Atrocious State of Cancer Treatment in the US

Reposted from Dr. Mercola

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/04/09/atrocious-state-cancer-treatment.aspx?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=facebookmercola_ranart&utm_campaign=20170220_atrocious-state-cancer-treatment

By Dr. Mercola
Being diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, a type of brain tumor, is considered a death sentence by modern medicine.
Despite a decades-long war on cancer, and the "most advanced" treatments known to 21st century oncologists, people who develop this aggressive, fast-growing cancer are given a prognosis of about 15 months to live — if they're lucky.
Aggressive treatment, including surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, is often started, even though oncologists know it won't cure the disease. If you ever find yourself in this type of nightmarish scenario, you can imagine the desperation you would feel to find something, anything, that might offer hope.
Most people turn to their oncologists or neurosurgeons with such requests for possible experimental or outside-the-box treatments, but you're unlikely to receive any help that deviates from the hospital's standard protocol.
It's not that such treatment options don't exist; they do. The problem is that the oncologist can't, or won't, prescribe them. To do so would risk his or her reputation and even medical license, should you decide to sue.
The film interviews a number of oncologists that carefully describe their predicament. But the problem is even larger than this. Modern cancer care is not set up to treat you, an individual. Their primary goal is to validate experimental therapies for future cancer patients many years down the road.
Due to regulatory red tape, drug-company greed, failures in the scientific process and lack of a universal will to do what's best for each and every patient, modern cancer care fails an unacceptable percentage of the time.
As Albert Einstein said, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. This describes modern cancer treatment in a nutshell.

How One Man Survived Terminal Cancer

Ben Williams, Ph.D., professor emeritus of Experimental Psychology at University of California, San Diego, shouldn't be here today. He should be one of the statistics — 1 of the more than 15,000 people who die from glioblastoma multiforme in the U.S. every year.¹
Yet, he's alive — 19 years after his initial glioblastoma multiforme diagnosis. His survival was brushed off as a rare fluke by his doctors, but Williams believes otherwise.
In his book "Surviving Terminal Cancer: Clinical Trials, Drug Cocktails, and Other Treatments Your Oncologist Won't Tell You About," he details the multi-faceted strategy he used to overcome the disease. You can hear him tell his story first-hand in the film "Surviving Terminal Cancer," above.
It's becoming increasingly clear that in order to outsmart cancer, you've got to attack it from multiple angles, especially in the case of complex brain cancer. And that's what Williams did.
He described a mushroom extract that's used routinely to treat cancer in Japan. It has zero toxicity, but it's not even mentioned in the U.S.
He did his own research, finding out about the potential to use existing non-cancer medications off label to treat the deadly disease. Once a patent expires on a drug, its potential to rake in major profits plummets. As such, drug companies typically abandon them in favor of newer, more profitable pursuits.

Abandoned Drugs Show Promise but Oncologists Won't Prescribe Them

Some of these abandoned drugs have shown promise for glioblastoma multiforme, but they're not offered to U.S. patients. While I'm not in favor of over-prescribing medications, if you're facing a deadly prognosis you're probably willing to risk the side effects if it gives you a chance for survival.
High-dose tamoxifen, a breast cancer drug, is one such medication that has shown some promise in treating glioblastoma multiforme.²
The anti-malaria drug chloroquine is another.³ There's even a good chance your neuro-oncologist may be aware of the promising studies done with these drugs, but he or she won't offer them as a potential treatment because they're considered experimental. As Williams said:

"It made absolutely no sense to me not to use everything that might have a benefit as long as the toxicities were acceptable. Why wouldn't anyone want to add them? It seemed to be totally irrational that people didn't use everything that was available."

When Modern Medicine Fails Them, Cancer Patients Turn to Self-Medication and the Black Market

In order to survive, Williams turned to self-medicating, a dangerous prospect by any account but, again, when your life is at stake you're willing to take the risk. And his story is not unique.
Many have traveled to other countries, forged prescriptions, feigned illnesses to get access to different medications and even traded medications and nutraceuticals on the "black market" in order to have even a chance at survival.
In Williams' case, his daily cocktail of off-label medications and natural products worked. In just six months, his brain tumor had disappeared and it hasn't been back since.
There are more than a handful of others who have defied odds and lived long term with glioblastoma multiforme, and they've taken matters into their own hands too.
Williams now spends the bulk of his time trying to help others with terminal cancer, and he makes his book, which he updates annually, free to cancer patients in need.

Natural Cancer Fighters Overlooked by Modern Medicine

Nature is an invaluable resource for fighting cancer, yet natural products, even those that have been intensely studied, are also left out of cancer patients' treatment plans. Curcumin — one of the most well-studied bioactive ingredients in turmeric — is one glaring example.
It exhibits over 150 potentially therapeutic activities, including anti-cancer properties.
As noted by Dr. William LaValley — a leading natural medicine cancer physician whom I've previously interviewed on this topic — curcumin is unique in that it appears to be universally useful for just about every type of cancer.
Superficially, this appears unusual considering the fact that cancer consists of a wide variety of different nuclear genetic defects. One reason for this universal anti-cancer proclivity is curcumin's ability to decrease the primary mitochondrial dysfunction that is likely one of the foundational causes of cancer. Once it gets into a cell, it also affects more than 100 different molecular pathways.
And, as explained by LaValley, whether the curcumin molecule causes an increase in activity of a particular molecular target or decrease/inhibition of activity, studies repeatedly show that the end result is a potent anti-cancer activity. Moreover, curcumin is virtually non-toxic, and does not adversely affect healthy cells, suggesting it selectively targets cancer cells — all of which are clear benefits in cancer treatment.
Research has even shown that it works synergistically with certain chemotherapy drugs, enhancing the elimination of cancer cells. If you have cancer, curcumin is one substance you should be taking, but your oncologist won't recommend it.

To Survive Cancer, Many Must Defy Their Doctors

Should you bring up the fact that you are using approaches to fight cancer that are outside of your oncologist's realm of experience — things like supplements, medical marijuana, herbal preparations, and more — you might be scolded, berated, threatened or even fired from the practice.
Williams never told his oncologists about his self-prescribed treatment; he knew it would fall on deaf ears. The cancer industry should be learning from the people who have beaten the odds and survived terminal cancer — studying their methods and trying to apply them to others — but instead they're ignored.
It's an unfortunate state of affairs when patients must actively defy their doctors in order to survive. As Williams explained, going against the advice of his doctors was initially an act of desperation, but it was necessary to save his life. This certainly applies to the majority of conventional oncologists, but there are exceptions — doctors who are blazing a new trail to find a cancer cure.
This includes Dr. Marc-Eric Halatsch, a professor and senior consultant neurosurgeon at the University of Ulm, Germany, who, along with colleagues have developed a new treatment protocol for relapsed glioblastoma.
It's based on a combination of drugs (very similar to the early HIV treatments) "not traditionally thought of as chemotherapy agents, but that have a robust history of being well-tolerated and are already marketed and used for other non-cancer indications."⁴ As noted in the featured film, even though the protocol uses mainstream medications, he's put his reputation on the line to step outside the conventional cancer-treatment box.

Cancer Patients Should Have Access to the Best of Eastern and Western Medicine

Dr. Raymond Chang, who is featured in the video above, is one such pioneer in the integration of Eastern and Western medicine. He is known for his work on anti-cancer Chinese botanicals especially involving bioactive polysaccharides and medicinal mushrooms.
He and colleagues with the Institute of East-West Medicine have created the Asian Anti-Cancer Materia Database, which brings together traditional Asian medicines that have potential anti-cancer activity into one database that can be accessed by all.⁵ In his book, "Beyond the Magic Bullet ― The Anti-Cancer Cocktail," Dr. Chang explained:

"While scientists win occasional skirmishes in the battle against cancer, the overall war continues to go badly. Stories abound about revolutionary drugs that may be available in the future, but offer no real help to those who have cancer today. At present, conventional approaches continue to rely on a narrowly focused strategy of treatments, with doctors using, at best, only one or two drugs or other therapies at a time.

