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Author: Wellness Club

  • Nine Simple Steps To Rejuvenate Your Heart

    Nine Simple Steps To Rejuvenate Your Heart

     

    By Dr. Dana Myatt

     

    Heart-Healthy Protocol Rejuvenates Youthful Function

     

    Do you recall a time when you were younger and had absolutely no worries about your heart? After all, it’s not nearly so common for a person in their 20’s or 30’s to suffer from heart disease, and you probably knew that. Your life wasn’t focused around living close to a hospital, curtailing physical activity because of fear, or even thinking at all about your heart, which just ticked along perfectly from day to day, week to week, and year to year.

    Would you like to return to that liberated, confident feeling, knowing that your heart is healthy and immune to problems, and enjoying the physical and emotional freedom that dependable heart function brings?

    Why not give yourself the gift of heart-confidence by following these simple, proven, protective measures that can lower your risk of heart disease to that of a 20-year-old? Your heart is a very forgiving organ and can be rejuvenated. Here’s how:

    1. Stop smoking. Smoking is one of the single biggest causes of heart disease. If you need a good reason to quit, dramatically lowering your risk of heart disease might be the impetus you need.
    2. Eat a heart-healthy diet. High carbohydrate diets lead to overweight and high blood sugar levels, and very often, to diabetes. As you continue to read this list, you’ll see that these factors are each independent risk factors for heart disease. A VLC diet (Very Low Carbohydrate diet), high in Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids, is the fastest, surest way to lower insulin and blood sugar levels, lose weight, decrease inflammation and slash heart disease risk at least four-fold. Diets higher in “good fats” (NOT low-fat diets!) and low in carbs have proven to be the heart-healthiest.
    3. Get optimal doses of heart-healthy nutrients. Certain nutrients are essential to healthy heart function and are often missing in the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.). Nutrients needed by the heart include:
      • B complex vitamins, needed for normal nerve function and homocysteine levels.
      • magnesium, the relaxing, anti-arrhythmic mineral that is absolutely necessary for normal heart function. Unfortunately, magnesium is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in the SAD diet.
      • antioxidant nutrients (especially vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene). Studies have shown that people with higher blood levels of antioxidants have a lower incidence of heart disease. Among people who have a heart attack, higher levels of antioxidants decrease free radical formation and reduce heart damage.
      • chromium helps stabilize and lower blood sugar levels, thereby lowering sugar-associated heart disease risk.
      • Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oils) are so well-known to decrease inflammation and heart arrhythmias that the FDA now allows label claims for fish oil. We now also have an over-the-top expensive prescription fish oil for heart patients (many of whom would have less stress on their hearts if they bought fish oil for $20 instead of $200!).
      • soluble fiber helps keep blood fats, including cholesterol, at a happy level, although high cholesterol is not the big heart disease risk factor it has been portrayed as.
    4. Increase physical activity. If you don’t use it, you lose it. Make your heart work harder than getting up from your easy chair and going to the refrigerator once in a while. This doesn’t mean you need to train for a marathon. As little as ten minutes of brisk walking per day, especially if this is more than you currently do, will improve heart function.
    5. Lower body-wide inflammation. Subtle inflammation, as measured by an hs-CRP test (“highly sensitive C-Reactive Protein”, a simple blood test), is a more sensitive measure of heart disease risk than cholesterol or other elevated blood fats. This type of inflammation, which is often so minor that you may not feel it but which irritates the blood vessel lining and sets the atherosclerotic process in motion, can be corrected by simple diet changes, nutritional supplements and anti-inflammatory herbs. Decreasing inflammation also lowers your risk of cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s and other “age related” diseases.
    6. Lower your blood pressure naturally. There’s a lot of evidence that higher blood pressures (especially systolic B.P.’s consistently over 140) are associated with higher risk of heart disease. Interestingly (at least to this physician!), there are a number of big, long-range studies which show NO BENEFIT to lowering B.P. with drugs. People with “normal” blood pressures who were only “normal” because of medications are still at significantly higher risk of heart disease. As naturopathic as this conclusion sounds, these studies point to the fact that lowering blood pressure naturally, by correcting the cause of the elevation, is life-saving where chemical control is not.
    7. Curb depression, anxiety and stress. The emotional factor doesn’t get much “press” or discussion in the cardiologists office, but there are numerous studies showing that negative emotional states increase subtle inflammation. Possibly because depression and stress (or more accurately described as our reaction to stress) increase inflammation, these emotional states are associated with higher risk of heart disease and poorer prognosis in people with already-existing heart disease or who are recovering from heart surgery. If you suffer from depression, be sure to get help. And remember that depression isn’t caused by a Prozac deficiency!
    8. Lower high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels, high insulin levels or outright type II diabetes are major risk factors for heart disease. The pitiful part of this connection is that type II diabetes is completely curable through diet alone, usually in under three months. Sadly, I find that many diabetics would rather live with the risk (and worry about their risks), rather than make a few healthy diet changes that would erase this major danger. Go figure.
    9. Achieve and maintain a normal weight. Overweight increases subtle inflammation, which as you should know by now (if you’ve been paying attention!) is an important risk factor for not only heart disease but also cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s and more. When an overweight person loses weight, their hs-CRP (inflammatory marker) also comes down, corresponding to a lower heart disease risk. Of course, the low-carb, high Omega-3 fat diet that lowers blood sugar and corrects diabetes also leads to weight loss, making it easy to correct several problems at once through diet changes alone.

