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10 Reasons To Never Use Conventional Toothpaste Ever Again bodymindsoulspirit via LivingTraditionally, Are you brushing your teeth with poison? Conventional toothpaste is loaded with toxins. Even the warning label on any conventional toothpaste states, “Do not swallow,” and “in case of accidental ingestion, contact the poison control center.” Your mouth is one of the most absorbent places in your entire body. While you are brushing, […]
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E-cigs Deliver Appalling Amounts of Heavy Metals Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola While the gradual demise of traditional cigarettes has been heralded as an achievement for better health, the dangers of the alternative many have chosen may be just as alarming. If you smoke e-cigarettes (e-cigs), it is important to know researchers have demonstrated you may be exposing yourself to dangerous chemicals and heavy metals with each puff. It is currently believed that e-cigs do not expose you to the thousands of toxic compounds the average conventional combustion cigarette contains, but researchers are only beginning to understand the toxicities involved in smoking e-cigarettes. In some ways, these man-made tobacco alternatives are just as dangerous to your health as regular cigarettes, but may have different consequences. Smoking traditional cigarettes harms nearly every organ in your body and triggers many different diseases, including many cancers, reduced lung function, chronic obstructive lung disease and coronary artery disease.1 Recent research published in Environmental Health Perspectives now demonstrates vapor and aerosol samples from e-cigarette liquid may release heavy metals dangerous to human health.2 Toxic Heavy Metals Found in Vapor From E-Cigarettes The study was conducted by scientists at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. They examined devices owned by 56 users, finding a significant number of them generated aerosol with unsafe levels of lead, nickel, chromium and manganese.3 Participants were recruited from vaping conventions and e-cigarette shops in the Baltimore area. The devices were brought to the laboratory where researchers tested for the presence of 15 metals.4 The results were consistent with past studies, finding a minimal amount of heavy metal in the e-liquid, but much larger amounts in the liquid that had been exposed to heating coils.5 This difference suggested the heavy metals were originating from the heating coils within the e-cigarette tank. Heavy metal concentrations were also higher in devices where the owners frequently change the coils. Of the different metals measured in the aerosol, lead, nickel, chromium and manganese were most concerning as they are highly toxic when inhaled. Nearly 50 percent of the vapor samples had lead concentrations higher than limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).6 Concentrations of the other three metals either approached or exceeded safety limits set by the EPA. Researchers observed the heating coils were made of nickel, chromium and several other metals, making this the most obvious source of contamination. However, the source of lead remained a mystery. Inhaled lead can attack your brain and central nervous system, as well as your kidneys, liver and bones.7 In adults, lead may stay dormant in teeth and bones for years but may be reactivated during pregnancy. It can poison a developing baby and trigger brain damage. Also concerning was the amount of arsenic detected in the refill liquid and the tank in 10 of the 56 devices. The researchers suggested it’s important for regulators to determine the cause for the presence of arsenic8 as it can trigger cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.9 Past studies have demonstrated e-cigs release higher levels of nickel, zinc and silver.10 The lead author of one study commented, "Some of these metals are extremely toxic even in very low amounts."11 The author added in a statement:12 "The metal particles likely come from the cartridge of the e-cigarette devices themselves — which opens up the possibility that better manufacturing standards for the devices could reduce the quantity of metals in the smoke. Studies of this kind are necessary for implementing effective regulatory measures. E-cigarettes are so new, there just isn't much research available on them yet." Secondhand Aerosol Dangerous for Bystanders E-cigarettes deliver nicotine and other chemicals using a heated liquid, but not combustion in the way traditional cigarettes function. Heat is created by a battery, creating an aerosol containing nicotine. As you inhale the vapor, you receive nicotine and flavor chemicals, experiencing the same effect from nicotine in cigarettes without the high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons associated with smoking traditional cigarettes. E-cigarettes and vaping pens come in a variety of shapes and sizes but all deliver the same composition of chemicals. And, while the user inhales most of the vapor and aerosolized toxins, some of it also enters the environment to affect the health of bystanders. In a study from the University of Southern California,13 researchers conducted experiments in offices where volunteers had smoked traditional cigarettes and e-cigs. Air sample analysis revealed smoking e-cigs resulted in a tenfold decrease in carcinogenic particulate matter, but toxic metals from e-cigarette secondhand smoke was much higher than regular cigarette smoke. Another study looked at the structure of e-cigarette devices, testing whether aerosolized metal was derived from the components.14 They found components were sometimes missing or had evidence of use before packaging. Elements identified in e-cig aerosol were known to cause respiratory disease. Researchers also felt the presence of silicate particles found in the aerosol necessitated improved quality control in the design and manufacture of devices to protect the health of users and bystanders. Bystanders may be lulled into a false sense of security as the vapor from e-cigs often has little to no scent and appears to dissipate quickly. However, research from the University of California San Francisco15 demonstrates e-cigs pollute the air with nicotine and fine particulate matter that is easily absorbed by bystanders through inhalation. Despite the lower levels of nicotine pollution e-cigs produce, researchers found people exposed to e-cigarette air pollution have a similar level of cotinine — a measure of the amount of nicotine taken into the body — as those exposed to traditional secondhand cigarette smoke.16 The reason for this discrepancy remains unclear. Highly Reactive Free Radicals Cause Damage In a study commissioned by Japan's Health Ministry, researchers found acetaldehyde and formaldehyde in the vapor produced by several types of e-cig devices.17 At least one brand had more than 10 times the level of carcinogens found in a traditional cigarette. Researchers from the University of Louisville18 conducted quantitative analysis on older and newer model cartridges. The older models had a fixed battery output while the next generation devices had a variable output, allowing the user to increase heat produced by the battery. Emissions of aldehydes from all the devices, both new and older, created a health risk for the user and bystander. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has detected the antifreeze chemical diethylene glycol in e-cigarette cartridges, which is linked to cancer.19 According to Americans for Nonsmokers Rights, secondhand smoke from e-cigs may contain at least 10 chemicals that have been identified on California's proposition 65 list of reproductive toxins and carcinogens.20 Diacetyl is an artificial flavor used by popcorn makers21 to add a buttery taste to microwave popcorn. The chemical is linked to respiratory damage22 and permanent scarring of the airway, aptly named “popcorn lung.” In an evaluation of 51 e-cigarette flavors on the market, Harvard researchers found 47 of the 51 contained flavoring chemicals, including diacetyl.23 The chemical was detected in more than those flavors sounding “buttery,” including fruit-flavored, alcohol-flavored and candy-flavored e-cigarettes. Aerosol released by e-cig devices has been analyzed and found to have the presence of highly reactive free radicals.24 In traditional cigarette smoke, these highly reactive free radicals are associated with cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart disease. The researchers found e-cig levels were more than you may be exposed to in heavily polluted air, but less than what you find in traditional cigarette smoke. Decline of Vaping May Be Threatened The first recorded instance of an e-cigarette device was in 1963 when Herbert Gilbert filed a patent on his design.25 The idea did not become popular at the time and it wasn't until 2003 when a Chinese pharmacist revolutionized the design enabling smokers to inhale nicotine without combustion. Today, tobacco use is still the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death in America.26 Nearly 40 million adults smoke cigarettes and 4.7 million middle and high school students have used at least one tobacco product, including e-cigarettes. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)27 state e-cigarettes contain potentially harmful substances, including nicotine, flavorings, volatile organic compounds and heavy metals. Nicotine is the addictive substance and is a known toxin to developing babies. Exposure harms adolescent brain development until your early to mid-20s. In 2014, smoking among high school students had declined, but use of e-cigs had increased. Fortunately, according to a 2017 survey by the CDC,28 the number of students using e-cigs has steadily declined since 2014. The CDC attributes the decline to a combination of tobacco restrictions, taxes and advertising. While these strategies have demonstrated success, the American Lung Association believes budget cuts proposed by President Trump, which will eliminate the CDC Office on Smoking and Health, will threaten this progress. American Lung Association CEO Harold Wimmer told NBC news:29 “Funding to states would also be severely cut, making it even harder to prevent and reduce tobacco use in local communities across the country. Congress must reconsider this ill-advised budget and robustly fund the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health.” Matthew Myers, president for the campaign for tobacco-free kids, agrees, saying:30 “The dramatic, long-term decline in youth cigarette smoking is a public health success story of extraordinary importance. Our progress stems directly from implementing proven strategies, including higher tobacco taxes, comprehensive smoke-free laws, effective FDA oversight of tobacco products and marketing, well-funded tobacco prevention and cessation programs, and hard-hitting media campaigns, like the campaigns conducted by the CDC, the FDA and Truth Initiative in recent years. In addition, California, Hawaii and over 245 cities and counties have now raised the tobacco sale age to 21.” How To Make Quitting Smoking Easier I believe the "secret" to quitting smoking is to get healthy first, which will make quitting mentally and physically easier. Exercising is an important part of this plan, as research shows people who engage in regular strength training double their success rate at quitting smoking compared to those who don't exercise.31 Healthy eating is another crucial factor to improving your health and strengthening your ability to quit. In short, if you want to quit, here are three basic tips to get started: Read through my comprehensive free nutrition plan to get started eating right. Develop a well-rounded exercise regimen. This is your ally to fighting disease and to quitting smoking. Strength training is an important part, but also remember to incorporate high-intensity interval exercises, core-strengthening exercises, stretching and regular nonexercise movement (like walking and cutting back on sitting). Find a healthy emotional outlet. Many use exercise, meditation or relaxation techniques for this, and these are all great. I also recommend incorporating Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). This can help clear out emotional blockages from your system (some of which you might not even realize are there), thus restoring your mind and body's balance and helping you break the addiction and avoid cravings. Once you are regularly doing these three things, then you can begin to think about quitting smoking. At this point many are ready to try quitting "cold turkey." If you need a distraction, these six things to do instead of smoking may help. Finally, if you're a parent, talk with your children about the risks of smoking, smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes. The easiest pathway to not smoking is to avoid starting in the first place.
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8 Meditation Mistakes To Avoid If You Want To Feel Calm And Peaceful bodymindsoulspirit by Blon Lee tiny buddha “Three things you cannot recover in life: the word after it’s said, the moment after it’s missed, and the time after it’s gone.” ~Unknown Do you meditate? I do. I come from a Buddhist family, and meditation is like an heirloom to me. I didn’t start meditating until I was […]
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Migraines? Powdered Ginger May Help Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Using ginger for physical symptoms, not just for its flavor, is as old as traditional Chinese medicine, which has thousands of years of success in its wake. East Indian Ayurvedic medicine has rendered medicinal use of ginger for centuries as well. There are many plants and plant-based foods now respected by scientists after clinical trials showed an herb or vegetable doing exactly what traditional healers said it could do eons ago. The ways ginger, a rhizome or root, has been applied undoubtedly runs into the hundreds in terms of the many disorders and imbalances it can prevent, treat and alleviate. One of the most important is nausea. One of the most dramatic, however, is ginger used for migraine headaches, which is where its effectiveness for nausea emerges. If they knew, this information would be a great relief to thousands, as studies reveal that something like 28 million people in the U.S. experience migraine headaches, which occur when excessive dilation of blood vessels occurs in your head.1 It can be a head-splitting, staggering pain. According to Migraine.com: "Some migraine studies estimate that 13 percent of adults have migraines and about 2 to 3 million suffer from chronic attacks. Also, almost 5 million people experience at least one migraine attack per month."2 It's hard to say who first passed the traditional plant-based pain relieving idea on to the halls of science, but it may have opened the conversation when, at a loss for a more effective treatment, a doctor remembered the rumor he'd heard that ginger can help in the migraine department.3 According to Dr. Michael Greger: "Since it's just some safe common spice, (the doctor) advises one of their migraine patients to give it a try. At the first sign of a migraine coming on, the patient mixes a quarter teaspoon of powdered ginger in some water, drinks it down and poof, within a half-hour, the migraine goes away. And, it works every time, no side effects."4 Anecdotal Evidence, Clinical Studies and a Marketable Product One study5 shows there's a lot more than a rumor to the power of ginger. A double-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial set ginger up against a billion-dollar pharmaceutical known as sumatriptan (brand name Imitrex), renowned as one of the world's top-selling migraine remedies. Amazingly, researchers discovered that a quarter-teaspoon of ginger worked just as fast (in about two hours) and just as effectively. Flummoxed, the scientists tried again, comparing half the previous amount of ginger with a hefty dose of the drug. Same results; they both worked and they both worked fast. Patients who reported having moderate or severe pain ended up with either mild pain or being pain free. Case reports like this one aren't considered scientific, and are therefore discounted by the medical community in most cases. While some medical professionals discount such as few and far between, in reality, a clinical trial isn't likely to take place unless there's money to be made. By 2023, the migraine market is projected to reach $3.7 billion.6 Nutrition Facts dryly observes: "The problem is who's going to fund it? The market for migraine drugs is worth billions of dollars. A quarter teaspoon of powdered ginger costs about a penny. So, who'd fund a study pitting ginger versus the leading migraine drug?"7 Ginger Versus Sumatriptan and Other Rx Drugs Against all odds, ginger can be considered the winner of the contest. It's a few billion dollars cheaper and has far fewer side effects, as sumatriptan is accompanied by a litany of side effects such as heartburn, vertigo, dizziness and sleepiness. Oh, and death. In fact, the list of side effects from taking sumatriptan or Imitrex is too long and convoluted to get into, but you can read Drug Lib's account of the possibilities for yourself.8 Nutrition Facts further advises: "An eighth of a teaspoon of ginger is not only up to 3,000 times cheaper than the drug, but you're also less likely to end up as a case report yourself of someone who had a heart attack or died after taking the drug — tragedies that have occurred due to sumatriptan."9 Despite such risks, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved sumatriptan in 200310 and has never turned back on its decision. Conversely, about 1 in 25 of the study participants who took ginger reported an upset stomach, although it was an entire tablespoon, and taken on an empty stomach, which might cause an upset stomach in nearly anyone. More reasonable and effective amounts such as a quarter teaspoon or even half that returned no side effects at all. Sumatriptan Complications Unless sufferers get over-the-counter remedies (which are typically useless for severe migraines), the standard response by the majority of medical professionals is to hand patients a prescription. Typically, it will be for triptans, explained further by Dr. Michael Murray on his health website, Doctor Murray: "These drugs work by constricting blood vessels as well as blocking pain pathways in the brain. Sumatriptan (Imitrex) is regarded as the gold standard of these drugs as it has the longest track record and is the most studied. It brings about almost immediate relief for many patients, but headache recurs in almost 40 percent of people within 24 hours after taking the drug. Minor side effects of triptans include nausea, dizziness, drowsiness and muscle weakness. But, these medications can also cause more serious side effects such as coronary artery spasms, heart attacks, stroke, abnormal heart beats and seizures."11 Drugs.com12 makes clear that sumatriptan won't prevent headaches, should only be used if it's actual migraines you're experiencing, and its effectiveness, as well as its safety, have not been established for cluster headaches. Dosages vary from 50 to 100 milligrams (mg), but higher doses carry "greater risk of adverse reactions." Contraindications include "mild to moderate hepatic impairment," aka liver failure, people who smoke, menopausal women, males over 40, as well as people with the following disorders or health complications:13 ✓ Recent use of certain headache medications ✓ Concurrent use of monoamine oxidase (MAO)-A inhibitor (for depression) ✓ Arrhythmias associated with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a cardiac accessory conduction pathway disorder ✓ History of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) ✓ Peripheral vascular (or artery) disease, or narrowed arteries ✓ Ischemic bowel disease, aka ischemic colitis ✓ Uncontrolled hypertension ✓ Hypersensitivity to sumatriptan The last precaution is interesting as only previous use would alert you to a hypersensitivity. There's also mention of arrhythmias or "life-threatening disturbances of cardiac rhythm, including ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation leading to death;" cerebral hemorrhage; seizures; and tightness, pain, pressure and heaviness in the precordium (thorax region near the heart), throat, neck and jaw.14 Then there's serotonin syndrome, evidenced by mental status changes, agitation, hallucinations, coma, autonomic instability (such as unconsciousness and hyperthermia), neuromuscular aberrations (such as incoordination) and/or gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea and other life-threatening reactions. Users are directed to discontinue use if these or other symptoms arise. More Ginger Benefits Ginger has a dramatic effect on migraines, but it doesn't stop there. It's been used to treat (and better yet, prevent) nausea and vomiting for centuries, whether from pregnancy, chemotherapy, motion sickness or eating something disagreeable, as it stimulates the flow of saliva. It's been identified as a carminative, helping to promote the elimination of intestinal gas, and as a spasmolytic to relax and soothe your intestinal tract. From the same group of plants as turmeric and cardamom, ginger emits a spicy fragrance that denotes ketones, most significant being a number of gingerols, the most active ingredient. Ancient narrative, retold in an exhaustive scientific treatise called "Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects" (Second edition) has a much-referenced chapter called "The Amazing and Mighty Ginger," on the topic and history of Zingiber officinale: "Ginger was used as a flavoring agent long before history was formally recorded. It was an exceedingly important article of trade and was exported from India to the Roman Empire over 2000 years ago, where it was especially valued for its medicinal properties. Arab merchants controlling the trade in ginger and other spices for centuries. In the [13th] and [14th] centuries, the value of a pound of ginger was equivalent to the cost of a sheep. By medieval times, it was being imported in preserved form to be used in sweets."15 Ginger, the account continues, has an incredible number of uses, including fresh, dried, crystallized, candied, pickled, preserved, powdered and ground. It's an interesting flavor, as while it can be called sweet, it has a curious and pleasing spiciness that lends itself well to any number of baked goods and even stir-fries and, of course, tea. As an anti-inflammatory and natural immune system booster, ginger covers a myriad of health benefits. Because it reduces systematic inflammation, it positively influences body weight and blood sugar, helping to protect against another serious "umbrella" illness called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), suffered by up to 40 percent of adults in the U.S.16 Obesity is another problem ginger tackles, as the gingerol content in ginger has been found to burn body fat, which is one reason the benefits are linked to metabolic syndrome. Lesser phytonutrients such as shogaol and paradols, working in tandem with gingerol, have also been cited for their power to combat colorectal, gastric, ovarian, liver, skin, breast and prostate cancers, due to the presence of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-transferase and glutathione reductase, one study notes.17 Pregnant women are advised by Migraine.com18 not to use much ginger or for very long, nor should people with gallstones, inflammatory bowel disease or ulcers, or those taking blood thinners or other medications. As far as dosages go, The Raw Food World suggests: "There are still conflicting opinions on what are the best sources and the exact dosage. Some have suggested [that] one-third [teaspoon] of powdered ginger can meet the requirement. Others have suggested that fresh ginger is preferable to powder and by putting it through a garlic press will preserve its potent natural juices."19
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You Really Don't Need to Drink Eight Glasses of Water Each Day Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola The common mantra that you need to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day to stay healthy and hydrated may be one of the biggest health myths out there. While drinking pure water as your primary beverage is undoubtedly one of the most important cornerstones of health, there’s a misconception that you need to be chugging down water all day to stay well. In fact, a report from The National Academy of Sciences concluded that most Americans are not walking around dehydrated on a regular basis. They noted, “The vast majority of healthy people adequately meet their daily hydration needs by letting thirst be their guide.”1 The report added that while 80 percent of Americans’ total water intake comes from water and other beverages (including caffeinated beverages like coffee, which do “count” in your total fluid intake, contrary to popular belief), 20 percent comes from the food you eat. Is There Scientific Basis for 8x8? The recommendation to drink eight 8-ounce glasses (known as 8x8 for short) of water a day is often stated as scientific fact. But is it actually based on science? In a review published in the American Journal of Physiology, Dr. Heinz Valtin of Dartmouth Medical School in Lebanon, New Hampshire, set to answer this question. He was unable to find any published literature notating the origin of the rule, but potentially traced it back to an apparently offhand comment made by the late influential nutritionist Fredrick J. Stare, who was said to be an early champion of drinking at least six glasses of water a day. A book by Stare contains this (unreferenced) passage:2 “How much water each day? This is usually well regulated by various physiological mechanisms, but for the average adult, somewhere around [six] to [eight] glasses per 24 hours and this can be in the form of coffee, tea, milk, soft drinks, beer, etc. Fruits and vegetables are also good sources of water.” The New York Times suggested, meanwhile, that the source of the 8x8 myth may have been a Food and Nutrition Board recommendation made in 1945, which suggested people should drink 2.5 liters of water a day, which amounts to more than 84 fluid ounces. But, the Times continued, “They ignored the sentence that followed closely behind. It read, ‘Most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods.’”3 Many Myths Regarding Water Consumption Prevail After a thorough review of the literature as well as discussions with experts, including nutritionists and colleagues, Valtin still could find no further basis for the water recommendation that’s become a 21st century mainstay. He wrote:4 “Thus I have found no scientific proof that we must ‘drink at least eight glasses of water a day,’ nor proof, it must be admitted, that drinking less does absolutely no harm. However, the published data available to date strongly suggest that, with the exception of some diseases and special circumstances, such as strenuous physical activity, long airplane flights and climate, we probably are currently drinking enough and possibly even more than enough.” Interestingly enough, Valtin also put to rest some myths regarding water consumption, such as that waiting to drink until you’re thirsty is too late, because by then you’re already dehydrated. In reality, your body’s physiologic thirst mechanism is triggered before you’re dehydrated. As Valtin said, this makes perfect sense: “[T]hirst is so sensitive, quick and accurate that it is hard to imagine that evolutionary development left us with a chronic water deficit that has to be compensated by forcing fluid intake.”5 Valtin even suggests the idea that dark urine means dehydration is a myth, noting that the depth of color in urine is inversely linked to urinary volume, which varies significantly from person to person. While I believe checking your urine’s color is a simple way to ensure you’re drinking enough water (looking for a pale yellow color), Valtin notes that moderately yellow urine may be fine and should not necessarily be interpreted as “dark,” although some people might take it that way. “Therefore,” he states, “the warning that dark urine reflects dehydration is alarmist and false in most instances.”6 Are We Becoming ‘Waterlogged?’ Dr. Timothy Noakes is a professor of exercise science and sports medicine at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, who is perhaps best known for the book, "Waterlogged: The Serious Problem of Overhydration in Endurance Sports” — the best resource I know of for this topic. It suggests that overhydrating will actually worsen athletic performance, not improve it. According to Noakes, the first drinking guidelines put out by The American College of Sports Medicine said that runners should “drink regularly during exercise,” which is fair advice. But then an individual working for the U.S. military published a paper saying that U.S. soldiers should drink 64 ounces of water per hour in order to improve performance. Though the paper was not based on concrete evidence, it was widely embraced by the military, and then filtered through to the American College of Sports Medicine’s guidelines for runners. Today ACSM still recommends drinking “ahead of thirst,” a move that Noakes says impairs exercise performance. He uses the example of African hunters who were able to chase down an antelope for four to six hours in midday heat, without a source of fluids until after the hunt ended (when they would drink the animal’s blood and intestinal water). While most runners drink only when thirsty, some (over 36 percent) instead drink more than their thirst dictates, often to a set schedule.7 This, in turn, not only may reduce their athletic performance, but also put them at risk of exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH). In hyponatremia, your cells, including those in your brain, swell with too much water, which can be fatal. There are also reports of asymptomatic hyponatremia, which can have consequences of its own. According to Valtin:8 “[Dilution of the plasma as reflected in mild, largely asymptomatic hyponatremia is said to be common in general practice. Moreover, nonfatal hyponatremia has been reported in a variety of circumstances. In the majority of patients, hyponatremia reflects an excess of water in the body rather than a decrease in sodium. Therefore, urging a high fluid intake on absolutely every person may well run the danger of inducing water intoxication and potentially serious sequelae, not only in the elderly but also in healthy young persons.” The Benefits of Drinking Enough Water There are clearly disadvantages to not drinking enough water, as your body is made mostly of water. In fact, your body consists of about 42 liters (11 gallons) of water, which accounts for between 50 percent and 70 percent of your body weight. Your blood is 85 percent water, your muscles 80 percent water, your brain 75 percent water and even your bones are 25 percent water,9 which signals the importance this fluid plays in your health. What happens if you don’t drink enough? The No. 1 risk factor for kidney stones is not drinking enough water, for starters. There is also some research showing that high fluid intake is linked to a lower risk of certain types of cancer, such as bladder cancer and colorectal cancer.10 Even the risk of fatal coronary heart disease has been linked to water intake, with women who drank five or more glasses of water per day reducing their risk by 41 percent compared to women who drank less. Men, meanwhile, reduced their risk by 54 percent.11 Your body also needs water for blood circulation, metabolism, regulation of body temperature and waste removal. If you are dehydrated, even mildly, your mood and cognitive function may suffer. In fact, according to a study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior, dehydrated drivers made twice the amount of errors during a two-hour drive compared to hydrated drivers.12 So the issue isn’t that water isn’t important for optimal functioning; it’s that you may not need to chug water and carry a bottle with you wherever you go in order to stay adequately hydrated. It’s unclear how many Americans are truly dehydrated, but it’s more common among the elderly and children. One study even suggested more than half of American children are dehydrated, while about one-quarter do not drink water on a daily basis.13 However, some have suggested that the value of the study used to denote dehydration may have been overly conservative — 800 mOsm (mean urine osmality)/kg or higher when 1,200 mOsm/kg may still be within the normal range.14 So How Much Water Do You Need? Drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of pure water a day may not be likely to cause you harm; it’s just that the evidence is lacking on whether that is the magic number for everyone, and most likely it appears that it is not. The reality is that some people may be dehydrated and would benefit from drinking more water each day, and from making water their primary source of fluids. However, as the Times put it, “[A]s people in this country live longer than ever before, and have arguably freer access to beverages than at almost any time in human history, it’s just not true that we’re all dehydrated.”15 Your water requirements vary depending on your age, activity level, climate and more. But you needn’t get bogged down with trying to figure out the exact amount your body needs or tracking how many glasses you’ve consumed in a day. There’s no need for that because your body will let you know. Simply using thirst as a guide to how much water you need to drink is a simple way to help ensure your individual needs are met, day by day. As mentioned, you can also use color of your urine as a guide. If it is a deep, dark yellow then you are likely not drinking enough water. If your urine is scant or if you haven't urinated in many hours, that too is an indication that you're not drinking enough. (Based on the results from a few different studies, a healthy person urinates on average about seven or eight times a day.) Ultimately, however, listening to your body and letting your thirst be your guide is your best solution for getting the water your body needs each day.
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20 Top Health Tips from 2016 Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola It's that time again — time to embrace a new year and a fresh start in our continued journey toward a healthier, happier life. With a nod to our upcoming 20th anniversary in 2017, I've selected 20 tips from my 20 most popular articles of 2016. If you haven't yet read them all, you're in for a treat, as they cover a wide variety of health topics. Implementing some or all of these could help protect your health and well-being in the years to come. And be sure to stay tuned to the newsletter for more empowering health wisdom as 2017 unfolds. The heading of each section is a hyperlink and if you click on it you will go to the article that has far more details. 1. Optimize Your Mitochondrial Metabolism We're now starting to realize that mitochondrial dysfunction is at the core of virtually all diseases, and support for nutritional ketosis is growing by leaps and bounds. 2016 was a breakthrough year for this kind of information. For over 80 years, nutritional ketosis has been the standard of care for intractable seizures in children. Now we're finding it can benefit a wide array of other diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, obesity, diabetes, heart failure, heart disease, arthritis and more. One of the reasons it works so well is because it drives your inflammation down to very low levels. When inflammation disappears, your body can heal. It also takes the proverbial foot off the gas pedal of aging. My next book, "Fat for Fuel," scheduled for release in May, 2017, will explain it all in detail. Without this information, people will continue to die prematurely. At present, the cancer industry is focusing on the downstream effects of the problem, which is why the "war on cancer" has been such a miserable failure. When you view cancer as a metabolic disease, you can actually target and manage the disease without creating systemic toxicity. You do this primarily by targeting the fuels the cancer cells use (primarily glucose). Without the appropriate fuel, the cancer cells cannot grow and multiply. Five strategies that will help optimize your mitochondrial function include: Peak Fasting and other types of fasting Eating foods low in net carbs and protein and high in healthy fats Optimize your iron levels by getting ferritin to 60 ng/mL Exercise Reduce mitochondrial ROS production by avoiding food for at least three hours before bedtime Get sensible sun exposure, as a majority of the energy your body needs to maintain systemic equilibrium comes from environmental infrared light exposure, and avoid light-emitting diode (LED) lighting (see next section) 2. Avoid LED Lights The importance of near-infrared light exposure to health and the adverse effects of LED lighting, as explained by Dr. Alexander Wunsch, a world class expert on photobiology, was another breakthrough health revelation of 2016. LED lighting may actually be one of the most damaging, non-native EMF radiation exposures you have on a daily basis. You cannot feel near-infrared as heat, and you cannot see it, but it' has a major beneficial impact in terms of health. Near-infrared frequencies are what is missing in non-thermal artificial light sources like LEDs and fluorescents. Importantly, it appears to promote age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is the leading cause of blindness. The primarily blue light emitted by LEDs also generates excessive amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby exacerbating health problems rooted in mitochondrial dysfunction, which run the gamut from metabolic disorder to cancer. The healthiest indoor lighting includes clear incandescent light bulbs (a 2,700 K incandescent, thermal analog light source), low-voltage halogen lights operated on DC (not AC, which generates dirty electricity), and/or fragrance-free candles. Be particularly mindful to only use incandescents at night. After sunset, consider it is best to put on a pair of blue-blocking glasses. 3. Try Peak Fasting One lifestyle factor that appears to be driving obesity and many chronic disease processes is the fact that we eat too frequently. When you eat throughout the day and never skip a meal, your body adapts to burning sugar as its primary fuel, which down regulates enzymes that utilize and burn stored fat. Many biological repair and rejuvenation processes also take place when your body is not busy processing food. Mounting research suggests your body was designed to cycle through periods of feast and famine, and without periods of fasting, your health suffers. Intermittent fasting, which mimics the eating habits of our ancestors, helps restore your body to a more natural state that allows a whole host of biochemical benefits to occur. "Peak fasting" involves fasting for 13 to 18 hours each day and eating all of your meals within the remaining window of 6 to 11 hours. To make this schedule work, you need to skip either breakfast or dinner. However, if you chose to eat dinner, be sure to do so at least three hours before bedtime. When sleeping, your body needs the least amount of energy. Eating at a time when energy is not needed ends up creating a situation in which your mitochondria create excessive amounts of damaging free radicals. This is another important factor that can help optimize your mitochondrial function and limit cellular damage that drives aging and disease. 4. Monitor Your Iron Levels Iron overload is incredibly common and likely as dangerous to your health as vitamin D deficiency. Elevated iron creates excessive free radicals that damage your mitochondrial DNA, cell membranes and electron transport proteins. If left untreated, it can damage your organs and contribute to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases and many other disorders. The serum ferritin test measures your stored iron. I strongly recommend all adults to get this test done on an annual basis. Ideally, your serum ferritin should be between 20 and 80 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL); somewhere between 40 and 60 ng/mL is the sweet spot for adult men and non-menstruating women. If your ferritin level is above 80 ng/mL, the solution is to donate your blood. If it's over 200 ng/mL, a more aggressive phlebotomy schedule is recommended. 