Saturday, September 22, 2007

LIPID LOWERING AND RISK OF STATIN SIDE EFFECTS

The Molecular Research Institute of Tuft's New England Medical Center reported recently the results of a large study of the relationship of statin side effects to the magnitude of lipid lowering achieved.

Common sense says that the higher the statin dose with its resulting fall in cholesterol, the greater the side effect problem, right? If you said right, you are wrong and if you said wrong you are wrong. The results of this study proved to be interesting.

We have learned that the benefit of statin drugs on atherosclerosis with its stroke and heart attacks is not due to cholesterol reduction but to the powerful anti-inflammatory effect of statins.

Atherosclerosis is now considered by most to be an inflammatory process. Cholesterol, our former villain, is now felt to be irrelevant and is there in the plaques solely as an innocent bystander to the body's inflammatory response. And one of the concerns about this new anti-inflammatory role of statins is that it is mediated through inhibition of nuclear factor-kappa B, a transcriptase vital not only to our body's inflammatory response but also our entire immunodefence system. To inhibit inflammation therefore must also inhibit our ability to neutralize viruses, bacteria and mutagenic cells. You cannot have one without the other. If you lower heart attack death rates by the use of statins, you increase cancer death rates. And that is exactly what Alawi and his group found................

http://www.spacedoc.net/lipid_lowering_statin_side_effects.html

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Home & Herbal Tooth Care

Toothpastes


Homemade Mint Tooth Paste
Ingredients:
6 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda (pure baking soda)
1/3 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons glycerin
15 drops peppermint
Directions:
Mix thoroughly. Should be a tooth paste consistency. For flavor you can add a few drops of peppermint or wintergreen. Store in a container. You'll be surprised with how fresh your mouth feels.


Ben Franklin's Toothpaste
Ingredients:
Honey
Ground charcoal
Directions:
Mix into a paste and rub on teeth for whiteness.


Super Cleanser
Ingredients:
Hydrogen peroxide (a few drops)
Bicarbonate of soda
Directions:
Make a paste by combining the two ingredients. Use this paste on your teeth and also gently rub along your gums two times a week.
Homemade Mint Tooth Paste
Ingredients:
6 teaspoons baking soda
1/3 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons glycerin
15 drops peppermint
Directions:
Mix thoroughly. Should be a tooth paste consistency. For flavor you can add a few drops of peppermint or wintergreen. Store in a container. You'll be surprised with how fresh your mouth feels.


Toothpaste Recipe
Ingredients:
1/4 tsp peppermint oil
1/4 tsp spearmint
1/4 cup arrowroot
1/4 cup powdered orrisroot
1/4 cup water
1 tsp ground sage
Directions:
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Add water until paste is desired thickness / consistency. Store at room temperature in a tightly covered jar. Substitute 1/2 tsp each of oil of cinnamon and oil of cloves for peppermint/spearmint if desired.


Old Fashioned Tooth Powder
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp dried lemon or orange rind
1/4 cup bicarbonate of soda
2 Tsp salt
Directions:
Place rinds in food processor, grind until peel becomes a fine powder. Add bicarbonate of soda and salt then process a few seconds more until you have a fine powder. Store in an airtight tin or jar. Dip moistened toothbrush into mixture, brush as usual.


Loretta's Toothpaste
Ingredients:
1 Tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 Tsp hydrogen peroxide
1 drop oil of peppermint
Directions:
Mix to make a paste, dip toothbrush into mixture, brush as usual.


Basic Toothpaste
Ingredients:
1 Tsp of the Old Fashioned Tooth Powder
1/4 Tsp Hydrogen peroxide
Directions:
Mix into a paste and brush as usual.


Strawberry Tooth Cleanser
Ingredients:
1 Tsp of the above Old Fashioned Tooth Powder
1 Tbsp crushed ripe strawberries
Directions:
Mix strawberries and powder into a paste and brush as usual.


Vanilla & Rose Geranium Toothpaste
Ingredients:
1/2 ounce powdered chalk
3 ounces powdered orris root
4 teaspoons of tincture of vanilla
15 drops oil of rose geranium
Honey, enough to make a paste
Directions:
Combine all ingredients and mix until you have a paste the consistency you like. Store in an airtight container. Use a clean stick (popsicle) to scoop paste onto brush. Store the stick in same container.


Simple toothpaste mixture
Ingredients:
Bicarbonate of soda
Salt
Water
Glycerine
Peppermint oil
Directions:
Mix 3 parts bicarbonate of soda with one part salt. Add 3 tsp of glycerine for every 1/4 cup of this mixture, then add enough water to make a thick paste. Add a few drops of peppermint oil for better taste


Clean your teeth with a fresh strawberry. Rub it over and between your teeth.

Teeth Whitening

Bicarbonate of soda. Not baking powder. Use to brush your teeth, follow with dental floss and then use toothpaste that contains no fluoride.

