Health News | Command the Raven

Jun 06 2009

pH Balance Equals Life — High Acidity Could Equal R.I.P.!

Tag: Health News — Sage @ 8:07 am

by Michael Cutler 10/17/2008

If you’re one of the tens-of-millions of Americans whose pH balance is too acidic, your body is working hard to neutralize acid and bring you into balance. To do that, it needs certain key minerals that are known to neutralize acid. Sadly, most of us get far too few of these essential minerals — and so your body has no choice but to “borrow” them from organs and tissues where they’re needed.

Essential minerals are stolen away from your heart… your brain… your bones and joints… your muscles and skin… and your lungs, liver and every other organ in your body. And as they begin starving for the minerals they need to function properly, they begin to weaken, function less effectively, and fail.

As newborn babies, we are full of alkaline reserves and our metabolism moves smoothly and cleanly. When we die, we rapidly turn to acid waste. Alkalinity is health, longevity and quality of life. Acidity, in simple terms, means sickness and death.

When I see a patient with chronic symptoms of arthritis, diabetes, emphysema, arteriosclerosis or cancer, I know their tissues and metabolism are running acidic.

Tissue acidity has a long list of harmful effects upon the body if not neutralized or eliminated. For example, the body’s ability to absorb minerals and other nutrients decreases significantly in acid conditions. Additionally, in acidic conditions, the enzymatic processes that control the repair mechanisms for damaged DNA and other critical structures become weakened, the liver cannot detoxify heavy metals from the body, and cancer cells proliferate wildly. And acid tissue pH causes fatigue that leads to depression and stress.

What is pH?

The pH or “potential of hydrogen” is a measure of the relative acidity or alkalinity of a solution. Simply put, the term pH is a symbol for the amount of acidity or alkalinity of a solution. A pH of 7.0 is a perfectly neutral pH; from 0 to 7 indicates acidity; and from 7 to 14 indicates alkalinity.

Another way to think of it is that fluids become more acidic the farther below 7 they become (like stomach acid at the approximate pH of 2.0) and more alkaline the farther above 7 they become. And just for clarity, here are some pH values for various items before they enter the body:

Orange juice is at 3.0

Tomato juice is at 4.0

Milk is at 6.8

Neutral is 7.0

Baking soda is at 9.0

Milk of magnesia is at 10.7

Household bleach is at 12.5

How Do You Know if You’re Acidic?

You can get a useful trend of your acid-alkaline balance using pH strips or litmus paper which you can purchase at most pharmacies. In clinical practice, patients use litmus paper to periodically test their own saliva and their first morning urine. Over time, their pH values tend to be more alkaline (toward optimum) as they overcome disease and institute alkaline lifestyle habits.

If you’re like most people who regularly eat animal protein, fried foods, processed foods, refined sugars, pasteurized dairy products or other acid producing foods, then most likely you’re acidic.

Testing Your pH

If you choose to test saliva, wait two hours after eating. Spit into a spoon and dip a pH strip in your saliva. Read the results immediately by matching the color of the pH strip to the color chart for the correct indication of your pH level. An optimal reading is 6.8 to 7.2 which reflects that you have effectively alkalinized your tissues.

When testing urine, use the first void in the morning. Fill a small cup with urine and dip the pH strip in the urine. Read the results immediately by matching the color of the pH strip to the color chart for the correct indication of your pH level. A reading of 6.4 to 6.8 is a favorable reading; more acidic (in the 5.5 to 6.4 range) usually means you are dumping excessive acids but that your kidneys are working hard to do so.

Above 7.0 for urine could either mean that you are well alkalinized or that you have stirred some ammonia to help fight an infection of some sort. Urine pH fluctuates more with your diet and daily activities.

If your test results are acidic, then consider increasing your intake of alkaline foods while reducing the acid foods you eat. You may also wish to supplement with alkalinized buffering minerals to increase the alkalinity of your drinking water which carries throughout the body.

Your Diet: The Difference Between Health and Disease

You really are not the same person that you were last year. The body replaces the lining of the stomach about every five days, the skin in about a month, the skeleton about every three months, the liver about every six weeks and the red blood cells circulate for about 120 days before being replaced by new cells.

The new body that you are building today is predominantly affected by the food you eat. And if you eat predominantly acidic-forming foods, the long-term acidic environment at the cellular level that is created will have a real and damaging effect.

If cells cannot function properly, your body cannot function properly. On the other hand, a healthy alkaline diet creates an environment that is conducive to cellular health.

Leading scientists agree — high acidity is the ONE cause behind all your worst health nightmares… so be sure to check your pH levels, get your body in balance with nutritious whole foods, and be prepared for a wonderful flood of healing that can protect your health well into your 70s… 80s… and 90s!

[Ed. Note: Michael Cutler, M.D. is a Board-Certified family physician with more than 17 years of clinical experience. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University and Tulane Medical School. Dr. Cutler's practice focuses on integrative solutions to health problems, and behavioral and nutritional medicine. For more information click here.]

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Nov 19 2008

The Two Blood Vessel Beds The Treatment of Arthritis Our Changing External Environment

Tag: Health News — Sage @ 7:55 am

From J Crows

Dr. D. C. Jarvis

IT IS HELPFUL to someone who has arthritis if he has a working knowledge of the two blood
vessel beds in the body. Knowledge of them came to folk medicine as Vermont farmers,
slaughtering their animals for market and studying the color of the meat and the whiteness
of the tallow, came to the conclusion that there was not enough blood in the animal body to
fill all the blood vessels at the same time.

They taught young Vermonters, therefore, that the human body has three floors. The ground
floor contains the digestive tract and other abdominal organs. The second holds the lungs
and heart; while the top floor shelters the brain. and the senses of smell, sight, and
hearing which keep an individual in touch with his environment.

In these three floors are two beds made up of blood vessels of various sizes, from the
largest to the smallest. One of these beds is located on the ground floor, the abdomen,
while the other is on the second and top floors of the body.

The young Vermonter is also taught that there are three trees in the body. One is the
digestive tree, with its roots in the stomach. The second is the blood vessel tree, with its
roots in the heart; while the third is the nerve tree, whose roots are in the brain. In
order to nourish these trees suitably it is necessary that the blood mass in the body be
able to shift from one blood vessel bed to the other, changing back and forth according to the
nutritional needs of the three trees, and as the body needs may require, whether the need is
fight or flight or the normal activity of storing reserves against the day of need.

The blood vessel bed on the second and top floors supplies such tissues as heart, lungs,
central nervous system, eyes, ears, the lining of the nose and throat, and the muscles of
the arms, legs, and body trunk. On the ground floor the bed there supplies skin, stomach,
intestines, liver, spleen, and kidneys. Muscles, brain, and lungs comprise what we call the
blood lakes of the second and top floors, while the ground floor lakes are the skin, liver,
and spleen.

When food is taken and digestion and absorption are necessary the blood mass in the body
shifts from the second and top floor blood vessel bed to the ground floor bed. As it leaves
the upper floors the diameter of all the tiny blood vessels, called capillaries, in the bed
are lessened in size. This means that less blood carrying food material and oxygen, which
body cells need to carryon their vital activity, reach these cells.

As a result of the lessened blood supply the body cells supplied by the second and top floor
bed develop a nutritional need which is supplied by shifting the blood mass from the ground
floor upward, as soon as it is possible to do so. vVhen the mass leaves the ground floor the
diameter of the capillaries is lessened, and in time the cells in this bed develop a
nutritional need of their own, which is supplied in turn by a shift of the blood mass back
to the ground floor.

We have, then, a balance existing between the two beds.
On the flexibility of this balance depends its usefulness. The increase and decrease in the
size of the capillaries is changing constantly from one bed to another.

Shifting of the blood mass permits the maintenance of a higher level of body cell activity
in one or the other of the beds, depending on whether body demands are for muscular work or
for digestive uses. But if the shift of the mass does not take place readily, in accordance
with body cell needs, the cells in one bed or the other rebel against the uncongenial
environment which fails to furnish them with nourishment.

The result is that the individual becomes body conscious and recognizes that a certain part
of the body is not behaving as it normally should. In nervously unstable people the balance
between the beds is of great importance; they make the shift of the blood mass frequently
and suddenly.

All our lives we must deal with a rhythm of increase and decrease in the size of the
capillaries in these two vascular beds. Fundamentally the rhythm depends on the
environmental factors present. When you shift the human motor into high gear you shift
your blood mass from the ground floor bed to the second and top floor bed, in order to
organize for aggressive action. Going into low gear the shift of blood is from top to
bottom, to organize the body for peace and quiet and the building of reserves.

As a result of present-day stress and strain and the processing of many foods that we eat
there is often an habitual constriction of the capillaries on the ground floor bed, and an
increase in capillary size on the upper levels. Outward evidence of the blood mass’s
fixation on the second and top floor bed is the presence of a continued high blood pressure
reading.

To break this fixation and restore a working balance between the upper and lower levels so
that a greater part of the blood mass will shift back and forth as needed, Vermont folk
medicine first prescribes a high natural carbohydrate food intake-that is, fruits, berries,
leafy vegetables, root vegetables and a low protein intake represented by milk, eggs,
cheese, meat, fish, poultry, and seafood.

With this done, four simple remedies are prescribed. They are apple cider vinegar, honey,
Lugol’s Solution of Iodine, and kelp tablets. In combination they have a long record of
success in breaking up the habit of locking the blood mass in the second and top floor blood
vessel beds.

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Nov 19 2008

New test detects pathogens in minutes

Tag: Health News — Sage @ 7:50 am

From News Scientiest

A new technique for detecting dangerous pathogens could lead to faster and cheaper diagnosis of disease and prevent food poisoning, say US researchers.

The team claims their biosensor is accurate enough to identify different strains of disease-causing organisms in a blood sample in just 30 minutes, and at a fraction of the current cost. The researchers hope the test could soon be incorporated into an inexpensive hand-held device for use in the field and in the developing world.

Current biosensors rely on a costly and time-consuming technique called gene amplification, which involves taking a piece of DNA from the sample and adding enzymes to make enough copies to allow the pathogen to be detected. It can take up to 48 hours for a positive result.

By contrast, the new process exploits a natural matching technique. A sample of the pathogen-containing material to be tested – blood or food, for example – is placed in a test tube and heated in the presence of an enzyme to break down the cells and release their genetic material. Then a dipstick is placed into the mixture and left for a few minutes.

Like in a pregnancy test, if a red line appears, the particular pathogen is present. The process takes just half an hour from start to finish.

In the field

“Instead of taking many hours and costing several hundred dollars to be carried out in a specialist lab, the new test should be fully portable – the size of a cellphone – and cost just a couple of dollars for a fast result,” says team member Antje Baeumner, associate professor of biological and environmental engineering at Cornell University.

“The idea is that it could be used directly in the field to sample meats and food products, or to test for diseases quickly and cheaply in cost-limited countries.”

It works because the dipstick is impregnated with artificial cells containing sections of complementary DNA sequences which exactly match particular sections of RNA on the pathogen being tested for, along with a dye. So, if the RNA is present, it sticks to the dipstick DNA and the red dye is activated.

“Test and hold”

Lead researcher Sam Nugen designed computer software that selects sequences of complementary DNA to match the RNA from a range of pathogen bacteria, viruses and fungi, including E. coli, Streptococcus and the virus responsible for dengue fever. Biotech companies can then produce the required DNA sections in volume at low cost.

Anything that speeds up the testing process will be welcomed, says Andrew Brabban, who carries out lab tests of beef for the deadly E. coli 0157:H7 at Evergreen State College in Washington, US. “Currently we have a ‘test and hold’ procedure, whereby meat is tested for E. coli and then the whole batch must be held back for about 24 hours until the test results come back. It costs time and money, so anything that’s faster, easier and costs less would be great,” he says.

