Month: June 2009

(NaturalNews) Co-enzyme Q10 or CoQ10 (also known as ubiquinone) is an essential nutrient found in every cell in the human body. It plays a vital role in producing energy in the mitochondria, meaning it helps provide energy to all parts of the body. CoQ10 has been cited as producing positive effects in people with cancer, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, although perhaps the most prominent benefit CoQ10 can provide is for the heart.

Here are just some of the ways CoQ10 has been connected with cardiovascular health:

– In a study which included 641 participants with congestive heart failure, those who received CoQ10 instead of a placebo reported a noticeable reduction in symptom severity and fewer hospitalizations. Another study also showed daily CoQ10 supplements could improve symptoms and quality of life in patients with heart conditions.

– A number of studies have shown that CoQ10 may improve the function of the heart in relation to major heart surgeries like a coronary bypass or valve replacement.

– Those with heart conditions or heart failure often have low levels of CoQ10 in heart muscle cells.

– CoQ10 is known for its strong antioxidant properties, which can protect the cardiovascular system from free radical and oxidation damage. This is extremely important for anyone concerned about the health of their heart.

– Some preliminary studies have suggested that CoQ10 can lower blood pressure in hypertension patients. This could have a positive effect on heart health, even before there has been heart failure.

Natural Sources of CoQ10

The richest sources of CoQ10 are animal tissues, particularly red meat and organ meat from animals that are raised on quality pasture. However, there are other natural sources of CoQ10 for those who choose not to eat these foods. These include sesame oil, sesame seeds, peanuts, mackerel, whole soybeans, walnuts, pistachios, spinach and broccoli.

Who Needs CoQ10 Supplements?

Although the body is capable of producing its own supply of CoQ10, deficiency is still possible if you have a metabolic disorder, if your body uses more than is available, or if your diet is low in CoQ10. For those who have trouble getting enough natural CoQ10 in their diet, or if they have a condition that could benefit from a higher level of CoQ10, it may be beneficial to take a supplement.

CoQ10 supplements may be especially beneficial to people on certain medications, like statin drugs for lowering cholesterol, which are notorious for draining the body of CoQ10 and weakening the heart. Heavy use of NSAIDS (like ibuprofen) may also warrant a CoQ10 supplement because of their link to heart failure.

Dosage Information

The typical dosage for CoQ10 supplements ranges from 30 mg to 200 mg daily, with heart patients receiving doses in the higher range. Most people without major heart conditions find 30-100 mg to be appropriate. Remember that if you do have any health conditions or if you are on medication, it's best to talk with your physician before taking any supplements.

CoQ10

(NaturalNews) Brushing and flossing your teeth daily does more than help prevent cavities, periodontal (gum) disease and bad breath. According to the American Academy of Periodontology, having healthy teeth and gums also lowers your risk of heart disease and stroke. And now researchers at West Virginia University have found a clean mouth may also do something else — prevent memory loss.

How could the health of your mouth have an impact on your heart and your brain health? No one knows for sure but one theory is that bacteria found in the mouth can enter the blood stream through bleeding, inflamed gums. Then these germs may end up attached to fatty plaques in the coronary arteries and contribute to stroke and heart attack causing-blood clots. The same process might damage the brain, too.

Another possibility is that the body's inflammatory response to a build up of bacteria in an unhealthy mouth is to blame. "If you have a gum infection, you'll have an increased level of inflammatory byproducts," Crout explained. "We're looking for markers in the blood that show inflammation to see if there is a link to memory problems. We'd like to go full circle and do an intervention — to clean up some of the problems in the mouth and then see if the inflammatory markers go down."

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently awarded Dr. Crout and his colleagues a $1.3 million grant over four years to further build on the research team's ongoing study of West Virginians aged 70 and older that is investigating a link between gum disease and mild to moderate memory loss. So far, the researchers have given oral exams and memory tests to 270 elderly people in more than a dozen West Virginia counties and discovered that about 23 percent of the group suffers from mild to moderate memory loss associated with dental and gum problems. This isn't a complete surprise because, according to the media statement, a connection between severe dementia and gum disease is already well known.

Crout will share the grant with gerontologist and principal investigator Bei Wu, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of North Carolina, Brenda L. Plassman, Ph.D., of Duke University, a scientist specializing in memory research, and Jersey Liang, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Michigan.

As previously covered in Natural News, instead of relying on toothpastes loaded with potentially toxic chemicals to take care of your teeth, there are a host of natural, inexpensive ways to keep your mouth clean and healthy (http://www.naturalnews.com/022340.html). For example, baking soda has long been used to not only freshen breath and soothe gum inflammation but to whiten and polish teeth, too.

