Month: November 2012

Gargle away a sore throat
Gargling with salt water is an age old, folk remedy for sore throats that works. The simplest mix is just salt and water. One teaspoon of salt per glass of warm water is sufficient. Best to stir and let the salt dissolve before gargling though.

Tea time
Several teas are known to soothe sore throats. A helpful recipe includes:

1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
Juice from 1/4 lemon
1 teaspoon of honey
Cayenne pepper to taste

Mix the ingredients into a cup of warm water and drink slowly. One cup is rarely enough for all day relief, but four may do the trick. This drink may also help reduce coughing.

Another tea option is to combine ginger tea with cinnamon and lemon. Ingredients include:

1 teaspoon of grated ginger
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons of grated lemon peel
1/2 cup of water

Combine ingredients in a pan and simmer for 15 minutes. Pour three tablespoons of mixture into a cup of warm warm and drink. Save the rest for additional cups of tea later in the day.

A third tea option is ginger tea with lemon and pepper. Seep one bag of ginger tea in a cup of hot water. Add lemon juice and black pepper powder to taste. This remedy not only helps relieve throat pain, but it can also clear blockages.

Herbs for sore throats
Research indicates that herbs can be effective for sore throats. A lesser known herb in the U.S. is andrographis. This herb is sometimes called Indian echinacea because of its use for colds and flus and because it grows in Asia, including India. A study at Tufts Medical Center found that andrographis relieved the sore throats and other cold symptoms of adult participants. Andrographis is available in the U.S.

Slipper elm is a common Native American remedy taken for many health problems, including skin conditions and sore throats. When water is added to slippery elm, a substance in the herb called mucilage becomes gel-like. The gel coats and soothes sore throats.

Sage leaves of liquid extracts added to hot water can also help sore throats. Add two teaspoons of sage leaves, dried or fresh, to a cup of boiling water, let steep and then drain the leaves to make a soothing herbal drink. It may also help to add a pinch of salt. Extra liquid can be kept in a refrigerator for two days.

Add moisture
Increasing the moisture in the throat is a basic way to relieve pain. A humidifier can do wonders for throat pain by adding moisture to dry air. Drinking plenty of water and tea also keeps the throat moist.

Some people find that warm liquids like soup are comforting. Other people have better luck with popsicles. Sucking on natural lozenges may help too, though young children should not be given lozenges because of the choking risk.

A couple of years ago, researchers from the University of California-Los Angeles found that pancreatic tumor cells use fructose to divide and reproduce, debunking earlier assumptions that all sugars were the same.

Tumor cells that were fed glucose and fructose used those sugars in two different ways, the research team said.

'Major significance for cancer patients'

Their findings, which were published in the journal Cancer Research, could help explain earlier studies that have linked ingestion of fructose with pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of the disease.

"These findings show that cancer cells can readily metabolize fructose to increase proliferation," Dr. Anthony Heaney of UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center and colleagues wrote in 2010.

"They have major significance for cancer patients given dietary refined fructose consumption, and indicate that efforts to reduce refined fructose intake or inhibit fructose-mediated actions may disrupt cancer growth," he said.

Americans, much more than people in most other industrialized nations, consume an incredible amount of fructose, mainly high fructose corn syrup, which is a mix of fructose and glucose used largely in sodas, bread and a host of other processed foods.

Incredibly, there is still no consensus among politicians, industry experts and some healthcare specialists over whether high fructose corn syrup and other sugary ingredients increase the nation's collective belt line (though Natural News readers and most reasonable people who don't grow corn for a living already know the answer to that "debate"). That's likely why there hasn't been more public education about the consequences of consuming fructose-heavy, processed foods.

Tumor cells thrive on all sugars

That said, some groups know the truth and have tried to speak it loudly. The American Heart Association, for example, says too much sugar of any kind will not only bust your belt but increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.

And a number of states, including New York and California, have considered levying a tax on sugary sodas to help pay for patients suffering from obesity-related diseases and who are covered under government health insurance programs. But these taxes have been successfully opposed, for the most part, with the help of millions of dollars in lobbying money from interest groups who say sugar is sugar.

