Antioxidant Nutrition
Other than air and water, we need amino acids, essential fats, vitamins, minerals and a wide variety of antioxidants. There are eleven essential amino acids, a dozen essential vitamins, several essential fats and well over 5000 antioxidants. As I have discussed in earlier articles, we can live with a remarkable variety of diets – ranging […]
HYPERTENSION Treatment: Effective Alternatives To Prescription Drugs
The sphygmomanometer, the inflatable cuff for measuring blood pressure, was invented by an Italian physician in 1896 and popularized in this country in 1901 by Harvey Cushing, the ”father” of neurosurgery. For 100 years, NORMAL blood pressure was considered 120/80. The upper figure is systolic – the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart […]
Sun Health
SUN HEALTH For many years dermatologists and physicians in general have been warning everyone to avoid sun. Obviously sunburn is dangerous and painful. But the avoidance of sun and its natural health benefits is having disastrous effects on health, increasing as one matures. There are many benefits from sunlight, from regulating pineal/pituitary function, to improving […]
BETA GLUCAN – FOR IMMUNE STRENGTH
Beta glucan is a polysaccharide derived from bakers’ yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, oat and barley fiber and many mushrooms. Although beta-1.3 glucan is effective in activating the immune function of white blood cells, glucan is equally effective in lowering cholesterol, especially LDL cholesterol, while raising HDL cholesterol. In fact, it is the glucan which accounts for […]
Inflammation and High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (HS-CRP)
In the past few years, HS-CRP has emerged as the single most sensitive indicator of the risk for atherosclerosis, acute coronary artery disease, hypertension and even atrial fibrillation. And HS-CRP is consistently more indicative of the risk of atherosclerosis than total or LDL cholesterol. Of course this broad indicator of inflammation is not restricted to […]
Silymarin Marianum
SILYMARIN MARIANUM Silymarin marianum (milk thistle) has long been recommended as a liver cleanser. Indeed the evidence is fairly good that it may help even alcoholic cirrhosis. (J Hepatol. 1989, 9: 105-113). The results in a double-blind study: the Silymarin treated patients outlived the placebo by 50%, significant at the 0.01% level. More importantly, milk […]
THE PALEO DIET – A REVIEW
THE PALEO DIET -A REVIEW THE PALEO DIET, by Loren Cordain, John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, N.J., 2002. $14.95 We all know that agriculture began only about 10,000 years ago. Prior to that humans ate wild game, fish and wild fruits and vegetables. There were virtually no grains. Cordain strongly suggests that we revert to […]
Glutamine – For Intestinal and Immune Health
L-glutamine has marked anti-inflammatory and moderate analgesic activity. Indeed, its anti-inflammatory activity is comparable to the NSAID phenylbutazone! (Agents Actions, 1981, 11:243-249). Glutamine is used at a high metabolic rate by both lymphocytes and macrophages. In fact, macrophage phagocytosis is dependent upon its availability. Levels of glutamine are decreased in both muscle and plasma in […]
Junk Food and Junk Drugs
Once upon a time, before 1945 or so, there were relatively few prescription drugs. Now there are literally thousands. Interestingly, prior to 1945, 90% of food was raised within 50 miles of its consumption. Pop, white bread, and sugar were the only significant junk foods. In the 1960’s we had the development of Medicare which […]
PREVENTIVE HEALTH?
Preventive health is an oxymoron if I ever heard one!! Occasionally a ‘scientific’ article actually uses that ridiculous term. We should not be seeking to prevent health but rather to prevent disease or prevent the need for medicine-thus preventive medicine should be a goal. There is little evidence that most routine testing is of value […]