Bringing oxygen producing plants into your home is a way to a healthy lifestyle

Post of the Week Archive, Wellness Solutions

Jul 172012

Green oxygen producing plants are abundant in nature, especially in forests, jungles and coastal regions by the ocean (seaweeds, algae and marine phytoplankton make up the overwhelming majority of the worlds oxygen producing plants). If you’ve ever spent time in or near these settings, you’ll know how refreshing and revitalizing they are! Oxygen and the air it is contained in, could be considered the most crucial nutrient to the human body because life can only last mere minutes without it.

Every cell in the body uses oxygen for fuel (as well as glucose). Brain function quickly drops when it is not supplied with adequate oxygen. If it falls too low to quickly, a stroke can occur. Cancers and many pathogenic diseases are destroyed by oxygen, which is why hyperbaric oxygen chambers are used as such powerful life saving tools. These chambers can also reverse all the side effects of a stroke if a person who has just suffered from one is placed into one within an hour or so.

The ratio of oxygen to other molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere has been dropping over several decades. The majority of this problem is due to air pollution increasing and less to the fact that the forests and jungles of the world are being reduced by clear cutting (which should still be stopped). Areas of higher pollution, such as cities, have a lower percentage of oxygen in the air. I hope that these oxygen facts help illustrate the importance of bringing both oxygen producing plants as well as air cleaning plants into your home for life-span development.

Dr. B.C. Wolverton, a former NASA research scientist, helped the agency look into how air purifying plants could be used onboard space missions to benefit the artificial environments onboard their spacecraft.

This NASA Clean Air Study found that oxygen producing plants can be used to both produce oxygen as well as remove common harmful chemicals from the air and break them down into harmless organic byproducts into the soil, which the plants then use as food! These chemicals that are harmful to human health are off-gassed from common household items and products. Some of these items and the chemicals they release are found in synthetic carpets (releases formaldehyde), petroleum products (release benzene), toys, chemical cleaners, paint, furniture with synthetic components and everything else that is synthetic!

All air cleaning plants will of course always produce oxygen, but here are some of the top ones that happen to have a high conversion rate of carbon dioxide (the waste product humans and animals exhale and that plants inhale) to oxygen. The major benefit of adding oxygen producing plants to your living and work space is an increase of productivity due to the maintenance of healthy oxygen levels in the blood.

Top three oxygen producing plants:

#1 Sprouts!: If you grow your own sprouts for food (especially sweet pea sprouts, buckwheat sprouts and sunflower sprouts) you will have a fantastic mini greenhouse effect in your living space. You also get supplemental oxygen orally by eating raw, living greens! Sprouts are among the strongest oxygen producing plant for the body.

#2 Snake Plant a.k.a. Mother-In-Law’s Tongue: Of all the different oxygen producing plants, this one is unique since it converts a lot of CO2 (carbon dioxide) to O2 (oxygen) at night, making it ideal to have several in your bedroom. 6-8 waist high plants are needed per person to survive if there is no air flow (meaning you could live in a completely air sealed room if you had these plants and the Areca Palms present). The snake plant also removes formaldehyde from the air.

#3 Areca Palm: This plant removes xylene and toluene from the air, but also happens to convert a lot of CO2 (carbon dioxide) to O2 (oxygen) during the daytime. Having four (shoulder high plants) of these per person in your household provides enough oxygen to survive on during daylight hours! They need to have dust and grime wiped off of their leaves once a week, or as often as daily if you live in a city with very bad air quality such as Delhi.

Top three air cleaning plants:

#1 Madagascar Dragon Tree a.k.a. Red Edged Marginata Dracaena: As a popular house plant that needs little attention, it best removes benzene, formaldehyde, xylene and toluene from the air. It cannot tolerate direct sunlight yet it does well in fairly well indirectly lit areas. It is more susceptible to becoming damaged from over watering than infrequent watering.

#2 Warneck Dracaena: One of the most popular clean air plants, this one removes benzene, trichloroethylene, xylene and toluene from the air.

#3 Peace Lily: This species (of which there are a variety of sub-species) thrives best in the shade and with only roughly one watering per week (must be chlorine free water) but never let the soil completely dry out. This easy to take care of house plant removes benzene, formaldehyde, acetone, amonia and trichloroethylene from the air. It also periodically flowers!

The exact number of oxygen producing plants you’ll need in your home is going to vary depending on:

~How much time you spend in your home
~whether you live in a city (there is a wide range of air quality in the various cities around the world) or the countryside
~whether or not there are trees around your home, how much time you have the windows in your home open (is it too cold in the winter?)
~The number of people living in your home
~The number of synthetic products and furnishings in your home.

The NASA clean air study recommended 15-18 good sized oxygen producing plants and air cleaning plants for an 1,800 square foot house. Of course that would be an average and you should take into account the various factors mentioned above to decide whether you require more clean air plants than this. According to Kamal Meattle during his TED talk, he recommends at least 10 plants (a variety of night and day oxygen producing plants as well as air purifying plants) per person if the environment is in a city with very poor air quality. Of course, it’s best to start with just a few oxygen producing plants in your home and increasing the number over time.

Clean air plants have varying needs.

The ones I have listed above are fairly low maintenance. There are many other oxygen producing plants that can make a beneficial addition to your home, just always take into account the amount of work that they require to maintain their health. You’ll want do to the following things with your plants:

~Avoid placing them in corners with stagnant or no air flow or by radiators that produce excessive heat which can damage them.
~Indirect sunlight is best for the air cleaning plants mentioned (because they are mostly shade growing jungle plants) but other types of flowering plants will usually need some direct sun.
~Take them outdoors at least every couple of months for a day or two.
~Clean or dust their leaves about once a week, more often in a dirty city.
~Over-watering is more harmful than under-watering, allow the soil to get fairly dry between waterings (except for the peace lily and your sprouts).
~Mist the leaves since these are jungle plants that like humidity.
~Use an organic fertilizer on occasion such as diluted ocean water, seaweed extract and/or pour the soak water into the soil of your plants left over after germinating your nuts, seeds, grains, legumes and sprouting seeds.

The biggest benefit to incorporating these oxygen-producing plants into your longevity lifestyle is going to be the improvement of air quality in your home.

But another side benefit is going to be the therapeutic effect of having more greenery around you. The color green has a soothing, healing effect and considering that it is the predominant color in nature, people have a natural inclination to feel the most at ease in settings that contain this color. It is one of the great ways to deal with stress.

When detoxing your body, approximately 70% of it occurs through breathing, 20% through perspiration, 8% through urination and 2% through the bowels. I hope you can now understand the utmost importance of having clean air in your home! You will really begin to feel the benefits of these air purifying plants when you engage in diaphragmatic breathing exercises on a regular basis. In a stuffy, poorly ventilated building, people generally breath improperly because the air is so toxic. When the air is vibrant and full of life-force energy, you naturally want to take big deep breaths all the time.

Another useful addition to these clean air plants is to have several room air purifiers that are also negative ion generators. This will create a micro climate in your home that rivals that of even some natural settings! Once optimal air quality in your home is reached, you will be shocked at how suffocating the air is in most buildings and homes, especially during colder months when no one has their windows open. Encourage others to take up this practice (people who visit you often will) and help society get back in touch with the life promoting, natural world :)

Even in huge, busy cities, outdoor air is cleaner and preferable to indoor air. Why is that? One reason is that trees and plants are constantly cleaning the air outside. This suggests that the eco-minded homeowner or office dweller should go out and buy some plants – but which ones? With all the hype of “going green”, every plant on the market is being promoted as an air purifier!