    These same measures that dramatically lower your risk of heart disease also increase natural immunity, slash your risk of cancer, diabetes, arthritis, depression, Alzheimer’s and senile dementia and a host of other diseases that we fall prey to with age. Even at advanced age or stages of disease, much improvement and protection is possible (in other words, you can reclaim a lot of healthy ground), by turning a few habits around in a healthier direction.

  • 7 Simple Ways to Decrease Your Cancer Risk

    By Dr. Dana Myatt

     

    7 Simple Ways to Decrease Your Cancer Risk

     

    Modern medical science knows a lot about the causes of cancer — much more, in fact, than we know about its cure. “Carcinogens,” or factors that cause cancer, abound in our environment. Avoiding them is one way to prevent cancer. Other factors are protective, helping shield us from getting cancer.

    Here are seven simple steps you can take to greatly reduce your cancer risk.

    1. Take a hike. Even modest amounts of weekly activity have been associated with decreased risk of breast, colon, prostate, kidney, esophageal and perhaps other types of cancers. So get out those walking shoes and take a brisk walk — or any other form of your favorite activity that gets your blood pumping — for at least 30 minutes, three times a week.
    2. Spice up your life. Many common spices have proven anti-cancer benefits. Liberal use of herbs and spices, especially turmeric, garlic and onions, cayenne pepper, ginger, caraway, orange and lemon zest (grated orange or lemon peel), basil, rosemary and mint will not only add more flavor to food, but also help keep cancer away.
    3. Let the sun shine in. Rates of skin cancer (malignant melanoma) are rising 7% per years in the U.S. Yet for thousands of years “B.S.” (before sunscreen), skin cancer was not a major problem. Skin cancers are NOT caused by moderate sun exposure. In fact, the vitamin D created in our bodies in response to sunlight is highly cancer-protective. For those who have trouble getting sufficient sunlight to manufacture a healthy dose of vitamin D (about 12 minutes of sunlight per day), vitamin D supplements appear to be nearly as protective. The recommended supplemental dose is 2,000-3,000IU of vitamin D3 per day.
    4. Kick butt. That’s right, don’t smoke (or chew) tobacco. Tobacco smoke (cigarettes, cigars, pipes) is associated with a LONG list of cancers, including oral cavity/pharynx, larynx, esophagus, bladder, bowel, stomach, pancreatic, cervical and uterine cancer — oh yes, and lung cancer. (See Smoking: Just the Facts on the Wellness Club website for a complete list of problems caused by exposure to tobacco smoke). Tobacco in any form (smoked, chewed) is a proven risk factor for cancer. Even second-hand smoke appears to increase risk of some cancers. Kick butt while the kickin’ is good.
    5. Stay “lean and keen.” Maintain a normal weight. Statistics released April 2003 by the American Cancer Society estimate that at least 90,000 cancer deaths annually are attributable to overweight and obesity. Cancers known to be associated with increased body (fat) weight include: breast, prostate, colon, endometrial, and multiple myeloma.
    6. Don’t over-expose yourself. (Avoid environmental exposure to carcinogens).

      Environmental exposure: cancer-causing agents are all around us; most are man-made but some are naturally occurring. Evaluate your surroundings for these known cancer-causing substances:

      A.) Radon: a naturally occurring, odorless gas that comes out of the ground and can infiltrate a house through the basement. If you have a basement in your home, inexpensive tests will tell you if your level is above 4 picocuries per liter (the minimum safe level). Correction is as easy as ensuring adequate ventilation. Radon causes lung cancer.

      B.) Asbestos: Homes built before 1980 may have asbestos insulation. Either leave it alone or have it removed by a qualified contractor. Asbestos causes lung cancer.

