The Best Fish for Your Health and the Earth

Reposted from Dr. Mercola

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/06/01/best-seafood.aspx?x_cid=20150601_nonlead2_best-seafood_facebookdoc

Fish has always been the best source for the animal-based omega-3 fats EPA and DHA, but as levels of pollution have increased you have to be very choosy about which types of seafood you decide to eat.
If you’re not careful, the toxic effects from the pollutants in the fish will outweigh the benefits of the omega-3 fats. Meanwhile, many fish species have been overfished and are dangerously depleted. When choosing seafood for your family, it’s important to take not only your health into consideration but also that of the environment. As reported by National Geographic:¹

“Fisheries for the most sought-after species, like orange roughy, Chilean sea bass, and bluefin tuna have collapsed. In 2003, a scientific report estimated that industrial fishing had reduced the number of large ocean fish to just 10 percent of their pre-industrial population.
Faced with the collapse of large-fish populations, commercial fleets are going deeper in the ocean and farther down the food chain for viable catches. This so-called ‘fishing down’ is triggering a chain reaction that is upsetting the ancient and delicate balance of the sea's biologic system.
A study of catch data published in 2006 in the journal Science grimly predicted that if fishing rates continue apace, all the world's fisheries will have collapsed by the year 2048.”

Why Farmed Fish Are Not a Good Option

Industrial fish farming, or aquaculture, is the fastest growing form of food production in the world.² About half of the world’s seafood comes from fish farms, including in the US, and this is expected to increase. At first glance, farmed fish may seem like a good idea to help protect wild seafood populations from overfishing.
In reality, however, the industry is plagued with many of the same problems surrounding land-based concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), including pollution, disease, and inferior nutritional quality.
It’s getting so bad that fish farms can easily be described as “CAFOs of the sea.” Many farmed fish are fed genetically modified (GM) corn and soy, which is a completely unnatural diet for marine life. Others are fed fishmeal, which is known to accumulate industrial chemicals like PCBs and dioxins.
Fish waste and uneaten feed litter the sea floor beneath these farms, generating bacteria that consume oxygen vital to shellfish and other bottom-dwelling sea creatures. Farmed fish waste promotes algal growth that harms the water’s oxygen content, posing risks to coral reefs and other aquatic life.
The close quarters where farmed fish are raised (combined with their unnatural diets) means disease can spread quickly, and because farmed fish are often raised in pens in the ocean, pathogens can spread like wildfire and contaminate any wild fish swimming past.
Concentrated antibiotics, pesticides, and other chemicals are also commonly used to fight diseases and parasites common to fish farms. One study found a drug used to kill sea lice also kills other marine invertebrates, can travel up to half a mile and persists in the water for hours…³

Farmed Fish May Contain Fewer Healthy Fats

If you’re eating fish you’re probably doing so, in part, to take advantage of their beneficial omega-3 fats. Fish in the wild, especially oily fish such as salmon, are a rich source of omega-3 fats. But levels of critical omega-3 fats may be reduced by about 50 percent in farmed salmon, compared to wild salmon, due to increasing amounts of grain feed.
That being said, farmed salmon are much fattier overall than wild salmon. The economic incentive to speed the growth of farmed salmon has led to the use of increasingly high-energy diets, which is why farmed grow so big.
High fat itself is not a problem, but what comprises that fat IS the problem. Farmed salmon are much higher in omega-6 fat—almost five times higher—and the typical American already gets 10 to 20 times too much omega-6 as they need.
It’s not only farmed salmon that has an unfavorable ratio of fats, either. One study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found farmed tilapia and farmed catfish also have much lower concentrations of omega-3s and very high ratios of omega-6 fats to omega-3 fats. According to the study:⁴

“Taken together, these data reveal that marked changes in the fishing industry during the past decade have produced widely eaten fish that have fatty acid characteristics that are generally accepted to be inflammatory by the health care community.”

Further, when researchers looked into the effect of farmed trout on cardiovascular risk markers in men, they found trout raised on vegetable-based feed had a less pronounced impact on omega-3 levels.⁵

Farmed Fish May Be More Contaminated Than Wild-Caught Fish

Farmed salmon also has much higher concentrations of persistent, bioaccumulative contaminants than wild salmon.⁶ Scientists have concluded:⁷

"Consumption of farmed salmon at relatively low frequencies results in elevated exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like compounds with commensurate elevation in estimates of health risk."

In a global assessment of farmed salmon published in the January 2004 issue of Science, 13 persistent organic pollutants were found.⁸ Some of the most dangerous are PCBs, strongly associated with cancer, reproductive, and other health problems. PCB concentrations in farmed salmon were found to be eight times higher than in wild salmon.
Those contamination levels are deemed safe by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) but not by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Researchers postulated that if EPA guidelines were applied to the farmed salmon they tested, recommendations would be to restrict salmon consumption to no more than once per month.
Certain types of farmed fish, including farmed catfish imported from China and farmed shrimp from China, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Indonesia are on the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) watch list for illegal drug residues, including antibiotics and anti-fungal compounds.⁹

Most Shrimp Is Farmed… and Should Be Avoided

Shrimp is the most popular seafood in the US, but the vast majority of shrimp (over 90 percent) come from industrial shrimp farms off the coasts of India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and other countries where industry regulations may be less strict than in the US.
For example, the US does not permit the use of antibiotics in shrimp farming, but many other nations use antibiotics in their operations. It’s illegal to import shrimp raised on antibiotics into the US.

