Home > Feedback / Testimonials / Archives > Newsletter Archives > Herbal Health October 2004 Natural Health Newsletter Issue 236 Sponsored by www.Insensual.com Toll Free for orders 1-866-467-6444 Issue Editor - Heather Bowman Herbs - Vitamins - Minerals - Magnetics - Candles - Aromatherapy - Holiday Gifts - Bath & Beauty - Essential Oils - Condition & Ailment Guide - Womens Health - Mens Health - Weight Loss - Health Books Recent Research Confirms Cranberry Is One Of The Best Sources Of Antioxidants - Click here for full story. Holy Basil: Sacred Versatility - Click here for full story. Supplements Save Muscles During Bed Rest - Click here for full story. MSM: Helping Alleviate Allergy Symptoms - Click here for full story. Enzyme CoQ10 And Vitamin E More Effective Against Inflammation When Taken Together Than Separately - Click here for full story. Our Sponsors Enter coupon code NL101804 when checking out to obtain discounts on your next purchase from http://www.Insensual.com Back to Top Recent Research Confirms Cranberry Is One Of The Best Sources Of Antioxidants Reprinted with permission from The Food Safety Network, www.foodsafetynetwork.ca, August 4, 2004, From a press release East Wareham, Mass.- The cranberry, long known for its health benefits, has recently received high ratings for its antioxidant levels. The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry just published the results of a United States Department of Agriculture research study that measured the antioxidant capacity of one hundred common foods, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, dried fruits, spices, cereals, infant food and others. The research showed cranberry to be one of the highest sources of antioxidants of all foods tested. This is just the latest in a significant body of research that confirms the great health benefits of cranberries, notes Martin Starr, PhD, Science Advisor to the Cranberry Institute. The medical and health community is fast recognizing antioxidants as premier disease fighters. Mounting scientific evidence supports the conclusion that a diet with antioxidant-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. Additionally, other preliminary studies show that cranberries contain specific nutrients that can slow cancer cell growth. What exactly are antioxidants? Antioxidants neutralize a type of unstable cells in the body called free radicals. These free radicals break down normal, healthy cells and cause disease. Free radicals are sometimes produced through normal metabolism and the bodys immune system can intentionally create free radicals to fight viruses and bacteria. However, environmental factors such as pollution, cigarette smoke and chemicals can also promote their formation. Antioxidants are the bodys natural defense against these damaging compounds. While the human body produces antioxidants naturally, conditions of stress can severely impair our bodies ability to produce them. Stress can also tax the antioxidants the body does produce, creating an additional need. Therefore, nutritionists and other healthcare professionals recommend a diet rich in fruits and vegetables as a good source of supplemental antioxidants. The cranberrys high antioxidant content makes this fruit a great choice. Cranberries and Cranberry products offer many additional health benefits. Research has shown that compounds in cranberries, known as flavonoids, may inhibit bacterial adhesion in the body. This anti-adhesion property helps prevent urinary tract infections, and possibly the development of certain ulcers and periodontal disease. Compounds in cranberries may also help prevent the progression of atherosceloric plaques that lead to cardiovascular disease. Research on these areas and on additional health benefits is ongoing. The Cranberry Institute is dedicated to supporting research and increasing awareness about the health benefits of the cranberry. For more information, visit www.cranberryinstitute.org. For more information and list of helpful products Antioxidants Back to Top Holy Basil: Sacred Versatility By Allen Studzinski, NOW Quality Assurance, September 23, 2004 Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum), also called Indian Basil or Sacred Basil, is known as Tulsi in Sanskrit, which means “the incomparable one”. As an important symbol in Hindu religious traditions it is worshiped and used in various religious rituals. The tradition of Ayurvedic Medicine recognizes the tremendous medicinal significance of Holy Basil, where it is considered an elixir that is healing to mind, body, and spirit. Ayurvedic medicine sees Holy Basil as an herb with bitter, pungent, and astringent tastes used as a major respiratory support herb that helps to mobilize mucus with colds, flu, and other respiratory ailments. It is also traditionally used to bring down fever, for earaches, digestive disorders such as bloating or colic, ringworm, malaria, and even as a mosquito repellant. Modern research finds Holy Basil to have potent therapeutic potential for peptic ulcer sufferers due to its anti-ulcerogenic and ulcer healing properties.(1) Through its various neurotransmitter-modulating effects it may have analgesic properties(2) as well as anti-stress effects. Stress related changes in levels of hormones such as cortisol and the corticosteroids are generating interest due their negative impact on everything from weight management, to healing, and memory. Studies show Holy Basil to have anti-stressor properties and a normalizing influence on stress induced changes in these problematic corticosteroid hormone levels.