Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Amazing medicinal power of Cruciferous vegetables to cure leukemia


Hidden inside every stalk of broccoli and every floret of cauliflower is a substance so powerful at preventing and treating cancer that not even the drug industry is capable of matching its efficacy, both in terms of safety and potency. And researchers are still continuing to uncover the amazing medicinal power of sulforaphane, a therapeutic compound found in cruciferous vegetables that most recently was discovered to prevent and treat leukemia.

Researchers from the Baylor College of Medicine in Texas recently tested the effects of an isolated and highly concentrated form of sulforaphane on both mouse and human cell lines affected by acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of cancer that afflicts white blood cells, and most commonly in children. Led by Dr. Koramit Suppipat, the study involved applying sulforaphane to leukemic cell lines and primary lymphoblasts obtained from pediatric patients for the purpose of assessing its effects.

Upon observation, it was learned that sulforaphane effectively eradicates cancer cells by entering them and reacting with certain internal proteins to induce apoptosis, or cell death. At the same time, researchers observed that sulforaphane did not harm healthy cells when applied to cell lines obtained from healthy, cancer-free patients, a phenomenon unique to natural, therapeutic compounds that have not been artificially manipulated for the purpose of trying to patent a specific medicinal compound.

"There is about an 80 percent cure rate (for acute lymphoblastic leukemia), but some children don't respond to treatment. For those cases, we are in need of alternative treatments," explained Dr. Daniel Lacorazza, an assistant professor of pathology and immunology at Baylor, and one of the study's contributors. "Sulforaphane is a natural product. However, what we used in this study is a concentrated purified form."

Eat plenty of cruciferous vegetables to protect yourself against cancers of all types

Up until this point, there have been few, if any, reliable studies demonstrating the power of sulforaphane in specifically treating blood cancers like leukemia. Previous studies have identified many of the general cancer-fighting properties of sulforaphane, including a 2011 study published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research that linked sulforaphane to eradicating prostate cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/032988_sulforaphane_cancer_cells.html). But the new study out of Baylor identifies specific aspects of the nutrient's hematologic cancer-fighting profile that further reinforces its viability as a safe and natural medicine for cleansing the blood.

"Broccoli, which is loaded with sulforaphane, antioxidants, and carotenoids, has been shown to protect against cancers of the esophagus, stomach, colon, lung, larynx, prostate, mouth, pharynx, ovaries, breast, and cervix," writes Stephanie Beling in her book PowerFoods: Good Food, Good Health with Phytochemicals, Nature's Own Energy Booster about the health benefits of eating broccoli in whole form.

However, to obtain the maximum health benefits of broccoli, be sure to eat it raw or very gently steamed. According to a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry back in 2009, cooking broccoli can destroy up to 90 percent of its natural sulforaphane content, rendering it far less medicinally potent. (http://www.naturalnews.com/025893_broccoli_sulforaphane_research.html)

Sources for this article include:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-12/bcom-vcc120612.php

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Are you ready to reduce your depression with right choice of food?

Many people are used to for taking self medication or going to psychologists and psychiatrists to reduce their depression. But here are some food choices which can help to reduce depression in certain cases

Fight depression with your diet


Depression often, but not always, is linked to low blood pressure, low blood sugar, low thyroid functions and/or low adrenal gland function.

Adrenal insufficiency 

 

Some of the signs of adrenal insufficiency are often similar to those found in persons who are hypoglycemic. Some of the more common complaints reported include: Inability to concentrate, Excessive fatigue, especially in the morning (hard to get going…), Nervousness and irritability, Mental depression, Apprehensions, Intolerance to stress

Adrenal insufficiency are sometimes helped by oral supplements of Vitamin B5. Vitamin C is also very important in maintaining the adrenal's integrity.

Foods high in Vitamin B5 include bean sprouts, beef, egg, haddock, salmon, sardines, mackerel, lobster, mushrooms, peanuts, pineapple and watermelon.

Foods high in Vitamin C include alfalfa, banana, berries, Brazil nuts, cabbage, cauliflower, citrus fruits, spinach, sweet potato and leafy vegetables.

Herbs such as safflower, parsley, kelp and sage are also said to help adrenal functions. A daily intake of garlic and sesame seeds can also be beneficial.