Wood ash. Wood ash whitens your teeth is because it contains potassium hydroxide (a.k.a. lye). However, only hard wood ash contains significant concentrations of potassium hydroxide, soft wood ash does not. Be sure to follow with a toothpaste that contains no fluoride. You may want to exercise caution when using hard wood ash too often as a tooth whitening agent. The harshness of the potassium hydroxide could significantly damage your teeth over time.

Strawberries. Mash a few strawberries in a bowl until you achieve a paste-like consistency and use this to brush your teeth, just as you would toothpaste. Be sure to follow with a toothpaste that contains no fluoride. Whitens really well

Fresh crunchy veggies. Eating fresh crunchy veggies and fruits such as: carrots, broccoli, celery, apples, strawberries, and cucumbers can help whiten your teeth.

Hydrogen Peroxide. Before brushing your teeth gargle with a small capful of peroxide, concentrating it on your teeth (don't swallow), and rinse thoroughly with water. You may dilute the peroxide 50-50 with water if you cannot stand it full strength. You should see results in about a week or so.

Notes:

Do NOT use lemon or baking powder, as these can damage your teeth, as any dental professional can tell you. Most teeth whitening methods should not be continued for prolonged periods or the enamel may be damaged. Also, remember that any food or beverage that can stain a white t-shirt, can stain your teeth.

To help combat and prevent gum disease, add some CoQ10 to your homemade toothpastes

(from my book, "Collected Home & Herbal Remedies")

Live long, live healthy, live happy!

Tony Isaacs

"The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease."
- Thomas Edison


The author, Tony Isaacs, is a natural health researcher and author of books and articles about natural health including "Cancer's Natural Enemy" as well as song lyrics and humorous anecdotal stories. Mr. Isaacs also has The Best Years in Life website for baby boomer's and others wishing to live longer, healthier and happier lives and he serves as a featured writer and consultant to the nationally famous Utopia Silver colloidal silver and natural supplement company

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Oleander Found to Induce Autophagy Against Cancer Cells

by Tony Isaacs
September 19, 2007


Phoenix Biotech manager Dennis Knocke reported today that a new study by noted MD Anderson researcher Doctor Robert Newman, the lead research scientist in a number of important studies on oleander and oleander compounds, has recently finished a new study due to be published soon in peer reviewed journal which indicates that oleander induces and increases autophagy, a natural body defensive mechanism against cancer which encapsulates tumors and cancer cells.


The new study appears to provide an important new piece of evidence in understanding why oleander has proven to be successful against many forms of cancer. In previous studies on oleander, many of which were also led by Dr. Newman, oleander extracts have been shown to 1) inhibit angiogenesis, the process where cancer produces blood vessels and spreads, 2) inhibit the NF-kB factor in cancer cells, which is the process that cells use to protect themselves when they come under attack, 3) induce apoptosis, or normal cell death, in cancer cells, and 4) greatly stimulate immune activity.
Phoenix Biotech is the manufacturer of the patented oleander medication Anvirzel, which has passed FDA phase I toxicity trials and has been used successfully outside the United States for many years, including the Salud Integral Clinic in Honduras, which Phoenix Biotech owns.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Things that Make Sugar Not so Sweet

Refined sugar is the number one cause of health problems in the world. The following list is taken from the Article “126 Reasons Sugar Is Ruining Your Health” by Nancy Appleton, Ph.D. If you have a thing for sugar, you might want to copy this list and put it on your refrigerator or underneath your sugar bowl.

