Organic Tomatoes are More Nutritious than Conventional Counterpart

One Fruit That's Well Worth the Extra Pennies to Buy Organic

You get plenty of extra bang for your buck when you choose this versatile organic fruit, including 139% more cancer-fighting and stroke risk-lowering power. But don't make this mistake when you buy them or you may expose yourself to increased levels of a toxic endocrine disrupting chemical...

Organic Tomatoes, While Smaller, are More Nutritious than Conventional Counterpart, Study Shows

March 25, 2013 |232,718 views


 

Story at-a-glance

• Tomatoes are one of the best dietary sources of lycopene, which has been shown to have anti-cancerous activity, and may reduce your risk of stroke.
• Cooked tomatoes (such as in tomato sauce or tomato paste) not only increases the lycopene content that can be absorbed by your body, but also increases the total antioxidant activity. Consume your tomatoes, whether raw or cooked, with some type of fat, such as olive oil, since lycopene is a fat-soluble nutrient.
• Choose organic varieties, whether whole tomatoes or tomato paste, ketchup, or sauce. Organic ketchup has been found to contain 57 percent more lycopene than conventional national brands.
• Avoid anything that comes in a can, since the acidity of the tomatoes will increase toxic BPA release from the liner.

By Dr. Mercola

Tomatoes, which are actually a fruit and not a vegetable, contain a number of valuable nutrients, and according to recent research, organically-grown tomatoes are even more nutritious than their conventionally-grown counterparts.

One of the most well-known nutrients in tomatoes is lycopene — the compound that gives tomato its deep red color.

Lycopene is a vital anti-oxidant that has been shown to have potent anti-cancerous activity. This compound is not naturally produced in your body, so it must be supplied via your diet.

Other fruits and vegetables also contain lycopene, but none has the high concentration of lycopene that the tomato boasts.

Interestingly, when cooked, the bioavailability of lycopene increases rather than decreases, as is the case with many other raw foods, as heat has a tendency to destroy valuable nutrients.

That said, you’re best off avoiding canned tomatoes and tomato sauces as can liners tend to contain potent estrogen mimics such as bisphenol A (BPA), which is also a toxic endocrine disrupting chemical. Your best bet is to make your own organic tomato sauce from scratch, or buy organic sauce sold in glass jars.

Organic Tomatoes have 139 Percent Higher Phenolic Content, Study Shows

It seems perfectly sensible that food grown in healthier soil with natural fertilizers and no synthetic agricultural chemicals would be more nutritious. This is common knowledge among farmers, yet this age-old, common sense wisdom is greatly suppressed in the United States in order to protect the large-scale industrial farming model.

According to a recent study published in the journal PLOS One,¹ growing tomatoes according to organic standards results in dramatically elevated phenols content, compared to tomatoes grown conventionally, using agricultural chemicals.

The researchers compared total phenol content in organic and conventional tomatoes grown in nearby plots in Brazil. This allowed for a more accurate comparison of the tomatoes, as both varieties were grown in similar soil- and climate conditions that might otherwise affect nutrient content.

According to the authors:

“This study was conducted with the objective of testing the hypothesis that tomato fruits from organic farming accumulate more nutritional compounds, such as phenolics and vitamin C as a consequence of the stressing conditions associated with farming system.”

The organic tomatoes were found to contain 55 percent more vitamin C, and 139 percent more total phenolic content at the stage of commercial maturity, compared to the conventionally-grown tomatoes. According to the authors:

“[T]his seems consistent with the more than two times higher activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) we observed throughout fruit development in fruits from organic farming.

Taken together, our observations suggest that tomato fruits from organic farming experienced stressing conditions that resulted in oxidative stress and the accumulation of higher concentrations of soluble solids as sugars and other compounds contributing to fruit nutritional quality such as vitamin C and phenolic compounds.”

Today’s Vegetables Aren’t as Nutritious as They Used to Be...

There was a trade-off, and that was size. The conventional tomatoes were significantly larger. However, while many unaware consumers equate size with quality, this simply isn’t the case. At least in the case of organic tomatoes, you get more even though it’s in a smaller “package.”

This does tend to hold true for other organic produce as well though. According to research published in 2009, American produce, while larger than ever before, contains fewer nutrients and tastes worse than it did in your grandparents' days.

In fact, the average vegetable found in today's supermarket is anywhere from 5 percent to 40 percent lower in minerals such as magnesium, iron, calcium and zinc than those harvested just 50 years ago. As the featured study suggests, jumbo-sized produce contains more "dry matter" than anything else, which dilutes mineral concentrations.

Other Studies Have Also Shown Organic Fruits and Veggies Are More Nutritious

Previous research has also shown there can be a nutritional difference between organic- and conventionally-grown vegetables. For example, a 2003 study in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry² found that organic foods are better for fighting cancer. And in 2005, scientists found that, compared to rats that ate conventional diets, organically fed rats experienced various health benefits. Rats that ate organic or minimally fertilized diets had:

• Improved immune system status
• Better sleeping habits
• Less weight and were slimmer than rats fed other diets
• Higher vitamin E content in their blood (for organically fed rats)

Other studies assessing the nutritional composition and difference between organic and conventional produce include:

• A 2010 study conducted by PloS ONE³ (partially funded by the USDA), which found organic strawberries to be more nutrient-rich than non-organic strawberries
• In 2009, the American Association for the Advancement of Science featured a presentation on soil health and its impact on food quality.^{4, 5} Conclusion: Healthy soil leads to higher levels of nutrients in crops
• Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted their own behavioral study that found higher risk of ADHD in children with higher levels of organophospates (pesticides)⁶

But perhaps one of the best studies out there on the benefits of organic versus conventionally-grown foods is the 2007 Quality Low Input Food Project⁷ -- a $25-million study into organic food, and the largest of its kind. The researchers grew fruit and vegetables, and raised cattle, on adjacent organic and non-organic sites, and discovered that:

• Organic fruit and vegetables contain up to 40 percent more antioxidants
• Organic produce had higher levels of beneficial minerals like iron and zinc
• Milk from organic herds contained up to 90 percent more antioxidants

The results were so impressive they stated that eating organic foods can even help to increase the nutrient intake of people who don’t eat the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Besides the potential for improved nutrition, other reasons for choosing organic, and ideally locally-grown food include better food quality, better taste and, in the case of local food: increased freshness since the food has not traveled over thousands of miles.

