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                                                                       Mandel News Service Natural Health Care Report

 

                                                           

  

                                                       

Blueberries Can Help Preserve Your Memory

An article in Bio-Medicine by Andrew Gould  has reported on  a research team from the University of Reading and the Peninsula Medical School in the South West of England whose research shows that blueberries are good for your brain. These researchers have found that phytochemical-rich foods, such as blueberries, are effective at reversing age-related deficits in memory. The researchers working on this study at the Schools of Food Biosciences and Psychology in Reading and the Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences at the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter supplemented a regular diet with blueberries over a 12-week period. They found that improvements in spatial working memory tasks emerged within three weeks and continued throughout the entire period of the study. A chemical analysis of blueberries shows that they are a major source of flavonoids, in particular anthocyanins and flavanols. Although the precise mechanisms by which these plant-derived molecules affect the brain are not exactly understood, they have been shown to cross the blood brain barrier after dietary intake. It is postulated that they exert their effects on learning and memory by enhancing existing neuronal (brain cell) connections, improving cellular communications and stimulating neuronal regeneration. Both short-term and long-term memory enhancement is controlled at the molecular level in neurons. This research team has been able to show that the ability of flavonoids to induce memory improvements are mediated by the activation of signalling proteins via a specific pathway in the hippocampus which is the part of the brain that controls learning and memory. This interesting research was conducted by a multidisciplinary research team led by Dr. Jeremy Spencer, a lecturer in Molecular Nutrition at the University of Reading and included Dr. Claire Williams, a Psychologist also from Reading and Dr. Matt Whiteman, a Principal Investigator at the Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, Peninsula Medical School. Dr Spencer has commented: "Impaired or failing memory as we get older is one of lifes major inconveniences. Scientists have known of the potential health benefits of diets rich in fresh fruits for a long time. Our previous work had suggested that flavonoid compounds had some kind of effect on memory, but until now we had not known the potential mechanisms to account for this."  Dr. Whiteman has added "This study not only adds science to the claim that eating blueberries are good for you, it also provides support to a diet-based approach that could potentially be used to increase memory capacity and performance in the future."  

 

Green Tea May Help Fiight Eye Disease

A report ffrom the American Chemical Society gives hope that green tea may help fight eye diseases. Scientists have now confirmed that the healthy substances found in green tea  which are renowned for their powerful antioxidant and disease-fighting properties penetrate into tissues of the eye. This report, documents how the lens, retina, and other eye tissues absorb these substances and raises the possibility that green tea may protect against glaucoma and other common eye diseases. Chi Pui Pang and colleagues have pointed out that so-called green tea "catechins" have been among a number of antioxidants believed to be capable of protecting the eye. Those have included vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Until recently, however, it was not known if the catechins in green tea actually passed from the stomach and gastrointestinal tract into the tissues of the eye. Pang and his colleagues resolved the uncertainty about this matter in experiments with laboratory rats that were given green tea to drink. An analysis of  the eye tissues of the rats showed beyond a doubt that eye structures absorbed significant amounts of individual catechins from the green tea. The retina was reported to have absorbed the highest levels of gallocatechin, while the aqueous humor absorbed more epigallocatechin. The positive effects of green tea catechins in reducing the harmful oxidative stress in the eye lasted for about 20 hours. "Our results indicate that green tea consumption could benefit the eye against oxidative stress," the report concluded.

 

Chocolate Can Benefit Your Health

Chocolate is made from plants and so it contains many of the health benefits of dark vegetables. The primary benefits in chocolate are from flavonoids which act as antioxidants. Antioxidants protect your body from aging which is caused by free radicals which can cause damage that leads to heart disease. Dark chocolate contains a very large number of antioxidants. Flavonoids also help to relax blood pressure via the production of nitric oxide and also help balance certain hormones in the body. So dark chocolate is good for your heart. A small bar of dark chocolate daily can help keep your heart and cardiovascular system running well. Studies have revealed that consuming a small bar of dark chocolate everyday can reduce blood pressure in individuals with high blood predssure. Dark chocolate also has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) by up to 10 percent. Chocolate also has a pleasing taste and stimulates endorphin production, which gives you a feeling of pleasure. And serotonin is present in chocolatewhich acts as an anti-depressant. Also chocolate contains theobromine, caffeine and other substances which are stimulants. However, many people feel the beneficial properties of chocolate are countered by its high sugar and calorie content. Therefore low sugar or sugarless chocolate is often preferable for many people.  

