Seven powerful emergency herbal remedies

by Jonathan Benson, staff writer 

(NaturalNews) Accidents happen. But if you equip yourself with knowledge about how to handle them calmly and effectively, their resultant injuries will not catch you off guard and without an appropriate plan of action. Here are seven herbal remedies you might want to keep on hand at all times, as they may come in handy as all-natural first aid in the event of an emergency situation:

1) Arnica Montana (Arnica). Cuts, wounds, bruises, and other external injuries tend to respond exceptionally well to Arnica Montana, an herb-based homeopathic remedy that has been around for many centuries. Long used throughout Europe and North America, Arnica Montana is commonly used in cream form to soothe muscles, reduce inflammation, and heal wounds. It can also be brewed into tea to help alleviate stress and promote restful sleep.

“Well-known in traditional medicine, [Arnica] is often the first remedy to be given after a fall, muscle strain, injury or surgery,” explains Katherine East in an article for Natural News on the therapeutic benefits of Arnica. “When applied directly after an injury, Arnica significantly reduces bruise formation. It is also helpful for treating arthritis, burns, ulcers, eczema, and acne.” (http://www.naturalnews.com/029118_arnica_healing.html)

2) Eupatorium Perfoliatum (Boneset). If you grew up playing the classic computer game Oregon Trail, you may recall that members of the wagon clan sometimes died of conditions like typhoid fever and snake poisoning. But if these fictional characters had an herb on hand known as Eupatorium Perfoliatum, also known as Boneset, they may have been able to survive these and other conditions.

“[Boneset is] a great remedy for treating the symptoms of influenza, and helpful for treating aches and pains and fever,” explains the blog Prepared and Empowered. “In a survival instance, this herb can mean the difference between life and death in high fever or poisoning.” (http://preparedandempowered.wordpress.com)

3) Symphytum Officinale (comfrey). Another excellent herb for first aid situations is comfrey. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), comfrey contains a substance known as allantoin that helps new skin cells grow. When its roots and leaves are ground and turned into a paste or cream, comfrey can be applied to skin and wounds to help alleviate inflammation, prevent bruising, and even heal pulled muscles and ligaments, fractures, sprains, strains, and osteoarthritis. (http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/comfrey-000234.htm)

4) Aloe vera. One of the most medicinally-versatile herbs in the world, aloe vera is beneficial both internally and externally as an emergency remedy. A powerful analgesic, aloe vera gel is often used to treat cuts and scrapes, burns, sunburns, insect bites and other skin injuries. Aloe vera not only helps promote rapid wound healing by increasing the availability of oxygen and collagen, but it also helps fight damaging inflammation.

When taken internally, aloe vera helps promote healthy digestion, detoxify and cleanse the blood, ease inflammation and arthritic pain, and alkalize the body. It is also rich in vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and glyconutrients, all of which play a vital role in regulating and normalizing systems of the body that may incur harm in an emergency situation.
(http://www.naturalnews.com/021858_aloe_vera_gel.html)

5) Hyssopus Officinalis (Hyssop). Referenced in the Holy Scriptures as a powerful cleansing herb, hyssop continues to be used in traditional medicine as an expectorant, or to clear respiratory passageways of phlegm and other secretions. Hyssop also contains powerful anti-viral agents that make it an effective poultice for cuts, abrasions, sores and other skin wounds. (http://www.localharvest.org/hyssop-seeds-hyssopus-officinalis-C19819)

“Tea made from the flowers of this herb is good to have on hand for people needing assistance with breathing problems,” says Prepared and Empowered. “It has positive effects on the lungs, and can be helpful for asthmatics.”

6) Capsicum annuum (cayenne). Possessing an exceptional ability to increase circulation, cayenne pepper, and particularly the type in liquid form, can be applied to bandages to help boost the supply of fresh blood to a wound while stopping excessive bleeding. It can also be taken orally for the same purpose, as cayenne aids the body in naturally healing itself from a variety of health conditions. (http://www.gobeyondorganic.com)

“Taking cayenne in the mouth causes your body’s circulation to spring into action in a dramatic way sending fresh blood to the areas of your body that most need it,” explains EnerHealth Botanicals about the benefits of cayenne tincture. “Since many disease states involve poor circulation and in many cases stagnation of bodily fluids, the use of cayenne can have potent results in aiding a wide range of health complaints.”

7) Echinacea Purpurea (Purple Coneflower). One of the most popular herbal medicines in use today, echinacea is an excellent emergencyremedy for purifying the blood following bites by poisonous spiders and snakes. Echinacea can also be used to help treat ear and throat aches, as well as to fight infections and treat lymphatic problems. (http://www.motherearthliving.com)

Sources for this article include:

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://www.offthegridnews.com

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Top ten natural remedies that burn fat

by PF Louis

(NaturalNews) Obesity and weight loss have become major issues again. This time, the focus is more on health than appearance. The weight loss era of fad diets encouraging artificial sweeteners and margarine while discouraging healthy fats is dwindling.

The more visceral fat you have surrounding your abdominal cavity organs, the more vulnerable you are to metabolic syndrome leading to diabetes, high blood pressure, NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), various coronary diseases, and some cancers.

Those fats do more than surround or suppress internal organs, they can also excrete toxins.

You can determine your obesity levels from the first three sources below. Whether you are simply overweight, marginally obese, or morbidly obese, you can adjust your life style eating habits and try some or all of the following natural remedies.

(1) Eat slowly without tension or anxiety and chew more than usual, allowing salivary enzymes to accrue. Put your attention on the food more than rambling mind or people chatter. Digestion begins in the mouth.

(2) Eat out much less and completely avoid fast food joints. Avoid fried foods.

(3) Eliminate most sugars and all HFCS (high fructose corn syrup), which may be disguised as corn syrup. HFCS is worse than sugar for creating stored fats and affecting the liver adversely.

Refined carbohydrates from processed flours and grains are only a short hop away from sugar with their glycemic index ratings. So if you do grains, make them whole grains.

(4) Avoid food additives. Artificial sweeteners are unhealthy and cause neurological damage, even brain cancer. And they don’t work. Check out all the obese heavy diet soda consumers. MSG has a list of disguises. (http://www.truthinlabeling.org/hiddensources.html)

It is also a neurological excitotoxen that endangers your brain and nervous system while making you want to eat more dead food.

(5) A half or more lemon or lime squeezed into a half cup or more of warm water without sugar after waking up helps stimulate the liver and aids digestion. Some allow honey or maple syrup, but for fat loss, it’s probably better without any sweetener.

With or before meals, a couple of tablespoons of raw, unfiltered, organic apple cider vinegar helps digestion. (http://www.naturalnews.com)

Hydrate with purified water sufficiently throughout the day. But mealtime isn’t the right time for lots beverage that will dilute your gastric juices.

(6) Cayenne and green tea help burn fat. Here’s more on cayenne. (http://www.naturalnews.com)

(7) Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory that helps burn fat as well. It may be one of the healthiest inexpensive herbs available. Here’s more on that.
(http://www.naturalnews.com/026328_fat_curcumin_turmeric.html)

(8) Don’t bother with no or low fat foods. They often contain sweeteners that create fat. Obesity has risen since that false solution came upon us. But do avoid processed hydrogenated oils. Margarine is one of them.

Eat healthy fats, especially those with omega-3. It’s been discovered that people lose body fat with high healthy fat, good, adequate protein and minimal carbohydrate ketogenic diets.

(9) Vitamin B is important while trying to rid fat. Vitamin B3, better known as niacin, if consumed enough to get a flush often with increasing dosages, has been discovered to break open lipids (fats).

The danger is getting rid of those toxins as the lipids break open. Those toxins can be eliminated by sweating from exercise dressed warmly or in a warm, humid climate and/or simply sitting in saunas.

(10) Here’s the serious solutions section. If your metabolism is sluggish, you may be sufficiently iodine deficient to warrant supplementing with iodine or eating seaweed or kelp as food or extracts.

If your liver is sluggish, you may need to try coffee enemas for a while. (http://www.naturalnews.com/026289_coffee_enemas_enema.html)

If that belly fat won’t budge, as in wheat belly, maybe you need to cut out all gluten wheat and grain products. (http://www.naturalnews.com/038699_gluten_weight_gain_wheat_belly.html)

Juice fasting is an intense solution. Juicing veggies for several days can give you a serious fat loss breakthrough while keeping you alive and healthy but maybe a tad hungry. (http://www.naturalnews.com/038371_juice_cleanse_max_gerson_health.html)

Sources for this article include:

BMI calculator: http://www.cdc.gov

Obesity overview: http://voices.yahoo.com/what-definition-obesity-7163250.html?cat=5

Obesity determination formula detailed: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/123702-overview

http://www.nativeremedies.com

http://weightlossbase.org

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Why it’s time to throw out conventional toothpaste products

Narural news….

