My Interest

Water-Nature's Thirst Quencher

2010-11-28T21:41:00.001+08:00

Over half of your body is made up of water. It's in every cell and every tissue. Biological processes like circulation, digestion, absorption and excretion depend on water. It forms the foundation of blood and lymph, maintains hearty muscles and young-looking skin, lubricates joints and organs and regulates body temperature. You can't function without it.

As you grow older, it becomes vital to pay attention to your water consumption. Mature persons hold less cellular water, with a loss of 10 to 15 percent of previous capacity by the age of 65. A contributing factor is the loss of thirst sensitivity. Because water is so important for digestion, a lack of fluid in your body might make it more difficult for you to digest food. You may suffer from cramps, bloating, gas, constipation, diveritculosis or even colon cancer. Drinking more water, combined with a high-fiber diet, can prevent these problems.

To combat this loss of fluids, the answer is simple. Drink more water. Six to ten glasses of pure water each day are necessary to enhance your body's functioning. Beyond helping your digestive system, getting enough fluids will give you fresh skin, clear eyes and shining hair. Signs of hunger may be a warning flag that your body is need of a good drink. Try consuming several glasses of water before diving into a snack to see if that takes care of your craving. Because fruits are largely made up of water, they are perfect choices for a mid-afternoon treat.

To understand what is the function of Water inside our body, read book:

"Your Body's Many Cries for Water" by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.

"Bad Cholesterol": A Myth and a Fraud!

2010-11-28T21:37:00.002+08:00

We in the medical profession, totally oblivious of the vital roles of cholesterol in the body, have been duped into thinking that it is this substance that causes arterial disease of the heart and the brain. The pharmaceutical industry has capitalized on the slogan of "bad cholesterol" and has produced toxic-to-the-body chemicals that minimally lower the level of cholesterol in the body and in the process cause liver damage to thousands of people, some who die as a result of using the medication.

It is surprising that none of the frequently quoted and media-popularized doctors has reflected on the fact that cholesterol levels are measured from blood taken from the veins, yet nowhere in medical literature is there a single case of cholesterol having caused obstruction of the veins. Venous blood moves far slower than arterial blood and thus would be more inclined to have cholesterol deposits if the assumption of "bad cholesterol" were accurate. This mistake by us in the medical community, and its capitalization by the pharmaceutical industry, has caused an ongoing fraud against society.

In truth, the so-called "bad" cholesterol is actually far more beneficial than is appreciated. The reason for its rise in the body is because of complications caused by chronic unintentional dehydration and insufficient urine production. Dehydration produces concentrated, acidic blood that becomes even more dehydrated during its passage through the lungs before reaching the heart – because of evaporation of water in the lungs during breathing. The membranes of the blood vessels of the heart and main arteries going up to the brain become vulnerable to the shearing pressure produced by the thicker, acidic blood. This shearing force of toxic blood causes abrasions and minute tears in the lining of the arteries that can peel off and cause embolisms of the brain, kidneys and other organs. To prevent the damaged blood vessel walls from peeling, low-density (so-called "bad") cholesterol coats and covers up the abrasions and protects the underlying tissue like a waterproof bandage until the tissue heals.

Thus, the vital, life-saving role of low-density cholesterol proves this substance is of utmost importance in saving the lives of those who do not adequately hydrate their bodies so that their blood can flow easily through the blood vessels without causing damage.

Cholesterol is an element from which many of our hormones are made. Vitamin D is made by the body from cholesterol in our skin that is exposed to sunlight. Cholesterol is used in the insulating membranes that cover our nerve systems. There is no such a thing as bad cholesterol. If all the primary ingredients are available for its normal functions, the human body does not engage in making things that are bad for its survival. Until now we did not know water was a vital nutrient that the body needed at all times – and in sufficient quantity.

Water itself – not caffeinated beverages that further dehydrate – is a better cholesterol-lowering medication than any chemical on the market. It is absolutely safe and is not harmful to the body like the dangerous medications now used. Please share this information with those you care for.

For more information about my medical breakthrough on the topic of chronic unintentional dehydration and the diseases it causes, other than what is posted on this site, refer to my books and tapes – products of over 20 years of fulltime research.

F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.

H2O-FAQ

2010-11-27T15:30:00.000+08:00

HOW DO YOU GET DEHYDRATED?

Through activities of daily living, the average person loses about 3- 4 liters (about 10-15 cups) of fluid a day in sweat, urine, exhaled air and bowel movement. What is lost must be replaced by the water/ fluid we drink and the food we eat.

We lose approximately 1-2 liters of water just from breathing. The evaporation of sweat from the skin accounts for 90% of our cooling ability.

Exercise, sweating, diarrhea, temperature, or altitude can significantly increase the amount of water we lose each day. The most common cause of increased water loss is exercise and sweating. Even though we are all at risk of dehydration the people most vulnerable are infants, elderly adults, and athletes. They are either not able to adequately express their thirst sensation or able to detect it and do something in time.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU’RE DEHYDRATED?

If you are thirsty, it means your cells are already dehydrated. A dry mouth should be regarded as the last outward sign of dehydration. That’s because thirst does not develop until body fluids are depleted well bellow levels required for optimal functioning.

Monitor your urine to make sure you are not dehydrated:

* A hydrated body produces clear, colorless urine.
* A somewhat dehydrated body produces yellow urine.
* A severely dehydrated body produces orange or dark-colored urine.

The effects of even mild dehydration include decreased coordination, fatigue, dry skin, decreased urine output, dry mucous membranes in the mouth and nose, blood pressure changes and impairment of judgment. Stress, headache, back pain, allergies, asthma, high blood pressure and many degenerative health problems are the result of UCD (Unintentional Chronic Dehydration).

HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU NEED TO DRINK? WHEN TO DRINK?

To better determine how much water you need each day, divide your body weight in half. The answer is the approximate number of water ounces you should drink daily. You should drink half of your body weight in ounces. If you weight 200 pounds, you should drink 100 ounces water (3.13 quarts, 2.98 liters or about 10-12 cups of water a day). If you weigh closer to 100 pounds you will need only about 50 ounces of water or about four 12-ounce glasses daily.

Individuals who are physically active or live in hot climates may needs to drink more.

WHAT SHOULD WE DRINK? WHAT SHOULDN’T WE DRINK?

We are designed to drink pure, natural water.

* Avoiding sodas/soft drinks to provide your fluid needs. The high sugar content and artificial flavors in soft drinks are harmful to your health.
* Tea, coffee, soft drinks contain water, but the diuretics contained in these caffineated beverages flush water out of your body. Don’t count on them to replenish fluid loss.
* It is OK to drink them occasionally, but if you drink them constantly and don’t drink enough pure natural water, then you are severely compromising your long-term health.
* Natural pure water is the best choice. If you are committed to a healthy lifestyle and long-term health, make water a habit and a priority in your life.

CAN WE DRINK TOO MUCH WATER?

During intense exercise the kidneys cannot excrete excess water. The extra water moves into the cells, including brain cells. The result can be fatal. For that reason, athletes should estimate how much they should drink by weighing themselves before and after long training runs to see how much they lose, and thus how much water and salt they should replace.

The studies that found 13% of the runners tested drank too much water, resulting in abnormally low blood sodium levels. The low sodium levels made many of these people very sick, and close to the point of death. The importance lesson here is to balance your water intake with your sodium intake.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR TAP WATER IS SAFE TO DRINK?

Almost all-municipal water in is of high quality and very drinkable. The best source of specific information about the water quality in your area is your local water supplier. Water suppliers are required to send their customer an annual water quality report. Contact your water supplier to get a copy, or see if your report is posted on line.

It is important you know your local sources of water quality, and the quality of your local drinking water. To get facts and information about your tap water, drinking water standards and contaminants, contact your local water supplier. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and American Water Works Association (AWWA) are the two credible institutions that provide information you need regarding quality of your water.

EPA website www.epa.gov/safewater
AWWA website: www.awwa.org.

WHAT ABOUT BOTTLED WATER?

Bottled water’s biggest advantage is convenience. The Americans now drink more water from bottles than any other nation. Bottled water in is a $16 billion-a-year industry.

EPA sets standards for tap water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets bottled water standards based on EPA’s tap water standards. Most bottled water is simply tap water put through conditioning filters to make it taste better. Pepsi’s Aquafina and Coco-Cola Co’s Dasani are both made from purified tap water. This doesn’t make it bad, but is something to consider when adding up cost and benefits.

Bottled water is safe to drink if it meets the standards. Contrary to popular belief the FDA does not carefully regulate the bottled water industry; therefore even bottled water can be impure unless it is the right kind of water. There are indeed many right kinds of high-quality bottled water that come from great natural water sources, such as spring, glacier, mineral water. High-quality bottled water may be a desirable option for people with special health needs and those who can afford the price.

Just make sure your choice of water does not become a limiting factor to drinking it. If you are drinking less water because of the cost of bottled water, supplement your bottles with reusable bottles or just fill up a previously used bottle with H20 from the tap.

WHAT ABOUT FILTER AND FILTERED WATER?

It is always wise to get a filter if you are not sure how safe your tap water is.

There are many water filter products on the market at many different prices. To shop for a good filter, you need to know what a filter factually reduces, or removes, and what it costs. Ideally, you want water that has been filtered via a reverse osmosis process that removes chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals, chlorine, fluoride, bacteria, and viruses.

How do you choose a good filter? It is important you do your own research – ask your local health food store, do on-line research and check the Consumers’ Report for products and prices evaluations. We are not in the business of selling water or any water products; however, here are a couple of recommended sources:

The water shop: “The Alkalizer” pure reverse osmosis water filter: www.watershop.com

Multipure water filter: www.multipureusa.com

DRINKING TIPS FOR HEALTHY HYDRATION:

Start your morning’s right: Morning is when you are most full of toxin and dehydrated. Reach for a big glass of water first thing in the morning – even before coffee. This water in the morning really gets the blood flowing.

-Drink a glass of water when you get up and another when you go to bed.

-Take regular water break breaks.

-Avoid relying on sodas to provide your fluid need.

-Drink water before and after food; ideally drink a glass of water half an hour before you eat your meal and half an hour after the meal. You can drink water with meals, and drink water anytime your body feels like it.
*It is very important you balance your sodium intake with your water consumption. Take 1/4 teaspoon of salt per quart of water - every 4-5 glasses of water. Be sure to get sea salt. The best is Celtic sea salt or Himalayan sea salt, both of which are readily available at any health food store.

You should always drink water prior to eating, and after eating, to support the digestive process. The stomach depends on water to help digest food, and lack of water makes it harder for nutrients to be broken down and used as energy. The liver, which dictates where all nutrients go, also needs water to help convert stored fat into usable energy. If you are dehydrated, the kidneys turn to the liver for backup, diminishing the liver’s ability to metabolize stored fat. The resulting reduced blood volume will interfere with your body’s ability to remove toxins and supply your cells with adequate nutrients.

Keep a water bottle by your side at all the times. Use either bottled water or tap water, and carry it with you everywhere, to the gym, in your car, to your office. Start by adding water to your daily regiment, during the first week, and then incorporate more as needed. The point is not to wait until you’re thirsty to drink.

