Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Why Instant Noodles May Be Destroying Your Health

Instant “ramen” noodles are a massively popular staple – especially in the collegiate population. While genuine ramen noodles made from flour and without additives are not cause for serious concern, the cheap instant noodles are a total additive-fest. People who live on campus and find it hard to budget their money often end up surviving on instant noodles several days a week. In Asia, the popularity and convenience of instant noodles are even bigger; it’s a quick, cheap, and easy to way to ease your hunger – but how do instant noodles affect your health?

1. Instant Noodles Are Extremely High In Sodium

Instant noodles are extremely high in sodium – one packet containing 1875mg – more than the entire RDA of 1500mg. Sodium is one of the leading causes of both hypertension (high blood pressure) and kidney dysfunction. How? Sodium causes a build-up of fluid in the body, raising blood pressure which destroys the delicate vessels that supply the kidneys with blood. This is the reason why people with kidney problems are strongly advised to avoid preserved food items and too much salt in their diet. [1]

2. Instant Noodles Are Loaded With MSG

MSG is a specific kind of sodium found in most preserved food items like instant noodles and canned food. MSG intake has been linked to an increased risk for cancer [2] and hypersensitivity reactions like migraines, flushing, and chest pain.[3] While the FDA has officially labeled MSG as generally safe, it remains a highly controversial ingredient. Because of these reports of hypersensitivity and a potential risk for cancer, they require all food items to list MSG as an ingredient if it was used in any way to make the product.

3. Preservatives Affect Nutrition Absorption In The Body

Because instant noodles have extremely high levels of preservatives, they can also affect the way our bodies absorb nutrients. The stomach and intestines are where nutrient absorption takes place and are home to good bacteria that aids in digestion. Preservatives harm these good bacteria, lowering their numbers (and increasing the number of bad bacteria!) and affecting our bodies’ ability to absorb nutrients from food. [4] This can cause problems like nutrient deficiency and long-term absorption problems.

4. Instant Noodles Contain Antifreeze

Yes, they really do. While instant noodles have your typical preservatives like MSG, they also have lesser known ingredients that will have you raising your eyebrow. Propylene glycol – a colorless liquid – is a popular antifreeze because of its ability to absorb water. It also happens to be used to preserve the texture of instant noodles as well, prolonging their shelf life. [5] A 2004 study also linked propylene glycol intake with an increased risk for liver cancer. [6]

5. Instant Noodles Have Been Linked With Plasticizer Contamination

Plasticizers are additives that increase the flexibility of non-food items. However, back in 2011 and 2012, Chinese instant noodles (including certain brands that are exported to the US) were found to be contaminated with toxic levels of plasticizers. When this substance is ingested, it damages the digestive tract and increases a person’s risk for gastrointestinal and hepatic cancer. [7]

6. Instant Noodles Often Contain A Cocktail Of Unhealthy Ingredients

Instant noodles and their packet sauces commonly contain canola oil, corn syrup and Tertiary Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) – a highly controversial preservative that is also added to perfumes, lacquers, and biodiesel! [8]
References:
[2] HAta, K., et. al. (2012). Monosodium glutamate-induced diabetic mice are susceptible to azoxymethane-induced colon tumorigenesis. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22223845
[4] Philips, M. (2009). Gut Reaction: Environmental Effects on the Human Microbiota.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2685866/
[5] Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. Propylene Glycol.http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/substances/toxsubstance.asp?toxid=240
[6] Doi, A., et. al. (2004). Inhalation toxicology and carcinogenesis studies of propylene glycol mono-t-butyl ether in rats and mice.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15125995
[7] Want China Times (2012). More plasticizers found in China’s soy sauce, noodles. http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20121225000085&cid=1103
http://www.herbs-info.com/blog/why-instant-noodles-may-be-destroying-your-health/?fbclid=IwAR0cPDj4QDtlm5TjGlwdZkHh4uYq_kxd_PFQLd9LaVcUFiD0HSjifim3Mow

Monday, April 22, 2019

New Science Finds Magnesium Safer, More Affordable, And More Effective Than Depression Drugs