(3) Holy Basil supports healthy carbohydrate metabolism as well as healthy blood sugar levels.(4) Studies suggest diabetics may benefit from Holy Basil’s blood sugar lowering properties and one study also showed cholesterol-lowering effects.(5) Laboratory studies looking at sugar metabolism in the eye suggest Holy Basil may positively influence cataract formation.6 Antioxidants are believed to be key ingredients for health and longevity and Holy Basil contains a variety of components with free radical neutralizing and antioxidant activity.(7,8) Many of the potential benefits attributable to Holy basil are believed to be due to it containing a component called Ursolic acid. Many studies have been performed showing ursolic acid’s protective qualities on nerve, liver, and skin tissues as well as immune modulatory effects. Holy Basil seems to offer significant protection against cancer and cancer causing substances.(9) Lastly, Holy Basil derivatives have been shown to inhibit the inflammatory COX-2 and LOX enzyme systems.(10) Sufferers of arthritis and inflammatory diseases usually are given side effect ridden prescription drugs to inhibit these very same enzymes. Precautions: Holy Basil is a very safe herb with thousands of years of historical use. Ayurveda cautions its use in individuals with overly heated conditions and some studies suggest an anti-fertility potential so those looking to conceive may wish to not overdo Holy Basil. * These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. 1 J Ethnopharmacol. 2004 Aug;93(2-3):197-206 2 J Ethnopharmacol. 2003 Oct;88(2-3):293-6 3 Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 1997 Apr;41(2):139-43 4 J Ethnopharmacol. 2004 Jan;90(1):155-60 5 Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1996 Sep;34(9):406-9 6 J Ethnopharmacol. 2003 May;86(1):113-6 7 Biochem Int. 1991 Jul;24(5):981-90 8 Biochem Int. 1992 Dec;28(4):735-44 9 Indian J Exp Biol. 1990 Nov;28(11):1008-11 10 J Ethnopharmacol. 1996 Oct;54(1):19-26 Back to Top Supplements Save Muscles During Bed Rest Reprinted with permission from www.foodsafetynetwork.ca, September 8, 2004, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston The loss of muscle strength is a problem faced by anyone placed in an environment that makes the exercise and physical activity involved in normal day-to-day life impossible — a patient confined to a hospital bed, for example, or an astronaut experiencing weightlessness for weeks at a time. Now, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) scientists have found a way to fight this muscle-wasting process with nutritional supplements, producing dramatic results in subjects participating in a 28-day bed-rest study. A paper published in the September issue of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism details the experiment, in which thirteen healthy male volunteers were confined to beds in the university’s General Clinical Research Center. Seven volunteers received drinks containing essential Amino Acids and Carbohydrates three times each day, while six others were given a placebo with no nutritional value. Using data produced by state-of-the-art real-time muscle-protein synthesis measurements, biopsies, magnetic resonance and X-ray imaging, and strength tests, the researchers determined that the subjects given supplements retained all of their original leg muscle mass while the members of the placebo group lost about a pound of leg muscle on average. Those given the supplements also lost only about half as much leg strength as those given the placebo. “We thought it was the most astounding thing that even though our subjects did no exercise, they were able to maintain muscle mass,” said UTMB assistant professor Douglas Paddon-Jones, lead author on the paper. Paddon-Jones and his co-authors, Melinda Sheffield-Moore, Randall J. Urban, Arthur P. Sanford, Asle Aarland, Robert R. Wolfe and Arny A. Ferrando, represent UTMB’s departments of Surgery, anesthesiology, and internal medicine and the Galveston Shriners’ Hospital for Children. A similar supplement regime could reduce muscle loss in astronauts on long-duration space flights (the study was partially funded by NASA), trauma victims (severe trauma diminishes the body’s ability to make new muscle) and—in particular—hospitalized elderly people. “The elderly have less muscle to spare than the rest of us,” Paddon-Jones said. “When they get sick or injured and wind up in a hospital bed for a prolonged period, many of them lose so much muscle mass and strength that they don’t get back up. For a lot of people, this supplement could make a real difference.” While the subjects in this study were healthy men between the ages of 26 and 46, the UTMB researchers plan further investigations to determine whether nutritional supplements — alone and in combination with resistance or walking exercise— can indeed significantly reduce muscle loss in elderly men and women during prolonged bed rest. Back to Top MSM: Helping Alleviate Allergy Symptoms By Greg Arnold, July 14, 2004, Abstracted from “A multicentered, open-label trial on the safety and efficacy of methylsulfonylmethane in the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis” in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 2002; 8(2): 167-73 Seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR), a common clinical expression of an atopic reaction (genetic predisposition) to inhaled allergens, affects more than 23 million Americans annually. These allergic reactions can range from mild daily symptoms to debilitating headaches, severe nasal congestion that may lead to sinus infection and difficulties breathing. Current prescription and over-the-counter medications act mainly by inhibiting histamine, the primary inflammatory mediator in allergic reactions. Unfortunately, patients taking these medications experience symptoms that include sedation, dizziness, rings in the ears, fatigue, insomnia, tremors, nausea, constipation, and diarrhea.