Another Important Boon of Organic = Reduced Toxic Load

Many “health” experts insist there is little difference between organic and conventionally raised produce, but their arguments are flimsy at best. For example, a 2012 meta-analysis by Stanford University⁸ received widespread media coverage, and with few exceptions, conventional media outlets used it to cast doubt on the value of an organic diet. You had to be a reader of alternative media to get the real scoop on this study...

In a nutshell, the meta-analysis, which looked at 240 reports comparing organically and conventionally grown food (including 17 human studies), found that organic foods ARE safer, and probably healthier than conventional foods — if you are of the conviction that ingesting fewer toxins is healthier and safer for you. Interestingly, the Stanford study also found that organic foods tend to have higher levels of phenols, specifically.

While I believe organic foods grown in healthy soils can be more nutritious than their conventional counterparts grown in depleted soils with synthetic chemicals, a major benefit of organically grown foods really is the reduction in your toxic load. Agricultural chemicals, such as synthetic fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, can cause a wide variety of health problems, including:

• Neurotoxicity
• Disruption of your endocrine system
• Cancer
• Immune system suppression
• Male infertility and miscarriages in women

The Health Benefits of Tomatoes

Tomatoes are rich in flavonoids and other phytochemicals that have anticarcinogenic properties. They’re also an excellent source of lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin C, which is most concentrated in the jelly-like substance that surrounds the seeds, as well as vitamins A, E and B-complex vitamins, potassium, manganese and phosphorus. Other lesser known phytonutrients found in tomatoes include:

• Flavonols: rutin, kaempferol, quercetin
• Flavonones: naringenin, chalconaringenin
• Hydroxycinnamic acids: caffeic acid, ferulic acid, coumaric acid
• Glycosides: esculeoside A
• Fatty acid derivatives: 9-oxo-octadecadienoic acid

Getting back to lycopene — a carotenoid antioxidant that gives fruits and vegetables like tomatoes and watermelon a pink or red color — this is one nutrient you’ll want to be sure you're getting enough of.

Lycopene's antioxidant activity has long been suggested to be more powerful than other carotenoids such as beta-carotene, and recent research revealed it may significantly reduce your stroke risk (while other antioxidants did not). The 2012 analysis⁹ followed over 1,000 men in their mid-40s to mid-50s for more than 12 years.

After controlling for other stroke risk factors, such as older age and diabetes, they found that men with the highest blood levels of lycopene were 55 percent less likely to have a stroke than those with the lowest. Other antioxidants, including alpha carotene, beta-carotene, alpha tocopherol (vitamin E) and retinol (vitamin A), showed no such benefit.

The high blood levels of lycopene were said to be a marker for intake of tomatoes and tomato-based products, as these are a particularly concentrated source. It's estimated that 85 percent of dietary lycopene in North Americans comes from tomato products such as tomato juice or tomato paste.¹⁰ In addition to lowering your risk of stroke, lycopene from tomatoes (including unsweetened organic tomato sauce) has also been shown to be helpful in treating prostate cancer.

Tomatoes Must be Eaten with Fat for Proper Absorption, and Two Other Caveats

Lycopene is a fat-soluble nutrient, which means eating it with some dietary fat is essential in order for it to be properly absorbed. So a slow-cooked tomato sauce that contains olive oil or another source of healthy fat, such as grass-fed beef, may be an ideal source.

One caveat: when making your tomato sauce, start out with fresh tomatoes, as canned tomatoes typically have a lining that contains bisphenol-A (BPA) which is a potent estrogen mimic that have been linked to a number of health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, neurological effects, reproductive problems and obesity.

The current US federal guidelines put the daily upper limit of “safe” exposure at 50 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight. According to endocrinologist Dr. Fredrick vom Saal, a tin can contains around 50 mcg of Bisphenol A (BPA), and when the cans contain acidic food such as tomatoes, it will leach more BPA from the liner into the food. According to Consumer Reports’ testing, just a couple of servings of canned food can exceed the safety limits for daily BPA exposure for children.

So, ideally avoid canned foods entirely and stick to fresh fruits and vegetables, or switch over to brands that use glass containers instead. One other point: if you eat a lot of ketchup, you might want to consider choosing an organic version (as well as one that is unsweetened, as regular ketchup is a common source of sugar and high fructose corn syrup). Organic ketchup has been found to contain 57 percent more lycopene than conventional national brands.¹¹

Cooked Tomatoes May be Better than Raw

Tomatoes differ from many other raw foods in that cooking them may in fact be better than eating them raw. Research shows that cooked tomatoes (such as in tomato sauce or tomato paste) not only increases the lycopene content that can be absorbed by your body, but also increases the total antioxidant activity. In one study,¹² when tomatoes were heated to just over 190 degrees F (88 degrees C) for two minutes, 15 minutes and 30 minutes:

• Beneficial trans-lycopene content increased by 54 percent, 171 percent and 164 percent, respectively
• Levels of cis -lycopene (which is a form easily absorbed by your body) rose by 6, 17 and 35 percent, respectively
• Overall antioxidant levels increased by 28, 34 and 62 percent, respectively

Return to 'the Way Things Were...'

The simplest way back toward health is to focus on whole, organic foods, grown or raised as nature intended. Meaning, it’s grown using sustainable farming practices, and without the use of chemical additives, pesticides and fertilizers.  

You can even grow your own. Picking the types of seeds can go a long way in helping your garden be plentiful and even determines how juicy or hardy your vegetables are. Heirloom seeds are seeds that have been carefully cultivated to produce the best plants possible; they're hardy and bountiful. You can find packages containing 26 of the popular heirloom seeds in my Heirloom Variety Seed Collection, available in my online store.

As the featured study attests, fruits and vegetables grown according to organic standards are typically nutritionally superior, but even if they weren’t, organic produce will limit the amount of toxic residues you end up consuming, which is a major benefit in and of itself.

As for tomatoes, they’re one of the most potent sources of lycopene, shown to have anti-cancerous activity and the potential to reduce stroke risk. Just remember to consume your tomatoes, whether raw or cooked, with some type of fat, such as olive oil, since lycopene is a fat-soluble nutrient. Also remember to choose organic varieties, whether whole tomatoes or tomato paste, ketchup or sauce, and avoid anything that comes in a can, since the acidity of the tomatoes will increase toxic BPA release from the liner in the can.