Heaney's team found otherwise, Reuters reported. During trials, they grew pancreatic cancer cells and fed them both glucose and fructose.

The tumor cells thrived on both kinds of sugars but proliferated with fructose.

"Importantly, fructose and glucose metabolism are quite different," the team wrote.

"I think this paper has a lot of public health implications. Hopefully, at the federal level there will be some effort to step back on the amount of high fructose corn syrup in our diets," Heaney said in a statement.

Consumption of high fructose grew rapidly in the U.S. – by 1,000 percent – between 1970 and 1990, about the time the obesity epidemic began in earnest.

History of disease linked to sugary diets

High fructose corn syrup has also been linked to other medical conditions and diseases:

— A diet high in corn syrup causes the body to produce excess uric acid, which worsens gout – a condition caused by high levels of uric acid – according to a study published in the March 2012 Journal of Nutrition.

— Researchers at the Duke University in North Carolina said high fructose consumption can worsen non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by "depleting their store of critically important molecules called ATP, which provide liver cells (and other body cells) energy for important cellular processes, including metabolism," Science Daily reported.

— A study published in the Journal of Nephrology found that ingestion of "dietary fructose" worsens kidney disease by inhibiting intestinal calcium absorption and inducing vitamin D deficiency.

According to WTSP 10 News in Tampa Bay, police officers who arrived at the scene of the fire before firefighters showed up actually demanding that Jensen leave his house alone and allow it to burn, claiming "that's what insurance is for." Not wanting to see his beloved home needlessly catch fire, potentially taking with it all of his family's personal possessions and irreplaceable mementos, Jensen made the sovereign decision to reject the officers' poor advice and grab the garden hose again after flames suddenly jumped from his neighbor's house to his own.

Upon doing so, the Pinellas Park Police Department sergeant who was on the scene began shouting at another officer to "hit him" and "take him down" with a taser, statements which Jensen says he had no idea at that time were in reference to himself. Almost immediately after these statements were shouted; however, Jensen recalls being struck in his back with the dual taser barbs, which brought him to his knees and ultimately face down on the ground as if he was some kind of criminal.

"It was horrible. I was laying in a puddle of water being electrocuted here by the people that are supposed to protect us," recalled a teary-eyed Jensen to WTSP 10 News about the paralyzing incident. "I'm trying to protect my family, my neighbor, and they bring harm to me. I don't understand. All I remember is laying in water, being electrocuted for saving my home."

Protecting your house, property from fire is not a crime
Since no firefighters were present on the scene to address the fire themselves, Jensen's actions to protect both his and his neighbor's homes were fully warranted. Additionally, the cops who assaulted Jensen had no legal right to either trespass his property, or to taser him for trying to protect it. The entire incident just reeks of flagrant police state abuse, and embodies the precise reason why more Americans than ever are purchasing firearms in order to protect themselves and their families against this type of encroaching tyranny.

"They should have more tolerance with the public, to exhaust all options before firing electricity into somebody," added Jensen about the cruel and brutal behavior of his local police department.

If you favor a natural approach to treating (and preventing) seasonal colds, review the best natural cold remedies and decide which ones you want to try. Or just follow the research and stick with the best-known remedies and preventive strategies

Ginseng to prevent and treat colds
Ginseng is one of the most researched natural remedies for cold treatment and prevention. Before you head out to buy supplements, though, make sure you are buying the most appropriate ginseng variety for your needs. American ginseng can help prevent the common cold by bolstering your immune system, while Siberian ginseng may help relieve your cold symptoms.

If you take other supplements or prescription drugs, be sure to ask a healthcare provider about adding any variety of ginseng to the mix, as it can interact with many medications.

Echinacea to treat cold symptoms
Echinacea is probably not useful for prevention, but it may be useful when taken within the first 24 hours of the first cold symptoms. Scientists think Echinacea reduces inflammation to combat cold and flu symptoms, and it may also bolster the immune system if it works on humans as it does in animal models. If you use Echinacea for treatment, try to only use it for the short-term – it hasn't been well studied for long-term use, and can cause some uncomfortable side effects in some people.

