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"...the Godhead...is manifesting all the universes at every moment." ~Andrew Harvey
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE IN BRITAIN - Personal from Donny
ALLOPATHY - Forsworn enemy of Homeopathy, and all things alternative
BUCHU - Another African-American
CO-ENZYME Q10 - "It's everywhere!"
DHEA - The "Anti-Aging" supplement
5-HTP - When you're feeling Blue
MELATONIN - I'm a Night Person. NOT
PITUITARY GLAND - What is it?
STARDUST - More bad poetry from Don Coyote
SULFITES - Where's the FDA? In Cozumel, or Hilton Head Island, or...
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The Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated any of the statements made in this publication, nor is that likely ever to happen. This publication is not meant to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Since this publication is not intended to be diagnostic or prescriptive, the authors assume no responsibility for any adverse reactions resulting from the use of any information contained in it.
Personal from Donny
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE IN BRITAIN
Prince Charles Calls for Research Into Alternative Medicine
The Heir-Apparent to the British Throne is lobbying for millions of pounds to be spent on Alternative Medicine research. "Current funding is pitiful," Prince Charles stated, calling for more clinical studies of complementary treatments.
"Serious funding is also needed for bursaries, fellowships and research centers in universities to support fledgling research into complementary remedies," the Prince went on.
"With new funding, the Foundation for Integrated Medicine, of which I am the president and founder, could provide a focus to co-ordinate this strategy, allocate funding, provide a network resource, train researchers, disseminate information and monitor research development," Charles wrote in an article in The Times.
"About £1.6 billion was spent on the booming alternative medicine business last year, but less than 8p out of every £100 of National Health Service (NHS) medical research funds went on complementary treatments," he observed.
OpinionSoup points out to you, perhaps needlessly, that this situation is very nearly identical to what has been happening in the United States for years, through the triumvirate criminal activities of the FDA, the American Medical Community, and pharmaceutical companies. Our government remains in denial about this and many other alarming dangers, including deforestation, the harmful ecological impact of oil drilling, and global warming.
Prince Charles has received osteopathic treatments and has experimented with herbal medicine and aromatherapy for his persistent back problems (Donny advises cutting back on polo).
"If they are proved to work, they should be made more available on the NHS," he said.
The Prince's call comes after a recent House of Lords report that cast doubt over a whole range of alternative treatments, saying there was "little credible evidence" for them. The 15-month inquiry by the Lords' science and technology committee said there should be tougher regulation of the complementary medicine business to protect consumers. It said patients were being put at risk because of the lack of research and the reliance on self-regulation throughout the complementary field.
Does any of this sound familiar? As Donny has stated numerous times, doctors world-wide are like gaskets stamped out in a factory.
But the report also said that therapies with a proven track record of research, including acupuncture, herbal medicine, homeopathy and osteopathy, should be available on the NHS.
Source: HealthMall
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ALLOPATHY (in contrast to Homeopathy)
- "Homeopathy is voodoo medicine." ~Dr. Prissybutt
Allopathy is conventional, mainstream, orthodox medicine. It is a method of treating disease with remedies which produce effects different from those of the disease itself. Diametrically opposed to Homeopathy, Allopathy treats a disease by combatting its symptoms instead of embracing them. Homeopaths prescribe miniscule amounts of substances that produce symptoms identical to the disease itself.
A Homeopath will tell you that a fever is your body's way of combatting a pathogen, and an Allopath will take the opposite view that the pathogen has caused the fever, which must be eliminated.
When Allopaths were attempting to build a bomb that would blow up Smallpox, an associate of the founder of Homeopathy discovered that giving a person a tiny bit of the disease would allow the body to construct an immunity. Immunizations, by the way, are not a part of Homeopathy.
While there is much to be embraced in conventional medicine, Allopaths are perversely addicted to reducing symptoms of diseases, a method that is known to drive diseases deeper and prolong them.
Donny draws these parallels, which you may not have heard before: Allopaths are like anti-environmentalists who battle a pest by bringing in another organism, perhaps more dangerous, to combat the first one. The problem at the end of the battle: what to do with the champion?