Keep water flowing before, during and after workout. Don’t forget to balance your water intake with sodium intake. Drink at least 1 liter of water for every 60 minutes of exercise. Drink more if it’s hot. During exercise, such as playing sport on a hot summer day, you can lose up to 2 liters per hour of fluid per hour. Water and a balance salt is your best bet to keep healthy and hydrated. During exercise, it is recommended to replenish fluid at least every 20 minutes.

Recommended web articles to read:

Tony Robbins' Book: Unleash the Power Within

http:www.healthelements.com/chemistry_of_water.htm

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/NU/00283.html

http:// www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/nutrition/factsheets/water.html

http://www.causeof.org/salt.htm

http://gerd.msn.com/article.aspx?aid=13>1+7338

http://articlelealley.com/article_13821_23.html

http://theafrican.com/magazine/health.htm

http://www.authenticity.com.au/humblewater.html

http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/42559

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID+24897

A Cupful of Health Benefits

2010-01-30T16:30:00.001+08:00

A Cupful of Health Benefits

Obesity Causes Increased Risk of Kidney Cancer, Kidney Stones, and Stroke

2010-01-30T16:30:00.000+08:00

Obesity Causes Increased Risk of Kidney Cancer, Kidney Stones, and Stroke

Calcium and vitamin D supplements reduce the risk of bone fractures in everyone, young and old

2010-01-30T16:29:00.000+08:00

Calcium and vitamin D supplements reduce the risk of bone fractures in everyone, young and old

Vitamin D Promotes Weight Loss

2010-01-30T01:16:00.000+08:00

Vitamin D Promotes Weight Loss

How to Heal Yourself in 15 Days

2010-01-30T01:14:00.000+08:00

How to Heal Yourself in 15 Days

Basic Nutrition for Vegetarian and NON

2009-01-20T12:00:00.001+08:00

credits to :- Vegetarian Society at http://www.vegsoc.org)

(article at http://www.vegsoc.org/info/basic-nutrition.html)

Introduction
Many people worry that when they stop eating meat and fish, they might be in danger of some nutritional deficiency. This is not the case as all the nutrients you need can easily be obtained from a vegetarian diet. In fact research shows that in many ways a vegetarian diet is healthier than that of a typical meat-eater.

Nutrients are usually divided into five classes: carbohydrates, proteins, fats (including oil), vitamins and minerals. We also need fibre and water. All are equally important to our well-being, although they are needed in varying quantities, from about 250g of carbohydrate a day to less than two micrograms of vitamin B12. Carbohydrate, fat and protein are usually called macro-nutrients and the vitamins and minerals are usually called micro-nutrients.

Most foods contain a mixture of nutrients (there are a few exceptions, like pure salt or sugar) but it is convenient to classify them by the main nutrient they provide. Still, it is worth remembering that everything you eat gives you a whole range of essential nutrients.

Meat supplies protein, fat, some B vitamins and minerals (mostly iron, zinc, potassium and phosphorous). Fish, in addition to the above, supplies vitamins A, D, and E, and the mineral iodine. All these nutrients can be easily obtained by vegetarians from other sources, as this Information Sheet shows.
Protein
Women need about 45g of protein a day (more if pregnant, lactating or very active), men need about 55g (more if very active). Evidence suggests that excess protein contributes to degenerative diseases. Vegetarians obtain protein from:

* Nuts: hazels, brazils, almonds, cashews, walnuts, pine kernels etc.
* Seeds: sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, linseeds.
* Pulses: peas, beans, lentils, peanuts.
* Grains/cereals: wheat (in bread, flour, pasta etc), barley, rye, oats, millet, maize (sweetcorn), rice.
* Soya products: tofu, tempeh, textured vegetable protein, veggieburgers, soya milk.
* Dairy products: milk, cheese, yoghurt (butter and cream are very poor sources of protein).
* Free range eggs.

You have may have heard that it is necessary to balance the complementary amino acids in a vegetarian diet. This is not as alarming as it sounds. Amino acids are the units from which proteins are made. There are 20 different ones in all. We can make many of them in our bodies by converting other amino acids, but eight cannot be made, they have to be provided in the diet and so they are called essential amino acids.

Single plant foods do not contain all the essential amino acids we need in the right proportions, but when we mix plant foods together, any deficiency in one is cancelled out by any excess in the other. We mix protein foods all the time, whether we are meat-eaters or vegetarians. It is a normal part of the human way of eating. A few examples are beans on toast, muesli, or rice and peas. Adding dairy products or eggs also adds the missing amino acids, eg macaroni cheese, quiche, porridge.

It is now known that the body has a pool of amino acids so that if one meal is deficient, it can be made up from the body's own stores. Because of this, we don't have to worry about complementing amino acids all the time, as long as our diet is generally varied and well-balanced. Even those foods not considered high in protein are adding some amino acids to this pool.
Carbohydrate
Carbohydrate is our main and most important source of energy, and most of it is provided by plant foods. There are three main types: simple sugars, complex carbohydrates or starches and dietary fibre.

The sugars or simple carbohydrates can be found in fruit, milk and ordinary table sugar. Refined sources of sugar are best avoided as they provide energy without any associated fibre, vitamins or minerals and they are also the main cause of dental decay.

Complex carbohydrates are found in cereals/grains (bread, rice, pasta, oats, barley, millet, buckwheat, rye) and some root vegetables, such as potatoes and parsnips. A healthy diet should contain plenty of these starchy foods as a high intake of complex carbohydrate is now known to benefit health. The unrefined carbohydrates, like wholemeal bread and brown rice are best of all because they contain essential dietary fibre and B vitamins.

The World Health Organisation recommends that 50-70% of energy should come from complex carbohydrates. The exact amount of carbohydrate that you need depends upon your appetite and also your level of activity. Contrary to previous belief a slimming diet should not be low in carbohydrates. In fact starchy foods are very filling relative to the number of calories that they contain.
Dietary Fibre
Dietary fibre or non-starch polysaccharide (NSP), as it is now termed, refers to the indigestible part of a carbohydrate food. Fibre can be found in unrefined or wholegrain cereals, fruit (fresh and dried) and vegetables. A good intake of dietary fibre can prevent many digestive problems and protect against diseases like colon cancer and diverticular disease.
Fats & Oils
Too much fat is bad for us, but a little is necessary to keep our tissues in good repair, for the manufacture of hormones and to act as a carrier for some vitamins. Like proteins, fats are made of smaller units, called fatty acids. Two of these fatty acids, linoleic and linolenic acids, are termed essential as they must be provided in the diet. This is no problem as they are widely found in plant foods.

Fats can be either saturated or unsaturated (mono-unsaturated or poly-unsaturated). A high intake of saturated fat can lead to a raised blood cholesterol level and this has been linked to heart disease. Vegetable fats tend to be more unsaturated and this is one of the benefits of a vegetarian diet. Mono-unsaturated fats, such as olive oil or peanut oil, are best used for frying as the poly-unsaturated fats, like sunflower or safflower oil are unstable at high temperatures. Animal fats (including butter and cheese) tend to be more saturated than vegetable fats, with the exception of palm oil and coconut oil.
Vitamins
Vitamin is the name for several unrelated nutrients that the body cannot synthesise either at all, or in sufficient quantities. The one thing they have in common is that only small quantities are needed in the diet. The main vegetarian sources are listed below:

Vitamin A (or beta carotene): Red, orange or yellow vegetables like carrots and tomatoes, leafy green vegetables and fruits like apricots and peaches. It is added to most margarines.

B Vitamins: This group of vitamins includes B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine), B12 (cyanocobalmin), folate, pantothenic acid and biotin.

All the B vitamins except B12 occur in yeasts and whole cereals (especially wheat germ), nuts & seeds, pulses and green vegetables.

Vitamin B12 is the only one that may cause some difficulty as it is not present in plant foods. Only very tiny amounts of B12 are needed and vegetarians usually get this from dairy produce and free range eggs. It is sensible for vegans and vegetarians who consume few animal foods to incorporate some B12 fortified foods in their diet. Vitamin B12 is added to yeast extracts, soya milks, veggieburgers and some breakfast cereals.

Vitamin C: Fresh fruit, salad vegetables, all leafy green vegetables and potatoes.

Vitamin D: This is vitamin is not found in plant foods but humans can make their own when skin is exposed to sunlight. It is also added to most margarines and is present in milk, cheese and butter. These sources are usually adequate for healthy adults. The very young, the very old and anyone confined indoors would be wise to take a vitamin D supplement especially if they consume very few dairy products.

Vitamin E: Vegetable oil, wholegrain cereals, eggs.

Vitamin K: Fresh vegetables, cereals and bacterial synthesis in the intestine.

Minerals
Minerals perform a variety of jobs in the body. Details of the some of the most important minerals are listed below:

Calcium: Important for healthy bones and teeth. Found in dairy produce, leafy green vegetables, bread, tap water in hard water areas, nuts and seeds (especially sesame seeds), dried fruits, cheese. Vitamin D helps calcium to be absorbed.

Iron: Needed for red blood cells. Found in leafy green vegetables, wholemeal bread, molasses, eggs, dried fruits (especially apricots and figs), lentils and pulses. Vegetable sources of iron are not as easily absorbed as animal sources, but a good intake of vitamin C will enhance absorption.

Zinc: Plays a major role in many enzyme reactions and the immune system. Found in green vegetables, cheese, sesame and pumpkin seeds, lentils and wholegrain cereals.

Iodine: Present in vegetables, but the quantity depends on how rich the soil is in iodine. Dairy products also have plenty of iodine. Sea vegetables are a good source of iodine for vegans.

What's a Processed Person?

2009-01-18T17:38:00.000+08:00

Still Spooked by High-Fructose Corn Syrup

2009-01-18T17:33:00.001+08:00

(credits to http://vegsource.com/ and nytimes.com)

By now most everyone has seen ads from the Corn Refiners Association, claiming that our fears about high-fructose corn syrup are misplaced. Since our kids will soon be loading up on Halloween treats laden with the substance, it’s a good time to consider why so many people find corn sweeteners so scary.

Just this month, researchers from Loyola University’s Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago took a look at the link between kidney disease and high-fructose corn syrup. Using data from nearly 9,400 adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2004, they tracked consumption of sugary soft drinks, a major source of high-fructose corn syrup in the United States, and protein in the urine, a sensitive marker for kidney disease. They found that overall, people who drank two or more sugary sodas a day were at 40 percent higher risk for kidney damage, while the risk for women soda drinkers nearly doubled.

In June, the Journal of Hepatology suggested a link between consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in sodas and fatty liver disease.

And this summer, a small study published in The Journal of Nutrition suggested that fructose may make people fatter by bypassing the body’s regulation of sugars, which means it gets more quickly converted to fat than do other sugars.

Many scientists hypothesize that high-fructose corn syrup has contributed to rising obesity rates, although others say there is no solid evidence to support the theory. The corn refiners agree, dedicating a Web site to the “sweet surprise” of high-fructose corn syrup.

But we do know that foods made with high-fructose corn syrup are heavily processed and typically lack any meaningful nutritional value. And while the jury is out on the real effect high-fructose corn syrup has on obesity, we do know it’s a threat to the health of the planet.

