The Significance of Acupuncture on Infertility

For centuries that have passed, this art and often considered as health practice called acupuncture has been a common practice in Asian countries. This defines the magnificence as well as complexity of pinning fine needles in various vital points of the body for different purposes like relieving pain and treats some health ailments. The basic effect of acupuncture on infertility is to regulate the person’s blood pressure by proper stimulation of the central nervous system. It greatly encourages the production and release of endorphins that play a vital part of inhibiting the pain and neurohormones and neurotransmitters in making the body heal on its own.

Acupuncture on infertility is also considered as one of the effective treatments on different infertility concerns specifically imbalances on hormones. The levels of hormones are leveled accordingly through increasing blood flow on different vital organs as it regulates the body system. Moreover it also helps enhance the vital functions of the ovaries as well as follicles. The endometrium is generally responsible for thickening the uterus lining which benefits from acupuncture because of increased blood flow. A particular infertility treatment like IVF or In Vitro Fertilization is also greatly aided in elevating its success rate. In fact, a number of specialists now offer acupuncture as an element that’s part of IVF treatment. This becomes more noticeable on the improvements made in the process of transferring the embryo that leads to more success in pregnancy. Another particular concern in infertility that can be treated with acupuncture as well is that of having spasmed tubes. It’s done by making these spasmed tubes into de-spasmed ones. Moreover, there are also many other infertility issues that can be effectively cured by acupuncture like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, increased follicle stimulating hormone, repeated miscarriage, idiopathic infertility, luteal phase defect, hyperprolactinemia, and also sperm DNA fragmentation.

The body has the capacity to heal itself naturally and acupuncture also enhances this ability. In this case, the more you undergo acupuncture, the healthier it is. In the case of women who are about to take IVF treatments or donor egg transfer, they are often treated with acupuncture for three to four months before going through the said processes. Acupuncture is recommended for women before and after they undergo embryo transfer. This is for the purpose of enhancing the the therapeutic effect as well as the different infertility cures. Basically, fertility treatments are often stressful for the involved person. And what is considered the best remedy for this is acupuncture. Because of the fact that acupuncture has many ways to add in the treatment of infertility, it is advisable for couples who suffer from this kind of concern to give every possible option a shot.

Acupuncture also has accompanied risks but is very minimal. Nevertheless, miscarriage can take place as acupuncture is not done properly on a pregnant woman. This makes it important to make sure that acupuncture is only done by a certified acupuncturist who is very well capable and specializes in the said therapy. Electro-acupuncture which is considered a more advanced type is used to prevent pain during labor. Hospitalization needs can be significantly reduced which prevents a person to spend much.

Above everything, recent studies have disclosed that the right blend of herbal medicine, acupuncture, and traditional medical help serve as the right formula for infertility treatment. In many cases, acupuncture and herbal medicines are considered to be more effective with the help of traditional medical treatments.

How Probiotic Barley Can Improve Your Health

In order to be fully healthy you need to pay attention to your digestive system and that means paying attention to your diet. As very few of us — and I certainly include myself here — have a perfect diet all, or even some, of the time then helping your body with a course of probiotics can make a huge difference to your health.

There are certainly plenty of varieties of probiotics available from pills, powders and capsules to flavoured drinks and most of these contain freeze dried bacteria. Unfortunately, this process deactivates the bacteria and can damage or kill many of these delicate microorganisms. When looking for probiotic supplements always go for a live version and one I have just tried is Symprove which contains four varieties of live, activated probiotic bacteria.

It comes from barley and you drink it on an empty stomach and of course is free from lactose, artificial sweeteners colours or flavours so is a good supplement for those who are lactose intolerant or have allergies. To be honest, I didn’t find the taste particularly pleasant and is slightly sharp so I downed mine in fruit juice which helped with the taste. Because the probiotic bacteria are active in the drink they go to work within 20 minutes (unlike freeze-dried products which can take several hours to start multiplying) and its liquid form means it does not trigger the same release of stomach acid as other products do as you digest them. Each small serving gives you over 10 billion live, activated probiotic bacteria which will help to rebalance your digestive system, which is the foundation of good health.

