Kidney Stones

by Nick Soloway

Go with the flow

by Dr. Jonathan Wright

Q: I’ve been having trouble urinating. My urologist says it’s most likely caused by prostate enlargement, but since I don’t have any other symptoms yet, he prescribed a drug just to help me with urination. I’d prefer a natural approach, though, if there is one.

 

Dr. Wright: The medication your urologist likely prescribed is called isosorbide dinatrate, which is a synthetic formulation that works by improving the production of nitric oxide, a substance that relaxes vascular and other smooth muscles. But there’s no need to use a space alien molecule when there’s a natural substance that does the exact same thing. It’s an amino acid called L-arginine.

 

I’ve written about L-arginine many times over the past few years. Admittedly, one of its more “attention- getting” benefits is that it improves erectile dysfunction (ED). But it’s also useful for all sorts of vascular diseases since it dilates blood vessels and improves blood flow.

 

There are two types of L-arginine — “time release” and “regular.” Time-release is preferable for urinary problems because, although it has a lower peak, it lasts longer. For men having difficulty urinating, I generally recommend taking 3 g of L-arginine daily in addition to other nutrients and botanicals that help improve prostate health (such as zinc, essential fatty acids, and lycopene).

 

You can find regular L-arginine at most natural food stores. And you can get it at: emersonecologics.com

 

 

Eating late makes esophageal reflux worse

Thirty patients with gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) symptoms were randomly assigned to consume a standard meal either six hours or two hours prior to going to bed. The next night they consumed the same meal at the alternate time. The meal contained 900 kcal and consisted of a McDonald’s Big Mac, French fries, and 600 ml of a carbonated soft drink. Acid exposure was measured for 48 hours using a Bravo wireless pH system. The mean amount of supine acid reflux was significantly greater after the late evening meal than after the earlier evening meal (p = 0.002). There was no significant difference in total symptom score between the two days.

 

Comment by Dr. Alan Gaby: The results of this study indicate that, if you have GERD and plan to eat a large junk-food meal, you probably should eat it far away from bedtime. It is noteworthy that the researchers considered a large hamburger, fried potatoes, and a glass of sugar-water infused with carbon dioxide a “standard meal.” Maybe if patients with GERD raised their standards, they wouldn’t have GERD anymore. Nevertheless, it seems logical that reflux would be less likely to occur if dinner were given ample time to enter the small intestine prior to lying down for the night.

 

Piesman M, et al. Nocturnal reflux episodes following the administration of a standardized meal. Does timing matter? Am J Gastroenterol. 2007;102:2128-2134.

 

Cut your risk of kidney stones down to (almost) nothing—no prescription required by Dr. Jonathan Wright

 

I’m no longer amazed by the advice given today by “mainstream” medical doctors on preventing the most common type of kidney stones (the calcium oxalate variety)––but I am still disappointed. Some doctors say to cut back on dietary and supplemental calcium, even more counsel their patients to reduce calcium and salt and to drink lots more water. A few even give prescriptions for diuretics. None of this is necessary (or helpful for that matter). Yet the mainstream seems to be turning a blind eye to methods clearly proven to help.

 

In 1974, two Harvard researchers found that magnesium oxide (300 milligrams daily) and vitamin B6 (10 milligrams daily) could reduce the risk of recurrent calcium oxalate stones by 92.3 percent.1 Their research was published in the Journal of Urology.

Harvard? Journal of Urology? What more could a urologist ask for when it comes to research? I gave copies of the article to individuals I worked with to give to their urologists, but nothing changed. The recommendations for low calcium diets just kept on coming.

 

In 1991, the British Journal of Urology published another prevention study. During a five-year investigation, researchers determined that the use of 10 grams (less than 1 tablespoon) of rice bran twice daily after meals reduced new calcium oxalate kidney stone formation by 83.4 percent.2 To this day, not one person I’ve asked has been told by his or her urologist about this harmless treatment.

 

As I said earlier, this just doesn’t surprise me anymore. After all, it took the physicians at the British Admiralty over 150 years to implement one of the earliest successful scientific experiments concerning the beneficial effects of nutrition on illness—the prevention of scurvy with citrus fruit. And it took 19th century medicine more than 50 years to eliminate “childbirth fever” by simply having physicians wash their hands. Modern medicine still hasn’t learned that good nutrition can prevent nearly 100 percent of toxemia of pregnancy. I could go on, but you get the idea.

 

But back to kidney stones: The same amounts of magnesium and vitamin B6 found effective in preventing calcium oxalate kidney stones back in 1974 can be found in many high-quality multiple vitamin-mineral formulations today. To get enough magnesium and vitamin B6 from a “muliple,” be sure to take the four to six capsules daily that are usually called for by the labels of these products. Add 2 or 3 teaspoons of rice bran twice daily, and your chances of a calcium oxalate kidney stone recurrence are close to zero.

 

Orange Juice Consumption May Reduce Risk of Kidney Stone Formation

 

KIDNEY STONES, NEPHROLITHIASIS – Orange Juice, Lemonade, Calcium Oxalate, Uric Acid

“Comparative Value of Orange Juice versus Lemonade in Reducing Stone-Forming Risk,” Odvina CV, Clin J Am Soc of Nephrology, August 2006; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Charles and Jane Pak Center for Mineral Metabolism and Clinical Research and Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.

E-Mail: clarita.odvina@utsouthwestern.edu

 

In a randomized, crossover study involving 9 healthy subjects and 4 stone formers, the author suggests that “short-term orange juice consumption could result in biochemical modification of stone risk factors.” While on a constant metabolic diet, the subjects were randomized to receive distilled water, orange juice or lemonade daily for 1 week, in a crossover design. After each intervention, urinary samples were collected for acid-base parameters and stone risk analysis. While urinary calcium levels did not significantly differ between interventions, urinary oxalate was higher, and uric acid was lower during the orange juice intervention, compared to the lemonade and distilled water interventions. Additionally, calculated supersaturation of calcium oxalate was lower in the orange juice phase, compared to the distilled water phase. Despite the fact that lemonade and orange juice had comparable citrate content, orange juice demonstrated greater alkalinizing and citraturic effects than lemonade. Thus, this study suggests that the consumption of orange juice may exert a protective effect against kidney stone formation. These results warrant further studies.

Indoor Air Quality

by Nick Soloway

What’s your IAQ IQ?

(From http://www.wrightnewsletter.com/etips/freecopy.html)

 

IAQ is an acronym for “indoor air quality.” And you can easily evaluate your IAQ IQ by answering these two questions:

 

1) Is indoor air more polluted than outdoor air?

 

2) Do air fresheners have any effect on indoor pollution?

 

If you answered yes to both questions, congratulations – your IAQ IQ is right up there with the best of them.

 

The Environmental Protection Agency reports that indoor air is often 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air.

 

And according to Anne C. Steinemann, Ph.D. – an environmental engineering professor at the University of Washington – the contents of many air freshener brands may actually INCREASE indoor pollution.

 

———————————————————–
Less than the very minimum
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Dr. Steinemann became interested in air fresheners and other household products after hearing numerous reports from people who believed these items made them feel sick.