[-] Sources and References

• Mother Jones February 23, 2013

• ¹ PLoS ONE February 20, 2013 8(2): e56354
• ² Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2003 Feb 26;51(5):1237-41
• ³ PLoS ONE 5(9): e12346. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0012346
• ⁴ The Organic Center, AAAS Session 2009 -- "Living Soil, Food Quality and the Future of Food", February 2009
• ⁵Newhope360.com February 27, 2009
• ⁶ Pediatrics May 17, 2010 [Epub ahead of print]
• ⁷ QualityLowInputFood Project
• ⁸ Annals of Internal Medicine September 4, 2012; 157(5)
• ⁹ Neurology October 9, 2012 vol. 79 no. 15 1540-1547
• ¹⁰ MedlinePlus Supplements: Lycopene
• ¹¹ J Agric Food Chem. 2004 Dec 29;52(26):8017-20.
• ¹² J Agric Food Chem. 2002 May 8;50(10):3010-4.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/03/25/organic-tomatoes.aspx?

Controlling fat naturally

The Sun
31 December 2012

Being obese or overweight can lead to many health problems but proper eating habits and a healthy lifestyle can help control it,

By Steve Yap

THE 2010 survey by the World Health Organisation ranked Malaysia as the 6th country in Asia with the highest rate of adult obesity, with one in two Malaysians either overweight or obese.

This situation leads to a higher incidence of insulin resistance, diabetes type II, heart disease, hypertension, blood thickness, depression, stroke, inflammation and even some types of cancer.

Almost 40% of our children are overweight too. The height-to-weight ratio is used to determine a person’s body mass index (BMI) with a score of 30 being obese.

At least 60% of Malaysian adults were found to be overweight with BMIs of 25 and above. The ideal BMI for the Asian is around 22.

Research found that Malays and Indians have a 60% higher chance of being obese compared to the Chinese, while women suffer some 70% higher obesity rate than men across all ethnic groups.

The causes for rising obesity are many. Below are some of them:


► High glycemic index (GI) food

Foods with high GI are more quickly digested and converted into sugar by our body than food with low GI.

Consequently, white/brown bread, noodles, biscuits, soft cakes and buns made from highly-refined flour should be reduced in any weight-loss programme.

Consuming high GI food on an empty stomach can lead to rather irregular blood sugar levels.

Although fructose is low on GI, this fruit sugar is known to promote fatty liver, hypertension, kidney stones, diabetes and heart disease.

Unfortunately, fructose is a major ingredient in many so-called weight-loss diets sold commercially. Table sugar also contains 50% fructose.

Other monosaccharides known to be harmful if taken in large amounts over prolonged periods include lactose (milk sugar) and maltose.

Low GI foods include yam, bamboo shoots, beans, seeds, lentils, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages and leafy vegetables.

Fruits with lower sugar content include guava, soursop, bell pepper, bitter gourd, lemon, kiwi, banana, cherries and berries.

► Lifestyles

Sedentary lifestyles or lack of regular exercise leads to lower metabolism, which promotes fat storing rather than fat burning.

Continuous exercise for 45 minutes or longer can maintain a higher metabolic rate for another day or so. Others are brisk walking, treadmill walking, stationary bicycling, aerobics, swimming and/or high-intensity weight training.

This exercise habit helps to raise good cholesterol (high density lipoprotein or HDL) and lean body mass. Higher level of muscle mass further improves metabolism and enhances fat-burning.

Studies also showed that less than five hours sleep per night significantly increased weight gain and the risk of diabetes.

► Hormonal imbalances

When we’re physically and/or mentally stressed, our hormone, cortisol, tends to be elevated. This stress hormone stimulates the liver to release more of its stored sugar in your bloodstream.

Unused sugar is converted by the hormone insulin into stored fats, which are ‘triglycerides’ and are a component of cholesterol. The higher our insulin levels, the more fats we tend to store.

A hypoglycaemic (low blood glucose) condition can result after sugar is being cleared by insulin leading to further sugar-craving.

A low thyroid hormone level (FT3) has been linked to various factors such as lack of exercise, sedentary lifestyle, consuming refined carbohydrates/soft drinks, and even autoimmune disorders.

In men, drinking alcohol promotes aromatisation of testosterone to estradiol (E2). Higher E2 levels can promote central obesity.

The HDL raised by wine drinking seems rather inert compared to levels achieved from regular exercise.

► Diets and supplements

Excess body fats promote higher levels of inflammation, which in itself leads to further fat gain.
Inflammatory foods include farmed fish, farmed livestock, corn-fed meat, organ meat, red meat, vegetable oils such as those from corn, sunflower, and soy.

To lower or control inflammation, fish rich in omega-3 fats such as ikan bilis (anchovies), mackerel and cod can help. Cooking oils to use may include unrefined palm fruit oil, extra virgin coconut, flaxseed, grapeseed, peanut or sesame.

Lowering or excluding refined starch/sugar while increasing complex carbohydrates and protein-rich foods also works.

When protein food is consumed on an empty stomach, the appetite suppression hormone leptin is released. Satiety (feeling of fullness) can also be achieved by consuming cruciferous and leafy vegetables.

A good alternative to white rice and bread may be millet, quinoa, pearl barley and unrefined grains.
Beverages taken before meals to reduce appetite may include plain cocoa, green or yellow tea.

Nutraceuticals in a managed weight programme may include chromium, iodine, creatine, charantin, guarana, EPA, catechins and hydroxcitric acid.

However, use them only under supervision by a licensed nutritional therapist.

► Hypnotherapy

This is a complementary medical therapy which increases the effectiveness of any dietary/ nutritional plan prescribed by your health therapist.

The Journal of Clinical Psychology (1985) reported that positive results from dietary modification could be extended by a further two years using self-hypnosis or hypnotherapy.

Allison compared the results of adding hypnotherapy to weight loss treatment and found that this added modality increased weight loss by an average of 97% during treatment, and even increased effectiveness during post-treatment by 146%.

Views expressed are those of the author, who’s president of the Federation of Complementary & Natural Medical Associations, and not necessarily those of the professional bodies and government committees of which he’s a member.

 Dato’ Steve Yap can be contacted at lifestyle.steve@thesundaily.com.
Source : http://www.thesundaily.my/news/577117

Source:   http://malaysiadaily.my/controlling-fat-naturally/

How an experimental treatment saved Emily's life

March 26, 2013

Emily Whitehead is kind of a big deal. At age seven, she is the only child to have beaten back leukaemia with the help of a new treatment that turned her own immune cells into targeted cancer killers.

She has been in remission for 11 months and is the first paediatric patient in a growing US trial that is showing signs of success after decades of research and now includes three other children and dozens of adults.