As writer Michael Pollan told The Washington Post earlier this year, high-fructose corn syrup “may be cheap in the supermarket, but in the environment it could not be more expensive.”

Most corn is grown as a monoculture, meaning that the land is used solely for corn, not rotated among crops. This maximizes yields, but at a price: It depletes soil nutrients, requiring more pesticides and fertilizer while weakening topsoil.

“The environmental footprint of high-fructose corn syrup is deep and wide,” writes Pollan, a prominent critic of industrial agriculture. “Look no farther than the dead zone in the Gulf [of Mexico], an area the size of New Jersey where virtually nothing will live because it has been starved of oxygen by the fertilizer runoff coming down the Mississippi from the Corn Belt. Then there is the atrazine in the water in farm country — a nasty herbicide that, at concentrations as little as 0.1 part per billion, has been shown to turn male frogs into hermaphrodites.”

Garlic

2009-01-16T14:06:00.000+08:00

Allium Sativum

Botanica Name : Allium Sativum
Family Name : Liliaceae
Common Name : Garlic
Sanskrit Name : Lashuna
Part Used : Bulb & oil

General Information: Garlic has antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal property. A poultice of the bulb is used locally in sciatica, paralysis and neuralgic pains, also in scrofulous sores and ring worm. A clove of Garlic when introduced into the ear passage gives relief from ear ache. Raw garlic juice is inhaled in whooping cough, asthma, hoarseness, disorders of the chest and lungs. The oil in which garlic has been fried is believed to be a useful liniment for rheumatic pains, nervous diseases like infantile convulsions, scabies and maggot infested wounds. A decoction of garlic made with milk and water is given in hysteria, flatulence and sciatica. Garlic supports the cardiovascular system. It lowers cholesterol and triglycerides level in the blood, inhibits platelet aggregation, and increase fibrinolysis - which results in slowing of blood coagulation. It has antioxidant property.

Balance Sodium with Potassium for Good Health

2009-01-13T16:48:00.001+08:00

(from naturalnews.com :-http://www.naturalnews.com/024539.html)

(NaturalNews) Nature is all about balance. The human body, being naturally created, reflects this principle in every small aspect as well as in its main orchestration, the constant search for homeostasis. Yet mainstream doctors tend to overlook the primal theme of balance. They like to view each body part or system in isolation. They don’t hear the symphony because they have chosen to examine only one note of the music. This approach produces some strange conclusions, one of which is that sodium is the culprit in hypertension, diabetes and heart disease.

The sodium-potassium connection

Sodium and potassium are essential dietary minerals and electrolytes, meaning that they dissociate into ions (charged particles) in solution, making them capable of conducting electricity. Normal body functioning depends on the right regulation of sodium and potassium both inside and outside of cells.

Sodium is the principal ion in the fluid outside of cells, while potassium is the principal ion in the fluid inside of cells. Sodium concentrations are more than ten times lower inside than outside cells, and potassium concentrations are about 30 times higher inside than outside cells. The concentration differences between potassium and sodium across cell membranes create an electrochemical gradient known as the membrane potential. A large portion of energy in the body is dedicated to maintaining sodium/potassium concentration gradients, underscoring the importance of the balance between sodium and potassium in sustaining life. Tight control of cell membrane potential is critical for heart function, as well as nerve impulse transmission and muscle contraction.

In Western industrialized countries, the daily intake of sodium chloride (salt) is about three times higher than the daily intake of potassium. The balance or equilibrium so necessary for these minerals is not achievable through the typical dietary choices of Westerners. Studies are showing that the relative imbalance of this ratio in the Western world is positively correlated with hypertension, heart disease and diabetes.

Studies support the need for a balanced relationship between sodium and potassium

In a report from the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC, published in the journal Kidney International, researchers noted that chronic low potassium levels have been associated with a variety of lung disorders, kidney disease, and hypertension in both adults and children. However, the effects of potassium depletion on the rapidly growing infant have not been well studied. They designed their study to determine the effects of severe chronic dietary potassium depletion on blood pressure and kidney structural changes in young rats. Rats were fed either a control or a potassium deficient diet for 14 to 21 days. At the end of the period, blood pressure and renal activity was assessed. Then the remaining rats in each group were switched to a high salt diet or were continued on their respective control or potassium deficient diets for an additional six days.

Results indicated that the potassium depleted animals had significant growth retardation, kidney damage and lung injury. At week 2, potassium depleted rats had higher systolic blood pressure than control rats. Switching to a high salt, normal potassium diet resulted in further elevation of systolic blood pressure in the potassium depleted rats, which persisted even after the serum potassium levels were normalized.

Researchers concluded that dietary potassium deficiency per se increased blood pressure in young rats and induced salt sensitivity that may be involved in at least two different pathogenic pathways.

In another study, controlled trials including 2,609 people assessed the effects of increased potassium intake on high blood pressure. Increased intake resulted in small but significant blood pressure reductions in people with normal blood pressure, and larger reductions in people with hypertension. The blood pressure lowering effect was more pronounced in individuals with higher salt intakes.

A clinical trial involving 150 Chinese men and women with mild hypertension found that moderate supplementation of potassium resulted in a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure compared to controls. Researchers noted that the routine diets eaten by the participants were high in sodium and low in potassium.

A study from New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell Medical Center reported in Hypertension investigated the role of intracellular potassium and other ions in hypertension and diabetes. They concluded that potassium depletion is a common feature of essential hypertension and type 2 diabetes, treatment of hypertension at least partially restores potassium levels to normal, and fasting steady-state potassium levels are closely linked to calcium and magnesium homeostasis.

In a review of literature at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, reported in Clinical Experimental Hypertension, researchers reported that evidence from animal experimentation, observational epidemiology, and randomized clinical trials strongly supports efforts to change nutritional factors in desirable directions, especially to lower dietary salt and increase potassium.

Clearly sodium is only one side of a two-sided equation. It is as necessary to body functioning as is potassium, but must be in balance with potassium to be effective. The traditional Western diet is high is sodium and low in potassium. Being told to reduce the amount of sodium consumed fails to acknowledge the need to raise potassium consumption until both minerals are balanced and equilibrium is reached in the fluid inside and outside of the cells.

Potassium and stroke

Several epidemiological studies have found that increased potassium intake is associated with decreased risk of stroke. A prospective study of 43,000 men found that men in the top 1/5th of dietary potassium intake were only 62% as likely to have a stroke as those in the lowest 1.5th of potassium intake. This inverse association was also seen in men with hypertension.

A prospective study of 5,600 men and women older than 65 years found that low potassium intake was associated with significantly increased incidence of stoke.

Potassium and osteoporosis

Cross sectional studies have reported significant positive associations between dietary potassium intake and bone mineral density in a wide age range of both pre-menopausal and postmenopausal women and elderly men. Bone mineral density was significantly associated with higher levels of potassium intake.

Potassium rich foods such as fruits and vegetables are also rich in precursors to bicarbonate ions, which buffer acids in the body. Our Western diet tends to be highly acidic. When the quantity of bicarbonate ion intake is insufficient to maintain normal pH, the body will mobilize alkalinizing minerals from bone to neutralize acids consumed in the diet and generated by metabolism. Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables reduces the net acid content of the diet and preserves calcium and other minerals in the bones.

A study of 18 postmenopausal women found that potassium supplementation decreased urinary acid and calcium excretion, resulting in increased biomarkers of bone formation and decreased biomarkers of bone re-absorption. Studies have found that supplementing with potassium citrate decreased urinary acid excretion and biomarkers of bone re-absorption in postmenopausal women and ameliorated the effects of a high-salt diet on bone metabolism.

Potassium and kidney stones

Increased dietary potassium intake has been found to decrease urinary calcium excretion, a component in the development of kidney stones. Potassium deprivation has been found to increase urinary calcium excretion. A prospective study of more than 45,000 men followed for years found that those with high potassium intake were only half as likely to develop kidney stones as men whose intake was low. In a similar study involving women, those ingesting the highest amounts of potassium were found to be 65% less likely to develop kidney stones.

More actions of potassium in the body

Potassium regulates the beating of your heart. If you experience irregular heart beats, known as arrhythmias, your potassium levels may be low. Potassium also controls muscle functioning. It is the mineral that directs the transfer of nutrients through the cell membranes, a function that decreases with aging accounting for the circulatory damage, lethargy and weakness of old people.

Other signs of potassium deficiency

Warning symptoms of potassium deficiency include abnormally dry skin, acne, chills, cognitive impairment, constipation, depression, diarrhea, diminished reflexes, edema, nervousness, excessive thirst, glucose intolerance, growth impairment, hypoglycemia, high cholesterol levels, insomnia, low blood pressure, muscular fatigue, headaches, salt retention and hypersensitivity to salt, and respiratory distress. Hormone fluctuation may also result in reduced levels of potassium.

Use of diuretics or laxatives lowers potassium levels. Caffeine, tobacco and heavy sugar consumption reduce potassium absorption. Mental and physical stress can also lead to low potassium levels.

Sources of potassium

High amounts of potassium are found in fruits and vegetables, particularly potatoes, plums, prunes, raisins, bananas, tomatoes and tomato juice, orange juice, artichokes, lima beans, acorn squash, spinach, nuts and seeds, apricots, avocado and garlic. Other foods with substantial amounts of potassium are fish, meat, poultry, whole grains, yogurt, bee pollen, dulse, spirulina and chlorella.

Potassium is contained in multi-vitamin preparations although it may not be easily available to the body in this form. Potassium supplements are readily available as different salts such as potassium chloride, citrate, gluconate, aspartate, and orotate.

Your total potassium intake should equal your salt intake. You don’t want to exceed this ratio with potassium any more than you do with salt. If you choose to use a potassium supplement, consider the amount of potassium it provides in the context of what you are eating that day. It’s probably wise not to exceed dosage indicated on the bottle unless you have a blood test to document a seriously low potassium level.

Sources:

Phyllis and James Balch, Prescription for Nutritional Healing.

Earl Mindell, Vitamin Bible for the 21st century

Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University

The Health Ranger Answers Common Questions About Nutritional Supplements (transcript)

2009-01-13T16:37:00.001+08:00

With thanks to Mike Adams (Health Ranger) www.naturalnews.com

NaturalNews) The following is a transcript of a broadcast of The Health Ranger Show. You can find the downloadable audio of this program here: http://www.naturalnews.com/Index-Podcas...

What is the biggest myth about nutritional supplements? You've often wondered about that haven't you? There is a lot of hype about supplements out there. There's also a lot of effort to discredit certain supplements like vitamin E. We will talk about vitamin E in a future show. This natural vitamin can be found in nuts and seeds. Unfortunately, the conventional medical industry is trying to discredit it scaring people into not taking vitamin E.

The fact is the tests that they are running are using a synthetic form of vitamin E – not the natural form that exists in nature. That is why they are getting bad results. We will talk about that in more detail later.

In my opinion the biggest myth about nutritional supplements is in thinking that you can still live a lousy lifestyle – a poor health lifestyle smoking and avoiding exercise and eating junk foods, fried foods, and many animal products and so on, and yet you can somehow counteract that with a few nutritional supplements per day. This is the biggest myth in my opinion.