Picture an old Science Fiction movie: when spacemen arrive, Allopaths are the Army Generals who want to blow them up; the Homeopaths want to have a dialogue.
Homeopaths know that Allopathic Medicine has its place; Allopaths, on the other hand, scoff at Homeopathy, because they can't explain how it works.
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BUCHU
- Not the same as "beaucoup"
The African shrub Agothosma betulina, A. crenulata (also given as Barosma betulina, B. crenata) is diuretic and antiseptic; it cleanses kidneys and the bladder. Buchu is often recommended by herbalists for kidney stones, gout, cystitis, prostate-related problems (in combination with other herbs) and irritations of the urethra. It helps remove uric acid crystals from joints and tissues by lowering uric acid in the blood. Buchu has also been recommended for bloating (water-retention).
At one time, Doan's Pills® was comprised of Buchu and Bearberry (Uva-Ursi), and was recommended for "lower-back pain." These days, Doan's Pills are non-prescriptive dosages of Magnesium Salicylate.
Manufacturers of Buchu tincture now claim that it "strengthens and heals the entire genito-urinary system."
Buchu's diuretic and antiseptic properties are probably owed to its volatile oil, which contains barosma camphor. Use tinctures or cool-water infusions of Buchu; do not boil.
For urinary tract infections, mix together tinctures of Buchu, juniper berries and uva-ursi (bearberry). Add about thirty drops of this mixture to a cup of warm water and drink up, after meals, for seven days. If you see no improvement in a few days, see a health-care professional.
Buchu leaves also yield an aromatic oil used for flavoring.
This herb is Generally Regarded As Safe; Donny has found no reports of toxicity or side-effects.
The use of this South African native herb was learned from the so-called "Hottentots" of South Africa, which term is now officially "offensive." Most Buchu is shipped to London and then makes its way to America. "Buchu" is British English from Afrikaans Boegoe, which derives from the Zulu name Bucu.
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CO-ENZYME Q10 (UBIQUINONE)
- "We don't know much about it." ~your doctor
CoQ10 is sometimes called Ubiquinone, because definitively, it is everywhere in your body. Forgive me for stating the obvious: if something is "ubiquitous," that means "it's everywhere."
This powerful antioxidant helps improve vitality, stamina and metabolism. CoQ10 also helps protect the immune and cardiovascular systems, it helps regulate blood pressure levels, and it treats diabetes and obesity. Known as an energizer, it helps regulate weight. Additionally, CoQ10 is being studied seriously as a cancer treatment.
CoQ10 functions much like a vitamin (some experts say that it IS a vitamin) and is found in small amounts in seafood. It is produced in equally small amounts by your cells. Synthesizing of CoQ10 was accomplished by Japanese scientists, and supplements are sold by several Japanese companies. Because of this monopoly, it's not cheap.
In a Japanese study, supplementation with CoQ10, Iron and Vitamin B6 was effective in combatting the progression of Alzheimer's Disease.
NEVER HEARD OF IT? If you've "never heard of" any of these things, ask your Senator or Representative why. Ask him or her why the FDA is in the pocket of pharmaceutical manufacturers, unless, of course, your Congressperson is in that same pocket.
IF YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF HEART PROBLEM, YOU SHOULD EDUCATE BOTH YOURSELF AND YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT COENZYME-Q10. AS A POWERFUL RE-ENERGIZER OF HEART CELLS, IT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED SERIOUSLY BY ANYONE WITH CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE.
In Italy, Japan and Israel, CoQ10 is routinely prescribed to heart patients. Typical dosages are 50 to 150 mg per day; severe cases may require much more. If the dosage does not raise blood levels of CoQ10, it's not enough. Because blood levels must be monitored, you need medical supervision and cooperation, when using this potentially life-saving supplement.