The Lady Palm

lady_palm_tree-468-x-6242

lady2-468-x-7281

(Images via Livick’s Palms, TyTy)

NASA Purifying Score: 8.5

Neck and neck with the Areca palm tree for NASA’s top-ranked air purifying plant is the Lady palm (or Rhapis excelsa.) A versatile plant, the lady can be kept in dry or humid climates (anywhere from 20-100 degrees Fahrenheit) and is fiercely resistant to most types of plant insects.

The Bamboo Palm

bamboopalm-468-x-702

bamboopalm2-468-x-645

(Images via Blue Moon Candles, Plant Importers)

NASA Purifying Score: 8.4

Just a notch below the top 2 air purifying palms is the Bamboo palm (or Chamaedorea seifrizii.) Featured prominently in CasaSugar.com’s “Plants That Purify” series, the Bamboo palm thrives when kept moist (but not wet) in indirect sunlight. Provided these conditions are kept stable, the Bamboo palm can be counted on to purify the indoor air of anywhere you happen to be.

The Rubber Plant

rubber-468-x-467

rubber2-468-x-575

(Image via HowStuffWorks, Great House Plants)

NASA Purifying Score: 8.0

On NASA’s scoring is the rubber plant (or Ficus robusta.) According to AvianWeb, rubber plants excel at removing chemical toxins (especially formaldehyde) from indoor air, requiring less light than many other plants and outperforming all other ficuses. A word of caution, though: rubber plant leaves can be toxic, so be mindful of that if you have pets roaming around!

English Ivy

englishivy-468-x-468

englishivy2-468-x-443

(Images via Overstock, OSU)

NASA Purifying Score: 7.8

If the air where you live has gotten stale and dry, English ivy (or Hedera helix) might be just the ticket! WebMD describes the effervescent plant as “a fix for allergies“, noting that 60% of airborne mold in the room vanished just 6 hours after English ivy was brought in. Ditto for 58% if airborne feces! Those with asthma, allergies, or the desire to breath cleaner, fresher air would do well to give English ivy a shot!

The Dwarf Date Palm

dwarf1-468-x-6951

dwarf2-468-x-616

(Images via Just Palm Trees, SftraJan)

NASA Purifying Score: 7.8

While it doesn’t rank as high on the purifying scale as its 3 palm cousins, make no mistake: the Date palm tree (or Phoenix roebelinii)is still a very effective and elegant-looking way to both liven up the look of a room and lower the concentration of chemical toxins floating around in the air.

The Ficus Alii

ficusalii1-468-x-624

ficusalii2-468-x-624

(Images via Hionus Greenhouses, Dave’s Garden)

NASA Purifying Score: 7.7

The ficus alii (or Ficus macleilandii) is not as potent in its toxin-removing prowess as, say, the rubber plant, but it is still a fine addition to any home or office where clean air is lacking. While they are not terrible difficult to care for, Plant Care Guru warns that gloves should be worn while handling the plant if you have latex allergies.

The Boston Fern

bostonfern1-468-x-525

bostonfern2-468-x-598

(Images via Silk Plant USA, Country Living)

NASA Purifying Score: 7.5

NASA’s ranking of top air purifying plants is the ever-popular Boston Fern (or Nephrolepis exalta.) Cool and relaxing, the Boston Fern has been called the “most efficient filtering plant” by MetaEfficient.com for its time-tested ability to expel mold and toxins from indoor air. Plus, it’s sure to make any home or office more forest-like!

Sources: TOP OF PAGE

~”Lifeforce” by Dr. Brian Clement (Book Publishing Company, 2007)
~en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_air-filtering_soil_and_plants
~”How Long Do You Choose to Live” by Peter Ragnar (Roaring Lion Publishing, 2001)
~www.ted.com/talks/kamal_meattle_on_how_to_grow_your_own_fresh_air.html

Playing an Instrument Helps Tune the Brain

Music For Wellness, Post of the Week Archive

Mar 272012

Playing an instrument helps tune the brain

Study shows positive effects from a lifetime of music

Rick Wunder plays his trombone near the Lake Michigan shoreline in Evanston. (Chris Sweda, Chicago Tribune / March 26, 2012)

By Leslie Mann, Special to the Tribune

March 28, 2012

Note to husbands who need excuses to play the guitar with their buddies and to parents justifying the cost of their children’s piano lessons: A new study from Northwestern University in Evanston says lifelong playing of musical instruments has a positive impact on the brain.

“Our neural timing slows as we age; we knew that,” said Nina Kraus, a neuroscientist at Northwestern and principal investigator of its Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory. “Hearing what your spouse says when you’re in a noisy restaurant, for example, is harder when you’re older. But this study shows that musicians are faster at processing noise than non-musicians are. This shows us there is a biological impact of musical training.”

It makes sense, said Kraus.

“A musician has to be constantly picking out sounds from others,” she said. “Just as we lift weights to build our biceps, playing music makes our nervous systems more efficient.”

The study included 87 participants — younger (18 to 32) and older (45 to 65), musicians and non musicians. The musicians were not all professional, but they played their instruments at least three times a week into adulthood.

“I watched a movie with captions to keep me awake while electrodes on my head measured my reaction to sounds I heard through headphones,” said study participant Rick Wunder, 60, from Evanston.

Wunder is a retired systems analyst who has played the trombone since he was a child and now plays in a community symphony and in several brass quartets.

The electrodes measured how Wunder’s nervous system responded to the sounds he heard.

“We’re talking milliseconds of time,” said Kraus. “It’s very objective; the mood of the participant didn’t matter.”

“The results are very interesting, I think,” said Wunder. “When I’m with other people my age in a loud place like a sports bar, I can tell they don’t necessarily hear what I say, while I still can.”

In the study’s chart that compares sound to neural responses among musicians, the two wavy lines are in sync. But the non musicians’ chart looks like confetti (the neural responses) thrown at a wavy line (the sounds the participants heard).

The study is affecting education policymaking, said Kraus.

“We’ve been pleased to hear from educators who have used our website (soc.northwestern.edu/brainvolts/slide shows/music) to argue for funding for continuation of musical education,” she said. “We’re giving them biological evidence that, yes, continued musical education matters.”

In addition to the affects of aging, musical training affects daily activities of young people such as hearing a teacher in a noisy classroom or even simple conversation, explained Kraus.

“As we’re talking, your brain has to remember what you just said,” she said.

The study will be published in a 2012 edition of the journal Neurobiology of Aging.

Early Music Lessons Have Longtime Benefits

By PERRI KLASS, M.D.

Joyce Hesselberth

When children learn to play a musical instrument, they strengthen a range of auditory skills. Recent studies suggest that these benefits extend all through life, at least for those who continue to be engaged with music.

But a study published last month is the first to show that music lessons in childhood may lead to changes in the brain that persist years after the lessons stop.

Researchers at Northwestern University recorded the auditory brainstem responses of college students — that is to say, their electrical brain waves — in response to complex sounds. The group of students who reported musical training in childhood had more robust responses — their brains were better able to pick out essential elements, like pitch, in the complex sounds when they were tested. And this was true even if the lessons had ended years ago.

Indeed, scientists are puzzling out the connections between musical training in childhood and language-based learning — for instance, reading. Learning to play an instrument may confer some unexpected benefits, recent studies suggest.

We aren’t talking here about the “Mozart effect,” the claim that listening to classical music can improve people’s performance on tests. Instead, these are studies of the effects of active engagement and discipline. This kind of musical training improves the brain’s ability to discern the components of sound — the pitch, the timing and the timbre.

“To learn to read, you need to have good working memory, the ability to disambiguate speech sounds, make sound-to-meaning connections,” said Professor Nina Kraus, director of the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory at Northwestern University. “Each one of these things really seems to be strengthened with active engagement in playing a musical instrument.”

Skill in appreciating the subtle qualities of sound, even against a complicated and noisy background, turns out to be important not just for a child learning to understand speech and written language, but also for an elderly person struggling with hearing loss.