Here’s just a sample of the toxic ingredients found in conventional toothpaste products:

• Sodium fluoride – Toxic by-product of aluminum and fertilizer chemical plants.
• Triclosan – An actual pesticide chemical, used in toothpaste to prevent spoilage.
• Sodium lauryl sulfate – A chemical sudsing agent with well known toxic side effects.
• Propylene glycol – An antifreeze chemical used to winterize RVs.
• DEA – A foaming agent that’s linked to liver and kidney cancers.
• Chemical sweeteners like aspartame and saccharin.

 

Note by umm uhammad.

Just use the miswaak as our beloved Prophet muhammad sallalaahu alayhi wa sallam did and you will not have toxins in your body, no stained teeth , no bad breath, no gum bleeding… etc.

 

For those who cant do without toothpaste just use this:

Homemade Remineralizing Toothpaste Recipe

Wellness Mama from   http://wellnessmama.com

 

I’ve talked before about the link between nutrition and oral health and shared the recipe I was using to make homemade natural toothpaste. That toothpaste works great, and it certainly gets teeth clean, but as I’ve read more about oral health since then, I wondered if that recipe could be improved.

There is a lot of emerging information about tooth remineralization, a process that many dentists previously thought was impossible. This article goes into detail about the science behind tooth reminerlization and the dietary steps necessary also. (It also explains why ingredients in most toothpastes, even natural ones, can demineralize teeth and cause tooth decay!)

The information I found in researching this was mirrored by my own experience over the last few months with natural toothpastes and a remineralizing diet.

I’ve have noticed definite changes in my teeth over the last few months. My teeth are whiter than they’ve ever been and everyone who I’ve asked to try this toothpaste has remarked that it makes their teeth feel very clean.

The most surprising change in my teeth, however, was that they are no longer sensitive to cold! For as long as I can remember, biting in to anything cold (or even thinking of it!) made me shutter and hurt my front teeth. A few weeks ago when we made homemade ice cream, I noticed that I could eat it without my teeth hurting at all! I have never been able to do this at any point I can remember!

I even emailed the recipe to a friend of mine who is a holistic dentist to get his opinion on it. He tried it and told me that not only should it get teeth clean, but it could very well also speed up the remineralizing process.

This recipe is kid-approved, and since it has no fluoride, its safe on babies, toddlers, and those with thyroid problems.

If you want to whiten teeth, improve an oral health problem or just try a natural alternative to commercial toothpastes that contain harmful ingredients, definitely try making this toothpaste!

Homemade Remineralizing Toothpaste Ingredients:

• 5 parts Calcium powder or Calcium Magnesium Powder
• 1 part Diatomaceous Earth (optional- contains trace minerals and silica. UPDATE: A reader noted that DE can be abrasive and is not needed with the baking soda, so if you don’t have DE… no worries!)
• 2 parts Baking Soda
• 3 parts Xylitol Powder- This ingredient is not completely necessary, but just keeps it from tasting bitter.( umm muhammad: i would use rather honey or stevia leaves)
• 3-5 parts coconut oil to get desired texture
• Optional ingredients: Essential oils for flavor (mint, cinnamon and orange are all good), Grapefruit Seed Extract, Myrrh and Trace Minerals

[Note: To keep things simple, I just use a teaspoon or tablespoon, depending on the size batch I'm making, so the above recipe would read 5 TBSP calcium powder, 2 TBSP Baking Soda, etc]

How To Make Natural Remineralizing Toothpaste

1. Mix all powdered ingredients (calcium, Baking Soda, Xylitol) well in a bowl. If you are starting with calcium tablets, powder them in a food processor. If you are starting with capsules, dump them out into the bowl.

 

2. Add Coconut Oil one part at a time until you get desired consistency.

3. Add any optional ingredients, including Essential Oils for flavor (my favorite is Peppermint Orange)

4. Store in small container like 1/2 pint glass jar. To use, either dip clean toothbrush into it, or use Popsicle stick or spoon to put on toothbrush. I’ve also thought of storing in a plastic bag with a corner cut off to be able to squeeze like toothpaste, but haven’t tried it yet.

 

Umm muhammad: I use baking soda , cinnamon powder or/and clove powder, coconut and or almond oils, if avaible peppermint oil and/or eucalyptus oil, some honey or stevia leaves and have great results on my children and myself

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Healthier Alternatives to the Seasonal Flu Vaccine: Garlic, Zinc, and Vitamin D

Story at-a-glance

• The reason you catch a cold or flu is because your immune system is impaired. It’s not an inevitable event based on exposure alone
• Lifestyle factors that depress your immune system, alone or in combination, are more important than exposure to determine if you will get sick. These include eating too much sugar, vitamin D deficiency, insufficient sleep and lack of exercise, and unaddressed stress
• Research has shown that people who took garlic daily for three months had fewer colds than those who took a placebo, and, when they did come down with a cold, the duration of illness was shorter—an average of 4.5 days compared to 5.5 days for the placebo group
• A review of the research on zinc found that when taken within one day of the first symptoms, zinc can cut down the time you have a cold by about 24 hours. Zinc was also found to greatly reduce the severity of symptoms
• Supplements that can help combat cold and flu include vitamin C, propolis, oregano oil, medicinal mushrooms, olive leaf extract, and tea made from a combination of elderflower, yarrow, boneset, linden, peppermint and ginger

By Dr. Mercola

The cold and flu season got off to an early start this year in the US, and everywhere you turn, you’ve undoubtedly seen ads and media reports urging you to get the flu vaccine.

Meanwhile, scientific reviews by the independent Cochrane Database^1, 2published last fall again refuted pervasive “expert” health and media claims that the flu vaccine is the most effective way to protect yourself against the flu, and that it is a safe way of doing so…

Fortunately, there are many alternatives available, from optimizing your vitamin D levels and taking zinc at the first sign of infection, to incorporating immune boosting foods into your daily diet.

Why the Flu Vaccine is Your Least Effective Option…

Last fall, the Cochrane group released two new scientific reviews on flu vaccines. Their review of all trials comparing vaccinated versus unvaccinated adults³ found that, at best, vaccines might be effective against only

This represents only about 10 percent of all circulating viruses. Under ideal conditions, where the vaccine completely matches the circulating viral configuration, 33 healthy adults need to be vaccinated to avoid one set of influenza symptoms.

In average conditions (partially matching vaccine) 100 people need to be vaccinated to avoid one set of influenza symptoms.

They also found that vaccine use did not affect the number of people hospitalized or working days lost, but did cause one case of Guillian-Barré syndrome (a major neurological condition leading to paralysis) for every one million vaccinations. So please, carefully weigh the risks versus benefits before you opt for vaccination. Also do your research on risk free alternatives, such as those discussed here.

Garlic – As Good or Better Than Tamiflu?

A recent article by PreventDisease.com⁴ highlighted the use of garlic, which has natural antiviral, antibiotic, and antifungal activity.

“Forget the flu shot. A soup based on more than 50 cloves of garlic, onions, thyme and lemon will destroy almost any virus that enters its path including colds, flu and even norovirus,” John Summerly writes.

Garlic has long been hailed for its healing powers, especially against infectious diseases like cold and flu. This is likely due to its immune boosting effects. According to the featured article:

“…Compounds in this familiar bulb kill many organisms, including bacteria and viruses that cause earaches, flu and colds. Research indicates that garlic is also effective against digestive ailments and diarrhea… A recent and significant finding from Washington State University shows that garlic is 100 times more effective than two popular antibiotics at fighting disease causing bacteria commonly responsible for foodborne illness.”

The respected research organization The Cochrane Database, which has repeatedly demonstrated that the science in support of the flu vaccine is flimsy at best, has also reviewed studies on the alternatives, such as the use of garlic.⁵Unfortunately, such research is harder to come by, as there’s no financial incentive driving it.

Still, in the singular study identified by the Cochrane group, those who took garlic daily for three months had fewer colds than those who took a placebo, and, when they did come down with a cold, the duration of illness was shorter – an average of 4.5 days compared to 5.5 days for the placebo group.

While this may not seem overly impressive, it’s still better than the results achieved by the much-advertised flu drug Tamiflu. If taken within 48 hours of onset of illness, Tamiflu might reduce the duration of flu symptoms by about a day to a day and a half. That’s the extent of what this $100-plus treatment will get you. It’s virtuallyidentical to just taking garlic on a regular basis…

However, some patients with influenza are at increased risk for secondary bacterial infections when on Tamiflu, which of course would defeat the plan of being able to jump out of bed a day sooner. Furthermore, adverse events reported include pediatric deaths, serious skin reactions, and neuropsychiatric events, including suicide committed while delirious – side effects you won’t experience if you’re taking garlic.