The researchers hope to be able to multi-test samples for several pathogens soon. At the moment, they can detect the four different strains of the mosquito-borne dengue fever virus using several red bands on the testing dipstick. “And we’re working towards sequences for a full range of pathogens and detecting them at even lower concentrations. It would be great if this became a standard,” Baeumner told New Scientist.

The study was presented on Monday at the Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting and Food Expo in New Orleans, US.

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Mexican salsas teem with food bugs

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It won’t kill you

08 April 2000

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6513

Harmful bacteria shown up by nanoparticles

22:00 11 October 2004

NewScientist.com news service

Katharine Davis

A new nanoparticle test for dangerous bacteria such as Escherichia coli O157:H7 is so sensitive it can detect a single bacterial cell within minutes. The food industry, medicine and the fight against bioterrorism could all eventually benefit from it, researchers say.

Even a few cells of the E. coli strain in food can be dangerous so it is important to be able to detect them in low numbers. Current tests, however, need a higher number of bacteria to be present before they can detect it, which can lead to long delays.

The new test, developed by Weihong Tan and colleagues from the University of Florida, US, could offer a sharper and faster way of detecting contamination. “If you can give us one bacterial cell in a sample then we can detect it,” says Lisa Hilliard, one of the team. “Most people have to grow it and then detect it.”

The whole test can be carried out in just 20 minutes, compared with up to 48 hours for conventional tests. “Other tests could be as sensitive but you would need to perform an enrichment first,” says Mike Peck from the Institute of Food Research in the UK. “You would have to pop the food into a growth media for 24 hours,” he explains.

Shelved beef

Waiting a day or two for the results can be costly and inconvenient, says Andrew Brabban, who works on E. coli at the Evergreen State College, Washington. “One of the basic problems at the moment is what is called ‘Test and Hold’. Samples are held at US plants until they are shown to be free of O157:H7. This is obviously expensive for the industry, having large quantities of beef as shelved stock,” he told New Scientist.

The new test consists of silica nanoparticles, each housing thousands of fluorescent dye molecules, and each attached to an antibody for a given bacterium.

The nanoparticles are added to a solution of the test sample, such as ground beef. If the bacterium sought is present the nanoparticles will quickly attach to it. The sample is then separated by weight in a centrifuge. The target bacteria, being heavier than the nanoparticles, will separate away from them. But those dye molecules already attached will fluoresce in this heavier sample, identifying the bacteria.

Diluted samples

The new test differs from other dye tests in that thousands of dye molecules will fluoresce if only one bacterium is present because they are all attached to the same antibody. Other tests contain only a few dye molecules for each test antibody used so that one bacterial cell will not cause enough fluorescence to be observed. Using samples so diluted that only one in four of them contained any bacteria at all, the researchers showed their test could detect a single bacterial cell.

Although the test was developed using E. coli O157:H7, it could be adapted to many different bacteria. The group are already looking at ways to identify more than one type of bacteria at a time, using different coloured dyes for each.

If this can be achieved quickly and accurately it could have great potential. “The need to detect single cells is real,” says Brabban. “Any method that is fast, accurate and has [such a sensitive] detection level would certainly be very useful,” he says.

Journal reference: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0404806101)

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg17523531.200

Mexican salsas teem with food bugs

27 July 2002

Diane Martindale

Magazine issue 2353

BEWARE Montezuma’s revenge. In Mexico’s restaurants and eateries there is more in the salsa to assault your digestion than just the hot peppers. Popular spicy condiments such as salsa, jalapeño sauces and guacamole are contaminated with the bacteria that cause travellers’ diarrhoea.

Researchers from the University of Texas found E. coli in two-thirds of the condiments they tested from Mexico, and on average the levels of contamination were 1000 times what they measured in restaurants in Houston. What’s more, they repeatedly found two particularly virulent strains of E. coli that together account for half of all cases of traveller’s diarrhoea.

The bugs come from human faeces and contaminate the sauces via unwashed hands, says Herbert DuPont, an expert in infectious diseases and Chief of Internal Medicine at St Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston.

Travellers’ diarrhoea is a major health problem for tourists in developing countries. Every year about 20 million …

The complete article is 415 words long.

To continue reading this article, subscribe to New Scientist.
Get 4 issues of New Scientist magazine and instant access to all online content for only USD $5.95

If you are in the UK please click here, if you are in US or Canada please click here. Users in Australia or New Zealand please click here.

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg16622331.500

It won’t kill you

08 April 2000

Kurt Kleiner

Magazine issue 2233

A PLASTIC food wrap developed in Canada changes colour if food is contaminated with food-poisoning bugs. The new wrap, being developed by the Toronto company Toxin Alert, uses standard antibody tests to warn of four pathogens.

The antibodies, which have been modified to stick on the inside of plastic wrapping, are activated when the wrap touches contaminated food. But some food scientists are concerned that the wrapper might not be sensitive enough to detect low levels of these organisms, even though slight contamination may make people ill.

“This should be affordable for everyone. If you can afford a sandwich bag, you should be able to afford one of our sandwich bags,” says Gord Furzer, vice-president of operations for Toxin Alert.

The packaging uses separate layers to capture the pathogen and detect it. Toxin Alert coats the inside surface of standard polyethylene plastic food wrap with antibodies specific to one of …

The complete article is 479 words long.

To continue reading this article, subscribe to New Scientist.
Get 4 issues of New Scientist magazine and instant access to all online content for only USD $5.95

If you are in the UK please click here, if you are in US or Canada please click here. Users in Australia or New Zealand please click here.

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Nov 19 2008

Magnesium Chloride: Nothing Short of a Miracle

Tag: Health News — Sage @ 9:04 am

Magnesium Chloride
Magnesium is nothing short of a miracle mineral in its healing effect on a wide range of diseases as well as in its ability to rejuvenate the aging body.

We know that it is essential for many enzyme reactions, especially in regard to cellular energy production, for the health of the brain and nervous system and also for healthy teeth and bones. However, it may come as a surprise that in the form of magnesium chloride it is also an impressive infection fighter.

Worldwide the intake of magnesium has been lowered and that of calcium increased because of the heavy use of fertilisers high in calcium and low in magnesium. With this, the intake of magnesium from our food has steadily declined in the last fifty years, while the use of calcium-rich fertilisers and cardiovascular disease have greatly increased at the same time.

Adequate levels of magnesium are essential for the heart muscle. Those who die from heart attacks have very low magnesium but high calcium levels in their heart muscles. Patients with coronary heart disease who have been treated with large amounts of magnesium survived better than those with drug treatment.

Magnesium dilates the arteries of the heart and lowers cholesterol and fat levels. Magnesium has a calming effect on the nervous system. With this, it is frequently used to promote good sleep.

But more importantly, it can be used to calm irritated and over-excited nerves. This is especially useful with epileptic seizures. Adequate levels of magnesium are essential for the heart muscle.

Those who die from heart attacks have very low magnesium but high calcium levels in their heart muscles. Patients with coronary heart disease who have been treated with large amounts of magnesium survived better than those with drug treatment. Magnesium dilates the arteries of the heart and lowers cholesterol and fat levels.

In addition to its anti-microbial and immune-stimulating properties, both magnesium as well as chloride have other important functions in keeping us young and healthy.

Chloride, of course, is required to produce a large quantity of gastric acid each day and is also needed to stimulate starch-digesting enzymes.

Magnesium is the mineral of rejuvenation and prevents the calcification of our organs and tissues that is characteristic of the old-age related degeneration of our body.

Calcium and magnesium are opposites in their effects on our body structure. As a general rule, the softer our body structure the more we need calcium, while the more rigid and inflexible it is, the less calcium and the more magnesium we need.

Magnesium can reverse the age-related degenerative calcification of our body structure and with this help us to rejuvenate.

Rejuvenation by ingesting more magnesium is a slow process, especially as the amount of magnesium that we can take is limited by its laxative effect and the need to keep it in a reasonable balance with the calcium and phosphorus intake.

The other problem is that spastic muscles have a poor blood and lymph circulation, which makes it difficult for the ingested magnesium to dissolve and flush out the tissue and joint calcifications.

Therefore, we can greatly speed up the rejuvenation process by increasing the circulation through permanently contracted muscles as with deep tissue massage, hot and cold water applications, relaxation exercises, lymphasising as well as packs and rubs with magnesium chloride or Epsom salts.

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Nov 06 2008

Reverse Aging Keeping Your Brain Healthy at Any Age

Tag: Health News — Sage @ 8:50 am

From Total Health Breakthroughs

by Joseph F. McCaffrey 02/01/2008

It’s bad enough to decline physically. Mental decline is even worse. The idea of losing cognitive ability frightens everyone. It’s especially frightening if you’ve witnessed anyone descend into the abyss of Alzheimer’s. Our ability to think makes us human. Our memories are the record of our life. When dementia robs a person of these, they’ve lost something truly precious.

Take the case of Edith, one of my elderly patients. She had a shuffling gait and a vacant gaze. Because of her live-in caregiver, she was neatly dressed and groomed. As she sat, she looked at the woman next to her, her daughter, and asked: “Where’s Kate? Do you know where Kate is?” “I’m here Mom. I’m Kate.” “No you’re not, my Kate is a little girl. Where’s Kate?”

Sadly, I’ve seen too many people like Edith. But it doesn’t have to happen. You can stay mentally clear and crisp well into old age. You know this to be true — you’ve seen it. I’m sure at some point you’ve met a person with plenty of years under his or her belt who was still sharp as anything. Aren’t those people a delight? Don’t they exude life?

It’s possible to grow old and age minimally. But it doesn’t happen by accident. Habitual choices carry long term consequences. Research gives us some pretty strong suggestions on how to stay sharp as we grow old.

Here’s a quick rundown of some ways to maintain your mental edge over time. You’ll see some familiar recommendations. A healthy lifestyle benefits all of you, including your brain.

Exercise

People who are active are at lower risk for mental decline. Some studies even show improved mental function in elderly people who start a walking program after years of being sedentary.

Obviously, there are a lot of other reasons you should exercise. Maintaining your wits just emphasizes the importance of an exercise program. You can read about several effective, efficient exercise programs in most issues of Total Health Breakthroughs. Pick one and stay with it.

Diet

Eat a healthy diet, especially one high in fruits and vegetables. The antioxidants and micronutrients they contain go a long way toward protecting brain function. Researchers are looking at the effects of many different foods. Here are some of the findings.

Fats:

The type of fat in your diet affects brain function. Omega-3 fatty acids are an important component in all neural tissue. A diet high in omega-3 fatty acids leads to lower levels of inflammation and improved brain function. Fish are a good source of these types of fats. Unfortunately, in today’s world you need to be concerned that fish can be tainted by contaminants such as heavy metals and PCBs. Even so, I still eat salmon at least once a week and take fish oil supplements daily.

Other fats affect brain function as well. It turns out that fats that help your heart also help your brain. Researchers in Italy examined people several times over an 8-year period. Those who ate less saturated fat and more monounsaturated fats (like olive oil) showed significantly better cognitive function at the end of the study.¹ In other words, the Mediterranean Diet helps your brain and heart.

Curry:

India has a low incidence of dementia. The obvious question is why. The answer may be in the diet. A study from the National University of Singapore documented a much lower rate of dementia in people who ate curry regularly as opposed to those who ate it rarely.²

One reason curries may be helpful is that they often contain turmeric. Turmeric has high levels of curcumin which has significant anti-inflammatory action. It’s actually been shown to reverse plaque formation in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease.

Other spices in curries such as ginger, cinnamon, and garlic have health benefits as well. All in all, it’s a good reason to develop a taste for Indian food.

