Malocclusion: Disease of Civilization

In his epic work Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, Dr. Weston Price documented the abnormal dental development and susceptibility to tooth decay that accompanied the adoption of modern foods in a number of different cultures throughout the world. Although he quantified changes in cavity prevalence (sometimes finding increases as large as 1,000-fold), all we have are Price's anecdotes describing the crooked teeth, narrow arches and "dished" faces these cultures developed as they modernized.

Price published the first edition of his book in 1939. Fortunately, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration wasn't the last word on the matter. Anthropologists and archaeologists have been extending Price's findings throughout the 20th century. My favorite is Dr. Robert S. Corruccini, currently a professor of anthropology at Southern Illinois University. He published a landmark paper in 1984 titled "An Epidemiologic Transition in Dental Occlusion in World Populations" that will be our starting point for a discussion of how diet and lifestyle factors affect the development of the teeth, skull and jaw (Am J. Orthod. 86(5):419)*.

First, some background. The word occlusion refers to the manner in which the top and bottom sets of teeth come together, determined in part by the alignment between the upper jaw (maxilla) and lower jaw (mandible). There are three general categories:

• Class I occlusion: considered "ideal". The bottom incisors (front teeth) fit just behind the top incisors.
• Class II occlusion: "overbite." The bottom incisors are too far behind the top incisors. The mandible may appear small.
  
• Class III occlusion: "underbite." The bottom incisors are beyond the top incisors. The mandible protrudes.
  

Malocclusion means the teeth do not come together in a way that's considered ideal. The term "class I malocclusion" is sometimes used to describe crowded incisors when the jaws are aligning properly.

Over the course of the next several posts, I'll give an overview of the extensive literature showing that hunter-gatherers past and present have excellent occlusion, subsistence agriculturalists generally have good occlusion, and the adoption of modern foodways directly causes the crooked teeth, narrow arches and/or crowded third molars (wisdom teeth) that affect the majority of people in industrialized nations. I believe this process also affects the development of the rest of the skull, including the face and sinuses.

In his 1984 paper, Dr. Corruccini reviewed data from a number of cultures whose occlusion has been studied in detail. Most of these cultures were observed by Dr. Corruccini personally. He compared two sets of cultures: those that adhere to a traditional style of life and those that have adopted industrial foodways. For several of the cultures he studied, he compared it to another that was genetically similar. For example, the older generation of Pima indians vs. the younger generation, and rural vs. urban Punjabis. He also included data from archaeological sites and nonhuman primates. Wild animals, including nonhuman primates, almost invariably show perfect occlusion.

The last graph in the paper is the most telling. He compiled all the occlusion data into a single number called the "treatment priority index" (TPI). This is a number that represents the overall need for orthodontic treatment. A TPI of 4 or greater indicates malocclusion (the cutoff point is subjective and depends somewhat on aesthetic considerations). Here's the graph: Every single urban/industrial culture has an average TPI of greater than 4, while all the non-industrial or less industrial cultures have an average TPI below 4. This means that in industrial cultures, the average person requires orthodontic treatment to achieve good occlusion, whereas most people in more traditionally-living cultures naturally have good occlusion.

The best occlusion was in the New Britain sample, a precontact Melanesian hunter-gatherer group studied from archaeological remains. The next best occlusion was in the Libben and Dickson groups, who were early Native American agriculturalists. The Pima represent the older generation of Native Americans that was raised on a somewhat traditional agricultural diet, vs. the younger generation raised on processed reservation foods. The Chinese samples are immigrants and their descendants in Liverpool. The Punjabis represent urban vs. rural youths in Northern India. The Kentucky samples represent a traditionally-living Appalachian community, older generation vs. processed food-eating offspring. The "early black" and "black youths" samples represent older and younger generations of African-Americans in the Cleveland and St. Louis area. The "white parents/youths" sample represents different generations of American Caucasians.

The point is clear: there's something about industrialization that causes malocclusion. It's not genetic; it's a result of changes in diet and/or lifestyle. A "disease of civilization". I use that phrase loosely, because malocclusion isn't really a disease, and some cultures that qualify as civilizations retain traditional foodways and relatively good teeth. Nevertheless, it's a time-honored phrase that encompasses the wide array of health problems that occur when humans stray too far from their ecological niche. I'm going to let Dr. Corruccini wrap this post up for me:

I assert that these results serve to modify two widespread generalizations: that imperfect occlusion is not necessarily abnormal, and that prevalence of malocclusion is genetically controlled so that preventive therapy in the strict sense is not possible. Cross-cultural data dispel the notion that considerable occlusal variation [malocclusion] is inevitable or normal. Rather, it is an aberrancy of modern urbanized populations. Furthermore, the transition from predominantly good to predominantly bad occlusion repeatedly occurs within one or two generations' time in these (and other) populations, weakening arguments that explain high malocclusion prevalence genetically.

* This paper is worth reading if you get the chance. It should have been a seminal paper in the field of preventive orthodontics, which could have largely replaced conventional orthodontics by now. Dr. Corruccini is the clearest thinker on this subject I've encountered so far.

Read More

A Young Man Transitioning and Changing To A pH Miracle Life

Watch and listen to Alex Young, Dr. Robert and Shelley Young's 21 year old son, as he explains his experience growing up with the pH Miracle Lifestyle and Diet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlY9V1B4Xlw

Read More

Will Coffee, Beer, Cola, or Alkaline Water Light Up Dr. Young's Light?

"Will It Light?" is a video series that asks the question: Will the liquid we drink give us energy or take it away---will the liquid we drink light us up? Dr. Robert O. Young Ph.D. tests beverages...

Here is the link to view Dr. Young's latest experiment on cola drinks, coffee, beer and alkaline water:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vm_ZnZymoI

Read More

Vitamin D Deficiency May Lead To High Blood Pressure

Younger white women with vitamin D deficiencies are about three times more likely to have high blood pressure in middle age than those with normal vitamin levels, according to a study released on Thursday.

The study, presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association in Chicago, adds younger women to a growing list of people including men who may develop high blood pressure at least in part because of low vitamin D.

Researchers in Michigan, who examined data on 559 women beginning in 1992, found that those with low levels of vitamin D were more likely to have high blood pressure 15 years later in 2007.

"Our results indicate that early vitamin D deficiency may increase the long-term risk of high blood pressure in women at mid-life," said Flojaune Griffin, who worked on the study for the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

Vitamin D, which the human body can make from sunlight and which is found in fatty fish, and dietary supplements, has long been known to contribute to healthy bones and teeth.

But Vitamin D deficiencies, which are widespread in women, are linked to cancer, immune system problems and inflammatory diseases.

High blood pressure raises the likelihood of stroke, heart disease and other cardiovascular problems.

The women in the blood pressure study lived in Tecumseh, Michigan, and were 24 to 44 years old with an average age of 38, when the research began.

Researchers measured vitamin D blood levels at the outset and took blood pressure readings once a year. In 2007, they compared systolic readings -- the top number in blood pressure results that indicates the pressure within blood vessels when the heart beats.