      C.) Workplace hazards: If you work with chemicals, including construction materials (paints, thinners, etc.), be sure to wear protective masks, gloves and other clothing. If you are unsure of your exposure, find out what chemicals you are handling and take appropriate precautions.

      D.) Water. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: water is a common source of carcinogens and other disease-causing contaminants. Check your water report yearly. If you use city-supplied water, ask for a water report that will be provided for free. If you use well water, have your water tested annually. Go to www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/sco.html to find a local lab for water testing. Read more about healthy water here.

      E.) Cosmetics: from shampoo to deodorant to face powder, cosmetics contain a wide array of cancer-causing substances. Even BABY SHAMPOOS and creams contain known carcinogens! Evaluate your cosmetic ingredients at this link: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

      F.) Minimize “food hazards,” including antibiotics and hormones in meat and dairy (organic is preferred). “Buy organic” for those fruits and vegetables on “The Dirty Dozen” list (produce that is highest in insecticides, herbicides and other carcinogenic chemicals). Review THE DIRTY DOZEN fruits and vegetables here: http://www.foodnews.org

    7. Eat “Super Foods.” Some foods are healthy, but others are super-healthy. Vegetables including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, onion and garlic contain potent anti-cancer substances. Pacific (wild) salmon and flax seed (and oil) are high in Omega-3 fatty acids. Flax seed also contains an anti-cancer form of fiber called lignin. Concentrated tomato products are high in lycopene, a protective carotene. Add these foods to your daily “must have” list of cancer prevention foods.

    Estimates suggest that 70-90% of all cancers are preventable by making these few lifestyle changes and taking simple precautions.

    References

    Exercise:
    * Physical activity in the prevention of cancer. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2006 Jan-Mar;7(1):11-21.
    * Weight control and physical activity in cancer prevention: international evaluation of the evidence.Eur J Cancer Prev. 2002 Aug;11 Suppl 2:S94-100.
    * Physical activity and cancer: lessons learned from nutritional epidemiology.Nutr Rev.2001 Nov;59(11):349-57.
    * Health benefits of physical activity: the evidence.CMAJ. 2006 Mar 14;174(6):801-9.
    * Associations between physical activity and susceptibility to cancer: possible mechanisms.Sports Med. 1998 Nov;26(5):293-315.
    *Physical activity and cancer etiology: associations and mechanisms. Cancer Causes Control. 1998 Oct;9(5):487-509.
    * Lifetime physical activity and prostate cancer risk.Int J Cancer. 2005 Apr 20;114(4):639-42.
    * Long-term recreational physical activity and risk of invasive and in situ breast cancer: the California teachers study. Arch Intern Med. 2007 Feb 26;167(4):408-15.
    * Exercise and colon cancer: primary and secondary prevention. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2007 Apr;6(2):120-4. Links

    Spices:
    * Botanicals in cancer chemoprevention. Cancer Metastasis Rev. 2002;21(3-4):231-55.
    * Curcumin inhibits human colon cancer cell growth by suppressing gene expression of epidermal growth factor receptor through reducing the activity of the transcription factor Egr-1. Oncogene. 2006 Jan 12;25(2):278-87.
    * Mechanisms of curcumin- and EGF-receptor related protein (ERRP)-dependent growth inhibition of colon cancer cells.Nutr Cancer. 2006;55(2):185-94.
    * Multiple molecular targets in cancer chemoprevention by curcumin. AAPS J. 2006 Jul 7;8(3):E443-9.
    * Chemopreventive properties of curcumin. Future Oncol. 2005 Jun;1(3):405-14.
    * Garlic-derived organosulfides induce cytotoxicity, apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and oxidative stress in human colon carcinoma cell lines. Neoplasma. 2006;53(3):191-9.
    * Differential effects of allyl sulfides from garlic essential oil on cell cycle regulation in human liver tumor cells. Food Chem Toxicol. 2004 Dec;42(12):1937-47.
    * Cancer chemoprevention with garlic and its constituents.Cancer Lett. 2007 Mar 18;247(2):167-81. Epub 2006 Jun 21.
    * Garlic – A Natural Source of Cancer Preventive Compounds. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2002;3(4):305-311.
    * Capsaicin inhibits growth of adult T-cell leukemia cells. Leuk Res. 2003 Mar;27(3):275-83.
    * Chemoprotective effects of capsaicin and diallyl sulfide against mutagenesis or tumorigenesis by vinyl carbamate and N-nitrosodimethylamine. Carcinogenesis. 1995 Oct;16(10):2467-71.
    * Chemoprotective properties of some pungent ingredients present in red pepper and ginger. Mutat Res. 1998 Jun 18;402(1-2):259-67.
    * Anti-tumor-promoting activities of selected pungent phenolic substances present in ginger. J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol. 1999;18(2):131-9.
    * Chemopreventive efficacy of ginger, a naturally occurring anticarcinogen during the initiation, post-initiation stages of 1,2 dimethylhydrazine-induced colon cancer. Clin Chim Acta. 2005 Aug;358(1-2):60-7.
    * Effect of dietary caraway (Carum carvi L.) on aberrant crypt foci development, fecal steroids, and intestinal alkaline phosphatase activities in 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced colon carcinogenesis. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2006 Aug 1;214(3):290-6. Epub 2006 Feb 17.
    * Prevention and therapy of cancer by dietary monoterpenes. J Nutr. 1999 Mar;129(3):775S-778S.
    * Citrus peel use is associated with reduced risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. Nutr Cancer. 2000;37(2):161-8.
    * Chemoprevention and therapy of cancer by d-limonene. Crit Rev Oncog. 1994;5(1):1-22.
    * Chemomodulatory efficacy of basil leaf (Ocimum basilicum) on drug metabolizing and antioxidant enzymes, and on carcinogen-induced skin and forestomach papillomagenesis. Phytomedicine. 2004 Feb;11(2-3):139-51.
    * Anticancer and radioprotective potentials of Mentha piperita. Biofactors. 2004;22(1-4):87-91.

