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Lupus is a complex autoimmune disease that generates a wide variety of symptoms. The symptoms produced by lupus may range from mild to severe and generally occur in flares, unpredictably aggravating or ameliorating over time. Some of the common symptoms of lupus are: pronounced fatigue, pain and swelling of the joints, skin rashes and fever. At skin level, lupus often causes the occurrence of the “butterfly rash”, which appears across the nose and cheeks. Although the butterfly rash is the most common rash characteristic to lupus, the disease can cause many other different types of rashes located in various regions of the body: face and ears, scalp, neck, arms, shoulders, hands, chest and back.

The autoimmune disease can also produce symptoms such as chest pain, increased sensitivity to sunlight, alopecia (hair loss), anemia or leucopenia (decrease in the number of red blood cells, respectively white blood cells), and paleness or cyanosis of the fingers and toes (due to poor oxygenation of the body extremities). Patients with lupus often suffer from headaches, vertigo (dizziness), decreased vision, poor concentration, psychological conditions (depression) and sometimes even seizures and faints. The progression of the disease is unpredictable and symptoms may come and go unexpectedly. Over time, patients with lupus may experience different sets of symptoms, occurring in flares and varying in intensity and duration.

When lupus affects the lymphatic system of the body, the most common symptoms of lupus are swelling and pain of the lymph nodes throughout the body. Most cases of lupus either affect the lymphatic system, the musculoskeletal system or the skin. When lupus affects the musculoskeletal system, the most common symptoms are muscular pain, fatigue, swelling and stiffness of the joints. When confined to the skin, lupus commonly generates rashes, inflammation and irritation of the skin.

Lupus often causes kidney affections such as nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys), interfering in the process of excretion and determining the accumulation of toxins inside the body. Lupus patients who also suffer from kidney impairments usually require strong medication treatments in order to prevent the occurrence of serious complications.

In many cases, lupus affects the circulatory system of the body, causing inflammation of the blood vessels (vasculitis), anemia or leucopenia (decrease in red and white blood cells). Lupus may also lead to the occurrence of thrombocytopenia, a decrease in the number of platelets in the blood, condition that interferes in the process of blood coagulation, increasing the risk of bleeding.

When lupus affects the central nervous system, the most common symptoms are dizziness, headaches, temporary memory loss (amnesia), decreased vision, or neuropsychological problems (depression, unpredictable behavioral changes). Some of these previously mentioned symptoms aren’t solely caused by lupus; often they occur as a result of emotional stress and prolonged lupus medication. The majority of these symptoms can be reversed by interrupting the treatment or reducing the dose of medication.

At pulmonary level, patients with lupus may suffer from pleuritis (inflammation of the interior lining of the chest), condition that causes pronounced discomfort and pain, especially when taking deep breaths. Patients with lupus are also very susceptible of developing pneumonia. At coronary level, patients with lupus may suffer from coronary vasculitis (inflammation of the arteries that deliver blood to the heart), myocarditis and endocarditis (inflammation of the heart itself) and pericarditis (inflammation of the heart protective membrane). If discovered in time, the implications of lupus at coronary level can be efficiently reversed with medical treatment.

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Constipation means different effects to different people. In most of the people, it just means occasional stools. And For others, though, constipation senses hard stools, complexity passing stools as well as straining, or a sense of unfinished emptying subsequent to the bowel movement. The reason of every of these “kind” of constipation perhaps is different, plus the approach to every condition should be customized to the specific form of constipation. The Constipation can also swap with diarrhea. This prototype is further commonly measured as the part of irritable bowel syndrome. On the extreme ending of the constipation range is the fecal impaction; this condition in which the stool hardens up in the rectum along with prevents the passageway of any stool. The amount of bowel activities generally decreases with the age. Ninety-five percent of adults include bowel movements among three and 21 times for every week, in addition to this would be measured normal. The majority common pattern is single bowel movement a day, except this pattern is seeing in less than the 50% of people. Furthermore, most people are unbalanced and do not comprise bowel movements each day or the similar number of the bowel movements every day.