Furthermore, there are plenty of reasons to doubt the veracity of Tamiflu’s claims. In 2009, conflicts of interest within WHO were unearthed, showing links between Roche, the manufacturer of Tamiflu, and those responsible for creating pandemic flu planning guidelines. Tamiflu is currently on the organization’s list of “essential medicines.” But the Cochrane team could find “no evidence” to suggest that Tamiflu actually reduces complications in cases of influenza. In fact, eight out of 10 clinical trials on Tamiflu are still “missing in action,” as Roche has doggedly refused to release them.

Kind of makes you wonder why, doesn’t it?

If you love garlic, the featured article includes a hearty garlic soup recipe, consisting of unpeeled garlic cloves, olive oil, organic grass-fed butter, cayenne, ginger, onions, thyme, coconut milk, organic veggie broth, and lemon wedges. For the recipe, please refer to the original article.⁶ If you don’t enjoy garlic, you could opt for a high-quality supplement.

Understanding What Causes Colds and Influenzas Can Help You Prevent Them

Both colds and various influenzas are caused by a wide variety of viruses (not bacteria). While the two ailments typically affect your respiratory tract, there are some differences between them. Common symptoms of a ‘regular cold’ include runny nose, congestion, cough, and sore throat. The symptoms of the flu tend to be far more severe, as the influenza viruses are capable of causing severe lung infection, pneumonia and even respiratory failure. They also tend to affect your joints – hence that allover achy feeling.

The following video offers an excellent, rapid-fire cliff-notes-type education on flu viruses, where the “H” and “N” flu classifications come from and their transmission, along with common flu symptoms. (Bear in mind that I obviously do NOT recommend or advise getting a flu vaccine, which is listed as one of the prevention methods at the end of this video.)

The most common way these viruses are spread is via hand-to-hand contact. For instance, someone with a cold blows their nose then shakes your hand or touches surfaces that you also touch. However, the key to remember is that just being exposed to a cold virus does not mean that you’re destined to catch a cold. If your immune system is operating at its peak, it should actually be quite easy for you to fend off the virus without ever getting sick. If your immune system is impaired, on the other hand, they can easily take hold in your body.

So, it’s important to understand that the reason you catch a cold or flu is because your immune system is impaired. It’s not an inevitable event based on exposure alone. Lifestyle factors that can depress your immune system, alone or in combination, include:

• Eating too much sugar and grains. The average person consumes about 75 grams of fructose per day (primarily in the form of high fructose corn syrup found in virtually all processed foods), and when fructose is consumed at that level it can devastate your immune system.

One of the ways it does this is by unbalancing your gut flora. Sugar is ‘fertilizer’ for pathogenic bacteria, yeast, and fungi that can set your immune system up for an assault by a respiratory virus. Most people don’t realize that 80 percent of your immune system actually lies in your gastrointestinal tract. That’s why controlling your sugar intake is CRUCIAL for optimizing your immune system.

It would be wise to reduce your total sugar intake, and limit your fructose consumption to below 25 grams a day if you’re in good health, or below 15 grams a day if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, or are insulin resistant or are seeking to recover from an acute illness like the flu.

• Vitamin D deficiency. In the largest and most nationally representative study⁷ of its kind to date, involving about 19,000 Americans, people with the lowest vitamin D levels reported having significantly more recent colds or cases of the flu — and the risk was even greater for those with chronic respiratory disorders like asthma. At least five additional studies also show an inverse association between lower respiratory tract infections and vitamin D levels.
• Insufficient sleep. If you aren’t getting enough restorative sleep, you’ll be at increased risk for a hostile viral takeover. Your immune system is also the most effective when you’re not sleep-deprived, so the more rested you are the quicker you’ll recover. You can find 33 secrets for a good night’s sleep here.
• Insufficient exercise. Regular exercise is a crucial strategy for increasing your resistance to illness. There is evidence that regular, moderate exercise can reduce your risk for respiratory illness by boosting your immune system. In fact, one study⁸found that people who exercised regularly (five or more days a week) cut their risk of having a cold by close to 50 percent. And, in the event they did catch a cold, their symptoms were much less severe than among those who did not exercise.

Exercise likely cuts your risk of colds so significantly because it triggers a rise in immune system cells that can attack any potential invaders. Each time you exercise you can benefit from this boost to your immune system. Ideally, establish a regular fitness program, such as Peak Fitness, now, to help you ward off colds and other illness. Exercise can also help boost your immune system acutely, by increasing your body temperature. This helps kill off invading pathogens, similarly to the fever your body produces when sick.

• Using ineffective strategies to address emotional stressors. Emotional stressors can also predispose you to an infection while making cold symptoms worse. Finding ways to manage daily stress as well as your reactions to circumstances beyond your control will contribute to a strong and resilient immune system. Effective strategies include a variety of energy psychology tools, such as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).

Zinc – Another Trusted Cold-Fighter

A Cochrane Database Review of the medical research on zinc found that when taken within one day of the first symptoms, zinc can cut down the time you have a cold by about 24 hours. The review included 15 randomized control trials, consisting of 1,360 participants of all age groups. Zinc was also found to greatly reduce the severity of symptoms.

The review stopped short of recommending any specific dose of zinc, citing the need for further studies to establish optimal formulations and durations of treatment. However, some of the studies showed the beneficial qualities of zinc in fighting the common cold used between 50 and 65 mg a day. The people taking lozenges were more likely to experience adverse effects than those taking syrup, including a bad taste in their mouth and nausea.

Zinc was not recommended for anyone with an underlying health condition, like lowered immune function, asthma or chronic illness.

Also keep in mind that any time you isolate one mineral and ingest it independently of the others, the potential exists for imbalance, or in the worst case, overdose. Therefore, I wouldn’t currently recommend taking more than 50 mg a day, and I do not recommend taking large doses of zinc on a daily basis for preventive purposes as you could easily develop a copper imbalance that way. You can also activate the “Reverse Effect” in which too much of a good nutrient can actually cause the opposite of what it’s supposed to do. So leave zinc for acute, short-term use only. Foods like garlic, on the other hand, can safely be consumed regularly to maintain a robust immune system.

“Let Food Be Thy Medicine”

As mentioned earlier, the first thing you want to do when you feel yourself coming down with a cold or flu is to avoid ALL sugars and processed foods. (I also recommend avoiding all artificial sweeteners, as they can have a detrimental effect on immune function as well.) Sugar is particularly damaging to your immune system — which needs to be ramped up, not suppressed, in order to combat an emerging infection. This includes fructose from fruit juice, and all types of grains (as they rapidly break down to sugar in your body).

Make sure to drink plenty of pure water. Water is essential for the optimal function of every system in your body and will help with nose stuffiness and loosening secretions. You should drink enough water so that your urine is a light, pale yellow. Ideally, you’ll want to address nutrition, sleep, exercise and stress issues the moment you first feel yourself coming down with something. This is when immune-enhancing strategies will be most effective. Foods that will help strengthen your immune response include:

Raw, grass-fed organic milk, and/or high-quality whey protein	Fermented foods such as raw kefir, kimchee, miso, pickles, sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables	Raw, organic eggs from pastured chickens	Grass-fed beef in small quantities of a few ounces	Coconuts and coconut oil
	Organic vegetables	Garlic. Ideally consumed raw and crushed just before eating	Turmeric, oregano, cinnamon, cloves	Mushrooms, especially Reishi, Shiitake, and Maitake

Does Chicken Soup Really Work?

Short answer, yes, chicken soup can be helpful against cold and flu symptoms. Chicken contains a natural amino acid called cysteine, which can thin the mucus in your lungs and make it less sticky so you can expel it more easily.

Processed, canned soups won’t work as well as the homemade version, however. For best results, make up a fresh batch yourself (or ask a friend or family member to do so) and make the soup hot and spicy with plenty of pepper. The spices will trigger a sudden release of watery fluids in your mouth, throat, and lungs, which will help thin down the respiratory mucus so it’s easier to cough up and expel. Making it from scratch is easy. Below, I demonstrate a simple recipe for making your own chicken soup and stock

• Put the chicken bones in a large stock pan (use bones from organically-raised chicken)
• Cover the bones with water
• Bring to a boil and lower the heat
• Simmer for about an hour or longer

Vitamin D – An Excellent Cold and Flu Prevention Strategy

Vitamin D is an amazingly effective antimicrobial agent, producing 200 to 300 different antimicrobial peptides in your body that kill bacteria, viruses and fungi. So optimizing your levels will not only help send a cold or flu virus packing, it can prevent them from invading your body in the first place. Contrary to flu vaccines, this recommendation has been steadily gaining scientific validation. In fact, there’s compelling evidence suggesting cold and flu may actually be symptoms of vitamin D deficiency.