Note: Anyone suffering from severe depression should not try to self-medicate, and should see a qualified medical practitioner for advice pertaining to his or her specific condition.

Tyrosine


Tyrosine amino acid is said to normalize blood pressure, stimulate the thyroid and contribute to blood-sugar stabilization via adrenal support. 

Foods containing tyrosine include alfalfa, almonds, apple, asparagus, avocado, banana, beet, carrot, cheese, cherries, chicken, chocolate, cottage cheese, cucumber, egg, fig, fish, leek, lettuce, milk, parsley, peanuts, poultry, spinach, strawberries, watercress, watermelon, yogurt.

Tryptophan


Another amino acid, tryptophan, is important in reducing depression. Tryptophan is the precursor to serotonin, which is a necessary neurotransmitter that can lift some types of depression. 

Food sources that contain tryptophan include fish, poultry, organic beef, eggs, broccoli, endive, fennel, sweet potato, carrot, barley, rye, oats, rice, hummus, lentils, hazelnuts, peanuts, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Eat, Fast and Live longer

The miracle of Fasting

Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day (24 hours).

Fasting has importance in all religions of world but with different styles/shapes and it may be the intermittent of nature. Fasting is the fourth of the Five Pillars of Islam and involves fasting during the holy month of Ramadan from sun rise till sunset. Muslims community do this practice all the year periodically or intermittently. Fasting is not only make a spiritual connection with God but it gives health benefits as well.

Scientists are uncovering evidence that short periods of fasting, if properly controlled, could achieve a number of health benefits, as well as potentially helping the overweight, as Michael Mosley discovered.

He said (5 August 2012, BBC Health News), " I'd always thought of fasting as something unpleasant, with no obvious long term benefits. So when I was asked to make a documentary that would involve me going without food, I was not keen as I was sure I would not enjoy it. I am not strong-willed enough to diet over the long term, but I am extremely interested in the reasons why eating less might lead to increased life span, particularly as scientists think it may be possible to get the benefits without the pain.

Intermittent fasting One area of current research into diet is Alternate Day fasting (ADF), involving eating what you want one day, then a very restricted diet (fewer than 600 calories) the next, and most surprisingly, it does not seem to matter that much what you eat on non-fast days.
There are no firm rules because so far there have been few proper human trials . I found that I could get through my fast days best if I had a light breakfast (300 calories), lots of water and herbal tea during the day, then a light dinner (grilled fish with lots of vegetables) at night. On my feed days I ate what I normally do and felt no need to gorge.

I stuck to this diet for 5 weeks, during which time I lost nearly a stone and my blood markers, like IGF-1, glucose and cholesterol, improved. If I can sustain that, it will greatly reduce my risk of contracting age-related diseases like cancer and diabetes".

The world record for extending life expectancy in a mammal is held by a new type of mouse which can expect to live an extra 40%, equivalent to a human living to 120 or even longer. It has been genetically engineered so its body produces very low levels of a growth hormone called IGF-1, high levels of which seem to lead to accelerated ageing and age-related diseases, while low levels are protective. The IGF-1 hormone (insulin-like growth factor) is one of the drivers which keep our bodies in go-go mode, with cells driven to reproduce. This is fine when you are growing, but not so good later in life.

There is now evidence suggesting that IGF-1 levels can be lowered by what you eat. Studies on calorie restrictors suggest that eating less helps, but it is not enough.
when our bodies no longer have access to food they switch from "growth mode" to "repair mode". As levels of the IGF-1 hormone drop, a number of repair genes appear to get switched on according to ongoing research by Professor Valter Longo of the University of Southern California.

From this information it is concluded that fasting can increase life span and it can protect body from age related diseases by lowering IGF-1 hormone. It is not recommended in some cases such as pregnant women or diabetics on medication, for whom it could be dangerous.

