Green vegetables

Green vegetables proven to protect against breast cancer

by Jonathan Benson, staff writer

(NaturalNews) Eating more cruciferous vegetables has been shown once again to play an important role in the mitigation of cancer, this time in helping women with breast cancer to live longer. A Chinese study recently presented at the 103rd annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) revealed that the more cruciferous vegetables women with breast cancer eat, the more likely they are not only to survive their condition, but also to add more years onto their lives.

Based on data collected for the Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study, a comprehensive, large-scale study of breast cancer survivors in China, it appears as though consumption patterns of cruciferous vegetables, or vegetables from the cabbage family, are directly proportional to survival rates. The breast cancer-specific mortality rate among women who consumed the most cruciferous vegetables, for instance, was as much as 62 percent less than among those who consumed the least or no cruciferous vegetables.

At the same time, the overall mortality rate among women who consumed cruciferous vegetables on a regular basis was found to be anywhere from 27 to 62 percent less than among women who consumed little or no cruciferous vegetables. And risk of breast cancer recurrence among cruciferous-eating women was as much as 35 percent lower than among non-eating women.

“Commonly consumed cruciferous vegetables in China include turnips, Chinese cabbage (bok choy) and greens, while broccoli and brussels sprouts are the more commonly consumed cruciferous vegetables in the United States and other Western countries,” said Dr. Sara Nechuta, a postdoctoral research fellow at Vanderbilt University and author of the study.

“Second, the amount of intake among Chinese women is much higher than that of U.S. women. The level of bioactive compounds such as isothiocyanates and indoles, proposed to play a role in the anti-cancer effects of cruciferous vegetables, depend on both the amount and type of cruciferous vegetables consumed.”

Cruciferous vegetables contain a variety of anti-cancer nutrients that have been shown in previous studies to both fight cancer cells and prevent them from forming. Sulforaphane, an organosulfur compound found in broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, for instance, is a powerful anti-cancer nutrient that also performs a number of beneficial functions in the body (http://www.naturalnews.com).

Isothiocyanates are another anti-cancer nutrient in cruciferous vegetables that activate cancer-fighting genes. Both systemically and genetically, cruciferous vegetables help fight and prevent cancer, and are a great way by which to protect yourself against this pandemic condition.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.independent.ie

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/761792

(If this link does not work directly, try searching for “Cruciferous Veggies Boost Survival in Breast Cancer Patients”)

http://www.naturalnews.com/025441_vegetables_cancer_cruciferous.html

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The Importance of Makaatib

The Importance of Makaatib A major portion of the life of Nabi sallallahu alaihi wasallam was spent in the establishing of Makaatib. The first maktab established was in the house of Faatima binte Khattaab t. This Maktab was eventually the means for Hadhrat Umar t accepting Islam. Shaikhul Hind (R.A.) had mentioned that the solution to the global problems of the Ummat is in the establishing of Makaatib throughout the globe. Furthermore he mentioned that when little children will recite the Qur’aan this will draw the rahmat of AllahI. It has been proven over the centuries that this method of sending our children to the Makaatib is the most vital tool in preserving the Deen of AllahI. In many countries where there is or was no Maktab system there is no sign of Deen at all in these countries. e.g of South America, Uzbekistan many villages in Bangladesh etc. Today we have come for the Jumuah Salaah. We made wudhu, performed our sunnats and we are getting ready to perform the Fardh of Jumah. Amongst the crowd there are many people from different walks of life. Some may be doctors, some are lawyers, some may be businessmen, some are Ulama and some may be ordinary laymen. But every one of us learnt our basics of Islaam in the Maktab, whether it was at the hands of some Apa or Munshie but this is what has equipped us to continue our lives as Muslims. Our children The same goes for our children. If we are not going to equip them with sound Islamic knowledge they will get sucked up into this world and forget who their creator is. Remember that Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam said that after a person passes away nothing will avail him accept 3 things. 1. Sadaqah-e-Jaariyyah (explain); 2. Beneficial knowledge (explain); 3. Pious child that will make dua for him after his death. After we die and leave this world there will be no one to stand at our graves and make dua for us. There will be no one to recite Qur’aan and send the Esaale Sawaab for us. Yes if we give our children the correct and proper Islamic knowledge by sending to the afternoon Maktab, Insha Allah these very children will be the one who will assist even whilst we are in our graves. Incident During the time of Hadhrat Esa u there was an evil person who passed away. Hadhrat Esa u was passing by his grave and saw that he was suffering the punishment of the grave. This obviously was due to his evil actions. After a few years Hadhrat Esa u passed by once again and saw that the person was enjoying himself in Jannah. Through the will Allah I Hadhrat Esa u asked the person in the grave that how is that the first time I saw you, you were being punished and now you are in a garden of Jannah. The person replied that I was an evil man and I deserved to be punished but before I died I made a bequest that this little child of mine which I am leaving behind should not be made to follow the footsteps of his father, rather he must be sent to Madrasah when he grows up and learn what is right from what is wrong. Today has been his first day at Madrasah and he has learnt his first lesson ‘Bismillah hir Rahmaa nir Raheem’ In the name of Allah I the Most Beneficent the Most Merciful. Allah I said that it against my honour that I punish the father of such a child who say that Allah Ta’ala is Most Merciful Conclusion This the first week of school. Most of our children and grand children have already enrolled in some school or the other. Please ensure that we enroll them in some Maktab as well for their as well as our benefit. May Allah I give us all taufeeq. Jamiatul Ulama KZN

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female circumcision

Question:
i want to know about female circumcision in detail.

