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Author: Wellness Club

  • Your Cardiovascular Risk Checklist – A Gift From Dr. Myatt For Heart Month

    Dr. Myatt’s Cardiovascular Risk Checklist

     

    A Medical White Paper Presented By Dr. Dana Myatt

     

    February is “Heart Month.” Here’s Your Heart-Risk Checklist.

     

    Shocking Facts about Heart Attacks

    February is heart month, and in honor of your heart, I have prepared a special heart-risk assessment and report for you. First, some surprising statistics about heart disease. These “fast facts” will help you know why my heart-risk checklist is so potentially important.

    Heart disease is the #1 cause of death in the US. 2,200 people die every day from heart disease.

    As many as 50% of all people who have a heart attack do not have ANY classic risk factors, although one study argues that this number is actually only 20%. “Only” a 20% chance of having a heart attack with no known risk factors? I don’t know about you, but that still sounds like a big risk to me. 

    As many as fifty percent (50%) of all first heart attacks are last heart attacks if you get my drift. Half of all people who have a heart attack die from “sudden cardiac death.” No second chances. No dramatic “jump-starting” the heart with a defibrillator. No heroic bypass surgery or stents. Just gone in a heartbeat.

    People with NO conventional risk factors are more likely to die “sudden death” from a first heart attack. Sudden cardiac death is the first and only sign of heart disease in this group.

    You could be a non-smoker with a normal body weight, total cholesterol below 200, LDL below 100, HDL above 50. You don’t smoke, are not diabetic and have no family history of heart disease. Good for you. You doctor has just given you a clean bill of health and told you your heart is fine. And you could die of a heart attack as you leave the doctor’s office. Remember, twenty to fifty percent of all people who have a heart attack do not have ANY conventionally-tested heart risks.

    Emerging Risk Factors: The “Other Risks” No One Is Telling You About

    Routinely screened conventional risk factors include blood fats (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL), blood pressure, smoking, and diabetes. Additional testing might include a cardiac stress test (the “treadmill test”). Overweight/obesity, family history and activity levels should also be considered.

    Unfortunately, 20-50% of people who have heart attacks are “normal” for all of these tests and markers. It’s the folks with “all normal” risk factors who have the greatest likelihood of having a fatal heart attack.

    Conventional medicine acknowledges that there are a number of other risk factors for heart disease. These are called “emerging risk factors” because the information is still “emerging” or coming to light.

    Unfortunately, tests for these “emerging risk factors” are not yet ordered by most conventional physicians nor are they typically covered by insurance. Many of them will be “standard of care” in conventional medicine some day in the future. Will “some day” be soon enough for you or me?

    Good News About “Emerging Risk Factors”

    The good news is many of the most important of these “other risks” can be tested at an affordable price. They are not obscure tests with thousand-dollar price tags.

    The OTHER good news is that there are safe, natural, proven options for correcting abnormalities if and when they are found. After all, what good would it be to know about a risk factor if there was nothing you could do about it?

    I have researched and prepared a Medical White Paper that discusses these risk factors in detail. To celebrate Heart Month I am making this paper available to you free of charge. I hope you will take advantage of this offer and download and study this document. Print it and discuss it with your doctor. Use it to reduce your risk factors so that you can enjoy a long and healthy life – and continue to be a HealthBeat News subscriber!

     

    Please visit this webpage at Dr. Myatt’s Wellness Club to obtain your copy of my Cardiovascular Checklist.

     

    In Health,

    Dr. Myatt

     

    Nurse Mark Comments:

    Please print this Medical White Paper, including the pages of references, so that you can show it to your doctor / cardiologist. When he / she tells you that 1) he has never heard of some of these tests, 2) you don’t need them, 3) he’s not going to order them for you, and 4) your insurance won’t pay for them anyway, please visit Dr. Myatt’s Wellness Club where Dr. Myatt will make these tests available to you, and at a very reasonable cost.

    Dr. Myatt’s Cardiovascular Risk Profile Lab Testing information.

  • Learning Through The Years

    Contributed by a HealthBeat News subscriber:

    Age 5: I’ve learned that I like my teacher because she cries when we sing “Silent Night”.