Blueberries:

Blueberries contain some of the highest levels of antioxidants of any fruit. In animal studies, adding blueberries to the diet protects against brain aging and the impairment in learning ability and memory that goes with it.³

Green Tea:

A study from Japan has shown that people who drink two cups of green tea a day had a 50% lower risk of dementia compared to those who drank less than 3 cups a week. Black tea and coffee failed to show this benefit.⁴

Stress

Stress raises levels of hormones that inhibit brain function and actually damage brain cells. Therefore it’s important to learn techniques to deal with stress that defuse this risk. Practices such as meditation, guided imagery, and especially the stress reduction program HeartMath all help in this area.

Mental Exercise

Physical exercise is good for you, and so is mental exercise. The brain is remarkably “plastic” even into old age. This means that new connections can be formed between brain cells at any age. You can stimulate this type of growth by doing new things.

Dr. Willis and her colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania showed that cognitive training improved brain function and that the improvement persisted over the five years of the study.⁵

Learning a foreign language, working on challenging puzzles, and reading fascinating books all stimulate cognitive development. Not to mention the fact that they make life more enjoyable.

Supplements

I believe your diet should be your main source of nutrients. Having said that, consider these supplements to give yourself an extra edge.

Fish oil:

As I mentioned, omega-3 fatty acids are critical for brain function. They suppress inflammation, which is partly responsive for deterioration of the brain, as well as a lot of other problems. There are several good reasons to supplement with fish oil, and helping your brain is one of them.

Ginkgo biloba:

This herb has had a lot of publicity as a memory aid. It seems to work by improving blood flow. Most studies have shown moderate effectiveness and it has a good safety profile.^6-7

Curcumin

If you can’t develop a taste for curries (my recommendation), curcumin is available as a supplement.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid and Acetyl- L-Carnitine:

Alpha-lipoic acid is a powerful antioxidant. Acetyl-L-carnitine protects the mitochondria (the energy-producing “powerhouses” of the cells) from age-related damage. Together, they work to protect the brain.^8-10

Phosphatidylserine:

Phosphatidylserine has generated a lot of interest in the study of cognitive decline. That’s because it’s a precursor of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Acetylcholine has been found to be reduced in Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Taking phosphatidylserine as a supplement improves acetylcholine levels and has shown benefits in both animal and human studies.^11-13

Do you think you might be able to develop a taste for green tea? And would it be possible to add some blueberries to your diet? Small changes can have large benefits.

I’ve given you many suggestions to consider. As you can see, there’s a lot you can do to stay sharp as you age. Following these suggestions will do more than just help your brain. You’ll improve your overall levels of vitality while reducing your risk of disease.

Reference

Solfrizzi et al. Neurobiol Aging. 2006 Nov;27(11):1694-702.

Tze-Pin Ng et al. American Journal of Epidemiol. prepub source: doi:10.1093/aje/kwj267.

Joseph JA, et al. Nutr Neurosci. 2003 Jun;6(3):153-62.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Vol. 83, pp. 355-361) (green tea reference).

Willis SL et al. JAMA 2006 Dec 20;296(23):2805-14.

Kanowski S, Pharmacopsychiatry. 2003 Nov; 36(6):297-303

Gertz et al. Curr. Pharm. Des. 2004;10(3):261-264.

Liu J et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2002 Feb 1999(4):2356-61.

Lynch MA. Nutr. Neurosci. 2001;4(6):419-438.

Packer L et al. Free Rad Biol Med. 1997;22:359-78.

Cenacchi T et al. Aging 1993; 5:123-133.

Crook T et al. Psychopharmacol Bull. 1992; 28:61-66.

Funfgeld EW et al. Prog Clin Biol Res. 1989; 317:1235-1246.

[Ed. Note: Joseph F. McCaffrey, MD, FACS is a board-certified surgeon with extensive experience in alternative medicine, including certification as a HeartMath Trainer. His areas of expertise include mind-body interaction and cognitive restructuring. Dr. McCaffrey strives to help people attain their optimum level of vitality through attention to all aspects of wellness. For more information, click here.]

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Nov 04 2008

How to Improve Memory; Mind Boosters

Tag: Health News — Sage @ 4:46 pm

From Ray Sahelian

http://www.raysahelian.com/memory.html

Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Memory Loss - How to Improve Memory as discussed in the book Mind Boosters by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Dozens of new supplements have been introduced over the past few years that promise to improve short term and long term memory loss, intelligence, mood, vision, and mental performance. I have reviewed the very latest research regarding these breakthrough nutrients, amino acids, herbs, herbal extracts, coenzymes, and hormones, and offer a scientific and practical evaluation of their benefits and risks. Mind Boosters book discusses how to combine mind- and memory -boosting supplements for patients with depression, memory loss, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, and other conditions. A step by step and sensible mind and memory -boosting program is provided for the young, middle-aged, and seniors.
I have taken all of the supplements discussed in Mind Boosters, and report my personal observations and the experiences of users, including interviews with experts. Mind Boosters is one of the most comprehensive and practical books ever written on the topic of mind and memory enhancement using natural supplements. As part of my experience in writing the book, and learning about individual herbs and nutrients that influence the mind, I have formulated a very popular brain supplement called Mind Power Rx. Click on the blue link below if you would like to buy this Mind Boosters book. See the link below in blue if you wish to purchase Mind Boosters.

Mind Power Rx — formulated by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Mind Power Rx is a sophisticated cognitive and memory formula with memory herb and memory vitamin supplements. Mind Power Rx combines a delicate balance of brain circulation agents and neurotransmitter precursors with powerful natural brain chemicals that support:

• Memory and Mood
• Mental clarity
• Concentration
• Alertness & Focus

The herbs in Mind Power Rx include: Ashwagandha, Bacopa, Fo-Ti, Ginkgo biloba, Ginseng, Gotu kola, Mucuna pruriens, Reishi, and Rhodiola. The nutrients and vitamins in Mind Power Rx include Acetyl-l-carnitine, Carnitine, Carnosine, Choline, DMAE, Inositol, Cyanocobalamin, Pantothenic acid, Trimethylglycine, Tyrosine, and Vinpocetine.

Click here to purchase Mind Power Rx or for a full description of the ingredients. Also consider reading the Mind Boosters book, or to sign up to a FREE newsletter
Subscribe to a FREE Supplement Research Update newsletter. Twice a month you will receive an email with brief abstracts of several studies on various supplements and natural medicine topics — including memory loss and how to improve long term and short term memory loss, mood and mental function, memory herb use, memory vitamin — and their practical interpretation by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

High Quality products formulated by Dr. Ray Sahelian, M.D.
Consider highly popular all natural products. These top quality products include Mind Power Rx for better mental focus, concentration, and mood; Diet Rx which helps you eat less. It really does curb appetite; Good Night Rx with magnolia bark for better sleep; Eyesight Rx for better vision, often within days; MultiVit Rx a daily comprehensive multivitamin for more energy and vitality; Joint Power Rx for healthy joints; Prostate Power Rx for a healthy prostate gland; and Passion Rx for sexual enhancement, better libido, and improved performance and stamina in men and women.

Mind Boosters book Index

PART I: USING YOUR BRAIN TO BOOST YOUR MIND

1. The Born-Again Brain
Age Related Cognitive Decline - short term memory loss and long term memory loss
Can Natural Supplements improve memory loss?
Personalizing Your Mind and Memory improving regimen
The Experience of Patients and Users regarding memory and mind herbs
The Experience of Clinicians and Experts regarding memory improvement
The Author’s Experience

2. The Top Ten Mind-Boosting Principles
A discussion of ten principles you should keep in mind while taking supplements that influence your mind and memory. How to improve memory naturally.

PART II: YOUR BRAIN: AN OWNER’S GUIDE

3. The ABCs of the Brain
Neuron-to-Neuron Communication
Composition of the Cell Membrane
Training Neurons for better memory and reverse memory loss
What Happens When the Brain Gets Old?
What Can You Do To Keep Your Mind Young and prevent memory loss?

4. Brain Chemistry Made Simple
Acetylcholine the memory neurotransmitter
Dopamine
Norepinephrine and Epinephrine
Serotonin
GABA
Additional Neurotransmitters
The Connection between the Brain and the Immune System

PART III: LIFESTYLE HABITS FOR A LONG LASTING BRAIN

5. How to Cultivate a Naturally Healthy Mind and Upgrade Memory
Emotional Connections
Exercise can help with memory loss Exercise boosts brainpower by building new brain cells in a brain region linked with memory and memory loss.
Training Neurons to reverse memory loss
Learn How to Learn
Cultivate Your Creativity
Sample! Explore! Expand!
Smart Eating — foods that improve memory loss
A Note to Vegetarians

Watching your weight, quitting smoking, cutting back on junk foods and exercising regularly will help your heart. But did you know that these steps might also help your brain, and protect your memory? Sleep helps the brain consolidate memories so that they are readily available during waking hours.

6. Beware of Brain Busters - Cause of Memory Loss
This chapter discusses causes of long term and short term memory loss due to lifestyle habits, prescription drugs, recreational drugs such as marijuana, and medical problems that lead to a memory deficit.
Did you know? Elderly people who smoke show a five-fold faster rate of age-related mental decline and memory loss than people who never smoked. Middle-aged adults who smoke have a higher than average risk of developing memory impairments later in life. Although women are generally less likely than men to become dependent on alcohol, they appear to develop alcoholic brain damage and memory loss more rapidly than men.

PART IV: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO MIND-BOOSTING SUPPLEMENTS

7. Mind Your Brain Fats
This chapter has a full discussion of the chemistry of fats and oils, along with the latest research on the memory enhancement effects of fish oils–eicosapentanoic acid, docosahexanoic acid–and flaxseed oil.

8. Memory Boosters — Phospholipids, Choline, and Related Nutrients for memory loss
Choline converts into the memory chemical acetylcholine. Does it help memory loss?
CDP-Choline
Phosphatidylcholine
Phosphatidylserine — also known as PS…. or should we call it BS?

9. Mood Lifters—Vitamin B Coenzyme complex - crucial B vitamins to prevent memory loss
Thiamin and Cocarboxylase
Riboflavin and Flavin Mono Nucleotide (FMN)
Niacin, Nicotinamide, and NADH-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide
Pantothenic acid and Pantothene
Pyridoxine and Pyridoxal Phosphate
B12- Cyanocobalamin, Methylcobalamin, and Dibencozide
Down with Homocysteine

10. Methyl Donors—For More Energy, Better Mood, (and Longer Life?)
DMAE, dimethylaminoethanol
DMG, Dimethylglycine and TMG, Trimethyglycine
Sam-e, S-Adenosyl-methionine - a powerful mood supplement

11. Keep Your Brain Young with Old and New Antioxidants
A discussion of how antioxidants works and their role in brain health. Topics include carotenoids, flavonoids, vitamins C and E, glutathione, N-acetyl-cysteine and selenium. The chapter ends with dosage recommendations.

12. Mind Energizers—Think Faster, Sharper, and Longer
Acetyl-l-Carnitine and Carnitine
CoQ10
Lipoic Acid

13. Amino Acids—Building Blocks for Brain Chemicals
Tryptophan, 5-Hydroxytryptophan ( 5-HTP ), Phenylalanine and Tyrosine

14. Brain Hormones: Potent Memory and Sex Boosters
What Can Brain Hormones Do for You?
Figure 14.1 The Making of Steroid Hormones from Cholesterol
Estrogen and the Brain
Do Middle-Aged and Older Women Need Male Hormones?
DHEA: The Parent of Estrogen and Testosterone - can it reverse memory loss?
Pregnenolone: The Grandmother of All Steroid Hormones - powerful memory booster
Melatonin: Nature’s Sleeping Pill - deep sleep enhances memory
The Multi-Hormone Replacement Solution for Different Age Groups
Cautions and Potential Side Effects pf hormones

15. Psychoactive Herbs: Recommended by Mother Nature
Ashwagandha herb
Ginkgo Biloba herb
Ginseng herb
Huperzine A - for Alzheimer’s
Kava herb
St. John’s Wort herb
Vinpocetine extract
Additional Herbs and Food-Like Supplements
Bacopa herb
Maca herb
Reishi mushroom
Pyroglutamate smart drug?