Depression is one of the most common mental disorders worldwide. The WHO estimates that there are more than 300 million people from all ages who suffer from depression worldwide. In fact, they cite depression as a leading cause of disability and as one of the major contributors to the global burden of disease. Because of the stigma of depression, many cases remain unreported with people affected by it leading very poor-quality lives; worst case scenario, depression can lead to suicide. WHO reports that close to 800,000 people commit suicide each year. [1]

Overview Of Depression

There are different types of depression and treatment varies for each. The National Institute of Mental Health focuses on the following types: [2]

1. Persistent Depressive Disorder

Also called dysthymia, persistent depressive disorder is characterized by a depressed mood lasting two years. A person can display major depressive symptoms followed by periods with less severe symptoms during the two-year period.

2. Perinatal Depression

New mothers can often brush this off as “baby blues” but perinatal depression can be a very serious disorder. Women diagnosed with perinatal depression display symptoms of major depressive disorder during pregnancy or after delivery, the latter called postpartum depression. This greatly affects both the health of the mother and her child.

3. Psychotic Depression

People affected by psychotic depression manifest with major depressive symptoms along with symptoms of psychosis, like having delusions (false beliefs) and hallucinations (auditory, visual, or otherwise). The “themes” of these psychotic symptoms usually focus on guilt, poverty, or illness.

4. Seasonal Affective Disorder

SAD is characterized by the shifting of the seasons to winter, where the lack of natural sunlight can cause depression. This type of depression typically manifests with social isolation, increased sleep, and weight gain.

5. Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is different from depression but manifests as periods of “low” or depressive states followed by “high” or euphoric states, also termed “mania”. There are different kinds of bipolar disorders as well, depending on the severity of the depressive or manic stage.

Managing Depression With Magnesium

One of the biggest hurdles to overcome when managing depression is compliance to medications. A 2012 publication in the journal Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience focused on adherence to antidepressant medication. According to Sansone and Sansone, contemporary data in the past ten years revealed that half or 50 percent of psychiatric patients and primary care patients are noncompliant with their medications, discontinuing their therapy because of “side effects, fear of addiction” and lack of faith in the effectiveness of their regimen. [3]

However, a recent study published in mid-2017 by Tarleton, et. al. found that magnesium was an effective treatment modality for mild to moderate depression in adults — without the side effects of traditional treatment with antidepressants. [4]

Over the course of six weeks, the study involved two groups — a control group and an interventional group. The interventional or experimental group received six weeks of active treatment with 248 mg of elemental magnesium per day – this was divided into four 500 mg tablets of magnesium chloride per day. Depression symptoms were assessed twice a week to monitor any changes. The primary outcome of the study was to note the difference in depression symptoms compared to the baseline prior to the start of treatment. Secondary outcomes focused on changes in symptoms related to anxiety, adherence to the magnesium supplement regimen, adverse effects to magnesium supplementation, and intent to continue magnesium supplementation after the study.

After the six-week study, there was significant improvement of depressive symptoms in the interventional group, as well as improvement in anxiety symptoms. The adherence to the regimen was 83% in terms of pill count. The regimen was well tolerated, with 61 percent of participants reporting that they would continue the magnesium supplementation after the study. In fact, the study records improvement of symptoms as early as two weeks into the magnesium regimen.

Overall, the study concluded that magnesium could be a “fast, safe, and easily accessible alternative” to traditional antidepressant medications. Not only would this natural method answer the concerns regarding adverse effects, it could also improve the adherence of patients to treatment — a win-win situation in a battle that is one of the hardest to fight in healthcare.

Important Note – not all magnesium supplements are the same, as magnesium can come in several forms. Some have greater benefits and less drawbacks than others. See our report on which are the best and which are the worst forms of magnesium supplement to take.