    Sunshine (vit D)
    *Moan, J. & Dahlback, A. The relationship between skin cancers, solar radiation and ozone depletion. British Journal of Cancer, Vol. 65, No. 6, June 1992, pp. 916-21
    *Miller, Dena L. & Weinstock, Martin A. Nonmelanoma skin cancer in the United States: incidence. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Vol. 30, No. 5, Pt. 1, May 1994, pp. 774-78
    *Garland, Cedric F., et al. Could sunscreens increase melanoma risk? American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 82, No. 4, April 1992, pp. 614-15
    * Vitamin D status and cancer: new insights. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2007 Jan;10(1):6-11.
    * The epidemiology of vitamin D and colorectal cancer: recent findings. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2006 Jan;22(1):24-9.
    * Vitamin D and prevention of breast cancer: pooled analysis. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2007 Mar;103(3-5):708-11.
    * Cancer chemoprevention using natural vitamin D and synthetic analogs. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol. 2001;41:421-42.
    * Vitamin D and vitamin D analogs as cancer chemopreventive agents. Nutr Rev. 2003 Jul;61(7):227-38.
    * Vitamin D and reduced risk of breast cancer: a population-based case-control study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007 Mar;16(3):422-9.

    Smoking
    * Cigar smoking in men and risk of death from tobacco-related cancers. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2000 Feb 16;92(4):333-7.
    * Cigarette smoking and bladder cancer in men: a pooled analysis of 11 case-control studies. Int J Cancer. 2000 Apr 15;86(2):289-94.
    * Cigarette smoking, use of other tobacco products and stomach cancer mortality in US adults: The Cancer Prevention Study II. Int J Cancer. 2002 Oct 1;101(4):380-9.
    * Cigarette smoking and colorectal cancer mortality in the cancer prevention study II. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2000 Dec 6;92(23):1888-96.
    * Smokeless and other noncigarette tobacco use and pancreatic cancer: a case-control study based on direct interviews.Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2004 Jan;13(1):55-8.
    * Lung cancer among cigar and pipe smokers.Prev Med. 1988 Jan;17(1):116-28.
    * Risk of bladder cancer by source and type of tobacco exposure: a case-control study. Int J Cancer. 1989 Oct 15;44(4):622-8.
    * Tobacco use in relation to renal cell carcinoma. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 1998 May;7(5):429-33.
    * Cigarette smoking and cervical cancer: Part I: a meta-analysis.Biomed Pharmacother. 2003 Mar;57(2):67-77.
    * Passive cigarette smoking is a risk factor in cervical neoplasia. Gynecol Oncol. 2004 Apr;93(1):116-20.
    * Can the number of cigarettes smoked predict high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia among women with mildly abnormal cervical smears? Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1998 Aug;179(2):399-402.
    * Active and passive cigarette smoking and the risk of cervical neoplasia. Obstet Gynecol. 2005 Jan;105(1):174-81.
    * The fragile histidine triad gene: a molecular link between cigarette smoking and cervical cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2005 Aug 15;11(16):5756-63.