Anwser:
In the name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalāmu ῾alaykum wa Rahmatullāhi Wabarakātuh

We acknowledge receipt of query and your answer follows hereunder;

Female circumcision has been a very controversial issue for last few decades even among those who had been performing from former times. Apart from its scientific views lots of scholars have been intensely arguing the value and religious views of female circumcision.
In Islam, circumcision is considered to be ‘fitrah’ which means the natural character and instinctive temperament of human being.
It has been narrated by Abu Huraira (Radhiyallahu ‘anhu) that Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi Wassallam) said, “Five practices are characteristics of the Fitrah: circumcision, shaving the pubic region, clipping the nails and cutting the moustaches short.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari]Circumcision has also been regarded as the sign of Islam; to the extent that if a dead body is found, the manner of verifying that he was a Muslim is to see if he’s circumcised.Now before delving profound into the question of female circumcision, we would like to make it lucid that “female circumcision” means removing the prepuce of the clitoris which is situated above the opening of the urethra, not the clitoris itself. The Sunnah is not to remove all of it, but only a part.

Umm Atiyyah al-Ansariyyah (Radhiyallahu ‘anha) narrates that a woman used to perform circumcision in Medina. The Prophet said to her: Do not cut severely as that is better for a woman and more desirable for a husband. [Sunan Abu Dawud]

“Circumcision is Sunnah for men, and it is an honour for women, but it is not obligatory for them.
وختان المرأة ليس سنة بل مكرمة للرجال وقيل سنة( قوله وختان المرأة ) الصواب خفاض ، لأنه لا يقال في حق المرأة ختان وإنما خفاض حموي ( قوله بل مكرمة للرجال ) لأنه ألذ في الجماع زيلعي ( قوله وقيل سنة ) جزم به البزازي معللا بأنه نص على أن الخنثى تختن ، ولو كان ختانها مكرمة لم تختن الخنثى ، لاحتمال أن تكون امرأة ولكن لا كالسنة في حق الرجال ا هـ .أقول : وختان الخنثى لاحتمال كونه رجلا ، وختان الرجل لا يترك فلذا كان سنة احتياطا ولا يفيد ذلك سنيته للمرأة تأمل [Fatawa Raheemiyah Vol: 6 Pg: 261 (Darul Ishaa’at)]
Imam Ahmad bin Hambal (Rahmatullahi ‘alayhi) said: For men it is more strictly required, but for women it is less strictly required.” [Al-Mughni by Ibn Qudamah (Rahmatullahi ‘alayhi)]
We conclude from aforesaid discussion that “female circumcision” will be regarded as Mustahab and Sunnah for the male.

And Allāh Ta῾āla Knows Best

Wassalāmu ῾alaykum

Ml. Mohammad Ashhad bin SaidCorrespondence Iftā Student, Mauritius

Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Dārul Iftā, Madrasah In῾āmiyyah

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REFRAINING FROM SHUBUHAAT (DOUBTFUL ELEMENTS)

REFRAINING FROM SHUBUHAAT (DOUBTFUL ELEMENTS)

Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: “Verily Halaal is clear and verily Haraam is clear. Between these two (classes) there are doubtful affairs and I will give you an example of that. Allah has protected a certain area and the protected area of Allah is His prohibitions. Whoever pastures near this ’himaa’ (protected area) will be close to violating it and whoever mixes with doubtful elements will be close to lose.” [Refer to Abu Da’ud -chapter no.3 relating to refraining from ’Shubuhaat’, hadith no.33132]

There are thus three primary classes of goods and activities.

1. Permitted
2. Prohibited
3. Doubtful

Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) warns us against the third class. If it is indeed prohibited then the person who abstains from it, saves himself from Haraam. If it is truly Halaal, then he will obtain a reward since he did not venture into it because of doubt and also because Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) encouraged us to abstain from the doubtful aspects which could be prohibited.

This principle can also apply in those things, the permissibility of which the jurists differ upon.

Once recognition is obtained through learning, ignorance is not excuse for perpetrating the prohibited.

Those who are led by their courage to enter doubtful transactions will eventually become accustomed to it and often expose themselves to danger through risks. Their daringness thus makes them deserve the resultant losses, harms and punishments.

Muslims should therefore not only refrain from selling the’ Haraam – prohibited’ commodities like idols, pornography, liquor etc, but also abstain from doubtful aspects. We should not purchase from people whose wares are from doubtful origin, eg. if there exists the possibility of the goods being stolen.

The above Hadith is authentic as it is narrated by Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmizi, Nasaa’e and ibn Majah.

The Hadith is narrated by Nu’man bin Bashir in two different ways. The
second narration is followed by the wording “Between the two (classes) are “mushtabahaat” – doubtful elements which are not recognised by many people. So the person who abstains from “shubuhaat” protects his “Deen -religion” and the person who engages in “shubuhaat” will enter into the Haraam.

The protection of one’s Deen is highly important so that he strives to the ultimate to save himself from “Jahannam” -hell while recognising that the loss of his “Deen” will imbue a person with evil attributes of the “Kuffaar” -disbelievers. The protection of one’s honour will be the means for people to trust him and to be willing to deal with him. Destroying one’s honour can thus also lead to material loss due to people’s unwillingness to deal with him.

