Hyvin
A Natural Health and Wellness Blog

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention just issued a report cataloging the deaths and illnesses of children under the age of 2 from taking over-the-counter cough and cold medications. According to the HealthDay News report of the study, researchers made two main points: (1) These are drugs and have risks, including the possibility of death in infants under two years of age; and (2) there is NO evidence that these meds, especially ones containing pseudoephedrine [a nasal decongestant] have any positive benefits for children under two.

Two good reasons, it seems to me, NOT to use over-the-counter cough and cold meds in little ones. I resort to drug intervention only as a last resort, but I have to admit, these formulas are so commonly used by the public, and seem innocuous. This report is an eye-opener for me.

So, what to do with an infant who is stuffed up, coughing and miserable? Time (the great healer) and a humidifier by the crib will help. You may also want to try some pure alfalfa tablets dissolved in warm water. Try dispensing the solution with a dropper. Alfalfa is a natural decongestant with side benefits not side effects.

The American College of Clinical Pharmacology recently heard that the use of the herb echinacea reduces the incidence by more than a half and the duration by almost two full days of the common cold, according to the Reuters Health report of the news. This effectiveness of echinacea is recorded when the herb is used before the onset of full-blown symptoms. So, when the throat first begins to tickle, or you feel the first twinge of ache or the nasal passages just start to seem full.

Now, the manufacture and production of over-the-counter herbal supplements is not subject to the same regulations as drugs, even if we purchase them from the pharmacist or at a drug store. What that means to us, as consumers, is that we have to be able to rely on the company offering the product. Believe it or not, what it says on the label is NOT always what’s in the bottle. There may be more or less of the active herbal ingredient that produces the desired effect. There may be extra contaminants that came along for the ride when the herbs were imported. I look for a company that guarantees 100% purity, potency, and label truth.

The Sept/Oct 2006 issue of Positive Thinking magazine cites Neurosurgeon Arthur Winter, M.D., coauthor of Smart Food in listing vitamin E, the B vitamins and iron as nutrients that can improve your memory. The Memory Upgrade article states: “The vitamins energize, and iron helps carry oxygen to the brain.” It also mentions omega-3 fatty acids as being helpful for memory function, and the studies demonstrating increased mental alertness from the herb ginkgo biloba.

So, if you’re concerned about memory function, some basic supplements can help. Now you just have to remember to take them .

Everyday fatigue is a common complaint in our fast-paced society, ranking among the top five health problems reported by adults in 1998. Four out of 10 adults across all age groups experience fatigue, and it affects women far more than men.

Interestingly, less than half of people who feel stressed and exhausted consider this to be a health problem! Of those who admit they may need help, only half have tried any treatment.

Yet an astonishing four out of five Americans consume caffeine every day, causing the Center for Science in the Public Interest to label caffeine “the world’s most popular stimulant,” and the “drug” most frequently and casually consumed.

And our national caffeine consumption may be higher than reported. Sales of “energy pills” are on the rise, yet a look at the ingredient list of many popular products often reveals guarana, mate, bissy nut, or cola nut, which are all simply herbal sources of caffeine. Ma huang and Chinese ephedra are herbal sources of ephedrine, another central nervous system stimulant.

The effects of caffeine in the body are linked to our “hardwired” biological stress-response mechanisms. Because life has always presented hazards, the human body is designed to react quickly and decisively to dangerous situations. When triggered by “watch out!” signals such as loud noises, rapid movement, strong odors, and more, the body automatically produces both physical and chemical responses. Surges of adrenaline heighten your mental awareness and sensitivity and prime your muscles for demanding movement such as jumping or running. Your pupils dilate, your breathing quickens, and eventually your natural cooling system kicks in and you start to sweat.

A single 250-milligram serving of caffeine (the equivalent of about 2.5 six-ounce cups of coffee) has been shown to increase levels of adrenaline by more than 200 percent! Caffeine also stimulates the production of norepinephrine, another stress chemical that acts directly on the brain and nervous system. With daily use, caffeine can elevate levels of another stress chemical known as cortisol. Together, these biochemicals can increase heart rate and blood pressure and produce that “emergency” feeling.

