The Healing Properties of Honey

Far from just being a tasty, sweet food, honey also has some amazing healing properties.  Find out what honey can be used for.

 

Why is Honey Amazing? 

Raw honey contains the essential minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, sulphur, and potassium.  It also contains small traces of copper, which helps with the absorption of iron.  Honey also contains protein.  The vitamins found in honey include vitamins B1, B2, c, B6, B5, and B3.  The amount of vitamins will change according to the qualities of the nectar and pollen that the honey is made from.  However, the other components of honey are not so easy to identify.  The active properties in honey come from an enzyme (glucose oxidase) that is secreted into the nectar by bees as they convert it into honey.  This enzyme produces hydrogen peroxide when the honey is diluted with water.  Hydrogen peroxide is an antibacterial chemical and it is what gives the Manuka and jelly bush honeys their healing properties.

 

What Can Honey Be Used For?

   

Manuka honey is great for treating wounds, especially those that have become infected.  It is applied directly to the wound and covered with a bandage.  This dressing is able to reduce pain and inflammation, minimise scarring, fight infection, and stimulate the new growth of skin.  Honey absorbs the moisture on the skin through the process of osmosis, which helps to kill bacteria as it dries the wound.  It stimulates the growth of new cell tissues and speeds up the healing process, something that traditional antibiotics are incapable of.  Manuka honey is the most antibiotic of all the raw honeys and it can be used for ulcerations, burns, cuts, abrasions, rashes, and skin infections.

It can be used to treat skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, allergies, and insect bites.  Manuka honey can improve digestion as the body absorbs honey easily.  It is an effective treatment for stomach ulcers and gastroenteritis.  Raw honey can also act as a mild laxative and sedative.  Famously, honey is used to relieve sore throats, either in a hot drink or by the spoonful.  This is because of its antimicrobial properties.  It is also good for softening the skin.  Because the glucose and fructose in honey is so easily absorbed, it’s a great high energy food.

Honey is also a powerful immune system booster due to its antioxidant and antibacterial properties.  A study has shown that people that eat honey regularly have higher levels of antioxidants in their body.  In fact, honey contains as many antioxidants as spinach, apples, oranges, or strawberries, giving it a protective effect on the body.  Dark honey has higher levels of antioxidants than light honey.  Honey is also helpful if you suffer from seasonal allergies.  By eating honey that is local to your area, you may actually be able to prevent seasonal allergies.  This is because bees use the pollen from local plants and eventually these end up in your honey.

Honey is the ideal liver fuel as it contains a nearly 1:1 ratio of fructose to glucose.  Fructose is necessary as it unlocks the enzyme from the liver cell’s nucleus that is necessary for the incorporation of glucose into glycogen.  An adequate glycogen store in the liver is essential for supplying the brain with fuel while we are sleeping and during prolonged exercise.

 

Which Honey to Use? 

Unprocessed or raw honey has the greatest healing properties, as pollen, which contains the most active components of the honey, is destroyed during heat processing and exposure to light.  Therefore, buying honey from the supermarket and putting it on a band aid will not work.  You need to use a honey that has a high level of antibacterial agents and that is as unprocessed and sterile as possible if you wish to use it in a medicinal way.  Look for honey that is marked as being 100 percent pure.

Be aware that the types of flowers that the bees pollinate will determine both the flavour and the colour of honey.  Darker shades of honey have more antioxidants.  While all types of honey will have some form of healing properties, it is important that you store your honey properly.  Keep it in an airtight container in a cool dry place so that it doesn’t absorb moisture from the air.  Stored properly, it will keep almost indefinitely.

http://www.naturaltherapypages.co.uk/article/the_healing_properties_of_honey

      

Harnessing honey's healing power

Honey has been known for its healing properties for thousands of years - the Ancient Greeks used it, and so have many other peoples through the ages.

Even up to the second world war, honey was being used for its antibacterial properties in treating wounds.

But with the advent of penicillin and other antibiotic drugs in the twentieth century, honey's medicinal qualities have taken a back seat.

But that might be about to change - thanks to one New Zealand based researcher.

 

Working in his Honey Research Unit at the University of Waikato, in the central North Island, biochemist Professor Peter Molan has identified one particular type of honey with extraordinary healing qualities.

Professor Molan has shown that honey made from the flowers of the manuka bush, a native of New Zealand, has antibacterial properties over and above those of other honeys.

Mystery ingredient

He said: "In all honeys, there is - to different levels - hydrogen peroxide produced from an enzyme that bees add to the nectar.

"In manuka honey, and its close relative which grows in Australia called jellybush, there's something else besides the hydrogen peroxide.

"And there's nothing like that ever been found anywhere else in the world."

 That "something else" has proved very hard to pin down. Even now, after more than twenty years of research, Peter Molan admits he still has no idea exactly what it is.  But he has given it a name: unique manuka factor, or UMF.

And he has found a way to measure its antibacterial efficacy, by comparing UMF manuka honey with a standard antiseptic (carbolic, or phenol) in its ability to fight bacteria. The results are astonishing.

He said: "We know it has a very broad spectrum of action.

"It works on bacteria, fungi, protozoa. We haven't found anything it doesn't work on among infectious organisms."

Resistant strains
    

A satisfied user "I got bitten by an Alsatian. It grabbed my hand and gave me a five-stitch bite. So I went off to the doctors, and they solely used manuka honey, nothing else, no other treatment. I've got barely a scar now, and that's only three weeks ago. Now in the medical kit I carry in the truck, I have manuka honey and bandages, and that's all." Chris Graham

In fact, he says UMF manuka honey can even tackle antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria - a growing problem for hospitals around the world.

"Staphylococcus aureas is the most common wound-infecting species of bacteria, and that's the most sensitive to honey that we've found.  "And that includes the antibiotic resistant strains - the MRSA - which is just as sensitive to honey as any other staphylococcus aureas."  Clinical trials at the Waikato Hospital have shown that even out of the lab, UMF manuka honey has amazing healing properties.  Nurse practitioner Julie Betts has successfully used honey to treat leg ulcers and pressure sores. And she says it helps healing after surgery - particularly for diabetic patients.  "It has an anti-inflammatory effect as well, so if I want to do several things apart from actually controlling the bacteria in that wound, then that's when
I'll use honey."

Cancer treatment

Cancer specialist Dr Glenys Round has
 also found honey to be an effective treatment.

The honey is exported widely

"We've been using honey to treat fungating wounds,
where the cancer has broken through the skin," she said.

"The results in that situation have been excellent."
Most recently, she has had success in using honey
dressings on patients with wounds or ulcers resulting
from radiation therapy.  "Most of these patients in the
past had tried various other conventional treatments
without good success, and that is the reason why
at least initially honey was tried."

Most patients seem happy to try the honey treatment.

"They don't have a problem with it at all," said Julie Betts.

''Humans in general have a fondness I think for natural remedies, so they're quite happy to use them."

 "I think the problem we encounter is when people don't understand how it works. They think that sourcing any honey will achieve the same outcome, and that's not always true."

Worldwide export

That's a view shared by beekeeper Bill Bennett a few kilometres up the road from the hospital.  He and his wife Margaret run the Summerglow Apiaries, one of just a handful of registered suppliers of UMF manuka honey in New Zealand.

They produce between eight and twelve metric tonnes of manuka honey every year, and sell it across the world.

The honey is rigorously tested three times during production for that elusive unique manuka factor; only then can it carry the label "UMF manuka honey".

"It just seems that manuka from a few areas within New Zealand produces a nectar that has this special property," said Bill Bennett.

"There is a lot of manuka honey out there that doesn't have this special property. That's why it's so important to look for the name UMF."

Now, a New Zealand natural health products company Comvita is taking UMF manuka honey one step further.