5. Boost Your Body's Repair and Regeneration The term autophagy means "self-eating," and refers to the processes by which your body cleans out various debris, including toxins, and recycles damaged cell components. By boosting your body's autophagy process, you dampen inflammation, slow down the aging process, and optimize biological function. Here are four strategies to boost your body's autophagy process: 1. Exercise. The amount of exercise required to stimulate autophagy in humans is still unknown; however, it is believed that intense exercise is more effective than mild exercise. Research shows the "Goldilocks zone" in which exercise produces the greatest benefit for longevity is between 150 to 450 minutes of moderate exercise per week, lowering your risk of early death by 31 and 39 percent respectively. Spending at least 30 percent of your workout on high-intensity exercises further boosts longevity by about 13 percent, compared to exercising at a consistently moderate pace. Following these general guidelines will likely put you in the most advantageous position for maximizing autophagy. 2. Avoid excessive protein. One of the quickest ways to shut down autophagy is to eat large amounts of protein, as this stimulates mTOR, and IGF-1, both of which are potent inhibitors of autophagy. To avoid this, limit your protein to 1 gram of protein for every kilogram of lean body mass, or one-half gram of protein per pound of lean body mass. 3. Fasting is another biological stressor that produces many beneficial results, including autophagy. In fact, some of the benefits associated with fasting — such as a reduced risk of diabetes and heart disease — can at least in part be attributed to this process. 4. Nutritional ketogenesis is a fourth strategy that will help boost autophagy, and to accomplish that, you need to cut down on the non-fiber carbs and increase the amount of healthy fat in your diet, along with a moderate amount of protein. 6. Implement Nutritional Ketosis Nutritional ketosis is an effective way to improve your health, and can be used both for the prevention and treatment of chronic disease, including cancer and diseases rooted in toxicity. If your mitochondria are functioning well, they will efficiently metabolize fat. If they don't, it suggests you're primarily burning carbohydrates as a primary fuel. Nutritional ketosis involves removing sugars and processed carbohydrates, replacing the lost calories with healthy fats and a moderate amount of high-quality protein. Doing so will shift your body into a metabolic state in which your body burns fat rather than glucose as its primary fuel. As a general rule, you'll want at least 50 to 75 percent of your total calories (some may benefit from as much as 85 percent) from healthy fats, such as olives, avocados, coconut oil, MCT oil, organic pastured butter, cacao butter, raw nuts such as macadamia and pecans, seeds such as black sesame, cumin, pumpkin and hemp seeds, organic pastured eggs, grass-fed meats, lard and tallow. A tool that will radically improve your ability to understand what you're eating and follow a ketogenic diet is a nutrient tracker. There are a number of them available, but the most accurate one is http://ift.tt/2aMrZRR. That's our revision of the basic tracker, and it's already set up for nutritional ketosis. 7. Increase Your Consumption of MCT Oil The disastrous "low-fat diet" dogma of the last half century has led to a devastating drop in most people's intake of healthy saturated fats, including MCTs. Besides coconuts, coconut oil and palm kernel oil, small amounts of MCT can be found in butter and other high-fat dairy products from grass-fed cows and goats. MCTs can be divided into four groups based on their carbon length, which ranges from six to 12 carbons.1 As a general rule, the shorter the carbon chain, the more efficiently the MCT will be turned into ketones, which are an excellent source of energy for your body — far preferable to glucose, as ketones produce far less ROS when they are metabolized to produce ATP. My personal preference is straight caprylic acid (C8), as it converts to ketones far more rapidly than the more common C8 and C10 mixtures. Since MCT oil, and especially caprylic acid (C8) oil, is a far more concentrated source than coconut oil, it's often appropriate for clinical uses, which include:2 Appetite reduction and weight loss3,4 Improved cognitive and neurological function with possible implications in neurodegenerative diseases Increased energy levels and improved athletic performance Improved mitochondrial function and subsequent reduced risk for diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune diseases and epilepsy5 Prevention of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)6 8. Eat More of These 18 Foods to Promote Muscle Growth The common belief is that if you want to build muscle, you need to eat lots of protein and carbohydrates because carbs fuel your muscles and protein builds them up. However, carb- and protein-loading can have significant drawbacks in terms of long-term health, and mounting evidence suggests you don't need either in excessive amounts to build muscle. One particularly intriguing finding is that your body has a mechanism that allows it to build muscle even when deprived of food. Certain amino acids — most notably branched chain amino acids like leucine — signal muscle genes to grow and to build protein, and they do that even during times of food deprivation as long as these amino acids are circulating through your blood stream. Including the following foods in your cooking as often as possible will provide you with leucine and other nutrients that play important roles in muscle building and maintenance. Just be careful to limit whey protein to days that you are strength training. ✓ Wild-caught Alaskan salmon ✓ Avocado ✓ Spinach ✓ Coconut oil ✓ MCT oil ✓ Kale ✓ Sprouts ✓ Berries ✓ Bananas ✓ Watermelon ✓ Grapefruit ✓ Papaya ✓ Raw nuts ✓ Grass-fed beef ✓ Mushrooms ✓ Authentic virgin olive oil ✓ Whey protein ✓ Broccoli 9. Properly Manage Your Intake of Vitamins and Nutrients As a general rule, I recommend getting the bulk of your nutrition from eating real food. That said, in some cases, taking specific nutrients may be therapeutically valuable or necessary, and can be far less toxic and less expensive than drug treatments. Moreover, in my view there are certain supplements that most people will benefit from taking. Vitamin D3 (unless you're able to get sufficient amounts of sun exposure year-round) is at the top of that list, along with vitamin K2. Animal-based omega-3 fat, such as the fat found in krill oil, is another nutrient that most people simply don't get enough of. If you still have not shifted away from processed foods, vitamin C may be worth considering, as processed foods will not provide you much of this vitamin. If you're not eating traditionally fermented foods, you'd also be wise to take a high quality probiotic supplement, and at the very least consider increasing your consumption of fresh vegetables, as the fiber provides important nourishment for beneficial bacteria in your gut that help calibrate your immune system. When selecting a high-quality dietary supplement, be sure it is as close as possible to its natural (whole food) form and follows industry standards for quality assurance including ISO 9001, ISO 17025, and Good Manufacturing Processes (GMP) certifications. 10. Maintain Healthy Kidneys Kidney stones can be truly agonizing. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent them from ever occurring. Recent research shows that an extract of a compound called hydroxycitrate from the Asian garcinia cambogia fruit, also known as Malabar tamarind, has the power to inhibit the growth of kidney stones. It can even be used to dissolve them after a stone has been generated. If all goes as hoped, hydroxycitrate would be the most dramatic advance in treating kidney stones in three decades. However, rigorous trials in humans have not yet begun, so it's still too early to justify its use. In the meantime, to prevent keep your kidneys healthy and prevent kidney stones: Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration Limit your protein intake to one-half gram of protein per pound of lean body mass Avoid foods high in oxalate, such as Swiss chard, beets, tea, sweet potatoes, rhubarb, chocolate, okra, almonds and spinach if you're at high risk for kidney stones Make sure you're getting enough magnesium (especially if you avoid the high-oxalate foods above, which are also high in magnesium) 11. Eat Magnesium Rich Foods Magnesium is vitally important for biological function and optimal health. If you're lacking in cellular magnesium, it can lead to the deterioration of your cellular metabolic function, which in turn can snowball into more serious health problems. Importantly, magnesium is vital for the optimization of your mitochondria. Eating plenty of organic unprocessed foods tend to be your best bet, but since most soils have become severely depleted of nutrients, some magnesium experts believe virtually everyone needs to take supplemental magnesium. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is around 310 to 420 milligrams (mg) per day depending on your age and sex, although some researchers believe we may need as much as 600 to 900 mg/day for optimal health. One way to identify your ideal dose is to use your intestinal reaction as a marker. Start out by taking 200 mg of oral magnesium citrate per day, and gradually increase your dose until you develop slightly loose stools. When your body has too much magnesium it flushes it out, so in this way you can determine your own individual cutoff point. (Be sure to use magnesium citrate, as it's known for having a laxative effect.) When it comes to magnesium supplements, my personal preference is magnesium threonate, as it seems to be most efficient at penetrating cell membranes, including your mitochondria, which can help boost your energy level. It also penetrates your blood-brain barrier and may help improve memory. 12. Try These Low Carb Vegetables Most vegetables are very low in net carbs while being high in healthy fiber and the valuable vitamins and minerals your body needs for optimal health. However, some are more beneficial than others. Among the top performers are: Sprouts, especially watercress, broccoli sprouts and sunflower seeds Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower and broccoli Leafy greens such as kale, beet greens, arugula, spinach, Swiss chard and collard greens Peppers, such as bell peppers, banana peppers, Poblano and chili peppers Certain root vegetables, specifically ginger, turmeric and onions 13. Manage Your Sugar / Fructose Intake As much as 40 percent of U.S. health care expenditures are for diseases directly related to the overconsumption of sugar.7 One of the key mechanisms by which sugar promotes cancer and other chronic disease is by causing mitochondrial dysfunction. As mentioned earlier, sugar is not an ideal fuel as it creates far more ROS than fat. This generates free radicals, which in turn causes mitochondrial and nuclear DNA damage along with cell membrane and protein impairment. I recommend reducing your total fructose intake to a maximum of 25 grams per day from all sources, including fruit. If you are insulin resistant, you'd do well to make your upper limit 15 grams per day. Cancer patients would likely be best served by even stricter limits. Moreover, I personally believe that most would benefit from reducing all non-fiber carbs (total carbs minus fiber), not just fructose, to less than 100 grams per day. The easiest way to dramatically cut down on your sugar and fructose consumption is to switch to REAL foods, as most of the added sugar you end up with comes from processed foods. Other ways to cut down includes: Cutting back on the amount of sugar you add to your food and drink Using Stevia or Lo Han instead of sugar and/or artificial sweeteners. You can learn more about the best and worst of sugar substitutes in my previous article, "Sugar Substitutes — What's Safe and What's Not" Using fresh fruit in lieu of canned fruit or sugar for meals or recipes calling for a bit of sweetness Using spices instead of sugar to add flavor to your meal 14. Do This to Help Fight Gray Hair Your hair color comes from pigment called melanin. With age, melanin is reduced, which is why your hair turns gray and, ultimately, white once there's no melanin left. In 2016, researchers discovered a gene that accounts for about 30 percent of hair graying. The other 70 percent is likely due to factors such as age, toxic exposures, nutritional deficiencies and stress. To limit the grays: Avoid smoking Minimize oxidative stress by avoiding pollution and stress Eat a healthy antioxidant-rich diet Increase your vitamin B12 intake Normalize your weight 15. Eliminate Gluten from Your Diet Mounting research confirms that many people experience adverse reactions to gluten even if they test negative for celiac disease — an autoimmune disorder in which gluten must be avoided at all cost. This suggests gluten-sensitivity is a real problem,8 and that gluten-free diets may benefit many, not just those with celiac. In one recent study,9,10 people who reacted to gluten despite not having celiac disease were found to have leaky gut, which is likely what caused the immune activation. The obvious treatment for celiac disease and gluten intolerance is a gluten-free diet, which means abstaining from any food that contains gluten. This is largely because most is contaminated with Roundup used in the drying process, which tends to damage your intestinal cellular connections. However, keep in mind that while gluten-free has many advantages, just because a food is gluten-free does not automatically make it healthy. There are plenty of gluten-free junk foods out there, so be mindful of your choices. 16. Exercise to Combat Osteoarthritis If you have osteoarthritis — a degenerative form of arthritic joint disease — exercise is absolutely crucial to your well-being. The notion that exercise is detrimental to your joints is a misconception; there is no evidence to support this belief. Importantly, exercise can help reduce joint pain and make it easier for you to perform daily tasks. That said, people with arthritis should be careful to avoid activities that aggravate joint pain, and any exercise that strains a significantly unstable joint. Aside from that, you can include a range of activities in your exercise program, just as any other exerciser would. Weight training, high-intensity cardio, stretching and core work can all be integrated into your routine according to your ability. The featured article also includes a series of flexibility exercises that will help strengthen your hips, which are suitable for those with hip osteoarthritis. 17. Don't Let Political Stress Overtake You This year's presidential election has unleashed an avalanche of anxiety and emotional distress, with more than 8 in 10 voters reporting feeling "repulsed" by the campaign.11 Sadly, many have fallen into victim mentality, forgetting that the power of the individual is still alive and well even in this deeply flawed system. It becomes yours by stepping OUTSIDE of the system with every decision and purchase you make. With every action you take, you also set the example for others to follow, thereby making you a change-agent within your own small circle of family, friends and acquaintances. In the end, our collective actions will create the changes that are so desperately needed. If you don't like the state of the nation (or the world), stop eating processed and ultra-processed junk foods. Some may initially think this decision would have nothing to do with anything that is wrong in the world, but if you really give it some thought, you'll realize that the more independence you gain with your food, the more independence you will create in other areas as well. 18. Save Time by Exercising More Efficiently Workout intensity and workout volume are inversely proportional, so the greater the intensity, the less time you spend working out, and the less frequently you need to exercise. High intensity interval training (HIIT) can significantly reduce the amount of exercise you need to do, cutting your hour-long workouts down to 15 minutes once a week or less. Moreover, as intensity goes up, you also need longer recovery times in between sessions, so the frequency of your workouts also goes down. At most, you might be able to do HIIT three times a week. You can perform HIIT using a recumbent bicycle, a treadmill, or by sprinting, for example. Or you can use weights — a technique known as SuperSlow weight training. A sample workout routine is given in the featured article. In terms of health effects, HIIT may help improve a number of biomarkers associated with improved metabolic activity and good health, including: Improved insulin sensitivity and reversal of type 2 diabetes Normalized cholesterol, eliminating the need for statin drugs Reversal of bone mineral loss and reversal of osteoporosis Improved C-reactive protein levels (marker for inflammation) 19. Address Your Heart Burn Without Hazardous, Habit Forming Drugs Research clearly shows that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are severely overprescribed and misused, and do far more harm than good in the long run.12 If you suffer from frequent heartburn, there are many alternative treatment strategies that can help you eliminate this problem without the serious side effects associated with PPIs, which include kidney disease, pneumonia, osteoporosis, hip fractures, dementia, and an increased risk for heart disease13 and heart attacks.14 The long-term answer to heartburn and acid indigestion is to restore your natural gastric balance and function. The most important step is to eat real food, as processed foods and sugars are a surefire way to exacerbate acid reflux. Reseeding your gut with beneficial bacteria, either from traditionally fermented foods or a high quality probiotic supplement is also important. Other drug-free treatment strategies include the use of: ✓ Raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar ✓ Baking soda ✓ Aloe Vera juice ✓ Ginger root ✓ Vitamin D ✓ Astaxanthin ✓ Slippery elm ✓ Glutamine ✓ Folate (vitamin B9) and other B vitamins ✓ Betaine 20. Consider Seeing a Wellness Chiropractor Contrary to popular belief, chiropractic can be used to optimize wellness, not just treat pain. Research suggests chiropractic treatments can help prevent progressive spinal degeneration, i.e. osteoarthritis or disc disease. Your spinal column, the vertebrae, and the discs, protect your most delicate and important system — your nervous system — and impingements can contribute to a number of health problems and ailments. Hence protecting and nurturing spine will promote greater expression of nerve intelligence and more vibrant health. Granted, some chiropractors focus primarily on pain and injuries, and do not have the full skill set required to address issues like allergies or disease. So make sure the chiropractor you choose has the appropriate vitalistic philosophy. Wishing You and Your Loved Ones a Happy and Healthy New Year! We remain committed to helping you take control of your health. Together, with your help, we have made it easier for millions to make informed health choices, and we hope that with our continuous service, you will stay motivated to take control of your health this year, and well into the future. I also want to express my sincere thanks. Time and time again, your participation has allowed this valuable work to be accomplished. Truly, it is through your participation and engagement in important issues that change is being manifested. You are the ones changing the world — one Facebook post, Twitter share, petition signature and donation at a time. So, from the Mercola.com family to yours, may 2017 be a year when you take the reins of your life firmly in hand to manifest the highest level of health and happiness possible.