While this may be acceptable in a laboratory setting or a clinical trial, it has done little to diminish the number of people who die each year from this dread disease. Recently, however, conventional medicine's core strategy has been re-examined, and a new, potentially more effective approach has emerged ― one that combines the best of Eastern wisdom with Western science."

More Than Half a Million People Expected to Die From Cancer in 2016

In 2016, nearly 1.7 million new cases of cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the U.S., while nearly 600,000 will die from the disease.⁶  That is nearly 1,650 people dying EVERY DAY in the U.S. alone. Public health agencies claim that we are winning the war against cancer, but from 2003 to 2012 death rates from cancer decreased by only 1.8 percent per year among men and 1.4 percent per year among women.⁷
Meanwhile, the 2014 World Cancer Report issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) predicted worldwide cancer rates to rise by 57 percent in the next two decades.⁸
The report refers to the prediction as "an imminent human disaster," noting countries around the world need to renew their focus on prevention rather than treatment only. Christopher Wild, Ph.D., director of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, told CNN:⁹

"We cannot treat our way out of the cancer problem. More commitment to prevention and early detection is desperately needed in order to complement improved treatments and address the alarming rise in cancer burden globally."

There is so much you can do to lower your risk for cancer, but please don't wait until you get the diagnosis — you have to take preventative steps now. Cancer doesn't typically develop overnight, which means you have a chance to make changes that can potentially prevent cancer from developing in the first place. Most of us carry around microscopic cancer cell clusters in our bodies all the time.
The reason why we all don't develop cancer is because as long as your body has the ability to balance angiogenesis properly, it will prevent blood vessels from forming to feed these microscopic tumors. Trouble will only arise if, and when, the cancer cells manage to get their own blood supply, at which point they can transform from harmless to deadly. It's much easier to prevent cancer than to treat it once it takes hold.

Top Cancer Prevention Strategies

I believe you can virtually eliminate your risk of cancer and chronic disease and significantly improve your chances of recovering from cancer if you currently have it, by following these relatively simple strategies.

1. Eat REAL Food: Seek to eliminate all processed food in your diet. Eat at least one-third of your food raw. Avoid frying or charbroiling; boil, poach or steam your foods instead. Consider adding cancer-fighting whole foods, herbs, spices and supplements to your diet, such as broccoli sprouts, curcumin and resveratrol.
2. Carbohydrates and Sugar: Sugar/fructose and grain-based foods from your diet need to be reduced and eventually eliminated. This applies to whole unprocessed organic grains as well, as they tend to rapidly break down and drive up your insulin level.
The evidence is quite clear that if you want to avoid cancer, or you currently have cancer, you absolutely MUST avoid all forms of sugar, especially fructose, which are dirty fuels generating excessive free radicals and secondary mitochondrial damage.
3. Protein and Fat: Consider reducing your protein levels to 1 gram of protein for every kilogram of lean body mass, or one-half gram of protein per pound of lean body mass. Replace excess protein with high-quality fats, such as organic eggs from pastured hens, high-quality grass-fed meats, raw pastured butter, avocados, pecans, macadamias, and coconut oil.
4. GMOs: Avoid genetically engineered foods as they are typically treated with herbicides such as Roundup (glyphosate), and are likely to be carcinogenic and contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction. Choose fresh, organic, and preferably locally grown foods.
5. Animal-Based Omega-3 Fats: Normalize your ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats by consuming anchovies, sardines, wild Alaskan salmon or taking a high-quality krill oil and reducing your intake of processed vegetable oils.
6. Optimize Your Gut Flora: This will reduce inflammation and strengthen your immune response. Researchers have found a microbe-dependent mechanism through which some cancers mount an inflammatory response that fuels their development and growth.
They suggest that inhibiting inflammatory cytokines might slow cancer progression and improve the response to chemotherapy. Fermented foods are especially beneficial for gut health, and the fermentation process involved in creating sauerkraut produces cancer-fighting compounds such as isothiocyanates, indoles and sulforaphane.
7. Exercise and Move More: Sit less, move around more and try to take 10,000 steps a day.  Exercise also lowers insulin levels, which creates a low-sugar environment that discourages the growth and spread of cancer cells. In a three-month study, exercise was found to alter immune cells into a more potent disease-fighting form in cancer survivors who had just completed chemotherapy.
Researchers and cancer organizations increasingly recommend making regular exercise a priority in order to reduce your risk of cancer and help improve cancer outcomes. Exercise may also help trigger apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancer cells. Ideally, your exercise program should include balance, strength, flexibility, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). For help getting started, refer to my Peak Fitness Program.
8. Vitamin D: There is scientific evidence you can decrease your risk of cancer by more than half simply by optimizing your vitamin D levels with appropriate sun exposure. Your serum level should hold steady at 50 to 70 ng/ml, but if you are being treated for cancer, it should be closer to 80 to 90 ng/ml for optimal benefit.
If you take oral vitamin D and have cancer, it would be very prudent to monitor your vitamin D blood levels regularly, as well as supplementing with vitamin K2, as K2 deficiency is actually what produces the symptoms of vitamin D toxicity.
9. Sleep: Make sure you are getting enough restorative sleep. Poor sleep can interfere with your melatonin production, which is associated with an increased risk of insulin resistance and weight gain, both of which contribute to cancer's virility.
10. Exposure to Toxins: Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, herbicides, household chemical cleaners, plastics chemicals, synthetic air fresheners and toxic cosmetics.
11. Exposure to Radiation: Limit your exposure and protect yourself from radiation produced by cell phones, towers, base stations, and Wi-Fi stations, as well as minimizing your exposure from radiation-based medical scans, including dental x-rays, CT scans, and mammograms.
12. Stress Management: Stress from all causes is a major contributor to disease. It is likely that stress and unresolved emotional issues may be more important than the physical ones, so make sure this is addressed. My favorite tool for resolving emotional challenges is the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT).

Have You Been Diagnosed With Cancer?

One of the most essential strategies I know of to treat cancer is to starve the cells by depriving them of their food source. Unlike your body cells, which can burn carbs or fat for fuel, cancer cells have lost that metabolic flexibility. Dr. Otto Warburg was given a Nobel Prize over 75 years ago for figuring this out, but virtually no oncologist actually uses this information.
You can review my interview with Dominic D'Agostino, Ph.D. below for more details. Integrating a ketogenic diet with hyperbaric oxygen therapy is deadly to cancer cells. It debilitates them by starving them of their fuel source. This would be the strategy I would recommend to my family members if they were diagnosed with cancer.

Vetiver Oil Improves ADHD, Anxiety & Brain Health

Reposted from Dr. Axe

https://draxe.com/vetiver-oil/?utm_campaign=foodmatters&utm_medium=Affliate&utm_source=Facebook&utm_term

Vetiver oil has been used in traditional medicine in South Asia, Southeast Asia and West Africa for thousands of years. It’s native to India, and both its leaves and roots have wonderful uses. Vetiver is known as a sacred herb valued because of its uplifting, soothing, healing and protective properties. It’s a natural body cooler — making it extremely popular in tropical countries. In fact, in India and Sri Lanka it’s known as the “oil of tranquility.”

Some of vetiver oil uses include treating heat strokes, joint disorders and skin problems. Using vetiver oil is also a way to boost energy levels when you’re exhausted. In addition, it’s used to cool the body during very high temperatures and soothe feelings of anxiety and nervousness.

Recent research credits vetiver oil for treating symptoms of ADHD and ADD. It’s also known to increase libido and treat insomnia without drugs. There are a number of vetiver oil benefits that you can take advantage of in the comfort of your home; the essential oil is perfect for skin care products and relaxing oil combinations.

