Turmeric is one the most thoroughly researched plants in existence today.  Its medicinal properties and components (primarily curcumin) have been the subject of over 5600 peer-reviewed and published biomedical studies.  In fact, our five-year long research project on this sacred plant has revealed over 600 potential preventive and therapeutic applications, as well as 175 distinct beneficial physiological effects. This entire database of 1,585 ncbi-hyperlinked turmeric abstracts can be downloaded as a PDF at our Downloadable Turmeric Document page, and acquired either as a retail item or with 200 GMI-tokens, for those of you who are already are members and receive them automatically each month.

Given the sheer density of research performed on this remarkable spice, it is no wonder that a growing number of studies have concluded that it compares favorably to a variety of conventional medications, including:

• Lipitor/Atorvastatin(cholesterol medication): A 2008 study published in the journal Drugs in R & D found that a standardized preparation of curcuminoids from Turmeric compared favorably to the drug atorvastatin (trade name Lipitor) on endothelial dysfunction, the underlying pathology of the blood vessels that drives atherosclerosis, in association with reductions in inflammation and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetic patients. [i]  [For addition curcumin and 'high cholesterol' research – 8 abstracts]
• Corticosteroids (steroid medications): A 1999 study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research found that the primary polyphenol in turmeric, the saffron colored pigment known as curcumin, compared favorably to steroids in the management of chronic anterior uveitis, an inflammatory eye disease.[ii]  A 2008 study published in Critical Care Medicine found that curcumin compared favorably to the corticosteroid drug dexamethasone in the animal model as an alternative therapy for protecting lung transplantation-associated injury by down-regulating inflammatory genes.[iii] An earlier 2003 study published in Cancer Letters found the same drug also compared favorably to dexamethasone in a lung ischaemia-repurfusion injury model.[iv]  [for additional curcumin and inflammation research – 52 abstracts]
• Prozac/Fluoxetine & Imipramine  (antidepressants): A 2011 study published in the journal Acta Poloniae Pharmaceutica found that curcumin compared favorably to both drugs in reducing depressive behavior in an animal model.[v] [for additional curcumin and depression research – 5 abstracts]
• Aspirin (blood thinner): A 1986 in vitro and ex vivo study published in the journal Arzneimittelforschung found that curcumin has anti-platelet and prostacyclin modulating effects compared to aspirin, indicating it may have value in patients prone to vascular thrombosis and requiring anti-arthritis therapy.[vi]  [for additional curcumin and anti-platelet research]
• Anti-inflammatory Drugs: A 2004 study published in the journal Oncogene found that curcumin (as well as resveratrol) were effective alternatives to the drugs aspirin, ibuprofen, sulindac, phenylbutazone, naproxen, indomethacin, diclofenac, dexamethasone, celecoxib, and tamoxifen in exerting anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activity against tumor cells.[vii] [for additional curcumin and anti-proliferative research – 15 abstracts]
• Oxaliplatin (chemotherapy drug): A 2007 study published in the International Journal of Cancer found that curcumin compares favorably with oxaliplatin as an antiproliferative agenet in colorectal cell lines.[viii] [for additional curcumin and colorectal cancer research – 52 abstracts]
• Metformin (diabetes drug): A 2009 study published in the journal Biochemitry and Biophysical Research Community explored how curcumin might be valuable in treating diabetes, finding that it activates AMPK (which increases glucose uptake) and suppresses gluconeogenic gene expression  (which suppresses glucose production in the liver) in hepatoma cells. Interestingly, they found curcumin to be 500 times to 100,000 times (in the form known as tetrahydrocurcuminoids(THC)) more potent than metformin in activating AMPK and its downstream target acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). [ix]

Another way in which turmeric and its components reveal their remarkable therapeutic properties is in research on drug resistant- and multi-drug resistant cancers.  We have two sections on our site dedicated to researching natural and integrative therapies on these topics, and while there are dozens of substances with demonstrable efficacy against these chemotherapy- and radiation-resistant cancers, curcumin tops both lists:

• Cancers: Drug Resistant
• Cancers: Multi-Drug Resistant

We have found no less than 54 studies indicating that curcumin can induce cell death or sensitize drug-resistant cancer cell lines to conventional treatment.[x]

We have identified 27 studies on curcumin's ability to either induce cell death or sensitize multi-drug resistant cancer cell lines to conventional treatment.[xi]

Considering how strong a track record turmeric (curcumin) has, having been used as both food and medicine in a wide range of cultures, for thousands of years, a strong argument can be made for using curcumin as a drug alternative or adjuvant in cancer treatment.

Or, better yet, use certified organic (non-irradiated) turmeric in lower culinary doses on a daily basis so that heroic doses won't be necessary later in life after a serious disease sets in.  Nourishing yourself, rather than self-medicating with 'nutraceuticals,' should be the goal of a healthy diet.  [learn more at Sayer Ji's new collaborative project EATomology]

May 8, 2013 by MARCO TORRES

Magnesium, NOT Calcium, Is The Key To Healthy Bones

The belief that calcium is the holy grail of what builds strong bones is absolutely ingrained in our society, but has no basis in reality–calcium is but ONE of the many minerals your body needs for building strong bones. Dietary intake of magnesium, not necessarily calcium, may be the key to developing healthy bones during childhood, according to new research presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in the USA.

Take a Second Peek At Calcium Claims

The mainstream engine has been promoting the use of calcium to prevent weak bones for decades. Age-old myths that calcium supplementation builds strong bones and teeth are reinforced in almost institution. But how effective is calcium supplementation?

A 2004 study showed that people with excess calcium in their coronary artery and who take statins have a 17-fold higher risk of heart attacks than do those with lower arterial calcium levels; researchers concluded that the two most definitive indicators of heart attack were LDL levels and calcium build-up.

A 2007 study showed that calcium from dietary sources has more favorable effects on bone health than calcium from supplements in postmenopausal women (Am J Clin Nutr 2007).

A 2008 study found calcium supplements are associated with a greater number of heart attacks in postmenopausal women (BMJ 2008)

A 2010 meta-analysis showed calcium supplements (without coadministered vitamin D) are associated with increased risk for heart attack (BMJ 2010)

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), food will always be the best source of calcium: “People who get the recommended amount of calcium from foods do not need to take a calcium supplement. These individuals still may need to take a vitamin D supplement. Getting too much calcium from supplements may increase the risk of kidney stones and other health problems.”

“Calcium supplements have been widely embraced by doctors and the public, on the grounds that they are a natural and therefore safe way of preventing osteoporotic fractures,” said the researchers, led by Professor Sabine Rohrmann, from Zurich University’s institute of social and preventative medicine.

“It is now becoming clear that taking this micronutrient in one or two daily [doses] is not natural, in that it does not reproduce the same metabolic effects as calcium in food,” they added.

Most supplements on the supplement market today contain calcium carbonate which is an inferior form of calcium and manufacturers attach a simple chelating agent like citric acid to make it more absorbable, however the end product is inferior to other calcium supplements such as calcium orotate, which is the only known form of calcium which can effectively penetrate the membranes of cells.

Another fact most people are unaware of is the myth promoted by the dairy industry that consuming pasteurized dairy products such as milk or cheese increases calcium levels. This is totally false. The pasteurization process only creates calcium carbonate, which has absolutely no way of entering the cells without a chelating agent. So what the body does is pull the calcium from the bones and other tissues in order to buffer the calcium carbonate in the blood. This process ACTUALLY CAUSES OSTEOPOROSIS. Milk definitively does not do a body good if it’s pasteurized.

Magnesium and Increasing Awareness

The new data from Professor Steven Abrams and his colleagues at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston finds that intake and absorption of magnesium during childhood are key predictors of total bone mineral content and bone density – while dietary calcium intake was not significantly associated with such measures.

“Dietary magnesium intake may be an important, relatively unrecognised, factor in bone mineral accretion in children,” the researchers revealed.

“Lots of nutrients are key for children to have healthy bones. One of these appears to be magnesium,” said Abrams. “Calcium is important, but, except for those children and adolescents with very low intakes, may not be more important than magnesium.”

The researchers noted that parents have been long advised to ensure their child has a good intake of calcium in order to help build strong and healthy bones. However, the importance of other minerals essential for bone health, such as magnesium, have not been so well promoted.

Abrams and his team suggested that it may soon be the case that parents are urged to ensure their children also consume enough magnesium.

Greater magnesium intake is significantly related to higher bone mineral density (BMD) in men and women. There is an approximate 2 percent increase in whole-body BMD for every 100 milligram per day increase in magnesium.

Osteoporotic fractures are a significant health problem in aging adults, Dr. Kathryn M. Ryder, of the University of Tennessee, Memphis, and colleagues note in their report. Given the high prevalence of low BMD and fracture, small improvements in BMD may have a large public health effect.

Magnesium is a “lesser-studied” component of bone that may play a role in calcium metabolism and bone strength, they add.

Supplementing With Magnesium

For the majority of human history, the ratio of calcium to magnesium in the diet was 1:1, a ratio that’s considered optimal. A ratio that’s between 1:1 and 2:1 is adequate (for example, 800 mg of calcium to 400 mg of magnesium). Unfortunately, today’s diets contain an average of 10 times more calcium than magnesium.

Magnesium comes in many forms. Magnesium oxide or chloride is fine, as is chelated magnesium. Capsules usually contain 250-500 mg of magnesium. You can also use a calcium/magnesium supplement. Experiment with levels. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for magnesium is 350-400 mg per day, although for optimal levels, you may need as much as twice that amount.