    Weight:
    * Epidemiology and pathophysiology of obesity as cause of cancer.Swiss Med Wkly. 2007 Jan 27;137(3-4):50-6.
    * Obesity and cancer. Oncogene. 2004 Aug 23;23(38):6365-78.Summary: colon, female breast (postmenopausal), endometrium, kidney (renal cell), and esophagus (adenocarcinoma).
    * Overweight as an avoidable cause of cancer in Europe. Int J Cancer. 2001 Feb 1;91(3):421-30.
    * Risk factors for breast cancer in elderly women.Am J Epidemiol. 2004 Nov 1;160(9):868-75.
    * Anthropometric characteristics and risk of multiple myeloma. Epidemiology. 2005 Sep;16(5):691-4.
    * Obesity, adipokines, and prostate cancer (review). Int J Oncol. 2006 Mar;28(3):737-45.
    * Obesity and colorectal cancer: epidemiology, mechanisms and candidate genes. J Nutr Biochem. 2006 Mar;17(3):145-56. Epub 2005 Oct 27.
    * Association of incident carcinoma of the endometrium with body weight and fat distribution in older women: early findings of the Iowa Women’s Health Study.Cancer Res. 1989 Dec 1;49(23):6828-31.
    * Body size and breast cancer risk: findings from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer And Nutrition (EPIC).Int J Cancer. 2004 Sep 20;111(5):762-71.

    Environmental Toxins
    * Lung cancer risk associated to exposure to radon and smoking in a case-control study of French uranium miners.Health Phys. 2007 Apr;92(4):371-8.
    * Asbestos-related lung disease. Am Fam Physician. 2007 Mar 1;75(5):683-8.
    * Worker exposure and health risks from volatile organic compounds utilized in the paint manufacturing industry of Kenya. Appl Occup Environ Hyg. 2001 Nov;16(11):1035-42.
    * Drinking water and cancer incidence in Iowa. III. Association of cancer with indices of contamination. Am J Epidemiol. 1985 Jun;121(6):856-69.
    * Tetrachloroethylene-contaminated drinking water in Massachusetts and the risk of colon-rectum, lung, and other cancers. Environ Health Perspect. 1999 Apr;107(4):265-71.
    * EWG’s interactive product safety guide to find cosmetics free of cancer-causing impurities.
    * From Campaign for Safe Cosmetics – Read about Dr. David Steinman’s new product tests for a cancer-causing impurity [PDF] called 1,4-dioxane, including tests of children’s products.
    * Branched fatty acids in dairy and beef products markedly enhance alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase expression in prostate cancer cells in vitro. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2003 Aug;12(8):775-83.
    * Estrogen: one of the risk factors in milk for prostate cancer. Med Hypotheses. 2004;62(1):133-42.
    * The possible role of female sex hormones in milk from pregnant cows in the development of breast, ovarian and corpus uteri cancers. Med Hypotheses. 2005;65(6):1028-37. Epub 2005 Aug 24.
    * Diet and cancer prevention: where we are, where we are going. Nutr Cancer. 2006;56(2):225-31.
    * Dietary isothiocyanate iberin inhibits growth and induces apoptosis in human glioblastoma cells. J Pharmacol Sci. 2007 Feb;103(2):247-51.
    * Tea and lycopene protect against prostate cancer. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007;16 Suppl 1:453-7.
    * A prospective study of dietary flavonoid intake and incidence of epithelial ovarian cancer. Int J Cancer. 2007 Apr 30; [Epub ahead of print].
    * Nutrition and cancer: the current epidemiological evidence. Br J Nutr. 2006 Aug;96 Suppl 1:S42-5.

  • Common Pain Pills Linked To Deadly Heart Rhythm Problem

    Dying For Pain Relief?

     

    By Nurse Mark

     

    Common pain medications, both prescription and O.T.C., have been linked to Atrial fibrillation – a potentially deadly condition that can result in heart failure and strokes.

    These drugs include such common Over-The-Counter (O.T.C) favorites as Advil, Motrin, and Aleve – drugs that Americans like to pop like candy at the least sign of any discomfort.

    Here is an excerpt from a recent article in the on-line conventional medical resource WebMD:

    Widely used anti-inflammatory pain relievers may increase the risk of atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm disorder associated with stroke and heart failure.

    In a newly published study from Denmark, use of non-selective, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and Cox-2 inhibitors was associated with a significantly increased risk for atrial fibrillation.

    Non-selective NSAIDs include the active ingredients in drugs such as Advil, Motrin and Aleve, and Naprosyn. The prescription drug Celebrex is a Cox-2 inhibitor. The researchers also included older Cox-2 inhibitor drugs such as diclofenac (Voltaren), etodolac (Lodine), and meloxicam (Mobic).