Dr. John Cannell, founder of the Vitamin D Council, was one of the first to introduce the idea that vitamin D deficiency may actually be an underlying cause of influenza, which would help explain its apparent benefits as a flu-fighter. His hypothesis was published in the journal Epidemiology and Infection in 2006,⁹ which was followed up with another study published in the Virology Journal in 2008.¹⁰ His hypothesis received further support and confirmation when, in the following year, the largest and most nationally representative study of its kind to date discovered that people with the lowest blood vitamin D levels reported having significantly more recent colds or cases of the flu.¹¹

In another study, published in 2010,¹² researchers investigated the effect of vitamin D on the incidence of seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren. Over the course of a year, influenza A occurred in just 10.8 percent of the children in the vitamin D group, compared with 18.6 percent of the children in the placebo group. According to the authors:

“This study suggests that vitamin D3 supplementation during the winter may reduce the incidence of influenza A, especially in specific subgroups of schoolchildren.”

Revised and Updated Recommendations for Optimizing Your Vitamin D Levels

Research on vitamin D is moving swiftly, so you’d be well advised to stay on top of the latest developments as recommendations are refined and updated. I will cover the latest developments here, so you may want to share this article with your peers. First, it’s important to remember that sun exposure is the best way to optimize your vitamin D levels as your body has built-in “fail-safe” mechanisms that prevent detrimental side effects from occurring. Last year, I created a video to help you determine if you can get enough vitamin D from sun exposure in your area at different times of the year.

Based on additional information received, I now believe that my previous position was too strict… The good news is, you can likely get vitamin D under far less ideal conditions than previously suggested.

The radiation from the sun that reaches the earth’s surface (and hence your body) is partially filtered out by the atmosphere. I had previously stated that UVB rays will only penetrate the atmosphere when the sun is above an angle of about 50° from the horizon, and that when the sun is lower than 50°, the ozone layer will absorb vitamin D-producing UVB-rays while allowing the longer, and more harmful, UVA-rays to get through, which would defeat the purpose of spending time in the sun.

This recommendation is likely too strict. According to experts in the field, you can likely get sufficient amounts of UVB radiation when the sun is as low as 30 degrees above the horizon, or whenever the temperature is warm enough to expose large amounts of skin.

I thank John Hochman, MSME, for bringing this to my attention. According to Dr. Ola Engelsen with the Norwegian Institute for Air Research, the creator of a calculator¹³ that takes a number of factors into consideration give you an estimate of how many minutes of exposure you need to produce the equivalent of 1,000 IU’s of vitamin D, the sun must be more than 15 degrees above the horizon during cloudless conditions.

If You Take Vitamin D Supplements, Remember to Take Vitamin K2

Second, based on the latest investigations by Carole Baggerly, director of GrassrootsHealth, the average adult dose required to reach healthy vitamin D levels is around 8,000 IU’s of vitamin D per day if you’re taking an oral supplement. For children, many experts agree they need about 35 IU’s of vitamin D per pound of body weight. Here, it’s important to remember that if you’re taking high dose vitamin D supplements, you ALSO need to take vitamin K2.

The biological role of vitamin K2 is to help move calcium into the proper areas in your body, such as your bones and teeth. It also helps remove calcium from areas where it shouldn’t be, such as in your arteries and soft tissues. Vitamin K2 deficiency is actually what produces the symptoms of vitamin D toxicity, which includes inappropriate calcification that can lead to hardening of your arteries. The reason for this is because when you take vitamin D, your body creates more vitamin K2-dependent proteins that move calcium around in your body. Without vitamin K2, those proteins remain inactivated, so the benefits of those proteins remain unrealized.

So remember, if you take supplemental vitamin D, you’re creating an increased demand for K2. Together, these two nutrients help strengthen your bones and improve your heart health.

While the ideal or optimal ratios between vitamin D and vitamin K2 have yet to be elucidated, Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue, author ofVitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox: How a Little Known Vitamin Could Save Your Life, suggests that for every 1,000 IU’s of vitamin D you take, you may benefit from about 100 micrograms of K2, and perhaps as much as 150-200 micrograms (mcg). So, if you take 8,000 IU’s of vitamin D3 per day, that means you’d need in the neighborhood of 800 to 1,000 micrograms (0.8 to 1 milligram/mg) of vitamin K2.

Lastly, remember that your vitamin D requirements are highly individual, as your vitamin D status is dependent on numerous factors, so while 8,000 IU’s of vitamin D3 per day may put you closer to the ballpark of what most people likely need, it is impossible to make a blanket recommendation that will cover everyone’s needs. The only way to determine your optimal dose is to get your blood tested. Ideally, you’ll want to maintain a vitamin D serum level of 50-70 ng/ml year-round. For an in-depth explanation of everything you need to know before you get tested, please read my latest updates in Test Values and Treatment for Vitamin D Deficiency.

Other Supplements that Send Pathogens Packin’

There are a number of supplements that can be beneficial for colds and influenza, but I believe they should be used only as an adjunct to other healthy dietary and lifestyle measures discussed in this article. Some of the more helpful options for cold and flu – above and beyond vitamin D, garlic, and zinc – include:

Vitamin C: A very potent antioxidant; use a natural form such as acerola, which contains associated micronutrients.	A tea made from a combination of elderflower, yarrow, boneset, linden, peppermint and ginger:Drink it hot and often for combating a cold or flu. It causes you to sweat, which is helpful for eradicating a virus from your system
Oregano Oil: The higher the carvacrol concentration, the more effective it is. Carvacrol is the most active antimicrobial agent in oregano oil	Medicinal mushrooms, such asshiitake, reishi, and turkey tail
Propolis: A bee resin and one of the most broad-spectrum antimicrobial compounds in the world; propolis is also the richest source of caffeic acid and apigenin, two very important compounds that aid in immune response	Olive leaf extract: Ancient Egyptians and Mediterranean cultures used it for a variety of health-promoting uses and it is widely known as a natural, non-toxic immune system builder

So please, carefully review the evidence against flu vaccines, and consider using all-natural immune boosting lifestyle strategies as your first line of defense against colds and flu. As you can see, there are many alternatives available, from optimizing your vitamin D levels and taking zinc at the first sign of infection, to incorporating immune boosting foods like garlic into your daily diet.

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THE WONDERFUL POMEGRANATE

 

“Bypass your bypass surgery”

by Dr Syed Zair Hussain Rizvi.

EVERY SEED OF POMEGRANATE WHICH GOES IN YOUR STOMACH IS A SEED OF LIFE FOR YOUR HEART!!!

Two things are full of benefits for the human being, lukewarm water and pomegranate.

Pomegranate is a seasonal fruit in Pakistan & India so I tried an experiment with dried pomegranate seeds. I prepared a decoction boiling the fistful of dried seeds in half litre of water for 10 minutes, squeezed the seeds, strained the decoction and advised those patients suffering from painful angina to use a glass of lukewarm decoction on an empty stomach in the morning. Amazing result was observed, the decoction of dried pomegranate seeds worked like a magic, the feelings of tightness and heaviness of chest and the pain had gone.

It encouraged me to try more experiments on all types of cardiac patients so I tried other experiments on patients who were suffering from painful angina, coronary arterial blockage, cardiac ischemia (insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle) etc., waiting for a bypass surgery. The same lukewarm decoction was used on an empty stomach in the morning. The patients experienced quick relief in all symptoms including painful condition.

In another case of coronary arterial blockage the patient started using half glass of fresh pomegranate juice every day for one year, although all symptoms were completely relieved within a week but he continued taking it for a whole year, it completely reversed the plaque build-up and unblocked his arteries to normal, the angiography report confirmed the evidence.

Thus decoction of dried pomegranate seeds, fresh pomegranate juice or eating a whole pomegranate on empty stomach in the morning proved to be a miracle cure for cardiac patients. But the lukewarm dried seeds decoction proved to be more effective compared to eating a whole pomegranate or fresh pomegranate juice.

Use of pomegranate in any way has demonstrated even more dramatic effects as blood thinner, pain killing properties for cardiac patients, lowers LDL (low-density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol) and raises the HDL (high-density lipoprotein or good cholesterol). There are more than 50 different types of heart diseases, the most common being coronary artery disease (CAD), which is the number one killer of both women and men in some countries, and there has been no medicinal cure for this disease.