Dressings

Comvita has set up a new medical products division to take hi-tech honey dressings developed by Peter Molan to the international market.

The new dressings have been designed to take the mess out of honey.

"It's like a sheet of rubber, you can touch it without it being sticky at all," he said.

Comvita has high hopes for the new product.

"Previously untreatable wounds of many types are now found to be treatable by honey," said Comvita's Ray Lewis.

"The global market for wound care is in the range of two to six billion US dollars. So if we can capture just a small percentage of that, we will obviously be doing very well."

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/3787867.stm

                            

 

A Holistic Approach to Treating the Symptoms of Diverticulitis

There is often confusion surrounding the difference between two conditions known as diverticulosis and diverticulitis. I'm going to explain the difference and reveal how to treat the symptoms of diverticulitis naturally.

Diverticula are small, pea-sized, bulging pouches in the digestive tract. While diverticula can form anywhere, most occur in your large intestine and are many times found in people that experience frequent constipation.

Having diverticula in the intestines is known as diverticulosis. This condition is many times unrecognized by the person affected because diverticulosis seldom causes any problems. Every once in a while however, diverticula can become infected or inflamed. This condition is called diverticulitis.

Many experts believe that a low-fiber diet is a key contributor to diverticulitis. Reason being is lack of fiber in the diet can make stool sometimes harder to pass. The excess pressure can result in certain areas of the colon to become weakened and collapse. This results in marble-sized pouches (diverticula) protruding through the colon wall. These pouches, which are small at first, but become larger gradually; typically develop in the sigmoid and descending colon. These are the lower portions of your large intestine just above your rectum. They are often the result of straining during bowel movements over a number of years.

Sometimes stool can become lodged in one of the pouches and the result can be an infection. Small tears or perforations can also develop in an infected pouch, which can lead to an infection within your abdomen (peritonitis). A person may also develop a collection of pus called an abscess if the infection is limited to an area around the wall of your colon where the diverticula are inflamed.

Diverticulitis can be acute or chronic. The majority of people affected are usually between the ages of 50 and 90. One reason that older people are generally more affected is that the walls of the large intestine tend to weaken with age.

For many people, symptons are non-existent or mistaken for simple indigestion. For those who do experience symptoms, a pain in the lower left side of the abdomen is common. The pain is typically severe and surfaces rather abruptly. However, sometimes a person can experience a mild pain that can worsen over several days and have a fluctuating intensity.

Other typical symptoms include abdominal tenderness, fever, nausea, and constipation or diarrhea.

Less common signs and symptoms of diverticulisis may include:

• Vomiting
• Bloating
• Frequent Urination
• Difficulty or pain while urinating
• Rectal Bleeding
• Tenderness in the abdomen
• Blood in the Stool

While the reason is not exactly known, there is some evidence that links smoking & stress to symptoms becoming worse. Other factors that increase risk of diverticulitis are disease in the genes, gallbladder disease, obesity & coronary artery disease.

The best steps you can take in treating diverticulitis have to do with your lifestyle.

A high fiber diet has been shown to be protective against diverticular disease. You'll need at least 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day to help prevent problems from diverticulosis. Consume fresh fruits and vegetables, cereals that are high in fiber and bran. Be sure to drink plenty of pure water each day, as a high fiber diet will not be effective without adequate water consumption.

Studies have also shown physical activity, specifically jogging or running, to protect against symptomatic diverticular disease.

Avoid foods such as celery and corn as these foods contain indigestible roughage and use bran to prevent constipation.

Eat a diet with your primary source of protein being from fish & vegetables. Stay away from grains, seeds or nuts, as these foods can be hard to digest which results in bloating & gas. Other foods that should be avoided include dairy products, red meat, fried foods, spices, sugar products as well as processed & refined foods.

Also remember to:

• Try not to strain during bowel movements
• Avoid alcohol
• Exercise moderately
• Drink at least eight glasses of pure water a day
• Avoid smoking

Establish a regular bowel routine by spending at least 10 minutes a day trying to have a bowel movement at approximately the same time.

Avoid extremely hot or cold foods and fluids (which cause gas).

When you feel an attack or pain coming on, give yourself a cleansing enema with 2 quarts of luke-warm water mixed with the juice from a fresh squeezed lemon. This will aid in ridding the colon of undigested foodthat has been trapped and will also relieve pain.

Aside from lifestyle changes, supplementing with the following can also be helpful:

Acidophilus (Take as directed on label) - Helps support a healthy intestinal tract (gut) and replaces the flora in the small intestine, primarily to improve assimilation.

Fiber (Take as directed on label) - Helps prevent constipation. Also prevents infection.

Super Greens Formula - Garden of Life provides an excellent greens formula that is high in chlorophyll, which is extremely beneficial for this condition. Diverticulosis sufferers also seem to do better when chlorella is part of the diet. Chlorella will provide you with all the benefits of magnesium, carotenoids, chlorophyll and much more.

Vitamin B Complex (100 mg 3 times daily) - Aids in proper digestion.

Proteolytic Enzymes (Take as directed on label, between meals) - Aids in digestion & reduces inflammation in the colon.

Essential Fatty Acids (Take as directed on label) - Aids in protecting the cells that line the wall of the colon.

L-Glutamine (500 mg twice daily. Take with water or juice but never with milk) - Maintains the absorption surfaces of the gut called the villi.

Vitamin C - Anti-inflammatory and boosts immunity. I recommend a minimum of 3,000 to 8,000 mg daily in divided doses.

Garlic - Aids in digestion and is a natural antibiotic. I personally use Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract by Wakunaga, which is a high-quality odorless organic supplement. Take 2 capsules 3 times daily.

Alfalfa (2,000 mg in capsules or tincture) - Natural source of vitamin K and essential minerals that most people with intestinal disorders are lacking. Also contains chlorophyll, which aids in healing.

Aloe Vera Juice (Drink ½ cup 3 times a day) - promotes healing of the inflamed areas.

http://www.naturalnews.com/021334.html

Benefits of Wheatgrass

Some of the superior qualities of wheatgrass and the juice that can be extracted from its blades include the following:

• Increases red blood-cell count and lowers blood pressure. It cleanses the blood, organs and gastrointestinal tract of debris. Wheatgrass also stimulates metabolism and the body’s enzyme systems by enriching the blood. It also aids in reducing blood pressure by dilating the blood pathways throughout the body.

• Stimulates the thyroid gland, correcting obesity, indigestion, and a host of other complaints.

• Restores alkalinity to the blood. The juice’s abundance of alkaline minerals helps reduce over-acidity in the blood. It can be used to relieve many internal pains, and has been used successfully to treat peptic ulcers, ulcerative colitis, constipation, diarrhea, and other complaints of the gastrointestinal tract.

• Is a powerful detoxifier, and liver and blood protector. The enzymes and amino acids found in wheatgrass can protect us from carcinogens like no other food or medicine. It strengthens our cells, detoxifies the liver and bloodstream, and chemically neutralizes environmental pollutants.

• Fights tumors and neutralizes toxins. Recent studies show that wheatgrass juice has a powerful ability to fight tumors without the usual toxicity of drugs that also inhibit cell-destroying agents. The many active compounds found in grass juice cleanse the blood and neutralize and digest toxins in our cells.

• Contains beneficial enzymes. Whether you have a cut finger you want to heal or you desire to lose five pounds…enzymes must do the actual work. The life and abilities of the enzymes found naturally in our bodies can be extended if we help them from the outside by adding exogenous enzymes, like the ones found in wheatgrass juice. Don’t cook it. We can only get the benefits of the many enzymes found in grass by eating it uncooked. Cooking destroys 100 percent of the enzymes in food.