Further Reading:

This Is Why Magnesium Is The Most Powerful Relaxation Mineral Known To Man

Important Facts About Magnesium And Your Health

Magnesium – The Missing Link To Better Health

How To Make Your Own Magnesium Oil To Improve Sleep And Reduce Stress

References:

[1] World Health Organization. Depression. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs369/en/
[2] National Institute of Mental Health. Depression. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml
[3] Sansone, R. & Sansone, R. (2012). Antidepressant Adherence. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3398686/
[4] Tarleton, E., et. al. (2017). Role of magnesium supplementation in the treatment of depression: A randomized clinical trial. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0180067

http://www.herbs-info.com/blog/new-science-finds-magnesium-safer-more-affordable-and-more-effective-than-depression-drugs/?i=a&fbclid=IwAR2vPvFAJUIHFCybOn2UfO5rcnx3L3C9IQx3ott0RExmlat51wayNjY-uqo

Is Vitamin B17 The Greatest Cover-Up In The History Of Cancer?


We live in a society constantly making great strides in the medical and scientific arenas, but our greatest enemy – Cancer – still seems to have us on the ropes.

Modern cancer treatments often have terrible side effects and can even sometimes be fatal to the patient. Yet there’s an interesting natural remedy for cancer that has been all but forgotten… or possibly even, hushed up?

It’s found in apricot kernels.

The natural treatment I’m talking about is Vitamin B17.

This vitamin isn’t quite what you think. In fact, despite the name, it’s not even a vitamin: it has several other names like laetrile, amygdalin, purasin, and laevorotatory. It has two main components, which are glucose and hydrogen cyanide.

Yes, cyanide. But fear not: The amounts in laetrile are minuscule, and research suggests it would take about 65 apricot seeds in a day –on the low end– to become fatal.

What can it do to you, then? Numerous people have claimed that it may help eliminate cancer cells. The proposed mechanism of action is that the glucose enters the cancerous cells, and the cyanide and benzaldehyde (another component) work together to kill the cell.

Now allowing cyanide into our bodies doesn’t tend to sit well with most people, but weighing the options makes exactly what’s being done clearer. Cancer frequently kills and is toxic to you too. It’s being claimed that this notably less toxic substance can destroy it, and has very few fatal cases.

The Cover-Up:

There’s a reason there isn’t much published research on the effects of using laetrile/B17 to battle cancer, and it’s rather convoluted.

There have been alternative cancer doctors prescribing the usage of laetrile for a while, but as a cancer treatment it was banned by the FDA. And here’s where the accusations start to fly.

Some have stated that this treatment was deliberately suppressed because it would destroy profits. Why would they support a treatment that wouldn’t be “patentable”? It wouldn’t make economic sense.

When John A. Richardson M.D. and other doctors were caught illegally treating their patients with laetrile, their results were downplayed against traditional cancer battling methods. However their research was published in the book Laetrile Case Histories: The Richardson Cancer Clinic Experience (Amazon link).

When one of Sloan-Kettering’s reporters tried to publish untampered effects of B17, he was quickly fired, even though he was a top reporter.

Accusations of foul play aren’t uncommon in the world of cancer politics. Corporations are known to be in it for the money. Sweeping important information under the rug is too commonplace, leaving research undone and people unsafe.

A further book that covers this topic in great depth is World Without Cancer; The Story of Vitamin B17 (Amazon link – worth checking out).

What You Can Do:

Now we cannot actually recommend B17 as a medicine, officially, because our place as an informational website is not to make medicinal recommendations. We don’t do that. Full stop. We provide free information about alternatives and inform people about different choices and various research that has been done. But we never, ever tell people to go against the advice of their doctor or to just try their luck with something “because we said so”. We do not make medicinal claims or prescriptions; we just report on the claims and researches that others have made.

Interestingly however, it is possible to purchase apricot seeds on Amazon and what’s really interesting is reading the reviews. Now you can make of these what you will – but there are numerous people in that Amazon review section claiming that these seeds are giving them all kinds of health benefits!

One lady wrote (get this):

“I ordered these seeds two months ago, and this is what has happened with my husband ~ toenail fungus, gone! Indigestion, gone! Prostate issues, resolved! Weight loss, 15 pounds.

I have lost 5 pounds and feel more energized. Yes, they are bitter… [but]… unless you are a real weenie, you should have no problems chewing these up. I eat them by themselves, or sometimes with a piece of dark chocolate… I am now eating 8 a day and feel better than ever!”

