Posts Tagged ‘cancer’
Siberian Chaga Used in Russia as Cancer Drug
If you discover a black, cancerous mass on a birch, you may be looking at a Siberian chaga mushroom. It can also, less commonly, be found growing ash, beech, elm or hornbeam.
In Europe and Asia, chaga has been used for centuries to treat cancers of the heart and liver, digestive ailments, and tuberculosis. [121]
The traditional use was to peel the black skin of the mushroom and then boil it into a tea. Being a compact and easily portable medicinal made it very valuable to healers throughout history.
Modern research on chaga has mainly focused on its potential application as an anti-cancer remedy. In Russia, this usage was already approved as early as 1955 to treat lung, stomach, breast and cervical cancers. [122]
One modern study from 1998 showed that chaga extract did in fact inhibit growth of cervical cancer cell lines under lab conditions. [123] Another study from 1995 reported that an isolate of the active compound betulin first inhibited growth of melanoma cells in a lab, and then killed them. [124, 25]
Other research papers also confirm that some of the active compounds of chaga help retard the growth of cancer cells. [125, 126]
Although traditional healers used to peel off the black outside (probably because it looked unappetizing), the skin actually contains 30% betulin, a highly prized medicinal compound, [127] while the inside is rich in fungal lanostanes. So both parts would be valuable in preparing the tea.
Even better are chaga extracts that are made with not only the whole mushroom but also the mycelium, because the mycelium contains higher levels of medicinal proteins than the fruit body of the mushroom.
Other researchers have found chaga extract to be potently anti-viral. Two studies in 1996 found it to have an inhibitory effect on both influenza [127] and HIV. [128] Perhaps it does so by helping to stimulate the body’s natural immune functions, something that was first confirmed in 2002 and then again in 2005, [25, 129] and which may also help explain the historical use of chaga mushroom as an anti-inflammatory. [130]
Furthermore, alcohol extract of chaga mushroom has been found to lower blood sugar levels. [131] Chaga also demonstrates significant antioxidant properties that help protect the genetic integrity of the cells. [132, 133]
As an interesting aside unrelated to human health, a Quebec arborist uses a chaga poultice to cure chestnut blight. The trees later even become immune to the blight and resistant to future infections. [134]
Note: The statements on this page have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Never use any medicinal mushroom or herb without prior approval by medical doctor.
Credit to Paul Stamets for research and source material.
Dr. Markho Rafael has worked in the natural health field since finishing Chiropractic College in 1996. He currently specializes in medicinal fungi in partnership with Cordyceps Reishi Extracts, LLC, a U.S. business offering Siberian Chaga Mushroom Extract and much more. For the scientific references to this article, go to the Chaga Extract page and click on any number indicating a reference.
Tags: AIDS, breast cancer, cancer, diabetes, disease, herbal, Herbs, hiv, medicine, Nutrition, skin cancer, Supplements, wellness, women's
Red Meat Linked To Health Problems
In the largest study of its kind, involving over half a million men and women, older Americans who eat large amounts of red meat like beef, pork and lamb, as well as processed meats like hot dogs, bacon and cold cuts were found to have a greater risk of death from either heart disease or cancer, making it a dangerous red meat health connection.
This research back up the long-standing advice of experts to limit red meats in the diet, and appears in the March 23, 2009 Archives of Internal Medicine.
The study considered over 545,000 subjects aged 50 to 71 years old, from AARP members as part of the National Institutes of Health Diet and Health Study, and asked about their eating habits.
The results relied on participants remembering what they ate, and this of course isn’t always accurate.
Over 70,000 of the participants died during the decade long study, and the researchers made adjustments in the study results to account for other risk factors like smoking, high BMI (body mass index) and family history of cancer in their analysis.
The findings however, even when taking these aspects into account, paint a damning picture for red and processed meat.
Some of the study results show us that eating a quarter pound hamburger daily gave a 22% higher risk of dying from cancer; 27% higher risk of dying from heart disease (compared subjects who ate just 5 ounces of meat a week)
Women who ate a proportionately higher amount of red and processed meat had a 20% higher risk of dying of cancer; 50% greater potential of dying of heart disease than women who ate less of this type of meat.
This consumption level might seem pretty high. In 2003-2004, the most recent year’s statistics are available, on average adults ate 2.5 ounces of red meat each day.
“The consumption of red meat was associated with a modest increase in total mortality,” declared Rashmi Sinha, lead author of the study.
Amazingly, processed meats carried lower overall risks than red meat according to the research.