Once Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) refused to carry on eating the food that he tasted after being inspired that it was not obtained in a suitable way. It happened that he was invited with some of his Sahabah to a lady’s place. She obtained a sheep from a woman who gave it to her without the permission of her husband who owned it. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) requested that the food be given to the prisoners instead. [Refer to Abu Da’ud Hadith 3316, chapter no 3 relating to abstention from Shubuhaat"].

This is a lesson that one should also abstain from taking any item without the consent of the actual owner since his refusal can cause a problem not only socially, but also if the item taken is already utilised and is irreplaceable. One cannot also be certain whether the owner of an article has contracted to sell or agreed to lend the article to any other person.

Therefore, even a home should not be occupied without a prior rental agreement with the actual owner.

Living within the rules of Allah will protect us from all forms of shame.
Source: Jamiatul Ulama KZN
From: samuslims.co.za
Tel: 082 5786 251
Fax: 086 58444 23
P.O.Box 19370
Dormeton
4015

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Fish Oil May Fight Psychosis

Fish Oil May Fight Psychosis

Fish Oil Prevents Psychosis in High-Risk Teens

By Daniel J. DeNoon

Twelve weeks of fish oil pills made teens at high risk of psychosis much less likely to become psychotic for at least one year.

The finding comes from a placebo-controlled clinical trial that enrolled 81 young people — average age 16 — teetering on the brink of psychosis.

A year after entering the study, 11 of the 40 teens treated only with placebo pills developed a psychotic disorder. This happened to only two of 41 teens who began the year with 12 weeks of fish oil capsules rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

No other intervention, including psychiatric drugs, has achieved as much for so long after treatment stopped. Moreover, antipsychotic drugs tend to have serious side effects, including weight gain and sexual dysfunction. Fish oil pills have no serious side effects.

The study suggests that to prevent one case of psychosis, four high-risk young people must be treated. That’s the same level of efficacy seen with antipsychotic medications, note study researcher G. Paul Amminger, MD, of the University of Vienna, Austria, and colleagues.

“The finding that treatment with a natural substance may prevent or at least delay the onset of psychotic disorder gives hope that there may be alternatives to antipsychotics for the prodromal phase [symptoms leading up to psychosis onset],” Amminger and colleagues suggest.

Earlier studies have suggested that omega-3 fatty acids can alleviate clinical depression and other psychiatric disorders, although there have been mixed results.

It’s not clear whether the fish oil pills help people with established psychosis. Despite having worrisome symptoms, none of the teens in the Amminger study had ever had a full-blown psychosis.

It’s also not clear how fish oil might prevent psychiatric disorders.

Amminger and colleagues note that people with schizophrenia tend to have low levels of omega-3 fatty acids, suggesting that the mental illness could be linked to a defect in the ability to process fatty acids. There’s also evidence that fatty acids interact with chemical signaling in the brain.

Particularly relevant to the Amminger findings is the suggestion that omega-3 fatty acids protect brain cells from oxidative stress.

Amminger and colleagues warn against over-interpretation of their findings. It may be that fish oil works better in young people with pre-psychotic conditions than in older people with more established psychiatric disorders. They do, however, strongly urge further research.

The study appears in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

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Importance of Eating Halal

Consuming halal is an order of Allah and an essential part of the Islamic faith. Allah has repeatedly emphasized the consumption of halal in His book. The following are some examples of such verses

1.“O Messengers, eat from the pure foods and work righteousness” (Holy Quran 23:51)

2.“O you who have believed, eat from the pure things which we have provided you” (Holy Quran 2:172)

3.“O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth (that is) lawful and pure” (Holy Quran 2:168)

4.“So eat of that (meat) upon which Allah’s name has been mentioned, if you are believers in His verses” (Holy Quran 6:118)

5.“And do not eat that upon which the name of Allah has not been mentioned, for indeed it is a grave disobedience”. (Holy Quran 6:121)

By being careless about the dietary laws of Islam a believer puts himself in harms way both in this world and the world hereafter. In this world, due to intaking such a product he deprives himself from having any of his good deeds and duas accepted by his creator while in the hereafter he suffers the greatest loss ever imaginable i.e. refusal from being admitted to Paradise . All this is confirmed in the following traditions:

1.Abu Hurairah RA related,” Allah’s Messenger PBUH said: Verily Allah is pure and He accepts only what is pure and indeed Allah has given those orders to the believers, which he has given to the Messengers. He has said, “O Messenger, eat from the pure foods and work righteous”. He -also- has said: “O you who have believed, eat from the pure things which we have provided you.” Then (the Prophet PBUH) made mention of a man who undergoes a lengthy journey in a state that he is disheveled and dusty. He spreads his hands towards the sky (calling), “O my lord, O my lord”, however his food is haram, his drink is haram, his clothes are haram and he has been nourished with haram! So how will his call be answered?” (Muslim)

2.S’ad RA relates: Allah’s messenger PBUH said ‘ O S’ad purify your food (and as a result) you will become one who’s supplications are accepted. I swear by He in whose hands the soul of Muhammad PBUH lies, verily a servant (of Allah) tosses a haram morsel in his stomach (due to which) no deed is accepted from him for 40 days “(Tabarani)

3.Abu Baker RA narrated that Allah’s Messenger PBUH said “That body will not enter Paradise which has been nourished with Haram “(Baihaqi)

4.Jabir RA reported, “Allah’s Messenger PBUH said: “That flesh will not enter Paradise which has grown from Haram, and all that flesh which has grown from Haram, the fire (of hell) is more worthy of it. “
(Ahmed, Darimi, Baihaqi)

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What is the Real Truth about Raw Milk?