In a study of those who do keep playing, published this summer, researchers found that as musicians age, they experience the same decline in peripheral hearing, the functioning of the nerves in their ears, as non musicians. But older musicians preserve the brain functions, the central auditory processing skills that can help you understand speech against the background of a noisy environment.

“We often refer to the ‘cocktail party’ problem — or imagine going to a restaurant where a lot of people are talking,” said Dr. Claude Alain, assistant director of the Rotman Research Institute in Toronto and one of the authors of the study. “The older adults who are musically trained perform better on speech in noise tests — it involves the brain rather than the peripheral hearing system.”

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, are approaching the sound-scape from a different point of view, studying the genetics of absolute, or perfect, pitch, that ability to identify any tone. Dr. Jane Gitschier, a professor of medicine and pediatrics who directs the study there, and her colleagues are trying to tease out both the genetics and the effects of early training.

“The immediate question we’ve been trying to get to is what are the variants in people’s genomes that could predispose an individual to have absolute pitch,” she said. “The hypothesis, further, is that those variants will then manifest as absolute pitch with the input of early musical training.”

Indeed, almost everyone who qualifies as having truly absolute pitch turns out to have had musical training in childhood (you can take the test and volunteer for the study at http://perfectpitch.ucsf.edu/study/).

Alexandra Parbery-Clark, a doctoral candidate in Dr. Kraus’s lab and one of the authors of a paper published this year on auditory working memory and music, was originally trained as a concert pianist. Her desire to go back to graduate school and study the brain, she told me, grew out of teaching at a French school for musically talented children, and observing the ways that musical training affected other kinds of learning.

“If you get a kid who is maybe 3 or 4 years old and you’re teaching them to attend, they’re not only working on their auditory skills but also working on their attention skills and their memory skills — which can translate into scholastic learning,” she said.

Now Ms. Parbery-Clark and her colleagues can look at recordings of the brain’s electrical detection of sounds, and they can see the musically trained brains producing different — and stronger — responses. “Now I have more proof, tangible proof, music is really doing something,” she told me. “One of my lab mates can look at the computer and say, ‘Oh, you’re recording from a musician!’ ”

Many of the researchers in this area are themselves musicians interested in the plasticity of the brain and the effects of musical education on brain waves, which mirror the stimulus sounds. “This is a response that actually reflects the acoustic elements of sound that we know carry meaning,” Professor Kraus said.

There’s a fascination — and even a certain heady delight — in learning what the brain can do, and in drawing out the many effects of the combination of stimulation, application, practice and auditory exercise that musical education provides. But the researchers all caution that there is no one best way to apply these findings.

Different instruments, different teaching methods, different regimens — families need to find what appeals to the individual child and what works for the family, since a big piece of this should be about pleasure and mastery. Children should enjoy themselves, and their lessons. Parents need to care about music, not slot it in as a therapeutic tool.

“We want music to be recognized for what it can be in a person’s life, not necessarily, ‘Oh, we want you to have better cognitive skills, so we’re going to put you in music,’ ” Ms. Parbery-Clark said. “Music is great, music is fantastic, music is social — let them enjoy it for what it really is.” TOP OF PAGE

Free Information on Heart Health

American Wellness, Post of the Week Archive, Wellness News, Wellness Solutions

Feb 072012

Click and view Dr Crandall’s free report on preventing heart disease

http://w3.newsmax.com/newsletters/crandall/videog.cfm?PROMO_CODE=CF18-1&gclid=CObQsc2Pja4CFYoZQgodeSsChA

Probiotics and how they strengthen your immune system

American Wellness, Post of the Week Archive, Recipes For Wellness, Wellness Solutions

Dec 232011

: Kombucha Mushroom Natto Enzyme

Fermenting Vegetables <Click to see video

: Sauerkraut has 12 Trillion live organisms per serving

Probiotics Vital for Wellness

What Are Probiotics?

By Probiotics.org

Probiotics are live microorganisms thought to be healthy for the host organism. According to the currently adopted definition by FAO/WHO, probiotics are: “Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host”. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and bifidobacteria are the most common types of microbes used as probiotics; but certain yeasts and bacilli may also be helpful. Probiotics are commonly consumed as part of fermented foods with specially added active live cultures; such as in yogurt, soy yogurt, or as dietary supplements.

Etymologically, the term appears to be a composite of the Latin preposition pro (“for”) and the Greek adjective βιωτικός (biotic), the latter deriving from the noun βίος (bios, “life”). At the start of the 20th century, probiotics were thought to beneficially affect the host by improving its intestinal microbial balance, thus inhibiting pathogens and toxin producing bacteria. Today, specific health effects are being investigated and documented including alleviation of chronic intestinal inflammatory diseases, prevention and treatment of pathogen-induced diarrhea, urogenital infections, and atopic diseases.

21 Amazing Facts About Probiotics

1) Probiotics In Our Body Outweigh Our Brain

The typically human brain weights about 3 pounds, and a healthy human body will have over 3.5 pounds of probiotic bacteria and organisms (according to Casey Adams Ph.D. The fact that our heart weights only 0.7 pounds, our liver weights about 4 pounds, makes our probiotic bacteria one of the largest organs in our body.

2) There Are 10 Times More Probiotics Than Cells In Our Body

In a healthy person, there are more than 100-300 Trillion probiotic bacteria and yeast, compared to only 10 trillion cells in our body. According to Mary Ellen Sanders, if the bacteria in our body were laid end to end, they would encircle the globe 2.5 times.

3) The Probiotics Market Is Huge

Sauerkraut has 12 Trillion live organisms per serving

According to MARKETSandMARKETS, probiotics is a 16 billion dollar market. Moreover, as of 2008, there were more than 500 probiotic food and beverage products have been introduced in the last decade. And these numbers are only expected to grow as holistic health treatments become ever more pervasive.

4) Probiotics Live Throughout Our Entire Body (Not Just Our Stomach!)

The largest number of probiotics live in the colon, but billions also live in the mouth, oral cavity, nasal cavity, the esophagus, around the gums, in the pockets of our pleural cavity (surrounding our lungs). They dwell within our stomach, our intestines, within the vagina, around the rectum. within joints, under the armpits, under the toenails, between the toes, urinary tract, inside our urinary tract and many other places!

5) The Appendix Is Not Useless – It Incubates Probiotics

In the past, the appendix was largely thought to be useless. Appendicitis, a life-threatening condition, would call for removal of the appendix. In 2007, Randal et al. at Duke University conducted research into the vermiform appendix. The researchers observed that when the body was under attack by pathogens, the appendix would release probiotic bacteria that would perfectly counter the specific type of invaders. The appendix does this by releasing them into the cecum when the body is infected.

6) Probiotics Fight Cancer, Colds and Constipation

It may not surprise you to hear that probiotics can reduce constipation (Italy, Amenta et al. 2006). But what may surprise you, is that probiotics play a role in cancer. They have been shown stimulate production of anti-cancer chemicals (Hatakka et al. 2008). The probiotics, Lactobacillus casei, have also been shown in Tokyo to reduce the risk of bladder cancer, depending on frequency and dosage (Ohashi et al. 2002).

Numerous probiotics have been shown to fight viruses such as colds, the flu, rotavirus, herpes and ulcers. In New Delhi, 100 children ages 2-5 were given L. acidophilus for 6 months. These children have fewer incidences of colds, flu, diarrhea and fever than the placebo group (Saran et al. 2002).

7) There Are More Than 100 (known) Benefits To Taking Probiotics

According to the book, Probiotics by Casey Adam Ph.D., there are more than 100 benefits to supplementing with probiotics. Hundreds of studies have shown different species of probiotics confer different health benefits.