• Has remarkable similarity to our own blood. The second important nutritional aspect of chlorophyll is its remarkable similarity to hemoglobin, the compound that carries oxygen in the blood. Dr. Yoshihide Hagiwara, president of the Hagiwara Institute of Health in Japan, is a leading advocate for the use of grass as food and medicine. He reasons that since chlorophyll is soluble in fat particles, and fat particles are absorbed directly into the blood via the lymphatic system, that chlorophyll can also be absorbed in this way. In other words, when the “blood” of plants is absorbed in humans it is transformed into human blood, which transports nutrients to every cell of the body.

• When used as a rectal implant, reverses damage from inside the lower bowel. An implant is a small amount of juice held in the lower bowel for about 20 minutes. In the case of illness, wheatgrass implants stimulate a rapid cleansing of the lower bowel and draw out accumulations of debris.

• Externally applied to the skin can help eliminate itching almost immediately.

• Will soothe sunburned skin and act as a disinfectant. Rubbed into the scalp before a shampoo, it will help mend damaged hair and alleviate itchy, scaly, scalp conditions.

• Is soothing and healing for cuts, burns, scrapes, rashes, poison ivy, athlete’s foot, insect bites, boils, sores, open ulcers, tumors, and so on. Use as a poultice and replace every two to four hours.

• Works as a sleep aide. Merely place a tray of living wheatgrass near the head of your bed. It will enhance the oxygen in the air and generate healthful negative ions to help you sleep more soundly.

• Enhances your bath. Add some to your bath water and settle in for a nice, long soak.

• Sweetens the breath and firms up and tightens gums. Just gargle with the juice.

• Neutralizes toxic substances like cadmium, nicotine, strontium, mercury, and polyvinyl chloride.

• Offers the benefits of a liquid oxygen transfusion since the juice contains liquid oxygen. Oxygen is vital to many body processes: it stimulates digestion (the oxidation of food), promotes clearer thinking (the brain utilizes 25% of the body’s oxygen supply), and protects the blood against anaerobic bacteria. Cancer cells cannot exist in the presence of oxygen.

• Turns gray hair to its natural color again and greatly increases energy levels when consumed daily.

• Is a beauty treatment that slows down the aging process when the juice is consumed. Wheatgrass will cleanse your blood and help rejuvenate aging cells, slowing the aging process way down, making you feel more alive right away. It will help tighten loose and sagging skin.

• Lessens the effects of radiation. One enzyme found in wheatgrass, SOD, lessens the effects of radiation and acts as an anti-inflammatory compound that may prevent cellular damage following heart attacks or exposure to irritants.

• Restores fertility and promotes youthfulness.

Can double your red blood cell count just by soaking in it. Renowned nutritionist Dr. Bernard Jensen found that no other blood builders are superior to green juices and wheatgrass. In his book “Health Magic Through Chlorophyll” he mentions several cases where he was able to double the red blood cell count in a matter of days merely by having patients soak in a chlorophyll-water bath. Blood building results occur even more rapidly when patients drink green juices and wheatgrass regularly.

http://www.hippocratesinst.org/wheatgrass/benefits-of-wheatgrass

Health Benefits of Fish Oil

The health benefits of fish oil include its ability to aid in treatment of heart diseases, high cholesterol, depression, anxiety, AHDH, low immunity, cancer, diabetis, inflammation, arthritis, IBD, AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, eye disorders, macular degeneration and ulcers. It also helps in weight loss, pregnancy, fertility and skin care (particularly for conditions such as psoriasis and acne).

Most of the health benefits of fish oil can be attributed to the presence of omega 3 essential fatty acids like Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Other useful essential fatty acids include Alpha-linolenic acid or ALA and Gamma-linolenic acid or GLA.

While, fish oil is useful for the human body, there is lot of buzz and some hype too around fish oil. The fish oil manufacturers have shown fish oil as a remedy for almost everything. We have covered below the various benefits of fish oil, some of which are based on concrete scientific evidence and some based on mere animal studies. We suggest readers to make a informed decision and not be affected by both pro and anti propoganda about fish oil. 

The different types of fish which can be a good source of fish oil are mackerel, rainbow trout, lake trout, halibut, herring, sea bass, sardines, swordfish, oysters, albacore tuna, blue fin tuna, yellow fin tuna, turbot, pilchards, anchovies andsalmon.The most common ones among these for obtaining oil are albacore tuna, herring, mackerel, sardines, lake trout and salmon. The quality of fish oil greatly depends on the type of fish used for getting the oil.

 

Health benefits of fish oil

 

The health benefits of fish oil include the following:

 

 

Healthy Heart

 

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), clinical trials have proved that omega 3 is effective in reducing the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Fish oil is a good source of omega 3 and therefore, reduces the risk of heart diseases and heart arrhythmias. It also lowers the level of bad cholesterol (LDL), and increases the level of good cholesterol (HDL). Fish oil prevents accumulation of triglycerides and further reduces the levels of excess triglycerides. Preliminary research has also shown that fish oil can be used for preventing atherosclerosis in coronary patients. Thus fish oil is effective in treating heart strokes and regular usage of fish oil can help avoid numerous sudden cardiac deaths. As per American Heart Association, these preliminary findings should be confirmed by detailed research.

 

 

Weight Loss

 

Fish oil also aids in losing weight. Research conducted by Professor Peter Howe at the University of South Australia has shown that fish oil improves the efficacy of exercise in reducing weight. Volunteers who were given fish oil diet showed greater weight loss as compared to those who did not consume fish oil diet. Exercise combined with fish oil had a positive effect on the body shape and body composition of the patients.

 

Improved Immunity

It is believed that regular consumption of fish oil aids in increasing your immunity thereby enabling you to resist incidence of common diseases such as cold, cough and flu. Omega three fatty acids present in fish oil benefit the immune system by effecting cytokines and eicosanoids present in our body. Researchers have also studied the effect of fish meal and fish oil, on the immune system of pigs and found that fish oil aided in the growth of the animals. Similar research conducted on mice at Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, also gave positive results. Thus fish oil has the potential to enhance the immune system of humans. Fish oil is also beneficial to patients suffering from lupus, which is a disease characterized by the attacks of immune system of the body on various organs and tissues. It also helps in reducing associated fever, skin rashes and fatigue.

 

 

AIDS

Research conducted by the Nutritional Sciences Program in Lexington has increased the promise of fish oil as treatment of AIDS. However, significant research needs to be conducted on this.

 

 

Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Fish is effective in reducing inflammation in blood and tissues. Regular consumption of fish oil supplements, tablets, pills and capsules is helpful to those suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases. Fish oil is effective in treating gastrointestinal disorders, sprue, short bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including Crohn's Disease and ulcerative colitis, which are typical disorders of the intestine. Patients suffering from Crohn’s disease find it difficult to absorb vitamins, fats and essential supplements. Fish oil supplements are an effective diet for such patients. In ulcerative colitis, fish oil prevents the accumulation of leukotriene on the colon. It should be noted that the anti inflammatory properties of fish oil are limited to reducing inflammation. Research is also being conducted to enhance the anti-inflammatory action of fish oil by addition of other dietary supplements and drugs.

 

Arthritis

Fish oil is useful in treating arthritis, rheumatism, Raynaud’s symptoms and similar conditions. Usage of fish oil can help in reducing the dosage of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). The Royal Adelaide Hospital, Australia, and University of Newcastle, Australia have reported that large quantities of fish oil have shown positive effect on the treatment of arthritis. In case of osteoarthritis, fish oil can be helpful in reducing the impact of enzymes that destroy cartilages. However, since the dosage of fish oil required for desirable effect in the improvement of a patient is unknown, the Arthritis Center, Department of Rheumatology, John Hopkins University, considers including omega 3 fatty acids and fish oil in the treatment of arthritis as controversial. The University also cautions that arthritis patients may see certain side effects due to use of fish oil. Read more about arthritis on the webpage of Arthritis Foundation andArthritis Centre.

