Green Tea Can Fight Genetic Defects And Tumors

Individuals with the rare disorder known as hyperinsulinism and hyperammonemia syndrome (HHS) lack the glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) enzyme, leading them to have a hypoglycemic reaction to protein, which sometimes causes death.

Researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have found that green tea-derived compounds may not only help treat the disorder, but that blocking GDH using the natural substances could help to effectively kill tumors.

HHS patients lack the ability to regulate GDH, so the researchers conducted a study to see whether the plant compounds could help compensate for this. Their trial was successful, demonstrating that oral treatment with the green tea product helped regulate GDH in people with HHS.

Moreover, a subsequent study suggested that blocking GDH in individuals with brain tumors known as glioblastomas or tuberous sclerosis complex disorder, a disease that causes formation of non-malignant tumors, was effective in killing the growths.

"Our ongoing collaboration with [a partner] lab shows that there are natural compounds from plants that can control this deadly disorder and, with the atomic structure in hand, can be used as a starting point for further drug design," said lead investigator Thomas Smith.

Easy Health Options Staff – August 24, 2011

http://www.easyhealthoptions.com/alternative-medicine/green-tea-compounds-could-be-effective-tumor-fighters/

Scientists Uncover Garlic’s Bacteria-Killing Abilities

For centuries, cooks have known that garlic appears to have preservative properties. Now, researchers at Washington State University, Pullman, discovered exactly what compounds found in the bulb give it its protective nature.

Scientists had previously believed that garlic's phenolic compounds were responsible for its bacteria-killing properties. However, using a combination of spectroscopy technologies, the team found that organosulfur is able to penetrate bacteria membranes.

"Our result demonstrated that the garlic-derived organosulfur compounds have the potential to be used as antimicrobial agents," said co-author Xiaonan Lu.

In the trial, the researchers used the microbe campylobacter jejun because it's a common cause of bacterial food poisoning, leading to abdominal cramps, fever, diarrhea and blood problems.

The American Academy of Family Physicians reports that garlic is a safe complementary and alternative medicine to help boost cardiovascular health, and has been shown in some studies to lower cholesterol levels and boost antiplatelet activity.

Garlic can be found fresh, dried or in natural nutritional supplements, so individuals have a number of ways to obtain the bulb's healthy benefits.

Easy Health Options Staff – August 24, 2011

http://www.easyhealthoptions.com/alternative-medicine/scientists-uncover-garlics-bacteria-killing-abilities/

Fish Oil Shown To Stave Off Cognitive Decline

Many individuals take fish oil and omega-3 capsules in an effort to improve their overall health, since the natural nutritional supplements have been shown to promote cardiovascular wellness.

A team of scientists at the Rhode Island Hospital's Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders Center have conducted a study which suggests that they may also gain cognitive benefits from taking the nutrients, since fish oil was recently shown to preserve brain function.

The study involved more than 800 volunteers over a three-year period. Some of the participants had normal cognitive abilities, others exhibited a mild decline and the remainder had Alzheimer's disease or significant impairment.

The researchers said that those who were taking fish oil supplements had, on average, better brain function than individuals who did not. However, they noted that the supplements appeared to be most beneficial to participants with normal cognitive abilities at the beginning of the trial.

Moreover, the scientists said that supplement use was associated with a larger brain volume, compared to volunteers who were not consuming fish oil.

"These observations should motivate further study of the possible effects of long-term fish oil supplementation on important markers of cognitive decline and the potential influence of genetics on these outcomes," said lead author Lori Daiello

Easy Health Options Staff – August 26, 2011

http://www.easyhealthoptions.com/alternative-medicine/fish-oil-shown-to-stave-off-cognitive-decline/

Diet Adjustments Can Help Prevent Gout

Recently, a study led by researchers at the Boston University College of Medicine reported that gout — a form of inflammatory arthritis — has risen by 1 percent over the past two decades, affecting about 4 percent of adults in the U.S.

The authors reported that the hike in gout rates is likely due to an increase in obesity and hypertension, as the disease has a strong link to metabolic syndrome.

According to scientists at the Mayo Clinic, eating excessive amounts of meat — especially processed animal protein and seafood — and over-consumption of alcohol are known to cause gout, which occurs when uric acid in the blood crystalizes and settles in the joints.

Luckily, a gout-preventing diet has a lot in common with a heart-healthy diet.

The Mayo Clinic recommends limiting meat and eating more plant-based sources of protein, like soy, beans and legumes. Additionally, individuals should choose whole grains and complex carbohydrates over items like white bread and sweets.

Eating low-fat or fat-free yogurt each day may help reduce the risk of gout. Also, some research has indicated that drinking four to six cups of coffee per day may help prevent the disease in men

 Easy Health Options Staff
– August 26, 2011

http://www.easyhealthoptions.com/alternative-medicine/diet-adjustments-can-help-prevent-gout/

CDC Identifies Four Key Healthy Behaviors To Prolong Life

Easy Health Options Staff
August 29, 2011

Individuals who make a conscious effort each day to eat right, exercise, drink only in moderation and not use tobacco likely do so to avoid a host of health complications. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a study to determine just how much these lifestyle choices can affect longevity.

A team of scientists analyzed the data from a large, long-term study known as the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III Mortality Study and found that avoiding activities known to be unhealthy can make a big difference in how long a person lives.

In fact, they discovered that following the four basic tenets of well-being resulted in a 66 percent decreased risk of early death —

• healthy eating
• exercise
• avoiding excess alcohol and
• never smoking 

Moreover, individuals who lived this type of lifestyle were 65 percent less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and had a 57 percent lower chance of death from other causes, compared to people who reported unhealthy habits.

Authors of the study noted that it is generally safe for men to consume two or fewer drinks per day, and for women to have about one drink daily.

http://www.easyhealthoptions.com/alternative-medicine/cdc-identifies-four-key-healthy-behaviors-to-prolong-life

Prunes May Help Prevent Osteoporosis

Most people know that they should get adequate levels of calcium every day in order to maintain strong bones, but researchers at Florida State University have conducted a study which suggests that prunes may also contribute to higher bone density.

In a year-long trial, the scientists instructed 55 of the participants to eat 100 grams of dried plums each day and 45 volunteers to consume the same amount of dried apples. All volunteers were female and took 500-milligram calcium supplements and 400 international units of vitamin D.

At the end of the study, researchers said that the women who ate prunes daily had significantly higher bone mineral density than their counterparts who ate apples. The scientists noted that this may be due to the fruit's ability to prevent resorption, or bone loss.

Authors of the study noted that their findings may have relevance to older women and men, especially those who are at risk of osteoporosis.

"In the first five to seven postmenopausal years, women are at risk of losing bone at a rate of 3 [percent] to 5 percent per year," said lead author Bahram Arjmandi. "However, osteoporosis is not exclusive to women and, indeed, around the age of 65, men start losing bone with the same rapidity as women."

Easy Health Options Staff

– August 29, 2011

Train your brain to crave healthy foods

Wendy Fox switched the M&M's in her coffee table bowl for brightly colored marbles.

 

 

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• The brain is wired to pick up on signs that calorie-rich foods are nearby
• Research also shows that cravings are influenced by our environment
• But it's possible to switch your cravings from fatty foods to healthy foods

(CNN) -- Looking back on it, Wendy Fox thinks it was the M&M's that did her in.