Well medically speaking, the constipation usually is definite as smaller amount than three bowel movements for every week. Harsh constipation is defined as a smaller amount than single bowel movement per week. Whereas there is no health check cause to have a bowel movement each day. Going with no bowel movement for three or two does not cause bodily discomfort, merely mental distress intended for some people. Opposing to popular faith, there is no facts that “toxins” accumulate while bowel movements are rare or that constipation lead to cancer. It is much important to differentiate acute constipation from the chronic (long duration) constipation. The Acute constipation needs urgent assessment because a grave medical illness might be the underlying reason. Constipation also requires an immediate assessment but it is escorted by worrisome symptom such as the rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, nausea and cramps, vomiting, and involuntary mass loss. In compare, the evaluation of the chronic constipation might not require instant attention, mainly if simple events bring out relief. Constipation that resists every the above measures need physical intervention. The Manual disimpaction or the physical elimination of the impacted stool is done underneath the sedation or the general anesthetic—which avoids ache and loosens the internal sphincter. In alternative and customary medicine, the colonic irrigation, exercise, enemas, diet and herb are worn on to treat constipation.

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One out of every 3 patients in a doctors clinic will be suffering from some kind of cough or throat ailment.

Cough has various reasons ,to surface some of them being viral infection as well as bacterial infection. Smoking can be a grave reason for chronic smoking. Disturbances due to particles In the air pipes of the respiratory organ can also be a cause for chronic coughing. Chronic coughing can persist from weeks to years too, chronic coughing has often seen patients moving from one physician o the other finding relief for their never ending ailment. Chronic coughing can lead to upsetting ones life style, disturbed night sleep, regular chest pain urine incontinence making it difficult to travel for longer durations.

Chronic Cough is an ailment which takes it own time course to heal ,coughs can cause anxiety in the patients as well as their physician. Chronic Coughing is an ailment whose reason cannot be diagnosed easily ,once the right diagnosis for coughing is found the treatment would follow relieving the patient from this never ending ailment. Successful remedy for cough ailment is right diagnosis.

A cough is labeled as a chronic cough once its existence exceeds more than 3 weeks.

Chronic cough can have various reasons ,the reasons vary from smoking to chronic chest infection to bronchitis.

Successful elimination of chronic cough requires perfect diagnosis and this can be done only with the help of the history of the patient and his or hers life style.

You need to now whether the patient is suffering from cough or its just clearing of throat?

The physician needs to know whether the cough is a dry cough or a mucus following cough? If productive cough what kind of mucus is accompanying the cough?

What are the symptoms of the cough ,is the cough accompanied with fever sweating or weigh loss? A detailed history of the patients work and home environment ? History of the patients past illnesses or medicines eaten in the past as well as history of any kind of genetic illness? History of allergies ?

The above mentioned questions can be very useful in diagnosing the right cause of coughing and help in getting rid of the ailment. Patients are known to suffer from chronic cough due to multiple reasons, though the most common reasons being smoking asthma viral infection as well as post -nasal drip.

Chronic cough is very common in people who have suffered from asthma in their earlier lives. In elderly people who have a history of suffering from heart strokes have also known to suffer from chronic cough at a later stage.

Coughing is a common problem the severity of the cough is the real issue ,even after long treatments and therapies if chronic cough still persists it is best advisable to visit a specialist for further treatment. Successful elimination of cough ailment is recognizing the root of the problem and giving treatment on those terms.

Chronic Coughs shouldn’t be takne lightly.

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Love impairs the level of thinking. Making decisions become so hard since the mind is mostly preoccupied by the other person. This is what we usually call being madly in love. Love sickness causes the victim to think with the heart rather than with the head. Rational thinking is no longer important. Women love married men and men leave their families. Do not feel an idiot for doing all the wrong things. It is called love sickness. Love has a way of bringing obsession with it and it simply doesn’t ask why. It is actually possible to reach a state of hopelessness. You are desperately awaiting e-mails and text messages. If the expectation are not met, the heart is broken.

Nothing is more painful than a broken heart. This is love sickness at its best. Insomnia, mania and inflated self esteem are all signs of love sickness. People who are in love change there moods with no apparent reason. Ten minutes lateness or a missed call is enough reason to cause restlessness and depression. If you ask me, love sickness is the most dangerous condition and doctors should start taking its diagnosis seriously. A love smitten person can easily take away his/her life. We have heard of enough stories where lovers murdered each other and committed suicide too. This is caused by destabilized state of mind caused by falling in love.

Love sickness is a reality. Why else would a person lack sleep and drown in tears over another person? Many wonder and swear that they can never cry over a human being but love beats even the strongest of hearts and reduce them to nothing. The emotions, mind and a person’s behavior change and become weird than usual. The intense feelings inflate the moods. One feels increasingly moody. Sometimes so excited and some times so blue. If the insomnia is not arrested, this can be harmful to the body. Exhaustion sets in. Love can easily kill through this slow way. A stressed lover develops high blood pressure, cancer and other complications. Love sickness drives her/him slowly to her grave.