 

Depression and Anxiety

Due to the presence of Omega 3 fatty acids, fish oil is good for relieving depression, sadness, anxiety, restlessness, mental fatigue, stress, decreased sexual desire, suicidal tendencies and other nervous disorders. Researchers at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio in their research publication titled “Fish Oils and Bipolar Disorder: A Promising but Untested Treatment ” state that fish oil can be useful in mood stabilizing and treating bipolar disorders. No wonder, it has been found that countries where fish is eaten often havelow incidence of depression. Similarly research conducted on prisoners has shown that when prisoners were fed with sea food containing higher amount of omega three fatty acids there was a significant drop in the homicide rate.

 

Alzheimer’s disease

Research conducted at the Louisiana State University has shown that fatty acids are effective in treating Alzheimer’s disease. Since fish oil is one of the best sources of essential fatty acids including EPA and DHA, it helps in Alzheimers disease. Research conducted at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) validates the usefulness of fish oil as a possible remedy for the disease. The Alzheimer’s Association recommends fish containing higher content of omega three fatty acids to patients as it acts as a protective diet during Alzheimer disease and dementia.



ADHD or ADD

Fish oil has the ability to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) due to the high concentration of fatty acids. If your child suffers from hyperactivity, dyslexia, dyspraxia, inability to complete tasks, emotional instability, wavering attitude, poor coordination, short attention span, short term memory, low concentration, tendency to interrupt others, recklessness, hastiness, impetuosity, impulsiveness, low IQ, or learning disorders, fish oil is a proven remedy. Research conducted at the University of South Africa and CSIRO has shown that when children suffering from ADHD were given doses of fish oil and evening primrose capsules for 15 weeks, they showed significant improvement. Since brain consists of about 60% of fats, especially essential fatty acids such as omega 3 and omega 6, fish oil helps in improving the functioning of the brain. Further, it is believed that fish oil is useful in the normal development of the brain. It helps your kid concentrate on the studies better. It has been further found that when pregnant women are given regular doses of fish oil, the born toddlers show enhanced hand eye coordination. Facts about ADHD.

 

 

Eye Disorders

It is well known that fish oil is good for its ability to improve vision. It also helps in avoiding age related macular degeneration. The National Eye Institute at the National Institute of Health, US, plans to conduct a nation-wide study to evaluate the effect of fish oil in treating macular degeneration. This study will provide strong scientific evidence to the benefits of fish oil for eye care, thereby enabling government agencies and physicians to strongly recommend fish oil for macular degeneration.

 

Skin Care

Fish oil helps in improving the condition of poor and dry skin by making it shinny and glowing. It is useful in treating various skin problems such as eczema, psoriasis, itching, redness of skin, skin lesions, and rashes. In case of psoriasis, the EPA present in fish oil restricts the growth of pro-inflammatory agents by producing arachidonic acid. Fish oil can also be applied topically to get relief from psoriasis. Regular intake of fish oil capsules helps in reducing loss of moisture from the skin. It is also claimed by some people that fish oil helps in preventing sunburns.

 

Acne

Fish oil is effective for acne as well. EPA is known to inhibit androgen formation. Androgen can affect the formation of sebum in hair follicle.

 

Cancer

Fish oil is useful in delaying weight loss in patients suffering from pancreatic cancer. Fish oil supplements can also be helpful to patients suffering from cancer related hyperlipidemia.

 

Diabetes

Type II diabetic patients are prone to cardio vascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, and stroke. As mentioned above, fish oil is helpful in treating various heart problems. Research conducted at the University of Oxford, UK, has proved that fish oil is useful in reducing triglyceride levels in diabetes as well.

 

Ulcers

The presence of EPA and DHA in fish oil makes it helpful in case of ulcers caused by Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

 

Pregnancy

Fish oil is very useful for pregnant women as DHA present in it helps in the development of the eyes and brain of the baby. It helps in avoiding premature births, low weight at birth, and miscarriage. Research conducted in Denmark, which involved 8,729 pregnant women, concluded that diet with low amounts of fish resulted in higher risk of premature or preterm babies. It is also believed that women who do not have a sufficient intake of EPA and DHA in their diet suffer from depression after birth as there is transfer of some amount of brain mass from the mother to the child in the last stages of pregnancy. Moreover, as mentioned above, when pregnant women are given fish oil supplements, the born kids show enhanced coordination between eye and hand. Thus it is very beneficial to consume fish oil either by eating fish or taking fish oil supplements, tablets, capsules, or pills during pregnancy for the overall development of the child and well being of the mother. However, it should be noted that fish oil obtained from the liver of the fish, example – cod liver oil, should not be consumed during pregnancy as cod liver oil is rich in retinol and vitamin A.

 

Fertility

Preliminary research conducted on boar has shown that when male boars are fed with diet containing fish oil, the quality of the sperm is enhanced. After ejaculation, the sperms have increased survival against lipid peroxidative attacks in the female genital tract, thereby increasing the chances of conception. On the other hand, similar animal studies have shown inhibition in the synthesis of prostaglandin E and prostaglandin F, which are produced in large quantities by human seminal vesicles. The research, however, found no impact in the count and mobility of sperm.

 

Hair Care

Fish oil helps maintain a good luster of the hair. Omega three has hair growing properties as it provides nourishment to the follicles. It aids in faster development of hair and preventing hair loss. A good supply of proteins is also necessary for hair growth. Since most fish varieties are rich in protein, eating fish helps in keeping healthy hair.

 

Blood Circulation

It is believed that fish oil has the ability to improved blood circulation along with reducing triglyceride and serum cholesterol levels. The benefit of improving blood circulation is primarily studied on rats only. 

It is also believed that fish oil helps in asthma and kidney failure. Many people also like to feed fish oil to their pets especially dogs and cats as it enables in the growth of shinny hair and smooth skin. It also helps the dogs and cats deal with arthritis, which is a very common disease among pets.

The National High Blood Pressure Education Program, US, has cautioned against wrongful publicity of fish oil as an effective means of lowering high blood pressure in patients suffering from hypertension. According to its report, fish oil supplements lowers high blood pressure only to a small extent in hypertensive patients. Research conducted at the Channing Laboratory, Boston, US has revealed that moderate doses of fish oil supplements have little effect on the condition of high blood pressure in normotensive persons.

 

Should we replace vegetable oils with fish oil?

No. There are many websites which advise people to stop eating vegetable oils and switch to fish oil for increasing the intake of omega 3 fatty acids. However, it should be noted that most of these websites take a bias towards fish oil to increase the sales of their products. Fish oil is a good source of omega 3 essential fatty acids and should be consumed. But that doesn’t necessarily imply that one should replace vegetable oils with fish oil.

Here is a brief on Omega 3 fatty acids: There are three types of Omega 3 fatty acids, namely alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). All three are important for the body. Vegetable sources including flax seed oil, soybean oil, hemp oil, canola oil, walnut oil, rapeseed, perilla, chia and tofu are rich in ALA. The human body has the ability to convert ALA to DHA and EPA, though there are limitations to this conversion.

 

Caution on dosage of fish oil

Excessive dosage of fish oil can have adverse allergies and side effects on the body. Further, fish oil can be problematic in many conditions and hence it is necessary to consume fish oil supplements cautiously. You should consult a doctor or physician for the exact dosage of fish oil you should take. Moreover, fish oil can be consumed in various forms. These include eating the fish directly by baking, roasting, frying, grilling, broiling, or smoking it or eating fish oil which is available in the form of concentrated dietary supplements such as liquid, tablet, capsule, pill, soft gel, etc. Also, there are various pharmaceutical grades of fish oil. It is not necessary to always consume pharmaceutical grade fish oil or even fish oil supplements. You should also consult your doctor to check the mode of consuming fish oil.