Emily Whitehead: her own white blood cells were
genetically altered toallow them to recognise
and kill cancer cells. Photo: AFP

Her mother said Emily sometimes grapples with her new-found celebrity, which ballooned after the trial's preliminary results were first announced late last year.

 

"When we go to places where there are a lot of people, sometimes they want pictures with her, or sometimes just to touch her, so I think it gets a little overwhelming," Kari Whitehead said.

 

For the most part though, Emily is happy to play with her dog, read, write and explore the outdoors, thanks to an experimental treatment that saved her life after two relapses left doctors admitting they had no other options.

Now, the US researchers behind the method are expanding their quest for a next-generation cancer treatment that may require one dose in a lifetime, and may one day end the use of chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants.

While the word "cure" is something most experts would not whisper until a patient has lived at least five years illness-free, the field of research into targeted immune therapies is generating buzz.

Work at the University of Pennsylvania is supported by Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis, which last year announced an exclusive global deal to license chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) technologies for leukaemia and other cancers.



Celebrity status: Emily Whitehead.
Photo: AFP

Novartis is also funding a $US20 million centre for research in Philadelphia as part of the agreement.

The case studies that describe Emily's journey so far, and that of another 10-year-old girl who did not survive after trying the same adoptive T cell therapy, were detailed Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Both girls suffered from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), the most common form of childhood cancer. It is often curable, but theirs was a high-risk type that resists conventional treatments.

The method takes a patient's own white blood cells, called T cells, and genetically alters them to allow them to recognise and kill cancer cells, according to Michael Kalos, part of the University of Pennsylvania team of researchers working on the project.

"The concept has been around for at least 50 years, and it has been tried in humans for about 20 years in different clinical trials, with limited success mostly because the T cells that were put into patients had a real hard time surviving in patients," Kalos said.

Greater longevity was achieved when researchers began using a virus in the HIV family to serve as a vehicle for the gene that needs to enter the T cells, said Kalos.

The team, led by Carl June of the Abramson Cancer Centre of the University of Pennsylvania, first published its results in 2011 on three adults who suffered from chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL).

More than two years after treatment, two of the three are still living disease-free, and more than a dozen new patients have begun treatment.

A separate team of researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre in New York also published a study last week in Science Translational Medicine detailing their work on five adult patients with ALL, the type Emily had.

Kalos said University of Pennsylvania researchers are seeing "very strong responses in most of the patients but in a small subset we are not seeing a response and we are trying to understand why that is the case".

"It could be the patient, it could be the product, it could be the tumours or it could be something totally different."

In the meantime, early trials on adult pancreatic cancer patients and people with mesothelioma have already begun. For now, they are only in the United States, but the team hopes to expand globally.

The terrain is brand new. Every patient would need his or her own specialised treatment, and patients need to get antibody treatments to boost their immune systems for years, perhaps indefinitely, to guard against illness.

But, if the recent success continues, a treatment could be on the market within a few years, Kalos said.

"In our case, the data is looking so promising that we are hoping we can devise a phase II study that is so dramatic that we can go to (authorities) and say, 'This is something we'd like you to consider for approval.'"

AFP

http://www.theage.com.au/world/how-an-experimental-treatment-saved-emilys-life-20130326-2grvd.html

Olive oil found to protect against Alzheimer's disease

Published: Tuesday March 26, 2013 MYT 5:49:00 PM
Updated: Tuesday March 26, 2013 MYT 6:20:21 PM

Scientists have identified a substance in
olive oil that protects nerve cells from
damage brought on by Alzheimer's disease.
 ©shutterstock/ilker canikligil/shutterstock.com



Want to keep Alzheimer’s disease at bay?

A new study suggests upping your intake of olive oil.

While the Mediterranean liquid gold has long been touted for its multiple health benefits, a team of US scientists from the University of Louisiana has identified a specific component in olive oil that they say protects nerve cells from damage brought on by Alzheimer’s disease.

Their research stems from a larger trend observed in the worldwide prevalence of the cognitive illness: While it's estimated that 30 million people suffer from the disease around the world, rates are notably lower in Mediterranean countries.

And though scientists had long attributed the trend to the high consumption of healthy, monounsaturated fats found in olive oil, the latest study, released by the American Chemical Society last week, identifies a substance called oleocanthal that was observed to protect against the leading cause of Alzheimer’s in the brain: the accumulation of peptide beta-amyloid.

The findings were published in the journal ACS Chemical Neuroscience.

In animal studies, scientists found that oleocanthal worked by boosting the production of proteins and key enzymes believed to be critical in removing the beta-amyloid in the brain.

“Extra-virgin olive oil-derived oleocanthal associated with the consumption of Mediterranean diet has the potential to reduce the risk of AD or related neurodegenerative dementias," the report concludes.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, another study found that olive oil is an effective way of satiating hunger pangs and curbing the munchies. For their research, Austrian researchers fed participants yogurt enriched with lard, butterfat, rapeseed oil or olive oil.

The result? Olive oil had the biggest satiety effect. -- AFPRelaxnews

Source:   http://thestar.com.my/health/story.asp?file=/2013/3/26/health/20130326175050&sec=health

7 Causes of Alzheimer’s

Finally, You Can Prevent Alzheimer's,
Parkinson's, and Memory Loss"

A Renowned Neurosurgeon's Simple Tips to Protect Your Brain . . .

Excerpt taken from:
neurosurgeon and nutritionist Dr. Russell Blaylock publicizing his Brain Protection Kit . .
Source: http://w3.newsmax.com/blaylock/video_brain_alz.cfm?


I'll share some of the most important information in it just ahead, but first . . . .

You need to understand why conventional medicine has failed us. Here's part of the reason . . .

Conventional medicine is NOT concerned about the underlying causes of diseases, nor about cures.

You may find that shocking and even cold-hearted. But there are two reasons for this . . .

First, our medical system is based on drug therapy. Pharmaceutical companies have been the controlling influence in our medical system from the earliest days of so-called "modern" medicine.

In American medical schools, doctors are taught to diagnose diseases, and then which drugs to prescribe to treat the symptoms of those diseases.

Let me be clear on this — the emphasis is on drug therapy to treat the symptoms of diseases, not on prevention or cures.

The second reason for the failure of conventional medicine is closely related to the first, and that's because there is little money in cures, while there is a lot of money in drug treatments.

Think about it . . . If doctors taught their patients how to avoid diseases and stay healthy, a $100 billion-per-year medical industry would be drastically reduced to treating rare disorders and accidents.

Most people never consider that medicine is a profit-driven business . . .