    Age 7: I’ve learned that our dog doesn’t want to eat my broccoli either.

    Age 9: I’ve learned that when I wave to people in the country, they stop what they are doing and wave back.

    Age 12: I’ve learned that just when I get my room the way I like it, Mom makes me clean it up again.

    Age 14: I’ve learned that if you want to cheer yourself up, you should try cheering someone else up.

    Age 15: I’ve learned that although it’s hard to admit it, I’m secretly glad my parents are strict with me.

    Age 24: I’ve learned that silent company is often more healing than words of advice.

    Age 26: I’ve learned that brushing my child’s hair is one of life’s great pleasures.

    Age 29: I’ve learned that wherever I go, the world’s worst drivers have followed me there.

    Age 30: I’ve learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it.

    Age 42: I’ve learned that there are people who love you dearly but just don’t know how to show it.

    Age 44: I’ve learned that you can make some one’s day by simply sending them a little note.

    Age 46: I’ve learned that the greater a person’s sense of guilt, the greater his or her need to cast blame on others.

    Age 47: I’ve learned that children and grandparents are natural allies.

    Age 48: I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

    Age 49: I’ve learned that singing “Amazing Grace” can lift my spirits for hours.

    Age 50: I’ve learned that motel mattresses are better on the side away from the phone.

    Age 51: I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a man by the way he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

    Age 52: I’ve learned that keeping a vegetable garden is worth a medicine cabinet full of pills.

    Age 53: I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you miss them terribly after they die.

    Age 58: I’ve learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life.

    Age 61: I’ve learned that if you want to do something positive for your children, work to improve your marriage.

    Age 62: I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

    Age 64: I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.

    Age 65: I’ve learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if you focus on your family, the needs of others, your work, meeting new people, and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.

    Age 66: I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with kindness, I usually make the right decision.

    Age 72: I’ve learned that everyone can use a prayer.

    Age 82: I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one.

    Age 90: I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch-holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

    Age 92: I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn.

  • Medical Myths In Your Email

    By Nurse Mark

     

    Computers, the World Wide Web, and email have become indispensable parts of our lives and have contributed greatly to the dissemination of knowledge and understanding – but they also have a darker side as they have also become the favored medium for spoofers, scammers, pranksters, and the spreaders of rumors, urban legends, and old wives’ tales.

    It seems hardly a day goes by without at least one well-meaning email appearing in my inbox encouraging me to cough if I think I’m having a heart attack, or to beware of razor blades hidden in gas pump handles, or to be cautious if someone honks their horn and flashes their lights at me when I’m driving at night or some other foolishness.

    A lot of people are taken in by these emails, and use up a lot of bandwidth in forwarding them along to “10 of your best friends” as most of these emails direct them to do. Fortunately, Wellness Club members and HealthBeat News readers are a little more savvy and they will often ask us about these “helpful” messages before they send them to everyone in their address book…

    There are lessons to be learned in these emails however – for they follow a fairly predictable formula in that they gain the confidence of the reader by first presenting statements that are known fact or make good sense. “Many heart attacks are preceded by arm or jaw pain”, “water is essential for life”, or “if you think you are having a heart attack, dial 911” are all examples of this kind of statement. How can you argue these statements – they are true! Next, the letter usually invokes some authority figure to validate the statements: “the Mayo Clinic”, “A Famous Cardiologist”, “a chief investigator with the FBI”, and so on.  Once the reader’s confidence has been gained, then almost anything else said will seem to make sense and will be accepted as fact.

    If you pay attention you’ll see that a lot of advertising for cures, remedies, and “natural products” follows the same pattern. Those ads for Coral Calcium, Raspberry Ketones, “top secret ingredients from the deep sea”, saffron, hoodia, and other amazing, miraculous cures start out with a known fact or two, then invoke an “authority” to lend credibility, and then hit you with the “pitch.” A time-honored technique…

    Here is a recent example, sent to us by a Wellness Club member – this one is making the rounds again, so you may have seen it yourself.

    Subject: Fwd: Heart Attacks and Water
    Hi Dr. Myatt,
    Received this from a friend and just wanted to pass this on to you.  Is most of this true??
    Terrie

    Subject: Heart Attacks and Water

    How many folks do you know who say they don’t want to drink

    anything before going to bed because they’ll have to get up during

    the night?

