Detox Side Effects Signs of Positive Results

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Detox Side Effects Signs of Positive Results

When doing any detoxification program, it is important to note some of the known detox side effects involved. A successful program leads to release of toxins, getting rid of harmful bacteria, parasites and candida (yeast overgrowth). All these waste will be entering your body system and needs to be eliminated. Therefore, we will usually experience issues like:

• Headaches
• Fever
• Chills
• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Skin rashes
• Drowsiness and fatigue
• Sleep interruptions
• Thirst
• Loss of appetite
• Increased urination

Some of your known problems becomes adverse and heighten. For example, your sinusitis got a lot worse where the mucus runs down your nose more extensively than before the detox. Or your migraine or fatigue becomes more intense than previously experienced. These detox side effects are what we term as “healing crisis” and they are generally short-term with intensity being highest during the early 1 to 2 weeks period. When the healing crisis tapers off or ends, it does not mean that our detox ends as well.
Your body has begun clearing the toxins and is beginning to rejuvenate, repair, and heal. It is still in its detox mode but with a more effective way of eliminating the waste from our body.
We have to remind ourselves that the number of years of introducing toxins into our body and damaging it can not be easily resolved by a mere short detox period.
It has to be a consistent and gradual effort where we allow our body to run in cycles of elimination during the healing crisis. We should let our body “run in” and restore its healthy state.
Especially during cancer cleansing, our body suffers from bouts of side effects and cycles of more energy. This is because of the chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatments as well as pumping up the body’s immune function to fight against the cancer cells.
Therefore, during the healing crisis we should remember to drink a lot of water and take more rest. This will increase our toxin elimination process and allow body system to activate its necessary repair work.
My personal experience with detox side effects was knocking out within 30 minutes after taking my first multi-vitamins. I slept throughout the night from 10:30pm onwards and woke up the next morning more alert.
This was apparent because I worked every day until 2am and only sleep from 2:30am to 6:45am. The amount of stress I am putting on my body was tremendous. The supplements took its effect by putting my body system into the rest mode that it badly needed for a long time.
This healing crisis dragged on for about 1 week but it got better as time passes. Now I definitely function with a sharper mind and has gotten rid of any lethargic feel during the late afternoons. This boils down to my detox diet and supplements giving my body the necessary repair and is feeding the system with the necessary nutrition to function optimally.
For people who are used to a heavy high glycemic carbohydrate diet or caffeine drinks or smoking or even drinking, then during your detox period you can go into a withdrawal syndrome. So we must be prepared for this type of situation to occur and mentally be ready to overcome this tough period of strong craving.

Pycnogenol® May Keep Sperm from Getting Bent Out of Shape

Pycnogenol® May Keep Sperm from Getting Bent Out of Shape
 
A natural substance obtained from the bark of French maritime pine trees might help shape up men's sperm. That's the finding of a preliminary study recently presented at a medical meeting in San Francisco.

Scott J. Roseff, M.D., and his colleagues at the West Essex Center for Advanced Reproductive Endocrinology in West Orange, N.J., asked four "subfertile" male patients to take daily supplements of Pycnogenol® brand French maritime pine bark extract for three months. The men had relatively high numbers of deformed sperm, as well as low sperm counts and activity, all of which could limit their ability to fertilize a woman's egg.

The idea for the research project began with Dr. Roseff and his colleagues recognizing that antioxidants, such as vitamins E and C, can improve sperm and correct some cases of male infertility. Pycnogenol® is an herb-like complex of natural antioxidants.

After 90 days of supplementation with Pycnogenol®, the percentage of structurally normal sperm -- that is, non-deformed sperm -- increased by an average of 99 percent in the men. Sperm count and activity did not change.

"Basically, the number of deformed sperm went down and the number of normal sperm went up after the men took Pycnogenol® supplements," Dr. Roseff said. "The increase in morphologically (structurally) normal sperm is significant, although this is just a preliminary study. Pycnogenol® could enable some couples to forgo expensive in-vitro fertilization in favor of simpler and less expensive intrauterine insemination," he said.

Dr. Roseff's findings were presented earlier this month at the 54th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine/16th World Congress on Fertility and Sterility, in San Francisco.

Pycnogenol® is an extensively studied natural antioxidant that has been found useful in maintaining the health of blood vessel walls and circulation. It works, at least in part, by quenching hazardous molecules known as free radicals. Free radicals have been shown to damage DNA (genetic material) and cells, contributing to aging and diseases.

