Ayurvedic herb relieves osteoarthritis

It now seems that an Ayurvedic herb known as the ‘Indian Frankincense’ can dramatically improve the symptoms of the most common form of arthritis — osteoarthritis. No surprise to me as I have found all forms of herbal medicine to be effective, whether English, Chinese or Ayurvedic, but what is amazing is that treatment appears to provide relief within just one week.

I discovered this in the journal Arthritis Research & Therapy where scientists from the University of California at Davis published their research conclusions when they tested an extract dubbed AKBA (3-O-acetyl -11-keto-beta-boswellic acid) from the herb Boswellia serrata on 70 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Boswellia is the gummy resin of the boswellia tree, which is native to India, and used for centuries by Ayurvedic doctors as it contains anti-inflammatory terpenoids called boswellic acids. Boswellia is often included in arthritis remedies, and has been used for thousands of years by Ayurvedic practitioners.

The research subjects were suffering from pain, limited movement, stiffness and other symptoms of osteoarthritis, which most commonly affects weight- bearing joints like knees and hips, as well as the hands, wrists, feet and spine. Symptoms were relieved in about seven days in this study — which is the first to show that an enriched extract of Bowellia serrata be used as a successful treatment in humans. The researchers concluded that its anti-inflammatory properties can be an effective treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee and was shown to have no major adverse effects in osteoarthritis patients and so was safe for human consumption and even for long-term use.

Stem cells created for 10 genetic disorders

It was reported back in November 2007 last year that research teams in Wisconsin and Japan had reprogrammed skin cells, and that the cells had behaved like stem cells in a series of lab tests. This new technique could lead to treatments for diseases including Parkinson’s and more developments keep coming in.

Just last week, Harvard team of scientists said they had reprogrammed skin cells from two elderly patients with ALS, (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) a degenerative motor neuron disease, and grew the reprogrammed skin cells into nerve cells.

Now, scientists at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute in the USA say they have created stems cells for 10 genetic disorders, which will allow researchers to watch the diseases develop in a lab dish and watch what goes right, and wrong. This early step, using a new technique, could help speed up efforts to find treatments for some of the most confounding ailments and was reported online Thursday in the journal Cell.

Dr. George Daley and his colleagues used ordinary skin cells and bone marrow from people with a variety of diseases, including Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and Down syndrome to produce the stem cells. Like the previous research, this technique reprogrammed the cells, giving them the chameleon-like qualities of embryonic stem cells, which can morph into all kinds of tissue, such as heart, nerve and brain. As with embryonic stem cells, the hope is to speed medical research into the degenerative diseases for which there are currently no good treatments and, more importantly, no good animal models for the most part in studying them.

Rose hips & arthritis

I have mentioned the benefits of rosehips before, and now a new study shows that it could be a more effective pain-reliever than standard drugs for people with arthritis, a new study suggests.

A powder form of the wild variety of rosehip, Rosa canina, is better at relieving pain among osteoarthritis patients than paracetamol and the nutritional supplement, glucosamine according to researchers from Frederiksberg Hospital in Copenhagen.

All three therapies were tested on a group of 300 patients, who tested each in turn for three months. Overall, the patients reported that the rosehip preparation was almost three times more effective than paracetamol, and 40 per cent better than glucosamine. Rosehip also didn’t come with the side effects associated with paracetamol, including constipation and drowsiness. The researchers concluded that rosehip is so effective because it also reduces the inflammation in the joints, which is characteristic of osteoarthritis.

If you want to try it, I did a quick Google search and came up with two websites for you to look at – though there are undoubtedly plenty more – and you might also find it in your local health store. These are what I came across: www.dennisthechemist.com and www.JustVitamins.co.uk.

Why low cholesterol is not always a good thing

I know that in the media there is a lot of emphasis placed on the dangers of high cholesterol, however what many people fail to realise is that cholesterol is essential for your health. It’s present in every single cell in your body where it helps to produce cell membranes, hormones, vitamin D and bile acids to help you digest fat.

