaffe R, Mani J, DeVane J, Mani H. Tolerance loss in diabetics: Association with foreign antigen exposure. Diabet Med. 2006;23(8):924-5
Russell Jaffe, MD, PhD
For a copy of Dr. Jaffe’s study, visit the Clinical Tools section of the Natural Medicine Journal (www.naturalmedicinejournal.com) and click on Clinical Insights.
References
1 Jaffe R, Mani J, DeVane J, Mani H. Tolerance loss in diabetics: Association with foreign antigen exposure. Diabet Med. 2006;23(8):924-5
Solutions for preventing and controlling diabetes
Check out the Special Report from the Palm Beach Post by CLICKING on the link below and placing it in your browser….
http://diabetes.palmbeachpost.com/diabetes-solutions/
http://bionutritionalresearch.olhblogspace.com/
http://depsyl.blogspot.com/
http://diabetes.palmbeachpost.com/diabetes-solutions/
http://bionutritionalresearch.olhblogspace.com/
http://depsyl.blogspot.com/
Global Picture: Diabetes
Globally, the number of persons with diabetes and at risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease is reaching epidemic proportions.
Over the next decade the number is expected to grow by 25%, largely driven by the rising prevalence of obesity and inactivity.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 200 million persons worldwide will have diabetes by 2010, and that number will reach 330 million by 2025.
The problem is especially serious in Asia where there are 90 million people with diabetes. This includes four of the world’s five largest populations with diabetes: India, 33 million people with diabetes; China, 23 million; Pakistan, 9 million, and Japan, 7 million. The WHO predicts that in less than a decade, 60% of the worldwide population with diabetes will be in Asia.
Unless action is taken to change the predicted path of diabetes, the disease will become a huge economic burden – both from direct healthcare costs and indirect costs due to a decline in workplace productivity, as well as losses due to premature morbidity and mortality. Therefore, individuals at risk of diabetes must be identified, and prevention and suitable treatment interventions implemented.
Over the next decade the number is expected to grow by 25%, largely driven by the rising prevalence of obesity and inactivity.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 200 million persons worldwide will have diabetes by 2010, and that number will reach 330 million by 2025.
The problem is especially serious in Asia where there are 90 million people with diabetes. This includes four of the world’s five largest populations with diabetes: India, 33 million people with diabetes; China, 23 million; Pakistan, 9 million, and Japan, 7 million. The WHO predicts that in less than a decade, 60% of the worldwide population with diabetes will be in Asia.
Unless action is taken to change the predicted path of diabetes, the disease will become a huge economic burden – both from direct healthcare costs and indirect costs due to a decline in workplace productivity, as well as losses due to premature morbidity and mortality. Therefore, individuals at risk of diabetes must be identified, and prevention and suitable treatment interventions implemented.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Weight-Loss Maintenance — Mind over Matter?
David S. Ludwig, M.D., Ph.D., and Cara B. Ebbeling, Ph.D.
Many people can lose weight in the short term by reducing their intake of calories with the use of a variety of diets, ranging from low-fat to very-low-carbohydrate. However, few people successfully maintain their weight loss.1 One explanation for the poor efficacy of conventional diets relates to psychological factors, since the motivation to adhere to restrictive regimens diminishes with time, especially in an environment with virtually instantaneous availability of food. A second, perhaps more fundamental, explanation is that weight loss elicits physiological adaptations — principally an increase in hunger and a decrease in resting energy expenditure2 — that oppose ongoing weight loss.
In the search for more effective strategies, diets that are low in glycemic index and moderately high in protein merit special consideration. The glycemic index describes the way in which foods affect blood glucose levels in the postprandial period, controlled for the amount of carbohydrate.3 The glycemic load, the arithmetic product of the glycemic index and the amount of carbohydrate, predicts postprandial glycemic response among foods with widely varying carbohydrate contents.4 Most highly processed grain products have a high glycemic index, whereas minimally processed grains, whole fruits, legumes, and nonstarchy vegetables tend to have a moderate or low glycemic index.
The mechanisms relating glycemic response to the regulation of body weight have been examined in controlled feeding studies.5 Meals with a low glycemic index or glycemic load elicit acute hormonal and metabolic changes that may decrease hunger and energy intake. During weight loss, a reduction in glycemic load may attenuate the decline in resting energy expenditure that is thought to promote weight regain.6 Recently, a meta-analysis indicated that diets in which there was a reduction in the glycemic index produced moderately more weight loss than control diets,7 although the quality of the clinical trials has been limited by their small size, a failure to show adherence to treatment, and confounding.