They sat in a glass bowl on her living room table, taunting her every time she walked by, seemingly calling out for her to scoop up a few and eat them. Eat them she did, as well as anything else chocolaty that crossed her path, such as a brownie at her favorite restaurant or a mocha drink at Starbucks.

Fox's chocolate cravings (and three pregnancies) helped her gain 40 pounds in her 30s.

"It wasn't pretty," says Fox, 41, a real estate agent in Weston, Massachusetts.

Unhappy with her growing figure -- she'd gone from a size 4 to a size 10 -- Fox watched as her mother lost 30 pounds. Her mother, who also craves sweets, had attended a program with nutritionist Susan Roberts at Tufts University to curb cravings and suggested Fox do the same.

"At my first meeting with Sue, I told her, 'You've met your challenge,' " Fox remembers with a laugh.

Roberts, author of "The Instinct Diet," explained to Fox that there's a biological reason most of us crave ice cream and not broccoli, but we can unlearn our instincts. It worked. After 14 months, Fox now craves salads instead of M&M's, has lost 36 pounds and is back down to a size 4.

The caveman's instinct

"For most of human history, people didn't have enough to eat, so fat was something you really needed to seek out," says Marcia Pelchat, a food psychologist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia.

To avoid dying in a famine, the brain is wired to pick up on signs that calorie-rich foods are nearby, which helps explain why that piece of cake on the plate in front of you is so irresistible, or why seeing a sign for a doughnut shop draws you in even when you know you need to watch your diet.

"It's analogous to a drug addict who's gone through rehab, but when he walks by that abandoned crack house he suddenly thinks about going in again," Pelchat says.

Pelchat adds, however, that while we're born with certain cravings, there's also evidence we start to crave whatever we eat in large quantities. She found this when she put study subjects on a vanilla-flavored drink low in saturated fat. After consuming it every day for two weeks, about a third of the subjects reported craving the drink, even though she says, "It was chalky and not very yummy."

Research in Japan also shows that cravings are influenced by our environment. A study at Tohoku University found that many Japanese women crave sushi. "These findings suggested that the craving for some kind of food is influenced by the tradition of food products and cultures," the authors concluded.

'Chocolate makes me nauseous!'

It was tough at first, but Fox, once a chocoholic, now hardly ever craves chocolate.

"I couldn't believe it, but last night we were at a friend's house for dinner and when they served dessert, I thought, 'I can't wait to go home and have a bowl of high-fiber cereal.' "

Her biggest craving now is for salad.

"I make one every night for dinner -- leafy greens and chopped up cucumbers. I don't use dressing -- just a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper, because I crave a natural taste," she says. "This is such a huge difference for me."

Every so often, Fox says she gets a "ping" for chocolate. But then when she eats it, it makes her feel sick.

"I can just taste the butter in the first bite. It makes me nauseous, which is so weird, because I'm the M&M girl!" she says. "I think a lot of it is psychological. I worked so hard to get where I am that I don't want to go back there. A brownie's not going to take me down!"

Judith Beck, a psychologist and president of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy in Pennsylvania, says she has noticed the same phenomenon when her patients have given up foods they used to crave.

"They didn't like the sensation of greasy foods in their mouths, and sometimes foods high in sugar started to taste too sweet," she says.

Learning to crave salad

Here are three steps toward switching your cravings from fatty foods to healthy foods.

1. Clean out your cupboards

Fox removed all signs of chocolate from her home. She replaced the M&M's in the glass bowl with pretty marbles, and if she buys chocolate for a special occasion, she gets rid of it immediately.

"I just had a party for my kids and we made ice cream sundaes. As soon as it was over, I gave the leftover hot fudge to my neighbors," she says.

2. Carry around healthy foods

Fox carries apples in her purse and keeps a box of high-fiber cereal in her car so she can dig in whenever a chocolate craving hits.

3. Bury craved foods in the middle of a meal

For the first two weeks, Roberts tells dieters to avoid eating unhealthy craved foods altogether, in the hopes of helping them unlearn the craving. After two weeks, she tells them they can have 100 calories of that food in the middle of the meal.

"I call it the sandwich technique," she says. "If you eat chocolate at the beginning of a meal when you're really hungry, your brain will think -- associate chocolate with feeling satiated and happy. If you put it at the end of the meal, your brain will remember it as the last delicious thing you tasted."

By Elizabeth Cohen, Senior Medical Correspondent

August 5, 2011

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/04/ep.brain.crave.cohen/index.html

 

 

What your cholesterol number really says

Half of all heart attacks come with no warning at all, making diagnostic tests all the more important

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• "The cholesterol number is essentially worthless," says Dr. Arthur Agatston
• Average LDL of people hospitalized for heart disease was 105 -- "nearly optimal"
• Younger women may be particularly jeopardized by a heavy reliance on cholesterol

(CNN) -- Learning your cholesterol numbers -- the good, the bad and the total -- is a well-established part of the annual physical exam.

A high cholesterol number results in angst and possible treatment. A low number brings relief. But are we putting too much stock in cholesterol as a sign of our heart attack risk?

"The cholesterol number is essentially worthless," says Dr. Arthur Agatston. The Miami cardiologist and South Beach diet books author says the cholesterol of people who have heart attacks and those who don't are almost identical.

"The overlap is troubling," Dr. Kwame Akosah at the University of Virginia agrees. "As an isolated predictor, it falls short."

As a sign of the weakness in cholesterol numbers alone, one large study found the average LDL cholesterol of people hospitalized for heart disease was 105, which is considered "near optimal."

The study, published in the American Heart Journal in 2009, found almost half of the hospital admissions had LDL cholesterol levels below 100, traditionally considered "low risk."

Another study found that only half of heart attacks occurred in people with high cholesterol (at or above 240), while a fifth of the heart attacks struck people whose cholesterol levels (below 200) deemed them safe based on long-held guidelines.

Agatston says the cholesterol numbers fall short because they measure cholesterol in your blood. They don't tell you the amount of LDL, or bad cholesterol, building up as plaque in the blood vessel walls. Plaque is what causes heart attacks.

American Heart Association: Learn and live

As a result, studies show some people who think they're high risk based on cholesterol numbers are not, while others who think they are in the clear are developing dangerous plaques.

Your body needs cholesterol. The waxy substance is in the lining of every cell in your body. You also use cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D and other substances.

Cholesterol circulates in the blood stream with the help of lipoproteins. The low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, carries cholesterol away from the liver. The high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, scavenges excess cholesterol and brings it back to the liver.

What erectile dysfunction says about the heart

Your body produces cholesterol in the liver. You can also get cholesterol in fatty foods. When the LDL in the blood outstrips the HDL's ability to scavenge it, plaque can accumulate. The buildup of plaque is a lifelong process, beginning in childhood, but everyone is different.

Your genes play a role in whether you are prone to accumulating LDL as plaque. High blood pressure also makes you more prone to plaque buildup. If you are obese or diabetic or a smoker or suffer from a chronic inflammatory condition like lupus, you are also more likely to accumulate plaque than someone with the same LDL cholesterol number.

Akosah says he uses all these factors to determine a patient's "global risk" and tailors the treatment accordingly.

Also, there are different LDL particle sizes. Smaller particles tend to penetrate the vessel wall more easily than larger LDL particles.