Alsopeople whose diets had more white meat (chicken and fish) were found to have lower risks of death.
“This fits together with the findings of the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Cancer Society, which recommend limiting the consumption of red meat,” added Sinha, who’s a senior investigator with the nutrition epidemiological branch at the Cancer Institute.
So, just why are red meats in excess so bad for our bodies?
No one has pinned down the answer quite yet.
Some experts believe the trouble might come from the iron and fat in the meats, others blame the salt, nitrates/nitrites of processed meats.
Also, when meat is cooked (especially fried or charbroiled) at high temperatures compounds are created in the meat that can be mutagenic or even carcinogenic.
Another argument for reducing the amount of red meat consumed?
Livestock contribute to greenhouse gas emissions that have been implicated in global warming.
Barry Popkin, who wrote an accompanying editorial to the study, suggests, “We’ve promoted a diet that has added excessively to global warming.”
Most suggest that meat should not be eliminated from your diet, but become a supporting part of meals along with other healthy options.
Choosing fish, poultry or beans as an alternative to the red meats is a great option. Leaner cuts can also be part of a healthy diet, and according to the American Meat Institute are an excellent source of iron, B12 and zinc, as well as other essential vitamins and minerals.
If you have risk factors for heart disease or cancer, you’ll want to talk to your own doctor to find out what diet and lifestyle changes you can make to today to help keep your body healthy and disease free. Don’t let the link between red meat and health be your downfall.
Next – just head on over to the Daily Health Bulletin for the link between dangerous red meat and health, plus for a limited time get 5 free fantastic health reports. Click here to watch an automated video on the dangers of red meat study.
Tags: cancer, death, diet, Health, meat health, meat healthy, Nutrition, red meat health
Reishi Extract and Cancer
Reishi is frequently prescribed in Traditional Chinese Medicine as a panacea. It is widely used by both laymen and professionals in the Orient as a treatment for things as innocuous as stress or weight loss to more serious conditions such as arthritis and even cancer.
One of the strongest proponents for the use of reishi as a medicinal mushroom is Dr. Fukumi Morishige. He works with the Linus Pauling Institute of Science & Medicine on treating cancer with reishi.
Re-printed in the Chinese Traditional Medicine Part III was a speech by Dr. Morishige that included the case studies listed below.
Growing up in Japan as Dr. Morishige did, it was impossible not to have heard of reishi. But he dismissed it as a mild herbal remedy to be used with limited results for non-terminal illnesses, not as a viable option for treating terminal conditions such as cancer. His curiosity arose when two of his cancer patients showed signs of remission, which they themselves claimed were due to their use of reishi.
First was a 39-year-old woman with lung carcinoma. The hospitals she had visited all told her she was too far gone and there was nothing they could do to help her. As a serious secondary complication, she also exhibited chest cavity edema. None-the-less, by the time she had her first appointment with Dr. Morishige, the symptoms of her illness had disappeared. The woman credited her recovery to the use of reishi, which her husband had administered to her at 4 grams per day.
The second case was a young boy suffering from congenital liver cancer. At the age of 5, his attending physician determined that the condition was terminal and discontinued any further treatment. At 9 years of age, the boy’s parents brought him to see Dr. Morishige who could then find no remaining traces of the cancer. The parents explained to Dr. Morishige that they had been feeding their son reishi via a naso-gastric tube. It was at this point Dr. Morishige determined that reishi’s effect on cancer deserved further study.
Below are five cases using reishi in combination with Vitamin C (to prevent side effects):
Case 1: A patient with a 5 cm (2 in.) brain tumor who had lost consciousness was placed on 6 gm of reishi per day in June of ‘86. By September, this 70-year-old-male patient had emerged from his comatose state. The reishi was decreased to 3 gm per day. Another three months later, December of 1986, scans showed diminishing size of the tumor. After it shrunk to 1 cm (0.4 in.), the hospital released the man to return home and live with his family.
Case 2: A patient with lung cancer, a 50-year-old female, was coughing up blood. Dr. Morishige put her on a daily dose of 6 gm of reishi. In six months, the tumor vanished. The woman, among other things, had regained her ability to climb stairs without suffering shortness of breath.
Case 3: A woman with breast cancer and metastatic bone cancer suffered excruciating pain and an inability to move below the neck. Dr. Morishige started her out on 9 gm/day of reishi and then increased it to 20 gm/day. In two months, the patient was free from pain, able to walk, and was released from the hospital.