Cholesterol also helps in the formation of your memories and is vital for neurological function, and now scientists have discovered that there is one specific area where having low levels of one type of cholesterol has been linked to memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease.

Scientists studied more than 3,500 civil servants to investigate how levels of HDL or “good” cholesterol were associated with memory. HDL cholesterol can influence the formation of the beta-amyloid “plaques” that are a distinctive feature in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. Higher levels of HDL are also believed to protect against damage to blood supply caused by the narrowing of the arteries.

After the five-year study period, the researchers found that people with low levels of HDL were 53% more likely to suffer memory loss than people with the highest levels of HDL. Those with impaired memory are at an increased risk of developing dementia later in life, and that is not the only area where low cholesterol levels can cause you health problems.

The Risks of Low Cholesterol

Other risks related to neurological function are depression, suicidal tendencies and may lead to violent behaviour and aggression. Cholesterol levels that are too low can also increase your risk of cancer and Parkinson’s disease so trying to reduce your cholesterol to unreasonably low levels is doing your long-term health no favours.

Why do cholesterol levels rise?

High cholesterol has become such a hot topic that many people don’t realise that it is not a disease in itself. It is actually a perfectly normal response when something has gone wrong and your body needs to make new, healthy cells. Because cholesterol is produced whenever your cells become damaged, it will show as high cholesterol levels, but if you have a lot of damaged cells, you’re also going to have a lot of cholesterol in your bloodstream. This is a good thing, because it means your cells are being repaired.

Instead of just trying to reduce the high cholesterol, it makes more sense to search for what’s causing the damage in the first place, rather than moving straight on to cholesterol-lowering drugs.

One of the most common causes of high cholesterol is inflammation, and that can be brought on by a number of factors, including:

** Too many processed foods
** Smoking
** Not enough exercise
** Emotional stress

Healthy cholesterol levels are essential to keep your cells functioning at their best, and all of those risk factors above are within your control so that might be the place to start. If stress is the issue, have a look at the website for my book on How To Cope Successfully With Stress at www.sortingstressout.com

Natural relief for joint pain

Old wives’ tales are usually dismissed as being nonsense, but if you really care about your health they are well worth paying attention to as they are based on experience and ‘case studies’ that may be anecdotal but have at least been tried on actual human bodies – usually several thousand of them over a long period of time. I have mentioned the health benefits of Manuka honey before, and an old folk remedy for joint pain combines honey with cider vinegar to good effect. I teased you with that mention of the Bible, well cider vinegar gets a mention for being a healing agent and having antiseptic properties and has been used for many things including dealing with high blood pressure, lowering cholesterol and reducing stress. However, one of it’s most impressive qualities lies in it being able to tackle joint disease.

How does it do it? Because vinegar is full of natural enzymes that can help dissolve uric acid, and it is that acid which breaks down the calcium deposits in your joints. It is also believed that cider vinegar builds up the minerals needed for healthy bone structure. In other words, it acts as a natural anti-inflammatory.

Commercial vinegars are produced to give you a fine, clear liquid which is produced by boiling, and unfortunately that also kills all the enzymes and removes vital nutrients. However, like honey, it is better when from a powerful natural source such as Manuka – which itself has anti-inflammatory properties – so cider vinegar is most effective when it is unpasteurised and for that you need to find a specialist supplier. One enterprising company has combined the two ingredients for maximum effectiveness – and to make the vinegar palatable it must be said! A tablespoon of the combination in water on a daily basis will have your joints thanking you, and personally I combine it with a splash of ginger cordial concentrate and make it with hot water. It really does taste good, and if you want to know more then visit this website if you want to order up some ease in your joints: www.greenbayharvest.co.uk

Testosterone – yes or no?

Just as oestrogen production declines in women as they reach menopause, so does testosterone production slows down in men as they too approach middle age. Women have physical symptoms to show them that their oestrogen levels are declining, but men generally do not have such markers.