It’s best to take your magnesium in divided doses throughout the day. You can take it either on an empty stomach or with meals. You can also add Epsom salts to your baths–Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate. It’s absorbed through the skin and will help replenish magnesium stores. This “treatment” can easily include a relaxing bath with a good book.

Only one percent of the body’s magnesium is in the blood, and the body will take it from bones and tissues if that level drops. That means that a blood test could easily show a normal reading, even when the rest of the body is very deficient.

The best sources of magnesium will always be food. Dietary sources of magnesium include green leafy vegetables. Cacao, seeds, and nuts of any kind are among the highest food sources in magnesium.

SOURCE: http://preventdisease.com/news/13/050813_Magnesium-Not-Calcium-Is-The-Key-To-Healthy-Bones.shtml

If you were told to ingest a biologically alien synthetic chemical whose presence on this planet did not predate 1976, and whose structure is only a few atoms away from the deadly pesticide DDT, and you knew that not only were there no long term human safety studies performed on it, but that it had been already proven in tests to have following adverse health effects:

· Shrunken thymus glands (up to 40% shrinkage) 

· Enlarged liver and kidneys.

· Abnormal histopathological changes in spleen and thymus

· Increased cecal weight 

· Reduced growth rate

· DNA Damage

· Adverse changes to gastrointestinal bacteria

· Abnormal Pelvic Mineralization

· Decreased red blood cell count 

· Hyperplasia of the pelvis

· Aborted pregnancy (Maternal & Fetal Toxicity)

· Decreased fetal body weights and placental weights 

· Bowel inflammation/Crohn’s Disease

· Triggering migraine

· Increase glycosylation of hemoglobin (HbA1c) for diabetics

…would you still consume it? Of course not! And yet, millions of Americans (including our precious children!) are doing exactly that by consuming Splenda. So, what is sucralose, chemically speaking?

Like “Splenda,” the term “sucralose” is a cute little marketing ploy. The true name of this ugly little chemical is actually too long for the human tongue to comfortably pronounce (which is usually an excellent indication that it is not safe to ingest!) Go ahead and see if you can wrap your vocal chords around this phonetic monstrosity:

1,6-dichloro-1,6-dideoxy-BETA-D-fructofuranosyl-4-chloro-4-deoxy-alpha-D-galactopyranoside

Despite the intended insinuation, sucralose is not a form of sucrose (cane sugar). Sucralose/Splenda is produced through artificially substituting three hydroxyl groups (hydrogen + oxygen) with three chlorine atoms in the sugar (sucrose) molecule. Natural sugar is a hydrocarbon built around 12 carbon atoms. When transformed into Splenda it becomes a chlorocarbon, in the same family as deadly pesticides like DDT, insecticides, biocides, disinfectants like Chlorox Bleach, and WWI poison gas like dichlorourea.

The makers of sucralose/Splenda argue that this “remarkably stable” chemical passes unchanged into the urine and feces, when in fact, up to 11% to 27% is absorbed into the body (FDA, 1999). In fact, the varying degrees to which sucralose is absorbed is used as a marker for gut and intestinal permeability to determine certain disease states. Once absorbed, some portion of this chlorocarbon accumulates in the body (between 1.6% to 12.2%). What effects will these accumulated chemicals have? According to James Bowen, M.D:

“Any chlorocarbons not directly excreted from the body intact can cause immense damage to the processes of human metabolism and, eventually, our internal organs. The liver is a detoxification organ which deals with ingested poisons. Chlorocarbons damage the hepatocytes, the liver’s metabolic cells, and destroy them. In test animals Splenda produced swollen livers, as do all chlorocarbon poisons, and also calcified the kidneys of test animals in toxicity studies.”

How can this be true for an FDA approved sweetener?

FDA approval does not in any way guarantee safety… sadly enough, in many cases, it guarantees the exact opposite. Take aspartame for instance. Aspartame (Equal/NutraSweet) contains 10% methanol, which is broken down in our body into two extremely toxic substances: formaldehyde and formic acid. There are over 30 known adverse health effects associated with its consumption! This sweetener gained FDA approval in 1981, despite appalling evidence linking it to cancer, particularly, brain cancer.

So, if Splenda is not a viable alternative to sugar, what can we use instead?

When one uncouples the experience of “sweetness” from caloric content, the body becomes confused because it does not receive nourishment and therefore will not attain satiety – this, in turn, leads to overindulgence. Indeed, new studies have shown exactly this: those who consume synthetic sweeteners are more prone to obesity. What this means is that when we ingest something sweet, it should also have caloric and nutritional content. Anything less than this equation is a recipe for failure and ill health.

Thankfully Nature provides us with a veritable cornucopia of healthy sweeteners: honey, stevia, xylitol, erythritol, and dehydrated organic cane juice, all of which are available at your local health food store. Next time that sweet tooth calls, remember not to succumb to advertising hype which would convert poisonous chemicals into “magical” no-calorie sweeteners. Use both common sense and a sense of moderation, and your body will thank you.

source: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/bitter-truth-about-splenda

December 9, 2011

The Benefits of Hydrogen Peroxide and its Many Uses

by Andrea Harper

Hydrogen peroxide is the only germicidal agent composed only of water and oxygen. Like ozone, it kills disease organisms by oxidation! Hydrogen peroxide is considered the worlds safest all natural effective sanitizer. It kills microorganisms by oxidizing them, which can be best described as a controlled burning process. When hydrogen peroxide reacts with organic material it breaks down into oxygen and water.

Whiten Clothes – An Alternative to Beach
Add a cup of Peroxide to white clothes in your laundry to whiten them. Peroxide is great to get rid of blood stains on clothes and carpets. If there is blood on clothing, just pour directly on the spot, let it sit for about a minute, then rub and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.

Health:
Your body makes hydrogen peroxide to fight infection which must be present for our immune system to function correctly. White blood cells are known as Leukocytes. A sub-class of Leukocytes called Neutrophils produce hydrogen peroxide as the first line of defense against toxins, parasites, bacteria, viruses and yeast.

Rejuvenating Detoxifying Bath:
Use about 2 quarts 3% hydrogen peroxide to a tub of warm water. Soak at least 1/2 hour, adding hot water as needed to maintain a comfortable water temperature.

Foot Fungus:
To cure a foot fungus, simply spray a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry.

Douche:
Add 2 capfuls of 3% hydrogen peroxide in warm distilled water once to twice a week to remove even chronic yeast infections.

Colonic or Enema:
For a colonic, add 1 cup (8 ozs.) 3% H202 to 5 gallons warm water. (Do not exceed this amount) For an enema, add 1 tablespoon of 3% H202 to a quart of warm distilled water.

Infections:
Soak any infections or cuts in 3% for five to ten minutes several times a day. Even gangrene that would not heal with any medicine has been healed by soaking in hydrogen peroxide. Put half a bottle of hydrogen peroxide in your bath to help rid boils, fungus or other skin infections.

Bird Mites Infections:
Patients infected by tiny mites report that hydrogen peroxide effectively kills the mites on their skins. They spray it on their skin a couple of times (with a few minutes in between the applications) with amazing results.

Sinus Infections:
A tablespoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide added to 1 cup of non-chlorinated water can be used as a nasal spray. Depending on the degree of sinus involvement, one will have to adjust the amount of peroxide used.

Wound Care:
3% H2O2 is used medically for cleaning wounds, removing dead tissue, and as an oral debriding agent. Peroxide stops slow (small vessel) wound bleeding/oozing, as well.

Some sources recommend soaking infections or cuts for five to ten minutes several times a day. However, washing and rinsing action is sufficient. You shouldn’t leave the solution on open tissue for extended periods of time as, like many oxidative antiseptics, hydrogen perioxide causes mild damage to tissue in open wounds. Therefore it is important to use with caution.

Personal Care:

Mouthwash / Tooth Care:
Healing Properties: Take one capful (the little white cap that comes with the bottle) and hold in your mouth for 10 minutes daily, then spit it out. You will not have canker sores and your teeth will be whiter. If you have a terrible toothache and cannot get to a dentist right away, put a capful of 3% hydrogen peroxide into your mouth and hold it for 10 minutes several times a day. The pain will lessen greatly.

Mouthwash: Many people don’t realize that hydrogen peroxide makes a very effective and inexpensive mouthwash. Use 3% H202 – add a dash of liquid chlorophyll for flavoring if desired.

Toothpaste: Use baking soda and add enough 3% H202 to make a paste. Or, just dip your brush in 3% H202 and brush. Soak your toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide to keep them free of germs.

Toothbrush: Soaking your toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide will help keep them free of harmul germs.
Tooth Ache: Hydrogen peroxide is not a pain killer; however, as an anti-viral, antibacterial and anti-fungal agent, it is effective at treating the pathogen that is causing the infection. The following is from my own personal experience: My dentist wanted to give me a root canal some time ago as one tooth was inflamed and, in her opinion, would die. I felt some discomfort but told her that I would give it chance to heal. I rinsed with hydrogen peroxide (several times a day) as well ascoconut oil (once a day). The discomfort went away and I have had no further problems with the tooth.

Tooth Whitening: Having used 3% Hydrogen Peroxide as a mouth wash for sometime ago, I am thrilled to note that my teeth have been beautifully and effortlessly whitened. I used to pay so much for professional whitening, those silly strips and uncomfortable trays. Live and learn.

NOTE: Do not swallow any peroxide. When the peroxide rinse is done, be sure to rinse out your mouth with water.

Colonic or Enema:
For a colonic, add 1 cup (8 ozs.) 3% H202 to 5 gallons warm water. (Do not exceed this amount) For an enema, add 1 tablespoon of 3% H202 to a quart of warm distilled water.