People think they can go out and eat fast food all day long. They can abuse their bodies and then if they take one multi-vitamin a day somehow it is going to counteract all that. That is just nonsense, folks. That is the biggest myth – nutritional supplements do not make up for all the other behavior. If you are smoking cigarettes, for example, the single best thing that you can do for your health is to quit smoking – not take vitamins.

Now, of course, if you smoke and you take vitamins the vitamins are going to offer some protection, but not nearly as much as if you were to just stop smoking. If you were to do both – that is if you were to stop smoking and start taking the right nutritional supplements – then you would have really good health happening at that point. You would have a lot of protection for the organs and the cells and tissues in your body. That is what you want to do.

I have seen people who think well I am going to go out and eat all this junk food. I'm going to avoid exercise and avoid sunlight so they are not getting the vitamin D and then they are taking pharmaceuticals. They are getting all the negative side effects of those pharmaceuticals – the anti-depressants, the statin drugs, the cholesterol drugs, the blood pressure drugs and so on, and then they think "Oh, well I will drink some green tea today and I will take a cheap multi-vitamin that I bought at Costco or Wal-Mart."

They think that is going to counteract all that. It just does not work that way, folks. A vitamin does not excuse you from the responsibility of acting with integrity with your own health. If you want to be healthy, you have to engage in regular exercise. You have to eat right – that means you should make food the foundation of your health.

I mean unprocessed food. Healthy, fresh produce, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds and nutritional supplements – that is the way you are going to get the maximum health benefits and actually prevent disease. That is the number one biggest myth about nutritional supplements in my opinion.

Not all supplements are created equal
All right, let's go onto the next question. People ask me this one all the time. Where is the best place to buy nutritional supplements? That is a good question. People see vitamins on sale at Walgreens or pharmacies or Wal-Mart or other retail outlets and they wonder what is really in these supplements.

Well, the answer is really quite simple. If you are buying vitamins at retail, and you are not buying them at a health food store or a health food section in a grocery store for example, most of what you are buying is probably garbage.

It is probably useless garbage, and I say that as an advocate of nutrition. I take many vitamins every single day. I eat many superfoods every day. I would not dare touch those products sold at Wal-Mart or Walgreens or Costco or Sam's Club – any of those. I would not touch those. You know why? Because I read the ingredients on them. In my opinion, they are garbage – just garbage.

I will give you an example. I was at Costco one time. I saw a big bottle of fish oil supplements, and we all know that fish oils can enhance health. They help prevent heart disease. They are rich in Omega-3 oils and a very healthy supplement if it is a quality supplement, but I looked at this particular product and I read the ingredients.

It said this "each capsule contained only 4 mg. of actual fish oil extract and the rest of the capsule was filled with soybean oil and one bottle I saw was actually made with partially hydrogenated soybean oil, which means it contains trans fatty acids that actually damage your heart health.

Here was a supplement being sold as a benefit for cardiovascular health that said it contained fish oil, but if you look inside what it really contained was trans fatty acids, which are poison for the heart. It is just crazy to think that people are going in there and buying those pills, taking them home, eating them, and thinking that they are helping their heart when in reality they are poisoning themselves in my opinion.

I saw that at Costco. I think they have since changed the formula because of all the bad publicity about trans fatty acids and hydrogenated oils but just the fact that they used to carry that is a good clue that tells you that you probably should not buy your vitamins at Costco. You probably should not get vitamins from a general store.

Good quality comes from good sources
Now, if you go into a health food store that is a completely different picture. There you are going to find the quality vitamins, the quality supplements, and the ones that I would openly recommend. You are going to find many companies there making good quality supplements. New Chapter is one company that does a good job but you know where the best values are for vitamins? They are actually found online.

That is because the online companies can sell direct to consumers, and they don't have to have the huge markups of the retail establishments because health food stores, of course, have to mark-up their products to stay in business. That is perfectly acceptable and I really do support local health food stores. I hope you go there and support them as well because we need those. Sometimes, when you want a great deal on the right supplement, the best place to go is online.

Buying them directly from those companies, I know many of these companies. I have interviewed over a hundred so some that I recommend are www.WellnessResources.com – that is a good one. Jon Barron has a company called www.BaselineNutritionals.com.

There are superfoods available at a company called www.GoodCauseWellness.com. There is a great company making drinkable vitamins. You just mix their powder with water and it is high quality stuff – very high end. They are called Ola Loa, and you can find them at www.DrinkYourVitamins.com.

By the way, I haven't been paid to promote any of these companies. You know I don't do that. I do not take money from these companies. I do not earn any money on the sales of these products.

I am just recommending them because I know them. I know that they are good quality supplements. These are the same things that I take myself, and these are what I recommend. In many cases the best place to get your supplements is online.

By the way, you can see many of my reviews of which supplements I recommend right here on www.NaturalNews.com. We have recommendations from time to time. None of them are paid recommendations.

It is all just honest independent unbiased information about what I think is best for supporting your health, for preventing disease and so on. Where is the best place to buy supplements? The answer is that some places sell garbage and I would not recommend it even to an animal. Other places sell very high-end supplements. You have to be able to tell the difference.

Keep reading and I will teach you how to look for some of the key ingredients. In fact, we are going to cover that in the next segment coming up here. We are also going to answer the question, "What are the best nutritional products for kids?"

It is tough to get kids to have a lot of great nutrition sometimes, is it not? They don't want to eat the things that you want them to eat. I know how that works but before we get to that, I want to give you a tip here on how to check a vitamin supplement for the right ingredients and there is a trick – there is a secret that I will share with you right now.

How to determine quality of supplements
If you have a piece of paper be ready to write this down. Every multi-vitamin on the market contains a vitamin called "B-12." You have heard of B-12, right? It is a very important vitamin.

Well, there are several different forms of B-12 and the form of B-12 that appears on the vitamin label tells you a lot about whether that company is using quality ingredients or cheap ingredients. If you pick up any vitamin bottle anywhere – in retail, at a health food store or anywhere just look at their form of vitamin B-12.

Here is the form you don't want to see. It is called cyanocobalamin. The way to remember this is that it begins with cyano, which is like cyanide. Cyanide is a poison, right?

This cyanocobalamin is a cyanide molecule joined with cobalamin. This becomes a form of B-12 that is used by all the cheap vitamin companies out there. This is the cheap form. You don't want this in your body – not in my opinion.

Look for it, if you see cyanocobalamin as the B-12 then you know that is not really a high-grade nutritional supplement. It is probably a cheap supplement. They probably have cheap forms of all the other ingredients too.

I would not personally recommend it. I would not take it. However, there are other forms. The two forms you want to look for are methylcobalamin and hydroxocobalamin.

Now these two forms – methyl and hydroxo – are far more expensive because they are more advanced forms of this vitamin B-12. They are more readily available to your body. Your body can use them without having to donate energy to the chemical reaction that is necessary to free them from their current chemical bonds.

I don't want to get too technical but the bottom line is that these forms of cobalamin or vitamin B-12 actually donate energy to your cells instead of stealing energy from your cells. Have you ever taken a cheap vitamin supplement and then you felt tired afterwards? That's because many of the forms of the B-vitamins actually steal energy from your body in order to be processed by your body. You don't want that, and you certainly don't want cyanide molecules in your body.

You want the B-12 that is called pre-methylated or methylated. That is where you get the methylcobalamin or the hydroxocobalamin. Those are the things to look for. Again, you can go to any store – a health food store, a grocery store – any place that you might buy vitamins.

You can pick up that bottle, look for the vitamin B-12 on the label, and find out what form of B-12 it really is. If it is cyano, you don't want it. Leave it on the shelf. If it is hydroxo or methyl then you do want it. That means it is a very high quality nutritional supplement.

Now, of course, this does not tell you everything about the supplement. This is just one aspect of it, but it is a good clue. It tells you whether the manufacturer of that supplement is actually putting money into it because the methylated form of B-12 costs, I think $5,000 or $7,000 a kilogram more than the cyano form of B-12.

I mean some of these costs $12,000 a kilo just for the raw material. That is very, very expensive. Twelve thousand a kilo – that is a lot of money. You have to look for the quality ingredients and they are going to cost money but if you are spending your money on vitamins then, of course, you do want those quality ingredients.

How to turn your kid into a nutritional powerhouse
All right, now let's move onto the question of what are the best nutritional products for kids as this is always a challenge. I hear it all the time. People say, "Well, Mike, the stuff you recommend – my kid won't eat it or they won't drink it. What can I get my kids to eat or drink that is actually good for them?"

Well, fortunately there are some wonderful products on the market now just for kids. One out there I will recommend called "Amazing Grass" – funny name but it is based on a mineral-rich grass complex with chocolate flavoring.

It is available as a powder and it is a superfood powder with lots of vitamins and minerals in it. You can find that at www.AmazingGrass.com. Again, I am not paid to recommend these companies. These are just companies that I know about because I have done the research.

Another product that I really recommend is called "X-Balance." It is just the letter "X" with the word "balance" after it and it is made by a company called "SGN Nutrition" and you can find it on a website called www.EmeraldBalance.com. I actually did an interview with the president of that company – the founder – a woman named Jan Lovejoy. She will be on my radio show later. Our exclusive live interview will be running on The Health Ranger Show.

Her product is one that I have actually used for a long time but it is delicious. It is a great formula for kids. It's like chocolate milk. It's a powder in a canister and you just mix it in with whatever milk you are drinking.

It is called "X-Balance," and it is delicious. I actually gave some to a neighbor where I live who had some children, and they loved it. It was just the perfect product.

There is another company out there called www.SimplyHealthyKids.com. They make a brand new product. You are going to be the first to hear about this. No one has ever reported on this yet because I just tasted the samples about five days ago.

They are not even on the market yet. In fact, when you go to their website, you might not find these yet but they are chocolate treats for kids that are rich in Omega-3 oils. Now how rare is that?

You see Omega-3 oils are very difficult to get kids to eat because many times they are in the form of fish oils and kids don't want to drink cod liver oil. They aren't going to buy that – especially not today's kids. They want something that tastes good. They want something that to them seems like candy.

Health food your kids will beg for
Well, this company, www.SimplyHealthKids.com, has created this candy. It is like a chocolate morsel but it is rich in Omega-3's because it has Chia seeds inside. It has this healthy chocolate, this cacao powder and then it has Chia seeds and it is sweetened with Agave nectar. It is low glycemic. It is great for kids. I am, in fact, going to be recommending that product down the road with a feature article and all that.

Actually, I am giving that company an award – a www.NaturalNews.com award for the best kids' superfood product. It is that good. Check it out. I hope that they have it in stock by now. I cannot guarantee it. It is not my company and it is somewhat early but you can check them out at www.SimplyHealthyKids.com and see if they have that ready or not.

Overall, the big news about this question in particular is what can I give my kids that is good for them? There are many, many products on the market now that really taste delicious. You don't have to settle for the junk out there.

There are many junk vitamins, children's vitamins that are made with artificial coloring chemicals derived from petrochemicals. Are you kidding me? You want to feed your kids petrochemicals made from oil? Give me a break. That is what the artificial colors are made from, by the way.