 

Hyperactivity and Diet

Evidence suggests that certain compounds found naturally  in many foods and many compounds added to some foods can cause hyperactivity. A natural health care approach to deal with hyperactivity involves avoiding certain food additives such as all food colorings, the preservarives BHA, BHT and TBHQ, and all medicines containing artificial colors or flavors. Also all foods containing salicylates should be avoided. These foods include almonds, apples, apricots, all berries, cherries, cucumbers, coffee, pickles, currants, grapes, raisins, nectarines, oranges, peppers, peaches, plums, prunes, tangerines, tea and tomatoes.

 

Natural Health Care Advice To Avoid Memory Loss

Memory loss is sometimes a symptom of Alzheimer's disease, senile dementia, and other neurodegenerative diseases. Memory loss can also be due to inadequate nutrition, lack of sleep, medication side effects, and other problems. Simple healthy lifestyle changes along with a nutritous diet and memory-promoting supplements can often help you restore and maintain your memory. Daily exercise with adequate sleep and relaxation techniques such as meditation and yoga can help you preserve your memory. Supplements which also help preserve your memory are choline, folic acid, L-carnitine, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), phosphatidyl choline, thiamin (vitamin B1), vitamin B12, and zinc. Herbs which also help preserve memory are ginkgo biloba, gotu kola, and siberian ginseng root.

 

Vitamin C And Immunity

Vitamin C has been shown to affect several components of the human immune system. For example, vitamin C has been shown to stimulate both the production and the function of leukocytes (white blood cells), especially neutrophils, lymphocytes, and phagocytes. Specific measures of the functions stimulated by vitamin C include cellular motility, chemotaxis, and phagocytosis. Neutrophils, which attack foreign bacteria and viruses, appear to be the primary cell type stimulated by vitamin C, but lymphocytes and other phagocytes are also affected. Also, several studies have shown that supplemental vitamin C increases serum levels of antibodies and C1q complement proteins in guinea pigs, which—like people—cannot synthesize vitamin C and therefore depend on dietary vitamin C. However, many studies have reported no beneficial changes in leukocyte production or function with vitamin C treatment. It appears vitamin C also protects the integrity of immune cells. Neutrophils, mononuclear phagocytes, and lymphocytes accumulate vitamin C in very high concentrations, which can protect these cell types from oxidative damage. In response to invading microorganisms, phagocytic leukocytes release non-specific toxins, such as superoxide radicals, hypochlorous acid (“bleach”), and peroxynitrite and these reactive oxygen species kill pathogens and, in the process, can damage the leukocytes themselves. Vitamin C, through its antioxidant functions, has been shown to help protect leukocytes from such effects of autooxidation. Phagocytic leukocytes also produce and release cytokines, including interferons, which have been shown to have antiviral activity. Vitamin C has been shown to increase interferon levels in vitro. And so it is widely thought that vitamin C boosts the function of the immune system, and accordingly, may protect against viral infections and perhaps other diseases.

 

Natural Health Care Intervention For Bipolar Disorder 

The diagnosis of bipolar disorder has been so disgracefully over-used that it often becomes difficult to determine if this disorder actually exists. So, for a start as when dealing with any of the diagnostic categories used by psychiatrists, I simply do not like to label people with such a diagnosis. The diagnostic labels themselves in psychiatry serve no therapeutic value and instead result in painful stigmatization of people which generally catastrophically ruins their personal and career interests. The psychiatrists themselves hypocritically enforce these damaging labels, often with swift, fixed court orders, in order to make their patients dependent on them. Furthermore, the deadly diagnostic label of bipolar disorder often appears to have been contrived by psychiatrists for people who refuse to stop living with an initial catastrophic misdiagnosis of schizophrenia.