What is the Real Truth about Raw Milk?

Read Fresh from the Cow and find out why people are willing to go to any lengths to obtain this “liquid gold.”

Curious about raw milk? You’ve come to the right place. On this site you will find information on raw milk including articles and many other tidbits of information on the benefits of raw (unpasteurized, unhomogenized, straight from the cow to you) milk versus the pasteurized milk found in the stores. Take some time and look around, there is a wealth of information.

Sale of raw milk is illegal in many states, legal for sale for animal consumption only in others, and just a few states allow raw milk to be sold in stores for human consumption.

In most states, you cannot simply walk into a store and purchase a gallon of raw milk. I find this a bit nuts considering all the other things you can purchase that have been proven again and again to harm or even kill (cigarettes,anyone? ). And what about raw spinach, peanut butter, and hamburger making many people sick recently? But you are perfectly able to walk into any store and purchase these items without any hassle.

Not so with raw milk, a product that it so amazing and that so few people know so little about.

But people are learning, and the raw milk “underground” is becoming more and more popular, and folks are out there spreading the raw milk gospel. More and more people are demanding the right to purchase this liquid gold.

Those who drink raw milk note many health benefits. You may find that your stomach and digestion issues clear up on a raw milk regimen. Allergies often vanish as well. Children with autism have been placed on raw milk and shown amazing improvement.

Accolades for raw milk abound, and some even feed it to their dogs and notice a decrease or total elimination of the flea population among many other health benefits.

Is raw milk the cure-all for every disease known to mankind? Perhaps not, but its benefits are truly wonderful. As you will realize, after perusing this site and reading some of the articles and information, the process of pasteurizing milk kills the friendly bacteria and vital nutrients in raw “real” milk which is what makes it so healthy. Keep in mind that in the “olden days” people existed without any pasteurization process and they had far less health problems.

If you are lactose intolerant, you will likely be able to drink raw milk.

There are those who go so far as to say pasteurization makes the milk toxic, and people are doing more harm than good in drinking milk from the store. Do enough research on the topic and you may come to the same conclusion.

Another thing to consider with store-bought milk from the big dairy companies is the health of the cow. They are kept in feed lots and fed large amounts of grain which is the worst thing you can do for a cow. You would not want to drink raw milk from such an animal. However, the small family-owned dairy farms that you can find scattered throughout the country know that a cow should be grass fed or at the most, very minimal grain, for optimum health.

If you can find such a farm near you willing to share their milk, you can’t do much better for your health

http://www.rawmilktruth.com/

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Not All Raw Milk Is The Same!

Not All Raw Milk Is The Same!

What, exactly, is raw milk? Well, that’s a bit tricky to answer because there’s an incredible amount of variation in the product.

Ideally, it’s cow’s milk taken straight from animals fed only fresh, organic, green grass, rapidly cooled to somewhere around 36-38 degrees F., and bottled. That’s it. No processing, just filtration, and cooling. Most milk produced today undergoes some form of processing before it reaches the consumer.

Diet is a major factor in the quality of raw milk. Studies have shown that over-feeding starchy grains can affect the acidity of the cow’s stomach environment and change fat and nutrient levels (1,2).

This is NOT to say there’s anything wrong with raw milk from cows fed a large component of grain, it’s just not as optimal a food as grass-fed and lacks many of milk’s self-protective properties. Milk like this, potentially more easily contaminated, should be tested regularly, as should all raw milk, for that matter.

Many non-grass foods (such as soy and alfalfa) contain compounds that mimic the actions of the female hormone, estrogen (3). While these can cause cows to produce more milk than they normally would (and thus increase profit per animal), some studies have called into question possible impacts on animal health and nutrient content of the milk.

Cows are ruminants, with a complex digestive system designed to break down cellulose, a type of sugar, and other substances found in the cell walls of grasses and other green plants they’re likely to encounter while grazing.

Prior to the advent of organized agriculture about 10,000 years ago, there simply weren’t fields of grain growing wild, upon which animals could munch. As mentioned above, a heavy starch load of grain can alter the usual conditions in a cow’s rumen (stomach) and affect the composition of its milk.

Milk from grass-fed cows has amazing properties, one of which is the presence of naturally produced antimicrobials in solution (5). Another is the production of a beneficial fatty acid known as CLA, short for Conjugated Linoleic Acid (6,7).

Countless studies have shown that CLA has many potential health benefits. For comparison, grain-fed cows have as little as one fifth the CLA in their milk as grass-fed (8).

Some raw milk can make you very, very ill. Drinking milk destined for the pasteurizer before it’s sterilized can be like playing Russian roulette, but with ALL the barrels loaded. Why? Mainly because cleanliness standards are far lower for milk which will eventually be heat treated.

In large operations, there simply isn’t enough open pasture land to contain and grass-feed hundreds of animals, so they’re often confined in manure-laden pens.

Supercows, bred for hyperactive pituitary glands or injected with stimulant hormones (such as Posilac) produce an elevated quantity (as high as 13 gallons) of milk daily, leading to inflamed teats. This condition, known as mastitis, pumps high numbers of white blood cells, or pus, into the milk (9).

Supercows don’t live nearly as long as naturally bred animals- perhaps they’re lucky in that respect…

Add the potential of toxic drug residues, antibiotics, larvicides (10), pesticides (11,12), fertilizers and heavy metals (13) and you have quite a witches brew. Many of the outbreaks of food related illnesses blamed on raw milk can be traced to just such product somehow bypassing the pasteurization process.

