Magnesium Deficiency In Older Adults May Contribute To Insomnia, Osteoporosis, Diabetes And Heart Disease

According to a recent fact sheet from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), older adults are at increased risk of magnesium deficiency. Factors that contribute to this are decreased Intestinal absorption of magnesium in older people and a greater excretion of it via the kidneys. In addition, the NIH Health and Nutrition Surveys found that older adults have lower dietary intakes of magnesium. The diseases to which the elderly are vulnerable, and some of the drugs used in therapy, also contribute to magnesium loss.

A recent Gallup Poll survey reported that magnesium consumption decreases as we age, with 79 percent of adults 55 and over reportedly eating below the RDA (recommended dietary allowance) of magnesium.

"A potential magnesium deficiency is a matter of concern for many individuals of all ages, but for the elderly, it could be particularly serious," said Richard Rivlin, M.D., Chief of the Nutrition Division at New York Hospital, Cornell Medical Center.

"The prevalence of heart disease, diabetes and even leg cramps increases dramatically among older persons, and these are all health conditions in which magnesium deficiency has been found," Rivlin said.

Diabetes

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health evaluated the dietary intake of specific nutrients for more than 85,000 women and more than 42,000 men, in data supplied over 18 years for the women and over 12 years for the men. They found that the men and women whose diets included the largest amounts of magnesium were the least likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Most of the participants in the study consumed magnesium through foods, such as whole grains, nuts and green leafy vegetables.

Osteoporosis

A lack of magnesium is also associated with osteoporosis. Bone health is supported by many factors, most notably calcium and vitamin D. However, some evidence suggests that magnesium deficiency may be an additional risk factor for postmenopausal osteoporosis. This may be due to the fact that magnesium deficiency alters calcium metabolism and the hormones that regulate calcium. In one study of older adults, a greater magnesium intake maintained bone mineral density to a higher degree than a lower intake.

Insomnia

A recent National Sleep Foundation poll found that a majority of older adults (67%) report having frequent sleep problems. This translates to 37 million older adults in the U.S. having some form of insomnia. Particularly for older people, one possible underlying nutritional cause of insomnia may be a deficiency of certain minerals. James F. Balch, M.D., author of Prescription for Nutritional Healing, writes: "A lack of the nutrients calcium and magnesium will cause you to wake up after a few hours and not be able to return to sleep."

Magnesium Chloride

Specific forms of these minerals are more digestible than others - an important factor because our digestive enzymes lessen with age. Magnesium chloride is a unique form of magnesium that holds good benefit for older adults. Separately, both magnesium and chloride have important functions in keeping us healthy. Chloride combines with hydrogen in the stomach to make hydrochloric acid, a powerful digestive aid that declines as we grow older. Magnesium is an anti-aging nutrient that assists with physical rejuvenation by preventing the calcification (hardening by calcium) of our organs and tissues.

Jobee Knight, a nutritional researcher and founder of Nutrition Breakthroughs in Glendale, California, is someone who fought her own battle against insomnia. She decided to put her background to use by searching out effective natural ingredients for relaxation and deeper sleep. The result was Sleep Minerals, a unique blend of magnesium chloride and calcium lactate gluconate.

One example of a father's struggle with sleeplessness was in Phoenix Arizona, where Sabrina and her dad live. Out of concern for him, she began searching for natural sleep solutions. She says: "My father was hooked on Ambien and the side effects weren't good. I checked on the Internet for other alternatives and came across Sleep Minerals. My dad was willing to try something different - something natural. He did, and the first night he took them, he said it was the best sleep he's had in years. Now he always keeps some by the bed."

Magnesium chloride has been shown to provide a variety of health benefits including a calmer nervous system, improved digestion, stronger immune system and a healthier heart.

Richard Rivlin, M.D. summed up the Gallup Poll survey results by saying: "It is clear that consumers are largely unaware of the role of magnesium -- a nutrient that is essential for the function of other minerals like calcium, as well as the normal operation of the heart and muscles."

http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com

References:

1. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Fact Sheet on Magnesium, 12/5/05.

2. Lopez-Ridaura, R. "Diabetes Care", January 2004; vol 27: pp 134-140. Ruy Lopez-Ridaura, MD, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston.

3. Tucker KL, Hannan MT, Chen H, Cupples LA, Wilson PW, Kiel DP. "Potassium, magnesium, and fruit and vegetable intakes are associated with greater bone mineral density in elderly men and women." Am J Clin Nutr 1999;69(4):727-36.

4. National Sleep Foundation: "The 2003 Sleep in America Poll".

5. Landy, Liz. "Gallup Survey Finds Majority of American Diets Lack Sufficient Magnesium - At Potential Cost to Health," Searle News, Sept. 21, 1994

6. "Effect of magnesium chloride on electrical stability of the heart", American Heart Journal 1977 Nov; 94 (5):600-2.

7. "Magnesium Chloride in Acute and Chronic Diseases", Raul Vergini, M.D.

http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com

Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/76059.php

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is real.

Chronic Fatigue No Longer Seen as ‘Yuppie Flu’   By DAVID TULLER
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/17/science/17fatigue.html


For decades, people suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome have struggled to convince doctors, employers, friends and even family members that they were not imagining their debilitating symptoms. Skeptics called the illness “yuppie flu” and “shirker syndrome.”

But the syndrome is now finally gaining some official respect. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which in 1999 acknowledged that it had diverted millions of dollars allocated by Congress for chronic fatigue syndrome research to other programs, has released studies that linked the condition to genetic mutations and abnormalities in gene expression involved in key physiological processes. The centers have also sponsored a $6 million public awareness campaign about the illness. And last month, the C.D.C. released survey data suggesting that the prevalence of the syndrome is far higher than previously thought, although these findings have stirred controversy among patients and scientists.
Some scientists and many patients remain highly critical of the C.D.C.’s record on chronic fatigue syndrome, or C.F.S. But nearly everyone now agrees that the syndrome is real.

“People with C.F.S. are as sick and as functionally impaired as someone with AIDS, with breast cancer, with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,” said Dr. William Reeves, the lead expert on the illness at the C.D.C., who helped expose the centers’ misuse of chronic fatigue financing.
Chronic fatigue syndrome was first identified as a distinct entity in the 1980s. (A virtually identical illness had been identified in Britain three decades earlier and called myalgic encephalomyelitis.) The illness causes overwhelming fatigue, sleep disorders and other severe symptoms and afflicts more women than men. No consistent biomarkers have been identified and no treatments have been approved for addressing the underlying causes, although some medications provide symptomatic relief.