Hair Lightening:
Peroxide is a bleaching agent and is used for lightened hair. Dilute 3% hydrogen peroxide with water (50 / 50) and spray the solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. You will not have the peroxide burnt blonde hair like the hair dye packages, but more natural highlights if your hair is a light brown, faddish, or dirty blonde. It also lightens gradually so it’s not a drastic change.

Contact Lenses:
Hydrogen peroxide is used as a disinfectant in CIBA Vision’s Clear Care no rub contact lens cleaning solution, due to its ability to break down the proteins that build up on the lense from the eye’s immune response, resulting in increased comfort for those with sensitive eyes.

Sanitizing / Disinfectant / Cleaning

Straight or Diluted Hydrogen Perioxide:
Clean your counters and table tops with hydrogen peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dishrag when you wipe, or spray it on the counters. Use hydrogen peroxide to clean glass and mirrors with no smearing.

Keep a spray bottle of 3% (straight) to disinfect the interior of the refrigerator and kids’ school lunch boxes.

In the Dishwasher: Add 2 oz. of 3% hydrogen peroxide to your regular washing formula.
Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of 3% hydrogen peroxide and water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system like bleach or most other disinfectants will. After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour or spray hydrogen peroxide (and then vinegar) on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria.

I use peroxide to clean my mirrors with, there is no smearing.

Combination of vinegar and hydrogen peroxidemake a cheap, effective and non-toxic disinfectant agent and is said to be more effective at killing pathogens than bleach.  As it is non-toxic, you can use it to disinfect fruits and vegetables, as well as pet toys, equipment and cages.  In tests run at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, pairing Vinegar and Hydrogen Peroxide mists, kills virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, or E. coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food and surfaces.

Directions:
You need TWO spray bottles. DO NOT MIX the solutions together.  Put straight vinegar in one and straight hydrogen peroxide in the other spray bottle.  NOTE: Light destroys peroxide rather quickly. It’s best to leave it in its original bottle and screw in a spray head. DO NOT DILUTE THEM.

Remember for any sanitizer to work properly, the surface has to be clean before you use it.

When you want to sanitize a surface (vegetables, cutting board, counters, sink, cages, toys. toilets, floors, etc.), spray one (it doesn’t matter which one you use first) on the surface, then you spray on the other.  When they mix, for a brief time the chemical action of the two make a very powerful sanitizer.  You can rinse off the surface afterwards, if you want, but the result is non-toxic.
Fortunately it is cheap. BTW, we use it in the bathroom to sanitize the counters, toilets, floors, etc.

Sanitizing Drinking Water

Mold:
Clean with hydrogen peroxide when your house becomes a biohazard after its invaded by toxic mold, such as those with water damage.

Humidifiers/Steamers:
Use 1 pint 3% hydrogen peroxide to 1 gallon of water.

Laundry / Stain Removing:
Stain Remover:
3% Hydrogen Peroxide is the best stain lifter if used fairly soon – although blood stains as old as 2 days have been successfully lifted with Hydrogen Peroxide. Although it will bleach or discolor many fabrics. If a little peroxide is poured onto the stain it will bubble up in the area of the blood, due to a reaction with catalase. After a few minutes the excess liquid can be wiped up with a cloth or paper towel and the stain will be gone.

3% H2O2 must be applied to clothing before blood stains can be accidentally “set” with heated water. Cold water and soap are then used to remove the peroxide treated blood.

Washing/Laundry:
You can also add a cup of hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.

Peroxide is a perfect alternate solution to keep those clothes white. Also, when chlorinating clothes, they tend to wear out faster – peroxide won’t do that.

Food Preparation:

Vegetable Soak:
Use as a vegetable wash or soak to kill bacteria and neutralize chemicals. Add 1/4 cup 3% H202 to a full sink of cold water. Soak light skinned (light lettuce) 20 minutes, thicker skinned (like cucumbers) 30 minutes. Drain, dry and refrigerate. Prolongs freshness.

If time is a problem, spray vegetables (and fruits) with a solution of 3%. Let stand for a few minutes, rinse and dry.

Meat Sanitizing:
You can also use it to rinse off your meat before cooking.

Leftover tossed salad:
Spray with a solution of 1/2 cup water and 1 Tbsp. 5%. Drain, cover and refrigerate.

Marinade:
Place meat, fish or poultry in a casserole (avoid using aluminium pans). Cover with a dilute solution of equal parts of water and 3% H202. Place loosely covered in refrigerator for 1/2 hour. Rinse and cook.

Sprouting Seeds:
Add 1 ounce 3% hydrogen peroxide to 1 pint of water and soak the seeds overnight. Add the same amount of hydrogen peroxide each time you rinse the seeds.

Grades of Hydrogen Peroxide

A) 3.5% Pharmaceutical Grade: This is the grade sold at your local drugstore or supermarket. This product is not recommended for internal use. It contains an assortment of stabilizers which shouldn’t be ingested. Various stabilizers include: acetanilide, phenol, sodium stanate and tertrasodium phosphate.
B) 6% Beautician Grade: This is used in beauty shops to color hair and is not recommended for internal use.
C) 30% Reagent Grade: This is used for various scientific experimentation and also contains stabilizers. It is also not for internal use.
D) 30% to 32% Electronic Grade: This is used to clean electronic parts and not for internal use.
E) 35% Technical Grade: This is a more concentrated product than the Reagent Grade and differs slightly in that phosphorus is added to help neutralize any chlorine from the water used to dilute it.
F) 35% Food Grade: This is used in the production of foods like cheese, eggs, and whey-containing products. It is also sprayed on the foil lining of aseptic packages containing fruit juices and milk products. THIS IS THE ONLY GRADE RECOMMENDED FOR INTERNAL USE.
G) 90%: This is used as an oxygen source for rocket fuel.

Only 35% Food Grade hydrogen peroxide is recommended for internal use. At this concentration, however, hydrogen peroxide is a very strong oxidizer and if not diluted, it can be extremely dangerous or even fatal. Any concentrations over 10% can cause neurological reactions and damage to the upper gastrointestinal tract. There have been two known fatalities in children who ingested 27% and 40% concentrations of H202. Another reports tells of a 26 month old female who swallowed one mouthful of 35% H202. She immediately began vomiting, followed by fainting and respiratory arrest. Fortunately, she was under emergency room care and although she experienced erosion and bleeding of the stomach and esophagus, she survived the incident. When she was re-examined 12 days later, the areas involved had healed (J Toxicol Clin Toxicol 90;28(1):95-100).

35% Food Grade H202 must be….
1) handled carefully (direct contact will burn the skin- immediate flushing with water is recommended).
2) diluted properly before use.
3) stored safely and properly (after making a dilution the remainder should be stored tightly sealed in the freezer).
One of the most convenient methods of dispensing 35% H202 is from a small glass eye dropper bottle. These can be purchased at your local drugstore. Fill this with the 35% H202 and store the larger container in the freezer compartment of your refrigerator until more is needed. Store the eye dropper bottle in the refrigerator. The generally recommended dosage is outlined in the chart below.
The drops are mixed with either 6 to 8 ounces of distilled water, juice, aloe vera juice or gel.

(Don’t use chlorinated tap water to dilute the peroxide!)

source: http://docakilah.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/the-benefits-of-hydrogen-peroxide-and-its-many-uses/

Considering that heart disease is the #1 cause of death in the developed world, anything that can prevent cardiac mortality, or slow or even reverse the cardiovascular disease process, should be of great interest to the general public.

Sadly, millions of folks are unaware of the extensive body of biomedical literature that exists supporting the use of natural compounds for preventing and even reversing heart disease.

Instead, they spend billions buying highly toxic cholesterol-lowering pharmaceuticals with known cardiotoxicity, among 300 other proven side effects, simply because their doctor told them to do so.

So, with this in mind, let’s look at the biomedical literature itself.

Three Natural Substances that Reduce the Risk of Heart-Related Death

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: There is a robust body of research indicating that the risk of sudden cardiac death is reduced when consuming higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Going all the way back to 2002, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study titled,  ”Blood levels of long-chain n-3 fatty acids and the risk of sudden death,” which found  “The n-3 fatty acids found in fish are strongly associated with a reduced risk of sudden death among men without evidence of prior cardiovascular disease.” Another 2002 study, published in the journal Circulation, found that Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation reduces total mortality and sudden death in patients who have already had a heart attack.[i] For additional research, view our dataset on the topic of Omega-3 fatty acids and the reduction of cardiac mortality.

It should be noted that the best-selling cholesterol drug class known as statins may actually reduce the effectiveness of omega-3 fats at protecting the heart. This has been offered as an explanation as to why newer research seems to show that consuming omega-3 fats does not lower the risk of cardiac mortality.

Vitamin D: Levels of this essential compound have been found to be directly associated with the risk of dying from all causes. Being in the lowest 25% percent of vitamin D levels is associated with a 26% increased rate of all-cause mortality.[ii]  It has been proposed that doubling global vitamin D levels could significantly reduce mortality.[iii] Research published in the journal Clinical Endocrinology in 2009 confirmed that lower vitamin D levels are associated with increased all-cause mortality but also that the effect is even more pronounced with cardiovascular mortality.[iv] This finding was confirmed the same year in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, [v] and again in 2010 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.[vi]

Magnesium: In a world gone mad over taking inorganic calcium supplementation for invented diseases such as T-score defined “osteopenia” or “osteoporosis,” despite their well-known association with increased risk of cardiac mortality, magnesium’s role in protecting against heart disease cannot be overstressed. It is well-known that even the accelerated aging of the heart muscle experienced by those in long space flight is due to magnesium deficiency. In 2010, the Journal of Biomedical Sciences reported that cardiovascular risks are significantly lower in individuals who excrete higher levels of magneiusm, indicating its protective role.[vii]  Another study published in the journal Atherosclerosis in 2011 found that low serum magnesium concentrations predict cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.[viii] Remember that when you are looking to ‘supplement’ your diet with magnesium go green. Chlorophyll is green because it has a magnesium atom at its center. Kale, for example, is far better a source of complex nutrition than magnesium supplements. But, failing the culinary approach, magnesium supplements can be highly effective at attaining a therapeutic and/or cardioprotective dose.