People are stating that they should be combined with a low sugar diet. If you or someone you know has cancer, the reports we have read are suggesting that laetrile could work in your favor. There may be a lack of scientific proof that amygdalin could help against cancer, but people have taken much more dangerous chances.

Laetrile is generally regarded by the Amazon reviewers as without side effects, so long as only a few seeds are eaten per day. Compare this risk to the notoriously dangerous disease of Cancer, and it’s clear enough that many people are prepared to take what they think is a low risk here.

Could this really be a serious (yet covered-up) aid in the battle against cancer? It’s a fascinating possibility.

While technically it’s illegal to use laetrile as a cancer treatment, the seeds can be legally purchased as a supplement. Buy apricot seeds on Amazon.

Further Reading:

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancers-in-general/treatment/complementary-alternative/therapies/laetrile

http://ispub.com/IJH/9/2/10959

Laetrile Case Histories: The Richardson Cancer Clinic Experience (Amazon)

World Without Cancer; The Story of Vitamin B17 (Amazon)

Doctors Explain How Hiking Can Actually Change Our Brains

This article was originally published by our friends at Collective Evolution

While it may seem obvious that a good hike through a forest or up a mountain can cleanse your mind, body, and soul, science is now discovering that hiking can actually change your brain… for the better!

Hiking In Nature Can Stop Negative, Obsessive Thoughts

Aside from the almost instant feeling of calm and contentment that accompanies time outdoors, hiking in nature can reduce rumination. Many of us often find ourselves consumed by negative thoughts, which takes us out of the enjoyment of the moment at best and leads us down a path to depression and anxiety at worst. But a recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that spending time in nature decreases these obsessive, negative thoughts by a significant margin.
To conduct this study, researchers compared the reported rumination of participants who hiked through either an urban or a natural environment. They found those who walked for 90 minutes in a natural environment reported lower levels of rumination and they also had reduced neural activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain related to mental illness. Those who walked through the urban environment, however, did not report decreased rumination.
The researchers noted that increased urbanization closely correlates with increased instances of depression and other mental illness. Taking the time to regularly remove ourselves from urban settings and spend more time in nature can greatly benefit our psychological (and physical) well-being.

Hiking While Disconnected From Technology Boosts Creative Problem Solving

study conducted by psychologists Ruth Ann Atchley and David L. Strayer found that creative problem solving can be drastically improved by both disconnecting from technology and reconnecting with nature. Participants in this study went backpacking through nature for about 4 days, during which time they were not allowed to use any technology whatsoever. They were asked to perform tasks which required creative thinking and complex problem solving, and researchers found that performance on problem solving tasks improved by 50% for those who took part in this tech-free hiking excursion.
The researchers of this study noted that both technology and urban noise are incredibly disruptive, constantly demanding our attention and preventing us from focusing, all of which can be taxing to our cognitive functions. A nice long hike, sans technology, can reduce mental fatigue, soothe the mind, and boost creative thinking.

Hiking Outdoors Can Improve ADHD In Children

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is becoming more and more common among children. Children who have ADHD have a difficult time with impulse control and staying focused, they get distracted easily, and exhibit excessive hyperactivity.
While raising children who have ADHD can be difficult for parents, the usual solution — opting for prescription medication — may be doing more harm than good, particularly when natural solutions can work just as well. A study conducted by Frances E Kup, PhD, and Andrea Faber Taylor, PhD, found that exposing children with ADHD to “green outdoor activities” reduces symptoms significantly. The results of this study suggest nature exposure can benefit anyone who has a difficult time paying attention and/or exhibits impulsive behavior.

Hiking In Nature Is Great Exercise And Therefore Boosts Brainpower

We already know that exercising is fantastic for our overall well-being. Hiking is an excellent way to burn between 400 – 700 calories per hour, depending on your size and the hike difficulty, and it is easier on the joints than other activities like running. It has also been proven that people who exercise outside are more likely to keep at it and stick to their programs, making hiking an excellent choice for those wishing to become more active on a regular basis.
Researchers from the University of British Columbia found that aerobic exercise increases hippocampal volume — the part of the brain associated with spatial and episodic memory — in women over the age of 70. Such exercise not only improves memory loss, but helps prevent it as well. Researchers also found that it can also reduce stress and anxiety, boost self esteem, and release endorphins. Many people take medication to solve each and every one of these issues, but the solution to these ills may be a lot simpler than you think!