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“The holy grail has always been to try to reverse the disease,” and this shows how to do it, stated Dr. Steven Nissen, the cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic and the head of this nationwide experiment. He reported its results during a meeting of heart doctors.

“This is a paper to take seriously. It’s another chapter in the story, a proof of principle,” emphasized Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, head of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

The study examined 349 participants. Two-thirds of them experienced regression of heart artery buildups when they received the maximum dosage of Crestor. It is the most powerful of the cholesterol-lowering statin drugs and one criticized by the consumer group Public Citizen, which claims that Crestor causes more side effects than other drugs of this type.

The group declared on Monday that the study “does not alter our assessment that Crestor has unique risks without evidence of unique benefits” and it should not be prescribed, particularly at the dosage used in this study unless lower dosage and other medicine didn’t help.

The study was sponsored by AstraZeneca PLC, the manufacturer of Crestor. Some reports have connected it with higher rates of severe muscle problems as well as kidney damage, particularly among Asians. Last year, Food and Drug Administration demanded an adequate warning on Crestor’s label.

No important safety issues were detected in the new study, but doctors said it was too minor to reveal rare side effects and was not conducted for that purpose.

The purpose was to check whether patients who already suffered from heart disease, not only increased cholesterol, could turn back time.

Clots in arteries are the major reason of heart attacks. Big clotes are treated either with angioplasty — to flatten them or by surgery — to bypass them, but doctors have long looked for a less radical solution that also treats minor buildups that can gradually worsen until squash vessels shut.

Statins such as Pravachol, Zocor and Lipitor have become top-selling drugs worldwide by gravely lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) responsible for clot formation.

In the research, Crestor not only decreased average LDL levels from 130 milligrams per deciliter of blood to around 60, but also increased “good cholesterol” (HDL) level from 43 to 49.

Doctors claim that this dual effect could cause blockages to shrink, as confirmed by ultrasound measurements before treatment and two years after.

The amount of each patient’s major blockage decreased 1 percent. The volume of buildup in the most clogged artery declined 9 percent, and in the total length of the vessel, 7 percent, on average.

“The results are very, very exciting and break new ground,” noted Dr. David Williams of Rhode Island Cardiology Center, who was not involved in the research.

According to Dr. Roger Blumenthal of Johns Hopkins University, it would have been better if the study had tested AstraZeneca’s drug against a lower dosage of another statin drug. Blumenthal’s opinion will appear in an editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study will be published in the journal in April.

The maximum dosage for Crestor is 40 milligrams per day. It means 80 milligrams for the weaker statins. Insurers have already restricted use of particular brands, something likely to increase in the next months as Zocor and Pravachol lose patent protection and cheaper generic drugs become available.

The research also gets back to debate about the desirable level of LDL. According to federal guidelines it is 70 in people who are at high risk of heart disease, but Nissen stated that the benefits noticed when it drops to 60 suggest that “as low as we can go might make more sense.”

“The body needs about 40 LDL, so we’re getting pretty close to what the body needs for general repair,” noted Dr. Christopher O’Connor, a cardiologist at Duke University who was not involved in the study.

Further details from the conference:

A cure for migraine headaches – patching a hole in the heart like in case of Ariel Sharon, the Israeli Prime Minister – failed to succeed in its first major test. Only three patients of the group of 74 whose holes were plugged did not suffer from more migraines six months later, the same cure factor as the 71 patients who received a sham procedure to make them think their hearts were being cured, said the leader of the study, Dr. Peter Wilmshurst of Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in England.

However, more patients with patched hearts had a considerable reduction in number of their headaches – a result that brings hope to the NMT Medical Inc. from Boston, the device’s maker. The company has commissioned a larger study of it in the USA.

Doctors reported promising results with the first completely absorbable stent, a small mesh scaffold used to prop open arteries. No blood clots, heart attacks or deaths were reported in the first 63 patients who got the experimental device made by Biotronik, a Berlin-based company, noted Dr. Raimund Erbel of University Clinic in Essen, Germany.

If further research prove that device is successful and safe, it could become the first one device of this type usable in children, who can’t use present metal as well as plastic stents coated with drugs because these devices are not able to grow as the children do.

Online Pharmacy – PharmacyCenter.org is the online drugstore for FDA approved prescription medications by means of FREE online Internet consultation. Our offer includes most popular medicines available through online ordering.