For an additional list of compounds that may reduce cardiac mortality, including cocoa, tea, wine and yes, even cholesterol itself, view our Reduce Cardiac Mortality page.

Four Natural Compounds Which May Unclog the Arteries

Pomegranate: this remarkable fruit has been found in a human clinical study to reverse the carotid artery thickness (i.e. blockage) by up to 29% within 1 year. [ix] There are a broad range of mechanisms that have been identified which may be responsible for this effect, including: 1) lowering blood pressure 2) fighting infection (plaque in arteries often contains bacteria and viruses) 3) preventing cholesterol oxidation 4) reducing inflammation.[x]

Arginine: Preclinical and clinical research indicates that this amino acid not only prevents the progression of atherosclerosis but also reverses pathologies associated with the process. (see also: Clogged Arteries and Arginine). One of the mechanisms in which it accomplishes this feat is by increasing the production of nitric oxide which is normally depressed in blood vessels where the inner lining has been damaged (endothelium) resulting in dysfunction.

Garlic: Not only has garlic been found to reduce a multitude of risk factors associated with arteriosclerosis, the thickening and hardening of the arteries, but it also significantly reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke.[xi]  In vitro research has confirmed that garlic inhibits arteriosclerotic plaque formation.[xii]  Aged garlic extract has also been studied to inhibit the progression of coronary artery calcification in patients receiving statin therapy.[xiii]

And let us not forget, garlic’s benefits are extremely broad. We have identified over 150 diseases that this remarkable culinary and medicinal herb has been confirmed to be of potential value in treating and preventing and which can be viewed here: Garlic Health Benefits.

B-Complex: One of the few vitamin categories that has been confirmed in human studies to not only reduce the progression of plaque buildup in the arteries but actually reverse it is B-complex. A 2009 study published in the journal Stroke found that high dose B-complex vitamin supplementation significantly reduces the progression of early-stage subclinical atherosclerosis in healthy individuals.[xiv] More remarkably, a 2005 study published in the journal Atherosclerosis found a B-vitamin formula decreased the carotid artery thickness in patients at risk for cerebral ischemia.[xv] Another possible explanation for these positive effects is the role B-vitamins have in reducing the production of homocysteine, an artery and otherwise blood vessel scarring amino acid.[xvi]

For additional research on artery unclogging substances visit our page dedicated to the topic Unclogging Arteries.

Additional Heart Unfriendly Things To Avoid

No discussion of preventing cardiac mortality would be complete without discussing things that need to be removed in order to reduce risk, such as:

NSAIDs: Drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen, and Tylenol, have well-known association with increased cardiac mortality. Review six studies on the topic here: NSAID Cardiotoxicity.

Statin Drugs: It is the height of irony that the very category of drugs promoted to millions globally as the standard of care for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease and cardiac mortality are actually cardiotoxic agents, linked to no less than 300 adverse health effects. Statin drugs have devastating health effects. Explore the research here: Statin Drug Health Effects.

Wheat: while this connection is rarely discussed, even by those who promote grain-free and wheat free diets, wheat has profound cardiotoxic potential, along with over 200 documented adverse health effects: Wheat Toxicity. And why wouldn’t it, when the very countries that eat the most of it have the highest rate of cardiovascular disease and heart-related deaths? For an in-depth explanation read our article: Wheat’s Cardiotoxicity: As Serious As A Heart Attack.

Finally, for additional research on the topic of heart health promoting strategies visit our Health Guide: Heart Health.

References

10 Easy Ways to Prevent Cancer at Home

April 22, 2013

By Dr. Mercola

Cancer is the disease Americans fear most,¹ and understandably so since it’s responsible for nearly one out of every four deaths in the US.² Adding to its stigma, cancer diagnosis and treatment are the moneymakers in this industry – and also the focus of most government-funded cancer campaigns.

 

Comparatively little is done in the way of prevention education, leaving many feeling powerless against this potentially deadly disease – as though all you can do is cross your fingers and hope you don’t become one of the quickly growing cancer statistics. What a relief it should be to learn that prevention strategies not only exist, but also are remarkably effective at lowering your risk of most types of cancer.

 

Cancer Prevention: 10 Top Tips

“More than half of all cancer deaths could be prevented by making healthy choices like not smoking, staying at a healthy weight, eating right, keeping active, and getting recommended screening tests.”³

 

This quote is taken directly from the American Cancer Society, and it should be eye-opening and empowering if you’re not yet aware that cancer prevention starts, first and foremost, with you and, as the featured article explains, your home.⁴

 

1. Optimize Your Vitamin D

If you want to slash your risk of cancer, it’s essential that you spend adequate time in the sun or a safe tanning bed, or if that’s not possible supplement with proper amounts of vitamin D3. It’s been definitively proven using data from more than 100 countries that the higher the solar UVB, the lower the incidence of 15 different types of cancer, including:⁵

Bladder	Breast	Cervical	Colon	Endometrial
Esophageal	Gastric	Lung	Ovarian	Pancreatic
Rectal	Renal	Vulvar	Hodgkin’s lymphoma	Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

 

The most important factor is your vitamin D serum level. In order to help prevent a wide variety of diseases and health ailments, including cancer, your vitamin D level needs to be between 50 and 70 ng/ml year-round. Vitamin D from sun exposure or a safe tanning bed is the BEST way to optimize your vitamin D levels.

Just be cautious about the length of your exposure. You only need enough exposure to have your skin turn the lightest shade of pink. Once you reach this point your body will not make any additional vitamin D due to its self-regulating mechanism. Any additional exposure will only cause harm and damage to your skin.

If you’re taking oral vitamin D, you also need to make sure you’re taking vitamin K2 as well, as K2 deficiency is actually what produces the symptoms of vitamin D toxicity, which includes inappropriate calcification that can lead to hardening of your arteries. To learn more, please see my previous article: What You Need to Know About Vitamin K2, D and Calcium. If you take oral vitamin D and have cancer, it would be very prudent to monitor your vitamin D blood levels regularly.

 

2. Avoid Eating Excess Protein

Most of us eat far too much protein. Consider reducing your protein levels to one gram per kilogram of lean body weight unless you are in competitive athletics or are pregnant. It would be unusual for most adults to need more than 100 grams of protein and most likely need close to half that amount. This may come as a surprise, as we’ve been told for decades how important protein is for your health, but the truth is that excessive protein intake can have a great impact on cancer growth.

The mTOR pathway is short for mammalian target of rapamycin. This pathway is ancient but relatively recently appreciated and has only been known for less than 20 years. Odds are very high your doctor was never taught this in medical school and isn’t even aware of it. Many new cancer drugs are actually being targeted to use this pathway. Drugs using this pathway have also been given to animals to radically extend their lifespan. But you don’t have to use drugs to get this pathway to work for you.

You can “biohack” your body by restricting your protein intake and replacing the decreased protein with healthy fats; this will provide virtually identical benefits as these dangerous and expensive drugs.

For most people, reducing your protein levels to one gram per kilogram of lean body weight means restricting protein intake from 35 to 75 grams. Pregnant women and those working out extensively need about 25% more protein, though. Further, when you reduce protein you need to replace it with other calories, specifically high-quality fats such as avocados, butter, coconut oil, olives, olive oil, nuts and eggs.

 

 

3. Eat Living Foods with Amazing Health Benefits

Sprouts are a “super” food that many overlook. In addition to their nutritional profile, sprouts are also easy to grow on your own. I started sprouting seeds in ball jars 10 to 15 years ago. A Care2 article published last year⁶ listed 10 reasons for eating sprouts, including the following. You can see my recent article that extols their benefits. I should be providing a more comprehensive report in the near future.

• Sprouts can contain up to 100 times more enzymes than raw fruits and vegetables, allowing your body to extract more vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fats from the foods you eat
• Both the quality of the protein and the fiber content of beans, nuts, seeds and grains improves when sprouted
• The content of vitamins and essential fatty acids also increase dramatically during the sprouting process. For example, depending on the sprout, the nutrient content can increase as much as 30 times the original value within just a few days of sprouting. Sunflower seed and pea sprouts tend to top the list of all the seeds that you can sprout and are typically each about 30 times more nutritious than organic vegetables you can even harvest in your backyard garden
• During sprouting, minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, bind to protein, making them more bioavailable
• Sprouts are the ultimate locally grown food, and can easily be grown in your own kitchen, so you know exactly what you’re eating. And since they’re very inexpensive, cost is no excuse for avoiding them

 

4. Simplify Your Cleaning Supplies

My top list of cancer prevention strategies has always included reducing your exposure to environmental toxins like household chemical cleaners. While it is very difficult to prove that a person’s exposure to household cleaners over the course of 10, 20 or 30 years is what caused their cancer diagnosis, it is well known that commonly used household chemicals do, in fact, cause cancer, along with other serious health effects like reproductive and developmental problems in developing children.