Patients say the word “fatigue” does not begin to describe their condition. Donna Flowers of Los Gatos, Calif., a physical therapist and former professional figure skater, said the profound exhaustion was unlike anything she had ever experienced.
“I slept for 12 to 14 hours a day but still felt sleep-deprived,” said Ms. Flowers, 51, who fell ill several years ago after a bout of mononucleosis. “I had what we call ‘brain fog.’ I couldn’t think straight, and I could barely read. I couldn’t get the energy to go out of the door. I thought I was doomed. I wanted to die.”

Studies have shown that people with the syndrome experience abnormalities in the central and autonomic nervous systems, the immune system, cognitive functions, the stress response pathways and other major biological functions. Researchers believe the illness will ultimately prove to have multiple causes, including genetic predisposition and exposure to microbial agents, toxins and other physical and emotional traumas. Studies have linked the onset of chronic fatigue syndrome with an acute bout of Lyme disease, Q fever, Ross River virus, parvovirus, mononucleosis and other infectious diseases.

“It’s unlikely that this big cluster of people who fit the symptoms all have the same triggers,” said Kimberly McCleary, president of the Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome Association of America, the advocacy group in charge of the C.D.C.-sponsored awareness campaign. “You’re looking not just at apples and oranges but pineapples, hot dogs and skateboards, too.”

Under the most widely used case definition, a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome requires six months of unexplained fatigue as well as four of eight other persistent symptoms: impaired memory and concentration, sore throat, tender lymph nodes, muscle pain, joint pain, headaches, disturbed sleeping patterns and post-exercise malaise.
The broadness of the definition has led to varying estimates of the syndrome’s prevalence. Based on previous surveys, the C.D.C. has estimated that more than a million Americans have the illness.

Last month, however, the disease control centers reported that a randomized telephone survey in Georgia, using a less restrictive methodology to identify cases, found that about 1 in 40 adults ages 18 to 59 met the diagnostic criteria — an estimate 6 to 10 times higher than previously reported rates.
However, many patients and researchers fear that the expanded prevalence rate could complicate the search for consistent findings across patient cohorts. These critics say the new figures are greatly inflated and include many people who are likely to be suffering not from chronic fatigue syndrome but from psychiatric illnesses.
“There are many, many conditions that are psychological in nature that share symptoms with this illness but do not share much of the underlying biology,” said John Herd, 55, a former medical illustrator and a C.F.S. patient for two decades.

Researchers and patient advocates have faulted other aspects of the C.D.C.’s research. Dr. Jonathan Kerr, a microbiologist and chronic fatigue expert at St. George’s University of London, said the C.D.C.’s gene expression findings last year were “rather meaningless” because they were not confirmed through more advanced laboratory techniques. Kristin Loomis, executive director of the HHV-6 Foundation, a research advocacy group for a form of herpes virus that has been linked to C.F.S., said studying subsets of patients with similar profiles was more likely to generate useful findings than Dr. Reeves’s population-based approach.

Dr. Montoya said some cases of the syndrome were caused when an acute infection set off a recurrence of latent infections of Epstein Barr virus and HHV-6, two pathogens that most people are exposed to in childhood. Ms. Flowers, the former figure skater, had high levels of antibodies to both viruses and was one of Dr. Montoya’s initial C.F.S. patients.
Many patients point to another problem with chronic fatigue syndrome: the name itself, which they say trivializes their condition and has discouraged researchers, drug companies and government agencies from taking it seriously. Many patients prefer the older British term, myalgic encephalomyelitis, which means “muscle pain with inflammation of the brain and spinal chord,” or a more generic term, myalgic encephalopathy.
“You can change people’s attributions of the seriousness of the illness if you have a more medical-sounding name,” said Dr. Leonard Jason, a professor of community psychology at DePaul University in Chicago.
What if a “dirty bomb” exploded over a large segment of U.S.population that simultaneously exposed citizens to Hepatitis B,Hepatitis A, tetanus, pertussis, diphtheria, three strains of polio viruses, three strains of influenza, measles, mumps, and rubella viruses, two types of meningitis, four strains of herpes viruses, the chickenpox virus, 7 strains of Streptococcus bacteria, and four strainsof rotavirus.
• We would declare a national emergency.
• It would be an “extreme act of BIOTERRORISM
• The public outcry would be immense and our government would react accordingly.

And yet, those are the very organisms we inject into our babies and our small children in multiple doses, with immature, underdeveloped immunesystems, many at the same time with vaccines.
But instead of bioterrorism, we call it “protection.” Reflect on that irony.

- Dr Sheri Tenpenny, MD

TIPS ON BUYING A HOME TREADMILL

Here is an article on Fitness, written with inputs
provided by Mr. Sanjeev Nijhawan ... a veteren of the
Fitness Industry for more 12+ years ...
I hope you benefit from it ...
For what its worth,
I have been in the fitness industry for more than 10 years ...
And it is shocking, to say the least, the ignorance that is still
prevalent about fitness and its allied tools and accessories
among the average person ...
And sad to say, this ignorance is rampantly exploited by
those in the business of supplying fitness equipment ..
In this short article I would like to give you some tips in
case you are looking to buy a Home treadmill ...
They might help you to make a better purchase
by knowing the right questions to ask .....
(And Yes, you can contact me too for a good deal)
Everyone who is looking out for a Home treadmill
wants the best. But until you are aware of what you need,
you can’t make the right choice ... because you don't
know what the market offers and what you should be asking for ...
Make sure you know what you are looking out for……
Here are some tips from an Industry insider (your truly )
to know exactly what you are looking for ... and How to get it ..
Quality is in Brands,
Like it or not, good brands give you durable long lasting parts
e.g. motors, Rollers, Belt quality.
I know they cost more but they come with far lesser
if not nonexistent headaches ..
Warranty –
The longer the better,
- for service/labour ask for at least 1 year &
- for spares and parts demand 2 years.
(Yes, the dealers do get that much from the Parent
company ... sometimes more .. Some of them just
don't pass on the benefit to customers and try to make
some money in supply of spare parts ... after the warrantee
that they provide is over ...)
Customer list- Always ask for the past customer users.
It can give you an idea as to how the particular model &
company are doing in the market.
Whether it is a fast moving model or one that is elitist ...
Features-
A Good treadmill must have the following
standard features such as
- pre workouts,
- Heart rate control,
- Incline range,
- weight capacity,
- calories,
- speed,
- distance etc.
User friendly-
It has to be user friendly to you &
not your trainer or coach ..
For example the length of the running deck should be
around 6 to 7 feet for a conmfortable run ....

