Jasminum has medicinal uses

Jasminum, or Jasmine as it is better known is an evergreen shrub. It is a vigorous deciduous twining climber with green stems and pinnate leaves.

Medicinal parts used include leaves and flowers.

It is a bitter astringent cooling herb that calms the nerves, checks bleeding, and stimulates the uterus. It is regarded as an aphrodisiac for women. It is reputedly effective against various cancers, especially Hodgkin’s disease and cancers of the bone, lymph nodes, and breast.

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LDL Calculator

Commenter Kiwi Geoff kindly wrote a program that calculates LDL using the Friedewald equation and the equation from this paper, which may be more accurate for people with a total cholesterol over 250 and triglycerides under 100. For people whose triglycerides are over 100, the Friedewald equation should be relatively accurate. You can plug your total cholesterol, HDL and triglycerides into the program (in mg/dL), and it gives you both LDL values side-by side. Here it is:

LDL Cholesterol Calculator

Thanks, Geoff.

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The easy way to detox your life.

Get rid of illness and never feel under the weather again by boosting your immune system, and detoxing your life.

Many of us seem to be getting more colds and illnesses. They hang on for much longer, and then we catch something else because our immune systems have been weakened, due to the fact that they have just been fighting an illness. And so the loop continues.

There are many things you can do to strengthen your body's immunity.

Kombucha is a recently rediscovered mushroom beverage, which has been known for centuries in Asia and used as a reviving drink.
The tea has antibiotic, antibacterial and antiviral properties and purifies the body by binding to toxins and promoting their excretion. It contains digestive enzymes and valuable lactobacilli which improve metabolism, also several of the B vitamins and glucoronic acid, a liver detoxifier. Kombucha cleanses the liver and kidneys, creating several health benefits such as increasing energy levels, digestion, improving skin conditions, and promoting a feeling of well-being. Ready made Kombucha tea is now available in many health food shops. Please note diabetics should avoid Kombucha.

Many people have reported amazing improvements in a range of chronic conditions, from psoriasis, constipation, fatigue, thyroid deficiency, hair loss and brittle nails.

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Another Fatty Liver Reversal

Just to show it wasn't a fluke, reader "Steve" replicates the experiment:

I had a similar problem as what Sam described, and it just happened to coincide with my discovery of and commitment to a new eating plan (based on low/good carb, high in good fat and omega 3, and good protein--basically a mix of paleo, primal, low carb, whatever they call it). I consider myself lucky to have had great fortune in my timing of finding out about my fatty liver.

My ALT and AST [markers of liver damage] had been at 124 and 43 respectively, and then still at 80 and 30 in a follow up a few months later. I weighed in at about 205 (I'm 6'1.5" on a slimmish frame), which was my heaviest. I had been on a basic American (bad) diet. The whole thing shocked me, especially after a CT with contrast showed the fatty deposits on my liver (and prior to that, when the muddy ultrasound revealed a fatty liver and a possible pancreatic mass, later ruled out by the CT). Like Sam, though I was surely overweight, I was not fat or heavy. (Most people have noticed I look leaner, but are shocked when I disclose how much weight I have lost since they say "I cannot believe you had that much to lose.")

At about the same time I found out about my liver issue, I had been getting into reading about diet and health (something I had done once when I read the Zone stuff from Sears many years ago). I practically dove through Taubes, Eades, Cordain, and a bunch of blogs (including yours), and I made a commitment to fix my problem.

I started a pretty severe regimen at first, which included only protein and good fats with a minimal amount of non-starchy fruits and vegetables. Almost immediately, I started losing weight and body fat (as measured by an electrical impedance scale). I have always supplemented with fish oil, but I added krill oil and I also started eating grass-fed beef and pastured eggs and pastured pork as much as possible. I have added some coconut oil and pastured butter to my diet as well. I have dropped almost 40 pounds, I am down to about 10-11% body fat (from 24%), and my ALT/AST on my last test was 24/14 [normal]. I am getting another test soon, and I expect similar results.

And a later comment:

I can add to the story that I first found out about the fatty liver on a routine new patient blood screening when I moved to a new town. I can also add that it took a bit of initiative on my part to get to the right diagnosis. The first doctor suspected hepatitis, but when blood work ruled that out, he ordered the imagining tests. Once I was referred to a GI specialist, it was a quick diagnosis. Still, I had to undertake myself to figure out the best diet. The GI recommended eliminating white bread, rice, pasta, starches, etc. but also recommended lowering fat intake. Having done some of my reading on diet and health, I knew to follow the former advice and to modify the latter to be "get plenty of fat, but make sure its the right kind."

Steve took the initiative and fixed his damaged liver. He modified his GI doctor's advice based on what he had read about nutrition, with excellent results. I suspect his doctor will be all ears next time Steve comes into his office.

The liver is a remarkable organ. Besides being your "metabolic grand central station", it's the only organ in the human body that can regenerate almost completely. It can be 75% obliterated, and it will grow back over time. Fatty liver and NASH are largely reversible.

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When Friedewald Attacks

I don't get very excited about nitpicking blood lipids. That's not to say they're not useful. There's definitely an association between blood lipids and certain health outcomes such as cardiovascular disease. The thing that tires me is when people uncritically interpret those associations as evidence that lipids are actually causing the problem.

Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is the cholesterol fraction that typically gets the most attention. High LDL associates with heart attack risk in Americans and some other groups. Statins reduce LDL and reduce heart attack risk in a subset of the population, and this has been used to support the idea that elevated LDL causes heart attacks. This is despite the fact that lowering LDL via diet doesn't seem to reduce heart attack risk (typically by reducing total fat and/or saturated fat). Statins may in fact work because they're anti-inflammatory, rather than because they reduce LDL. But both explanations are speculative at this point.

The fact remains that if you want to know if Mr. Jones is going to have a heart attack in the next five years, measuring his LDL will give you more information than not measuring his LDL. This association doesn't seem to apply to all cultures or to Americans eating atypical diets. Then you can get into the fractions that associate more tightly with heart attack risk, such as low HDL, high triglycerides, small dense LDL, etc. Triglycerides vary with HDL (that is, when trigs go up, HDL generally goes down) and the ratio also happens to be a predictor of insulin sensitivity. Total cholesterol is virtually useless for predicting heart attack risk in the general population. This is something I'll discuss in more detail at another time.

When you walk into the doctor's office and ask him to measure your cholesterol, the numbers you get back will generally be total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides. All of those except LDL are measured directly. LDL is calculated using the Friedewald equation, which is (in mg/dL):

LDL = TC - HDL - (TG/5)

Low-carb advocates have known for quite some time that this equation fails to accurately predict LDL concentration outside certain triglyceride ranges. Dr. Michael Eades put up a post about this recently, and Richard Nikoley has written about it before as well. The reason low-carb advocates know this is that reducing carbohydrate generally reduces triglycerides, often below 100 mg/dL. This is the range at which the Friedewald equation becomes unreliable, resulting in artificially inflated LDL numbers that make you have a heart attack just by reading them.