 

When she conducted a chemical analysis of three best- selling air fresheners and three laundry products, she says, “I was surprised by both the number and the potential toxicity of the chemicals that were found.” To avoid legal issues, Dr. Steinemann didn’t reveal any brand names of the products tested.

 

STUDY RESULTS:

 

  • In six products, Dr. Steinemann found nearly 100 volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
  • 10 of the VOCs are regulated as either toxic or hazardous
    Three are classified as carcinogenic hazardous air pollutants, which have no safe exposure level according to the EPA
  • One of the VOCs was methyl chloride, linked to nervous system, liver, and kidney damage in animals
  • Each of the six products contained at least one of the 10 toxic or hazardous VOCs

None of the product labels listed any of these VOCs. No surprise there because U.S. laws don’t require manufacturers of household products to list contents.

 

Reacting to this study, one toxicologist told the Baltimore Sun: “At the very minimum, we should have a right to know what is in these products.”

 

———————————————————–
Gradual accumulation
———————————————————–

 

So what’s the real danger in getting an occasional whiff of laundry detergent, shampoo, or air freshener?

 

In the e-Alert “Something in the Air” (2/14/05), I told you about a UK study in which researchers monitored VOC levels for one year in 170 homes where mothers spent their days at home with children.

 

STUDY RESULTS:

  • In homes where air fresheners were used daily, mothers averaged nearly 10 percent more frequent headaches than mothers in homes where air fresheners were used once a week or less
  • In the “daily” homes, mothers had more than 25 percent higher risk of depression compared to mothers in the “once a week” homes
  • In the “daily” homes, infants were 32 percent more likely to suffer from diarrhea
  • Infants in the “daily” homes had a significantly higher rate of earaches than infants in “once a week” homes

Researchers noted that the daily use of air fresheners and other aerosol products created a gradual accumulation of VOCs.

 

Dr. Steinemann suggests that consumers avoid air fresheners and choose fragrance-free products. But beware – some manufacturers simply use a masking fragrance to neutralize the aroma of scented products.
If you want to freshen the indoor air I suggest using essential oils and diffuser available at Young Living Essential Oils https://www.youngliving.org/nicksoloway 

 

Folate reduces Colon Cancer risk in women

News of any little way to lower our cancer risk is always welcome.

 

News of how to lower it by two-thirds? Well, that’s VERY welcome.

 

It turns out a certain vitamin—one long-time e-Tips readers already know can prevent damage caused by heart attacks and boost brain power.

 

Men, this vitamin is good for you, too, but you’re definitely going to want to forward this to the women in your life.

 

Because a group of researchers at South Korea’s National Cancer Center have found that eating a diet rich in folate can lower a woman’s risk of colon cancer by a whopping two- thirds. The same effect wasn’t seen in men.

 

The reason for folate’s cancer-protective power? Well, it’s one of the nutrients that’s key in repairing DNA. Researchers think that a lack of folate makes genetic mutations. And that damaged DNA can go cancerous.

 

So how much folate do you need for this big cancer- preventing boost? Women getting at least 300 micrograms a day saw the best benefit—a 64% lower risk of colon cancer. Women consuming more than 270 micrograms a day slashed their risk in half.

 

Besides supplements, you can get your daily folate in veggies and fruits like spinach, green beans, peppers, and citrus fruits.

Hot Flashes

by Nick Soloway

Hot flashes

In a study reported in Dr. Weil’s Self Healing, hot flash frequency was reduced by 50% and the intensity of the hot flashes was reduced by 57% by adding 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed into cereal, yogurt or juice twice a day, for 6 weeks.

 

Kidney stones

If you had or know of someone who has had a kidney stone it may have been one of the most painful experiences in life.

From the Townsend Letter with Dr. Alan Gaby giving the commentary:

Lemonade prevents kidney stone recurrences
Eleven patients with recurrent kidney stones associated with hypocitraturia (low urinary citrate excretion) who had been on long-term lemonade therapy were evaluated after a mean treatment period of 3.7 years. Lemonade therapy consisted of 120 ml per day of concentrated lemon juice (containing 5.9 g of citric acid) mixed with two liters of water and consumed throughout the day. Ten of the 11 patients drinking lemonade had an increase in urinary citrate levels, and the mean level increased from 350 mg per day at baseline to 733 mg per day (p < 0.05). The mean stone formation rate decreased from 1.00 per person per year at baseline to 0.13 per person per year during lemonade therapy. This 87% decrease failed to achieve statistical significance, presumably because of the small sample size.

 

Comment: Many recurrent stone formers have hypocitraturia. Oral administration of potassium citrate increases the amount of citrate in the urine and has been shown to reduce the stone recurrence rate substantially. Potassium citrate is therefore considered first-line therapy by most urologists for patients with hypocitraturic recurrent nephrolithiasis. However, potassium citrate can cause gastrointestinal side effects, which preclude its use in some cases. Lemons have a high concentration of citrate, about five times as much as oranges. In a previous study, ingestion of two liters of lemonade per day more than doubled urinary citrate excretion in a group of recurrent stone formers and increased the level to normal in seven of 12 patients. The results of the new study suggest that lemonade is a reasonable alternative to potassium citrate in patients with hypocitraturic nephrolithiasis.

 

Kang DE, et al. Long-term lemonade based dietary manipulation in patients with hypocitraturic nephrolithiasis. J Urol. 2007;177:1358-1362.

High Blood Pressure

by Nick Soloway

BEET JUICE and High Blood Pressure

A UK study – published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension – says beetroot juice significantly lowers high blood pressure.

The study was conducted by the famous Queen Mary’s William Harvey Research Institute and headed up by Professor Amrita Ahluwalia. It’s the same institute that discovered that aspirin prevents heart attacks and strokes.

Researchers gave beetroot juice to healthy volunteers. They compared their blood pressure responses and the biochemical changes in their circulation.

And what they found was very good news indeed for people with hypertension. Not only does beetroot juice lower blood pressure… it does it quickly.

Professor Ahluwalia found that patients lowered their blood pressure within three hours of drinking their daily dose! And the effects last for 24 hours.

And the best thing is that the root works best for those who need it most.

Researchers found that “the higher the blood pressure, the greater the decrease.”

That’s good news for a lot of people. Just like the US, one in three adults in the UK suffer from hypertension. And the Blood Pressure Association says over 30 percent of sufferers don’t even know they have it. That’s too bad: it results in over 350 “preventable” strokes or heart attacks every day.

Researchers also tested a second group of patients with daily nitrate tablets. They too were able to lower their blood pressure. It’s possible that the high nitrate content in beetroot is one of the reasons why it’s so effective in lowering blood pressure. And why the research group believe it’s about to become the “next super food.”

“Beeting” Out the Competition
Beetroot is rich in antioxidants. It contains iron, boron, and folic acid. It also contains betanene, which is why it has such a violent color. Betanene is a super antioxidant: it’s more potent than polyphenols. Polyphenols are believed to be reason that diets rich in leafy vegetables lower blood pressure.