Here are the technical dimensions
Specs :189cm x 84cm
& most important the max user weight that it should be
able to take should be around 150kgs.
(That's a minimum safe limit in Home Range treadmills)
Price-
This has to be decided by you as to what suits you best ,,
Good treadmills for Home range start anywhere
from 35000/- and go upto to 1,25,000/-.
Commercial ones for Gyms go from 2,50,000/- to Rs.12,00,000/-
(Twelve lakh rupees ... Yep .. you heard me right on that one)
Here are some technical aspects that you should be
taking into consideration
- stability, - smoothness, - space,
- motor capacity of about 1.5hp to 2 hp
- Programs
- preset programs,
- weight loss,
- Heart rate etc
- Running area- aprox 45cm x 132cm
- Elevation, 0 to 10% or 12% (Expla)
- Motor, 1.5 hp to 2 hp
- Heart rate – Hand grip (hand sensors on the treadmill)
or chest strap (98% more accurate,
but if more than one person is using it,
you may run into hygiene issues –
something you can overcome by cleaning it after every use)
- Rollers – 1.9" to 2.5" dynamically balanced.
-Belts – 2 ply poly / Ultra thick 4.4mm orthopedic belt
- Max user weight, 100 kg to 150 kgs
- Speed range, 0.5 mph – 12 mph.
The entire family can use it, it not only gets the Heart pumping,
tones & strengthens the body but is also a great tool for weight loss.
The benefits of using the treadmill to you are.
Lowers cholesterol level,
Increases Heart health,
toned muscles,
improved circulation &
maintains weight,
Boosts immune system.
Remember, before body building, you should first strengthen the Heart
Its something that many Gyms and trainers overlook
in their overzealousness to get you the chiselled look ...
There is no point in having a muscled look if your heart
action is weak .. Treadmills and aerobics ensure that your Heart
action remains strong ..
In my experience, Corporates are now going
in for more of treadmills for their employees
in their company gyms than other equipment ...
The stress is now on overall fitness ..
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions
or need clarifications ...
Although My main thrust is in Commercial Gym equipments,
feel free to contact me for home range too ..
Rahul, I hope this is enough ..
Regards,
Sanjiv Nijhawan

Soft Drinks Linked To Heart Disease Via Metabolic Syndrome

A new US study has found that drinking more than one soft drink a day, whether regular or diet, may be linked to an increased risk of developing heart disease, via an increase in metabolic syndrome, a group of characteristics like excess girth, high blood pressure, and other factors that increase the chances of getting diabetes and cardiovascular problems.

The findings are published in the early online edition of Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association.

The research is part of the large scale ongoing study known as the Framingham Heart Study (FHS), that started in 1948 and is now in its third generation of participants, grandchildren of the original cohort. The FHS looks at common factors or characteristics that contribute to cardiovascular disease (CVD) by following its development over a long period of time in a large group of people who joined before they had any overt symptoms of CVD or heart attack or stroke.

The FHS was started under the direction of the National Heart Institute (now known as the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute or NHLBI).

Senior author of the study, Dr Ramachandran Vasan, who is professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine in Massachusetts, said that:

"We were struck by the fact that it didn't matter whether it was a diet or regular soda that participants consumed, the association with increased risk was present."

"In those who drink one or more soft drinks daily, there was an association of an increased risk of developing the metabolic syndrome," he added.

Other studies have linked drinking soft drinks with risk factors for heart disease, but this study suggests that diet soft drinks sweetened with artificial sweeteners are just as likely to be linked as high calorie drinks sweetened with sugar.

Dr Ravi Dhingra,an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School, and lead author of the study said that:

"Moderation in anything is the key. If you are drinking one or more soft drinks a day, you may be increasing your risk of developing metabolic risk factors for heart disease."

Metabolic syndrome is a group of symptoms such as excess waist circumference, high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL or "good" cholesterol) and high fasting glucose levels. Having three or more of the symptoms increases a person's risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The study included 9,000 "person observations" taken at three different times over a four year period from participants enrolled in the FHS, all middle aged men and women.

At the start of the four year observation period ("baseline"), the scientists established that participants who drank one or more soft drinks a day had a 48 per cent higher chance of having metabolic syndrome than those who drank less.

Over the four year follow up, a longitudinal study of those participants who did not have metabolic syndrome at baseline (6,039 person observations) showed that drinking one or more soft drinks a day was linked to a 44 per cent higher risk of getting metabolic syndrome for the first time (new onset).

The investigators also found that participants who drank one or more soft drinks a day, when compared to those that drank less, had a number of increased risk factors for metabolic syndrome, including:
31 per cent greater risk of developing new-onset obesity (defined as a body mass index or BMI of 30 kilograms per meter squared or higher).
30 per cent higher risk of developing an increased waist circumference.
25 per cent increased risk of developing high blood triglycerides or high fasting blood glucose.
32 per cent increased risk of having low HDL ("good" cholesterol).
A trend towards an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, but this was not statistically significant.
They also took data from a smaller separate group of participants who had filled in food questionnaires about their soft drink consumption and found that those participants who drank one or more diet or regular soda (fizzy) drinks a day had a 50 to 60 per cent higher risk of developing new-onset metabolic syndrome.

The researchers adjusted the results to take into account a number of dietary and lifestyle factors of soft drink users, for instance to take out the effect of food that is typically eaten at the same time as soft drinks, but this had no effect on the strength of the link. For example they adjusted for saturated fat and trans fat intake, dietary fibre, total caloric intake, smoking and physical activity, but, as Vasan said, they "still observed a significant association of soft drink consumption and risk of developing the metabolic syndrome and multiple metabolic risk factors".

Speculating on their findings, Vasan said that perhaps the fructose corn syrup in regular soft drinks causes weight gain, or leads to insulin resistance and diabetes, but if that were the case you would expect to see the link with regular drinks and not with diet drinks. "Our findings suggest this is not the case," said Vasan.

Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that drinking more liquids during a meal tends to make you eat more solids at the next meal. Whereas if you had drunk less and eaten more at the first meal, at the next meal you tend to eat less solids. Drinking more liquids does not compensate to the same extent as eating solids; you feel full at the time, but you are hungrier next time.

Another possibility could be that being used to drinking sweet drinks makes a person more likely to eat sweet things.

And another theory is that the caramel in soft drinks could stimulate the development of complex sugars (high glycation end products) that result in insulin resistance and cause inflammation, as shown by some experimental studies.