I had a lipid panel done a while back, just for kicks. My LDL, calculated by the Friedewald equation, was 131 mg/dL. Over 130 is considered high. Pass the statins! But wait, my triglycerides were 48 mg/dL, which is quite low. I found a paper through Dr. Eades' post that contains an equation for accurately calculating LDL in people whose triglycerides are below 100 mg/dL*. Here it is (mg/dL):

LDL = TC/1.19 + TG/1.9 - HDL/1.1 - 38

I ran my numbers through this equation. My new, accurate calculated LDL? 98 mg/dL. Even the U.S. National Cholesterol Education Panel wouldn't put me on statins with an LDL like that. I managed to shave 33 mg/dL off my LDL in 2 minutes. Isn't math fun?

*This equation was designed for individuals with a total cholesterol over 250 mg/dL.

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The Many Preventative Health Benefits of Vitamin-D

Scientific evidence shows vitamin D may go beyond its traditionally known role in maintaining bone integrity, according to new research presented at the Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting and Food Expo® earlier this month. It may play a role in preventing autoimmune dis-eases or over-acid tissue conditions such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, some types of cancerous conditions such as breast, ovarian, colorectal and prostate.
Advancing technologies to add vitamin D to natural foods create offerings that provide excellent sources of both vitamin D and calcium which can help consumers achieve dietary adequacy of these largely under-consumed nutrients.

Recent headlines tout vitamin D as the new wonder supplement, with claims ranging from its ability to reduce cancer risk to its link to cognitive function in older men. While studies show connections exist, experts debate the amount of vitamin D necessary for optimal health, however.

“Low vitamin D status is linked to a number of different conditions,” said James C. Fleet, Ph.D. professor in the department of foods and nutrition at Purdue University. “These include certain cancers, muscle weakness and types I and II diabetes—possibly even schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis.”

Muscle weakness in cases of low levels of vitamin D may be explained by muscle's low levels of vitamin D receptors. "Studies with mice show that without vitamin D receptors, cells can't absorb the vitamin," said Dr. Fleet. "Research also shows a correlation between high vitamin D status and improved lower body muscle function in men and women over 60 years old."

Studies also show a decrease in colon cancer with an increase in vitamin D status, and it seems protective against other acidic cancerous risks as well. "One theory is that vitamin D may indirectly inhibit pro-cancer pathways," said Fleet. "The question is finding the protective level, which remains under some debate."

Although it remains controversial, 30 nanograms/milliliter (ng/mL) of vitamin D is associated with fewer fractures and falls, according to Karen Hansen, assistant professor of medicine within the rheumatology section at the University of Wisconsin. "Vitamin D deficiency causes osteoporosis by triggering decreased calcium absorption, secondary hyperparathyroidism, increased bone resorption and decreased bone mineral density." Study variables and inconsistencies make further studies necessary. Currently, 700 to 800 International Units (IU) of vitamin D a day seems most effective.

According to Dr. Robert O. Young, Director of Research at the pH Miracle Living center, "recommendations for an "adequate intake" of vitamin D should be at 50,000 IU's for maintanance and 100,000 IU's in any acute or chronic condition, including diabetes, MS, heart dis-ease and cancerous conditions."

You can order a months supply of Dr. Young's Vitmain D3 supplement which delivers 50,000 IU's per capsule by calling 760-751-8321.

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Drink Alkaline Ionized Electron Rich Water

If someone were to ask me, what was the one thing I can do to have better health, the answer would be simple...Start drinking alkalized, ionized water--even if you're eating acidic foods.

The most important thing is to start putting in the electron-rich, alkaline fluids so you can neutralize acids from the foods you are eating and help to maintain that alkaline design of your body.

In a just a few hours, Thursday, June 25, 2009 from 3:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. PDT (10 P.M. Greenwich Mean Time), I will be hosting a second, on line, live event for the "Sound Mind, Sound Body" Intensive program series on: The New Biology®: The Importance of Drinking Alkaline Water

If you are serious about your health and reversing the effects of acid accumulation in the body--the root cause of all degenerative diseases and aging--then, this is the one topic you can't afford to miss. I urge you to attend this life-affirming seminar. Let me help you take your alkalinity and health to the next level.

Highlights include:

You are what you drink
A look at our collective health--and its cost
The process of over-acidification
What the body does to protect itself from over-acidityAlkaline vs. acidic water and its impact on your health
Examine the differences between healthy & unhealthy blood through a microscope
Free radicals as casual factors in disease and aging
Role of antioxidants
Chronic effects of acidic dehydration
Tap water: modern convenience but at what price?
And the exclusive, world premiere of the 'pHorever Miracle Ionizer' at pre-release priority access and preferred pricing!

Want to be there?

Follow steps for one of the following:

1. “I'm already a registered 'Sound Mind, Sound Body' Member."Login: http://www.nolimitshealthintensive.com/members/login.phpClick on "Click here to sign up for the live webinar" link.Click on "Click here to Register for this session now" and complete the webinar registration form for Dr. Young's water seminar.

2. “I'm not a 'Sound Mind, Sound Body' Member and I would like to hear Dr. Young speak.
First, register to become a free “Sound Mind, Sound Body” Member. To do that:
Click this link: https://m4group.infusionsoft.com/go/SMSBP/ph

Click the "Free to Join Here" button.

Complete your SIGN IN information. Click SUBMIT.

Once inside your Membership area, register for Dr. Young's presentation:

Click on "Click here to sign up for the live webinar" link.

Click on "Click here to Register for this session now" link and complete the webinar registration form for Dr. Young's water seminar.

If you are having any difficulties trying to register or join the live webinar, please email support@nolimitshealth.com directly.

To your health and life,


Dr. Robert O. Young, M.S, D.Sc., Ph.D

Founder of THE NEW BIOLOGY® and
Creator of the SCIENCE OF ALKALINE LIVING™ for Health

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Letter to the Editor

I just got a letter to the editor published in the journal Obesity. It's a comment on an article published in October titled "Efficiency of Intermittent Exercise on Adiposity and Fatty Liver in Rats Fed With High-fat Diet."

In the study, they placed rats on a diet composed of "commercial rat chow plus peanuts, milk chocolate, and sweet biscuit in a proportion of 3:2:2:1," and then proceeded to simply call it a "high-fat diet" in the title and text body, with no reference to its actual composition outside the methods section. We can't tolerate this kind of fudging if we want real answers from nutrition science. Rats eating the "high-fat diet" developed abdominal obesity, fatty liver and hyperphagia, but this was attenuated by exercise.