Chicken soup for the cold soul
Most people love a big bowl of chicken soup when they have a cold and don't care whether it helps with symptoms. Good news is it actually may work. Chicken soup may speed healing by killing off some of the virus cells and soothing a sore throat or stuffy nose.

Zinc lozenges for cold treatment and prevention
Throat drops are an ever-popular remedy for cold symptoms, and zinc lozenges may just be the gold standard. In some studies, zinc throat drops actually seemed to prevent colds as well as relieve symptoms. Try one or two per day for prevention and about one lozenge every hour or two once a cold starts.

Toxic blood levels of lead in children are currently set by the CDC at five micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL). For adults, blood levels of lead are considered "elevated" by the time they reach 25 µg/dL. According to study findings, individuals with blood urine lead levels in the 1.40 -2.10 µg/dL range (notice that this is below acceptable lead levels in children) had a 94 percent greater risk of gout attacks along with a 70 percent greater risk of elevated uric acid levels. The researchers also found that blood lead levels as low as 1.20 µg/dL can increase gout attacks.

50 to 75 percent of the US population has blood lead levels in the 1.40- 2.10 µg/dL range as reported by the CDC.

"All of this suggests there's no such thing as 'safe' or 'acceptable' lead levels," said study leader Dr. Eswar Krishnan, of Stanford University School of Medicine. Krishnan also noted that the average blood lead level in the U.S. is 3 mcg/dL.

About the gout and lead
So where does this lead come from? Besides on-the-job exposure to lead, people also inhale lead through cigarette smoke or lead-containing dust from deteriorating lead-based paint in an older home, drinking from old lead solder and lead water pipes, cooking on glass and enamel coated cookware, coming in contact with lead contaminated children's toys and jewelry, touching sun-baked plastic furniture and other outdoor toys and fixtures and also from hobbies, like working on old cars, or making glazed pottery and stained glass.

Gout can be very painful and is a form of arthritis that attacks joints in the body, mostly the big toe. The symptoms of gout can occur when an excessive buildup of uric acid in the body forms painful crystals in the joints. These crystals are monosodium urate or uric acid crystals deposited in the articular cartilage of joints, tendons and surrounding tissues provoking an inflammatory reaction of these tissues. The buildup of uric acid can lead to sharp uric acid crystal deposits in joints, deposits of uric acid lumps under the skin called tophi, and kidney stones from uric acid crystals in the kidneys.

Treat the cause and the symptoms go away
Allopathic medicine is notorious for managing symptoms while root causes go on wreaking havoc unabated. ALL diseases have causes that can be found and remedied so the symptoms go away. The same is true of gout. Allopathic medicine throws drugs at this condition without ever looking for root causes. Treatment plans for gout usually include the obligatory "cut back on proteins" which helps the patient manage the symptoms of gout but does not treat the cause.

In the book "Prescription for Nutritional Healing," Certified Nutritional Consultant and nutrition researcher Phyllis A. Balch, states that alfalfa has a detoxifying effect on the body and aloe vera juice may help remove metals from your digestive tract. Chlorella and cilantro are also natural chelators that can absorb toxic metals like lead.

If you are experiencing either gout or elevated purine levels (hyperuricemia), then consider having your blood levels checked for lead and other heavy metals. In the mean-time, avoid any and all contact with lead and take the herbs mentioned above. These herbs won't harm you if taken in normal doses and may actually help you live longer and healthier.

Why mid-foot strike is making a comeback
The plantar fascia is a thick piece of connective tissue that supports the arch of the foot and provides a spring-like function to absorb energy when walking or running. It runs from the front of the calcaneus (heel bone) to the base of the toes, with fibers running up the back of the foot into the Achilles tendon. Before the advent of heel-supported running shoes, cases of plantar fasciitis were less common. The recent comeback of minimalist shoes and the promotion of mid-foot strike while running are in response to better understanding of the function of the plantar fascia. Landing on your heel when running sends a shock wave up the body two to three times your weight, forcing the weaker muscles on the front of your shins to overwork. Heel running may lead to plantar fasciitis, shin splints, runner's knee, and many other injuries. Using a mid-foot strike, the plantar fascia absorbs the energy and transfers it to forward motion via the much larger and stronger calf muscles in a spring-like fashion.