But in one recent study Consumer Reports detected antibiotics in 11 of 342 samples of imported raw farmed shrimp.¹⁰ A lack of enforcement of the laws is part of the problem. Bacteria were also detected on 60 percent of the shrimp tested, including bacteria that can cause staph infection and food poisoning, which is suggestive of poor hygiene among food processors.
Aside from potential contamination, farmed shrimp is unsustainable. Carnivorous sea animals such as prawns need fish in their diet, and dwindling fish stocks in the wild has led to illegal fishing; some of it within national park waters off the coast of Thailand—an area that now supplies much of the fish meal to feed factory farmed animals, including farmed shrimp and prawns.
Trawling for “trash fish” along the coast of Southeast Asia to meet the demand for shrimp feed is having devastating effects on the ecosystem. All sorts of tropical fish, and even rare shark species, sea sponges, starfish, and octopi end up as fish feed in this process.

They also catch small, immature fish reduces overall fish stocks, as bigger fish are left without a suitable food source. The end result is rapidly decreasing fish stocks for human consumption.
In short, the entire balance in nature is being destroyed. Illegal toxic pesticides are also routinely used to farm shrimp in some of these areas, including endosulfan, a broad-spectrum insecticide that is banned in more than 80 countries due to its environmental and human toxicity.

Shrimp Products Are Often Misrepresented

Adding to the controversy, it’s not always possible to tell whether the shrimp you’re eating is farm-raised or wild-caught. A 2014 report by the ocean conservation group Oceana revealed that over 30 percent of shrimp products sold in US grocery stores and restaurants are misrepresented.¹¹ Fifteen percent were mislabeled in regard to production method (farm-raised or wild-caught) or species.
Farmed species were often labeled as “Gulf shrimp,” and different species were often mixed together in one bag, or otherwise mislabeled. One sample of frozen shrimp salad even contained a type of aquarium pet shrimp that is not intended for human consumption.
Ironically, if you’re looking for wild-caught shrimp, you may be best off purchasing products labeled simply as “shrimp,” as two-thirds of such packages contained wild-caught Gulf shrimp, while more than one-third of those labeled as “Gulf shrimp” were actually farm-raised. Assuming it’s labeled accurately, wild shrimp is a generally healthy and sustainable choice, but this excludes wild shrimp caught in Mexico or Louisiana. According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program:¹²

“Wild shrimp from Louisiana and Mexico are on the ‘Avoid’ list for poor management, illegal fishing or heavy bycatch loads that include sea turtles and many other species.”

Why You Should Be Wary of Canned and Sushi Tuna

The larger a fish is, the longer it has lived and the more time it has had to bioaccumulate toxins like mercury from the ocean. One study from the US Geological Survey found that ALL tuna tested contained fairly high amounts of mercury. The contamination may be even worse in restaurants, which suggests that eating restaurant tuna is a risky proposition. In a separate study, toxicological testing revealed that tuna sold in restaurants actually contained HIGHER amounts of mercury than the store-bought variety.¹³
The reason for this is because restaurants tend to favor certain species of tuna, such as bluefin akami and bigeye tuna, which had significantly higher levels of mercury than bluefin toro and yellowfin tuna. Unfortunately, mercury tends to accumulate to a greater degree in muscle than in fat, rendering these highly prized, leaner species of tuna more susceptible to high contamination. As for canned tuna, albacore has been found to contain about three times more mercury than light chunk tuna (0.353 ppm vs. 0.118 ppm).¹⁴
Independent testing by the Mercury Policy Project found that the average mercury concentration in albacore canned tuna was typically even greater than that, with most samples exceeding 0.5 ppm.¹⁵ The rate of mercury contamination in tuna and other Pacific fish increased 30 percent between 1990 and 2009. About 40 percent of all US exposure to mercury comes from eating contaminated tuna from the Pacific, and roughly 75 percent of all human exposure to mercury in general comes from eating fish.
Not to mention, like shrimp, tuna is also often mislabeled. According to Oceana, nearly 60 percent of the fish labeled "tuna" in the US is not actually tuna.¹⁶ And, 84 percent of “white tuna” sold in sushi venues was actually escolar, a fish associated with acute and serious digestive effects if you eat just a couple of ounces.

What Are the Best Fish to Eat?

Among the safest in terms of contamination, and the highest in healthy omega-3 fat, is wild-caught Alaskan and sockeye salmon. Neither is allowed to be farmed, and are therefore always wild-caught. The risk of sockeye accumulating high amounts of mercury and other toxins is reduced because of its short life cycle, which is only about three years.
Additionally, bioaccumulation of toxins is also reduced by the fact that it doesn't feed on other, already contaminated, fish. The two designations you want to look for on the label are: “Alaskan salmon” (or wild Alaskan salmon) and “Sockeye salmon.”
Canned salmon labeled "Alaskan salmon" is also a good choice and offers a less expensive alternative to salmon fillets. A general guideline is that the closer to the bottom of the food chain the fish is, the less contamination it will have accumulated, so other safer choices include smaller fish like sardines, anchovies, and herring. Sardines, in particular, are one of the most concentrated sources of omega-3 fats, with one serving containing more than 50 percent of your recommended daily value.¹⁷
They also contain a wealth of other nutrients, from vitamin B12 and selenium to protein, calcium, and choline, making them one of the best dietary sources of animal-based omega-3s. From a sustainability perspective, you’ll want to avoid Atlantic sardines that come from the Mediterranean in favor of Pacific sardines. According to the Seafood Watch program:¹⁸

“As a result of ineffective management and overfishing, consumers should ‘avoid’ Atlantic sardines from the Mediterranean. Instead, choose the relatively abundant and well-managed Pacific sardines from U.S. waters - a Seafood Watch ‘Best Choice.’”