More than 10 percent of women with vitamin D deficiencies had high blood pressure in 2007, versus 3.7 percent of those with sufficient levels. When the study began, 5.5 percent with deficiencies also had high blood pressure, compared to 2.8 percent with normal vitamin D.

The study was funded by the U.S. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

Almost half the population worldwide has lower-than-optimal levels of vitamin D and researchers say the problem is worsening as people spend more time indoors. African-Americans seem at especially high risk as dark skin can make it harder for the body to absorb ultraviolet light.

According to Dr. Robert O. Young, Director of Research at the pH Miracle Living Center, "Vitamin D helps to reduce dietary and metabolic acid that leads immune deficiency, bone loss, hypertension and even a cancerous acidic condition. To protect yourself against acids that can make you sick and tired you need at least 50,000 I.U's of Vitamin D3 daily."

http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-404-ph-d3.aspx

In Love and Healing Light,

Robert O. Young, Ph.D., D.Sc.

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

Read More

Diabetics on a Low-carbohydrate Diet, Part II

I just found another very interesting study performed in Japan by Dr. Hajime Haimoto and colleagues (free full text). They took severe diabetics with an HbA1c of 10.9% and put them on a low-carbohydrate diet:

The main principle of the CRD [carbohydrate-restricted diet] was to eliminate carbohydrate-rich food twice a day at breakfast and dinner, or eliminate it three times a day at breakfast, lunch and dinner... There were no other restrictions. Patients on the CRD were permitted to eat as much protein and fat as they wanted, including saturated fat.

What happened to their blood lipids after eating all that fat for 6 months, and increasing their saturated fat intake to that of the average American? LDL decreased and HDL increased, both statistically significant. Oops. But that's water under the bridge. What we really care about here is glucose control. The patients' HbA1c (glycated hemoglobin; a measure of average blood glucose over the past several weeks) declined from 10.9 to 7.4%.

Here's a graph showing the improvement in HbA1c. Each line represents one individual:

Every single patient improved, except the "dropout" who stopped following the diet advice after 3 months (the one line that shoots back up at 6 months). And now, an inspirational anecdote from the paper:

One female patient had an increased physical activity level during the study period in spite of our instructions. However, her increase in physical activity was no more than one hour of walking per day, four days a week. She had implemented an 11% carbohydrate diet without any antidiabetic drug, and her HbA1c level decreased from 14.4% at baseline to 6.1% after 3 months and had been maintained at 5.5% after 6 months.

That patient began with the highest HbA1c and ended with the lowest. Complete glucose control using only diet and exercise. It may not work for everyone, but it's effective in some cases. The study's conclusion:

...the 30%-carbohydrate diet over 6 months led to a remarkable reduction in HbA1c levels, even among outpatients with severe type 2 diabetes, without any insulin therapy, hospital care or increase in sulfonylureas. The effectiveness of the diet may be comparable to that of insulin therapy.

Diabetics on a Low-carbohydrate Diet
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Diabetes

Read More

UNUSUAL REMEDIES

Pfaffia ( Amaranthaceae ). This herb is grown in Central and Southern America and is known as Brazilian Ginseng. The roots have been used by natives as a cure all, but more widely as a tonic aphrodisiac.


Pfaffia has been used internally for stress, chronic fatigue,debility, poor appetite, Epstein-Barr disease, glandular fever, infertility, impotence, menstrual and menopausal problems, diabetes, pancreas dysfunctions, ulcers, rheumatism, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, nervous disorders, chronic degenerative disease, and various kinds of cancer. Also to improve resistance to infection and increase stamina.


Extracts are added to food supplements and herbal tonics.

Read More

Testicular and Lung Cancer at the Age of 33

The following is an unsolicited testimony of Christian Wengler from Wellington, New Zealand.

At 33yrs old I was a fit and active, and shocked to be diagnosed with Testicular Cancer after discovering a lump on my testicle. The doctors admitted me for surgery the following day, and removed the testicle. The biopsy showed a seminoma. Luckily, as it was discovered early and the doctors did not recommend Chemo/Radiation at that stage. However, I was scheduled in for intensive monitoring (CT scans) every 2 months for the next 5 years to ensure that if this fast moving cancer came back it would be detected early before it could spread too much.

I started looking into Dr. Young's pH Miracle Lifestyle and Diet following my diagnosis and surgery, and began trying to figure out what caused me to have cancer. I targeted my diet and my emotions. Firstly my diet: I had previously eaten a typical athlete’s diet of high carbs and protein (meat) but I ate little in the way of vegetables. For convenience I would make huge meals a few times per week so I could quickly re-heat the leftovers in a microwave after training. I also ate a fair amount of ‘junk’ food (potato chips, chocolate, and alcohol). So I stopped eating meat, and dairy, and cut out a lot of sugar/carbs. I stopped using a microwave, and I started eating more vegetables and salads. With my emotions: I worked on reducing stress and anxiety, which I learned from reading the pH Miracle, is a great source of metabolic acid. I watched funny movies, I did mediation, Yoga, and Pilates. I had some Reiki, microcurrent therapy, massages, and floatation sessions.

Everything seemed to be going well until 10 months later when one of my CT scans showed 3 spots on my lungs. I immediately knew it was cancer. It was diagnosed as stage 3 Lung Cancer and had passed from the origin, through my lymph system and into my lungs. If untreated it would quickly enter my brain.

My doctor recommended immediate chemotherapy. I was able to convince him to give me 4 weeks to try an alternative treatment. The doctor reluctantly agreed on the condition that if, after 4 weeks, the cancer had spread further I would have the chemical therapy.

I immediately contacted Richard Adgo – (a Dr. Young trained microscopist) who did a live blood analysis for me, and set me up with the green drink, pH booster, clay, minerals, and core cleanser. He advised me to do a liquid cleanse of raw vegetable soups and juices. I cleansed for 8 days, and drank 3-5 liters of green drink every day. Once finished on the cleanse I ate no sugar. I ate only vegetables and oils, juices and water.

I went back for another scan 4 weeks later, and was relieved to see the spots had not grown. The doctor again agreed to hold off Chemo and continue with monitoring by CT scan.

After another month the spots had reduced slightly in size, but it was another 8 months before the spots finally disappeared from my lungs for good. You should have seen my smile!!!

I am so happy that I know about pH Miracle Lifestyle and Diet, and all that it did for my life. As well as beating my lung cancer. Also my eyesight has improved. I have better mental clarity, don’t get tired during the day, I seldom get colds/flu, and I feel 10 years younger.

Some additional thoughts and experiences I had along the way.

All along my doctors were ignorant of and barely interested in anything ‘non-medical’ that I was doing. They never heard of pH Miracle Lifestyle and Diet, reiki, not using microwaves etc…..they never asked me about my lifestyle, my diet or anything which may have contributed to me having cancer in the first place.

Once the spots on my lungs reduced in size, and eventually disappearing, my specialist incredibly said “it couldn’t have been cancer as cancer never reverses…so it’s lucky we didn’t give you chemo…..must have been something else which I can’t explain.”