The researchers said it was important to realise that these are just theories, and their study had only found a link between soft drinks and metabolic syndrome, it had not established that one causes the other. They suggested further studies be done to repeat the results and to find out what the underlying mechanisms could be, before recommendations are made about whether people should change their consumption of soft drinks.

"Soft Drink Consumption and Risk of Developing Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and the Metabolic Syndrome in Middle-Aged Adults in the Community"
Ravi Dhingra, Lisa Sullivan, Paul F. Jacques, Thomas J. Wang, Caroline S. Fox, James B. Meigs, Ralph B. D'Agostino, J. Michael Gaziano, and Ramachandran S. Vasan.
Circulation Published online before print July 23, 2007
doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.689935

WATER OR COKE?

WATER

1. Many people around the world chronically dehydrated.

2. Many people thirst mechanism is so weak
That it is mistaken for hunger.

3. MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism by 3%.

4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs
For almost 100% of the dieters according to University of
Washington study.

5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

6. Research indicates that 8-10 glasses of
Water a day could significantly ease back
and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term
Memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on
The computer screen or on a Printed page.

8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of
Colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast
Cancer by 79%., and one is 50% less likely to develop
Bladder cancer. Are you drinking the amount of water
You should drink every day?

COKE

1. In many states the highway patrol carries
Two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from
The highway after a car accident.

2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of Coke
And it will be gone in two days.

3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the
Toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one hour,
Then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes
Stains from vitreous China.

4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers:
Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds
Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.

5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour
A can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble
Away the corrosion.

6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Apply a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola
To the rusted bolt for several minutes.

7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into
The baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake.
Thirty minutes before ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix
With the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.

8... To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of Coke
Into the load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run
Through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen
Grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your
Windshield.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid.
It will dissolve a nail in about four days. Phosphoric
Acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major
Contributor to the rising increase of osteoporosis.

2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup! (the concentrate) the
Commercial trucks must use a hazardous Material place
Cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.

3. The distributors of Coke have been using it to clean
Engines of the trucks for about 20 years!


Now the question is, would you like a glass of water?
Or Coke?

Health Benefits of Avocado

Avocado fruits are getting very popular anywhere in the world.
Throughout the year, you can find avocado in your nearby malls.
Avocado is sometimes called "avocado pear" or "alligator pear"; and
Aguacate Palta in Spanish.

The world, especially in developing countries, is trying to adapt
avocado as one of substitute to cope for the shortage of nutritious
food production.

We believe that avocado originated in Mexico and Central America.
However, today, in countries such as Indonesia, Philippines,
Thailand, Vietnam, USA, Sri Lanka, Brazil, India, China, Japan, Peru,
Uruguay, Argentina, Bolivia, Chili, Ethiopia, Spain, Palestine, South
Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Hawaii are planting and
harvesting avocados. Oh, yes, you can plant it even in your backyard
garden and it is adaptable as long as the climate does not go below 5°
C during winter season.

In fact, I myself planted four avocado trees 25 years ago, and just a
year ago, I added another two in my back yard. One tree bears about
200 pieces of fruit.

Avocado is one of the most recommended fruits as well as a food for
bodybuilding and medicine for cholesterol-related heart disease.

Also do you know that avocado or an avocado extract is good for
prevention or treatment of breast cancer as well as prostate cancer?
Some information states that a toxin found in avocado is the answer
to kill cancer cell. However, the toxin mentioned here is not
identified completely. Scientists believe that the toxin has a great
effect on the myocardium (heart muscle tissue) as well as on tissues
of the lactating mammary gland.

Although many farmers believe that fresh and dried leaves, bark,
skin, and seeds are toxic to cattle, goats, horses, rabbits and
birds, there is no definite scientific explanation to that.

Do not worry about the fruit meat of avocado. There are no dangerous
toxic elements for human consumption as well as for animals.

Creamy rich avocado is considered the world's healthiest fruit,
because of its nutrient contents such as vitamin K, dietary fiber,
potassium, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin C, copper, and reasonable
calories in it.

Avocados contain oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that may help
lower cholesterol.

In our studies, patients with high cholesterol levels who ate
avocados diet showed clear health improvements. After a week of
avocado diet, patients had significant decrease in cholesterol
contents.

Avocado is a good source of potassium, a mineral that helps regulate
blood pressure. Adequate intake of potassium can help guard against
circulatory diseases, like high blood pressure, heart disease or
stroke.

Diets containing foods that are good sources of potassium and low in
sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke. One cup
of avocado has about 23% of the Daily Value for folate, a nutrient
important for heart health.

Another study showed that individuals who consume folate-rich diets
have a much lower risk of cardiovascular disease or stroke than those
who do not consume much of this vital nutrient.

Not only avocado has a rich source of monounsaturated fatty acids
including oleic acid, which has recently been shown to offer
significant protection against breast cancer, but it is also a very
concentrated dietary source of the carotenoid lutein; it also
contains measurable amounts of related carotenoids plus significant
quantities of vitamin E.

A few slices of avocado in salad, or mixing some chopped avocado into
salsa will not only add a rich, creamy flavor, but will greatly
increase your body's ability to absorb the health-promoting
carotenoids that vegetables provide.

Compare to any other vegetables such as carrots, spinach, or fruits,
just a slice of avocado improves your body's ability to absorb
carotenoids.

At first, you can try to start planting a seed in your room. You will
love it as seen on below photos.

< images located at
http://www.pyroenergen.com/articles07/avocado-health-benefits.htm >

After eating avocado, don't throw the seed. Place it on the garden
soil in your container garden. The soil should be always with water.
In about 3 weeks, you will enjoy seeing leaf bud growing. If you
cannot keep it in your room, plant it in your back yard. You will
enjoy seeing it growing, again.

Well, how to eat avocado. There are hundreds of ways or recipes for
avocado. Here's a few you can try to enjoy eating avocado.

1. Chopped avocado with tofu, tomato or mayonnaise dressing.

2. Avocado juice mixed with honey or sugar and milk. Cool it. It is
so tasty. Good for all ages.

3. Avocado and tuna fish salad with lemon.

4. Avocado and salmon salad with mayonnaise.

5. Avocado with chicken and tomato.

6. Avocado, chicken and garlic fry.

The simplest way is just slice the avocado and place ham and
mayonnaise to make a bread sandwich. Probably you can add a
proverb. "One avocado a day, doctors away". To preserve, mash and
place the avocado in the freezer. In this way, you can keep it for
several months. Do not keep the avocado fruit as is in the freezer.

Again and again, some critics might write us complaining about the
article saying that avocado is toxic. Avocado toxicity is not
scientifically well established up to now.