The glycemic response to carbohydrates is lowered when protein is ingested simultaneously, since protein delays gastric emptying and stimulates insulin secretion. Protein also displaces carbohydrates, as opposed to fat, from the diet because foods high in protein are also typically high in fat. Therefore, higher-protein diets tend to have a reduced glycemic load and might promote weight loss, at least in part, through the mechanisms discussed above. In addition, diets that are based on these principles may be less psychologically burdensome, because they do not severely restrict any macronutrient or major food group. However, the 2010 U.S. Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee considers the effectiveness of reducing the glycemic index to be unproven. Similarly, there is a lack of consensus regarding the optimal protein level for achieving and maintaining weight loss. A study in this issue of the Journal from the Diet, Obesity, and Genes (Diogenes) project8 addresses these knowledge gaps.
Investigators from eight European countries randomly assigned 773 participants who had lost at least 8% of their initial body weight to one of four test diets, using a two-by-two factorial design (low-glycemic-index vs. high-glycemic index diets and low-protein vs. high-protein diets), or to a fifth, control, diet. Assessment of dietary intake showed that there was a modest difference of about 5 glycemic-index units between the low-glycemic-index and high-glycemic-index groups and a difference of about 5 percentage points in protein content between the high-protein and low-protein groups. After 6 months, body weight differed by about 2 kg among the groups, with a direct relationship to glycemic load — lowest in the group assigned to the lowglycemic- index–high-protein diet, intermediate in the groups assigned to the low-glycemic-index– low-protein and the high-glycemic-index–highprotein diets, and highest in the group assigned to the high-glycemic-index–low-protein diet. Of note, study completion rates were significantly better among participants in the low-glycemicindex and high-protein diet groups.
The study has several notable strengths, including the large number of participants and a multicenter, multinational design, providing evidence of effectiveness and generalizability. The apparent control for treatment intensity and behavioral methods across groups (although not across countries) allows for a fair testing of dietary hypotheses. Furthermore, the investigative team appears to have had scientific balance; one senior member had espoused a skeptical view of the glycemic index,9 providing confidence that the study was conducted and interpreted without unconscious bias. The primary limitation of the study is the short duration of follow-up. A 2-kg difference in body weight, by itself, has limited practical implications. But a diet that could effectively prevent weight regain over the long term would have major public health significance. In this regard, the 12-month and longer follow-up data will be informative.
The observed effects on body weight were obtained from small mean differences in glycemic index and protein among the groups. In principle, more powerful methods for effecting behavioral change and improved availability of low-glycemic-index foods may facilitate the long term adoption of diets with a substantially lower glycemic load and result in larger effects on body weight. Moreover, a low-glycemic-index diet may reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease independently of body weight,5 and data addressing this possibility will be forthcoming from the Diogenes trial.
The present study contrasts, but does not necessarily conflict, with data reported by Sacks et al.,10 who assigned 811 people to one of four diets that differed in the percentage of total energy derived from carbohydrate, protein, and fat. In contrast to the protocol in the Diogenes trial, participants in all four groups were counseled to consume carbohydrates with a low glycemic index. Similar to the results in the Diogenes trial, editorials the protein content of the diets at 6 months differed by only about 5 percentage points. After 2 years, no significant difference in body weight was found among the groups, although among subjects who completed the study, those who consumed higher-protein diets weighed about 1 kg less than those who consumed lower-protein diets (P = 0.11).10 Together, these two studies suggest that the ratio of carbohydrate to fat has relatively little importance for weight control among persons consuming a low-glycemic-index diet, and higher protein intake may have additional benefits.
The Diogenes study provides reassurance regarding three long-standing concerns about glycemic index: that measured values apply to individual foods only and have no relevance to mixed meals, that effects observed in clinical trials arise from confounding by macronutrients or fiber, and that the concepts are confusing and impractical for the general public. Indeed, the higher study-completion rate in the low-glycemic-index groups provides compelling evidence of the practicality of low-glycemic-index diets.
Several recent clinical trials have shown no significant difference in weight loss among various popular diets, leading to the notion that dietary composition is less important than adherence to a diet, whatever it might be. However, this conclusion does not consider the fundamental relationship between psychology and physiology. A person’s ability to maintain adherence over time may be influenced by the way in which a diet affects hunger and metabolism. Additional research is needed to clarify the mechanisms by which dietary composition regulates body weight and to devise novel strategies to effect behavioral changes.
Disclosure forms provided by the authors are available with the full text of this article at NEJM.org.
From the Optimal Weight for Life Program, Department of Medicine, Children’s Hospital; and the Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School — both in Boston.
1. Dansinger ML, Tatsioni A, Wong JB, Chung M, Balk EM. Meta-analysis: the effect of dietary counseling for weight loss. Ann Intern Med 2007;147:41-50.
2. Leibel RL, Rosenbaum M, Hirsch J. Changes in energy expenditure resulting from altered body weight. N Engl J Med 1995; 332:621-8. [Erratum, N Engl J Med 1995;333:399.]