Most heart attacks are not caused by the slow narrowing of blood vessels but by a rupture of a blister or bubble of plaque in an artery that is less than 50 percent blocked. Half of all heart attacks come with no warning at all, making diagnostic tests all the more important.

Younger women may be particularly jeopardized by a heavy reliance on cholesterol numbers. One study that looked at heart attacks in women under 65 found none had been deemed "high risk" for a heart attack using the traditional Framingham Risk Score, which looked at age, smoking, blood pressure, total cholesterol and HDL.

A class of drugs called statins lowers LDL cholesterol. Exercise and a low-fat diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes can also lower LDL and raise HDL. Smokers who quit also improve their cholesterol numbers.

But the numbers themselves may be only the first step in learning your heart health.

"High cholesterol is not a diagnosis. It's a symptom. It's like a fever. The first step is to figure out what's going on," says Dr. James A. Underberg, a professor at New York University School of Medicine who specializes in preventive cardiovascular medicine.

By David S. Martin, CNN

August 17, 2011

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/17/cholesterol.myths/index.html

Resources - recommended books

Related books:

Poison in the Food: Hydrogenated Oils Exposes the horrifying truth about hydrogenated oils and the diseases it causes: birth defects, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and more.

Spam Filters For Your Brain Your brain is being spammed by 3,000 ads and commercial messages per day. Now you can actually filter out annoying, manipulative messages with the revolutionary brain defense technology revealed in this guide.

How to Halt Diabetes In 25 Days A down-to-earth guide on halting type-2 diabetes using natural methods: nutrition, food choice, medicinal herbs and more. Provides a 25-day plan for radically altering your body physiology to literally reverse type-2 diabetes.

The Five Habits of Health Transformation Explores the five most effective, yet effortless strategies for transforming human health. Written for busy people and based on research involving 763 participants, this book reveals which health strategies deliver the most results with the least investment in time, money or effort.

How to Prevent and Reverse Prostate Cancer Discover the little-known natural health secrets that can prevent and even reverse prostate cancer. This book shows you how to reduce your risk of prostate cancer to near zero using potent, clinically proven health strategies that far surpass anything offered by organized medicine.

The Ten Most Important Emerging Technologies For Humanity In this book, author Mike Adams takes you on a fascinating tour that ventures far beyond conventional science and dares to suggest that as a civilization, we are spending too much time, money and effort on technologies that really don't help us while ignoring the technologies that can really make a difference in our lives.

Superfoods For Optimum Health: Chlorella and Spirulina In this free online book, you'll get the astounding truth on how these two superfoods are far more than just "supplements" like vitamins and minerals: they are disease preventing foods from nature that can actually help conquer cancer, diabetes, heart disease, clinical depression, and much more.

Take Back Your Health Power! How to reclaim your natural health power from the doctors, drug companies and food marketers who have stolen your right to be healthy This courageous report tells you how to take back your power from those who have been exploiting your misfortune for their profit. Learn how to put yourself in control and transform your health outcome from this day forward.

The Five Soft Drink Monsters: how to kick the soft drink addiction for good This downloadable ebooks reveals how to easily and permanently break the soft drink habit for good. This guide will show you, in clear understandable terms, how to recognize each of the five addictive elements of soft drinks -- and then beat them with a clever strategy that's already worked for thousands.

How to Beat the Bird Flu: how to protect yourself from the coming bird flu pandemic This downloadable ebook arms you with the information you need to protect you and your family from the possible bird flu pandemic the World Health Organization is warning about.

The Seven Laws of Nutrition Learn how to transform your health, reverse chronic disease and free yourself from pharmaceuticals by mastering the fundamental laws of nutrition.

The Healing Power of Sunlight and Vitamin D: an exclusive interview with Dr. Michael Holick In this interview, Dr. Holick reveals fascinating facts on how vitamin D is created and used in the human body to ward off chronic diseases like cancer, osteoporosis, mental disorders and more.

The Healing Power of Water: an exclusive interview with Dr. Batmanghelidj This exclusive interview with Dr. B reveals how Dr. B. discovered the healing ability of water and pioneered the emerging field of hydro-health. This is a must read report that will forever change the way you think about H2O.

Grocery Warning How to recognize and avoid the common foods (and food ingredients) that cause disease. Names all the exact ingredients that directly cause heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, depression, osteoporosis, arthritis, high blood pressure, ADHD, behavioral disorders, mood swings and many more.

The Food Timing Diet Revealed: The Mike Adams secret to shedding body fat, experiencing phenomenal mental and physical energy and eliminating blood sugar swings -- all while eating enormous quantities of health-enhancing (and delicious!) food. Learn why it's not WHAT you eat as much as WHEN you eat!

The Weiss Method For Better Heart Health Radically improve your heart health in just eight weeks! Discover the natural way to prevent and reverse heart disease with Decker Weiss, NMD, a leading authority on non-invasive heart disease treatments that combine the best of conventional and natural treatments.

The Real Safety Guide to Disease Prevention More than 80% of all chronic disease is preventable, but only if you know how. Learn the proven, yet simple prevention strategies for cancer, heart disease, diabetes, depression, Alzheimer's and many other degenerative health conditions.

The Real Safety Guide to Beating Cybercrime Learn how to protect yourself, your children and your finances from cybercime in this sought-after safety guide that covers phishing, online identity theft, auction fraud, spyware, cyberstalking and much more.

The Real Safety Guide to Protecting Your Environment Teaches you 120 practical, Earth-saving tips and strategies for energy conservation, detoxifying your home and work environments, clean air, clean water, recycling and much more. Instant download and hardcopy editions available. 50% of revenues donated to pro-environment non-profits.

Learn more: warfarin news and articles http://www.naturalnews.com/warfarin.html#ixzz1WQiE3qr8

Resources - recommended links

Other Recommended Resources

NaturalNews.TV is a free video website featuring thousands of videos on holistic health, nutrition, fitness, recipes, natural remedies and much more.

CounterThink cartoons are free to view and download. They cover topics like health, environment and freedom.

The NaturalNews Store offers health foods, superfoods, healthy ingredients and natural products at discounted prices directly to consumers.

The Consumer Wellness Center is a non-profit organization offering nutrition education grants to programs that help children and expectant mothers around the world.

Food Investigations is a series of mini-documentaries exposing the truth about dangerous ingredients in the food supply.

The NaturalNews Facebook page has tens of thousands of members who see breaking news announcements while commenting on news stories.

TruthPublishing.com offers alternative health books and free downloadable interviews with top doctors and health authors.

The Honest Food Guide chart is a free, downloadable public health and nutrition chart that dares to tell the truth about what foods we should really be eating.

HealingFoodReference.com offers a free online reference database of healing foods, phytonutrients and plant-based medicines that prevent or treat diseases and health conditions.

The Natural Health Library offers more than fifteen free, downloadable books and interviews on natural health solutions.

HerbReference.com is a free, online reference library that lists medicinal herbs and their health benefits.

NutrientReference.com is a free online reference database of phytonutrients (natural medicines found in foods) and their health benefits. Lists diseases, foods, herbs and more.