Curcumin appears to prevent the spread of amyloid protein plaques – thought to cause dementia – in the brain.

But the theory, presented at the Royal College of Psychiatrists' annual meeting, has been given a lukewarm reception by UK experts.

"If you have a good diet and take plenty of exercise, eating curry regularly could help prevent dementia"
Professor Murali Doraiswamy
Duke University

Amyloid plaques, along with tangles of nerve fibres, are thought to contribute to the degradation of the wiring in brain cells, eventually leading to symptoms of dementia.

Professor Murali Doraiswamy, of Duke University in North Carolina, said there was evidence that people who eat a curry meal two or three times a week have a lower risk of dementia.

He said researchers were testing the impact of higher doses – the equivalent of going on a curry spree for a week – to see if they could maximise the effect.

Animal studies

Professor Doraiswamy told the meeting: "There is very solid evidence that curcumin binds to plaques, and basic research on animals engineered to produce human amyloid plaques has shown benefits."

"You can modify a mouse so that at about 12 months its brain is riddled with plaques.

"If you feed this rat a curcumin-rich diet it dissolves these plaques. The same diet prevented younger mice from forming new plaques.

"The next step is to test curcumin on human amyloid plaque formation using newer brain scans and there are plans for that."

Professor Doraiswamy said a clinical trial was now underway at the University of California, Los Angeles, to test curcumin's effects in Alzheimer's patients.

He said research had also examined turmeric's therapeutic potential for treating conditions such as cancer and arthritis.

Good diet

He stressed that eating a curry could not counter-balance the increased risk of dementia associated with a poor diet.

"Indian communities that regularly eat curcumin have a surprisingly low incidence of Alzheimer's disease but we don't yet know why"
Dr Susanne Sorensen
Alzheimer's Society

However, he said: "If you have a good diet and take plenty of exercise, eating curry regularly could help prevent dementia."

Professor Doraiswamy predicted it might be possible to develop a curry pill which had the same therapeutic effect.

However, Rebecca Wood, of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, stressed that people would need to eat a lot of curry – over 100g of turmeric curry powder – to get a clinical dose of curcumin.

She said: "Professor Doraiswamy's unpublished research applies only to animal models; his hypothesis has not been confirmed in human clinical trials.

"We look forward to the results of the human curcumin trial at UCLA."

Dr Susanne Sorensen, of the Alzheimer's Society, said: "Indian communities that regularly eat curcumin have a surprisingly low incidence of Alzheimer's disease but we don't yet know why.

"Alzheimer's Society is keen to explore the potential benefits of curcumin in protecting the brain and we are conducting our own research into this area.

"A cheap, accessible and safe treatment could transform the quality of life of thousands of people with the condition."

(NaturalNews) A vitamin supplement composed of several different forms of folate may help prevent or even treat the brain defect hydrocephalus in children, according to a study conducted by researchers from the universities of Lancaster and Manchester, England, and published in the Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology.

In hydrocephalus, cerebrospinal fluid abnormally gathers in the brain's cavities, placing pressure on the tissues and leading to neurological dysfunction. Symptoms include an unusually large head, irritability, sleepiness, vomiting, drooping eyes, verbal aggression, hyperactivity and other abnormal behavior, and even seizures.

There is currently no cure for the condition, which is normally treated by installing shunt to divert the fluid from the brain to the heart or abdomen. These shunts must be cleaned with several surgeries throughout a lifetime, however, to prevent blockage and infection.

In the current study, researchers found that a folate mixture led to significant reductions in the rates of fluid buildup in the brains of hydrocephalic rats. They also found that the symptom's conditions might come less from pressure caused by cerebrospinal fluid, and more from its chemical composition.

"Cerebrospinal fluid is not a liquid which simply cushions the brain and carries chemicals around it," lead researcher Jaleel Miyan said. "It is actively produced and transported and plays an essential biological role in developing the brain."

The researchers are now seeking to partner with a pharmaceutical company that can make the supplement into a pill, which can then be used in human clinical trials.

Folic acid, the naturally occurring form of folate, is known to prevent against neural tube defects such as spina bifida but has not proven effective in preventing hydrocephalus.

"There are so few things we can currently do to decrease the incidence of birth defects so these findings are really to be welcomed," said Imogen Montague of the United Kingdom's Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Sources for this story include: news.bbc.co.uk.