So Eat, Fast and live longer

Compiled by Aneela Hameed

Original Source Here

Monday, August 6, 2012

Do you want to reduce your weight, first you need to calculate your calories at current weight


Calorie Count


Harris-Benedict formula

Basal Metabolic Rate
Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)
Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)
Active Metabolic Rate
Calculate your AMR by using your BMR and estimating your current level of activity. If you are:
  • Sedentary (little or no exercise) - your AMR = BMR x 1.2
  • Lightly active (light exercise/work 1-3 days per week) - your AMR = BMR x 1.375
  • Moderately active (moderate exercise/work 3-5 days per week) - your AMR = BMR x 1.55
  • Very active (hard exercise/work 6-7 days a week) - your AMR = BMR x 1.725
  • Extra active (very hard exercise/work 6-7 days a week) - your AMR = BMR x 1.9
Your AMR represents the number of calories you need to stay at your current weight. If you want to lose weight, you need to increase your level of physical activity level or decrease your caloric intake by eating less. If you reduce your current caloric intake by 500 calories every day, you will lose about one pound each week. Don't go below 1,200 calories each day and don't waste your time on crash diets.

When life gives you lemons, make 100 home remedies to improve your health


When life gives you lemons, make lemonade and dozens of other foods and home remedies from this versatile fruit. Lemon's health benefits are due to the high concentration of vitamins B and C, antioxidants, protein, flavonoids, phosphorus, potassium, carbohydrates and volatile oils. Whether you're using this superfood to prevent kidney stones or making lemon-flavored cake icing, you'll reap the benefits in flavor and good health.

Lemon juice was used in ancient Egypt to undo the effects of food poisoning; and in India, Ayurvedic practitioners prescribed lemon peel to treat liver ailments. The Sicilians used lemon peel to make pickling brine and multiple cultures used it to prevent scurvy. Both the peel and juice of lemons are still widely used today to cleanse and tonify the liver.

Lemon juice

Lemon juice possesses antibacterial, antiviral and immune-building properties. It fights disease and infection with high levels of bioflavonoids, pectin, limonene, citric acid, magnesium, calcium and vitamins. It stimulates digestion, promoting weight loss.

~ Mix lemon juice and water and swish to relieve a sore throat or canker sores. Add salt and gargle for tonsillitis.
~ Add lemon juice to hot tea and honey to reduce a fever, fight the flu, relieve nausea, and lessen a chill
~ Drink lemon juice to fight fatigue and replace electrolytes after vigorous exercise or overheating
~ Stop a nose bleed with lemon juice applied to cotton and placed in the nostril
~ Eliminate gall stones with lemon juice and olive oil
~ Reduce hypertension and lower LDL cholesterol with lemon juice home remedies. Prevent diabetes, relieve constipation, strengthen gums and teeth, cure kidney stones, heart disease and strokes, lower body temperature, and fight cancer with lemons.

Hot lemon water

~ First thing in the morning, a glass of warm lemon water flushes the system, relieves edema, acts as a diuretic, aids digestion, fights hunger cravings, promotes weight loss and helps prevent coffee cravings
~ Relieve chest congestion and coughing, reduce allergies, clear the palate and freshen breath

Topical applications

~ Lemon juice clears the skin, reduces acne, softens wrinkles, removes age spots, blemishes, scars and cleanses excess oils. The vitamin C, citric acid and alkaline properties fight bacteria both internally and on the skin.
~ Make an overnight home remedy with a slice of lemon as a poultice to remove corns and calluses
~ Relieve eczema with lemon oil, honey and warm water poultices
~ Mix lemon oil and honey and apply to soothe a bug bite
~ Combine lemon oil and water to make natural insect repellant
~ Eliminate varicose veins with applications of lemon oil mixed with almond, avocado or jojoba oil

Balances pH

~ Lemon juice creates an alkaline-forming environment to balance the body's pH as well as restoring balance by providing vitamin C and high levels of potassium
~ Reduce acidosis and relieve arthritis, fibromyalgia and rheumatism pains with the alkalizing effects of lemon juice

Lemon peel

~ Lemon peel reduces cramping and gas pains while it aids digestion; it increases circulation, stimulates urination and strengthens the immune system. The pith in lemon peel contains pectin, which helps chelate toxins and heavy metals.

Mental and emotional uses for lemon

~ Lemon balm is calming and relaxing and can relieve bouts of anxiety, nervousness and tension
~ Lemon oil relieves fatigue and increases alertness and cognitive function
~ Promote sleep and reduce tension with a mixture of lemon balm, valerian, chamomile and hops as bedtime tea

Non-medicinal uses for lemons

~ Remove stains from coffee and tea cups
~ Deodorize the garbage disposal
~ Flavoring in cooking and baking
~ Polishing mirrors and furniture
~ Making lemonade
~ As bath oil and in potpouri
~ Making candy and confections
~ Rinse hair with lemon water to increase shine

Original Article Here

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Are you taking a multi-vitamin that's killing you slowly?