As I like to say, the problem isn't usually in the data, it's in the interpretation of the data. The result is interesting and highly relevant. But you can't use terminology that tars and feathers all fat when your diet was in fact high in linoleic acid (omega-6), low in omega-3 and high in sugar and refined grains. Especially when butter and coconut oil don't cause the same pathology. I pointed out in the letter that we need to be more precise about how we define "high-fat diets". I also pointed out that the study is highly relevant to the modern U.S., because it supports the hypothesis that a junk food diet high in linoleic acid and sugar causes metabolic disturbances and fatty liver, and exercise may be protective.

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Natural therapy for head pain and migraine.

Migraine symptoms can come and go and may last for several hours.
What is migraine?. It is a severe and often disabling pain in the head, usually on one side only. Sometimes it is accompanied by alarming symptoms such as altered perception, a feeling that the skull is in the grip of a tightening vice, pins and needles or numbness in the limbs, nausea, vomitting, and the inability to do anything.

Migraine sufferers should first seek advice from a medical practitioner, and then verify that their problem is not caused by a food allergy.

Beneficial foods include carrots, celery, beetroot, cucumber, spinach, and parsley. Supplements of vitamin c, and b, (especially b3 ) and the mineral magnesium are said to help prevent attacks. Royal jelly is also said to be effective.

You may like to use the herb Feverfew, which is available in capsule form from any good health food store. The herb can also alleviate depression and nervous disorders.

Guarana is a native vine of the Brazilian Amazon, and can be bought in tablet form. It is claimed to relieve headaches and migraine quickly. Guarana is also used as an appetite-suppressant and is claimed as a slimming product. It is also reputed to be an effective sexual stimulant.

Other natural help for migraine/head pain comes from homeopathy. The remedies Nat mur 6c taken hourly may help although it is best not to self-help, and as always with homeopathy the remedy may depend on circumstances and symptoms.

Web Blogs Directory

Sunwukong

Potassium Rich Foods - List of Foods High in Potassium

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Do I Need Protein In My Diet?

My blood research has suggested "too much protein" from animal sources can cause bone and muscle loss. It is not the quantity or the quality of the protein, but the source of the protein - and whether or not if it has been heated or pasteurized. To fully understand the language used in the nature of matter and fermentation, is of course to understand Antione BeChamp's microzymian theory and how the Pasteurian theorists have confused the understanding protein and its need in the diet. First, in a Bechamp context, the fully living, indestructible microzyma, in its unaltered state, is part of its natural surrounding whether it is a mineral or flesh state with all the measurable frequency and voltage of that substance.

When protein is consumed, the microzyma changes with its new environment to become a building block of another form. If it is not heated, the nitrogenous, protein packed microzymas will still have great energy to be released from the particular pieces of food into liquid globes with still organized electrical potential within the long chain molecular structure of the microzymas. In this state, the transformed substance enters the bloodstream to be easily transformed into blood and later into body cells then tissues and organs. In the morbid Pasteurian context, the microzyma is only recognized in terms of microbes and enzymes. This is where the trouble begins.

Louis Pasteur coined the term microbe and far from understood the pleomorphism of matter as Antoine Bechamp did. Consequently, Pasteur created the entire morbid microbe paradigm of heated, pasteurized dairy products and nearly all other packaged acidic forming foods and drinks.

The pasteurization (heating) disorganizes the microzyma (the origin of organized matter) from its previous state, further releasing the frequency and voltage from the microzyma and releasing its enzymatic or charged power. (Pasteur lead the public to believe that enzymes were alive and that microbes could be suppressed or killed by heat. This is a scientific myth since the mircozymaa that makes up all organized matter cannot be destroyed or killed but can only be changed in their form and function.)

The resulting pasteurized "food" or "drink" is a tragedy. Why? Because pasteurized food and drink contains little power to self digest whether it has nitrogenous (dietary animal protein) material in it or not, further resulting in undigested food bits in the bloodstream and terrible fermenting and putrefying undigested matter in the small and large intestine setting the stage for sickness and dis-ease.

This is why I recommend the elimination of all animal protein! All protein ingestion should come from plants sources and should be a minimum of 5 grams and a maximum of 20 grams per day(based upon a man or woman weighing 70k or 154 lbs.). Increased amount of plant proteins can be used for those involved in strenous exercise, sport, or body building. My favorite plant source protein, that I take everday, is from non-GMO, organic, sprouted green hemp seed. It is a wonderful source of protein and omega-3 oils and can help you build healthy blood and then body cells.

Remember, you build strong bones and muscles with blood and you build blood with green foods and green drinks. This is why I recommend drinking at least 3 to 4 liters of green drinks a day and up to 12 servings of green fruit and vegetables a day. You can include in your 12 servings of green fruit and vegetables sprouted green seeds from organic hemp. This is why I recommend the Young pHourever non-gmo, organic, spouted green hemp seed. This latest and greatest nutritional product called HempH-ProFi and HempH Seed is available NOW. You can order both of these products by going to:

http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-401-young-phorever-hemph-profi.aspx

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Fatty Liver Reversal

On April 15th, I received an e-mail from a reader who I'll call Sam. Sam told me that he had elevated levels of the liver enzyme ALT (alanine transaminase) in his blood, which indicates liver damage. ALT is an enzyme contained in liver cells that's released into the bloodstream when they rupture. Sam also had fatty liver confirmed by biopsy.

Liver damage with fat accumulation is very common in the United States. According to the NHANES health and nutrition surveys, in the time period 1999-2002, 8.9% of Americans had elevated ALT. Just 10 years earlier (1988-1994), the number was 4.0%. Fatty liver is a growing epidemic that currently affects roughly a quarter of Americans. Sam told me he had been trying to reverse his fatty liver for nearly a decade without success, and asked if I had any thoughts. He was not overweight, and from what I could gather, his diet was already better than most. I believe Sam knew intuitively that the right diet would improve his condition. With the usual caveats that this is not advice and I'm not a doctor, here's what I told him:

The quality of fat you eat has a very large influence on health, and especially on the liver. Excess omega-6 is damaging to the liver. This type of fat is found primarily in refined seed oils such as corn oil, soybean oil, and safflower oil... Sugar is also a primary contributor to fatty liver. Reducing your sugar intake will go a long way toward reversing it. Omega-3 fats also help reverse fatty liver if an excess of omega-6 is present. There was a clinical trial using fish oil that was quite effective. You might try taking 1/2 teaspoon of fish oil per day.

On May 11, I received another e-mail from him:

The day after your recommendations, less than a month ago, I started a regimen of 1200 mg/day of fish oil concentrate.