As I write today (Super Bowl Sunday), I have been listening to Public Radio International, as usual. Today's Sunday Rounds featured a cardiologist from a heart failure institute in Pennsylvania (note that their interest is in Heart FAILURE). He sang the praises of Digitalis and Beta Blockers, while roundly denouncing CoEnzyme Q10 as ineffective, and something that "traditional" medicine knows little about.
Donny hastens to point out that ORTHODOX MEDICINE is hardly "traditional." Also, be advisd that CoQ10 is something that THIS doctor knows little about, not the entire medical community. Look back at the preceding paragraph: "In Italy, Japan and Israel, CoQ10 is routinely prescribed to heart patients."
The PRI announcer held this doctor in awe, asking him at one point something like "What else can you tell us, Doctor?" The word "doctor" in that question was pronounced so reverently that I actually laughed out loud.
The doctor kept using the word "we," as in "something else we know..." etc. This is a common forensic trick that induces a curtain of exclusivity, as in "WE know things; YOU who have no medical degrees know nothing."
Concerning the expert cardiologist's assertion that CoQ10 is something that Western Medicine "knows little about," I offer the following quote from Jean Carper's Miracle Cures (HarperCollins, 1997):
"More than fifty major articles have been published in reputable medical journals worldwide in the last ten years on the use of coQ-10 for heart disease, primarily congestive heart failure."
Additionally, it is INCONCEIVABLE that this doctor has never heard of Stephen Sinatra, M.D., F.A.C.C., a fellow cardiologist and author of The CoEnzyme Q10 Phenomenon.
Furthermore, a virtual BLIZZARD of anectotal evidence exists, in support of CoQ10. Of course, throughout the orthodox medical community (including Pennsylvania) anecdotal evidence is not "scientific." It is, however, both factual and documented.
If I could have interviewed this doctor myself, I would have said "Tell me, Milton, exactly how big IS your penis?"
Here was just another doctor who worships death and disease, the mainstays of his profession. IT CAME AS NO SURPRISE THAT THE PROGRAM WAS "UNDERWRITTEN" BY A MAJOR PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY. If you want a good laugh, contact Public Radio International and ask for a copy of Sunday Rounds #995B.
CoEnzyme Q10 is fat-soluble; therefore, it should be taken with a fatty food (peanut butter is good). Soft-gels and chewable pills are better than dry tablets. It is not suggested that you SUBSTITUTE CoQ10 for any current heart therapy. It IS suggested that you talk to your doctor about CoQ10, and that you use it along WITH your conventional medicines.
Do not self-diagnose any potentially serious medical problems. We don't need to reject our brothers and sisters in the medical professions; we need to kindle in them the desire to complete or at least CONTINUE their educations. Of course, if you run across one who is insufferably intransigent and arrogant, you should use any means necessary to induce humility (don't SLAP them or get physical in any way, much as they may need it; many doctors have at least one relative who is a lawyer). Have you seen the current TV commercial for the guy who claims "I'm a doctor AND a lawyer"...meaning, I guess, "I can screw you and everybody else TWO WAYS."
Researchers Find Antioxidant Heart Surgery Link from HealthMall.com Researchers in Melbourne Australia have demonstrated a link between the use of antioxidants and the improved prognosis of people having heart surgery.
A three-year trial of the antioxidant Coenzyme Q-10 at the Alfred Hospital, found people given the substance for a fortnight before surgery had a faster recovery.
Associate Professor Frank Rosenfeldt says the results were surprising.
"They had a better cardiac output and work and the heart importantly released less protein," he said.
"This is one of the ways we measure damage in the heart.
"Two other findings that were a trend was that people tended to spend less time in the intensive care unit and tended to go home from hospital one or two days sooner."
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DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone)
- Give me some of that!
DHEA is a mild androgen, a steroid precursor hormone that is produced by the adrenal glands. By the age of 50, most people produce only one third of the DHEA that they did in their youth. Researchers believe that this drop in DHEA can make the body more vulnerable to many of the ailments associated with aging.
Women with lupus frequently have lower-than-normal levels of DHEA. Supplemental DHEA has been shown to be a safe and effective treatment for lupus, but your doctor may not know this.