You can see why humans have no business consuming raw milk produced by the large factory farm complexes that dominate the industry today. It’s simply not safe for human consumption before it’s processed.

The role of unclean raw milk in human illness is undeniable. Knowing that not all raw milk is the same is the first step in knowing which questions to ask when you seek it out for yourself and your family. In the following clip, Dr. William Campbell Douglass sheds more light on how to inform yourself about raw milk and nutrition.

Click here for an online version of Nutrition and Physical Degeneration

References:

(1) http://dairy.ifas.ufl.edu/files/rns/2007/Beauchemin.pdf
(2) http://www.uwex.edu/ces/ag/teams/dairy/FLlameness02.pdf
(3) http://www.jstor.org/pss/3434063
(4) http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-2033/ANSI-4017web.pdf
(5) The Microbiological Safety and Quality of Food Vol. 1. Springer, 2000. B. Lund, T. Baird-Parker, G. Gould, eds. (pp. 518-519)
(6) Dhiman, T. R., Anand, G. R., Satter, L. D., Pariza, M. W., 1999. Conjugated Linoleic Acid Content of Milk from Cows Fed Different Diets. J Dairy Sci 82:2146-56.
(7) Couvreur, S., Hurtau, C., Lopez, C., Delaby, L., Peyraud, J.L., 2006. The Linear Relationship between the Proportion of Fresh Grass in the Cow Diet, Milk Fatty Acid Composition, and Butter Properties. J Dairy Sci 89:1956–1969.
(8) Grummer, R. R., 1991. Effect of Feed on the Composition of Milk Fat. J Dairy Sci 74:3244-57.
(9) http;//www.drugs.com/vet/posilac.html
(10)http://www.ptmdemos.com/kmgChem/kmg/pdf/Rabon_Products/ROL_Tech_Bulletin_Rev_06-05-03.pdf
(11) http://www.springerlink.com/content/927whv0673187506/
(12) http://www.springerlink.com/content/j14516787n575r03/
(13) http://www.cababstractsplus.org/abstracts/Abstract.aspx?AcNo=20053043376

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The Health Benefits of Raw Milk

The Health Benefits of Raw Milk

http://www.raw-milk-facts.com

There’s little mention in the mainstream media these days, of traditional foods having healing properties. Sure, there’s a ton of hype touting unfermented soy products, vegetable oils and supplements as modern saviors, but in reality, these items have risk-to-benefit ratios like many drugs do (1).

Few people are aware that clean, raw milk from grass-fed cows was actually used as a medicine in the early part of the last century (2)(3). That’s right. Milk straight from the udder, a sort of “stem cell” of foods, was used as medicine to treat, and frequently cure some serious chronic diseases (4). From the time of Hippocrates to until just after World War II, this “white blood” nourished and healed uncounted millions.

Clean raw milk from pastured cows is a complete and properly balanced food. You could live on it exclusively if you had to. Indeed, published accounts exist of people who have done just that (5)(6). What’s in it that makes it so great? Let’s look at the ingredients to see what makes it such a powerful food (7).

Proteins

Our bodies use amino acids as building blocks for protein. Depending on who you ask, we need 20-22 of them for this task. Eight of them are considered essential, in that we have to get them from our food. The remaining 12-14 we can make from the first eight via complex metabolic pathways in our cells.

Raw cow’s milk has all 8 essential amino acids in varying amounts, depending on stage of lactation (8). About 80% of the proteins in milk are caseins- reasonably heat stable and, for most, easy to digest. The remaining 20% or so are classed as whey proteins, many of which have important physiological effects (bioactivity) (9). Also easy to digest, but very heat-sensitive (10), these include key enzymes (11) (specialized proteins) and enzyme inhibitors, immunoglobulins (antibodies) (12), metal-binding proteins, vitamin binding proteins and several growth factors.

Current research is now focusing on fragments of protein (peptide segments) hidden in casein molecules that exhibit anti-microbial activity (13).

Lactoferrin (14), an iron-binding protein, has numerous beneficial properties including (as you might guess) improved absorption and assimilation of iron, anti-cancer properties and anti-microbial action against several species of bacteria responsible for dental cavities (15). Recent studies also reveal that it has powerful antiviral properties as well (16).

Two other players in raw milk’s antibiotic protein/enzyme arsenal are lysozyme and lactoperoxidase (17). Lysozyme can actually break apart cell walls of certain undesirable bacteria, while lactoperoxidase teams up with other substances to help knock out unwanted microbes too.

The immunoglobulins, an extremely complex class of milk proteins also known as antibodies, provide resistance to many viruses, bacteria and bacterial toxins and may help reduce the severity of asthma symptoms (18). Studies have shown significant loss of these important disease fighters when milk is heated to normal processing temperatures (19).

Carbohydrates

Lactose, or milk sugar, is the primary carbohydrate in cow’s milk. Made from one molecule each of the simple sugars glucose and galactose, it’s known as a disaccharide. People with lactose intolerance for one reason or another (age, genetics, etc.), no longer make the enzyme lactase and so can’t digest milk sugar (20). This leads to some unsavory symptoms, which, needless to say, the victims find rather unpleasant at best. Raw milk, with its lactose-digesting Lactobacilli bacteria intact, may allow people who traditionally have avoided milk to give it another try.