At the same time, I significantly reduced or even eliminated all forms of sugar from my diet. I did have a half glass of orange juice for breakfast every few days or so, and some fruits, and maybe a taste of dessert or a small candy bar here and there. I never exceeded the 30 g/day sugar limit you suggested.

I completely eliminated any and all fried foods and avoided most oils. I also avoided high glycemic index foods to some degree, e.g. white bread and potatoes. I did eat quite a bit more protein, including red meat, eggs, fish, chicken, and pork.

The balance of my diet and lifestyle was largely unchanged. I do drink a couple of beers every two to three weeks, but never more than three drinks in day. I have been doing more yard work, simply because of the season. Other than that, I don't get much more exercise than a typical inactive office worker.

In the same e-mail, he sent me his new ALT test results. He had been getting tested since 2002. The latest result, reflecting his progress since adopting the new diet, followed the previous test by less than a month. Here's a graph of his ALT levels. Below 50 is considered normal: The latest test was 52, just on the cusp of normal. That's nearly 50% lower than his next lowest result over the past 7 years, in less than one month of eating well. I suspect that his next ALT test will be well within the normal range, and the fat in his liver will gradually disappear, if he continues this diet. When I asked him how he was feeling, he said:

I did feel different after adjusting my diet. It's hard to describe, but overall I just felt better. I wasn't as tired when I woke up in the morning and I became a little slimmer, not a lot, maybe 3-5 pounds [note: he was not overweight to begin with]. I figured it was a placebo effect, but I think the fish oil has made a real difference.

Yesterday I had a few potato chips, corn chips, and some others. I didn't like it at all. Today I had half of a brownie for an afternoon snack and I completely crashed after an hour or so. I had a hard time keeping my eyes open. I no longer have much of a craving for snack food, I prefer to eat a full meal with more protein, e.g. beans, meat etc.

Fatty liver is a serious problem that responds readily to diet. I believe the main culprits are excess omega-6 from industrial vegetable oils; insufficient omega-3 from seafood, leafy greens and pastured animal foods; and excess sugar. The liver is your "metabolic gatekeeper", so it pays to take care of it.

How to Fatten Your Liver
Excess Omega-6 Fat Damages Infants' Livers
Health is Multi-Factorial

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Mushroom has powerful effect against tumours and cancer.

Reishi (Ganoderma Lucidum) is a chinese mushroom that has long been highly rated in traditional Chinese medicine.

It is a tonic sedative herb that is expectorant, it lowers blood sugar and cholesterol levels,controls coughing,relieves pain,and stimulates the immune system. It improves heart and liver function, and has anti-allergenic, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial effects.

Reishi contains germanium and is considered to have a powerful effect against tumours and cancer. Recent research has found Reishi to be beneficial in relieving fatigue and stress, treating viral infections and joint inflammations. It is also said to reduce the effects of chemotherapy.

Reishi mushroom is available from good health food stores in capsule form, and are now increasingly incorporated as an ingredient in many multivitamin-mineral supplements.

View blog authority

UK Link Exchange

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Get Ready For A Healthier You!

"Water...is one of the most important buffers of dietary and metabolic acid."

When you do not have sufficient water, you cannot buffer or remove all the acidic waste through the four channels of elimination.

Last month, Dr. Robert O. Young introduced The New Biology®: The Importance of pH" to "Sound Mind, Sound Body" Members around the world. The Q & A following his presentation produced one of the most comprehensive responses to health and disease management ever. Collated, it generated over four (4) hours of recorded information essential for one's journey to optimal health.

Now, on Thursday, June 25, 2009 from 3:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. PDT (10 P.M. Greenwich Mean Time), Dr. Young will be hosting a second, on line, live event.

If you value your health, this is one topic you can't afford to miss.

Dr. Robert O. Young, M.S, D.Sc., Ph.D
Founder of THE NEW BIOLOGY^® and
Creator of the SCIENCE OF ALKALINE LIVING™ for Health

The New Biology^®: The Importance of Drinking Alkaline Water

Highlights of his talk will include:

• the high cost of poor health
• the process of over-acidification
• what the body does to protect itself from over-acidity
• quality of tap water and its impact on your health
• differences between healthy & unhealthy blood as seen through a microscope
• free radicals as casual factors in disease and aging
• role of antioxidants
• the chronic effects of acid dehydration
• And the exclusive, world premiere of the 'Young pHorever Life Ionizer' at pre-release priority access and preferred pricing!

Want to be there?
Follow steps for one of the following:

1. “I'm already a registered 'Sound Mind, Sound Body' Member."

Then, all you have to do is login to the membership and complete the webinar registration form for Dr. Young's live webinar session:

• Login: http://www.nolimitshealthintensive.com/members/login.php
• Click on "Click here to sign up for the live webinar" link.
• Click on "Click here to Register for this session now" and complete the webinar registration form for Dr. Young's water seminar.

2. “I'm not a 'Sound Mind, Sound Body' Member and I would like to hear Dr. Young speak.

First, register to become a free “Sound Mind, Sound Body” Member. To do that:

• Click this link: https://m4group.infusionsoft.com/go/SMSBP/ph
• Click the "Free to Join Here" button.
• Complete your SIGN IN information. Click SUBMIT.

Once inside your Membership area, register for Dr. Young's presentation:

• Click on "Click here to sign up for the live webinar" link.
• Click on "Click here to Register for this session now" link and complete the webinar registration form for Dr. Young's water seminar.

Once you have registered for the live webinar, you will receive 2 email reminders. On the day of the live webinar, it is essential for you to arrive at least 15 minutes early as there will be a large attendance for this session.

If you are having any difficulties trying to register or join the live webinar, please email support@nolimitshealth.com directly.

I look forward to seeing you on the webinar and help you take your alkalinity and health to the next level.

To your health,

Dr. Robert O. Young

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Inas Clovis Breast Cancer Testimonial

The following video link is an abridged version of Inas Clovis sharing her experience with the pH Miracle program. Inas was over-weight, depressed, and diagnosed with Breast Cancer before she dedicated herself to following Dr. Young's diet recommendations. She credits the pH Miracle healthy living and eating lifestyle with saving her life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37khda34X4Y

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Hodgkin's Lymphoma Cancer Reversed In 3 Months

My name is Ingrit Vaher. I am 31 years old and I have experienced something amazingly beautiful. It completely changed my perception towards my life and my health.

In December 2008 I was diagnosed to have the Hodgkin's disease (lymph cancer), which had already developed to the second stage. My doctor recommended that I start a five month long chemotherapy treatment immediately and continue after that with radiation treatment. As per the doctor this was the only possible treatment for this aggressive disease.