However, we must take these probiotics in their proper context. For example, almost every probiotic study requires the patient to take large, therapeutic doses, for at least two months. Often times, the studies conferred the benefits after an entire year of daily, large dose supplementation.

8) Probiotics Are Responsible For 70% Of Our Immune Response

According to Casey Adams Ph.D., probiotics play a role in 70-80% of our immune response. Probiotics stimulate everything from T-cells to macrophages. Probiotics also activate cytokines and phagocytic cells to coordinate the immune response.

9) Probiotics Produce Antibiotic Chemicals

In the book Probiotics, Protection Against Infection, Casey Adamas writes:

“To protect against pathogens, [probiotics] will produce a number of natural antibiotics designed to reduce the populations of [pathogenic bacteria]…”

Moreover, these antibiotic substances are perfectly tuned to kill the invading pathogens. And if the pathogens become resistant to that chemical, then the probiotics will change strategies and produce a new, more effective antibiotic chemical.

Contrast this dynamic probiotic strategy to our static, oral antibiotics which must be phased out every few years (as pathogens evolve resistance). While we may be able to continue to discover new antibiotic substances, nature will always win in the long term. The bacteria will always evolve resistance. This is illustrated by the fact that bacteria can even survive in nuclear waste!

10) Antibiotics Nuke Our Body’s Immune System

It is well known that antibiotics kill bacteria and can make us better. But what isn’t well known, is that antibiotics also kill our good bacteria. Since probiotics comprise 70-80% of our immune response, antibiotics will kill our immunity.

The moment our probiotics are gone, opportunistic parasites, fungi and pathogenic bacteria rush in to fill the ecological void. Moreover, this use of antibiotics will create drug resistant bacteria that can’t be defeated by antibiotics.

11) Probiotics Easily Kill Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

The use of antibiotics can create antibiotic resistant, super bugs. In fact, MRSA (multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is immune to many different antibiotics…and in some cases they are immune to all antibiotics known to man.

However, probiotics can defeat these super bugs with ease. Probiotic bacteria and pathogenic bacteria have been fighting for billions of years. And healthy humans have the perfect environment for probiotic bacteria to beat pathogenic bacteria. The fact that humans have been surviving before the invention of antibiotics is proof of how powerful probiotics are.

12) Probiotics Will Be The 21st Century’s Antibiotics

Valery V. Smirnov writes,

“… 21st century probiotics will successfully rival traditional drugs on the pharmaceutical market, especially those used for disease prevention purposes…”

The profound point Dr. Smirnov is making is that probiotics will be the antibiotics of the 21st century. This is because their effective medical implementation will revolutionize our perspectives on disease in the way antibiotics did before.

13) 400 Strains Of Probiotics Live In Our Bodies

According to numerous research studies, there are well over 400 probiotic strains resident in our bodies. Some of these probiotics are permanent residents, and others are transient. Interestingly, only 20 strains account for 75% of the mass of bacteria that live in our bodies.

Numerous scientists also argue that the combined DNA of our probiotic residents are more important to our survival than our own DNA.

14) Probiotics Are Bacteria And Fungi That Make Us Healthy

The World Health Organization probiotics definition is “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host.” These probiotic organisms can be yeasts (fungi), good bacteria or even organisms commonly found in soil.

The deference between normal pathogenic bacteria or candida and probiotics, is that the probiotic organisms have a symbiotic relationship with our bodies. Our bodies and probiotic organisms have formed a mutual defense treaty. And while we are extremely fearful of bacterium and fungi, specific probiotics strains are very beneficial to our health.

15) Probiotic Foods Have Been Healing For Millennia

There are numerous traditional probiotic foods that are extremely tasty and healthful. These foods have been restoring health for millennias.

Foods like natto, miso, kimchi, tempeh, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha and lassi all have very rich cultural heritages and medicinal benefits.

16) Probiotics Can Decrease Lactose Intolerance

In a 1996 study, Jiang et al. studied milks containing B. Longum grown in a medium rich in lactose. He found that when lactose intolerant individuals consumed this special milk, they showed significantly fewer symptoms of lactose intolerance. They have been numerous studies that have shown probiotics to be helpful in decreasing lactose intolerance.

17)Are You Getting Your Vitamins? Better Get Your Probiotics.

It has been proven that probiotics produce a huge number of vitamins, such as:

Vitamin A
Vitamin K
Vitamins B1-B3, B5-B7, B9, B12
Essential Fatty Acids

So perhaps the need for B-vitamin supplementation is really a call for proper probiotic colonization. I look forward to the day when probiotic companies and organic food companies put vitamin companies out of business.

Additionally, probiotics also increase the digestibility, bioavailability and processing of a large number of nutrients, including:

copper
calcium
magnesium
iron
manganese
potassium
zinc
proteins
fats
carbohydrates
sugars
milk
phytonutrients
cholesterol

These lists are both by Casey Adams, Ph.D. in his book, “Probiotics – Protection Against Infection”.

18) Supplemented Probiotics Don’t Remain In The Body

It is interesting to note that no study has shown supplemented probiotic strains remain in the body for more than two weeks. At the National University of Signapore, Mah et al. infants were given probiotic supplements for the first 6 months of her life. During these 6 months of supplementation, the supplemented probiotic strains were present in the infants’ feces. However, within weeks of stopping the supplementation, the probiotic strains were no longer found in the feces.

These results of this study and the results of other research suggest that supplemented probiotics assist the our native probiotic strains. The foreign probiotic strains form a beachhead for our own native probiotics, and allow our probiotics to proliferate. This situation is analogous to a foreign arming invading a country, fighting one “evil” faction, and allowing another “good” faction time to proliferate.

19) Vaginal Birth Is Our First Dose of Probiotics

It’s no secret that a healthy, loving mother is key to a healthy child. And a healthy mother will have a vagina lined with probiotics to fend off invaders. What isn’t well known, is that when a baby experiences a vaginal birth, the baby gets it first dose of probiotics. In fact, 60% of vaginal births will give infants their first probiotic inoculation of Bifidus Infantis. However, only 1% of cesarean section births will give infants B. Infantis innoculation, according to “Probiotics” by Casey Adams.

After getting a dose of probiotics from vaginal birth, consumption of breast milk gives more probiotic inoculation. In fact, mother’s colostrum has up to 40% probiotic content.

20) Probiotics Are Good For Infants

In a 2004 study, Saavedra et al. gave infants, average age 2.9 months, B. lactis or S. thermophilus for 210 days. The infants who were given the probiotics have a lower frequency of colic and needed fewer antibiotics compared to the control group.

In an Estonian study by Vendt et al. 2006, preterm infants L. rhamnosus GG until they were six months old. The infants given probiotics had grown more than the placebo group.

21) Probiotics Are Vital For Women’s Health

Both oral probiotics and douching supplementation can prevent and cure vaginitis and vaginosis. An interesting study on probiotics and vaginosis was conducted in a 2007 by the University of Milan (Drago et al).They found that after a 6 day daily douche of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus paracasei F19, 92.5% of women had their vaginosis cured. The fishy order was cured in all women. The pH levels of women were normalized to 4.5 in 34 out of 40 women.

Probiotics has also been shown to reduce mastisis. Back to top

8 ways to prevent Hemorrhoids

Exercise For Wellness, Post of the Week Archive, Wellness Solutions

Sep 282011

7 Ways to Prevent Hemorrhoids

Published: 9/28/2011

By Dr. Andrew Weil

8th. Addition by Eddie Katz

If you have experienced hemorrhoids, you aren’t alone – according to the National Institutes of Health, about 50 percent of the United States population above the age of 50 has had hemorrhoids. The good news is you can help prevent hemorrhoids with some simple steps:

1.Increase your intake of fiber

. It helps relieve constipation and consequent straining at stool. Start by eating plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, or take psyllium seed husks, in any of the forms available in drugstores and health food stores. Another healthy option is freshly ground flaxseed.2.Avoid dietary irritants

including strong spices such as red pepper and mustard, and drinks such as coffee, decaffeinated coffee and alcohol, all of which can inflame the lower GI tract.3.Drink lots of water,

more than you think you need, to help maintain a soft stool consistency.4.Get regular exercise

to promote optimal bowel function and digestive health.5.Avoid prolonged sitting

, which is linked to hemorrhoids.6.Manage your stress.