    Heart Attack and Water – I never knew all of this ! Interesting…….
    [this email goes on and on with nonsense – I’ve cut it here to spare you]

    Now, the very first thing that can be done to separate the truth from the spoof is to use the internet! Often a quick Google search of the subject line will result in plenty of references to”myth” or “hoax” or “spoof.”  That is exactly what I did with the subject line of the email that Terrie forwarded, and one of the first entries in the results was for “Snopes.com” – aka the Urban Legends Reference Pages – a website covering urban legends, Internet rumors, e-mail forwards, and other stories of unknown or questionable origin.

    According to Snopes, this email has been going since 2004, and growing in complexity and silliness since then. This latest iteration has been circulating since 2011.

    Here is the Snopes page on it: http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/water.asp

    If you find this “helpful” email in your inbox, here is my take on it:

    Essentially, this is a collection of wives’ tales and urban legends and armchair theories generated by people with very limited knowledge of human anatomy and physiology who have then invoked the name of the “Mighty Mayo Clinic” and an unnamed “cardiologist” in order to try to attach validity to their ramblings.

    “2 glasses of water after waking up – helps activate internal organs” – As if “internal organs somehow stop working when we sleep?

    “1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal – helps digestion” – No, it hampers digestion by diluting the normal healthy hydrochloric acid content of the stomach.

    “1 glass of water before taking a bath – helps lower blood pressure” – This is beyond silly – where is the scientific basis for this?

    “1 glass of water before going to bed – reduces the risk of stroke or heart attack” – If this were true, don’t we think that modern medicine would know about it and be shouting it from the rooftops? Again, there is no scientific basis for this statement.

    The aspirin / “heart attack” advise is likewise mostly silly, with tiny footholds in reality – like calling 911 if you think you might be experiencing cardiac pain…

    With regard to the aspirin / Mayo Clinic reference: Mayo Clinic states: “Neither Dr. Somers nor Mayo Clinic contributed to this email, which contains some information that is inaccurate and potentially harmful.” The new release to that effect can be found here: http://newsblog.mayoclinic.org/2010/02/28/misleading-aspirin-email-virend-somers-mayo-clinic/

  • The "Swiss Army Knife" Of Supplements

    By Nurse Mark

     

    Wouldn’t it be great if there were one supplement that could serve a variety of health-improving functions?

    What about a supplement that could:

    • lower and stabilize LDL (bad) cholesterol
    • help in weight loss
    • lower and stabilize high blood sugar
    • reverse metabolic syndrome and diabetes
    • reduce inflammation
    • exert powerful broad-spectrum antimicrobial and antifungal effects
    • have antiarrhythmic effects on the heart
    • be useful in treating congestive heart failure
    • treat fatty liver disease
    • treat a wide variety of cancers
    • treat polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
    • protect the kidneys of diabetics
    • helps prevent formation of cataracts in diabetics
    • help to protect the brain during and after a stroke
    • even mimic the beneficial effects of exercise in the body

    What one substance could do all these things?

    Berberine!

    Long overshadowed by other, more commercially popular herbs Berberine has become the subject of a number of recent research studies that are proving it to be one of the more versatile and popular natural supplements.

    What is berberine?

    Berberine is an alkaloid that is found in such plants as Oregon grape, barberry, tree turmeric, goldenseal, Phellodendron amurense, Chinese goldthread, prickly poppy, Californian poppy and others. Berberine is usually found in the roots, rhizomes, stems, and bark of these plants.

    Why the sudden interest in Berberine?

    Dr. Myatt and some other naturopathic practitioners have successfully used this herb in their practices for a long time – perhaps Big Pharma is just now taking notice and wondering if they can muscle in with a synthetic version but needs to fund the research that will justify their efforts.

    Let’s look at the details of Berberine’s “magic” and the research that is being done:

    Berberine and cholesterol:

    Big Pharma, smarting from the failures of it’s dangerous statin drugs, is suddenly very interested in Berberine and is investigating it as if it is a drug to be patented and marketed. Here is just one of a number of studies:

    This study was published in Phytomedicine in July of 2012 and is titled “Lipid-lowering effect of berberine in human subjects and rats.”