1. Sugar suppresses the immune system.
2. Sugar upsets the minerals in the body.
3. Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.
4. Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
5. Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection.
6. Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function, the more sugar you eat the more elasticity and function you lose.
7. Sugar reduces high-density lipoproteins.
8. Sugar leads to chromium deficiency.
9. Sugar leads to cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostrate and rectum.
10. Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose.
11. Sugar causes copper deficiency.
12. Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
13. Sugar can weaken eyesight.
14. Sugar raises the level of neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.
15. Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
16. Sugar can produce an acidic digestive track.
17. Sugar can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline levels in children.
18. Sugar malabsorption is frequent in patients with functional bowel disease.
19. Sugar can cause aging.
20. Sugar can lead to alcoholism.
21. Sugar can cause tooth decay.
22. Sugar contributes to obesity.
23. High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn's Disease, and ulcerative colitis.
24. Sugar can cause changes frequently found in person with gastric or duodenal ulcers.
25. Sugar can cause arthritis.
26. Sugar can cause asthma.
27. Sugar can cause Candida Albicans (yeast infections)
28. Sugar can cause gallstones.
29. Sugar can cause ischemic heart disease.
30. Sugar can cause appendicitis.
31. Sugar can cause multiple sclerosis.
32. Sugar can cause hemorrhoids.
33. Sugar can cause varicose veins.
34. Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraceptive users.
35. Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.
36. Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
37. Sugar contributes to saliva acidity.
38. Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
39. Sugar leads to decreased glucose tolerance.
40. Sugar can decrease growth hormone.
41. Sugar can increase cholesterol.
42. Sugar can increase the systolic blood pressure.
43. Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
44. Sugar can cause migraine headaches.
45. Sugar can interfere with the absorption of protein.
46. Sugar causes food allergies.
47. Sugar can contribute to diabetes.
48. Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
49. Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.
50. Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.
51. Sugar can impair the structure of DNA
52. Sugar can change the structure of protein.
53. Sugar can make our skin age by changing the structure of collagen.
54. Sugar can cause cataracts.
55. Sugar can cause emphysema.
56. Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.
57. Sugar can promote an elevation of low-density proteins (LDL).
58. Sugar can cause free radical in the blood stream.
59. Sugar lowers the enzymes ability to function.
60. Sugar can cause loss of tissue elasticity and function.
61. Sugar can cause a permanent altering the way the proteins act in the body.
62. Sugar can increase the size of the liver by making the liver cells divide.
63. Sugar can increase the amount of liver fat.
64. Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.
65. Sugar can damage the pancreas.
66. Sugar can increase the body's fluid retention.
67. Sugar is enemy #1 of the bowel movement.
68. Sugar can cause myopia (nearsightedness).
69. Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.
70. Sugar can make the make the tendons more brittle.
71. Sugar can cause headaches.
72. Sugar can over-stress the pancreas.
73. Sugar can adversely affect school children's grades.
74. Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha and theta brain waves.
75. Sugar can cause depression.
76. Sugar increases the risk of gastric cancer.
77. Sugar and cause dyspepsia (indigestion).
78. Sugar can increase your risk of getting gout.
79. The ingestion of sugar can increase the levels of glucose in an oral glucose tolerance test over the ingestion of complex carbohydrates.
80. Sugar can increase the insulin responses in humans consuming high-sugar diets compared to low sugar diets.
81 Sugar increases bacterial fermentation in the colon.
82. Sugar can cause less effective functioning of two blood proteins, albumin and lipoproteins, which may reduce the body’s ability to handle fat and cholesterol.
83. There is a greater risk for Crohn's disease with people who have a high intake of sugar.
84. Sugar can cause platelet adhesiveness.
85. Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance.
86. Sugar can lead to the formation of kidney stones.
87. Sugar can lead to the hypothalamus to become highly sensitive to a large variety of stimuli.
88. Sugar can lead to dizziness.
89. High sucrose diet significantly increases serum insulin.
90. High sucrose diets of subjects with peripheral vascular disease significantly increases platelet adhesion.
91. High sugar diet can lead to biliary tract cancer.
92. High sugar diets tend to be lower in antioxidant micronutrients.
93. High sugar consumption of pregnant adolescents is associated with a twofold-increased risk for delivering a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant.
94. High sugar consumption can lead to substantial decrease in gestation duration among adolescents with high sugar diets.
95. Sugar slows food's travel time through the gastrointestinal tract.
96. Sugar increases the concentration of bile acids in stools and bacterial enzymes in the colon. This can modify bile to produce cancer-causing compounds and colon cancer.
97. Diets high in sugar can increase fasting blood glucose.
98. Sugar combines and destroys phosphatase, an enzyme, which makes the process of digestion more difficult.
99. Sugar can be a risk factor of gallbladder cancer.
100. Sugar is an addictive substance.
101. Sugar can be intoxicating, similar to alcohol.
102. Sugar can exacerbate PMS.
103. Sugar suppresses lymphocytes.
104. Decrease in sugar can increase emotional stability.
105. The body changes sugar into 2 to 5 times more fat in the bloodstream than it does starch.
106. The rapid absorption of glucose promotes excessive food intake in obese subjects.
107. Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children with attention deficit disorder (ADD).
108. Sugar adversely affects urinary electrolyte composition.
109. Sugar can slow down the ability of the adrenal glands to function.
110. Sugar has the potential of inducing abnormal metabolic processes in a normal healthy individual and to promote chronic degenerative diseases.
111. Adolescents consuming high sugar diets are at increased risk for delivering small-for-gestational-age infants.
112. High sucrose intake could be an important risk factor in lung carcinogenesis.
113. Sugar increases the risk of polio.
114. High sugar intake can cause epileptic seizures.
115. Sugar is an addictive substance.
116. Intensive Care Units: Sugar limit saves lives
117. Sugar feeds cancer cells.
118. Sugar causes high blood pressure in obese people.
119. I.Vs (intravenous feedings) of sugar water can cut off oxygen to the brain.
120. Sugar increases estradiol (the most potent form of naturally occurring estrogen) in men.
121. Sugar can lower the amount of Vitamin E in the blood.
122. Sugar can cause free radicals in the blood stream.
123. Sugar can contribute to Alzheimer's disease.
124. Sugar given to premature babies often produces high blood sugar, causing them to lose precious sugar, water and salts through the urine, putting them at risk for dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.
125. Sugar given to premature babies can also affect the amount of carbon dioxide premature infants produce, exacerbating problems for those with lung disorders.
126. High sugar diets are linked to violence in prisoners.

Good sugar substitutes: Stevia and Lo Han, both commonly found in health food stores and many grocers