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The Vetiver Plant and Its Components 

Vetiver, or chrysopogon zizanioides, is a perennial bunchgrass of the Poaceae family native to India. In western and northern India, it’s popularly known as khus. Vetiver is most closely related to Sorghum, but it shares many morphological characteristics with other fragrant grasses, such as lemongrass, palmarosa and citronella oil.
Vertiver grass can grow up to five feet high; the stems are tall, and the leaves are long and thin. The flowers are a brownish-purple color, and unlike most root systems, the roots of vetiver grass grow downward and can go as deep at eight feet (which is deeper than some tree roots).
The vetiver plant is highly drought-tolerant and can help to protect soil against sheet erosion. Because the roots are so deep, they don’t dislodge easily; therefore, they have been used to stabilize railway cuttings and embankments in order to prevent mudslides and rockfalls. The plant can block the runoff of surface water, and it slows water flow.
Vetiver oil is distilled from the plant’s roots, and it contains over 100 components. The important compounds of vetiver are khusimene, delta-selinene, beta-vetivenene, cyclocopacamphan-12-ol (epimers A and B), vetiselinenol, khusimol, isovalencenol, khusimone, alpha-vetivone and beta-vetivone. The oil is amber-brown in color, and it’s described as a sweet, woody and smoky fragrance.
Similar to patchouli oil and sandalwood essential oil, the odor of vetiver develops and improves with aging, and the scent varies depending on the plant’s location.

7 Vetiver Oil Benefits

1. Proven Antioxidant

Antioxidants are substances that help prevent certain types of cell damage, especially those caused by oxidation. When certain types of oxygen molecules are allowed to travel freely in the body, they cause what’s known as oxidative damage, which is the formation of free radicals, which are very dangerous to the body’s tissues. Some benefits of consuming antioxidant-rich foods and herbs include slower aging, healthy and glowing skin, reduced cancer risk, detoxification support, and longer life span.
A study done at the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition a Clemson University in South Carolina evaluated the antioxidant activity of vetiver oil in 2005. The results showed that vetiver oil possessed a strong free radical scavenging activity when compared to standard antioxidants such as butylated hydroxytoluene and alpha-tocopherol.

2. Heals Scars and Marks on Skin

Vetiver oil is a cicatrisant, meaning it heals scars by promoting the regeneration of skin and tissue. It rejuvenates the skin and removes dark spots or signs of acne and pox. It’s also an anti-aging oil and effectively treats stretch marks, cracks and other skin disorders. Plus, it works as a home remedy for burn relief as well as a home remedy for acne. This can be effective for women who have stretch marks after childbirth. By adding a few drops of vetiver oil to your face wash, body soap or lotion, you will notice the difference — your skin will be even or your complexion will improve.
Vetiver oil is an antiseptic, meaning that when it’s applied to living tissue or skin, it reduces the possibility of infection and kills bacteria. Studies show that a minimum concentration of vetiver oil is needed to kill infections such as staph. This vetiver oil benefit is useful before and after a surgical procedure and when healing wounds and cuts.

3. Treats ADHD

In 2001, a study done by Dr. Terry Friedman found that vetiver oil is effective in treating children with ADHD. The case study was conducted for two years (1999-2001), and it involved 40 children between 6 and 12 years old. Twenty of the children were not diagnosed with ADHD — they served as the control group — and 20 children were diagnosed.
The essential oils that were used in the study were lavender, vetiver, cedarwood and Brain Power (which is a blend of frankincense, sandalwood, melissa, cedarwood, blue cypress, lavender and helichrysum essential oils). The essential oils were tested one at a time for 30 days per oil; the children used a inhalation device at night and inhaled the essential oil about three times day when they were feeling “scattered.”
The final results were extremely promising — lavender oil’s benefits were apparent, as it increased performance by 53 percent, cedarwood essential oil increased performance by 83 percent and vetiver oil increased performance by 100 percent! The study found that the relaxing and calming properties of vetiver oil helped the children combat their ADHD and ADD symptoms, which typically include difficulty in concentrating, diminished focus, being easily distracted, difficulty with organization and following directions, impatience, and fidgety behavior. The research that is being done to support vetiver oil, and other essential oils, as an effective natural remedy for ADHD is an exciting and much-needed prospect.

4. Serves as an Aphrodisiac

Mental and physical stress can lead to a loss of libido or sex drive. A 2010 study published in the journal Hormones and Behavior first suggested this when it evaluated the “dual-hormone hypothesis” clinically. Researchers discovered that when cortisol is elevated in times of stress, testosterone responds by elevating as well. The problem is that eventually the testosterone levels bottom out at a much lower level than before cortisol kicked in.
When you live life in a stressed state, you deplete testosterone levels and feel a loss of sexual desires. Because vetiver oil is proven to be an effective calming and sedative agent, it leaves your mind and body relaxed, which allows you to balance your hormones naturally.
It’s also very important that you get enough sleep. According to an article from the journal Current Opinion of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity, getting enough sleep and at the right times are two of the most effective and natural ways to raise testosterone. Because vetiver oil has soothing properties that leave you in a state of tranquility, it’s known to help with insomnia and stress that leads to sleep loss. With the right amount of sleep, your body begins to feel its natural and healthy urges again — so if you can’t sleep, try utilizing vetiver oil.
Vetiver oil is not only good for raising testosterone levels in the mind; it also has gentle estrogen-like effects. It has the power to strengthen the female reproductive system and balance hormones. It also aids in treating menstrual discomforts such as fatigue, bloating, skin issues, emotional changes, breast tenderness and cramps. By working as a sedative, vetiver oil serves as a natural remedy for PMS cramps and helps the body relax and combat the daunting hormonal and emotional changes.

5. Improves Body Function

Vetiver oil boosts the immune and nervous system, as it’s a natural tonic. A 2015 study conducted in India found that vetiver oil plays a protective role in the body by lessening the toxic results of a chemotherapy drug called cisplatin, which is used to treat cancer of the testicles, bladder, ovaries or lung. Because of its antioxidant activity, vetiver oil significantly inhibited DNA damage, clastogenic effects and cell cycle arrest in the bone marrow cells of mice that were given cisplatin for five consecutive days.
Vetiver oil’s soothing and restorative attributes are also responsible for stimulating the immune system and and supporting the nervous system. When we’re stressed, adrenaline and cortisol flood the body; our blood pressure, breathing and heart rate increases. Glucose is then released into the bloodstream for ready energy. Digestion, growth, reproduction and immune system functions are suppressed or put on hold when we feel tense and anxious, and blood flow to the skin is decreased while pain tolerance is increased.
Ridding yourself of stress impacts your brain, heart, digestion, immune system and every other system in the body, so natural remedies for anxiety, like vetiver oil, can be extremely useful.

6. Soothes Anxiety and Nervousness

Traditionally, vetiver oil has been used in aromatherapy for relaxation and alleviating emotional stress, panic attacks, trauma, anxiety, insomnia, hysteria and depression. A 2015 study investigated the effects of vetiver oil as a tool that helps with anxiety and the neurological actions in the central amygdaloid nucleus. The central amygdaloid nucleus connects with brainstem areas that control the expression of innate behaviors; it’s responsible for the perception and results of emotions, such as changes in heart rate, blood pressure and respiration.
When vetiver oil was given to rats, it altered this neuronal activation from stress. In fact, vetiver oil had the same impact as Diazepam, a medication that treats anxiety, muscle spasms, seizures and other medical conditions.

7. Repels Termites

The Louisiana State University Agricultural Center analyzed the termite repellency of eight essential oils, including vetiver grass, cassia leaf oil, clove bud, cedarwood, eucalyptus globules, eucalyptus citrodora, lemongrass and geranium oils. Of the tested essential oils, vetiver oil proved the most effective repellent because of its long-lasting activity. Vetiver oil also decreased termite tunneling activity at concentrations as low as fiver micrograms per one gram of sand.
Another study proved that vetiver oil is able to repel and control the mosquito larvae that’s responsible for diseases like dengue, malaria, yellow fever and filariasis. Some people use vetiver oil on the scalp to kill lice, as it’s non-toxic and works as a pest killer and repellant.