Research member Professor Ben Benjamin says that beetroot absorbs and stores super high levels of nitrate. These are found in soil and our bodies use them in its battle against blood pressure.

“When nitrate is present in saliva, bacteria on the tongue converts it into nitrite,” he says. “When the nitrite is swallowed, it’s converted into nitric oxide.”

And that is a chemical produced by our blood vessels to help them relax and lower blood pressure.

“Increasing the levels of nitrate with beetroot juice increases this effect,” he says.
The study also found beetroot juice works like aspirin. It prevents blood clots and protects the lining of blood vessels.

True Stories of Success
“Currently, treatment for high blood pressure involves a cocktail of aspirin, statins, beta blockers, and angiotensin converting enzyme [ACE] inhibitors,” says Professor Benjamin. “People don’t like taking all the tablets. They don’t feel well and the treatment is lifelong.”
But he says beetroot is a healthy and safe alternative to all that.

And people are already putting it to the test.

Sixty-year-old David Kelsall, from Stoke-on-Trent, England, was amazed by the results.
“I discovered my blood pressure was high when my doctor was testing for something else,” he says. “It was not life-threatening but I was anxious to do something about it.”
He was considering drugs when he read the reports about beetroot juice.

“I drank three bottles of it a week,” he says. “Less than four weeks [later], my blood pressure had already leveled out. Now, a few months later, it is under control and normal. I am still drinking the juice, and I’m going to continue doing so. It may not help everyone, but it’s helped me.”

Getting Beetroot into Your Diet
Beetroot has a medium glycemic index score of 64… but this doesn’t need to be a problem. That’s because you only need to have a very small amount of beetroot juice to lower your blood pressure.

“We found that only a small amount of juice is needed – just 250ml – to have this effect,” says Professor Ahluwalia.

Dr. Al Sears says beetroot is better at beating blood pressure problems than any drug. Here is one simple recipe that he suggests for getting it into your diet.


To make this recipe simply take:

• two raw organic carrots
• three organic celery sticks
• one-half of an organic cucumber
• one organic beetroot
(1) Chop each of the vegetables up.
(1) Drop ‘em in your juicer.
(3) Blend and drink.
It’s as simple as that!

 

From the Townsend Letter: Fish Oil for Atrial Fibrillation

One hundred seventy-eight patients (mean age, 62 years) with persistent atrial fibrillation for more than 1 month were randomly assigned to a control group or to receive 6 g per day of fish oil, in open-label fashion. At least 1 month (mean, 56 days) after the start of supplementation, patients underwent electrical cardioversion. Fish oil was continued until atrial fibrillation returned or for a maximum of 1 year.

 

Concurrent use of antiarrhythmic drugs (sotalol or amiodarone) was permitted. Mean duration of fish oil use after cardioversion was 186 days. Ninety days after cardioversion, the recurrence rate of atrial fibrillation was significantly lower in the fish oil group than in the control group (38.5% vs. 77.5%; p < 0.001). Fish oil significantly reduced recurrence rates both in patients who were and were not using antiarrhythmic drugs.

 

Comment (Alan Gaby, MD): Persistent atrial fibrillation is associated with a high risk of recurrence after electrical cardioversion. The results of the present study demonstrate that starting fish oil supplementation more than 1 month before electrical cardioversion and continuing it afterwards can reduce the recurrence rate of persistent atrial fibrillation.

Green Tea Extract Lowers LDL-Cholesterol Levels

One hundred three healthy postmenopausal women (mean age, 60 years) were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, Polyphenon E (a green tea extract, providing 400 or 800 mg per day of epigallocatechin gallate [EGCG]; equivalent to about 5 or 10 cups per day of green tea) or placebo for 2 months.

 

The mean serum concentration of LDL cholesterol decreased by 7.7% with 400 mg per day of EGCG, decreased by 6.5% with 800 mg per day of EGCG, and increased by 0.8% in the placebo group (p = 0.02 for the difference in the change between the combined active-treatment groups and placebo).

 

Comment (Alan Gaby,MD: Other studies have shown that supplementation with green tea extract can decrease systolic and diastolic blood pressure and serum levels of C-reactive protein, while increasing insulin sensitivity. Each of these effects would be expected to decrease the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The results of the present study indicate that green tea can protect the heart and blood vessels by yet another mechanism.

 

Wu AH et al. Effect of 2-month controlled green tea intervention on lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose, and hormone levels in healthy postmenopausal women. Cancer Prev Res. 2012;5:393–402.

Kumar S et al. Long-term omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation reduces the recurrence of persistent atrial fibrillation after electrical cardioversion. Heart Rhythm. 2012;9:483–491

Green Tea

by Nick Soloway

Green Tea and Colon Cancer

from SecondOpinionNewsletter.com

It’s a lot easier to prevent cancer than fight cancer. This is especially true with colon cancer. Once colon cancer hits, it’s very difficult to treat successfully. Fortunately, you can prevent most cases of colon cancer. In fact, it’s fairly easy to do. All you need to do is drink a lot of my favorite beverage.

 

Green tea is a magical elixir. It’s great for your heart, your brain, and for fighting infections. And it’s a powerful cancer fighter. Now we have research proving that green tea can help prevent colorectal adenomas. Adenomas are a collection of cells that can degenerate into cancer.

 

This study followed 136 patients who had colorectal adenomas previously removed. They also had to be free of polyps one year later. The researchers split the patients into two groups. They gave one group a green tea extract (1.5 g per day). A control group took a placebo. Then the researchers instructed all of the participants not to change their regular liquid green tea consumption.

 

After one year, 31% of the control group developed metachronous adenomas (not good) compared to less than half that (15%) in the green tea extract supplemented group.

 

Furthermore, in those that did relapse, those on the extract got smaller adenomas than the control subjects. The authors concluded “green tea extract is an effective supplement for the chemoprevention of metachronous colorectal adenomas.”

 

Action to take: Drink green tea every day. So should you. While there were not enough details in the study to determine how much green tea the subjects drank on their own, it certainly appears that supplemental green tea extract is a good idea regardless. I do think that green tea extract is worthy of consideration as a daily essential. Colon cancer often begins with polyps. It’s a cancer that is rising in frequency in America. Here’s a step you can take to dramatically lower your risk!

 

I have a great tasting green tea here

Green tea and lung cancer from healthiernews.com

 

It’s about that old wonder, green tea. And if you’re a smoker, you’re going to want to pay special attention to this tidbit.

 

Because protecting your lungs from cancer–especially if you’re a smoker–could be as easy as finding a new favorite beverage.

Researchers in Taiwan found that smokers who did not drink green tea may have a 13-fold increased risk of lung cancer over smokers who drank green tea.

 

Now, what you’re thinking: Sounds good, but how many gallons of tea did they have to gulp down every day?

 

Ready for this? The benefit was seen in smokers who drank at least one cup per day–that’s it.

 

The researchers said a daily cup of green tea may help non- smokers as well–overall, among smokers and non-smokers, non-green tea drinkers had a 5.2-fold increased risk of lung cancer over those who enjoyed a daily cup.