 

Fish oil purity

One must pay attention to the quality of fish oil while purchasing. Fish oil is obtained from almost all sources of fish - freshwater, farm, ocean, deep sea and shallow sea fish. All these fish can be contaminated with toxic compounds such as mercury, arsenic, lead, forms of calcium, furans, dioxins, PCBs, and methyl mercury, and may affect the human body. Therefore, the fish oil used should be pure. Many companies sell ultra refined fish oil or distilled fish oil, but you should always check if the standards have been followed.

 

Fish oil and Vitamins

Vitamin A and Vitamin D: Fish oil, especially the one obtained from liver such as the cod liver oil is a rich source of vitamin A and Vitamin D. However, excessive dosage of cod liver oil can lead to Vitamin toxicity, accumulation of excessive vitamins in the body, which can cause side effects.

Vitamin E: Various beliefs surrounding fish oil and Vitamin E include:

Fish oil undergoes oxidation and can become rancid, leading to formation of free radicals. Addition of antioxidants such as vitamin E to fish oil can help prevent the formation of these free radicals.

Excessive dosage of fish oil leads to reduction of Vitamin E in the human body. This loss of vitamin E should be supplemented with external vitamin E supplements.

The combination of fish oil and vitamin E can have added benefit in the treatment of many cancers and heart diseases, than if they are used individually.

Preliminary research has been carried out which prove the above beliefs; however, these need to be substantiated with detailed research before drawing strong conclusions on the use of fish oil and vitamin E.

http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-animal-products/organic-fish/health-benefits-of-fish-oil.html

Heal and Soothe Burns and Prevent Scarring with Natural Home Remedies Learn more

When most people think of burns, fire and heat usually come to mind. While it is true that heat is the leading cause of tissue damage known as "burns", such damage can also be caused by sunburn and other radiation, friction, electricity, or chemicals. Most burns other than the most severe ones can be treated safely and effectively with natural home remedies.

Burns are characterized by degree, based on the severity of the tissue damage. First-degree burns cause redness and swelling in the epidermis (the outermost layers of skin). Second-degree burns also involve redness and swelling as well as blistering and the damage may extend beneath the epidermis to the deeper layers of skin (the dermis). Third-degree burns destroy the entire depth of skin and usually result in scarring, and the damage may extend to underlying fat, muscle, or bone.

The wonderful Aloe Vera plant is a top choice for healing and soothing burns. Since the active ingredient (acemannen) breaks down quickly, fresh inner leaf fillets are much preferred. Fresh Aloe Vera quickly soothes painful burns and often heals even serious burns with little or no scarring.

Lavender essential oil is a very effective antiseptic that also reduces pain and promotes rapid healing. In addition, lavender reduces scarring. When lavender oil is applied to a burn very quickly, the burn may heal with no scarring at all. For larger burns, pour lavender oil onto a gauze or cloth and apply to the burn every few hours.

A wonderful and widely available household first aid item for healing and soothing burns is diluted vinegar. Cover the burn area with a cloth soaked in diluted vinegar. Refresh the vinegar compress as often as needed, especially if the pain becomes stronger again.

Another good household item is honey, especially raw honey, which has wonderful antiseptic and healing properties. Researchers in India found that burns dressed with honey healed faster and with less pain and scarring.

The India Yunani Cotton-Ash Paste burn remedy has been used for centuries to treat even severe burns. Take a large piece of cotton wool (or any kind of pure, white cotton fabric) and burn it (perhaps in a metal pot). Use the ash of the burned cotton and mix with olive oil to get a thick paste. Spread this black paste on the burned skin and cover with a cling film. Reportedly, the pain disappears in seconds and even the accompanied shock ameliorates. If the pain comes back again, refresh the poultice and use fresh paste on the wound. Use the paste for a week or so, depending on the severity of the burns.

Another age old remedy is potato peels. Potato peels provide moisture and they also have anti-bacterial properties that help in healing. Doctors have found that potato peel bandages work better for minor burns than conventional dressings.

An effective home remedy for burns can be made by combining equal portions of barley, turmeric and yogurt. Apply the resulting paste over the affected areas for pain relief and healing.

Calendula infused oil or calendula ointment is also a good burn remedy.

Vitamins A, C, and E aid in the healing process for burns and other wounds. Zinc can help with healthier skin after the burn as well as quicker recovery time.

Last, but far from least, is colloidal silver. Colloidal silver has wonderful antiseptic and healing properties and helps damaged tissue regenerate. Major hospital burn units use colloidal silver bandages and ointments. Severe burns often heal with little or no scarring.

Note: In the case of any very severe burn, seek professional medical care immediately.

http://www.naturalnews.com/028939_scarring_natural_remedies.html

Garlic Facts Remedies and Health Benefits of Garlic

What is Garlic?
 

Cloves

Garlic, Latin name Allium sativum, belongs to the onion family Alliaceae including shallots, and leek. Garlic has been used throughout recorded history for both medicinal and culinary purposes. The garlic bulb is divided into sections called cloves. 

Elephant garlic or Russian garlic is a variant of the species leek and not considered a true garlic. It has a tall, solid, flowering stalk and broad, flat leaves much like those of the leek, but forms a bulb consisting of very large, garlic like cloves. 

Is Garlic Good for You?

 

Garlic is one of the most valuable and versatile foods on the planet. Garlic belongs to the Allium family of vegetables which also includes onions, chives, shallots and leeks.

Today garlic is a widely recognized health enhancing supplement. Garlic promotes the well-being of the heart and immune systems with antioxidant properties and helps maintain healthy blood circulation. One of garlic's most potent health benefits includes the ability to enhance the body's immune cell activity.

The active component in garlic is the sulfur compound called allicin. Allicin is the chemical produced when garlic is chopped, chewed, or bruised. Allicin is quite powerful as an antibiotic and a potent agent that helps the body to inhibit the ability of germs to grow and reproduce. In fact, it's said that 1 milligram of allicin has a potency of 15 standard units of penicillin.

There are now over 12 studies published around the world that confirm that garlic can reduce cholestorol

Recently researchers in Oxford and America have published some summaries of all the good data on garlic.

Garlic is known to stimulate T-lymphocyte and macrophage action, promote interleukin-1 levels, and support natural killer cells. Strong activity of these key cells promotes healthy immune system function, and strengthens the body's defenses. 

History of Garlic

 

Pyramid

Garlic was rare in traditional English cuisine (though it is said to have been grown in England before 1548), and has been a much more common ingredient in Mediterranean Europe.

Builders of the ancient pyramids were said to eat garlic daily for enhanced endurance and strength.

Garlic was placed by the ancient Greeks on the piles of stones at cross-roads, as a supper for Hecate.

Roman emperors couldn't eat enough of it, as it was considered an antidote to poisons which were very popular in certain political circles of the time.

The Spanish have long used garlic as a preservative which helps to add creadence to it's anti-bacterial 

properties and whole books have been devoted to the health benefits of garlic.

The inhabitants of Pelusium in lower Egypt, who worshipped the onion, are said to have had an aversion to both onions and garlic as food.

European beliefs once considered garlic a powerful ward against demons, werewolves, and vampires. To ward off vampires, garlic could be worn, hung in windows or rubbed on chimneys and keyholes. 

Garlic Facts

 

Garlic has germanium in it. Germanium is an anti-cancer agent, and garlic has more of it than any other herb. In lab tests, mice fed garlic showed no cancer development, whereas mice that weren't fed garlic showed at least some. In fact, garlic has been shown to retard tumor growth in human subjects in some parts of the world.

Another benefit of garlic is it helps regulate the body's blood pressure. So whether you have problems with low or high blood pressure, garlic can help equalize it.

