Cleansing Blog

New research shows that to get an optimal vitamin D supplement from the sun at a minimal risk of getting cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM), the best time of sun exposure is noon.

That means that common health recommendations given by authorities in many countries — that sun exposure should be avoided for three to five hours around noon and postponed to the afternoon — could be wrong and may even promote CMM.

This is in part because the action spectrum for CMM is likely to be centered at longer wavelengths than that of vitamin D generation.

Health News

Scientists are still trying to unravel the many mysteries of the brain. But although there is still a lot to learn, several studies have indicated a few ways to help keep your thinking organ in shape, now and as you age.

1. Eat Your Brain Food

A diet of junk food can also junk up your brain. Fake “foods” like trans fats can negatively affect the brain’s synapses. But a balanced diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids can give the synapses a boost and help fight against mental disorders from depression to dementia.

2. Hit the Gym

Since exercise is a mild stressor to your body, eating up the energy needed by your brain, it triggers the release of chemicals called growth factors that make the brain’s neurons stronger and healthier. Half an hour every other day will do it, according to experts.

3. Mind Benders

Give your brain a workout, too, with brainteasers, crossword puzzles and memory games. Studies have shown that using these tools to stay mentally active can reduce the risks of developing dementia by building and maintaining a reserve of stimulation in your brain.

4. Memory Tricks

Keeping information stored in your memory banks and retaining that memory with age may also be a simple matter of mind control. Confidence in your cognitive abilities could actually affect how well your memory functions, particularly for the elderly.

5. Give it a Rest

Sleep gives your brain a chance to replay the memories of the day and consolidate them for long-term storage. One study suggested that the brain can do its reviewing much faster when you’re asleep than when you’re wide awake.

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(NaturalNews) Health Minister Chaiya Sasomsap said that the government of Thailand will override the patents on three cancer drugs, after pressure from health activists and doctors calling on him to resign. Over the course of five years, the decision is expected to save the government of Thailand, and cost the pharmaceutical companies, more than 3 billion baht ($100 million).

It is not the first time that Thailand has issued compulsory licenses to override the patents on expensive drugs. In 2006, former Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla overrode the patent on the HIV/AIDS medication Efavirenz, manufactured by Merck.

Mongkol said that a poor nation such as Thailand could not afford to pay patented drug prices for the 63 million people on its national health plan - 80 percent of the country’s population. Soon after, he issued compulsory licenses for an Abbot Laboratories AIDS drug and a Sanofi-Aventis heart medicine.

Mongkol also announced patent overrides on three cancer drugs: Letrozole, a Novartis drug for breast cancer; Docetaxel, a Sanofi-Aventis drug for breast and lung cancer; and Erlotinib, a Roche drug for lung, ovarian and pancreatic cancer. But when Chaiya took over as health minister in February 2008, the three affected drug companies launched a lobbying effort to reverse Mongkol’s decision.

Chaiya, a businessman with no history in medicine, announced that he would review the decision, calling it “politically correct … but not legally correct.” He also fired the Health Ministry’s top negotiator responsible for securing lower prices for foreign drug companies. Outraged doctors and health activists immediately launched a campaign to remove Chaiya from office.

On March 10, Chaiya announced that Mongkol’s initial decision would be upheld.

“The findings have convinced me to go ahead with the compulsory licenses, since the ministry’s policy is to give patients good access to quality drugs at cheap prices,” he said.

In February, drug company Novartis averted a compulsory license on its leukemia drug Glivec by agreeing to provide it to hundreds of Thai patients for free.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9L5MJYfi2A

Health News

A recent analysis by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) indicates that employers pay out almost $1.5 billion each year to cover the costs incurred from preventable adverse medical events in surgical patients.

The costs of surgical errors were estimated by analyzing data from a nationwide sample of more than 161,000 adult patients who underwent surgery in 2001 and 2002.

Preventable errors included technical problems, infections, pulmonary and vascular problems, acute respiratory failure, metabolic problems, wound problems, and events related to nursing care. Respiratory failure and infections were particularly costly adverse events; insurers paid over $28,000 and over $19,000 extra for a surgical patient who had respiratory failure or an infection, respectively.