Research has found, for instance, that breast cancer risk is twice as high among women who report the most use of cleaning products and air fresheners, compared to those who rarely use such products.⁷ Mold and mildew cleaners and air fresheners have shown the greatest correlation with breast cancer. Some of the chemicals of greatest concern that you’ll want to avoid include:

Synthetic musks	Phthalates	1,4-diclorobenzene
Terpenes	Benzene	Styrene
Phenol	Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs)	Formaldehyde
Petroleum solvents	Butyl cellosolve	Triclosan (antibacterial)

 

Fortunately, it’s simple to replace toxic commercial cleansers with safer options. One of the best non-toxic disinfectants is plain soap and water. You can use this for washing your hands, your body and for other household cleaning. Another all-purpose cleaner that works great for kitchen counters, cutting boards and bathrooms is 3% hydrogen peroxide and vinegar. You can also keep your home very fresh and clean by making your own natural cleaning products using items you probably already have around your home. Some more tips for making simple and effective all-natural cleansers:

• Use baking soda mixed with apple cider vinegar to clean drains and bathtubs, or sprinkle baking soda along with a few drops of lavender oil or tea tree oil (which have antibacterial qualities) as a simple scrub for your bathroom or kitchen.
• Vinegar can be used to clean almost anything in your home. Try it mixed with liquid castile soap, essential oils and water to clean floors, windows, bathrooms and kitchens. It can even be used as a natural fabric softener.
• Hydrogen peroxide is safer to use than chlorine bleach for disinfecting and whitening.
• Vodka is a disinfectant that can remove red wine stains, kill wasps and bees and refresh upholstery (put it into a mister and simply spray on the fabric).

For a great video on how to use these ingredients and other tips for cleaning your home without hazardous chemicals, please review the article How to Keep Your Home Clean Naturally. The free eBook Toxic Free⁸ also has 70 recipes for a toxic-free home that are worth checking out.

 

5. Use Greener Beauty Products

When cleaning up your lifestyle you may be tempted to start with your diet (which is a good place to start), but your personal care products are also important to address. Putting chemicals on your skin is actually far worse than ingesting them, because when you eat something everything must go to your liver before entering your blood stream, providing your body an opportunity to detoxify substances that could be harmful. When you put chemicals on your skin however, they’re absorbed straight into your bloodstream without filtering of any kind, so the toxic chemicals from toiletries and beauty products are largely going into your blood, lymphatic system and then directly into your internal organs.

There are literally thousands of chemicals used in personal care products, and only a tiny fraction of them have ever been tested for safety. According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, nearly 900 of the chemicals used in cosmetics are known to be toxic. It’s impossible to list them all, but some of the most common culprits to avoid include:

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)	Musks	Mercury
Paraben	1,4-Dioxane	Lead
Phthalates, including dibutyl phthalate (DBP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), and diethyl phthalate (DEP)	Mineral Oil, Paraffin, and Petrolatum	Nano particles
Antibacterials	Hydroquinone	Formaldehyde

 

When it comes to personal care products, I like to use this rule — if you wouldn’t eat it, don’t put it on your body. Ideally, you’ll want to look for the USDA’s verified Organic seal. I also highly recommend using the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database,⁹ where you can look up a wide variety of products and brands to find out what they’re really made of, and whether or not they’re safe. You can also make your own personal care products, using simple all-natural ingredients that many of you may already have in your home Our Nourishing Roots has a recipe for a watermelon face mask that you can try,¹⁰ and here are a few of my recommendations:

• All-natural moisturizers — Pure emu oil is a great alternative to facial- and body moisturizers and lotions, as is pure coconut oil. It’s a fantastic moisturizer and a potent source of the beneficial fat lauric acid.
• All-natural acne fighter — Rubbing just a drop of oregano oil on a breakout can speed up the healing and prevent unsightly scarring (remember to wash your hands thoroughly afterward).
• All-natural deodorant – Plain soap and water works fine. If you still need further help then try a pinch of baking soda mixed into water as an effective all-day deodorant.

 

6. Ditch Your Non-Stick Cookware

About 70 percent of the cookware sold in the US contains a non-stick coating that contains PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and other perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), which are used to make grease-resistant food packaging and stain-resistant clothing as well. Even though there are many names, if the item in question is “non-stick” or “stain/grease resistant,” it will generally have some type of fluoride-impregnated coating that is best avoided.

It’s well documented that when non-stick pans are heated the coating begins breaking down, releasing toxins into the air in your kitchen. When the pan reaches 680 degrees F (which takes about three to five minutes of heating), at least six toxic gases are released. At 1,000 degrees F, the coatings on your cookware break down into a chemical warfare agent known as PFIB. Research has revealed that these toxins can accumulate in your blood at an alarming rate and may lead to chronic disease like cancer over time. You can keep your exposure as low as possible by avoiding (or getting rid of) products that contain PFCs. This includes:

Non-stick cookware (choose either ceramic or glass instead)	Microwave popcorn	Packaging for greasy foods (including paper and cardboard packaging)
Stain-proof clothing	Flame retardants and products that contain them	Stain-resistant carpeting, and fabric stain protectors

 

 

7. Drink Clear Pure Water

If you receive municipal water that is treated with chlorine or chloramines, toxic disinfection byproducts (DBPs) form when these disinfectants react with natural organic matter like decaying vegetation in the source water. DBPs are over 10,000 times more toxic than chlorine, and out of all the other toxins and contaminants present in your water, such as fluoride and miscellaneous pharmaceutical drugs, DBPs are likely the absolute worst of the bunch.

Already, it’s known that trihalomethanes (THMs), one of the most common DBPs, are Cancer Group B carcinogens, meaning they’ve been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals. They’ve also been linked to reproductive problems in both animals and humans, such as spontaneous abortion, stillbirths, and congenital malformations, even at lower levels. A whole-house filtration system is your best choice to remove chlorine, chloramine, ammonia, DBPs and other contaminants from all of your water sources (bath, shower and tap). If you don’t have the resources for a whole-house filtration system at this time, there are a couple of other tricks you can try. At FindaSpring.com you can identify local springs where you can get pure, chloramine-free drinking water for a minimal cost. You can also try:¹¹

• Adding fruit, such as slices of peeled orange, to a 1-gallon water pitcher, which will help neutralize chloramine in about 30 minutes
• Dissolving a 1,000-mg vitamin C tablet into your bath water, which will neutralize the chloramine in an average-size bathtub

 

8. Choose Organic and Locally Grown Food

Many pesticides and herbicides are potentially carcinogenic, and you may be exposed to them when you eat conventionally grown produce and animal products. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers 60 percent of herbicides, 90 percent of fungicides, and 30 percent of insecticides to be carcinogenic, and most are also damaging to your nervous system as well. Some of the pesticides/herbicides classified as probable or possible human carcinogens by the EPA include:

Chlordane	Heptachlor	Tetrachlorvinphos
Carbaryl	Propoxur	Lindane
Dichlorvos	Phosmet	Permethrin

 

The answer, of course, is to opt for organically grown produce and organically raised, pastured animal products, which are raised without chemicals and other potentially cancer-causing products, like rBGH (a genetically engineered growth hormone commonly found in milk).

It’s well known that conventionally grown fruits and vegetables are often tainted with unacceptable levels of pesticide residues, but you’re also exposed when you eat animal products. Animals raised in confined animal feeding operations (CAFO’s) eat feed full of pesticides, and these toxins accumulate in their flesh and fat over the course of their lifetimes. When you eat factory-farmed meat, you then ingest these accumulated pesticides.

As for fresh produce, certain fruits and vegetables tend to be far more contaminated than others, simply because they’re more susceptible to various infestations and therefore sprayed more heavily. Some foods are also more “absorbent,” with thin, tender skins. Such foods would be high on your list for buying organic. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) produces an annual shopper’s guide to pesticides in produce¹² that you can download. It lists the produce with the highest and lowest levels of pesticide residue, which can help save you money if you can’t afford to buy everything organic.

Choosing organically raised animal products is potentially even more important, however, as animal products tend to bioaccumulate toxins from their pesticide-laced feed, concentrating them to far higher concentrations than are typically present in vegetables.

Fermented foods can be helpful here as well, as some of the beneficial bacteria produced in fermented foods have been found to help detoxify organophosphorus insecticide. A 2009 study¹³ showed that during the fermentation of kimchi, the insecticide degraded rapidly until day 3, and had degraded completely by day 9. Four lactic acid bacteria were identified as being responsible for the effect, so regularly consuming fermented foods (or alternatively a high-quality probiotic) may help you buffer some of the damage that pesticide exposures can cause.

 

 

9. Skip the Canned Foods

Avoiding canned foods is perhaps your best way to avoid bisphenol-A (BPA) – an endocrine-disrupting chemical linked to cancer and reproductive and fetal development problems, among other health issues.

Though BPA is a widely used component of plastic containers, it’s also found in food packaging and the inner lining of cans. Research from the Harvard School of Public Health¹⁴ revealed that canned foods and beverages can increase your BPA levels by a staggering 1,000 percent in a mere five days! The lead researcher noted that given this finding, canned goods may be an even greater contribution to your BPA levels than plastics. Here are 10 tips to help reduce your exposure to BPA around the house:

Only use glass baby bottles and dishes for your baby	Use glass, ceramic, or stainless steel travel coffee mugs rather than plastic or Styrofoam coffee cups
Get rid of your plastic dishes and cups, and replace them with glass varieties	Avoid using plastic wrap (and never microwave anything covered in it)
Give your baby natural fabric toys instead of plastic ones	If you opt to use plastic kitchenware, at least get rid of the older, scratched-up varieties, avoid putting them in the dishwasher, and don’t wash them with harsh detergents, as these things can cause more chemicals to leach into your food
Store your food and beverages in glass containers	Avoid using bottled water; filter your own using a reverse osmosis filter instead
IF you choose to use a microwave, don’t microwave food in a plastic container	Before allowing a dental sealant to be applied to your, or your children’s, teeth, ask your dentist to verify that it does not contain BPA

 

 

10. Ditch Your Microwave

If you microwave your food in plastic containers, it can hasten the rate at which potentially cancer-causing chemicals can leach into your food. Additionally, microwaving creates new compounds that are not found in humans or in nature, called radiolytic compounds. We don’t yet know what these compounds are doing to your body.