Finally, no matter what type of fish you’re considering, look for varieties that have received the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. This certification assures that every component of the manufacturing process – from how the raw materials are harvested to how the product is manufactured – has been scrutinized by MSC and has been independently audited to ensure it meets sustainable standards.
All of my krill products, for example, are MSC certified, allowing you to track where the krill oil came from in the Antarctic Ocean, as each batch of krill is carefully monitored all the way through, from catch to sale. Seafood Watch can also guide you in the direction of more sustainable seafood choices. They have a searchable database to find more sustainable seafood options, and they even offer a Sustainable Seafood app for your smartphone. Other labels that signify more sustainable products include:

• Whole Foods Market Responsibly Farmed 3rd Party certification
• Fishwise: The Fishwise label identifies how the fish was caught, where it came from, and whether the fish is sustainable (or environmentally threatened).
• Seafood Safe: The Seafood Safe label involves independent testing of fish for contaminants, including mercury and PCBs, and recommendations for consumption based upon the findings.

What Will Happen If You Stop Drinking Coffee for a Month

Reposted from Health and Love Page
http://www.healthandlovepage.com/stop-drinking-coffee-for-a-month/

(HealthAndLovePage) If you suffer from dermatological problem such as acne or an inflammatory process, you should stop drinking coffee.

The journalist Deven Hopp quit consuming coffee and the results surprised her.

He had dermatological problem and got the dermatologist’s advice to stop drinking coffee for 24 days. Coffee, actually, has a high amount of caffeine containing harmful acids and that is the reason why it is the cause for most of the skin problems. Consummation of large amount of coffee dehydrates the skin and it acts as a diuretic.

The results of Deven Hopp’s experiment are interesting. After the first week without consummation of coffee, pimples decreased and her face began to subside. After the third week her skin was not completely transformed, but pores were tightened and her face was visibly hydrated. Deven wanted to be satisfied with her skin appearance, so that is why she decided to stop consuming coffee for a long time.

At the beginning she thought she would not be able survive the day without her daily caffeine dose, but she did it. After 24 days she again accepted the challenge – not to consume coffee for another 24 days.

Histamine Intolerance, Fermented Foods and Acne

Reposted from The Healthy Home Economist

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/histamine-intolerance-fermented-foods-acne/

By Carla Hernandez NTP, Wise Roots Nutrition
We have known since the 1930’s that beneficial bacteria, especially Lactobacillus acidophilus found in fermented foods, can help heal intestinal permeability. This condition is better known as leaky gut. The research clearly shows that foods rich in probiotics are an essential component in maintaining clear skin and avoiding problems with acne.
But what about those with histamine intolerance?
This condition, in fact, may be an important caveat to watch out for with regard to consumption of fermented foods and those prone to skin breakouts.

Histamine Intolerance and Fermented Foods

Histamine is a chemical your body produces as a result of an allergic reaction. The release of histamine frequently can express itself on the surface of the skin through a number of symptoms, including but not limited to hives, eczema, rosacea and acne.
Interestingly, the histamine molecule along with the amino acids tyrosine and arginine all have an effect on vasculature (blood flow), and have been linked to contribute to migraine headaches. Too much tyramine in the diet can increase blood pressure, whereas too much arginine reduces blood pressure.

Fermented foods are one of the biggest sources of histamines. Those who have yet to see an improvement with other suggestions and diet changes to address their acne, may have a histamine intolerance and benefit greatly from avoiding histamine and histamine releasing foods.

The enzyme DAO (Diamine Oxidase) metabolizes histamine, and research shows that those who are sensitive to foods high in histamine may produce low levels of this enzyme. In addition, people with low levels of DAO typically have other digestive concerns too, such as intestinal permeability, SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) and/ or possibly other gut related symptoms and conditions.
Although there is not direct evidence linking acne to foods high in histamine, there are studies that show improvement of Atopic Dermatitis when a low histamine diet is adopted.
Furthermore, I have personally experimented with a diet low in histamine, arginine and tyrosine and have experienced reduced irritation in the skin and minimizing of breakouts. This same improvement was noted with several of my clients with difficult to eradicate acne issues.

Acne and Possible Diet Stressors

Any form of stress causes inflammation, and eating foods promoting inflammation can certainly cause acne, even without the exposure to acne causing bacteria.
This is why traditional ways to treat acne are not always effective. When inflammation occurs, stress hormones trigger the release of histamine, which in turn can irritate the skin for those with a histamine intolerance. For some tougher acne cases, this may be the body’s way of expressing its reaction when consuming foods high in these substances.