And the greatest profits lie in ongoing treatments, which are primarily drugs administered for months, for years, and best of all from a profit perspective, for life.

Wouldn't it be smarter to just find the causes of these diseases — and then avoid them? And wouldn't it also be better to stop, reverse and repair the damage, rather than try to manage it with drugs?

The first thing to know is that . . .

Memory Loss, Parkinson's, and
Alzheimer's/Dementia Are Primarily
Caused By Two Things . . .

1. Inflammation
2. Free Radical Damage

And these two are closely related, because brain inflammation generates more free radical activity. But if you can get these culprits under control, you'll drastically reduce your risk for memory loss, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's.

The medical establishment says it doesn't know what causes these disorders. They also say there are no cures for them. But that's only because they ignore the research in favor of drug treatments. As you'll see in a moment . . .

There are specific triggers for inflammation and free radical generation. Once you know what they are, you can easily avoid or neutralize them. Let me show you . . .

What's Really Going on Inside Your Brain . . .

Each brain cell is a little factory that performs dozens of vital functions, including generating energy, making enzymes and proteins, storing information including DNA, and performing numerous mental tasks.

Ideally, we want our brain cells to do everything God intended them to do, so we can retain our memory, stay mentally sharp, and be capable of dealing with whatever life throws at us.

The problem is that free radicals damage our cellular factories, so that, over time, they don't work as well and eventually fail and die.

No doubt you've heard about free radicals but may be unclear on what they are. Simply put . . .

Free radicals are highly reactive, submicroscopic particles that bounce around inside your cells like red-hot BBs, burning everything they touch.

In the beginning, the damage they do is small and insignificant. But over time, if free radical activity goes unchecked, the cells' function becomes impaired. It's a lot like water dripping on a stone, slowly and continually chipping away at it.

Fortunately, your body has antioxidant defenses that, at least when you're young, neutralize the free radicals.

But your antioxidant defenses decline with age. Plus, if you're exposed to any of the triggers that cause inflammation or create more free radicals, your antioxidant defenses can be overwhelmed.

Now, hold that thought, because . . .

Neurodegenerative diseases begin to appear when the free radical damage reaches a certain level.

And depending on your exposure to the triggers, this can occur at age 50, 60, 70, or 80.

What's alarming is that we're seeing an escalation in free radical damage, so what used to be common in the 70s and 80s age group is now showing up in the 50s and 60s, and sometimes as early as the 30s and 40s!

In fact, the average age of onset of Parkinson's has dropped to 57.

And for every full blown case of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's/dementia, there are dozens of lesser cases, beginning with memory loss, that are incorrectly dismissed as "normal aging."

That's why it's so important that you get Dr. Blaylock's Brain Protection Kit, How to Prevent Memory Loss, Alzheimer's/Dementia and Parkinson's Disease, and put a stop to inflammation and free radical damage NOW!

The Triggers for Brain Inflammation and
Free Radical Generation Include . . .

• Pesticides and herbicides
• Harmful ingredients in foods and beverages
• Toxic metals in the air, water, and consumer products
• Various sugars and sugar substitutes
• Omega-6 fats
• Vaccines (including flu shots)
• Excitotoxins (which I'll explain just ahead)

Additional problems include nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, a lack of exercise, and, surprisingly, too much aerobic exercise!  Let's look at some of these triggers and see how to avoid or neutralize them. And please put this preventive advice to use right away.

Parkinson's Disease: You Can Prevent It!

Parkinson's disease is caused by brain inflammation, specifically by an intense activation of the brain's immune cells, the "microglia."

 

When over-activated, the microglia actually destroy parts of the mid-section of the brain, and the result is what we know as Parkinson's.

 

What causes an over-activation of the microglia?

 

Mostly infections, trauma, obesity, ingestion of certain harmful ingredients in processed foods, and exposure to toxic metals, pesticides and herbicides.

 

Unfortunately, it's difficult to avoid exposure to pesticides. You can avoid spraying your home, but it's harder to avoid this at work, in public buildings, golf courses and public parks — or the pesticide residue on the produce you consume.

 

Some people are more sensitive to these toxins then others, but repeated exposures, even to very small subtoxic doses, can create a "toxic synergism" that activates the microglia and sets the brain cell destruction in motion.

 

For example, farmers who routinely spray their crops have a much higher incidence of Parkinson's disease than the general population.

 

But since some exposure to pesticides is almost impossible to avoid, what can you do about it?

First, be sure to buy certified organic produce. Or, if buying regular produce, wash it thoroughly before eating. Also, just ahead, I'll tell you about some natural supplements you can use to cleanse your body of these toxins, as well as antioxidants to neutralize the free radicals.

 

A very important one is glutathione . . .

 

Why You Need Glutathione for Protection Against
Memory Loss, Alzheimer's/Dementia, and Parkinson's 

 

It's a known fact that Parkinson's and Alzheimer's patients have very low brain levels of the antioxidant glutathione. 

 

Glutathione is a miracle molecule that plays a major role in protecting your brain cells. Its highest concentration is in the mitochondria of the neuron, which is where 95% of free radicals are produced.

 

If you're low on glutathione, you won't get the brain cell protection you need, nor the moderating effect that glutathione has on your brain's immune function. 

 

The result is inflammation and free radical production — the two brain-destroying culprits you must control to avoid the neurodegenerative diseases. 

 

What causes low glutathione? 

 

Infections, brain injury, strokes, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, harmful foods, environmental toxins such as mercury, lead, and aluminum, and also high levels of glutamate, which deplete your body's store of glutathione. 

 

An easy start here is to avoid the flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is used at some restaurants and in many processed foods. 

 

Your safest route is to eat fresh, natural foods, rather than processed packaged foods. 

 

But always read food labels and avoid MSG. Also be aware that, after MSG got a bad rap (it causes migraine headaches, for one), food manufacturers sneakily gave MSG several new names and kept using it. 

 

In your Brain Protection Kit, How to Prevent Memory Loss, Alzheimer's/Dementia, and Parkinson's Disease, you'll find all of the new names for MSG that are used on food labels today, so you'll have a fighting chance. 

 

But Dr. Blaylock would tell you, from his experience as a neurosurgeon, that most people have low brain levels of glutathione, especially as they age. The good news is that you can increase these levels. 

 

If you have access to a doctor who practices holistic or integrative medicine, you can get an IV drip of immune-supporting nutrients that includes glutathione. 

 

Another way to get your glutathione levels up is to simply take a specific supplement that promotes your own body's production of this important antioxidant.