In addition to the violent frictional heat effects, called thermic effects, there are also athermic effects, which are poorly understood because they are not as easily measured. It is these athermic effects that are suspected to be responsible for much of the deformation and degradation of cells and molecules.¹⁵ As an example, microwaves are used in the field of gene-altering technology to weaken cell membranes. Scientists use microwaves to actually break cells apart. Impaired cells then become easy prey for viruses, fungi and other microorganisms. You really CAN survive sans microwave—people are living quite happily without one, believe it or not. You just have to make a few small lifestyle adjustments, such as:

• Plan ahead. Take your dinner out of the freezer that morning or the night before so you don’t end up having to scramble to defrost a 5-pound chunk of beef two hours before dinnertime.
• Make soups and stews in bulk, and then freeze them in gallon-sized freezer bags or other containers. An hour before meal time, just take one out and defrost it in a sink of water until it’s thawed enough to slip into a pot, then reheat it on the stove.
• A toaster oven makes a GREAT faux-microwave for heating up leftovers! Keep it at a low temperature — like 200-250 degrees F — and gently warm a plate of food over the course of 20-30 minutes. Another great alternative is a convection oven.
• Prepare your meals in advance so that you always have a good meal available on those days when you’re too busy or too tired to cook.
• Try eating more organic raw foods. This is one of the best ways to improve your health over the long run.

Many people seem to accept as fate that they will become less active as they get older. They unwittingly believe that it’s normal to be plagued by stiffness, soreness and pain as they age. Well, I’m here to tell you that this false belief can cause you to suffer unnecessarily.

Photo Credit:dnndesigner.com

Imagine what your life would be like without joint pain. What if throbbing, aching joints never made you think twice about doing the activities you used to enjoy? Imagine being able to play 18 holes of golf effortlessly or sit through a movie without getting stiff. How about being able to get out of bed in the morning without feeling those creaks and pops, ready to take on the day?

Staying Active Is the Fountain of Youth

Here’s a simple truth to remember. Nothing does more for your quality of life and longevity than staying active as you age. And what usually keeps people from staying active is some combination of believing that aches and pains are a NORMAL part of the aging process, and quite simply, bad advice from their doctors. Despite what your doctor might tell you, there’s an underlying cause for joint pain that may have nothing to do with your age. (More on that later). But first, it’s important to understand that the conventional approach to joint pain is basically to band-aid the issue with painkillers.

Don’t Let Big Pharma Take Away Your Best Years

The current medical mentality on pain management has spurred a multibillion-dollar industry for Big Pharma. However, studies show that long-term use of seemingly “harmless” over-the-counter pills, such as ibuprofen, can actually weaken your joints over time, and prescription pain pills have a well-established track record of causing serious damage and even death. You may recall the tragedy that unfolded around the FDA-approved painkiller Vioxx, which claimed as many as 55,000 lives (and possibly up to 100,000) before the FDA banned it. It makes me wonder, is the next Vioxx lurking out there?

I’m on a mission to let people know that they have a choice when it comes to managing joint pain. Despite what your doctor might say, you don’t have to stop exercising and take painkilling medications just to maintain an acceptable quality of life as you get older. And any way you slice it, taking painkillers long term, even ibuprofen, is NOT safe.

LIE # 1: Exercise Makes Joint Pain Worse

If you’re suffering from any kind of joint pain, the commonly held belief is that additional “wear and tear” will make it worse. But the problem with this idea is that it doesn’t take into account the body’s inherent ability to repair damage and that physical activity actually stimulates this repair. The fact is, inactivity is known to weaken muscles and decrease joint flexibility.

Yet, strangely, if you go to your doctor complaining of joint pain, you’ll probably be told to “rest up.” However, it’s scientific fact that low-impact exercise, such as walking or biking, is highly beneficial to your joints because it increases circulation, which in turn enhances your body’s natural ability heal joint tissue and protect it from further damage.

But what if the pain is too great to consider being active? Keep reading, as I’ll reveal how you can safely begin to heal your joints so that you can start exercising slowly.

LIE # 2: Painkillers Are a Safe, Long-Term Solution

At their doctor’s suggestion, many people take over-the-counter pain medications like aspirin, naproxen or ibuprofen day after day, under the assumption that it’s perfectly safe to do so. You can blame this at least in part on those fancy pharmaceutical ads that make it seem like these pills are side effect-free. But this is far from the truth. What those ads won’t tell you, and what your doctor may not know, is that these pills have serious negative health consequences when taken for long periods of time. For example, shocking new research shows that long-term use of ibuprofen may actually damage your joints over time, since one way it reduces pain is by suppressing the natural healing process. These pills also have other serious side effects including liver and kidney damage, stomach bleeding, ulcers and increased heart attack and stroke risk.

LIE # 3: Natural Products Don’t Work

Here’s a funny thing about doctors. Recent surveys show that the majority of them take supplements on a daily basis, but many balk at the notion of recommending them to their patients. But when it comes to managing joint pain, the fact is that thousands of scientific studies prove that natural products do work — often times better than prescription drugs.

Isn’t it a doctor’s responsibility to recommend the most effective and safest solution? Let me remind you that properly prescribed pharmaceutical drugs are thought to kill approximately 100,000 people each year. Guess how many people died from taking dietary supplements last year? The government’s own CDC reports ZERO. For this reason, I contend that any doctor who fails to recommend natural joint health products, at least as an option to more dangerous over-the-counter or prescription pills, is committing a form of malpractice. After all, doctors take an oath in which they vow to heal — not write prescriptions.

Does Your Joint Supplement Belong in the ’80s?

The combination of glucosamine and chondroitin has become the most widely used natural remedy for joint pain — and for a good reason. Hundreds of studies have shown that it’s safe, helps to protect and rebuild cartilage and is effective to some degree for a large portion of joint pain sufferers. That being said, the research on joint health has taken major steps forward since glucosamine-chondroitin was first popularized in the 80s.

One of the major discoveries in recent years is that supplementing with hyaluronic acid (also known as HA) can revitalize synovial fluid, a thick gel-like substance that surrounds cartilage, acting as a lubricant and shock absorber. Nowadays, a number of popular joint-support formulas contain some combination of glucosamine, chondroitin and HA. However, while important, these three ingredients don’t address what many leading experts now believe to be the root cause of 90% of joint-pain problems.

Most Supplements Fail to Address This Critical Issue

Temporary inflammation is a normal part of your body’s natural healing process. But when inflammation becomes chronic, the health consequences can be dire. Unfortunately, as a combined result of exposure to toxins, consumption of processed foods and other factors, many people unknowingly suffer from “invisible” chronic low-grade inflammation. It’s now thought this is one of the leading causes of joint pain and discomfort throughout your body.

The problem I have with most joint-support supplements is that their ingredients are designed to focus only on the joints themselves and don’t have any ingredients that fight the inflammation that is causing the pain. If you don’t address the larger systemwide issue, then you’re only fixing a small part of a larger problem. That’s why the very best joint-support supplements out there are packed with natural inflammation fighters. It’s simply the very best way to ensure immediate and long-lasting relief for your entire body, not just specific areas.

5 Inflammation-Fighters Missing from Most Supplements

Fascinating new research shows that there are a number of powerful and perfectly safe herbs that work amazingly well at beating back chronic low-grade inflammation and healing your whole body with amazing effectiveness. These herbs have been used in traditional medicine around the world for thousands of years. But it’s not just anecdotes and folklore. Breakthrough scientific studies are proving that these ancient remedies can be safer and more effective than the toxic potions conjured up by modern medicine.

I’ve read thousands of studies on various inflammation-fighting herbs and have experimented with dozens of them myself over the years. There are many good ones out there, so where do you start?

The five herbal inflammation-fighters that have consistently stood out from all the rest are boswellia, curcumin, ginger, tart cherry and bromelain. Let me explain why.

The Ancient Herbal Solution to Joint Pain

Hundreds of years ago in India, when people complained of aching joints and muscles, Ayurvedic healers prescribed an extract made from the unique bark of the Boswellia tree. Today, we know much more about this ancient herbal remedy and the compound, called Boswellia serrata, has been proven to be a powerful inflammation fighter capable of providing fast, long-lasting relief. In a landmark gold-standard study conducted at UC Davis, boswellia was shown to ease knee pain and stiffness within just seven days. And in a breakthrough study just completed last year, researchers found that boswellia inhibits the production of key inflammatory molecules, which helps to prevent the breakdown of cartilage!

The Amazing Healing Spices of Life

The great land of India has gifted us with a few powerful all-around inflammation fighters. Curcumin, a compound found in the curry spice turmeric, has been proven in studies to inhibit the synthesis of inflammatory substances throughout the body, decreasing pain and stiffness while enhancing immunity and even protecting the brain against cognitive decline. Ginger is another powerful spice that has many of the same benefits as curcumin and demonstrates remarkable anti-inflammatory properties. In my experience, curcumin and ginger synergistically work together as a dynamic duo, fighting back inflammation with ease and providing fast-acting pain relief.

What Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Has To Do with Joint Pain

A pineapple and cherry-studded upside-down cake may be a far cry from a joint health solution, but it sure is delicious. Interestingly though, pineapple has been used for centuries to reduce pain and inflammation. It turns out that an enzyme found in pineapples called bromelain does, in fact, have scientifically proven medicinal benefits. Studies have shown that bromelain reduces swelling, bruising, healing time and pain. Similarly, cherries also contain unique anti-inflammatory antioxidant compounds that specifically target muscle tissue, making cherry extract an important component of any joint-healing strategy. According to researchers at Oregon Health & Science University, cherry extract may be a safer way to treat muscle pain and inflammation than over-the-counter pain relievers.

The Sulfur Solution to Inflammation

In addition to the top five herbal inflammation-fighters, many people (myself included) have had incredible success using a natural form of sulfur called MSM to beat back inflammation and increase joint flexibility. Sulfur is critical to the health of your joints, yet most of us are actually deficient because it’s become largely removed in our food supply due to soil depletion. MSM works to soothe joints by making cartilage cells pliable, which ensures that harmful substances flow out and nutrients flow in, which speeds up the regeneration of the cartilage that cushions your joints. In fact, a recent gold-standard clinical trial, showed without a doubt that MSM provided significant reductions in knee pain and back pain.

source: http://preventdisease.com/news/13/041813_3-Lies-Your-Doctor-May-Tell-You-About-Joint-Pain.shtml

The Relationship Between Exercise and Inflammation (and What It Means for Your Workouts) 

Since we’ve been on an inflammation kick the past couple weeks, I figured I’d start covering some of the areas of health and lifestyle that interact with inflammation. That doesn’t exactly narrow things down, seeing as how inflammation is involved in just about everything, but it does give me plenty of things to discuss. Today’s topic, exercise, was a little tricky, because the relationship between exercise and inflammation is anything but straightforward, seemingly fraught with inconsistencies and facts that appear to contradict one another. Exercise reduces inflammation, but it also increases it. And depending on the context, this increased inflammation due to exercise is either a good thing or a bad thing.

Sound confusing?

See for yourself. Study after study (epidemiological and clinical alike) shows that extended exercise programs generally reduce markers of inflammation (like C-reactive protein) over the long-term:

• In elderly Japanese women, a 12-week resistance training program reduced circulating levels of inflammatory markers compared to baseline; reductions in CRP were associated with increases in muscle thickness.
• American adults who engaged in frequent physical activity tended to have lower CRPs than adults who were more sedentary.
• In type 2 diabetics, (key term coming up) long-term high intensity resistance and aerobic training reduced inflammatory markers over the course of a year (independent of changes in body weight, meaning activity was the key factor).
• Endurance combined with resistance training reduced CRP in young, healthy women better than endurance training alone.
• In obese, post-menopausal women, a basic moderate cardio program lowered CRP without really affecting body weight either way over the course of a year.
• At the same time, though, several studies also show that exercise acutely spikes inflammatory markers:
• Volleyball practice elicits spikes in IL-6 in both male and female elite volleyball players.
• Acute exercise spiked CRP in cardiovascular disease patients (but a four-month exercise program lowered it).
• This table of inflammatory responses to strenuous endurance events shows some massive spikes in CRP, some up to 20-fold the baseline value.

There are many more out there, but the general gist is that regular exercise tends to lower markers of systemic inflammation while acute exercise increases markers of acute inflammation. And sometimes what’s acute can become chronic. How do we make sense of this? How do we avoid making those acute spikes a chronic, constant thing?

I had originally planned on digging through the literature and assembling a handy guide explaining the specific inflammatory responses to the different types of exercise, complete with exercise prescriptions based on cytokines and C-reactive protein and all that fun stuff until I realized that such an undertaking is too massive for a blog post, impossible given the limitations of the literature, and overly complex and frankly useless for the average reader. Instead, we have this: a rambling discussion of inflammation and exercise, peppered with helpful nuggets of advice wrought from years of personal (and painful) experience.

Effective exercise is inflammatory exercise… to a point.

Some degree of inflammation is necessary if you hope to get anything tangible out of a workout regimen – hypertrophy, increased stamina, increased strength, improved work capacity – because your body gets stronger via the inflammatory response to the stress and by rebuilding and refortifying its tissues to deal with future demands. An effective training session is basically an acute stressor that initiates a transitory, temporary, but powerful inflammatory response. An effective training regimen is composed, then, of lots of those acutely stressful training sessions interspersed with plenty of recovery time against a backdrop of lots of slow moving and good nutrition. You can’t escape that.

Avoid inflammatory plateaus.

Track your training. Plotted on a graph, the inflammatory responses to your training should resemble a series of peaks, dips, and valleys. If you don’t let your last exercise-induced inflammatory spike recede before exercising again, you’ll only heap more on the pile. If you keep stringing together spikes in inflammation without recovering from the previous one, they start to overlap and that starts to look a lot like chronic inflammation. That gives you a plateau, a mesa of inflammation. Avoid the mesa.

(You don’t actually have to order CRP tests after every training session and create Excel spreadsheets to “plot your inflammation.” Feeling it out is perfectly fine. Review last week’s post for symptoms and see if you qualify.)

Remember that acute inflammation (good, healthy, necessary) is characterized by an inflammatory response that resolves quickly, or as soon as the offending factor is removed. This takes a day or two, maybe even three, but as long as you remove the stinger/take your hand out of the flame/kill the pathogen/put down the barbell for a couple days, you will recover and the inflammation will subside. Inflammation becomes chronic when the stress is not removed, when you keep getting stung by the same bug/putting your hand in the flame/licking the dirty spinach/doing heavy deadlifts every single day. Don’t do these things and expect differently.

Any type of exercise – besides maybe walking – has the potential to become chronic and induce a state of chronic inflammation. Doing high-intensity Crossfit WODs every single day will do it. Training for a marathon will do it. Do what you enjoy without it becoming chronic. Endurance events aren’t going to kill you, but training for them might.

The reason why I single out Chronic Cardio, marathoning, triathlons, and other ultra-endurance events (and why it’s the easiest way to overtrain and become systemically inflamed in the process) is because excelling at those activities usually requires a ridiculous amount of training time. If you want to be the best Olympic weight lifter you can be, you’ll have to train hard and train often and undergo serious stress, but you won’t be under load for more than a second or two at a time. If you want to be the best endurance athlete you can be, you’re likely going to be “under load” for hours and hours each day. There is very little give in these sports, which is why regular endurance work is so problematic for so many people.

Endurance training is problematic for another reason: you can always complete the workout even when you should be resting. If you’re having a bad training day as an Olympic lifter, you simply won’t make the lift. You can’t slog through a heavy snatch; the necessary effort precludes you even attempting it. You’ll deload or call it a day or make it a light workout, but you’re not going to “power through,” because you physically cannot. But because endurance work is lower intensity, you can slog through the days when your body is trying to tell you to rest. It won’t be pretty, and you’ll feel awful and slow and heavy, but you’ll finish – and you’ll dig yourself in even deeper.

Interestingly, folks who run ultramarathons tend to have lower resting CRPs than marathoners. This threw me for a loop at first, but after thinking some more, it makes sense. All the ultramarathoners I knew were the guys who either couldn’t hack it as marathoners or simply didn’t want to push themselves to the brink. They were generally fairly laid back, while we marathoners were the hyper-competitive types. They would just kinda mosey along at a reasonable pace, while we treated 26.2 miles almost like an extended sprint. Our pacing was GO GO GO *slurp glucose gel pack* GO GO GO. Though they covered far more ground – sometimes more than 100 km – they never dug deep, not in the same way we did. They never had to “go to the well.” My well was running dry by the time I finished my career.

Yeah, exercise is a funny subject. There isn’t really a one-size-fits-all detailed prescription, which is why when I offer my suggestions for exercise on this blog, I try to keep them very general. Rather than prescribe this many sets of these specific lifts for this many reps at this weight, I say “lift heavy things.” That could be bodyweight, sandbags, barbells, kettlebells, or the latest in HIT machine technology. Rather than tell you to jog at this heart rate for this long at this grade this many times a week, I suggest you “move frequently at a slow pace” and “run really fast once in awhile.” You could move slowly or really quickly on your feet on the street, on a trail, on a bike, in a pool, as you garden, or even in place (burpees, anyone?). Sure, I think a day or two of lifting, one session of sprinting, and as much slow movement as you can possibly stand each week are reasonable targets for the general public, but it’s honestly really wide open.
source: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-relationship-between-exercise-and-inflammation-and-what-it-means-for-your-workouts/#ixzz2RLVNOPHq

Have you ever felt your money was wasted on supplements? That even though you consistently followed the protocol from your health-care practitioner you were not getting the results others obtained with the same program? You may have been right! We’ve helped hundreds of patients with age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) with these healing secrets designed to help “non-responders”; those for whom the average supplement and dietary protocol fails to work.

ARMD is the leading cause of blindness in elderly Western populations and it is marked by central vision loss where blind spots or scotomas intrude. Threading a needle and passing the driver’s licensing test eventually become impossible but ARMD is preventable – even reversible to some degree with the diligent, intelligently targeted efforts we have put into practice in our clinics to increase the chances of success.

The best doctor’s recommendations or nutritional consulting for ARMD are fruitless unless nutrients are able to be broken down or micellized, transported to the macula, and assimilated there. After years of observing how some patients prevent ARMD despite strong hereditary tendencies, how some halt or even reverse impending blindness, and how some patients actually get worse despite being on the same protocol, it became clear that powerful tactics were needed in addition to recommending dietary changes or supplements.