3. Jenkins DJ, Wolever TM, Taylor RH, et al. Glycemic index of foods: a physiological basis for carbohydrate exchange. Am J Clin Nutr 1981;34:362-6.
4. Brand-Miller JC, Thomas M, Swan V, Ahmed Z, Petocz P, Colagiuri S. Physiological validation of the concept of glycemic load in lean young adults. J Nutr 2003;133:2728-32.
5. Ludwig DS. The glycemic index: physiological mechanisms relating to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. JAMA 2002;287:2414-23.
6. Pereira MA, Swain J, Goldfine AB, Rifai N, Ludwig DS. Effects of a low-glycemic load diet on resting energy expenditure and heart disease risk factors during weight loss. JAMA 2004; 292:2482-90.
7. Thomas DE, Elliott EJ, Baur L. Low glycaemic index or low glycaemic load diets for overweight and obesity. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2007;3:CD005105.
8. Larsen TM, Dalskov S-M, van Baak M, et al. Diets with high or low protein content and glycemic index for weight-loss maintenance. N Engl J Med 2010;363:2102-13.
9. Astrup A. Dietary management of obesity. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 2008;32:575-7.
10. Sacks FM, Bray GA, Carey VJ, et al. Comparison of weightloss diets with different compositions of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. N Engl J Med 2009;360:859-73.
Copyright © 2010 Massachusetts Medical Society.
New England Journal of Medicine Published Nov-2010
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe1011361
Many people can lose weight in the short term by reducing their intake of calories with the use of a variety of diets, ranging from low-fat to very-low-carbohydrate. However, few people successfully maintain their weight loss.1 One explanation for the poor efficacy of conventional diets relates to psychological factors, since the motivation to adhere to restrictive regimens diminishes with time, especially in an environment with virtually instantaneous availability of food. A second, perhaps more fundamental, explanation is that weight loss elicits physiological adaptations — principally an increase in hunger and a decrease in resting energy expenditure2 — that oppose ongoing weight loss.
In the search for more effective strategies, diets that are low in glycemic index and moderately high in protein merit special consideration. The glycemic index describes the way in which foods affect blood glucose levels in the postprandial period, controlled for the amount of carbohydrate.3 The glycemic load, the arithmetic product of the glycemic index and the amount of carbohydrate, predicts postprandial glycemic response among foods with widely varying carbohydrate contents.4 Most highly processed grain products have a high glycemic index, whereas minimally processed grains, whole fruits, legumes, and nonstarchy vegetables tend to have a moderate or low glycemic index.
The mechanisms relating glycemic response to the regulation of body weight have been examined in controlled feeding studies.5 Meals with a low glycemic index or glycemic load elicit acute hormonal and metabolic changes that may decrease hunger and energy intake. During weight loss, a reduction in glycemic load may attenuate the decline in resting energy expenditure that is thought to promote weight regain.6 Recently, a meta-analysis indicated that diets in which there was a reduction in the glycemic index produced moderately more weight loss than control diets,7 although the quality of the clinical trials has been limited by their small size, a failure to show adherence to treatment, and confounding.
The glycemic response to carbohydrates is lowered when protein is ingested simultaneously, since protein delays gastric emptying and stimulates insulin secretion. Protein also displaces carbohydrates, as opposed to fat, from the diet because foods high in protein are also typically high in fat. Therefore, higher-protein diets tend to have a reduced glycemic load and might promote weight loss, at least in part, through the mechanisms discussed above. In addition, diets that are based on these principles may be less psychologically burdensome, because they do not severely restrict any macronutrient or major food group. However, the 2010 U.S. Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee considers the effectiveness of reducing the glycemic index to be unproven. Similarly, there is a lack of consensus regarding the optimal protein level for achieving and maintaining weight loss. A study in this issue of the Journal from the Diet, Obesity, and Genes (Diogenes) project8 addresses these knowledge gaps.
Investigators from eight European countries randomly assigned 773 participants who had lost at least 8% of their initial body weight to one of four test diets, using a two-by-two factorial design (low-glycemic-index vs. high-glycemic index diets and low-protein vs. high-protein diets), or to a fifth, control, diet. Assessment of dietary intake showed that there was a modest difference of about 5 glycemic-index units between the low-glycemic-index and high-glycemic-index groups and a difference of about 5 percentage points in protein content between the high-protein and low-protein groups. After 6 months, body weight differed by about 2 kg among the groups, with a direct relationship to glycemic load — lowest in the group assigned to the lowglycemic- index–high-protein diet, intermediate in the groups assigned to the low-glycemic-index– low-protein and the high-glycemic-index–highprotein diets, and highest in the group assigned to the high-glycemic-index–low-protein diet. Of note, study completion rates were significantly better among participants in the low-glycemicindex and high-protein diet groups.