Knowing about the disease shocked me, even though a part of me wasn't surprised at all. During my life I had already suffered from sugar addiction, gradually increasing weight, sleep and eating disorder and mood changes. Additioally, during my adulthood I suffered from strong

depression, which I wasn't able to beat even after several attempts. I hated myself for it and I didn't appreciate my life.

After the diagnosis I felt great compassion towards my body. I remembered stories about people recovering from "incurable" diseases. I knew that I wanted to try the same. I decided not to start chemotherapy, at least for now. I believe that the mind and the emotions can effect the body and it is this belief that gave me courage. I knew that I was responsible for my sickness and I hoped that I could also heal it myself.

Luckily I had already read Dr. Robert O. Young's book and learned about pH balance theory. Immediately after the diagnosis I went to a microscopy. When I saw the microscopic pictures of my blood cells I decided to start the 21-day-long purification treatment using Innerlight products, developed by Dr. Robert O. Young. During the first week I was worried and afraid that the tumors in my throat were growing too fast, which would mean that I wouldn't have time to see the effects of the treatment and I would have to go for chemotherapy or surgery anyway. During the second week the worst symptoms such as weakness, vomiting feeling etc. were over giving me more hope. During the third week I felt so much better that I knew I would heal by natural means without chemotherapy. Frankly, during the third week I felt better than ever in my adult life. The sugar addiction and the sleep disorder that had lasted for years were over. Despite the gloomy circumstances I felt very well-balanced, happy and grateful. At that point my friends started asking me the reason for my beautiful and healthy looks.

Three months after the diagnosis I asked for a whole-body scan. The doctors were surprised to see that the cancer was gone! Of all the tumors only two little dots remained. Of course I knew this because of how I felt, but still it made me tremendously happy to know that my recovery was so fast.

Throughout my life I've got to know different kinds of diets and natural products. The alkaline way of life and the Innerlight products are the only ones that helped me get rid of all my ailments including cancer. I'm grateful to Dr. Young for giving me new life, which I am happy leading in an alkaline way.

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RHeumatoid Arthritis - Going - Going - Gone!

Dear Friends:

Please read the following account of the reversal of Rheumatoid Arthritis using the pH Miracle Lifestyle and Diet -

Dr. Young, (cc Dr. Rick McKinney),

It's me, Megan McNealy Graves, and I wanted to thank you for a wonderful retreat at your ranch on June 4-7th. I wanted to give you an update on my progress!

As you know, I have suffered from diagnosed Rheumatoid Arthiritis for the past four years-- the first two years (from 5/5/05), Plaquenil wiped out all the symptoms, but for the past two years, I have lived with an incredible amount of pain--it first started in my knees, then hands, wrists, ankles and feet. This spring it started also in my shoulders, neck and jaw. My main Rheumatologist, Dr. Clare Targoff, has really encouraged me for the past two years to get on Methotrexate ASAP, and then she assumed, since I have a "moderate to severe" case, that I would then need yet the next level of pharmaceuticals (Enbrel, etc)

Before I came to the retreat at your ranch, I was at a real "low". I was tempted to just give in and take the toxic drugs.

But then I thought I would give your diet another chance. I read your book, The PH Miracle, last year, and had written Dr. McKinney at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine about how well I was feeling last summer. He was very encouraged. But, then came a very busy work load this fall, and I fell a bit away from your program--instead of the purely aklaline diet, I started to eat fruit again, glass of wine here and there. I wasn't doing the oil and salts and exercise and alkaline water either, which I know now is a huge part.

Since I was at your ranch, and since I have committed to your suggestions, my symptoms have really started to reverse.

Day 2, June 5th, the day you did my blood analysis. I was nowhere near as tired.

Day 3, June 6th, during the night, not so painful to turn over (in my shoulders), hands and feet not as painful and stiff in the morning, can completely close left hand into fist (first time in a year). This is the day, you remember that we RAN together 1.5 miles. I have not run in 3 years, as it has been too painful. You saw me-- I looked pretty good! :-) I didn't have any soreness in any joints after. Your recommendation to work out everyday, really sweat, is something that I took to heart and I have been exercising daily since.

Day 4, balls of feet don't have as much pain walking

Day 5, June 10, at daughter's class picnic, opened three plastic water bottles by myself (first time in two years)--oddly enough, I opened the caps and didn't notice any pain. Can do muscle stretch fully on left leg and 3/4 way on right (normally can't put my ankle at this angle)

Day 10, at dinner with clients, I was able to walk down stairs at restaurant foot over foot rather than two feet on each stair like usual. Did 25 minutes on elliptical machine at very good pace with no pain. In afternoon held tennis racket and with some pain, I was able to play "mini tennis". Not able to do full court.

Day 12, went running and had no foot pain or knee pain as long as I stayed on flat surface (no tilts)

Today is Day 13, and I am the same as yesterday. I keep looking for all signs of improvement. I am already starting to forget how horrible I was feeling two weeks ago.

I am so encouraged, and I want to thank you for your recommendations. Thank you for telling me what is really wrong with me. I will send Dr McKinney the 41 page report that you made for me, complete with the photos of my live blood analysis. I will have that in the mail to him tomorrow.

Lastly, my mom and dad, Margaret and Ken, had a wonderful time at the retreat also. Dad has lost 20 lbs as of yesterday, and Mom has lost 12 lbs. They said that they have so much more energy and are thinking so clearly.

All the best to you,

Megan McNealy Graves

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A Little Tidbit

I'm gearing up for a new series of posts based on some fascinating reading I've been doing lately. I'm not going to spill the beans, but I will give you a little hint, from a paper written by Dr. Robert S. Corruccini, professor of anthropology at Southern Illinois university. I just came across this quote and it blew me away. It's so full of wisdom I can't even believe I just read it. The term "occlusion" refers to the way the upper and lower teeth come together, as in overbite or underbite.

Similar to heart disease and diabetes which are "diseases of civilization" or "Western diseases" (Trowell and Burkitt, 1981) that have attained high prevalence in urban society because of environmental factors rather than "genetic deterioration," an epidemiological transition (Omran, 1971) in occlusal health accompanies urbanization.

Western society has completely crossed this transition and now exists in a state of industrially buffered environmental homogeneity. The relatively constant environment both raises genetic variance estimates (since environmental variance is lessened) and renders epidemiological surveys largely meaningless because etiological factors are largely uniform. Nevertheless most occlusal epidemiology and heritability surveys are conducted in this population rather than in developing countries currently traversing the epidemiological transition.

In other words, the reason observational studies in affluent nations haven't been able to get to the bottom of dental/orthodontic problems and chronic disease is that everyone in their study population is doing the same thing! There isn't enough variability in the diets and lifestyles of modern populations to be able to determine what's causing the problem. So we study the genetics of problems that are not genetic in origin, and overestimate genetic contributions because we're studying populations whose diet and lifestyle are homogeneous. It's a wild goose chase.