The end-result of lactose digestion is a substance called lactic acid (responsible for the sour taste in fermented dairy products). Besides having known inhibitory effects on harmful species of bacteria (21), lactic acid boosts the absorption of calcium, phosphorus and iron, and has been shown to make milk proteins more digestible by knocking them out of solution as fine curd particles (22)(23).

Fats

Approximately two thirds of the fat in milk is saturated. Good or bad for you? Saturated fats play a number of key roles in our bodies: from construction of cell membranes and key hormones to providing energy storage and padding for delicate organs, to serving as a vehicle for important fat-soluble vitamins (see below) (24).

All fats cause our stomach lining to secrete a hormone (cholecystokinin or CCK) which, aside from boosting production and secretion of digestive enzymes, let’s us know we’ve eaten enough (25)(26). With that trigger removed, non-fat dairy products and other fat-free foods can potentially help contribute to over-eating.

Consider that, for thousands of years before the introduction of the hydrogenation process (pumping hydrogen gas through oils to make them solids) (27) and the use of canola oil (from genetically modified rapeseed) (28), corn, cottonseed, safflower and soy oils, dietary fats were somewhat more often saturated and frequently animal-based. (Prior to about 1850, animals in the U.S. were not so heavily fed corn or grain). Use of butter, lard, tallows, poultry fats, fish oils, tropical oils such as coconut and palm, and cold pressed olive oil were also higher than levels seen today. (29)(30)

Now consider that prior to 1900, very few people died from heart disease. The introduction of hydrogenated cottonseed oil in 1911 (as trans-fat laden Crisco) (31)(32) helped begin the move away from healthy animal fats, and toward the slow, downward trend in cardiovascular health from which millions continue to suffer today.

CLA, short for conjugated linoleic acid and abundant in milk from grass-fed cows, is a heavily studied, polyunsaturated Omega-6 fatty acid with promising health benefits (33). It certainly does wonders for rodents, judging by the hundreds of journal articles I’ve come across! (34) There’s serious money behind CLA, so it’s a sure bet there’s something to it.

Among CLA’s many potential benefits: it raises metabolic rate, helps remove abdominal fat, boosts muscle growth, reduces resistance to insulin, strengthens the immune system and lowers food allergy reactions. As luck would have it, grass-fed raw milk has from 3-5 times the amount found in the milk from feed lot cows (35)(36)
See my Fat Primer for a better understanding of saturated fats and fatty acids and their impact on our health.

Vitamins

Volumes have been written about the two groups of vitamins, water and fat soluble, and their contribution to health. Whole raw milk has them all, and they’re completely available for your body to use. (37) Whether regulating your metabolism or helping the biochemical reactions that free energy from the food you eat, they’re all present and ready to go to work for you.

Just to repeat, nothing needs to be added to raw milk, especially that from grass-fed cows, to make it whole or better. No vitamins. No minerals. No enriching. It’s a complete food.

Minerals

Our bodies, each with a biochemistry as unique as our fingerprints (38), are incredibly complex, so discussions of minerals, or any nutrients for that matter, must deal with ranges rather than specific amounts. Raw milk contains a broad selection of completely available minerals ranging from the familiar calcium and phosphorus on down to trace elements, the function of some, as yet, still rather unclear.

A sampling of the health benefits of calcium, an important element abundant in raw milk includes: reduction in cancers, particularly of the colon: (39) higher bone mineral density in people of every age, lower risk of osteoporosis and fractures in older adults; lowered risk of kidney stones; formation of strong teeth and reduction of dental cavities, to name a few. (40)(41)(42)

An interesting feature of minerals as nutrients is the delicate balance they require with other minerals to function properly. For instance, calcium needs a proper ratio of two other macronutrients, phosphorus and magnesium, to be properly utilized by our bodies. Guess what? Nature codes for the entire array of minerals in raw milk (from cows on properly maintained pasture) to be in proper balance to one another (43) thus optimizing their benefit to us.

Enzymes

The 60 plus (known) fully intact and functional enzymes in raw milk (44)(45) have an amazing array of tasks to perform, each one of them essential in facilitating one key reaction or another. Some of them are native to milk, and others come from beneficial bacteria growing in the milk. Just keeping track of them would require a post-doctoral degree!

To me, the most significant health benefit derived from food enzymes is the burden they take off our body. When we eat a food that contains enzymes devoted to its own digestion, it’s that much less work for our pancreas. (46) Given the choice, I’ll bet that busy organ would rather occupy itself with making metabolic enzymes and insulin, letting food digest itself.

The amylase (47), bacterially-produced lactase (48), lipases (49) and phosphatases (50) in raw milk, break down starch, lactose (milk sugar), fat (triglycerides) and phosphate compounds respectively, making milk more digestible and freeing up key minerals. Other enzymes, like catalase, (51) lysozyme (52) and lactoperoxidase (53) help to protect milk from unwanted bacterial infection, making it safer for us to drink.

Cholesterol

Milk contains about 3mg of cholesterol per gram (54) – a decent amount. Our bodies make most of what we need, that amount fluctuating by what we get from our food. (55) Eat more, make less. Either way, we need it. Why not let raw milk be one source?

Cholesterol is a protective/repair substance. A waxy plant steroid (often lumped in with the fats), our body uses it as a form of water-proofing, and as a building block for a number of key hormones.

It’s natural, normal and essential to find it in our brain, liver, nerves, blood, bile, indeed, every cell membrane. (56) The best analogy I’ve heard regarding cholesterol’s supposed causative effects on the clogging of our arteries is that blaming it is like blaming crime on the police because they’re always at the scene.