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Mint: It's Easy to Grow and Great to Have on Hand Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Mint is a popular herb with a rich history and folklore. The plant is hardy, available nearly year-round and easily grown as demonstrated in this video. From the genus Mentha with 25 species of fragrant herbs, mint is capable of arousing strong feelings in different cultures. For instance, the French don’t often use mint, while the English and Middle Eastern cultures enjoy it in many dishes. The oil is often added to toothpaste, candy and gums. While it complements different foods and works well with other herbs, many are unaware of how to incorporate it into their cooking. There are over two dozen distinct species, some of which are easier to add to your meals than spearmint or peppermint. The telltale aroma and taste of mint comes from the menthol oil found in resinous dots on the leaves and stems of the plant.1 Mint leaves are packed with antioxidants and easily grown in an enclosed garden, containers or even indoors, providing you with fresh, organically grown leaves whenever you need them. Fun Facts About Mint The name originates from a Greek mythology character. Hades, the Greek god of the underworld, fell in love with the river nymph Minthe. When his wife, Persephone, found out she cast a spell to turn Minthe into a plant so she would be crushed when people trod on her. Unable to change the spell, Hades gave Minthe a strong aroma so he could be near her when people walked over her.2 Mint has been an important herb since medieval times. It was often strewn about the home to freshen the air or used in bath water.3 The ancient Romans and Greeks used it in perfumes and fruit compote, while the ancient Hebrews scattered it over their synagogue floors. Medieval monks used the herb for its culinary and medicinal properties and other cultures believed mint symbolized hospitality, offering it as a sign of welcome and friendship to guests.4 The plant is believed to originate from the Mediterranean region and has been found in Egyptian tombs dating as far back as 1000 B.C. Peppermint was introduced to the U.S. by English settlers. The plant was first cultivated in Massachusetts in the early 1800s, before larger scale production began in New York state.5 Due to favorable growing conditions in the northwest and fungal diseases found on the east coast, peppermint cultivation moved to the northwestern states in the early 1900s. Today, the U.S. produces 70 percent of the world's peppermint and spearmint.6 As of 2017 Washington farmers produced more spearmint than any other state in the U.S., and came in third in production of peppermint oil, right behind Oregon and Idaho.7 Together, Washington accounts for nearly 3.5 million pounds of mint oil annually, valued at nearly $80 million.8,9 Choose Your Flavor Most types of mint require the same or similar care. And, as true mint varieties are known to cross pollinate, it’s wise to plant different mint types away from each other. Before choosing the type of mint you like in your garden, be sure it's well suited for your growing region and for your intended use. Some of the most common varieties include peppermint, spearmint, lemon balm and catnip, also known as catmint. The list of mint varieties is much longer and not all varieties are good for culinary purposes. Other varieties found in gardens include:10 Apple mint (Woolly mint) Basil mint Calamint Chewing Gum mint Corn or Field mint Chocolate mint Ginger mint Grapefruit mint Horsemint Red Lavender mint Licorice mint Orange mint Pennyroyal Pineapple mint Raripila mint Watermint Prepare Your Soil for a Healthy Garden Mint can be started from seed, from cuttings or from a runner. A runner is a long stem growing away from the main plant, which often extends new roots into the soil. These rooted stems can be used if you carefully dig them up.11 Since the mint plant is quite invasive, it's best to plant them in an enclosed garden or a container to limit the area of growth. Some varieties are very difficult to start from a seed, so consider using a transplant or cutting. Prepare your soil as demonstrated in the video using 25 percent vermicompost, 25 percent coco peat, 25 percent fine sand and 25 percent garden soil. Mix this together well before adding it to your container or your enclosed garden area. Ideally, use a clay pot with a drainage hole for adequate soil drainage. Prior to adding the soil, cover the hole with a small stone to assist with drainage. Cuttings or transplanted plants can now be added to the pot. Growing Mint at Home If you're using a cutting from a healthy plant, use scissors to cut the plant cleanly 4 to 5 inches long and just below a node. The node is the point on the stem where the leaves emerge on both sides. Although the video advises you take 15 to 20 cuttings, your mint plant will grow quickly, so you may quickly cover a 2-foot area with just two or three cuttings and prevent overcrowding.12 Prior to planting your cuttings, remove the leaves from the bottom of the stem. Plant them in the soil 1 to one-half inch deep. You can make a hole with a pencil or with your finger, gently placing the end of the cutting into the soil and tamping the soil gently down. Once all the cuttings have been planted, gently water the soil until it's damp but not thoroughly wet. For the first eight to 12 days, the plants will appreciate a bright location but not direct sunlight. It's best to water them daily in the morning hours until the soil is moist but not wet. You will see new growth from your cuttings within the first two weeks. Another option is to start your cuttings in spring water indoors. Place the plants in a well-lit location and make sure the water does not reach the remaining leaves on the stem. Usually, after just one week, your plant should show small white roots. One week later, the cutting will be ready to be planted in soil. Once the plants are well-rooted they will appreciate being in an area with plenty of sunlight. Keep new plants well-watered throughout the first year. Consider mulching around your plants as it helps to keep the soil from drying out, prevents the mint from spreading too far out of control and helps to insulate the plants in the winter months so they better withstand freezing temperatures. Controlling Pests in Your Mint Garden Another reason mint is an exceptional plant for the beginning gardener is it's rapidly growing and nearly indestructible. Occasionally, pests may decide they like the plant as much as you do. The most common are aphids, thrips, slugs and snails. However, even bunny rabbits may like to nibble on your mint plants. Some signs your plants may be infested are speckled leaves with yellow spots or large holes in the foliage. Clusters of small holes mean flea beetles, and small winged or wingless insects on the leaves may mean aphids. Spider mites and aphids can be controlled by creating an unfavorable environment. For small populations, the plant can be soaked with plain water daily until spider mites are gone. For a more serious infestation, garlic water or hydrogen peroxide treatment may be beneficial.13 Aphids, little green bugs, can be controlled by spraying the leaves with a garden hose or combination of liquid soap and water. If you have a large colony, cut the plants back severely and spray the remainder with soap and water. Soapy water should be reapplied every two to three days for two weeks to discourage the insects.14 Placing diatomaceous earth around the plants will also discourage pests. Although mint is hardy, prevention is the best medicine to reducing any population of pests and preventing the development of fungal infections. Provide good air circulation and well-drained soil, knock off insects using spray from a garden hose and be sure to check the underside of leaves where pests can hide.15 Harvesting and Storing Mint Harvesting and pruning serves the same purpose to keep your bed of mint healthy. Your goals are to keep the plant from flowering and going to seed, to prevent the stems from becoming too woody, and to provide good air circulation throughout the plants. Use a sharp pair of scissors to cut the stems, as they are strong and pulling may rip out an entire plant. When the plants are allowed to flower it reduces the quality and potency of the flavor of the leaves. Anytime you need a couple of sprigs, never be afraid to harvest. However, if you think you'll need a large quantity, consider waiting until pruning time. Plants can be pruned when they reach 8 to 12 inches in height.16 Toward the fall and before the first frost it's important to trim the plant to ground level to help prevent insects and diseases that might otherwise overwinter in the plants. You may use the leaves you prune at this time. When harvesting your mint, it's best to pick early in the morning as the leaves tend to be more potent. In fact, the more you pick mint, the faster it tends to grow. There are several ways to store your fresh herbs if you aren’t going to use them in the first day or two. You can freeze them by washing them first and patting them dry.17 Spread them on a single layer on a pan and place the pan in the freezer. Once they've frozen, place them in labeled containers, being sure all the air is out of any bags before sealing them. In many cases, you don't need to thaw the herbs before use. Most major brands of canning jars are rated for use in the freezer as well. Be sure the manufacturer of your jars rates them for freezer use. These herbs can also be air-dried by tying a bunch together with a rubber band and hanging them upside down for several days in a dark dry room. Once the stems and leaves are completely dry, pull off the leaves and store them in an airtight container.18 Mint Benefits Your Health and Home The high antioxidant content in mint makes it beneficial to your health. The herb contains vitamins A, B2 and C and minerals like zinc, calcium, copper and magnesium.19 The menthol on the leaves of the plant has analgesic and local anesthetic properties.20 Consider freshening your meals and salads with a few mint leaves. Incorporate the leaves into fresh fruit salad with chopped apples, pear, lemon or lime juice, jalapeno and honey.21 Add fresh mint to steamed rice or pair with berries or pineapple for a fresh mint smoothie.22 There are a few contraindications to using mint. For example, it can exacerbate gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and those who have gallstones should also be cautious not to consume mint.23 Peppermint oil, when taken in large doses, can be toxic. Don't apply mint oil to the face of an infant or small child as it may cause spasms, inhibiting breathing. If you are on prescription medications, speak to your health care provider or pharmacist to determine if the drugs interact with mint or mint oil.24 Mint can also be used to: Relieve allergy symptoms — Rosmarinic acid, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent in mint, has been studied for its potential in helping to relieve seasonal allergy and asthma symptoms.25 This antioxidant works by inhibiting COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes. According to a study published in Biofactors journal, taking 50 milligrams of rosmarinic acid daily helped reduce the levels of inflammatory molecules and eosinophils or allergy-related white blood cells, leading to significantly decreased symptoms.26 Ease digestive problems — Mint has been used for thousands of years as a remedy for indigestion, as it helps increase bile secretion and encourages bile flow. Peppermint in particular has been found to relieve pain and discomfort caused by gas and bloating. It may also help alleviate gastric ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome.27 Relieve nausea and headache — The refreshing scent of mint provides quick relief for nausea and has been added to soothing balms intended for nausea. Simply crushing (and inhaling) fresh mint leaves may provide the same effect. Mint may also soothe inflammation and temperature rise associated with headaches and migraines.28 Help clear congestion — Mint cools and soothes the throat, nose and other parts of the respiratory system and helps alleviate congestion brought on by coughs and colds. Promote relief from pain and fatigue — If you are feeling depressed, anxious, sluggish or exhausted, mint may be useful. It was also found to help increase pain threshold in humans. Help relieve discomfort for first-time mothers who are breastfeeding — The first several days nursing a newborn may increase the risk of sore or cracked nipples. Peppermint water may help prevent nipple pain in first-time mothers who are breastfeeding.29 Calm skin irritations — When applied topically, mint lotion may help soothe irritation associated with insect bites.30 Foot scrub — Mix 1 cup of Himalayan salt, one-third cup of olive oil and six drops of peppermint essential oil, and scrub all over your feet. The salt exfoliates your skin while the menthol soothes sore muscles.31 Room freshener and floor cleaner — Add a few drops of mint essential oil to your homemade cleaner. You can also dilute three to five drops of mint essential oil in a cup of white vinegar, and add it to a gallon of water. This solution works for wood, concrete or tile floors. Mint tea — Mix a batch of peppermint tea in five minutes, brewing it from dried leaves from your garden. It helps relieve stress, promotes sleep, as an appetite suppressant and helps clear hormonal skin changes, like acne.32 Flea and tick repellent — Mix two parts fresh spearmint, one part fresh thyme and one part fresh wormwood, and tuck it inside a small pillow. Place the pillow near your pet's favorite resting place or in his bed.33
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Sleep Apnea Can Increase Your Risk for Gout Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola An estimated 22 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea,1 the most common type being obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which causes the airway to become blocked during sleep, leading to reduced or blocked airflow. Up to 80 percent of moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea cases are undiagnosed, according to the American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA), which presents a dangerous scenario because, left untreated, the condition increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, stroke and other heart problems.2 OSA is also associated with obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes, conditions also linked with gout, a form of arthritis. Now, research published in Arthritis & Rheumatology also suggests that the two conditions — gout and OSA — may be connected, with OSA increasing the risk of gout considerably.3 People With Obstructive Sleep Apnea at Greater Risk of Gout The study involved nearly 16,000 patients with OSA, and another 63,000 without, who were followed for about six years. Nearly 5 percent of those with OSA developed gout during the study period compared to 2.6 percent of those without. Gout is a painful condition that causes swelling and tenderness in the joints. It’s caused by an accumulation of urate crystals in your joints. The crystals may form due to high levels of uric acid in your body, which are formed when your body breaks down purines. Purines are found in food and are also produced naturally in your body. Uric acid is typically dissolved and passed through your urine for elimination, but if a buildup occurs, sharp urate crystals may form, leading to pain and inflammation associated with gout.4 It’s unclear why OSA may increase the risk of gout, but it’s known that a reduced oxygen supply during sleep, as occurs during apnea, may increase your body’s production of uric acid.5 Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a special type of sleeping mask prescribed for severe sleep apnea that mechanically restores your breathing by using air pressure to open your airway. “It’s possible that people who use CPAP could reduce the risk or severity of gout,” the study’s lead author said.6 The Connections Between Sleep Apnea and Gout It’s interesting to note that gout attacks — which often wake up sufferers from a sound sleep with intense pain and burning in their big toe — are 2.4 times more likely to occur at night than during the day.7 Sleep apnea may be one explanation for this phenomenon. In addition, past studies have found up to 50 percent of patients with sleep apnea may have hyperuricemia, or an excess of uric acid in the blood, “and therefore sleep apnea could predispose individuals to gout attacks,” researchers wrote in a 2015 study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.8 That study found patients with sleep apnea had a 50 percent higher risk of gout compared with people without gout (but who were at very high risk of developing it). It’s also been suggested that patients with gout should be screened for sleep apnea, as it often goes undiagnosed and gout could be a red flag indicating the potential presence of the condition. This is true even in people who are not overweight, as 30 percent of those with sleep apnea and gout are normal weight. A letter to the editor published in The Medscape Journal of Medicine added: “Screening patients with gout for sleep apnea is an important tool for treating their gout, even if they are not overweight. Using their gout as an indicator leading to diagnosis and treatment, if warranted, of the sleep apnea not only may prevent further gout flares, but more importantly will greatly lower their risks for the very serious — even life-threatening — cardiovascular, neurologic, and metabolic consequences of sleep apnea. The lifestyle focus for treating gout needs to consider not only how the patient eats or drinks, but also how the patient sleeps.” Eating the Right Diet May Help Both Sleep Apnea and Gout While gout is a condition often associated with diet, fewer people are aware that sleep apnea may also be influenced by what you eat. In fact, processed foods, which tend to acidify your blood, will make you breathe heavier and can lead to chronic overbreathing. The reason for this is because carbon dioxide, which is in your blood, helps regulate pH. Besides water, raw fruits and vegetables have the least impact on your breathing, followed by cooked vegetables. Processed, high-protein and high-grain meals have the greatest adverse effect on the way you breathe. Processed foods are also better off avoided to prevent and treat gout, especially those containing high-fructose corn syrup. High-fructose corn syrup increases your uric acid levels,9 with research showing consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and fructose is strongly associated with an increased risk of gout in men.10 Even fructose-rich fruits and fruit juices may increase gout risk. Further, refined fructose essentially "programs" your body to consume more calories and store fat, which could lead to obesity — a key risk factor for sleep apnea. If you are obese, you can dramatically improve the effects of sleep apnea by losing weight, which will reduce pressure on your abdomen and chest, thereby allowing your breathing muscles to function more normally Losing weight if you’re overweight or obese will also improve gout, as excess body weight plays a role in gout attacks, resulting in increased uric acid production and reduced ability of the kidneys to eliminate it from the body.11 If you drink alcohol, reducing or eliminating it is another strategy, as alcohol consumption is associated with both a higher risk of sleep apnea12 and gout.13 Is Sleep Apnea Causing Your Gout? If you suffer from gout, it’s worth considering whether sleep apnea could be involved, especially since many cases of the latter go undiagnosed. If you snore loudly and often wake up feeling tired, sleep apnea could be to blame. Other symptoms include:14 Gasping for air during sleep Awakening with a dry mouth or headache Insomnia Feeling excessively sleepy during the day Difficulty paying attention while awake Irritability Snoring, along with snorting or choking in your sleep, is a common sign of sleep apnea that occurs when your brain lets you know you don’t have enough oxygen in your blood. You’ll awaken briefly so your airway can be cleared, but probably won’t remember awakening. Such episodes can occur up to 30 times an hour in severe cases,15 seriously interfering with your ability to get deep periods of restful sleep. Sleep apnea is diagnosed via your sleep history, which may be reported personally (with the help of someone you sleep near) or by spending the night in a sleep disorder center where your breathing can be monitored overnight. Home sleep tests are also available to help with sleep apnea diagnosis. In mild cases, lifestyle changes like losing weight and quitting smoking may be all that’s needed to keep the condition under control. Exercise is also important and can reduce the severity of sleep apnea, even without major changes in body weight.16 In moderate or severe cases, CPAP is often effective to keep your airway open while you sleep. The only downside to CPAP is that some people find it uncomfortable to sleep in, but most are able to adjust (you can try different types of masks for a better fit). Other potential treatment options include: Buteyko Breathing Method — Named after the Russian doctor who developed it, the Buteyko technique can be used to reverse health problems caused by improper breathing, including sleep apnea. Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy — Myofunctional therapy involves the neuromuscular re-education or repatterning of your oral and facial muscles. It includes facial and tongue exercises and behavior modification techniques to promote proper tongue position, improved breathing, chewing and swallowing. Proper head and neck postures are also addressed. Oral appliance — If your mild to moderate sleep apnea is related to jaw or tongue issues, specially trained dentists can design a custom oral appliance, similar to a mouth guard, that you can wear while sleeping to facilitate proper breathing. Can Sleep Apnea Be Prevented? It’s possible for anyone to develop sleep apnea, but there are steps you can take to significantly lower the risk. One of the first is breastfeeding, as breastfeeding longer than one month is linked to a lower risk of habitual snoring and apneas. Researchers believe there may be a “beneficial effect of the breast in the mouth on oropharyngeal (middle part of the throat, behind the mouth) development with consequent protection against upper airway dysfunction causing sleep-disordered breathing.”17 It’s thought that breastfeeding helps expand the size of the child's palate and shift the jaw forward, helping prevent sleep apnea by creating enough room for unobstructed breathing. Sleeping on your side or on your abdomen or with your body elevated from the waist up, rather than on your back, is another preventive measure.18 Sleeping on your back can cause your tongue and soft palate to rest against the back of the throat and block the airway. Sewing a tennis ball into the back of your pajamas, or positioning pillows strategically, can help prevent you from sleeping on your back. Leading a healthy lifestyle, including eating right, not smoking and avoiding alcohol, can also help lower sleep apnea risk. If you suspect you may have sleep apnea, it’s important to get a proper diagnosis and treatment. Left unchecked, it increases your risk of a number of conditions, including cognitive and neurobehavioral dysfunction, memory impairment, metabolic impairment and mood changes such as depression.19 Further, the lack of sound, deep sleep leads to progressively worsening daytime sleepiness that may impair your performance at work or lead to accidents while driving. In fact, sleep deprivation, or a lack of quality sleep, has a significant impact on your brain health and your overall health and may lead to the following: Increased risk of car accidents Increased accidents at work Reduced ability to perform tasks Reduced ability to learn or remember Reduced productivity at work Reduced creativity at work or in other activities Reduced athletic performance Increased risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease Increased risk of depression Increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease Decreased immune function Slowed reaction time Reduced regulation of emotions and emotional perception Increased probability of poor grades in school Increased susceptibility to stomach ulcers Exacerbated current chronic diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and cancer Increased expression of genes associated with inflammation, immune excitability, diabetes, cancer risk and stress after losing just one hour of sleep20 Increased risk of premature aging by interfering with growth hormone production, normally released by your pituitary gland during deep sleep The good news is that sleep apnea is typically highly treatable using a combination of lifestyle factors and interventions like CPAP. If you’ve been struggling with any of its related symptoms, or enduring gout, and you can’t figure out why, get evaluated for sleep apnea — addressing this underlying condition could be key to significant health improvement.