    Our previous studies demonstrated that berberine, an alkaloid originally isolated from traditional Chinese herbs, prevented fat accumulation in vitro and in vivo. […] But more interestingly, the treatment …500 mg berberine orally three times a day for twelve weeks… significantly reduced blood lipid levels (23% decrease of triglyceride and 12.2% decrease of cholesterol levels) in human subjects. […] Tests of hematological, cardiovascular, liver, and kidney function following berberine treatment showed no detrimental side effects to this natural compound. Collectively, this study demonstrates that berberine is a potent lipid-lowering compound with a moderate weight loss effect, and may have a possible potential role in osteoporosis treatment/prevention. (1)

    Weight Loss and berberine:

    It is worth noting that the study quoted above also showed that berberine exhibited “a moderate weight loss effect” – something else that Big Pharma would like to be able to put into a pill! (A pill that doesn’t cause heart attacks or diarrhea, that it…)

    Berberine and Blood sugar and Diabetes:

    Given the health disasters encountered with recent diabetes drug offerings, it is no surprise that Big Pharma would love to figure out how to synthesize something with berberine’s safety and effectiveness. Here is one study (slightly edited for clarity)

    “Efficacy of berberine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus” was published in Metabolism in May of 2008:

    Berberine has been shown to regulate glucose and lipid metabolism in vitro and in vivo. This pilot study was to determine the efficacy and safety of berberine in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

    In study A, 36 adults with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus were randomly assigned to treatment with berberine or metformin (0.5 g 3 times a day) in a 3-month trial. The hypoglycemic effect of berberine was similar to that of metformin.

    Significant decreases in hemoglobin A1c (from 9.5%+/-0.5% to 7.5%+/-0.4%, P<.01), fasting blood glucose (from 10.6 to 6.9), postprandial blood glucose (from 19.8 to 11.1), and plasma triglycerides (from 1.13 to 0.89) were observed in the berberine group.

    In study B, 48 adults with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus were treated supplemented with berberine in a 3-month trial.

    Berberine acted by lowering fasting blood glucose and postprandial blood glucose from 1 week to the end of the trial. Hemoglobin A1c decreased from 8.1 to 7.3. Fasting plasma insulin and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index were reduced by 28.1% and 44.7%, respectively. Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were decreased significantly as well. Functional liver or kidney damages were not observed for all patients.

    In conclusion, this pilot study indicates that berberine is a potent oral hypoglycemic agent with beneficial effects on lipid metabolism.

    In summary, that berberine is a potent oral hypoglycemic agent with modest effect on lipid metabolism. It is safe and the cost of treatment by berberine is very low. It may serve as a new drug candidate in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.(2)

    Berberine and Metabolic Syndrome:

    Wouldn’t Big Pharma just love to come up with a drug that could stave off the damaging effects of this latest health epidemic! It seems however that Mother Nature has beaten them to it…

    A study titled “Berberine reduces insulin resistance through protein kinase C-dependent up-regulation of insulin receptor expression” published in Metabolism. 2009 Jan states:

    Natural product berberine (BBR) has been reported to have hypoglycemic and insulin-sensitizing activities; however, its mechanism remains unclear. This study was designed to investigate the molecular mechanism of BBR against insulin resistance. […] Our results suggest that BBR is a unique natural medicine against insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome.(3)

    Berberine to reduce inflammation?

    “The anti-inflammatory potential of berberine in vitro and in vivo.” was published in The Cancer Letter in 2004 and states in part:

    Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid, has a wide range of pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammation […] (4)

    And Berberine as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial? The drug companies wish they could offer something as safe and effective as this supplement…

    A paper titled “Effect of berberine on Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm formation” published in 2009 in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents says:

    berberine at a concentration of 15-30mug/mL was shown to inhibit bacterial metabolism. Data from this study also indicated that modest concentrations of berberine (30-45mug/mL) were sufficient to exhibit an antibacterial effect and to inhibit biofilm formation significantly (5)

    So, it’s effective against bacteria… but how about viruses? It turns out that maybe Big Pharma is barking up the wrong tree with their “flu vaccines”…