Seriously consider educating yourself fully on this critical food issue. It could, quite literally, save your life. See my Cholesterol Primer to learn the truth.

Beneficial Bacteria
Through the process of fermentation, several strains of bacteria naturally present or added later (Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc and Pediococcus, to name a few) can transform milk into an even more digestible food. (57)

With high levels of lactic acid, numerous enzymes and increased vitamin content, ‘soured’ or fermented dairy products like yogurt and kefir (made with bacteria and yeast, actually) provide a plethora of health benefits for the savvy people who eat them. (58) Being acid lovers, these helpful little critters make it safely through the stomach’s acid environment to reach the intestines where they really begin to work their magic (59) (Above right, Lactobacillus casei).

Down there in the pitch black, some of them make enzymes that help break proteins apart- a real benefit for people with weakened digestion whether it be from age, pharmaceutical side-effects or illness. (60)

Other strains get to work on fats by making lipases that chop triglycerides into useable chunks. (61) Still others take on the milk sugar, lactose, and, using fancy sounding enzymes like beta-galactosidase, glycolase and lactic dehydrogenase (take notes, there’ll be a quiz later!), make lactic acid out of it. (62)

As I mentioned way up yonder in the Carbohydrate section, having lactic acid working for you in your nether regions can be a good thing. Remember? It boosts absorption of calcium, iron and phosphorus, breaks up casein into smaller chunks and helps eliminate bad bugs. (I told you there’d be a quiz!)

Raw milk is a living food with remarkable self-protective properties, but here’s the kick: most foods tend to go south as they age, raw milk just keeps getting better.

Not to keep harping on this, but what the heck: through helpful bacterial fermentation, you can expect an increase in enzymes, vitamins, mineral availability and overall digestibility. Not bad for old age!

A Word About Diet In General

Use common sense and stick with whole, unprocessed foods, free from genetic tweaking (there’s still just too much conflicting information out there on that topic), and you’ll likely be ahead of the game.

Cook your foods minimally, and you’ll be even better off. Learn about sprouting and fermentation. Question everything before letting it past your lips.

Explore what worked for countless generations before ours, and put it to work for yourself today. You can achieve great health by diet alone. I’ve done it, and so can you!

References

(1) http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/darkside.html
(2) http://editor.nourishedmagazine.com.au/articles/vonderplanitz-and-campbell-douglasss-testimony-on-raw-milk
(3) http://www.realmilk.com/milkcure.html
(4) Crewe, J., 1929. Raw milk cures many diseases. Certified Milk Magazine, January:3-6.
(5) Fat and Blood, BiblioBazaar, LLC, 2007. Mitchell, S.W., (pp. 119-154) (Available on Google Book Search)
(6) The Miracle of Milk- How to Use the Milk Diet Scientifically at Home, Read Books, 2008. McFadden, B. (Available on Google Book Search)
(7) Mattick, E., Golding, J., 1936. Relative value of raw and heated milk in nutrition. Lancet 2:703-6.
(8) http://jds.fass.org/cgi/reprint/32/7/671.pdf
(9) http://www.msstate.edu/org/fsfa/Vol1/2-Pihlanto.htm
(10) http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120048318/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
(11) http://www.foodsci.uoguelph.ca/dairyedu/chem.html
(12) http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119167856/abstract
(13) http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=18414121
(14) http://pubs.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/rp/rppdf/o01-230.pdf
(15) http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=128229 (16) Ammendolla, M., Pietrantoni, A., et al, 2007. Bovine lactoferrin inhibits echovirus endocytic pathway by interactingwith viral structural peptides. Antiviral Res 73:151-160
(17) http://www.dairyscience.info/lp-system.htm
(18) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-399520/Untreated-milk-cuts-childrens-allergies.html
(19) http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=887004
(20) http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/333/1/1
(21) http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/66/5/2001
(22) http://jds.fass.org/cgi/reprint/70/1/1
(23) http://www.springerlink.com/content/u221412268137476/
(24) http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/129/11/2094
(25) http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119043936/abstract
(26) Lieverse, R.J., et al, 2006. Role of cholecystokinin in the regulation of satiation and satiety in humans. Ann. New York Acad Sci 713:268-272
(27) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogenation
(28) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canola
(29) http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/publications/foodsupply/foodsupply1909-2000.pdf
(30) http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/81/2/341
(31) http://www.crisco.com/About_Crisco/History.aspx
(32) http://www.motherlindas.com/crisco.htm (33) http://www.cababstractsplus.org/abstracts/Abstract.aspx?AcNo=20043160746
(34) http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/CLARefs_T3.html
(35) Dhiman, T. R., et al, 1999. Conjugated linoleic acid content of milk from cows fed different diets. J Dairy Sci 82:2146-56.
(36) http://www.eatwild.com/references.html#fattyacids
(37) http://www.foodsci.uoguelph.ca/dairyedu/chem.html#vitamin
(38) Biochemical Individuality, Keats Publishing, 1998. Williams, R. J.
(39) http://mrw.interscience.wiley.com/cochrane/clsysrev/articles/CD003548/frame.html
(40) Power, M.L., et al, 1999. The role of calcium in health and disease. Am J Obst & Gyn 181:1560-1569
(41) http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/328/12/833
(42) Nishida, M., et al, 2000. Calcium and the risk for periodontal disease. J Periodontology 71(7):1057-1066
(43) Stevenson, M.A., et al, 2003. Nutrient balance in the diet of spring calving, pasture-fed dairy cows, N Z Vet J 51(2):81-88
(44) http://jds.fass.org/cgi/reprint/56/5/531
(45) Blanc, B., 1982. Les protéines du lait à activité enzymatique et hormonale. Le Lait 62:350-395
(46 ) Enzyme Nutrition: the food enzyme concept, Avery, 1985. Howell, E. (pp. 4-7)
(47) Farkye, N.Y., ‘Amylases’ In: Advanced Dairy Chemistry Vol. 1: Proteins 3rd Ed., Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2003. Fox, P.F., McSweeny, P., Eds. (pp. 580-581)
(48) http://aem.asm.org/cgi/reprint/34/2/185.pdf
49) Olivecrona, T., et al, ‘Lipases in Milk’ In: Advanced Dairy Chemistry Vol. 1: Proteins 3rd Ed., (pp. 473-488)
(50) Shakel-Ur-Rehman, et al, “Indigenous Phosphatases in Milk’ In: Advanced Dairy Chemistry Vol. 1: Proteins 3rd Ed., (pp.523-533)
(51) Farkye, 572-574
(52) Farkye, 581-583
(53) Pruitt, K., ‘Lactoperoxidase’ In: Advanced Dairy Chemistry Vol. 1: Proteins 3rd Ed., (pp. 563-568)
(54) http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/77004022/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0.
(55) Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology, 3rd Ed., Prentice Hall, Inc., 1995. Martini, F.H. (p. 948)
(56) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholesterol
(57) http://jds.fass.org/cgi/reprint/79/6/971
(58) Gilliland, S.E., 2006. Health and nutritional benefits from lactic acid bacteria. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 87:175-188
(59) Goldin, B.R., et al, 1992. Survival of Lactobacillus species (strain GG) in human gastrointestinal tract. Digestive Diseases and Sci 37:121-128
(60) http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/129/7/1492S
(61) Rogalska, E., et al, 2004. Stereoselective hydrolysis of triglycerides by animal and microbial lipases. Chirality 5:24-30
(62) de Vrese, M. et al, 2001. Probiotics- compensation for lactase insufficiency. Am J Clin Nutr 73:421S-429s