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Billionaire Opioid Executive Stands to Make Millions More on Patent for Addiction Treatment Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola An estimated 202,600 Americans died from opioid overdoses between 2002 and 2015,1 and drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death among Americans under the age of 50.2 Chronic opioid use also accounted for 20 percent of the increase in male unemployment between 1999 and 20153 and, remarkably, 74 percent of farmers report being addicted to opioids, or know someone who is.4 Aside from the staggering death toll, addiction to narcotic pain relievers also places an enormous economic burden on society, costing the U.S. an estimated $504 billion each year (2.8 percent of gross domestic product), according to a November 2017 White House report.5,6 Opioid Epidemic Is No Random Fluke Adding insult to injury, evidence suggests opioid makers are directly responsible. They knew exactly what they were doing when they claimed opioids — which are chemically very similar to heroin — have an exceptionally low addiction rate when taken for pain. In fact, the massive increase in opioid sales and subsequent addiction rates have been traced back to an orchestrated marketing plan aimed at misinforming doctors about the drug's addictive potential, and it is this false advertising campaign that seeded the current opioid epidemic — an epidemic so great it has even lowered the national life expectancy. Purdue Pharma, owned by the Sackler family, was one of the most successful in this regard, driving sales of OxyContin up from $48 million in 1996 to $1.5 billion in 2002.7 Studies now show addiction affects about 26 percent of those using opioids for chronic non-cancer pain, and 1 in 550 patients on opioid therapy dies from opioid-related causes within 2.5 years of their first prescription.8 Meanwhile, Purdue's sales representatives were extensively coached on how to downplay the drug's addictive potential, claiming addiction was occurring in less than 1 percent of patients being treated for pain. Evidence also shows Sackler family members were intimately involved with the marketing machinations behind OxyContin.9,10 In fact, attorney Mike Moore — who represents Ohio, Louisiana and Mississippi in lawsuits against Purdue Pharma — claims to have evidence connecting the Sackler family "directly, and personally, to corporate misdeeds" committed in the 1990s and 2000s.11 In 2007, Purdue Pharma did plead guilty to charges of misbranding "with intent to defraud and mislead the public," and paid $634 million in fines.12 Alas, a decade later, it's quite clear the company has not changed its ways to any significant degree. It, and the Sackler family, is still in the business of profiting from addiction. OxyContin Maker Patents Opioid Addiction Treatment As reported by STAT News earlier this month, Dr. Richard Sackler — who, according to Esquire journalist Christopher Glazek,13 was deeply involved in the marketing of OxyContin as head of the company's research and development, sales and marketing divisions — was recently awarded a patent for a new, faster-dissolving form of buprenorphine, a mild opioid drug used in the treatment of opioid addiction. As noted by STAT News:14 "… Sackler is listed as one of six inventors on the patent, which was issued in January [2018] … Critics told the [Financial Times] that they were disturbed that the patent could enable Sackler to benefit financially from the addiction crisis that his family's company is accused of fueling." Indeed, the company is currently fighting more than 1,000 lawsuits brought by tribes, cities, counties and states across the U.S., which claim Purdue Pharma helped orchestrate the opioid addiction epidemic and should therefore help pay for the societal costs. President Trump has also stated he would like to see a federal lawsuit be brought against opioid makers.15 Apparently, Sackler decided to pursue avenues to cash in on the epidemic instead. Salon magazine16 reported on the patent saying, "Sackler made billions off of sales of a drug that caused a massive public health crisis — and now he stands to make more billions by selling the public a solution." But that's not all. The Sacklers have actually been profiting from addiction in more ways than one for over a decade. Purdue Pharma Secretly Owned Generic Oxycontin Too As reported by Financial Times17 and the New York Post,18 the Sackler family also secretly owns Rhodes Pharma, "one of the biggest producers of generic opioids, which had never before been linked to the family." What's more, this company was launched just four months after Purdue Pharma's guilty plea back in 2007. When combined, Purdue Pharma and Rhodes Pharma account for about 6 percent of the total opioid market in the U.S. So, "not only did the Sacklers fail to scale back its marketing of OxyContin after the plea, they further cashed in on the pill crisis — by launching the second firm and selling more of the drug under a different name," the New York Post writes, adding: "Rhodes [Pharma] was set up as a 'landing pad' in case the under-fire drug maker needed a clean start amid the 2007 criminal charges, a former senior manager at Purdue told the paper. Together, both firms accounted for 14.4 million opioid prescriptions in 2016. Rhodes Pharma also makes other highly addictive opiates such as morphine, oxycodone and hydromorphone, according to the FDA." Purdue Pharma to Offer Free Opioid Addiction Therapy Sackler's new buprenorphine patent is actually held by Rhodes Pharma and, according to Bloomberg, Purdue has offered to donate an undisclosed number of treatment doses of this drug as part of any settlement that might come out of the 1,000 lawsuits currently pending. University of Kentucky law professor Richard Ausness told Bloomberg: "I'd have to say this is a pretty clever move. Over the last 20 years, Purdue hasn't shown any real contrition or remorse, so I see this offer of free step-down drugs as a savvy negotiating tactic to limit what they have to pay in any settlement." Opioids Still Being Widely Overprescribed In related news, recent research19 published in the Annals of Internal Medicine shows nearly one-third of opioid prescriptions given in an outpatient setting are not backed by a documented medical reason for the prescription,20 suggesting the drugs are still being widely overprescribed and misused. According to the authors, their findings "show the need for stricter rules on patients' needs for the highly addictive drugs." Of the opioid prescriptions handed out during 809 million doctor's visits across the U.S. between 2006 and 2015, only 5 percent were prescribed for cancer-related pain; more than 66 percent were given for non-cancer pain — the most common being back pain, diabetes-related pain and arthritis — while just over 28 percent were prescribed in cases where no pain-related condition could be ascertained in the patient's medical record. Curiously, the most common nonpain conditions for which an opioid was prescribed were high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Dr. Harshal Kirane, director of addiction services at Staten Island University Hospital in New York City, who was not part of the study, told HealthDay News,21 "Despite numerous policy changes, recent analyses suggest national opioid prescribing rates have not meaningfully decreased … Lax prescribing practices remain widespread." Seeing how doctors are largely failing to significantly cut down on opioid prescriptions, might cutting insurance coverage do the trick? Both Cigna and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida have stopped paying for OxyContin, and as of January 2019, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee will no longer pay for it either.22 They all still pay for other brands of opioids, though, which may water down the impact of the decision. According to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, the decision to drop OxyContin was primarily based on the fact that it still has a higher street value and is easier to crush, snort or inject than other opioids. Struggling With Opioid Addiction? Seek Help! Regardless of the brand, it's vitally important to realize that opioids are extremely addictive drugs that are not meant for long-term use for nonfatal conditions. Chemically, opioids are very similar to heroin, and if you wouldn't consider shooting up heroin for that toothache or backache, you really should reconsider taking an opioid to relieve the pain as well. The misconception that opioids are harmless pain relievers has at this point killed hundreds of thousands of people, and destroyed the lives of countless more, including the families and friends of those who have died. Don't be so quick to be the next in line. Some marketing materials for opioids still claim the drug will not cause addiction "except in very rare cases," describing the adverse effects patients experience when quitting the drug as a "benign state" and not a sign of addiction. This simply isn't true. Panic is one psychological side effect commonly experienced when quitting these drugs, and this can easily fuel a psychological as well as physical dependence on the drug. It's important to recognize the signs of addiction, and to seek help. If you've been on an opioid for more than two months, or if you find yourself taking higher dosages, or taking the drug more often, you're likely already addicted and are advised to seek help from someone other than your prescribing doctor. Resources where you can find help include: Your workplace Employee Assistance Program The Substance Abuse Mental Health Service Administration23 can be contacted 24 hours a day at 1-800-622-HELP Treating Your Pain Without Drugs With all the health risks associated with opioid painkillers, I strongly urge you to exhaust other options before resorting to these drugs. The good news is there are many natural alternatives to treating pain. Following is information about nondrug remedies, dietary changes and bodywork interventions that can help you safely manage your pain. Medical cannabis — Medical marijuana has a long history as a natural analgesic and is now legal in 31 states. You can learn more about the laws in your state on medicalmarijuana.procon.org.24 Kratom — Kratom (Mitragyna speciose) is a plant remedy that has become a popular opioid substitute.25 In August 2016, the DEA issued a notice saying it was planning to ban kratom, listing it as Schedule 1 controlled substance. However, following massive outrage from kratom users who say opioids are their only alternative, the agency reversed its decision.26 Kratom is safer than an opioid for someone in serious and chronic pain. However, it's important to recognize that it is a psychoactive substance and should be used with great care. There's very little research showing how to use it safely and effectively, and it may have a very different effect from one person to the next. The other issue to address is that there are a number of different strains available with different effects. Also, while it may be useful for weaning people off opioids, kratom is in itself addictive. So, while it appears to be a far safer alternative to opioids, it's still a powerful and potentially addictive substance. So please, do your own research before trying it. Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN) — Naltrexone is an opiate antagonist, originally developed in the early 1960s for the treatment of opioid addiction. When taken at very low doses (LDN, available only by prescription), it triggers endorphin production, which can boost your immune function and ease pain. Curcumin — A primary therapeutic compound identified in the spice turmeric, curcumin has been shown in more than 50 clinical studies to have potent anti-inflammatory activity. Curcumin is hard to absorb, so best results are achieved with preparations designed to improve absorption. It is very safe and you can take two to three every hour if you need to. Astaxanthin — One of the most effective oil-soluble antioxidants known, astaxanthin has very potent anti-inflammatory properties. Higher doses are typically required for pain relief, and you may need 8 milligrams or more per day to achieve results. Boswellia — Also known as boswellin or "Indian frankincense," this herb contains powerful anti-inflammatory properties, which have been prized for thousands of years. This is one of my personal favorites, as it worked well for many of my former rheumatoid arthritis patients. Bromelain — This protein-digesting enzyme, found in pineapples, is a natural anti-inflammatory. It can be taken in supplement form, but eating fresh pineapple may also be helpful. Keep in mind most of the bromelain is found within the core of the pineapple, so consider eating some of the pulpy core when you consume the fruit. Cayenne cream — Also called capsaicin cream, this spice comes from dried hot peppers. It alleviates pain by depleting your body's supply of substance P, a chemical component of nerve cells that transmit pain signals to your brain. Cetyl myristoleate (CMO) — This oil, found in dairy butter and fish, acts as a joint lubricant and anti-inflammatory. I have used a topical preparation of CMO to relieve ganglion cysts and a mild case of carpal tunnel syndrome. Evening primrose, black currant and borage oils — These oils contain the fatty acid gamma-linolenic acid, which is useful for treating arthritic pain. Ginger — This herb is anti-inflammatory and offers pain relief and stomach-settling properties. Fresh ginger works well steeped in boiling water as a tea, or incorporated into fresh vegetable juice. Dietary Changes to Fight Inflammation and Manage Your Pain Unfortunately, physicians often fall short when attempting to effectively treat chronic pain, resorting to the only treatment they know: prescription drugs. While these drugs may bring some temporary relief, they will do nothing to resolve the underlying causes of your pain. If you suffer from chronic pain, making the following changes to your diet may bring you some relief. Consume more animal-based omega-3 fats — Similar to the effects of anti-inflammatory pharmaceutical drugs, omega-3 fats from fish and fish oils work to directly or indirectly modulate a number of cellular activities associated with inflammation. While drugs have a powerful ability to inhibit your body's pain signals, omega-3s cause a gentle shift in cell signaling to bring about a lessened reactivity to pain. Eating healthy seafood like anchovies or sardines, which are low in environmental toxins, or taking a high-quality supplement such as krill oil are your best options for obtaining omega-3s. DHA and EPA, the omega-3 oils contained in krill oil, have been found in many animal and clinical studies to have anti-inflammatory properties, which are beneficial for pain relief. Radically reduce your intake of processed foods — Processed foods not only contain chemical additives and excessive amounts of sugar, but also are loaded with damaging omega-6 fats. By eating these foods, especially fried foods, you upset your body's ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty-acids, which triggers inflammation. Inflammation is a key factor in most pain. Eliminate or radically reduce your consumption of grains and sugars — Avoiding grains and sugars, especially fructose, will lower your insulin and leptin levels. Elevated insulin and leptin levels are one of the most profound stimulators of inflammatory prostaglandin production, which contributes to pain. While healthy individuals are advised to keep their daily fructose consumption below 25 grams from all sources, you'll want to limit your intake to 15 grams per day until your pain is reduced. Eating sugar increases your uric acid levels, which leads to chronic, low-level inflammation. Optimize your production of vitamin D — As much as possible, regulate your vitamin D levels by regularly exposing large amounts of your skin to sunshine. If you cannot get sufficient sun exposure, taking an oral vitamin D3 supplement, along with vitamin K2 and magnesium, is highly advisable. Get your blood level tested to be sure you're within the therapeutic range of 60 to 80 ng/mL year-round. Bodywork Methods That Reduce Pain The following bodywork methods have also demonstrated effectiveness for pain relief and pain management. • Acupuncture — An estimated 3 million American adults receive acupuncture annually,27 most often for the treatment of chronic pain. A study28 published in the Archives of Internal Medicine concluded acupuncture has a definite effect in reducing back and neck pain, chronic headache, osteoarthritis and shoulder pain, more so than standard pain treatment. • Chiropractic adjustments — While previously used most often to treat back pain, chiropractic treatment addresses many other problems, including asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, headaches, migraines, musculoskeletal pain, neck pain and whiplash. According to a study29 published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, patients with neck pain who used a chiropractor and/or exercise were more than twice as likely to be pain-free in 12 weeks compared to those who took medication. • Massage therapy — Massage releases endorphins, which help induce relaxation, relieve pain and reduce levels of stress chemicals such as cortisol and noradrenaline. A systematic review and meta-analysis30 published in the journal Pain Medicine, included 60 high-quality and seven low-quality studies that looked into the use of massage for various types of pain, including bone and muscle, fibromyalgia, headache and spinal-cord pain. The study revealed massage therapy relieves pain better than getting no treatment at all. When compared to other pain treatments like acupuncture and physical therapy, massage therapy still proved beneficial and had few side effects. In addition to relieving pain, massage therapy also improved anxiety and health-related quality of life. • Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) — EFT continues to be one of the easiest and most effective ways to deal with acute and chronic pain. The technique is simple and can be applied in mere minutes. A study31 published in Energy Psychology examined the levels of pain in a group of 50 people attending a three-day EFT workshop, and found their pain dropped by 43 percent during the workshop. Six weeks later, their pain levels were reported to be 42 percent lower than before the workshop. As a result of applying EFT, participants felt they had an improved sense of control and ability to cope with their chronic pain. In the video below, EFT expert Julie Schiffman, teaches you how to use EFT to address chronic pain.