 
Learn more: warfarin news and articles http://www.naturalnews.com/warfarin.html#ixzz1WQgTkx4E

Coumadin gets black box warning over fatal bleeding side effect

Blood thinner Coumadin gets black box warning over fatal bleeding side effect

Monday, October 09, 2006 by: Jessica Fraser

(NaturalNews) U.S. health officials announced on Friday that drug maker Bristol-Myers Squibb has added a black box warning to its blood-thinning drug Coumadin warning of possible "major or fatal bleeding."

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Coumadin -- known generically as warfarin -- will carry the agency's most serious "black box" warning on the potentially fatal bleeding risk. Coumadin had previously warned of a "risk of hemorrhage," but that warning was not highlighted in a black box.

Warfarin is a widely used anticoagulant, meant to thin the blood to prevent clots from forming or growing larger. Such medications are thought to help reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack caused by clots in the arteries.
 
The black box warning appearing on Bristol-Myers' Coumadin packaging also warns that serious or fatal bleeding is more likely to occur early on when patients start using the drug or when they begin higher doses. The warning cautions patients that they may be more susceptible to the risk if they are 65 and older, or if they have a history of gastrointestinal bleeding, hypertension or heart disease.
 
Bristol-Myers Squibb spokesman Ken Dominski verified the addition of the black box warning, and said the change applied to both the tablet and injectable forms of the drug. Dominski also said Bristol-Myers had worked with the FDA to make the change, but did not elaborate on whether or not the agency had required the new warnings.
 
Consumer advocate Mike Adams, author of "Take Back Your Health Power," said the warning is not surprising, since "Coumadin is actually the same chemical used as rat poison by pest exterminators."
Coumadin works to kill patients in exactly the same way it kills rats: "by causing them to bleed to death from the inside," Adams said.
 
Pharmaceutical industry critics say drugs like Coumadin are largely unnecessary, since much safer natural alternatives can also effectively thin the blood to prevent dangerous clots. For example, fish oil supplements and oily fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids both act as natural blood thinners.


Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/020682_blood_thinners_Bristol_Myers_Squibb.html#ixzz1WQfcQ8Lw

Cherries are an inexpensive natural remedy for pain

(NaturalNews) Pain is a huge problem for individuals, families, businesses and our economy. According to the American Pain Society, at any given time, as many as a third of us are in pain and every year pain drives half of us to a doctor`s office seeking relief. Combined costs of medical care and lost productivity due to chronic pain amount to $150 billion annually. While pain medications are expensive and have serious side effects, a number of natural and herbal remedies for pain relief are available which are good alternatives. One of these is cherries, which are loaded with antioxidants called anthocyanins that give them their red color along with significant pain relief.

General Pain Relief

In research published in 2004 at Johns Hopkins University, rats were injected with either a solution containing tart cherries or a prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and exposed to either a heated surface or an inflammatory agent. The tart cherries significantly reduced pain sensitivity and at the highest dosage were as effective as the drug. The authors conclude that tart cherries may have a beneficial role in inflammatory pain. In a 2001 study at Michigan State University, the anthocyanins in cherries were found to be equivalent to two common over-the-counter painkillers(also NSAIDs) for inhibiting the COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes associated with inflammation.

Sore Muscles in Athletes

Oregon`s Hood to Coast relay is a 197 mile race involving 1,000 relay teams. In 2009, scientists from Oregon`s Health and Science University studied the impact of tart cherry juice on pain in athletes participating in the race. Participants drank 10.5 ounces of tart cherry juice twice daily for a week prior to the race and then every 8 hours during the race. At the end of the race the cherry drinkers had less pain and faster muscle recovery. NSAIDs, though helpful for some kinds of pain, are associated with side effects including hospitalization and death. Tart cherry juice, on the other hand, has few if any side effects and may be a healthier choice for athletes and others who suffer from pain.

Gout

Gout is a painful type of arthritis caused by build up of uric acid in joints, often favoring the toes. In a 2003 study designed to test the value of cherries for ameliorating gout pain 10 healthy female volunteers ate 45 Bing cherries for breakfast. Researchers at the USDA`s Agricultural Research Service then evaluated levels of urate, a precursor of uric acid, in blood plasma levels and in urine. Within 5 hours of eating cherries, urate decreased in blood plasma levels and increased in urine. Scientists also evaluated levels of C-reactive protein and nitric oxide, two other markers of inflammation, which decreased after subjects ate cherries.

Fibromyalgia

In a recent study at the Oregon Health and Science Center, women with fibromyalgia were evaluated for muscle pain and weakness after exercise. Of the 14 women, half drank cherry juice and half a placebo for ten days. Results showed a subset of the cherry group enjoyed a significant reduction in overall pain.

The research suggests that cherries can be effective for different kinds of pain conditions. While both tart and sweet cherries have anthocyanins, tart cherries have more of them as well as a lower glycemic index making them a better choice. Tart cherries are also one of the only known food sources of melatonin, helpful for those whose pain interrupts their sleep cycle.

Tart cherries are available dried, frozen, and in juice form.

[Editor`s Note: NaturalNews is strongly against the use of all forms of animal testing. We fully support implementation of humane medical experimentation that promotes the health and wellbeing of all living creatures.]

Sources:

http://www.ampainsoc.org/library/bu...
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/...
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/...
http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/about/news_e...
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archi...
http://www.imjournal.com/index.cfm/...

August 28, 2011 by: Celeste M. Smucker, MPH, PhD
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/033443_cherries_pain_remedies.html

How vitamin B-12 treats Alzheimer's disease

(NaturalNews) Go ahead and tell someone that they should give their loved one, who is suffering from Alzheimer's Disease (AD) or Dementia, a dose of vitamin B12 that is 300 times the recommended daily intake, and they'll probably cover their ears and run the other way or tell you they are afraid of "overdosing."

In fact, most people don't even know where vitamin B12 comes from, or what the body needs it for in the first place. On top of that, there are several myths about vitamin B12 that need to be dispelled, and several misconceptions of where it comes from in its most natural, most beneficial form.

There is a widespread belief that meat is the primary source of vitamin B-12; however, many nutritionists and their research reflect that cooked animal protein actually impairs the ability of the body to absorb this essential vitamin.

The vitamin is heat sensitive, and therefore normal cooking can destroy up to 90 percent of its usefulness. So then what foods do we turn to in order to find useful vitamin B-12? Although animal and dairy products are a "popular source", the natural soil microbes and bacteria found on wild food, such as unwashed garden plants, are typically enough to supply many of your vitamin B12 needs.

In other words, organic vegetables, which most likely are not doused in pesticides, herbicides and insecticides, have exactly what the body needs. The "sterile" process of washing your vegetables is mainly known to be done to remove the chemical agents farmers use to keep away pests and bugs from destroying them, but that same "sterilizing process" also washes away soil microbes and bacteria that grow on raw fruits and vegetables, which our bodies need to duplicate in the intestinal tract for proper "assimilation" of vitamin B-12 to take place.

The ultimate source of all nature's B-12 is manufactured by the friendly bacteria in an animal's intestinal tract, and this is true for all vegetarian animals, including human beings.

Alzheimer's is a degenerative disease, which may have its beginnings rooting from a deficiency of vitamin B-12. Humans are born with serum levels of B-12 at about 2,000 pg/ml. This level often declines steadily throughout life, giving "credit" to common Western diet.

If consumers and natural medicine advocates can keep an open mind when addressing AD, we give our loved ones a fair chance at stopping AD in its tracks and possibly reversing dementia, and according to recent research, the earlier you address the problem, the better fighting chance you have of reducing or even defeating it.