That's why you have to study modernizing populations that are transitioning from good to poor health, which is exactly what Dr. Weston Price and many others have done. Only then can you see the true, non-genetic, nature of the problem.

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The Lyon Diet-Heart Study: A Few More Thoughts

Although the degree of atherosclerosis (hardening/narrowing of the arteries) correlates with the risk of heat attack, the correlation isn't perfect. In fact, if you read my previous post on 20th century coronary heart disease trends in the U.K., you know that the frequency of heart attacks rose dramatically during the first half of the century, while the prevalence of severe atherosclerosis stayed the same or even declined.

If you accept the standard idea of how a heart attack occurs, first the coronary arteries become narrowed due to atherosclerosis. Then a clot forms, which lodges itself in a narrowed artery, blocking it and cutting off the blood supply to part of the heart muscle. The clot may be the result of a ruptured atherosclerotic plaque.

If you're unlucky, the loss of blood to your heart causes arrhythmia, or a loss of coordination of the heart muscle. This can cause it to pump blood inefficiently, sometimes resulting in death. Arrhythmias are estimated to account for about half of all heart attack deaths in the U.S. Sometimes they occur without a coronary blockage as well.

Omega-3 fatty acids seem to affect all three parts of the process: the atherosclerosis, the clot formation and the arrhythmia. Supplementing fish oil, even in the absence of reduced omega-6, may slow the progression of atherosclerosis according to a controlled trial.

Where omega-3 really shines is its ability to prevent clots and arrhythmias. In the DART and Lyon trials, the benefits of improving omega-6:3 balance appeared much more quickly than would be possible if it were acting by reversing atherosclerosis. This may have involved the blood-thinning properties of omega-3. The most dramatic effects were on sudden cardiac death, often the result of arrhythmia. Omega-3 fatty acids potently suppress arrhythmias in animal models.

You can have severely narrowed and calcified arteries, but if a clot never shows up, you may never actually have a heart attack. The modern industrial diet is extremely thrombotic (clot-promoting), probably in large part due to the combination of excessive omega-6 and insufficient omega-3. If the artery blockage doesn't cause an arrhythmia, the heart attack may not be fatal.

Omega-3 fats seem to prevent heart attacks on multiple levels.

The Lyon Diet-Heart Study: Background
The Lyon Diet-Heart Study
The Lyon Diet-Heart Study: Implications
Polyunsaturated Fat Intake: What About Humans?

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Donations Gratefully Accepted

I've been incurring significant costs buying books and photocopying journal articles for the blog lately, so I've decided to add a donation button to the right sidebar. Anyone is still welcome to read posts and participate in the community, regardless of whether or not they donate. If you feel like you'd like to chip in, I'd appreciate it.

The button takes you to a PayPal webpage, where you can securely donate either with a PayPal account or using a credit card.

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Simple Cogntive Behavioural Therapy. Help if you are feeling depressed

As a person you have a right to your own feelings. If you are depressed and anxious, look at these sayings every day and see how it relates to you

.

I have a right to be treated with dignity and respect
I have a right to have and express all my feelings
I have a right to take care of myself first
I have a right to be listened to and taken seriously
I have a right to make mistakes
I have a right to say no, and I do not have to give a reason
I have a right to say no without feeling guilty
I have a right to say no to anything I feel I am not ready for
I have a right to say no to anything that violates my values
I have a right to say no to anything I feel is unsafe
I have a right to terminate conversation, if I feel humiliated or put down.
I have a right to choose who I spend my time with
I have a right to enjoy myself
I have a right to set limits for myself
I have a right to make my own choices and decisions
I have a right to choose my own spiritual beliefs
I have a right to physical and emotional privacy
I have a right to grieve
I have a right to talk about things that are important to me
I have a right to be angry
I have a right to express my needs
I have a right to make noise, to laugh, and cry out loud

AFFIRMATIONS:

I feel happy and content

I feel relaxed and at ease with the world

I feel confident

People like me, and enjoy my company

I am witty and amusing

I am relaxed in the company of others

I do my job well, and I am appreciated

I have just as much a right to be here as anyone else

At the end of the day, does it matter?

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The Lyon Diet-Heart Study: Implications

There's something ironic about the Mediterranean diet used in the Lyon diet heart study, the one that dramatically reduced participants' risk of heart attack and all-cause mortality relative to the prudent diet control group: it wasn't actually a Mediterranean diet.

The concept of the Mediterranean diet as protective against heart disease may have originated in Dr. Ancel Keys' Seven Countries study, in which he compared the food habits and cardiovascular mortality statistics both between and within seven European countries. Countries surrounding the Mediterranean, and in particular the Greek island of Crete, had the lowest cardiovascular death rates. The Cretan diet is high in monounsaturated fat, relatively low in saturated fat, low in omega-6, and high in omega-3 fatty acids, including fat from seafood and the plant omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid. It also includes abundant green vegetables. This became the inspiration for the modern American concept of the "Mediterranean diet". The part about low omega-6 tends to be omitted.

Of course, if you look at modern heart attack mortality statistics by country, France is the lowest in Europe. France is a Mediterranean country, yet happens to have a very high intake of saturated fat per capita. So the cardiologist-approved version of the Mediterranean diet isn't exactly accurate.

The Lyon study departs even further from the traditional Mediterranean diet. Neither the Cretan nor the French diet are low in fat, yet participants were encouraged to reduce their fat intake. The Cretan diet includes some animal fat and eggs, while Lyon participants were encouraged to avoid these. And finally, the margarine. You could be guillotined for using margarine instead of butter in France, and I'm sure the Cretans aren't too fond of it either. Yet the margarine used in the Lyon study was rich in omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid, a critical factor.

Previous intervention trials such as MRFIT, the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) dietary modification trial, and others, exhaustively tested the hypothesis that reducing total fat intake reduces cardiovascular mortality. It doesn't. A dozen trials have also tested the idea that reducing saturated fat reduces cardiovascular mortality. It doesn't. Increasing fiber doesn't, according to the DART trial. Increasing fruit and vegetables modestly doesn't, according to WHI.

So what's left that's unique about the Lyon trial? It was the only trial to dramatically reduce omega-6 consumption, to below 4% of calories, while increasing omega-3 consumption from plant and seafood sources. In my opinion, that combination is the only plausible explanation for the large reduction in heart attacks and total mortality. That combination also happens to be a consistent feature of the real Mediterranean diet. In both Crete and France, omega-6 intake is relatively low, and omega-3 intake is relatively high. They also eat more real food than processed food in general, a factor that I don't underestimate.

Where do we go from here? Obviously I'm not going to recommend eating omega-3 enriched margarine. Mediterranean countries don't need industrial goop to avoid a heart attack, and neither do you. Anyone who's been to France knows they don't deprive themselves over there. They eat real food and they enjoy it.