The strategies we employ are successful for many individuals and have applications far beyond the diagnosis of ARMD. They will influence conditions or diseases where proper fat breakdown is essential to impact issues such as dry eye, post-cholecystectomy (gallbladder surgery) status, liver disease, etc. The eye, GI tract, liver, and gallbladder are intricately entwined. Think about it, when your liver is sick, your eyes turn yellow or jaundiced. When your GI tract is out of balance, red, itching “allergy” eyes often result. Interesting signaling!  The solution is more complicated than just popping a supplement or even making some dietary changes. Are you ready to learn the secrets? Whether you have macular degeneration or not, these concepts will serve you well.

Best Kept Secret #1: Work from the GI Tract Outward

Some doctors, when pressed if they had only one system to specialize in, would tell you, “The GI tract.” Why? Because the GI tract is central to good health and its ability to affect the entire body so powerful when operating at its peak. It is here that we begin to improve vision. The target nutrients used in past studies[1] to prevent, halt, or reverse ARMD are lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-carotene, antioxidants, and fish oil.  The carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene) concentrate in the central part of the retina, and help us identify colors and see fine details, so they are vital in a healing strategy. They also provide protection against blue light, which damages the retina. Building macular optical pigment density (MOPD) is the goal in this approach, replenishing the macula; but first we have to break down these carotenoids and antioxidants and then shuttle them to the macula by following several simple tactics.

Dr. Stuart Richer, who demonstrated success in reversing macular degeneration with the LAST studies,[2] shares an encouraging increase in MOPD in the pictures below. From July 14, 2011, to October 6, 2011, the degree of MOPD increased by employing some of the following strategies. A picture is worth a thousand words and is the tool best used to motivate patients to committed action. These pictures give hope to those losing their eyesight; the macula is refilling nicely with lutein and zeaxanthin.

The graphs show MOPD, at baseline on the left and increasing in the right-hand picture reflected by the non-red portions of the image after nearly three months of supplementation use. This means the macula is refilling with lutein and zeaxanthin.

To ensure proper breakdown of supplements, use a good digestive supplement, preferably one that contains ox bile, taurine, lecithin, and adequate hydrochloric acid, or a combination of these. Thinning the bile is a major key to eye health as it will help more lutein get to the macula. Doing a liver/gallbladder flush[3] seasonally is an aggressive part of the plan, if one wishes to take a serious, logical approach. Remember, the liver and gallbladder influence the eye, so aim to create a healthy, fully functioning liver and gallbladder. We are not only our eyes. We are a complete system, so thinking from a systems biology approach[4] may create the desired healing response. To do this, head south to the GI tract first.

Interior Terrain Influences Absorption, So Start Clean

A well-functioning GI tract influences the eye tremendously.  Support digestive ability by following the 4-R[5] or GI Restoration program. Absorption of the macula-replenishing carotenoids like beta-carotene will be hindered by the presence of Helicobacter pylori bacteria and/or an imbalance of intestinal bacteria. This interior terrain needs a healthy balance of good bacteria versus bad bacteria by using targeted supplements and the support of digestive enzymes along with the other approaches discussed in the 4-R protocol.

All of the targeted supplements and carotenoid-rich foods we suggest will not do you a bit of good unless they are first broken down or micellized.

As even Wikipedia notes, “Micelle formation is essential for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and complicated lipids within the human body. Bile salts formed in the liver and secreted by the gall bladder allow micelles of fatty acids to form. This allows the absorption of complicated lipids (e.g., lecithin) and lipid soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) within the micelle by the small intestine.”[6]

These are the micellizing “magicians” that get the job done: (1) Ox Bile: Supply exogenous ox bile, particularly to post-cholecystectomy patients; (2) Lecithin: (Sunflower or soy) can be added to the diet to aid in fat breakdown; and (3) Taurine: A precursor to bile production, which also thins bile.

Fat-soluble lutein and zeaxanthin, essential to replenish the macula, require being emulsified or broken down to the micellized state in order to enter the bloodstream for transport by a very surprising particle “shuttle,” high-density lipoprotein (HDL).

Sufficient, Well-functioning Bile Is Vital

Bile acids are made from cholesterol in the liver and stored and concentrated in the gallbladder where they act as an emulsifying agent to break up fat into smaller globules, making it more soluble or hydrophilic. This process is called micelle formation.  Fat and fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, K, beta-carotene, and the carotenoid family are carried to the intestinal mucosa, absorbed into the lymphatic system, and then into the bloodstream. So what is the best kept secret? First, break down the fat-soluble vitamins and then get them to the macula by raising HDL levels to 61 or above. Do you know what your HDL level is?

We discovered this secret by observing hundreds of macular-degeneration patients and had noted in their history that many had had their gallbladder removed or else they were obese or otherwise compromised and had trouble digesting fats, as evidenced by their dry skin, dry eyes, weight gain, gas and bloating, or floating or shiny stools after fatty meals had been consumed. The connection was obvious! No gallbladder, fat maldigestion, or liver or GI issues equaled problems. Half a million people a year are opting for cholecystectomy (gallbladder surgery), not realizing that they can simply cleanse the liver and gallbladder with a “flush,”[7] which is basically an “oil change” that removes old, stasis bile and relieves symptoms in most cases. It is not hard or expensive to do and anyone can do it. And it is certainly worth a try.

However, we are concerned – particularly in a patient with macular degeneration who has undergone cholecystectomy – that fat-soluble vitamins be effectively broken down and absorbed. It is hoped that practitioners caring for macular-degeneration patients incorporate these strategies into their standard of care so that non-responders will have more chance of improvement.

But proper breakdown isn’t the end of the story. Nutrient transport is another key player. Call the HDL “Shuttle.”

Best Kept Secret #2:  Lutein and Zeaxanthin Need HDL Particles

Lutein and zeaxanthin, critical components to replenish the macula, are carried in the bloodstream to the macula on HDL particles. That’s amazing. Carotenoids responsible for central vision hitch a ride on a cholesterol particle and hone in on their destination: the macula. And you thought cholesterol was the enemy … wrong! Cholesterol in a healthy ratio and thin bile are key players in this healthy-eye strategy.

Bile is made of bile salts, cholesterol esters, and lecithin. Keep cholesterol at a healthy, total level and at an optimal HDL-to-low density lipoprotein (LDL) ratio because if cholesterol is too low, we will not have enough of the raw materials we need to make bile. Be sure you have what it takes to make cholesterol. Even magnesium plays a part.  Blood-serum concentration of lutein and zeaxanthin by proper breakdown of nutrients into micellized globules is important, but equally important is the ability to transport them to their targeted destination. Unless HDL cholesterol is adequate – at least 61 milligrams per deciliter – time and money are potentially wasted on supplements.

Strategies to Raise HDL

Since keeping your HDL at 61 mg/dl or over is important, you might consider the following strategies:

• Exercise: Regular exercise that raises your heart rate for 20 to 30 minutes increases HDL.
• Lose Weight and stop eating transfats: Carotenoids concentrate in the fat first, so if overweight, lose weight! Meantime, while you’re working on it, take more lutein and zeaxanthin and employ the most successful diet recorded to lose weight and reduce disease: the Hale Project[8] documented the amazing success of the Mediterranean Diet (MeDi). Not only is it a smart way to eat, but it also reduced all causes of death and disease by fifty percent in study participants aged 70-90 with active disease processes established after ten years adherence, practicing moderate red wine consumption, light exercise, and not smoking. Macular degeneration or not, this diet is proven!
• Drink Red Wine or use Resveratrol: High-altitude or heat-stressed vine wines from Argentina, Chile, Australia, or damp, moldy vines found in areas like the Finger Lakes of New York are typically higher in resveratrol and will not only raise HDL but also influence health at 1-2 glasses per day. If you don’t drink wine or it is contraindicated for you, then use non-alcoholic resveratrol.
• Take Niacin and Fish Oil: both increase HDL.
• Quit Smoking: Besides reducing HDL smoking asphyxiates the eye.
• Get an Oil Change: Remove all transfats from your diet and replace them with healthy, healing oils to raise your HDL.  Employ olive oil, coconut oil, ghee, hemp oil, and flax oil.

There is strength in combining a multi-pronged approach, so consider employing the total approach. Preventing, halting, and even reversing blindness is worth every sacrifice or new habit employed to ensure success and these secrets are a winning combination.

 Summarizing the Total Approach

• Aim for an HDL of 61 mg/dl.
• Lose weight, if needed, and take a combination of supplements proven to halt or reverse macular degeneration. If overweight, take more than the recommended amount of carotenoids or use water-soluble zeaxanthin. In either case, employ the MeDi. It extends life and reduces disease.
• Take a supplement that supports proper fat breakdown along with a good eye vitamin.
• Do the 4R program[9] and/or a liver/gallbladder flush in the Spring and Fall to improve fat assimilation.
• Flush and nourish the liver/gallbladder.
• Eat a preferably organic diet, rich in the carotenoids, to replenish the macular pigment (MOPD –remember the pictures?). Egg yolk, kale, spinach, collard and turnip greens lightly steamed, romaine lettuce, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, red and yellow vegetables, and fruits are all great sources.

*A special thanks to Dr. Stuart Richer, Dr. Donald Carroll, NTP, and Bill Sardi, Medical Researcher, for reviewing this article.

This article is for informational purposes only. By providing the information herein, I am not diagnosing, treating, curing, mitigating or preventing any type of disease or medical condition. Before beginning any type of natural, integrative, or conventional treatment or regime, it is advisable to seek the advice of a licensed healthcare professional.

©2013 Katherine Ann Carroll. All Rights Reserved.