Once my lung cancer had disappeared completely, another doctor came to me and said ‘You know, you can still get some Chemo if you want, just to be sure.”

I have told people about pH Miracle Lifestyle and Diet, and some have gone and bought the book and made some small changes to their lives. It’s hard when you know how much better people’s lives could be if they followed pH Miracle Lifestyle and Diet, but the number that think they are ok so don’t need to do it and rely only on traditional medicine/drugs when they get sick is saddening. I guess I would have been the same if I hadn’t gone through what I went through and been lucky enough to learn about pH Miracle Lifestyle and Diet.

Read More

Only 10 Percent of Adults Have Low Risk For Heart Attack

Only 10 Percent of Adults Have Low Heart Risk

Ninety percent of American adults have at least one risk factor for heart disease, researchers say.

Why? The answer is simple. An over-acidic lifestyle and diet!

Virtually all Americans have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, are overweight, smoke, or exercise too little, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention team reported Monday.

"Unfortunately, the limited strides that were made toward this goal during the 1970s and 1980s were eroded by the increases in excess weight, diabetes and hypertension during more recent decades," said the CDC's Dr. Earl Ford, who led the study.

Ford's team looked at four national studies covering tens of thousands of Americans ages 25 to 74.

Only 10 percent had low risk scores in all five categories, they reported in the journal Circulation.

"Until the early '90s, we were moving in a positive direction, but then it took a turn and we're headed in a negative direction," Ford said.

"When you look at the individual factors, tobacco use is still headed in the right direction and so are cholesterol levels, although that has leveled off. The problem is that blood pressure, BMI (body mass index, a measure of obesity), and diabetes are all headed in the wrong direction."

According to Dr. Robert O. Young, Director of The pH Miracle Living Center, "there is only one cause for the increase of metabolic disorders, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity - metabolic and/or dietary acid that has NOT been properly eliminated through respiration, urination, defecation, and perspiration. If there is only one cause then there is only one cure - re-establishing the alkaline design of the body."

Read More

What Causes Human Papilloma Cancer HPV

Life-or-death questions are being raised about Gardasil, an acidic vaccine touted to prevent a so-called infection of human papilloma virus (HPV), which can theoretically may cause cervical cancer. Merck & Co., Inc., the maker of Gardasil, staunchly defends its multi-billion dollar goldmine, stating on their website, “We are confident in the safety profile of GARDASIL.”

But Dr. Diane Harper, an obstetrician and gynecologist who helped Merck perform Gardasil’s clinical trials and who served on Merck’s advisory board for the vaccine, told CNN in an interview, “Gardasil is not without risks. It’s not a freebie.”

Since the approval of the vaccine by the FDA in 2006, health-care groups have shouted out warnings of danger, and have also said that Merck has energetically mass-marketed Gardasil with disregard both for known current side effects as well as for possible long-term side effects.

Here are some of the established acidic risks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

Death. According to the CDC, more than 25 million doses of Gardasil have been distributed in the United States as of June 1, 2009, resulting in 43 deaths. Gardasil is the confirmed cause in 26 of those deaths, 9 are still being investigated, and 8 remain unconfirmed.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). Cases of GBS, a peripheral neuropathy that can result in paralysis and death, have been reported to the CDC as a result of Gardasil vaccination.

Blood Clots. Clots occurring in the heart, lungs and legs have reportedly been triggered by this toxic acidic Gardasil.

About 40 percent of adverse effects occur on the day of vaccination. Approximately 14,000 reports have been made, with 93 percent considered by the CDC to be “non-serious,” and 7 percent to be “serious.”

What does the reporting of 14,000 incidents of side effects really mean? In an interview with Dr. Russell Blaylock, a nationally recognized neurosurgeon, health practitioner, and editor of The Blaylock Wellness Report, said, “Multiply the number of incidents actually reported by ten and you’ll get an accurate number.”

As to the effectiveness of Gardasil in the first place, Dr. Blaylock said, “The vaccine has never been proven to be effective, and by the time the vaccine would be needed to prevent cancer would be years later and the vaccine would be long gone from the system. If you have the organism already in your cervix, the vaccine actually increases the cervical cancer rate.”

In the light of such serious side effects, the cost/benefit ratio in terms of both lives and money must be weighed. And some frightening facts are emerging about Gardasil. In an ABC interview, Dr. Harper said, “Although the number of serious adverse events is small and rare, they are real and cannot be overlooked or dismissed without disclosing the possibility to all other possible vaccine recipients.” Dr. Harper then dropped what some consider to be a bombshell: “The rate of serious adverse events is greater than the incidence rate of cervical cancer.”

In other words the drug Gardasil causes the very thing it is trying to prevent. Why? Because it is just another toxic acidic drug from the pharmaceutical companies who cares more about profits then about human life.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration is currently pondering whether to approve the use of Gardasil on boys in order to protect their partners from cervical cancer. Last week, the FDA granted approval to allow GlaxoSmithKline’s new HPV vaccine called Cervarix to be sold in the United States.

HPV Vaccine Fact: “First, there are more than 100 different types of HPV and at least 15 of them are oncogenic [tending to cause tumors]. The current vaccines target only 2 oncogenic strains: HPV-16 and HPV-18. Second, the relationship between infection at a young age and development of cancer 20 to 40 years later is not known.”–Dr. Charlotte Haug in an editorial appearing in the August 19, 2009 Journal of the American Medical Association.

"Bottom line ALL so-called dis-ease and disease is caused by an over-acidification of the blood and tissues due to an inverted way of living, eating and thinking," states Dr. Robert O. Young, Director of the pH Miracle Living Center.

Read More

Another Fatty Liver Reversal, Part II

A month ago, I wrote about a reader "Steve" who reversed his fatty liver using a change in diet. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a truly disturbing modern epidemic, rare a few decades ago and now affecting roughly a quarter of the adult population of modern industrialized nations. Researchers cause NAFLD readily in rodents by feeding them industrial vegetable oils or large amounts of sugar.

Steve recently e-mailed me to update me on his condition. He also passed along his liver test results, which I've graphed below. ALT is a liver enzyme that enters the bloodstream following liver damage such as hepatitis or NAFLD. It's below 50 units/L in a healthy person*. AST is another liver enzyme that's below 35 units/L in a healthy person*.

Steve began his new diet in November of 2008 and saw a remarkable and sustained improvement in his ALT and AST levels:

Here's how Steve described his diet change to me:

I totally eliminated sugar, heavy starches, and grains. Started eating more whole, real foods, including things like grass-fed beef and pastured pork and eggs, began supplementing with good fats and omega-3 (pastured butter, coconut oil, cod liver oil). Ate more fruits and vegetables instead of refined carbs. Also completely gave up on the idea that I had to eat only "lean" meats. After my last results, the GI doc said that I wouldn't need the biopsy at all, that things were great, and that if I kept it up I "would live forever."

He did experience some side effects from this diet though:

My triglycerides also went from pre-diet measures of 201 and 147 to post diet 86, 81, and 71.