Garlic helps strengthen your body's defenses against allergies; helps loosen plaque from the artery walls; helps regulate your blood sugar levels; and is the best choice for killing and expelling parasites such as pin worms from the human body.

In addition to all these health benefits, garlic is packed with vitamins and nutrients. Some of these include protein, potassium, Vitamins A, B, B2 and C, Calcium, Zinc and many others.

In a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, allicin powder was found to reduce the incidence of the common cold by over 50%.

Garlic and onions are toxic to cats and dogs.

Garlic can thin the blood similar to the effect of aspirin.

Drinking lemon juice or eating a few slices of lemon will stop bad garlic breath.

It is traditional to plant garlic on the shortest day of the year. Whether this is for symbolic or practical reasons is unclear. 

Garlic for Health

 

Today, we know garlic is an excellent herb for creating and maintaining overall health, but it also has many lesser known, but powerful qualities. For example, many people don't know that it's a naturally powerful antibiotic. This natural antibiotic is effective against toxic bacteria, viruses, and fungus. Available in pills, capsules, liquid and actual raw cloves, garlic is one of the most popular healthy herbs around today.

Garlic helps platelet stickiness or aggregation to help reduce blood coagulation, and promote heart health.

The antioxidant properties of garlic help scavenge harmful free radicals, which can damage LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood stream.

Garlic also promotes increased bile production to help reduce levels of fat in the liver. Garlic pills also help ward off coughs and colds. 

Garlic and Your Heart

 

The positive effect of garlic on your circulatory system is extremely well documented and it has been proved to:

lower blood pressure

decrease platelet aggregation

lower serum triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol ( the bad type) levels

increase serum HDL-cholesterol (the good type) and fibrinolysis (the process through which the body breaks up blood clots.)

Plus it stimulates the production of nitric oxide in the lining of blood vessel walls, a substance that helps them to relax.

As a result of these beneficial actions garlic helps to prevent arteriosclerosis and thereby reduces the risk of heart attack or stroke.Two or three cloves a day have cut the risk of subsequent heart attacks in half in heart patients.One reason for these beneficial effects may be garlic's ability to reduce the amount of free radicals in the bloodstream. 

According to a study published in Life Sciences, a daily dose of 1 ml/kg body weight of garlic extract for a period of 6 months resulted in a significant reduction in oxidant (free radical) stress in the blood of arteriosclerosis patients. It's positive effect on the circulatory system improves blood flow throughout the body so has even been hailed as a cure for impotence!

Garlic and Cancer

 

Current research has shown that a number of readily available foods such as garlic and oinios that make up a healthy diet, actually have a major impact on cancer prevention. The protective effect of garlic seems to be greater than that of onions, even though onion consumption has been shown to reduce the risk of stomach cancer. These cancer fighting foods seem to have the ability to interfere with the development of cancerous tumors. 

The October 2000 issue of the American Journal of Nutrition had a summary of a number epidemiologic studies which showed that people who consumed cooked or raw garlic on a regular basis compared to those that ate little or none had about half the risk of stomach cancer and one-third less risk of colorectal cancer.

This remarkable little bulb now tops the American National Cancer Institute's list of potential cancer-preventative foods. It contains multiple anticancer compounds and antioxidants, more than 30 at the last count, which such powerful compounds as quercetin, diallyl sulphide,allin and ajoene. These have the ability to block cancer causing agents such as nitrosamine and aflatoxin which have been specifically linked to stomach, lung and liver. Garlic's ajoene and allicin have also been shown to retard cancer cells as a type of natural chemotherapy.

The Iowa Women's Health Study discovered that women who included garlic in their daily diet had lower risks for colon cancer. 

Meat cooked at high temperatures (well done to burnt) can produce carcinogenic (cancer producing) chemicals and research has recently discovered that when meat is cooked with garlic this effect is limited.

The ten best groups of anti-cancer foods include: berries and citrus fruits, cruciferous vegetables, garlic and onions, green tea, omega 3 essential fatty acids, olive oil, tomatoes, soy products, red wine and dark chocolate. 

Garlic- and the Immune System

 

Not surprisingly the presence of all these antioxidants in garlic have a very positive effect on the immune system in general and can therefore protect the body against all types of bacterial and viral attacks. Research has recently even shown it to have an inhibiting effect on MSRA which is currently reeking such havoc in U.K. hospitals. 

Garlic also acts as a good cold medication, decongestant and expectorant. It is a surprisingly good source of vitamins C, B6 and the minerals selenium and manganese all of which have long been associated with immune system boosting as well as other benefits. 

Garlic-Promotes Weight Control

 

Allicin is the most potent substance found in garlic and this has been shown to not only lower blood pressure, insulin and triglyceride levels in laboratory animals fed a sugar rich diet, but also to prevent weight gain. 

A study published in the American Journal of Hypertension reported that animals who developed high insulin levels, high blood pressure, and high triglycerides were given either allicin or served as a control. 

Although all of the animals consumed the same amount of food, weight rose only in the control group whereas the animals who were being supplemented with allicin maintained stable weight or a slight decrease was actually noticed. 

The researchers concluded that allicin may be of practical value for weight control. 

Garlic Home Remedies

 

Garlic is an invaluable medicine for asthma, hoarseness, coughs, difficulty of breathing, and most other disorders of the lungs, being of particular virtue in chronic bronchitis, on account of its powers of promoting expectoration. 

An older remedy for asthma, that was most popular, is a syrup of Garlic, made by boiling the garlic bulbs till soft and adding an equal quantity of vinegar to the water in which they have been boiled, and then sugared and boiled down to a syrup. The syrup is then poured over the boiled garlic bulbs, which have been allowed to dry meanwhile, and kept in a jar. Each morning a bulb or two should be taken, with a spoonful of the syrup.

 

For ear infections: Wrap a small piece of garlic in some tissue, and insert it into the ear. Leave it there overnight if possible. Pain is almost immediately removed and the infection tends to start clearing up overnight. See our full article garlic can fight and cure ear infections.

 

For scratchy throats: Put a small slice of garlic in your mouth and suck on it for 10-15 minutes. You can put it between your teeth and cheek, then scratch it with your teeth a little to help stimulate juice from the garlic slice. This juice slides down your throat and removes the pain. 

Garlic can heal the pain caused by insect bites like those of scorpions and centipedes. The juice of fresh garlic mixed with salt can be applied to bruises, sprains and ringworms. 

At the first sign of a cold, chop up 4 cloves of raw garlic and eat or use it as a garnish in soups etc. 

Cut raw garlic and rub the cut edge on the tooth and gums a couple of times a day to stop toothache. 

Take fresh garlic cloves and crush them, apply to warts until they disappear. 

Crush a clove or two onto a dessert spoon then add olive oil and down the hatch. you get the benefits of raw garlic with none of the breath issues.

Garlic to clear sinuses. Melt some butter and add minced garlic cloves, spread on toast and eat. 

Garlic for herpes. Take a garlic clove and cut in half. Eat one half and take the other half and rub into the affected areas. (may sting a little) 

Use raw garlic juice on rashes and bug bites, it stops the itching immediately. 

8 to 10 of garlic juice mixed with 2 TBLS of honey four times a day cures a persistent cough. 

Garlic for tonsillitis. Peel a clove of garlic and cut them in half lengthwise. Boil for a couple of minutes in about 1.5 cup water and add a pinch of salt, teaspoon of butter, a pinch of pepper and sprinkle with nutmeg. 

Cut a garlic clove into small pieces. Swallow them all in one go with a little water to cure bloating, stomach cramps and constipation. 

10 drops of garlic juice with 2 teaspoon of honey cures asthma. 