The mainstay of treatment for what is called bipolar disorder by psychiatrists, lithium, is an extremely dangerous poison which makes everyone who uses this drug on a long term basis, even within therapeutic levels, very sick. The side effects of lithium treatment include tremor, rash, polyuria, renal tubular acidosis, memory loss, ataxia, and decreased concentration along with a lowered sex drive. I therefore suggest a natural health care approach to the treatment of what is called bipolar disorder. The treating natural health care practitioner should strive to be very understanding and supportive of people who may be experiencing any such altered state of mind. A friendly bedside manner in dealing with such a condition, as is true in dealing with all medical conditions, of course often helps the person recover. There is always a mind/body psychological relationship between wellness and illness. Shockingly, the psychiatrists, who have generally become like minded sadists in this era, claim an overly friendly manner is a manifestation of bipolar disorder. There is no scientific basis for this claim making it appear as if the god damned psychiatrists have written the disorder up this way in order to rationalize their own very, very serious shortcomings in dealing with people. Along with warmth and compassion lecithin supplements along with higher than normal doses of vitamin and mineral supplements and a healthy lifestyle can often both prevent and cure episodes of mood swings, or what the psychiatrists refer to as bipolar disorder. It is a complete myth that this disorder can not be completely cured as is stated in some psychiatric and medical texts. And, it is wrong to assert that people who may have suffered from this disorder must be in the hands of psychiatrists of all people for the remainder of their lives as is stated in some psychiatric and medical texts. We can have no hope for true mental health without offering people the opportunity to handle their own lives. As with a child growing up we will see more and more healthy productivity when we hand over more and more responsibility to that growing child. If we refuse to allow a child to grow up in such manners we will stunt the childs development and push the child backwards in life. The same is true of an adult who may have suffered from an altered mental state. If we refuse to allow that person to grow out of such an altered mental state and become a self-actualizing person we are stunting that persons development and hopes for a full recovery. If there are any particular complaints about the persons behavior while the person may have been ill those complaints should be addressed directly by concerned parties with a full explanation of why it is felt a change in certain behavior patterns would help the persons life and career interests. If approached in a concerned and sensitive manner people are generally very receptive to such good advice. People suffering from mood swings or what the psychiatrists refer to as bipolar disorder are said to experience expansive, energetic and elated moods followed by argumentativeness and a depressed mood. Other signs of such a disorder are said to be rapid speech and racing thoughts. These people are said to gamble excessively, get involved in excessive, risky and illegal sexual behavior, and manifest poor judgment in dealing with financial matters such as credit card fraud, writing of bad bank checks and getting involved in frivolous business deals such as selling phony stock certificates or lieing to potential investors about a firms financial interests. However, people who are said to have suffered from bipolar disorder as is true of people who are said to have suffered from other mental illnesses are often sensitive, law abiding, well educated, intelligent, and creative people who generally have a great deal to offer the people in their lives and society if only given a chance.

 

Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Prevent Psychotic Disorders

It has been reported that people at extremely high risk of developing a psychosis are less likely to develop psychotic disorders after just 12 weeks of taking fish oil capsules containing omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 supplementation may be effective because individuals with what psychiatrists label as schizophrenia may have an underlying dysfunction in fatty acid metabolism. Long-chain omega-3 fatty polyunsaturated fatty acids appear to reduce the risk of progression to psychotic disorders and may also offer a safe and efficacious strategy for indicated prevention in young people with subthreshold psychotic states.

 

 Mediterranean Diet Prevents Depression

Natural News has reported that the Mediterranean diet may improve not just heart health but also mental health. This conclusion has been based on a study conducted by researchers from the Universities of La Palma and Navarra in Spain. The traditionally healthy Mediterranean diet is high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, cereals, fish, and monounsaturated fatty acids like those found in olive oil. This diet is low in meat, and intake of alcohol and dairy products are kept to moderate levels. Prior studies have shown a significant connection between the Mediterranean diet and a lower risk of heart disease and cancer. Researchers for this study had 10,094 university graduates fill out regular questionnaires that allowed researchers to measure their adherence to the Mediterranean diet over the course of four-and-a-half years. During this time, 156 male participants developed depression, as did 324 female participants. After making adjustments for depression risk factors such as marital status, number of children, lifestyle habits, anxiety, competitiveness and other personality and lifestyle traits, the researchers found that those who followed the Mediterranean diet most closely had a 30 percent lower risk of developing depression than those who did not follow it. Researcher Miguel Martinez-Gonzalez said that while further studies of longer duration and with more participants would be needed to confirm these findings, that the diet "may exert a fair degree of protection against depression." "Thirty percent is a large reduction in the risk and this could be very important considering the large burden of disease represented by depression," he has said. "We know how important the Mediterranean diet is in reducing cardiovascular risk factors and the same inflammatory proteins are also raised in patients with depression." 