The added bonus, of course, was that my weight went from 205 pounds to 162 pounds and my body fat percentage from 24% to 12% in the matter of five months--all without the typically excessive cardio I used to try unsuccessfully for weight loss.

The liver is the body's "metabolic grand central station". It's essential for nutrient homeostasis, insulin sensitivity, detoxification, and hormone conversion, among other things. What's bad for the liver is bad for the rest of the body as well. Don't poison your liver with sugar and industrial vegetable oils.


* The cutoff depends on who you ask, but these numbers are commonly used.

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

Read More

TOP THREE NATURAL HEALERS.

I did some research into herbal healing and found the top three natural healers can all be grown in your garden. They are used in alternative health as healers for a number of conditions.

1. Chamomile. The flowers from chamomile can be used in a tea and are calming and soothing and especially beneficial to the nerves and digestion. It is also very good for skin irritaions.

2. Rosemary. Rosemary helps memory and concentration, improves mood and sweetens breath.

3. Lavender. This herb can calm and relax, eases pain, and is an antiseptic for cuts and bruises.

I have grown all three herbs in my garden and use them on myself and family for all the above medicinal reasons.

Read More

The Pleomorphic Nature of Morgellons Syndrome

We report a possible basis of differentiation, based on the biophysical properties of fibers isolated from a Morgellons patient, as well as a future avenue of study for isolating the cause of Morgellons.

II. Discussion

A: Fiber Analysis

Fibers, upon inspection, were found to be fluorescent. The pictures (Figure 1A, 1B) show both a fiber and a hair sample from the same patient observed under white light and a Hofstead filter (with 365 excitiation). The fibers were visualized in scintillation vials with a Innotech detector, showing fluorescence with both a Hofstead filter (460 nm)and a green fluorescent filter (SYBR Green, 557 nm) upon excitation at both 305 and 365 nm. The fluorescence ceased after the illumination was extinquished. A single fiber is shown in Figure 1C.

The fiber shown in 1C was examined via SEM Microscopy at the University of Northern Arizona, with no additional modifications or treatments. SEM analysis demonstrated that the fiber appeared to be a normal hair follicle with scales (Figure 2A) and a typical root terminus (Figure 2B). The absence of a smooth surface denotes that the fiber does not seem to be coated with a protein monolayer.

In order to quantify the nature of the fluorescence, a cluster of fibers placed in nanopure deionized water were observed via a Hitachi Fluorometer. When observing the fibers, a characteristic fluorescent pattern emerged. This fluorescence pattern would account for fluorescence seen in the published pictures at the Morgellons research foundation web site. A fluorescent factor (protein) was isolated as described below, and found to have a similar pattern of fluorescence. The cuvette alone did not fluoresce, but an equivalent protein concentration of BSA (bovine serum albumin) gave a fluorescence which differed distinctly from the fiber fluorescence (potentially eliminating bovine albumin as a protein identity). Figure 3 shows the fluorescence observed.

Figure 1A: Fiber (top) and hair (bottom) viewed with white light

Figure 1B: Fiber top) and hair (bottom ) viewed with Hofstead filter (360 excitation with transilluminator)

Figure 1C: Single Fiber viewed with Hofstead filter and 360 excitation

Figure 2A: SEM of fiber body

Figure 2B: SEM of fiber root

Figure 3: (click here for the Fluorescence part of the report)

B. Fiber protein composition

Fibers from a patient with Morgellons Syndrome resisted dissolution in 6 M guandidine HCL, 6 M urea, and Trizol (Sigma) reagent. Fibers were ground in a mortar and pestle and resuspended in 2X SDS Buffer, and run on a 4-20% Tris Glycine Gel. Gel was coomassie stained and destained as described in Mantiatis (1998). 30 kDa, 60 kDa, protein bands were observed. (Figure 4, Lane 5). The predominant band was identified (from gel excision and in gel digest/nanoHPLC/MS at the University of Arizona Proteonomics Laboratory) as human serum albumin and cytoskeletal keratin II (67 kDa) with significant peptide fragment coverage over both protein sequences.

The fluorescent factor was isolated as a soluble component, and demonstrated to be a molecule of molecular weight greater than 10 kDa (through both dialysis and ultrafiltrations in Amicon Ultra 15 devices). (Isolation was simple: The gel running buffer in which the above protein samples were run in were found to be fluorescent. Incidently, the addition of GHCl to the SDS samples served to precipitate protein into a fibrillar format Buffer was filtered and purified via a C18 column (Waters C18 Sep-Pak)

Both a UV-Vis spectra of the buffer containing the fluorescent factor and a positive Bradford assay result confirmed that the fluorescent factor contained a protein component. Gel analysis of the fluorescent factor protein component demonstrated a protein with a molecular weight of 30 kDa, also found in the analysis of the entire fiber.

Interestingly enough, a similar nano-HPLC/MS analysis of this 30 kDa protein produced no human protein peak comparisons, and only single peptide fragments potentially corresponding to the following proteins (with approximate molecular weights corresponding to 30-40 kDa) were identified (Table 1). It may be noteworthy that the U/Az facility could not purify the protein using conventional methods from the buffer. Reportedly, a black tar-like oil precipitated under their assay conditions. This may denote other molecules that were potentially present in the buffer, originating from the fiber protein mixture.

Table 1: Peptide Fragment Listing for 30 kDa fluorescence associated protein

gi|225632m(casein alpha S1) bovine origin

gi|56477959m(probable iron-sulfur 4Fe-4S ferredoxin protein [Azoarcus sp. EbN1]_gi|56314002|emb|CAI08647.1| probable iron-sulfur 4Fe-4S ferredoxin protein [Azoarcus sp. EbN1])

gi|55420470probable alkene monooxygenase reductase [Nocardioides sp. JS614]

gi|34102607conserved hypothetical protein [Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472]_gi|34496752|ref|NP_900967.1| hypothetical protein CV1297 [Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472]

gi|68351715hypothetical protein TP02_0195 [Theileria parva]

gi|53689178COG0458: Carbamoylphosphate synthase large subunit (split gene in MJ) [Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides ATCC 8293]

___

III. Future direction:

The fluorescent factor protein was purified via C18 Sep-Pak chromatography, eluted with methanol/water (50:50) and rotary evaporated to dryness. The resultant powder should be sent to OSU Stillwater’s Proteonomic facility for MALDI-TOF and Edmund sequence analysis. MALDI-TOF will allow the identification of the exact mass of one (or several) proteins in the mixture, whereas Edmund sequence analysis will yield the first fifteen amino acids present in the protein sequence, allowing for either confirmation of the prior nano-HPLC/MS results or bioinformatics searches to obtain the protein identity. As of now, the samples have been sent to Dr. Wymore, due to complications with communicating with the Stillwater facility. Currently, this protein identity is unknown.

The fluorescence (associated with fibers), isolated to a protein composition, may be a unique feature to Morgellons patetients. The establishment of a diagnostic biochemical characteristic to Morgellons would greatly assist clinical practicioners in distinguishing between Morgellons and Delusional Parasitosis. Accordingly, it may be of significant interest to screen a wide variety of fibers from Morgellons patients for fluorescence, in order to establish this as a feature common to many patients. Similarly, it may be of interest to survey textile and cellulose fibers for fluorescence, in order to establish the fluorescent fiber hallmark as a unique, non-commerical, non-man-made entity. Further protein analysis of the fluorescent factor may yield clues to the infectious agent idenitity, as the protein does not, in this single sample, correspond to any potential human gene or protein product.