The need for more efficient and environmentally friendly products in this age of higher energy costs has brought forth a better refrigerant for your car and your home. This completely organic product is safer, non-toxic, less damaging, and will save you money because of its higher efficiency. 

Of the six, one of them had an 8 degree temperature drop, 2 others had a 10 degree drop, and my car had an 11 degree drop before and after Duracool . One vehicle had a slow leak over the winter and was totally depleted so we couldn’t measure it and we forgot to measure another. It works equally well in any vehicle. The vehicles converted were a Nissan 4×4, a Lincoln LS, a Lexus, a 20 year old Ford pickup, a Nissan Titan, and an older model Toyota.

Since that time we at Utopia Silver have been considering selling the Duracool line of products, and last week we decided to do so. The advantages of these products are simply too many to ignore. The refrigerant used in most vehicles in the USA, 134a, auto-ignites at approx. 1300 degrees; for Duracool it is over 1600 degrees. The colder air output of Duracool and more efficient cooling require less compressor running and therefore saves on gasoline. The molecules of Duracool are over 3½ times larger than 134a, reducing the chance of costly leaks. Additionally, Duracool doesn't deteriorate compressor and cooling system parts as does 134a, extending the life of your unit and making future repairs less frequent. Duracool is more environmentally friendly and non-toxic; unlike 134a which can cause cardiac arrest if breathed.

You may first want to find an automobile A/C man who will either order the Duracool for you or who will allow you to provide your own coolant. The old 134a needs to be evacuated from your system before recharging it with Duracool. If you have a system that has already leaked out due to a small, slow leak, you may want to use the Duracool DuraDry to remove the moisture in the system and then add Duracool System Seal to reseal the leak. Consult an A/C technician to determine whether or not this is feasible. If you decide that the leak is not too bad and is repairable, then you can add the Duracool 12a. If you are interested in these products, please go to the Duracool page to order.

by Babu G. Ranganathan

The best defense against swine flu, or any flu, is the age old remedy of colloidal silver. The metal silve r in its colloidal state can be safely consumed and used in the body. Bacteria and viruses cannot develop resistance to colloidal silver. Silver disables a vital enzyme and mechanism in all bacteria and pathogens so that they cannot survive. It is good to take a few teas poons of colloidal silver daily to maintain health. More coll oidal silver should be taken if experiencing illness.

(NaturalNews) Vitamin B comes in many forms, and all of them are necessary for healthy living. Getting plenty of B vitamins – usually much more than the recommended daily allowance – can improve heart health and symptoms of depression, and can also work to improve energy levels and brain function.

For many reasons, vitamin B deficiency is not uncommon today. Our typical modern lifestyle and diet are especially responsible for depleting the B vitamins from our system. A deficiency is usually caused by:

– Stress. Whether it's emotional (like chronic anxiety) or physical (like surgery), stress quickly saps B vitamins from our bodies. If you are under a lot of stress or if you have trouble managing your stress, then you need more B vitamins to make up for lost nutrients.

– Poor Nutrition. Thanks to commercial farming practices and modern food processing, foods today have less naturally occurring vitamins than in previous times. Processed foods disrupt the body's normal functions and drain the B vitamins right out of us. Foods like refined grains and sugar are especially damaging.

– Toxins and Chemicals. They're in our food, our air, and our water. Household cleaners are loaded with them. Even when we try our best to avoid them, we're frequently exposed to toxins and chemicals that deplete our B vitamins.

It's easy to see why so many people are deficient of the vitamin B complex. Below are some of the common symptoms of a vitamin B deficiency:

– Heart palpitations or arrhythmia
– Sleep problems or insomnia
– Nervousness, anxiety
– Indigestion
– Difficulty concentrating and poor memory
– Increased irritability
– Emotional behavior like frequent crying spells and mood swings
– Skin problems (acne, wrinkles, dryness, rashes, etc.)
– Brittle nails

Clearly the B vitamins are essential to our physical health and our mental well-being. Without them, life just isn't as good as it could be. Here are some ways you can ensure you're getting enough:

– Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Choose organic and locally grown produce whenever possible.

– Avoid overcooking your food, which can destroy the vitamin content.

– Avoid processed foods, artificial sweeteners, caffeine and alcohol. These deplete your system of B vitamins.

– Eat more foods that are naturally filled with B vitamins, including oats, avocado, salmon, and Brazil nuts.

Many people find that a vitamin B complex supplement is helpful in addition to the above suggestions. If you take a B complex supplement, be sure the vitamins are derived from whole food sources. This ensures you're getting a supplement of higher quality that provides a more usable form of the B vitamin complex.