 

Of course, we all know the best course of action is to quit smoking. And maybe that’s on your list of 2010 goals. But we also know that quitting is very difficult. In the meantime, a cup of green tea a day could go a long way to cut your cancer risk.

 

The oxidative stress levels of smokers put a bigger drain on antioxidant levels, and green tea may offset that.

 

You don’t want to drink just any old green tea. The pesticides in tea boxed and bagged on your supermarket shelves aren’t going to do you any good. Look for organically grown green tea to capture the best of its health benefits.

Flu

by Nick Soloway

Elderberry and treating the flu

From Wikipedia:

In a placebo-controlled, double-blind study, elderberry was shown to be effective for treating Influenza B.[4] People using the elderberry extract recovered much faster than those only on a placebo. The study was published in the Journal of Alternative Complementary Medicine.

A small study published in 2004 showed that 93% of flu patients given extract were completely symptom-free within two days; those taking a placebo recovered in about six days. This current study shows that, indeed, it works for type A flu, reports lead researcher Erling Thom, with the University of Oslo in Norway.[5]

Thom’s findings were presented at the 15th Annual Conference on Antiviral Research.

The study involved 60 patients who had been suffering with flu symptoms for 48 hours or less; 90% were infected with the A strain of the virus, 10% were infected with type B. Half the group took 15 milliliters of extract and the other group took a placebo four times a day for five days.

Patients in the extract group had “pronounced improvements” in flu symptoms after three days: nearly 90% of patients had complete cure within two to three days. Also, the extract group had no drowsiness, the downside of many flu treatments. The placebo group didn’t recover until at least day six; they also took more painkillers and nasal sprays.

It’s likely that antioxidants called flavonoids—which are contained in the extract—stimulate the immune system, writes Thom. Also, other compounds in elderberry, called anthocyanins, have an anti-inflammatory effect; this could explain the effect on aches, pains, and fever.

Elderberry extract could be an “efficient and safe treatment” for flu symptoms in otherwise healthy people and for those with compromised immune systems, such as the elderly, Thom adds.

Russell Greenfield, MD, a leading practitioner of integrative medicine and medical director of Carolinas Integrative Health, advocates treating flu with black elderberry, he says in a news release. “It can be given to children and adults, and with no known side effects or negative interactions,” he says.

“But don’t expect grandma’s elderberry jam” to ease flu symptoms like body aches, cough, and fever, he warns. “Extract is the only black elderberry preparation shown effective in clinical studies.”

More on the Flu: Vitamin D and Elderberry

Vitamin D has been in the news a great deal lately. Last year the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) started a study investigating the role of vitamin D in severe seasonal influenza. With the recent outbreaks of swine flu, PHAC confirmed that it would be adapting this study to investigate the role of vitamin D in the protection against swine flu. PHAC will measure vitamin D levels in the blood of H1N1 patients and compare the blood levels with uninfected individuals. The rationale behind this study is based on earlier work in the 1940’s that indicated mice on diets low in vitamin D were more susceptible to experimental swine flu infection than those with adequate vitamin D levels (Young, et al., Vitamin D intake and susceptibility of mice to experimental swine influenza virus infection. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1949 Dec;72(3):695-7.) How vitamin D might protect against influenza infection is not fully understood. However, research suggests that vitamin D may induce the production of antimicrobial substances in the body that may possess neutralizing activity against a variety of infectious agents including influenza virus.

It is interesting information and something to consider as we approach this year’s cold and flu season. Low and deficient vitamin D levels are highly prevalent in people who avoid sun exposure due to health concerns or cultural traditions, use sunscreen, have dark skin, or live in northern latitudes. Recommended optimum blood levels of vitamin D are greater than 50 and as high as 80 ng/ml 25(OH)D.

Nick’s comments: In past emails I have suggested Vitamin D supplementation should be at least 1000-2000IU daily in the form of D3

Using this same line of thought, elderberry flavonoids were shown to bind to and prevent H1N1 infection in vitro in a study published this July 2009. The study established that flavonoids from the elderberry extract bind to H1N1 virions and, when bound, block the ability of the viruses to in fect host cells. The authors also stated that the H1N1 inhibition activities of the elderberry flavonoids compare favorably to the known anti-influenza activities of Oseltamivir (Tamiflu; 0.32 microM) and Amantadine (27 microM). (Phytochemistry. 2009 Jul;70(10):1255-61. Epub 2009 Aug 12.)

Also see my past email on Colloidal Silver which is an effective treatment for all sorts of infections
http://www.integrative-energetics.com/colloidalsilver.html

Another great remedy for colds and flu in Yin Qiao San or Ilex 15. I have used these in the past at the first sign of getting sick. I usually take double or triple the recommended dose initially. My symptoms usually subside and when they start to come back I repeat the dose. I only have to do this three or four times to be free of all symptoms. Yin Qiao can be purchased at Emerson Ecologics(see link at the top of the page) I have Ilex 15 here.

Elderberry products, Vitamin D, Yin Qiao San and Argentyn 23 (colloidal silver) can be found by using the link below. I suggest buying and having these products on hand so that if you get sick you can “nip it in the bud”

https://wellevate.me/nick-soloway

EFT

by Nick Soloway

EFT 

Emotional freedom techniques (EFT)

Over the last seven or so years I’ve been teaching many people EFT. EFT is a very simple technique to do that involves tapping acupuncture points with your fingertips while remembering a negative event or emotion that is occurring in the present or has happened in the past. What happens we have a negative thought or emotion is that we relive a fight or flight response that sets up the physiological response that I outlined above. Tapping the EFT points essentially resets are nervous system to function with the parasympathetic nervous system in charge. The previously disturbing emotion or thought becomes associated with the rest and restore response and soon it does not bother our equanimity. And as a result, the previously negatively charged motion or thought ceases to bother us anymore.

 

The basic EFT recipe is as follows:

First identify a problem that you’d like to work on and try to be as specific as possible. Rate the intensity on a 0 to 10 scale where zero is no intensity and 10 is extreme intensity. And just make a note of what your rating is.

 

When you’re ready to do EFT just hold the problem in your mind. I begin tapping the point on the top my head and work down the body. See the picture below for the points. Tap each point for as long as you say the phrase. You can tap either side of the body or both sides.

 

At each point use the phrase “Even though I have this_______ I deeply and completely accept myself”. In the blank space of this phrase put in the best description of the problem you want to resolve. Once you have completed tapping all the points reassess the intensity of your problem again on a 0 to 10 scale and see how it’s changed. Repeat tapping the points and saying the phrase until the intensity is zero or very close to zero. There is another area that I tap that is not included in this picture and that is on the palm side of the wrist. The easiest way to do this area is just to bang your wrists together.

 

This is a very short description of EFT but here are some resources that will provide you in-depth information about EFT.

 

This link is to Dr. Joseph Mercola’s website about EFT. I have used the information that he provides and have printed it out as a small booklet that I have given to many hundreds of people.http://eft.mercola.com/

 

Another great source of information is EFT Universe:http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1396093.