 

In your Brain Protection Kit, you'll discover the name and dosage of this supplement. You can readily find it at vitamin stores and online, and you'll also find a good source for it.

 

What else can you do to protect your brain? Stop the excitotoxins. 

 

The Problem With Brain Excitotoxins 

 

Earlier I mentioned excitotoxins as one of the triggers. These are substances that excite the microglia and cause a storm of inflammation and free radical production.

 

They're called excitotoxins because they can literally "excite" a brain cell to death.

 

Brain cell excitotoxins are often the ingredients used in processed foods to enhance their flavors. MSG is one, of course, and another is the artificial sweetener aspartame, which is called "safe for diabetics" but in fact is not safe for anyone!

 

Excitotoxins can also be produced by your own body.

 

For instance, elevated levels of homocysteine, a condition typically caused by a poor diet (also implicated in heart disease), cause accumulation of two types of excitotoxins that can do brain damage.

 

Mercury is another excitotoxin. The same is true of lead, cadmium, and aluminum.

If you're wondering how these toxic metals get into your body, they're in certain fish, such as tuna, shark, and swordfish; they're in the water you drink, in the air you breathe, and also in household products, such as antiperspirants and aluminum cookware.

 

If you use fluoridated water or toothpaste, even in small amounts, it will increase your aluminum absorption and trigger a dramatic destruction of the same brain cells we see destroyed in Alzheimer's patients.

 

Mercury is also highly toxic to your brain and immune system, and it's the main ingredient in amalgam dental fillings. If you still have this type of filling, see a qualified dentist for their proper removal and replacement.

 

And stop getting vaccines, especially flu shots, which contain mercury.

 

One of the world's leading immunologists, Dr. Hugh Fudenberg, has conducted studies showing that those who receive the flu vaccine yearly for 3 to 5 years increase their risk of Alzheimer's ten-fold.

 

Perhaps you've been getting the flu shot regularly for years, and you're now at much higher risk for Alzheimer's. So, what can you do?

First, immediately stop getting vaccines.

 

The drug industry has done a great job convincing the public, especially seniors, that they need flu shots.

 

Doctors go along with this propaganda because this is what they learn in medical schools, which are supported by drug companies.

 

But this idea that you need flu shots is purely marketing hype. Annual flu shots provide hundreds of millions of dollars in profits every year, which is why you see them so aggressively promoted.

 

Find a doctor practicing holistic or integrative medicine who can administer heavy metal detox through IV chelation therapy, and while you're at it, get a glutathione IV drip. This one-two punch will give your brain a big boost of protection.

 

Omega-6 Oils Linked to
Parkinson's and Alzheimer's . . .

 

Here's something that will probably surprise you. Omega-6 oils beyond the smallest amounts will cause brain inflammation — and that inflammation will excite the microglia into destroying your brain cells.

 

What's more, the inflammation will generate even more free radical activity that can overwhelm your antioxidant defenses and cause a steady deterioration of brain-cell function.

Omega-6 oils line your supermarket's shelves and are widely used in cooking, baking, and salad dressings. Here are the ones to avoid:

1. Soybean Oil
2. Sunflower Oil
3. Canola Oil
4. Safflower Oil
5. Corn Oil
6. Peanut Oil

If you still want to use the omega-6 oils, do so sparingly, and at the same time significantly increase your intake of the omega-3 oils, which can be found in some fish (although fish can be polluted), as well as cod liver oil.

 

Omega-3s are also found in flaxseed oil (often in capsules), but it contains ALA, which can be a problem for men because it has the potential to increase the risk of prostate cancer.

The safest way to get your omega-3s is to use the modern cod liver oils, which have been vastly improved in recent years to get any fish flavor out, so today they typically have a mild lemon-lime flavor and are very easy to take.

 

Just one tablespoon of high quality cod liver oil a day, especially one high in DHA, will give you a big boost in brain protection by neutralizing the excitotoxins and reducing inflammation (see your kit for details).

 

Cod liver oil is also a good prevention against arthritis and heart disease (also caused by inflammation), as well as a good general health tonic. But specifically regarding Alzheimer's . . .

 

One study found that ingesting omega-3s once or more per week reduced the risk of Alzheimer's by 60%. And this research shows that if you do it daily, your risk goes down even more.

 

I want to give you a few more tips on how to prevent memory loss, Alzheimer's/dementia, and Parkinson's . . .

 

The Health Threat of Sugar — and
Chemical Sugar Substitutes

 

An excellent way to reduce inflammation, avoid excitotoxins, and neutralize free radicals, not to mention improve your overall health, is to . . .

 

Cut way back on sugars and fats, and high-glycemic carbohydrates, such as white bread, white rice, white potatoes, pasta, cakes, cookies, and chips.

 

Sadly, you probably remember that President Ronald Reagan was afflicted by Alzheimer's, and you may also remember that he was addicted to jelly beans. Dr. Blaylock suspects Reagan's high daily intake of sugar may have contributed to his Alzheimer's.

 

One study showed that a high-calorie diet (boosted by sugars) caused a 50% increase in the risk for Alzheimer's/dementia, and if combined with a high-fat diet, the risk went up 230%!

 

And remember, you can have high fats in your blood without being significantly overweight. Such a condition is caused by getting too many of your calories from sugar and high-glycemic carbohydrates.

 

But don't switch out the sugar for the chemical sweetener aspartame, which is in diet sodas and many foods called "safe for diabetics."

 

Aspartame is a potent excitotoxin that can literally excite brain cells to death. Instead, use natural sugar substitutes, such as stevia, which are safe and won't cause inflammation or generate free radicals.

 

Already, you've learned that inflammation and free radicals are the two main culprits that cause memory loss, Alzheimer's/dementia, and Parkinson's. And you've discovered the primary triggers for them, too.

 

But in your Brain Protection Kit, you'll also hear about several vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that reduce inflammation, boost glutathione, detoxify your brain of heavy metals, and protect you from excitotoxins and free radicals.

 

Just a few of these include:

• N-Acetylcysteine (NAC)
• Blueberry Extract
• Melatonin
• Curcumin and Quercetin
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin B-12

Most people are getting only one-tenth of the Vitamin D they need on a daily basis. So "upping" you Vitamin D levels is critically important, not just for brain health, but also to prevent cancer.

Don't Over-Exercise: It Can Harm Your Brain

And by the way, if you've heard or read reports in the media that Vitamin D can be toxic (and even cause cancer), you should know that is just propaganda from the pharmaceutical industry.