Foods to Avoid
There are many foods containing a mixture of histamine and tyrosine, and that’s because histamine induces tyrosine production, which specifically includes foods that are aged, cured, smoked and fermented.

I’m a big proponent of self experimentation when it comes to diet and what works for an individual. A typical elimination diet would exclude the most common food suspects and sensitivities, but if you haven’t noticed an improvement with this in your skin, the following foods are worth avoiding, as they are some of the highest in histamine and histamine releasing foods:

Beverages: Teas, regular coffee, sodas, beer, wine, cider, kombucha, and milk.
Fruits: Citrus fruits, pineapple, peaches, nectarines, cranberries, strawberries, raspberries, avocados, dates, raisins, plums and papaya, olives, bananas, and tomatoes.
Vegetables: Cabbage, tomatoes, eggplant, pickles, spinach, and fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut.
Dairy: Aged cheeses, such as cheddar, brie and blue cheese (think smelly cheeses), and fermented dairy such as yogurt, kefir and buttermilk.
Spices: Cinnamon, anise, curry powder, hot paprika and nutmeg.
Nuts and seeds: Peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, and walnuts.
Animal Protein (mainly smoked or cured meats):, Mahi Mahi, tuna, sardines, cured meat like bacon, ham, deli meat, sausages, hot dogs, jerky, pepperoni.
Misc: Chocolate, cocoa powder or chocolate-derived ingredients, artificial additives/ flavors/ dyes, soy sauce, wheat germ, vinegars of all kind, miso, ketchups and mustards.
Because many of the foods on the list above are fermented, which can provide the good bacteria in order to strengthen gut and immunity health, a probiotic supplement is an appropriate choice for people who have a histamine intolerance or sensitivity. Click here for an article that details how to choose the best one for your situation.
Complete avoidance of these foods is difficult to do and not necessary forever. Eliminating them for at least a month should give you a good idea as to whether your body is being affected or not by histamine sensitivity.
Afterwards, you can reintroduce these foods back into your diet slowly. It’s important to note and keep in mind that some people will react more specifically to histamine, where others may be affected more or equally to tyrosine or arginine, or possibly have no reaction at all.
Be patient, listen and see how you’re body responds, as this is the ultimate test to know what will bring you the results you’re looking to achieve both in your skin and overall health.

The Truth About Coconut Oil: 10 Facts You Need To Know

Reposted from Eat Local Grown

http://cdn.eatlocalgrown.com/2-coconut-oil.html

Coconut oil is one of the few foods that can be classified as a “superfood.” Its unique combination of fatty acids can have profound positive effects on health. This includes fat loss, better brain function and various other amazing benefits.
Here are the top 10 health benefits of coconut oil that have been experimentally confirmed in human studies.

1. Coconut Oil Contains a Unique Combination of Fatty Acids With Powerful Medicinal Properties

Coconut oil has been demonized in the past because it contains saturated fat. In fact, coconut oil is one of the richest sources of saturated fat known to man, with almost 90% of the fatty acids in it being saturated (1).
However, new data is showing that saturated fats are harmless. Many massive studies that include hundreds of thousands of people prove that the whole “artery-clogging” idea was a myth (2).
Additionally, coconut oil doesn’t contain your average run-of-the-mill saturated fats like you would find in cheese or steak.
No, they contain so-called Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs) – which are fatty acids of a medium length.
Most of the fatty acids in the diet are so-called long-chain fatty acids, but the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil are metabolized differently.
They go straight to the liver from the digestive tract, where they are used as a quick source energy or turned into so-called ketone bodies, which can have therapeutic effects on brain disorders like epilepsy and Alzheimer’s.

Bottom Line: Coconut oil contains a lot of medium chain triglycerides, which are metabolized differently and can have therapeutic effects on several brain disorders.

2. Populations That Eat a LOT of Coconut Are Among The Healthiest People on The Planet

Coconut is kind of an “exotic” food in the Western world, primarily consumed by health conscious people.
However, in some parts of the world, coconut is a dietary staple that people have thrived on for many generations.
The best example of such a population is the Tokelauans, which live in the South Pacific.
They eat over 60% of their calories from coconuts and are the biggest consumers of saturated fat in the world.
These people are in excellent health, with no evidence of heart disease (3).
Another example of a population that eats a lot of coconut and remains in excellent health is the Kitavans (4).

Bottom Line: Plenty of populations around the world have thrived for multiple generations eating massive amounts of coconut.

3. Coconut Oil Can Increase Your Energy Expenditure, Helping You Burn More Fat

Obesity is currently one of the biggest health problems in the world.
While some people think obesity is only a matter of calories, others (myself included) believe that the sources of those calories are critical too.
It is a fact that different foods affect our bodies and hormones in different ways. In this regard, a calorie is NOT a calorie.
The medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) in coconut oil can increase energy expenditure compared to the same amount of calories from longer chain fats (5, 6).
One study found that 15-30 grams of MCTs per day increased 24 hour energy expenditure by 5%, totalling about 120 calories per day (7).

Bottom Line: The medium chain triglycerides in coconut oil have been shown to increase 24 hour energy expenditure by as much as 5%, potentially leading to significant weight loss over the long term.