Personally, I always take probiotics before and during any period away from home where a strange environment, and exposure to a greater number of health hazards, can make you more predisposed to illness such as when you are away on holiday. People have also reported that probiotics are very helpful for those who suffer from IBS, IBD, and other gastrointestinal conditions. If you want to know more, or where to buy Symprove, visit their website at www.symprove.com

Weight Loss and Help For Diabetes – the Fibre Solution

Simply increasing the amount of fermentable carbohydrates found in foods such as asparagus, garlic, chicory and Jerusalem artichokes could be used to aid weight loss and prevent Type 2 diabetes according to new research currently being funded by leading health charity Diabetes UK.

Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 per cent of all those diagnosed with diabetes and, if left untreated, can lead to serious health complications including heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and amputation. It’s also estimated that there are up to half a million people with undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes in the UK, which can remain undetected for 10 years or more. This means that around half of the population who are diagnosed and begin treatment for Type 2 diabetes may already have diabetes-related complications.

Sustained weight loss can delay and even prevent Type 2 diabetes and research in recent years has suggested that certain foods are particularly good at stabilizing blood glucose levels. Fermentable carbohydrates are one such example and, unlike most of our dietary carbohydrates, are fermented by bacteria in the colon rather than absorbed in the small intestine. As a result these carbohydrates cause the release of gut hormones that could reduce appetite and enhance insulin sensitivity, which could lead to improved blood glucose control and weight loss.

The research is being carried out by the Nutrition and Research Group at Imperial College, London, where dietitian Nicola Guess has been awarded a three-year Fellowship to investigate the role fermentable carbohydrates could play in Type 2 diabetes prevention. The carbohydrate will be given to participants as a daily supplement during three periods of investigation, each examining different mechanisms involved in the prevention of Type 2 diabetes.

Risk Factors for Type 2 diabetes

The risk factors for Type 2 diabetes include being overweight, more than 40 years old, being of Black or South Asian origin and having a family history of the condition. It is also increasingly becoming more common in children, adolescents and young people of all ethnicities. There is also a more specific risk for women who contract diabetes as adults as research has shown that they are more vulnerable to both ovarian and bowel cancer.

If any of those risk factors apply to you, then some simple dietary adjustments could make all the difference and if you would like more help with diabetes information the Diabetes UK Careline (0845 120 2960) offers information and support on any aspect of managing the condition. The line is a low cost number and opens Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm or visit www.diabetes.org.uk

Well Cooked Meat Can Raise Cancer Risk By Up T0 500%

As we are probably in the last few weeks of the barbecue season I hope this warning doesn’t come too late. If your answer to the question ‘how do you like your steak?’ is to say ‘extremely well done’ then for your health’s sake you might want to turn down the heat a little. The link between charring meat by frying, barbecuing or otherwise heavily cooking it and cancer has been made before but a new study from the University of Texas has just confirmed it.

Researchers there have found that people who eat well-done meat double their risk of developing bladder cancer when compared to people who eat meat on the rarer end of the spectrum. The reason? This type of cooking can lead to the formation of cancer-causing chemicals in the meat, due primarily to the heterocyclic amines (HCAs) that form when meat is cooked at very high heat.

There are three different HCA chemicals formed during high-heat cooking that, collectively, raise your cancer risk by more than 250 percent. And that astonishing figure is just for the average person; if you are already genetically predisposed to developing cancer then the risk is nearly doubled to almost 500 percent.

As I said, the link between cancer and very well cooked meat has already been made and the U.S. National Cancer Institute has identified a total of 17 different HCAs. Prior research has already established that these chemicals, which are produced when meat is charred, increase pancreatic cancer risk but now it appears that they contribute to bladder cancer as well.

The good news is that the study team made very clear in its report that meat itself is not necessarily the culprit in increasing cancer risk, but rather the intense cooking methods by which it is prepared. If you are patting yourself on the back because you don’t eat red meat I regret to inform you that chicken, pork and even fish cooked heavily may also form cancer-causing HCAs. This is a blow to me as one of my favourite meals is to marinade and then dry fry salmon steaks in a redhot nonstick pan until the surface is crispy — ah well, another favourite food hits ‘the occasional treats’ list!

So if you are addicted to the barbecue or grill then the best advice is to keep meat away from direct flames as this will help to reduce the development of HCAs and lower the risk of developing cancer.

Walking For Health – and Holidays!