    An article titled “Inhibition of H1N1 influenza A virus growth and induction of inflammatory mediators by the isoquinoline alkaloid berberine and extracts of goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)” [Note: goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) is another name for berberine] published in International Immunopharmacology, November 2011 states:

    We found strong effectiveness at high concentrations, although upon dilution extracts were somewhat less effective than purified berberine. Taken together, our results suggest that berberine may indeed be useful for the treatment of infections with influenza A. (6)

    What about the cardiovascular actions of berberine? Well, here is a paper that is oddly enough titled “Cardiovascular actions of berberine” that was published in the fall 2001 issue of Cardiovascular Drug Review that says, in part:

    The cardiovascular effects of berberine suggest its possible clinical usefulness in the treatment of arrhythmias and/or heart failure. (7)

    Can berberine really treat fatty liver disease? The Chinese are very interested, and published the following article in 2011: “Research on therapeutic effect and hemorrheology change of berberine in new diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes combining nonalcoholic fatty liver disease” in which the authors conclude:

    Berberine can obviously improve the conditions of new diagnostic T2DM [type II diabetes] patients with non alcoholic liver lesions, effectively reduce hemorrheology indicators, and has good application prospect. (8)

    Am I going to make claims that berberine can treat a wide variety of cancers? No, I’ll let the researchers do that…

    The article “The natural alkaloid berberine targets multiple pathways to induce cell death in cultured human colon cancer cells” in the European Journal of Pharmacology, August 2012 says:

    The results of the current study demonstrated that berberine has the ability to cause cell cycle arrest, induce apoptosis and inhibit inflammation in colon cancer cells. The magnitude of the effects observed suggests that berberine may be worth considering for further studies of its potential applications for improving health, either as a preventative or a potential treatment. (9)

    The journal Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology in July 2006  published an article titled “Inhibitory effect of berberine on the invasion of human lung cancer cells via decreased productions of urokinase-plasminogen activator and matrix metalloproteinase-2” that reported:

    These findings suggest that berberine possesses an anti-metastatic effect in non-small lung cancer cell and may, therefore, be helpful in clinical treatment. (10)

    “Berberine-induced growth inhibition of epithelial ovarian carcinoma cell lines” was the article in Journal of Obstetrical and Gynaecology Res. in March of 2012 that said:

    Berberine treatment can inhibit proliferation through a cell cycle arrest in OVCAR-3 and SKOV-3 cells. Thus, berberine may be a novel anticancer drug for the treatment of ovarian cancer. (11)

    And another: “Berberine suppresses the TPA-induced MMP-1 and MMP-9 expressions through the inhibition of PKC-α in breast cancer cells” was published in the Journal of Surgical Res. July 2012 edition and states:

    The TPA-induced PKC-α phosphorylation is suppressed and then the MMP-1 and MMP-9 expressions are also inhibited by berberine. Therefore, we suggest that berberine may be used as a candidate drug for the inhibition of metastasis of human breast cancer. (12)

    Sounds like there is some good evidence of anti-cancer effects in those studies…

    Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) responds well to berberine too – as is shown in this January 2012 article in the European Journal of Endocrinology titled “A clinical study on the short-term effect of berberine in comparison to metformin on the metabolic characteristics of women with polycystic ovary syndrome”

    Berberine (BBR) is an isoquinoline derivative alkaloid extracted from Chinese medicinal herbs that has been used as an insulin sensitizer. BBR may have a potential therapeutic value for PCOS. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of BBR in comparison to metformin (MET) on the metabolic features of women with PCOS. […] Intake of BBR improved some of the metabolic and hormonal derangements in a group of treated Chinese women with PCOS. Main effects could be related to the changes in body composition in obesity and dyslipidemia. (13)

    Can berberine really protect the kidneys of diabetics from diabetes-induced damage? An awful lot of lab rats seem to think so – there are a number of studies that have been done that show a powerful protective, even healing effect on the kidneys of lab rats that have been damaged by diabetes. One such study was published in the June 2012 issue of Phytomedicine titled “Ameliorative effect of berberine on renal damage in rats with diabetes induced by high-fat diet and streptozotocin” and says:

    The results revealed that berberine significantly decreased fasting blood glucose, insulin levels, total cholesterol, triglyceride levels, urinary protein excretion, serum creatinine (Scr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in diabetic rats. The histological examinations revealed amelioration of diabetes-induced glomerular pathological changes following treatment with berberine. In addition, the protein expressions of nephrin and podocin were significantly increased. It seems likely that in rats berberine exerts an ameliorative effect on renal damage in diabetes induced by high-fat diet and streptozotocin. The possible mechanisms for the renoprotective effects of berberine may be related to inhibition of glycosylation and improvement of antioxidation that in turn upregulate the expressions of renal nephrin and podocin. (14)

    Berberine really protects against the brain damage of a stroke? These researchers think so, and they presented their findings in the December 2008 issue of the Neuroscience Letter in the article titled: “Neuroprotective effects of berberine on stroke models in vitro and in vivo”:

    We found that berberine improved neurological outcome and reduced ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced cerebral infarction 48h after MCAO. The protective effect of berberine was confirmed in in vitro study. Berberine protected PC12 cells against oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-induced injury. The results showed that berberine inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and subsequent release of pro-apoptotic factor cytochrome c and apoptosis-inducing factors (AIFs) evoked by OGD. Findings of this study suggest that berberine protects against ischemic brain injury by decreasing the intracellular ROS level and subsequently inhibiting mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. (15)

    There is evidence that berberine can help to prevent the formation of cataracts in diabetics. A 2002 report in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry revealed that berberine is an aldose reductase inhibitor.

    …berberines and palmatines may be useful as lead compounds and new agents for aldose reductase inhibition. (16)

    Aldose reductase plays a role in diabetic cataract formation, and inhibition helps prevent cataract formation.

    Inhibition of aldose reductase could significantly prevent progression of existing cataracts. (17)

    And finally, surely nothing but grunting, sweating exercise can produce the beneficial effects of exercise in the body, right? Well, that may not be entirely true – it looks like berberine might just be able to have some of those same beneficial effects. In a December 2012 article titled “Clinical Applications for Berberine” Dr. Jacon Schor states:

    Berberine activates AMPK in a manner similar to how exercise stimulates increased strength and weight loss. Thus, any condition that would be favorably impacted by a patient losing weight and/or exercising more may be impacted favorably by oral berberine supplementation. It makes sense to consider using berberine in patients with insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, heart disease, dyslipidemia, cancer, depression, and other neuropsychiatric diseases. (18)

    So, is berberine “the defining miracle of the 21st century”? Maybe not. But is sure is looking like an effective and safe “Swiss Army Knife” for treating a wide variety of medical conditions. What has been presented here is only a tiny sampling of the research available on this amazing substance!

    Dr. Myatt recognized the value of berberine a very long time ago, and she makes a high potency, pharmaceutical grade berberine available to her patients – and to you. Find Berberine + Ultra here.

     

    References

    1) Hu Y, Ehli EA, Kittelsrud J, Ronan PJ, Munger K, Downey T, Bohlen K, Callahan L, Munson V, Jahnke M, Marshall LL, Nelson K, Huizenga P, Hansen R, Soundy TJ, Davies GE. Lipid-lowering effect of berberine in human subjects and rats. Phytomedicine. 2012 Jul 15;19(10):861-7. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2012.05.009. Epub 2012 Jun 26. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22739410

    2) Jun Yin, Huili Xing, and Jianping Yeb. Efficacy of Berberine in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. Metabolism. 2008 May; 57(5): 712–717. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2410097/

    3) Kong WJ, Zhang H, Song DQ, Xue R, Zhao W, Wei J, Wang YM, Shan N, Zhou ZX, Yang P, You XF, Li ZR, Si SY, Zhao LX, Pan HN, Jiang JD. Berberine reduces insulin resistance through protein kinase C-dependent up-regulation of insulin receptor expression. Metabolism. 2009 Jan;58(1):109-19. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19059538

    4) Kuo CL, Chi CW, Liu TY. The anti-inflammatory potential of berberine in vitro and in vivo. Cancer Lett. 2004 Jan 20;203(2):127-37. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14732220