The idea of a ‘male menopause’ is a popular one – the clinical term is “andropause – but there’s little evidence to back it up. However, the makers of popular ‘libido’ supplements have not let that get in the way of a potential market and there are a number of herbal products on sale that are aimed at men. It is true that some men do report sexual dysfunction or lack of desire, fatigue and weakness as they age, but most of these physical complaints are more often the influence of lifestyle factors such as diet, stress and inactivity.

The next step up from the freely available sexual dysfunction  is to take additional testosterone which may promise more energy, strength and virility – but rarely deliver. In fact, it can positively be dangerous. Although most healthy middle-aged men taking this hormone may experience a placebo effect at best, they do run an increased risk of prostate problems at worst.

Taking additional testosterone should only be undertaken if you have thoroughly discussed it with your doctor and they feel it would be appropriate for you.

By the way – it’s not just men who take testosterone, women also produce it in smaller amounts in their bodies and at menopause some women take it to increase libido and energy. However, my friend and colleague, Dr Bond and I used to run menopause seminars together and while we were watching the women seating themselves, we would look round the room and could easily identify the women who were on testosterone. They did not look ‘sexier’, but were instantly recognizable to those who knew what the signs were and it was not a particularly attractive look. Women too should only take it on their Doctor’s recommendation and always at the stated dose.

8 ways to prevent heartburn

Heartburn can be mildly unpleasant to really distressing, and although most people experience it occasionally it is when it is more frequent that you need to take action. If you are always carrying a packet of Rennies in your pocket, or some other over- the-counter medicine, then it is time start tackling the probable cause. Symptoms of heartburn include:

- Chest pain, especially while lying down at night
- Sour taste in the mouth
- Coughing, wheezing, hoarseness
- Aggravation of asthma
- Sore throat
- Regurgitation of food or liquid

If you suffer from it frequently – twice a week or more – then first visit your doctor to rule out any other issues, such as angina, which has similar symptoms. What you may be suffering from is gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. This condition occurs in people whose lower oesophageal sphincter doesn’t close properly, and that means that the acid from your stomach is able to flow back into the oesophagus, which can irritate its delicate lining, and that is what causes the pain.

The condition can also be triggered, or made worse, by a number of factors, perhaps something in your diet, stress, smoking, some medications and pregnancy can all trigger or worsen symptoms.

An alternative approach is to take some responsibility for the condition yourself and try the following approaches:

1 Keep a food and beverage journal. It can help you track and avoid triggers.

2 Eat small, frequent meals, not one huge one

3 Wear loose clothing and maintain a healthy weight to prevent stomach constriction and help reduce GERD

4 Avoiding lying down after eating, a gentle stroll or doing the washing up is a much better idea

5 Practice relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises or meditation

6 Sip chamomile tea as it can help soothe inflamed tissue in the oesophagus – adding some honey could improve the taste and give you extra immune support

7 If you usually sleep on your back, or on your right, try switching to sleeping on your left side. This may help move acid away from the entrance of the oesophagus and be enough to prevent it backing up

8 Experiment with DGL (deglycyrrhizinated liquorice), this is a supplement proven to be effective against GERD – but not if you have high blood pressure as liquorice can raise it

A rosy outlook for arthritis pain

As a child I used to go off into the hedgerows gathering rosehips every autumn, and taking them to school as part of a massive country wide drive. We used to be paid the vast sum of a penny a bag and they were turned into rosehip syrup which after the war was a vital source of vitamin C. Rosehips are having a bit of a revival and a study review has concluded that they could be more effective than painkillers at easing the pain of arthritis sufferers. Apparently when made into a powder, the wild variety of rosehip, Rosa canina, was almost three times more effective than standard paracetamol at reducing pain in patients than paracetamol. It was also almost 40 per cent more effective than another common therapy, the drug glucosamine.

You should find it in supplement form in good health stores or there is an organic form available online at: www.little-green-nursery.co.uk.

Juice benefits for Alzheimer’s

A recently concluded study which investigated Alzheimer’s disease in older Japanese populations living in Japan, Hawaii and Seattle, has found that people who drank fruit and vegetable juices more than three times a week had a 76 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than those who drank juice less than once per week.