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Vetiver Oil History & Interesting Facts

Vetiver oil has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. In these treatments, vetiver oil is used to treat imbalances and heal health disorders like muscular aches, fevers, arthritis pain and headaches. One interesting use, vetiver essential oil was used in massaging brides to sanctify them before marriage. Because of its cleansing and therapeutic properties, it’s known to heal a person from within.
The most popular use of vetiver oil in the Middle Ages was its use in scents, which continues to be true today. Because of its woody and earthy aroma, it’s frequently used in the perfume industry — providing a more masculine fragrance.
For thousands of years, vetiver grass has been used to make roof thatches, rugs, baskets and curtains. In India, vetiver roots are dried and then woven into window curtains; the curtains cool the fresh air that comes in from the window, so in the hot summer months the rooms are fresh and airy. Sometimes the curtains are sprayed with water so the hot air that passes through creates a cool and fragrant breeze.
Today, vetiver is used as a mulch because it’s useful as weed control in coffee, cocoa and tea plantations. It works by building a barrier in the form of a thick mat. The hairy texture of the vetiver leaves also serves as a pest repellant; when larvae lands on the leaves, it cannot move, so it falls to the ground and dies.

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How to Find Vetiver Oil

It’s easy to find and purchase vetiver oil from a local health food store or online. Look for reputable and organic brands that indicate the product is 100 percent vetiver essential oil. A 10-milliliter bottle of vetiver oil costs between $10 and $15. Vetiver oil blends well with bergamot oil, cedarwood essential oil, geranium oil, ginger essential oil, jasmine oil, lavender essential oil, lemon oil, lemongrass essential oil, orange oil, patchouli essential oil, rose oil and sandalwood essential oil.
You can also purchase a vetiver sponge; it can be found online or in an Ayurvedic shop. The loofah-type sponge is made of vetiver roots, and it’s used to exfoliate dead skin cells and improve circulation in the body. They have a pleasant, woody-citrus fragrance, and they’re antibacterial.

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Easy Vetiver Oil Uses

Here are some easy ways to use vetiver oil at home:

• Make your own vetiver water by soaking clean vetiver roots in cooled boiling water for 2–3 hours. Make sure to cover the pot as the roots soak. The water has a calming effect on the body, and it acts as a blood purifier. It can also be used to rinse your hair to give you a cooling and refreshing feeling.
• Put 5–10 drops of vetiver oil in your bath water; because it’s both fragrant and cooling, using it in your bath prevents overheating and helps with relaxation and insomnia. To boost the calming results, combine vetiver oil with lavender and rose essential oils as well.
• To benefit your mind and mood, diffuse 3–5 drops of vetiver oil or place 1–2 drops on your wrists, chest and neck.
• Make your own calming massage oil by mixing 3–5 drops of vetiver oil with equal parts jojoba oil. This combination leaves your skin clean and moisturized, and your mind at peace.

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Possible Vetiver Oil Side Effects

This essential oil is completely safe, being a non-irritant, non-sensitizing and non-toxic substance. It should not be used when pregnant or breastfeeding, as there is not enough information in regard to its effects on a nursing infant. Vetiver oil is possibly safe for human consumption when taken in smaller medical doses. Drinking vetiver water (by soaking the roots) is deemed safe.
Some sources claim that vetiver oil can cause a miscarriage if taken by mouth, but there is insufficient evidence for that side effect. There are currently no known drug interactions.

The Benefits of Pine Bark Extract

Reposted from Life Extension

http://blog.lifeextension.com/2015/02/the-benefits-of-pine-bark-extract.html



The pine tree is celebrated during the darkness of winter for its seemingly death-defying ability to remain green year-round.

Its bark and needles have been used by indigenous people for centuries for nutrition and general wellness.

As a matter of fact, an extract from the bark of the French maritime pine has been found to contain compounds that have year-round life-enhancing benefits. Let's explore them.

Pine Bark Extract Contains Disease-Fighting Proanthocyanidins

Proanthocyanidins derived from pine bark have been associated with a variety of benefits, including DNA protection, reduction of inflammation, decreased oxidative stress and reduced glycation. ^1-5 

Aside from these broad benefits, pine bark extract has been found to help a number of conditions.

Pine Bark Extract Supports Skin Health

Recent research has revealed an ability for pine bark extract to reduce the length and severity of the common cold.⁶ The extract has also been shown to decrease symptoms associated with psoriasis.⁷

In addition to helping with psoriasis, pine bark extract benefits the skin of healthy people, too. Not only does it protect collagen from degrading, it reduces the damage caused by ultraviolet light⁸—the primary cause of skin aging.

Pine bark extract's skin benefits don't end there. It has also shown to improve skin elasticity,^9,10 roughness, hydration,¹⁰ and hyperpigmentation.¹¹

Pine Bark Extract Improves Circulation and Menopause

In studies involving people with chronic venous insufficiency, pine bark extract reduced leg and ankle swelling and improved symptoms.^12,13

Its ability to maintain capillary health is behind its use by many women to combat "spider veins": small dilated red or violet capillaries. Women have also benefited from the use of pine bark extract during menopause¹⁴ 

The administration of 100 milligrams over an eight-week period reduced fatigue, sleep issues, memory impairment, dizziness, irritability, and depression, as well as such symptoms as headache, breast tenderness, and itching.

Pine Bark Extract Benefits Diabetes and Arthritis

Pine bark extract shows promise for other chronic diseases as well.

A trial of diabetics who received a daily dose of 125 milligrams experienced an average reduction of almost 24 mg/dL in fasting blood sugar levels. Hemoglobin A1c, which assesses long-term glucose control, and LDL cholesterol were also significantly reduced.⁵

And in participants with arthritis, 100 milligrams of pine bark extract daily resulted in a 56% reduction in symptoms, and an increase in walking distance compared to the placebo group.¹⁵

The Bottom Line

The benefits for pine bark extract extend well beyond those discussed in this brief summary.

And while you may not relish the thought of consuming pine bark (unless you're a die-hard survivalist), anyone can take pine bark extract as a supplement to help prevent a number of conditions and promote better health.

References:

1. Fitoterapia. 2010 Oct;81(7):724-36.
2. Drug Dev Ind Pharm. 1998 Feb;24(2):139-44.
3. Free Radic Biol Med. 2012 Feb 15;52(4):765-74.
4. Redox Rep. 2008;13(6):271-6.
5. Nutr Res. 2008 May;28(5):315-20.
6. Panminerva Med. 2014 Dec;56(4):301-8.
7. Panminerva Med. 2014 Mar;56(1):41-8.
8. Photochem Photobiol. 2004 Feb;79(2):193-8.
9. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2004 Jan;3(1):26-34.
10. Skin Pharmacol Physiol.2012;25(2):86-92.
11. Phytother Res.2002 Sep;16(6):567-71.
12. Clin Appl Thromb Hemost.2006 Apr;12(2):205-12.
13. Angiology.2006 Oct-Nov;57(5):569-76.
14. Panminerva Med. 2011 Sep;53(3 Suppl 1):65-70.
15. Phytother Res.2008 Apr;22(4):518-23

New Study Shows Ginger Is 10,000x Stronger Than Chemo (And Only Kills Cancer Cells)

Reposted from Healthy Holistic Living

http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/ginger-kills-cancer-cells.html?T=DM

Turmeric has widely been toted for its effect on cancer, but new research has shown that its cousin ginger is just as powerful. Not only that, an active compound in ginger has potentially been found to be more effective than some cancer medications at killing cancer. There is even preliminary evidence of some cancer medications being ineffective and actually accelerating the death of cancer patients.

The Power Of Ginger

One study, conducted by Georgia State University found that ginger extract was able to reduce the size of a prostate tumor by 56% in mice. In addition to its effect on cancer, ginger was also observed to reduce inflammation and supply the mice with life-enhancing antioxidants.

Another study published in PLoS found that one particular component in ginger known as 6-shogaol is superior to conventional cancer medication, namely chemotherapy, at targeting the cause of breast cancer malignancy: breast cancer stem cells (1).

Sometimes referred to as ‘mother cells,’ cancer stem cells are the cause of a wide range of cancers, not simply breast cancer. These ‘mother cells’ are responsible for creating the different ‘daughter’ cell types that make up the tumor colony. While cancer stem cells only constitute .2 to 1% of the cell makeup of the tumor, they seem to be almost ‘immortal.’