4. The Lauric Acid in Coconut Oil Can Kill Bacteria, Viruses and Fungi, Helping to Stave Off Infections

Almost 50% of the fatty acids in coconut oil is the 12-carbon Lauric Acid.
When coconut oil is enzymatically digested, it also forms a monoglyceride called monolaurin.
Both lauric acid and monolaurin can kill harmful pathogens like bacteria, viruses and fungi (8).
 
For example, these substances have been shown to kill the bacteria Staphylococcus Aureus (a very dangerous pathogen) and the yeast Candida Albicans, a common source of yeast infections in humans (9, 10).

Bottom Line: The fatty acids and breakdown products in coconut oil can kill harmful pathogens, potentially helping to prevent infections.

5. Coconut Oil Can Kill Your Hunger, Making You Eat Less Without Even Trying

One interesting feature of coconut oil is that it can reduce your hunger.
This may be related to the way the fatty acids in it are metabolized, because ketone bodies can have an appetite reducing effect (11).
In one study, varying amounts of medium and long chain triglycerides were fed to 6 healthy men.
The men eating the most MCTs ate 256 fewer calories per day, on average (12).
Another study in 14 healthy men discovered that those who ate the most MCTs at breakfast ate significantly fewer calories at lunch (13).
These studies were small and only done for a short period of time. If this effect were to persist over the long term, it could have a dramatic influence on body weight over a period of several years.

Bottom Line: The fatty acids in coconut oil can significantly reduce appetite, which may positively affect body weight over the long term.

6. The Fatty Acids in Coconut Oil Are Turned into Ketones, Which Can Reduce Seizures

A so-called ketogenic (very low carb, very high fat) diet is currently being studied to treat various disorders.
The best known therapeutic application of this diet is treating drug-resistant epilepsy in children (14).
This diet involves eating very little carbohydrates and large amounts of fat, leading to greatly increased concentrations of ketone bodies in the blood.
For some reason, this diet can dramatically reduce the rate of seizures in epileptic children, even those who haven’t had success with multiple different types of drugs.
Because the MCTs in coconut oil get shipped to the liver and turned into ketone bodies, they are often used in epileptic patients to induce ketosis while allowing for a bit more carbs in the diet (15, 16).

Bottom Line: The MCTs in coconut oil can increase blood concentration of ketone bodies, which can help reduce seizures in epileptic children.

7. Coconut Oil Can Improve Blood Cholesterol Levels and May Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease

Coconut oil is loaded with saturated fats, which actually do not harm the blood lipid profile like previously thought.
Saturated fats raise HDL (the good) cholesterol and change the LDL cholesterol to a benign subtype (17, 18).
In one study in 40 women, coconut oil reduced Total and LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL compared to soybean oil (19).
There are also rat studies showing that coconut oil reduces triglycerides, total and LDL cholesterol, increases HDL and improves blood coagulation factors and antioxidant status (20, 21).
This improvement in cardiovascular risk factors should theoretically lead to a reduced risk of heart disease over the long term.

Bottom Line: Studies in both humans and rats show that coconut oil improves important risk factors like Total, LDL and HDL cholesterol, which may translate to a reduced risk of heart disease.

8. Coconut Oil Can Protect Hair Against Damage, Moisturize Skin and Function as Sunscreen

Coconut oil can serve various purposes that have nothing to do with eating it.
Many people are using it for cosmetic purposes and to improve the health and appearance of their skin and hair.
Studies on individuals with dry skin show that coconut oil can improve the moisture and lipid content of the skin (22).
Coconut oil can also be very protective against hair damage and one study shows effectiveness as sunscreen, blocking about 20% of the sun’s ultraviolet rays (23, 24)
Another application is using it like mouthwash in a process called oil pulling, which can kill some of the harmful bacteria in the mouth, improve dental health and reduce bad breath (25, 26, 27).

Bottom Line: Coconut oil can be applied topically as well, studies showing it to be effective as a skin moisturizer and protecting against hair damage. It can also be used as a mild form of sunscreen and as mouthwash.

9. The Fatty Acids in Coconut Oil Can Boost Brain Function in Alzheimer’s Patients

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia worldwide and occurs primarily in elderly individuals.
In Alzheimer’s patients, there appears to be a reduced ability to use glucose for energy in certain parts of the brain.
Ketone bodies can supply energy for the brain and researchers have speculated that ketones can provide an alternative energy source for these malfunctioning cells and reduce symptoms of Alzheimer’s (28).
In one 2006 study, consumption of medium chain triglycerides lead to an immediate improvement in brain function in patients with milder forms of Alzheimer’s (29).
Other studies support these findings and medium chain triglycerides are being intensively studied as potential therapeutic agents in Alzheimer’s disease (30, 31).

Bottom Line: Studies show that the fatty acids in coconut oil can increase blood levels of ketone bodies, supplying energy for the brain cells of Alzheimer’s patients and relieving symptoms.