The way to preserve the essential elements of the Mediterranean diet without becoming an ascetic is to eat fats that are low in omega-6, and find a modest source of omega-3. That means eating full-fat dairy if you tolerate it, fatty meat if you enjoy it, organs, seafood, olive oil in moderation, coconut oil, butter, lard, and tallow. Along with a diet that is dominated by real, homemade food rather than processed food. Some people may also wish to supplement with small doses of high-vitamin cod liver oil, fish oil or flax. I consider the latter to be inferior to animal sources of omega-3, but it can be useful for vegetarians.

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The Identity Politics of Breasts: Male Lactation and the Political Economy of Wo/Man (part 1)

[M]ale dominated society tends not to think of a woman’s breasts as hers. Woman is a natural territory; her breasts belong to others—her husband, her lover, her baby. It’ hard to imagine a woman’s breasts as her own, from her own point of view, to imagine their value apart from measurement and exchange.
--Iris Marion Young "Breasted Experience"[*]

According to Kristeva, the infant must substitute speech for its mother’s breast. It takes pleasure in the materiality of speech just as it did in the materiality of its mother’s body… this substitution takes place when child realizes that its mother is a separate being who can leave and does not entirely exist for its own gratification... the move from breast to speech is an organic evolution of the psyche through which speech is ‘literally’ substituted for the breast.
--Kelly Oliver "Nourishing the Subject"[*]

Milk is the one bodily fluid that is clearly symbolic of all that is clean, fresh, and wholesome.
--M. Potts, R. V. Short Ever Since Adam and Eve[*]

INTRODUCTION
What is the nature of the human breast?

Far from a dryly medical, if not slightly erotic, inquiry, inquiry into the nature of the human breast holds the potential to disrupt unquestioned dominant discourses in our society. The subject of this post is not the mammary gland; and if it were, such inquiry would be only skin deep into “the nature” of the human breast. Rather, the “nature’ of human breasts is a cultural one, a “nature” with a history no younger and clean than the history of “civilization.”

The human breast is a battleground. It is a cultural site at which pervasive dominant discourses in western societies demarcate “nature” from culture and politics, “woman” from man, “Man” from “animal,” spirituality from sexuality, and altruism from self-interest. Just as breasts (generally) come in pairs, so do their culturally conscripted “natures.” The powerful emotions that may be evoked by the sight or touch of the breast may not be solely aesthetic; they may also signify deeper subconscious anxieties over our very identities as men, women, humans, animals, straights or queers.Read more »

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Life Changing and Life Saving at the Rancho del Sol

The following is an email letter from one of our guests who attended our last pH Miracle Retreat at the Rancho del Sol in San Diego, California. For more information go to:

www.phmiracleliving.com

==============================================================

I woke up this morning to music of the birds at this San Diego mountain health retreat...I looked outside and noticed everything was wet, there was a fine misting, the mountains and hill tops are majestic with tons of grapefruit and avocados dangling from trees both near and far away. The trees are green, flowers bursting open everywhere and the view is so beautiful that you can only "wonder" and take it all in slowly and deliberately. I see God everywhere! I have to remember to breathe! I am feeling great this morning. I know the few other people who are here for health reasons are also waking up wherever they are and I wonder how they are feeling and what they are thinking. I am sure the world would look upon us as a cult...and that we are following some crazy cult leader who insists that we follow a strict set of alkaline rules every day to make us totally healthy! If that is what we are, then I am ready for my day to begin! I am ready to be in the alkaline cult! I can now better understand the privileges of the rich and famous that can afford to do whatever they want to do. I feel truly blessed that I am able to be here and am being granted the opportunity to stay and not feel stressed about the tremendous costs.... How can you attempt to put a price on something that is priceless to you? My day is about to unfold once again...please do not feel sorry for me, you should feel some slight envy!

Breakfast of green juice and a green morning shake with fresh made almond milk is on its way to me via room/home service within a few minutes.... I am in a home by myself and still cannot believe how fortunate I am to be here. I will soon go for an early morning private infared sauna and then maybe yoga and exercise at Dr Young's home. I will get to sit with Dr Young and chat about politics, medicine, health care, crazy and silly stuff and ask questions back and forth. He is a regular and genuine guy. There may be only a few of us or a dozen or more who will attend these informal Younga yoga sessions....some of us may like to go and some don't or can't. I usually sit and do what I can and ignore the moves that are too challenging.

Daily Colonics are routine at this place. Who would have thought about doing a colonic?? A specialist is brought in daily to give alklaizing colonics. In fact, it is interesting to see that Dr Young is personally treating himself to the same cleansing along with his family. Later, I may go for a 2 mile walk with Dr Young if I feel up to it. I may then cleanse my lungs for half hour with a special & natural supplement and breathing program Dr Young recommends. I may take a walk to the main kitchen and visit with the chef and ask about the procedures and recipes and have a conversation as I watch the alkalizing meals and drinks being prepared. I will then take another long afternoon or evening infared sauna till I am sweating away an abundance of toxins from my body! Then, it is time to go shower, relax, check my emails and wait for lunch to be served at my home. I can anticipate more alkaline green juice, a delicious hot soup and more fresh squeezed almond milk, fresh avocados & possibly a small salad. If this is a cult, I am falling in love!

I sit here and cry sometimes and I am not sure why. I am not sure if it is happy tears or sad tears. However, I get to reflect on life, you and me, business, family, friends, the past, the present, the future, life, death, the good, the bad & the ugly! My tears fall freely and abundantly and I don't have to feel ashamed or macho about how I am feeling! My urine, sweat and saliva are now at perfect alkaline levels...so are my tears!

I now understand why it is important to come here to learn how to take care of yourself. Reading a book or watching a DVD cannot be enough. I am learning the routine, the formulas, the frequencies, how to cook, what to cook, how to pace myself, how to explain pains and side effects of cleansing the body! I will be in a better position to help anyone who may want to learn how to do it also. However, I no longer care whether anyone else cares to do this. Obviously, there are sacrifices to be made and most people will not want to trade their current lifestyles and comfort foods for a totally healthy lifestyle of living foods, and that is fine with me. Until we are faced with life & death decisions, most of us will not examine alternatives to what we are doing and why we are deteriorating. In fact, I am realizing that even when we are facing life and death decisions and an unhealthy body, we may choose to stick with old familiar habits and not make the necessary change to new life saving habits! I am now realizing that I need to accept such decisions from others because I cannot personally change individuals and I cannot personally change the world. This makes it even more difficult when those closest to you in life are not ready to take care of their own body, as they should. At least I know that I will be an example of the change one may want to consider!

I just wanted to share my thoughts with you as I woke up this beautiful Sunday morning.... that's all!