Case 4: A man with rectal cancer metastasized to the liver was placed on 6 grams per day of reishi. Six months later, CT scans revealed that the tumor had shrunk. The patient showed improved health.
Case 5: A male patient aged 60 was diagnosed as having terminal pancreatic cancer and short life expectancy. Dr. Morishige placed him on 9 gm/day of reishi plus 30 gm/day of Vitamin C. A year later, the man was free of any symptoms and back working. After leaving the hospital, he continued taking 5 gm of reishi per day.
Note: This article is provided for scientific and informational purposes only. This product has not been tested by the FDA and should not be used for self-treatment of tumors. Never use any herb for medicinal purposes without consulting a licensed medical doctor.
Reference: Morishige, Fukumi, 1987. Chinese Traditional Medicine Part III, Page 12 – 23, ISBN4-88580-053-6 C-0077
About the author: Markho Rafael has worked in natural health for over 15 years, specializing in medicinal mushrooms such as reishi and cordyceps. Click Reishi Extract / Cordyceps for additional free articles about reishi and how it works individually or in combination such as in Stamets 7. You may also request free unique copy of articles for your web-site or other publication.
Tags: breast cancer, cancer, disease, fitness, healing, herbal, Herbs, lung cancer, medicine, Nutrition, self help, Supplements, wellness, women's
Fungi Used as Cures throughout History
In 3,300 B.C., a tribal elder from Val Venosta, Italy, trekked across an Alpine glacier in an attempted getaway from enemies. But his foes got the better of him and with a well-aimed arrow pierced his subclavian artery, leaving him to bleed to death in a glacial cave where his mummified remains were discovered in 1991. Among the belongings of Oetzi the Iceman were two medicinal mushrooms, the earliest evidence in existence of mushrooms used as remedies.
There is good reason to believe he carried both of these mushrooms along as natural remedies. Whipworm parasite eggs were found in Oetzi’s intestines. Birch polypore mushroom Piptoporus betulinus is a traditional de-worming remedy. The other mushroom in his possession, Tinder fungus (Fomes fomentarius), may have been used to cauterize the wound on his right hand.
Birch polypore and Tinder fungus are both polypores, which have pores on their undersides, hence the name. Most polypores grow on trees and none is known to be poisonous.
With a couple of notable exceptions, most polypores are inedible because they are woody and fibrous. But as natural remedies in the form of tea, extracts and poultices, they have been invaluable to people all across the globe for many millennia.
Native American traditions tell of using different kinds of polypore extracts to combat smallpox and other diseases introduced with the arrival of Europeans. This includes Reishi (Ganoderma resinaceum), Chaga (Inonotus obliquus), Birch polypore, and Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor), as well as the now rare and endangered species Agarikon (Fomitopsis officinalis).
And as though by no coincidence, Agarikon also holds the distinction as the oldest medicinal mushroom in historic European literature. In 65 B.C., Greek physician Dioscorides recorded it in Materia Medica as a remedy for tuberculosis. More recently, K. Grzywnowics in a 2001 article titled Medicinal Mushrooms in Polish Folk Medicine said Agarikon tea was traditionally considered an elixir for long life and listed historical uses to include lung conditions (coughing, asthma) and rheumatoid arthritis, but also infected wounds and open bleeding.
So far, we’ve only covered the history of medicinal mushrooms in Europe and America and have barely even touch upon their use in Asia, where their use has been even more exhaustive. At least three Asian species must be included in any article on the history of mushrooms.
First is the polypore Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), which has been used in China and Japan as a health bestowing mushroom of immortality for at least two millennia. It was first mentioned in the 2,000 year old book Shen Nong’s Herbal Classic. Many ancient wood-carvings and temple engravings in the Orient bear testament to the homage paid to this acclaimed cure-all mushroom.
Next is a mushroom from Tibet known as Cordyceps, a small fungus growing out of the bodies of silk caterpillars. Its first mention was in The Classic Herbal of the Divine Plowman, 200 A.D. Traditionally used as an aphrodisiac, today it’s popular with athletes to improve strength and stamina.
Last but not least is the medicinal mushroom Shiitake, better known as a culinary delight. However, Shiitake is also one of the most research mushrooms for medical properties. Commercial cultivation of Shiitake began about a thousand years ago in China. Medicinal uses include immune enhancement, antibiotic and more. Shiitake extracted Lentinan polysaccharide is approved as an anti-cancer drug in Japan.
Scientific research on medicinal mushrooms began in Japan in the late 1960’s. A ground-breaking study by Dr. Ikekawa found that mushroom growers and their families had lower cancer rates then the communities in which they lived. Today, medicinal research into mushrooms has expanded exponentially around the world and is still increasing. Medicinal mushrooms are still making history.