10. Coconut Oil Can Help You Lose Fat, Especially The Dangerous Fat in Your Abdominal Cavity

Given that coconut oil can reduce appetite and increase fat burning, it makes sense that it can also help you lose weight.
Coconut oil appears to be especially effective in reducing abdominal fat, which lodges in the abdominal cavity and around organs.
This is the most dangerous fat of all and is highly associated with many Western diseases.
Waist circumference is easily measured and is a great marker for the amount of fat in the abdominal cavity.
A study in 40 women with abdominal obesity, supplementing with 30 mL (1 ounce) of coconut oil per day lead to a significant reduction in both BMI and waist circumference in a period of 12 weeks (19).
Another study in 20 obese males noted a reduction in waist circumference of 2.86 cm (1.1 inches) after 4 weeks of 30 mL (1 ounce) of coconut oil per day (32).
This number may not seem too impressive on the surface, but be aware that these people aren't adding exercise or restricting calories. They’re losing significant amounts of abdominal fat simply by adding coconut oil to their diet.

11. Anything Else?

If you want to enjoy the immense health benefits of coconut oil, then make sure to choose organic, virgin coconut oil… NOT the refined stuff.
This is really just the tip of the iceberg. People are using coconut oil for all sorts of things with incredible success.

Natural Insect Repellents

Reposted from Dr. Mercola

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/05/25/natural-insect-repellents.aspx?x_cid=20150525_nonlead2_natural-insect-repellents_facebookdoc



By Dr. Mercola

Biting insects can put a damper on your summer fun, not to mention potentially transmit diseases like Lyme disease and West Nile Virus. The majority of US adults (75 percent) said they are actually more concerned about such diseases than they are about potentially dangerous chemicals in insect repellent.¹
Still, most people also told Consumer Reports that safety is important when choosing an insect repellent, and only one-third believe products on the market are safe for adults (and only 23 percent considered them safe for kids).
Concern is well-justified, as DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) is used in hundreds of products, in concentrations of up to an astounding 100 percent. DEET has been shown to harm brain and nervous system function.
Children are particularly at risk for subtle neurological changes because their skin more readily absorbs chemicals in the environment, and chemicals exert more potent effects on their developing nervous systems.
DEET is not your only option for insect repellent, fortunately, and Consumer Reports tests have recently revealed natural alternatives that may be even more effective without the harsh side effects.

Picaridin and Lemon Eucalyptus Beat DEET for Repelling Insects

Consumer Reports recruited volunteers to test out spray-on repellents made of DEET, oil of lemon eucalyptus, picaridin, a chemical called IR3535, and products made with natural plant oils. After the repellents were applied and allowed to sit for 30 minutes, the volunteers reached into a cage containing (disease-free) mosquitoes or ticks.
Two products emerged on top and were able to keep mosquitoes and ticks away for at least seven hours: products that contained 20 percent picaridin or 30 percent oil of lemon eucalyptus. Picaridin resembles the natural compound piperine, an essential oil in black pepper.
However, picaridin is not a natural compound; it’s produced synthetically in the lab. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), picaridin does not carry the same neurotoxicity concerns at DEET, although it has not been tested much over the long term. They report:²

“Overall, EWG’s assessment is that Picaridin is a good DEET alternative with many of the same advantages and without the same disadvantages.”

Lemon Eucalyptus Is a ‘Biopesticide’ Repellent

Oil of lemon eucalyptus comes from the gum eucalyptus tree, but it is p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD), its synthetic version with pesticidal properties, that is used as an insect repellent. While the term “PMD” is often used interchangeably with lemon eucalyptus oil, know that it is different from the “pure” unrefined oil, which is typically used in making fragrances.
The pure oil is not registered with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as an insect repellant. PMD or the refined version, on the other hand, has a long history of use but only recently became important as a commercial repellent.
In 2000, the EPA registered oil of lemon eucalyptus or PMD as a “biopesticide repellent,” meaning it is derived from natural materials. Both lemon eucalyptus oil and picaridin are not actual repellents, but insteadmost likely work by masking the environmental cues that mosquitoes use to locate their target.
Side effects of both picaridin and lemon eucalyptus include potential skin or eye irritation, and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that picaridin should not be used on children under age 3. Urvashi Rangan, PhD, executive director of Consumer Reports’ Food Safety and Sustainability Center, said:

“They are not side-effect-free, but ‘those problems are much less severe than deet…’ Still, all repellents should be used sparingly and only for the time you need them—especially on children and older people.”

Why DEET-Containing Repellents Are Better Off Avoided

About 30 percent of Americans use DEET every year, but you should know that this chemical – though generally effective in keeping away insects – can have deadly repercussions. From 1961 to 2002, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry reports eight deaths related to DEET exposure.
Three of these resulted from deliberate ingestion, but five of them occurred following DEET exposure to the skin in adults and children.³ Psychological effects have also been reported including altered mental state, auditory hallucinations, and severe agitation.
In children, the most frequently reported symptoms of DEET toxicity reported to poison control centers were lethargy, headaches, tremors, involuntary movements, seizures, and convulsions. Further, in a study of more than 140 National Park Service employees, 25 percent reported health effects they attributed to DEET, including:⁴

Rashes	Skin or mucous membrane irritation
Transient numb or burning lips	Dizziness
Disorientation	Difficulty concentrating
Headache	Nausea

In addition, Duke University Medical Center pharmacologist Mohamed Abou-Donia spent 30 years researching the effects of pesticides. He discovered that prolonged exposure to DEET can impair cell function in parts of your brain -- demonstrated in the lab by death and behavioral changes in rats with frequent or prolonged DEET use. Other potential side effects DEET exposure include:

Memory loss	Headache	Muscle weakness and fatigue
Shortness of breath	Muscle and joint pain	Tremors

Another potentially harmful chemical found in many bug sprays is permethrin. This chemical is a member of the synthetic pyrethroid family, all of which are neurotoxins.
The EPA has even deemed this chemical carcinogenic, capable of causing lung tumors, liver tumors, immune system problems, and chromosomal abnormalities. Permethrin is also damaging to the environment, and it is particularly toxic to bees and aquatic life. It should also be noted that permethrin is highly toxic to cats.⁵

Non-Chemical Options to Keep Bugs Away from Your Barbecue

Consumer Reports also tested three non-chemical options for keeping pests away from a simulated backyard barbecue: a citronella candle, a portable diffuser with essential oils, or an oscillating pedestal fan set at its highest speed.

While neither the candle nor the diffuser showed much promise, the fan worked well, cutting mosquito landings by 45 percent to 65 percent among those sitting near the fan.
Similar results were found from the Consumer Reports survey, which found 45 percent of people who used fans to keep insects away reported them as “especially helpful” (compared to 31 percent of those who used candles).⁶
Naturally, the best way to avoid mosquito bites is to prevent coming into contact with them in the first place. You can avoid insect bites by staying inside between dusk and dawn, which is when they are most active.
Mosquitoes are also thicker in shrubby areas and near standing water. The American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA) recommends the “Three Ds” of protection to prevent mosquito breeding on your property:⁷

• Drain – Mosquitoes require water in which to breed, so carefully drain any and all sources of standing water around your house and yard, including pet bowls, gutters, garbage and recycling bins, spare tires, bird baths, etc.
• Dress – Wear light colored, loose fitting clothing—long sleeved shirts and long pants, hats, and socks
• Defend – While the AMCA recommends using commercial repellents, I highly recommend avoiding most chemical repellents for the reasons already discussed; try some of the natural alternatives instead, when necessary

Bat houses are another option since bats are voracious consumers of insects, especially mosquitoes. For more on buying a bat house or constructing one yourself, visit the Organization for Bat Conservation.⁸ Planting marigolds around your yard also works as a bug repellent because the flowers give off a fragrance that bugs dislike.

Enjoy the Outdoors with These Additional Natural Repellent Options

Body temperature and skin chemicals like lactic acid attract mosquitoes, which explains why you’re more likely to be “eaten alive” when you’re sweaty, such as during or after exercise, so trying to stay as cool and dry as you can may help to some degree. Some experts also recommend supplementing with one vitamin B1 tablet a day from April through October, and then adding 100 mg of B1 to a B100 Complex daily during the mosquito season to make you less attractive to mosquitoes. Regularly consuming garlic may also help protect against mosquito bites, as may the following natural insect repellants:

• Cinnamon leaf oil (one study found it was more effective at killing mosquitoes than DEET⁹)
• Clear liquid vanilla extract mixed with olive oil
• Wash with citronella soap, and then put 100% pure citronella essential oil on your skin. Java Citronella is considered the highest quality citronella on the market
• Catnip oil (according to one study, this oil is 10 times more effective than DEET¹⁰)

Another option is to use the safe solution I have formulated to repel mosquitoes, fleas, chiggers, ticks, and other biting insects. It's a natural insect spray with a combination of citronella, lemongrass oil, peppermint oil, and vanillin, which is a dynamite blend of natural plant extracts. In fact, an independent study showed my bug spray to be more effective than a product containing 100 percent DEET. And it's safe for you, your children, and your pets. You can also try using lemon eucalyptus oil to make a homemade insect repellent. Here is a recipe from Backpacking Spirit to try out:¹¹

“Make your own mosquito repellent consisted of around 10% lemon eucalyptus oil. If you are using the essential (‘pure’) oil, note that it does not mix with water and will therefore require a carrier oil, such as hazel, vodka, or olive oil.
Procedure:

• Obtain an appropriately sized bottle for travel; a 100 to 200 ml bottle will be a good choice. You may also go for a bottle that has a spritzer nozzle for easy application.
• Choose your carrier oil
• Use a measuring jug for more precise measurements.
• Think 10% essential oil. If you are using a 100 ml bottle, mix 90 ml of your chosen liquid and 10 ml of lemon eucalyptus oil. If you are using a 200 ml bottle, mix 180 ml of liquid and 20 ml of essential oil.
• Shake the bottle thoroughly before use.
• Spritz onto skin and rub in.”

Treat Shingles Naturally

Reposted from Secretly Healthy

http://www.secretlyhealthy.com/treat-shingles-naturally/

If you have ever had shingles, you know that they can be really painful.
-They are a viral infection that are characterized by a rash with blisters.
-They typically occur in young adults and children and can be on any body part.
-They mostly appear on the side of the torso as a single strip.
-They are caused by the virus that causes chicken pox, known as the varicella-zoster virus.

Often it will not appear at the same time as chicken pox do, but decades later. If one has come down the the chicken pox, they still most likely have the virus. Shingles are not life threatening but are very painful to deal with. It is best to treat them as soon as they have been discovered.
There are many natural treatments for shingles. Please follow these treatments to see a reduction in the shingles:
· Avoid foods that contain arginine. These include sugars, blueberries, chocolates, peanuts, pecans, grapes, cashews, pumpkin seeds, tomatoes and brussel sprouts.