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Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States. In fact, each year 1.5 million heart attacks occur in our country, claiming the lives of around 500,000 people.

With millions of Americans affected by heart disease, it is medical community’s responsibility to accurately identify signs of heart disease in the patients they examine.

Like most diseases, early detection of heart disease significantly increases you chance for survival. In general, most doctors and health care specialists know the signs and symptoms of heart disease and can diagnose your condition. However, when these practitioners ignore your symptoms, or misidentify them for another ailment, the outcome can be devastating.

What it leads to

A doctor’s failure to diagnose cardiovascular disease can allow a patient’s illness to go unchecked for months or years. It could also allow a disease that might have been effectively treated may spread to other systems and cause grave consequences for the patient. Both of these situations can lead to increased illness and death.

True, it isn’t always easy to diagnose heart disease. Still, too many people die each year after leaving the emergency room, having been told their chest pain was something less serious.

Misdiagnosis

If a doctor makes an incorrect diagnosis of your condition, you are often subjected to unnecessary tests and treatments and the ultimate delay of treatment your true condition.

Signs of an impending heart attack

Symptoms of an impending heart attack can include discomfort in the chest that lasts for a few minutes, or chest pain that comes and goes. You may feel:

· Uncomfortable pressure, like squeezing in your chest

· Painful sensations

· Discomfort in the upper part of the body like the back, neck, or jaw

· Pain in one or both arms

· Discomfort in your stomach, similar to indigestion

· Shortness of breath (with or without chest discomfort)

· Nausea

· Lightheadedness

· Cold sweats

Risk factors

There are several well-known risk factors for coronary heart disease. These include:

· Older age

· Gender (male more common than female, although female risk rises with age)

· Heredity

· Race

· Smoking

· Elevated blood cholesterol

· High blood pressure

· Lack of exercise

· Obesity

· Diabetes mellitus

· Physical or emotional stress

· Excessive alcohol

Proper diagnosis

A doctor or health care professional’s diagnosis may require a complete medical and social history, an EKG and an ECG to discover abnormalities in the heart and blood work to determine the presence of specific blood enzymes that would indicate if a heart attack were in progress.

If you are prematurely discharged from care, including from the hospital’s emergency department, this could result in severe heart damage or death. There are also other treatments that are used in heart damage prevention, such as clot-dissolving drugs called Tissue Plasminogen Activators or “TPA.”

If you or a loved one has been injured, or if you’ve lost a loved one due to medical negligence, our medical malpractice attorneys will diligently seek answers through free medical expert case evaluations. We aggressively pursue proper compensation through litigation.

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Smoking can be a grave reason for chronic smoking. Disturbances due to particles In the air pipes of the respiratory organ can also be a cause for chronic coughing. Chronic coughing can persist from weeks to years too, chronic coughing has often seen patients moving from one physician o the other finding relief for their never ending ailment. Chronic coughing can lead to upsetting ones life style, disturbed night sleep, regular chest pain urine incontinence making it

difficult to travel for longer durations.

Chronic Cough due to smoking is an ailment which takes it own time course to heal ,cough can cause anxiety in the patients as well as their physician.

Smokers cough is typically a cough mostly seen in people who are chain smokers.

Smoking leads to deposition of tobacco in the respiratory passage which leads to passive coughing.Smokers cough does not end at chronic cough if not stopped In time ,it can lead to serious phlegm accumulation in the trachea.

Smokers cough is one of the worst cough that can also be caused by sudden stopping of smoking. Narcotive craving can lead to worse kind of throat irritation, this throat irritation can also lead to smokers cough .

A survey of 4000 smoke quitters was conducted which showed that a large number of people who quit smoking suffered from throat irritation which at some point lead to smokers cough.

A tablet by the name of Vocalzone throat pills is highly recommended for relief to smokers cough.

Vocalzone is highly recommended for people who want to quit smoking ,for singers ,public speakers .This tablet soothes the irritation of throat reducing the chances of aggravating your smokers cough.

Smokers cough can lead to asthma in case of severity.Most of the time smokers do not realize ,that smoking could lead to cough which can in turn harm your lungs to a great degree.

One out of every 4 smokers suffers from smokers persistent cough ,unaware of the consequences it is going to lead to .Persistent smokers cough can lead to severe asthma .

Thousands of middle aged smokers are experiencing the dangers of smokers cough but no kind of symptoms are making them see sense.

The symptoms of persistent smokers cough are as follows-

Breathlessness on mild exercise or physical activity, lethargy and inactiveness

Frequent spells of cough and cold ,in winter .Sudden weather change could also affect and land you with cold and cough.