Rest assured, Big Pharma doesn't want you to know that an inexpensive vitamin can do far more for your health than its drugs.If everybody got enough Vitamin D, took their cod liver oil, and added a few antioxidants, the rates for cancer, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's would plummet!

When I first mentioned this earlier, I'm sure it surprised you. But while a complete lack of exercise can cause numerous health problems, Dr. Blaylock has found that too much aerobic exercise is actually harmful to your brain.

The reason is that aerobic exercise dramatically increases free radical generation, which leads to brain cell deterioration and the neurodegenerative disorders.

Numerous studies have shown that moderate exercise, such as a brisk 30-to-40-minute walk every other day, is protective against Alzheimer's/dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.

What's also protective is to exercise your brain by reading, writing, memorizing facts, and participating in mental-skill games such as bridge, chess, or crossword puzzles.

Well, I'm just about out of time. There is so much more I want to tell you. I feel I've barely scratched the surface, but we've made a good start. Please use what you've learned today . . .

And most important, get your copy of How to Prevent Memory Loss, Alzheimer's/Dementia and Parkinson's Disease — FREE with your Blaylock Wellness Report subscription — and start reversing inflammation and free-radical damage NOW!

You can easily follow Dr. Blaylock's guidelines, make adjustments to your diet, add some vitamins and antioxidants, and detoxify your brain. All of this will give you significant protection against memory loss, Alzheimer's/dementia, and Parkinson's.

And you'll love the side benefits, too . . .

You'll gain energy, lose weight, become mentally sharper, sleep better, and feel younger.

You'll also have peace of mind, knowing that you're stopping and reversing the brain damage that's been going on — probably for too long — without you even knowing about it.

Source: http://w3.newsmax.com/blaylock/video_brain_alz.cfm?

Mediterranean Goodness

 Study: Plant-based diets with nuts and virgin olive oil can reduce risk of heart disease by 30%

 

Landmark study released at 6th International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition held at Loma Linda University Health

LOMA LINDA, Calif. (Feb. 25, 2013) –

 

People who eat a plant-based Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts or virgin olive oil can enjoy long-term benefits that can include a 30 percent reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a landmark global study released today at the sixth International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition hosted by Loma Linda University Health.

The study, to appear in the New England Journal of Medicine, involved 7,447 individuals (55-80 years old) at high risk of cardiovascular disease but with no symptoms.

The results favor two Mediterranean diets (one supplemented with nuts, the other with virgin olive oil) over a low-fat diet for beneficial effects on intermediate outcomes that include body weight, blood pressure, insulin resistance, blood lipids, lipid oxidation and systemic inflammation.

The study, called “PREDIMED” for “PREvención con Dieta MEDiterránea” (Prevention with Mediterranean Diet) began in 2003 and was completed in 2011. Participants were followed for an average of 4.8 years.

“The aim of PREDIMED was to determine whether a plant-based Mediterranean diet, supplemented with either tree nuts such as walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts or virgin olive oil, when compared to a low-fat diet, can help prevent cardiovascular diseases such as cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke,” said Dr. Miguel Angel Martinez of the University of Navarra, Spain, a lead investigator of the study, which was released simultaneously in Loma Linda and Spain.

“What we found was that a Mediterranean diet offers a preventive efficacy that was also assessed on secondary variables, including death from all causes, and incidence of diabetes and metabolic syndrome,” added Martinez, a physician, epidemiologist and nutrition researcher.

The Mediterranean diet is a pattern of eating similar to the traditional dietary habits of people living in the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. This includes fresh fruits and vegetables, seafood, whole grains and nutritious fats, including walnuts and olive oil.

PREDIMED is a parallel group, multi-center, single-blind, randomized clinical trial conducted by 16 research groups in seven communities in Spain.

 

Participants were given dietetic support and quarterly education sessions to ensure compliance. Energy intake was not specifically restricted in any intervention group. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups:

• Low-fat diet (control group)
• Mediterranean diet supplemented with virgin olive oil (50 ml per day); or
• Mediterranean diet supplemented with 30 g mixed nuts per day (15 g walnuts, 7.5 g almonds and 7.5 g hazelnuts).

“This study is a prime example of the type of international research being shared at this conference of 800 academics, researchers, dieticians and others dedicated to advancing research about the benefits of plant-based diets,” said Dr. Joan Sabaté, chair of the International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition and chair of the Department of Nutrition at Loma Linda University’s School of Public Health.

Sabaté served as principal investigator in a nutrition research study that directly linked the consumption of walnuts to significant reductions in serum cholesterol. His findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1993.

“Twenty years ago we released a study showing the health benefits of nuts,” Sabaté said. “Now, the results of a trial, also released at Loma Linda, further demonstrate that a plant-based diet, infused with nutritious unrefined plant fats, can have long-lasting effects for heart health and a productive and a productive life.”

The Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition, held every five years, also features the release of research on such topics as the link between diet and longevity, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and how vegetarian diets can reduce weight.

For details, please visit

www.predimed.org or www.walnuts.org/med-diet.

Complete information on the Congress, including abstracts of the presentations, can be found

at
www.VegetarianNutrition.org.

Source:   http://www.vegetariannutrition.org/LomaLinda_Release_Predimed%2025022013.pdf

The youth hormone

Sunday March 3, 2013

 

ART OF HEALING
BY DR AMIR FARID ISHAK
starhealth@thestar.com.my

Human growth hormone maintains the health of many organ systems, and also acts as a biomarker of ageing.

THIS is the second article on hormones that are important for good health. In the first installment (Hormones for health, Fit4life, Feb 17), I wrote about insulin, testosterone, oestrogen and progesterone. I also explained about bio-identical hormones.

Today, I will share about the most important hormone in anti-ageing (maintaining our health and youthfulness) – human growth hormone (HGH).

HGH, DHEA (dihydroepiandrosterone) and pregnenolone are hormones and pro-hormones (ie hormone precursors) which maintain the health of many organ systems, and also act as biomarkers of ageing.

Their levels in the blood peak in early adulthood (around age 20-25 years) and then decline steadily as we age. The current level and rate of decline influences our overall health, as they influence many organs.

The level and rate of decline may be determined by genetic factors, lifestyle, diet, exercise and weight. They can further be modified by supplementation and medical therapy. I call them the “youth hormones”.

Of these, HGH is the most important.