Eat food that contains Lysine, such as beans, asparagus, pineapple, pears, apples, figs and yogurt, as well as meat.
· Cat Claw’s extract can be taken three times per day in 1,000 mg doses.
· Consume flax seed oil. Just one tablespoon two times per day is sufficient.
· Garlic can be consumed or garlic extract can be taken. The extract should be taken in two pills twice per day. But it is found that eating fresh garlic is dishes is much better.
· Lemon balm can be applied to the shingles. A tea can be made by mixing 2 to 4 tablespoons of lemon balm in water and then applying the the spots.
· Reishi Mushroom extract will help to fight off infections. Simply take 500 mg three times per day to help fight the virus.
Source:
www.dailynutritionnews.com

Why won't Big Pharma ever cure cancer? They reaped $100 billion on cancer drugs in 2014

Reposted from Natural News

http://www.naturalnews.com/049816_Big_Pharma_cancer_industry_medical_profits.html

NaturalNews) Critics of modern medicine have been particularly cynical when it comes to how serious the industry and medical science are in finding cures for some diseases, especially those which generate billions of dollars in profits annually for drug makers.

In 2012 alone, for instance, Americans spent $325.8 billion on medications, and that was a year when medication spending declined for the first time in decades.

Spending on cold and flu medications runs into the billions each year; so, too, does spending on cancer -- both illnesses that some see as too lucrative to cure.

As reported by Michael Snyder of the website End of the American Dream, Americans have a 1-in-3 chance of contracting some form of cancer in their lifetime. For men, the odds are closer to 1-in-2.

Further, almost everyone in the country either knows someone who has had cancer or has died from the disease. Snyder notes that it was not always this way.

"Back in the 1940s, only one out of every sixteen Americans would develop cancer. Something has happened that has caused the cancer rate in this nation to absolutely explode, and it is being projected that cancer will soon surpass heart disease and become the leading cause of death in the United States," Snyder wrote.

$100 billion a year for cancer care alone

In all, the World Health Organization has estimated that approximately 14 million new cancer cases are diagnosed around the world every year; the number of new cases is expected to balloon by nearly 70 percent over the next 20 years.

"There are very few words in the English language that cause more fear than the word 'cancer', but despite billions spent on research and all of the technological progress we have made over the years this plague just continues to spiral wildly out of control," wrote Snyder. "Why is that?"

Because, he said, there is profit in the disease.

As reported by NBC News, spending for cancer drugs and treatment topped $100 billion in 2014 -- a "new milestone." In fact, year-over-year spending on cancer rose 10 percent last year from 2013.

The IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics said that spending five years earlier was just $75 billion. The institute further noted that, between 2010 and 2014, 45 new cancer medications hit the market.

As NBC News reported:

Two of those are so-called immunotherapies, a hot new class that harnesses the immune system to fight cancer. They are Opdivo from Bristol-Myers Squibb and Keytruda from Merck. Both are priced at $12,500 a month.

Indeed, the number of Americans getting cancer has continued to climb for a century. As reported by Health Impact News, at the beginning of the 20th century 1 person in 20 would get cancer. By the 1940s, that figure had risen to 1 in 16; by the 1970s, 1 in 10. And again, today, that figure is 1 in 3.

"Disease care system"

The health news site also reported:

The cancer industry is probably the most prosperous business in the United States. In 2014, there will be an estimated 1,665,540 new cancer cases diagnosed and 585,720 cancer deaths in the US. $6 billion of tax-payer funds are cycled through various federal agencies for cancer research, such as the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The NCI states that the medical costs of cancer care are $125 billion, with a projected 39 percent increase to $173 billion by 2020.

Snyder -- and millions of other Americans -- understand that companies must turn a profit if they are to remain viable, and that, unfortunately, includes Big Pharma as well. But forcing Americans to pay more than $12,000 a month for cancer treatment seems a bit extreme, to say the least.

What's more, for all the money we're spending on traditional cancer care, the results are sketchy, at best.

"If you are diagnosed with cancer in America today and you choose to trust the medical system with your treatment, you can say goodbye to your financial future," wrote Snyder. "Even if you have health insurance, you will probably end up flat broke one way or the other. Either you will survive and be flat broke, or you will die flat broke."

What's more, despite the expense of treatments, cancer survival rates are still not optimal. Today, the five-year survival rate for those diagnosed with cancer is just 65 percent. That means the remaining 35 percent of cancer patients won't survive past that time frame; for certain forms of cancer, the death rates are extremely high.

One of the biggest reasons for our cancer rates, notes Natural News editor Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, is the toxic foods we eat.

As Adams noted as long ago as 2005, one of the biggest causes of cancer in America is our increasingly toxic diet -- even in places of health.

"There is truly dangerous food being served right now in cafeterias at cancer centers, hospitals, clinics, and, of course, public schools, all across the country," Adams wrote, noting that the nation's healthcare system was more like a "disease care system."

Sources:

http://endoftheamericandream.com

http://www.cbsnews.com

http://www.cnn.com

http://www.who.int

http://www.nbcnews.com

http://healthimpactnews.com

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/049816_Big_Pharma_cancer_industry_medical_profits.html#ixzz3b4Zehylh