The study has several notable strengths, including the large number of participants and a multicenter, multinational design, providing evidence of effectiveness and generalizability. The apparent control for treatment intensity and behavioral methods across groups (although not across countries) allows for a fair testing of dietary hypotheses. Furthermore, the investigative team appears to have had scientific balance; one senior member had espoused a skeptical view of the glycemic index,9 providing confidence that the study was conducted and interpreted without unconscious bias. The primary limitation of the study is the short duration of follow-up. A 2-kg difference in body weight, by itself, has limited practical implications. But a diet that could effectively prevent weight regain over the long term would have major public health significance. In this regard, the 12-month and longer follow-up data will be informative.
The observed effects on body weight were obtained from small mean differences in glycemic index and protein among the groups. In principle, more powerful methods for effecting behavioral change and improved availability of low-glycemic-index foods may facilitate the long term adoption of diets with a substantially lower glycemic load and result in larger effects on body weight. Moreover, a low-glycemic-index diet may reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease independently of body weight,5 and data addressing this possibility will be forthcoming from the Diogenes trial.
The present study contrasts, but does not necessarily conflict, with data reported by Sacks et al.,10 who assigned 811 people to one of four diets that differed in the percentage of total energy derived from carbohydrate, protein, and fat. In contrast to the protocol in the Diogenes trial, participants in all four groups were counseled to consume carbohydrates with a low glycemic index. Similar to the results in the Diogenes trial, editorials the protein content of the diets at 6 months differed by only about 5 percentage points. After 2 years, no significant difference in body weight was found among the groups, although among subjects who completed the study, those who consumed higher-protein diets weighed about 1 kg less than those who consumed lower-protein diets (P = 0.11).10 Together, these two studies suggest that the ratio of carbohydrate to fat has relatively little importance for weight control among persons consuming a low-glycemic-index diet, and higher protein intake may have additional benefits.
The Diogenes study provides reassurance regarding three long-standing concerns about glycemic index: that measured values apply to individual foods only and have no relevance to mixed meals, that effects observed in clinical trials arise from confounding by macronutrients or fiber, and that the concepts are confusing and impractical for the general public. Indeed, the higher study-completion rate in the low-glycemic-index groups provides compelling evidence of the practicality of low-glycemic-index diets.
Several recent clinical trials have shown no significant difference in weight loss among various popular diets, leading to the notion that dietary composition is less important than adherence to a diet, whatever it might be. However, this conclusion does not consider the fundamental relationship between psychology and physiology. A person’s ability to maintain adherence over time may be influenced by the way in which a diet affects hunger and metabolism. Additional research is needed to clarify the mechanisms by which dietary composition regulates body weight and to devise novel strategies to effect behavioral changes.
Disclosure forms provided by the authors are available with the full text of this article at NEJM.org.
From the Optimal Weight for Life Program, Department of Medicine, Children’s Hospital; and the Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School — both in Boston.
1. Dansinger ML, Tatsioni A, Wong JB, Chung M, Balk EM. Meta-analysis: the effect of dietary counseling for weight loss. Ann Intern Med 2007;147:41-50.
2. Leibel RL, Rosenbaum M, Hirsch J. Changes in energy expenditure resulting from altered body weight. N Engl J Med 1995; 332:621-8. [Erratum, N Engl J Med 1995;333:399.]
3. Jenkins DJ, Wolever TM, Taylor RH, et al. Glycemic index of foods: a physiological basis for carbohydrate exchange. Am J Clin Nutr 1981;34:362-6.
4. Brand-Miller JC, Thomas M, Swan V, Ahmed Z, Petocz P, Colagiuri S. Physiological validation of the concept of glycemic load in lean young adults. J Nutr 2003;133:2728-32.
5. Ludwig DS. The glycemic index: physiological mechanisms relating to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. JAMA 2002;287:2414-23.
6. Pereira MA, Swain J, Goldfine AB, Rifai N, Ludwig DS. Effects of a low-glycemic load diet on resting energy expenditure and heart disease risk factors during weight loss. JAMA 2004; 292:2482-90.
7. Thomas DE, Elliott EJ, Baur L. Low glycaemic index or low glycaemic load diets for overweight and obesity. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2007;3:CD005105.
8. Larsen TM, Dalskov S-M, van Baak M, et al. Diets with high or low protein content and glycemic index for weight-loss maintenance. N Engl J Med 2010;363:2102-13.
9. Astrup A. Dietary management of obesity. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 2008;32:575-7.
10. Sacks FM, Bray GA, Carey VJ, et al. Comparison of weightloss diets with different compositions of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. N Engl J Med 2009;360:859-73.
Copyright © 2010 Massachusetts Medical Society.
New England Journal of Medicine Published Nov-2010
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe1011361
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