In a real-life emergency, all these survival mechanisms would help you get out of the way of a charging elephant or the 5:05 commuter train. But what happens to the body when you are triggering a full-blown “fight or flight” response at regular intervals throughout the day, every day?

The fact is that caffeine doesn’t produce energy. It stimulates your nervous system and adrenals, which is actually a form of stress on the body. Caffeine intake has been linked to increased blood pressure. Research shows that people who consume more than 250 milligrams of caffeine per day (remember, that’s what you’d get in 15 ounces of coffee) tend to have poor sleep quality. One study showed that 250 milligrams of caffeine decreased whole-brain cerebral blood flow by 30 percent. Other studies have found that caffeine reduces the oxygen level of brain tissue.

Research also shows that caffeine may be more damaging to women, producing adverse effects at lower intake levels. Women eliminate caffeine from their bodies more slowly than men, and this rate also changes significantly with the menstrual cycle.

So, are there any options if we want the pick-me-up we experience with caffeine, but DON’T want the negative health consequences of this “drug”? YES! Cordyceps, Panax Ginseng and Green Tea are all traditional Asian ingredients used for centuries for sustained enduring energy. Based on this experience, clinical use in Europe and recent scientific studies, an optimum combination of these three ingredients for energy and sustained vitality has been developed into tablet form by Shaklee. For more detailed information about this product and how it works, click here.

Personal Spring Cleaning… on the Inside!
Detox the Detox Organ… Keep your Liver Healthy!

The liver plays many crucial roles in normal metabolism, including detoxification. This important internal organ may need some spring cleaning, and here’s why:

There is a wide range of foreign compounds the liver may be called upon to detoxify, including:

• Benzopyrenes (from tobacco smoke or smoke from grilling foods)
• Acetone (from nail polish remover, paints, varnishes, thinners)
• Heterocyclic amines (from lighter fluid, hydrocarbon solvents, barbecued or broiled meats)
• Nitrosamines (from processed foods)
• Polycyclic hydrocarbons (from car exhaust, fumes from burning fossil fuels)
• Insecticides, herbicides, and fertilizers
• Ammonia and other household chemicals
• Alcoholic beverages
• Some over-the-counter and prescription drugs: antiulcer, analgesic, antiflammatory, anticonvulsant, antihyperlipidemic, etc.

When the structure of these compounds is changed in the liver, free radicals are released. Free radicals then attack the cell membranes of liver cells. If their attack is successful, the integrity of the cell is impaired leading to cell damage and even cell death. Despite the liver’s amazing ability to regenerate itself, if too many liver cells are destroyed or damaged by free radical-induced oxidation, the liver’s ability to perform important functions may be decreased.

And what, besides detoxification, are those important functions? Well, you could think of the liver as a kind of industrial processing plant for the body, performing a wide range of critical functions for physical maintenance and repair.

Let’s take a look at some of the different departmental functions of the amazing liver.

• Warehouse and Shipping Depot for Nutrients. When you eat, foods are broken down into component nutrients by the process of digestion, absorbed, and transported by the blood to the liver. The liver receives the nutrients and assigns some to the storage while others are “packaged” and shipped to parts of the body to fill their needs.

  As another kind of “shipping and receiving” function, the liver helps to regulate normal blood sugar levels in response to the action of hormones produced by the pancreas.

• Protein Manufacturing Plant. The liver assembles amino acids into essential proteins needed for the immune system’s antibodies, blood clotting, and many other bodily functions.
• Waste Treatment Plant. When blood enters the liver, it carries not only nutrients, but also a wide range of other substances absorbed through our skin, through our lungs, and through our digestive systems. Any compound the body doesn’t need for nutritional supplies is identified as “foreign” and targeted for “disassembly” and disposal. Specialized liver enzymes perform the function of changing the chemical structure of foreign compounds so they can be excreted.
• Hazardous Waste Transport and Disposal. Once the liver has broken down toxic substances, they can be excreted by the kidneys in urine or transported to the intestines in bile, which is manufactured by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. When needed, bile is released into the intestines where it works along with dietary fiber to bind toxins and facilitate their elimination from the body as part of fecal waste.