You don't have to settle for that anymore. There are great products on the market. Go to a health food store and ask them. What is great for kids? What do kids like?

There are food bars. There are these chocolate morsels. There are superfoods for kids that are outstanding – they exist now. All you have to do is go out and ask for them and then try them and see what your kids will drink.

The kind of information that I love to share with you and in this article we have been talking about myths about nutritional supplements. We have been talking about what supplements to buy, which ones to avoid and what supplements are best for children.

Almost all disease is preventable
Someone asked me, "Why are some of these supplement companies using these cheap ingredients these days?" Well, the answer is – and you will not believe this – the drug companies are getting into the vitamin business. Yes, they are because the drug companies see that people are turning to nutrition to prevent disease.

They know that if people get enough good nutrition then they don't need pharmaceuticals because they don't develop cancer. They don't develop heart disease. They don't develop diabetes. Those diseases are not genetic, friends. They are not.

Medicine tries to scare people into thinking that they can't do anything to control their own health or their own diseases. That is just a scare tactic. That is an enslavement tactic, you might say, but it is not true.

Out of all the cancers, perhaps only 2% have any real genetic component. The other 98% of all the cancers that afflict people are completely preventable and in nearly all cases – in my opinion – curable. That is right – curable. We could eliminate 98% of the cancer in this country and in this world right now if we turned to nutrition.

Why Big Pharma wants to make your vitamins
Well, the drug companies have figured this out too and they realize that as more people take vitamins – good quality vitamins and as more people eat superfoods and get sunlight and vitamin D and fish oils and all these things that their revenues are going to fall because fewer people will need pharmaceuticals – fewer people will be sick. These companies – they are not stupid. They want to make money one way or another so they are getting into the vitamin business, but they are not doing it in an ethical way, by the way.

They are getting into the vitamin business and they are creating cheap, low-grade vitamins that in my opinion do almost nothing to help keep people healthy. Now there are the conspiracy theorists out there who say this is on purpose that the drug companies are actually trying to keep people sick.

Frankly, that is not hard to believe. It really isn't if you understand how evil those corporations are and the complete lack of ethics that they operate under. It is not hard to believe that they would actually go out of their way and do something to poison the population or keep people sick.
That is not the position I am taking right here right now. We will leave that for another time. I am just saying matter of fact that those supplements – those vitamins made by pharmaceutical companies are low-grade supplements that really have virtually no health benefits.

High-quality supplements exist for those who seek them
If you want health benefits, you have to get supplements made by high quality companies, and they exist. You are going to hear about many of them right here on Natural News. In fact, we are going to be interviewing many of them. I have already mentioned half a dozen in this article that I trust.

These are companies that I use and recommend to my family and friends. Companies like www.WellnessResources.com, www.BaselineNutritionals.com, www.DrinkYourVitamins.com, and www.AmazingGrass.com, and there are many, many companies out there that you can trust. They actually have good quality supplements.

It is always funny when I hear people saying bad things about the supplement industry. I always think well they don't have the whole picture. Yes, there are frauds, hoaxes in this industry but at the same time there are real answers, and there are cures for cancer in this industry that exist right now. There are cures for heart disease and we will talk about them in detail in a moment.

Active people need natural salt
Let's move onto the next question here, which is what kind of nutritional support is best for people who work out.

Do you go to the gym? Do you walk? Do you cycle or jog? If you do anything like that you have special nutritional needs. We could actually dedicate a whole article to this but I will try to give you the answer here. Most people who exercise are malnourished period because they don't understand the need to replenish their body with the things that are lost through exercise.

The number one thing that people lose through exercise – and this is going to shock you because I know it goes against everything that you have heard out there in the mainstream media – but most people who exercise and try to eat healthy actually have a salt deficiency. Now hear me out on this. When I say a salt deficiency, I mean a natural, unprocessed salt deficiency. Yes, people are getting too much processed salt. That is just sodium. That is in all the processed foods. They get too much of that. I agree!

People are not getting enough full spectrum salt – the unprocessed salt that is enriched naturally with as many as 92 different elements – different minerals and trace minerals. You will find those in products like Celtic sea salt or there is a company called "Royal Himalayan Crystal Salt."

There are many unprocessed salts out there and that is what you are lacking when you are exercising. Do you know why? Because you are sweating out your salts – when you sweat it is salty, right? Have you ever sweated and it ran into your lips and you tasted it and it is salty? Right, because you are losing salt. Well, your body does not need Gatorade. You don't need cheap processed foods and beverages to replenish that salt. What you need is salt – unprocessed salt like Celtic sea salt. That is what your body really needs.

That is why a lot of athletes after they exercise they start craving salty junk foods. They start craving chips or pizza because cheese is really, salty. They start craving something that is salty. That is their body telling them that they need more salt.

After you exercise, you can actually replenish your body by simply putting some salt in some water and drinking slightly salted water preferably with some superfood powder in it. Some greens powder or a www.DrinkYourVitamins.com type of powder or some of these others that we will be talking about.

Then you are going to replenish the salts that you need and you are going to end those cravings for junk food. Athletes need to be especially aware – and not just athletes. I mean anybody who works out, even if you are just walking up and down the stairs, and you are working up a sweat. Then you need some extra salt.

Now you might say "Wait a minute, wait a minute. My doctor said I have too much salt. I need to cut down salt in my diet." Well, if that is true you are eating too much processed food.

If you are getting too much salt in your diet then you are making the wrong choices on your food in the first place because the natural foods, the produce that you know you are supposed to be eating – the fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, superfoods, natural beverages and so on – they don't have very much salt.

In fact, in my diet I actually have to add salt to my diet because if I don't I get into a state of salt deficiency very quickly because I am not eating processed junk foods. I would not even touch canned soup, which is very high in sodium.

I don't go to McDonald's and order French fries. You have to think about the big picture here. What does your diet consist of right now, and if it is too salty then you need to cut those processed foods out of your diet. You need to start doing exercise and supplementing with quality unprocessed salt. That is the way to find balance with your body and athletes need to know that more than anybody else does.

Nutrition helps your body cope with stress
Well, here is the other thing that you need to know if you are exercising. The fact that you are pushing weights or doing cardio or whatever you are doing for exercise, it means that you are putting extra stress on your body.

Now that stress becomes a chemical or biological stress. It means that you have greater nutritional needs than someone who does not exercise. I have seen many cases where people exercise a lot but they don't supplement with the right nutrition and their body begins to break down and it rapidly age. Have you ever seen that?

Have you ever seen somebody in the gym who looks a lot older than they should because they over-exercise and they under-supplement? Think about this. If you exercise your body, you need to supplement your chemistry. Exercise and supplements need to go hand-in-hand because you have these extra stresses placed on your biochemistry so you need to supplement with superfoods, B-vitamins, minerals and trace minerals. You need more calcium and magnesium than someone who does not exercise.

You need more food than someone who does not exercise but you can't just give yourself raw calories. You have to have food with the nutrition present. This is my number one advice to anyone who is exercising out there that you need to be on superfoods.

Just every morning blend up a superfood breakfast, use some of the superfood products that I recommend as I mention on this website – Emerald Balance is one of them. I recommend Jay Robb's protein powders. He has the best tasting natural whey protein and egg protein on the market.

By the way, I am interviewing Jay Robb on The Health Ranger Show later on so you will hear that in a future episode. There are many great products on the market. You just have to go out there and get them and make them part of your habit because your exercise does not end when you leave the gym. That is just the beginning of your body's adaptive response. Does that make sense?

You can't respond. You can't build more muscle. You can't build a stronger immune system unless you have the raw materials that your body needs. You get that through superfood supplementation. You get that through quality vitamins, not junk vitamins. Not through the junk that you find out there in retail full of binders and excipients that you cannot even digest – I am not talking about that.

I am talking about the quality supplements that I recommend. The ones that I review, the ones you will hear about on this show. That is what you need. Hey, look I am 38 years old and I exercise sometimes two or three hours a day. I am in great shape.

Doing what healthy people do
When I was 30, I was in lousy shape. I was overweight. I was borderline diabetic. I was depressed. I was in chronic pain. I ate at McDonald's and I did not take vitamins.

Life sucked eight years ago for me. I turned that around using the same information I am sharing with you right here on this show. This is what works, folks! You know what they say, if you want to be healthy do what the healthy people do. It makes sense. If you want to be unhealthy, go do what all the unhealthy doctors do.

Many doctors out there are not very healthy. There are many people working at pharmacies who are not very healthy. There are many patients standing in line at the pharmacy that are not very healthy. If you want to have health like those people, go do what they do.

Do you know what they do? They take many pharmaceuticals. They avoid exercise. They eat like garbage. They don't take care of their bodies. If you want those results, go do what they do. It is a very easy recipe.

If you want outstanding results, if you want to have a mind and body that works for you, if you want to feel great, energetic, and optimistic about your future then do what the healthy people do, and I guarantee you the healthy people are all eating superfoods. They are taking high quality nutritional supplements, they are choosing their food very carefully, they are exercising, they are getting sunshine, and they are drinking clean water. They are not drinking tap water – no way.

Do what the healthy people do if you want to get the results that the healthy people are getting. It only makes sense. By the way, there is no judgment in any of this. I don't care if you are in the worst shape of your life. There is no judgment on you whatsoever.

I used to be in that position. I used to be right there – overweight, depressed, hopeless, following a terrible diet. It does not matter where you are now because you can always get to the next higher step tomorrow.

Taking health one step at a time
You can always improve your life one thing at a time. Even if you are the sickest you have ever been, even if you are on 12 different meds you can find a new level of health in your life by turning to nutrition and superfoods and exercise and sunshine and even things like positive thinking or prayer – all of these things can work in your favor. You can turn your life around. People do it all the time.

It is just a process. You put one foot in front of the other. You make a new decision each day that you get up. You say today I am no longer going to drink sodas or today I am no longer going to have artificial sweeteners in my diet or I am going to give up eating red meat and steak and beef and hamburgers because I know how terrible those are for my health. You could say anything like that – along those lines.

You could say today I am going to start drinking superfoods for breakfast every day or today I am going to start doing the nutritional supplementation that I know is good for me. Today I am going to make a change for the better and when you do that friends, you take control of your health journey from that point forward.

Instead of leaving your health results up to someone else outside of you who does not have your best interests at heart like a doctor or a corporation or an insurance company or a drug company. Instead of leaving your fate to these organizations, you take control of your fate. You make that journey your journey, and you control the outcome. That is what this show is all about – it is showing you how to control your outcome, putting you back in the driver's seat, putting you back in control so that you can create the health results that you want.

You don't have to live in fear
Do you want to be free from chronic pain for the rest of your life? There is a way to do that. Do you want to reduce your cancer risk to near zero because the industry has you afraid that you are going to be diagnosed with breast cancer or prostate cancer someday? Do you want to be rid of that fear for the rest of your life?

There is a way to do that. I can show you how to do that. I can show you how to eliminate – virtually eliminate all risk of cancer. Do you want to be free of diabetes? Do you want to have a healthy body weight? Do you want to look good and feel good?

You could do all that. It is all within your grasp. It just comes down to your decision of what you wish to do.