As my regular readers know, I am all in favour of exercise provided it is enjoyable! So although you will never find me working out in a gym I do appreciate walking in a number of environments. The health benefits of walking are well-known and indeed I couldn’t put it better than this quote: “Walking is by far the best prescription for the 21st century”, says Professor Sir Muir Gray, Chief Knowledge Officer of the NHS and Director of the National Campaign for Walking.

New statistics released by online service NHS MidLifeCheck reveal that 49 is the age when men are most likely to start taking stock of their diet and lifestyle and the results certainly indicate that as well is taking stock they need to take immediate action as these statistics show:..

• 63% of men are overweight with 21% considered to be obese.

• 31% did just 0-30 minutes of brisk physical activity in the previous week.

• 29% admit their emotional (mental) wellbeing is poor, with varying combinations of depression, high stress levels and pessimism.

• The average man is over 2 stone overweight and carries around a whopping 37-inch waist.

Just in case you’re feeling smug ladies it seems that we also need to be paying more attention to our health as a recent piece of research in Occupational and Environmental Medicine suggests that heart disease amongst women is also rising and walking is an excellent cardiovascular workout which in turn, burns fat.. Walking of course has far more benefits than just helping us lose weight and lower blood pressure because if performed in green, open spaces – rather than on a treadmill at the gym — it is clinically known to reduce stress, alleviate muscle tension and significantly improve mood and self-esteem.

If you want to combine those benefits with a holiday that takes place in a peaceful environment with stunning scenery then you might want to investigate Upland Escapes who offer several different locations (including France, Italy, Austria and Gran Canaria) to give the you exactly that. They are an award-winning company (Best in a Mountain Environment – Winner – Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2009) whose stated aim is to help you rejuvenate body and mind by offering walks to make your soul sing and who wouldn’t want that!

On an Upland Escapes walking holiday, there are no fixed itineraries and no timetables, so you can design your own day and go at the pace that suits you best. In each Upland destination there are a variety of activities on offer, such as horse-back riding, mountain biking and canoeing, which provide variety for those seeking more physical exercise and are ideal for families. Another bonus — at least for me — is the fact that they also provides nutritious and delicious deli-style packed lunches, full of healthy, organic local ingredients, chosen to compliment the season, so that your goal to eat more healthily can be worked towards, even on holiday.

If you can’t spare a week – or don’t fancy putting yourself at the mercy of the airlines — then they also offer one day walking experiences in England. For more information visit www.uplandescapes.com or call 01367 851 111

The Toothbrush That Doesn’t Need Toothpaste – or Water!

Wanting to brush your teeth after every meal and being in a position to do so are not always the same thing. If you are one of those people who manages to carry both toothbrush and toothpaste with them you are more organised than I am so I was intrigued when I came across a toothbrush that cleans teeth without the aid of paste or even water.

The publicity for the hyG toothbrush recommends it for those going camping or to festivals – two areas where you are very unlikely to find me – but I do appreciate the benefit of being able to brush not just after a meal but to erase the traces of that mid-morning coffee and almond croissant.

It works by breaking the strong attraction that exists between teeth and plaque. It does this by reversing the polarity of teeth from negative to positive and since plaque is positively charged it is repelled from the teeth and onto the negatively charged hyG toothbrush.

So how does it do that is exactly? Apparently, all you need to do is wet your thumb and make sure it is in contact with the metal plate on the toothbrush’s handle to create the necessary electronic charge. Even when used without toothpaste or water, the hyG toothbrush has been shown to be up to 48% more effective at removing plaque than normal brushing – which puts its certainly ahead on most daily routines. I have tried it out myself on a recent trip and given that it is considerably lighter than my electric toothbrush — and needs no recharging — it was certainly just as effective and a plus on the packing side.

If you want to get one for yourself you should be able to find one in your local Waitrose store, health food shops, or your dentists. It is also available online from www.pharmacy2U.co.uk

Vitamin C Supplementation Helps Slow Growth of Cancer Cells

If there are two people who got a wholly unjustified bad press from the medical profession then for my money Linus Pauling runs Dr John Lee a close second. Over fifty years ago Linus Pauling began his pioneering research into how vitamin C impacts health and his findings have been debated and challenged ever since. Pauling, who died in 1994, was an American chemist, peace activist, author, and educator and winner of two Nobel prizes. He was also one of the most influential figures in putting nutrition and supplementation to the forefront of the health debate.