The techniques described here could also be applied to another physical manifestation of Morgellons: the emergence of black “specks” from the skin. A similar protein biochemical analysis of the specks may prove revealing in identifying the entity responsible for Morgellons.

Regardless, it must be emphasized that this is the sum result of a single patient with Morgellons, and thus not statistically accurate/valid as a potential portrayal of the Morgellons condition. Multiple analyses need to be conducted on multiple fibers from multiple patients, before this information should be scientifically reported.

Read More

Do you need help?

Do you need help with a health related problem?. Can I help with an alternative health remedy?. I am not a qualified person in relation to holistic cures but I do however have a wealth of information on this subject, and my aim is to help people who have any illness or disease

You can contact me here at Natural cures or at curesforyou on twitter

I look forward to hearing from you.

The very best of health to all of you.

Read More

Acupressure point to boost the immune system

Try this exercise every day, It strengthens the kidneys and the immune system, and boosts vitality.

The location of this acupressure point is on the lower back two finger widths on either side of the spine, approximately level with the waist. So that is in the centre of the back.

Fold your hands into the shape of a fist. Now bring your hands behind your back and using the knuckle of the hands use a rolling action around either side of the spine.

Try not to press too hard, do this for about one minute, once each day.

Read More

Chlorophyll, Chlorophyllin and Selenium in Reversing A Cancerous Condition

Research from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University suggests that natural compounds of chlorophyll, chlorophyllin, and selenium compounds, which previously have been studied for their ability to preventing a cancerous condition, may be able to play a more significant role in reversing a cancerous condition.

---

A new study just published in the International Journal of Cancer examined the activity of chlorophyllin and found that, on a dose-by-dose basis, it was 10 times more potent at causing death of colon cancer cells than hydroxyurea, a chemotherapeutic drug commonly used in cancer treatment.

Beyond that, chlorophyllin kills cancer cells by blocking the same phase of cellular division that hydroxyurea does, but by a different mechanism. This suggests that it – and possibly other “cocktails” of natural products – might be developed to have a synergistic effect with conventional cancer drugs, helping them to work better or require less toxic dosages, researchers said.

“We conclude that chlorophyllin has the potential to be effective in the clinical setting, when used alone or in combination with currently available cancer therapeutic agents,” the researchers wrote in their study.

The concept of combining conventional or new cancer drugs with natural compounds that have been shown to have anti-cancer properties is very promising, said Rod Dashwood, professor and director of the Cancer Chemoprotection Program in the Linus Pauling Institute.

“Most chemotherapeutic approaches to cancer try to target cancer cells specifically and do something that slows or stops their cell growth process,” Dashwood said. “We’re now identifying such mechanisms of action for natural compounds, including dietary agents. With further research we may be able to make the two approaches work together to enhance the effectiveness of cancer therapies.”

Chlorophyllin is a water-soluble derivative of chlorophyll – the green pigment found in most plants and many food products that makes possible the process of photosynthesis and plant growth from the sun’s energy. Chlorophyllin is inexpensive, and animal studies plus human clinical data suggest that it can be ingested at relatively high levels without toxicity.

In the new study, researchers found that pharmacologic doses of chlorophyllin caused colon cancer cells to spend more time than normal in their “synthesis phase” in which DNA is duplicated. Timing is critical to the various phases of cell growth, researchers said, and this disruption started a process that ultimately led to cell death, the study found.

In particular, the presence of high levels of chlorophyllin caused a major reduction in the level of ribonucleotide reductase, an enzyme critical to DNA synthesis, researchers found. This is also the mechanism of action of hydroxyurea, one drug already being used for cancer chemotherapy.

“In cancer research right now there’s interest in approaches that can reduce ribonucleotide reductase,” Dashwood said. “At the doses used in our experiments, chlorophyllin almost completely stops the activity of this enzyme.”

Further research is needed both in laboratory and animal studies, with combinations of chlorophyllin and existing cancer drugs, before it would be appropriate for human trials, Dashwood said. Chlorophyllin, in general, is poorly absorbed from the human gastrointestinal tract, so it’s unclear what levels might be needed for therapeutic purposes or how well they would work.

Other dietary agents also might have similar potential. Work just published by LPI researchers in the journals Carcinogenesis and Cancer Prevention Research explored the role of organic selenium compounds in killing human prostate and colon cancer cells. Colorectal and prostate cancers are consistently among the leading causes of cancer mortality in the United States, and will account respectively for 18 percent and 9 percent of all cancer deaths in 2009, according to estimates from the American Cancer Society.

In the recent studies, a form of organic selenium found naturally in garlic and Brazil nuts was converted in cancer cells to metabolites that acted as “HDAC inhibitors” – a promising field of research in which silenced tumor suppressor genes are re-activated, triggering cancer cell death.

“Whether it’s HDAC inhibition leading to one manner of cancer cell growth arrest, or loss of ribonucleotide reductase activity leading to another, as seen with chlorophyllin, there’s significant promise in the use of natural products for combined cancer therapies,” Dashwood said. “These are areas that merit continued research.”

These studies were supported by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Other collaborators included researchers from the New York Medical College and the Penn State College of Medicine.

Chlorophyll is identical to your hemoglobin except for the center atom. Dr. Robert O. Young's, at the pH Miracle Living Center in San Diego, California suggests, "as one increases their consumption of chlorophyll from green foods and green drinks the quality and quantity of the red blood cells improve. This can be noted on a CBC medical test as the red blood cell count increases and the hemoglobin increases to a healthy range. Liquid chlorophyll and chlorophyllin can be added to any water or green drink to improve the concentration of this powerful blood building compound."

http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-306-liquid-chloropheal-4-oz.aspx

References: Chlorophyll and Chlorophyllin

1. Matthews CK, van Holde KE. Biochemistry. 2nd ed. Menlo Park: The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company; 1996.