Note: This article is for informational purpose only. None of the mushrooms mentioned herein have been approved for medicinal use by the FDA. Never use any mushroom medicinally without consulting a licensed medical practitioner.
Dr. Markho Rafael has worked in the natural health field since the mid-90’s as an author and researcher, now specializing in fungi for health. Click medicinal mushroom for mushroom articles and products. Material for this article comes from several different sources. However, a significant portion comes from the books of medicinal fungi expert Paul Stamets, who deserves special credit and thanks.
Tags: asthma, biology, cancer, disease, exercise, healing, herbal, Herbs, Nutrition, self help, sports, Supplements, virus, wellness
Look and feel younger with the benefits of resveratrol.
Red wine is really good for your health, and this fact is one of the most talked about pieces of dietary news to arise in recent years. Dr. Oz says part of the reason is the resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant that comes from the skin of grapes. White wine has no resveratrol benefit because vintners don’t do the same process to make white wine than that of red wine.
Resveratrol is an antioxidant found in the skin of red grapes. Resveratrol can help with anti aging due to it’s powerful effects on repairing damaged cells within the body. When harmful cells attack our internal organs, it puts stress on our bodies which can show on our skin.
But also remember, moderation is the key when drinking to your health. Dr. Oz recommends that people should drink about 1 glass of red wine a day. Some men can drink slightly more because males metabolize alcohol more effectively compared to females.
Origin You can find resveratrol in strawberries, red wine, peanuts, grapes, and Japanese knotweed. Resveratrol works by releasing antioxidants to repair parts of the body that have been damaged by things such as free radicals and other harmful compounds.
If you are slightly dubious about either of these anti-aging products which have currently hit the anti-aging market by storm, or would like a FREE TRIAL before one of the big manufacturers snaps them up and starts charging a ridiculous price.
Tags: anti-aging, cancer, capsules, Health, life, men, resveratrol, Supplements, weight loss, Women, wrinkles
There’s Good Reasons To Take All Natural Health Supplements
Despite the fact that the government spends trillion on health we seem to be sicker than ever. We get fatter but we aren’t as fit, and more and more of us get cancer than we used to a hundred years ago. Mainstream medicine isn’t working as well as it should, so the question arises about whether we should be taking all natural health supplements.
Now don’t get me wrong here, mainstream medicine has made some huge breakthroughs in the last 100 years too, just look at the cure rates for cancer. But despite the fact the cancer can be cured at a higher rate than ever before a higher percentage of us still seem to be getting it.
So the problem is as much the rate or incidence of disease as the ability to cure it. And whilst mainstream medicine focuses on cure, all natural health supplements focus on prevention.
And there is plenty that we can do to help prevent bad health. We can eat a diet that is rich in fresh vegetables and fruit and low in bad fats, the saturated fats and keep off the sugar and salt. And we all need to exercise regularly. But there is a lot of evidence that taking high quality natural health supplements is a huge part of preventing disease.
There are a range of reasons for this. There is growing evidence that modern horticultural practices like intensive and monoculture farming is robbing the soil of essential minerals and vitamins that should be in the vegetables and fruit we eat. And of course if they’re gone from the soil they won’t be in the fruit or vegetables.
And the same problem arises with excessive use of fertilizers and I also wonder about GM foods too. There isn’t enough evidence but I don’t want to eat it.
But there is also evidence that there are so many different natural substances that could be hugely beneficial to our health, and even if we know about them we are unlikely to be able to satisfactorily add them to a daily diet.
Today I have been reading some of the latest exciting research about curcumin and resveratrol, two natural substances that have been discovered and studied in the last few decades. Both are showing extreme promise against various ailments, and there are many who are already taking all natural dietary supplements which include curcumin and resveratrol. But how do you get them in a good diet? Hard to know.
There are some very good niche health care companies that make very good natural dietary supplements and they are right at the cutting edge of research into producing high quality nutritional supplements. And I’ll bet you’ve never even heard of these companies either.
One in particular produces natural dietary supplements of the highest possible quality, with 77 different ingredients that are known to demonstrate a massive range of preventative properties, all combined with a world leading delivery system.
There’s no doubt there is plenty of evidence that we should be taking a high quality range of nutritional supplements. Our rates of disease are rising and whilst modern medicine is doing well at cure we need to be concentrating ourselves on prevention. And there is no doubt either that one of the best preventions is intelligent use of good dietary supplementation.