Who gets plantar fasciitis?
Someone experiencing plantar fasciitis typically notices pain on the inside of the heel that is usually most painful during the first steps in the morning. Although athletes are more likely to develop plantar fasciitis, it is also commonly found in overweight populations. It's estimated that 10 percent of the population will experience it at some time in their life. This type of injury is repetitive in nature, and does not develop overnight, nor will it disappear overnight. Poor walking/running biomechanics combined with a fallen arch puts stress on the plantar fascia and leads to micro-tearing and scar tissue formation. If left uncorrected, this can lead to inflammation and spiral out of control. Preventing plantar fasciitis from occurring is much easier than correcting a chronic case.

Conservative alternatives to injections and medication
There are several methods to relieve plantar fasciitis that can be performed at home with objects you already have. Start by stretching your calf muscles. This can be done by standing with your toes on a step and your heels hanging off, and gently let your heels approach the floor. In order to stretch out the plantar fascia, sit with one leg extended in front of you, hold each end of a towel and sling it around the toes of the extended foot and gently pull your toes toward you. To combat the pain from inflammation, freeze a plastic bottle of water and roll it underneath the affected foot. This provides a massage of the fascia as well as pain relief while allowing you to control the pressure. A more aggressive approach to break up scar tissue can be done by rolling a tennis ball, golf ball, or bouncy ball under the foot and applying varying degrees of downward pressure. The goal of this is to break up long-standing scar tissue that may be causing the inflammation. Whenever this exercise is performed, it is important to follow it with stretching and ice. Plantar fasciitis may be a stubborn condition taking months to relieve. Additional therapies like chiropractic, massage, and acupuncture can provide additional results and modalities that medical doctors can't offer like IASTM, ART, and myofascial release; all of which have shown their effectiveness in treating plantar fasciitis.

The research team, led by Professor Jens Lykkesfeldt, noted that a lack of vitamin C isn't unusual, either. In fact, population studies reveal between 10 and 20 percent of all adults in the developed world suffer from vitamin C deficiency. "Even marginal vitamin C deficiency in the mother stunts the fetal hippocampus, the important memory center, by 10 to 15 percent, preventing the brain from optimal development," Lykkesfeldt said in a statement to the media.

"We used to think that the mother could protect the baby. Ordinarily there is a selective transport from mother to fetus of the substances the baby needs during pregnancy. However, it now appears that the transport is not sufficient in the case of vitamin C deficiency. Therefore, it is extremely important to draw attention to this problem, which potentially can have serious consequences for the children affected."

Lykkesfeldt and his colleagues reached their conclusions by studying pregnant guinea pigs and their pups because — like humans — guinea pigs cannot produce vitamin C themselves. When guinea pigs from vitamin C deficient mothers were born, the researchers divided the newborn animals into two groups. One group was given vitamin C supplements but, when the pups were two months old (a point in their lifespan which corresponds to the teenage years in humans) there was no improvement in their brain damage.

The scientists are now studying how early in pregnancy vitamin C deficiency influences the development of fetuses. So far, additional guinea pig experiments indicate the negative impact of a lack of vitamin C early in the pregnancy. While their studies involve animals, the scientists believe their findings have an important bearing on the human population and should sharpen the focus on a mother's lifestyle and nutritional status during pregnancy.

"People with low economic status who eat poorly – and perhaps also smoke – often suffer from vitamin C deficiency. Comparatively speaking, their children risk being born with a poorly developed memory potential. These children may encounter learning problems, and seen in a societal context, history repeats itself because these children find it more difficult to escape the environment into which they are born," Lykkesfeldt said.

His recommendation? Pregnant women should not smoke, eat a varied nutritional diet and take a multi-vitamin tablet containing vitamin C. "Because it takes so little to avoid vitamin C deficiency, it is my hope that both politicians and the authorities will become aware that this can be a potential problem," Lykkesfeldt concluded.

Editor's note: Natural News is opposed to the use of animals in medical experiments that expose them to harm. We present these findings in protest of the way in which they were acquired.