Garlic in Cooking

 

Garlic soup

Garlic is known for its distinct taste and smell whenever it's cooked and added to various dishes.Garlic has a long history as a culinary spice and medicinal herb. Its Latin name comes from "al" which means burning, and "sativum" which means harvested. Its most widely used part is the head, which is used in cooking to give its distinct taste. Its head is made of 4 - 20 cloves. 

Because of its distinct taste and aroma, it is a commonly used spice that is mixed with other herbs like ginger and onions in preparing various dishes. Depending on the flavor desired, the method of cooking it could either be mellow or intense. In Northern European cuisine for example, garlic is used in little amounts and is cooked for a long time to diminish its taste. Try and cook some roasted garlic for extra health benefits. 

Do odorless garlic pills work?

 

Pills

The more popular version of garlic unfortunately tends to be the "odorless" pills and capsules found in health food stores. Odorless garlic as an antibiotic or general health promotion herb is useless if it doesn't have its smell. Garlic oil and powder supplements are produced by distilling fresh garlic, and then diluting it with other substances. This process destroys the majority of allicin in garlic. Therefore, the supplements rely on the human stomach to convert some of the remaining garlic components into allicin. Although a few garlic powder supplements are able to generate some allicin within the stomach, the amount converted, if any is converted at all, is dependant upon optimal stomach conditions.

British scientists have developed a proprietary process through which the naturally occurring allicin in garlic is extracted, stabilized and concentrated.  The end result is the extremely potent and effective product: Alli-C. Alli-C garlic pills contain enough allicin to be medicinally effective. Each capsule of Alli-C contains 270 milligrams of allicin powder, plus 60 milligrams of vitamin C, and 40 milligrams of bioflavonoids which is the equivalent to 20 to 30 cloves of fresh, crushed garlic! 

Research indicates that just one capsule of Alli-C, taken each day with a little cold liquid during your main meal, will provide enough allicin to support good general health and well-being. 

Growing Garlic at Home

 

Growing garlic

Garlic can be grown all year round in mild climates. In cold climates, cloves can be planted in the ground about six weeks before the soil freezes, and harvested in late spring. Garlic plants can be grown close together and even in small pots indoors as lond as you leave enough room for the bulbs to mature. Simply prepare a light soil mix and stick a garlic clove (the bigger the clove the better) in the ground for every bulb you want to dig up. 

As garlic reaches maturity the leaves will turn brown in color then die away. This is the time to harvest your home grown garlic crop. If you harvest too early the cloves will be very small, too late and the bulb will have split. 

Eat Garlic in Moderation

 

2 to 4 grams of fresh, minced garlic can be eaten each day. However, when eaten excessively, it can leave a distinct odor on the skin and breath, can cause heartburn, upset stomach and allergic reactions. 

Garlic can also thin the blood so caution is advised to people with blood disorders, to those who will have surgery, and to those who will deliver a baby, about consuming it either fresh or in supplement form. 

Side effects from taking garlic supplements include headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle aches and dizziness. 

http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/garlic-benefit.shtml 

Fructose: Eliminate This Everyday Food and Watch Your High Blood Pressure Plunge

Uncontrolled high blood pressure is a very serious health concern that can lead to heart disease and increased risk for stroke. The good news is, by optimizing your dietary intake, exercising, and effectively managing your stress, the odds of normalizing your blood pressure are greatly in your favor.

If you or someone you love is affected by high blood pressure, then please review and share the guidelines given below. A list of supplementary articles is also included, if you desire further information. Hypertension is actually an easily treated condition, but one that can cause serious damage to your health if ignored.

      Your Diet Will Raise or Lower Your Blood Pressure

Are you on a high grain, low fat regimen? If so, I have bad news for you, because this nutritional combination is a prescription for hypertension and can absolutely devastate your health.

Groundbreaking research published in 1998 in the journal Diabetes reported that nearly two-thirds of the test subjects who were insulin resistant(IR) also had high blood pressure, and insulin resistance is directly attributable to a high sugar, high grain diet, especially if accompanied by inadequate exercise. So, chances are that if you have hypertension, you also have poorly controlled blood sugar levels, because these two problems often go hand in hand.
As your insulin level elevates, so does your blood pressure.

As explained by Dr. Rosedale, insulin stores magnesium. If your insulin receptors are blunted and your cells grow resistant to insulin, you can't store magnesium so it passes out of your body through urination. Magnesium stored in your cells relaxes muscles. If your magnesium level is too low, your blood vessels will constrict rather than relax, which will raise your blood pressure and decrease your energy level. Insulin also affects your blood pressure by causing your body to retain sodium. Sodium retention causes fluid retention. Fluid retention in turn causes high blood pressure and can ultimately lead to congestive heart failure. If your hypertension is the direct result of an out-of-control blood sugar level, then normalizing your blood sugar levels will also bring your blood pressure readings into the healthy range.

      Fructose Can Cause Your Blood Pressure to Skyrocket

The first thing you need to do is remove all grains and sugars from your diet, particularly fructose, until both your weight and your blood pressure have normalized. Eating sugars and grains -- including any type of bread, pasta, corn, potatoes, or rice -- will cause your insulin levels and your blood pressure to remain elevated.

A study published earlier this year discovered that those who consumed 74 grams or more per day of fructose (the equivalent of about 2.5 sugary drinks) had a 77 percent greater risk of having blood pressure levels of 160/100 mmHg. (For comparison, a normal blood pressure reading is below 120/80 mmHg.) Consuming 74 grams or more of fructose daily also increased the risk of a 135/85 blood pressure reading by 26 percent, and 140/90 by 30 percent. This is significant because the average American now consumes 70 grams of fructose EVERY day!

Fructose breaks down into a variety of waste products that are bad for your body, one being uric acid. Uric acid drives up your blood pressure by inhibiting the nitric oxide in your blood vessels. Nitric oxide helps your vessels maintain their elasticity, so nitric oxide suppression leads to increases in blood pressure. In fact, 17 out of 17 studies demonstrate that elevated uric acid levels lead to hypertension. For more information on the connection between fractose,uric, and hypertension please see this article that explains it in greater depth.

I've also interviewed Dr Richard Johnson, one of the leading medical researchers in this field, about his research into the health dangers of fructose, specifically how fructose causes health problems such as high blood pressure.

      My Recommended Fructose Allowance

As a standard recommendation, I strongly advise keeping your TOTAL fructose consumption below 25 grams per day. Since the average 12-ounce can of soda contains 40 grams of sugar, at least half of which is fructose, this can of soda ALONE would exceed your daily allotment.
In addition, most people would be wise to also limit the amount of fructose you get from fruit to 15 grams or less, because you're virtually guaranteed to consume "hidden" sources of fructose (typically in the form of high fructose corn syrup) from most beverages and just about any processed food you eat.

Fifteen grams of fructose is not much -- it represents two bananas, one-third cup of raisins, or just two Medjool dates. In his book, The Sugar Fix, Dr. Johnson includes detailed tables showing the fructose content in different foods, and I've included a sample of these values in the linked article.

       Additional Dietary Considerations  

 

1. Normalize your omega 6:3 ratio -- Both omega-3 and omega-6 fats are essential for your health. Most Americans, however, are getting too much omega-6 in their diet and far too little omega-3. Consuming omega-3 fats is one of the best ways to re-sensitize your insulin receptors if you suffer from insulin resistance. Omega-6 fats are found in corn, soy, canola, safflower and sunflower oil. If you're consuming a lot of these oils, you'll want to avoid or limit them. Omega-3 fats are typically found in flaxseed oil, walnut oil and fish, with fish being by far the best source. Unfortunately, most fresh fish today contains dangerously high levels of mercury. Your best bet is to find a safe source of fish, or if this proves too difficult, supplement with a high quality krill oil, which has been found to be 48 times more potent than fish oil.
   