He was revered in his lifetime by those who saw the benefits of his work on vitamin C, although he was always controversial. His best known quote on cancer research for example certainly made him plenty of enemies when he said “Everyone should know that most cancer research is largely a fraud, and that the major cancer research organizations are derelict in their duties to the people who support them.” Now, almost 25 years after his death, a new study not only confirms his contention that vitamin C has remarkable healing and protective benefits but has discovered how vitamin C may slow down the growth of cancer cells. Margreet Vissers is associate professor at the University of Otago’s Free Radical Research Group in New Zealand and the results of the study she headed has just been published in the journal Cancer Research. The problem with vitamin C, as with so many other ‘alternative’ treatments is that despite the many anecdotal accounts claiming vitamin C can help in both the prevention and treatment of cancer it has not been clinically proved to the medical establishments satisfaction.

In earlier studies conducted by Dr. Vissers, she demonstrated the vitamin’s importance in keeping cells healthy and results indicated that vitamin C might be able to limit diseases such as cancer as that involve cells that have unregulated growth.

Her research team decided to investigate whether vitamin C levels were lower in patients with endometrial tumors and also looked to see whether these low vitamin C levels correlated with the aggressiveness of a malignancy and the resistance of a tumor to medical therapy.

The results were impressive. Tumors were less able to accumulate vitamin C when compared with normal healthy tissue and a lack of vitamin C allowed tumors to survive and grow more easily. Tumors with low vitamin C levels were found to contain more of a protein dubbed HIF-1 which helps cancer thrive and spread, even under conditions of stress. The findings are important because they provide evidence for the first time of a relationship between HIF-1 and levels of vitamin C levels in cancerous tumours.

What is even more important, in my view, is this completely vindicates Linus Pauling as the research shows that treating cancer patients with adequate amounts of vitamin C might well reduce HIF-1, help limit the rate of tumor growth and increase the responsiveness to tumors to therapy. Dr. Vissers went even further in stating her belief that Vitamin C might even prevent the formation of solid tumors in the first place, and that is the best argument I know for ensuring adequate amounts in your diet and personally I supplement daily for its protective role in heart disease, as well as possible cancer prevention.

How To Reduce Winter Flu by 50%

Given that we seem at the moment, and perhaps for the foreseeable future, to be experiencing any combination of the four seasons in one day I thought it would be useful to give you a heads up on avoiding Winter flu the natural way. Before you head off to the doctor for your antique flu jab you might like to know that recent research has proven that a vitamin D supplement is more effective at reducing the risk of flu infection than vaccines or antiviral drugs.

The study was conducted by researchers from Jikei University School of Medicine in Tokyo and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition based on a double-blind, randomized study on 354 children between the ages of six and 15 during the winter of 2008-2009. Half the children were assigned to take a daily supplement of 1,200 IU of vitamin D, while the other half were given a placebo pill.

After one month, influenza infection rates in the two groups remained the same, but by the second month those who had been given vitamin D were 50 percent less likely to become infected than participants in the control group and this drop in infection rate corresponded with an increase in their vitamin D blood levels.

In contrast, antiviral drugs such as oseltamivir and zanamivir reduced rates of infection by only 8 percent. Even vaccines had success rates significantly lower than the 50 percent achieved by vitamin D.

When the analysis excluded children who were being given vitamin D supplements at home, the results were even better and supplementation was found to reduce the risk of infection by a staggering 67 percent.

Because vitamin D is an essential nutrient, it normally has no side-effects if taken in normal doses but at very high doses can raise calcium levels in the blood.  Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin which plays an important role in having a well-regulated immune system, and an overall lower risk of infection, heart disease, cancer and autoimmune disorders.

Before supplementing you should check with your doctor if you are taking any over-the-counter items such as magnesium-containing antacids or mineral oil or prescription medication particularly barbiturates, digoxin, phenytoin, verapamil D. Do not start or stop any medicine without doctor or pharmacist approval.

The best way to get good Vitamin D levels is to have safe and limited exposure to the sun as that is how it is naturally synthesized by the body. Using very high factor sunscreen and more limited sunlight in winter can play a part in the majority of people in the UK being deficient so if you want to add extra, without supplements, then oily fish and eggs are two of the best sources. Personally, I also always start taking Echinacea tincture in September in order to boost my immune system in preparation for the winter.