Avocado poisoning has been a source of controversy and confusion
among animal breeders. Some breeders have voiced an opinion that
avocado fruit may be toxic, while other breeders have fed avocados to
their animals with no abnormal incidences at all.

Most avocados grown in the United States and other countries go for
human consumption in the form of fresh fruit or processed paste
products. Also, many parts of it are used for various products
including animal feeds and baby consumption.

Probably, avocado poisonings in humans and animals are fairly
limited, however, the avocado tree can be toxic.

They say that toxic chemical is found in leaves, bark, pits and skin
of the avocado tree. Although some people claim that avocado fruit
has skin allergy effect. It is just the same as banana, walnut, and
kiwi allergy.

Anyway, if you are a delicate person, just don't eat avocado. Once
again, one avocado a day may save your life from cardiomyopathy and
heart failure.

SORE THROAT

Sore throat has been mentioned as a prodromal symptom of common cold in
Ayurveda. It has been described as pinprick like pain in the throat.
Vata-Kapha are usually involved in causation of sore throat.

Ingredients:
Ajowan seeds
Black pepper
Cinnamon bark
Fenugreek seeds
Honey
Liquorice
Table salt

Common Recipes:
Soak two teaspoonfuls of ajowan seeds in cold water. Add a pinch of
common salt. Using this infusion as a common gargle substantially eases
the acute sore throat.

Coarsely powder the cinnamon bark. Boil a teaspoonful of this powder in
water. Strain the extract and add a pinch of black pepper and a
teaspoonful of honey . Consuming this decoction every three hours during the
day cures a sore throat.

Two tablespoons of fenugreek seeds should be added to a litre of cold
water and simmered on a gentle flame. This should be allowed to cool to
a temperature that could be tolerated by the buccal cavity. Strain this
mixture and gargle with it several times a day. This cures a sore
throat.

Liquorice is a well recognised remedy for sore throat. Put a small
piece of raw liquorice in the mouth and chew it regularly. It gives a
soothing effect to the sore throat.

Motion sickness

All of us have probably experienced some form of "motion sickness".
Maybe it was "seasickness" from riding a boat or ship, "airsickness"
on an airplane, "carsickness" when riding on a car, or even after an
amusement park ride. Is this a kind of illness? Many of us want to
enjoy outdoors, going picnic or sightseeing, but because of motion
sickness, you refuse to enjoy going out.

WHAT CAUSES MOTION SICKNESS?
Motion sickness usually occurs when having "sensory conflict",
specifically a conflict between the eye and ear. When feeling motion
but not seeing it (for example, in a car with your eyes focused
inside the car), the inner ear transmits to the brain that it senses
motion and the car is moving, but the eyes tell the brain that
everything is still because you are focused within the car. As a
result, the brain gets conflicting signals and will come to the
conclusion that one is hallucinating and further conclude that the
hallucination is due to poison ingestion. To clear the supposed
toxin, the brain responds by inducing vomiting.

Modern medical science can't find 100% remedy aside from medicine
called tranquilizer. Here, I am going to let you know a very simple
technique that can stop motion sickness for your happy weekend trip
or vacation.

SIMPLE TECHNIQUES IN PREVENTING MOTION SICKNESS
1. Have a good or enough sleep before going for an outdoor trip.
2. Avoid too much eating before you go. An empty stomach is not good
either.
3. Don't wear tight clothes. Loose clothing is preferable and more
comfortable.
4. Wear dark sunglasses to make your eyes less sensitive to flicker.

Have you done the above techniques already? Then, follow below that
is something different from what you knew.

NEIGUAN P6 ACUPRESSURE POINT
An acupressure point where you can press several times before and
during your trip for relieving motion sickness or nausea is
called "Neiguan P6 Acupressure Point". It's located in the forearm
three finger widths below the wrist crease. Place your thumb on the
point and press firmly while you breathe out, and release pressure as
you breathe in. This will calm you down and soothe your stomach.
Repeat if you still feel dizzy. This method is known in China for
thousands of years in relieving many sorts of nausea.

In Chinese herbal medicine, the use of ginger to prevent motion
sickness is used. Ginger beer or ginger ale helps greatly. Ginger tea
works the best.

CARSICKNESS
Do you notice that car drivers won't get motion sickness?
Then, why do you get motion sickness?
Do you also notice that when you are in the car your position is not
the same as the driver?

If the car turns right, the driver's body also leans to the right,
but the passenger (you) try to get up or lean to the left just like
the photo below.

You should follow the movement of the driver. If the car turns right,
your body should lean to the right, too, or vice versa.

In this way, you will never get carsickness anymore.

Therefore, the definite answer is not to stand against the force of
gravity.

Have a happy weekend or happy trip and a happy vacation with your
family.

----------------------------------------------------------
About the Author:
Junji Takano is a Japanese health researcher and has been studying
the causes of viruses since 1960. In 1968, he invented the Pyro-
Energen, the first electrotherapy device that eradicates viral
diseases effectively and without any side effects.
Free newsletter: http://www.pyroenergen.com/newsletter.htm

Research on ALOE VERA

Research studies highlight the tremendous healing powers of aloe when used both internally and externally. Some of the benefits include: as a pain and allergy inhibitor, for inflammation, fluid retention, perspiration odours, itching, hemorrhaging and to close cuts for cell regeneration and healing, to destroy parasites, harmful bacteria and fungi in the intestinal tract, to relieve bowel tension and help produce bowel movements, moisturise skin, increase blood flow, remove toxins and dead tissue, penetrate skin to reach tendons, muscles, joints and the lymph system, and promote the growth of new tissue. It also has a normalising action on fluid levels and the acid/ alkaline balance in the body. Research has shown that aloe vera can increase the proliferation of lymphocytes and stimulate natural immunity through killer cell activity. Aloe has a strong effect on the immune system, by activating and stimulating macrophages, monocytes, antibodies and T-cells, as well as increasing the number of anti-body forming Bcells in the spleen.