     

    We have said it before and we’ll say it again: we are not entirely opposed to the use of pharmaceutical drugs – we simply suggest that they be reserved for times of true need and even then they should be used wisely and sparingly.

    The NSAIDs have, in addition to this recent warning about atrial fibrillation, other serious potential side effects – the most important of which are renal (kidney) damage and gastrointestinal (stomach) damage.

    The other perennial favorite NSAID, aceteminophen (Tylenol) has been shown to be very damaging to the liver.

    Even lowly acetylsalicylic acid, commonly known as “ASA” or “Aspirin”, has it’s share of potentially serious side effects ranging from excessive blood thinning and bruising to gastric erosion and even tinitis (ringing in the ears) if taken in high doses.

    What are the alternatives? Must we suffer in pain if we don’t want to suffer the serious side effects that these drugs can cause? Of course not!

    Save the “heavy hitters”, the Big Pharma “Big Guns” for when they are really needed – when nothing else seems to do.

    For everyday use you might consider Bromelain:  Since it was introduced as a medicinal agent in 1957, more than 200 scientific papers on bromelain’s medicinal uses have appeared in the medical literature. Bromelain is one of the most well-studied anti-inflammatory herbs known. Unless an individual is allergic to pineapple (in which case, don’t use bromelain!) the safety profile of this herb is excellent. Of all the anti-inflammatory substances available (including drugs), bromelain is the one we recommend first.

    As an added “bonus” bromelain can help to not only reduce discomfort and inflammation it also can aid in the healing process. Bromelain has no direct immune or antimicrobial effects. Instead, it acts to increase the effect of other immune cells by dissolving the mucous coat that bacteria use to “shield” themselves from the immune system. Some studies have shown it to be as effective as antibiotics for treatment of pneumonia, bronchitis, sinusitis and dental, skin and kidney infection.

    Bromelain also helps to resolve bruising and helps to normalize blood viscosity.

    Learn more about this amazing plant substance here: Bromelain

    “But I have serious pain” you say – like from arthritis – and the drugs like Vioxx and Bextra worked wonders for your pain until their dangers became clear and they were removed from the market before they killed any more users. “What can I do?”

    Dr. Myatt was one of the first to see through the smoke and mirrors of the Big Pharma marketing campaigns for the COX-2 inhibitor drugs and to recognize their very significant risks. She also recognized that while the researchers (and the drug companies, to give them due credit) were on the right track, they were approaching the problem from the wrong direction.

    Instead of simply blocking the cyclooxygenase-II (or COX-2) enzyme, she reasoned, why not support healthy function of the entire cyclooxygenase-I and cyclooxygenase-II chain of prostaglandins and their receptors?

    Dr. Myatt went to work and came up with a natural, herbal formulation we call COX-2 Support that has been getting rave reviews from our patients and customers. COX-2 Support combines potent natural anti-inflammatory herbs in therapeutic doses to offer a safe, natural and effective alternative to dangerous COX-2 drugs.

    People with the pain of arthritis, athletes with pain and inflammation from over-use, folks with aches and pains from injury or hard physical labor – all are benefiting from this formulation:

    • Turmeric, the bright yellow spice herb, has been shown to be a natural COX-2 inhibitor, and drug companies are rushing to develop synthetic alternatives.
    • Bromelain, the digestive enzyme from pineapple, is one of the most well-studied anti-inflammatory herbs of all time.
    • Ginger inhibits COX-1 enzymes and prevents blood clotting more effectively than aspirin.
    • Boswellia, also known “Indian frankincense,” has been used traditionally for centuries as an anti-inflammatory agent.
    • White willow bark is the source of natural salicin (aspirin).
    • Phellodendron is a natural COX-2 inhibitor, found to be helpful in the management and potential treatment of inflammatory diseases. Phellodendron has been used for centuries in Chinese Medicine.

    Most people notice a reduction in their pain and inflammation in as little as one or two doses, while others may find that it will take a day or two of regular use to achieve good relief. Some HealthBeat News readers may know that I am still an enthusiastic runner in my mid-50’s, and sometimes I overdo it. Usually one or two doses of COX-2 Support will give me excellent relief and I’ll keep using it for several days or longer since the herbs have such great supportive and healing properties.

    Learn more about COX-2 Support here.

  • Dr. Myatt’s Wellness Club Forced Out Of Business?

    Will New FDA Rules Force Dietary Supplement Makers And Sellers Out Of Business?