I am happy to share this kind of information with you. That is the potential that we have – just through nutrition. Nutrition is amazing. It is Mother Nature's medicine. This is the medicine that God and Mother Nature intended for us to consume. These are the medicines that we are naturally compatible with.

We lived for thousands and thousands of years around these plants. Our ancestors lived around these plants and these medicines and that is why they are compatible with our bodies.

This whole system of western medicine – conventional pharmaceutical medicine – has not been around very long. It will not be around very long because it is a disaster. It is killing people. Do you realize that conventional medicine has killed more people in this country than terrorists by a huge factor?

Conventional medicine is killing 100,000 Americans a year. That is over twice as many Americans that died in the entire Vietnam War – twice as many every year right here in this country killed by pharmaceuticals.

Those are pharmaceuticals that are approved by the FDA, but we can save that many lives through nutrition. Nutrition can turn that around and that is why I do what I do right here on Natural News. That is why I am glad to have you as a listener. I really hope you enjoyed the information we covered here today.

We have a lot more to cover in the future. We are going to be talking about vitamin D, cancer prevention. We are going to talk about the top companies – the top nutritional supplements – how to lose weight and keep it off, how to prevent diabetes, how to reverse Type II diabetes so that you no longer need insulin shots. Yes, we are going to go through all that right here on this website.

Be sure to check out the rest of the website, www.NaturalNews.com, for more information about how to stay healthy and prevent disease. Take care of yourselves. Stay healthy and we will talk to you again soon.

Iodine May Be the Critical Mineral for Weight Loss, Energy and Beauty

2009-01-13T16:34:00.001+08:00

(from NaturalNews.com :-http://www.naturalnews.com/024566.html)

(NaturalNews) Iodine may just be the most overlooked mineral, yet its importance to overall health and well being cannot be overstated. Iodine is critical for the formation of thyroid hormone in the thyroid gland. People who have difficulty losing weight even though they eat small portions of health promoting foods may be short on iodine. Iodine deficiency can lead to dull and brittle hair, balding, lack of skin tone, low energy levels, difficulty dealing with environmental temperature change, poor concentration, constipation, depression, and extreme fatigue.

Why many people are iodine deficient

Health conscious people expect conventional produce to be grown in soils deficient in essential minerals. They may be surprised to find out that organic produce is also often lacking sufficient amounts of iodine. Adequate intake of iodine was once a recognized problem that was solved by adding small amounts of it in the processing of table salt. Once this was done, the obvious symptoms of severe iodine deficiency disappeared from view, and little further thought was given to matter, though sub-clinical symptoms remained. Today’s health conscious consumers have lowered their salt intake and now fail to get even that small amount of iodine in their diets. Many people have replaced processed iodized salt with sea salt, an obvious healthy alternative, except that sea salt does not naturally contain a significant amount of iodine.

Iodine has many actions in the body

A shortage of iodine can cause changes to the thyroid gland that directly lead to poor function of metabolism and immunity. Iodine deficiency promotes free radical damage in the thyroid gland that puts the gland itself at risk. Iodine blocks various compounds from binding to and accumulating in the thyroid gland, such as fluoride, perchlorate, and goitrogens. Environmental pollution significantly aggravates an iodine lack and displaces iodine in the body.

Iodine is in high concentration in the ovaries and breast tissue, acting as a buffer to the growth stimulating effects of estrogen and as a promoter of proper estrogen metabolism. Iodine assists the functioning of hormone receptors throughout the body, helping hormones communicate more effectively. Thyroid hormone governs the rate of other hormone formation, and thus governs sexual function.

Iodine is essential for proper brain development and cognitive ability. There have been many studies showing the importance of iodine during gestation when cognitive potential is formed. A mother with adequate iodine levels will be more likely to produce a child with superior brain development.

Recent research documents the importance of proper iodine levels

A study reported in the September edition of Endocrine Review noted that iodine is critical for the biological effects mediated by thyroid hormone. Iodine containing enzymes important to the action of the thyroid were also found to increase or decrease thyroid hormone signaling in a tissue-and temporal-specific fashion, independently of changes in thyroid hormone serum concentrations. It was clear to the researchers that these enzymes play a much broader role than was once thought, with great ramifications for the control of thyroid hormone signaling during vertebrate development and metamorphosis, as well as injury response, tissue repair, hypothalamic function, and energy homeostasis in adults.

The September 3 edition of Cancer Causes and Control reports a review of literature focused on risk factors for thyroid cancer. The researchers found that at present, the only recognized measures for reducing thyroid cancer risk are avoiding ionizing radiation and iodine deficiency, particularly in children and young women.

The European Journal of Nutrition, August edition, reports it widely accepted that the rapid rate of growth of the brain during the last third of gestation and the early postnatal stage makes it vulnerable to an inadequate diet. A deficiency of iodine during this critical period in brain development is associated with reduced intellectual ability.

The August 12 edition of Medical Hypotheses reports the World Health organization showing iodine deficiency to be a worldwide health problem. As iodine status is based in median urinary iodine excretion, even in countries regarded as iodine sufficient, a considerable part of the population may be iodine deficient. Iodine deficiency traditionally results in hypothyroidism, goiter, and cretinism. Researchers hypothesized that iodine deficiency may also give rise to subtle impairment of thyroid function leading to clinical syndromes resembling hypothyroidism or diseases that have been associated with the occurrence of hypothyroidism. They described several clinical conditions suspected to be linked to iodine deficiency, including obesity, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), psychiatric disorders, fibromyalgia, and malignancies.

Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, August 6, reports that the trace elements iodine and selenium are essential for thyroid gland functioning and thyroid hormone biosynthesis and metabolism. While iodine is needed as the eponymous constituent of the two major thyroid hormones T3 and T4, selenium is essential for the biosynthesis and function of small numbers of selenocysteine containing enzymes that control thyroid hormone turnover.

The August 1 edition of Lancet reports that 2 billion individuals worldwide have insufficient iodine intake, producing adverse effects on growth and development due to inadequate production of thyroid hormone. Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of preventable mental impairment worldwide. The researchers recommended iodine supplements be used to remediate deficiency.

The Alternative Medicine Review, June edition, reports that iodine deficiency is critical in pregnancy due to the consequences for neurological damage during fetal development as well as during lactation. The safety of therapeutic doses of iodine above the established safe upper limit of 1 mg is evident in the lack of toxicity in the Japanese population that consumes 25 times the median intake of iodine consumption in the United States. Japan’s population suffers no demonstrable increased incidence of autoimmune thyroiditis or hypothyroidism. Studies using 3.0 to 6.0 mg doses to effectively treat fibrocystic breast disease may reveal an important role for iodine in maintaining normal breast tissue architecture and function. Iodine may also have important antioxidant functions in breast tissue and other tissues that concentrate iodine via the sodium iodide supporter.

Determining iodine deficiency

Due to the fact that iodine deficiency can have serious consequences, it is important for people to use iodine supplementation if they are not regularly getting adequate amounts from food. Good food sources of iodine are dairy products produced from cattle fed iodine-supplemented feed and salt licks, iodized salt, seafood, saltwater fish, seaweed, and kelp. It may also be found in asparagus, garlic, lima beans, mushrooms, sesame seed, spinach, chard, and summer squash. Some foods block the uptake of iodine into the thyroid gland when eaten raw in large amounts, such as cabbage, kale, peaches, pears and spinach.

Pregnant women, the elderly and adolescents are more predisposed to iodine deficiency. More women than men are short on iodine. In addition to low thyroid functioning, symptoms of iodine deficiency include depression, weight gain, weak heartbeat, extreme dry hair and skin, swelling of the legs, decreased ability to concentrate, muscle cramps, puffiness or swelling of the eyes, and chronic aches and pains. Fatigue is a common symptom, characterized by the urge to fall asleep when not active. Hypersensitivity to cold, or cold hands and feet is another frequently reported symptom. When the metabolism is not up to par, there is less energy and heat produced.

Supplementing iodine

The best known iodine supplement is kelp, which offers iodine as well as other minerals in a whole food form. Iodine from kelp is naturally in the form of potassium iodide, which is not soluble in water and may be difficult for the body to use. According to health guru Byron Richards, this form of iodine has been shown to congest the thyroid gland when taken in high doses. Kelp is readily available online or in health food stores.

Richard’s company Wellness Resources produces an iodine product called Iosol that is made with iodine extracted from kelp and made into pure iodine crystals. In this process the iodine is unbound from the potassium. The crystals are combined with ammonium iodide, a form that readily dissolves in water. The result is an iodine supplement with high bioavailability.

Both kelp and Iosol supplements are highly affordable.

Salt Content in Processed Foods Linked to Higher Soda Consumption, Hypertension and Obesity

2009-01-13T16:32:00.000+08:00

(from NaturalNews.com :-http://www.naturalnews.com/024844.html)

(NaturalNews) Higher salt intake in children is related to an increased consumption of sugary beverages, according to a study conducted by researchers from St. George's, University of London, and published in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension.

High consumption of salt is well-known to be linked to high blood pressure, or hypertension. Now a new study suggests that it may also be partially responsible for the health problems that come from drinking too many sugary beverages.

Researchers analyzed the salt and fluid intake for 1,600 children between the ages of four and 18. All food and beverages that the children consumed were weighed on digital scales.

"We found that children eating a lower-salt diet drank less fluid," said lead author Feng He. "We estimated that one gram of salt cut from their daily diet would reduce fluid intake by 100 grams per day."

Based on analysis of the children's average consumption patterns, the researchers concluded that a 100-gram reduction in fluid intake would correspond to a 27-gram reduction in sugary beverage consumption.

"Sugar-sweetened soft drinks are a significant source of calorie intake in children," He said. "It has been shown that sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption is related to obesity in young people.

"If children ... cut their salt intake by half (i.e., an average reduction of three grams a day), there would be a decrease of approximately two sugar-sweetened soft drinks per week."

According to He, this would remove 250 calories from a child's diet each week.

"Not only would reducing salt intake lower blood pressure in children," He said, "but it could also play a role in helping to reduce obesity."

The researchers noted that prior experimental studies have shown that reducing children's salt intake leads to a reduction consumption of sugary and other beverages

"Currently, salt intake in young people is unnecessarily high because of, in most countries, hidden salt added to food by the food industry," they said.

AMA's campaign against salt fails to recognize health benefits of sea salt and trace minerals

2009-01-13T16:21:00.001+08:00

(from NaturalNews.com :-http://www.naturalnews.com/019680.html)

You may have heard the recent news that the AMA has publicly come out against excessive sodium consumption and salt in particular. Suddenly, the alternative health community is engaged in a whirlwind of debate on the topic. But wait, if salt is a major risk factor in heart and renal diseases, why is anyone upset?

Quite simply, the issue is that not all sources of sodium and salt are the same. As far as the body is concerned, there is no connection between the chemically-cleansed sodium chloride table salt you buy in the supermarket, which is added to virtually every processed food you buy, and the mineral rich organic sea salt available in health food stores. One can kill you; the other heals you. In fact, it's essential for life.