 

Chlorophyll Shown To Block Absorption Of Toxic Carcinogens

In a recent study conducted by researchers from Oregon State University it has been found that chlorophyll works effectively to block bodily absorption of aflatoxin. Aflatoxin is a fungal contaminant found in many grain and legume stocks. Research participants who were given chlorophyll along with aflatoxin did not absorb the carcinogen as readily as those who were given only aflatoxin. Published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, this study has utilized a new, state-of-the-art assessment method which is called "Phase 0" and which essentially evaluates the effects of carcinogens by administrating them in safe micro-doses. Phase 0 utilizes an accelerator mass spectrometer which is able to measure minute variations of toxic exposure and assess toxicity levels down to the smallest increments. Many of the developing countries around the world have food supplies which are tainted with high levels of aflatoxin. Aflatoxin is associated with causing problems in the liver, including liver cancer. George Bailey, an Oregon State scientist who has studied aflatoxin exposure in China, has found that in one region ten percent of inhabitants die from aflatoxin-induced liver cancer. Using Phase 0 technology, researchers have been able to determine that aflatoxin is absorbed very rapidly by the body once ingested. In the presence of chlorophyll, However, with chlorophyll present aflatoxin is prevented from entering the bloodstream and quickly eliminated from the system. Therefore, supplementation with chlorophyll and chlorophyllin, its derivative, may significantly reduce the number of cases of liver cancer. Researchers are planning to conduct further research in order to better understand how chlorophyll works to block aflatoxin absorption.

 

Broccoli Protects Your Arteries                               

The health benefits of broccoli and related vegetables may come in part from a chemical known as sulforaphane, which appears to activate a specific heart-protecting protein, according to a study conducted by researchers from Imperial College London which has been published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology. "We know that vegetables are clearly good for you, but surprisingly the molecular mechanisms of why they are good for you have remained unknown for many years," said researcher Paul Evans of the United Kingdom's National Heart and Lung Institute. "This study provides a possible explanation for how green vegetable consumption can promote a healthy heart." These researchers carried out their tests directly on the chemical sulforaphane, which occurs naturally in vegetables in the family Brassicaceae, also known as cruciferous vegetables. In addition to the vegetable broccoli, the cruciferous vegetables include cabbage, cauliflower, rapeseed (canola), radish, turnip, mustard greens and watercress. Sulforaphane has been found to increase the activity of the protein Nrf2, which is known to be inactive in areas of the cardiovascular system that are predisposed to plaque buildup. In these sensitive areas, which include bends and branches in blood vessels, blood flow is slowed or even disrupted entirely."What our study showed was that sulforaphane can protect those regions by switching on the Nrf2," Evans said. "These fascinating findings provide a possible mechanism by which eating vegetables protects against heart disease," said Peter Weissberg of the British Heart Foundation, which funded this study. "As well as adding evidence to support the importance of eating 'five-a-day', the biochemistry revealed in this research could lead to more targeted dietary or medical approaches to prevent or lessen disease that leads to heart attacks and strokes." Because the study was carried out using pure sulforaphane, these researchers plan to repeat it in a way that closer approximates consumption of actual broccoli. "We now need to go and test this with broccoli smoothies, as it were, and compare that with the effect of purified sulforaphane," Evans has said.

 

Natural Health Care Treatment for Headaches 

Aspirin, acetaminophen and other medications are widely overused to treat headaches. The side effects from long-term use of these drugs can sometimes be serious. So, instead of taking medication each time you get a headache or a migraine you should try to change your diet and lifestyle. Here are a few good  tips to treat headaches and migraines naturally: avoid monosodium glutamate (MSG), hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, various preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and anything else that is created by man in your diet; eat onions, radishes, celery and cilantro to keep your body cool; drink a lot more pure water and keep yourself from getting dehydrated; work on keeping your blood sugar levels balanced; exercise avoid perfumes, chemicals, cologne, and cigarette smoking; try the herbs feverfew, ginger, and Gingko Biloba. 

 

Fiber Helps Prevent Colon Cancer

There are several ways in which fiber helps to prevent colon cancer. Fiber causes the stool to bulk up, increases acidity in the colon and creates an overall environment which reduces the concentration of potential carcinogens. Some studies have suggested that wheat bran and rye bran are the most effective in reducing the risk of colon cancer. However, eating more of any types of fiber rich foods such as grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables helps protect you from colon cancer. The average American only eats 11 to 12 grams of fiber daily. However, the National Cancer Institute recommends 20 to 30 grams of fiber daily.

 

 

 
 


             

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