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How to Combat Colds and Flu with Tissue Salts

How to Combat Colds and Flu with Tissue Salts

by Fleur Hupston, citizen journalist

(NaturalNews) Tissue salts, also known as cell salts, are minerals – the same minerals that are found in the earth`s rocks and soil. Gentle, safe and non-toxic, tissue salts can be bought in pill form from virtually any pharmacy or health store and can provide the help the body needs in order to fight colds and flu.

Tissue Salts Explained

Dr. Schuessler, a 19th century German physician, discovered that the twelve of the inorganic salts found in the human body have specific physiologic functions. In short, he maintained that the inorganic mineral substances that constitute our planet earth are the complete basis of the composition of our body`s bone and blood, organs and muscles and he found that a cell salt deficiency or imbalance generally resulted in loss of health.

“Tissue salts are found in our food, or should be, when grown organically in mineral-rich soil. Modern-day agricultural practice, however, has leached soil of its life-sustaining minerals and promoted instead chemical fertilizers”. Margaret Roberts, Tissue Salts for Healthy Living

Tissue salts are made by grinding minerals in lactose over six attenuations, a process called trituration. The result is a pill that is easily absorbed, containing a minute amount of a specific mineral salt.

Best Tissue Salts for Colds

To relieve the congestion, headaches and general symptoms of a common head cold, dissolve 2 each of the following tissue salts under the tongue and hourly thereafter until symptoms subside.

Ferrum Phos tablets (tissue salt no.4) to treat throbbing headaches, congestion, sore throat, runny nose and coughs.
Kali Mur (no. 5) to treat wheezing, aches, sinusitis, frequent common colds.
Kali Sulph (no. 7) to relieve symptoms of blocked nose and a sinus headache.

Best Tissue Salts for Flu

In addition to the above tissue salts, add the same dosage of Silica (tissue salt no. 12) to help heal infections and frequent bouts of flu.

If deciding to take tissue salts, it is not necessary to consult a homeopathic professional unless conditions are chronic, such as recurring throat infections or a history of worsening health problems. If a sick individual is already taking a remedy prescribed by a homeopath, however, taking another remedy out of sequence might interfere with or slow down treatment, according to qualified homeopathic practitioner, Joan Macdonald.

Food Sources for the above Tissue Salts

Herbs and foods containing Ferrum Phos include celery, horseradish, spinach, lentils, radishes, onions, walnuts, strawberries, apples, lettuce and nettle tops.

Herbs and foods that contain Kali Mur include yarrow, ginger, fennel, basil, borage and sage, green beans, carrots, beetroot, cauliflower, asparagus, peaches, apricots, pineapples lemons and plums.

Herbs and foods that contain Kali Sulph include watercress, parsley, linseed, mustard, melissa, oats, lettuce, endives, chicory, almonds, rye and wholegrain bread.

Herbs and foods rich in Silica include dandelion, horsetail, comfrey, maize, barley, oats, buckwheat, rice, soya beans, oranges, guavas and pomegranates.

Source:

Tissue Salts for Healthy Living by Margaret Roberts, published by Struik, 2008 edition

http://www.holisticonline.com

http://www.pages.istar.ca/~joanmacd… article on flu and cold

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