Many cardiac patients have reversed their heart diseases on my advice using one glass of lukewarm decoction of pomegranate dried seeds, half glass of fresh pomegranate juice or eating a whole pomegranate on empty stomach in the morning. It was the very first real breakthrough in the history of cardiology to successfully treat the cardiac diseases by a fruit.

The more super foods to obtain the even faster results for cardiac patients which are most promising curative and protective agents like fresh raisins, quince, guava, prunes (dried plums), natural vinegar, mixture of grape fruit juice and honey in the morning (empty stomach), basil leaves, chicory leaves, powder of oregano leaves and rock salt in equal quantity (in case the patient is not hypertensive) and sesame oil as cooking oil for cardiac patients.

It is regretted to say that treating the heart patients and bypass surgery has become far more profitable business around the world which has failed to help avert life threatening heart attacks and life time cardiac complications resulting in almost paralyzed life. A regular use of pomegranate in any way ensures a healthy cardiac life, thinning your blood, dissolving the blood clots and obstruction inside the coronary arteries, maintains an optimal blood flow, supports a healthy blood pressure, prevents and reverses atherosclerosis. (Thickening of the internal lining of the blood vessels) from whatever I experienced and observed in last several years, I can say: “A pomegranate a day keeps the cardiologist away” you can try and see the wonder

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Lupus alternative treatment with natural supplements

Lupus alternative treatment with natural supplements – Treating systemic lupus erythematosus with herbs and vitamins by Ray Sahelian, M.D. 

Lupus is a chronic disorder that for unknown reasons causes the body’s immune system to attack its own tissues. Systemic lupus erythematosus predominantly affects women and is more common in blacks. Although survival rates have improved, over one half of patients have permanent damage in one or more organ systems. While lupus can affect women and men of any age, it’s much more likely to affect blacks, Hispanics, Asians or Native. It occurs 10 to 15 times more frequently among adult females than adult males, and most often affects people aged 15 to 44. The most common symptoms of the disease include achy joints, fever, arthritis, extreme fatigue, skin rashes, and anemia. Sometimes symptoms disappear for a prolonged period, a term doctors call “remission.” Women with lupus who become pregnant face a much higher risk of serious complications and even death. Heart disease risk is much higher in those with lupus.

Natural alternatives that may be helpful
Little is known regarding the influence of herbs, supplements, and diet in lupus. Here I mention some of the research that has been done thus far and I hope to continue updating this page as more information becomes available. If you have lupus please discuss with your doctor before making any drastic chances or additions to your treatment plan.

Fish oils and omega-3 fatty acids – fish oil supplements improve symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus. Also consider eating more fish such as salmon, halibut and sardines (packed in mustard or tomato sauce).
Vitamin D could be of benefit, particularly in those who do not have much sun exposure.
Green tea with EGCG - drink a glass a day in the morning.
Cordyceps mushroom extract, see codyceps study below.
Lipoic acid is an antioxidant, limit usage to 50 mg two or three times a week.
Turmeric root, which contains curcumin, may have some potential benefit for lupus nephritis. 
DHEA – this hormone may help but has side effects. At this point I don’t recommend the long term use of DHEA due to adverse reactions.

Supplements that may not be helpful for lupus patients
There is very little research regarding supplements or herbs that may have a detrimental effect on lupus symptoms. However, echinacea andspirulina should be used with caution until more research is available.

Would it be possible to list supplements on your lupus web page that are contraindicated for those with lupus? I noticed that spirulina is elsewhere on your website, but not on the lupus page itself. I have also heard that alfalfa, golden seal, and echinacea should not be taken if you have lupus. Listing these and any others would be a great help to those with lupus.
I am reluctant to point out any herbs or supplements that may make lupus symptoms worse. There is a potential for spirulina and echinacea to influence this condition, but until full human trials are conducted I do not want to prematurely warn against using goldenseal, alfalfa, or other herbs in patients with lupus. 

Lupus diet, foods
Substances that may aggravate lupus include excess calories, excess protein, high fat (especially saturated and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids), and iron. Some people with lupus placed on a food allergy elimination diet report improvement in their lupus symptoms; however, this may be related to a decrease of other substances in the diet. Eat more fish and vegetables while reducing sugar and sweets.

Subscribe to a FREE Supplement Research Update newsletter. Twice a month you will receive an email of several new studies on various supplements and natural medicine topics and their practical interpretation  We will discuss natural lupus treatment when more research is published.

Omega 3 fatty acids and systemic lupus erythematosus – Lupus and Fish Oils
Stephen Wright, MD, Specialist Registrar in Rheumatology, Department of Therapeutics and Musculoskeletal Education and Research Unit, Queen’s University Hospital, Belfast, United Kingdom has evaluated the role of dietary supplementation with low-dose omega-3 fish oils in lupus. Results show omega-3 fatty acids improves lupus symptoms and show evidence of a protective cardiovascular effect. .

Stephen Wright, MD, Specialist Registrar in Rheumatology, Department of Therapeutics and Musculoskeletal Education and Research Unit, Queen’s University Hospital, Belfast, United Kingdom has found supplementation with low-dose omega-3 fish oils improves lupus symptoms and shows evidence of a protective cardiovascular effect. Sixty patients participated in the trial. They received 3 grams of omega-3 fish oils daily, for 24 weeks. The investigators measured disease activity using the revised Systemic Lupus Activity Measure (SLAM-R) and the British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG) index of disease activity for SLE. In the fish oil group, there were statistically significant improvements at 24 weeks in lupus disease activity with changes in SLAM-R and BILAG. Stephen Wright, MD concludes, “Low-dose dietary supplementation with omega-3 fish oils in SLE not only has a therapeutic effect on disease activity but also improves endothelial function and reduces oxidative stress and may, therefore, confer cardiovascular benefits.” A Randomised Placebo-Controlled Interventional Trial of Omega-3-Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Disease Activity and Endothelial Function in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, presented at the 71st annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology on November 9, 2007.

The clinical effect of dietary supplementation with omega-3 fish oils and/or copper in systemic lupus erythematosus.
J Rheumatol. 2004. Northern Ireland Center for Food and Health (NICHE), School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Ulster, Northern Ireland, UK.
To determine the effect of dietary supplementation with omega-3 fish oils with or without copper on disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus. Fish oil supplementation has a beneficial effect on murine models of SLE, while exogenous copper can decrease the formation of lupus erythematosus cells in rats with a hydralazine-induced collagen disease. A double blind, double placebo controlled factorial trial was performed on 52 patients with lupus. Patients were randomly assigned to 4 treatment groups. Physiological doses of omega-3 fish oils and copper readily obtainable by dietary means were used. One group received 3 g MaxEPA and 3 mg copper, another 3 g MaxEPA and placebo copper, another 3 mg copper and placebo fish oil, and the fourth group received both placebo capsules. Serial measurements of disease activity using the revised Systemic Lupus Activity Measure (SLAM-R) and peripheral blood samples for routine hematological, biochemical, and immunological indices were taken at baseline, 6, 12, and 24 weeks. There was a significant decline in SLAM-R score from 6.12 to 4.69 in those subjects taking fish oil compared to placebo. No significant effect on SLAM-R was observed in subjects taking copper. Laboratory variables were unaffected by either intervention. In the management of lupus, dietary supplementation with fish oil may be beneficial in modifying symptomatic disease activity.

Vitamin D should be considered
Serum concentrations of 25-OH vitamin D in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are inversely related to disease activity: is it time to routinely supplement patients with SLE with vitamin D?
Ann Rheum Dis. 2010 . Amital H, Szekanecz Z, Szücs G, Nagy E, Csépány T, Kiss E, Rovensky J, Tuchynova A, Kozakova D, Doria A, Corocher N, Agmon-Levin N, Barak V, Orbach H. Department of Medicine ‘B’ and Centre for Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Centre, (Affiliated to Tel-Aviv University) Tel-Hashomer, Israel.
In a cohort of patients with SLE originating from Israel and Europe vitamin D serum concentrations were found to be inversely related to disease activity.