How The Mind Can Heal

We are all familiar with the phrase “mind over matter” but how much do we really believe it? I am certainly a great believer in the power of the mind to help us accomplish many things and healing is certainly one of them. Now a new study published in the journal Diabetologia has found that your mental state affects your ability to heal from an illness that this is certainly not a new concept and is much used particularly in the area of cancer treatment at places like the Bristol clinic.

This particular study by Professor Kavita Vedhara, a professor at the University of Nottingham’s Institute of Work, Health and Organizations, focused on people with diabetes. With this condition it is quite common to develop foot or leg ulcers, (roughly 15 percent of diabetes patients), and many of them experience a much lower quality of life than other patients because they end up falling into depression and this can stall proper healing. Using this as the base, the study evaluated diabetes patients on all levels of the depression spectrum and found that those with the worst depression were the least likely to heal quickly from their foot ulcers.

Throughout the 24-week monitoring period of the study, patients who took a “confrontational” approach — meaning they desired to take control of the treatment and healing of their ulcers — were less likely than others to have a healed ulcer by the end of the treatment period. The research concluded that individuals with confrontational coping may experience distress and frustration because their attempts to take control do not result in rapid improvements.

I am not sure I agree that desiring to take control of your treatment is confrontational unless that leads directly to depression, but I am certain that having a positive outlook will help healing. We already know from previous research that having a positive outlook on life can increase longevity by 7 1/2 years so it makes perfect sense that approaching illness in the same manner will also impact it.

In this particular area meditation and stress management are the keys to success, even finding some time in the day to sit and relax and listen to music that soothes you be in a positive frame of mind will all help. If you are looking for music that is particularly useful, then I can recommend music used at the Bristol Cancer clinic, and other places, to relax patients and their relatives. Initially performing only in hospices the group was invited to participate in a research project at the Bristol Cancer Help Centre and the results quantify scientifically the remarkable effect of Sulis’ music on the listener.If you visit www.sulismusic.com you can listen to sample tracks and I can particularly recommend the lullaby from the Chameleon album.

Revolutionary Improvement in Stability for All Walking Devices

Of course when I say all walking devices I am excluding legs, but this British invention is a great boon to everything else you might use to help you from zimmer frames to shower stoolls and Nordic Walking Poles. Flexyfoot promises to do for them, and crutches and walking sticks, what Dyson has done for the vacuum cleaner, but sadly without the eliminating of the dust bunnies.

If you have ever used any of these devices you will know that they can have two disadvantages: impact as they strike the floor and a tendency slip on some surfaces. Flexyfoot is designed to replace the old fashioned ferrule (or rubber tip) on these aids as it claims to give 50 per cent more grip on floors and ground surfaces than ferrules, particularly on wet areas, and eases the significant aches and pains associated with constant stress and impact on joints.

If you like to know how it works then Flexyfoot uses suspension technology to provide improved grip and shock absorbency. When the user leans on their aid, small bellows pivot to maximise the surface area of the foot with the ground. This dramatically improves friction and reduces slippage. At the same time the air in the bellows is progressively pressurised to absorb impact and shock that would otherwise be transferred to the user.

Another important feature is its patented air-sprung technology, which means that it bends and can rotate 360 degrees independently, enabling the user to twist and turn to reduce the stress applied to arm and shoulder joints.

The designer, David Goodwin, was motivated to create this because he has a sister with MS, and his 95 year old mother complained to him about the difficulties and discomfort of using their walking sticks, particularly that the rubber feet wore down much too quickly and were difficult to change. Developed over three years, it has been trialled via a pioneering orthopaedic surgery unit and tested to destruction and is designed to perform perfectly at temperatures of -25 degrees Celsius should you happen to live north of the border, or in Scandinavia.

It is simple to fit, even for weaker hands, and has a non-marking, easy-to-clean tread designed to eliminate stones and mud, meaning less mess inside. And when they do finally wear down, replacement feet are screwed on in seconds.

If this sounds like something that would help you, or someone you know, Flexyfoot is available from www.flexyfoot.com, freefone 0800 0285 888 and selected retailers, chemists and mobility shops. It’s not expensive either as the recommended retail price is £12.99, which is a small price to pay such a big improvement in safety and comfort.

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