PART V: STAYING SMART AFTER SCHOOL

16. The Mind and Memory Boosting Program for Ages 25 to 40
What supplements should you take if you’re in this age group if you want to enhance your mind?

17. The Mind and Memory Boosting Program for Ages 41 to 60
What supplements should you take if you’re in this age group and want to improve memory?

18. The Mind and Memory Boosting Program for Ages 61 and Over
What supplements should you take to prevent memory loss if you’re in this age group and have memory loss? Are there supplements that improve memory loss? Aging is known to lead to memory loss, but this can be reduced or mostly prevented through lifestyle habits and supplements.

PART VI: NATURAL PRESCRIPTIONS FOR DEPRESSION, VISION ENHANCEMENT,
ALZHEIMER’S, AND PARKINSON’S DISEASE

19. Supplements that Fight Depression
A step-by-step strategy to improve mood with natural supplements and rely less on pharmaceutical antidepressants.
20. Supplements that Sharpen Vision and Hearing
Yes, it is possible to improve vision and hearing with supplements. Colors become brighter and clearer, near and long-distance vision improve, everything becomes more in focus. Seeing can be a real joy!
21. Supplements for Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease - Memory loss medication and treatment.

22. Supplements for Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

Glossary –pages and pages of definitions
References --a complete list of scientific studies
Index

What readers are saying:
Dr. Sahelian, a few sentences cannot tell you how much I enjoy and appreciate “Mind Boosters”. I have ordered 10 copies and given them to friends to improve memory. I use it as a reference and have studied it as you intended it to be used.

I Recently purchased your book “Mind Boosters - A guide to Natural Supplements that Enhance your Mind, Improve Memory, and Mood” and I have to say it has been exceptional reading. I am a 31 yo male and suffer from long term memory loss problems, a borderline insomniac, mild anxiety, and mild depression. All of these traits seem to run in my family and I have tried numerous things, even Celexa and other prescription drugs. I have been off the prescriptions for some time because quite frankly they killed my sex life but in the short time I have taken some of the supplements you recommended, I have notice improvement in these areas.

Finally - objective and detailed information about natural supplements for memory loss. I’ve been searching the internet for good information about vitamins, herbs and other food supplements that might help improve my mood, energy and clarity of thought. However almost all the hits are at sites that sell these products. They don’t spend much time talking about bad side effects, and they won’t tell you ‘hey this product doesn’t really do anything but if you want to throw away your money, throw it our way’. Apparently, this book’s author, Ray Sahelian, is a medical doctor. He tries the supplements himself and reports their effects, if any. He provides scientific explanations of how the supplements work, and of brain chemistry in general. However it is written in a way that can be easily understood by those like me who have no medical training or knowledge.

Your improve memory book, Mind Boosters, falls nothing short of superb. I have no doubt that Mind Boosters will make a significant impact to the quality of many peoples lives and it really should be compulsory reading for everyone interested in mind and memory improvement.

Your “Mind Boosters” is written is such a clear and concise way, that in just reading 2 or 3 chapters I was blown away with the clarity and sensibility with which you write, and the vast amount of knowledge that you impart. Consequently, I have urged my local health food store, Whole Foods in Beverly Hills, to purchase your improve memory book and put it on their shelf now. I will push them to do so, this is a very important book for those losing their creative memory, and thanks again.

Memory of Past Events
When recalling memories of negative or positive events that helped to shape our identity, such as a break-up or marriage, we tend to downplay the fear, anger or other negative emotions experienced at the time and remember more of the positive emotions.

MIND BOOSTERSory boosters, mind supplements, creative memory
A GUIDE TO NATURAL SUPPLEMENTS
THAT ENHANCE YOUR
MIND, MEMORY, AND MOOD

22-Chapter, 300 page comprehensive memory book discussing memory loss and how to improve memory, written by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

GET SMARTER Within Hours!

Improve Memory, Mood and Motivation
Stay Focused and Alert All Day
Enhance Your Eyesight and Hearing
Be More Creative and Productive
Keep Your Mind Youthful

Click Mind Boosters to purchase or to see a complete list of books and herbal products. You will also find Mind Power Rx, a product formulated by Dr. Sahelian for optimal brain function.

Recent emails
Hi Dr. Sahelian, just wondering if you have any sequels for Mind Boosters. That book was the most valuable book on human memory loss supplements which I have ever encountered. I can even suggest a title of a sequel which I would like to see: Mood Boosters. Thanks for your great work.
Dr. Sahelian says: Thank you very much. I have thought about a book on mood boosters, but I’m just overwhelmed with so many ongoing projects that this will be on hold for now.

Dr. Sahelian, a few sentences cannot tell you how much I enjoy and appreciate “Mind Boosters”. I have ordered 10 copies and given them to friends. I use it as a reference and have studied it as you intended it to be used.

PASSION Rx
Passion Rx is our #1 Bestseller

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Passion Rx is an herbal supplement that supports healthy stamina, sensation, and sexuality in men and women, along with healthy erectile function and orgasms/climaxes. In recent years science has made breakthroughs in the understanding of sexual dysfunction. But, for hundreds of years, civilizations around the world have known about locally grown herbs that achieve wonderful results with far fewer side effects than prescription drugs.

Now, renowned physician and herbal expert Dr. Ray Sahelian, M.D., author of Natural Sex Boosters, has discovered a combination of exotic herbs from the Amazon jungle, India, China, Malaysia, and Africa, that support healthy desire and performance, as well as to simply enhance sexual pleasure. Passion Rx provides a natural solution for those looking a natural alternative to pharmaceutical medicines.

The potent herbal extracts in Passion Rx include Ashwagandha, Catuaba, Cnidium, Damiana, Horny goat weed, Maca, Muira Puama, Passion flower, Rehmannia, Shilajit, Tribulus, Tongkat ali, and one version with Yohimbe.

Human Memory Loss Research Update
Memory function is vulnerable to a variety of pathologic processes including neurodegenerative diseases, strokes, tumors, head trauma, hypoxia, cardiac surgery, malnutrition, attention-deficit disorder, depression, anxiety, the side effects of medication, and normal aging. As such, memory impairment or memory loss is commonly seen by physicians in multiple disciplines including neurology, psychiatry, medicine, and surgery. Memory loss is often the most disabling feature of many disorders, impairing the normal daily activities of the patients and profoundly affecting their families. memory computer memory creative memory loss memory card.

Better metabolic control of type 2 diabetes can lead to improved “working memory” — the type of memory people use to keep information in their minds for short-periods of time and to complete day-to-day activities. Improving metabolic control and reducing fasting plasma glucose (sugar) levels can lead to an improvement in learning and memory ability.

Depression can lead to memory loss.

Human Memory loss Emails
Q. Due to the plethora of information I discovered from reading your memory book Mind Boosters, my atypical depression symptoms are now minimized. I’m now enjoying a much more active lifestyle thanks in part to you.

Q. I’m currently reading Mind Boosters, and enjoy the objective approach and explanations of the science behind how the brain works. I notice that since this book is all about natural supplements, it doesn’t mention anything like Piracetam, Hydergine, or other chemicals from the Nootropic class of drugs. Do you plan on writing a book like this in the future to improve memory and mind? I think many people would be interested!
A. Thank you for your email. I currently do not have plans to write a book on drugs that improve memory or mind function. There are still many natural supplements and combinations that have so much potential that I prefer to concentrate on these memory herbs and learn them really well before moving on.

Q. Your memory book Mind Boosters, which I have just purchased, is full of useful info, especially the reports of personal experiences. I am interested in Alzheimer’s Disease. One substance not specifically mentioned in the book is the synthetic form of CoQ10, “Idebenone“, which is claimed to work better than CoQ10, and especially in AD. It works as an antioxidant, brain metabolism enhancer (like CoQ10) but is said also to regulate neurotransmitters like serotonin, stimulate production of Nerve Growth Factor, and protect against glutamate/aspartate nerve damage. Long-term trials with it in AD in Japan have apparently had very good results. I would be very interested to hear if you have any opinions/comments or personal experiences concerning Idebenone, either in general or specifically concerning AD.
A. I was planning to include idebenone and other less known nutrients in my improve memory book, but then I decided to limit them since it would have been too thick a book and too complicated and detailed for the mainstream consumer. There is some good research with idebenone but it will take a long time to find out more about it and its practical uses. I have not used it clinically so I don’t have any first hand experience.

Q. I always enjoy reading your articles. I enjoy your moderate voice regarding supplements. In Whole Life Times August 2001 issue you talk about a Harvard study which reported Predictors of Long Life. You quoted that “Depression was the only factor that affected the quality of aging which was beyond individual control” Beyond control ? Nothing is beyond our control. I know you do not believe this. Depression whether caused by physical reasons or behavioral reasons can be overcome. Please elaborate what you meant by this statement because it is definitely not very empowering.
A. The article should have included the word “often” or “sometimes” beyond our control. Just as insulin deficient diabetics have no control over how much insulin their pancreas releases, certain individuals who are depressed have a deficiency of some brain chemicals such as serotonin or dopamine which causes this depression, or may have an anatomical or neural damage that leads to memory problems or depression. The brain is living tissue and it can become damaged or diseased just like the pancreas. Anatomical regions in the brain can lose oxygen supply and neurons could be lost leading to confusion and memory loss. If we had complete control over our brain and body, our physical bodies would live forever and we could do any kind of mental problem solving or memorizing or stay euphoric at all times, even during physical torture. But our mind does not have complete control over itself.

Q. I really enjoyed “Mind Boosters”. It’s one of the best memory books on the subject I’ve ever read regarding precious memory supplements. In “Mind boosters”, you don’t say a great deal about long-term cumulative positive effects of supplements. For example, the purported memory supplement phosphatidylserine might not have an effect if you use it on occasional days, but it might give benefit if used daily for several weeks. Do you have any comments on this? Keep up the good work.
A. I’m still trying to form a good opinion on PS, and you raise a good point that some improve memory supplements will not provide an immediate benefit but could be helpful with time. Whether soy-derived PS falls in this category is difficult to say at this time.

Q. Dear Doctor Sahelian, i was most impressed by your Mind Boosters memory book and have already had some success exploring your memory supplement nutritional strategies for memory loss. I was especially interested by your reference to “verbal fluency” as one benefit of certain nutritional memory supplements. This is an area that I dearly need to know more about, but one which your book touches on only briefly. I wonder if you could expand upon this topic.
A. Generally, any supplements that stimulate the mind can also help with verbal fluency, to think faster, be more motivated, more upbeat, and have the urge to be more social and talk. There are a number of supplements that can do this, including CoQ10, methyl donors such as DMAE, TMG, DMG, SAMe, certain hormones such as DHEA and pregnenolone, B vitamins, choline, etc. The response of each individual to these nutrients is difficult to predict, hence I can’t be any more specific. Most people find out which works best for them through trail and error.

Q. I am 21 years old and have tried numerous herbs, for example alpha lipoic acid , hupernize A, just plain choline, and ginkgo biloba in order to improve my memory, particularly creative memory. All except ginkgo seem to give overstimulation. Can amino acids or vinpocetine give the same cognitive benefits as ginkgo to improve memory and concentration?
A. It’s difficult to notice a significant improvement in cognition and memory at your age. Most of these supplements, particularly huperzine are best appreciated by older individuals. If you notice being overstimulated, just take less. Mind and memory boosters at your age should only be used once in a while, not daily. Vinpocetine is not likely to benefit you much, it is best for people who have poor circulation to the brain which is unlikely to be a problem for anyone younger than 50. Amino acids such as tyrosine can be used occasionally to help with alertness.