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What Do Air Filters Have to Do With Your Blood Pressure? Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola In a study published in The Lancet,1 researchers called air pollution the “largest environmental cause of disease and premature death in the world today.” More than 9 million premature deaths were caused by air pollution in 2015, nearly 16 percent of deaths worldwide. This was three times more deaths than attributed to tuberculosis, malaria and AIDS combined. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 92 percent of the world breathe polluted air,2 and air pollution is a major contributor to lung and respiratory infections, heart disease and cancer. However, what many fail to consider is indoor air pollution may actually be as dangerous as outdoor air pollution. For instance, indoor air pollution of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) linked to neurological symptoms are two to five times higher than outside.3 Sociological studies suggest Americans spend nearly 92 percent of their day inside,4 meaning your indoor air quality is critical to your long-term health. The most dangerous air pollution is fine particulate matter, referring to particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5). These particles are small enough to pass through lung tissue and enter your bloodstream, triggering chronic inflammation and disease. Recent research finds reducing indoor pollution may result in improving your blood pressure.5 Reducing Air Pollution Again Tied to Improvements in Heart Health The researchers sought to answer whether portable air filtration systems could reduce exposure to fine particulate matter and therefore affect blood pressure in elderly adults. The study was conducted in a low-income senior residential building in Detroit, Michigan, using 40 nonsmoking adults.6 They measured PM2.5 exposure and cardiovascular factors, including blood pressure and heart rate variability, on a daily basis. Previous studies7 have demonstrated even short-term exposure is linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular conditions. Long-term exposure amplifies the risk and increases the potential development of chronic heart and metabolic conditions. The WHO8 guidelines recommend an average exposure of 10 micrograms per cubic meter of air (ug/m3) as an upper limit. Prior to installation of the air filters, the average exposure for the seniors was 15.5 ug/m3. The researchers measured the residents’ blood pressures after using three different types of portable air filters for three days each. A low efficiency filter reduced PM2.5 concentration to 10.9 ug/m3; a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter reduced it to 7.4 ug/m3. The third control filter did not clean the air. Using either the low or high efficiency air filter, researchers found blood pressure levels in those who suffer from hypertension improved by an amount similar to what could be achieved with lifestyle changes.9 Although the study was too small to detect meaningful differences in blood pressure based on the type of air filtration, and didn't track individuals to determine if they developed or died from cardiovascular diseases, participants did enjoy a reduction in blood pressure. Lead study author Masako Morishita, of Michigan State University in East Lansing, commented:10 “A simple intervention using inexpensive indoor air filtration units can help to lower both PM2.5 exposures and blood pressure levels. Since hypertension is the leading risk factor for death worldwide, we believe much larger trials are warranted to test whether air filtration units can play an important role in helping to prevent cardiovascular diseases worldwide.” How Blood Pressure Affects Your Heart Health The featured study confirms previous results11 from Canadian researchers studying healthy adults living in British Columbia. HEPA filters reduced the amount of airborne particulates and participants experienced improvements in blood vessel health and reductions in blood markers associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Blood pressure measures pressure of blood against your blood vessels as it moves through your body.12 When pressure is too high, it places strain on your arteries and heart, leading to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. High blood pressure (hypertension) does not usually have clinical symptoms, so the only way to tell is to have your blood pressure measured. Each measurement consists of two numbers, one on the top and one on the bottom. The top number is your systolic blood pressure or the highest level pressure reached as your heart beats. The bottom number is your diastolic pressure, which measures the lowest level pressure as your heart relaxes. Hypertension is an important risk factor in cardiovascular disease and mortality. A report from Global Burden of Disease focuses on the heavy toll it has on health in all regions of the world.13 The rise in pressure changes the structure of arteries, increasing your risk of stroke, heart disease and kidney failure. The WHO14 estimates 51 percent of stroke and 45 percent of ischemic heart disease deaths are attributed to high systolic blood pressure. In 2013, hypertension was the No. 1 individual risk factor associated with death worldwide, contributing to 10.4 million deaths.15 It also appears to be distributed relatively evenly throughout the world as the WHO reports16 rates between 30 percent to 45 percent in men and women from low-, middle- and high-income countries. In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)17 reports southern states have the highest percentage of adults with high blood pressure, but acknowledges these self-reported numbers are likely underreported as nearly 20 percent of adults are unaware they have the condition. Indoor and Outdoor Air Pollution Impacts More Than Your Blood Pressure Air pollution affects your cardiovascular system in more ways than raising your blood pressure. In one study,18 researchers found small particulate matter has an affinity for accumulating in damaged or inflamed areas of the vascular system. This suggests microscopic particles have the ability to access your bloodstream, increasing inflammation in susceptible areas of your arterial system. Another study19 evaluated damage from air pollution emitted from diesel burning engines and found they accumulate in your nervous system, causing damage to your brain tissue. After only 30 minutes of exposure to diesel fumes, data demonstrated a significant increase in brain activity, corresponding to a stress response. Although several long-term effects of exposure to poor indoor air quality are just being further explored through intensive research to document health effects, some known health challenges include:20,21 Decreased lung function Asthma and bronchitis Decreased cognitive function22 Diabetes Emphysema Lung cancer Shortened life span High blood pressure Pneumonia Heart attack Stroke Depression Reducing Your Exposure to Air Pollutants You may be surprised by the number of chemicals in your home leaching from building materials, DIY projects, personal care products and flame retardant chemicals added to home furnishings. Although it is impossible to completely avoid inhaling any pollution, there are steps you may consider to significantly reduce your exposure and the impact it has on your health. For more suggestions on how to keep the air in your home healthy, see my previous article, “Indoor Air Quality: The Invisible Epidemic Causing Headaches, Fatigue and Depression.” • What you eat may buffer the effects of pollution — Strive to eat a diet of whole foods, rich in anti-inflammatory vegetables and healthy fats. Among the most important include eating omega-3 fats, broccoli sprouts, and foods rich in vitamins B, C and E. For more information about how they reduce the effects of pollution see my previous article, “Air Pollution is Becoming More Dangerous.” • Air purification — Attention to your indoor air quality is important and adding a quality purifier is a good start. Commercially purchased filters may lower the amount of C-reactive protein and other measurements of inflammation.23 However, no one filter can remove all pollutants and it’s important to ensure the filter you use is rated for your room size. Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) is one of the best technologies available today. Rather than filtering the air, PCO actually acts as an air purifier, cleaning the air using ultraviolet light. Unlike filters, which simply trap pollutants, PCO transforms the pollutants into nontoxic substances. • Open windows and get some plants — One of the simplest ways to lower pollution in your home is to open windows at opposite ends of your home for at least 15 minutes each day to create cross-ventilation. Since most new homes are airtight for energy efficiency, air pollutants may build more quickly. Consider cracking a window at night and installing an attic fan to bring fresh air into your home. Plants also remove pollutants by absorbing them through their leaves and roots, in much the same way they clean the outdoor air from the pollution given off by manufacturing plants, cars and heating systems. Data also demonstrates house plants may help improve your attention and productivity, reduce anxiety, improve accuracy and memory retention and reduce sick days. For a list of indoor plants to help clean your air see my previous article, "12 Healthy Houseplants That Improve Your Indoor Air Quality." • Roll up your car windows in heavy traffic — The consistent recommendation from studies listed in my previous article, “Indoor Pollution in Your Car,” is to roll up your windows and use the recirculate setting on your car when you’re in heavy traffic or if you’re stopping frequently at red lights.24 While this is important, in newer and more airtight cars may this may lead to an increased buildup of carbon dioxide causing the car to feel “stuffy” when two or more people are breathing the same air for an extended period of time. Too much carbon dioxide may increase the potential of experiencing drowsiness, fatigue, confusion, headache and sleepiness.25 Prevent this by pulling in outdoor air for two minutes every 10 to 15 minutes.
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What Happens When a Hurricane Hits a CAFO? Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are among the most notorious polluters on the planet, but when they're located in hurricane-prone areas like North Carolina, it adds another degree of potential for environmental disaster. North Carolina is home to 1,222 CAFOs, compared to about 300 in a more land-locked state like Illinois.1 Of North Carolina's active CAFOs, at least 45 of them are located in 100-year and 500-year floodplains that were at risk of being flooded by streams and rivers during September 2018's Hurricane Florence.2 New information is still coming in daily on the devastation Hurricane Florence caused to North Carolina CAFOs, and I'll be documenting the full extent of this tragic — yet predictable and preventable — event in an upcoming article. As you might imagine, when CAFOs raise tens of thousands of pigs or more in one facility, some churning out millions of pigs a year, waste is a major problem. There's no healthy or natural way to get rid of that much manure, which for North Carolina adds up to 10 billion gallons of wet animal waste annually — enough to fill more than 15,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.3 That's in addition to the 2 million tons of dry waste created annually by poultry CAFOs in the state.4 In the U.S., 97 percent of pigs are raised in CAFOs, many of them spending their entire lives confined to indoor pens with slatted floors. Their waste falls through the slats where it collects before being pumped into outdoor cesspools of waste, dubbed "lagoons" by the industry. Even under the best circumstances, the waste pits are known to leak their noxious contents into nearby waterways and streams, but during a hurricane the risks become exponentially higher. Hurricane Floodwaters Can Breach Waste Pits, Leading to Spillover CAFO waste sits in open-air lagoons, waiting to be sprayed onto neighboring fields (and often unfortunate neighbors). But when excess levels of rain fall, such as is common during a hurricane, they can become flooded, leading to spillover. In North Carolina, Andy Curliss, the CEO of the North Carolina Pork Council, estimated that CAFO lagoons could handle up to 25 inches of rain without a breach, but some forecasts called for as much as 40 inches of rain during Florence.5 It's not a new problem for the area but, rather, one that's been looming for decades. In 1997, following manure spills that proved to be disastrous, North Carolina implemented a ban on the construction of new CAFOs, but the ban expired in 1997 (and loopholes allowed some CAFOs to be built even during the ban).6 In 1999, floodwaters from Hurricane Floyd breached waste lagoons, causing the toxic sludge to flow out into waterways and agricultural fields. Farmers saw their crops covered in waste while rescue workers were sickened by the fumes. Algae blooms flourished, killing off fish and other marine life. Area residents were faced with contaminated water and millions of animals, including poultry and hogs, also drowned during the disaster.7 That same year, eastern North Carolina experienced a "large increase" in visits to health services for intestinal infections in counties with high concentrations of pig farming that were affected by the hurricane.8 Even a splash of floodwater on your face or open cut could be enough to cause infection. In 2016, it happened again following Hurricane Matthew, when at least 14 waste pits were flooded. The North Carolina Pork Council stated at the time that pollution due to hog lagoon breaches by Hurricane Matthew floodwaters was minimal, but aerial photographs obtained by watchdog groups showed otherwise, with multiple photos of waste lagoons leaking or subsumed by floodwaters.9 Manure Cannons to Drain the Cesspool When waste lagoons get full, the contents are sprayed via giant "cannons" onto nearby fields. It's called "fertilizer" but in reality the excess waste often leaches into groundwater and wells, poisoning drinking water, and runs off into waterways, turning once pristine bodies of water into veritable toilets. The resulting damage includes an excess of nutrients that lead to algae overgrowth, depleting the water of oxygen and killing fish and other marine life in expansive dead zones. In the days leading up to Hurricane Florence, many CAFO farmers scrambled to pump waste from the lagoons ahead of the storm, hoping to make room for the potentially record-setting levels of rainfall. Although theoretically this should help to contain more of the waste, when asked whether they would actually hold up in the face of heavy, hurricane-driven rain, Marlowe Vaughan of Ivy Spring Creek Farm in Goldsboro, North Carolina, told NPR, "We don't really know. I mean, we try to pump down as much as we can, but after that, it's kind of in God's hands. We're kind of at the mercy of the storm."10 In 2016, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and the Waterkeeper Alliance unveiled the extent of waste lagoons in North Carolina, which is the second biggest hog-farming industry, and the third in poultry production, in the U.S. Their analysis revealed more than 4,100 waste pits covering over 6,800 acres, with many of them located near low-lying bodies of water. In addition:11 37 were located within one-half mile of a school 288 were within one-half mile of a church 136 were within one-half mile of a public water well 170 were located within North Carolina's 100-year floodplain North Carolina's Neuse and Cape Fear Rivers, which provide drinking water for 40 percent of the state's residents, have been named among the most endangered rivers in the U.S. because of the many CAFOs in the rivers' floodplains.12 EWG and the Waterkeeper Alliance revealed much of the impact of Hurricane Mathew on North Carolina CAFOs in 2016, and they plan to conduct a similar analysis for Hurricane Florence. Soren Rundquist, EWG's director of spatial analysis, explained, "Obviously, our first concern is for people directly threatened by the storm … But by mapping the impact on CAFOs, we want to drive home the recklessness of placing densely concentrated industrial-scale livestock operations in a low-lying area regularly deluged by tropical storms."13 Even Without a Hurricane, CAFOs Are Environmental Disasters It's not only hurricane-force winds and rain that make CAFOs so atrocious for the environment and animal welfare. Even in perfect weather, these industrial farms represent an unsustainable and environmentally catastrophic method of farming. Take the hog CAFOs, where pigs are forced to live indoors standing over their own waste. The fumes from the urine and feces would kill the pigs, were it not for giant fans that force the toxic air outside. The air inside a CAFO is concentrated with ammonia, which is formed when microbes digest nitrogen in manure. It has a pungent odor and can lead to chemical burns, cough and chronic lung disease. Other toxic compounds commonly released by CAFOs include hydrogen sulfide, which has a rotten egg odor and can cause inflammation of eye and respiratory tract membranes, loss of olfactory neurons and even death.14 Methane, an odorless but highly flammable greenhouse gas, is also present. In an interview with Spendid Table, author Barry Estabrook, who visited an Iowa pig CAFO while researching his book "Pig Tales," said:15 "The workers inside the barns suffer from a host of respiratory illnesses, diminished lung capacity and chronic coughing. If you have asthma to begin with, you can't work in one of those places, because you would have a seizure the minute you go in — an attack. But you can develop asthma by working there. Even veterinarians who visit these places only occasionally have diminished lung capacity. Again, you're breathing poisonous gases." CAFO Fumes Prove Deadly CAFO fumes are so toxic that a father and son were killed at an Iowa pig farm while trying to repair a pump. A piece of equipment fell into the manure pit, and they were overcome by the gasses while trying to retrieve it.16 Given the fact that these fumes are regularly pumped outdoors, it's not surprising research has found that people living near Iowa CAFOs have elevated rates of respiratory symptoms compared to those not living near the industrial farms. In North Carolina, CAFO neighbors report increased headaches, runny noses, sore throats, coughing, diarrhea and burning eyes,17 while the odors alone are also associated with tension, depression and anger. Children living near pig CAFOs also have a higher incidence of asthma,18 and these polluting CAFOs are found most often in areas with larger African-American, Latino and Native American populations. CAFOs in North Carolina are far less likely to appear in white communities, especially those low in poverty. "This spatial pattern is generally recognized as environmental racism," researchers wrote.19 CAFOs Spread Disease The risks of an overflowing CAFO waste lagoon are many, including not only the overgrowth of fish-killing algae but also the spread of disease. For instance, a sometimes-fatal pig virus that causes diarrhea and vomiting in pigs, the porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV), first identified in Hong Kong in 2012, has recently been shown to have the potential to leap to humans.20 Antibiotic-resistant disease is also common in CAFOs. Estabrook noted:21 "The people who work inside hog confinement buildings are often exposed to deadly bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics. They become resistant because these pigs are constantly fed a diet of low-level antibiotics. The germs that are resistant are the ones that survive and go on to breed." Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have even been found in the air both inside and downwind of a hog CAFO, with researchers noting, "This could pose a potential human health effect for those who work within or live in close proximity to these facilities."22 Antibiotic-resistant genes were further identified in manure from a hog CAFO as well as in groundwater 250 meters (820 feet) downstream from the lagoon.23 Another study found that people with the highest exposure to hog-CAFO manure were 38 percent more likely to contract community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and 30 percent more likely to get health care-associated MRSA.24 Level of exposure was calculated based on proximity to hog farms, the size of the farms and how much manure the farm in question used. So being in an area touched by CAFO manure-contaminated floodwater following a hurricane may be akin to stepping into a petri dish of antibiotic-resistant disease. 'Big Ag Is King' You may be wondering how Big Agriculture can get away with all of this, but the fact is it's not only completely legal but considered "state of the art" when it comes to raising pigs. Elsie Herring, who lives in eastern North Carolina next to a field regularly sprayed with CAFO pig manure, has said it's so bad, "You stand outside and it feels like it's raining but then you realize it isn't rain. It's animal waste. It takes your breath away. You start gagging, coughing, your pulse increases. All you can do is run for cover."25 She and other residents have gone to local, state and federal governments for help but "gotten the runaround," according to Estabrook, who pointed out the power wielded by Big Ag in states like North Carolina:26 "Politically, wherever pork is produced in large quantities, Big Ag is king. You think of states such as North Carolina, Iowa and Minnesota. Big Ag is a very, very, very powerful political force. It doesn't matter whether the politicians are Democrats, Republicans or Libertarians; they dance to the tune of Big Agriculture." More than two dozen nuisance lawsuits have been filed against Murphy Brown LLC, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, the world's largest pork producer, alleging that the stench, filth, noise and flies from the neighboring CAFOs were ruining their quality of life. Although the first two suits have had favorable outcomes to the plaintiffs in recent months, the damages awarded are expected to be reduced due to a North Carolina law that limits punitive damages to no more than three times the amount of compensatory damages or $250,000, whichever is greater. Further, in June 2018, North Carolina legislators passed a law restricting future nuisance lawsuits aimed at pig CAFOs. While those already filed will not be affected, future lawsuits will be nearly impossible for CAFO neighbors to file, proving once again that "Big Ag is king." How to Find Superior Pastured Pork Every time you buy CAFO pork (or any CAFO product), you're supporting this atrocious industry and all of their dangerous and inhumane practices. I encourage you to avoid CAFO meats and instead either buy your meat direct from a trusted grass fed farm or look for the American Grassfed Association (AGA) logo, a grass fed standards and certification for American-grown grass fed meat and dairy.27 The AGA pastured pork standards include a forage-based diet derived from pasture, animal health and welfare, no antibiotics and no added growth hormones. At the very least, if you buy pork from a supermarket, look for an antibiotic-free label, which may signal that the pig was raised in somewhat better conditions, or a certified organic label, which also means the pigs weren't fed antibiotics. The ideal method for raising pigs, however, is on pasture, so always look for pastured pork when possible. Buying pastured pork means you're not supporting a corrupt, polluting and disease-spreading method of agriculture, and you'll also benefit from superior flavor. "Once you've tasted well-raised pork, you really can't go back to the old stuff," Estabrook said. "I tell people it's the difference between a January tomato in a supermarket and a nice summer tomato from your garden; factory pork and well-raised pork is that different."28
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Weekly Health Quiz: Soreness, Curcumin and Life Expectancy Dr. Mercola 1 The creation of a fake grassroots campaign by a special interests group, to fight for or against a particular agenda, is known as: Transfer Bandwagon Astroturfing Astroturfing is when a special interests group creates a fake grassroots campaign for or against a particular agenda. Learn more. Card stacking 2 Which of the following chemical classes has been identified as a driver of reduced sperm production and male infertility? Heavy metals Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) Nitrosamines Phthalates Total sperm counts in North America and Europe dropped by nearly 60 percent between 1973 and 2013, and exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in utero and beyond appears to be a driving factor. Learn more. 3 Which of the following emotional states has NOT been scientifically linked to increased life expectancy? Helplessness A number of positive emotional states have been scientifically linked to better health and increased life expectancy, including optimism, gratitude and having a sense of life purpose. Learn more. Gratitude Optimism Having a sense of life purpose 4 The sensation of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is most noticeable after you perform which type of exercise? Active Isolated Stretching Eccentric muscle movements Notably, the sensation of DOMS discomfort occurs more frequently after you perform new eccentric physical activity. Learn more. Pilates Speed walking 5 Which of the following has been identified as the food responsible for the greatest number of foodborne illnesses? Leafy greens Free-range Turkey Factory farmed chicken Factory farmed chicken has been identified as the food responsible for the greatest number of foodborne illnesses, thanks to the presence of pathogenic bacteria, many of which are resistant to antibiotics. Learn more. Factory farmed pork 6 If you or your child is harmed or killed by a vaccine, what legal recourse do you have? I can sue the vaccine maker for damages but not my doctor I can sue both my doctor and the vaccine maker for damages I can be reimbursed for medical expenses associated with the vaccine damage under the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016 I can submit a claim to the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), which is a government run program As of 2011, vaccine manufacturers are entirely shielded from product liability when FDA licensed vaccines injure or kill Americans. If you or your child is harmed by a vaccine, your only recourse is to submit a claim to the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Learn more.