How Can You Begin To Start Hiking?

Luckily, hiking is one of the easiest and least expensive sports to get involved in, and it can have great benefits for the whole family, including grandma! Start out small and test your abilities. Do what works for you — if that means just walking through trails in a park, that’s fine. Any exercise outdoors is better than none. You can easily find maps of trails around your home online, and there are plenty of smartphone apps to map them out, too. I recommend turning off your signal and your phone while hiking though, so you can reap the most benefits of the hike (though it may be wise to at least carry it with you in case of emergency).
Make sure you have some good sturdy hiking shoes, a hat, and a water bottle, and be sure to layer your clothing so you can take things on or off easily as you warm up and cool down. You may want to consider using trekking poles as well, which can increase your speed and take some of the pressure off your knees. Now, can you just do one thing for me?
Go take a hike!

https://wisemindhealthybody.com/collective-evolution/doctors-explain-hiking-can-actually-change-brains/?c=aan&utm_term=aan&fbclid=IwAR2NsS8jwQTHnQygBnBz5JBRqFXByvFMTHYvalumPabvw0NM5zlAGWW7ES0

Sunday, April 21, 2019

A 23-Year-Old Woman Was Partially Paralyzed After Cracking Her Neck The Wrong Way

Korin Miller 
Women's Health April 15, 2019

  • Natalie Kunicki, a paramedic in London, suffered a stroke after cracking her neck while stretching.
  • Kunicki, 23, put off calling the paramedics because she didn't want her colleagues to think she was "tipsy."
  • Kunicki ended up rupturing her vertebral artery, a major artery in the neck, which led to the stroke.
Cracking your neck seems pretty harmless-but for one U.K. woman, it caused a stroke that left her partially paralyzed.
Natalie Kunicki, who works as a paramedic for London Ambulance Service, was watching movies in bed with a friend after a night out on March 4, when she stretched her neck and heard a loud cracking sound, according to the Daily Mail.
At first, the 23-year-old didn’t think much of the noise, but when she got up to use the bathroom 15 minutes later, she collapsed and wasn't able to move her leg. "My friend had to come and pick me up," she said. "He thought I was drunk but I knew something else was wrong,” she said. (At first, Kunicki thought she had been drugged.)
Kunicki put off calling 999 (Britain’s version of 911) for 10 minutes because she didn’t want her coworkers to show up and find her "tipsy." "I thought it was too unlikely it would be a stroke when I should have known much better," she said. Kunicki tried to fall asleep but eventually decided to call for help.
She was taken to the hospital in an ambulance and realized something was seriously wrong en route: her coordination was off and her heart rate and blood pressure were “sky high.”
Doctors eventually discovered that she had burst her vertebral artery, a major artery in her neck. That rupture caused a blood clot to form in her brain, which then triggered a stroke, per the Daily Mail. "The doctors told me later that just that stretching of my neck had caused my vertebral artery to rupture," she said. "It was just spontaneous and there's a one in a million chance of it happening."
Kunicki immediately underwent surgery, which lasted three hours, and while doctors were able to repair her artery, they couldn't clear the clot in her brain (though they say it will dissolve in time).
The stroke left Kunicki's left side almost completely paralyzed, per the Daily Mail. "At the start, I couldn't move my thumb and forefinger," she said. "I could kind of move my wrist up and down. I couldn't lift my arm. I could bend my left leg but I couldn't wiggle my toes."
Kunicki's slowly getting her mobility back and she can walk, but not for more than five minutes. Her doctors aren’t sure if and when she’ll ever make a full recovery. “I'm really clumsy. I can't do up buttons, I find it too difficult. I can feel hot and cold now but I still feel a bit numb,” she said. “People need to know that even if you're young something this simple can cause a stroke. I wasn't even trying to crack my neck. I just moved and it happened.”
To help Natalie with her medical bills, visit her GoFundMe page made by her family.