What that means is, these cancer stem cells can self-renew, they are capable of continuous differentiation, are resistant to conventional chemotherapeutic agents, and are capable of splitting off and forming new tumor colonies. The only way to fully ensure that your body is cancer free is to destroy the cancer stem cells within a tumor.

New Study

This new study found that the pungent constituent in ginger known as 6-shogaol was very active when it came to anti-cancer stem behavior. This constituent is produced when the root is either dried or cooked, to very common uses for ginger already. But there is something very specific about 6-shogaol that makes it potentially superior to some available chemotherapy treatments for cancer.
Researchers found that these cancer-destroying effects occurred at concentrations that were non-toxic to non-cancer cells. That means that this particular component of ginger only killed cancer cells, leaving healthy cells alone. This makes it very different from conventional cancer treatments that do not display that kind of selective cytotoxicity.

When it comes to breast cancer, 6-shogaol significantly affects the cell cycle, resulting in increased cancer cell death. It induces programmed cell death through the induction of autophagy. It also inhibits breast cancer spheroids (lumps) from forming. But that isn’t the only astounding thing about 6-shogaol.

This study also found, that in tests of the cancer drug Taxol, it did not show the same level of effectiveness at destroying cancer stem cells and tumors as 6-shogaol. Even when the concentrations of Taxol were increased, it was still found that 6-shogaol was 10,000 times more effective at killing cancer stem cells, stopping tumors from forming, and keeping healthy cells alive.

Although more research needs to be done to show how ‘modern cancer medicine’ may not be as effective as natural remedies, this is promising preliminary research.

Sources:

1. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0137614 
2. http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/ginger-10000x-stronger-chemo-taxol-cancer-research-model
3. http://naturalsociety.com/ginger-destroys-cancer-more-effectively-than-cancer-drugs/

Tea Tree Oil Benefits

Reposted from Dr. Mercola

http://articles.mercola.com/herbal-oils/tea-tree-oil.aspx?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=facebookmercola_nonlead2&utm_campaign=20161027_tea-tree-oil

Practical, inexpensive, and has many uses for your health and around the home — no wonder tea tree oil is hailed as a "jack of all trades" among nature's herbal oils. Here's what you need to know about tea tree oil.

What Is Tea Tree Oil?

Tea tree oil (TTO), also called melaleuca oil, is made from the leaves of the tea tree plant (Melaleuca alternifolia), a member of the myrtle tree family, which is native to Australia.
The name was coined by British explorer Lieutenant James Cook in the 1770s, when he saw native Australians brewing tea using the leaves from the tree. Later on, he brewed his own batch of tea, and gave it to his crew to prevent scurvy.¹
The tea tree plant is highly prized by primitive Australian communities for its unique healing ability.
Numerous aboriginal communities along the east coast of Australia have a long historical use of tea tree as an antiseptic for skin conditions. They simply crushed the tea tree leaves and applied it to cuts, burns and infections.
It was only in the 1920s, after Arthur Penfold,² an Australian state government chemist, published a series of papers on tea tree oil's antiseptic properties that this oil's benefits became widely known.
Through modern distillation methods, manufacturers are now able to produce tea tree oil with a clear to very pale golden or yellow color, and a fresh, camphor-like scent.³

Uses of Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil has been long valued for its antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties. In the 1920s, it was used in dentistry and surgery to help clean wounds and prevent infections.⁴
Surgeons believed that it is more effective than carbolic acid, the commonly used antiseptic at that time.⁵
Tea tree oil's has become more popular within the last few years, and it is now added to soaps, shampoos, lotions and other personal care products. Tea tree oil has many uses around the home, too. An article in Mother Nature Network⁶ lists nine home uses of tea tree oil, including:

• Toothbrush cleaner — A drop of tea tree oil can disinfect your toothbrush, which is a breeding ground for mold and bacteria.
• Mold treatment — Mix a drop with a cup of water, spray on moldy areas and then wipe clean. For an all-natural disinfectant, you can also sprinkle a few drops of tea tree oil along with baking soda on your bathroom or kitchen surfaces.
• Natural pest control — The strong smell of tea tree oil naturally repels ants and other insects. I recommend making a natural insect repellent by mixing a few drops of tea tree oil with coconut oil.
• Laundry freshener — Adding a few drops of this oil during the wash cycle will make your laundry smell crisper and kill organisms lurking in your washer.

Composition of Tea Tree Oil

There are over 100 components in tea tree oil, but it is mostly made up of terpene hydrocarbons: monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and their alcohols.⁷ Light, heat, exposure to air and moisture can affect TTO's stability, so make sure to place it in an airtight container and store it in a dark, cool and dry place.

Benefits of Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil has gained a reputation for being an all-around remedy, from removing makeup⁸ to treating warts.⁹ Numerous studies have been conducted to prove the potential benefits of tea tree oil for health ailments, such as:

• Acne — A comparative study published in the Medical Journal of Australia¹⁰ found that TTO and benzoyl peroxide both had a significant effect in ameliorating patients' acne. Although the onset of action in tea tree oil was slower, it caused fewer side effects than benzoyl peroxide.
• Fungal infections — A study published in the journal Tropical Medicine and International Health found that treating toenail onychomycosis with 2 percent butenafine and 5 percent TTO in cream cured 80 percent of patients.
• Bacterial infections — A 2004 study¹¹ funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) found that TTO may be used as an adjunctive treatment for wounds, and may even help treat severe infections like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
However, large, well-designed clinical trials are lacking, and the jury is still out on whether tea tree oil really has this potential.

Smaller-scale clinical studies on tea tree oil revealed TTO's potential for helping treat athlete's foot, dandruff, lice, gingivitis and genital infections.

Tea tree oil is said to be helpful in alleviating chest and head congestion, stuffy nose and other symptoms of colds and flu

In aromatherapy, tea tree oil is said to be helpful in alleviating chest and head congestion, stuffy nose¹² and other symptoms of colds and flu, especially when used in steam inhalation.
Steam inhalation clears the congested nasal passages and kills bacteria.
Adding an antiviral essential oil like TTO makes it that much more effective. Just add a few drops to a steaming bowl of hot (purified) water, cover your head with a towel and breathe in the vapors for five to 10 minutes. Adding a few drops of tea tree oil to your bathwater may also help stop a cold from developing.¹³

How to Make Tea Tree Oil

Large-scale tea tree oil manufacturers use steam distillation to extract the product.¹⁴ But if you have fresh tea tree leaves on hand, you can easily make this oil. Here's a step-by-step process from OfftheGridNews.com:¹⁵

✓Put the leaves in a pot and cover with water. Place a vegetable steamer in the pot over the top of the leaves and water.

✓Put a measuring cup inside the steamer.

✓ Place the lid on the pot upside down, so that the handle nub in the center is pointing toward the measuring cup.

✓ Boil the water to steam the leaves. The water will condense and evaporate, and the condensation will slide toward the handle and into the measuring cup.

✓ Put about four ice cubes on top of the upside down pot lid to hasten the steam condensation.

✓ Turn off the heat once all the ice has melted.

✓ Take off the lid and pour the ice cube water into the sink, and then remove the glass measuring cup.

✓ Pour the measuring cup contents into a separating funnel, but make sure the stopcock at the bottom of the funnel is closed. Close the top of the funnel and shake vigorously.

✓ Invert the funnel and then open to release the pressure. The oil will float to the top of the water, effectively separating the two substances.

✓ Put a glass bottle beneath the stopcock and release the water. Pour the oil into a tinted glass bottle.

✓ Repeat the process up to three more times to pull more oil from the leaves.

How Does Tea Tree Oil Work?

The chemicals in tea tree oil may help kill bacteria and fungus and reduce allergic skin reactions. Experts believe the most beneficial component of tea tree oil is its high terpene content. According to Dr. Aurora DeJuliis, a dermatologist and aesthetician based in New Jersey, terpenes are a type of volatile oil that has been shown to destroy bacteria.¹⁶
However, I advise you to use tea tree oil with caution — it's meant to be used topically. Some mouthwash or toothpaste products contain tea tree oil but are generally safe, as they are not swallowed.
Using tea tree oil at full strength can cause skin irritation, which is why it is often diluted with other natural ingredients, like raw honey or coconut oil. Different treatment options also call for different percentages of tea tree oil. For example, acne treatments only require 5 to 15 percent TTO. For fungal infections, 70 to 100 percent TTO is used.¹⁷

Is Tea Tree Oil Safe?