There are quite a few videos to watch of people clearing issues. There is also a tutorial page. One procedure on the tutorial page is called the Personal Peace Procedure. The Personal Peace Procedure consists of sitting down and writing down things that have gotten you upset in the past. It may take you a while to complete this process but it is well worth it. After you have made your list, pick out one of the biggest issues and use EFT to reduce the intensity.

 

EFT can be used with children and it is especially effective. One of the ways to use EFT with kids is at bedtime. Have them tell you anything that bothered them during the day and as they tell you just simply tap on the EFT points as they speak. In a very short time they will feel better about it.

 

Another great source of information is provided by Gary Craig who originated EFT. His website is this: http://www.emofree.com/EFT/?aft=450.

 

Try to use EFT throughout the day to clear your stresses. Use it at the beginning of your day when you know you may be stressed by something. Use it at the end of the day discharge the stress that has occurred. As you use EFT on a daily basis, things that used to bother you in the past will no longer do so. And as I tell everybody that I teach them EFT “the hardest thing about EFT is to remember to do it”.

 

Reflexercise is a body-based stress reduction technique compiled by Scott Musgrave, a Colorado physical therapist. It is really simple to do and takes less than 30 seconds. In order to feel how it works as a test do this first. Pinch the muscle on top of your shoulder and note its thickness and how much pressure it takes to be uncomfortable. Reflexercise can be done lying down sitting or standing. Here are the Reflexercise instructions:

 

Gently curl your toes, don’t do it too hard or you may get a cramp in your foot

Put your arms by your side palms facing forward and spread your fingers gently

Slightly rotate your head

Close your eyes

Gently, but firmly, bite the tip of your tongue

Focus your attention into your heart region and generate a positive feeling

Take in four deep breaths with your focus at your heart region

After the four breaths you can relax the pose.

 

Recheck your tight shoulder muscle and it will probably be significantly looser.

 

It is suggested that Reflexercise be done every hour. If you’re sitting in front of the computer is good way to take a break.

 

For more information on Reflexercise go here: http://www.wellnessandperformance.com?AFFID=85254&n=[networkID]&tsi=[subid]&p=[SubSubid]

TRAUMA RELEASING EXERCISES (TRE)

 

Dr. David Berceli, PhD, is a former priest and has spent a number of years studying how people experience trauma in worn- torn countries, earthquake zones and countries that have experienced genocide. He has developed a system TRE to help people release trauma from their bodies.

 

Humans and animals the three same reactions to a traumatic event: Fight, flee or freeze. The body will then release massive doses of chemicals like adrenalin to assist the body with whatever response it has chosen to go with.

 

However where animals and humans differ is after the traumatic event.

Many animals will shake violently- this may look disturbing but they are actually releasing the trauma and extra chemicals from their bodies. Once they are done they will gone with their lives, trauma forgotten. Humans on the other hand, have lost this ability. Who of you during a traumatic event will put on a brave face, suck it up and resist the shaking that tries to happen? Unfortunately by doing this the traumatic memory is stored in our brains and in our bodies at a cellular level and this causes all types of problems.

 

Dr Berceli’s solution to this is simple: SHAKE IT OUT. And he has developed a few simple exercises to help us do so. The main muscle that he focuses on is the Psoas muscles which is the gravitational center of the body. The first few exercises are all about stretching you hip and leg muscles then you have to lie on your back with your feet together, legs apart and that’s when most of the shaking will take place.

 

Dr Berceli has traveled the world with this technique and has helped solders in Afghanistan and Iraq and has been to places where mass trauma has occurred. Originally TRE was design for PTSD but he found that it could be used as a relief from every day stresses and anxiety. It has been particularly helpful to people with depression.

 

Step 1
Stand with your feet hips-width apart. Roll your feet onto the outer edge of one foot and inner edge of the other foot. Put all your weight equally on both feet. Then role your feet to the other side. Repeat x10 on each side.

Step 2
Stand with one foot forward, put your full weight on that foot, using the foot behind for balance. Rise up on your toes, let your back foot leave the ground. Stand on your toe for a few minutes (you can hold on to something for balance). Repeat x10 on each foot.

Step 3
Stand on one foot, bend the other knee behind you in the air. Put both hands down on the ground, on either side of the foot for balance. Bend and straighten the leg that you are standing on. Repeat x10 on both legs

Step 4
Stretch your feet wide apart. Put your fists on the small of your back. Bend knees, push your pelvis forward and lean your head back and breathe. Repeat x3 times
Straighten up then turn and look as far as you can over your shoulder and breathe(legs still apart, hands still on back). Change and look over the other shoulder. Repeat x3 for each side

Step 5
Legs wide apart bend forwards, stretch your arms out with your fingers touching the floor. Bend one knee and walk your hands to that foot and breathe. Bend other knee and do the same. Repeat x3 for each foot

Step 6 
Shake body out. Stand with your back against the wall, feet apart and bend your knees- you should be able to see your toes. Rest your hands against your sides. 5 minutes

Step 7- The crunch!
Lie on the floor, push the soles of your feet together, legs apart. Left pelvis about 1 inch off the ground and hold. 5 minutes or for as long as you can make it without pain!.
Drop pelvis, with soles of your feet touching lift knees 1-2 inches off the ground for 5 minutes, then 4 inches for 5 minutes and finally 10 inches for 5 minutes. Rest.

 

The trembling varies from person to person. Some people start of furiously trembling while others will barely feel a thing. The more you do it the more the trembling will spread, starting in your legs and hips, moving to your stomach, then chest and head. For you to see any difference you need to commit to doing the exercises every day for ten days.

 

I do TRE on a regular basis…..Most of the time I just do Step 7 because of time constraints and this one causes the most trembling for me. There is more info here: http://traumaprevention.com/

 

HEARTMATH/EMWAVE 2

The heart at rest was once thought to operate much like a metronome, faithfully beating out a regular, steady rhythm. Scientists and physicians now know, however, that this is far from the case. Rather than being monotonously regular, the rhythm of a healthy heart-even under resting conditions—is actually surprisingly irregular, with the time interval between consecutive heartbeats constantly changing. This naturally occurring beat-to-beat variation in heart rate is called heart rate variability (HRV).

 

Heart rate variability is a measure of the beat-to-beat changes in heart rate. This diagram shows three heartbeats recorded on an electrocardiogram (ECG). Note that variation in the time interval between consecutive heartbeats, giving a different heart rate (in beats per minute) for each interbeat interval.

 

The normal variability in heart rate is due to the synergistic action of the two branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS)—the part of the nervous system that regulates most of the body’s internal functions. The sympathetic nerves act to accelerate heart rate, while the parasympathetic (vagus) nerves slow it down. The sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the ANS are continually interacting to maintain cardiovascular activity in its optimal range and to permit appropriate reactions to changing external and internal conditions. The analysis of HRV therefore serves as a dynamic window into the function and balance of the autonomic nervous system.

 

Scientists and physicians consider HRV to be an important indicator of health and fitness. As a marker of physiological resilience and behavioral flexibility, it reflects our ability to adapt effectively to stress and environmental demands. A simple analogy helps to illustrate this point: just as the shifting stance of a tennis player about to receive a serve may facilitate swift adaptation, in healthy individuals the heart remains similarly responsive and resilient, primed and ready to react when needed.