Cordyceps mushroom
Study on effect of Cordyceps sinensis and artemisinin in preventing recurrence of lupus nephritis]
Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2002.
To observe the effect of cordyceps sinensis and artemisinin in preventing recurrence of lupus nephritis. Sixty-one LN patients, who had no activities by corticosterone and cyclophosphamide (CTX) impacting therapy were randomly divided into two groups. The 31 cases in the treated group were given Cordyceps powder 2-4 g/d before meal and artemisinin 0.6 g/d after meal in three portions orally taken for 3 years. The 30 patients in the control group were treated with tripterygiitotorum and/or Baoshenkang tablet. The consecutive observation lasted for 5 years to monitor the clinical manifestations of lupus and laboratory indexes including blood creatinine, creatinine clearance rate (CCr) and antinuclear antibodies (ANA). Cordyceps and artemisinin could prevent the recurrence of lupus nephritis and protect kidney function.

Turmeric has curcumin
Oral Supplementation of Turmeric Decreases Proteinuria, Hematuria, and Systolic Blood Pressure in Patients Suffering from Relapsing or Refractory Lupus Nephritis: A Randomized and Placebo-controlled Study. J Ren Nutrition. 2011.
In this study we investigated effects of oral curcumin supplementation on patients suffering from relapsing or refractory lupus nephritis. The present study was conducted in Lupus clinic of Hafez Hospital, Out-Patient Department of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. With each meal, each patient in the trial group received 1 capsule for 3 months, which contained 500 mg turmeric, of which 22 mg was the active ingredient curcumin (3 capsules daily). The control group received 3 capsules (1 with each meal) for the same period, which contained starch and were identical in color and size to capsules given to patients in the trial group. A significant decrease in proteinuria was found. Also, systolic blood pressure and hematuria were found to decrease significantly. Short-term turmeric supplementation can decrease proteinuria, hematuria, and systolic blood pressure in patients suffering from relapsing or refractory lupus nephritis and can be used as an adjuvant safe therapy for such patients.

DHEA hormone supplementation
Effects of dehydroepiandrosterone supplement on health-related quality of life in glucocorticoid treated female patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
Autoimmunity. 2005.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of low dose dehydroepiandrosterone on health-related quality of life in glucocorticoid treated female patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Forty one women ( >or= 5 mg prednisolone/day) were included in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study for 6 months where DHEA was given at 30 mg/20 mg ( <or= 45/ >or= 46 years) daily, or placebo, followed by 6 months open DHEA treatment to all patients. Quality of life was assessed at baseline, 6 and 12 months, using four validated questionnaires and the patients’ partners completed a questionnaire assessing mood and behaviour at 6 months. DHEA treatment increased serum levels of sulphated DHEA from subnormal to normal. The DHEA group improved in SF-36 “role emotional” and HSCL-56 total score. During open DHEA treatment, the former placebo group improved in SF-36 “mental health” with a tendency for improvement in HSCL-56 total score. Both groups improved in McCoy’s Sex Scale during active treatment. DHEA replacement decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and increased insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and haematocrit. There were no effects on bone density or disease activity and no serious adverse events. Side effects were mild. We conclude that low dose DHEA treatment improves quality of life with regard to mental well-being and sexualityand can be offered to women with systemic lupus erythematosus where mental distress and/or impaired sexuality constitutes a problem.

I read that you were concerned that people are overdosing themselves on DHEA. You recommend 1 to 5 mg. However I have lupus and I heard 200 milligrams of DHEA can possibly help. I also have hair loss which I am trying to improve. What do you suggest?
I can’t make a specific recommendation since that is the role of your health care provider, but DHEA is known to increase hair loss. I don’t think this hormone is safe to use for prolonged periods in high dosages.

Pycnogenol and lupus
Pycnogenol efficacy in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus patients.
Phytother Res. 2001.
A pilot study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of Pycnogenol treatment in systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) patients. Eleven lupus patients were treated with first line medication according to disease activity and in addition, six of them received Pycnogenol and five a placebo. The lupus disease activity index (SLEDAI), serum anti-dsDNA antibodies, fibrinogen, C-reactive protein levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by neutrophils, spontaneous apoptosis and p56(lck) specific activity in peripheral blood lymphocytes were evaluated. Pycnogenol treatment determined a significant reduction of ROS production, apoptosis, p56(lck) specific activity and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. In addition, the decrease of SLEDAI was significant in the Pycnogenol treated group compared with the placebo group. The results obtained suggest that Pycnogenol could be useful for second line therapy to reduce the inflammatory feature of lupus.

Birth control pills may trigger lupus
Certain women may be prone to develop lupus when they start taking combined oral contraceptives. Dr. Samy Suissa found out that the increased risk of developing lupus in connection with starting on the pill appears to be greatest in the first 3 months of use, and with first- and second-generation contraceptives containing higher doses of estrogen. This suggests “an acute effect in susceptible women and possibly a dose-response effect of estrogen on SLE onset,” she and her colleagues report in the April 15, 2009 issue of Arthritis and Rheumatism scientific magazine.

Lupus Symptom
Each person with lupus has different symptoms that can range from mild to severe. Lupus symptoms are not consistent, but may come and go over time depending on a number of factors including stress, sleep patterns, diet, et.. However, some of the most common symptoms of lupus include painful or swollen joints, fatigue, and unexplained fever A characteristic lupus skin sign is a red skin rash. This is the so-called butterfly or malar rash. This lupus skin sign may appear across the nose and cheeks. Lupus rashes may also occur on the face and ears, upper arms, shoulders, chest, and hands. Because many people with lupus are sensitive to sunlight (called photosensitivity), skin rashes often first develop or worsen after sun exposure. Another lupus symptom may be cold hands similar to Raynaud’s phenomenon. However, the most common lupus symptom is fatigue.

Arthritis and skin manifestations are most common lupus signs, but kidney, hematologic and neurologic manifestations contribute largely to illness and mortality. Lupus often gets worse during pregnancy and with oral contraceptives.

Before a patient can be classified with systemic lupus erythematosus, at least four of the following 11 disorders must be present: Malar rash, discoid rash, photosensitivity, oral ulcers, arthritis, serositis, renal disorder, neurologic disorder, hematologic disorder, immunologic disorder, antinuclear antibodies.

At some point, over 90 percent of patients have polyarthralgias or polyarthritis because of the disease. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) remain the mainstay of treatment in these patients, especially those who have mild polyarthralgias or polyarthritis. NSAIDs may adversely affect renal function, a special concern because 50 percent of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus develop associated nephritis.

The most common initial lupus symptom is fatigue. Other lupus symptoms include fever, and muscle and joint pain. This is called a “flulike syndrome.” Fatigue is the most common and bothersome complaint. It is also often the only symptom that remains after treatment of acute flares. A flare in lupus is an acute increase in symptoms. Fever during lupus flares is usually low-grade, rarely exceeding 102°F. A temperature greater than this should stimulate a search for an infection as the source of the fever. However, any fever in lupus should be considered an infection until proven otherwise. Muscle pain (myalgia) and joint pain (arthralgia) without or with joint swelling (arthritis) are very common with the new onset of lupus and with subsequent flares.

Lupus nephritis, one of the most serious manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus, usually arises within 5 years of diagnosis.

Discoid lupus — (Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus
Discoid lupus is a  chronic and recurrent disorder primarily affecting the skin and characterized by sharply circumscribed macules and plaques displaying erythema, follicular plugging, scales, telangiectasia, and atrophy. The cause of discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is unknown. The disorder is more common in females, most often in those in their 30s, but the age range is far wider than that of SLE.

Lupus rash
The skin is involved in more than 90% of people with lupus. Skin symptoms are more common in whites than in African Americans. While the classic lupus rash is a redness on the cheeks (malar blush) often brought on by sun exposure, many different types of rashes can be seen in SLE. Discoid lupus with the red skin patches on the skin and scaliness is a special characteristic rash that can lead to scarring. It usually occurs on the face and scalp and can lead to loss of scalp hair (alopecia). Hair loss can occur with flares of SLE even without skin rashes in the scalp. In this situation, the hair regrows after the flare is treated. Hair loss can also occur with immunosuppressive medications. 

Medical Lupus treatment
Plaquenil – hydroxychloroquine sulfate 200 mg tabs. Side effects include irreversible retinopathy, blurred vision, hair bleaching, alopecia (loss of hair), pruritus, rash, nausea.
Immune-suppressing drugs used in the treatment of lupus patients may increase the risk of blood cancer, but not lung, cancer. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, January 2008.