Q. I just got your Mind Boosters improve memory book and really enjoyed it. Having the author’s comments on his experience with the various supplements brings a more realistic element to the information. One thing that I wasn’t able to pick up from the book is the effect the different supplements have on each other. As an example, if you want CoQ10 for the antioxidant aspect but vinpocetine for the concentration, will they work together?
A. It’s almost impossible to predict since the reaction may be different in each individual, the dosage could be a factor, whether taken with or without food, the type of food, the absorption and digestion of each person, current medicines they are taking, etc. Trial and error since the best approach for now to improve memory loss.

Q. What’s the relationship between Lipitor and long term memory loss?
A. Statin drugs interfere with cholesterol metabolism in the brain and hence Lipitor may lead to short term and long term memory loss in some people and reduced cognitive function. Memory is crucial at any age. Take as little a dose of a statin drug as possible, and occasionally take breaks from statin drug use if your cholesterol level is manageable. For instance, if your cholesterol has reached a good level, you can take Lipitor every other day to avoid possible memory loss.

Q. I’ve noticed some short term memory loss when taking Ambien. Is this possible?
A. Most sleeping pills when used frequently can cause short term memory loss, particularly Halcyon.

Q. Does menopause cause memory loss?
A. It’s possible that a reduction of estrogen or other hormones could lead to memory loss or decline, but menopause is not know to cause a significant loss of memory.

AlphaGPC is not discussed in the memory book.
health food stores that may carry Mind Boosters memory book
For information about the brain.

Q. Which is your favorite memory supplement?
A. I don’t have a favorite memory supplement since none of them is perfect by itself. I prefer a memory supplement to be a formula with a blend of various herbs and nutrients.

Q. Do you recommend a supplement for short term memory improvement? I am now 52 and I think I am beginning with some short term memory loss.
A. For better memory you could try cdp-choline or acetylcarnitine which work quickly.

Q. What’s the best memory test?
A. I am more of a clinician than a formal researcher or statistician, so I really don’t know the best memory test currently used by memory experts.

Q. What’s the relationship between exercise and memory?
A. Research has shown that exercise and memory are related. Physical exercise and a deep sleep improve memory. Exercise is crucial for optimal memory retainment and consolidation.

Q. Besides a memory supplement, what else would you recommend for memory improvement?
A. The most important things you can do for a healthy memory is getting a deep sleep at night, keeping stress to a minimum, eating lots of fish and vegetables, and exercising moderately. These steps will minimize memory loss as you get older. Also, do crossword puzzles, memory teasers, and watch Jeopardy. Look up words you don’t know in the dictionary. Memory loss is not inevitable.

Q. What’s a common cause of short term memory loss ?
A. An acute stressful event is a cause of short term memory loss, so is alcohol binging, certain sleep drugs, and a mini stroke, along with of course head trauma. Depression and memory loss are also related. In the young, excessive alcohol intake on weekends leads to short term memory loss.

Q. Does smoking cause memory loss?
A. Smoking for many years in a row can be a cause of memory loss through poor circulation, clogging of blood supply to the brain or a stroke.

Q. What’s a common memory loss disease?
A. There are many memory loss diseases, from strokes to brain tumors to depression or meningitis, Alzheimer’s disease, various forms of dementia, etc. Stress is a common cause of memory loss.

Q. Why does aging cause memory loss?
A. For several reasons, one being that we lose brain cells as we get older and the brain does not process and store information as well as it did decades ago.

Q. I am currently a psychobiology major. Could you advise me in how to evaluate the focus and memory capabilities of the human brain. I am conducting an experiment to test the effectiveness of various memory-boosting supplements. How would one go about conducting a memory test and quantifying the results? Any help would be grately appreciated. Perhaps a simple memory test where I flash various numbers to a person for 3 seconds and have them write down what they can remember? Something along those lines?
A. Dr. Sahelian is involved in clinical medicine seeing patients, the field of research testing is outside of his field of knowledge, a university professor is someone to ask.

Q. What is the cause of sudden memory loss ?
A. Sudden memory loss needs to be thoroughly evaluated to make sure there is no brain cancer, lesion, bleeding in the brain, or other serious conditions such as head injury. Long term memory loss in the elderly over many years is not as pressing a medical concern as sudden memory loss.

Q. What is a good memory loss drug or memory medication?
A. Some people like piracetam, but I prefer a natural memory supplement or vitamin, a nutrient already normally found in the brain as opposed to chemical unfamiliar to neurons.

Q. Does Ambien cause memory loss?
A. I think just about all the sleep drugs and medications cause memory loss.

Q. Is a B vitamin complex good to take memory loss prevention?
A. Yes, B vitamins can be taken for memory loss prevention as long as you don’t take too high doses for too long. I think 2 or 3 times the RDA should be adequate.

Q. Dear Dr. Sahelian, we are writing to you on behalf of The Memory Secret Inc. an American based company located in Miami and with a branch in Madrid, Spain. Memory Secret´s goal is to improve your brain wellness, by offering unique dietary supplements. Our “star” product is Intelectol, containing the purest form of Vinpocetine, and it is currently being launched in a number of countries around the world, including the USA. We are entirely convinced of the huge potential of our dietary supplements aimed at enhancing the cognitive functions such as memory, alertness and attention span. Intelectol can be consumed by adults of all ages, be they elderly people who already suffer from memory loss, professionals who require high levels of concentration, or students who need a boost to help them remember their studies near exam time. The Memory Secret Inc. is backed by Covex, the leading manufacturer of Vinpocetine worldwide, and owner of intellectual property in more than 50 countries, which enables The Memory Secret Inc. to boast of numerous patents and trademarks registered worldwide. Intelectol is included in the Physician´s Desk Reference (PDR) for Non Prescription Drugs and Dietary Supplements.

Q. I am a reporter at Men’s Health magazine and I’m writing a short article about memory supplements. I see you have written a book on the topic of mind boosters and have a strong background in supplements, so I was hoping you would have some time to answer a few questions I had on the topic of memory supplements.
Q. There are so many memory supplements on the market now. How would a man start to sift through the options and find one that may benefit him? Are there certain things you can suggest to look out for?
A. It is not possible to predict which nutrient or herb, or combination formula, will be effective for a man until one takes the supplement for a few days or a couple of weeks. There are quite a number of supplements that are worth trying, including acetyl l-carnitine, ginkgo biloba, DMAE, trimethylglycine, vinpocetine, choline and cdp-choline, and bacopa monnieri. A combination formula that many men like is Mind Power Rx which has more than a dozen brain nutrients and herbs.
Q. I know some herbs, like Ginkgo biloba, have a lot of research behind them in terms of being beneficial for improving blood flow to the brain and improving cognition in older subjects, but do you think it can be beneficial for a healthy man in his 30s or 40s, like our readers?
A. In my opinion, mind and memory supplements, such as ginkgo biloba and others, are best reserved for occasional use in men who are in their 30s and 40s. These supplements can be taken on days when one wishes to be more alert, focus better, and have more mental stamina. But I do not recommend non-stop daily use of these brain boosters for months or years since we don’t know the long term consequences.
Q. How can someone figure out if a memory supplement is helping, or if they should stop taking it because it isn’t working as they expected? Is there some kind of a process you’d suggest for someone doing a trial and error approach to finding a memory supplement that works for them?
A. I would suggest buying 2 or 3 different memory herbs or supplements, or a combination memory formula, and testing each one for a week or two. This should be enough time to determine if any mind enhancing benefits have occurred.

Q. I want to let you know that I read your natural memory boosting book like it is a dictionary and I have bought many of your supplements online. I was wondering if you had any clinical trial citations that show “Percentage Improvements” of any of the natural memory supplements that you discuss. I’m not a chemist or a doctor, so telling me that in a study, patients, while using Huperzine A, “27% of them scored 1 approximately 2 points by CIBIC-plus”, doesn’t mean anything to me. I’m a data guy, so without a starting point, I can’t tell the magnitude of improvement. I’m looking for something like, “a test showed that 55% of ginkgo users showed a memory improvement of 35% in cognitive ability.”
A. Sadly little research has been done with the majority of natural memory supplements that are available over the counter. Ginkgo and acetyl l-carnitine have been tested more often than others but even so research has produced conflicting results. Therefore, providing a definitive number such as 35% is not helpful since different studies have produced different results. Also, keep in mind that many natural memory supplements, such as ginkgo biloba, are made by various companies and each product may be slightly, moderately, or even significantly different than another ginkgo biloba product. The best approach is trial and error to see which memory supplement works best for your needs.

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Nov 04 2008

Arthritis

Tag: Health News — Sage @ 4:34 pm

From JCCrows

http://www.jcrows.com/arthritis.html

ARTHRITIS
An Energy Disease
Dr. D.C. Jarvis
Also by Dr. Jarvis
The Two Blood Vessel Beds
The Treatment of Arthritis
Our Changing External Environment

ARTHRITIS is only a new name for what early Vermonters called rheumatism. Because it is not contagious and seldom kills, doctors do not always give it the interest, attention, and time that they should. It is usually a disease of long duration, too, and so a doctor often finds it hard to keep up his interest in the treatment. For that matter, he is at a loss as to just how he should proceed with treatment, since the cause of arthritis is not fully known. As a result of his repeated failures to relieve the symptoms a medical man is likely to get the impression that arthritis is incurable and he will therefore lose interest in it.

The patient, however, endures all the sustained agony of any other chronic disease. Arthritis does not kill quickly and dramatically, like heart disease, nor does it develop with the slow and certain inevitability of cancer. Arthritic patients often live to a great age, and indeed they seldom die of their disease. Yet they have one common symptom: excruciating pain. When we consider that this pain affects more people than that from any other chronic disease it seems strange that more progress has not been made in understanding the cause of an ailment so widespread and so painful, and in finding a cure for it.

Most of us think of arthritis as a disease of later life, but although elderly people often have it there are a good many others under forty-five who are afflicted. In either case, it is only reasonable to believe that there must be certain definite reasons for the presence of the disease.

There are fundamental laws of body chemistry and physiology that nature requires us to observe. We may be ignorant of these laws because most of us no longer live close to the soil, but that doesn’t excuse us from the penalty of failing to observe nature’s rules. Instincts brought across the human bridge from our parents guide and direct us during our childhood in observing the natural laws relating to our body’s good health. Once we are adults, however, we abandon these childhood instincts, and so we have nothing to guide and direct us in observing nature’s laws. As a result, the laws are broken, and sickness and unhappiness begin to appear.

Somehow we find it hard to accept the wise plan nature has provided for us. We rebel against her and try constantly to revise the plan and shape it to our own desires. But it never works. Sooner or later we are punished in the form of sickness, which may sometimes be arthritis. Nature has a way of eliminating humans who break her laws. An individual must adjust to his environment as she intended, or else be sick and perhaps die.

People with arthritis live in a world of pain, helplessness, and confusion. When arthritis strikes, with its agony, swelling, and stiffness, worry and fear must follow. As the pain gets worse the worry grows, and as the stiffness begins to interfere with normal living fright becomes a daily companion. As the unfortunate sufferer struggles to find a way out he encounters only confusion when it comes to treatment. Often he is told there is nothing to be done, that there is no cure for his arthritis.

But is it really so hopeless? Let us turn to Vermont folk medicine and discover what has been learned by the trial and error method of research during the past two hundred years. In doing so we will find out what happens when one ceases to rebel against nature and instead accept her wisely arranged plan and obeys her laws. Let us relearn these laws by studying honeybees, fowl, and animals, and observe whether arthritis is favourably influenced when the laws are observed.