One point everyone can agree on is that the body needs sodium to function. It is the main component of the body's extra-cellular fluids, and it helps carry nutrients into the cells. Sodium also helps regulate other body functions, such as blood pressure and fluid volume, and works on the lining of blood vessels to keep the pressure balance normal.

Everyone can also agree that just like anything else, salt or sodium should not be consumed in excess. (But then again, that's true of water and oxygen as well.) Which brings us back to why the AMA came out with a warning: Americans are consuming ever higher amounts of sodium, up to 6,000 milligrams a day, instead of the recommended 500 to 2,000 milligrams per day. These high amounts, in a form that is unfriendly to the human body and with no ancillary mineral benefits, are what lead to serious health problems. However, this is not necessarily the heart of the debate. The issue is that the AMA is against all forms of salt, which could threaten to obscure salt's importance and to confuse thoughtful consumers.

To further explain, standard table salt is highly refined, chemically cleansed, and unfriendly to the human body. Unrefined sea salt, on the other hand, is a naturally occurring complex of sodium chloride, which includes major minerals such as calcium and magnesium and a complete complement of essential trace minerals. This is the form of salt the body is designed to utilize – having been the salt of choice since humans first walked the earth. Refined table salt, on the other hand, is a modern invention, artificially designed to look white and pour easily. The human body doesn't like it.

This is very similar to the vitamin dilemma. The best vitamin supplements are full complexes that can be absorbed into the body because they mimic how they are found in nature. Vitamin E, for instance, is usually sold as d-alpha-tocopheol (dl-alpha if you buy synthetic), but vitamin E naturally exists as a complex of at least eight components – 4 tocopherols and 4 tocotrienols, of which d-alpha is at best the sixth most potent (source: VitaminRetailer.com).

Likewise, the vitamin C found in a lemon does not exist as ascorbic acid, but as a complex that includes bioflavonoids and calcium. You will notice that now most vitamin C supplements contain added bioflavonoids and calcium because over time supplement manufacturers have learned that the body doesn't utilize pure ascorbic acid without the rest of the vitamin C complex present. But nature had it right from the very beginning. Lemons contain the full complex; oranges contain the full complex; and grapefruit contain the full complex. Similar to complex vitamins, unrefined natural sea salt is also a complex, one that contains the full spectrum of trace minerals that are essential for life but lacking in our modern diet.

Here we get to the heart of the debate: trace minerals.

The issue of getting enough trace minerals in our diet should not be taken lightly. Traditionally, eating fresh grains, fruits, and vegetables grown in nutrient-rich soil, drinking mineral rich water, and including naturally occurring forms of raw salt in the diet have provided the full spectrum of ionically-charged trace minerals necessary for life. Unfortunately, naturally occurring, nutrient-rich soil is almost non-existent on commercial farms and bottled water is mostly devoid of trace minerals. Key trace minerals now missing from the modern diet include copper, tin, silver, gold, and lithium. The entire burden has shifted to naturally occurring salt and/or trace mineral supplements. Recently, trace minerals in the news include selenium for preventing cancer, boron for preventing osteoporosis, and chromium for regulating blood sugar levels. Of course, finding the right source of trace minerals is tricky, but that is another topic.

In the end, as the scientific community debates on whether sodium chloride causes high blood pressure or if sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) is a better alternative, others will remind consumers that going back to nature is the key. Although we can't rely on our fruits and vegetables any more for minerals, we still have a natural alternative: unrefined sea salt. Of course, at least everyone can all agree on one thing: a healthy diet is a diet in moderation.

In a world of specialists, Jon Barron is the true Health Renaissance Man. He has wrapped his mind around virtually every natural therapy known to man and brought it together in a whole body package -- delivering a whole body "system" program, a line of nutraceutical products, and cutting-edge functional foods and drinks for consumers to enjoy. Combining his knowledge and research with modern science, he continues to pioneer solutions in the alternative health industry for the overall benefit of mankind.

Moringa Oleifera: The Miracle Tree

2009-01-12T16:44:00.000+08:00

(from naturalnews.com)
(NaturalNews) Imagine a tree in your backyard that will meet all your nutritional needs, take care of you medicinally, and purify your water for you. This tree actually exists. For centuries, the natives of northern India and many parts of Africa have known of the many benefits of Moringa oleifera. Its uses are as unique as the names it is known by, such as clarifier tree, horseradish tree and drumstick tree (referring to the large drumstick shaped pods) and in East Africa it is called "mother's best friend”. Virtually every part of the tree can be used. Native only to the foothills of the Himalayas, it is now widely cultivated in Africa, Central and South America, Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia and the Philippines. This tree, though little known in the Western world, is nutritional dynamite. There are literally hundreds of uses for this tree.

The immature pods are the most valued and widely used of all the tree parts. The pods are extremely nutritious, containing all the essential amino acids along with many vitamins and other nutrients. The immature pod can be eaten raw or prepared like green peas or green beans, while the mature pods are usually fried and possess a peanut-like flavor. The pods also yield 38 - 40% of non-drying, edible oil known as Ben Oil. This oil is clear, sweet and odorless, and never becomes rancid. Overall, its nutritional value most closely resembles olive oil. The thickened root is used as a substitute for horseradish although this is now discouraged as it contains alkaloids, especially moriginine, and a bacteriocide, spirochin, both of which can prove fatal following ingestion. The leaves are eaten as greens, in salads, in vegetable curries, as pickles and for seasoning. They can be pounded up and used for scrubbing utensils and for cleaning walls. Leaves and young branches are relished by livestock. The Bark can be used for tanning and also yields a coarse fiber. The flowers, which must be cooked, are eaten either mixed with other foods or fried in batter and have been shown to be rich in potassium and calcium.

In developing tropical countries, Moringa trees have been used to combat malnutrition, especially among infants and nursing mothers. Three non-governmental organizations in particular - Trees for Life, Church World Service and Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization - advocate Moringa as “natural nutrition for the tropics.” Leaves can be eaten fresh, cooked, or stored as dried powder for many months without refrigeration, and without loss of nutritional value. Moringa is especially promising as a food source in the tropics because the tree is in full leaf at the end of the dry season when other foods are typically scarce. Analyses of the leaf composition have revealed them to have significant quantities of vitamins A, B and C, calcium, iron and protein. According to Optima of Africa, Ltd., a group that has been working with the tree in Tanzania, "25 grams daily of Moringa Leaf Powder will give a child" the following recommended daily allowances:

Protein 42%, Calcium 125%, Magnesium 61%, Potassium 41%, Iron 71%, Vitamin A 272%, and Vitamin C 22%. These numbers are particularly astounding; considering this nutrition is available when other food sources may be scarce.

Scientific research confirms that these humble leaves are a powerhouse of nutritional value. Gram for gram, Moringa leaves contain: SEVEN times the vitamin C in oranges, FOUR times the Calcium in milk, FOUR times the vitamin A in carrots, TWO times the protein in milk and THREE times the Potassium in bananas.

The Moringa tree has great use medicinally both as preventative and treatment. Much of the evidence is anecdotal as there has been little actual scientific research done to support these claims. India's ancient tradition of ayurveda says the leaves of the Moringa tree prevent 300 diseases. One area in which there has been significant scientific research is the reported antibiotic activity of this tree.

This is clearly the area in which the preponderance of evidence - both classical scientific and anecdotal evidence - is overwhelming. The scientific evidence has now been available for over 50 years, although much of it is completely unknown to western scientists. In the late 1940’s and early 1950’s a team from India identified a compound they called pterygospermin. This group was also able to demonstrate its mode of antimicrobial action in the mid 1950’s. Field reports and ecological studies form part of a rich traditional medicine history claiming efficacy of leaf, seed, root, bark, and flowers against a variety of dermal and internal infections. In 1964 other active compounds were isolated and tested in-vitro, and these studies, along with observational studies provide a very plausible mechanism of action for the centuries of claims of efficacy. Unfortunately, because many of the reports of antibiotic efficacy in humans are not supported by placebo controlled, randomized clinical trials, Western medical prejudice leaves the Western world ignorant of Moringa’s antibiotic properties.

Another area of folklore which research supports is in cancer treatment. Moringa species have long been recognized by folk medicine practitioners as having value in the treatment of tumors. Studies examined certain compounds for their cancer preventive potential. Recently two of these compounds were shown to be potent inhibitors of activation of lymphoblastoid (Burkitt’s lymphoma) cells. One of these compounds also inhibited tumors in mice bred to be prone to tumors. In another study, Bharali and colleagues examined skin tumor prevention following ingestion of drumstick (Moringa seedpod) extracts. In this mouse model, which included appropriate positive and negative controls, a dramatic reduction in skin tumors was demonstrated. More rigorous study is required in order to achieve a level of proof required for full medical endorsement of Moringa as, in this case, a cancer preventative plant.

After the oil is extracted from the pods, the seed-cake remaining contains the active components for removing turbidity (solid particles) from water. Because bacteria adhere to the solids, this seed-cake also effectively removes bacteria. At the Thyolo Water Treatment Works in Malawi, Africa, two researchers from the University of Leicester, England, have worked on substituting moringa seeds for alum to remove solids in water for drinking. Not only were the tests successful in removing as much solid material as alum, but the seeds used were "purchased from enthusiastic villagers in Nsanje Region in Malawi" (Folkard and Sutherland, 1996. Not only is Moringa oleifera as effective as aluminum sulphate (alum) in removing suspended solids from turbid water, it has a major advantage. Because it can be produced locally, "using Moringa rather than alum would save foreign exchange and generate farm and employment income." The potential for Moringa to create a new market for a community is there, and studies and projects are taking place examining this potential. Use of this natural substance would also remove a source of aluminum contamination.

This tree is truly a “miracle” tree offering hope; nutritionally, medicinally and economically to devastatingly poor 3rd world countries. It has just recently begun being used as a supplement in a juice form and in powdered leaf tablets.

Sources:

Ramachandran,C., Peter,K.V. and Gopalakrishnan,P.K., 1980, Drumstick (Moringa oleifera): A multipurpose Indian Vegetable. Economic Botany, 34 (3) pp276-283.

http://peacecorps.mtu.edu/resources/studentprojects/moringa.htm

http://www.tfljournal.org/article.php/20051201124931586

Meitzner and Price (Amaranth to Zai Holes: Ideas for Growing Food Under Difficult Conditions, ECHO, 1996),

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/cv/wedc/papers/20/sessioni/sutherla.pdf

Moringa - Miracle Tree - Poster

2009-01-12T15:10:00.000+08:00

These Leaves Could Save Millions of Lives

2009-01-12T12:40:00.002+08:00

Media Exposure Has Adverse Impact on Children's Health

2009-01-12T10:04:00.001+08:00

(extracted from http://www.naturalnews.com/025285.html)
Sunday, January 11, 2009 by: Reuben Chow, citizen journalist

(NaturalNews) Some natural health practitioners advocate the avoidance of television in the pursuit of good health. Why? Because television, more often than not, is filled with bad news, negative attitudes, violence and sex. Often, it also promotes insecurity, fear, hatred and consumerism. A recent study conducted by the United States National Institutes of Health, Yale University and the California Pacific Medical Center has affirmed such assertions, revealing that exposure to media sources has a negative effect on the physical health of children.