In the early 1980's, my grandmother Esther began showing signs and symptoms of dementia. At the time, I was about 13 years old, and when my parents brought me to visit her at my Aunt's home, my grandmother barely recognized me.

My father said she was having problems with her memory, and then she actually walked us into a bathroom as she offered to show us her "bedroom." Within two years, she did not recognize even her closest family members, including her husband. It was a total nightmare for the entire family, and Grandma Ester lived liked this for over ten years.

Could vitamin B-12 have been the remedy? I wish we had known about it then so we could have tried it. So clear the clouds of doubt you have about vitamin B-12. If it can't hurt, and can only help, why wouldn't you try it?

It's water soluble, so if you take "too much," your body will simply excrete the excess. There are no proven side effects. So, if a simple at home nutritional program could actually save your loved one from a degenerative disease that is considered "worse than death," why wouldn't you try it?

August 28, 2011 by: S. D. Wells
www.naturalnews.com

Vitamin B against Alzheimer's Disease

Vitamin B is revolutionary new weapon against Alzheimer's Disease


Vitamin B tablets could slow and even halt the devastating march of Alzheimer's Disease in the elderly, a breakthrough British study suggests.

See video on:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/7993315/Cure-in-sight-for-Alzheimers.html

The research showed that large doses of the supplement could halve the rate of brain shrinkage – a physical symptom associated memory loss and dementia in the elderly.

The effects were so dramatic that the scientists behind the work believe it could revolutionise the treatment of the disease.

Brain shrinkage or atrophy is a natural part of ageing but it is known to be accelerated in people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) – a kind of memory loss and forgetfulness – and Alzheimer's.

Scientists at the University of Oxford conducted a trial on 168 people and found that taking high doses of three vitamin B supplements every day reduced brain shrinkage associated with dementia by up to 53 per cent.

They said the results were so strong that it should open up a debate as to whether the tablets should be prescribed to everyone with MCI – half of whom develop Alzheimer's disease.

MCI affects 16 per cent of people over 70 – 1.5 million people in the UK.

Professor David Smith, a pharmacologist who co-authored the study, said the results were "immensely promising".
"It is a very simp
le solution: you give someone some vitamins and you protect the brain," he said.
"This is the first trial that has shown a glimmer of hope and success. It is the first one of its kind that has worked so clearly. I think it will change the whole direction of Alzheimer's research.

"500 people a day develop Alzheimer's in the UK. If we can cut that down by just 10 per cent it will have a big impact. I personally believe that it will."

The research, published in the journal Public Library of Science ONE, is controversial because it defies current scientific dogma about the way to tackle Alzheimer's.

It suggests simply taking vitamins can achieve results that have so far evaded pharmaceutical companies, despite millions of pounds being spent on experimental dementia drugs.

The brain naturally shrinks in volume as we get older and when you get to 60, it is shrinking by as much as half a per cent a year.

But in those with MCI it is accelerates to one per cent a year and in Alzheimer's Disease by 2.5 per cent a year. This is accompanied by severe memory problems, slower thoughts and confusion.

Current research centres around tackling so-called tangles in the brain which are thought to "silt up" the brain's thought processes.

The team at the University of Oxford set out in a new direction – targeting the abnormal physical shrinkage of the brain.

They knew that a substance called homocysteine, an amino acid found in the blood, was associated with this shrinkage.

Elderly people with higher levels of homocysteine, had higher levels of brain shrinkage.

They also knew that vitamin B regulated levels of homocysteine and that the more vitamin B in the blood, the lower the levels of the harmful amino acid.

The researchers used an advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique to study brain shrinkage in 168 volunteers over the age of 70 with diagnosed MCI.

Over a period of two years, half were given a daily tablet containing high doses of the B vitamins folic acid, B6 and B12. The rest received a "dummy" placebo pill with no active ingredients.

At the end of the trial the effects of the vitamin treatment were found to be dramatic, and most pronounced in participants who started out with the highest rates of brain shrinkage.

On average, taking B vitamins slowed the rate of brain atrophy by 30 per cent, and in many cases reductions was as high as 53 per cent were seen.

Prof Smith said: "This is a very striking, dramatic result. It's much more than we could have predicted.
"It is our hope that this simple and safe treatment will delay the development of Alzheimer's disease in many people who suffer from mild memory problems."

Although the trial was not designed to measure thinking ability, the researchers found that individuals with the lowest rates of shrinkage had the highest mental test scores.

Prof Smith said it was still early to say exactly how vitamin B worked.

"The treatment lowers homocysteine, lower homocysteine reduces brain shrinkage and that reduces cognitive decline," he said.

The scientists stress that the doses of B vitamins used in the trial are much higher than would be obtained from diets and additives or normal health supplements.

The "TrioBe Plus" pills, prescribed under medical supervision in Sweden but not available in the UK, contain around 300 times the recommended daily intake of B12 and four times recommended folate levels.

However it is possible to copy the dose by buying three separate supplements from health food shops in Britain for as little as 10 pence a day.

The long-term effects of taking big doses of the vitamins were not known, and there was some evidence that high folic acid intake could be linked to cancer, he said.

While Prof Smith said anybody thinking of taking them should consult their doctor first, he personally felt they would be effective.

He said: "These are big doses. Should we take it? The person must be worried about their memory and then I would recommend going to their doctor first. But if I had MCI I would take it."

Professor Helga Refsum, his co-author at University of Oslo who is a visiting academic at Oxford, said more trials were needed but the evidence was strong.

"As a scientist I am not happy with just one trial and there will be a large debate. But as a clinician sitting in front of a patient I would say vitamin B supplements are fairly safe, they are not expensive and what we have found here is extremely convincing. It is very difficult to argue against its use."
The study was cautiously welcomed by other scientists although they said more studies were needed to back up the findings.

Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, which co-funded the study, said: "These are very important results, with B vitamins now showing a prospect of protecting some people from Alzheimer's in old age.

"The strong findings must inspire an expanded trial to follow people expected to develop Alzheimer's, and we hope for further success
.
Chris Kennard, chair of the Medical Research Council's Neurosciences and Mental Health Board, which also provided funding, said: "The findings are very encouraging and we look forward to further research that is needed in order to test whether B vitamins can be recommended as a suitable treatment."

Paul Matthews, Professor of Clinical Neurology, Imperial College, London said: “This well-conducted study adds substantial new data to previous information suggesting that dietary B vitamins could have beneficial effects on neurodegeneration with ageing."

A spokesman for the Alzheimer’s Society said:"This is an interesting study which could change the lives of thousands of people at risk of dementia.

"However, previous studies looking at B vitamins have been very disappointing and we wouldn’t want to raise people’s expectations yet, as we have not specifically seen any benefits in preventing the onset of the symptoms of dementia."


By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent

5:00AM BST 09 Sep 2010

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7989889/Vitamin-B-is-revolutionary-new-weapon-against-Alzheimers-Disease.html;

Vitamin K reduces calcification of arteries

Vitamin K reduces calcification of arteries by 37 percent; blood thinner medications cause calcification

A study has found vitamin K not only blocks new arterial calcium buildup but can also reduce existing levels of calcification by 37 percent. Researchers at Maastricht University published their findings in the April 1st issue of Blood, the journal of the American Society of Hematology.