Consider learning and practicing a relaxation technique. Unhealthy stress can lead to gastrointestinal issues by disturbing the balance of the nervous system, which controls bowel function.7.Consider natural remedies

Triphala, a combination of three bowel-tonifying herbs from the ayurvedic tradition, can help support bowel health. You might also try taking one teaspoon of liquid aloe vera after meals.If you do have hemorrhoids, try applying aloe vera gel to the anal area frequently; use compresses of witch hazel (which acts as an astringent) to clean the anal area after bowel movements, and apply a warm compress for 10 minutes at a time several times a day to promote blood flow and healing.

8.No Cost Natural Remedy. Kegel Technique….. Butt Squeeze

Get into the habit after a bowel movement to squeeze your anus to where you feel your rectum sucking upward. You can aid your squeezing by pulling each buttock apart. Gravity and age seem to extend the rectum to where hemorrhoids can appear. This works great!

Kegel Exercises for Men are used to strengthen the PC
or pubococcygeus muscle, just as they are for women. The muscle is similar in both men and women, stretching from the pubic bone to the tail bone and forming a hammock-like floor that supports the organs of the pelvis and contributes to the function of the sphincter muscles.

The exercise is recommended for treating prostate pain and swelling that result from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatitis, or inflammation of the prostate gland. It is used as a first step for treating urinary incontinence. It may be beneficial for reducing pre-mature ejaculation, and other sexual benefits have been reported. Overall, the exercise is good for you.
To begin, you must first be able to find your PC muscle. You can do this during urination. Once your flow begins, try to stop it completely. The muscle that you feel tightening is the PC muscle.
Once you have become accustomed to tightening the muscle, Kegel exercises for men can be done anytime, anywhere. They require no special equipment, although several aids are available, including “Peristal” and the “Prostate Massager”.

In order to improve strength of the muscle, you use a “squeeze, hold, release” pattern. You squeeze the muscle, hold for several seconds, and release. Gradually, you would like to be able to build up to a hold of 10 seconds, repeating the “squeeze, hold, and release” ten times.

When you perform the exercise correctly, you should be able to feel or see the testicles lift. This takes time for some men. But, if you practice the routine regularly, you should notice an improvement in 4-6 weeks.
There are many things that you can do to support the health of the prostate and reduce your risk of urinary incontinence, including the use of herbs and nutritionally supportive supplements. The risk of problems increases with age. One out of every 10 people over the age of 65 has some problems, although women are most often affected.

Since kegel exercises for men help reduce your risk of problems and reduce pain in the prostate, as well an effective therapy for hemorrhoids why not give them a try? Back to top

Emotional Intelligence – Effect your Will Power

American Wellness, Mental Wellness, Post of the Week Archive, Wellness Solutions, Willpower

May 312011

For Children – Emotional Intelligence Means Being Smart with Your Feelings
By Josh Freedman – 24th September 2010

This article is written for children to read or for an adult to read to a child.
When I was a kid, no one taught me about feelings. Even when I took psychology in college I still didn’t learn why sometimes I felt angry or sad or worried or happy — and that I had a choice about my feelings. I noticed that I had different feelings, and other people did too. I noticed that sometimes I could get more of what I wanted by using the feelings that matched the situation, but a lot of the time it seemed like feelings were something that just happened to me.
How about you? Have you learned much about your feelings? How have you learned that?
Do you feel in charge of your feelings, or does it seem like they’re in charge of you? Are there some feelings that are easier for you to understand, but others that are more confusing?
Almost accidentally, I started working in a job where I was teaching people about feelings, so I had to learn a lot! I read, talked to work friends, and paid much closer attention to my own and others’ reactions. I’ve enjoyed this learning about emotional intelligence and it’s helping me be happier, stronger, and accomplish more, so I want to share some of the ideas with you.
“Emotional intelligence” means being smart with feelings. Emotional intelligence allows us to make good decisions and work well with others.
What is Intelligence?
Some people have not heard about emotional intelligence; it’s pretty much like other forms of intelligence. So what is “intelligence”? Someone who is intelligent is able to gather information and use it to solve problems. For example, if someone is smart about math, what can they do well? They pay close attention to numbers, and are accurate. Then they use that information to solve math problems (such as how to divide fractions).
Pretty much the same is true for emotional intelligence. People who are smart with emotions notice and can accurately describe feelings. They can use feelings to solve problems (such as how to be a good friend).
Why does Emotional Intelligence Matter?
A few years ago, a work friend of mine, Anabel Jensen, and I, asked students how learning about emotions helped them. Here are a few of the answers from kids:
I felt more included.
I felt less alone.
I learned how to listen to people.
I learned how to be a better friend and to ask my friends to be better friends.
We were working together to make everybody’s life better.
I felt more in charge of my own feelings.
How does that sound to you?
Emotional Intelligence Helps Children be Smart About Feelings
In the last few years, a lot of research has been conducted to measure how emotional intelligence skills help people. The research, and our experience teaching about emotions, says that
The skills of emotional intelligence help young people have less, and more:
Would you like less of these? And more of these?
My sister and I were playing and having fun, but then she got really annoying and… well, here I am back in time out.I’m bored. I KNOW there is a lot to do, but I just can’t find the energy to do anything. I wish my friends would stop leaving me out of the game at school, but I don’t know how to get them to include me.I have lots of really good ideas, but sometimes kids don’t listen to me because they say I am too bossy. But their ideas are boring.A lot of times I KNOW the answers on the test, but I just can’t think of it right then. I’m happy because I have lots of good friends and I can always talk to them. When kids are doing something wrong or dangerous, I am able to stop them — or at least walk away and not get involved in bad behavior.Sometimes I have bad moods, but I can get myself out of it and try again. I hardly ever have fights with my parents about homework because I’ve gotten good at doing it. My brother is sometimes annoying, but I know how to work around that so we have fun together.
Some Questions About Feelings
Is there one of the stories that you especially want to have more often?
Can you think of other ways being smarter with feelings would help you and others?
Is there one of the stories that you experience too often?
Can you think of other problems that you could solve if you were smarter with feelings?
How Do Children Improve Their Emotional Intelligence?
The best news about emotional intelligence is that it’s something EVERYONE has and everyone can improve. Maybe it’s not something you’ve given much attention, or maybe you’ve already learned a lot, but in any case you grow in this. I call this “growing on the inside.” On the outside kids grow in obvious ways (like getting taller). What does it mean to grow on the inside?
Can you notice how you’ve already grown a lot on the inside? For example, when you were little, you probably were more selfish and less careful than you are now. Maybe you’ve learned to think a little more before you act, or to notice when you’re feeling tired and take care of yourself better? Sure, maybe another kid or an adult is even better at some of those things, but you’ve grown — which shows you that you can. Do you want to grow on the inside even more?
This is a serious question. If you don’t actually WANT to be more emotionally intelligent, you are not likely to do it. On the other hand, if you go back to the two lists, above, and you want less of the “left” and more of the “right,” then you do want to grow — and you can.
Emotions Are Messages for You
I work for an organization called Six Seconds. We’re called “Six Seconds” because of the way emotions work in our bodies. Suppose you’re playing and you break something you like. Here’s what happens in your brain:
The first ¼ second: You begin to pay attention and notice something happened.
Second ¼ second: Your brain begins to decide this is a problem, and produces a bunch of new chemicals.
Next ½ second: The chemicals go flowing into your brain and start going into your blood. These chemicals are messengers causing a whole bunch of different reactions in you (such as, tightening certain muscles, focusing your attention, making you tear up, changing the way you’re breathing).
Next 5 seconds: The chemicals continue to flow through your blood and go everywhere in your body. The emotion messenger chemicals cause different cells in your body to produce new chemicals — so they ripple through you expanding their effect.
After six seconds, the original chemicals are almost all gone. They’ve delivered their messages and you are now reacting to the mistake of breaking that item. Maybe you’re crying and sad, maybe your angry and wanting to blame, maybe you’re shocked and still, maybe you want to run away. Your reaction depends on how you’ve learned to deal with this flood of chemicals.
But here’s something amazing: Those original feeling chemicals are now gone. If you continue to feel sad/mad/afraid/hurt — whatever — you are actually choosing to re-create more and more of the feeling chemicals. You don’t HAVE to keep reacting. You’re reacting because that’s what you’ve learned to do. You can learn a different way of reacting.
Everyone has these chemicals, and each feeling chemical carries both a message and some chemical power. Feelings are information and energy. As we become more emotionally intelligent, we get better at “reading” the messages and we get to use the energy to move us forward in a useful direction.
Three Steps for Feeling Smarter About Feelings
At Six Seconds, we have a way of practicing emotional intelligence that uses three steps:
1. Notice your reactions.
We call this “Know Yourself” because we want you to tune in and pay close
attention to what’s happening inside you.
2. Take charge of your responses.
This step is called “Choose Yourself” because you have a lot of options
– which will you select?
3. Decide what’s really important.
“Give Yourself” is the final step because now you’re thinking not just
about you, but what you want to give to others and the world.
These three steps are not always easy, but we’ve found that (just like learning anything) when you start practicing, you get better and better at it. Usually we show people three steps in a circle. Once you’ve done any of the steps, it makes the next step easier. Then you can keep repeating the steps over and over until you are really clear about what you want and how to move toward that.
For the next few days, notice yourself in these three steps. Do you find certain steps easier, harder? Do you do some of the steps only in certain situations? Maybe you follow the steps carefully when you’re with some people, but not so carefully when you are with others?
Use this chart to check your progress. It gives examples what you might think, feel, and do if you are not practicing the steps of EQ…. and what you might think, feel, and do if you ARE practicing each step:
What you say if you are not doing this. Are you putting the three steps in action? What you say if you are doing this a lot ->
Feelings just happen, I Have no idea why. Know Yourself:Notice your reactions. I can clearly see the sequence of events that lead to my feelings.
Act first, think later…I don’t have a choice. Choose Yourself:Take charge of your responses. I have choices about how to respond, I don’t need to react without thought.
I don’t think about others or the world, I’m just focused on what I want. Give Yourself:Decide what’s really important. I am connected to others and our world, and am committed to doing my part.
You As A Scientist
At Six Seconds, we teach teachers a process for working with students on emotional intelligence. It’s called “Self-Science” because we want students to use the skills of a scientist to learn about themselves. A scientist notices. When something goes as expected, she notices that… and when something goes differently than planned, she definitely pays attention! Not with frustration or disappointment, but with curiosity. The scientist’s most powerful tool is the question.
Scientists are always saying: “I wonder….” So I encourage you to try that out — to be like a scientist observing yourself. Noticing your reactions and choices is a powerful way of developing emotional intelligence. In fact, by paying close attention to the way you’re following these steps, you’ll be working on step 1! What are your emotional intelligence strengths? Where do you get stuck or have trouble? Practice observing yourself as a Self-Scientist — you’re on your way to increasing your emotional intelligence! Back to top