One of the most important functions of aloe is to aid the digestive system, as poor digestion can be responsible for many diseases. Our food comprises proteins, carbohydrates and fats that must undergo a process of digestion, which consists of breaking down complex substances into simpler ones so they can be absorbed and used by the body. Aloe is able to assist the body by providing the active properties of a large range of amino acids, monosaccharides, fatty acids and enzymes that act as catalysts in breaking down complex foods so the body can assimilate the nutrients more efficiently. Considerable in-vitro and in-vivo research has been done with the concentration of mucopolysaccharides (MSPs) found in aloe vera. MSPs are long-chained sugar molecules, which are found naturally in every cell of the body, however, around the time of puberty, the body stops producing them. When taken internally, they have been shown to have immune stimulating effects. The MSPs of aloe vera interact with the body's immune system, enhancing rather than over-riding this system. MSPs interject themselves into the cell membranes of the body resulting in much greater cell fluidity and permeability, allowing toxins to flow out of the cells more freely and nutrients to flow in. These nutrients include electrolytes and water, so the MSPs are able to facilitate absorbtion in the gastro-intestinal tract. The overall effect on the body is a rise in energy and cell metabolism activity which leads to a feeling of wellbeing. MSPs also act to protect cells from invasion by microbes such as viruses by setting up a protective barrier, which forms a lining on the colon and keeps toxic wastes from entering the body. MSPs will also lubricate the joints and relieve pain by dilating capillaries, which increases the supply of oxygen and blood to the area. Aloe vera's properties are extraordinary and have been used to treat man's many ailments from A to Z. Its uses and the conditions it may relieve include: abscesses, abrasions, acne, allergies, AIDS, anemia, arterial insufficiency, arthritis, athlete's foot, asthma, bad breath, baldness, blisters, bed sores, bladder infections, blood pressure, bruises, bronchitis, burns, bursitis, bunions, bed wetting, boils, bone fractures, candida, canker sores, cancer, carbuncles, cataracts, cramps, chilblains, chemotherapy side effects, chapped skin and lips, coughs, colds and cold sores, colic, constipation, cystitis, conjunctivitis, colon cleanser, complexion enhancer, chicken pox sores, lowers serum cholesterol, convulsions, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, dandruff, dysentery, depression, dry skin, dermatitis, denture sores, detoxifier, duodenal ulcers, oedema, Epstein Barr virus, earache, fevers, fungus, frost bite, fluid retention, gastrointestinal problems, genital herpes, gangrene, gingivitis, glaucoma, gynaecological diseases, gall ailments, heat rash, headaches, hemorrhoids, heart burn, high blood pressure, hang-overs, hives, heat exhaustion, insomnia, ingrown toenails, indigestion, insect bites, inflamed joints, jaundice, kidney infections, leprosy, laryngitis, lupus, liver ailments, leukaemia, lacerations, multiple sclerosis, mouth ulcers, moles, migraines, menstrual pain, nausea, nervous stress, nappy rash, obesity, psoriasis, prostatitis, pancreas problems, pimples, problems caused by protozoa (ringworm, fungi, virus), prickly heat, periodontal disease, radiation burns, rashes, scar tissue, skin lesions, stings, styes, sprains, sores, scalds, stretch marks, shingles, staph infections, sunburn, sore throat, stomach ulcers, sports injuries, sinus, sun spots, spurs, tonsillitis, tendonitis, trachoma, tuberculosis, tiredness, tropical ear, ulcers, vaginitis, venereal sores, varicose veins, worms, worts, wounds, X-ray burns, yeast infection and zoster (shingles).

Aloe vera has six antiseptic agents (sulphur, lupeol, salicylic acid, cinnamic acid, urea nitrogen and phenol) which act as a team to provide antimicrobial activity thus eliminating many internal and external infections. The pain relieving action is due to the effective analgesics in salicylic acid, magnesium and lupeol. Fatty acids also have a pain reducing, allergy and inflammation relieving effect, and work to lower harmful cholesterol levels.

Pumpkin: A Fairytale End To Insulin Injections?

A group, led by Tao Xia of the East China Normal University, found
that diabetic rats fed the extract had only 5% less plasma insulin and
8% fewer insulin-positive (beta) cells compared to normal healthy rats
(Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 87(9) 1753-7 2007).

Xia says: 'pumpkin extract is potentially a very good product for
pre-diabetic persons, as well as those who have already developed
diabetes.' He adds that although insulin injections will probably
always be necessary for these patients, pumpkin extract could
drastically reduce the amount of insulin they need to take.

David Bender, sub-dean at the Royal Free and University College
Medical School, London, says: 'this research is very exciting... the
main finding is that feeding pumpkin extract prevents the progressive
destruction of pancreatic beta-cells... but it is impossible to say
whether pumpkin extract would promote regeneration in humans.' He
added: 'I think the exciting thing is that this may be a source of a
medication that could be taken by mouth.'

The protective effect of pumpkin is thought to be due to both
antioxidants and D-chiro-inositol, a molecule that mediates insulin
activity. Boosting insulin levels has the effect of lowering blood
sugar levels, which reduces levels of oxidative oxygen species that
damage beta-cell membranes, preventing further damage and allowing for
some regeneration. Beta cells levels in the diabetic rats are,
however, unlikely ever to reach that of controls, because some of the
cells will have been damaged beyond repair.

Diabetes affects more than 230m people, almost 6% of the world's adult
population, according to the World Diabetes Foundation. The rats used
in this study represent type I diabetes, but the researchers believe
the pumpkin extract may also play a role in type II diabetes.

Dried fruits vs Fresh fruits

Do dried fruits contain more nutritional value than fresh fruits?

The answer is simple. When you dry fruits, you lose more than just water. You also lose nutrients. For example, when it comes to berries, much of their uniqueness is derived from their phytonutrients. Flavonoids like peonidin, petunidin, malvidin, and many others found in berries are susceptible to damage from heat, light, oxygen, and time-since-harvest. While some drying processes are harsher than others, no drying process can leave the phytonutrient content of these berries significantly unchanged.

Since fruits lose water (and therefore volume) during the drying process, their nutrient, calorie, and sugar content becomes concentrated once they are dried. When you eat a handful of dried fruit, you are consuming more calories than you would if you ate that same amount of fresh fruit.

For example, one-quarter cup of dried apricots contains about 75 calories; for that same amount of calories you could actually enjoy a whole cup of fresh apricots. In contrast to fresh fruits, which we would place in the moderate sugar category, we would classify dried fruits as high-sugar foods (using the apricot example, the one-quarter cup of dried apricots actually contains more sugar-17.4 grams-than the entire one cup of fresh apricots, which contain 14.3 grams. While the nutrient richness-the measurement of the amount of a nutrient per calorie-of some nutrients are the same in fresh and dried apricots, fresh apricots are more concentrated in several nutrients because the commercial process of drying fruit in large quantities is very hard on some nutrients. The following chart illustrates some examples:
Nutrient                Fresh Apricots               Dried Apricots
Calories                            74 (1 cup)                          313 (1 cup)
Fiber (g/calorie)                  0.4                                0.3
Vitamin A (IU/calorie)          40.3                         15.0
Beta-carotene (mcg/calorie)  22.9           9.0
Vitamin C (g/calorie)              2.0                          0.0
Potassium (mg/calorie) 5.4                       4.8
  

The other thing to be aware of with commercially dried fruit is the addition of other ingredients, notably sweeteners. These are usually always added to dried cranberries (and oftentimes other berries) since cranberries are very tart. In this example, we'd suggest looking for dried cranberries sweetened with a natural sweetener such as apple juice concentrate rather than refined sugar or corn syrup.