Charles

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This Article Will Make You Mad!

I BELIEVE THIS ARTICLE WILL MAKE YOU MAD!! I just can't fathom the cynicism that these facts present. And we thought Bankers and Wall Streeters were sleazey!

Let me have Bernie Madoff back, if Health Insurers are the trade-offs!

Health insurers want you to keep smoking, Harvard doctors say

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=health-insurers-want-you-to-keep-sm-2009-06-03&sc=WR_20090609

Health and life insurance companies in the U.S. and abroad have nearly $4.5 billion invested in tobacco stocks, according to Harvard doctors.

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The Beauty of an Alkaline Water Crystal

This is the first time our alkaline, ionized water from a
water ionizer has been tested by Dr. Emoto,
who was featured in the movie "What the Bleep do
we Know", and “Water, The Great Mystery”. This July/August we
will be releasing our 7 Plate titanium platinum Young pHorever Life Ionizer that will make this beautiful alkalizing water.

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Some interesting herbs/plants

Gelsemium sempervirens





This is an evergreen climber with twining stems and shiny,ovate-lanceolate leaves. From a medicinal view the parts used are the roots and rhizomes.





The uses of this plant when taken internally, include neuralgia,migraine,sciatica,toothache, severe pain, especially in terminal illness. and meningitis.

WARNING: Toxic if flower eaten. This plant is subject to legal restrictions in some countries.

Gelsemium sempervirens is native to SE USA, Mexico and Guatemala.






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The Lyon Diet-Heart Study

Now that we have the proper context, it's time to dig into the Lyon Diet-Heart trial, one of the most important and misunderstood diet trials of all time.

The trial enrolled 605 middle-aged French men and women who had previously suffered a heart attack. This is called a "secondary prevention" trial because it's designed to prevent a second heart attack. The advantage of secondary prevention trials is that they can be smaller, because men who have already had a heart attack are at a much higher risk of having another. This increases your statistical power. The disadvantage is that the participants aren't necessarily representative of the population at large.

Participants were divided into a control group and an intervention group. The control group "received no dietary advice from the investigators but nonetheless were advised to follow a prudent diet by their attending physicians". Ah, the prudent diet rears its ugly head once again. In a later paper, they describe the prudent diet they used in a bit more detail:

[The control subjects] were expected to follow the dietary advice given by their attending physicians, similar to that of step I of the prudent diet of the American Heart Association.

And what exactly is this prudent diet? It was created by the National Cholesterol Education Panel, that very conflicted organization I've written about before. Step I is now defunct, having given way to the next generation of NCEP guidelines in 2000. Here's a summary of the old Step I from the American Heart Association's website:

The Step I diet restricted total fat to no more than 30 percent of total calories, saturated fat to no more than 10 percent of total calories, and cholesterol to less than 300 mg/day. It was intended as the starting point for patients who had high cholesterol levels.

This is an important point: the Lyon Diet-Heart trial wasn't an ordinary trial comparing the average person's diet to a different diet. It was a bare-knuckle showdown between the prudent diet and a modified version of the Mediterranean diet! I believe that's part of the reason it was rejected by the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, although there's another reason I'll get to later. The intervention group received different advice:

Patients in the experimental group were advised by the research cardiologist and dietician, during a one-hour-long session, to adopt a Mediterranean-type diet: more bread, more root vegetables and green vegetables, more fish, less meat (beef, lamb, and pork to be replaced with poultry), no day without fruit, and butter and cream to be replaced with margarine supplied by the study.

Because the patients would not accept olive oil- traditional to the Mediterranean diet- as the only fat [because French people use more butter than olive oil- SG], a rapeseed (canola) oil-based margarine (Astra-Calve, Paris, France) was supplied free for the whole family to experimental subjects. This margarine had a composition comparable to olive oil [mon oeil- SG] with 15% saturated fatty acids, 48% oleic acid but 5.4% 18:1 trans. However, it was slightly higher in linoleic [omega-6- SG] (16.4 vs 8.6%) and more so in alpha-linolenic acid [omega-3- SG] (4.8 vs 0.6%), a fatty acid markedly higher (3 fold) in the plasma of the Cretan cohort in the Seven Country study compared to that of Zutphen (Netherlands).

The oils recommended for salads and food preparation were rapeseed and olive oils exclusively. Moderate alcohol consumption in the form of wine was allowed at meals. At each subsequent visit of the experimental patients, a dietary survey and further counseling were done by the research dietician.

After five long years of these brutal diets, participants in the intervention ("Mediterranean") group were eating slightly less total fat, 29% less saturated fat, 32% less cholesterol, a bit more bread, legumes, fruit, vegetables and fish, compared to the control (prudent diet) group. They were also eating less meat and much less butter and cream, although cheese consumption was the same between groups. French people know better than to give up their cheese!

So far, these changes are not unique. They're similar to the interventions in the ineffective MRFIT and WHI trials in the last post. Here's where it gets interesting. The intervention group ate three times as much omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid as the control group, and 32% less omega-6 linoleic acid. The ratio was 20 : 1 linoleic acid : alpha-linoleic acid in the control group, and 4.4 : 1 in the intervention group. This was due to the combination of a low-fat diet and the canola oil goop they were provided free of charge.

But it gets even better. The intervention group reduced their omega-6 linoleic acid intake to 3.6% of calories, below the critical threshold of 4%. As I described in my recent post on eicosanoid signaling, reducing linoleic acid to below 4% of calories inhibits inflammation, while increasing it more after it has already exceeded 4% has very little effect if omega-3 is kept low*. This is a very important point: the intervention group didn't just increase omega-3. They decreased omega-6 to below 4% of calories. That's what sets the Lyon Diet-Heart trial apart from all the other failed diet trials.

After five years on their respective diets, 3.4% of the control (prudent diet) group and 1.3% of the intervention ("Mediterranean") group had died, a 70% reduction in deaths. Cardiovascular deaths were reduced by 76%. Stroke, angina, pulmonary embolism and heart failure were also much lower in the intervention group. A stunning victory for this Mediterranean-inspired diet, and a crushing defeat for the prudent diet!

There's a little gem buried in this study that I believe is the other reason it didn't get accepted to the New England Journal of Medicine: there was no difference in total cholesterol or LDL values between the control and experimental groups. The American scientific consensus was so cholesterol-centric that it couldn't accept the possibility that an intervention had reduced heart attack mortality without reducing LDL. The paper was accepted to the British journal The Lancet, another well-respected medical journal.

In the next post, I'll describe how we can benefit from the findings of the Lyon trial, and even surpass it, without having to resort to canola oil margarine.

*I admit 4% is somewhat arbitrary, but I think it's a good reference point based on the shape of the HUFA curve in this post.

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