2. Sudakin DL. Dietary aflatoxin exposure and chemoprevention of cancer: a clinical review. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol. 2003;41(2):195-204. (PubMed)

3. Dashwood RH. The importance of using pure chemicals in (anti) mutagenicity studies: chlorophyllin as a case in point. Mutat Res. 1997;381(2):283-286. (PubMed)

4. Egner PA, Stansbury KH, Snyder EP, Rogers ME, Hintz PA, Kensler TW. Identification and characterization of chlorin e(4) ethyl ester in sera of individuals participating in the chlorophyllin chemoprevention trial. Chem Res Toxicol. 2000;13(9):900-906. (PubMed)

5. Tachino N, Guo D, Dashwood WM, Yamane S, Larsen R, Dashwood R. Mechanisms of the in vitro antimutagenic action of chlorophyllin against benzo[a]pyrene: studies of enzyme inhibition, molecular complex formation and degradation of the ultimate carcinogen. Mutat Res. 1994;308(2):191-203. (PubMed)

6. Dashwood R, Yamane S, Larsen R. Study of the forces of stabilizing complexes between chlorophylls and heterocyclic amine mutagens. Environ Mol Mutagen. 1996;27(3):211-218. (PubMed)

7. Breinholt V, Schimerlik M, Dashwood R, Bailey G. Mechanisms of chlorophyllin anticarcinogenesis against aflatoxin B1: complex formation with the carcinogen. Chem Res Toxicol. 1995;8(4):506-514. (PubMed)

8. Egner PA, Munoz A, Kensler TW. Chemoprevention with chlorophyllin in individuals exposed to dietary aflatoxin. Mutat Res. 2003;523-524:209-216. (PubMed)

9. Kumar SS, Devasagayam TP, Bhushan B, Verma NC. Scavenging of reactive oxygen species by chlorophyllin: an ESR study. Free Radic Res. 2001;35(5):563-574. (PubMed)

10. Kamat JP, Boloor KK, Devasagayam TP. Chlorophyllin as an effective antioxidant against membrane damage in vitro and ex vivo. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2000;1487(2-3):113-127. (PubMed)

11. Park KK, Park JH, Jung YJ, Chung WY. Inhibitory effects of chlorophyllin, hemin and tetrakis(4-benzoic acid)porphyrin on oxidative DNA damage and mouse skin inflammation induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate as a possible anti-tumor promoting mechanism. Mutat Res. 2003;542(1-2):89-97. (PubMed)

12. Kumar SS, Shankar B, Sainis KB. Effect of chlorophyllin against oxidative stress in splenic lymphocytes in vitro and in vivo. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2004;1672(2):100-111. (PubMed)

13. Yun CH, Jeong HG, Jhoun JW, Guengerich FP. Non-specific inhibition of cytochrome P450 activities by chlorophyllin in human and rat liver microsomes. Carcinogenesis. 1995;16(6):1437-1440. (PubMed)

14. Dingley KH, Ubick EA, Chiarappa-Zucca ML, et al. Effect of dietary constituents with chemopreventive potential on adduct formation of a low dose of the heterocyclic amines PhIP and IQ and phase II hepatic enzymes. Nutr Cancer. 2003;46(2):212-221. (PubMed)

15. Chimploy K, Diaz GD, Li Q, et al. Int J Cancer. 2009; in press.

16. Dashwood RH, Breinholt V, Bailey GS. Chemopreventive properties of chlorophyllin: inhibition of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-DNA binding in vivo and anti-mutagenic activity against AFB1 and two heterocyclic amines in the Salmonella mutagenicity assay. Carcinogenesis. 1991;12(5):939-942. (PubMed)

17. Kensler TW, Groopman JD, Roebuck BD. Use of aflatoxin adducts as intermediate endpoints to assess the efficacy of chemopreventive interventions in animals and man. Mutat Res. 1998;402(1-2):165-172. (PubMed)

18. Simonich MT, Egner PA, Roebuck BD, et al. Natural chlorophyll inhibits aflatoxin B1-induced multi-organ carcinogenesis in the rat. Carcinogenesis. 2007;28(6):1294-1302. (PubMed)

19. Breinholt V, Hendricks J, Pereira C, Arbogast D, Bailey G. Dietary chlorophyllin is a potent inhibitor of aflatoxin B1 hepatocarcinogenesis in rainbow trout. Cancer Res. 1995;55(1):57-62. (PubMed)

20. Orner GA, Roebuck BD, Dashwood RH, Bailey GS. Post-initiation chlorophyllin exposure does not modulate aflatoxin-induced foci in the liver and colon of rats. J Carcinog. 2006;5:6. (PubMed)

21. Qian GS, Ross RK, Yu MC, et al. A follow-up study of urinary markers of aflatoxin exposure and liver cancer risk in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 1994;3(1):3-10. (PubMed)

22. Egner PA, Wang JB, Zhu YR, et al. Chlorophyllin intervention reduces aflatoxin-DNA adducts in individuals at high risk for liver cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001;98(25):14601-14606. (PubMed)

23. Chernomorsky SA, Segelman AB. Biological activities of chlorophyll derivatives. N J Med. 1988;85(8):669-673. (PubMed)

24. Siegel LH. The control of ileostomy and colostomy odors. Gastroenterology. 1960;38:634-636. (PubMed)

25. Weingarten M, Payson B. Deodorization of colostomies with chlorophyll. Rev Gastroenterol. 1951;18(8):602-604.

26. Christiansen SB, Byel SR, Stromsted H, Stenderup JK, Eickhoff JH. [Can chlorophyll reduce fecal odor in colostomy patients?]. Ugeskr Laeger. 1989;151(27):1753-1754. (PubMed)

27. Young RW, Beregi JS, Jr. Use of chlorophyllin in the care of geriatric patients. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1980;28(1):46-47. (PubMed)

28. Yamazaki H, Fujieda M, Togashi M, et al. Effects of the dietary supplements, activated charcoal and copper chlorophyllin, on urinary excretion of trimethylamine in Japanese trimethylaminuria patients. Life Sci. 2004;74(22):2739-2747. (PubMed)

29. Kephart JC. Chlorophyll derivatives - their chemistry, commercial preparation and uses. Econ Bot. 1955;9:3-38.

30. Bowers WF. Chlorophyll in wound healing and suppurative disease. Am J Surg. 1947;73:37-50.

31. Carpenter EB. Clinical experiences with chlorophyll preparations. Am J Surg. 1949;77:167-171.

32. 2004 Physicians' Desk Reference. 58th ed. Stamford: Thomson Health Care, Inc.; 2003.

33. Smith RG. Enzymatic debriding agents: an evaluation of the medical literature. Ostomy Wound Manage. 2008;54(8):16-34. (PubMed)

34. Weir D, Farley KL. Relative delivery efficiency and convenience of spray and ointment formulations of papain/urea/chlorophyllin enzymatic wound therapies. J Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs. 2006;33(5):482-490. (PubMed)

35. Bohn T, Walczyk S, Leisibach S, Hurrell RF. Chlorophyll-bound magnesium in commonly consumed vegetables and fruits: relevance to magnesium nutrition. J Food Sci. 2004;69(9):S347-S350.

36. GPO Access. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: Miscellaneous Internal Drug Products for Over the Counter Use. [Web page]. Available at: http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=
6bb427d78a48e3983e0456d15a058c40&rgn=div6&view=text&node=
21:5.0.1.1.27.5&idno=21. Accessed June 4, 2009.

37. GPO Access. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: Listing of Color Additives Exempt from Certification [Web page]. Available at: http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=
090fc8b3dcd5f08075f3d2d0c2654073&rgn=div8&view=text&node=
21:1.0.1.1.26.3.31.7&idno=21. Accessed June 4, 2009.

38. Hendler SS, Rorvik DR, eds. PDR for Nutritional Supplements. 2nd ed. Montvale: Physicians' Desk Reference, Inc; 2008.