"Given that arterial calcifications are predictive of cardiovascular events, regression of arterial calcification may help reduce the risk of death in people with chronic kidney disease and coronary artery disease," wrote lead author Leon Schurgers.

Schurgers and his co-workers fed 10-week old male Wistar Kyoto rats a diet containing the blood thinner warfarin to induce calcium buildup. The animals were then separated into four groups: the first group was given warfarin, and the other three groups were taken off the drug. The three groups of warfarin-free animals were given various doses of Vitamin K. The researchers reported that, in the normal dose Vitamin K group, arterial calcium levels continued to increase even after warfarin administration ended.

"In contrast," the researchers wrote, "high-vitamin K intake (both K1 and K2) not only blocked the progress of further calcium accumulation but also lead to a greater than 37 percent reduction of previously accumulated arterial calcium precipitates within six weeks."

These findings are especially relevant for people who take blood-thinning drugs, which are known to induce arterial calcification by inactivating a protein called matrix GLA, or MGP, a potent inhibitor of calcification. MGP requires vitamin K for activation.

"The medical community now recognizes that vitamin K-dependent MGP plays an essential role in promoting cardiovascular health," said Schurgers, "Our study shows that in an animal model, vitamin K can actually regress preformed calcifications. The health implications for humans are significant."

Vitamin K is found in many kinds of foods, including soybeans, olives, and oils, as well as in dark green vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, spinach and Brussels sprouts.

"What's interesting about this study is that researchers actually used a common blood thinner drug in order to induce a calcium build up in the arteries," said Mike Adams, author of The 7 Laws of Nutrition. "This indicates quite clearly that medical researchers know the best way to cause calcification of arteries is to dose the subject with blood thinner drugs," Adams said. "At the same time, this potentially deadly side effect is not being fully explained to patients who are taking blood thinner drugs such as Coumadin."

June 05, 2007

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/

Warfarin - Brain bleeding from use of anticoagulant increasing since the 1990s, researchers report

(NaturalNews) According to an article in the Jan. 9 issue of Neurology, brain bleeding associated with the blood thinner warfarin -- also known as Coumadin -- increased roughly 500 percent in the 1990s, and by an even greater degree in patients aged 80 and up.

Warfarin is often prescribed to prevent blood clotting and help combat the most common type of stroke, known as ischemic stroke. However, warfarin itself has been linked to intracerebral brain hemorrhage, another type of stroke caused by ruptured blood vessels and subsequent bleeding in the brain.

"Warfarin use increased during the 1990s, because it was proven to be effective in preventing ischemic strokes among people who have an abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation," said lead author and neurologist Dr. Matthew L. Flaherty.

Flaherty and colleagues from the University of Cincinnati collected information on all patients hospitalized with their first intracerebral hemorrhage during the years of 1988, 1993, 1994 and 1999 in the greater Cincinnati area. The researchers determined the annual rate of intracerebral hemorrhage associated with warfarin to be 0.8 cases per 100,000 people in 1988, but 4.4 cases per 100,000 people in 1999. The rate jumped from 2.5 per 100,000 in 1988 to 45.9 per 100,000 in 1999 for patients 80 and older.

"We are seeing more of these patients," noted Flaherty. "And we need better treatments once the bleeding has happened."

Flaherty said it was important that patients on warfarin get their International Normalized Ratio -- a test that measures blood's ability to clot -- monitored regularly as the drug can directly affect the INR and change it depending on what other drugs the patient is taking. An INR above three represents a greater danger of bleeding. He added that keeping blood pressure low was crucial because high blood pressure is already a risk factor for bleeding, and warfarin increases that risk.

Doctors also need to exercise caution about prescribing warfarin in the first place, Flaherty noted, especially in patients 80 and older.

"Some of those patients are better off being on warfarin," he said. "The message isn't that no one should use warfarin. There needs to be a balance between the benefit of preventing ischemic stroke and the risk of bleeding."

Dr. Michael B. Rothberg, an associate professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, said that doctors considering warfarin should first weigh the patient's risk of stroke against their risk of bleeding.

"This study demonstrates that we need to be careful when we use these therapies," he said. "Not all patients with atrial fibrillation should be getting warfarin. Patients at the highest risk for stroke will benefit the most, and patients at the highest risk for bleeding will benefit the least."

Flaherty said that more research should be performed to uncover drugs that are safer than warfarin.
"Right now, warfarin is the best medication we have for preventing ischemic strokes in patients who have atrial fibrillation," he said. "There are other drugs being worked on, but, right now, none of them are available."


 January 16, 2007 by: Ben Kage

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com

Does Oatmeal Lower Blood Sugar?

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Oatmeal and Blood Sugar

 

Depending on the type of oatmeal you choose, it might help you better control your blood sugar levels. If you consume a sugary cereal or a bowl of oatmeal, both containing the same amount of calories, the sugary cereal will cause your blood sugar to spike and then crash later, leaving you feeling still hungry, while the bowl of oatmeal will cause a gradual rise in blood sugar and keep you feeling full for longer since your blood sugar levels do not fall abruptly after a few hours, according to an article on the National Public Radio website.

 

Overview

Oatmeal contributes to a filling and nutritious breakfast. One packet of microwavable regular flavor oatmeal made with water contains 110 calories, 2 g of fiber and 4 g of protein, along with 45 percent of the daily value for iron; 20 percent of the DV for folate, niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin A and vitamin B-6; 15 percent of the DV for phosphorus; 10 percent of the DV for calcium and magnesium and 6 percent of the DV for zinc. Oatmeal may also help control your blood sugar levels.

Soluble Fiber

One of the reasons why oatmeal can help keep your blood sugar levels steady is the soluble fiber contained in oatmeal. Fiber is not digested, and thus does not increase your blood glucose levels. Eating large amounts of soluble fiber like that found in oatmeal can help with blood sugar control, according to Joslin Diabetes Center. This is because soluble fiber causes you to absorb sugar more slowly.

Glycemic Index

Oatmeal is a low-glycemic index food. Foods low on the glycemic index cause less of a spike in blood sugar levels, making them good options for those with diabetes. However, some types of oatmeal are better for blood sugar control than others. Less processed forms of oatmeal are absorbed slower, causing the least increase in blood sugar, so choose steel cut oats or old fashioned oatmeal rather than quick cook or instant oatmeal when possible.

Considerations

Plain oatmeal, especially the whole grain versions that are not overly processed, is unlikely to cause a spike in your blood sugar. If you add a lot of sugar to it or consume it along with foods that are high on the glycemic index and raise blood sugar quickly these foods may cause your blood sugar to spike in spite of consuming them with oatmeal.

About this Author

Jessica Bruso has been writing for the Internet as an independent consultant since 2008. She holds a Master of Science in food policy and applied nutrition and a Bachelor of Arts in international relations, both from Tufts University.

Last updated on: 08/27/11
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/

The 10 Healthiest Foods on the Planet

These 10 superfoods are proven, expert-beloved disease fighters and energy boosters. Add them to your meals and get on the fast track to a super-healthy body.

Superfoods for a Super Body

There are lots of foods that are good for you. But these 10 superfoods go beyond a simple vitamin dose here or a nutrient-drenched nibble there. These are research-backed, expert-beloved disease fighters and energy boosters. Making them your go-to eats is easy. Here, we've got a month's worth of recipes and a menu planner just for you.