This ten-year study was based on the fact that there is a very low incidence rate of Alzheimer’s disease in the Japanese population in their native country, but when Japanese people in the USA were studied they were found to have almost the same incidence rates as Americans have. Obviously this indicates that environmental factors like diet and lifestyle are important contributors to disease risk, but that the benefit of drinking juice was most apparent in those people who carry the genetic marker linked to late-onset Alzheimer’s disease — the most common form of the disease, which typically occurs after the age of 65.

Further research is being done on exactly what types of juice that would bring most benefit but from a natural healing viewpoint the most likely would seem to be pomegranate, cherry, red grape juice, red wine and fresh juiced vegetables. The researchers say that their findings are not yet conclusive so cannot be guaranteed to prevent Alzheimer’s but common sense would indicate that freshly juiced fruit and vegetables have all their essential minerals, vitamins and enzymes and would certainly improve overall health generally if not Alzheimer’s specifically.

Attitude, Illness and death

I know Christmas isn’t here yet, but I want to give you lots of notice of what I think will be a challenging and fascinating series of talks in the Royal Institution Christmas science lecture series by Dr Hugh Montgomery. He is an intensive care doctor, genetics researcher and Director of the Institute for Human Health and Performance at University College London and I think a brief ‘trailer’ is in order as I think what he has to say is so important about a topic that is often avoided, certainly by many doctors.

His lecture series will address what it is about certain people that enables them to survive starvation, extreme cold, extreme heat or lack of oxygen. He suggests that genes, environment and luck all play a part but what he was not able to tackle in the lectures is the question of the will to live in medical situations because it is a controversial topic. So I would like to flag it up here for your consideration.

Personally, I have given three talks this week; on procrastination, stress management and alternative health. The common theme in all of them was how important your attitude is to your success in life, your health and your happiness. The British Medical Journal has previously reported on the fact that a positive attitude prolongs lifespan and that positive thinkers recover faster from everyday illnesses and do not suffer from them as much as do those who have a more negative orpessimistic outlook.

Belief is a powerful thing. Ask anyone working in an intensive care ward or a hospice and they will tell you about people who have survived terminal illnesses altogether, or for longer than anyone could have predicted, and also have let go and died when given seeming ‘permission’ from family or their Doctor to do so. This is something that has long been privately acknowledged, but not publicly discussed, in the medical profession; that the ‘will to live’ or desire to die can influence a patient’s survival.

Dr Montgomery has raised the issue, based on his own experience. “What I have found again and again is that dying patients hold on for a loved one to arrive – say for a son to get the visa to fly to London and see mother in hospital for one last time. My father, who was unconscious in hospital for the last couple of days of his life, died at the rare moment when we – my mother, sisters and me – were in the room at the same time.” I have heard, and experienced myself, this phenomenon and been told of many similar stories of people ‘waiting’ to go for a specificevent or person to be present – and sometimes, absent.

As I said, this is a privately acknowledged fact by many doctors but it is also a controversial one. Dr Montgomery is not suggesting that some people who succumb to fatal illnesses may just lack the will to survive because it is important not to generalise. He is also looking at this from a behavioural psychology rather than a medical viewpoint. What he is saying is that one’s mental attitude or emotional state can cause fatal illnesses or help one survive and there is plenty of data to help support that view.

Certainly, we know that stress, often emotionally related, can cause coronary disease. St John Ambulance can confirm this in terms of the number of people who have heart attacks at football matches or majorsporting events. Dr Montgomery acknowledges that more work is needed on the notion of the will to live. “But when you come across, as I often do,two patients who seem to be in a similar condition and have the same strengths and weaknesses, but one dies and one lives, I’m convinced there is a will to live and that it’s important in deciding who survives. “As I am for ever pointing out to people, if you look at life with a half-full glass attitude then your ‘bonus gift’ is to have the potential to live an extra 7.5 years longer than your half-empty glass neighbour.

Worth thinking about isn’t it?

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