The answer is yes, as long as it is applied topically in appropriate doses and NOT swallowed. This oil may irritate your skin, especially if used for the first time. I recommend starting with low concentrations until you figure out your tolerance.¹⁸ It's also a good idea to determine if you have an allergy to tea tree oil before using it. Apply a small amount to your inner arm to see if any reaction occurs.¹⁹
The NCCAM recommends avoiding oxidized oil, which has been exposed to air, because it may trigger allergies more than fresh tea tree oil.²⁰ Avoid using undiluted tea tree oil to avoid irritation as well. Instead, use it in gel, cream or lotion form. Look for an all-natural topical product that incorporates tea tree oil in safe quantities.

Risks of Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil contains varying amounts of 1,8–cineole,²¹ a skin irritant that may cause allergic reactions in some individuals. The rashes are usually mild and itchy, but may also lead to blistering. Serious allergic reactions may also occur. DO NOT swallow or ingest tea tree oil. It may cause severe reactions, such as rashes, blood cell abnormalities, diarrhea, stomachache, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, hallucinations and ataxia (loss of muscle control in the arms and legs).²²
Tea tree oil may also be toxic to pets if ingested. Veterinary toxicologists found that large amounts of undiluted tea tree oil applied to the skin of cats and dogs caused a hypersensitivity (allergic) reaction.²³ If you are allergic to eucalyptol, use TTO with caution, as many formulas are mixed with eucalyptol.

This Soap Causes Breast Cancer

Reposted from Healthy Food Fridge

http://www.thehealthyfoodfridge.com/soap-cause-breast-cancer/

We use soaps every day and we don’t even think twice about it. We use them to maintain our hygiene and protect ourselves from germs and bacteria. However, latest discoveries show that the antibacterial chemicals which manufacturers commonly use in antibacterial soaps could be doing more harm than good. According to a new study out of South Korea the commonly used antibacterial additive, triclosan, showed cancer-promoting effects both in vitro and in vivo, a discovery which has left many experts shocked!

The study conducted by Kyung-Chul Choi and colleagues from Chungbuk National University and the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology primarily examined the effects of triclosan  on the hormonal system. A known hormone-disruptor, triclosan has been shown in previous research to mimic the feminizing hormone estrogen, which in turn alters the normal production and expression of other hormones like testosterone.

Having this in mind, it’s no wonder that the scientists discovered triclosan to be disrupting the endocrine system’s balance, causing abnormal cellular growths. It has an especially negative influence on women, triggering the growth of breast cancer cells, leading to the formation of malignant tumors. This was demonstrated both in cell samples and in live mice, and it seems that triclosan forms an ideal base for the proliferation of breast cancer.

The scientists compared the frequency and progression patterns of breast cancer growths, both in vitro and in vivo, for subjects who were exposed to triclosan and those who weren’t and the results were more than clear. Triclosan stimulates abnormal cell growth and this gets even more serious if we consider the fact that it accumulates in the body as time passes by, causing additional problems.
“Although the doses of EDCs were somewhat high, we did this to simulate the effects of daily exposure, as well as body accumulation due to long-term exposure, simultaneously in animal experiments,” stated Choi. “Thus, exposure to EDCs may significantly increase the risk of breast cancer development and adversely affect human health,” – it was stated in the paper.

Octylphenol amplifies cancer-causing effects of triclosan
During their research they were able to identify another antibacterial chemical, octylphenol, with similar cancer-causing properties. Even though it’s not as commonly used as triclosan, it was revealed that this chemical additionally harms our system, alongside triclosan, and stimulates abnormal cell growth and their proliferation, making it clearer than ever how toxic these substances are.

So which products contain triclosan?

In light of everything above mentioned, a great number of cosmetic product manufacturers started changing their formula, removing triclosan from their product, which is largely thanks to the media pressure. Below you can find a list of products which are or used to be formulated with triclosan, but this is not the complete list. Always try to look for triclosan in the products you use. Some retail outlets may still carry older formulations. Look out for labels that cay: “antimicrobial protection.” Some antibacterial soaps may use triclosan’s cousin, triclocarban, in place of triclosan.

Soap: Dial® Liquid handsoap and bodywash; Tea Tree Therapy™ Liquid Soap; Clearasil® Daily Face Wash; Dermalogica® Skin Purifying Wipes; DermaKleen™ Antibacterial Lotion Soap; CVS Antibacterial Soap, Ajax Antibacterial Dishsoap, Ultra Concentrated Dawn Antibacterial Dishsoap, Kimcare Antibacterial Clear Soap, Bath and Body Works Antibacterial Hand Soaps, Gels and Foaming Sanitizers.

Dental Care: Colgate Total®; Breeze™ Daily Mouthwash; Reach® Antibacterial Toothbrush
Cosmetics: Garden Botanika® Powder Foundation; Mavala Lip Base; Movate® Skin Litening Cream HQ; Paul Mitchell Detangler Comb, Revlon ColorStay LipSHINE Lipcolor Plus Gloss, Babor Volume Mascara, Phytomer Perfect Visage Gentle Cleansing Milk, Phytomer Hydracontinue Instant Moisture Cream, Bath and Body Works Antibacterial Moisturizing Lotions.

Deodorant: Arm and Hammer® Essentials Natural Deodorant; Queen Helene® Tea Trea Oil Deodorant and Aloe Deodorant; DeCleor Deodorant Stick; Epoch® Deodorant with Citrisomes.

First Aid: SyDERMA® Skin Protectant plus First Aid Antiseptic; Healwell Plantar Fasciitis Night Splint; Solarcaine® First Aid Medicated Spray; Nexcare™ First Aid, Skin Crack Care; : Universal Cervical Collar with Microban.

Kitchenware: Farberware® Microban Cutting Boards; Franklin Machine Products FMP Ice Cream Scoop SZ 20 Microban; Hobart Semi-Automatic Slicer; Chix® Food Service Wipes with Microban; Compact Web Foot® Wet Mop Heads.

Other Personal Care Products: Murad Acne Complex® Kit, ®; Diabet-x™ Cream; Scunci Microban Comb, Sportslick Pocket Slick.

Clothes: Biofresh® socks, undergarments, tops and bottoms.

Office and School Products: Ticonderoga® Pencils with Microban Protection, Avery® Touchgaurd View Binders, C-line® products, Clauss® cutting instruments, Costco® products, Sharp® printing calculators. Westcott® scissors

Other: Bionare® Cool Mist Humidifier; Deciguard AB® Antimicrobial Ear Plugs; Bauer® Re-Akt hockey helmet and 7500 hockey helment; Miller Paint Acro Pure Interior Paint; Holmes Foot Buddy™ HMH120U Antimicrobial Foot Buddy Foot Warmer, Blue Mountain Wall Coverings, California Paints®, Davis Paint® Perfection, Hirschfield’s Paint®,O’Leary Paint®, EHC AMRail Escalator Handrails, Dupont™ Air Filters, Winix Dehumidifiers, J Cloth® towels, select Quickie cleaning products, Kimberly Clark® WYPALL X80 Towels, Canopy® kitchen towels, ALUF Plastics®, BioEars earplugs, Petmate® LeBistro feeders and waterers, Infantino cart covers and baby carriers, Oreck XL®, Bissell Healthy Home Vacuum™, NuTone® Central Vacuum systems, Rival® Seal-A-Meal® Vacuum Food Sealer, CleenFreek SportsHygiene Yoga Mat, Resilite Sports Products, Rubbermaid® Coolers, Stufitts sports gear, Venture Products® fitness mats, Custom Building Products, DAP®Kwik Seal Plus®, Laticrete, Niasa Biquichamp® mortar grout and sealant, ProAdvanced Products.