Reading, writing, and omega-3s

Friday, May 14, 2010

Reading, writing, and omega-3s

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids improved reading, spelling, and behavior in school children with underdeveloped physical control (motor skills). Children with the condition, known as developmental
coordination disorder (DCD), usually are of average or aboveaverage intelligence, but have clumsy or awkward movements. A child typically learns motor skills in early childhood, starting with “gross” movements, such as controlling the head and keeping balance, and progressing to “fine” movements, such as moving objects from hand to hand and grasping objects between thumb and finger, as in writing. In DCD, children do
not fully control gross or fine movements, and have difficulty learning and adjusting psychologically and socially. The study authors point out that low levels of omega-3 and omega- 6 fatty acids may hinder nerve
development—as in dyslexia—and may contribute to psychiatric disorders such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Because there are no known treatments for DCD, the scientists decided to examine the effects of the omega fatty acids. The researchers gave 117 children with DCD, aged 5 to 12, an omega-3 and omega-6 supplement containing 80% fish oil (558 mg eicosapentaenoic acid and 174 mg docosahexaenoic acid) and 20% evening primrose oil per day, or a placebo. After three months, the children in the placebo group switched over to the omega-3 and omega-6 treatment, and all children continued for another three months. Researchers found that motor skills did not improve, but the omega-3/omega-6 group had significant improvements in reading, spelling, and behavior over three months compared to placebo.
The children in the placebo group had similar improvements after switching to the omega treatment, while the original omega group maintained or increased improvements. The scientists suggest further studies to measure motor skills more effectively, and to confirm the positive findings on behavior and academic progress.

Reference: Pediatrics; 2005, Vol. 115, No. 5,
1360-6.

Vitamin D and cancer

                                                                                    Vitamin D and Cancer

Three new studies from the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego, have strongly linked vitamin D with lower risk for breast, colon, and kidney cancers. In the breast cancer study, researchers analyzed the blood-fluid (serum) levels of vitamin D in 1,760 individuals and found that those
who had the lowest levels of 25- hydroxyvitamin D had the highest rates of breast cancer, and that as the
levels of vitamin D increased, breast cancer rates dropped. Doctors noted that those who take 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day and spend 10 to 15 minute per day in the sun—when the weather permits—will have levels of vitamin D similar to those in the study who were 50 percent less likely to get breast cancer. The
body makes vitamin D3 from the ultraviolet (UVB) rays of the sun. In the colon cancer study, published in the February 2007 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, scientists reviewed findings from five
different studies that took blood samples from healthy volunteer donors, and then followed up for 25
years. Researchers divided 1,448 participants into five equal groups according to the serum levels of
vitamin D and found that those who had 34 nanograms of vitamin D per milliliter of blood (ng/ml) were 50
percent less likely to have colon or rectal (colorectal) cancer than were those with the lowest levels.
In the studies, vitamin D levels ranged from below 13 ng/ml to 52 ng/ml. Doctors projected that those who get a total of 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day from diet, supplements, and sunshine will be 66 percent less likely to get colorectal cancer compared to those with the lowest vitamin D levels. In the kidney cancer study,
published in the International Journal of Cancer, researchers for the first time were able to use data from 175 countries and found that those who live closest to the equator—where sunlight is strongest—have the least kidney (renal) cancer.

Reference: Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology; Feb., 2007, Vol. 103, No. 2.

Taming High Blood Pressure with Diet

Potassium, magnesium, calcium, and olive leaf extract help lower high blood pressure safely and as effectively as drug treatments, reducing risk for heart disease an stroke.

In a diet study, researchers explained that because high blood pressure remains widespread, diet may be a better
approach to lowering blood pressure than drugs. Scientists reviewed the entire medical literature for studies on potassium, magnesium, and calcium and found that these nutrients all help lower high blood pressure. The doctors said that for potassium in particular, there is a consistent body of clinical evidence showing that those with high potassium levels have lower blood pressure. Study authors concluded that Americans
consume too little potassium—about half the amount—and about twice as much salt (sodium) as they should. The U.S. Institute of Medicine and the American Heart Association suggest increasing potassium to 4.7 grams perday, up from the current government recommendation of 3.5 grams of potassium per day. In a blood pressure study, researchers recruited 20 pairs of identical twins, 40 people in all, who each had blood pressure elevated slightly above the upper normal limit of 120/80 mm Hg. Twins from each pair took a different treatment, either 500 mg or 1,000 mg of olive leaf extract per day, or counseling on a healthy lifestyle with no
treatment. After eight weeks, those who had taken the 1,000 mg dose of olive leaf extract had an average 8 percent decrease in systolic blood pressure, meaning the amount of pressure in the arteries when the heart is pumping blood, and a 5 percent decrease in diastolic pressure—when the heart relaxes—compared to the start of the study. Those in the 500 mg olive leaf extract group had about a 4 percent decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and twins who got lifestyle counseling alone saw no significant
difference.

Reference: Journal of Clinical Hypertension; 2008,
Vol. 10, Supplement 7, 3-11

Omega-6 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) decreased body fat and increased lean muscle in two new studies.

Omega-6 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) decreased body fat and increased lean muscle in two new studies.