ARlHRITIS: AN ENERGY DISEASE

For many years organized medicine has used the bacteriological approach to solve clinical problems presented by a patient. In sharp contrast to this laboratory theory of infection is the theory of energy diseases developed by Vermont folk medicine as a result of close association with nature. Organized medicine has come to its hypotheses through the test tube and the microscope; Vermont folk medicine’s approach has been through the study of the instincts and behavior of wild and domesticated fowl and animals.

Folk medicine recognizes three kinds of sickness that may apppear in the human body. The first is referred to as energy diseases resulting from continued activity of the energy expending mechanism in the body, because the individual does not know how to release the body from such activity. In this category would come high blood pressure, heart attacks, stomach and intestinal ulcer, muscle paralysis, hay fever, asthma, migraine headaches, diabetes mellitus, arthritis, and cancer.

The second variety of sickness is what folk medicine calls bacteriological diseases, caused by the presence within the body of harmful micro-organisms that grow, multiply, and destroy. They are often referred to as infectious diseases. Typhoid fever would be one of them.

The third kind is known as parasitic diseases, or those due to bites of insects and the presence within the body of parasites, like the trichinosis which develops when you eat contaminated pork containing the parasites of this disease.

As a result of its method of research–the trial-and-error method–Vennont folk medicine has come to believe that physiological and chemical changes in the body underlie modern sickness. These changes are considered to be the same whether they occur in plants, fowl, animals, or man, in that they produce clinical physiology and biochemistry in the body.

The part of the body affected and which tissue or organ shows a change in function is governed by the ability of the body cells of that part to resist the altered body physiology and chemistry. Folk medicine reasoning in these matters is based on observing fowl and animals while they are alive, and noting what happens after they are slaughtered and prepared for market.

To understand how this reasoning is applied, let us have a closer look at the energy expending mechanism. It is helpful, particularly, for anyone with arthritis to understand how the mechanism works, because arthritis is considered an energy disease by folk medicine, and many of its observations, deductions, and conclusions are related to the behavior of that mechanism. It is natural that this should be so because most of the domesticated fowl and farm animals are kept for what they will produce, and anything that interferes with normal production is of interest to the owner.

To begin with it is well known that only certain organs and tissues control the expenditure of energy in all animals. including man. As we have enumerated before these are the brain. heart, blood, the thyroid gland, the adrenal glands, the celiac ganglia, and the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system. The adrenal glands govern emergency energy. while the thyroid controls the level of constant energy. Taken together, these organs and tissues are the means whereby energy is released in this or that gland or combination of muscles to enable an animal or human being to secure food. to escape from danger, and to reproduce its kind.

The transmitting system of animals and man includes the sensory nerves of the body. The nerves that control the voluntary muscles, and the sympathetic nerves that supply the great network of blood vessels, which in turn are supplied to each of the hundreds of millions of cells of the liver, the thyroid gland. and the digestive system.

These energy controlling systems constitute a network so vast and intricate that if all the tissues of the body were removed except the nerve mechanisms there would remain only an effigy. Standing alone without accelerators or controllers these mechanisms would work all day and night, in danger, in hunger, in the presence of prey or mates. But it would be of little benefit to man or to animals like the race horse to have a perfect mechanism for generating energy if there were no compensating device by which speed could be adaptively altered.

In such a hypothetical situation man would not be able to adapt his mechanism to his changing requirements. The race horse would not be able to develop his speed. Man and all animals would exist on a constant energy level; they would operate at a given speed and their energy would be changeless. The mating season would be identical with every other season, and there would be no rhythm of adaptation to cold.

Thus, if every animal had the same speed of energy translocation everything would be alike and predictable. There would be only basic oxidation, not adaptive oxidation. The ovaries, testes, mammary glands, muscles, bones, tendons, the fat, and connective tissues-none of these can alone change the rate of burning food in the cells of the body. The brain can supply the spark to start food burning which results in the production of energy, but it cannot adaptively regulate the speed with which the burning of food in the body cells takes place without the help of the heart, the adrenalthetic nervous system, and the special senses.

The brain-heart-thyroid-adrenal-sympathetic system represents the energy expending mechanism of the body, and is the distinguishing feature of man and the higher animals. It controls adaptively the muscular action, glandular secretion and emotional expression.

When we make a supreme effort all the available energy is mobilized. Adrenalin circulating through the blood stream causes a flash of oxidation not only in the millions of brain cells but in the entire sympathetic nervous system. Cells and system are stimulated at the same time to their maximum activity.

This simultaneous stimulation of the adrenal glands, the celiac ganglia and plexuses, and the sympathetic nervous system causes a powerful beat of the heart, a speeding of the sugar from the liver to the blood stream, and a speed-up of breathing. The result is a great output of energy for attack that more nearly resembles an explosion than a physiological act. Following such a maximum amount of activity there is rapid exhaustion. All the processes of the body not needed in the emergency are meanwhile completely prohibited.

Let us observe how this mechanism works, beginning with the body at rest. That part of the nervous, endocrine, and chemical systems which builds up and stores reserves against the day of need is now in the driver’s seat. The whole process of food intake and digestion, from the moment of a desire to eat down to the evacuation of indigestible residue, is under its control. Now the door of each body cell is readily opened to allow food and oxygen derived from the blood stream to enter, so that the vital activity of the cell may be carried on. The fluid in the body derived from the blood stream is constantly on the move, on its way to the body cells which are ready to receive it. There is no gathering of unwanted fluid by the cells in any part of the body.

In this state of bodily rest the heartbeat and breathing are at a relatively slow rate. The larger part of the blood supply has been withdrawn from the brain, muscles, heart, and lungs and placed at the disposal of the digestive tract and abdominal organs, which are quietly engaged in carrying on the vital processes of the body. That part of the nervous system which brings about peace and quiet in the body is in control, and the portion of the endocrine system designed to increase the ability of the body cells to take up fluid laden with food and oxygen is active. The human motor is in low gear.

Then an alarm is sounded. Anyone of the five senses, but usually sight, hearing, or touch, brings a warning of impending danger, and at once that part of the nervous, endocrine, and chemical mechanism which organizes the body for an emergency takes over. Heart and breathing speed up rapidly to hasten the circulation of blood and to meet the increased need for oxygen taken in by the lungs and transferred to the blood. In the digestive tract and abdominal organs blood is drained to be sent to the muscles, brain, eyes, ears, and heart. Each adrenal gland is activated, and through the emergency function they possess, they pour adrenalin into the blood stream, which serves to increase and prolong the activity of the nervous and chemical systems that organize the individual for combat. The heartbeat is strengthened, and the blood is suffused with sugar stored in the liver, glands, and muscles.

To produce the display of energy needed to meet an emergency when an alarm is sounded, the human motor is now in high gear. These changes characterize the new state:

1. There is a cessation of processes in the digestive tract.

2. Blood shifts from the abdominal organs to the organs immediately essential to muscular exertion.

3. There is increased vigor of contraction of the heart.

4. A discharge of extra blood corpuscles from the spleen occurs.

5. There is deeper breathing.

6. A dilation of the breathing tubes leading to the lungs takes place.

7. There is a quick abolition of muscular fatigue and mobilizing of sugar in the circulation.

When war breaks out between nations the arts and industries that brought wealth and contentment must suffer serious neglect or be wholly set aside by both attacker and attacked. All the supplies and energies developed in the period of peace must be devoted to the present conflict.

So it if with the body. Functions which establish and support the body reserves in a quiet time are, in time of stress, instantly checked or completely stopped, and these reserves are drawn upon lavishly to increase power in attack or defense.

There are lesser demands made on the nervous, endocrine, and chemical mechanisms that organize the body for varying degrees of great effort-demands like fear, anxiety, unproductive worry, an unhappy enviornment, grief, a drop in the outdoor temperature, and certain foods. These factors, which are present singly or in combination in some degree every day, maintain the body on one of the varying levels of emergency organization. The body cells are denied the proper quantity and quality of food they need to build up body reserves.

Doctors who are called upon to treat modern man recognize that his peaceful intervals are few and far between. As he lives his business and private life he inevitably encounters recurring frustrations and irritations, and the emotions of fear, anger, anxiety, joy, grief, and deep disgust.

Under primitive conditions the body’s device for mobilizing its energy expending mechanism for fight or flight was probably of major importance, but today it is likely to be more detrimental than otherwise. Emergencies in these days most commonly call for self control and quiet thinking. Nevertheless, these primitive reactions constantly take place, with results somewhat comparable to opening the throttle of an idling motor.

The effect on the machinery is not wholesome. When we are overwrought it would probably be wise if we did something vigorous, not commit an assault, of course, but take a brisk walk in order to use the body as it was intended to be used when organized for an emergency. When the body goes on a combat basis the physiological changes that suddenly occur are all adapted to putting forth a supreme muscular and nervous effort, because primitive battle consisted of fierce physical combat of beast with beast, man with man. or one against the other.

Many surface manifestations are easily observable when the body organizes itself on a combat basis. They are present in a degree measured by the intensity with which the organization takes place. These manifestations include contraction of blood vessels. with resulting pallor; the pouring out of cold sweat; stopping of saliva flow; dilation of the pupils of the eyes; rising of the hairs; a rapid beating of the heart; hurried respiration; trembling and twitching of the muscles, especially those about the lips.

Such signs and symptoms are all well recognized accompaniments of pain and great emotional disturbances such as horror. anger, and deep disgust, but they are mainly superficial. There are other organs hidden deep in the body which do not display so obviously the disturbance of their action during states of intense feeling.

As an organ of struggle the mind of man keeps his energy expending mechanism constantly under the stress of fear, worry, and anxiety. As a result a group of clinical conditions peculiar to civilized man have appeared, which might be called energy diseases.

The heart of modern man if affected profoundly be the fretttings and frustrations peculiar to his way of life–a pattern in which he works physically, mentally, and emotionally all day and worries at night. Man is a combat animal and will probably always be one. I t is this combat instinct that makes business and professional competition attractive to him. The way of living he has created will not wreck him, however, if he learns how to control the energy expending mechanism of his body.

You may ask, “Why should an individual with arthritis be interested in this mechanism?” He should be interested because conditions in his life may be responsible for activating the energy expending mechanism, and he ought to know what happens in the body in relation to arthritis when that activation occurs.

He should know, for example, that a change in the reaction of the blood takes place, its normal faintly alkaline reaction increasing until it becomes hyperalkaline. Then the blood calcium is precipitated, just as it is in the teakettle when water boils. and precipitated calcium fons a deposit, just as it does on the bottom of the teakettle.

This free calcium in the blood makes the body tissues tough, interferes with the normal fonnation of tissue juices, makes it more difficult for the heart to circulate the blood, and brings about a deposit of calcium in the blood vessel walls. When the body holds all the precipitated calcium possible it spills over into the bursae and the joints.

The object of treatment is to throw the deposited calcium into solution again, thus relieving joints and bursae of the precipitated calcium. Dairy cows in pasture achieve this, as we have seen, by selecting only acid reaction vegetation, and native Vermonters do it by the daily use of apple cider vinegar on their food and by taking honey. By using the vinegar-and-honey combination the daily food intake is made acid in reaction· before it enters the mouth, in accordance with nature’s plan. This prevents calcium from precipitating in the body. One reason why these Vermonters live so long is their ability to solve the calcium problem. They keep body tissues free from deposits in places where no deposits should occur.

It is common knowledge that arthritic patients feel worse when they are under some emotional strain which activates their energy expending mechanism. In some an emotional upheaval can produce an attack of arthritis, and in all of them the mechanism may be activated by such common emotional problems as chronic resentment, an unhappy marriage, a better career disappointment, or by some frustration against which the person battles subconsciously every day. The first symptoms of arthritis may occur immediately after a siege of family trouble, and it will be caused by mineral precipitation in the body which activates the energy expending mechanism.