Great dietary supplements focus on prevention, and keeping us healthy so we never need to rely on modern medicine, and I for one don’t every want to depend on a doctor.
Visit my website to learn more about all natural health supplements.
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categories: all natural health supplements,all natural dietary supplements,health supplements,dietary supplements,nutritional supplements,health,alternative medicine,supplements,healthand fitness,cancer,diseases,cancer
Tags: all natural dietary supplements, all natural health supplements, alternative medicine, cancer, dietary supplements, diseases, Health, health supplements, healthand fitness, nutritional supplements, Supplements
Waking Up at Night? Gene-Eden, a Natural Antiviral Supplement Might Help
Recently, polyDNA conducted a study with users of Gene-Eden, a natural antiviral supplement. The objective was to get a better understanding of the effectiveness of the supplement for different indications. After analyzing the data, the researchers were surprised to discover that people who were taking the supplement for a few weeks report better, more refreshing sleep, relative to the time before starting to take the supplement.
Sleeping and antiviral?
While unknown to the general public, recent scientific studies showed that the cause of many sleeping problems is chronic infections with common viruses. One of these studies showed, for instance, that treatment with valganciclovir, an antiviral drug, benefited many people who were experiencing sleeping problems. In the study, Professor Jose G. Montoya from the School of Medicine at Stanford University and his team gave the drug to a group of people who had both sleep disturbances and a high concentration of chronic viruses. The results showed that the drug resolved the sleeping problems in 75% of the participants!
How are these studies related to Gene-Eden?
Gene-Eden is a natural, broad range, antiviral dietary supplement that targets many common viruses during their latent or chronic phase. Some of these viruses include the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Herpes Simplex virus (HSV), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Varicella Zoster virus (VZV), Human Papillomavirus (HPV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV).
The Gene-Eden formulation includes five natural ingredients. To identify these ingredients, the scientists at polyDNA used a unique process. First, they collected thousands of scientific papers. Then, they analyzed the content of these papers with their in-house, proprietary bio-informatics program. Finally, they used the results of the computer analysis to select the five most powerful, yet safe antiviral ingredients.
Some of the papers that show the powerful antiviral effect of the five ingredients are available on the Gene-Eden website at http://www.gene-eden.com.
Also, as would be expected from the rigorous process used by the scientists at polyDNA, users of Gene-Eden report significant improvements in their health.
What is the difference between Gene-Eden and traditional sleeping aids like Ambien and melatonin?
According to the Consumer Reports website: “Most sleep drugs are supposed to be taken for no longer than two weeks or so, and continued use could lead to serious side effects or dependency; “rebound” insomnia, in which sleeplessness returns and might actually worsen; memory lapses; and hallucinations.”
Why do sleeping drugs cause these side effects? Because they change the chemistry in the brain. Sleeping pills induce sleep by creating an artificial chemistry in the user’s brain. However, this artificial chemistry is artificial, and therefore, causes serious side effects.
In addition, the brain is adoptive. That is, when the artificial chemistry becomes the type of chemistry the brain experiences night after night, it starts to adjust itself to the new internal environment. After a short period, the brain can no longer fall asleep without the drugs. The brain became addicted.
Unlike these sleeping aids, Gene-Eden targets the chronic viruses found in the body. It targets the cause of the sleeping problems. Gene-Eden does not produce an artificial chemistry in the brain. It recreates the natural, healthy chemistry found in people with little or no chronic viruses, people who experience uninterrupted, refreshing sleep.
More information on Gene-Eden is available on the “About Sleep” webpage at http://www.gene-eden.com/sleep.htm. More information on other health problems caused by chronic viruses is available on the very interesting webpage that explains the highly acclaimed scientific discovery by Dr. Hanan Polansky’s of the relationship between chronic viruses and major diseases such as heart disease, arthritis, asthma, cancer, diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, or even accelerated aging. The page can be found at http://www.gene-eden.com/Gene-Eden.htm.
Gene-Eden is available on Amazon.com.
About: More information on Gene-Eden, the science-based, all natural, antiviral supplement that targets the most common viruses, including flu virus, EBV, CMV, HSV, VZV, HBV, HCV, and HPV, is available on the Gene-Eden website. Looking to buy Gene-Eden? Visit Amazon.com.
Tags: arthritis, cancer, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, diabetes, dietary supplements, Epstein Barr, Fibromyalgia, Health, Hepatitis, herpes, Nutrition, Supplements, viruses, vitamins