(1) The cornucopia of side effects has spawned a search for alternative therapies that will give similar results without the side effects. One such supplement showing promise is methylsulfonylmethane (MSM). Researchers had 50 subjects consume 2600 mg of MSM orally per day for 30 days. The subjects were evaluated using a Seasonal Allergy Symptom Questionnaire (SASQ) at 0, 7, 14, 21, and 30 days. Researchers also measured C-reactive protein and immunoglobulin at the beginning and end of the study. Results were observed as early as day 7, where upper and total respiratory symptoms were reduced significantly when compared with the beginning of the study. By week 2, energy levels had “increased significantly.” By week 3, lower respiratory symptoms were significantly improved. Even more encouraging was that all improvements observed in the subjects were maintained. Not only did the researchers recommend MSM for allergies (2600 mg/day for 30 days), they observed that “few side effects are associated with the use of this compound.” Reference: 1 Hardman JG. Goodman & Gilman’s The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. 9th ed. New York, McGraw-Hill, 1996 Click here for more information on Allergies and helpful products Back to Top Enzyme CoQ10 And Vitamin E More Effective Against Inflammation When Taken Together Than Separately By Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, September 8, 2004, abstracted from “Cosupplementation with vitamin E and coenzyme Q10 reduces circulating markers of inflammation in baboons” in the September 2004 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Inflammation and cell damage through a process called oxidation are now regarded as two of the most important processes in aging,(1) Alzheimer disease,(2) cancer,(3) and heart disease and stroke.(4) Vitamin E and Enzyme CoQ10 are two supplements gaining credibility when it comes to helping prevent disease. Separate studies have shown vitamin E to be effective against heart disease and stroke(5) while CoQ10 has shown effectiveness against Parkinson’s disease(6) and cardiovascular disease.(7) Now, a new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition(8) has found that the two taken together may be even better for preventing disease by helping inhibit inflammation. While investigating in baboons the effects of antioxidants on C-reactive protein, a well-established marker for disease,(9) researchers observed a “dramatic effect” of vitamin E and CoQ10 in reducing markers of inflammation. The vitamin E by itself, equal to a 200 IU intake per day in humans, reduced CRP levels by 50 percent. When the CoQ10 was added, at an amount of 160 mg per day for humans, CRP levels were reduced by 73 percent, a 20 percent increase over vitamin E alone. Despite these results, the researcher admitted that translating successful animal experiments to humans is still disputed.(10) But the past successes of vitamin E and CoQ10 supplementation still strongly warrant a recommendation for their use in providing some form of protection against disease. Reference: 1 Fukagawa, N.K., Aging: is oxidative stress a marker or is it causal? Proc Soc Exp Biol Med, 1999. 222(3): p. 293-8 2 Grundman, M., Vitamin E and Alzheimer disease: the basis for additional clinical trials. Am J Clin Nutr, 2000. 71(2): p. 630S-636S 3 Halliwell, B., Can oxidative DNA damage be used as a biomarker of cancer risk in humans? Problems, resolutions and preliminary results from nutritional supplementation studies. Free Radic Res, 1998. 29(6): p. 469-86 4 Aviram, M., Review of human studies on oxidative damage and antioxidant protection related to cardiovascular diseases. Free Radic Res, 2000. 33 Suppl: p. S85-97 5 Shekelle, P.G., et al., Effect of supplemental vitamin E for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. J Gen Intern Med, 2004. 19(4): p. 380-9 6 Sharma, S., et al., Neuroprotective actions of coenzyme Q10 in Parkinsons disease. Methods Enzymol, 2004. 382: p. 488-509 7 Sarter, B., Coenzyme Q10 and cardiovascular disease: a review. J Cardiovasc Nurs, 2002. 16(4): p. 9-20 8 Wang, X.L., et al., Cosupplementation with vitamin E and coenzyme Q10 reduces circulating markers of inflammation in baboons. Am J Clin Nutr, 2004. 80(3): p. 649-55 9 Arroyo-Espliguero, R., et al., C-reactive protein elevation and disease activity in patients with coronary artery disease. Eur Heart J, 2004. 25(5): p. 401-8 10 Jialal, I. and S. Devaraj, Antioxidants and atherosclerosis: dont throw out the baby with the bath water. Circulation, 2003. 107(7): p. 926-8 Do you have a question for us? If so please send in your questions to newseditor@insensual.com We will answer all email ASAP! Back to Top For assistance or to purchase products by phone call toll free in the USA 1-866-467- 6444 or World Wide 1-307-577-6444 or e-mail your questions to newseditor@insensual.com. We will answer e-mails in the newsletter as space allows. Our Sponsors Insensual.com Get the finest all natural health products, get the best service, and low cost worldwide delivery. Enter coupon code NL101804 when checking out to obtain discounts on your next purchase from www.Insensual.com