A common illustration from Vermont daily life will illustrate, I think, what happens when the mechanism is set in motion. During the deer season if a deer is shot while it is calmly eating or resting, with its body motor in low gear, the cooked meat will be very tender and have a good taste. But if he is frightened, shifts his body motor into high gear and starts running, and is shot while running, the cooked meat will be tough and have a poor taste. That is a homely but vivid example of what happens when the energy expending mechanism is dominant. As I have said before, native Vermonters have learned that they can throw the precipitated calcium into solution and make the meat of fowl or animals tender and good tasting by a twice-a-day apple cider vinegar dose before the animal is slaughtered.

It is a paradox in our modern world that nearly every machine you can buy is accompanied by a book of instructions telling you how to operate it and make simple adjustments. but the human machine, as old as man himself, has never had any such instructions, except those which medicine has provided. We are, however, born with instincts which nature intended to guide and protect us. Leaving these instincts behind us in childhood and denying them later we lose the knowledge that enables us to shift from high to low gear. Yet it is quite possible to relearn this knowledge.

A young Vermonter learns it by demonstrating how it is possible to calm down a cross dog, an irritable horse, or a pugnacious bull, simply by adding apple cider vinegar to the animal’s ration at feeding each day and repeating this daily for a month or two.

When I heard about this treatment from my native Vermont friends it aroused my interest at once, because it indicated that this was a way to shift the human motor from high to low gear. I spent five years in studying pugnacious bulls to find out whether the sweetening of the disposition was accurate or not.

The owner of the herd I studied did not raise his replacements but purchased them from cattle dealers and nearby farmers. Consequently he classified the bulls in his herd as animals to be sold for beef when they were ready for market.

It was only logical, then, that when the farmer bought a bull his first thought was to put some weight on him and his second thought Was to make the meat tender. The bulls were therefore always in rotation in the herd: as soon as one was properly conditioned for a profitable sale another was bought to take his place.

Some of the bulls. by the law of averages, were short-tempered animals. which is probably one of the reasons why they were sold. They would bellow, wave their heads from side to side. and paw the barn floor. To put it conservatively, they were entirely out of harmony with the barn environment. I asked permission to tryout apple cider vinegar on these bulls to learn whether it would control their dispositions.

A pint of apple cider vinegar, just as it came from the vinegar barrel. was placed before a belligerent bull to study his reaction. He sniffed it a few times and then took all of it. Then we put a quart before him, and he took it quickly without any ill effects. Apparently apple cider vinegar is acceptable to a bull, because he will take a large amount of it if he is given a chance. Repeated trials with variious bulls showed that everyone would take a pint of vinegar any time it was placed before him.

I learned that an)’ pugnacious bull could be calmed down simply by pouring two ounces of apple cider vinegar over his ration at each feeding. In time, if the treatment was continued, he would become docile and could be easily handled, although I might add that he was never to be trusted.

After five years of calming down bulls by this method I asked my farmer friend what he thought of it. “Dr. Jarvis,” he said, “we don’t have any cross bulls in this barn any more.”

Turning to humans, in the practice of medicine, I discovered that two teaspoonfuls of vinegar and two of honey in a glass of water would shift the human motor from high to low, and in the process it would calm down the individual and make him easier to live with.

The person with arthritis should try to remember that apple cider vinegar, besides the other results it may produce, will also calm down the energy expending mechanism that organizes the body for aggressive action, either mental or physical. In doing this it shifts the motor from high to low, and since arthritis is an energy disease this knowledge can be very helpful.

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Nov 04 2008

The Usefulness of Iodine

Tag: Health News — Sage @ 4:22 pm

From Folk Medicine

The Usefulness of Iodine
ACTION ALERT!
DEA Proposed Change in Lugol’s Solution of Iodine Regulations

An Excerpt from
Folk Medicine by D.C. Jarvis, MD
About Hypothyroidism

FOLK MEDICINE IN VERMONT is interested in three R’s-Resistance, Repair, and Recovery. First the individual asks himself whether his resistance to disease is as it should be. Next, is he able to repair tissue injury due to accident should it occur? Finally, if sickness should come, is his body able to bring about recovery? Somehow during the passing years he has learned that iodine is related to the ability to resist disease.
Iodine is necessary for the thyroid gland’s proper performance of its work. The human thyroid gland is located in the front of the lower part of the neck. All the blood in the body passes through the thyroid gland every 17 minutes. Because the cells making up this gland have an affinity for iodine, during this 17-minute passage the gland’s secretion of iodine kills weak germs that may have gained entry into the blood through an injury to the skin, the lining of nose or throat, or through absorption of food from the digestive tract. Strong, virulent germs are rendered weaker during their passage through the thyroid gland. With each 17 minutes that rolls around they are made still weaker until finally they are killed if the gland has its normal supply of iodine. If it does not, it cannot kill harmful germs circulating in the blood as Nature intended it should.

It is well established that the iodine content of the thyroid gland is dependent upon the iodine available in the food and water intake of the individual. If the iodine intake is low the gland is deprived of an element it needs to do its work.

We learn in Vermont folk medicine, however, that this gland performs other functions besides killing harmful germs in the blood. The first is the rebuilding of energy with which to do the day’s work. There is a definite relationship be-tween the amount of energy you have and your iodine intake. The first question in the presence of a condition of depleted energy is, Is the soil of the state in which one lives iodine-poor? Second, is the deficiency being made up by supple-mentary means? All soils containing granite are iodine-poor and Vermont is one of them. This fact is very important to people living in Vermont and well may be important to those living elsewhere. When energy and endurance run low in relation to doing the day’s work, then the taking of iodine needs to be considered.

A second function of iodine is to calm the body and relieve nervous tension. When nervous tension runs high there is irritability and difficulty in sleeping well at night, and the body is continually on a combat basis, organized for fight and flight. All these points stress a body’s need for iodine to lessen nervous tension, relax the body and enable it to or-ganize for peace and quiet, by the building and storing of body reserves against time of need. I have learned through Vermont folk medicine that it is possible to repeatedly change an irritable, impatient, and restless child under ten years of age into a calm, patient individual within two hours’ time by giving one drop of Lugol’s solution of iodine by mouth in a vegetable or fruit juice or in a glass of water made acid in reaction by adding a teaspoonful of apple cider vinegar. I have repeatedly prescribed this in order to make it possible for a mother of a racehorse-type little boy or girl to be able to live comfortably with the child. I have never seen it fail to calm down a nervous child.

A third function of iodine in the human body relates to clear thinking. The mind simply works better when the body is supplied the iodine it needs.
Then there is the matter of the storing of unwanted fat. Iodine is one of the best oxidizing catalysts we have. A catalyst is the match which touches off in the body the fire that burns up the food we take in each day. If this food is not properly burned off, it may be stored as unwanted fat.

Now while the thyroid gland helpfully stores iodine from the blood passing through it every 17 minutes, the gland may also be made to lose that stored iodine if, for example, we take in drinking water to which chlorine is added, or use too much sodium chloride, whose common name is table salt. There is a well-known law of halogen displacement. The halogen group is made up as follows:
Relative
Halogen                                     Atomic Weight
Fluorine                                              19.
Chlorine                                              35.5
Bromine                                              80.
Iodine                                                127.

The critical activity of any one of these four halogens is in inverse proportion to its atomic weight. This means that any one of the four can displace the element with a higher atomic weight, but cannot displace an element with a lower atomic weight. For example, fluorine can displace chlorine, bromine and iodine because fluorine has a lower atomic weight than the other three. Similarly, chlorine can displace bromine and iodine because they both have a higher atomic weight. Likewise, bromine can displace iodine from the body because iodine has a higher atomic weight. But a reverse order is not possible. A knowledge of this well-known chemical law brings us to a consideration of the addition of chlorine to our drinking water as a purifying agent. We secure a drinking water that is harmful to the body not because of its harmful germ content but because the chlorine content now causes the body to lose the much-needed iodine.

Because we may live in an iodine-poor area; because drinking water may be treated with chlorine; because we may be sick too often, lack energy and endurance, develop nervous tension, lack the ability of clear thinking, and accumulate unwanted fat, how shall we go about bringing up the iodine content of the body to the point needed?
There are three ways:
1. Eating foods which analysis has shown are particularly rich in iodine. Among these are: all food out of the ocean, radishes, asparagus, carrots, tomatoes, spinach, rhubarb, potatoes, peas, strawberries, mushrooms, lettuce, bananas, cabbage, egg yolk, and onions.
2. Painting a small area of the body with tincture of iodine.
3. Taking preparations known to be rich in iodine. One of these is cod-liver oil. Another is Lugol’s solution of iodine. Still another is kelp.

In 1880 a French physician named Lugol originated a solution which contains iodine in a solution of potassium iodide. It has been used steadily ever since it was originated.

When used to maintain the iodine content of the body the dose is small and is taken only on certain days of the week. When the mineral content of the body is analyzed, only a trace of iodine is found. Ten drops of iodine represent more iodine than is found in the entire body. For this reason, the dose of Lugol’s solution of iodine is one or two drops, depending on your body weight. If you weigh 150 pounds or less, for example, your dose to maintain the normal iodine content of the body is one drop, taken at one meal on Tuesday and Friday of each week. If you weigh more than 150 pounds, the dose should be two drops instead of one. It is useful to remember that the human body works on the minimum of anything it needs. If there should be a rise in sickness in the area where you live, it would be well to take the Lugol’s solution three times a week instead of two, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, for the purpose of storing up reserve.

How is the drop of the solution to be taken, on the directed days? In general, medical men prescribe iodine to be taken on an empty stomach, preferably 20 minutes before food is taken. During the passing years Vermont folk medicine has worked out a different plan and it is one I like to follow. It has been referred to in another connection elsewhere in this book. To repeat, adding one teaspoonful of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water to make the water acid in reaction, holding the medicine dropper horizontal in order to get a maximum drop, one drop of the Lugol’s solution is added to the mixture. The contents are stirred with a spoon and sipped through the course of the meal, as one would drink a cup of coffee or tea.

In relation to supplemental use of iodine, my studies of certain dairy herds has revealed interesting evidences of the relationship between host and microorganisms, viruses, insects, and other parasites .With one herd the veterinary bill had generally run $150.00 and sometimes more a year. At my suggestion, three drops of Lugol’s solution of iodine was added to the daily four ounces of apple cider vinegar. Thereafter it was only neccessary to call the veterinary once in a period of eight months, to see a sick cow. In contrast to this, another herd, to which Lugol’s solution was not given, had plenty of sick-ness. In an 8-month period it was necessary to spend $50.00 for penicillin in order to save seriously sick cows.

I have observed that lice will leave the hide of a cow that receives apple cider vinegar and iodine; also that flies will not bite the cows when they are on pasture, though flies will and do bite young cattle not receiving the apple cider vinegar and iodine.
In a herd troubled with abortions-evidence of the work of the Bru celia abortus microorganism which grows on an alkaline medium and causes contagious abortion in cattle called Bang’s disease, or brucellosis-abortions promptly stopped when each feeding ration received a supplemental three drops of Lugol’s solution of iodine to each two ounces of the apple cider vinegar.

While studying selected herds, I became interested in the problem of cattle grubs. These are the larvae, or maggots, of the heel fly. The adult fly does not bite or sting, but it produces great fear and is a serious annoyance to the cattle. Eggs are deposited in a row attached to a single hair of a cow’s heel during the first sunny days of spring. The eggs incubate and hatch in three or four days and the newly hatched maggots penetrate the hide of the cow, causing itching and a flow of serum that mats the hair. The young grubs then work their way upward between the muscles and may be found in a few months in the body cavities. They continue to burrow along the surface of the paunch, intestines, and other internal organs. At certain times many of them are found in the wall of the esophagus, leading from the mouth to the stomach. During the fall and winter the grubs will finally come to the top of the back and lie just under the hide. Each grub cuts a hole through the hide to the surface to get the air which it now needs, and to permit it to escape when ripe. The period spent beneath the hide usually runs from 30 to 90 days. These grubs emerge from the hide dur-ing February and March, dropping to the ground to hatch into heel flies. In 18 to 80 days after escaping from the back of the cow, the adult fly hatches and is ready to mate within a half hour.