39. Smith LW. The present status of topical chlorophyll therapy. N Y State J Med. 1955;55(14):2041-2050. (PubMed)

40. Gogel HK, Tandberg D, Strickland RG. Substances that interfere with guaiac card tests: implications for gastric aspirate testing. Am J Emerg Med. 1989;7(5):474-480. (PubMed)

---

Read More

Mourning Can Lead To Cardiac Arrest

People mourning the loss of a loved one are six times more likely to suffer cardiac arrest, potential proof that you can, indeed, die of a broken heart, Australian researchers say.

Grieving people are at significantly higher risk of heart problems, according to a Heart Foundation study of the physical changes suffered immediately after a profound loss, lead researcher Thomas Buckley said on Tuesday.

"We found higher blood pressure, increased heart rate and changes to immune system and clotting that would increase the risk of heart attack," Buckley said.

Half of the 160 people studied were mourning the loss of a partner or child, and their risk of heart attack increased six-fold, he said. The risk, which was evident in people as young as 30, reduced after six months and leveled out after two years.

A sudden flood of acidic stress hormones is believed to be behind the grief-induced heartache, a condition that earlier studies have found is more likely to affect women.

According to Dr. Robert O. Young, Director of the pH Miracle Living Center, "the mourning of a loved one requires energy which results in excess metabolic acid. If the acidic waste products from the sadness is not eliminated through the four channels of elimination, they can make one sick and even cause death - even a heart attack I refer to as a thought attack."

Read More

Chronic Acidic Inflammation Reduced and/or Eliminated With Bicarbonates

The appended article below is another in a long string of recent articles illuminating how "chronic inflammation" in the human body results in a wide range of serious and often fatal complications. For example, inflammation has long been known to be the prime contributing factor to atherosclerosis, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, etc., etc.. In repeated lectures and writings I have noted the consequences of chronic acidic inflammation, and pointed out that stabilizing systemic bicarbonates results in better cellular oxygenation, and decreased acids that cause inflammation. It has been known for years, that bicarbonates will increase athletic performance in untrained athletes. Now we know that such increased athletic performance is the result of better tissue oxygenation mediated by the bicarbonates that reduces metabolic acids.

The appended article points out that the dramatic oxygen-deprived conditions in fatty tissue apparently contribute to (stimulate) an increase in angiopoietin-like protein 2 (Angptl2) resulting in the increased inflammation. There is a cascade into serious illness started by the accumulation of acidic stored, oxygen-deprived, fatty tissue resulting in wide-spread chronic inflammation.

I have encouraged the use of bicarbonate salts, such as pHour Salts, coupled with a life-style shift to the pH Miracle Alkaline Diet, drinking active, ionized / alkalized water, and engaging in age-appropriate exercise, to decrease fat accumulation, increase tissue oxygenation, reduce acid tissue inflammation and boast overall health. pHour Salts helps to properly alkalize body tissues and blood, increase oxygen transport, buffer excess metabolic acid which in turn will successfully decrease chronic inflammation.

We have not always known precisely all of the reasons "why" bicarbonate supplementation, with products such as pHour Salts, works so dramatically to improve health, but now every day we hear more from scientific communities around the world, as they discover and learn more about the "whys", and validate my teachings on "Alkalizing and Energizing" for health.

--------------------Referenced Article-------------------

From Fat to Chronic Inflammation

September 7, 2009

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Chronic inflammation within fat tissue is now recognized as a contributor to the many negative consequences that come with obesity -- from diabetes to cardiovascular disease, according to Yuichi Oike of Kumamoto University in Japan. Researchers hope a new discovery will point to a targeted therapy designed to limit the impact of the obesity epidemic.

The new culprit Oike's team identified is a fat-derived protein called angiopoietin-like protein 2 (Angptl2). In mice, Angptl2 levels are elevated in many organs, but especially in fat tissue. Those levels increase further under the oxygen-deprived conditions typically found within obese fat tissue. Researchers also found higher Angptl2 levels in the blood of humans with higher body mass index and insulin levels.

Obese mice lacking Angptl2 show less inflammation in their fat tissue and are less insulin resistant, researchers report. Likewise, otherwise healthy mice made to have higher than normal Angptl2 levels in their fat tissue develop inflammation and insulin resistance.

The researchers conclude that Angptl2 is a key adipocyte-derived inflammatory mediator linking obesity to systemic insulin resistance, and they have identified it as a new molecular target that could be used to improve the diagnosis and treatment of obesity and related metabolic diseases.

Oike is quoted as saying he thinks drugs that would act on Angptl2 not only have considerable promise, but are also likely to come with limited side effects.

"In healthy animals and people, the precise role of Angptl2 has not been clarified," he said. "However, mice in which Angptl2 was deleted genetically were born normally and showed normal growth compared to genetically normal mice. Therefore, we speculate that the possibility of the occurrence of a serious unfavorable side effect due to treatments that decrease Angptl2 expression in animals or people is low."

SOURCE: Cell Metabolism, September, 2009

Reference: http://ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=22364

Read More

Diabetics on a Low-carbohydrate Diet

Diabetes is a disorder of glucose intolerance. What happens when a diabetic eats a low-carbohydrate diet? Here's a graph of blood glucose over a 24 hour period, in type II diabetics on their usual diet (blue and grey triangles), and after 5 weeks on a 55% carbohydrate (yellow circles) or 20% carbohydrate (blue circles) diet:


The study in question describes these volunteers as having "mild, untreated diabetes." If 270 mg/dL of blood glucose is mild diabetes, I'd hate to see severe diabetes! In any case, the low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet brought blood glucose down to an acceptable level without requiring medication.

It's interesting to note in the graph above that fasting blood glucose (18-24 hours) also fell dramatically. This probably reflects improved insulin sensitivity in the liver. The liver pumps glucose into the bloodstream when it's necessary, and insulin suppresses this. When the liver is insulin resistant, it doesn't respond to the normal signal that there's already sufficient glucose, so it releases more and increases fasting blood glucose. When other tissues are insulin resistant, they don't take up the extra glucose, also contributing to the problem.

Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), a measure of average blood glucose concentration over the preceding few weeks, also reflected a profound improvement in blood glucose levels in the low-carbohydrate group:

At 5 weeks, the low-carbohydrate group was still improving and headed toward normal HbA1c, while the high-carbohydrate group remained at a dangerously high level. Total cholesterol, LDL and HDL remained unchanged in both groups, while triglycerides fell dramatically in the low-carbohydrate group.

When glucose is poison, it's better to eat fat.

Graph #1 was reproduced from Volek et al. (2005), which re-plotted data from Gannon et al. (2004). Graph #2 was drawn directly from Gannon et al.

Read More

Do you smoke?

I don't smoke myself but I do chew nicotine gum and I don't know why I started. I intend to look at alternative health ways of replacing the gum, perhaps with some natural remedy.

I don't have anything against smokers, my dad smoked cigarettes and then a pipe, although he did die quite young, at 64 from lung disease.

What I would like to know is would you be prepared to stop if you could find a way to stop the craving?.