So, in order to ensure that all these functions are done to the best of the liver’s ability, we need to do our part in optimizing our liver function. Many natural health professionals recommend a periodic cleansing of the liver as a part of this. There are two primary strategies we can use to optimize liver function:

1. Antioxidant Protection. Research continues to identify nutrients that protect various cells and tissues in the body against the oxidation damage caused by free radicals. By supplying the body with herbal compounds that have antioxidant properties, the liver’s natural ability to regenerate itself after exposure to damaging oxidation reactions can be supported.
2. Improving Bile Flow. The longer toxic substances and their oxidative by-products are present in the liver and the gastrointestinal tract, the more damage they can do. By providing the body with compounds that help maintain normal bile flow, the body’s natural ability to eliminate toxins from the body can be supported.

What substances best provide these strategies?

• Milk thistle seed extract – supports the body’s normal ability to make proteins that help regenerate liver cells
• Schizandra and reishi mushrooms – herbs with antioxidant properties; schizandra has also been associated with the stimulation of protein synthesis, increasing the amount of detoxifying enzymes in the liver, and inhibiting the binding of toxins to cell membranes.
• Extracts of dandelion, turmeric, and artichoke – herbs that help maintain normal bile flow.

You can get all of these herbs in one formulation for a spring cleaning of your liver!

A study reported in the March 15 issue of Cancer Research found that in mice trials, capsaicin, the component of jalapeno peppers that makes them hot-hot-hot, is effective at killing prostate cancer and leukemia cells. Experts agree that human studies are now indicated, and, among other things, the safety of large amounts of capsaicin for human consumption must be tested.

I was extremely pleased to see this comment in the Yahoo News account of this study: “The study does highlight the crossover that can occur between conventional and alternative therapies. ‘We should take note of herbal medicines and then use modern-day techniques to find what the active compounds are and bring them into clinical trials,’ [lead researcher Dr. H. Phillip] Koeffler said.”

Like, yeah.

Natural approaches to stress management come into play in two ways:

1. Enabling the body to reduce the effects of stress:

Certain natural compounds have been identified to help the body reduce the effects of stress:

• L-theanine (Camellia sinensis), a naturally occurring amino acid found in green tea, helps generate alpha waves that creates a relaxed yet alert mental state. It promotes relaxation without drowsiness.
• Beta-Sitosterol, a natural plant sterol, helps blunt cortisol, a hormone produced during physical stress that contributes to many health challenges.
• Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an Ayurvedic herb that aids the body’s ability to adapt to continuing stress.
• L-tyrosine is an amino acid produced by the body to make the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. Studies suggest that norepinephrine levels, which are involved in mood regulation, may decline with stress.

You can get one formulation containing all of these ingredients in a natural supplement.

2. Learning new ways to respond to stressful situations so we don’t evoke the damage response to start with:

For this second aspect of natural stress management, the National Mental Health Association has a PDF document with some tips for coping with stress.

Here’s an excerpt from a new study finding by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. I would imagine they were thinking of all those women who need C-sections!

A recent study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology examined the role of ginger in postoperative nausea and vomiting. This meta-analysis looked at numerous studies using ginger versus placebo. Researchers looked at published studies and articles, including bibliographies and contacted authors and experts in the field. After review, five randomized studies were examined that included 363 participants. The results showed that a fixed dose of at least one gram of ginger was more effective than placebo in reducing both postoperative nausea and postoperative vomiting. One side effect was reported, which was abdominal discomfort. The authors concluded that, “Use of ginger is an effective means for reducing postoperative nausea and vomiting.”

If you’re interested in a ginger product, you can find an all-natural supplement that also offers peppermint for stomach soothing here.