 

HRV is also a marker of biological aging. Our heart rate variability is greatest when we are young, and as we age the range of variation in our resting heart rate becomes smaller. Although the age-related decline in HRV is a natural process, having abnormally low HRV for one’s age group is associated with increased risk of future health problems and premature mortality. Low HRV is also observed in individuals with a wide range of diseases and disorders. By reducing stress-induced wear and tear on the nervous system and facilitating the body’s natural regenerative processes, regular practice of HeartMath coherence-building techniques can help restore low HRV to healthy values.

 

In general, emotional stress—including emotions such as anger, frustration, and anxiety—gives rise to heart rhythm patterns that appear irregular and erratic: the HRV waveform looks like a series of uneven, jagged peaks (an example is shown in the figure below). Scientists call this an incoherent heart rhythm pattern. Physiologically, this pattern indicates that the signals produced by the two branches of the ANS are out of sync with each other. This can be likened to driving a car with one foot on the gas pedal (the sympathetic nervous system) and the other on the brake (the parasympathetic nervous system) at the same time—this creates a jerky ride, burns more gas, and isn’t great for your car, either! Likewise, the incoherent patterns of physiological activity associated with stressful emotions can cause our body to operate inefficiently, deplete our energy, and produce extra wear and tear on our whole system. This is especially true if stress and negative emotions are prolonged or experienced often.

 

In contrast, positive emotions send a very different signal throughout our body. When we experience uplifting emotions such as appreciation, joy, care, and love; our heart rhythm pattern becomes highly ordered, looking like a smooth, harmonious wave (an example is shown in the figure below). This is called a coherent heart rhythm pattern. When we are generating a coherent heart rhythm, the activity in the two branches of the ANS is synchronized and the body’s systems operate with increased efficiency and harmony. It’s no wonder that positive emotions feel so good – they actually help our body’s systems synchronize and work better.

 

Coherence: A State of Optimal Function

 

The Institute of HeartMath’s research has shown that generating sustained positive emotions facilitates a body-wide shift to a specific, scientifically measurable state. This state is termed psychophysiological coherence, because it is characterized by increased order and harmony in both our psychological (mental and emotional) and physiological (bodily) processes. Psychophysiological coherence is state of optimal function. Research shows that when we activate this state, our physiological systems function more efficiently, we experience greater emotional stability, and we also have increased mental clarity and improved cognitive function. Simply stated, our body and brain work better, we feel better, and we perform better.

 

The Quick Coherence Technique will help you reach the optimal state.

 

Step 1: Heart Focus. Focus your attention on the area around your heart, the area in the center of your chest. If you prefer, the first couple of times you try it, place your hand over the center of your chest to help keep your attention in the heart area.

 

Step 2: Heart Breathing. Breathe deeply, but normally, and imagine that your breath is coming in and going out through your heart area. Continue breathing with ease until you find a natural inner rhythm that feels good to you.

 

Step 3: Heart Feeling. As you maintain your heart focus and heart breathing, activate a positive feeling. Recall a positive feeling, a time when you felt good inside, and try to re-experience the feeling. One of the easiest ways to generate a positive, heart-based feeling is to remember a special place you’ve been to or the love you feel for a close friend or family member or treasured pet. This is the most important step.

 

You can do the Quick Coherence® Technique anytime, anywhere and no one will know you’re doing it. In less than a minute, it creates positive changes in your heart rhythms, sending powerful signals to the brain that can improve how you’re feeling. Apply this one-minute technique first thing in the morning, before or during phone calls or meetings, in the middle of a difficult conversation, when you feel overwhelmed or pressed for time, or anytime you simply want to practice increasing your coherence. You can also use Quick Coherence whenever you need more coordination, speed and fluidity in your reactions.

 

I use the emWave which allows me to watch my heart rhythms in real time and see how intentionally changing emotions affect them. With a patented, noninvasive heart-rhythm monitor, the emWave is a software/hardware program that collects pulse data through a fingertip or ear sensor and translates the information from your heart rhythms into user-friendly graphics displayed on your computer monitor. You will discover which emotions you can activate to effectively manage stress and boost vitality. Among other features, the emWave package includes the Coherence Coach™, an entertaining software application that teaches the Quick Coherence Technique. The emWave 2 is a portable device it performs similarly to the emWave. It is about the size of a deck of cards and can interface with your computer to monitor HRV and see it in a graphic form.

There are HeartMath sensors and apps for both iPhone and Android devices to moniter your Heart Rate Variability to help you get back to balance and a sense of calm.

 

If you’d like to get more information or to order the HeartMath product that best suits you and your situation click the HeartMath image or you can click this link…

Invest in your health. Go here for more info and to order:

https://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=xcGYRQp8As0&offerid=448144.10000224&subid=0&type=4

From Health Info Newsletter September 4, 2012: EFT Workshops, Osteoarthritis, Diabetes, Flax Seed

Diabetes

by Nick Soloway

Health Info Newsletter September 4, 2012: EFT Workshops, Osteoarthritis, Diabetes, Flax Seed

 

You can  order any and all of the products that are mentioned in this email from Emerson Ecologics.
To buy products use the link below:
http://tinyurl.com/wellevate-me-nick-soloway

 

EFT WORKSHOPS
Here’s a reminder about our Helena EFT workshops this fall:
Level 2 – Saturdays – September 8 and 15
Level 3 – Saturdays October 27, November 3, and November 10

For more information contact CJ Puotinen at:
PO Box 5714
Helena MT 59604
914-523-3063
www.taptheworldEFT.com
CJ@taptheworldEFT.com 
taptheworld@aol.com 

KeepThat Runner Running
from Jonathan Wright, MD

 

Q: My husband was devastated when his doctor gave him a diagnosis of severe osteoarthritis in both hips. He’s an avid runner, and can’t imagine having to give it up. Is there anything we can do?

 

Dr. Wright: My first suggestion to all osteoarthritis sufferers is to eliminate nightshade vegetables — such as tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, paprika, and eggplants — from the diet. I also suggest 500 milligrams of glucosamine sulfate three times a day — but stay away from chondroitin, since it may increase the risk of prostate cancer. A separate note of caution, in people with diabetes, glucosamine may elevate blood sugar.

 

Along with the glucosamine, I recommend 1,000 milligrams of niacinamide three times daily. Many people report complete relief of their pain and swelling within three or four weeks of taking niacinamide.

 

Also quite effective, yet largely unknown to many, is boron. I advise taking 3 milligrams twice daily. As an added bonus, boron also is a treatment for osteoporosis and aids in cancer prevention.

 

If adjusting the diet and these supplements don’t bring relief, S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) may be worth trying. It can be expensive, but some patients — though not all — have been helped by it. I usually recommend 400 milligrams once or twice daily. These supplements are all safe and natural, and I have been recommending them for years to relieve arthritis pain with great success.