Lupus risk factors – research
Risk factors for developing systemic lupus erythematosus: a case-control study in southern Sweden.
Rheumatology (Oxford). 2002.
Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital of Lund, Sweden.
To explore the risk factors that have been suggested to be associated with the development of systemic lupus erythematosus. A case-control study was performed and a questionnaire was developed to obtain the data. Consecutive female incident cases diagnosed between 1981 and 1999 in a defined geographical area in southern Sweden were included. Controls, matched for calendar year of birth, were selected randomly from the same area. In total, 85 cases and 205 controls agreed to participate. The questionnaire included questions about formal education, body weight and height, medical history, family history of autoimmune diseases, exposure to ultraviolet radiation, animals, hair-colouring dyes, alfalfa (lucerne) sprouts, smoking and alcohol habits, history of physical traumata, blood transfusion, silicone breast implants, exogenous oestrogens, other medication, and significant negative life events. Using a multivariate model, a history of hypertension, drug allergy, a type I/II sun-reactive skin type and a family history of SLE were all significantly associated with an increased risk of developing SLE, whereas consumption of alcohol was inversely associated with the risk of SLE. A suggested association with increased systemic lupus erythematosusrisk was seen for smoking and blood transfusions. Neither exposure to exogenous oestrogen nor exposure to hair-colouring dyes was associated with SLE. Risk factors of both exogenous and endogenous origin were identified in this population-based series of systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

Lupus and exercise
A pilot study on the effects of exercise in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
Arthritis Care Res. 2000.
A pilot study was designed to assess the efficacy and safety of different exercise therapies on patient-reported fatigue and functional status. Ten patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) were randomly placed in either an aerobic exercise group or a range of motion/muscle strengthening (ROM/MS) exercise group. Outcome measures assessed at baseline and the end of the study were fatigue, functional status, disease activity, cardiovascular fitness, isometric strength, bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine and femoral neck, and parathyroid hormone and osteocalcin as representative bone biochemical markers for bone resorption and bone formation, respectively. Both aerobic and ROM/MS types of exercise were safe and did not worsen lupus disease activity. Patients in both exercise groups showed some improvement in fatigue, functional status, cardiovascular fitness, and muscle strength. Both groups showed increased bone turnover, but BMD was unchanged. Eighty percent of the patients met the compliance standard for the study. This pilot study shows the feasibility of exercise for lupus patients. The potential value of this approach shows promise in the routine management of these patients. Lupus symptom.

Questions and answers by Ray Sahelian, M.D.
Q. Can you tell me if mangosteen or the spice curcumin are helpful in lupus?
A. I have not seen such studies.

Q. Is the use of krill oil contraindicated in those with lupus?
A. I have not seen any studies that would make me think that krill oil would have harmful effects in those with lupus. Perhaps it may even help?

My 21 yr. old daughter has systemic lupus erythematosus. Her exhaustion is extreme. If she takes Plaquenil or Chloroquine, she then has ‘Lupus Psychosis’. Do you know anything about Kalawalla, from Organic Hope (organichope.com).
We have not heard of kalawalla. We looked on the internet and found Kalawalla to be listed as Polypodium Leucontomos on one website. There’s a company selling kalawalla 300 mg 50.1 Standardised extract. We searched Medline and found no listing for kalawalla. Another search on Medline revealed no listing for Polypodium Leucontomos, but there were listings for Polypodium Leucotomos. Kalawalla and Rapuani are apparently brand names for Polypodium Leucotomos.

I have been diagnosed with lupus for several years. My condition was getting worse. My cousin introduced me to Dr. Sahelian and I had the fortune of having lunch with him one day. He asked me about my diet. I was drinking several glasses of milk a day. He said I should reduce the milk and add salmon and cold water fish to my diet. Within several weeks my lupus symptoms were reduced and my fatigue was much better. I think in my case diet had something to do with the severity of my lupus condition.

I just wanted to say thank you for your webpage on lupus that is supported by research papers. I truly appreciate research-based discussions.

I have SLE for almost 20 years. My latest blood test for the DNA or anti nuclear came back at 58. My question is How can I get this number to be normal. My doctor said that less than 5 is the normal range, when I asked him what can I do, he said I would die. Is this true? What can you tell me about getting better? I have fibromyalgia and taking tramadole and flexiril and trazadone and plaquinil lyrica lortab I take other medication for high blood pressure also Inspra and Diovan. And for pre-diabetes I take metformin.
I can’t provide specific advice but you may benefit from reading about the different medical conditions on this web site and natural ways to treat them and review the options with your doctors.

My wife has diagnosed lupus before a year and still today we are struggling a lot with disease. Is there any way to treat a patient with the drugs without any side effects. Now she is on steroid and immunosuppressive medicines but still struggling with the many flares. If you have any clinic in Ahmedabad, India please send me the contact detail so that I can take an appointment.

My resent blood test showed ANA 1:1000. That result, along with my chronic fatigue symptoms, butterfly face rash and sun induced skin flareups, and kidney inflamation is starting to point me to a Systemic Lupus diagnosise direction – further test will no doubt tell me more. Have you any thoughts or experience on using CMOT (cerasomal-cis-9-cetylmyristoleate) as an autoimmune modulator ? I have read about this relating to Dr Len Sands of the San Diego Immunological Center, information of which seems to relate to Arthritis, but wondered if it has been found successful for Lupus?
A Medline search in 2010 did not reveal any such studies.

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Lupus “Burdock is the greatest herb for eliminating the poisons just underneath the skin.”

Interview with Dick Shulze by Sam Biser

1995

http://www.whale.to/a/lupus4.html

SCHULZE: A young lady in her mid-twenties came to see me. She had chronic lupus and she had it since she was 13 or 14 years old.

The doctors had treated her with numerous medications that lupus patients already know. And it got worse. The toughest thing she experienced was no energy. She had no energy to do anything. She told me she felt absolutely disabled. She couldn’t go to school, she couldn’t think, she couldn’t work, she had been diagnosed from holistic practitioners with a lot of different things, including Candida overgrowth.

BISER: They couldn’t help…

SCHULZE: No, they couldn’t help. I got her off of her makeup. If you want to improve someone’s skin, burdock root is the greatest herb for the skin. Everything that’s under the skin, it pushes right out through the surface. You will look pimply for two or three days, but when that’s done, your skin will glow.

I gave her burdock root tea and I had her do hot baths in burdock tea. And you can eat burdock root. It’s a staple of the Japanese diet, but Americans don’t eat it. They grow it like carrots.

BISER: Why is lupus so difficult to cure for the natural health community?

SCHULZE: Because no one gets to the bottom line. Of course, the bottom line with lupus, like any incurable disease, is you need to open up the elimination channels.

BISER: But don’t the people in natural healing know that?

SCHULZE: No. They say they do, but they really don’t. I rarely find that people in natural healing do anything effective.

To show you how stupid and ignorant they are, most of my colleagues have names for my intestinal corrective formula. They call it TNT, herbal explosive; they call it depth charges, they call it nuclear bombs, they think it’s outrageous, they think that it will hurt people:…

I think it’s outrageous that every American, if they live long enough, will have bowel disease.

BISER: Dangerous? They think your formulas are dangerous?

SCHULZE: Yes, and that they cause herbal addiction. But they’re crazy. My formulas were created in a clinic for real live people with real diseases.

Their formulas were created from reading books, and based: upon the chemical analyses of herbs. But just because something should work based upon a 400-year-old herbal book doesn’t mean it will work for the people living in the 1990′s.

My formulas and procedures work — on lupus and everything else I treated. I know, because my patients told me, and I saw the results.

Basically, with lupus, we’re looking at an immune system disorder. One of the greatest for that is echinacea. [For immune system formulas with Echinacea, see the chapter on Immune System Formulas.]

BISER: But everyone knows about Echinacea. That’s no big deal.

SCHULZE: No, it isn’t. But the Echinacea most people are taking is so useless you could swallow a whole bottle and you couldn’t cure anything. The truth is, most herbalists I know wouldn’t know an Echinacea root if they stumbled over it.

I think it’s important to get that root and boil it at home, and drink that tea. I’ve seen miracles happen overnight with everything from lupus to hives to blood poisoning. Unbelievable cures from it. People with lupus also need to add the blood-cleansers we discussed elsewhere.

I had a businessman come to me, in his late 30′s, a very stressed-out man. He wasn’t aware that he had lupus, but his wife complained that he smelled, that his breath smelled, that his skin smelled, and the harder he was working, the less energy he had.

He started feeling sick and he had all the classic symptoms of lupus as diagnosed by the doctor. This doctor was giving him medication but he didn’t make any changes in the man’s life, so he just got sicker and sicker and sicker, and finally he couldn’t go to work.

Of course, when he couldn’t go to work, that created more stress. The lupus got worse and it’s a real catch-22 situation. Finally, they tried holistic methods, natural methods, chiropractic adjustments, and the chiropractors were selling him vitamins, which didn’t work.

What he did was useless, because he didn’t make any major changes in his life.

BISER: So you got a hold of him and he started getting better?