Synthetic vitamins fuel sickness while enriching the corrupt medical industry

Wednesday, August 01, 2012 by: S. D. Wells

Are you taking a multi-vitamin that's killing you slowly? Did you think you were doing the right thing by jiggling that little pill out of its container and washing it down your throat every day in the name of health and wellness? Which ones are you taking; One-a-day, Centrum, Equate, or maybe you just picked up some of Sam's club's "Members Mark Complete?" Sounds like a real winner! Wait a second, it could be even worse. You might have gone and done the unthinkable, and you bought your children Flintstones vitamins. Tell me it's not true.

Have you really read the label, researched any of the synthetic additives, or checked out the "other ingredients," or did you just figure that was irrelevant? If you are guilty of taking any of the aforementioned supplements, it's time to buy some liver, kidney, and colon detoxification, and you better educate yourself about those too, because "The Man" wants you sick and dying, not avoiding toxic vitamin imposters that are NOT ABSORBABLE by the body. Dangerous, mind-blowing additives in your crappy vitamins that are listed as "other ingredients" include: talc, dyes, sodium benzoate, methylcellulose, carnauba wax, silicon and/or titanium dioxide. In all of these cases, what you don't know WILL hurt you!

In the mid-1930s, multivitamins became available in grocery stores and pharmacies. These supplements were made from natural, dried and compressed vegetable and fruit concentrates, but then, in the early 1940s, certain brands began producing synthetic tablets, and that's when the mayhem began.

Now, millions of Americans and people all over the world want to eat right and take the right vitamins to help them live a long, healthy life and be energetic all the while, but the majority of these innocent, naive, and nutritionally uneducated beings have NO CLUE that the big "brand name" vitamins on the shelves of most grocery and drug stores are synthetic toxins which not only DO NOT foster good health, but are mutagenic and carcinogenic. This means they are basically poison for the body, fueling disease and disorders, including arthritis, osteoporosis, brittle bones, cancer, and yes, Alzheimer's disease. Did you know Pfizer owns "Centrum?" Did you know Bayer owns "One-a-Day?"

Walking into a nutritional nightmare is easy if you don't know the "low down" on supplements. Dangerous supplements can reverse what you are trying to accomplish. Also, many multivitamins, especially the chewable ones, contain Aspartame, one of the leading causes of Fibromyalgia and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).

"Other ingredients" usually means animal parts and cancer causing artificial sweeteners

If your vitamins come in the form of gelatin capsules, you are more than likely consuming the skin, cartilage, connective tissues and bones of diseased animals. On top of that, if your vitamins contain the artificial sweeteners Aspartame, Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose or Sorbitol, you could be developing artificial sweetener disease (cancer) and mutating your cells, your DNA, and passing that mutagenic DNA along to future generations.

Don't feel dumb if you did not know that synthetic B-12 comes from activated sewage sludge just don't be a repeat offender! Your "corporate" made vitamins are made by pharmaceutical and chemical companies who also concocted chemotherapy. It's just another angle to handle the threat of people getting healthy from nutritional information, and so you've been deceived.

Synthetic vitamin B-12, cyanocobalamin, is made from ground up toxic cow livers and activated sewage sludge. These cow livers are overloaded with steroids and antibiotics, and the pesticides the cow assimilates from eating GMO feed, and these cows are living in CAFO's (confined animal feeding operations), where they often collapse and die slowly, while lying in their own "sludge" or fecal matter. (http://www.foodkills.org/synthetics.html) Synthetic vitamin B also comes from coal tar and petro-chemicals, known to depress the central nervous system and cause respiratory ailments.

Those cheap, synthetic vitamins you're taking in hopes of maintaining proper health are deteriorating your health as quickly as fast food burgers and fries. Synthetic vitamin A comes from fish liver juices loaded with toxic PCB's and mercury. Synthetic vitamin C comes from acid blends that irritate the lining of your digestive track. It's just a chemical copy of naturally occurring ascorbic acid. This kind of fractionated, chemical acid never grew in the ground or received sunlight, but rather it's a sulfuric acid by-product. Once you swallow that pill, it's just another carcinogenic drug in your body, like MSG (monosodium glutamate) or Aspartame.