Other added costs included more than $12,000 for episodes related to nursing care, more than $11,500 for metabolic problems, close to $8,000 for pulmonary and vascular problems, and nearly $1,500 for wound problems.

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(NaturalNews) A clinical study on patients who have suffered a heart attack found that a partially purified extract of Chinese red yeast rice, Xuezhikang (XZK), reduced the risk of repeat heart attacks by 45%; revascularization (bypass surgery/angioplasty), cardiovascular mortality, and total mortality by one-third; and cancer mortality by two-thirds.

The multi-center, randomized, double-blind study, was conducted on almost 5,000 patients, ranging in age from 18-70 over a five-year period at over 60 hospitals in the People’s Republic of China. Corresponding author David M. Capuzzi, M.D., Ph.D, director of the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Program at Jefferson’s Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine and Zonliang Lu, M.D., Ph.D, from the Fuwai Hospital at the Chinese Academy of Medical Science report their findings in the June 15th edition of the American Journal of Cardiology.

“It’s very exciting because this is a natural product and had very few adverse side effects including no abnormal blood changes,” said Capuzzi. “People in the Far East have been taking Chinese red yeast rice as food for thousands of years, but no one has ever studied it clinically in a double-blind manner with a purified product against a placebo group until now and we are pleased with the results. However, people in the United States should know that the commercially available over-the-counter supplement found in your average health food store is not what was studied here. Those over-the-counter supplements are not regulated, so exact amounts of active ingredient are unknown and their efficacy has not been studied yet.”

The study looked at patients who had suffered a heart attack in the previous year. Study participants were given two 300-milligram XZK capsules or a placebo and tracked over a five-year period. The XZK capsules contained a combination of lovastatin, lovastatin hydroxyl acid, ergosterol and other components.

“I think it is surprising that a natural product like XZK would have this great an effect,” said Capuzzi. “If further testing and study prove true, my hope is that XZK becomes an important therapeutic agent to treat cardiovascular disorders and in the prevention of disease whether someone has had a heart attack or not. But it is important to recognize the fact we do not know exactly how Chinese red yeast rice works. The exact ingredients from the XZK capsules have not been isolated and studied yet. Still the results were so profound, even out performing statins prescribed in numerous western populations, that further study should certainly be investigated.”

The study was sponsored by Beijing Peking University WBL Biotech Co. Ltd (WPU), in Beijing, People’s Republic of China. Dr. Capuzzi has no financial interest in this company.

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Maj. Gen. Bert Stubblebine (USA ret.) and Dr. Rima E. Laibow, MD, Natural Solutions Foundation, provide their analysis of the potential for a weaponized avian flu pandemic.

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(NaturalNews) Many people claim that their health improves tremendously by cutting out various foods. Avoiding food intolerances can be a huge step in minimizing ill health and boosting your wellbeing. Here are the seven most common food intolerances.

Sugar

If refined sugar was discovered today, it might be classed as a poison. It gives nothing to the body of any value. It causes the energy levels to become imbalanced, and a whole range of other possible symptoms including extreme fatigue.

While it may give people with low energy a quick boost, there will be a low that follows, which causes sugar craving. Cravings are associated with obesity and many illnesses. Fortunately there are many amazing alternatives to sugar.

Caffeine

Many people live on caffeinated drinks such as coffee, coke, or red bull because of the short but sweet energy rush. However, caffeine causes adrenal gland exhaustion, which is a foundation for fatigue and ill health.

Wheat

Wheat can zap, energy, cause foggy head, and create pain in the digestive and urinary track systems. Many people find that their weight begins to drop and their mind is clearer when they reduce or give up wheat.

Gluten
Gluten includes wheat, oats, rye and barley. While wheat is the most common problem, some people need to take the extra step and avoid all gluten-containing foods.

Alcohol

Many people find that they feel much better when they reduce or cut out alcohol. Some people can have one type of alcohol and need to avoid other types.

Yeast

Yeast overgrowth (also known as Candida) is a major player in many illnesses. While some people who have yeast overgrowth in their body can still consume yeast without negative consequences, others feel much better when they avoid it completely.