     

    Legislative and Regulatory News Update by Nurse Mark

     

    July 29 UPDATE:

    You may be forgiven if you feel we are becoming tiresome with continual warnings about these threats to our freedom to choose nutritional supplements – after all, we have been writing about such threats, from one source or another, for almost a decade. If it is not some piece of legislation being proposed by senators or congressmen who are in the pockets of Big Pharma, it is the FDA seeking to expand it’s powers with newly expanded regulations.

    So far your voices have, for the most part, been heard in Washington and the worst of the attempts to crush your freedoms have been turned away.

    You could be forgiven for thinking that it will always be so – that someone’s voice will always be heard.

    But that will only be the case if it is YOUR voice that is heard – you must not ever think that you can relax your vigilance and “let someone else handle this one” – for when you do we will all lose.

    These threats will keep coming up in one form or another, until Big Pharma and the FDA finally get what they want: total control over what you are allowed to choose for your health.

    They are relying on you to grow weary of hearing us tell you about this or that latest threat to your health freedom.

    They are relying on you finally deciding that we have cried “wolf” once too often.

    When you finally get tired of our warnings, when you decide that we are “just crying wolf” they will have won – and we will all lose.

    Please don’t let that happen! Stand firm, remain vigilant, continue to hold their feet to the fore and demand your health freedoms continue to be respected!

    Sincerely,
    Nurse Mark

    New Regulations To Expand FDA Powers:

     

    The FDA is once again up to it’s old tricks, proving just how tightly wedded they are to their masters in Big Pharma. This report is provided to us by Alliance for Natural Health USA –  we provide a brief excerpt here and encourage you to visit their website here for the full article and a link that will allow you to contact the FDA and voice your opinion about these proposed rules.

    Visit the Alliance for Natural Health USA website here: http://www.anh-usa.org/fda-new-sneak-attack-on-supplements/

     

    Just before the July 4 holiday weekend, hoping to limit media attention, the FDA dropped a bomb on dietary supplements. Don’t let them get away with it! A new Action Alert.

    On July 1, the US Food and Drug Administration issued draft guidance for complying with the New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) notification protocols contained in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). Ever since DSHEA was enacted in 1994, supplement manufacturers have had very little guidance on what counts as an NDI and when or how to send an NDI notification. The government has arbitrarily ignored or enforced this section of DSHEA, doing as it liked, without spelling out the rules.

    Why does this matter? Because when you hear New Dietary Ingredient (NDI), substitute “New Supplement” in your mind. What we are dealing with here is whether the supplement industry is allowed to innovate and create new supplements—and if so, under what rules.

    Now, seventeen years after the passage of DSHEA, the FDA has finally come out with draft guidance on NDIs—that is, on new supplements. They had to do this because it was mandated by the recent Food Safety Modernization Act.

    We have reviewed the very complicated new regulations in detail. In the hands of an agency charged with regulating supplements fairly—one not hostile to supplements the way FDA is—they might be made to work. But in the hands of the FDA, which wants everything, supplements and drugs alike, to go through the vastly expensive new drug approval process, we fear the new rules will be used to forbid the development or sale of any new supplements—where “new” means anything after 1994, when DSHEA was passed.

     

    Folks, if these rules are allowed to go into effect you will no longer be able to buy vitamins, minerals, dietary supplements, or even “medicinal spices” like turmeric or cinnamon from anyone – because

    1. No-one in their right mind will jump through the flaming hoops of complex and capricious (not to mention expensive) paperwork that these new rules require, and,
    2. No-one in their right mind will allow themselves to be put into the position of legal and physical risk that comes with the possibility (more like certainty) of making an error in any of this paperwork – or worse, failing to obtain the correct “approval” for something.

    It has become clear that the FDA is an agency out of control – an agency that fancies itself every bit as powerful as the FBI or DEA or even the military – as is evidenced by their eagerness to conduct heavily armed, SWAT-style raids based upon the flimsiest of evidence and the most absurd of regulatory pretenses.

     

    “Did you really think we want those laws observed?” said Dr. Ferris. “We want them to be broken. You’d better get it straight that it’s not a bunch of boy scouts you’re up against… We’re after power and we mean it… There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What’s there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced or objectively interpreted – and you create a nation of law-breakers – and then you cash in on guilt. Now that’s the system, Mr. Reardon, that’s the game, and once you understand it, you’ll be much easier to deal with.”

    (Ayn Rand, ‘Atlas Shrugged’ 1957)

  • Nuclear News Updates

    Nuclear News Updates:

     

    You can run, but you can’t hide – and sticking your head in the sand to pretend that “it won’t happen to me” is no answer either!