Persistent production of mucus while coughing.

Early diagnosis and self awareness could still save you from the grave, many treatments and medicines are available for people who want to quit smoking, with the help of these medicines there are little or no chances to catch smokers cough. There is still hope for those who want to live a long healthy life, with proper treatment they can secure a healthy lung life.

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The Alzheimer scourge is not only painful to the sufferer who may well forget his beloved ones indefinitely but to them as well. It’s painful when your own child, mum or dad asks to introduce yourself to them or worse still fear to relate with you. It’s even harder to comprehend a situation like this when your beloved one becomes a baby once again to be requiring the same attention given to a baby like feeding them, bathing or even dressing them up. How about when she remind you of things that happened long before she even gave birth to you that only your grandparents can catch a grip of what she is could be referring to?

How about when she can’t remember a thing that just happened a minute ago? There nothing as traumatizing as watching helplessly as you loose your beloved one without a thing you can do about. Them warm and nurturing love you received from them or you always gave to them might be a thing of the past, as she or he turns to a slow down who can’t connect anything in her/ his small world full of mixture of feelings and thoughts that coincide with no ones.

Such memory loses are normal in old age especially with the women who have reached their menopause. This could be due to the hormonal levels becoming altered causing lots of changes in the body that could actually be too much to handle for such a woman. Memory loses are short-term in some illnesses but with Alzheimer this is a long term illness that may last till the very last days of the patient, because there is no cure yet. This illness is also associated with those who suffer severe stress as a result of grave happening in their lives that they may end up loosing their memory forever. Patients of stroke, diabetes, depression and anxiety, postpartum period of after birth could lead to temporary loss of memory as opposed Alzheimer that is permanent.

The most important step to take when faced with such a circumstance is to be patient. You could visit the doctor for examination and directives as to what should be done to control its heights. Moreover mutual support and understanding are the most essential virtual to portray to such a victim and being patient and forgiving to them when they become cold and self-protective. Alzheimer is real there is no need to fear, instead get your beloved ones help and support them with all you are worth.

This is an original article written by Esteri Maina on ALZHEIMERS Esteri Maina is an author with a great gift and full of inspiration.

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Each quarter, I explain to students that this phrase has a dual meaning. We live in a predominantly couch-friendly, TV marketing environment that is toxic, with ads featuring highly refined foods. At the same time, we are eating food that is, in fact, toxic, adding to the metabolic burden on our bodies. Though modern medicine relies on various pharmacological therapies, reversing diabetes and obesity must focus foremost on education, prevention and lifestyle change. Diet and exercise ought to lay the groundwork with herbs, specific phytochemicals and nutritional supplements playing supporting roles. Modern Nutrition

There is no question that our diet has changed drastically over the past 75 years. Factory food production has been geared towards corporate profits, with food preservation and refinement taking the lead, while nutrients have been stripped from the finished product. In more recent decades, greater sums of flavorings, colorings, stabilizers and preservatives have become part of factory food recipes, not to mention pesticides, agricultural – chemical residues, and of late, modified genes (GMO). The government and academic institutions have been complicit as well.

Take for example the old Department of Agriculture food pyramid with grains as the base; a recipe for diabetes. The new pyramid, laid out differently, is little improved. I advise my students to put vegetables, legumes, other plant foods, wild and grass-fed animal proteins, and some fruit near or at the base, and move grains (way) up the pyramid, if they choose to use this illustration at all. An entertaining online pursuit is perusing mypyramid.gov and then mypyramid.org, the former being, of course, the official site. The latter is a parody brought to my attention by a former student.

A decade ago, I attended an organic farming class at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. It took place in the Center for Advanced Food Technology and Nabisco Advanced Food Technology Institute. Clearly, industry money is influencing research, especially in an environment of financially strapped state colleges. In fact, a recent study on nutrition research out of Boston showed that four out of five studies funded by food industries were biased to show results favorable to their sponsors. In food processing, one of the first macro-nutrient components to be removed was dietary fiber, the matrix that holds plants together and incorporates key phytochemicals in its structure. Fiber

There is a direct relationship between the inclusion of dietary fiber in meals and the bodys glycemic response to specific foods. Soluble, viscous fibers especially slow glucose absorption by slowing transit of food through the upper gastrointestinal tract. Found in legumes, citrus whites, apple skins, berries, various fruits, grains and other food, pectin, gum and mucilage can also lower blood cholesterol by binding with bile acids and aiding their excretion.