The Superfoods

• Lemons
• Broccoli
• Dark chocolate
• Potatoes
• Salmon
• Walnuts
• Avocado
• Garlic
• Spinach
• Beans 

 

Lemons

Why They're Healthy:
-- Just one lemon has more than 100 percent of your daily intake of vitamin C, which may help increase "good" HDL cholesterol levels and strengthen bones.
-- Citrus flavonoids found in lemons may help inhibit the growth of cancer cells and act as an anti-inflammatory.
Quick Tip:
Add a slice of lemon to your green tea. One study found that citrus increases your body's ability to absorb the antioxidants in the tea by about 80 percent.

Broccoli

Why It's Healthy:
-- One medium stalk of broccoli contains more than 100 percent of your daily vitamin K requirement and almost 200 percent of your recommended daily dose of vitamin C -- two essential bone-building nutrients.
-- The same serving also helps stave off numerous cancers.
Quick Tip:
Zap it! Preserve up to 90 percent of broccoli's vitamin C by microwaving. (Steaming or boiling holds on to just 66 percent of the nutrient.)

Dark Chocolate

Why It's Healthy:
-- Just one-fourth of an ounce daily can reduce blood pressure in otherwise healthy individuals.
-- Cocoa powder is rich in flavonoids, antioxidants shown to reduce "bad" LDL cholesterol and increase "good" HDL levels.
Quick Tip:
A dark chocolate bar contains about 53.5 milligrams of flavonoids; a milk chocolate bar has fewer than 14.

 Geoffrey Kidd/Alamy

Potatoes

Why They're Healthy:
-- One red potato contains 66 micrograms of cell-building folate -- about the same amount found in one cup of spinach or broccoli.
-- One sweet potato has almost eight times the amount of cancer-fighting and immune-boosting vitamin A you need daily.
Quick Tip:
Let your potato cool before eating. Research shows that doing so can help you burn close to 25 percent more fat after a meal, thanks to a fat-resistant starch.

Salmon

Why It's Healthy:
-- A great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to a reduced risk of depression, heart disease, and cancer.
-- A 3-ounce serving contains almost 50 percent of your daily dose of niacin, which may protect against Alzheimer's disease and memory loss.
Quick Tip:
Opt for wild over farm-raised, which contains 16 times as much toxic polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) as wild salmon

Walnuts

Why They're Healthy:
-- Contain the most omega-3 fatty acids, which may help reduce cholesterol, of all nuts.
-- Omega-3s have been shown to improve mood and fight cancer; they may protect against sun damage, too (but don't skip the SPF!).
Quick Tip:
Eat a few for dessert: The antioxidant melatonin, found in walnuts, helps to regulate sleep.

Avocados

Why They're Healthy:
-- Rich in healthy, satisfying fats proven in one study to lower cholesterol by about 22 percent.
-- One has more than half the fiber and 40 percent of the folate you need daily, which may reduce your risk of heart disease.
Quick Tip:
Adding it to your salad can increase the absorption of key nutrients like beta-carotene by three to five times compared with salads without this superfood



  Garlic
Why It's Healthy:
-- Garlic is a powerful disease fighter that can inhibit the growth of bacteria, including E. coli.
-- Allicin, a compound found in garlic, works as a potent anti-inflammatory and has been shown to help lower cholesterol and blood-pressure levels.
Quick Tip:
Crushed fresh garlic releases the most allicin. Just don't overcook; garlic exposed to high heat for more than 10 minutes loses important nutrients

Spinach

Why It's Healthy:
-- Spinach contains lutein and zeaxanthin, two immune-boosting antioxidants important for eye health.
-- Recent research found that among cancer-fighting fruits and veggies, spinach is one of the most effective.
Quick Tip:
Spinach is a healthy -- and flavorless -- addition to any smoothie. You won't taste it, we promise! Try blending 1 cup spinach, 1 cup grated carrots, 1 banana, 1 cup apple juice, and ice.

Beans

Why They're Healthy:
-- Eating a serving of legumes (beans, peas, and lentils) four times a week can lower your risk of heart disease by 22 percent.
-- That same habit may also reduce your risk of breast cancer.
Quick Tip:
The darker the bean, the more antioxidants it contains. One study found that black bean hulls contain 40 times the amount of antioxidants found in white bean hulls






Originally published in FITNESS magazine, October 2008
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com

Vitamin B12 for prevention & reversal of Alzheimer's disease

High-dose vitamin B12 for at-home prevention and reversal of Alzheimer's disease and other diseases

Introduction

It is interesting to consider what proportion of Alzheimer's dementia (AD) may result from under-nutrition, (1) especially when it seems that there may be an easy, low-cost, perfectly safe, nutritional way that may allow people to avoid a miserable illness that many people consider worse than death.

Some people might say, "That's too good to be true!" In fact, an at-home nutritional program, using a lot of vitamin B12 may indeed prevent and virtually eliminate AD. An early launch of the treatment soon after first warning symptoms start could even turn off the process.

Confusion, difficulty concentrating, loss of memory, marked changes in personality that can lead to outbursts of violence, hallucinations, wandering away, and early death all characterize Alzheimer's dementia. An estimated 2.3 million Americans now have AD. Prevalence doubles every five years after the age of 60, increasing from one percent among those 60 to 64 up to 40% among those aged 85 years and older. Nursing home care costs about $47,000 per AD patient annually, and this figure is rising steadily, putting a huge burden on the health care system. The disease is also terrible for the patients' caregivers. In what experts are calling "a looming public health disaster," statistics suggest there will be between five and seven million Alzheimer's patients over the next ten years.(2)

Let's start with a little background. Mammals, including humans, are born with serum levels of vitamin B12 at about 2,000 pg/ml (picograms--i.e., trillionths of a gram, per milliliter). The level declines throughout human life owing to practices common in Western societies. (4) Below 550 to 600 pg/ml, deficiencies start to appear in the cerebrospinal fluid. (5,6) US clinical laboratories regard 200 pg/ml as the lower range of normal. That low limit was set with hematologic criteria. But neuropsychiatric criteria, which are much higher, have become more critical.

"Most cases of Alzheimer's dementia are actually missed B12 deficiency cases, because of the too-low normal range for B12," wrote John V. Dommisse, MD in 1991 in Medical Hypotheses. (3) Dommisse, who practices medicine in Tucson, Arizona, has confirmed (7,8,9) that Alzheimer's disease appears to result from too-low serum vitamin B12, and repletion of the vitamin succeeds despite other risk factors. Repleting B12, according to Dommisse, can reverse 75% of B12 deficiency dementias when the condition is discovered early enough. (10)

Other aspects of the therapy should be noted: The neurological and cerebral manifestations of B12 deficiency require dosages larger, (11) and extending over a longer time, (12) than to those needed to reverse hematologic effects. (13) B12 therapy appears to be perfectly safe; in other words, the risk of overdose is virtually nil. Patients of Dr. H.L. Newbold in New York City injected themselves three times daily with triple-strength doses of B12 (9,000 ug/micrograms/per day) indefinitely. Their serum B12 levels reached 200,000 pg/ml (100 times the normal level found in newborn babies and higher), but none had any significant side effects. (3)

Other Conditions Benefit From B12 Replenishment

Besides Alzheimer's, B12 ("cobalamin"*) deficiency can also cause the following conditions. And when started early, replenishing B12 (i.e., restoring it to or near to levels found at birth) may often significantly improve these afflictions as well:

* Depression Often in mild form, depression can be one of the first clues foretelling dementia. (14-19) Chris Reading, BSc, DipAgSc, MBBS, FRANZCP, FACNEM (reading@tpg.com.au) of Australia concurs: "... in most cases of [not only mild but also] 'intractable depression,' a subtle B12, or other nutrient, or thyroid hormone, deficiency has been missed." (20,21) Psychotic depression has been particularly associated with B12 deficiency. (22) As I'll discuss later, success of B12 therapy against depression in its various forms is "probable."