Curcumin May Prevent Diabetes

 

Curcumin is a derivative of turmeric, a common spice in South Asia and a standard component of curry powders. It has numerous healthful properties. Consumption of curcumin is associated with a decreased incidence of Alzheimer’s disease, and it has anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet effects. A new study shows that it can also help prevent diabetes.

 

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 240 subjects with pre-diabetes, researchers gave either curcumin or placebo capsules for nine months. They assessed the progression of their condition to diabetes and also did other testing. This included changes in beta-cell function (the cells that produce insulin), insulin resistance, C-peptide levels, and anti-inflammatory cytokines. (Chuengsamarn S, et al., Curcumin extract for prevention of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2012 Jul 6. [Epub ahead of print])

 

After nine months, 16.4 percent of the placebo group were diagnosed with diabetes, while none of the curcumin treatment group developed the disease. The curcumin group also had lower insulin resistance, better beta-cell function, and lower C-peptide levels. Curcumin is one of many natural treatments for diabetes and its prevention. These include high-fiber diets and exercise, and supplements of chromium, alpha-lipoic acid, cinnamon, milk thistle (with standardized amounts of silymarin), and coenzyme Q10.


Why you need to eat flaxseed, not just the oil  from…

SecondOpinionNewsletter.com

Flaxseed oil is one of the few oils I recommend you take on a regular basis. But, as you may know, I’m a huge fan of the whole food. And new research gives us ample reason to eat the actual flaxseed. It can significantly reduce your cholesterol.

 

In a recent study, researchers conducted a randomized controlled study on 30 men with high cholesterol. They found that flaxseed lignans significantly reduced their LDL and improved their LDL/HDL ratio.

While that’s impressive enough, the lignans did even more. They also improved their liver enzymes count. This suggests that these plant compounds can and will protect your liver.

In my book, flaxseed is a superfood. Lignans are phytoestrogens, which have significant healing and preventive properties when ingested. They are found in the hull of the flaxseed, not in the oil. So if you’re just taking the oil, you’re missing out.

Men, don’t worry, the estrogen won’t grow breasts on you. In fact, phytoestrogens activate the beta estrogen receptor in your prostate and other organs (like your brain). This can be incredibly beneficial for preventing prostate disease and preserving your brain.

And women? You don’t have to worry either. Phytoestrogens are not likely to stimulate breast cancer. In fact, they seem to actually prevent it. Many of my colleagues use phytoestrogens, especially from soy, to treat breast and other cancers as well.

In addition to eating flaxseed, you can get flax lignans in supplement form at http://www.lignans.net.Their product contains 33 mg per capsule and the dose in this study was 100 mg. So, you’ll need three capsules per day.

Common Cold – Zinc

by Nick Soloway

Health Info Newsletter January 4, 2012: Injury/surgery, Zinc lozenges for colds, EFT workshops

You can order any and all of the products I have mentioned from Emerson Ecologics. To buy products use the link below:
http://tinyurl.com/wellevate-me-nick-soloway

INJURIES AND SURGERY

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO TREAT AN INJURY OR SURGERY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. MOST PEOPLE WILL JUST WAIT UNTIL THINGS FEEL BETTER WHICH MAY TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS OR MONTHS. AND THEN IF AFTER THAT TIME IT’S NOT GETTING ANY BETTER OR ITS NOT RESOLVED THEY MAY SEEK TREATMENT. I HAVE FOUND OVER THE YEARS THAT IF PEOPLE ARE TREATED FOR THEIR INJURIES OR SURGERIES CLOSE TO THE TIME THAT THEY OCCUR, THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT SYMPTOM REDUCTION AND REDUCTION OF THE TIME FOR COMPLETE RECOVERY. JUST RECENTLY I SAW SOMEONE WHO HAD FALLEN ON THE ICE ON THEIR TAILBONE, MOVING AND SITTING WAS PAINFUL. THE DAY AFTER THE INJURY I TREATED THIS PERSON AND WITHIN ABOUT 30 MINUTES THERE WAS AT LEAST 80 TO 90% REDUCTION OF ALL SYMPTOMS. I’VE ALSO MADE HOUSE CALLS TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD EITHER A KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY OR HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY. A VERY SHORT TREATMENT OF HALF AN HOUR OR 45 MINUTES MADE SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PAIN AND MEDICATION USAGE. I HAVE ALSO RECEIVED CALLS FROM PEOPLE CALLING ME FROM THE SKI SLOPE SAYING THEY HAVE JUST HAD AN INJURY. SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE HOBBLED IN USING CRUTCHES AND LEFT WITHOUT NEEDING THE CRUTCHES.

MANY TIMES PROLONGED PAIN WILL CAUSE A COMPENSATION PATTERN IN THE BODY AS WE TRY TO DEAL WITH THE PAIN. IF THIS PAINFUL SITUATION IS NOT DEALT WITH EARLY ENOUGH THE COMPENSATION PATTERN CREATES NEW DIFFICULTIES. WHAT I HAVE SEEN IS THAT USUALLY PEOPLE CAN COMPENSATE FOR THE PAIN FOR 6 TO 18 MONTHS AND THEN “OUT OF THE BLUE” THEY DEVELOP A NEW PAIN. FOR THE MOST PART, TREATING THE ORIGINAL INJURY WILL ACTUALLY CAUSE THE NEW PAIN TO DISAPPEAR. SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO SEEK TREATMENT WHENEVER YOU HAVE AN INJURY OR SURGERY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THINGS WILL HEAL FASTER AND YOU’LL FEEL BETTER.

BEAT BACK THE COMMON COLD WITH AN ORDINARY MINERAL…BUT BE SURE YOU’RE GETTING THE RIGHT KIND BY JONATHAN V. WRIGHT, MD. HTTP://WRIGHTNEWSLETTER.COM

Preventing the common cold is always best, but if you do start to get one, there’s a research-proven treatment available that can help you get over it fast. The treatment uses zinc acetate lozenges, which dissolve rapidly in the mouth and throat where they kill the common cold virus by direct contact. Then—in a classic example of a “two-fer”—the zinc is swallowed, becoming a zinc supplement!

 

I’ll tell you exactly how you can get the original proven lozenges in a few moments, but first let me explain a bit more about how they work.
Zinc slashes your “under-the-weather” time almost in half!

You’ve read about zinc acetate lozenges before (see the May 2009 issue of Nutrition & Healing), but since then there’s been even more research published. Dr. Ananda Prasad, Ph.D. of Wayne State University in Michigan, has led much of that new research.

Dr. Prasad is the most prominent zinc researcher in the United States and likely the world. Seven years ago, Dr. Prasad published study results in the Annals of Internal Medicine that showed that zinc acetate lozenges both shortened the duration of the common cold and relieved its symptoms.1 Within 24 hours of the onset of cold symptoms 50 volunteers took either 12.8 milligrams zinc acetate lozenges or a placebo, every two to three hours while awake.

The zinc group experienced shorter overall duration of cold symptoms (4.5 vs. 8.1 days), cough (3.1 vs. 6.3 days), nasal discharge (4.1 vs. 5.8 days), and decreased total severity scores for all symptoms compared with placebo.