Much research is being conducted on how the body utilizes both soluble and insoluble fiber. Many think fiber goes unused. However, soluble fiber is partially broken down in the gut, yielding energy, vitamin manufacture and immune enhancement by nourishing flora and by extension, colonocytes. Insoluble fiber aids passage through the lower digestive tract and plays other roles. By eating more fibrous foods in general, we are likely to consume more health-promoting constituents in addition to phytochemicals. Lignans, for example, perform phenomenal tasks in the body though a lesser role in lowering risk of diabetes. For 75 cents per pound, one can purchase lignan-laden flaxseeds that may prevent and control breast, prostate and other cancers.

Several companies have combination formulas of powdered, soluble fiber-rich blends. These are often a considerable step in quality above commercial brands and are sometimes made without psyllium and oats, to which some individuals are intolerant/allergic. Encapsulated products are also available, though more costly, but may boost individuals adherence to a nutritional program. Powdered fiber products are invaluable for increasing overall fiber consumption and slowing glucose absorption. In fact, some individuals would get more fiber in 1 or 2 scoops of a particular fiber formula than they may get in an entire days diet. The FDAs daily value for fiber is set at 25 grams; however, few Americans consume this quantity. It is telling that traditional cultures, many of which ate 3-5 times as much fiber, had no diabetes. Compare these quantities to the average Americans daily intake of added sugar, approximately 30 teaspoons per day.Sugar and Spice

I often ask students to consider the historic availability of sugar (and most commonly used vegetable oils). I once heard the respected herbalist, David Winston, speak of the same. Obtaining sugar was a difficult, seasonal process at best. Sugar was available certain times of the year from whole foods, fruits and vegetables, not in soda, juice, and an array of cookies and candies. It was prized and stored in the whole food matrix, dried, used to ferment, etc. The takeaway: instruct your patients and clients to step out of the box and eat whole foods rich in fiber and phytochemicals. Furthermore, we can take advice from NYU nutritionist Marion Nestle and walk the perimeter of grocery stores. The healthier foods generally live along the walls, and there appears to be less shelf-talking advertising.

Our ancestors knew there was more to spice than flavor. Cinnamon, like flaxseed, is an inexpensive food that can have profound health effects. Studies show that a gram or two per day of cinnamon may lower serum glucose, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol. More than 170 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes, and for many, drugs or other forms of treatment are unavailable. It may be possible that many of these people could benefit from readily available natural products such as cinnamon, according to Don Graves, Adjunct Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Using advanced imaging techniques, Graves and other researchers found a proanthocyanidin compound in cinnamon that can affect insulin signaling in fat cells, thus proposing that cinnamon has insulin-like activity. This may not be news to many practitioners, but it is likely to be surprising and interesting to the average patient who has no idea that a simple kitchen spice can be so powerful.

Preliminary studies from the Japanese National Institute of Health Sciences show that chocolate may slow or prevent pancreatic carcinogenesis. Chocolate also contains proanthocyanidins and has diverse health benefits. Raw, sugarless cacao powders are available on the market. These can be mixed with chai, which usually contains cinnamon (and other phytochemical-bearing herbs), or concentrated foods such as solid extracts of berries.

Common to the Southwest, the prickly pear (Opuntia spp.) may offer promise in diabetes treatment and management. Mexicans eat the pads of this cactus, a notable source of gut-soothing mucilage, as nopalitos. The plants range is actually quite far-reaching as I have seen it on barrier islands off the Jersey Shore. In Spanish, the fruit of prickly pear is called tuna. It is rich in quercetin, a neuro-protective flavonoid common to many vegetables, fruits and herbs. Prickly pear may at least provide a demonstrative link for those with Type 2 diabetes. Traditional and available ethnic foods, including okra – another mucilage-bearing food can be used in preventing diabetes because the mucilage slows the absorption of sugars. Meal planning may include soluble fiber rich Anasazi or black beans, lima beans, or black eyed peas, along with nopalitos or okra.