Kenaf- Future Green Industries

American Wellness, Foods For Wellness, Post of the Week Archive, Wellness Solutions

Apr 122011

KENAF (Hibiscus Cannabinus)

By Eddie Katz

A cellulose fiber plant dating 4,000 years back with historical roots in North East Africa. Kenaf has a botanical relationship with cotton, okra and hemp; a member of the hibiscus family.

There are several varieties of Kenaf (broad and palmate- segmented like hemp) and has been studied since the 1930’s at the University of Mississippi. Tender young leaves are used as alternative forage for livestock and food eaten by Africans, East Indians and Asians for 1,000 + years. In Pakistan it is called “Gongoora”. As food, for example, it is a great salad addition (green leafy texture like spinach with a citrus flavor). Nutritionally potent with high levels of calcium, selenium, protein, omega fatty acids, nitrogen, etc.

Kenaf is totally earth-friendly. All you need is water and fertilizer to grow as high as 20 feet in about 150 days. Having no natural predators, growing Kenaf nourishes the soil and cleans the air. The flowers are pretty yellow-white blooms with a deep red center that opens at sunrise and closes at night. Harvesting Kenaf three times during the growing season (to 5 feet) produces tender young leaf for highest nutrition (wet or dry). Food for humans–forage for livestock.Growing Kenaf for the rest of the season yields stock and core material that can be made into paper and textile products, animal bedding, soil remediation (pollution buster–water, land and air). Highest organic oil absorbancy to a 92% clean up, starting as soon as you apply it. One pound of Kenaf absorbs 1.66 gallons of oil or over 11 pounds of oil. Amazingly absorbs hydrocarbon products up to 12 times its own weight. Environmentally safe and correct. A great alternative to plywood (save the old growth trees). For the garden it’s a great mulch.

Much can be said! Food,Clothing, Building Material( Plywood, Brick, Plastics) Cleans the Soil,Water and Air. A remedy that we should act on now. Proven environmentally correct, one that should be used to make paper without killing trees and it doesn’t need insecticides or fungicides. There’s no need for importing from out-of-state any type of sawdust (substrate), bedding for livestock, mulch for gardens. EPA approved for 20 years. Bioremediation (clean up method converting contaminants such as creosote preservatives, PCP-pentachlorophenol, petroleum products into harmless byproducts, i.e. carbon dioxide and water. Kenaf contains indigenous hydrocarbons digesting microbes without any cultures, preservatives or stablizers. We can balance our pollution problem right here, right now! Use Kenaf everywhere.

OIL SUCK: Just a little sucks a lot. Kenaf manufactured locally by American farmers, is all natural and biodegradable. Kenaf absorbs up to 12 times its own weight. Kenaf assimilates pollution. Kenaf is a remedy for balancing pollution from industrial, military and lakes. Store 2-5 pound bags of Kenaf in cars, boats and trucks. Helps keep available proven clean up materials close by. Do your part–clean the ground and water. It will help clean our air, an incentive to reduce greenhouse effects. Need Seeds? Inquire about a Kenaf Presentation. Contact us at WellnessWillpower.