SCHULZE: Sometimes, people who are the worst have the most immediate responses, and he did. It’s not true that it always takes a long time to get well. Healers use that as an excuse when they don’t know how to heal.

You’ll know when you are on the right track, because you can feel better in two days. I mean, prepare yourself for a miracle, that’s what I always tell my patients. And they get well. They all tell me, “I’ve done this before or done that before,” but they have never done it this intensely, or all at once. The incurables is a tough, full-spectrum program, and the people who stay sick are the ones who dabble.

BISER: What happened to this man?

SCHULZE: He got better in about two days. He felt dramatically better, and his energy came back. Sometimes it’s hard for me to put the reins on patients, because the first thing was he wanted to go back to work. I said, “No, you need to take some time off here. Your body is responding very quickly but we need to rest.”

I have to hold these patients down, sometimes, because they are feeling so good. I forced him to go through the other incurable routines.

His lupus went away he went back to work, and went back to all his old ways. Okay, the coffee drinking, the pot of coffee, the cigarettes when he got really nervous; he forgot his exercise program, he stopped the bowel cleansers, he didn’t do this, didn’t do that. And the next thing, it came right back.

I’ve seen this with cancer tumors, they come right back. I’m not saying you have to stay on the incurables program forever, but you haave to stay in a good, healthy life-style.

BISER: The lupus came right back for good?

SCHULZE: No, but it came right back, and hit him harder the second -time.

He came back to me and he goes, “The lupus is back.” And I said “I know why.” And he goes, “Yea, I fell off the program.” I said, “You didn’t fall off the program, you leaped off the program.”

The minute he got back onto the right ways, the lupus went.  With some people, we have inherent weaknesses, meaning that we weaker parts of our body. You will find under times of stress, these areas will dysfunction. This is a sign for you to get back to work on your healing programs.

Copyright 1995 University of Natural Healing.

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Bee pollen: One of the world’s most perfect superfoods

 

by John McKiernan 

(NaturalNews) One of the most unique substances on the planet, bee pollen, probably doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. This superfood possesses all of the nutrients essential to sustain human life, with a breakdown of 55 percent carbohydrates, 35 percent protein, three percent vitamins and minerals, two percent fatty acids and five percent other substances.

A phenomenon uncharted by science

Pollen is the tiny male seed, required for fertilization, that exists in blossom of flowers. When bees collect nectar from flowers, these tiny yellow, tan, orange, and brown balls of pollen stick to their legs, thus creating bee pollen. Bee pollen is a special substance that can only be produced by nature.

Man-made pollen does not possess the same unique properties, even though it is chemically identical, as far as science can determine. When laboratory synthesized pollen is fed to bees, they die even though all of the known nutrients are present. Even with the latest technology, science cannot identify some of the special components that exist in bee pollen. These components are likely the same ones that hold the key to its powers.

Small doses effective against cancer in mice

A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in October 1948 demonstrated the effects of bee pollen on mice that werespecifically bred to develop and die of cancerous tumors. The mice in the control group developed tumors as expected at an average age of 31.3 weeks.

The bee pollen group which was only fed one part bee pollen to 10,000 parts food had a delayed onset of tumors by 10 weeks which was statistically significant. In addition, seven mice from the bee pollen group still showed no signs of tumors at 56-62 weeks, when the tests were terminated. Unfortunately and inexplicably, the very promising line of research was dropped.

Improved physical performance

Bee pollen is used by many bodybuilders and Olympic athletes alike to increase strength, and endurance. The British Sports Council showed gains in strength of as mush as 40 to 50 percent in people consuming bee pollen daily. Renowned German natural scientist, Francis Huber, has claimed that bee pollen is “the greatest ‘bodybuilder on earth.” One reason bee pollen is such an effective muscle builder is that it contains all 22 amino acids, half of which are free form. It is also effective in decreasing recovery times after workouts.

More fascinating facts about bee pollen

- Bee pollen is effective in combating cancer, diabetes, arthritis, depression and many other diseases

- It is effective in stimulating the metabolism which promotes increased energy and weight loss in those who are overweight

- Research has shown bee pollen to have a powerful antibacterial factor effective even against salmonella

- Bee pollen can normalize cholesterol and triglyceride levels

- It is known for slowing the aging process and can aid in cell regeneration

- It can be applied topically, which can improve with various skin conditions

- Bee pollen is a complete food with far greater amino acid concentrations than beef, milk, eggs or cheese

- It is rich in B vitamins

- Bee pollen contains many powerful antioxidants including lycopene, flavonoids, selenium, betacarotene and vitamins E and C

- It can provide a substantial boost to natural immunity levels

- One small teaspoon of bee pollen added regularly to a health shake or taken with a meal will have enormous health and well-being benefits

Sources for this article include:

http://www.naturalnews.com/030466_bee_pollen_longevity.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/027566_bee_pollen_immune_system.html
http://www.supplementreference.com/bee_pollen.html

About the author:
John Mckiernan is a health and fitness writer. He is the owner of Supplement Helper where he writes supplement reviews and more. He also managesCNA Info, a small blog aimed at answering questions for anyone interested in CNA work.

 

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Rubbing ta’weez over nude body?

Question: My wife was recently told that she is “affected”. We visited an Aamil and he gave her the following treatment: 1) ta’weez for water to drink once per day. 2) ta’weez to place in rose-water and sprinkle all over the house. 3) ta’weez (multiple photocopies) to rub over her whole “naked” body, and then to shower. This ta’weez she should burn. My question is: by knowing that a ta’weez contains a name/names of Allah (swt), and Quranic verses (and numerals based here-on), isn’t this disrespectful? Me and my wife are feeling very uncomfortable at this rubbing, so much so, that it has caused stress in our marriage. She is entering her period-time, does this mean she shouldn’t touch a ta’weez? Shouldn’t every ta’weez be handwritten (Hadith) instead of photocopied?, and shouldn’t the handwriting be flowing and neat? Sorry for having to ask you these questions, as the Aamil would not answer me, saying it’s not the right time for me to know and that the jinn would attack me. I am quite distressed and worried at his authenticity.

Answer: Ta’weez for water to drink is permissible. Ta’weez to place in rosewater and sprinkle is also valid. A woman in her periods may keep the ta’weez on her provided that it is wrapped or sewn in a cloth so that she will not directly touch it in case it has Qur’aanic verses written on the paper. Photocopies are also valid although, in our opinion, it is better to write the ta’weez by hand. It is also permissible to burn a ta’weez. We have strong reservations about rubbing the ta’weez on the naked body of the female if the ta’weez has Allah’s Name or Qur’aanic verses written on it. This item of the amal should not be practised. Tell the aamil to prepare something else instead of having to rub the naked body with the ta’weez on which is written Allah’s Name. If the ta’weez contains only numerals, then it may be rubbed on the naked body. May Allah Ta’ala grant the sister a complete cure. May He remove the misfortune/evil which is afflicting her. She should make dua in abundance and also recite the three Qul Surahs and Aayatul Kursi in abundfance. If Allah Ta’ala wills, He grants shifa without ta’weezez.   majlis ulema south africa

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Breast feeding is best!

Breastfeeding Week: Do what’s best for your baby, say docs 
Posted By Our Correspondent On Aug 5, 2012 (1:35 AM) In Sindh

KARACHI: Doctors and experts hashed out the age-old debate on whether breast milk or bottle milk is better for a baby at the International Breastfeeding Week Seminar, organised by the Sindh health department and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Friday.

The indicators of breastfeeding are extremely low in Pakistan, said the World Food Programme manager, Dr Durre Shehwar Khan. She said that breast milk not only provides nutrition, hydration and protection against infection and allergies for the babies, but is also beneficial for the mothers.

Dr Shehwar said that mothers should start breastfeeding the baby within one hour of birth and continue to do so till six months of age as it meets all dietary requirements of the baby. She added that it is also proven that babies who are breastfed are more confident, and have a greater IQ.

Dispelling the myths about breastfeeding, Dr Shehwar said that it is wrong to say that malnourished mothers should not follow the practice or that the mother should stop feeding if the baby has diarrhea.

Dr Yasir Ehtesham from UNICEF opposed artificial feeding, saying that it is not sterile, it is costly in time, resources and care, and is more dangerous as difficulties in cleaning the bottle could lead to infections.

Dr Shehwar said that the government of Pakistan passed the ordinance of children’s nutrition for the protection and promotion of mother’s milk in 2002 and in 2009 which states that no product can be advertised as a substitute to mother’s milk.

But there is no strict implementation in Pakistan and ads of baby supplements and cereals can be seen everywhere, she pointed out.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5^th, 2012.

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