With home dehydrating, however, it's a different story. A home dehydrator does nothing more than blow warm air up through the fresh fruit, and it's not nearly as harsh on the nutrients. (Many people like to start with fresh organic apple slices as a test.) The fruit is still "dried" and lasts much longer than fresh fruit, but it isn't dried in the same manner as a commercial processor would do it. Even though home dehydration is not a bad way to go from an overall nutrient standpoint, we all still need to be careful from the sugar and calories standpoint. Sometimes we might end up eating a lot more dehydrated apple slices, for example, than the amount of apple we would have eaten if we had a fresh, organic, whole apple in our hand. The chewing here and whole experience of eating can be quite different.

Natural treatment for Chicken Pox

1. If you get fresh neem leaves, boil them in a vessel full of water
for 15-20 minutes till water takes up color. Add this water to warm
bath water and scrub body with this water. This bath twice a day, till
skin itching subsides and all erruptions gone.
2.. Take neem leaves juice empty stomach in morning.
3. sleeping on bed having neem leaves spread, also beneficial.
If you cant obtain neem leaves in fresh form,
4. Apply honey to erruptions area. This tackles itching very fast.

How to Prevent Cataract and Glaucoma

Most people suffer from cataract when they are around 70 years old.
This is usually caused by aging process. Therefore, cataract is
somewhat regarded as a part of aging.
Although cataract is more common in adults, it can also occur in
young people, and sometimes, even in a baby's eyes at birth. It is a
disease of the eye and we recommend you to consult eye specialists.
When people get old, even the eyes get wrinkles and tears remain
along the wrinkles. It is the reason that old people look maudlin or
sentimental.
Now, are there any methods or remedies to prevent cataract when we
get old? Yes, there are. If you are still below 40 years old, start
these techniques on how to prevent developing cataract when you get
old. If you do not believe me, you will surely have cataract when you
reach 60 years old. LOL. No joke here.

According to the studies done by one of the largest pharmaceutical
companies and by the Ministry of Health in Japan, vitamin C intake
can prevent or minimize getting eye problems of cataract in old age.
One big pharmaceutical company gathered 3.5 million volunteers for 25
years and they were given dieted food plus vitamin C tablet as a
supplement.
Each year, the medical group checked the eyes of 45 to 65 years old.
The result was marvelous. After 25 years of conducting research, the
company scientists were convinced that vitamin C works remarkably
against cataract.

Out of 3.5 million people, only 25 – 30% of them are having a sign of
cataract but only 2.5% of them were surgically operated.
Another important information is that the eyes contain antioxidants
called "lutein". Lutein is the only carotenoid that is included in
the retina and lens of the eye, and it is also called as the "eye
vitamin".

Lutein has a strong anti-oxidation action that protects the eye from
the damage of the active oxygen caused by ultraviolet rays. Lutein
can be found in the back of the eye where retina is located. When
lutein decreases with age and the like, anti-oxidation action becomes
weak and active oxygen increases, denaturation of the eye occurs, and
vision will be deteriorated. The lutein presence in the eyes will
help prevent glaucoma and cataracts.
Lutein is found naturally in foods such as spinach, broccoli,
Brussels sprout, lettuce, green peas, kiwi fruit, and marigold.
Some scientists say that overdose of vitamin C is bad for the health.
Is it true? Our study indicates that the answer is Yes and No. The
effect of it varies greatly from person to person. If you take large
amounts of vitamin C, it's preferable to divide the dose probably
after each meal.
Another thing you have to bear in mind is self-diagnosis. Because of
old age, if you notice that the weakening of your eyesight is caused
by cataract, you must consult your ophthalmologist (eye doctor) as
soon as possible. Because it might not be cataract at all
but "glaucoma", a more dangerous eye disease.
If you are below 40 years old, start taking more vitamin C, and we
recommend you to wear sunglasses. These ideas might prevent you from
getting cataract when you get old. It is the study done by several
researchers.
----------------------------------------------------------
About the Author:
Junji Takano is a Japanese health researcher and has been studying
the causes of viruses since 1960. In 1968, he invented the Pyro-
Energen, the first electrotherapy device that eradicates viral
diseases effectively and wihout any side effects.
Free newsletter: http://www.pyroenergen.com/newsletter.htm

Interstitial Cystitis

Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a clinical syndrome characterized by
daytime and nighttime urinary frequency, urgency, and pelvic pain
that resembles bacterial cystitis, but is not related to bacterial
infection. The course is often variable and specific symptoms vary
from patient to patient. More than 90% of cases are found in women,
and symptoms are often worse after sexual intercourse and during
menstruation. (Rovner 2005; Frassetto 2005; Berkow 1992)

In IC, the bladder wall may be irritated and become scarred or
stiff. Pinpoint areas of bleeding called glomerulations or Hunner's
ulcers caused by recurrent irritation appear on the bladder wall, and
are present in the vast majority of cases. Many patients find that
they cannot hold much urine, increasing the frequency of urination.
In severe IC, the patient may need urinate as much as 60 times a day.
(Rovner 2005; Frassetto 2005; Berkow 1992)

Despite years of research, no specific diagnostic criterion has been
identified for IC, and is thus a diagnosis of exclusion, only
appended after other diseases have been ruled out, including
infection, malignancy, endometriosis, inflammatory bowel disease,
neurological causes (e.g. Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis), or
congenital abnormalities. (Rovner 2005; Frassetto 2005; Berkow 1992)

The condition has long been described in the medical literature,
beginning with the identification of the inflammation and ulceration
of the bladder by Dr. Alexander Skene in the late 19th century in his
book Diseases of Bladder and Urethra in Woman (1887). Later, another
physician named Guy Hunner popularized the disease with a more
comprehensive description of the characteristic bladder wall ulcers,
which have since borne his name, i.e. “Hunner's ulcers.” (Rovner
2005; Frassetto 2005; Berkow 1992)

The prevalence of IC indicates that it is by and large a disease of
the Western world, with rates in the United States as high as 60-70
cases per 100,000 women, whereas in Japan the incidence between 3-4
cases per 100,000 women. The vast majority of patients are white and
has a slightly higher prevalence in Jewish women. The average age at
presentation is about 40 years, although the condition is also found
in children. Patients with IC are more likely to have undergone
prior gynecologic surgery and/or have a history of recurrent UTI and
childhood bladder problems. (Rovner 2005; Frassetto 2005; Berkow 1992)

A variety of theories exist to describe the etiology of IC. Due to
the association between IC and diseases such as inflammatory bowel
disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, irritable bowel syndrome,
fibromyalgia, and atopic allergies, the most prominent theories
relate to IC to an autoimmune disorder. (Rovner 2005; Frassetto 2005;
Berkow 1992)

Medical treatment
Although no cause has yet been identified, there are a variety of
medical treatments for IC, including bladder distention, bladder
instillation, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and
pharmacotherapy.