Future Green Industries

Personal use

Food (leaves raw or cooked) for Humans and livestock
Dehydrated — freeze-dried — juiced — pickled (picture of pickled Kenaf in oil and garlic)
High in nitrogen, protein, calcium, selenium, omegas
Seeds yield nutritious food grade oil

Agricultural benefits

Soil remediation – biodegradable (can be disposed in compost)
Absorbs oil 12 times it’s own weight
Highest organic oil absorbency tested by the us navy
Nourishes the soil – soil less potting mix
Landfills/ restore environmental balance
Store 2-5 lb. Bags of fine dust in cars, boats, trucks
Kenaf Cleans the air as it grows (more co2 absorption)

Industrial applications

Building materials that are environmentally safe
Paper 100% free of tree and chlorine
Pulp — Pellets
Particleboard — Composites
Lost circulation media/Oil well mud mixed with kenaf fiber
Pavers — Block
Grass erosion mats –- Seeded mats — Mats for roads of the future
Thermo Plastic extender (bio-degradable plastics) — auto industry
Soil Neutralizer — landfills, farms, beaches
Filter Applications –- water treatment plants (pools, water and air)
Oil — Bio-fuel -– industrial lubricants -– cosmetics
Containment booms –- absorptive booms -– absorptive blankets
Insulation material –- non toxic

Textiles

Clothing
Jute (java jute) Indonesia – Burlap North America
Cordage
Upholstery
Canvas – sails

Animal Bedding

Alternative to sawdust (premium grade) no need to import
Many times more absorbent than wood shavings
Animal litter – low dust – non toxic
Preferred for reptiles and horses with allergy problems

KENAF

Facts

1. History: Indigenous of southern Asia, Africa, Middle East.

2. Age: Cultivated for at least 4000 years – originating in Egypt.

3. Yield: Kenaf may yield 6 to 10 tons of dry fiber per acre. Per year. This is 3 to 5 times greater than the yield for pine, which requires 7 to 40 years before they are ready for harvest. 5000 acres produce pulp to supply paper plant 200 tons a day.

4. Fiber: The outer fiber or bast makes up 40% of the stalks dry weight; the inner fiber or core makes up the other 60%.

5. Processing: Can be processed in a mechanical fiber separator similar to a cotton gin.

6. Growth: In the right climate, kenaf grows 14 feet tall in 4 to 5 months and is an annual. Environmentally safe.

7. Harvesting: Harvesting kenaf 3 times during the growing season (to 5 feet) produces tender young leaf for highest nutrition (wet or dry).

8. Flowers: Kenaf flowers at the end of the growing season, producing showy hibiscus-like blossoms.

9. Requirements: Requires a minimum of fertilizers, pesticides, and water in comparison to other row crops.

10. Growing areas: Almost all growing areas of U.S. kenaf, seed cannot mature. You need 60 to 90 days frost free to germinate. Arizona and southwest deserts can produce mature seed.

11. Seeds: 15,000 to 20,000 seeds per pound. Varieties include; Everglades41, Dowling, Whitten, tainung2, all have broad shape leaf, tainung2 has both palmate and broad shape leaf. Seed Price range: $8.50 for 240+, advance order: $2.80/lb. Minimum order 2000 lbs. (Kenaf.seed.com)

12. Absorption: Cleans the air 3 to 9 times more than other plants in Co2 Absorption. Absorbs oil up to 12 times its own weight. Neutralizes oil toxicity up to 92%.

Summary: America has studied kenaf enough for 80 years. I have been knocking on heads to start businesses for 12 years now!

Just a little Sucks Alot

Better than any Sponge- Absorbs 12 times its own weight- Oil Spills are happening Now. Its time to get this green industry on line now!

By Eddie Katz
Back to top
Kenaf Industries.Com

Two-Antioxidants 20-50 Times Stronger than Vitamin C

Foods For Wellness, Post of the Week Archive, Wellness For Pets

Jan 192011

Organic Amla Powder

Amla (or Amlaka or Amlaki) is one of the most frequently used ancient Ayurvedic medicines to treat a variety of disorders related to the digestive system, the lungs, metabolism, bleeding and even aging.

Most sites that sell Amla products describe the fruit’s rich content of vitamin C, (“The fruit contains the highest amount of Vitamin C in natural form “) which is often said to be responsible for several of the therapeutic actions of the fruit. They are wrong and have not really done their research and are just repeating (or copying verbatim) incorrect information that was put out almost 50 years ago.

In fact, it has been shown that Amla does not contain any significant amount of vitamin C, but instead other organic acids (such as malic acid and mucic acid) and various common tannoids (small tannin-like molecules) and some unique tannins, one or more of which were mistaken for vitamin C in the initial tests conducted more than 50 years ago. Even so, at the levels described (at about 0.5-0.7% of the fruit pulp), the amount of vitamin C consumed would be small by modern standards.

The dominant active constituent of Amla is a group of tannins derived from gallic and ellagic acids, which make up a large portion of the extractable constituents and from other polyphenols. The fruit also contains flavonoids and kaempferol. The presence of a large proportion of tannins, the other polyphenols and flavanoids in the fruit easily explains many of the reported benefits of Amla, including treatment of respiratory and intestinal disorders, particularly intestinal ulcerations. In addition, polyphenols have been shown to have numerous health protective benefits, including lowering blood lipids and blood sugar, enhancing blood circulation, and blocking the action of carcinogens, which together contribute to the antiaging effect. The apparent superior effect of the mistaken “vitamin C” component is actually the more stable and potent anti-oxidant effect of the tannins, the other polyphenols and flavanoids in the Amla.

A compilation of applications for emblica fruits was carried out by several Ayurvedic writers during the last 25 years. The main applications are for:

* Digestive system disorders: dyspepsia, gastritis, hyperacidity, constipation, colic, colitis, hemorrhoids
* Bleeding disorders: bleeding hemorrhoids, hematuria, menorrhagia, bleeding gums, ulcerative colitis
* Metabolic disorders: anemia, diabetes, gout
* Lung disorders: cough, asthma
* Aging disorders: osteoporosis, premature graying of the hair, weakening vision
* Neurasthenia: fatigue, mental disorders, vertigo, palpitations

Amla has recently undergone preliminary scientific research, demonstrating invitro antiviral and antimicrobial properties. Experimental preparations have shown potential efficacy against laboratory models of disease, such as for inflammation, cancer, age-related renal disease, and diabetes. A human pilot study demonstrated reduction of blood cholesterol levels in both normal and hypercholesterolemic men.

Amla is also a very fibrous fruit and these fibers are captured in Organic Amla powder.

How to use Organic Amla Powder

Organic Amla Powder (which has a somewhat spicy taste) blends well with soups, salads, sauces, gravies, meat and vegetable pies, rices, pastas, flours, spicy foods, pasta shell fillings and can be added to a variety of recipes. 2 tsps per day is the suggested use of the powder.

About the Amla Fruit

The Amla is the fruit of Phyllanthus emblica, also called Emblica officinalis. The plant, a member of the Euphorbiaceae, grows to become a medium-sized tree that is found growing in the plains and sub-mountain regions all over the Indian subcontinent from sea level to the foothills of the Himalayan mountains. The fruit is similar in appearance to the common gooseberry (Ribes spp., a type of currant), which is botanically unrelated to Amla. However, due to the similar appearance of the fruit clusters, Amla is usually called the “Indian gooseberry.”

Astaxanthin

Astaxanthin is produced by microscopic small plants: the micro-alga Haematococcus pluvialis. Haematococcus algae can contain up to 30 g of astaxanthin per kg dried algae. These micro-alga are eaten by marine animals including fish, crawfish, crabs and lobster. The Astaxanthin is responsible for the red colour of these animals. Another commercial source is from the ink coloured yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous.

Health Benefits of Astaxanthin

Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant – possibly 50 times stronger than vitamin C. The free radical scavenging activity of astaxanthin protects lipids from peroxidation and reduces oxidative damage of LDL-cholesterol (thereby reducing arterial plaque formation), cells, cell membranes, mitochondrial membranes. Astaxanthin increases strength and endurance.
Astaxanthin seems to improve the immune system by increasing the number of antibody producing cells. Astaxanthin enhances antibody production by exerting actions on T-cells and T-helper cells. Astaxanthin is used to treat neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson?s disease.
Astaxanthin protects the eyes and skin from sun radiation damage by quenching singlet and triplet oxygen. Studies with rats show that astaxanthin reduces retinal injury.
Studies have shown the anti-cancer effects of astaxanthin in rodents. The inhibitory effect of astaxanthin on cancer is stronger han that of beta-carotene.