Distinct medicinal food-herbs are also valuable dietary options. Herbs high in mucilage are slippery elm (Ulmus rubra) bark and marshmallow (Althea officinalis) root. Made into an unboiled tea, an infusion, the herbs thicken into a goo that provides a slimy, protective layer to the lining of an irritated digestive tract or sore throat. Moreover, diabetics should eat sources of complex sugars such as inulin found in Jerusalem artichokes (Helianthus tuberosus) instead of potatoes. Complex sugars from Helianthus and other foods, such as asparagus and salsify (Tragopogon porrifolius) digest more slowly, thus less sugar builds up in the bloodstream. These foods also fortify the lower digestive tract by nourishing gut flora.Nutrient and Phytochemical Supplements

Prevention and management of diabetes can be enhanced with nutrients and phytochemical supplements. Alpha lipoic acid, for example, is a versatile nutrient for diabetic treatment. In addition to inhibiting glycation and therefore helping to prevent diabetic complications, such as diabetic neuropathy, lipoic acid performs other roles in antioxidant recycling and manufacture, and promotes efficient cellular energy production. For treatment purposes, 600-1,200 mg daily are recommended, while 100-300 mg daily may be recommended for prevention. Alpha lipoic acid is also helpful in treating chemotherapy-induced neuropathy and may offer hope to those with fluoroquinolone antibiotic-induced neuropathy as well.

Other nutrients critical to diabetes prevention and management are B vitamins, which are needed for metabolism of all macronutrients, and may also aid in treatment of neuropathy. Trace minerals such as vanadium and chromium play crucial roles, and few strategies for ongoing wellness are complete without additional magnesium and zinc, as they are vital to numerous enzymatic reactions and are frequently deficient in aging populations.

Generally, for those with insulin resistance, 10-40 mg of supplemental zinc and 100-300 mg magnesium are sufficient for enhancing immune response and reducing cardiovascular risk, respectively. Both minerals also contribute to bone health. Various studies show that chromium stabilizes blood sugar by enhancing insulins activity. In other studies, individuals who took additional chromium (200 mcg per day) gained muscle and lost fat in greater sums than controls. Improved body composition, body mass index and shrinkage in waist circumference (central adiposity) are directly linked to better outcomes for diabetes patients.

Many of the nutrients critical to blood sugar management are often combined in quality formulas available through healthcare practitioners. They now often contain vanadium, which decreases plasma glucose levels and has an insulin-like effect. Insulin and glucagon are not the only important hormones related to diabetes. According to Donald Yance, excess insulin in the bloodstream promotes the production of estrogen and reduces the level of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). SHBG is a plasma protein that binds and transports sex hormones, including estrogen and testosterone. SHBG receptor interaction depends on the occupancy of the steroid binding site. It is recommended to measure total testosterone, free testosterone, SHBG, DHEA sulfate and a thyroid panel.

Low testosterone with high estrogen can also cause an increase in fat storage. Studies have found that serum testosterone is decreased in markedly obese males. This is due to a reduction in SHBG. This can cause peripheral conversion of testosterone to estradiol, which can cause fat accumulation as well as lean muscle loss.

SHBG is also critically important to proper insulin control, as well as estrogen. A reduction in SHBG is associated with hyperinsulinism and insulin resistance. High fasting insulin levels are noted to be an independent predictor for ischemic heart disease in men. According to a recent study, low androgen levels in men correlated with increased risk of atherosclerosis. Yances Natura Health Products offers a supplement called Night Gain. It combines testosterone-boosting and estrogen-metabolizing nutrients and phytochemicals with amino acids such as arginine for cardiovascular benefits. Night Gain enhances sexual function and sleep and is helpful to both sexes, with or without insulin resistance.

Generally, I recommend 2-6 caps in divided doses in the evening. Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) offers promise in treating diabetes. In a recent study found in Phytotherapy Research, moderate dosing of roughly 600 mg silymarin daily has shown to lower various markers associated with diabetes including hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Using milk thistle is especially advantageous because of its protective effect upon the liver, an organ greatly stressed in obese individuals. It may also prevent prostate cancer and is currently being used for treating the disease.

Liquid herbal extracts are especially useful for diabetes management because of their relatively rapid digestion and absorption. A useful liquid formula for mild insulin resistance is Pancreaid, a product from Herbalist and Alchemist, formulated by herbalist David Winston. The blend contains dandelion root (Taraxacum off.), blueberry leaf (Vaccinium spp.), gentian root (Gentiana lutea), Devils Club root bark (Oplopanax horridus), Gymnema (Gymnema sylvestre) and cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia). Bitters like dandelion and gentian roots have traditionally been used to normalize blood sugar levels and to help the beta cells in the pancreas to utilize endogenous insulin. Blueberry leaf, Devil’s Club and Gymnema have been used throughout the world for adult onset diabetes. Studies on Gymnema show a pronounced amphoteric effect on the Isles of Langerhans in the pancreas—nourishing, strengthening and normalizing function, according to Winstons manual, Herbal Therapeutics: Specific Indications for Herbs and Herbal Formulas. Anthocyanins