My object was to rout these cattle grubs by means of the apple cider vinegar and iodine combination; this would demonstrate, to me at least, what the combination would do in the way of making the body as a host unsuitable soil for the development and continuing existence of microorgan isms, viruses, insects, and other parasites.

During one year’s time only ten grubs were discovered on the backs of a herd of 45 registered Jersey cows. Usually these grubs are a little larger round than a pencil, but these ten grubs had such hard going in the cows’ bodies against the vinegar and iodine that they were no larger around than toothpicks. I observed further with reference to a ration supplement high in iodine value that when it was used, the bacterial count of the milk went down; when iodine was dis-continued, the count went up but could be driven down again immediately with resumption of the iodine.

From Dr. William Weston of South Carolina and his experience with race horses wintered there, I gained interesting and valuable insight into the value of iodine in the body, and its relation to endurance. About 100 race horses are wintered where he lives. Two years previous to a visit I paid him, the man in charge of the horses came to him saying that a horse was under his care which had everything it takes to win the Kentucky Derby. If they could just learn precisely how to feed this horse to maintain its speed capability, he believed the horse would have an outstanding racing season. Would Dr. Weston help him by planning the feeding of the horse?

Dr. Weston was greatly interested and consented to do so. As a first step he asked for samples of any and all foods given the horse. The samples were analyzed at the South Carolina Food Research Laboratory. As a result of the analysis, Dr. Weston advised increasing the iodine content of the ration by incorporating into it foods specifically rich in iodine. This was done. In the ensuing season the horse won every race in which it was entered.

As a result of the experience, two wealthy race-horse owners invited Dr. Weston to come to their horse farms to discuss the feeding of their stock. Again iodine-rich foods were added to the usual rations, with the same result; every horse fed on iodine-rich diet won every race in which it was entered. This seems to be a complete demonstration of the relation of iodine to energy and endurance. Subsequently, Dr. Weston sent me a copy of a letter addressed to him as chairman of the South Carolina Food Research Commission. It well illustrates the need of observing the obligation to Nature which must be observed by a daily intake of iodine. The letter ran as follows:

Dear Dr. Weston:
Now that we have reached the halfway mark of this racing season, I should like to tell you some of our observations of the results of wintering our horses in South Carolina, and feeding them your home grown feeds.
After six years of experiment with several hundred horses, we are more convinced than ever that your foods, abundant in iodine and balanced in mineral content, are the saving factor in many of our horses. Allow me to give you an example. This summer an epidemic of influenza and coughing broke out among two year olds at the New York tracks. It spread like wildfire through the stables, and all the old cures and preventives were useless against it. We have checked carefully and find that none of the horses that were wintered in South Carolina, were affected. Naturally we spoke of this often, and by so doing attracted the attention of many people to South Carolina, and the merits of your theories and findings.
We have found that our horses are almost immune to skin diseases, distemper, and other contagious diseases after they have been wintered in South Carolina and brought to the tracks where these ailments are taking their toll. You have observed how quickly we can cure these various ailments in young horses. We believe that the blood is so cleansed by the action of iodine from your feeds and water, that all common infections are removed, and the system so toned up that it is in shape to fight and ward off anything except direct infection through an open wound. A few years ago a good trainer was one who could bring his horses to the races well fed and bulging with muscle. But the make-up of these muscles, and the contents of the bloodstream feeding them, is the determining factor in having a really fit and ready horse. In appreciation of the good you have done our horses, and the things we have learned from your efforts, we trust that you will find time this coming season to again spend considerable time at the fair grounds, and conduct further experiments on our stock.

In order to learn whether instinct played a part in leading dairy cows to food rich in iodine, the owner of a mixed herd of 54 cows which I had previously studied built a special feeding station for me at the end of the lane leading from the barnyard. The station was divided into four compartments, roofed over to protect them from rain. In one compartment was placed a feeding supplement, nationally advertised, which contained iodine and other minerals in inorganic form. The second compartment was supplied with bone meal, the third compartment with a feeding supplement made of ocean kelp, in which all the minerals are in organic form. The fourth compartment contained salt. We stood nearby to observe what happened when the cows passed this feeding station for the first time.

Each cow sniffed at each compartment. They passed by without touching the feeding supplement made of inorganic minerals. A few took some of the bone meal, and a few some of the salt. But what they really converged on was the kelp, which as has been said contains more iodine than anything else that grows. As fast as we could fill up the compartment they would clean it out. This settled the point for us: COWS like iodine and in organic, which is to say natural, form. Subsequently I offered kelp to two registered Jersey bulls in the barn. They took it quickly and teased for more.

One of my friends raises hunting dogs as a hobby. The dogs are Brittany spaniels. When they have been trained to hunt, he sells them.
Being impressed by the favorable effects of apple cider vinegar on his own health and body endurance, he asked me if it would be all right to try giving the vinegar to his dogs. He thought they tired too easily when hunting. We decided on the following method. When the dogs were not hunting, one tablespoonful of apple cider vinegar would be added to the ration of each dog once a day. When they were hunting, there would be a tablespoonful added twice a day. After following this method for three years at these kennels, the following conclusions were reached:
If a hunting dog has (1) one tablespoonful of apple cider vinegar added to his ration once a day during the off-hunting season; (2), one tablespoonful added to his ration twice a day when used for hunting; (3) one tablespoonful added to his drinking water while hunting, whenever he is given a drink; (4) one tablespoonful of undiluted vinegar when the dog is thirsty and no drinking water is available, the following results were noted:

1. A dog receiving the apple cider vinegar will not tire easily. The average dog that has not received it is good for three to four hours of hunting a day. A dog receiving it will hunt eight to ten hours steady during the day. Apple cider vinegar clearly increases the hunting dog’s endurance.
2. A dog receiving the apple cider vinegar will be able to point and retrieve every bird for as many as four hunters hunting at the same time.
3. A dog receiving the vinegar will not show shortness of breath at any time while hunting.
4. A dog receiving the vinegar will maintain a good appetite and eat every meal while being used for hunting.
5. A dog receiving the vinegar will not lose weight while hunting.

Having now traced the use of iodine to increase the speed and endurance of race horses and the endurance of hunting dogs, let us adapt what we have learned to the health side of the daily life of a business executive. On rising in the morning he will drink a glass of water while dressing into which one or two teaspoonfuls of apple cider vinegar has been mixed. What may he expect to accomplish by doing this?

The knowledge that acids thin body fluids has been brought over from the days when blood-letting was a common form of treatment. We have found in the barn that the milk of a normal cow is weakly acid. When the reaction of the milk changes to alkaline, the milk becomes soup-thick. This thickness will disappear and the milk will return to its normal watery character, however, if and when the cow is given four ounces of apple cider vinegar and four ounces of water by mouth from a bottle, night and morning.

There are other ways of observing this principle in action but this is sufficient here. The point is, no busy executive wants his blood to be on the thick side, like soup; he under-stands that it should be thin, in order to circulate easily throughout the body, making easy work for his heart as it pumps blood with each beat.

At breakfast this man omits wheat foods, wheat cereals, white sugar, and citrus fruits and fruit juices because in the majority of people these foods change the normal acid reaction of the urine to alkaline. The alkalinity is a signal that the blood is thicker than it should be, that it is not easily circulated and requires more heart effort to pump it. Therefore this man replaces these unwise foods with rye and corn foods and cereals. Instead of white sugar he uses honey. In place of citrus foods and citrus juices he takes the contents of a bottle of fruit sold at the grocery store under the name Junior Foods. Or, if he chooses, he may take apple, grape, or cranberry juice.

At lunchtime he takes two teaspoonfuls of apple cider vinegar and two teaspoonfuls of honey in a glass of water. In this way he obtains acid taken up from the soil by fruit, berries, edible leaves, and roots, and the energy from the sun which exists in honey. This is a prime pick-up drink. He may take it before, during, or after lunch. A vinegar made from the whole crushed apple is best for the purpose.

When a person is organizing his body for a day of dynamic action, the organization shifts the urine reaction from the normal, or acid, to the alkaline. It is not advisable, therefore, to eat foods at the morning meal which will, so to speak, duplicate the shift. For this reason the wheat foods, white sugar, and citrus fruits and their juices are omitted, so that at the end of the day he will return home with less mental and physical fatigue.

At the evening meal he will also take the two teaspoonfuls of honey and two teaspoonfuls of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water. He may like to take it before the meal, as a cocktail, or during the meal.

It is beneficial also to start the meal with a leafy green salad, to get the benefit of the acid from the soil and the energy from the sun stored up in the leaves. If the day has been one of overwork and anxiety, turn to fish or other seafood, for that will supply the iodine and potassium that will calm down the nervous system. Try to have such muscle meats as beef, lamb, or pork only twice a week, and then on days when you have a light schedule, because muscle meat organizes your body on a combat basis, which you do not want from food. Try to bear in mind that the internal organs of an animal, such as the liver, represent the animal storehouse against the time of need. It will be well for you to have liver or liverwurst once a week. Gradually, by following the foregoing plan, you can make changes in your daily food selection so that the intake will counterbalance your heavy expenditure of strength and energy.

Supposing you do follow the suggestions outlined above and yet find that some weeks the pressures of your private and your business life are causing you to lose the ability to bounce back. Then you should add a drop of Lugol’s solution of iodine to your glass of apple or grape juice at breakfast, or you may take it in the mixture of apple cider vinegar and water. The point is that the potassium in the solution blocks off the body mechanism that organizes for aggressive action, releasing its hold on the body when opportunity for rest and relaxation arises. The iodine swings into action the body mechanism which organizes the body for peace and quiet and the building up and storing of body reserves. When working under pressure, include the Lugol’s solution dose each day until the period of pressure passes. If it should happen that your body becomes saturated with iodine, you will find that there is an increase of moisture in the nose. If this occurs, omit the iodine until the nose is normal.

As you study yourself you will soon learn to tell when you need iodine. When a night’s sleep does not bring you to the beginning of the new day with the energy you are accustomed to have, you will begin to think of iodine. If you learn how to use it, it will restore the capacity to bounce back and sustain your well-being.

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The Usefulness of Iodine

•	Eggs
•	Fresh fruits
•	Dark red and green vegetables (especially spinach and kale)
•	Berries and nuts
•	Seafood

•	The amino acids; glycine (100 mg daily), cysteine (200 mg daily), and glutamine (150 mg daily). These natural substances help support healthy protein and glutathione levels in the lens of the eye. You can purchase them separately or as a complete protein in any health food store.
•	Triphala Complex (phylianthus emilica, terminalia belerica, terminalia chebula): 50 mg daily
•	Bilberry Standardized Extract: 80 mg daily
•	Vitamin C: 300 mg daily (helps support healthy intraocular pressure levels)
•	Rutin: 20 mg daily (helps promote retinal health. The benefits of this bioflavonoid are enhanced greatly when taken with vitamin C)
•	Vitamin E (natural): 400 IU twice daily
•	Vitamin A: 500-1,500 IU daily
•	Lutein: 12 mg daily
•	Zeaxanthin: 600 mcg daily
•	Selenium: 200-250 mcg daily
•	Carrot Powder (root): 50 mg
•	Zinc: 15 to 60 mg daily
•	Vitamins B1 and B2 (natural): 25 mg each daily