     

    Fukushima, the stricken, core-melted-down nuclear disaster now acknowledged to be worse than Chernobyl has faded from the attention of the media – apparently the shenanigans of movie stars and the sordid details of gruesome murder trials are far more important that the health and safety of Americans…

    Still, despite being snubbed by the media Fukushima continues to be a threat to the health and safety of all Americans. And for those who think that all these dire warnings of nuclear danger are thousands of miles from us, we have news for you: we have nuclear problems – disasters in the making – unfolding right here in the USA today.

    Here are some examples:

     

    Los Alamos Nuclear Laboratory – the once-secret laboratory where atomic bombs were developed and where supplies of radioactive materials and waste still reside – is threatened by a massive wildfire. The city of Los Alamos has been evacuated and fires have spread to the property of the nuclear laboratory itself. Our government officials are nervously issuing proclamations that all is well and we have nothing to be concerned about. Yep, I feel better already – thanks!

    Nuclear power plants in Nebraska are at risk at this moment from rising floodwaters: Ft. Calhoun has been seriously threatened by floodwaters and was reportedly operating on diesel generator power because floodwaters  had leaked into the plant and damaged electrical transformers that normally power their safety and control systems. The nearby Cooper Nuclear Power Plant is reportedly in less danger – just as long as the floodwaters don’t rise…

    There are some 104 nuclear reactors scattered across the United States – and who-knows-how-many “other” nuclear facilities, laboratories, secret installations, and what-have-you. Many of the reactors are old, getting tired, and use old and fragile technology in their operating and safety systems. Pipes and cooling tubes are corroded and cracking. Electrical cables are aging and failing. Valves intended to contain radioactive steam are leaking.

    Many of these nuclear plants are a disaster just waiting to happen – what will it take? A flood, An earthquake, a wildfire, a terrorist?

    When the Fukushima disaster first began to unfold we asked people to review the articles that we had written years previously detailing how to protect themselves and their families – articles that had pretty much fallen on deaf ears at the time.

    We have continued to urge our readers to take measures to be prepared to protect themselves and their families.

    Within a week of the first news of the Fukushima disaster supplies of Potassium Iodide were sold out and almost unobtainable in the United States – except at The Wellness Club where we refused to raise our prices as many others did and where we worked day and night with our suppliers to make sure our customers could obtain supplies.

    The dangers from Fukushima have not gone away or even lessened:

    • Within 2 weeks tap water in Tokyo was contaminated with radiation;
    • In little more than 2 weeks after the disaster radioactive iodine particles were being detected in Las Vegas, Nevada.
    • In less than 3 weeks radiation was being detected in as many as 15 major U.S.  cities
    • A scant few days later Iodine 131 was found in drinking water in Philadelphia, Chattanooga, Trenton, and other cities.
    • Within a month of the disaster milk from one coast of the U.S. to the other was found to be contaminated with radiation, including radioactive iodine – And those who have read our previous articles on this subject are well aware of the danger this substance poses to children!
    • Nuclear officials are monitoring the spread of radiation contamination and fallout that they now admit has gone world-wide.

    At The Wellness Club we will continue to make emergency supplies of thyroid-protective Potassium Iodide available as inexpensively as we can. We recommend that every person have available to them enough to protect them in the event of a local disaster. You can obtain emergency packs of Potassium Iodide here: buy just what you need and no more for an emergency supply for one person or many. No phony requirements to purchase “wholesale quantities” or other gimmicks.

    But, there is a better way to protect yourself and your family.

    A thyroid gland that is not deficient in iodine is not at risk for taking up radioactive iodine. Yes, it really is as simple as that – and as complicated, because so many Americans are deficient in this vital mineral.

    How can you know your iodine status?

    Easy – test for it!

    Dr. Myatt offers two iodine tests:

    • A comprehensive Iodine Test, which includes a “spot test” which evaluates current levels of iodine in the body, plus a 24-hour loading test which evaluates whole body sufficiency following a dose of 50mg of iodine. This test now includes bromide, a mineral which can interfere with the absorption of iodine AND give a “false normal” iodine reading.
    • A Iodine urine spot test – An economical alternative to Comprehensive Iodine Testing, this test detects iodine deficiency and provides a baseline to iodine sufficiency and replenishment therapy. This test requires only a bit of urine dried on a test strip – it is fast and easy!

    Use the results of either of these tests to manage your iodine replenishment therapy: it is unwise to supplement large doses of iodine without this knowledge since too much iodine can suppress thyroid function.

    Please read our previous articles on this subject:

    Fukushima – Worse Than Chernobyl?

    Nuclear Disaster Still In The News

    HealthBeat Special – 3/25/2011 – Radiation Fears Not Subsiding

    Iodine For Nuclear Radiation Protection