Do you want to stop?.
Do you know of any alternative ways to stop smoking?.
I would be very interested to know. Please add your comments.
Thank you.

Free Blog Promotion - Blog and Blog resource Directory







I

Read More

Ear Adrenal Acupoint helps craving for smoking.

By using this Acupressure point this is a simple, natural way to stimulate the adrenal gland and thus helps to remove cigarette craving.

Use your thumb and forfinger to locate the top of the ear, on the border of the indentation. Gently stimulate the point for about sixty seconds on each ear. This should be done each time you have a craving to smoke. Take care not to damage sensitive skin of the ear.

Natural Health Strategies

Read More

Necrotizing fasciitis: A deadly bug

A deadly bug called Necrotizing fasciitis: has killed a 54 year old man from Devon. The man had complained of a sore throat a week earlier, he was prescribed painkillers. He then developed pain in his left ankle less than 24 hours before he died. His condition deteriorated quickly until his family rushed him to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital at 3.10am. He was taken straight to theatre where surgeons tried to cut away the diseased tissue but the infection was spreading too quickly. He died a few hours later>

I am posting this blog as I am very concerned at the speed that this bug can kill, we need to know more information about it and what can be done to stop it. My heart goes out to this mans family and friends.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2624465/Flesh-eating-bug-kills-dad-in-four-hours.html

http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/treat/penicillin.htm

Read More

Paleolithic Diet Clinical Trials Part IV

Dr. Staffan Lindeberg has published a new study using the "paleolithic diet" to treat type II diabetics (free full text). Type II diabetes, formerly known as late-onset diabetes until it began appearing in children, is typically thought to develop as a result of insulin resistance (a lowered tissue response to the glucose-clearing function of insulin). This is often followed by a decrease in insulin secretion due to degeneration of the insulin-secreting pancreatic beta cells.

After Dr. Lindeberg's wild success treating patients with type II diabetes or glucose intolerance, in which he normalized the glucose tolerance of all 14 of his volunteers in 12 weeks, he set out to replicate the experiment. This time, he began with 13 men and women who had been diagnosed with type II diabetes for an average of 9 years.

Patients were put on two different diets for 3 months each. The first was a "conventional diabetes diet". I read a previous draft of the paper in which I believe they stated it was based on American Diabetes Association guidelines, but I can't find that statement in the final draft. In any case, here are the guidelines from the methods section:

The information on the Diabetes diet stated that it should aim at evenly distributed meals with increased intake of vegetables, root vegetables, dietary fiber, whole-grain bread and other whole-grain cereal products, fruits and berries, and decreased intake of total fat with more unsaturated fat. The majority of dietary energy should come from carbohydrates from foods naturally rich in carbohydrate and dietary fiber. The concepts of glycemic index and varied meals through meal planning by the Plate Model were explained [18]. Salt intake was recommended to be kept below 6 g per day.

The investigators gave the paleolithic group the following advice:

The information on the Paleolithic diet stated that it should be based on lean meat, fish, fruit, leafy and cruciferous vegetables, root vegetables, eggs and nuts, while excluding dairy products, cereal grains, beans, refined fats, sugar, candy, soft drinks, beer and extra addition of salt. The following items were recommended in limited amounts for the Paleolithic diet: eggs (≤2 per day), nuts (preferentially walnuts), dried fruit, potatoes (≤1 medium-sized per day), rapeseed or olive oil (≤1 tablespoon per day), wine (≤1 glass per day). The intake of other foods was not restricted and no advice was given with regard to proportions of food categories (e.g. animal versus plant foods). The evolutionary rationale for a Paleolithic diet and potential benefits were explained.

Neither diet was restricted in calories. After comparing the effects of the two diets for 3 months, the investigators concluded that the paleolithic diet:

• Reduced HbA1c more than the diabetes diet (a measure of average blood glucose)
• Reduced weight, BMI and waist circumference more than the diabetes diet
• Lowered blood pressure more than the diabetes diet
  
• Reduced triglycerides more than the diabetes diet
• Increased HDL more than the diabetes diet

However, the paleolithic diet was not a cure-all. At the end of the trial, 8 out of 13 patents still had diabetic blood glucose after an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). This is compared to 9 out of 13 for the diabetes diet. Still, 5 out of 13 with "normal" OGTT after the paleolithic diet isn't bad. The paleolithic diet also significantly reduced insulin resistance and increased glucose tolerance, although it didn't do so more than the diabetes diet.

As has been reported in other studies, paleolithic dieters ate fewer total calories than the comparison group. This is part of the reason why I believe that something in the modern diet causes hyperphagia, or excessive eating. According to the paleolithic diet studies, this food or combination of foods is neolithic, and probably resides in grains, refined sugar and/or dairy. I have my money on wheat and sugar, with a probable long-term contribution from industrial vegetable oils as well.

Were the improvements on the paleolithic diet simply due to calorie restriction? Maybe, but keep in mind that neither group was told to restrict its caloric intake. The reduction in caloric intake occurred naturally, despite the participants presumably eating to fullness. I suspect that the paleolithic diet reset the dieters' body fat set-point, after which fat began pouring out of their fat tissue. They were supplementing their diets with body fat-- 13 pounds (6 kg) of it over 3 months.

The other notable difference between the two diets, besides food types, was carbohydrate intake. The diabetes diet group ate 56% more carbohydrate than the paleo diet group, with 42% of their calories coming from it. The paleolithic group ate 32% carbohydrate. Could this have been the reason for the better outcome of the paleolithic group? I'd be surprised if it wasn't a factor. Advising a diabetic to eat a high-carbohydrate diet is like asking someone who's allergic to bee stings to fetch you some honey from your bee hive. Diabetes is a disorder of glucose intolerance. Starch is a glucose polymer.

Although to be fair, participants on the diabetes diet did improve in a number of ways. There's something to be said for eating whole foods.

This trial was actually a bit of a disappointment for me. I was hoping for a slam dunk, similar to Lindeberg's previous study that "cured" all 14 patients of glucose intolerance in 3 months. In the current study, the paleolithic diet left 8 out of 13 patients diabetic after 3 months. What was the difference? For one thing, the patients in this study had well-established diabetes with an average duration of 9 years. As Jenny Ruhl explains in her book Blood Sugar 101, type II diabetes often progresses to beta cell loss, after which the pancreas can no longer secrete an adequate amount of insulin.

This may be the critical finding of Dr. Lindeberg's two studies: type II diabetes can be prevented when it's caught at an early stage, such as pre-diabetes, whereas prolonged diabetes may cause damage that cannot be completely reversed though diet. I think this is consistent with the experience of many diabetics who have seen an improvement but not a cure from changes in diet. Please add any relevant experiences to the comments.

Collectively, the evidence from clinical trials on the "paleolithic diet" indicate that it's a very effective treatment for modern metabolic dysfunction, including excess body fat, insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. Another way of saying this is that the modern industrial diet causes metabolic dysfunction.

Paleolithic Diet Clinical Trials
Paleolithic Diet Clinical Trials Part II
One Last Thought
Paleolithic Diet Clinical Trials Part III

Read More