Bladder distension is both a diagnostic and medical procedure in
which the bladder is filled to a pressure of 80 cm of water and kept
distended for 5-10 minutes, under a general anaesthetic. While under
pressure a cystoscope is introduced into the bladder to identify the
glomerulations. The procedure may also help break up the scar tissue
within the bladder wall and bring a short term improvement in the
symptoms, although may increase the risk of infection. Bladder
instillation is a procedure in which the bladder is filled via a
catheter with a solution such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). DMSO
exhibits an anti-inflammatory activity and is given every few weeks
over a 6-8 week period. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
(TENS) is another potentially beneficial medical procedure in which a
weak electric pulse is discharged through electrodes placed on the
lower back, just above the pubic area, or in the vagina or rectum.
Pharmacotherapy consists of drugs such as pentosan polysulfate
sodium, aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and codeine.
Antidepressants or antihistamines are also recommended. (Rovner 2005;
Frassetto 2005; Berkow 1992)

Holistic treatment
Given the very high prevalence of IC in the Western world the
condition suggests that environmental factors such as diet and
industrial pollutants such as xenoestrogens are an important factor,
as well overt iatrogenic alterations in the body ecology from the
overuse of antibiotics to treat recurrent cystitis and from medical
instrumentation (e.g. cystoscopy, D&C etc). Portal congestion that
allows the pelvis to be congested is another important factor at play
in IC, and thus addressing liver function is an important part of
resolving this pattern. Symptoms that worsen with menstruation can
be seen to be part of a PMS (P) pattern, which relates to a relative
estrogen excess and the release of proinflammatory prostaglandins:
the latter issue is particularly germane if the patient also display
atopic allergies (see The Human Flower: Reproductive Health and
Botanical Medicine).

At one time IC was simply viewed as a neurogenic condition, tiresome
complaining “hysterical” women on the threshold of menopause, and
thus referred to psychiatrists and appropriate medications that would
shut them up. Indeed, IC does appear to have a strong neurogenic
component that needs to be taken into consideration along with
environmental factors, but the underlying emotional mechanisms that
cause IC need to be examined. IC often occurs as part of a complex
of other disorders such as fibromyalgia. In many respects such
diseases can be viewed as a kind of spiritual sickness, and IC
specifically, a condition in which a woman internalizes an urgent
need to resolve her anger (i.e. being “pissed off”), resulting in
urinary urgency and pain. Social situations in which the woman feels
unloved and unsupported, angry and upset at not having her needs met,
can begin to manifest as urinary symptoms. This concept very much
correlates with Chinese medical theory that suggests that feelings of
suspicion and the holding grudges can affect the bladder, or begin to
manifest when the bladder is diseased, creating a viscous cycle
pattern. The holding of such patterns often exhibits other negative
effects upon the body, especially affecting neuroendocrinal function

The holistic treatment of IC is orientated towards addressing dietary
and environmental factors, correcting hepatic and menstrual
functions, modulating the immune system, supporting the
neuroendocrinal systems, correcting essentially fatty acid
deficiencies, restoring the body ecology, and treating emotional and
mental factors.

1. Dietary changes. Initiate an elimination diet, removing all
potential allergens, e.g. the Paleolithic diet. Increase fiber to
promote alterations in gut flora and the inhibition of deconjugating
enzymes.
2. Tone the bladder wall, heal ulcerations and hemorrhages.
•antihemorrhagics: Capsella, Panax notoginseng, Trillium
•urinary tonics: Verbascum root, Chimaphila, Capsella
•demulcents and vulneraries: Althaea, Ulmus, Plantago, Calendula,
Symphytum

3. Address hepatic function and correct pelvic circulation
•cholagogues: Taraxacum, Berberis, Boldo, Rumex, Raphanus, Buplerum,
Curcuma

4. Modulate immune function.
•immunomodulants: Astragalus, Withania, Schizandra, Ganoderma,
Phyllanthus
•antiinflammatories: Curcuma, Harpagophytum, Phyllanthus, Scutellaria
baicalensis, Tanacetum, Asparagus

5. Correct menstruation.
•progesterogenics: Vitex, Paeonia, Verbena
•uterine tonics: Caulophyllum, Cimicifuga, Aletris, Chamaelirium,
Angelica, Rubus

6. Support neuroendocrinal function, reduce spasm.
•relaxing nervines: Scutellaria, Humulus, Nepeta,
•adrenal trophorestoratives: Glycyrrhiza, Withania, Eleuthrococcus,
Panax quinquefolium, Turnera
•thyrotropics: Commiphora, Fucus, Iris, Berberis
•antispasmodics: Dioscorea, Piper methysticum, Cimicifuga, Valeriana,
Lobelia, Hyocyamus, Cannabis

7. Supplements.
•Vitamin A, 20,000 IU daily
•Vitamin C, 2-3 g daily
•Vitamin D3, 2000-5000 IU daily
•Vitamin E, 600-800 IU daily
•Zinc, 15-30 mg daily
•EPA/DHA, 1000 mg each daily
•Synbotics: 6-8 billion bacteria (e.g. a mixture of Lactobacillus
acidophilus, Bacillus bifidum and Staphylococcus faecium), thrice
daily, with meals

8. Spiritual counseling. Assess patient for long-standing issues of
unresolved anger, grudges, and suspicion. Encourage communication
and resolution, trusting a higher power. Flower Essences can be
helpful on this spiritual journey:
•for repressed anger: Black-eyed Susan, Fuschia, Scarlet
Monkeyflower, Willow
•for frustration: Blackberry
•for making positive changes, enhancing self-esteem: Crab Apple,
Centaury, Gentian, Larch
•for menopause: Aloe, Sage, Walnut