Later, in 2008, Dr. Prasad completed a second study that supported his findings that zinc has cold-busting abilities.2 Again, within 24 hours of the onset of cold symptoms, 50 volunteers took either zinc acetate lozenges (containing 13.3 milligrams each of elemental zinc this time) or placebo every two to three hours while awake.

Again, in the zinc acetate lozenge group, the volunteers experienced shorter overall duration of cold symptoms (4.0 days vs. 7.1 days), coughs (2.1 days vs. 5.0 days), and nasal discharge (3.0 days vs. 4.5 days) compared to the placebo group. In essence, the zinc cut the amount of time the subjects spent sick by nearly half—that’s quite a significant reduction (just ask anyone suffering a cold).

 

In addition to symptoms and cold duration, Dr. Prasad’s team measured four parameters of immune function, all of which showed significantly more improvement…or a trend towards more improvement…in the zinc group than the placebo group.

 

While the research volunteers did report some common side effects, including nausea (a known side effect of the sulfate form of zinc), constipation, diarrhea, taste problems (excessively sweet, sour, bitter, or just “bad”), dry mouth, and mouth irritation, these adverse effects were not significantly different between the zinc and the placebo groups.

 

But the evidence of zinc’s ability to fight the common cold doesn’t end there. Two research trials involving 394 children investigated the prevention of colds with zinc supplementation. They concluded: “When supplemented for at least five months, [zinc supplementation] reduces cold incidence, school absenteeism and prescription of antibiotics in children.”

 

In addition, in 2011 the independent Cochrane Database Systemic Reviews published a meta-analysis of 13 clinical trials concerning zinc and treatment of the common cold.3 In it the authors acknowledged that, “Trials conducted since 1984 investigating the role of zinc for the common cold symptoms have had mixed results. Inadequate treatment masking and reduced bioavailability of zinc from some formulations have been cited as influencing results.”

Despite this, the authors concluded: “Zinc administered within 24 hours of onset of symptoms reduces the duration and severity of the common cold in healthy people.”

 

Getting the right form of zinc is the key to success

So we now know that zinc can slash the time you are suffering with a cold by almost half, but, according to further research, it turns out that the type of zinc you use is important.4,5 When a deeper analysis was done on the Cochrane research, it was found that the forms that were 0% ionizable… zinc gluconate citrate, zinc citrate, and zinc orotate… didn’t help at all, and the intermediate ionizable forms… zinc gluconate and zinc glycinate gluconate… only shortened colds by a median four days. It was the most ionizable form, zinc acetate, that had the greatest effect, shortening colds by an average of five to seven days.

Warning: Don’t damage your sense of smell!

The major adverse effect of zinc treatment occurring in the last few years has resulted from putting zinc sprays and liquids directly into the nose. Some zinc spray users have lost their sense of smell, some temporarily and others even permanently.

Leading zinc researcher Dr. Ananda Prasad warns that when using zinc preparations in the nose you need to be “paying very careful attention to the risk of inducing anosmia [total loss of the sense of smell] if zinc contacts the olfactory bulb.”6 Since you likely couldn’t identify an olfactory bulb if you saw one right in front of you (who could?), the best rule is simply don’t put zinc in your nose!

The form of zinc that does the job of killing the common cold virus the best is the “ionized” form. In other words, zinc all by itself and not attached to any other molecules. It turns out that when zinc acetate is introduced to the pH (the acid-alkaline balance) of the mouth, the zinc molecule detaches or “dissociates” from the acetate molecule by 100 percent, making all of it available to kill viruses and other germs.

In contrast the other forms of zinc found in the majority of lozenges on the market…including zinc gluconate, zinc citrate, and zinc orotate… release less of the ionized form and as a result kill fewer germs.

You can get the “right” kind of lozenges at Emerson Ecologics (see the top of this email for ordering info.) The product to order is the following:

ZINC LOZENGES (EBY’S ORIGINAL) 30 LOZ (ZIN18)

UPCOMING EFT WORKSHOPS

LEVEL 1: INTRODUCTION TO EFT ($50)
SATURDAY JANUARY 21, 2011
9:00 A.M. TO 5:00 P.M.
6 CLASSROOM HOURS

LEVEL 2: INTERMEDIATE TRAINING ($50)
SATURDAY JANUARY 28, 2011
AND SATURDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2011
9:00 A.M. TO 5:00 P.M. EACH DAY
12 CLASSROOM HOURS

LEVEL 3: ADVANCED LEVEL TRAINING ($50)
SATURDAYS MARCH 17, 24, AND 31, 2011
9:00 A.M. TO 5:00 P.M. EACH DAY
18 CLASSROOM HOURS

FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO

 

https://sites.google.com/site/taptheworld/

HTTP://WWW.TAPTHEWORLDEFT.COM/

TO REGISTER CONTACT:

CJ PUOTINEN
PO BOX 5714
HELENA MT 59604
914-523-3063
TAPTHEWORLD@AOL.COM

Colostrum

by Nick Soloway

Colostrum Outperforms Flu Vaccine

Bovine colostrum supplementation prevents influenza more effectively than flu vaccination, according to a 2007 Italian study. Colostrum, a substance produced in mammary glands within 48 to 72 hours after a female mammal gives birth, abounds with nutrients, growth factors, and immune-supporting compounds, including antibodies. Bovine colostrum has a similar composition to human colostrum.

Researchers, led by M. R. Cesarone, at San Valentino Spoltere Vascular Screening Project in Pescara, Italy, compared the effectiveness of an oral colostrum tablet (900 mg, once in the morning) with anti-influenza vaccine in healthy subjects, ages 30 to 80, They divided the subjects into four groups: those who received vaccination alone, those who received vaccination and colostrum supplements, those who received only colostrum, and those who received no flu-preventive treatment. The researchers looked at the number of influenza episodes during the two-month treatment period plus the month after (three months total) and the total days of illness. Both colostrum-receiving groups experienced significantly fewer cases of flu than either the untreated or the vaccination-only group: “The number of days with flu was 3 times higher in the non-colostrum subjects. The colostrum group had 13 episodes versus 14 in the colostrum + vaccination group, 41 in the group (with) flu vaccine prophylaxis, and 57 in nontreated subjects.”

A second part of this study involved 65 very high-risk cardiovascular patients, all of whom received influenza vaccination. Again, the colostrum group had fewer cases of influenza and fewer complications that required hospital admission. Cesarone et al. conclude: “Colostrum, both in healthy subjects and high-risk cardiovascular patients, is at least 3 times more effective than vaccination to prevent flu and is very cost-effective.”

Nick: I have used colostrum with great effectiveness. In the past few years I have diagnosed several cases of appendicitis and used acupuncture, colostrum and another anti bacterial herb formula to help those people avoid surgery. In China, appendicitis is typically treated in this way with herbs and acupuncture. Approximately 20% of cases progress to needing surgery. I use Pure Encapsulation Colostrum with 40% IgG. It is quite useful for any intestinal infection. You can get it at Emerson Ecologics. See the top of this email for access information to their site.