https://ph.news.yahoo.com/lifestyle/23-old-woman-partially-paralyzed-193100971.html?fbclid=IwAR0QATgOiNdHzm22dRrwP6zRO56i3ttHQr0CoMIINx73DaspaMogZ37bKCg

How sunscreen could be causing cancer, not the sun

Saturday, April 20, 2019

Scientists have discovered a way to destroy cancer tumors using nothing but sound waves


This article was originally published by our friends at NaturalNews




A recent breakthrough in high-intensity focused ultrasound therapy (HIFU) technology has proven its use as an effective cancer treatment. A multi-institutional research team from China developed a semi-enclosed, spherical cavity transducer that can produce a focused, standing-wave field with a subwavelength-scale focal region and extremely high ultrasound intensity.
The spherical cavity transducer appeared to generate tighter focal regions and greater pressure amplitude compared with the traditional concave spherical transducer. Researchers said the level of intensity generated by the new transducer design may lead to significant improvements in HIFU therapy. The findings were published in the Journal of Applied Physics.

Non-invasive targeted treatment

HIFU is a non-invasive, targeted treatment that makes use of sound waves to eradicate cancer cells. HIFU uses an ultrasonic transducer to convert electrical signals into sound waves, then concentrates ultrasound into a small focal region to raise the temperature to more than 65 decrees Celsius, thereby killing cancer cells in the process without inducing damage to surrounding tissues. The technique works in the same manner as focusing sunlight through a lens, which helps eliminate the disease-causing cells.
HIFU can be used as an alternative to traditional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and surgery.

Sound waves prove to be viable cancer treatment in various studies

High-intensity focused ultrasound therapy proved to be a highly-effective cancer treatment in various studies and clinical trials.
For instance, researchers at the University College Hospital in London examined 625 men with prostate cancer and found that 93 percent of patients who underwent HIFU alone remained cancer-free at five years following the treatment, without requiring surgery or radiotherapy. Data also showed that only one to two percent of patients who had HIFU treatment suffered long-term urinary incontinence, compared with 10 to 20 percent of patients who had surgery. In addition, only 15 percent of patients in the HIFU group developed erectile dysfunction compared with 30 to 60 percent of surgical patients.
“The results of this study are impressive and have the potential to transform prostate cancer treatment for many men in the future. It is extremely exciting technology and these results show that in men diagnosed early by prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood testing, this targeted therapy could be as effective as surgery to remove the whole prostate gland or radiotherapy and cause far fewer side effects,” said study co-author Tim Dudderidge.
The findings were presented at an annual meeting of the European Association of Urology in Munich, Germany.
A British clinical trial funded by the Medical Research Council has also found that 95 percent of patients who underwent HIFU therapy for prostate cancer remained cancer-free at 12 months after the treatment. The researchers also found that none of the respondents suffered urinary incontinence during the follow-up period.

Another sound wave innovation to watch out for

Researchers at the University of Alberta in Canada have developed a new technique that uses focused sound waves to activate minute particles known as nanodroplets. According to the researchers, the new technique was as accurate as using needles in biopsy.
“With a little bit of ultrasound energy, nanodroplets phase-change into microbubbles. That’s important because ultrasound can really oscillate these microbubbles. The microbubbles absorb of the ultrasound energy and then act like boxing gloves to punch the tumor cells and knock little vesicles off. That led us to detect some genes that were indicative of the aggressiveness of the tumour. That’s potentially very powerful. You can get a genetic characterization of the tumour, but do it relatively non-invasively,”said engineering professor Roger Zemp.
The findings were published in the journal Cancer Research. 
https://wisemindhealthybody.com/naturalnews/scientists-discovered-way-destroy-cancer-tumors-using-sound-waves/?c=aan&utm_term=aan&fbclid=IwAR0ZUz2Xo9GyvjyGS5EBuaLnuhiBN3P_qPGGdY-H-Tw8wri3s3VA1kI3VHA