The leaves of blueberry are not the only useful part. The pigments that come from blueberries (bilberries), black currants and other berries, as well as the skins of some vegetables anthocyanins have marked therapeutic effects. I recommend a highly concentrated 80 mg anthocyanin capsule (MEDOX Optimal) for any client with diabetes to slow the multisystemic degeneration associated with the condition. MEDOX is a veg-encapsulated anthocyanin extract from wild Norwegian bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) and black currants (Ribes nigrum). MEDOX is produced in Norway by MedPalett Pharmaceuticals and the Biolink Group. Consumed in Norway and throughout the European Union as a phytoceutical sold in pharmacies and doctors offices, MEDOX is now a powerful botanical ally for Americans. Existing in a phytochemical color spectrum that moves through red to purple and deep blue, the pigments in MEDOX contain unique biological activity in humans. Few, if any other, products on the worldwide market have the intensity of color that indicates such a threshold of powerful and concentrated anthocyanins.

A unique and patented technology provides for large amounts (80 mg) of anthocyanins per capsule. The capsules are processed using chromatographic membrane technology. The special processing allows free and complete anthocyanins to quickly penetrate plasma at an affordable cost per milligram yielding sustained levels in connective tissue. The absorption and beneficial effects of MEDOX have been clinically documented at Scandinavian university hospitals and clinics.

Anthocyanins have proven efficacy for a range of modern medical problems, especially those related to the cardiovascular system, nervous system and eyes. MP865, the anthocyanin blend found in MEDOX, is also known to regulate healthy cell proliferation, blocking progression of cancer at various stages. Anthocyanins have demonstrated to be powerfully anti-leukemic. Preventing invasion of cancer by reinforcing the strength of collagen and blood vessels, anthocyanins from MEDOX induce apoptosis, organized cancer cell death. They also discourage angiogenesis and inflammation, major factors enabling cancer to spread. In this sense, MP865 from MEDOX is carcinostatic and anti-metastatic. Studies have been/are being conducted on anthocyanins and MEDOX for prostate, lung, brain, gastric, esophageal and colon cancer, though it may prove to be effective on a wide range of cancers.

Anthocyanins from bilberry are perhaps best known for the roles they play in protecting the eyes from injury related to oxidative stress and poor capillary microcirculation, such as macular degeneration and cataracts. Bilberry anthocyanins improve night vision and retinopathies. Mitigating and reversing complications related to diabetes and insulin resistance is a unique domain of anthocyanins in that they protect the blood vessels, eyes and kidneys. Furthermore, studies from Ulleval University Hospital in Norway indicate that 2 caps daily of MEDOX Optimal lowered C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation) by 28% after two weeks. Though this study was performed on a small sample size, compare the results to 17% reduction for statin drugs, which bear considerable side effects.

Other as yet unreleased studies from Ulleval show significant decreases in resting heart rate and blood pressure after short-term MEDOX therapy. Anthocyanins (from MEDOX) are safe and effective and have no known side effects or contra-indications. In practice, I have clients pair MEDOX with blueberries (and other berries), which contain the soluble fiber, caloric and other nutritive components. In the colder months, I also recommend blueberry solid extract, a delicious concentrated paste made by Herbalist and Alchemist that clients can spread or mix in smoothies.

Anthocyanins are efficient atherosclerosis fighters through their ability to counter oxidants. Studies have shown anthocyanins to lower oxidative LDL levels, which are significant risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Anthocyanins have a proven ability to protect the integrity of the endothelial cells lining the blood vessels. They regulate nitrogen oxide synthesis, offering further cardiovascular and erectile support. The resulting effect of taking MEDOX anthocyanins is smoother, better dilated, more flexible and stronger blood vessels.

In theory, MEDOX and anthocyanins paired with magnesium supplementation should greatly reduce risk of sudden cardiac death and stroke, thus I often recommend them in combination. The preceding interrelationships of anthocyanins’ benefits offer promise for improvement in the big picture of the diabetic tangle. Conclusion

Patients and practitioners are looking for new ways to manage various chronic diseases, including those related to insulin resistance and diabetes. A multi-faceted approach must ultimately be part of diabetes treatment. We can start with education for prevention, diet, lifestyle modification and exercise. Supportive nutritional and botanical therapies can also play vital roles before reliance on multiple medications (polypharmacy) and more costly interventions.

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