DHEA supports the immune system and serves in the maintenance and repair of tissues. For many Americans, the most important use of this hormone is in slowing "the aging process."
If you are thinking about taking DHEA supplements, re-read the first line of this entry. DHEA is a hormone. Consult with a trusted medical advisor.
Don't let enticing advertisements influence you to the point that you are taking a regular grab-bag of supplements. DHEA is a HORMONE. Herbs are dilute MEDICINES. Don't take any of them just because they are there, or for no good reason.
I have young friends who hear me sing the praises of ginseng, gotu-kola and such, and they want to run right out and get some. I always surprise them by saying "Hold on! You're young, vigorous and sharp as a tack. What's the point?"
Throughout this work I tell you again and again that a proper diet, exercise, plenty of rest, lots of water, good deeds and a good attitude are probably sufficient for your good health. You should concentrate on these things first. If you feel you need to "take" something for a specific reason, then educate yourself by consulting with experts; be sure you are right, then go ahead.
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5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan)
- For appetite control, depression, and insomnia
Found naturally and extracted from seeds of the African herb Griffonia simplicifolia, 5-HTP is a neurotransmitter precursor involved in the processes that increase the body's natural production of Serotonin. Low levels of Serotonin consistently have been associated with anxiety, aggression, depression, impatience, irritability and suicidal feelings.
The main function of most of today's more-frequently prescribed antidepressant drugs, is to increase the production of Serotonin. The use of such neurotransmitter precursors as 5-HTP is virtually nonexistent in the medical profession, who much prefer prescribing Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors such as Effexor®, Luvox®, Paxil®, Prozac® and Zoloft®. Sales of these SRI's skyrocketed in the 90's, providing pharmaceutical manufacturers a major profit bonanza.
Even though there is sufficient evidence to indicate that the neurotransmitter precursors are safer, more effective and less expensive than the pharmaceutical drugs, with less side-effects, the FDA, NIH and USDA researchers are just not interested. Of course, the fact that these nutrient precursors are not patentable is the real reason that no research is being done, and the public be damned.
For an interesting story of FDA hypocrisy and dishonesty in this arena of the Legal Drug Wars, see Tryptophan. In that entry you will discover that the FDA banned Tryptophan, without just cause, just a few days before the announcement of its approval of Prozac.
Some patients suffering from depression who have not been helped by antidepressant drugs, however, also have found no help by switching to 5-HTP. Interestingly, some have been helped by using a combination of the two.
5-HTP supplements are most often used for appetite control, depression and insomnia. Some researchers have suggested that you should take 5-HTP along with Vitamin B6 (50mg 5-HTP plus 10mg B6, three times a day), to aid in absorption of the 5-HTP. Others strongly disagree, saying that you should avoid B6 altogether when taking 5-HTP. Good results have been reported with concomitant ingestion of the Amino Acid L-Tyrosine. Some manufacturers suggest not taking 5-HTP soon before or soon after a high-protein meal.
Anti-Depressant Prescriptions Hit Record Level from healthmall.com The Australian Federal Health Minister, Michael Wooldridge, says he is considering incentives to get more doctors trained in offering counselling and cognitive treatment for mental illness.
A new report by the Productivity Commission confirms doctors are issuing prescriptions for anti-depressants at record levels.
Dr Wooldridge says he is not concerned by the figures but would like to see doctors using alternatives to chemical forms of treatment, where appropriate.
He says he is examining ways to reward GPs for doing so.
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MELATONIN
- Your body wants to sleep at night. What's the problem?
Naturally present in the Pineal Gland, Melatonin is produced abundantly throughout early life. Levels of Melatonin in the blood drop slightly just before puberty and decline steadily into middle and old age.
Recent studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that supplementing with Melatonin may regulate correct patterns of sleep, and ease insomnia. Air-flight crews and travelers report significantly less jet-lag and sleep disturbances due to Melatonin's ability to "reset the body's time clock." This euphemism is more "ad copy" than a totally accurate description of Melatonin's modality, as the "body's time clock" is quite primitive and simple. Your body wants to be up and about during the day, and horizontal and sleeping at night. That's it, and that's all.