* Paranoid psychoses This nutritional deficit has also been linked to paranoid psychoses, characterized by over-suspiciousness and delusions.

* Bipolar-1 disorder Bipolar-1 disorder (manic depressive), marked by alternating periods of elation and depression; and more commonly bipolar-2 (cyclothymic personality), marked by mood swings within normal limits. (24-26)

* Chronic fatigue syndrome (27-29)

* Weakened immunity Weakened immunity can occur, leading to susceptibility to recurrent infections and cancer, as well as increasing risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, (30) and much more by a second pathway, hindering remethylation of the toxic sulfur amino acid homocysteine back into the nontoxic essential amino acid methionine. (31)

* Asthma Incomplete digestion of foods due to hypochlorhydria and low pepsin production (see below) can be involved in subsequent allergic response in asthma. (32)

* Disrupted sleep/wake rhythms (33,34)

* Environmental illness (35)

* Low stress tolerance (36)

* Osteoporosis (37)

* AIDS (Acquired ImmunoDeficiency Syndrome) (38)

* Premature aging (39)

* Multiple sclerosis (40,41) Symptoms of MS have been noted in persons with a vitamin B12
deficiency prior to evidence of megaloblastic anemia. There is a remarkable epidemiologic similarity between MS and pernicious anemia, and similar HLA (human lymphocyte antigens) are suggested for the association of the two conditions.

* Alzheimer's mimicking and non-Alzheimer's dementia (42)

Intramuscular injection of B12 also has yielded seeming miracle cures in still other desperate illnesses. In numerous cases of patients with violent behavior, for instance, when B12 was replenished (with or without other changes in life), violent behavior disappeared. (45-49)

"The only question now," writes Dommisse, "is what proportion of cases of mood-disorder is caused by B12-deficiency and what percentage is idiopathic." Almost all of his uni- and bipolar patients have had B12 levels in the lowest one-third of the so-called normal (to prevent pernicious anemia) range, levels that he now regards as deficient for adequate affective, cognitive, and other mental functions.

When their levels have been raised to the highest one-third of that "normal" range, every one of those patients felt better. For some patients, who came out of their depression or mood-swing disorder, this was the only new or different treatment they received. In subsequent instances when their affective disorder worsened, B12 levels had again dropped. So, would restoring ample serum B12 levels prevent many or most of those adverse conditions? Evidence shown below, cautiously suggests Dr. Dommisse, means, "Yes, at least in the case of depression."

There is no maximum allowable age to begin B12 therapy. A friend recently told me her 90-year-old mother is beginning to think less clearly than in the past, and to feel a bit depressed. I suggested, "If your dear mother would like to stop her incipient downward slide, let her start the therapy." God never wrote on tablets of stone that 90 years of age is too old to turn one's health around and begin to make life fun again.

It is important to note that having a quality laboratory measure serum B12 is an essential part of the replenishment process. Simply supplementing B12 "in the dark" could miss the mark badly. And to really know the patient's whole picture, Sherry A. Rogers, MD, suggests the ION Panel (N.E.E.D.S.; 800-634-1380) is well worth its cost (currently, about $600). (50)

The normal range for serum B12, states Dr. Dommisse, should be defined as 600 to 2,000 pg/ml. Japan's "normal" range is 500-1,300. (51) According to Dommisse, this may explain why Japan has such a low rate of Alzheimer's dementia (52) compared to the United States. (53) By some estimates, as many as 80% of elderly American patients may share hidden B12 insufficiency. (54-56)

Also, B12 deficiency is common with folate deficiency in dementia (57-59) and worsens over time as the deficiency increases. (60) The impact was seen first on neuropsychiatric measures, where augmentation of B12 and folate materially improved scores on cognitive performance tests. (61,62)

No more rat poison: New stroke drug is better than warfarin

A new anti-clotting drug saves more lives from strokes than the traditional treatment, warfarin, a study has revealed.

A trial of more than 18,000 patients with irregular heartbeats showed apixaban is better and safer than warfarin, the drug based on rat poison that is used by half a million Britons.

The new drug cut deaths by 11 per cent, reduced strokes by one fifth and lowered the rate of internal bleeding by almost a third.

Apixaban is one of a new generation of anti-clotting agents aimed at preventing strokes and other potentially fatal events in people with atrial fibrillation (AF).

The results of the latest trial, presented at the European Society of Cardiology congress in Paris yesterday, add to pressure for a sea change in the treatment of AF, even though the new agents are more expensive than warfarin.

In AF, the upper chambers of the heart are out of rhythm and beat faster than normal, causing blood to pool and clot. It is the cause of around one in seven first-time strokes.
Warfarin, which is still used as rat poison, has been given routinely to AF patients for decades, reducing the rate of stroke by up to two-thirds, at the cost of an increased risk of bleeding.

But its benefits have now been eclipsed by the study of 18,000 patients with AF in 39 countries.

 The study, coordinated by U.S. researchers from Duke Clinical Research Institute, North Carolina, and Uppsala Clinical Research Institute, Sweden, looked at patients who were randomly prescribed warfarin or apixaban pills for almost two years.

There were 11 per cent fewer deaths from any cause among those taking the new drug twice a day.

In addition, strokes were cut by 21 per cent and there was a 31 per cent reduction in major bleeding, including brain haemorrhage.

Warfarin has been given to patients with atrial fibrillation for several years and reduced the risk by up to two thirds

It is the first trial involving any of three new anti-coagulants to show a ‘significant reduction’ in the risk of death from all causes among AF patients compared with warfarin.

Apixaban, also known by its brand name Eliquis, is licensed for short-term use to prevent blood clots in patients undergoing hip and knee replacements.

But makers Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer do not expect it to be licensed until next year for stroke prevention in AF patients, who would have to take it for life.

The NHS rationing body, Nice, will then have to approve it for widespread use, but the increase in cost is likely to be huge as warfarin costs less than £1 a month, plus clinic visits.

Nice has already given a preliminary opinion on a rival anti-coagulant called Pradaxa, saying it is not cost-effective at £919 a month.

A spokesman for The Stroke Association said: ‘Although warfarin is effective in preventing strokes, it is often underused by GPs. One of the reasons for this is patients have to have regular blood tests to monitor the drug’s effects.’

John Camm, professor of clinical cardiology at St George’s Hospital Medical School, London, said: ‘This is going to be like taking an aspirin tablet once or twice a day, depending on the drug, without the need for monitoring.

‘It offers opportunities for more people with AF to benefit who are not prepared to take warfarin.’


Jenny Hope
29 August 2011
www.dailymail.co.uk