    5) Wang X, Yao X, Zhu Z, Tang T, Dai K, Sadovskaya I, Flahaut S, Jabbouri S. Effect of berberine on Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm formation. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2009 Jul;34(1):60-6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19157797

    6) Cecil CE, Davis JM, Cech NB, Laster SM. Inhibition of H1N1 influenza A virus growth and induction of inflammatory mediators by the isoquinoline alkaloid berberine and extracts of goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis). Int Immunopharmacol. 2011 Nov;11(11):1706-14. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21683808

    7) Lau CW, Yao XQ, Chen ZY, Ko WH, Huang Y. Cardiovascular actions of berberine. Cardiovasc Drug Rev. 2001 Fall;19(3):234-44. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11607041

    8.) Xie X, Meng X, Zhou X, Shu X, Kong H. [Research on therapeutic effect and hemorrheology change of berberine in new diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes combining nonalcoholic fatty liver disease]. [Article in Chinese] Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2011 Nov;36(21):3032-5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22308697

    9) Chidambara Murthy KN, Jayaprakasha GK, Patil BS. The natural alkaloid berberine targets multiple pathways to induce cell death in cultured human colon cancer cells. Eur J Pharmacol. 2012 Aug 5;688(1-3):14-21. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22617025

    10) Peng PL, Hsieh YS, Wang CJ, Hsu JL, Chou FP. Inhibitory effect of berberine on the invasion of human lung cancer cells via decreased productions of urokinase-plasminogen activator and matrix metalloproteinase-2. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2006 Jul 1;214(1):8-15. Epub 2006 Jan 4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16387334

    11) Park KS, Kim JB, Lee SJ, Bae J. Berberine-induced growth inhibition of epithelial ovarian carcinoma cell lines. J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2012 Mar;38(3):535-40. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22381105

    12) Kim S, Han J, Lee SK, Choi MY, Kim J, Lee J, Jung SP, Kim JS, Kim JH, Choe JH, Lee JE, Nam SJ. Berberine suppresses the TPA-induced MMP-1 and MMP-9 expressions through the inhibition of PKC-α in breast cancer cells. J Surg Res. 2012 Jul;176(1):e21-9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22381172

    13) Wei W, Zhao H, Wang A, Sui M, Liang K, Deng H, Ma Y, Zhang Y, Zhang H, Guan Y. A clinical study on the short-term effect of berberine in comparison to metformin on the metabolic characteristics of women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Eur J Endocrinol. 2012 Jan;166(1):99-105 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22019891

    14) Wu D, Wen W, Qi CL, Zhao RX, Lü JH, Zhong CY, Chen YY. Ameliorative effect of berberine on renal damage in rats with diabetes induced by high-fat diet and streptozotocin. Phytomedicine. 2012 Jun 15;19(8-9):712-8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22483555

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  • The Career Choice

    The sturdy, practical country preacher had a teenage son, and he felt it was getting time the boy should give some thought to choosing a profession.

    Like many young men his age, the boy didn’t really know what he wanted to do, and he didn’t seem too concerned about it.

    One day, while the boy was away at school, his preacher decided to try an experiment.

    He went into the boy’s room and placed on his study table four objects:

    • A Bible
    • A silver dollar
    • A bottle of whiskey
    • And a Playboy magazine

    I’ll just hide behind the door, the preacher said to himself. When he comes home from school today, I’ll see which object he picks up.

    If it’s the Bible, he’s going to be a preacher like me, and what a blessing that would be!

    If he picks up the dollar, he’s going to be a business man, and that would be okay, too.

    If he picks up the bottle, he’s going to be a no-good drunken bum, and Lord, what a shame that would be.

    But worst of all, if he picks up that magazine he’s going to be a pervert.

    The old man waited anxiously, and soon heard his son’s footsteps as he entered the house whistling and headed for his room.

    The boy tossed his books on the bed, and as he turned to leave the room he spotted the objects on the table.

    With curiosity in his eye, he walked over to inspect them.

    Finally, he picked up the Bible and placed it under his arm. He picked up the silver dollar and dropped it into his pocket. He uncorked the whisky bottle and took a big drink, while he admired the Playboy magazine’s centerfold.

    Lord have mercy, the old preacher disgustedly whispered.

    He is going to be a politician.