There are a lot of other manufactures which use toxic chemicals, so we recommend you to carefully read the labels and avoid products with these substances: triclosan, octylphenol and triclorban.

Source:  www.healthyfoodteam.com

“Research has found that two EDCs — triclosan, an antimicrobial ingredient in many products, including soaps, cosmetics and cutting boards; and octylphenol, which is in some paints, pesticides and plastics — have accumulated in the environment,” explains ScienceDaily.com. “Additionally, triclosan is reportedly in the urine of an estimated 75 percent of Americans.”
We first heard about the dangers of these chemicals from consumer groups like Beyond Pesticides and the Environmental Working Group (EWG) who have worked tirelessly to raise the awareness about the dangers of triclosan. They were the first to point out its endocrine-disrupting properties and advocate for its removal from personal care products. Their efforts seem to be in vain, since a lot of manufacturers still use these chemicals without thinking twice about the consequences.

Nine Superfoods for Diabetics

Reposted from Dr. Mercola

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/08/29/9-superfoods-for-diabetics.aspx?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=facebookmercola_lead&utm_campaign=20160829_9-superfoods-for-diabetics

By Dr. Mercola

As of 2012, up to 14 percent of the American population had type 2 diabetes, and as much as 38 percent were pre-diabetic. This suggests about HALF of all American adults are either pre-diabetic or diabetic.^1,2
At least 20 percent of the population in every U.S. state is also obese³ — a condition that severely predisposes you to diabetes. That said, being skinny is not a blanket assurance of health.
Recent research suggests one-third of normal-weight adults may also be pre-diabetic without knowing it.⁴ Children are also getting fatter and unhealthier.
According to recent research, 7 million children in the U.S. have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and close to one-third of these kids also have either pre-diabetes or diabetes.⁵
Great Britain has also seen a rapid rise in these conditions. In 2003, 11.6 percent of people in Great Britain were diagnosed with pre-diabetes. That number had tripled by 2011, reaching over 35 percent.
As noted by BBC News,⁶ "The world is facing an 'unrelenting march' of diabetes that now affects nearly 1 in 11 adults" worldwide. Statistics such as these point to two very important facts:

• Genetics cannot be a primary cause of diabetes
• Something we're consistently doing must be horribly wrong

In this case, that "something" is a combination of seriously flawed food choices, poor exposure to natural sunlight and lack of physical activity.

Optimal Sun Exposure Required for Health and Diabetes

You may have the perfect diet but if you have failed to optimize your exposure to the sun and assiduously avoid blue light from artificial sources, not just at night but all day, then you will likely be challenged to achieve high level health.
Why? It's a very complex explanation, but the end summary is that it helps to optimize your mitochondrial function.
Please also review my recent article on using indoor sunglasses to minimize your exposure to blue light from artificial lights. They only need to be used when the lights are on and you are indoors, even in the daytime. Most people think they are only for night time use but this is incorrect.
Additionally, establishing an optimal circadian rhythm is important, so going outside, ideally barefoot, shortly after waking up and close to sunrise, exposing your eyes to natural sunlight for 3 to 5 minutes, is an important health practice.
If you have a night job, please consider changing your job as it is seriously damaging your health. Additionally, it would be ideal to get one to three hours of unfiltered sunlight (not through a window or sunglasses) every day and expose as much skin as you can.

Understanding the Cause of Type 2 Diabetes

Conventional medicine has type 2 diabetes pegged as a problem with blood sugar rather than the underlying problem of improper insulin and leptin signaling.
The reality is that diabetes is a disease rooted in insulin resistance, and perhaps more importantly, a malfunction of leptin signaling, caused by chronically elevated insulin and leptin levels. This is why treating type 2 diabetes with insulin does not resolve the problem.
What's worse, this treatment actually exacerbates it, and can lead to the development of type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetes — an autoimmune disease in which your immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells of your pancreas, resulting in an inability to produce any significant insulin.
If left untreated, this condition will ultimately cause death from a hyperglycemic coma. Lifestyle choices are the best strategies to controlling your blood sugar, reducing your risk of diabetes and preventing secondary health problems from the condition.
Historically, the rise in diabetes was prompted by a flawed nutritional and exercise program initiated by the now-refuted Seven Countries Study.
The study, published in the 1950s by the sugar industry-funded researcher Ancel Keys, Ph.D., sparked an increase in the quantity of net carbohydrates recommended in your diet and a severe reduction in healthy fats. This imbalance affects your cellular resistance to the hormones insulin, leptin and ghrelin.
This cellular resistance is the real foundation to problems with diabetes — not high blood sugar, which is a symptom, not the cause.

Diabetics Need to Rigorously Avoid High-Carb Diets

Most of the food people eat these days is skewing their metabolism toward insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
Most Americans are burning glucose as their primary fuel, which elevates blood sugar and promotes insulin resistance and inhibits your body's ability to access and burn body fat — hence, the connection between obesity and diabetes. Healthy fat, meanwhile, is a far preferable sort of fuel, as it burns far more efficiently than carbs.
The good news is that insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes can all be resolved through proper nutrition and exercise. One of the most important dietary recommendations is to limit net carbs (total carbohydrates minus fiber) and protein, replacing them with higher amounts of high quality healthy fats.
Most Americans consume harmful fats like industrially processed vegetable oils, which will invariably cause health problems.
So when we're talking about eating more fat, we're referring to natural, unprocessed fats found in real foods like seeds, nuts, butter, olives, avocado or coconut oil. Another good one is raw cacao — it's a phenomenal source of healthy saturated fats and many beneficial polyphenols.
One of the most efficient way to train your body to use fat for fuel is to remove sugars and starches from your diet.
The reason why low-net carb diets work so well for diabetics is because it helps you shift out of this nonfiber carb-based metabolism that depends on elevated insulin levels to drive blood sugar into cells and use carbs for fuel.

Diabetic? Track Your Net Carbs

The most important number to keep track of is your net carbs. This is calculated by subtracting the amount of fiber in grams from your daily total of carbohydrates in grams. The resulting number is your net carbs. A key way of preventing diabetes is to keep your net carbs below 50 grams per day.
The only way you'll know how many total carbs, fiber and net carbs you eat is to keep a food diary. The simplest way of doing this is to use an online nutrition tracker.
You need not do this forever, only as long as it takes for your body to remember how to burn fat as your primary fuel. This can be a few weeks to a few months. Once your body shifts, you can increase your healthy net carbs based on your activity level.
But be careful initially as you may be surprised at how quickly sandwich bread, pasta, soda, cookies and cakes add up — sometimes to over 350 grams per day. This high carb level increases your resistance to insulin and malfunction of leptin, increasing your risk of diabetes.
There are a number of trackers available, but my first choice is Cronometer.com/Mercola. That's my revision of the basic Cronometer tracker, and it's already set to default to calculate macronutrient levels based on a healthy high-fat, low-carb diet to get you into nutritional ketosis.
With these basic guidelines in place, following are nine "superfoods" for diabetics⁷ that you'd be wise to add to your diet on a regular basis.

1. Fatty Fish Low in Mercury
One of the most important foods for diabetes is seafood, as it provides the essential animal-based omega-3 fat docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from a food source.
DHA is vitally important as it is the only fat we know of that allows your body to take advantage of the photoelectric effect, the one that Einstein received his Noble Prize for. It converts the photons from the sun into DC electric current (electrons), which help fuel your mitochondria.
Optimal levels of DHA are one of the most important nutritional interventions that you can choose to make. If you haven't already checked your omega-3 index test to confirm your levels are adequate, I would strongly encourage you to do so.
That said, as levels of pollution have increased, you have to be very choosy about which types of seafood you eat. Most major waterways in the world are contaminated with mercury, heavy metals, and chemicals like dioxins, PCBs and other agricultural chemicals. If you're not careful, the toxic effects from the pollutants in the fish will outweigh the benefits of the omega-3 fats. Here are some important factors to consider:

• Choose fatty fish from cold-water locations, as not all seafood is a good source of omega-3. Good choices include wild-caught Alaskan sockeye salmon, sardines, anchovies, herring and fish roe.
• Avoid farm-raised fish, as they can actually be more hazardous than wild in terms of their toxic content. For example, researchers warn that farmed salmon may be one of the most toxic foods in the world, thanks to toxins found in the feed. Levels of omega-3 fats may also be reduced by as much as 50 percent in farmed salmon, compared to wild salmon, due to the grains they're fed.
• To evaluate your mercury exposure from various seafood sources, check out the online mercury calculator at GotMercury.org.⁸ The Environmental Working Group (EWG) also has a seafood calculator⁹ that can help you identify fish that are high in omega-3 and low in pollutants.