Omega-6 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) decreased body fat and increased lean muscle in two new studies.
In the body-fat study, researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public
Health, Madison, reviewed 15 double-blind randomized placebocontrolled studies where participants
took a median dose of 3.2 grams of CLA per day for anywhere from six months to two years. Doctors
found that participants lost an average of 0.2 pounds of body fat per week, or 0.8 pounds of body
fat per month, which is approximately 10 pounds of body fat per year. The scientists noted that losing
body fat usually translates to losing more total body weight, which includes fat, muscle, and water, and
concluded that participants who took CLA lost a modest amount of body fat.
In the lean-muscle study, researchers from the Department of Nutrition, Schools of Medicine and Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, recruited 48 obese but otherwise healthy participants, 13
men and 35 women, who took 3.2 grams of CLA per day, 6.4 grams of CLA per day, or a safflower oil
placebo, for 12 weeks. At the end of the study period, those who had taken the 6.4 gram CLA dose had
gained 1.4 pounds more muscle (lean body mass) compared to the start of the study. There were no
significant changes in lean body mass for those who took the 3.2 gram CLA dose or the placebo.
Participants reported no serious side effects, although markers for inflammation in the blood increased but remained within normal limits. Doctors concluded that CLA may increase lean body mass in those who are obese.
Reference: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition:
2007; Vol. 85, No. 5, 1203-11.

Turmeric helps cells resist infection, omega-3s protect against air pollution, and selenium may prevent anemia three new studies reveal.

Turmeric helps cells resist infection, omega-3s protect against air pollution, and selenium may prevent anemia three new studies reveal.
Turmeric helps cells resist infection, omega-3s protect against air pollution, and selenium may prevent anemia
three new studies reveal. Researchers in a lab study discovered how curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, supports cells. Viewing individual cells in solution, scientists saw curcumin molecules insert
themselves into cell membranes, even with very small amounts of curcumin. Once inside the cell membrane,
curcumin molecules appeared to help create a stronger membrane structure. Scientists believe that this molecular restructuring may be how curcumin protects cells from infection. In an omega-3 study, researchers
explained that air pollution, or small particulate matter (PM), in big cities is usually from vehicle exhaust. PM gets into lungs and, over time, may cause lung, heart, and other health problems, particularly in older adults. Doctor thought these health effects might be due to oxidative stress—cell damage—and wanted to see if omega-3s, whichare antioxidant, could protect the lungs. In Mexico City, where PM is high, about 50 residents, average age 77, took fish oil or soy oil. After eight months, antioxidant activity in the omega-3 group increased 49 percent compared to 23 percent for soy oil. Soy oil did not prevent fat oxidation, while omega-3 decreased fat oxidation by 73 percent. Doctors in a selenium study explained that anemia, the most
common blood disorder, often affects older adults. In anemia, there are too
few healthy red blood cells to carry sufficient oxygen from the lungs to the body and carbon dioxide back to the lungs. Researchers measured blood levels whose blood levels of folate were the lowest, those with higher folate levels were 67 percent less likely to have liver cancer.
In a liver damage study, doctors gave about 70 severely alcoholic men the probiotics Bifidobacterium bifidum
and Lactobacillus plantarum or standard vitamin supplements as a placebo, while the men abstained from alcohol. Researchers also compared participants to a group of 24 healthy, non-drinking
men of similar age and found the alcoholic men had higher levels of the liver enzymes that signal alcoholinduced liver damage. After five days, compared to placebo, the probiotics
group had lower levels of liver-damage enzymes, and had restored healthy levelsof probiotics in the gut.

Reference: Phytomedicine; 2009, Vol. 16, No. 5, 391-
400

The Omega 3 Benefits That Could Save Your Life

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The Omega 3 Benefits That Could Save Your Life

There are almost too many omega 3 benefits to mention! More is being discovered every day and despite the well known ones for heart health, the benefits of omega 3 oil can provide so much more. Here are some of them and how to select the best source.

The government and heart charities alike encourage us to take daily omega 3 supplements as it is estimated they are responsible for saving thousands of lives each year.

The omega 3 benefits include the prevention of heart disease, effective treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, greatly improved brain health and mental well-being and a weapon in the fight against cancer.

Recent studies also show that the other benefits of omega 3 oil are halting age related eye disease, treatment of skin disorders like psoriasis and acne as well as boosting the immune system function and helping to reverse the aging process.

The problem is that over 90% of the population is lacking in these essential fatty acids. They are classified as essential because our bodies cannot manufacture them – they must come from what we eat.

Experts agree the best source is from cold water oily fish but as they contain so many toxins today and to get the most omega 3 benefits, the very best source is in fact a quality distilled fish oil supplement.

If you look for one that’s been molecularly distilled, it means all the impurities have been removed leaving only safe and pure oil so you get to enjoy all the benefits of omega 3 oil without the risks.

In addition look for high amounts of DHA, the most important omega 3 fat as most supplements today contain more EPA which is not so useful. Around 250mg of DHA per fish oil capsule or soft gel is the minimum amount you want to get.

If you want to avoid the degenerative diseases that affect so many later in life and maintain excellent health in the present, then the omega 3 benefits will help you achieve it.

If you would like to learn more about the high quality DHA omega 3 supplements I personally take daily, visit my website today.