Details and Findings of Study

The study team had looked at 173 previous studies conducted since 1980 about the effects which the media has on children. About four out of every five of the studies concurred that heavy exposure to the media raises the risk of harmful behavior and conditions in children, including attention problems, drug and alcohol use, obesity, poor grades in school, smoking as well as sex. With specific regard to sex, 93% of those studies found that children with more exposure to the media have sex at a younger age.

How much time exactly are children today spending with the mass media? The numbers do not look too good. On average, the study found that a child in the modern world today spends close to 45 hours each week with media sources such as cell phones, the internet, magazines, movies, music, television, and video games. That is almost as much as the average combined time spent each week with their parents and in school, which number at 17 hours and 30 hours respectively.

The Impact of the Media

The impact of the media can be very pronounced, yet also very subtle. Subconsciously, what we watch and read can be having a profound impact on our attitudes and habits without us even knowing it. Of course, this can apply to both adults and children. The latter, though, are more susceptible because they are still at a more impressionable age. "Our kids are sponges, and we really need to remember they learn from their environment," said Cary P Gross, a professor at Yale School of Medicine and co-author of the study.

The Urgent Need to Address the Problem among Children

The study team hopes to raise awareness among parents, teachers and society in general about the adverse effects which the media has on the health of our children. Other studies have already surfaced the gravity of the situation in the present-day, with obesity and disease rates among the young ones climbing alarmingly. A recent study even found that young children are already having arteries which are as degenerated as middle-aged adults! (http://www.naturalnews.com/025096.html)

The children are of course the future of the world and, going at the present rate of deterioration, we are going to be left with generations of very unhealthy people in the not-too-distant future. Both economically and socially, it is not an exaggeration to say that the consequences could be quite disastrous.

Adults of today are the children`s shepherds, and with that comes responsibility. It is important not just to limit children`s use of media, but also to guide them on evaluating the volumes of information which they are flooded with on a daily basis. And while this was an American study, many developed nations may have similar trends, and action all-round may be needed.

Ezekiel Emanuel, another co-author of the study from the National Institutes of Health, summed it up pretty well when he said, "The idea that this is having a really measurable adverse impact on health makes it important to take this seriously. Every year, we have 4 million new kids. How long are we going to wait?"

Source

Media Exposure Is Bad For Kids` Health, Study Says (http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_Media_Ex...)

Health Tip of the Day "Getting Fit. . . One Step at a Time"

2009-01-12T09:44:00.001+08:00

When selecting hygiene products (lotions, soaps,
shampoos etc.) read the labels. Look for 100% natural
ingredients. If you can't pronounce the name you probably
do not want to put it on your skin. Your skin absorbs what
you put on it.

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www.healthcoachtraining.com/htotd

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Health Tip of the Day "Getting Fit. . . One Step at a Time"

2009-01-12T09:43:00.000+08:00

Avoid dry cleaning chemicals. If you must dry clean
your clothes, allow them to air out for several days
outside away from people.

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www.healthcoachingu.com

To become a Professional HealthCoach, click below:
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To subscribe to this complimentary Health Tip, go to:
www.healthcoachtraining.com/htotd

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All Rights Reserved. Duplication permitted only
with copyright, content, and subscription details
unaltered. www.healthcoachtraining.com
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224 Commercial Blvd, Ste 304
Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, FL
33308
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A Free Health Report on The pH Nutrition Guide to Acid / Alkaline Balance

2009-01-10T10:39:00.000+08:00

The pH Nutrition Guide to Acid / Alkaline Balance

Ten Steps to a Top Notch Immune System

2009-01-10T09:29:00.000+08:00

Source of this article :- http://www.naturalnews.com/025114.html

(NaturalNews) This is the time of year when people want a fully functioning immune system to keep away colds and flu and see them through the winter in good health. How they go about achieving this goal can determine whether it becomes a reality. There are so many products on the market that claim they can protect people from germs that consumers wonder which magic bullet to choose. But the reality is that having a healthy immune system doesn’t mean just buying products. It means having a healthy body. Immune health and overall health go hand in hand.

The immune system is vital to existence

The immune system, including its inflammatory components, is the basis of defense against pathogenic invaders like germs, bacteria, viruses, yeast, fungus, and parasites. It is a complex system involving interactions among many different cell types dispersed throughout the body. Central to the actions of the system are phagocytosis of bacteria, processing of antigens derived from intracellular and extracellular pathogens, activation and proliferation of T cells, and production of cytokines that elicit antibody production and killing cell activity.

The immune system also is the guardian of the cells in the body and the watchdog for abnormal, damaged or degenerating cells. There are always somewhere between 100 and 10,000 abnormal cells floating around in the body at any one time, produced as byproducts of the normal metabolic process. These numbers include hundreds or thousands of cancerous cells produced by the normal body in the course of the day.

Keeping the immune system functioning at its best is critical. When the system becomes weakened it’s unable to fight off invaders and deal effectively with defective cells. Anything from a cold to cancer or the development of autoimmune diseases can be the result of an immune system that is not functioning at its best.

The immune system is a complex, subtle, ever changing and ever renewing system. In many ways, it is the key to your very existence.

What you can do to keep your immune system and yourself strong and healthy

Eliminate toxic food and drink from your diet – The standard American diet of today relies more and more on chemicals and preservatives. Reading the ingredient list for a packaged meal, a can of soup or a bakery product in a grocery store 20 years ago revealed a list primarily composed of recognizable food substances. Today these food products contain hundreds of chemicals that are not recognizable to the body as food. This means that they are perceived by the immune system as foreign invaders that must be dealt with. When the immune system is tied up battling the invaders you have willingly put into your body, it is not available to do the job it was created to do. Read the labels on the products you buy to make sure they are free of such toxins. Shop for organic foods when possible, and eat whole foods that are raw or cooked at home.

Get rid of personal care products containing toxic chemicals – Personal care products have been chemicalized to the same extent as the food supply. Look at the labels. Most personal care products sold at traditional supermarkets, drug stores, and discount outlets contain toxic ingredients that threaten your health by absorbing the attention of your immune system. When these products are rubbed into the skin they enter the bloodstream as surely as if they had been eaten. Replace these with products that contain only naturally occurring ingredients that your immune system will recognize as belonging in your body. It is not easy to find toxic-free natural personal care products, but once you do the work and see how good you feel using them, it will seem well worth the effort. The online retailers like Vitacost and Lucky Vitamin are excellent sources of natural personal care products, but be sure to read the labels. Many products sold as natural contain highly toxic ingredients.

Get the toxins out of your home and workplace – The cleaning products in a typical house are filled with toxic chemicals that will occupy the attention of your immune system and keep it from doing its job. Replace these with toxin-free products from a store like Whole Foods or order them online, or simply switch to baking soda and vinegar for all your cleaning needs. Throw out that antibacterial soap and those hand wipes. The bacteria killing agents they contain create havoc with your immune system and actually make you more susceptible to infectious diseases. Get rid of the stored paint cans and other chemicals in the basement or garage that allow toxic gas to escape into your home.

Add fresh, clean air to your environment whenever possible – Even in the dead of winter, open your windows for a period of time and let fresh air into your home or workplace. Go out for a walk or sit in the sun and breathe fresh air. When you do this, you are giving your immune system a chance to focus its full attention where it is needed. Add plants to your home or work setting. One medium sized houseplant for every 100 square feet of home or office space will drastically change the air quality for the better. Plants are nature’s air cleaners.

Eat healthy fats – Research has shown that omega-3 fats have the ability to reduce inflammation and regulate the T and B lymphocyte functions. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) found in fish oil give rise to newly discovered resolvins which are capable of resolving inflammation. Adding omega-3 fats to the diet changes the composition of immune cells and affects phagocytosis, T cell signaling and antigen presentation capability. These effects appear to mediate at the membrane level suggesting important roles for fatty acids in cell membrane order and trafficking. The fatty acid composition of human immune cells influences their function and the cell membrane contents of these fats are important.

Detoxify your body – Heavy metals and toxins in the body are a drag on the immune system. This is one reason why health experts recommend frequent body detoxification. There are many ways to go about detoxifying the body. One of the best is the use of chlorella for three weeks out of every month. This nutritional powerhouse will bind with heavy metals in your body and escort them out. For accumulated heavy metals, a quarter cup of cilantro juice works well to flush toxins out that can then be bound with chlorella. Chlorella’s high level of chlorophyll makes it a highly effective blood and organ cleanser. Doing yoga will loosen and release toxic build ups in your muscles and joints, The slow, deep breaths that are part of yoga help the body expel these released toxins.

Strengthen your digestive/elimination system – Those bacteria residing in your gut are there to help with digestion and protect you against invaders. If the bacteria population becomes thinned from the use of antibiotics, chlorinated water or pesticides in food, there will not be enough friendly bacteria on the job to keep you healthy. Beneficial bacteria manufacture potent immune boosters such as transfer factor and lactoferrin right in the intestinal tract, so the proper balance of bacteria in the gut can substantially boost the immune system. Replace friendly bacteria daily with the use of a probiotic supplement such as PB 8 from NOW nutrition, or drink some kefir everyday. Kefir is a delicious fermented milk that is loaded with friendly bacteria. It is available in health good stores or can be made at home with a culture available online. Take care of your friendly bacteria, and they will take care of you. Problems with elimination tend to disappear with regular use of chlorella and probiotics.

Ensure optimal immune system functioning – The immune system needs to respond strongly to pathogens, but not too strongly. If it responds too strongly the result can be systemic inflammation, allergies, or autoimmune disorders. Adaptogens work to normalize physiological responses and keep them at optimal levels. They are agents that allow the body to counter adverse physical, chemical or biological stressors while maintaining equilibrium. There are many adaptogens that have been used for thousands of years. The list includes medicinal mushrooms, garlic, eleuthero, maca and licorice root. Two of the best are astragalus and schisandra. These herbs are sold together as a single capsule by Gaia Herbs.

Keep your body well mineralized – Minerals are essential for maintaining your body’s pH in an optimal range. Deficiencies of minerals such as selenium, magnesium, iron, and zinc among others have been shown to impair the immune system. A diet rich in raw organic fruits and vegetables, or freshly juiced organic produce will probably provide a wealth of minerals. People who do not have access to a constant supply of fresh organic produce can supplement their minerals with spriulina, chlorella, alfalfa, or bee pollen. Each of these provides an abundance of minerals in a whole food form for easy absorption and use by the body.

Get a good night’s sleep – To a large degree sleep is your immune system. A full night’s sleep of 8 hours or more will allow the body to complete the cycle that begins with melatonin production and continues with prolactin production. These two hormones promote white cells known as macrophages and leukocytes, critical components of the immune system. Sleeping less than a full 8 hours will not allow the cycle to be completed resulting in your first line of immune defense being depleted. To ensure adequate melatonin and prolactin production, sleep in a room that is as dark as you can make it. Remember that the huge increase in degenerative diseases coincides with the invention of the electric light bulb.

Sources:

P.C. Calder, “The relationship between the fatty acid composition of immune cells and their function”, Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, Oct. 22, 2008.

Jon Barron, "Strengthen Your Immune System with Natural Immune Boosters”, jonbarron.org.