Facts about Astaxanthin

Most Astaxanthin is not extracted from the marine plants but is chemically produced. In commercial fish and crustacean farms, chemically produced astaxanthin is added to feeds in order to improve the colour.

RDA 10 mg.

Astaxanthin, unlike some carotenoids, does not convert to Vitamin A (retinol) in the human body. Too much Vitamin A is toxic for a human, but astaxanthin is not. While astaxanthin is a natural nutritional component, it can be found as a food supplement. The supplement is intended for human, animal, and aquaculture consumption. Astaxanthin has 100-500 times the antioxidant capacity of Vitamin E and 10 times the antioxidant capacity of beta-carotene. Many laboratory studies also indicate Astaxanthin is a stronger antioxidant than lutein, lycopene and tocotrienols. Currently, the primary use for humans is as a food supplement. Research shows that due to astaxanthin’s potent antioxidant activity, it may be beneficial in cardiovascular, immune, inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. Research supports the assumption that it protects body tissues from oxidative damage

References

Superorganicfoods.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astaxanthin

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/E161j Back to top

The Benefits of UMF Manuka Honey and Oil

Foods For Wellness, Post of the Week Archive

Dec 172010

Manuka Honey

The Manuka is found throughout New Zealand and often forms extensive areas of bush. The leaves are dotted with oil glands, and when bruised give off a gingery peppery smell. The flowers vary from brilliant white through to rose-pink.

The Maori people used Manuka as a medicinal plant, from treating fevers and colds to sedatives and early European settlers called it the “tea tree”. Apart from the medicinal properties contained by all honeys, Manuka honey contains a number of natural compounds with strong antibacterial properties. This is a strong flavoured honey but with a fresh clean bite.

Manuka Honey Research

Honey is one of nature’s oldest folk remedies. Ancient civilizations used honey to help heal wounds.
There are many reports in medical literature of honey being successfully used for problems such as wounds, burns, skin ulcers, boils, infections.
Scientific university research is showing the reason why honey could assist natural healing and that UMF Manuka Honey has even greater healing qualities because of its enhanced antibacterial potency.

Read about the research and the amazing healing results with UMF Manuka Honey…

Raw Honey is honey which has antibacterial activity due to hydrogen peroxide.
Manuka Honey is that which has activity due to high levels of UMF. Plus hydrogen peroxide.

The name UMF( UNIQUE MANUKA FACTOR) indicates the honey has a high antibacterial component and indicates the antibacterial strength of the honey.

University Research confirms Honey as a Healer
Dr Peter Molan MBE, Associate Professor in Biochemistry at The University of Waikato New Zealand, has researched the healing properties of honey since 1981. He has found that honey heals primarily because of a natural hydrogen peroxide antibacterial property present in varying levels in most honeys.
More…

A Second Natural Antibacterial Agent
Dr Molan and his research team found in some strains of manuka honey a second more powerful antibacterial property called UMF. In laboratory tests the UMF property has been found to be effective against a wide range of bacteria including helicobacter pylori, staphylococcus aureus, e. coli…
More…

What is Special about UMF rated Manuka Honey?
UMF is a highly beneficial antibacterial property naturally present some strains of manuka honey.
Studies are showing manuka honey with a high levels of UMF(UMF10 or higher) helps the natural healing processes and is the preferred honey when selecting honey for its healing qualities.
More…

Antibacterial Activity of Different Honeys
Source: Manuka Honey As a Medicine by PC Molan, 2001. Honey Research Unit Website
A brief report of laboratory studies comparing, in vitro, the antibacterial activity of honeys against particular bacteria.
More…

Not All Manuka Honey has UMF Activity
The special UMF antibacterial property is not found in all manuka honey. UMF is a phytochemical (floral derived) property present in the nectar of only some manuka flowers. Special laboratory testing shows which manuka honey has the UMF property.
More…

Selecting Honey for Special Therapeutic Use
Care must be taken to:
1. Select honey which has assured antibacterial activity. The name UMF guarantees the honey has high antibacterial activity.
2. When selecting honey for wound care ensure it is thoroughly filtered and sterilized
3. Find out here what to look for when selecting honey for special therapeutic use.
More…

Digestive Care, Stomach Ulcers, Dyspepsia
In laboratory tests UMF Manuka Honey has been shown to inhibit, in vitro, the growth of helicobacter pylori, the bacteria which causes most stomach ulcers. The peroxide antibacterial activity of other honeys (including ordinary manuka honey) is not effective against this bacteria.
More…

Honey for Wound Care
Varicose and Skin Ulcers, Diabetic Ulcers, Wounds, Burns, Boils, Pressure Sores, Cracked Skin, Acne, Atopic Eczema

Studies and clinical trials are showing that high activity UMF Manuka Honey provides an optimum germ-free moist wound-healing environment which supports and facilitates the natural healing of varicose and skin ulcers, diabetic ulcers, pressure sores, wounds, burns, boils, cracked skin, cuts and grazes.
More…

Clinical Trial and Case Studies
A very successful clinical trial was carried out (1999 – 2000) at Waikato Hospital, Hamilton, New Zealand, using UMF rated Manuka Honey on unresponsive skin ulcers and chronic wounds.

Case Studies include the remarkable results when using UMF Manuka Honey on infected wounds, skin ulcers, abscesses, MRSA.
More…

Honey effective against MRSA
In the laboratory the antibacterial properties of UMF Manuka Honey have been found to be effective against MRSA (staphylococcus aureus) strains of bacteria which are notoriously resistant to antibiotics and sometimes responsible for closing hospital wards.
More…

Sore Throats, General Health, Energy Replacement
1. Antioxidants and Systemic Uses
Research in its early stages has found New Zealand honeys have useful levels of antioxidants with UMF Manuka Honey having the highest of all.
Many people have found having SummerGlow UMF16 Manuka Honey to be helpful in warding off and fighting the effects of a cold.

2. Streptococcus Pyogenes
Laboratory studies are showing the UMFantibacterial property is effective against streptococcus pyogenes (causes sore throats)

3. Energy Replacement
Studies are showing honey is an effective energy booster and replacement

More…

The treatment of Gastroenteritis
When used to treat diarrhoea, honey promotes the rehydration of the body and causes the earlier clearing of diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach upsets.
More…

Honey for Eye Infections.
Research is looking into the effectiveness of honey for eye infections. The results look promising. There is a trial under way using honey to treat blephatis.

Honey for Dental Health
Recent research is indicating that UMF® rated Manuka Honey could be effective for oral hygiene as it inhibits acid production and helps prevent the development of cavities in teeth.

Trials are currently under way using honey to decrease dental plaque and gingivitis, and to prevent the development of dry socket after removal of impacted third molar teeth.

Honey for Animal Health
1. Wounds
2. Mastitis in Dairy Cows and Goats
3. Scours in Calves
More…

Manuka honey as a medicine
P. C. Molan, Honey Research Unit
Honey – an ancient remedy “rediscovered” The usage of honey as a medicine is referred to in the most ancient written records, it being prescribed by the physicians of many ancient races of people for a wide variety of ailments (Ransome 1937).
More…

Using honey to treat wounds infected with MRSA
Text of a paper presented at the First World Wound Healing Congress, 10-13 September 2000, Melbourne, Australia.: The potential for using honey to treat wounds infected with MRSA and VRE. (Allen, K. L.; Hutchinson, G.; Molan, P.C.)
PDF File: The potential for using honey to treat wounds infected with MRSA and VRE
More information at: www.honey.bio.waikato.ac.nz/potential.shtml

Acknowledgement
We are very grateful to Dr Peter Molan of the Honey Research Unit at Waikato University, New Zealand, for his dedicated research and knowledge.
Many people worldwide have benefited greatly from the findings of his years of passionate study into the healing qualities of honey – many of these people had previously had conditions for which no other treatment had been effective.

TOP OF PAGE