I take Melatonin occasionally, when I work at night and sleep during the day. I recommend it for this purpose, along with a sleeping mask. Both the Melatonin and the mask will help you sleep when it is not actually dark outside, which is when your body wants to be asleep. Did I say that already? Regardless of the many people who claim to be "night people," there is no such thing. Maybe there's one more way I can say this. Yes, here it is: consult any insurance company about the time of day when most on-the-job accidents occur. Hint: it's 4:30 to 5:30 a.m.
WARNING: USE MELATONIN ONLY AT BEDTIME. DO NOT DRIVE OR OPERATE MACHINERY WHILE TAKING THIS PRODUCT.
Melatonin is for adult use only. Not for use by children, teenagers, pregnant or lactating women. If you are under medical supervision or have an auto-immune disease, diabetes, a depressive disorder, epilepsy, leukemia, a lymphoproliferative disorder or if you are taking MAO-Inhibitor drugs or corticosteroids such as cortisol or prednisone, consult with your physician before taking this product.
Melatonin on the internet: some of the links I posted earlier don't work. Just go to google.com or altavista.com or your favorite search engine and type in "melatonin." You'll find more than you wanted to know. If you want to buy any supplement online (or by mail), I recommend Puritan's Pride, with whom OpinionSoup has no connection whatsoever. I'm just a customer. http://www.puritan.com/
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PITUITARY GLAND
- Its functioning is ruled by racial and genetic factors.
The Pituitary Gland is our personal hormonal atomic alarm clock. Highly individualized, it is never fast, and it is never slow. Along with its other duties, it provides critical functions for women at Menopause. The Pituitary Gland is like a silent but powerful Timer, clicking us into each major new hormonal phase of our lives. For children it is the State Department, issuing travel permits into Puberty Land.
If your son is worried because other boys his age are pubescent and he is not, you need to do two things. First, have your family doctor check his Zinc level, discreetly. I say discreetly meaning don't let him think there's "something wrong" with him. If it is low, load him up (with Zinc, NOT Testosterone).
If this is not the case, assure your son that the onset of puberty is an individual event - no kid is early, and no kid is late; everyone is exactly on time. Teach him that Pituitary function is ruled by racial, genetic factors.
I, myself, "entered puberty" the summer between 9th and 10th Grades, when I was just past fourteen. This was natural to my (Anglo) genetic makeup, but it was worrisome that a couple of boys in the 7th Grade already had hair in places that I did not. The phrase "Late Bloomer" has caused much embarrassment to many, many boys. The Pituitary Gland is unconcerned with how old a boy is, or what grade he's in.
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STARDUST
- "We are stardust; we are golden." ~Joni Mitchell
STARDUST ROSEBlue-black the color, a witherdead rose
Its fire and passion quenched and still
Phoenix stirs
Un-rose, Stardust
Stardust RoseFormless, poetry flows
Named and styled
Taught and caged
Lettered, nameless, poetry flows
Stardust RoseThe prism and star
The space and the time
Beginning and end
The distance, the moment
Stardust, rose, un-rose, Stardust
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SULFITES
- WARNING: Contains Sulfites
Sulfur Dioxide and Sodium Bisulfite, as preservatives and bleaching agents in dried fruits, some "fresh" shrimp, processed potatoes and wines, destroy Vitamin B1 and can cause severe reactions in asthmatics. This dangerous food additive has caused at least seven deaths.
Where was the FDA while all this was happening? They were having dinner with pharmaceutical company lobbyists and Senators, conspiring to pass legislation hassling herbalists and Health Food Store operators; that's where they were.
OpinionSoup is published by Don Harthcock. OS #27 ©July, 2001, Don Harthcock, OpinionSoup.com. Portions of OpinionSoup may be reproduced on your site with proper credit and a link. This instruction supercedes all previous prohibitions. Taping OS to refrigerators, posting on bulletin boards & emailing to friends is waycool, highly-recommended, and much appreciated.
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