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Fennel Seeds Are a Potent Booster of Nitric Oxide Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola If, like me, you’re a fan of fennel, you may already know about some of its health benefits. I love fennel because it’s easy to grow — I affectionately refer to the section of my property where it is established as the “fennel forest.” Beginning with a single plant, I have watched fennel steadily multiply across my yard as volunteers. Because I have access to an abundant supply, I eat fennel seeds daily. I soak them overnight for use in my breakfast the next morning. There are particular health benefits attributed to the seeds, which are actually a fruit, not a seed. That said, I’ll continue to refer to them as seeds in this article since that is how they are commonly known. If you have not yet tried fennel seeds, you may be interested to know they are an excellent, cheap and convenient source of healthy nitrates. Fennel seeds are able to increase nitric oxide in your body, which has several distinct health benefits. What Is Nitric Oxide and Why Is It Important to Your Health? Nitric oxide is vital to your health because it is produced by nearly every type of cell in your body. It is one of the most important molecules needed for healthy blood vessels. While you often hear about the negative effects of free radicals, your body actually needs some to be healthy. Nitric oxide is a free radical that acts as a vasodilator, which means it causes your blood vessels to expand and dilate, promoting blood flow and lowering your blood pressure. It also improves your immune function, stimulates the thinning of your blood and decreases blood viscosity, which in turn decreases platelet aggregation. As such, nitric oxide helps reduce your risk of developing a life-threatening blood clot. Another benefit of nitric oxide is that it's a powerful anabolic stimulus known to help increase your lean body mass. When you increase your muscle mass, your body is more easily able to burn fat for fuel. Burning fat for fuel remains a concept that escapes many people. It is a state of health so radically life-changing that you really must try it to fully appreciate its benefits. Anyway, the increased presence of free radicals such as nitric oxide signals your body to create more mitochondria — a process called mitochondrial biogenesis, which is necessary to keep up with the heightened energy requirement. Your mitochondria are the energy storehouses of your cells and are also the energy source for your skeletal muscles. Mitochondrial changes can have a positive impact on your skeletal muscle, fat tissue and even your liver, brain and kidneys. A 2013 study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology1 underscores the positive vascular effects of dietary nitrates via the nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide pathway. The study authors stated:2 “Dietary nitrate has been demonstrated to have a range of beneficial vascular effects, including reducing blood pressure, inhibiting platelet aggregation, preserving or improving endothelial dysfunction [and] enhancing exercise performance in healthy individuals and patients with peripheral arterial disease. Preclinical studies with nitrates or nitrites also show the potential to protect against ischemia-reperfusion injury and reduce arterial stiffness, inflammation and intimal thickness.” Are You Familiar With Fennel? Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a perennial belonging to the carrot family — home to several aromatic plants with hollow stems, including celery, cilantro, dill and parsley. About fennel, National Geographic says, “Unlike its graceful relatives, however, fennel is clunky and funny-looking. It has a bulbous, crunchy, white stem topped with green stems and feathery leaves. Like anything with a fat bottom and a scrawny top, it inevitably invites jokes.”3 Fennel has a mild but distinctive licorice flavor that is sometimes confused with anise. While anise has a pungent taste reminiscent of black licorice, fennel, which some refer to as "sweet anise," has a sweeter, more delicate flavor.4 Unlike other vegetables and herbs, almost every part of the fennel plant including the base, stalks, leaves and seeds is edible. Fennel is well-regarded as an essential oil. The characteristic anise-like odor of fennel, which results from its essential oil, gives it wide appeal as a flavoring agent in alcoholic beverages, baked goods, fish and meat dishes and even ice cream.5 Even though it is classified as an herb, many chefs use the lower part of the fennel plant, or the bulb, as a vegetable, adding it to salads, soups and stews. The fronds that grow on the top of the plant may be used in salads or as a garnish, much like dill. You’ll get the most benefit if you grow your own fennel plants. Personally, I have not had much success in growing fennel as a bulb. My fennel bulbs are typically small and thin. For that reason, I mainly appreciate fennel for its seeds. As mentioned, I have a veritable forest of fennel in my yard. I planted it once and since it is self-propagating, it continues to multiply. Because it is so productive, you may see fennel growing wild along roadsides, in nature preserves and open pastures. Fennel seeds are often used as post-meal mouth fresheners across the Indian subcontinent and elsewhere. For maximum freshness, fennel seeds are harvested just as the flowers are beginning to dry out and turn brown. I simply clip the tops of the stalks containing flower heads and store them in a dark place for a week or two until they are fully dried. At this point, the seeds easily fall out of the flower heads and can be separated from the dried plant debris. The Many Health Benefits of Fennel The use of fennel dates back to ancient Rome, where it was used as a contraceptive. In addition, Pliny the Elder was said to have recommended fennel for epilepsy, gout, mange, scorpion stings and snakebite.6 According to the California College of Ayurveda, fennel is one of the best digestive herbs.7 They suggest adding it to your cooking, ingesting it in capsule form or drinking fennel tea. Furthermore, they note, “Some of the other marvelous features of fennel include: It dispels gas, it’s a diuretic, great for children’s colic, calming to the nerves, clears phlegm, increases the flow of milk in lactating mothers and aids in menstruation.”8 Authors of a 2014 study9 published in the journal BioMed Research International assert fennel has been used in traditional medicine to treat digestive, endocrine, reproductive and respiratory ailments, as well as a galactagogue agent for breastfeeding mothers. The researchers stated:10 “Findings based on its traditional uses and scientific evaluation indicate [fennel] remains the most widely used herbal plant. It has been used for more than 40 types of disorders. Phytochemical studies have shown the presence of numerous valuable compounds, such as volatile compounds, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, fatty acids and amino acids. Compiled data indicate [fennel’s] efficacy … as antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, antinociceptive, antipyretic, antispasmodic, antithrombotic, apoptotic, cardiovascular, chemomodulatory, antitumor, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and memory-enhancing.” The polyphenols found in fennel include coumarins, flavonoids, furanocoumarins, phenolic acids and tannins, as well as common constituents like caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, cinnamic acid, ferulic acid, quercetin and rutin.11 Upon analyzing 23 fennel samples, the study authors concluded:12 Apigenin and quercetin were the most abundant flavonoids Phenolic compounds promote increased antibacterial activity Samples with higher antioxidant activity revealed higher antiglycative activity (glycation relates to damage from high blood sugar) Seed extracts showed moderate to good inhibitory activities against three foodborne pathogens Prevent Free Radical Damage With Fennel Seeds In addition, fennel has been shown to have significant free radical scavenging potential and oxidative DNA damage preventive activity.13,14 One study, published in the journal BioMed Research International,15 screened the free radical scavenging activity of fennel seeds and carom seeds (another aromatic seed used in India, most especially in the state of Gujarat16). Notably, both seed extracts were shown to mitigate oxidative damage in calf thymus DNA. The study authors said, “These plant extracts can be considered as significant source of natural antioxidants that can withstand the deleterious effects of many diseases such as cancer, atherosclerosis, diabetes, inflammation and aging.”17 Fennel Seeds Promote Vascular Health A 2012 study from India18 suggests fennel seeds promote healthy vascular function mainly due to their high level of nitrites and nitrates. The researchers noted: “Results from our study show that fennel seeds contain significantly higher amount of nitrites when compared to other commonly used post-meal seeds. Furthermore, our study confirmed the functional effects of fennel derived-nitrites … that describe the promotion of angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels from pre‐existing ones), cell migration and vasorelaxation (dilation of blood vessels). We also showed that chewing fennel seeds enhanced nitrite content of saliva. Thus, our study indicates the potential role of fennel derived-nitrites on the vascular system.” Boost Your Athletic Performance With Fennel Seeds If you are an athlete looking to boost your performance and would like a convenient alternative to consuming nitrate-rich vegetables like beetroot, celery, spinach and Swiss chard, consider fennel. By eating fennel seeds, you can get a significant bump in nitric oxide production, which will, in turn, open up your blood vessels and positively impact your workout. Given their availability, affordability (especially if you grow your own fennel) and portability, fennel seeds are a lightweight, nonperishable source of nitrates that is ideal for gym rats, outdoorsmen and high-performance athletes. As mentioned in the featured video, it’s possible chewing fennel seeds may help mountain climbers maintain oxygen levels at high altitudes and aid in preventing high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) — the most common cause of death resulting from exposure to high altitude.19 Fennel Shown Effective as a Treatment for Sun Damage In a 2016 study,20 Korean researchers sought to determine if fennel could be useful to alleviate ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced photoaging. The study authors suggested fennel offers photoprotective benefits for preventing and treating sun damage to your skin, further stating:21 “Fennel significantly increased the production of collagen, elastin and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) levels, while blocking matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) production in UVB irradiation-induced hairless mice, which were consistent with the result in normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs). Furthermore, fennel dose-dependently decreased the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) by promoting the nuclear amount of Nrf2 and enhancing the expression of cytoprotective antioxidants such as glutathione (GSH). Fennel also significantly quenched UVB-induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 in NHDFs. Based on our present results, we suggest the potential of [fennel] for the prevention of skin damage caused by solar radiation.” Fennel Shown to Counteract Lead Toxicity; Minimizes Neuronal Toxicity Associated With Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Fennel also appears to be useful for ameliorating the effects of lead toxicity. While lead exposure has been greatly reduced in recent decades, it continues to be an issue in certain areas, especially impoverished urban areas. A 2018 study published in the journal Drug and Chemical Toxicology22 evaluated the neuroprotective effects of fennel seed extract on lead-induced neurotoxicity in the brains of lab mice. Nine groups of mice were administered with 0.1 percent lead and 75 percent and 100 percent ethanol extracts of fennel seeds at doses of 200 milligrams (mg) per kilogram(kg) per day and 20 mg/kg/day. The researchers noted the maximum antioxidant effect was found in the 75 percent ethanol extract. Based on their measurement of the gene expression levels of oxidative stress markers, including superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and peroxiredoxin 6 (Prdx6), as well as the three isoforms of amyloid precursor protein (APP), including APP common, 770 and 695, in the cortex and hippocampus of the various mice groups, they commented:23 “[A] significant increase in APP 770 expression level [was observed] while a substantial decrease was observed for SOD1, Prdx6 and APP 695 expression in the lead-treated groups. Interestingly, the deranged expression levels were significantly normalized by the treatment with ethanol extracts of fennel seeds (specifically at dose of 200 mg/kg/day). Furthermore, the lead-induced morphological deterioration of cortical neurons was significantly improved by the ethanol extracts of fennel seeds. In conclusion, the present findings highlight the promising therapeutic potential of fennel seeds to minimize neuronal toxicity by normalizing the expression levels of APP isoforms and oxidative stress markers.” By way of explanation, lead exposure normally reduces brain cortical and hippocampal expression levels of SOD, whereas in this study scientists demonstrated fennel seeds restored protective levels of SOD in the lab mice exposed to lead. Research has linked mutations in the SOD gene to familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)24 and also asserts it as a major target of oxidative damage in brains affected by Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.25 Due to their potential to restore SOD levels, it’s possible fennel seeds could be helpful in preventing these diseases. When to Avoid Fennel In most cases, you should be able to tolerate fennel seeds when eating them in moderation. If you have a sensitivity to other members of the carrot family, you should avoid fennel seeds and other fennel preparations. At least one study associated the drinking of fennel tea with early onset puberty in girls.26 For this and other reasons, fennel is not recommended for children under age 18 unless approved by a doctor. On a positive note, fennel has been shown to possess antihirsutism activity, helping to combat excessive facial hair growth in a study involving 38 women who successfully applied a 1 percent fennel cream.27 In closing, if you are able to tolerate them, I highly recommend fennel seeds as an easy way to increase your nitric oxide levels and boost your vascular health.