Nightshade Family

The nightshade family (green peppers, aubergine or eggplant, tomatoes and white potatoes) is known to increase pain for some people. Avoiding these can be especially beneficial for people with chronic pain.

What to eat

(NaturalNews) Men’s risk of gout increases along with consumption of sweetened soft drinks and fructose, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of British Columbia and Harvard Medical School, and published in the British Medical Journal.

In the disease known as gout, excess uric acid accumulates in the blood and is then deposited in the form of uric acid crystals around the body’s joints, leading to swelling and extreme pain. It particularly tends to affect men over the age of 39.

The incidence of gout in the United States has doubled over the course of the last several decades. According to the recent study, this increase might be linked with a corresponding increase in fructose and soft drink consumption.

Researchers gave food frequency questionnaires to 46,393 men who had no signs of gout, then followed those men for 12 years. In that time, 755 cases of gout developed.

Men who consumed five or six servings per week of sugar-sweetened soft drinks had a 29 percent higher chance of developing gout when compared with men who consumed less than one serving per month. Men who consumed one serving per day had a 45 percent higher risk, while men who consumed two or more servings per day had an 85 percent higher risk of developing gout.

The researchers also observed that as the contribution of fructose to the diet increased, so did the risk of gout. Compared with men who acquired less than 4.5 percent of their calories from fructose, men who acquired between 4.5 and 5.3 percent had a 41 percent higher risk of developing gout. Men who got between 5.4 and 6.6 percent of their calories from fructose had in 84 percent higher risk, while men who got more than 6.6 percent of their calories from the sugar had a 102 percent higher risk of developing the disease.

The researchers noted that fructose is known to increase uric acid production within the body.

Health News

(NaturalNews) I recently received great news from the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) that after a long fourteen year battle between OCA, public interest and family farmer groups against Monsanto’s Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH), Monsanto has announced on August 6th that they will sell off their controversial rBGH. This is very good news since rBGH has been fed to cattle since the early 1990’s and has been implicated in a wide array of health issues, some very serious ones for both the animals themselves and anyone who consumes anything from the animals who are fed rBGH.

rBGH is said to be responsible for a number of health issues ranging from premature puberty in children to colon, prostate and breast cancer to increased antibiotic residues and elevated levels of a potent cancer tumor promoter called IGF-1.

rBGH is a genetically engineered variant of the natural growth hormone produced by cows. It is manufactured by Monsanto and sold to dairy farmers under the trade name Posilac. This hormone forces cows to increase milk production by about 10%, but it also increases the incidences of mastitis, lameness as well as reproductive issues.

Another health concern, especially in regards to women is how this genetically modified hormone can interfere with a woman’s sensitive hormonal system and could also affect human reproduction as it is currently doing to cow’s reproductive systems. Could rBGH be at least partly responsible for the greatly increase in human fertility in the past thirty years? It certainly seems possible given the current evidence of reproductive issues in cows fed rBGH. Countries like Canada and many European nations have banned the import of U.S. milk unless it specifically says “No rBGH”

The fight is not over yet as Monsanto has been pressuring state legislatures to force dairies to use Posilac (rBGH). They also want to prevent these dairies from telling the public that they’re rBGH free.

Here is an announcement from the Organic Consumers Association:

“Monsanto has been lobbying state legislatures and departments of agriculture around the country to harass dairies that won’t use Posilac. Monsanto wants to take away dairies’ right to tell consumers they’re rBGH-free. Please go to the following OCA state action centers to learn more and take action: (http://www.organicconsumers.org/rbghlink.cfm) .”

Man made chemicals and genetically modified foods pose very serious health issues to your family. This is why it’s very important to learn what chemicals and ingredients are being put into packaged and processed foods in order to take greater control of your health and life and to help avoid serious health issues.

My Chinese Health and Fitness video goes into more details about some other dangerous food ingredients and chemicals that are being put into packaged and processed foods that you definitely want to avoid and keep out of your body as much as possible. It also contains much more information on nutrition, breathing, meditation, physical training and more. Click on the link below to visit the video website and learn more about other chemicals to avoid and more.

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