2. Avocado
Avocado (which is actually a fruit, not a vegetable) is a great source of healthy fat, fiber and about 20 different vitamins and minerals, including magnesium. As noted by Medical News Today:

"Eating foods that contain healthy fats may help increase fullness. Eating fat slows the digestion of carbohydrates, which helps to keep blood sugar levels more stable. Avocado is high in fiber too, with half a fruit containing 6 to 7 grams … Eating high-fiber foods can … improve weight loss, and make insulin more efficient. Spread avocado on toast in the morning instead of butter. Use avocado instead of mayonnaise in chicken or egg salad."

3. Seeds (Sunflower, Black Sesame, Black Cumin, Pumpkin and Chia)
Magnesium is a very important nutrient that many are deficient in. Lack of magnesium may raise your risk of insulin resistance, as it plays an important role in carbohydrate and glucose metabolism. Besides that, your body needs magnesium for more than 300 other biological and chemical processes, so make sure you're getting enough. As noted by Medical News Today:¹⁰

"For every 100 [milligram per day] mg/day increase in magnesium intake (up to a point), the risk of developing type 2 diabetes decreases by approximately 15 percent.¹¹ Most magnesium intake in these studies was from dietary sources, not supplements. Clinical studies have shown improvement in insulin sensitivity with magnesium intake between 300 and 365 mg/day. Researchers were also able to show that low magnesium levels resulted in impaired insulin secretion and lower insulin sensitivity."

Some of the most magnesium-rich foods are seeds. Additionally, although most of us are overloaded on unhealthy industrially processed omega 6 oils, we clearly need some, and unprocessed seeds are a terrific source:

• Sunflower:  One-quarter cup of sunflower seeds gives you 128 mg of magnesium.
• Black sesame: 1 ounce of sesame seeds contain about 101 mg of magnesium.
• Black cumin: Black cumin has a long history of medicinal use. Packed with antioxidants and immune-boosting components, black cumin has even been shown to have potent anti-cancer activity.¹² Studies have also shown black cumin can help prevent both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In one study, black cumin (nigella sativa) improved glucose tolerance as efficiently as metformin.¹³
• Pumpkin: 2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds will provide you with 74 mg of magnesium (about 25 percent of your recommended daily intake). Pumpkin seed butter can be made at home; simply blend whole, raw pumpkin seeds in a food processor until smooth.
• Chia: Besides magnesium, chia seeds are also a good source of healthy fats, fiber and antioxidants. Just 1 ounce of chia seeds provides 10 grams of fiber. Add them to smoothies and salads

Other foods high in magnesium¹⁴ include nuts (especially almonds and cashews) and dark leafy greens (especially boiled spinach, which provides 78 mg of magnesium per cup). Avocados also contain magnesium.

4. Fiber and Digestive-Resistant Carbs
Diabetics also need to mind their fiber intake. Research¹⁵ shows that people with high intakes of dietary fiber not only have a significantly lower risk of obesity and diabetes, but also a lower risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension and gastrointestinal ailments.

Importantly, higher fiber intake has been shown to improve glycemia, leptin and insulin sensitivity in non-diabetic and diabetic individuals alike. The best sources of fiber in your diet come from whole foods and include the following. Aim for about 50 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories consumed.

✓ Chia seeds	✓ Berries	✓ Almonds
✓ Cauliflower	✓ Root vegetables and tubers, such as onions and sweet potatoes	✓ Green beans
✓ Peas	✓ Vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower and Brussel sprouts	✓ Organic psyllium seed husk
✓ Artichokes	✓ Freshly ground flaxseed meal. Never use pre-ground as it is oxidized and damaged	✓ Black beans

Digestive-resistant starches also help maintain a steady blood sugar level. This refers to low-viscous dietary fibers that resist digestion in the small intestine and slowly ferment in your large intestine.¹⁶ Here, resistant starches act as prebiotics, feeding healthy bacteria. Since they're indigestible, resistant starches do not result in blood sugar spikes. In fact, research suggests resistant starches help improve insulin regulation, reducing your risk of insulin resistance.^17,18,19,20

Foods high in digestive-resistant starch include certain underripe fruits, specifically banana, papaya and mango, as well as white beans, lentils, seeds and products like potato starch, tapioca starch and brown rice flour. Interestingly, cooking a normally digestible starch such as potato or pasta and then cooling it in the refrigerator will alter the chemistry of the food, transforming more of it into resistant-type starch.²¹

5. Walnuts
Research shows higher nut consumption is associated with lower body weight, which is helpful for maintaining normal blood sugar levels.²² Walnuts, in particular, are a healthy choice for diabetics as they're high in fiber and healthy fats.

In one recent study,²³ participants at increased risk of developing diabetes who added 2 ounces of walnuts to their daily diet for six months showed improvements in blood vessel wall (epithelial) function, and lower levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.

Walnuts are great for snacking when you might otherwise be tempted to reach for chips or crackers. You can easily make your own trail mix, combining walnuts, pumpkin seeds and raw cacao nibs, for example. They're also a great addition to salads.

6. Spinach
Besides magnesium, spinach is also a superb source of potassium, low levels of which have been linked to an increased risk of diabetes and diabetes complications. Cooked spinach provides 839 mg of potassium per cup. For comparison, one cup of banana — well-known as a potassium-rich food — contains 539 mg of potassium. One way to dramatically increase your spinach intake is to juice it. You can also add it to salad along with other mixed greens.

7. Strawberries
Fisetin, a substance found in strawberries, has been shown to prevent kidney and brain complications in diabetic mice.²⁴ Human studies have also demonstrated that people who eat plenty of berries, such as strawberries and blueberries, have a lower risk of both diabetes, heart attacks and dementia — outcomes thought to be related to the anthocyanins (a class of flavonoids) found in red, blue and purple-colored berries.²⁵

Studies have also linked the high vitamin C content of strawberries to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. One cup of fresh strawberries provides 160 percent of your daily need of vitamin C. They're a delicious addition to salad (spinach, walnut and strawberries make a tasty combination). You can also blend fresh or frozen strawberries into your smoothies. According to one such study:²⁶

"Though diabetes is not traditionally considered a risk factor for vitamin C deficiency, patients with diabetes should all receive dietary advice about healthy eating and vitamin C dietary sources, including fresh fruits and vegetables. The recommended dietary intake of vitamin C is 45 mg per day for adults.

There are some data suggesting that people with diabetes may have increased cellular uptake and turnover of vitamin C that would necessitate increased intake, and they also have an increased risk of deficiency."

8. Ginger
Research suggests ginger may help reduce fasting blood sugar in diabetics.²⁷ Part of this effect relates to its anti-inflammatory capacity. Indeed, anti-inflammatory diets in general are helpful for the prevention of diabetes. Ginger is often used in cooking. For example, you can add fresh, grated ginger to sauces, marinades and dressing. Alternatively, drink a cup or two of ginger tea each day. Simply steep a slice of fresh ginger in boiling water for a few minutes.

9. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is another common cooking spice that has garnered attention for its anti-diabetes benefits. Besides sprinkling it on sweet potatoes or carrots, you can add it to tea for a flavorful kick in lieu of sugar, which is best avoided anyway. As noted in Medical News Today:²⁸

"Participants in one study²⁹ who took a high dose of cinnamon reduced their average blood sugar levels from 8.9 percent to 8.0 percent. Participants who took a low dose of cinnamon reduced their average blood sugar levels from 8.9 to 8.2 percent. Participants who did not take cinnamon saw no change."