2. Eliminate caffeine -- The connection between caffeine consumption and high blood pressure is not well understood, but there is ample evidence to indicate that if you have hypertension, coffee and other caffeinated drinks and foods can ex­acerbate your condition. Caffeine is a drug, and while it's entirely legal and widely consumed, it can have a powerful effect on your individual physiology. If you want to eliminate caffeine from your diet, try to do it gradually over a period of days or even weeks in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms like headaches.  
3. Consume Fermented Foods – Differences in gut flora from one person to another appears to have a large effect on whether or not you develop heart disease. If your gut flora is not healthy, your risk is much greater for heart disease, as well as many other chronic health problems. The best way to optimize your gut flora is by including some naturally fermented foods in your diet, such as sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables, yogurt, kefir, and natto. An additional benefit of fermented foods is that some of them are excellent sources of vitamin K2, which is important for preventing arterial plaque buildup and heart disease.

       Use Exercise as a Drug

Physical activity is by far one of the most potent "drugs" there is, and its side effects are exactly the kinds you want to experience. Regardless of the primary reason you start an exercise program, your efforts will be rewarded in countless other ways.

A comprehensive exercise regimen, such as myPeak Fitness program, is very important in producing long-term benefits in people with high blood pressure. Nearly every program should incorporate anaerobic sprint or burst-type exercises one to three times a week, as these have been shown to be even more effective than aerobic exercises at reducing your risk of dying from a heart attack.

If you are insulin resistant, you'll definitely want to include weight training in your exercise program. When you work individual muscle groups, you increase blood flow to those muscles. Good blood flow will increase your insulin sensitivity. Depending on your physical condition when you embark on your exercise program, you may need to consult with a health care professional for help increasing to the intensity required to lower your insulin level. Exercise in combination with the supplement L-argenine has been shown to correct the abnormal functioning of blood vessels seen in people with chronic heart failure. However, I would view this more as a drug approach and not necessarily a supplement you would consider using for optimizing health in general. L-arginine probably works through its interaction with nitric oxide. I would consider it an adjunct, not a replacement, for coenzymeQ10, which is a well-proven therapy for heart failure.

      Optimize Your Vitamin D Levels

Believe it or not, the farther you live from the equator, the higher your risk of developing high blood pressure.  And did you know that blood pressure is typically higher in winter months than in summer?

Sunlight actually affects blood pressure in several ways:

• Sun exposure causes your body to produce vitamin D. Lack of sunlight reduces your vitamin D stores and increases parathyroid hormone production, which increases blood pressure.

• Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to insulin resistance (IR) and Syndrome X (also known as Metabolic Syndrome), a group of health problems that can include IR, elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels, obesity, and high blood pressure.

• Vitamin D is also a negative inhibitor of your body's renin-angiotensin system (RAS), which regulates blood pressure. If you're vitamin D deficient, it can cause inappropriate activation of your RAS, which may lead to hypertension.

• Additionally, exposure to UV rays is thought to cause the release of endorphins, chemicals in your brain that produce feelings of euphoria and pain relief. Endorphins naturally relieve stress, and stress management is an important factor in resolving hypertension.

Exposure to appropriate amounts of sunlight is a basic health requirement that extends far beyond blood pressure normalization. Vitamin D helps systems and organs throughout your body to function properly. Ideally, you'll want to get your vitamin D through safe exposure to sunshine or a safe tanning bed, but vitamin D3 supplements can also be used. Please do NOT let your doctor give you a "prescription" vitamin D. That is vitamin D2, which is synthetic, and not nearly as beneficial as the real vitamin D, which is D3 (cholecalciferol).

Keep in mind that if you decide to supplement with oral vitamin D3, you must carefully monitor your vitamin D blood levels to avoid overdosing. (This is why it is highly preferable to get your vitamin D through sun exposure, since there is virtually no chance of overdosing.)
To learn much more about vitamin D test values and the best labs to get your tests done, please visit the linked page. I also recommend watching my free one-hour vitamin D lecture for more information about the incredible health benefits of this essential nutrient.

      Controlling Your Stress is Crucial

One in three American adults have high blood pressure (hypertension), and just as many, if not more, battle emotional and mental stress on a day-to-day basis. Are these two conditions connected?

You bet. As reported by ABC World News on September 16, 2010, one cardiologist believes the connection between stress and hypertension is undeniable, yet still does not receive the emphasis it deserves. In response, Dr. Kennedy developed a stress-relieving technique he calls "The 15 Minute Heart Cure," a set of breathing and creative visualization techniques that can be done anywhere, anytime. The technique is demonstrated in the ABC World News video above. By teaching your body to slow down and relax when stress hits -- essentially short-circuiting your physical stress reaction -- you can protect your health.

My preferred method is the Emotional Freedom Technique, an easy to learn, easy to use technique for releasing negative emotions. EFT combines visualization with calm, relaxed breathing, while employing gentle tapping to "reprogram" deeply seated emotional patterns.

     

       Supplements and Other Alternatives

 

Although certain supplements may be helpful, it's important to understand they should never be used as a substitute for basic lifestyle choices that treat the real cause of the problem. Using only supplements without modifying your lifestyle is an allopathic approach not very different from using drugs. In most instances, it is not likely to be effective. Once you have made some beneficial changes to your lifestyle, you can then consider some of the following supplements as a way to further enhance your health:

• Calcium and magnesium. Daily calcium and magnesium supplementation can be useful in lowering blood pressure, especially if yours is on the high end of high. However, if you avoid sugars and grains and eat for your Nutritional Type™ (see above), it's unlikely additional calcium or magnesium supplements will be necessary.

• Vitamins C and E. Studies indicate that these vitamins can be helpful in lowering your blood pressure. Ideally, you'll want to get the right amount of both these nutrients through diet alone. If you decide you need a supplement, make sure to take a natural (not synthetic) form of vitamin E. You can tell what you're buying by carefully reading the label. Natural vitamin E is always listed as the "d-" form (d-alpha-tocopherol, d-beta-tocopherol, etc.) Synthetic vitamin E is listed as "dl-" forms.

• Olive leaf extract. In one 2008 study, supplementing with 1,000 mg of olive leaf extract daily for eight weeks caused a significant dip in both blood pressure and LDL ("bad cholesterol") in people with borderline hypertension. If you want to incorporate olive leaf extract as a natural adjunct to a nutritionally sound diet, you should look for fresh leaf liquid extracts for maximum synergistic potency. You can also prepare your own olive leaf tea by placing a large teaspoon of dried olive leaves in a tea ball or herb sack. Place it in about two quarts of boiling water and let it steep for three to 10 minutes. The tea should be a medium amber color when done.

• Electrical acupuncture. Acupuncture combined with electrical stimulation has shown to temporarily lower elevations in blood pressure in animals by as much as 50 percent. It's currently undergoing testing in humans and could be a promising alternative treatment for controlling blood pressure.

• Breastfeeding. Studies have shown that babies who are breastfed for more than 12 months have a dramatically lower risk of developing hypertension. Researchers believe long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (the same found in fatty fish) in breast milk provide a protective effect for newborns.

• Quick tricks. Increasing nitric monoxide in your blood can open constricted blood vessels and lower blood pressure. Methods of increasing the compound include taking a warm bath, breathing in and out through one nostril (close off the other nostril and your mouth), and eating bitter melon, rich in amino acids and vitamin C.

Like obesity, high blood pressure is an epidemic. And like obesity, your best treatment is to evaluate your lifestyle and make the necessary adjustments.

A natural approach to preventing disease and healing yourself when illness strikes is always the better choice. In the case of high blood pressure, lifestyle changes -- with particular emphasis on normalizing your insulin levels -- can put you on the road to a drug-free, all-natural return to optimal health.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/08/discover-the-secret-to-lowering-your-blood-pressure-in-15-minutes.aspx