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Is Full-Fat Dairy Good for Your Heart? Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola A new study confirms (again) that whole-fat dairy is not associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease as has been asserted for more than 60 years. The evidence is overwhelming that consuming whole fats can be an important part of maintaining optimal health and actually fights heart disease and other diseases prevalent today rather than causing them. The Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study1 was published in Lancet, one of the world's most prestigious medical journals, and gives one cause to second-guess the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans2 set forth by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Those agencies continue to maintain that your best bet for reducing your heart disease risk is to pass up full-fat dairy products and reach for no-fat and low-fat options instead. However, while some doctors are finally beginning to acknowledge that full-fat dairy isn't the killer it's been made out to be, just as many are still touting those erroneous recommendations for their patients. The confusing guidelines mentioned above may be one of the reasons, but evidence to the contrary is overwhelming. As lead study author Mahshid Dehghan, a senior research associate and nutrition epidemiology investigator at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, noted in the featured study, "Our results showed an inverse association between total dairy and mortality and major cardiovascular disease. The risk of stroke was markedly lower with higher consumption of dairy."3 The PURE study was large and extensive, involving researchers from Canada, India, Sweden, South Africa, Brazil, Pakistan, Columbia, Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, Iran, Turkey, Chile, Poland, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, China, Bangladesh and the U.S. Lasting an average of nine years, the study used controls for such factors as age, sex, smoking, physical activity, education levels and consumption of vegetables, fruit, red meat and starchy food for a total of 136,384 people in 21 countries, with ages ranging from 35 to 70. At the end, researchers reported that when people ate two or more servings of full-fat dairy (one serving being defined as 8 ounces of milk or yogurt, 1 teaspoon of butter or a half-ounce slice of cheese), it was associated with: A 22 percent lower heart disease risk A 34 percent lower risk of stroke A 23 percent lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease or a major cardiovascular event4 Semantics on Fat Consumption: Full-Fat Versus Low-Fat Dairy Products According to Dehghan, current guidelines are rooted in the belief that saturated fatty acids are harmful based on a single risk marker: LDL, aka "bad," cholesterol. However, she says dairy products contain a number of nutrients and avoiding them prevents you from getting other important nutrients. Dehghan noted that people shouldn't be discouraged from eating dairy products, and if they don't eat much already, they should in fact be encouraged to increase their consumption.5 Overall, people should focus on moderation, she added, especially since cardiovascular disease is a global epidemic. In fact, 80 percent of heart disease cases are found in low- and middle-income countries, Reuters observes, quoting Dehghan from an earlier study.6 It should be noted that eating more whole-fat foods from the dairy section did not make a significant difference in the overall outcome of the study for either total mortality or major cardiovascular disease, MedPage Today explains. In fact, "the findings were similar but not significant for people who ate both full-fat and low-fat dairy."7 The controversy continues, however, and the naysayers are still adamant. Jo Ann Carson, a spokesperson for the American Heart Association from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, maintains that "Currently with the evidence that we have reviewed, we still believe that you should try to limit your saturated fat including fat that this is coming from dairy products." With those statements, Carson essentially upholds the now-disproven assertions of Ancel Keys, the University of Minnesota professor who started the "fat is bad" ball rolling back in 1953. Keys used faulty science and patchy data to conclude that eating saturated fat raises your cholesterol and then leads to heart disease. The medical community embraced the concept and adopted a collective stance. Saturated fat was then summarily vilified, and in its place, vegetable oils and shortening, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and margarine were pushed to the forefront and quickly became all the rage. Unfortunately, the "fat kills" mantra launched a movement in the food industry that's proving very difficult to turn around, but the PURE study helps lay the myth to rest. ‘Robust, Widely Applicable' Science Supports Whole Dairy Consumption Dehghan says that while the PURE study was largely observational, it was still "robust and more widely applicable" because it was all-encompassing over a broad range of types of dairy consumption and reflected many different settings and cultures. In 2017, Dehghan and her cohorts involved in the featured PURE study submitted another facet of the review that looked at the issue from another view, associating fat and carb intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality, and concluded: "We found that high carbohydrate intake (more than about 60 percent of energy) was associated with an adverse impact on total mortality and noncardiovascular disease mortality. By contrast, higher fat intake was associated with lower risk of total mortality, non-cardiovascular disease mortality, and stroke. Furthermore, higher intakes of individual types of fat were associated with lower total mortality, noncardiovascular disease mortality, and stroke risk and were not associated with risk of major cardiovascular disease events, myocardial infarction, or cardiovascular disease mortality. Our findings do not support the current recommendation to limit total fat intake to less than 30 percent of energy and saturated fat intake to less than 10 percent of energy. Individuals with high carbohydrate intake might benefit from a reduction in carbohydrate intake and increase in the consumption of fats."8 It's interesting to note that the PURE study was considered controversial for several reasons, such as the stance it made on healthy salt intake and increased vegetable recommendations. Additionally, while there have been inquiries into the entities that funded the study, Marion Nestle, a master of public health at New York University, notes that while numerous government entities and pharmaceutical companies around the world helped fund the study, the dairy industry did not.9 What's the Skinny on US Health Organization Recommendations for Dairy? When it comes to some of the biggest names and entities in the medical community, most still say low-fat dairy is best. As an example, an American Heart Association (AHA) article on milk, yogurt and cheese10 still insists that adults should opt for two to three servings of fat-free, zero-fat, no-fat or nonfat milk dairy products, and children, teenagers and older adults should have four servings, per day. The USDA says pretty much the same thing.11 People in Europe and North America have the highest dairy consumption, as they have more than four servings per day, the study notes, but in Africa, China, South Asia and Southeast Asia, individuals tested had less than one serving per day. When comparing people who ate three servings of dairy per day with those who ate none, Web MD12 noted that those who ate no dairy had higher rates of: Overall death — 3.4 percent versus 5.6 percent Heart-related deaths — 0.9 percent versus 1.6 percent Major heart disease — 3.5 percent versus 4.9 percent Stroke — 1.2 percent versus 2.9 percent Significantly, studies are stacking up that support the PURE study. One is very significant for two reasons: one because a two-decade-long review concluded that full-fat dairy consumption led to a reduced diabetes risk and better weight management consequences, as well. Nutrition & Metabolism published research showing evidence that fewer carbs, not adopting low-fat foods, is the key to reducing and often completely eliminating diabetes medication in 90 percent of the participants.13 In 2003, a study14 in The New England Journal of Medicine found that when people focused more on healthy fats and less on non-vegetable carbs, it improved insulin sensitivity and fasting blood glucose. It also stabilized the A1C or average blood glucose tests for diabetic patients. According to a 2015 study15 in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, children who drink raw milk, which is typically full-fat, have lower rates of viral and respiratory tract infections, including regular colds, fevers and respiratory infections by around 30 percent. Raw Milk and Pasteurized Milk: What's the Difference? While governmental agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and USDA contend that consuming raw milk is a ticket to disease and maybe even death, it's interesting to observe that Europe has no such issues. Ted Beals, a pathologist from the University of Michigan Medical School, writes that you are actually 35,000 times more likely to get sick from any other food than raw milk.16 Pasteurized milk products are heated to kill bacteria because of the often dreadful conditions cows in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) live in, and that's where the overwhelming majority of milk in the U.S. is produced. Animals in CAFOs are often deprived of sunlight, are fed genetically engineered (GE) grains and soy products and stand knee-deep in each other's excrement. To counteract these conditions, the animals are given antibiotics. What pasteurized milk offers is essentially milk laced with dead bacteria; the bacteria are dead, but not removed. When your body is hit with these foreign proteins, an allergic response is often the result because your body tries to fight them off. Conversely, when cows raised on grass (as opposed to grains) produce milk, the raw, unpasteurized form contains whey protein, which stabilizes those same fighting cells in your body and reduces the allergic effect some people experience. When cows eat grains, their body composition is altered, and with it, their milk. Pasteurization destroys many valuable nutrients, some which are important for your digestion and immune function. What About Cheese, Butter, Yogurt and Kefir? Not a few experts in the field noticed that the PURE study "exonerates" high-fat cheese. As a whole, one food analyst reported, the combination of nutrients in cheese are varied and plentiful, and many are new to the conversation in regard to nutritional value. One study17 found whole-fat cheese can improve your overall health because it raises your HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, cholesterol, which protects your body against both heart disease and metabolic diseases. Further, when it's made from the milk of grass-pastured animals, cheese provides several important nutrients, including protein, amino acids, omega-3 fats, vitamins A, D, B2, B12, and K2 (especially Gouda, Brie, Edam and to a lesser degree hard goat cheese, Colby, Swiss, Gruyere and Cheddar), minerals such as phosphorus, calcium and zinc, and conjugated linoleic acid or CLA. In another study described in The Telegraph, researchers found that eating eight servings of full-fat milk, cheese, cream and butter was linked to a 23 percent lower risk of developing diabetes, compared to those who ate fewer portions. One serving counted as 200 milliliters (ml) (a little under a cup) of milk or yogurt, 20 grams (0.7 ounces) of cheese, 25 grams (2 tablespoons) of cream or 7 grams (1.4 teaspoons) of butter. More importantly, "There was no link between low fat dairy products and diabetes."18 Kefir, a traditionally fermented food that is loaded with probiotic bacteria, as well as yogurt, both of them ideally made from organic, grass fed raw milk, present excellent ways to boost your immunity and increase your energy. The bacteria used to make kefir and yogurt consumes most of the lactose in milk, which can otherwise be a problem for someone with insulin resistance. Both help you develop and maintain a healthy microbiome. When it comes to butter, the best you can do is to seek out the organic raw form from grass-pastured cows. The next best is pasteurized butter from grass fed or pastured organic cows, followed by regular pasteurized butter common in supermarkets. Surprisingly, fat levels in your blood are lower after eating a meal rich in butter than after eating one rich in olive oil, canola oil or flaxseed oil, one study noted.19 Taken altogether, the message is clear: Including saturated fats, including raw, organic and full-fat dairy products, is a healthy choice. That includes organic butter from grass fed cows, virgin coconut oil and raw whole milk and cheese. Far from being the culprits in cardiovascular and "high cholesterol" issues, eating them can actually improve your heart, and at the same time, improve your insulin sensitivity. In any case, avoid trans fats and non-vegetable carbohydrates that have led to ever-rising rates of chronic disease and obesity. Reversing this trend is simpler than you might think, at least on an individual level. Don't just eat more dairy; go for healthy, full fat, grass fed dairy instead.
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Cystic Fibrosis: An Introduction to This Genetic Disease Dr. Mercola Mucus, the sticky fluid that your body produces and expels whenever you’re struggling with a cold, actually has multiple purposes. It acts as a protective blanket over tissues to keep them from drying out, traps unwanted substances like dust and dirt before they enter the body, and provides antibodies that fight and kill harmful organisms such as bacteria and viruses, to keep your body healthy. Even when you're in the pink of health, your body produces a huge amount of mucus — as much as 1 to 1.5 liters (34 to 51 ounces) every day!1 But what happens when your body produces unnaturally large amounts of mucus regularly, and instead of being thin and slippery, it becomes extremely thick and sticky? This is what people with cystic fibrosis have to deal with. Cystic fibrosis may seem like a simple and treatable condition but, on the contrary, it can be dangerous. If not diagnosed early or managed properly, cystic fibrosis can hamper a person’s quality of life and even lead to early death. Defining Cystic Fibrosis Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease that is characterized by unnaturally thick and sticky mucus buildup that can harm the body’s organs, particularly the lungs and pancreas.2 Over time, the airways become clogged with mucus, not only making it difficult for you to breathe, but also allowing germs to become trapped in the body, leading to severe infections.3 Another effect of this disease is the formation of fluid-filled sacs, which are called cysts, and scar tissue, also known as fibrosis — this is actually how the disease acquired its name.4 There are different types of cystic fibrosis mutations that can cause this illness. Depending on the genes that a person carries, the condition may manifest different symptoms.5 Symptoms of cystic fibrosis may also vary in severity. In some patients, the symptoms may appear in childhood, and may either worsen or improve as time passes. In others, no symptoms appear until the affected child reaches adolescence or adulthood.6 Cystic fibrosis is not contagious but, unfortunately, it’s incurable. However, significant improvements have been made in terms of management and treatment of this disease. During the 1950s, CF patients died before they could attend elementary school, but today, most people live into their 40s, 50s or even beyond.7 Learn How to Deal With Cystic Fibrosis by Reading These Pages The life expectancy of a person with this disease depends on the severity of the disease and the type of cystic fibrosis gene mutation he or she has. The age of diagnosis may also affect life expectancy, which is why it’s crucial to diagnose this illness as soon as possible. With routine therapies and healthy habits, CF patients can lead an almost normal, active life. Read these pages to learn everything you need to know about cystic fibrosis — the mutations that cause it, the common symptoms, treatment options and complications to watch out for. By arming yourself with this information, you can properly manage this disease and prolong your longevity.8 MORE ABOUT CYSTIC FIBROSIS • Cystic Fibrosis: Introduction • What Is Cystic Fibrosis? • Cystic Fibrosis Symptoms • Cystic Fibrosis Causes • Cystic Fibrosis Treatment • Cystic Fibrosis Prevention • Cystic Fibrosis Diet • Cystic Fibrosis FAQ Next > What Is Cystic Fibrosis? Next What Is Cystic Fibrosis?
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How to Make Healthy Hoisin Sauce at Home none Chinese cuisine is as diverse as the culture of its citizens. Cantonese cuisine, for example, is known for its steamed and stir-fried dishes. Szechuan cuisine on the other hand, is known for its use of peppercorns that give its dishes a distinct bold and spicy flavor. Popular examples of Chinese dishes that have become famous around the world include dim sum and spring rolls, both of which you may have eaten before. Aside from dishes, certain condiments from China also have become well-known for their various uses. One good example is hoisin sauce, which has a diverse range of applications, such as dips and marinades. If you haven’t tried hoisin sauce before, I encourage you to give it a try to give your foods a new flavor. What Is Hoisin Sauce? The origins of hoisin sauce are quite vague and have been lost in the passage of time. According to Fuchsia Dunlop, a scholar specializing in Chinese cuisine, historians believe that hoisin sauce has Cantonese origins, and that the word was originally a generic term used for seafood sauces. That’s because hoisin sauce originally had either a bean or wheat sauce as the base that was mixed with a dried/fermented seafood ingredient to provide more umami (savory) flavor. As time went on, the seafood component was decreased due to cost, explaining why hoisin sauce today is no longer made with any seafood-based ingredients. The hoisin sauce sold in most stores today is made from a mixture of soybeans, sugar, garlic, chilies and five-spice powder. It’s commonly added to salmon, stir-fries and chicken to give them a distinctive taste that only hoisin sauce can provide. The closest thing most people compare hoisin sauce with is American barbecue sauce, but only saltier, richer and less sweet. Used moderately, the calories in hoisin sauce are quite low — only 35.2 per tablespoon. However, be aware of the nutritional content of hoisin sauce. In a single tablespoon alone, you already have 258.4 milligrams of sodium due to its use of soy sauce, which can throw your sodium-potassium ratio off balance. The chart below gives you an insight on other nutrients found in hoisin sauce: How to Make Gluten-Free Hoisin Sauce Traditional hoisin sauce generally contains sugar, but this can have negative effects on your health when used in your cooking. If you want to savor the taste of this condiment without the dangers of sugar, try this homemade hoisin sauce recipe, which uses all-natural ingredients: Ingredients: Juice of an orange (remove the pits) 2 tablespoons almond butter 1 tablespoon garlic, grated 1 tablespoon ginger, grated 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or white vinegar 1 tablespoon raw honey 5 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce 1/2 tablespoon Chinese Five Spice powder 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes 1 teaspoon tomato paste Procedure: Add all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring ingredients to a boil, then turn the heat down to very low. Whisk and simmer gently for five minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the sauce from sticking to the pan. Set aside in a ramekin. Leftovers can last up to two weeks when stored in an airtight container. Cooking With Hoisin Sauce Once you’ve made your own hoisin sauce, it’s time to put it to good use. Try out this spicy hoisin chicken recipe from Slender Kitchen so you can truly enjoy the full flavor of hoisin sauce: Spicy Skillet Hoisin Sauce Chicken Ingredients: 2 tablespoons coconut oil 1.33 pounds boneless, skinless free-range chicken breasts, cut into chunks 2 teaspoons minced ginger 1/3 cup homemade hoisin sauce 2 tablespoons chili garlic paste (or Sriracha sauce) 2 tablespoons water Salt and pepper to taste Procedure: Heat the oil over medium high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, then place into the skillet. Stir the chicken for four to five minutes until all sides are browned. Add the ginger and cook for an additional 30 seconds, then add the hoisin sauce, water and chili paste (or sriracha). Stir and bring to a simmer then serve. Hoisin sauce can be used in stir-fried dishes as well. If you want to make a hoisin-based vegetable dish, you should give this stir-fry recipe from Genius Kitchen a look: Stir-Fried Broccoli With Ginger and Hoisin Sauce Ingredients: 1.5 pounds broccoli, cut into chunks 1 teaspoon coconut oil 1 whole garlic, finely chopped 1 teaspoon ginger root, finely chopped 3 green onions, chopped 3 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon organic soy sauce 1 tablespoon homemade hoisin sauce Procedure: Heat the coconut oil in a wok or skillet on high. Add the garlic, ginger and green onions, then cook for 30 seconds. Add the broccoli and stir-fry for around two minutes. Add the water, soy sauce and hoisin sauce, bringing all the ingredients to a boil. Continue cooking, stirring for three to four minutes until the broccoli is glazed. Hoisin Sauce Substitutes You Can Try If you don’t have authentic hoisin sauce at home, or have no time to make the recipe above, you may be able to create a replica using only a few ingredients. According to PepperScale, you may use barbecue sauce as the base ingredient, then add in Sriracha and Chinese five-spice powder to give the concoction a “hoisin” taste. The resulting flavor won’t be an exact replica of authentic hoisin sauce, but it is effective for situations when you need to use it in a dish right away and you only have few ingredients at home. To enhance the taste further, you may add some sesame oil. Here are a couple of other hoisin substitutes you can try, although you may need to visit your local Asian specialty store to buy them: Chee hau sauce: Chee hau sauce also contains soybeans and garlic, giving it a near-similar taste to hoisin sauce. The only difference is that chee hau sauce uses more chili peppers. Apple butter: Adding soy sauce, garlic and five-powder spice to this condiment can help give it a similar taste to hoisin sauce. It’s Better to Make Your Own Homemade Hoisin Sauce As mentioned, traditional hoisin sauce contains sugar, which may negatively affect your health and prevent you from enjoying this Chinese delicacy. I recommend that you make your own sauce at home using high-quality ingredients that negate the need for sugar. This will help you enjoy the sauce without compromising your health. Frequently Asked Questions About Hoisin Sauce Q: Is hoisin sauce vegan? A: The answer depends on what recipe you are following. In the recipe used in this article, the hoisin sauce has honey, which is made by bees. If you’re a vegan, you may replace honey with vegan-approved alternatives. Q: Is hoisin sauce gluten-free? A: Yes. Gluten only comes from grains, which hoisin sauce does not have. Q: What does hoisin sauce taste like? A: The taste of hoisin sauce is likened to American barbecue sauce, but saltier, richer and less sweet. Q: What is hoisin sauce made of? A: Traditional hoisin sauce is usually made of soy sauce, flour, sugar, water, various spices, garlic and chili. Q: What is hoisin sauce used for? A: The sauce can be added to different recipes in various ways such as chicken, seafood and stir-fried vegetables. Q: Where can you buy hoisin sauce? A: Hoisin sauce is conveniently purchased at your local stores or online. If you don’t have the time to make your own hoisin sauce, make sure that your preferred product is organic, sugar-free and uses high-quality ingredients.
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