The sex hormones are also youth hormones. Testosterone is a reliable bio-marker for men (if the blood sample is taken in the morning), but estradiol is not a reliable bio-marker due to its marked (menstrual) cyclical variation, although the trend (if tests are done on the same day of the cycle, usually at the end of the third week, in a woman with regular cycles) may be useful. After menopause, when there is no menstrual cycle, the level becomes a reliable indicator.

For post-menopausal women out there: most of you probably do not know that your estradiol (the main oestrogen) level is probably even lower than that of the average man of the same age who is not fit and healthy (and most men above 50 are in this category).

These men tend to have higher estradiol levels than they should (which is not good for them), in contrast to menopausal women who have lower levels required for good health.

If your estradiol level is even lower than a man’s, how can you expect to be healthy, feminine and sexy?

Human growth hormone

HGH is the “master” hormone of the body. As the name implies, it is crucial for growth in children. Children who are HGH-deficient will become stunted, while those who have excess HGH (usually due to a pituitary gland tumour) will become “giants”.

All the world’s tallest men and women recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records were likely to have suffered from this problem (acromegaly). They have a myriad of health problems and do not live long.

What we are concerned here is the role of HGH in healthy ageing. After age 25, HGH levels decline by about 13% every decade in the average person (more in the unhealthy, and less in the fit and healthy).

This means that you will have about 50% left by the age of 60.

Since HGH, as the master hormone, directly or indirectly (through increasing the production of many growth factors) influences all the organ systems, its decline is responsible for most of the signs and symptoms of ageing.

The decline in the level of oestrogen after menopause only accelerates the ageing process, which has been going on for at least three decades previously (mainly due to the HGH decline).

The different tissues and organs age at different rates. For example, while most women are wary of their bones becoming brittle (osteopenia/osteoporosis) after menopause, the bone density (and strength) actually starts to decline from about age 35 onwards, about 15 years before menopause, while their hearts usually become unhealthy only after 50 (because oestrogens are excellent protectors of the heart).

Since many men enter andropause even earlier than age 50 (if low testosterone levels are used as the criteria), their accelerated ageing also starts earlier.

In 1990, the New England Journal of Medicine published a landmark study by Rudman and colleagues on the effects of HGH (injection therapy) on men above 60 years old (NEJM July 5, 1990). They reported improvements in body composition (less fat, more muscle), strength, exercise tolerance and wellbeing in the subjects tested.

Although it was a small study, this in fact started the anti-ageing revolution. Since then, there have been over 20,000 studies on HGH. Some of the benefits of having healthy levels of HGH shown in these studies include slower senescence (ageing), reduced adiposity (body fat composition), improved blood lipids, reduced blood homocysteine (a marker of inflammation and heart disease risk), reduced atherosclerosis, improved heart function, improved diabetes, increased lean body mass, improved exercise tolerance, improved immune system, better quality of life, better sleep, less fatigue, better sexual function, improvement from depression and anxiety, improved memory, improvement from memory loss in Alzheimer’s, improved rheumatism and fibromyalgia, improved osteoporosis, and many other benefits (references available on request).

Controversies

However, there are some controversies. Naturally high IGF1 (insulin-like growth factor 1, which is the marker for HGH in the blood) has been associated with some cancers (eg breast and prostate), but a causal relationship has not been established.

The higher IGF1 levels have not been shown to be the cause of the cancers, and instead, could be due to the cancer, as cancer cells are known to produce many growth factors to sustain their growth and spread.

In people with acromegaly, HGH production is 10-100 times more than normal. Yet, overall they do not have more cancers (although they have slightly more colon cancers than others). So it is more likely that in cancer patients, the high IGF1 levels is due to the cancer itself.

Another controversy is that HGH can worsen diabetes. IGF1 levels increase with HGH. Insulin-like growth factors have glucose-lowering effects like insulin, and improve insulin-sensitivity. Thus, more studies show improvement in diabetes rather than worsening.

The controversy arises because diabetes occurs more in HGH-treated children, and in those with acromegaly. There are other explanations for these.

There is no doubt that having healthy levels of HGH means better health, and those with severely low levels need treatment. What is controversial is whether those with lower levels within the “normal” range when tested (and have any of the parameters mentioned above which can be improved by HGH) should be interfered at all; and whether high HGH levels predispose to cancer (see above).

The answer is simple – if you want better health and you have low HGH, you can try to improve its level and feel the benefits yourself. Make sure your doctor explains to you all the pros and cons, including possible side-effects (eg edema, which only happens if you take excess doses in the injection form).

If you don’t get any benefit after three to six months, then you can stop. If you are convinced of the benefits (especially if there are measurable improvements in your weight, body composition, and obvious improvements in your skin texture), then you can continue.

How to improve HGH levels

There are natural ways to improve your HGH level. The best ways are:

● Make sure you have sufficient deep sleep (six to seven hours of good sleep), and go to sleep not later than midnight because the HGH is released in spurts at about 2-3am (peak spurt) and again at about 5am, provided you are in deep sleep. Those who are chronically sleep-deprived, and those who work shifts, therefore miss on these spurts.

● Have a healthy nutrient-dense, high-protein, low-calorie diet. HGH is a peptide hormone and requires amino-acids for its production. Avoid caffeinated and milk products, alcohol and the empty calories in cakes and cookies.

● Intense exercise, which must include muscle-building (weights and/or resistance) training.

● Maintain a lean body (body fat below 20% for men and below 25% for women).

There are also supplements that can improve natural HGH secretion. These are called “secretagogues” and contain the component amino-acids which also act as HGH secretion-boosters. They are available in powder form (most effective) or tablet/capsules.

There are also sublingual sprays which contain homeopathic formulas or even HGH encapsulated in patented “delivery systems” to allow for its absorption (HGH is a large peptide which cannot be absorbed when taken orally). However, the effectiveness of these formulations has not been scientifically validated.

Then there are also supplements which provide the growth factors (including IGF1) directly instead of inducing HGH secretion, which then increase the growth factors production in the body.

Medical therapy by HGH injection is given only to children and older people with proven deficiencies after appropriate tests are done. These patients must be strictly monitored by their doctors.

The older patients may first try supplementation, and switch to injections only if these fail. For the majority, injections are not necessary.

The dangers and side-effects of overdosing only apply to those getting HGH injections. You need not worry about getting any side-effects if you are taking supplements to improve your HGH levels, which is why you can continue these for as long as you like if you get the benefits, while your doctor monitors your IGF1 level at suitable intervals

Source:   http://thestar.com.my/health/story.asp?file=/2013/3/3/health/12780967&sec=health