The bottom line is that the wrong vitamins are chemicals. More than 90 percent of the fake "vitamin C" in this country is manufactured in New Jersey by Hoffman-LaRoche, one of the world's largest drug manufacturers. (http://www.thedoctorwithin.com)

Organic vitamin A has antioxidant properties, but synthetic vitamin A accomplishes just the opposite. In one study, subjects who received synthetic A - beta carotene had an eight percent higher incidence of fatal heart attacks, strokes, and lung cancer than those who got the placebo (sugar pill).

Synthetic Vitamin D is derived from irradiated oil

Synthetic vitamin D is toxic and can result in permanent deposit of minerals in the heart, lungs and kidneys. How could this be true? Because it's made from petroleum extracts, coal tar derivatives, and irradiated cattle brains. It may even contain formaldehyde and ammonia! (http://www.doctorsresearch.com/articles4.html)

Routinely contained in nearly all NON-ORGANIC vitamins are genetically engineered ingredients, pesticides, and animal drug residues, pathogens, feces, hormone-disrupting chemicals, toxic sludge, slaughterhouse waste, chemical additives, preservatives, and chemical by-products. (http://www.naturalnews.com)

The wrong kind of calcium kills you slowly

The calcium myth must be dispelled right now. If you eat and drink dairy products, including milk, yogurt and cheese, you are loading up your body with calcium, in fact, most likely, you are overloading your body with calcium. True whole food vitamins don't leech the body of their missing co-factors and don't cause a vitamin imbalance. How does Big Pharma make a fortune off your sickness? Calcium supplements! If you think the staggering numbers of people in the U.S. suffering from arthritis and osteoporosis are somehow doing so just by chance, you are DEAD WRONG. Want the good kind of calcium? Research plant-based calcium like leafy greens, kale and spinach.

No matter what the FDA says or wants you to believe, organic vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, probiotics, and enzymes are "MEDICINE," and synthetic vitamins are simply ANTI-MEDICINE - disease and disorder breeding health criminals. Get smarter. Read the labels. Ask questions. If your vitamins are not organic, then they're probably making you sick.

Original Article Here

Monday, July 30, 2012

Study - When pregnant moms eat more nuts, their kids have fewer allergies

Pregnant women and Nuts


Could eating more peanuts and tree nuts during pregnancy actually reduce a child's risk of developing nut and other allergies? A new study out of Denmark suggests so, having found that expectant mothers who continue to eat nuts during their pregnancies produce children with fewer overall allergies compared to children born of mothers who follow outdated recommendations that advise against nut consumption during pregnancy. 


For their study, which was published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Ekaterina Maslova and her colleagues from the Centre for Fetal Programming at the Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen evaluated nearly 62,000 Danish moms via a survey who gave birth between 1996 and 2002. The researchers also evaluated the medical records of the mothers' children from 18 months through seven years of age.

After comparing nut consumption patterns among mothers to allergy rates in their children, Maslova and her team discovered that nut consumption rates correspond with allergy rates, and mothers who eat more nuts have children that are less prone to allergies. After accounting for various outside factors, the team determined that children born to mothers who eat nuts are 21 percent less likely to develop asthma -- and when children reach seven years of age, the decrease in allergy likelihood drops to 34 percent.


Mothers who ate tree nuts more than once a week also bore 18-month-olds that were 25 percent less likely to have asthma or to experience wheezing compared to other children. Overall, allergy rates were noticeably lower among children whose mothers at nuts, compared to children whose mothers either ate fewer nuts, or completely abstained from eating nuts, during their pregnancies.


"There's some mixed data out there and this current study is showing that maybe there might be a benefit to your child in having less asthma later on if you continue to just eat the way you're still eating and not avoid (nuts)," says Dr. Todd Mahr, a pediatric allergist from Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, Wisc., who was not involved in the study.


The findings contradict an earlier study presented at the 2010 annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in New Orleans that appeared to show link between nut consumption and higher allergy rates. That particularly study; however, included nuts, eggs, and milk in its analysis, a research flaw that appears to have inaccurately pinned nuts as the culprit without assessing their effect on allergies separately from eggs and milk.

Original Article Here